GM0NJl

looking forward to the 'noise' on Discovery ships.I'm doing a Fred Olsen cruise this year and it's like a morgue or God's waiting room. So anything that has some noise other than old people asleep in public lounges, is great for me.

You say that you are ding a Fred cruise this year, yet before you have gone on it you are not nice to Fred cruisers.

Fred Olsen ships do cater for the older cruiser, but it is not Gods Waiting room. I have done a few Fred trips and believe you me some of the cruisers would put youngsters to shame.

Please be careful with what you mean and say.

I have not sailed out of Newcastle with Marella, but have with Fred Olsen.

Fred was quick and simple. You are sent your luggage labels a few weeks before you depart.

we drove to Newcastle and as had parking booked went straight to the car park. porters took our cases out of the boot and took them away

Short walk about 20 meters for us to the terminal and within 30 minutes we were checked in, another 30 minutes and we were called to be bussed to the ship.

On Embarkation we left the ship when called, bus to car park where we picked up our cases and porters helped to load them in the boot.

All well organised and painless.

This seems better than Marella.

Hands up those who disagree about Rosyth !!!

 

The latest Norwegian Cruise Line news ?

Fred has used this port for a number of years, I have had the pleasure of sailing from it. :D

Hi, never been on a cruise before and am excited about going on the Balmoral to Norway at the end of this month.

 

Excitement somewhat dimmed though by the norovirus reports! How do others feel about whether the ship will have been sufficiently cleaned on its return from the US?

 

I gather it has had it before - last year - maybe it is a good time to go directly after an outbreak is it, because it will be a very clean ship? What are other people's feelings who are due to get on the ship this month in Newcastle?

I am on Balmoral at the end of the Month, but it is going to Iceland on the 31 st. May

Well I never...

Well you have now.

Oh, I do love a bottle of wine.

Am enjoying a nice chilled white as I write this.

 

Will call in sometime, if I am in an area that has Lidl or Aldi, and try some.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

 

.

I live for the moment P&O Lynn Knickers does a post that is sensible or accurate.

Just a thought that I might be to old to live that long.

I have to wait untill the end of May 2016 for my next cruise.

Newcastle to Iceland

Ron

Sorry to hear you have been so poorly.

 

 

I am sure you will enjoy Fred Olsen - they are very similar in lots of ways to Thomson but I would say very slightly more 'upmarket'. Staff are lovely, food is very good too. We are cruising twice with FO this year & sadly (in some ways) won't be back with Thomson in 2016 either - beyond our price range now for a family of 4 with teens. Certainly not interested in climbing walls & mini golf & outdoor cinemas - could go to holiday camps in the UK if we wanted that!

 

Will be interested to hear your feedback on your May cruise - which ship are you sailing on?

I am going on Balmoral, have been on Boudica sailing from Rosyth to Norway a couple of years ago.

I have decided it's time to leave Thomson for another company.

This year it is a holiday to the Isle Of Man.

The last Thomson cruise was The East bound TA 2014, and it was a big let down from previous years. Food not as good, service slower, even tried to get a glass of warm water from the bar, told they good give me ice water or boiling water but not warm water. I had to take a glass of each to make my own warm water. The warn water was instructions from the ships doctor, no cold water, no alcohol. It also took me 6 months to recover from falling ill during the cruise, with, like a lot of others chest infections, coughs and in my case Acute Pneumonia.

Going with Fred Olsen sailing from Newcastle to Iceland May 2016.

My first cruise was with Thomson for my 25 wedding anniversary.

Have sailed with them every year except 2.

The Fred Olsen cruise during 2016 will be my Golden Wedding anniversary.

Ron, yet again you are correct.

I am very sorry for saying your cruise on the OV was a recent cruise and not an "Older" cruise.

 

Is that term ok to use ?

OK And yes using that term is fine, I don't worry about the PC of a conversation.

Ron

Hi Shelia, hope you are ok,

You pose a valid question I am sure, (in a completely different context)

But if You read my post's you will see it mentioned "Like with like".

 

Golly Gosh, I thought it was easy to understand then, and understand fully, if you misread my post.

 

 

When replying to posts on this forum and others, I read the previous conversations and then comment.

.

.

You may read previous posts before posting, but do you understand them.

I was not comparing like for like, I was comparing two cruise lines.

You also read my post wrong. What I said was that I had a cruise on Ocean Village before she left our waters for good, not that it was a recent cruise.

Ron

Hi carrol, it is very disapointing that Ocean Village was better organised than Thomson.

 

(One really should not compare the two)

 

Hopefully your next Thomson cruise will be a far more enjoyable experience :)

 

maybe you should continue to communicate your issues with the company, and hopefully will get a result to your satisfaction.

 

Its always better to contact the company direct, than venting your anger on a public forum.

I don't see why we should not compare Ocean Village with Thomson.

My wife and I spent 3wonderfull weeks on Ocean village just before she left our waters.

Staff were great, food was great, entertainment was great, in fact it was better than Thomson is at the moment.

Before any "have you cruised with Thomson", yes 10 cruises, but my last TA this year may be my last.

Ron

Life boat drill is now done before the ship leaves port. The timing will depend on when the sail away time is.

Thomson have all passangers done their life jacket and muster at the boat station on deck.

Hope this helps.

I had £200 on board credit in April this year.

It is added to your on board as credit, so any thing you purchase on board, drink, items from shops, trips, photographs are included in the things you can use it for.

Not sure about the spa as I never use this service.

Can't be a lot wrong with that then, GMONJI.

 

I've always wanted to do that sail out.

 

You aren't John, are you that I met at bridge on the TA and then at the opening of the Kelpies?

No not John, but I was on the TA during April this year so missed the opening of the Kelpies, even though I had a invitation.

Unfortunately I took ill at the beginning of the 3 rd. week of the cruise and was told to use a wheel chair for the rest of the cruise.

Ron

I sailed out of Rosyth with Fred, and as it is only twenty minutes from Falkirk it was fantastic. It was a lovely sail out under the two bridges, and then on down the Forth with plenty to see.

Both my wife and I enjoyed the cruise, friendly staff, good food, good entertainment. You will not be disappointed, over sixty's can be as much, and in some cases more fun than some of the younger set I have come across while sailing with Thomsons.

Give them a try as you must have done with Thomsons at one time.

Ron

Who did you ask who gave you this answer ?

First approach was to reception and was directed to the social Hostess.

she was the one who gave the advice or should I say lack of consideration.

Reception were asked and they directed me to the Social hosted.

The answer I received was from her.

Medical centre prices.

Medical charges

Thomson just want your money, loyalty is a joke to them.

They get paid then leave you to sort out all the hasle, even when you take ill on the ship and ask for assistance at the airport You are told.

"Your booking has been made we cannot change it now, you will just have to ask at the airport when you get there".

When you are ill the worry is just to much not knowing if you will make it or anyone listens.

Thomsons have lost 2 customers.

The Azores no longer have the only tea plantation in Europe, Scotland has its own plantation in Perthshire.

I did my research before I visited the islands, tea plantation, pineapples, calderas, flowers, but ones perception of a place is always coloured by lots of factors.

Time of year, weather during visit, length of time to explore, choices of tours offered.

Places can be liked or disliked for different reasons, that does not mean the are bad or ugly, not all places suit every body.

Ron

Yes, but when you have limited time on the islands,you can only see so much.

Great photos you posted but were they taken on the one day you were in port.

The Azores is the destination you have to spend a lot of time in, a few hours does nothing for it

It also helps if you are able bodied.

The day we were there it was cold, wind, foggy, I know this is not the fault of the ship, tour guides it is just a fact of life.

Would I go back even after looking at the photos?

NO I would not.

Ron

My first time on the Dream, and I must say I like it. It has it's good and bad points, but overall the ship, food, staff were all great.

There was a few problems on deck 5, no water for a while, then brown water out of the taps. There was 2/3 flooded cabins on 5 as well, but they were sorted and guests moved.

The show team were a bit of a let down, they put in a lot of effort without pulling anything good together. Just OK.

On rip off is the bridge and engine room tour which priced at £60 per person.

Needless to say I did not do it.

A lot has been written about the Caribbean before so I will miss this bit out.

As we sailed towards Bermuda the weather Turned a bit colder.

Bermuda itself was wonderful, clean with friendly residents always willing to speak to you.

I booked a Island tour which I found very interesting, finding out a lot about the island and its people.

This is one island I would like to visit again.

On day two of the stay I visited the shops and historic parts of the Dockyard, again a pleasant morning.

As we approached Horta the weather got cold, and windy. Went for a scenic tour that was a pure rip off. £26 to go and see a caldera which when we got there it was covered in fog, it was then back down the same road to a hotel for tea and biscuits.

The biscuits were so hard I could not bight them, and the tea/coffee was out of a flask and luke warm.

The next port Pointa Delgada is a bigger Island so once again a scenic tour was taken, up to the top of a mountain to see a lake, but it was covered in fog and very cold. The rest of the tour was alright but nothing special.

Would I visit the Azores again? NO.

I have done a TA before and prefer the route across to Madeira, it is warmer.

Another report mentions the number of people with colds and chest infection, well I can vouch for the fact that the medical department was a busy place.

I was diagnosed with acute pneumonia when I thought it was just a small infection.

Sunday 27th. I spent four hours in the centre hooked up to a drip for saline, antibiotics and steroids.

Monday 28th. Two hours in the morning with drips for both antibiotics, steroids, oxygen and nebulizer.

This went on twice a day until The Friday before I left the ship.

If you have good insurance, great if not get a second mortgage.

My bill was £2866 which is in the hands of my insurance company hoping they pay up. If not that's the next cruise cancelled.

Even with this set back the cruise overall was good. I would do it again if they miss out the Azores.

I will try and post a photograph of the medical charges they have posted in the waiting room.

Ron