First time cruiser with Cunard

[Loulabella]

Having only cruised on P&O previously we have decided to try Cunard as recommended by a friend and have booked the 17 night Adriatic & Med cruise on Queen Victoria sailing 1 August in a balcony cabin midships on Deck 5 (near the Launderette as:confused: my partner loves ironing his own shirts!!!).

We are calling at Seville, Messina, Cephalonia, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula & Girbraltar. Would you recommend the trips at any of these destinations? We often do our own thing if it is easy.

Also, is there a drinks package which can be ordered beforehand?

We look forward to our holiday and hope it is not like "Butlins on Sea" which is how my partner described the Ventura!!!

[Keith1010]

Having only cruised on P&O previously we have decided to try Cunard as recommended by a friend and have booked the 17 night Adriatic & Med cruise on Queen Victoria sailing 1 August in a balcony cabin midships on Deck 5 (near the Launderette as:confused: my partner loves ironing his own shirts!!!).

We are calling at Seville, Messina, Cephalonia, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula & Girbraltar. Would you recommend the trips at any of these destinations? We often do our own thing if it is easy.

Also, is there a drinks package which can be ordered beforehand?

We look forward to our holiday and hope it is not like "Butlins on Sea" which is how my partner described the Ventura!!!

 

In Dubrovnik, I would take the shuttle into town and visit the Walled City which offers beautiful views of the city and the coast. Adjacent to the Walled City are lots of shops, cafes and restaurant.

 

Corfu. Take a taxi into the downtown area where you can then just walk around on your own.

 

Gibraltar. You can go out to the pier where tour vans will be waiting and take a tour at a reasonable price. On the way back have them drop you off in town which is about a 15 minute walk to the ship where you can walk up and down the main streets and the side streets.

 

Venice. Venice is really easy to visit on your own. There is lots to see including St. Marks Square. Try to take a Gondola ride which includes the Grand Canal.

 

I would also post on the Cunard Board and also find the Roll Call for your cruise.

 

Keith

[Essiesmom]

It is definitely going to be different...Lots more formal. I can't compare as I have not sailed P&O, but you might ask on the Cunard board, under Cruise Lines A-O. I suspect Cadiz is your port for Sevilla...Sevilla is a time intensive tour,more time spent on the bus than in Sevilla, whereas Cadiz is a nice walkable port, worth the time and savings if you have never been there.

I will be in Venice several days next year, and have just finished Rick Steves' guidebook on Venice. He gives lots of tips to save money, and has iPod/mp3 tours you can download free from his website. EM

[jocap]

We've just returned from a similar cruise of 17 nights to Venice.....on Ventura, but we needed every "Butlins" activity for all the sea days!....;)

Korkula is a lovely island just to wander round; Venice has a new people mover from the port to the Piazza Rome where the water buses start- it's quite cheap to buy a 36 hour pass on line, but it must be validated before you step on board.

Dubrovnik- people on the P&O shuttle said it stopped quite close to the newly opened cable car- the views are stunning! They will only take Kuna now for the walk on the walls, not €€€

Cadiz usually has a Ho/Ho bus at the docks side, but it's easy to stroll round;Cephalonia has a ferry pier very near to the terminal- every half hour, for a half hour trip across the water to a small town, but check the times as they don't seem to run in siesta time.

Gib is a good walk into town, which is really just like most small UK towns- it's about 1/2 an hour to walk to the cable car, so get there first before the trips arrive. Don't mix duty free bought there with duty paid bought in the EU, as Southampton customs often stop pax who've been to Gib....:rolleyes:- it once took us 50 mins to get through, as they were stopping so many.

Have a wonderful time- ours has been the best cruise ever, to these destinations.

Jo.

[Underwatr]

The only drinks package on Cunard is a fountain soft drink package (soda). No wine/liquor package. But liquor can be bought onboard for around $40/liter, including 6 12-ounce cans of soda.