devonuk

My experience last week booking a saver fare on the Arvia TA to Barbados (15 nights) leaving Soton on the 6/1/23…… The select fare was exactly £1000 more for an inside cabin, so as the dining selection is freedom dining only we decided that a grand to choose a cabin was not worth it. We have 6 other cruises booked next year so this was just an ‘extra’ trip. The only available cabin level on a saver fare was a PF (inside forward). We went for it and are happy to take the risk for some winter sun 😎 Our last cruise a few weeks ago was the stern Orsava Suite on the Ventura so it’ll be some difference 😬 I’ll let you know what cabin we’re eventually allocated 👍 PS I’m told CPS had no spaces left but I didn’t look as it wasn’t relevant to me 🤔

Yes. But don’t fill out the form erroneously because if you make a ‘mistake’ you won’t be going!

Out of interest what’s wrong with the front anymore than the rear? We have booked an inside guarantee on the Arvia TA on the 6/1/23 and the cabin code for this is PF. P = inside and F = front so your chances of being at the front are 50/50, either you will or you won’t. It’s all a risk on the saver fare but the price was so competitive it would have been silly not to travel 😎 Good luck 🤞

23kgs hold luggage and 10 kgs in the overhead lockers when flying back from an Arvia cruise in the Caribbean in January 23.

As per a previous post of mine my Sky Princess cabin steward recently stated that she didn’t know either but I do acknowledge you stated ‘servers’. 🤷‍♂️

A good question… I asked them and everyone tips as they feel appropriate. One couple only tipped the cabin attendant and waiters if on a ship where they had the same team each night.

Here we go then with something interesting to ponder. This afternoon I contacted 4 couples who, like me, regularly sail with Princess. All are British and none of them buy the ‘packages’ and when asked it’s because they don’t drink that much or don’t need the WiFi. So, here’s the hit… they ALL remove the Crew Appreciation either on the first day or within a day or so.

It was disappointing news to me too 🤷‍♂️ 🙏

There lies my conundrum… Doing a TA Arvia cruise to the Caribbean for a 2 week cruise on Jan 6th. Now do I take my tux, shirt, cummerbund, bow tie, medals and shoes for 1 night. Or not bother at all due to the weight restrictions on the flight back? Perhaps I would for 2 nights (or more on some ships) but I won’t bother for 1 night 🙁 For me a further erosion on what cruising is about.

I now only book direct as 2 bad experiences of getting my money back from TA’s left a bitter taste 😬 Getting refunds direct from the Cruise line itself (Princess and P&O ) was a much speedier and simpler process. I now, when appropriate, book direct and request a price promise refund to match TA’s quotes on a like for like basis.

Whilst on the Sky Princess recently I got talking to my cabin steward about gratuities and she stated it mattered not to her whether Crew Appreciation was removed or not as she was now salaried so any extra tip left for her was a bonus on top of her salary. 🤷‍♂️ She also informed me that she did not know whether her cabin occupants had removed the Crew Appreciation or not.

Ironically I was looking at a week in the Seychelles last evening and £1500-£2000 gets you a fairly decent hotel on a half board basis inc flights. 🤷‍♂️

I wouldn’t say there are bad ones but some are certainly better than others 😀

The Butler service on the Ventura was a complete let down and I often wondered what he did all day. The only time we really saw him was the 17:30 canapés delivery slot. To be fair we did have a particularly good stateroom attendant 👏🏻👍

You’d probably still ‘scrub up’ better than many others 😉

I sailed on the same cruise as the vlogger and stayed in the Orsava Suite on the stern (Canada deck). My wife and I plus our daughter and her family in an adjacent inside cabin found the entire experience to be pretty damn meh. I certainly won’t be sailing on the Ventura again unless it’s on a must do itinerary or post refit.

I did a Sky Princess upgrade 3 days prior to sailing recently so it can be done. I used a UK not US customer service rep.

We thought they were great too 🤷‍♂️ I guess it’s a personal thing 🤔

We tend to book massages and treats on port days as there’s often deals available.

Are there many children onboard for this voyage? We were there in Feb post half term with 2 of our granddaughters and there were very few.

None of the 4 adults of our group of 7 travellers who sailed on the Ventura, which disembarked into Southampton on the 29th October, have received a post cruise survey. Is this the norm now?

We used the Opal on our formal nights and found it to be pretty damn good and quite intimate compared to the other 3 MDR’s.

I’m currently on the Ventura and shock/horror… baseball caps in the Bay Tree Restaurant even on the Gala night 🤦‍♂️ I must say that they weren’t worn back to front though 😉

I’m on the Ventura next week and we received an email warning us in advance of staffing issues and longer waits for service in some bars etc. It’s half term so I guess it’s going to pretty busy on board 😳