Island Espape a couple of questions

[Rebel Rouser]

Hi Lanzalady, thanks for lurking around :D

 

Thanks for the (long) ;) Island Escape review. Very well thought out and honest.

[First cruise lady]

Thanks. Will bear the point about the wine in mind.

[solorizor]

A friend is just back from an island escape cruise all inclusive. She used to take the odd special brand names and was normally charged an extra 20/30p but on this cruise she had to pay an extra £2. Bit of a shock!

Also when she w was getting on the boat there were ones nearly running off it. She heard later the captain had to swerve the boat coming into port and rock it so severely most of the pool water came out. Some slight cuts and bruises so at least 200 passengers refused to complete the 2nd week of their cruise and were put in a 5 star hotel for the week !!

 

 

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[Mark707]

Just a quick query from me - is the tap water in the cabins drinkable ? if not can I get bottles of water or pop from a shop on board ?

 

Thanks

[First cruise lady]

Thanks for everyone's posts. I already have the drinks list, so I'm aware that you have to pay £2-3 for a branded spirit or cocktail. I have to say, compared to what you can pay in some pubs, I don't think that's that bad. Is bad weather, ships lurching and the norovirus a common experience on this ship, as it does sound a little alarming?

 

I' ve read elsewhere that the tap water is drinkable, but would appreciate confirmation of this.

[Rebel Rouser]

First Lady,

 

The weather will only get better now, it's always pot luck with cruises in the med early in the season and for that reason we always try and get the mid june onwards but saying that you can still get the rough /choppy night day.

 

As for the "lurching " of the ship that is very very rare and probably only hapens in ones life time.

 

Noro virus happens on all ships and at the moment several ships have it, from what I have read on the Island Escape Cruise Ship Facebook page the ship went under a big strerilisation before sailing last week.

 

Anymore questions,,, I'm always lurking about.

 

RR

[First cruise lady]

Thanks RR. What happened with the lurching must have been awful for everyone involved, but hopefully, it will be a one off.

 

Hopefully, the sterilisation will solve the norovirus problem, though I take your point about all ships having it. My whole family had it a few christmases ago, after visiting a care home and none of us are in a great hurry to repeat the experience! Fortunately, we were all over it within a few days, but I'm aware that some people can take two or three weeks to get over it.

 

Is it true that the tap water is safe to drink on the ship, or do you need to buy bottled water? Also, are you allowed to take drinks back to your cabin from the bars?

 

Thanks again.

 

Cruise lady

[expat exonian]

Hi, First Lady,

I don´t know if the water is de-salinated sea water (as it is on our little island, Lanzarote) or if it shipped aboard daily. Either way, it tasted fine for teeth cleaning and was certainly ¨hair friendly¨, mine dislikes hard/chalky stuff !! there is always a 1.5 ltr bottle available in your cabin, I think its 1.50p , we only bought 2 in our week. We saw a few people topping up bottles from the water dispensers at the Beachcomber but you have to pour it into a glass to do this as a bottle doesn´t fit under the dispensers ! IMO a lot of trouble to go to just to save a few p. :confused: Naturally all bars serve water, fizzy and still by the glass. We had a lucky week in May (14 to 21st) no rough seas or Norovirus, would love to go ¨round¨again.

Envy you RR only 3 more weeks to ´Lurk¨;)

mari

[First cruise lady]

Thanks Mari. Is the water okay for you to actually drink then, say you want to re-fill a bottle from the tap, or do you have to buy the water to drink?

 

Will look forward to hearing about your cruise when you get back, RR.

 

Cruise Lady

[LilMissK]

I'm sure I read something on the ship, saying they recommended u drink bottled water as the stuff on board was chlorinated, safe to drink not doesn't taste nice...

The bars etc will all give u a glass of water or I'm sure the shop will sell it. They also sell bottles as u get off the ship at ports...

[First cruise lady]

Thanks LilmissK. Will bear that in mind. Could I take a glass of water back to my cabin from one of the bars, say to have overnight?

[Rebel Rouser]

First Lady, yes and ask the Cabin steward to keep your Ice bucket topped up, and even if it does all thaw out go to one of the bars and they will replenish it for you.

 

And there is no where that it says you can't drink the tap water....but theres always a doubt isnt there lol.

[Lanzalady]

I used to fill up a couple of small water bottles from the cold water dispenser in the Beachcomber to keep for drinking during the day. In the interests of health this should be done using a clean water beaker to transfer the water from the water dispenser into the bottle and not by putting the bottle (that someone has had in their mouth!) up to the tap to fill it. Despite a large notice to the side of the water tap, asking people not to fill their bottles directly from the tap, there were inevitably people doing it! Some people are terminally stupid and then are the first to complain if they get infected. We did find that the water had quite a strong taste of chlorine and when I asked one of the officers on duty in the Beachcomber why this was, he said that all the water on board was desalinated and treated with chlorine for consumption. So one would assume that the tap water in the bathroom is the same as the chilled water in the restaurants. Of course if you want to pay for bottled water, the £1.50 charged for a 1.5 litre bottle in the cabin wasn't too expensive and definitely made a difference if you really fancied a long drink of water!

[ClaireAnna81]

We brought the aluminium coke canisters from the mirage bar (only £2 each) and asked the bar staff to fill with them with ice before retiring back to our cabin each night. Nice cold water as it slowly melts during the night. Still quite chilled in those canisters in the morning. :D

 

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[First cruise lady]

Hi

 

Thanks for all you replies. Will bear all the points about the water in mind. It sounds like I can take any drinks back to my cabin then, so if I want a nightcap or a drink while I'm getting ready at night, I can have one.

 

Are any of you going on the cruise soon? Was just wondering if anything's changed since it became all all inclusive.

[Lanzalady]

Yes, you can take drinks back to your cabin. You can take food to your cabin too! My husband never came down (or up) to breakfast with me and I always prepared him some muesli, yoghurt, juice and tea and took it back to him in the cabin. There is an ice-bucket and some ice-tongs on the shelf behind the TV. You only have to ask your cabin steward for some ice and he or she will bring it to you.

[First cruise lady]

Thanks for that, Lanzalady. Being able to take food back to the cabin and having an ice bucket filled sounds good. I enjoy being able to have a bit of fruit by the pool of an afternoon, so it will be nice to be able to get that from the breakfast table and who doesn't like ice in their drinks, lol!

[Mark707]

Hi all, can I ask another question as I've not been on a cruise before :)

 

At night, outside, do you need to take a coat or jacket or anything, is it chilly ish or still quite warm ( end of June )

 

many thanks

[LilMissK]

There's not much outside space on the ship, so u might not even be outside at night...

[jenny wren]

I take a pashmina as the ship will be at sea at night and it might be a bit breezy!! But usually warm...there will be deck parties some evenings...especially the first evening....

 

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[First cruise lady]

Thanks for that info. Will have a jacket with me, just in case. It looks like the Lookout and Sailaway bars and the Beachcomber are outside on the plan, but I'm assuming that's deceptive.

 

Just another question. What kind of entertainment is it on the ship? Is it cabaret or more tribute acts? It doesn't really matter, as I enjoy both. Was just curious.

[Rebel Rouser]

FCL, hellooooo.

 

In answer to your questions ;)

 

Lookout bar is inside but sailaway is outside , beachcomber has 75% inside and 25% outside. nice during the day but can be chilly at nights.

 

Entertainment is a very good mixture of Caberet and tribute singers / groups and a comedian.

 

RR

[First cruise lady]

Thanks RR. Will bear that in mind. Are you looking forward to your cruise?

[Rebel Rouser]

FCL, sort of looking forward to it lol :confused: not enough shopping days

[First cruise lady]

Hope you get your shopping done and enjoy your cruise, RR.