cruiser man 60

18 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I have a pdf of the full listing but as it is personalised it has some information that I would rather not post to a public forum. Do you have a generic email address I could send it to?

Got them elsewhere thanks anyway 

I think the charge for extra main course is too cut down waste, seen multiple cases on various cruise lines of people ordering 2 main’s because they can then eating half of each & wasting rest!!

On navigator app when do booked cruises appear? Booked 48 hours ago& says booking reference not recognised although it’s on HAL website login 

8 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Day 6 Douglas IoM.

 

Douglas and the Isle of Man has many memories for me, both happy and sad.

As a kid my parents would have brought us to Douglas on the ferry from Belfast and a couple of times by plane on a DC3 or a Handley Page Dart Herald.  We stayed in what was called a 'Private Hotel' which was basically a guest house that was licenced to sell alcohol to residents.  They would have been over 4 or 5 storeys with 15 to 20 bedrooms, and shared 'facilities' on each landing.  Meals supplied would be breakfast and High Tea. 

We stayed numerous times in a private hotel called 'Chequers' on Broadway and I believe it was located around here:

 

 

 

I was always interested in motorcycles and motorcycle racing (it is a national obsession in N. Ireland) and in later years visited numerous times for the Isle of Man TT races, which are held in early June.  In fact, 48 years ago Ellen & I had our honeymoon in the Isle of Man for the TT races.  In those days she was as much into the bikes as I was.  We went a bit upmarket for the honeymoon and stayed at the Douglas Bay Hotel which was where a lot of the factory teams and top riders would stay.  In those days true professionalism had not permeated the sporting arena (specially bike racing) and the guys were still crazy and human and prepared to enjoy themselves and have fun.  The Douglas Bay hotel burnt to the ground in 1988 and was rebuilt as an office block.  

 

Some parts of Douglas still remain, almost as I remember them.....The horse drawn trams, the railway to Laxey Wheel, the mist on Snaefell and we did find a shop selling Manx Kippers and another one selling clotted cream fudge and traditional sea side rock.

 

 

 

 

So all in all it was a day of mixed emotions.  The good memories of seeing things almost as they had been and the sadder memories of good friends lost doing what they loved (racing).

 

I should mention that the tendering 'process' was a disaster.  They were still calling tickets at 11.45 am which was 3hrs 45 mins after the scheduled starting time.  I would have expected free tendering within two hours.  According to local sources the Nieuw Statendam was setting a record for the number of cruise ship visitors in a day.

Do you have a list of the excursions on offer in IOM, as Uk residents interested what’s on offer 

Anyone know if the long number you ring from UK is classed as a local call as don’t want to ring at international rates!!

2 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Current unlimited laundry packages are $8.50 per day.  I think European packages are a bit higher.

Thanks, can you just put a bag a week in with say 20 items & what fee ?

Do HAL do laundry packages & if so , what’s the prices please?

Thanks everyone, looks like majority say book early so will price up over weekend 

Considering booking a Japan cruise in April 2025 , we’re from UK & prices quoted by HAL include have it all which includes drinks, Wi-Fi & gratuities 

is it best booking in advance as it requires c12% deposit or do prices get better nearer date?

Wonder if rules re masks will change once over 50s vaccinated ie the high risk groups, saga cruise as well as some airlines are already saying you will need proof of vaccinations to travel.

Most priority groups in Uk will be done by June but seems very slow in Europe and not sure on USA

45 minutes ago, Ryanryanryan said:

 

There won't be anything different for your Princess cruise in January. Princess has stated that they'll be back to normal cruising operations in January, therefore check-in won't be any different than the past.

Well if cruising starts in USA it will probably adopt the procedures already being used in Europe by MSC & Costa. That means turning up exactly at time given, waiting to be called, given COVID test and waiting 30 minutes for results. If negative you get on wearing masks, of positive you get called out of line for further testing which gets sent to hospital lab and results in 2/3 hours. If negative you get on , if positive you leave.

Also you need to have a COVID test 3 days before.and submit.

We went from Barcelona to canaries loop in January and we had fantastic weather, sunny and mid 20s every day even in Mediterranean. 1 month later it was snowing in Barcelona so you never knows , however we have been in Spain many times in winter and weather in daytime is normally dry & bright which is why so many winter there.

34 minutes ago, Moviela said:

My understanding is all the pax were Italian nationals, and they did sail to one foreign port. Many commented that only cruise line excursions were allowed ashore was a to increase the profits of the company. That is not correct. Italy does not allow pax to go ashore unescorted, and the group must be isolated from other people. In the bubble if you please. 

 

I don't know if this was the voyage that the family was booted for wandering away from the excursion, but it sounds like they are serious about following health protocols. 

 

Speaking of protocols, I know a mask does not stop covid, but it is another line of defense. If you have a mask, and maintain social distancing your chances of remaining healthy go way up. 

 

If we follow the rules, we can cruise sooner.

 

 

 

The cruise was open to all residents of schenghen countries which is most of Europe but not UK. Passengers were mainly Italian, French, German & some Scandinavia.

reviews I have seen in Facebook are positive with many videos on YouTube, masks were required by staff but not passengers unless in confined spaces like corridors etc

5 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

That's interesting as I hadn't heard MSC arranging that for their last 2 weeks of sailing on the Grandiosa.   Is it Costa And Aida that are arranging chartered flights for their passengers?

MSC have not arranged any flights and I understood policy was to try and discourage flying hence keeping cruises to European only.

i doubt any European country will allow any Americans south or north into Europe this year nor allow their citizens to fly to those countries.

38 minutes ago, drsel said:

Masks should be worn whenever you are out of the house, except when exercising

They are not required in Italy during daytime if just walking around ,needed in evenings as they found too many young people gathering in evenings without masks which is cause of increased cases. Other parts of Europe including UK don’t require them outside.

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Do you understand that face shields do Not prevent droplets from someone's mouth or nose coming in contact with food that you will eat served by a waiter or cook?  

Someone working with covid patients doesnt need to worry about infecting their patients as they are already infected so sure I shield would be sufficient for the medical personnel.

But for other jobs such as a food handler for general public a mask should be mandatory to prevent.  I dont want someone's droplets in my food or drink!!

Better safe than sorry!

 

I don't think people commenting on visors v face masks etc particularly from America realize that all the crew have been tested numerous times before boarding and had to quarantine before boarding, they are also constantly checked on board.

1 hour ago, drsel said:

On this Cruise, MSC Grandiosa, a family was thrown out of the ship, for abandoning their paid MSC ship tour.

What a dumb family!
they actually paid a huge amount of money for each and every family member to do the expensive MSC tour, and then they just left it and ran away to do their own thing!
how stupid of them

Just a point the  excursions on these cruises are fairly cheap I saw mentioned 100 euros for 3 plus some free ones are included in price.

stilll idiotic and I would loved to have heard the conversation when they were told they were not coming back in board!!

1 hour ago, Preziosa said:

It was a fantastic moment. I also followed the sail away on the web camera. We were on the first sailing from Hamburg with Grandiosa and now We Will Be back the 4. Th of october. It Will Be so fantastic. We have just been on a Cruise with Mein Schiff 1 from Kiel. It is so fantastic that We Can Cruise again. Thank you To TUI Cruise and MSC Cruises to bring us all back where We belong..

What was your cruise like , any photos?

Well MSC flagship grandiosa sailed from Genoa about 1 hour ago with 1500 passengers, picking up more in Rome & Naples.

every passenger had rapid test before boarding and crew tested multiple times, hopefully this is the start with more ships starting later this month & carnival owned Costa starting September 

Someone who is going on cruise and presently in Genoa reports on Facebook that ship is there & engines running, supplies being loaded etc so seems to be going on schedule tomorrow!

Don’t have service charges for UK cruisers anymore 

19 hours ago, muffydawg said:

I hope MSC is successful however imagine two couples boarding the ship; one of the four tests + for COVID and is denied boarding. Gotta think the partner, spouse, relative of the person denied boarding would not sail without their partner.

 

The MSC COVID-19 Protection Plan is currently available only to guests from Schengen countries. This really looks like a scam designed to artificially inflate revenues from people who buy the MSC COVID-19 Protection Plan; and it looks like only the person denied boarding due to sickness can leverage the MSC COVID-19 Protection Plan benefits and not their partner who is ok.

 

If a passenger tests + under item #6 they could be put off the ship; what does their traveling companion do?

 

I would not book a cruise under these circumstances. Perhaps the residents of Schengen countries would but not me.

 

 

The Covid protection is only 18 euros and covers all expenses, including repatriation and refunds and covers whole party as far as i know. I doubdt any Americans will be allowed into Europe or anywhere else until well into 2021.

the cruise is only available to Schengen residents so the protection is obviously only available to them and hardly a scam , looks like a bargain to me.

13 hours ago, CruisingFox27 said:

Tea, coffee and water. There's juice/flavoured water at breakfast. I think that the only time but I've never looked for it later in the day so I'm sure someone can confirm if it's available.

Yes that's all there is, although a lot of cruisers like U.K. Guests get free bottled water included in MDR as well.

I expect the self service machines will have been removed for restart to cruising which will stop the usual lot trying to fill up water bottles despite signs don't do it!!

9 hours ago, sptrout said:

If their experience is like the few smaller, to much smaller, cruise lines, they will depart, then turn around two or three days later with COVID being the main not-paying passenger. Hope not, but almost a certainty within a cruise or two. 

Passengers being rapid tested before departure plus all crew, virus not as rampant in Europe like the americas

Here’s the latest update from MSC 

http://m.msccruises.com/en-gl/Mobile/About-MSC/News/MSC-Cruises-Return-To-Service-Mediterranean.aspx