JeanieC,Aston

If this is all about those who take bottles of spirits on board to have a tipple on the balcony,,,,who are the ones who get in the lift on deck 5 with an empty glass,,go up to deck 9 then come back down with a full glass. Or those who brag on social media about taking bottles of spirits on board then tell everyone they just come off a cruise and never spent a penny Thats the real story…..the skinflints.

Hi I have sailed Thomson since 1997,,,54 cruises in all,last one 3 weeks ago,,,I can’t remember Thomson/Tui/Marella ever being anything but All Inclusive. I also cruise P&O (Britannia in 4 weeks) and always buy the DP,,this time with the 20% discount was a no brainier. Each to their own I say. If this topic turns into a ‘the merits or not’ of drink packages I’ll pull my chair up and get the popcorn out.its a bit like the old boring dress code or smoking threads.

Hi Does the hotel on the dock still play Bocelli singing ‘Time to say goodbye’ when ship leaving Olden,,,makes the hair on your neck stand up.

Thank you I hadn’t realised that.

I agree,,there are lots of whisky to suit most people,,.personally I don’t like peaty Scotch whiskey so quite happy with Irish whiskey. Im still waiting for those who are railing about taking away the bottle of spirits to say why they don’t just order a bottle from room service,,,they are cheap enough. Take your pick of whisky or whiskey. You can even buy whiskey flights to find one you want.the only thing that disappoints me with P&O spirits is the mean 25ml measure,,,I sail Celebrity as well as P&O,,,on Celebrity it’s US measures and a bit more.

There used to be a sign above the bar in Yates Wine Lodges I’ve always tried to adhere to…. ’Moderation is true Temperance’ Tried and failed many times😏

I don’t pretend to know the difference,,I do. If you think Smirnoff tastes the same as Grey Goose your taste buds must have been destroyed by drinking cheap vodka. Try a Baltic cruise and visit a small off-licence in Tallin they will let you try different vodkas,,,,wheat,rye,potato based,they are all different,,,now there is one in the DF shop in St Pete’s called Kalashnikov,it will tip your throat out.

Hi Just to be a devils advocate,,my wife used to buy a 6 or 12 bottle wine package. If she finished a bottle in the restaurant she would order another full one from a bar. How on earth does anyone know were people get the wine from. As an aside and to support your observation the Prosecco served in the wine package is Conti,,,all the supermarkets sell it for ~£7.50!if you brought 2 or 3 bottles on board how would staff know.

Thanks I thought it was those ships,,,I wasn’t sure.

Don’t know what the problem is,,,buy a bottle from room service. You can buy a bottle of Jameson’s for £26,,,,cheaper than Asda at £33.

Lots of people walk around with bottles of wine,,,I always buy the DP now but used to buy the Wine package for my wife,,,I drink Guinness and Jameson’s. Most night she would take the opened bottle out of the restaurant to finish in the bar…….maybe this is what others do. I did read one cruise line has stopped storing wine after diner to be drank the next night,,,can’t remember which.

Here is the hot tub and conservatory cabins….. I imagine those screens are to encourage people to walk down the middle of the deck and not holding on to someone’s balcony rail.

Hi I had a very enjoyable Med cruise on this last week,,,believe it was Celebrity Mercury,,,the windows are still there.

Standards was very poor on Iona.

Same on our Iona cruise last year,,problem was those who now show you to the table are commandeered from the cabin steward team even when they had a map they was getting lost. They don’t even dress them like restaurant staff,they are the ones in the scruffy grey polo shirts.

Hi Did Fred twice from Liverpool,,really enjoyed the cruise and I agree with others the food was far superior to P&O,,,they even show you to your table in the buffet that’s laid out with cutlery and table clothes,,,then the person who showed you to your table gets you your tea or coffee,,,,little things that makes a difference. Where I disagree is re the Drink Package,,,,it’s woefull,,,,one beer,NB,one lager.cheap spirits,,,the choice of one white,red,rose house wine….if you want say a Guinness or John Smiths maybe a Jameson’s or a choice of wine you pay 50% of the bar price. We are looking at an 8 night Round Ireland cruise from Liverpool on Bolette with added DP,,,,,,,in a fully obscured Outside cabin on Prom Deck====£4400 for 2. who are they kidding. I would sail Fred from Liverpool every time if it was at P&O prices.

Wow that’s late,I never thought P&O would want people still on the ship at that time.

I don’t know what time priority are given but on my last P&O cruise disembarkation times for coaches was at or near the top of the list. Of course walk off’s were the first off.

They started giving coaches first debark times… Eavesway say the coaches will be parked up from 08:00 and can travellers try to be on coach by 08:30,,,,,alas you always get ones who linger over a long breakfast and stroll up at 09:30 or even later.

You can always book one of these if you want a faux balcony cabin on Fred. They are called Lanai cabins,,not much privacy though with doors open but you do get your own steamer chairs.

It does seem late,with lunch stop it’s 5 hrs plus. Eavesway have always left Burtonwood at 07:45 and usually pulls into the terminal around 13:30.

Flam is a lovely village,,good shopping and a brew pub to try the local brew. It is easy to book the train online,,,,there is a little Noddy train for a short trip up and down the valley. Here is a photo,,,the train is just ahead of the electric ferry in the photo. one of the ferries seen is battery powered and does trips up the fiord.

Correct,,,never thought of that.

He must have been going downhill,,,,for 40 years now coaches are by law req to fit speed limiters at 62mph.