MV Discovery

[terrypilot]

My wife and I are looking at a 46 night Grand Voyage on this ship leaving London on Sept. 9th. Concerns are cabin sizes and shapes as well as the necessity of Formal Dress in the dining on a weekly or so basis. Basically looking for plusses and minuses about this ship. The iteneray is not a concern. Many thanks for any information.

[SwissMyst]

We did a 42 day grand voyage last Jan-March, 2010 from Hong Kong to Capetown - a brilliant itinerary across the Indian Ocean. I posted lots of information along with photos on this forum if you do a search. We got the cabin next to the medical office and it was much larger than others and we think very much worth for that long a trip, unless you can afford the larger ones on top decks.

 

But these lower floor odd shaped cabins due to the curve of the ship were a far better deal than the typical 132 sq foot rooms. The bathroom is very, very basic - think industrial military ship functional - but the rest of the ship was very pleasant for such an old ship.

 

The food better than expected but room service and a lighter evening meal option was regretably missing for us - inquire to find out more because we may have been given poor information on these alternative dining options. There is a nice formality simply because you are cruising with more traditional and more UK type passengers who tend to dress for dinner - though it is nothing more than just nice business or "go to church" type clothes.

 

Someone suggested just pack for several "two week" cruises and expect to duplicate everything a few times. I way overpacked. We did all our laundry in our room and everyone seemed to wear their favorite travel logo tee shirts as the dress du jour during the day time. Smart travellers.

 

And it was just the dark suit and sparkle tops for women in the evening with maybe one or too dressier items for the real "formal" nights. No one was keeping score because Discovery attracts travellers; not tourists if you get the difference.

 

The enrichment lectures were superb and took up most of the sea days so there was not much time to just be out on deck unless you wanted to watch the talks on the in room TV later, instead of live. Lots of readers on deck with the one complaint being "hogging deck chairs" in contradiction to guideline to not leave things unattended for more than 30 minutes.

 

But our itinerary required shade to be out doors for any period of time so this strictly limited much of the deck and deck chair areas due to the extreme heat traversing the equator for much of our trip.

 

We loved the trip and would do it again in a heart beat. But it may not be for everyone because this is a passenger ship that goes to very unique ports as its main focus and not a high entertainment, diversion-seeking cruise ship.

 

Hope you find the prior threads and interior photos and if not, I will try to bring them back up for you. Here is a search link to help you get started: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=18857472

[SwissMyst]

Sorry, the link to the Discovery search tool in the prior post will not work from the prior post itself, but if you use if off your Cruise Critic page and just type in "MV Discovery" in the search feature and look for my "SwissMyst" posts you can find all the detail about rooms, ship layout, food, lectures and interior photos that I posted in various threads after our wonderful trip early this year.

 

The company's promotional video really does not capture the real feeling of the ship - it is much more down to earth which was actually welcome for the brand of travel it offers. It is not a "deluxe" cruise in any way but a very, very adequate one on all comfort counts and exceptional for the things that really count for this type of small ship, unusual itinerary cruising. Here is a link to my interior photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/travellergal/MVDiscoveryInteriorPhotos201002#

[greenland]

Would either of you know when voyages of discovery will put out their summer 2012 brochure?

[John Bull]

My wife and I are looking at a 46 night Grand Voyage on this ship leaving London on Sept. 9th. Concerns are cabin sizes and shapes as well as the necessity of Formal Dress in the dining on a weekly or so basis. Basically looking for plusses and minuses about this ship. The iteneray is not a concern. Many thanks for any information.

 

Most cabin sizes are small - wide enough for only two narrow single beds that cannot be pushed together.

Some cabins have a third pull-down bunk.these are noted on the deck plans. Because the cabins are small, those with a pull-down third bunk are too narrow for twin beds so the two main beds are in an L-shape. Very poor for two, gotta be diabolical for three.

They are also poorly-equipped - very basic furniture with no fridge or tea/coffee.

The cabins are perhaps the biggest minus of the ship, unless you splash out on a more expensive cabin. We've done 34 nights on the ship, & a 31 nighter coming up in January (both in cheap cabins) - 46 nights is a long time in those cabins so, like us, you'd need to have low expectations of cabin comfort. Worthy only of a bed for the night & the odd afternoon snooze in solitude.

 

Whilst there are various options for breakfast & lunch, dinner is in the MDR plus one free visit to the "yacht club" restaurant - there are no alternatives in the evening (mebbe room service??) & the yacht club is closed on formal evenings. Most folk dress for the formal evening, but perhaps 20% of guys wear a dark suit instead of DJ.

Food varies from very acceptable to good, there's afternoon tea & a small late-nite spread, but not all-day food.

 

Ship is a classic little old cruise ship, very friendly, but quite limited facilities & very simple entertainment. Good port lectures.

We choose her for the unusual itineraries, but with the greatest respect, we'd prefer half-a-dozen other cruiselines for more popular destinations.

 

Details of cruises to April 2012 are available on http://www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk/voyage_type.php?type_id=13

A phone call to them is your best bet for summer 2012.

 

John Bull

[mexico8]

Sorry, the link to the Discovery search tool in the prior post will not work from the prior post itself, but if you use if off your Cruise Critic page and just type in "MV Discovery" in the search feature and look for my "SwissMyst" posts you can find all the detail about rooms, ship layout, food, lectures and interior photos that I posted in various threads after our wonderful trip early this year.

 

The company's promotional video really does not capture the real feeling of the ship - it is much more down to earth which was actually welcome for the brand of travel it offers. It is not a "deluxe" cruise in any way but a very, very adequate one on all comfort counts and exceptional for the things that really count for this type of small ship, unusual itinerary cruising. Here is a link to my interior photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/travellergal/MVDiscoveryInteriorPhotos201002#

Looked at all 73 pictures of the MV Discovery that you posted and I have decided to book a cruise on that ship. Thank you for posting these great photos. So nice to be able to see all the areas of the ship.

 

Wendy

[glutenhab]

We are considering a long (30-60 day) itinerary.

Could you comment on some of the negatives I have read about this line please?

 

1) Ship is old with numerous breakdowns, missed ports, rumbling/vibration/loud noises.

2) Many regular/long-term guests think they own the ship & hog deck chairs, skip lines & are generally rude etc.

3) Captain/staff don't "go out of their way" to help...many have been with the ship for years & have become complacent.

 

Also, is it possible to get a table for 2 if we desire? I don't mean a long table with many guests sitting in rows, across from each other, but rather an actual separate table that seats 2 ony.

[SwissMyst]

We are considering a long (30-60 day) itinerary.

Could you comment on some of the negatives I have read about this line please?

 

1) Ship is old with numerous breakdowns, missed ports, rumbling/vibration/loud noises.

2) Many regular/long-term guests think they own the ship & hog deck chairs, skip lines & are generally rude etc.

3) Captain/staff don't "go out of their way" to help...many have been with the ship for years & have become complacent.

 

Also, is it possible to get a table for 2 if we desire? I don't mean a long table with many guests sitting in rows, across from each other, but rather an actual separate table that seats 2 ony.

 

Please see my response on your other thread. Hope your questions got answered there.

[gymbabe]

I recently went on a long cruise (three consecutive) on Discovery,and have been on other lines to compare.I found the whole experience wonderful,from the staff to the lectures to the itinerary.Only one missed port,due to bad seas.In fact we did/saw more than the brochure had indicated.I would not hesitate recommending them,unless you are a 5 star traveller and dont mind seeing ports with 2,00 plus others.....Discovery is a real enrichment experience and if you chose them you would find a journey life-changing!!

[Gothic]

Quite simply, loved it! I had always been very disparaging about this ship back in the days when she was Island Princess (and also of her sister Pacific Princess). However, I have to eat my words as I had a brilliant 2 week cruise on her in Jan/Feb 2010 in the Far East. There were no missed ports, no breakdowns, no unpleasant engine noises, indeed, as far as we could tell the ship worked perfectly well. Yes, her cabins are very small but as long as you are aware of the fact when going on board that should not prove to be a problem (or a surprise). The decor of her public rooms leaves much to be desired, glamorous she is not! On the other hand she is a warm and friendly ship. The service was good, far better than found on a Fred Olsen ship for example! The food is OK, you won't starve but dining aboard her is not a gourmet experience. The formality of dress has been adequately covered in the postings above. I wholly agree that she is a ship for travellers rather than tourists. If you want all the bells and whistles of the newer cruise ships then stay away as you'll be unhappy. But if you want a smaller ship, a friendly atmosphere, interaction with your fellow passengers, fascinating ports of call and some truly brilliant shore excursions then Discovery is your ship. I'd be more than happy to sail on her again and hope that I shall.

[SwissMyst]

...... The decor of her public rooms leaves much to be desired, glamorous she is not! ........

 

Love getting these reports as it was almost a year to date ago that we got off our 42 day HongKong to Capetown MV Discovery adventure with all the same wonderful feelings about this ship and the entire experience. Now for a thousand pictures to speak for a few words above: https://picasaweb.google.com/travellergal/MVDiscoveryInteriorPhotos201002#

[medanum6298]

I have to eat my words as I had a brilliant 2 week cruise on her in Jan/Feb 2010 in the Far East

[SwissMyst]

I have to eat my words as I had a brilliant 2 week cruise on her in Jan/Feb 2010 in the Far East

 

What were your "words"? Please, tell us more about your trip. We started out in HongKong on our and it was 100% adventure from that point on for 42 days straight all the way to Capetown last year. And more sticky pudding than I can count.:p

[dsrdsrdsr]

Most cabin sizes are small - wide enough for only two narrow single beds that cannot be pushed together.

Some cabins have a third pull-down bunk.these are noted on the deck plans. Because the cabins are small, those with a pull-down third bunk are too narrow for twin beds so the two main beds are in an L-shape. Very poor for two, gotta be diabolical for three.

They are also poorly-equipped - very basic furniture with no fridge or tea/coffee.

The cabins are perhaps the biggest minus of the ship, unless you splash out on a more expensive cabin. We've done 34 nights on the ship, & a 31 nighter coming up in January (both in cheap cabins) - 46 nights is a long time in those cabins so, like us, you'd need to have low expectations of cabin comfort. Worthy only of a bed for the night & the odd afternoon snooze in solitude.

 

We travelled as a four in one of those cabins, and I don't have any memory of any problem. It certainly wasn't diabolical for us. But then, it doesn't matter what cruise line we're with, the cabin is only a place to sleep and get dressed - what else is there to do in there? :confused:

[antonhoton]

I always like to travel in cruise. I like the way they serve to their customer. Next year in holidays, I want to travel with a good cruise service.

[RicoPaz]

I was aboard this ship for 3 weeks last year, had a fine experience and would go again.

 

I agree with most of has been posted and would just echo:

 

It's an old ship, the crew can barely keep up with the fixes and it shows.

 

The service is great, the attitude of the crew is great and extremely knowledgeable.

 

The food is alright but not memorable, and you have to wear a coat to dinner most of time.

 

Have a good cruise.

[SwissMyst]

......

 

The food is alright but not memorable, and you have to wear a coat to dinner most of time.

.....

 

Having been on for 42 days, I found most of the breakfast and lunch buffet food to be very good, excellent fresh baked breads, really tasty items at the afternoon Tea buffet and great hot hor d'ouvres at the late buffet.

 

The only real disappointment was the main courses at dinner - the preceding appetizers and soups were very good but the meat portions were never memorable. So while this is the "main course" disappointment, the rest of the offerings were all really quite good. Things could improve if they cut down on main course meat portions in exchange for meat quality.

 

Were I do it all again (please, please, please yes) I would make breakfast and lunch my "main meals" and have dinner be the light meal, avoiding the main courses and having just the first two and dessert, and then if hunger called, staying up for the later hot buffet.

 

And I would use that abbreviated dinner time to enjoy the videos of some of the day's excellent lectures and spend that day time spent indoors hearing the lectures live instead out on the decks just being lazy at sea instead of being indoors most of the sea days absolutely fascinated by their superb enrichment series classes.

 

I guess this means only one thing -- I will have to keep going back on MV Discovery and trying different combinations until I get it just right. :p

 

It is now a little over one year later since our 42 day MV Discovery HongKong to Capetown trip and we still talk about it almost every single day. That pretty much says it all about MV Discovery.

[Big-Will]

[/attach]

[senioradventurer]

My wife and I are looking at a 46 night Grand Voyage on this ship leaving London on Sept. 9th. Concerns are cabin sizes and shapes as well as the necessity of Formal Dress in the dining on a weekly or so basis. Basically looking for plusses and minuses about this ship. The iteneray is not a concern. Many thanks for any information.

 

No need for formal dress at all. Discovery is a wonderful ship, which really feels like a ship. I've been on half a dozen cruises with them and love the atmoshpere, very friendly. As a American, it's fun to meet the Brits as well. Rooms are fine, the usual small but ok size. It is not 5 star luxury, but that's not what I am after anyway. I vote a strong "yes, go."

SeniorAdventurer

[Brian Raine]

Did the Spitzbergen cruise on Discovery last year.To say the least we were not impressed by the attitude of some of the senior officers. That aside we did take some fabulous pictures and video and visited some interesting locals. She is one vessel my wife and I will not be taking again.

 

The pictures are at. http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/724582300, please feel free to make any comments about them.

[wagtail90]

I loved the Discovery! It is not ultra luxurious but has interesting itineraries, crew were friendly, polite, cheerful and helpful. Organisation was excellent incl disembarkation where arrangments kept changing becuase our flight home was delayed by snow in UK. I am travelling again on Discovery this year and really looking forward to it.

[Paulchili]

A somewhat unrelated question but I do not want to start a new thread.

We are familiar with the ship as we cruised on her twice. My question has to do with schedules.

We like the itinerary from Athens to Mumbai for this year (2011), but cannot do it. We would like to do the same (or very similar one) in 2012. Her itineraries are out only till Nov 2012 and end in Athens. I suspect it is the next 2 segments that we would be interested in:

How likely are they to repeat the itinerary?

When will the schedule for Dec 2012 be out?

TIA.

[Sekhmet]

A somewhat unrelated question but I do not want to start a new thread.

We are familiar with the ship as we cruised on her twice. My question has to do with schedules.

We like the itinerary from Athens to Mumbai for this year (2011), but cannot do it. We would like to do the same (or very similar one) in 2012. Her itineraries are out only till Nov 2012 and end in Athens. I suspect it is the next 2 segments that we would be interested in:

How likely are they to repeat the itinerary?

When will the schedule for Dec 2012 be out?

TIA.

 

As far as repeat itineraries are concerned, they do not seem to go for exact repeats - we did a Black Sea with them one year, and the following year the "major" destinations were the same, but the minor ports were somewhat different. "Variations on a Theme" by MV Discovery might sum it up:).

In addition, current affairs will obviously have an effect - I somehow think our October 2010 cruise to Libya is unlikely to appear on any repeat list anytime soon?

[SwissMyst]

I also think our fabulous Discovery sweep across the pirate-infested Indian Ocean waters and remote islands might be on hold again too. Plus is there any good time to traverse the Mozambique Channel? Whoowhee, was that endlessly rough for two whole weeks last March 2010.

 

I first learned about the Discovery when they had a route that included Tristan de Cuhna which is on my must see list, yet I never saw it on a Discovery itinerary again. But I also think she can no longer to the Antarctic run any longer too due to new maritime hull thickness requirements - anyone know any thing different?

[Geordieboy]

I also think our fabulous Discovery sweep across the pirate-infested Indian Ocean waters and remote islands might be on hold again too. Plus is there any good time to traverse the Mozambique Channel? Whoowhee, was that endlessly rough for two whole weeks last March 2010.

 

I first learned about the Discovery when they had a route that included Tristan de Cuhna which is on my must see list, yet I never saw it on a Discovery itinerary again. But I also think she can no longer to the Antarctic run any longer too due to new maritime hull thickness requirements - anyone know any thing different?

 

VOD have the Minerva sailing to Antartica and apparently did not want to have two ships down there when they wanted to explore other itinnery's, Discovery still has her Antartica licence