FannyLiz

Has anyone used this ? Does it work and is there any point in my bringing a bottle with me onboard ? ( I know about hanging clothes in a steamy bathroom but I don’t find that works on clothes packed in a suitcase)

How will I know when bookings for excursions open ? Will I get an e-mail, a letter or will it appear on the Saga app ? It’s now 63 days before my cruise departs and I understand it could come at anytime.

We have twice been on a December crossing of the Bay of Biscay in horrible conditions when the captain came on to order us all to stay in our cabins. He stated, quite clearly, that if there were any accidents then Brittany Ferries would not be held responsible. We wondered if this was a fact and if it applied to all ships or only French registered ones. re the hotels in which P&O put up the Britannia passengers, it seems to me that given the speed with which this happened and the circumstances on the island due to the ATC fiasco, then they were quite lucky to get somewhere to sleep at all. Clearly passengers flying with many airlines were not so fortunate and had to sleep on the airport floor. I’m surprised, if the hotel they were billeted in was so bad, that it is still functioning as a resort hotel and has not been struck off by the Spanish authorities.

As someone who has not cruised yet I can’t speak from experience but I would feel happier being allocated a table. That way, when I return from the buffet with my food, I can be sure I have a table to come back to and don’t have to leave things on the table to reserve it. By all accounts, on some cruise lines, there are so many people that you and your tray might not find anywhere at all to sit. At least a table is guaranteed the Saga way. I’m sure the waiting staff would change your allocated table if you are not happy.

I hope that the powers-that-be have put a decent cafe / restaurant in the new terminal too. At least in the motorhome we could eat our own meal while waiting but anyone in a car or motorcycle would only have the meagre offerings from the rather pathetic Ceanos place. We used to go and sit in the ferry terminal to keep warm while waiting for the late night Brittany Ferries departure to Spain. I would have killed for fish and chips and sticky buns didn’t hit the spot.

I have driven, countless times, the route from the ferry check-in to board the ferries for either Spain or France. Even driving a very visible motorhome has felt slightly unsafe as the route is criss-crossed by lorries, fork lift trucks, the occasional lost motorist and random officials trying to corral them all back into the correct lanes. Adding foot passengers and their luggage into the mix, especially on a twilight winter afternoon, would be disastrous ! Foot passengers for the ferries are taken by bus from the terminal.

Thanks Palmeat. Truly the world of cruise booking is more of a mystery every day. I used to think mobile phone contracts were bad enough…

I booked diectly with Saga and didn’t get one of these. Should I have done ? ( I am new to Saga, and any other line, unless you count Brittany Ferries !)

Thank you. The more I hear and read the more I wish I had done this years ago. My late husband however would rather have had teeth pulled than go on a cruise as he used to get sea-sick on the ferry to Spain which was our regular winter retreat.

Thank you so much everyone. I've got a better idea how things work now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an early pick up as I am so looking forward to getting on board.

Thanks. Looks as if I might be quite late boarding as I live 74 miles from the port and am having a single pick up.

Do passengers get any say over embarkation times or are they all pre-allocated ?

Thank you both. There’ll just be me and the driver so my 2 cases and overnight bag should fit somewhere. Looking at the wonderful wall-to-wall food that Saga serve I hope, after 30 days, that there is room for me as well on the return trip.

Thank you so much for setting my mind at rest. That sounds so very civilised and easy.

Please can someone tell me what to expect when disembarking from a cruise ? I understand I have to put my cases outside my cabin the night before disembarkation but how am I reunited with the cases and the Saga driver booked to take me home ? It’s a long cruise and I will probably have 2 big suitcases plus handbag and overnight bag so don’t think I could manage them all in one go on my own.

Thank you both. I suspected that wifi would not be good enough to operate Alexa without frustation but lived in hope ! It looks like she will not be coming with me and a lot of get-arounds will instead.

I rely fairly heavily on my Amazon Alexa at home and I’d like to bring a device with me on my maiden cruise in November. Is the internet on Spirit of Discovery good enough to run it and is it always on or does it need signing into before each period of use ?

Many thanks both. Your replies are very reassuring. Since booking I’ve heard nothing but praise for Saga cruises and can’t wait for November.

I’m booked on my first ever cruise on Spirit of Discovery in November. I am travelling solo and don’t want to be seated by myself every night. Is there any way I can ensure this doesn’t happen ?