FamilyCruiserUK

Tips is a controversial subject and its cultural. Tips have always been for me for service above and beyond not just given for an individual doing their job. I do not like the enforced tips on reciepts. Lots of people on minimum wage across the UK outside of the resturant trade who do not get tips just for doing their jobs. Imagine if a 10% graturity was added to your supermarker shopping bill for the till operator/shelf stacker. People say its to top up their wages for low wage positions etc, but fail to take into account their outgowings, rent, food, bills etc. Thats not what a tip should be used for its to recognise "outstanding service" as it used to say on envelopes in the rooms etc. Why tip a waiter in a restaurant but not tip a supermarket shelf stacker, or a fast food restaurant worker? At the end of the day its completely the individuals choice and its entirely up to them who and how they tip, but it should not be enforced or expected. IMO

Been there twice dont need to go again. Yes its a nice stop off the ship but offers nothing culturally or exciting. Granted i do like a relaxing day, but a cruise with lots of sea days and then coco cay is just not that exciting for us.

It used to be the itinerary but now having been to most places i have wanted to go too or can afford at this time. Now its the ship and company: Icon of the seas World Europa MSC Any other oasis class ship except oasis as been on her twice 👍 So now saving up......🤣 Or selling a kidney.......🤔

I take it for those in the know launch prices are more expensive then usual?

Just priced up the carribean over school holidays christmas 25 and yeap wont be booking that ....£6k inside room for three.......ouch.

Speaking of food on arvia, my thoughts on what we tried: Buffet: repetitive and sometimes boring. Sindhu, its not an indian like the traditional one in the uk, so dont expect chicken tikka masala. I enjoyed the food tbh, but not worth the extra costs. The beach house. Surprised at the extra charge. Its a mexican really, food was very good but again should it be free? Keel and cow. Fantastic steak loved it wish i went more. The quays. Very disappointed tbh. A fish and chippy a roast dinner or a two choice asian. Very basic and limited menu. Go once and that's it done and dusted. I expected lots of different choices, esp in fusion part. 6th Street diner. Lots of hype, finally got booked in..very dissapointed again was average menue and food. Expected to get ribs, lots of burgers, etc. But a doughnut with a chicken strip on top? Lol. Over all the places we visited were ok but apart from keel and cow nothing exciting to wow me. Mostly just pub/cafeteria food tbh.

Dont like Star of the seas sorry to say. Daughter suggested mystery of the seas ....as its a mystery on what your going to experience, good and bad.... Prices Entertainment 2x room service Quality of the food Graturites Other passengers Cost of packages, drinks, food, private island..... Etc 🤣

Totally agree and have said this plenty of times. P&O have done a half harted attempt to ttract families. Those who are first time will love P&O but those who have experienced RC will understand how limited P&O is for families.

Holding my hands up here. I always book the cheapest room i can on a cruise. This gives me more money to spend on more cruises and onboard. I dont drink alcohol anymore, winner but i do enjoy good food so will book the odd speciality restaurant. I also look for the cheapest cruise company going to the places i want to visit. I love RC, ships are good for us as a family but expensive. P&O offer much better value for money compared to many other lines. As for young drinking all day around the pool, didnt see that on Arvia during school holidays. Mostly just grumpy old experienced cruisers moaning about the kids and queues etc.

Personally a 6 month should not be drinking soft drinks. They do not need the soft drink package. There is water, add some squirty juice concentrate to give it some flavour. We take this with us. Also milk is avilable in the buffet for coffee out of a big urn. For breakfast there is fruit juice in the buffet. Put some in a glass and fill a bottle put it in your fridge in your room. 👍 so P&O should not enforce a drinks package for very young children. As suggested just buy when you want, it is cheaper unless your a heavy drinker......

Sindhu is on Arvia and rhe food was amazing. The main staff who took our order was very to the point. But hey hoe, the food was fab. However the keel and cow was sooo much better, steak was simply stunning....

Covid proved that you need germs in your life. What i mean by that, lots of children i know, daughters friends, not 1 cold or illness during lock down. Most people didn't mix, washed their hands and kept apart. Even for us key workers very little in way of colds. As soon as lockdown finished, kids back to school, adults forgetting to wash hands and etc boom snotty noses, rough colds etc. This is being proven by how many get colds, ill lately on cruises. Too many not bothering washing hands at least. The period of masks, hand cleaning, speration reduced the spreading of common germs and thay reduced our ability to quickly get rid of them. So IMO you need some germs in your life to teach your body how to fight them.

Totally agree with what you said about Icon, the adult base prices do go down when adding a 3rd and 4th passenger. Also when you "reprice" a cruise then yes your clients will get good savings compared to their initial non KSF booking. We in the UK do not get that option 🤷. I think its down to the wording of the deal. To show a price of two adults for say £500 each and then add KSF for £99 you would expect the price to be £1099. However as you then have to have a different category of room the adult price shoots up. So you could end up paying £1200 per adult and £99 for the KSF. So for me the KSF deal is not really a good deal unless you can reprice a current booking.

Watch how the adult base price goes up for the kids sail free promotion. Never noticed much difference between the standard price and kids sail free price. Esp the dates we travel..

The shuttle took us approx 2hrs to 2hrs 30 mins. Half way there is a stop, toilets, some tat shops etc. Take some euro coins to pay a tip for the toilet cleaner. 👍

Yeah we are spreading the net now on other cruise lines. We always want value for money and thats from leaving my door to getting back in my house. Hopefully Royal are competitive on summer 25 cruises.

P&O are very good value for money for cruises to norway and baltics. Predominantly norway and the fjords. Very cheap during UK term time. 👍 Still cant belive how slow Royal are in releasing their summer 25 cruises in Europe......

Just held the knife and fork in the knapkin ( big thick flannel like material) under my plate and used part of the knapkin corner over edge of plate to hold onto........🤷👍

Having recently been on Arvia and Royal Carribean Oasis of the seas i would always go with Royal. However when you factor in the price difference and sailing ports then P&O will stay very Popular. More choice from Southampton and the prices on Arvia & Iona are a lot more attractive than Royal from southampton. With the added costs of flights to Europe to go on the fun ships Oasis class with Royal it can become very expensive. So financially for most families i would imagine, the diffence in price makes up for the difference in activites and service.

When we were on Arvia a few weeks back there were plenty of reminders to change your clocks fwd and back. The horizon, on the TV (Which was the beat TV we have had at sea with choice of programmes and films), bridge broadcasts as well. So the cards in the room a waste of card, ink and energy IMO. As for cabin dress down in evening. No issues for us i can pull my duvet back not a problem and hang towel to dry for a max 24 hrs. We often saw our cabin steward late afternoon around the open decks helping to tidy up the mess left by some entitled lazy people. Picking up used towels, empty dishes etc.

Oldest ship been on. brilliance of the seas. Newest ship been on. oasis of the seas. Fav older ship independence of the seas Fav new ship class. oasis class (Icon when we go on her) Fav ship overall oasis of the seas.

I understand prices have gone up around the world i get that, but cruising always used to be about great free food and service. Now you have to pay for any food other then cafeteria style food and on top of that another gratuitie (for taking order, getting it right, delivering it to the table) when your already paying Graturites...... I guess royal must have massive debt from a big fleet doing nothing over covid and building lots of big ships.

Flights are only scheduled anywhere from 18-8 months out. If a charter flight its usually booked and details early. If its standard flights normally you get details closer to sail date. For example easy jet only just released their summer, up to september flights for 2024. So may have your outgoing booked but no return released schedule yet.

Its a totally different booking experience and process between the US and Europe/UK bokings. For example your TAs offer big incentives/discounts, UK ones dont. US i believe can price match, so if found cheaper can re-price. UK/Europe cannot even if booked direct. However saying that taking into acocunt exchange rates i have often found the US prices on par with UK prices or often more when using royals website. (By changing my location). Granted i havent looked at every cruise and date. 🤷

Great pictures of the ship being built. As for pricing yes its high now. But demand must still be there. Also if the algorithm works like airfares then every time someone does a dummy booking it thinks theres interest so rasises the prices for other bookers. Icon is on our bucket list to go but not at the current prices or destinations.