Mark@cfcmail.co.uk

Because I drop my bags off before I check in

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I should add, it wasn't all about the children; the "adults" were as bad.

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I have noticed lately there seems to be a trend to wear bow tie with normal shirt and not wing tips. Why ? It looks weird and what is the point, am I missing something ?

Strictly speaking a turn down collars (as opposed to "wing tips") is the correct shirt to wear with black tie, wing tips are traditionally for wearing with full tails. But they are virtually interchangeable now days.

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I really am worried about going on the Ventura now, especially as it will be during the Easter holiday and full of kids!

Hi HWGolf, I was the original poster, and all I would say is don't let our negative experience put you off, but be prepared to act quickly and decisively if something does go wrong. We were extremely unlucky, it doesn't mean that you will be as well.

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Call Security and say you believe domestic violence is taking place. At least they should pay them a visit.

As someone else has said somewhere on this feed, they reported their noisy neighbours and were then persecuted by them for it. If it happens to me again, my immediate response will be to ask for a move; which could be an issue if the ship is full.

I don't think we will be returning to Venture, it's easy to say it could happen on any ship (and it could), but for us it happened on this ship and it ruined the first week of our hard earned holiday.

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Oh no I am risking Azura in April !

We've done a few on Azura and have always preferred it to Ventura, that opinion is well and truly confirmed now.

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I'm on the Ventura at the moment and everyone knows what the group in question are like. There have been many incidents concerning the aforementioned family but P&O don't seem to have solved the problem. There were issues this morning that I discussed with a fellow passenger re breakfast attire and a member of the same family.

 

 

 

At each and every port we fully expected to see them on the quayside, cases packed and being loaded into a taxi.

 

 

 

I sympathise with the passengers in the neighbouring cabins.

 

 

 

Come on P&O, remove the offensive bunch! :mad:

Well, I have just wandered through the buffet and I could hear one of them, so they have survived Cadiz as well.

It's not an exaggeration to say, that they ruined our first week and reduced my wife to tears.

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I wonder if P&O keep a record of nuisance passengers and refuse to accept any of their future bookings, or does the desire for higher profits win the day?

 

Or maybe this would be against their 'uman rights.

I was wondering exactly the same thing actually, would have the conscience to refuse a booking?

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So they had a spare cabin!! shame they didn't move you earlier when they were obviously aware of the situation. I also hope they offered you some compensation. I would not leave it there and write a letter of complaint on your return.

 

 

 

We stayed in a hotel, which was half term February and also Valentines Night. In the room next to ours was 2 women and 3 children, we suffered the same as you and rang reception around midnight, they telephoned the room and asked if they could have a word. They did but it didn't do much good. They only stayed one night but we did get 50% off the rate of the room.

Mandylennon; I have to say that although I was happy to move, that I was also a little peeved at the realisation that they had obviously known there was a problem (because of our original complaint and the fact that they had moved the neighbours the other side), but they chose to wait until we complained again before they did anything (all be it very quickly).

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Well; we put up with it for a couple more days, and the could take it no more (slamming doors and phone ringing at 01:30 hrs), we went down to reception to complain and they gave us a different cabin for the night to enable us to get some sleep, and then moved us the next day to a new cabin. On going back to our original cabin I found out from the room steward that the people occupying the cabin on the other side of the noisy neighbours had been move a couple of days ago.

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I agree with one of the posters above, we like the Glass House, but it's so much better on Azura than it is on Britannia, or for that matter the one on Ventura (which is still better than the Britannia one, but it's a bit "Disney").

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The Ventura is a family ship, you have to expect and tolerate some noise from children. There are adult only ship for those not wishing to share their holiday with children.

As I originally said, I'm not some old curmudgeon, I expect children to make some noise, and if it was the odd joyfull scream or the occasional slammed door that would be fine; however, they were shouting, banging loudly, slamming doors and screaming until 00:58 last night, the first child woke up at 06:58 this morning and the doors (they have two rooms opposite each other) have been slammed 6 times in the last five minutes (make that 7).

I have tried on two occasions banging on the wall (with no effect), but my wife does not like confrontation, however I will be slipping a note under the door, and I will be going to reception this morning, because we have now had five nights of interrupted sleep and I have been as patient and as non confrontational as I can be.

If reception (door slammed again, children shouting at each other) does nothing, I will have to move up the chain (door slammed again) of command.

I often find twitter a good method of complaining as well.

There has been some really good advice on here, for which I thank you all.

P.s they are currently running, shouting and arguing between the two rooms.

Go to the shop in the fort in Havana and just buy them. If you get them there they will be genuine ones, if you buy them from a street trader you might be buying anything

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My first cruise was on Uganda:

SS Uganda Cruise Number 273 - 25/02/82

Venice 25/02/82

Corfu 27/02/82

Alexandria 03/03/82

Haifa 04/03/82

Santorini 06/03/82

Gythion 07/03/83 - to rough to land

Split 09/03/82

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This isn't our first cruise, but we have never encountered this before.

What do people do about noisy neighbours?

The ship is full and our neighbours (who I think have 3 young children) seem incapable of talking to each other. I can hear the "adults" shouting/talking loudly at each other now, the kids scream at each other, they slam the doors, generally bang around, and it sounds like they have a 3 year old girl with the lungs of an Olympic athlete!

We are not old curmudgeons, or inexperienced cruisers, but it's only day two and we are both shattered.

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Well at the end of the first day all is well (in general). We ate in the MDR last night. We arrived at 20:10 and there was a queue of about 40 - 50 people in front of us, but it moved quite swiftly, and then the group in front of us wanted a table or four, but as a table for two came up we were able to jump in front.

The starter of Mexican bean chilli tortilla was very nice, as was the jalapeno and sweet potato soup, but my main dish of beef stroganoff and rice was very disappointing, the rice was over cooked (and somehow dry) and the beef whilst tasty, was as dry as an old boot and tough, it wasn't terrible, but I've eaten better (or at worst case similar) in other buffets let alone MDRs). My wife had the same starter, but a fish dish for her main which she said was "very nice".

The show that evening was "At the Copa" (Copa Cabana), a musical based on the "her name was Lola, she was a show girl etc song". It was a bit cheesy, but the main singers were very good, and whilst I normally quite often drop off in the evening show, I actually quite enjoyed this one and, consequently stayed awake.

The staff have all been very friendly and efficient, however the wine waiter in the MDR seemed very overstretched.

I've been very happy so far; to put this in perspective, we normally cruise with Cunard, P&O (and have done NCL as well). It was a sea day today and we did struggle to find a pair of sun loungers so only to be expected really. The buffet is not big, so I expect it will get busy in there. Has a really nice coffee (Explorers lounge I believe it was). The only complaint so far really is, that it's 30 years old and the decor is dated, but cabins are a good size, but it's bloody noisy compared to new ships. I'll update as we go on.

We are booked on Thomson Dream Cuban Fusion/pride of Panama flight/cruise starting 29.12.2015. I asked about Internet on board and received the answer which is attached. Hope this helps

I'm on the same cruise, I've taken the £50 option for the week (I'm quite a heavy user if the Internet), which is expensive, but better than some cruises I've been on. So far it's proving more than adequate.

Thanks for the replies! Has anyone been on a New Year's eve Thomson cruise in the last couple of years? , if not docked at Madeira what are the celebrations like? Thankyou!

I'm on Thomson Dream (Cuban Revolution and Pride of Panama) at the moment, I'll let you know hat it's like.

Hi Linda, sorry I never said thanks.

Hi all,

Have never cruised with Thomson before, so don't know score. I have just read the following paragraph on an email I have just been sent, and hope someone can answer my question:

Important information about MONTEGO BAY

Before you check in your bags in the UK you’ll need to visit the Thomson Cruises stand. We’ll security seal your bag and attach your cabin number here in the UK to speed up the process at the other end. So there’s no need to collect your bags from the carousel when you land in Montego Bay, just make your way straight through to the Arrivals Hall.

Two questions really, can you still check in the night before if you need to take your bags to the Cruise Stand and is the Cruise Stand obvious?

Thanks

I go on Tuesday, guess I should do something about them.

What £50.00 credit?

As far as I'm aware both books are the same, it's probably just a copyright thing

Hi all!

 

Di Princess ~ that sounds like a very interesting book!

A guide book that we found helpful was "Lonely Planet Cuba".

 

I wonder if you search "books" on the Cuba cruise thread if you'd come up with a list as I think there was one at some point.

 

I made note of a book called "The Havana Mob" by T J English but never actually read it.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

Havana Mob is the English (as opposed to the American) version of Havana Nocturne. It's an excellent book which gives you a real incite into Cuba. It's being made into a Film and is due for release in 2016.

Lonely Planet Cuba is a good book, as is the Eyewitness Guide.