the penguins

any coffee, tea and chocolate - hot and iced - served in Al Bacio. Does not include any version with alcohol. Also the same drinks from Al Bacio 2 ( found just inside the buffet on some ships.) Also lattes etc with dinner (MDR etc). Also Lattes etc at any bar that has an espresso machine. No limits on the number of drinks. Our number one Elite+ perk.

Big draw back for us is that Aqua comes with dining in Blu. Some like it but for us one of the joys in cruising is sharing tables at dinner which means Select Dining sharing tables of 6. For our retirement we did 5x B2B trans-pacific on Solstice - 60 days on the ship 90 days total - fantastic.

Depends on your interests for any one interested in British history and especially WW11 Dover Castle is a must see. Further afield Canterbury with it's Cathedral is the number 1 attraction while the fishing town of Whitstable ( the Boss and I were born and raised there) makes a great stop for lunch - lots of choices especially fish restaurants near the harbour but our favourite is the Royal Naval Reserve Pub in the High Street - booking recommended. Fans of the British series "Call the Midwife" can visit the set in Chatham which also has an Historic Navel Dockyard.

total rubbish - illegal crossings have no affect on the port whatsoever.

The electronics in the card makes it very difficult - best solution is a lanyard with a transparent pocket.

no need for a drink package for us: mixed berry smoothie at the Elite breakfast and a latte in the Al Bacio. We don't drink alcohol. 🤣😇 Enjoy the cruise.

X doesn’t work like that. As an example assume your Account is Zero for purchases and has an OBC of $100. Tips go on at $20 the OBC will automatically reduce to $80 using non refundable first. Just make sure your accounts are linked otherwise OBC will only be deducted from one of you. The linking shows on the account.

The OP was referring to Celebrity

That's what I meant - you gave them several chances to put it right I would only give them one. We have also had 1 item lost and a couple damaged with the value being credited to our account within 24 hours.

Just don't pre pay the grats then they will be added to your account every day. Once added OBC will be used to pay the grats again on a daily basis. Non refundable OBC will be used first then refundable. Make sure your accounts are linked otherwise it will only deduct the tips from one half - if not easily linked at Guest Relations. All done automatically.

No you haven't you have simply changed cruise lines. HAL, Princess (i.e Carnival ships) have self service laundrettes, Royal including Celebrity don't.

you are more patient than me. One chance to put it right then straight down to Guest Relations.

agree it looks smart but please don't put credit cards or driving licence in what you describe as a "pretty secure back door". Phone lost or stolen and you will be annoyed phone lost or stolen with credit cards/driving licence with it and you are in deep trouble. Credit cards should always be kept separate from everything else.

with you 100%. The Boss (Anita) uses a walker the lanyard is essential. Having the card easily accessible is essential for unlocking the cabin door, ordering coffees at Al Bacio, in the shops etc. Have lost count of the number of times passengers struggle to find their cards when the server asks to see it or realise it's still in the cabin and have to go to Guest Relations for a replacement. Once off the ship the cards and lanyards is kept in a security pocket in my shirt. Once we get back to the port lanyards back round necks as it makes it easier for the checks that are involved.

If you do decide on an Expedition type cruise, and especially if you choose Hurtigruten, we will be happy to send you "Hints and Tips" on how to make the most of your trip including the answer to "Why you need to take 4 metres of elastic cord/string" with you. Pre Covid Hurtigruten did presentation evenings especially for the Antarctic - we went to 2 before finally deciding to book - which also may help you. We can be contacted at: geoffanita at hotmail dot com - sorry for the odd way of writing it stops the bots. Enjoy the planning and of course the trip itself. Geoff and the boss (Anita).

Sums up exactly how we felt and why we went back on an expedition ship. My only advice is don’t leave it too long as you never know what lies ahead. Mobility issues would now make the trip on an expedition ship impossible but as we always said “ if we end up sitting at home in a wheelchair we will do so with memories not regrets”

we could but you have already said you are going to take the cruise - which to me is a sort of double standard. Everyone is free to make up their own choice.

must be a flaw somewhere. it also works the other way round i.e. USA to UK and back - useful if your first cruise is from UK to USA. Hope this helps. Geoff and the boss (Anita).

this is getting crazy. Easy to do on the BA site under Customise your booking. Put in the flights first, then add a hotel or car and see how much you can save. The hotel can be anywhere so if you really don't need one look for the very cheapest. As this is a "holiday" you also benefit by only having to pay a deposit not the full amount. If you collect AVIOS you more by booking as a holiday If anything goes wrong you are covered by the ATOL Regulations. You travel on the same flight, same seats you just pay less. I

somehow the message sent part way through - to continue - Easy to do on the BA

sorry had to go out. Another potential way to save is to book a holiday instead of flights. Basically to qualify as a holiday you need a return flight and either a minimum of one night hotel or 1 days car rental. If you you plan to stay overnight before the cruise that solves the problem. If not book the cheapest car and simply don't pick it up. Easy to do on the

I’m happy with that - which ever it’s unique and never forgotten.

Not as long as you use the outward/first flight- you just become a no show. If you didn’t use the outward the whole ticket would be cancelled. I will send you a tip for a return ticket later

I totally agree that it's important to have different view points. However your solution would wipe out a lot of the world's tourism industry including for example snorkling/diving on the Great Barrier, and all safari's. Antarctica is unique in that it is protected by an International Treaty/Convention (not one or a group of countries) which tightly controls all aspects of how the area can be accessed/exploited. Almost no tourism visits are permitted on the main land and all commercial exploitation of the mineral/oil/gas reserves are banned. The fees paid by the Cruise Lines helps fund the Convention.

our solution which may not help you but works for us is to do 2 TA's a year thus we buy a return air fare which works out cheaper. Also worth exploring on the BA site is to book a return ticket where you choose say Premium economy out which includes baggage etc but the cheapest return i.e. no bags etc as you wont be using it it doesn't what the dates are. The cruise line may also have special one way deals.