Host Sharon

On 3/26/2023 at 5:40 PM, Windsurfboy said:

 

Will it be the hush heath balfour ? 

Yes, it is.

17 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Would not pay that much for a 14 nighter. Paid just over £4000 for balcony on Arcadia in July. 19 nights, plus £480 obc. Better value and from Southampton.

Not necessarily when you add up extra costs of insurance, transport, drinks, speciality restaurants, wifi, speciality coffees, icecream, 24hr room service, larger cabin and excursions. 

Also note, if you ask for Prosecco in a bar they will say it is extra. If you ask for a sparkling white wine, you will get a very nice English wine, better, IMO than Prosecco and all included.

Some lines, such as Saga and Regent, give a free cruise to their top tier passengers.

9 minutes ago, windra06 said:

I'm in the position of needing  to update my wardrobe - what is the norm now for formal nights?
The last time I cruised was Celebrity in 2016 in my 20's and i'm sure things have moved on since then!

I was snubbed on my last cruise for wearing a knee length satin dress, and while i like to buy new clothing i have no need for overly formal wear and would rather take something i will wear again.

What can i get away with? I'm doing Scandinavia (Britannia) in September so i assume it will be fairly cold also.

Much as I love formal nights I do tend to take more cocktail dresses now rather than full-length gowns, but that is as much to do with my mobllity issues. I think a nice cocktail dress or pair of trousers can look as good on a formal night, specially with heels and a pretty bag.

2 hours ago, Denarius said:

Sailed the Baltic last Summer on Spirit of Discovery. Including Tallin and an overnight stop in Riga; Arcadia was in port at the same time. No problems whatsoever.

Me too. Not aware of anything anywhere. 

10 hours ago, Selbourne said:

What’s the cheapest price per night you’ve seen Saga cruises? I think I’d probably struggle to justify spending more than £450 a night.

I've paid £175 pp pn all inclusive, but only by pre-registering. You don't have to make a snap decision as they will hold a cabin overnight - important for me as I have to discuss with my friend with whom I share. Also, even if you go ahead and book, there is a 14 day cooling off period when you ask for a full refund. Don't forget Oceania and Azamara may be a similar standard but do not include everything. Saga is the only line I have walked off with a £0 bill.

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Still waiting for Saga for next year !

Booked a B2B for next May/June

59 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Sharon, I have had a reply today from PL's office.  They are looking into the matter and will get back to me.

Yes, me too, and a number of my friends also on this cruise. At the very least they know that they are upsetting passengers. One friend booked it for her husband’s 70th birthday and, like us, has been to Messina many times but never to Rhodes.

16 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Didn't watch it to be honest as we weren't that interested. Did have a look at the naming and NS and her bit after. It really annoyed me and it cheapened her and the whole event.

Comparing that to all other naming ceremonies we've seen on Celebrity and P&O it lacked something ............ well a lot to be honest.

Perhaps I am a traditionalist, but using a naming ceremony to sell something .. the rum .. just doesn't cut it with us.

And sadly it seems to be more about Me,Me,Me for NS -------- may not be her fault but just cringeworthy.

Compare that to when Britannia was named and the late Queen named her .......................

As for missing the blessing out --- sad, but a sign of the times

 

When I highlighted that I was told that the ship was blessed before her maiden cruise. If she was, then it is a pity that was not televised too, as, to me, that is a much more meaningful ceremony.

16 hours ago, AuroraF10 said:

Yup, we also had this port call change.  And, yes, Rhodes is the main reason we booked this cruise.  Plus, to complete the hat-trick, we lost a very similar cruise itinerary booking during COVID.  Grrr

Suggest you write to Paul Ludlow, as most of us have done. At least P&O will know we are unhappy then. 

I'm voicing my concerns to Paul Ludlow. If no one complains about this, they will keep doing it. So if anyone else wants to write in please do.

20 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Sharon - do you know who?

Wesley Dunlop I believe

3 hours ago, Cruising Nomads said:

Just wondering why my post on this matter has disappeared? Fed up with posts going missing for no reason.

Comments on moderation are usually deleted but for info - It hasn't been removed from this thread, but was removed from another thread as Off Topic there.

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Nope.  Nothing.  Their website says changes take 28 days!  Ha ha.

Mine came from my TA today. Heraklion changed to 14th, Rhodes swapped to Messina.

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes Sharon, we are p***ed off too.  I've done Messina so many times and would really like to know why they do this.  Didn't realize you were going to be on board.  It's been a while!

It has but not sure we will be aboard. Although we can't cancel we might change cruises.

Just been emailed to say that on the Aurora Mediterranean cruise this October, Rhodes has been swapped for Messina. Rhodes was my personal highlight port and I really do not want a fourth stop in Messina. I realise that this change is not a good enough reason to be able to cancel but I am really cheesed off now. 'Operational reasons' of course.

The subtitles were hilarious. The rest of it excruciating. Just my opinion. I mean - a cooking lesson in a naming ceremony? And no blessing.

Good luck. It appears even the sides of the prom deck have it on Iona & Arvia.

If boarding in Southampton you can bring as much luggage as you like aboard, as long as it will all fit in your cabin and no one item weighs more than 20kg. You will be able to print off labels from your cruise personaliser about 2 weeks before you leave. Every piece of luggage must have a label or the handlers won't know which cabin to deliver it to. I would recommend any alcohol/drinks be kept in hand luggage or you might end up with very soggy clothing.

I see another captain (and his wife) have been flown out to Arvia to man the bridge while Arvia's captains are at the beach naming. I wonder if the aft suite was needed for their accommodation?

On 2/5/2023 at 1:13 PM, LandC said:

We book direct. This enables us to access MySaga online for information on excursions, pick up times etc.
 

If cruises are booked via a TA,  Saga send all the information to them.  This may mean that some of the most popular excursions are sold out by the time the info reaches the client.

Also note, as from April 1, any cruises booked through an agent won't count towards the Britannia Loyality Club.

12 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

It made me question what exactly is the Captain of the ship responsible for?

 

What are his weekly targets so to speak?

 

Is he the guy who calls all the shots on board. Makes all the big decisions?

 

If not it certainly can't be the entertainment"s manager either?

 

Takes totally different skill sets to run a large resort which these ships have become now than to captain a ship or manage an entertainments team?

 

Surely you need experience overseeing a Center Parts resort type location rather than sailing a ship?

 

So who is the real boss on board ship - responsible for the cruise being a commercial success?

 

There must be someone. What's their job title and who exactly are they?

 

It's one hell of a job whoever and whatever it is called?

One captain likened it to being the MD of a large company. As for the HGM, I think his or her visibility depends on the size of the ship. I have always seen them around on Aurora and Arcadia.

The Which report doesn't appear to have taken into account the fact that some lines, such as Silverseas, Saga and Regent are all-inclusive which makes a huge difference to value for money ratings.

1 minute ago, Denarius said:

Not sure about the "too expensive" but I have frequently heard long standing customers saying that the new ships are too big. But to me they seem pleasantly small. Star Clippers excepted, I have not sailed on a cruise ship so small since sailing on Cunard's Vistafjord in 1995. I suppose it comes down to what you are used to.

Indeed. They are the perfect size for me but much larger than Saga Pearl for example. ALso, in the days of Pearl and Sapphire, you could book an inside cabin. No excursions or WiFi were included and you only got wine for lunch and dinner so the cruises I guess were that much less. I don't know becuase I only started with Saga when Discovery was launched.