heatherbelle

The port schedule for Amsterdam is showing both Brilliant Lady and Scarlet Lady there in August 25. Brilliant Lady is showing from May 25 as being in Amsterdam.  Scarlet first appears in August, on different dates.

According to elsewhere, their ships are also going to Iceland, Istanbul, Norway to name but a few of their destinations and longer cruises too.  We will see on the 14th.

I’m sorry your cruise has been cancelled/changed again.  Not everyone can swop from a 7 night cruise to a longer one.

This doesn’t give me much confidence in booking VV cruises far out, with all of the cancellations that have gone on. 

In the U.K. we do not get any refunds for airline tickets and I doubt my insurance would cover the airfare loss. My flights in the summer cost more than the $500 they offered last time. They need to make their minds up and stick to the route, If they get the pricing right, the cruises will sell. At the moment people are struggling financially so probably won’t commit this early to a cruise in 12 months time.  People will book nearer the time.

VV seem very slow compared to the other cruise lines in releasing summer 25.  Can anyone see if they are in Greece in August 25.  I was hoping for Santorini August 24, but that cruise got cancelled, due to the new ship not being ready.

I received it too, does anyone know anything about the 5 night cruises mentioned from Athens? There weren’t any dates.

Just to add U.K. airlines do not offer refunds on air tickets, nor do lots of others if booked in the U.K.  those living in the U are very lucky if yiu can book fully refundable air tickets.  We also cannot get any price adjustments on cruises or airfare. Unless of course we book the cruise with a US TA.

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Subtext….. if you’re already booked via the USA , you’re stuffed…. And if you book in the future via the USA you’re stuffed….🤦‍♀️

Noooooooo. Us Brits nearly always pay far more for everything than our American cousins (cruises and flights) etc.  plus given that it’s the 12th, we can’t even cancel and get our deposits back I guess.  
 

Here is what I can see for Brits, no mention of booking through a U.S. TA.

I don’t care for the bit about they can increase the price by up to 8%.

We are driving down from Orlando and I have car hire booked with Alamo.  I intend to drop it off at MIA and pick up again there for the return journey.  Is the only way to transfer to the cruise port via taxi/Uber?  Does anyone know if Alamo offer a bus transfer to MIA from the cruise port or airport, or any car hire company that does please?  I’ve tried search on the web, but cannot find any info.

I’ve read some info saying a taxi is $27 one way, is that still the case?

Many thanks.
 

Do we know why there are no balconies showing as available on the August cruises in the med 2023 on Enchantment, is this because they are still moving people around?

We will still need insurance in case we had to transferred off the ship, whilst at sea.

In the Med it’s all about the ports.  You will all be too shattered to enjoy the ship in all honesty.  For example on the Rome day people are getting off the ship at 6.00 am and don’t get back until around 7.00 pm.

Favourites of ours include:

Venice

Dubrovnik

Split

La Spezia for Cinque Terre

Livorno for bike riding in Lucca

Corfu

sardinia for the beaches

Naples - I could spend a week here.  Good to see, sorrento, pizza making in Positano, Capri.  Avoid the Amalfi drive if you get travel sick.  Pompeii is here too.

Barcelona - hop on hop off bus, takes you everywhere, magic fountains one evening. There is a cable car that the kids would enjoy and a chocolate museum,

Kotor is breathtaking sailing into port, it’s a bit like the fjords.

We haven’t explored very much of Greece, so I have Santorini and Mykonos on my list.

Rhodes is nice and usually the ship docks right in town.

last year we were on the Oasis, with all the main ports that we’ve done before and there was lots and lots for the kids to do too.  I was surprised by how much we liked the ship. ideally your best cruise would be a 10 or 11 nighter and by 2023 Carnival may be back, we’ve cruised with them three times, twice in the med and my teen loved it.

i personally don’t care for Rome, but if you are visiting all the way from the US then you will want to see it.

ship tours are very expensive, I usually diy everything and travel on public transport and then just have a couple of private tours that I share with other cruisers. For example our Amalfi coast tour with Pizza making in Positano and a stop at Ravello worked out at €70 each a few years ago.  At the time the ship were charging over $200 each.

Anyone on these sailings will need sea sickness pills.

I hope we are not opening our borders anytime soon.

I sure hope they are for U.K. residents only.  I’d love to go on the Greek one, but only too scared to travel overseas this year.  We need to keep the variants at bay, until we’ve all had the jabs.  Or at least try and keep them at bay.

Hi

the way I look at this, is, they have said they are waiting 5 weeks between each stage, as they need 4 weeks for the data from lifting  each stage to come through and then another week to analysis and decide if the next stage can happen.

so whilst they may make a decision by the 17/5 as to when international travel may be allowed for us Brits out of the U.K., they will need to allow another 5 weeks after the 12/6, to see if full reopening I.e. nightclubs being one of the last restrictions goes well, which would put that data set being available and analysed by mid July.

I cannot see international travel being allowed for us for recreational purposes until then.  Maybe business travel may be allowed earlier, if that makes sense, with lots of testing for going out and coming back into the U.K. plus quarantine on top, etc.  In addition we may be back to the travel corridor scenarios we saw last summer.

all along though the U.K. has had a no cruise policy in place, so that will be one of the last things to come back, we might be able to go to the EU, but they are behind in their vaccination programme, whilst us Brits may have had our first jab by the end of July, will other countries, US, EU etc.?  
 

Let’s hope the vaccine continues to do its job, so far so good.

On 11/24/2020 at 2:14 PM, SummmerInKefalonia said:

	Odyssey of the seas itinerary for summer 2022 (just posted) 11 Night Holy Land Cruise Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Departs at 5:00 PM
	Cruising Day at sea
	Haifa, Israel From 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM
	Jerusalem (Ashdod), Israel From 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM
	Cruising Day at sea
	Rhodes, Greece From 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
	Santorini, Greece Tendered from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
	Mykonos, Greece Tendered from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
	Chania (Souda), Crete From 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
	Cruising Day at sea
	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Arrives at 5:00 AM

I can’t see any Europe cruises listed on the RCL website, have they all disappeared.

16 hours ago, panamapd said:

Booked the 3 day!!  Am happy with the restrictions on board as its no different to land at present. School, work, leisure - all changed.  I actually feel more reassured that there will be protocols for all passengers and crew before embarking.  (Thanks again to Little Britain.  I now only book via a US travel agent and saved £120 compared to the UK site.  Plus we got $50 onboard spend, which is not even offered by the UK!!).

can I ask who you managed to get travel insurance with.  My company won’t cover me whilst the U.K. government say we can’t cruise.

10 minutes ago, jules27556 said:

According to RCCL website, Odyssey cruises cancelled including April 17th sailing.

Flying to Rome a week prior to April 30th 9 day cruise.

 

Will only go if I have been vaccinated and of course if US citizens can enter.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

 

Just had an email from a U.K. TA 17/4 cruise is listed as being available.

I don’t want to burst anyone bubble of exciting, but currently anyone arriving from most overseas countries including the US has to quarantine here in the U.K. for 14 days on arrival.  You are not allowed out of your house/hotel even for food shopping.

I cannot see the situation being any different in April as it is now.  Our numbers are on the increase along with most of Europe and the US.

I will watch the pricing with interest and us Brits might be able to grab a bargain.  Would love to sail on the new ship.

Does anyone have access to med port calendars and can see which ships RCL will have in the Med sailing out of of Barcelona or Athens?

On 9/23/2020 at 10:35 PM, ownedbypets said:

We have a short cruise booked for February 2021 and just got my third price adjustment. Do you think they are lowering the prices to get people to book or are they dropping prices so they have to give less in FCC?

with my cruise, two weeks ago they were offering balcony cabin for two £1377 with $75 OBC.  Price went up to £1492 with $175 OBC.  Price then stayed the same but OBC reduced to $75?  Then price dropped again to £1452 with $75 OBC.  Guess who didn’t book at the cheapest price or with the highest OBC😢.  Now watching it like a hawk.  Had the £50 price drop today.

On 9/24/2020 at 2:48 PM, livingonthebeach said:

 

Is it true what the news reports are saying that the UK might be headed for another lockdown in a few weeks?  
 

that won’t happen, it’s a political hot potato.  What is happening is that large parts of country are having tightening restrictions.  For example where I live in the north, I cannot go visit another household either inside or in their garden, so I cannot visit my mum, but I could meet her in a pub at separate tables or out in the park. Pubs and restaurants have to close at 10.00.  Honestly it’s a right mess.

all schools are open and kids have just returned to Uni.

Thanks all for the replies.

i have the room at the other side of the ship booked, which is one of the newer cabins.  For some reason most of the TAs are still using the old deck plans, so I was surprised I was able to book it.

sailing in August on the Istanbul cruise all being well.

ill try and remember to post a picture when we return.

Hi

i am wondering if there is anyway to find out if the room has enough room in it for the beds to be set up as twins, rather than a double.

i am sailing with my mum.

Does anyone have details of what the next UK offer will be?

i doubt we’ll get free air, as we get drinks and speciality meals for £98, with no taxes, but some OBC would be nice.

There is still a large gap from 4th June until mid September.  All still missing, trying to check pricing on my sisters cruise and nothing there argggggg.

Anyone know what the plans are for Easter UK school hols 2020?

Price in a BX on the cruise I was looking at £850 price in a balcony with UK all inclusive £1320.

i haven’t been on NCL since they brought out the all inclusive as I don’t drink, I can do without.

the fact that I couldn’t pick my cabin without a drinks package put me off booking with them.  It will be interesting to see how prices compare.

this Easter I have a cruise on Marella’s newly refitted ship in a junior suite with drinks, 4 nights post cruise half board and flights for £1300.  Make no wonder NCL’s Spirit had to drop their prices to rock bottom in order to fill the ship.