Stevio

I know what you mean Stevio about being online too much. I feel as though I'm doing 12 hour shifts sourcing the dreaded bathroom fittings. It was so nice in Cumbria and Scotland to get out and just walk in peace on the fells. No cars, no people and definitely no social media.:D;)

 

What is the itinerary on your cruise?

Jan

Just to show off here is our itinerary....

Monday, September 22, 2014 Copenhagen, Denmark 17:00

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Relaxing Day at Sea

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 Bergen, Norway 08:00 19:00

Thursday, September 25, 2014 Alesund, Norway 08:00 17:00

Friday, September 26, 2014 Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland 10:00 17:00

Saturday, September 27, 2014 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark 07:00 14:00

Sunday, September 28, 2014 Relaxing Day at Sea

Monday, September 29, 2014 Reykjavík, Iceland 08:00 18:00

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Relaxing Day at Sea

Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Relaxing Day at Sea

Thursday, October 2, 2014 Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland 08:00 18:00

Friday, October 3, 2014 Dublin, Ireland 08:00 17:30

Saturday, October 4, 2014 Relaxing Day at Sea

Sunday, October 5, 2014 Relaxing Day at Sea

Monday, October 6, 2014 Copenhagen, Denmark

Loads of "relaxing sea days" as they call them... or "expensive casino days" as I call them.

I am with Ekco on this one. I spend too long online now & work with people who communicate with their own families on FB when in the same house :eek:

I am frightened that if I ever started on FB, I would be hooked in no time & never be off the PC.

Cor.. I was thinking I was hard done by on my 8hr shifts, but your half as long again 12hr ones send a shiver down my spine RR. I would definitely be looking forward to a cruise after a few of those.

He won't. He's only here for the beer, lol.:D:D

 

Jan

That's as good a reason as any... Not that I would pay for the premium booze myself as I think £150 for a 7 day cruise is about what we would normally pay on a non inclusive ship.

hate being a pain in the A**, but I was hoping to see the whole drinks menu to see exactly what im entitled to when I upgrade for the week im going in October, I seen a menu on another site but it was dated 2009, and there was red bull and J2o, on the premium drinks menu, just wondering if we are entitled to all that if its still on the newest bar menu for this year, please help anyone

Muffinman :confused:

I miss read your old countdown clock “sailed” & thought you were on the IE already. :o

Rebel Rouser’s post 34 on the “Island Escape drinks menu” thread is the current 2014 bar price list.

Attempt to link to page … http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1914313&page=2

The Red Bull is shown at £3.50 & the J2O at 2.75. (Don’t know what flavours) I think just about everything on the premium menu is included in the £10.95 per room guest per night charge apart from the champaign & fags. :D

Not long for you now Stevio, lucky thing.;)

 

Jan

No, not long at all but each work day seems to last a week right now.

Only problem is that I am wishing away muffinman's cruise to get to mine... Hope he doesn't notice. :D

yeah I will upgrade 2nd day im there as we don't arrive on board until about 7pm , so cant see the benefit on the first day. :p

What a very sensible plan... I shall add it to my good ideas list.

Sorry to have missed your departure to wish you well, but it's the IE so you are bound to have a good time. :)

Back to IE - I do hope they keep her for a few more years. Could the quality of the service and friendliness be repeated elsewhere ? M & J

 

 

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I would love to see the entire crew of the IE transplanted onto another newer ship with larger cabins & a proper theatre with a decent sized casino... But it never seems to work that way & there's no point in taking the risk of losing the current special atmosphere on the IE. Like they say if it isn't broke don't fix it.

Rumors were that the IE should be with us for the next few years.:):):)

I knew RR would turn up to save the day as soon as someone mentioned drink. :D

Going with IE on Souks and Sangria Cruise next week - 26 August. Really quite nervous as have booked all flights and cruise separate. Sounds great though if we can catch the ship!!:)

You will have a great time. When I have travelled on NCL cruises the Americans do not seem to understand the idea of package holidays & always book their flights & cruises separately, & they seem to cope OK.

All quiet here. Anyone knocking on our door that looks like they may want to come in or stay are studiously ignored in the hope that they will go away.

I am currently awaiting the delivery of some floor vinyl (used to be called lino) for the kitchen. A nice simple & clean dust free job.... Apart from the ripping out of all the cupboard plinths, disconnection of washers & fridges & the temporary removal of a range cooker that was bought by the yard & its replacement without touching & damaging the new floor surface. That's the difference in modern easy to lay floor coverings, If you nicked good old lino it was the same colour all the way down, but if you lightly scrape vinyl you end up with a dirty great white slash.

I was also on the good old IE in June this year, and stand ready to answer questions but I think therein lies the problem. The ship is mainly refilled with repeat cruisers who had a good time before & already know about the ship without the need for a forum.

We could convert to a DIY tips or family tree for beginners forum while we wait for a question about cruises... But I am keeping out of the family advice for hyperactive 43 year olds as I have no experience of the subject... Still hiding behind the sofa when they knock :D

Is everyone on holiday? So quiet.:)

 

Jana

Nah. Hard at work on the late shifts. But I did get my E-docs for my NCL cruise so at present I am a well happy Stevio. :)

Thanks for the good advice about the Avon body spray for future midge protection.

Good luck with that bathroom ripping out malarkey, that dust really does get everywhere doesn't it. :eek:

Welcome back Jan. Glad you made it home safely through the storms. Scotland sounds nice. Ashamed to say, I have never visited but will correct that with my next cruise.

Agree about the festival feel of London 2012. The Olympic stadium is within walking distance from where I live... & we were lucky enough to get tickets to the last night of the athletics... Happy days.

Jan is away up in Scotland, hope the weather is not too bad. It looked very wet on Thursday night at the Commonwealth Games :eek:

How long is she there for? Looking at Saturdays games coverage she may need a canoe to get home. :eek:

The weather man said gales around the West coast of Scotland this weekend... Does not bode well for a smooth sailing for my NCL cruise to Greenock (for Glasgow) on 2nd October. :eek::eek:

All this talk of Fred & Princess sounds a touch on the posh side to me. I was much happier being all common in the old Ocean Village buffet, followed by the IE, & I would put the Thomson Destiny buffet in third place even if you did freeze your cods off behind their plastic sheeting wind breaks.

NCL is definitely the most informal of the cruise lines I have been on. I have sat in a palace of a restaurant on NCL with a man with jeans on one side & another with shorts on the other. They have dress up if you want nights where people literally do dress as they like but the good thing is no one seems to mind that a table full of immaculately white dinner suited gents are sitting next to cowboy shirted stetson wearing Texans.

However I draw the line at NCL Epic's wash basin at the end of the bed & glass sided cabin toilets as an informality too far. :eek:

Cheeky monkey :D You have done nearly as many as me and we started cruising about the same time :D

 

We have decided to wait until next year and book late, hoping for a bargain;) Trouble is I am not a patient person!

 

Just looked at your itinerary, are you doing the 14 night one (or the 28 or 42 days, lol)?

Yeah sorry about that Linda, only joshing. I would have been on almost permanent cruises if it wasn't for work. I have found that once having cruised, land based holidays just do not do it for me anymore.

I am on the short 14 day one unfortunately. I took a peek at the roll calls (nearly all American & Canadians) & am really jealous of a couple that have the 9 day St Petersburg cruise back to back with the 42 day one ending up back home in Los Angeles.

In fact this will be our first two week cruise, my work leave had never fitted in with anything more than 9 days up till now, so really looking forward to it.

As for last minute deals, I am with you, I like to study at length & get them all booked up in advance so as not to keep worrying if the good cabins will go etc.. But funny enough, Mrs Stevio saw this September NCL cruise, I got granted the leave from work & booked the cruise all in a couple of days in June & by mid July the price had gone up by over £700, & they are currently sold out of my grade of inside cabin... So very last minute doesn't always work... I know a load of cabins will miraculously appear the week before sailing at giveaway prices, but right now I am feeling well pleased with myself.

Glad you had a good time Jenny, we are beginning to eye up those posher cruise lines ... (They have such good deals on some of them :o)

No, we're all flagging in the heat. The evening is the only time to catch up with watering plants etc. We're off to Scotland next week for our trip to the Commonwealth Games, look for us at Hampden Park next Wednesday. We won't be the one's waving England flags, lol, we might get lynched.:D;)

 

Jan

Ah yes we are all flagging in this heat, but it is worse for me as Mrs Stevio says I have to work extra hard to earn the money to try to keep up with the number of cruises Linda has in a year :eek: :D... Enjoy your trip across the border Jan, Glasgow is on my next cruise itinerary. I fancy running down the gangplank with a large cross of St George flag with the words "We're keeping all the oil" written on it... I am sure they will be ok about that.

Just a quick "bump" for the old useful drivel thread before it gets lost.

Quiet on here innit... Everyone on a cruise?

I heard you can upgrade for £10.95 pppd, does this include all the drinks from the bars ( bottles of champagne excluded ) id love to know that if I upgrade I can get a decent brandy , or whisky or vodka, and bottles of beer and cans of cider & Guinness , anyone help me out here, we go in 13 weeks ( 21st Oct 14) , all info will be much appreciated

Thanks

Muffinman

Sorry do not know what exactly is on the premium upgrade this year but here is the link to Rebel Rouser's 2013 bar list copy (missing the second page of cocktails & liqueurs) http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=286444&d=1379144562

I would assume it is much the same as most of the premium drinks listed except the 2014 prices will all be 10p or so higher.

I was quite happy with the AI... I did meet a regular IE cruiser who tipped his favourite bar waiter 20 Euros per cruise & his glass was always replaced with scotch & lemonade to his exact liking before his previous one was empty without his asking.;)

I'm also on this cruise on Tuesday!

 

What's the deal taking own alcohol on this ship? Was on the Dream last year and had no issues. Just wondering if this ship might have a different policy/approach.

I do not believe there is any problem taking alcohol aboard the IE... Other than why would you want to on an all inclusive ship that even lets you take your on board duty free purchases back to the cabin.:).

In addition to the excellent advice above. Motril has a very good (free) sugar museum about 20min walk from where the shuttle bus leaves you that caters well for English speakers, & there is a museum of Motril itself that doesn't cater for the English at all (Spanish & French)... However the Motril museum does have the nicest public loos on the top floor & is also free to enter.

At Cartagena last year we found that the lady that sells tickets in the kiosk at the bottom of the glass lift sells an all in one ticket for the lift & castle, amphitheatre & tour bus for 12 euros pp which I thought a bit of a bargain, as it seemed to cover the ships tour at a fraction of their price.

Nice relaxed itinerary on a friendly ship, Enjoy.

I am sure that someone will be along to confirm, but I have a feeling that all 5/6 outside plus cabins have baths with showers over them. I know that 6082 does as I have been in that one. I understood that inside cabins had shower only & am unsure about standard outside.

links to pics of cabin 6082 from last year (including bath) https://www.google.com/url?q=http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/Stevio58/library/Thomson%2520Dream%2520cabin%25206082%2520Outside%2520plus&usd=1&usg=ALhdy2-WsM7ThZQye6iQEiNjwM3IFeEN_A

Blimey, that week went quick. I too am glad you had a good time jacknorman, & thanks for getting back to us with your update.

Ahh the Wife & I love a decent casino. Our last Norwegian cruise was on the NCL Star. Oddly the Star is their smallest ship & sort of looks like the next generation Thomson Dream... But their casino is out of all proportion to the ship & was just HUGE. Apparently it was built for the Asian market specifically as a gambling ship & even with other parts of the casino turned into art galleries & shops the remnant that was left still dwarfs most other casinos.

One odd thing, on NCL I think you can still play a slot machine for a one cent line where as Thomson charge a minimum of 25p a go.

Sorry to compare NCL casinos to Freds gaming tables, but the lack of a proper casino would rule them out for me.

When I said NCL Star when referring to casinos, I really meant NCL Spirit... Getting me NCLs mixed up there.

Not to worry, if booking an NCL they all have big casinos apart from Pride of America which has no casino at all ( not allowed in Hawaiian waters ) which would seem to be the ideal ship for you Linda, but would mean very boring sea days for me.

This is definitely the sign of a healthy caring Thomson forum... Where everyone goes on about Fred Olson, Princess, NCL & Celebrity :D

Did I mention that my June trip on the Island Escape I found a great happy atmosphere aboard, partly refurbished, good staffing levels, superb entertainment, the best buffet food I have seen anywhere & they were even experimenting with a new up market restaurant. In short it would seem that what has gone missing from the rest of the fleet may be hiding on the I.E. :)

Hi Stevio , the problem I have is that I booked and was changed for extra legroom but Thomson have no record of this and appear to be counting exit/bulkhead as extra space seats.

Yes, I was thinking that the exit seats were extra legroom seats. But looking at Jim's Dreamliner link they are also mostly bulkhead, next to loos & galley seats which may take the gloss off them a bit.

They are probably still excellent seats, but keep up the pressure on them & they might give you that free upgraded to Premium class. ;)

That's what I like about Fred ;) and to be fair they don't call it a casino, they call them gaming tables!

 

I'm not a gambler and frankly don't understand all those machines now you don't just pull a handle :rolleyes:

 

I always say my idea of Hell would be to be locked in a casino. The noise and flashing lights "do my 'ed in" :rolleyes::D

Ahh the Wife & I love a decent casino. Our last Norwegian cruise was on the NCL Star. Oddly the Star is their smallest ship & sort of looks like the next generation Thomson Dream... But their casino is out of all proportion to the ship & was just HUGE. Apparently it was built for the Asian market specifically as a gambling ship & even with other parts of the casino turned into art galleries & shops the remnant that was left still dwarfs most other casinos.

One odd thing, on NCL I think you can still play a slot machine for a one cent line where as Thomson charge a minimum of 25p a go.

Sorry to compare NCL casinos to Freds gaming tables, but the lack of a proper casino would rule them out for me.