Thoughts of Ambassador and Ambition

[NightWoman]

Long review of Ambition 8 night Fjord Cruise from Dundee 27th May - 4th June. 

We've cruised numerous times with many cruise lines however this was the first with Ambassador and the reason we chose this line was purely because it was sailing from Dundee so there was no flying and only an hours drive from Fife. 

I think Ambassador will do well in the Scottish market as so few cruise lines embark/disembark from Scotland, it's convenient and cost effective, let's face airports are not a joy. 

What I will say about Dundee Cruise Terminal is that it's not very well sign posted and depending on which direction you come from the signage doesn't always allow you to turn onto the road you need but we got there in the end.

A marquee is the check-in area so it's not a permanant feature due to the limited number of cruises leaving from Dundee. You have to navigate some less than smooth surfaces however the porters were very efficient and friendly helping anyone who needed assistance.

Unlike Southampton your luggage is with you when you complete the check-in then taken from you to be scanned allowing you to then board.

The check-in at Dundee was very quick, from arrival to embarking took about 15 minutes and we were on board by 12:30, we went straight to our cabin to drop off our hand luggage.

Our main luggage arrived not long after and we were unpacked and organised well before the boat drill at 15:30, this was a proper muster drill where all passengers go to their muster station on deck, listen to the safety briefing and watchthe crew put on their life jackets.

We had a window cabin on deck 8 for 2 passengers, it was set up as a double but clearly space was limited so we asked the cabin steward to set then up as singles which allowed us more space, the bed was very comfortable.

The cabin itself, there were quite a few marks on the carpet so in my opinion it hadn't undergone a deep clean, the edges of the furniture were quite damaged as well. There was plenty of wardrobe space with about 30 good wooden hangers, lots of drawer space, and a flat screen TV, hairdryer which wasn't fixed was in the dressing table cupboard and was actually quite powerful, the safe was in a cupboard above the TV.

There is plenty of room under the bed for storing cases, we had 2 large hard shell cases which we put under unopened and 2 smaller cases with space to spare.

The bathroom is very compact and could be a tight space for anyone who is of larger proportions especially between the toilet and the shower, on the plus side it was a shower screen rather than a curtain, plenty of hot water and there was sufficient space for toiletries on both sides of the wash-hand basin.

There is no turn down service but Adie left us 4 bath towels every day, he was very pleasant and did a good job, not that we were high maintenance.

The ship isn't large and is easy to navigate if you are looking for entertainment or bars. The Clifton, Angel, Pendennis, Purple Turtle and The Cavern bars were always popular and the entertainment in each venue was very good and seats filled up very quickly, there was always plenty of staff serving and we were usually served very quickly especially when the staff got to know you and your drink of choice. A lot of people like having a few nuts or crisps when having a drink and if I was being critical there were no nuts or crisps on offer in any of the bars.

The Palladium Theatre is nice and well laid out. The cruise director was very good and The Palladium Theatre group were excellent, they put on several shows and these were very popular, some guests leaving the restaurant and sitting in the theatre for over an hour.

Martin Daniels put on two shows but to be honest the content was the same as the shows he did about 10 years ago on P&O but he entertained the audience.

There was also an acting group on board who did some small plays, again very entertaining and something different to watch in the afternoon or evening.

The guest speaker was very informative, the lectures were about Stevie Wonder and the history of Motown.

There was also the Captain and Officers question and answers however this was clearly staged and only certain generic questions were asked, there was no roving mike as is usual at these events, keeping the Captain from answering awkward questions I think.

Food and dining is always subjective what one person enjoys another dislikes.

The Borough Market buffet at breakfast and lunch was always busy sometimes manic because unlike larger ships where food is available more or less all day on Ambition breakfast was from 7am - 10am and lunch 12pm - 14:30 so it was a short window but we always found a seat further away from the buffet.

This area had obviously not had any alterations done in it as it's very badly laid out and is very congested, people walking in all directions, not paying attention to where they are going or who was behind them, especially at the hot drinks dispenser, which was more like a corridor far too narrow with guests trying to pour hot drinks while people struggled to get passed including the buffet staff with trolleys.

Don't expect the selection or variety of food you get on larger ships, we didn't think there was a massive choice but we always managed to find something to eat, the alfresco grill offered 2 types of pizza everyday, hot dogs and sometimes burgers.

Although there are sinks and hand gel at the entrance to the buffet a lot of passengers didn't feel hand washing applied to them and there were no staff on duty to encourage people to do this, although you shouldn't have to remind people to do this and considering how important personal hygiene is but particularly on a cruise ship I feel this should be taken more seriously. 

Our dining time was 1st sitting at 17:30, and we requested a table for 2 when booking which we got and we were allocated The Holyrood Restuarant, table number 100, we had 2 attentive waiters who made sure our wine glasses were topped up, the food wasn't the best we've experienced but certainly not the worst, we always found something we liked however a lot of the food was over salted. 

One big complaint for us and many others we spoke to is that 17:30 is far too early for dinner, most people were finished by 19:00 and I can see no reason why 1st sitting can't be at 18:15 this still gives the waiters ample time to re set the tables for 2nd sitting at 20:15. During our cruise the restaurant was never at any time running at full capacity, there were a lot of empty seats, tables for 6 with only 2 people at it for the full cruise.

As this was a more traditional ship it was nice to see some passengers made an effort on the formal nights with gents in dinner jackets and bow ties and the ladies in lovely dresses however it's disappointing that some thought jeans and a T shirt was appropriate it certainly doesn't add to the ambience on the ship but that's just my opinion.

We did not like some areas of the pool deck, old and stained sun beds and the round wooden seating areas were in need to maintance, it certainly wouldn't entice me sit there however at one end of the deck and at the side of the pool deck there was a nicer area with decent seating and tables on both sides.

Even though we've been to the Fjords several times the scenery is always different and Fjords are quite spectacular, the weather was reasonable we had some rain, sun and it was chilly. 

The less positive experience was our cabin thermostat even at high was cold, it was like this the day we embarked and on the sea day which we reported to Adie our cabin steward and reported it at reception, the public areas were cold and it was particularly cold in the theatre, it improved after it was reported so I'm not sure what the issue was.

It doesn't matter how many times there were anouncements over the tannoy and in the daily paper about the vacumn system on 

We've cruised numerous times with many cruise lines however this was the first with Ambassador and the reason we chose this line was purely because it was sailing from Dundee so there was no flying and only an hours drive from Fife.

What I will say about Dundee Cruise Terminal is that it's not very well sign posted and depending on which direction you come from the signage doesn't always allow you to turn onto the road you need but we got there in the end.

A marquee is the check-in area so it's not a permanant feature due to the limited number of cruisesleaving from Dundee. You have to navigate some less than smooth surfaces however the porters were very efficient and friendly helping anyone who needed assistance.

Unlike Southampton your luggage is with you when you complete the check-in then taken from you to be scanned allowing you to then board.

The check-in at Dundee was very quick, from arrival to embarking took about 15 minutes and we were on board by 12:30, we went straight to our cabin to drop off our hand luggage.

Our main luggage arrived not long after and we were unpacked and organised well before the boat drill at 15:30, this was a proper muster drill where all passengers go to their muster stationon deck and listening to the safety briefing and watching the crew put on their life jackets.

We had a window cabin on deck 8 for 2 passengers, it was set up as a double but clearly space was limited so we asked the cabin steward to set then up as singles which allowed us more space, the bed was very comfortable.

The cabin itself, there were quite a few marks on the carpet so in my opinion it hadn't undergone a deep clean, the edges of the furniture were quite damaged as well. There was plenty of wardrobe space with about 30 good wooden hangers, lots of drawer space, and a flat screen TV, hairdryer which wasn't fixed was in the dressing table cupboard and was actually quite powerful, the safe was in a cupboard above the TV.

There is plenty of room under the bed for storing cases, we had 2 large hard shell cases which we put under unopened and 2 smaller cases with space to spare.

The bathroom; very compact and could be a tight space for anyone who is of larger proportions especially between the toilet and the shower, on the plus side it was a shower screen rather than a curtain, plenty of hot water and there was sufficient space for toiletries on both sides of the wash-hand basin.

There is no turn down service but Adie left us 4 bath towels every day, he was very pleasant and did a good job, not that we were high maintenance.

The ship isn't large and is easy to navigate if you are looking for entertainment or bars. The Clifton, Angel, Pendennis, Purple Turtle and The Cavern bars were always popular and the entertainment in each venue was very good and seats filled up very quickly, there was always plenty of staff serving and we were usually served very quickly especially when the staff got to know you and your drink of choice. A lot of people like having a few nuts or crisps when having a drink and if I was being critical there were no nuts or crisps on offer in any of the bars.

The Paladium Theatre is nice and well laid out. The cruise director was very good and The Paladium Theatre group were excellent, they put on several shows and these were very popular, some guests leaving the restaurant and sitting in the theatre for over an hour.

Martin Daniels put on two shows but to be honest the content was the same as the shows he did about 10 years ago on P&O but he entertained the audience.

There was also an acting group on board who did some small plays, again very entertaining and something different to watch in the afternoon or evening.

The guest speaker was very informative, the lectures were about Stevie Wonder and the history of Motown.

There was also the Captain and Officers question and answers however this was clearly staged and only certain generic questions were asked, there was no roving mike as is usual at these events, keeping the Captain from answering awkward questions I think.

Food and dining is always subjective what one person enjoys another dislikes.

The Borough Market buffet, always busy sometimes manic but we always found a seat. This area had obviously not had any alterations done in it, it is badly laid out and is very congested, people walking in all directions, not paying attention to where they are going or who was behind them, especially at the hot drinks dispenser, which was more like a corridor far too narrow with guests trying to pour hot drinks while people struggled to get passed including the buffet staff with trolleys.

Don't expect the selection or variety of food you get on larger ships, we didn't think there wasn't a massive choice but we always managed to find something to eat, the alfresco grill offered 2 types of pizza everyday, hot dogs and sometimes burgers.

Although there are sinks and hand gel at the entrance to the buffet a lot of passengers didn't feel hand washing applied to them and there were no staff on duty to encourage people to do this, although you shouldn't have to remind people to do this and considering how important personal hygiene is but particularly on a cruise ship I feel this should be taken more seriously

Our dining time was 1st sitting at 17:30, and we requested a table for 2 when booking which we got and we were allocated The Holyrood Restuarant, table number 100, we had 2 attentive waiters who made sure our wine glasses were topped up, the food wasn't the best we've experienced but certainly not the worst, we always found something we liked.

One big complaint for us and many others we spoke to is that 17:30 is far too early for dinner, most people were finished by 19:00 and I can see no reason why 1st sitting can't be at 18:15 this still gives the waiters ample time to re set the tables for 2nd sitting at 20:15. During our cruise the restaurant was never at any time running at full capacity, there were a lot of empty seats, tables for 6 with only 2 people at it for the full cruise.

As this was a more traditional ship it was nice to see some passengers made an effort on the formal nights with gents in dinner jackets and bow ties and the ladies in lovely dresses however it's disappointing that some thought jeans and a T shirt was appropriate it certainly doesn't add to the ambience on the ship but that's just my opinion.

We did not like some areas of the pool deck, old and stained sun beds and the round wooden seating areas were in need to maintance, it certainly wouldn't entice me sit there however at the side of the pool deck there was a nicer area with decent seating and tables on both sides.

Even though we've been to the Fjords several times the scenery is always different and Fjords are quite spectacular, the weather was reasonable we had some rain, sun and cold.

The less positive experience was our cabin thermostat even at high was cold, it was like this the day we embarked and on the sea day which we reported to Adie our cabin steward and reported it at reception, the public areas were cold and it was particularly cold in the theatre, it improved after it was reported so I'm not sure what the issue was.

It doesn't matter how many times there were anouncements over the tannoy and in the daily paper about the vacumn system on the ship and not to put anything other than toilet paper in the toilets.

We had an issue with the toilets not flushing on deck 8, we've no idea when the problem started as they weren't working when we got up at 7am and we reported it straight away to reception and it was about lunch time before they were working again, it's very inconvenient having to go down 2 decks to use a toilet.

We also know Deck 9 had no toilets or water for over 2 days as we overhead passengers complaining at reception which is totally unacceptable.

I know in other reviews some people had problems with waiting for drinks however we didn't experience this at any time in fact new staff came on in Newcastle and again in Dundee as we watched them boarding.

The pros:

Leaving from Dundee

Adult only

Reasonable priced drinks although we did have the Expedition Drinks Package and made good use of it.

The staff were first class, very friendly and helpful

Good entertainment

Traditional cruising

The cons:

It's an old ship so in constant need of maintenance and not having toilets and water is unacceptable

Tired bathrooms

1st sitting for dinner is far too early

Overall we had a good time and we would book on Ambition again but only if its sailing from a port near us Dundee or Leith, we wouldn't make the effort to get to Tilbury for example. 

 

 

 

 

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Edited June 11, 2023 by NightWoman
Spelling error

[paulatsea]

Thanks very much for the review  - I’ve been looking forward to a review of Ambition.

It sounds similar to Ambience with the air conditioning / lack of repair issues.

The buffet sounds dreadful - can you have breakfast / lunch in the main dining room ?

 

Its a shame they haven’t done a better job refurbished these 2 ships.

 

[NightWoman]

1 hour ago, paulatsea said:

Thanks very much for the review  - I’ve been looking forward to a review of Ambition.

It sounds similar to Ambience with the air conditioning / lack of repair issues.

The buffet sounds dreadful - can you have breakfast / lunch in the main dining room ?

 

Its a shame they haven’t done a better job refurbished these 2 ships.

 

Yes you can have breakfast and lunch in the Buckingham restaurant and it's a combination of self service and waiter service. 

I tried to be as objective as possible and the public areas are nice however this a ship that's over 20 years old and the infrastructure is not as good as the newer ships and I agree they should have made a point of refurbishing certain areas especially the Borough Market, after all Ambassador made a fortune from the Scottish Government. 

There isn't anything that would prevent me cruising on Ambition again but I would only cruise if the ship was sailing from a Scottish port. 

I'm sure if you decide to cruise on Ambition you'll enjoy it. 

[paulatsea]

1 hour ago, NightWoman said:

Yes you can have breakfast and lunch in the Buckingham restaurant and it's a combination of self service and waiter service. 

I tried to be as objective as possible and the public areas are nice however this a ship that's over 20 years old and the infrastructure is not as good as the newer ships and I agree they should have made a point of refurbishing certain areas especially the Borough Market, after all Ambassador made a fortune from the Scottish Government. 

There isn't anything that would prevent me cruising on Ambition again but I would only cruise if the ship was sailing from a Scottish port. 

I'm sure if you decide to cruise on Ambition you'll enjoy it. 

Thank you. 👍

[tim_london0]

Why do people even expect a turn-down service?

 

this is 2020, not 1920.

 

Thanks for the review BTW 😀

 

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by tim_london0

[paulatsea]

1 hour ago, tim_london0 said:

Why do people even expect a turn-down service?

 

this is 2020, not 1920.

 

Thanks for the review BTW 😀

 

 

It’s 2023 !! I like a turndown very much - part of a special service - but I don’t expect it anymore though. Marella still do it.

[Milaandra]

I just got off Ambition after the Fire & Ice cruise, and I agree with most of what you have said with a few exceptions. 

-Our cabin was too warm and we complained four times to no avail.  Finally when the outdoor temperature hit 20 three days before disembarkation, miraculously our cabin was cool and we could hear the fan operating.  This leads me to believe that it makes no difference what the passengers want...the HVAC gets turned on based on outdoor temps.  The coolest area of the ship is the games room (Aces & Eights)

-I loved Deck 11 (the pool deck)...I thought it was pretty and homey and had lots of little areas that let you enjoy the outdoors.  Most of the cruise there was no music on Deck 11 so you could talk or read easily. The pool was rarely filled and running, but when it was, it was more like a fountain...very pretty.  

-After a couple of days I started skipping breakfast because I hate starting my day at a buffet...and the breakfast choices were boring.  

-They have a very good baker on board. 

-The dining room meals were nicely presented and served with nice sauces and good sides, but a few times the meat wasn't good at all.  

-The dining room (Buckingham) was particularly warm, even when the AC got turned on.  I could practically feel my ankles swelling while I sat there

-Apart from one formal night per week, the rest of the dinners were casual.  Boy, did I pack wrong!

-Apart from the captain's welcome party, there was no formal portrait photography, just some dinner table shots.

-there are only three small drawers in the cabin. (inside) Everything else is shelving behind cabinet doors, so I recommend bringing some little plastic trays or ikea folding baskets to hold small items like medicines and makeup, etc.

-in an inside, there are two UK outlets, one euro outlet, one USB and one USB-C outlets, plus one shaver outlet in the ceiling of the bathroom.The outlets take the place of what should have been a shallow desk drawer, again, leaving no where to store small items

-I found that most people at first sitting used the hand sanitizer...I didn't because I had just come from my cabin where I had washed my hands.  I found the wash stations useful for lunch at the buffet

[Mrscw]

Hi we are due to sail in July to the Artic circle land of the midnight sun cruise, I thought the Ambition was a new ship in the Ambassador line. 

We have sailed to many places around the world and was really looking for ward to this one. We used to use Cruise and Maritime before they ceased trading.

[tim_london0]

I'm the exact opposite of Milaandra

 

I hate breakfast taking an hour because I have to wait for someone to take my order and serve it to me.

 

Though I do agree with him/her/them (sorry don't have enough info to tell) that breakfast, the world over, is a repetitive choice the inclusion of which I would rather not have made for me by the travel operator - though this is more a point of relevance when it is only breakfast is included in the price.  With an all-you-can-eat deal such as is normal on a cruise you can skip brekkie and make up for it elsewhere, at no additional cost - not so if you are touring on a B&B package.

 

 

[yorkshirephil]

On 6/15/2023 at 10:01 AM, tim_london0 said:

Why do people even expect a turn-down service?

 

this is 2020, not 1920.

 

Thanks for the review BTW 😀

 

 

Turn down may become a thing of the past as more lines seem to be moving away from turn down. I know some people like it but not a big deal for us, we had been on Arcadia for 3 days last December before my other half realised. It would be interesting to see how many would take it up if it was an added priced extra, as extra priced services seem to be the trend these days.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Fresh towels after the pre-dinner shower – priceless!

[NightWoman]

On 6/15/2023 at 10:01 AM, tim_london0 said:

Why do people even expect a turn-down service?

 

this is 2020, not 1920.

 

Thanks for the review BTW 😀

 

 

Because it was always part of the cruise experience and when cruising restarted after COVID it was a good reason for cruise lines to stop it, get the cabin stewards doing extra duties at night so no need to employ more crew. 

Why do I like it; we aren't hard to please and always have a tidy cabin but it was nice to come in after your night out, clean towels bed turned down and next days paper left in the cabin. 

I understand why people don't want it as quotes like " your cabin steward works hard" yes they always have done but now they take longer doing cabins during the day, short break then go onto other duties at night, bar or waiting staff etc., I think they would prefer dealing with the cabins. 

Before, cabin steward's would start at 8am work until 12, or 1pm at the latest have a break, restart at 6pm and finish between 9pm and 10pm, personally speaking and what I have seen they are now working longer hours. 

Over the years cruise lines have steadily been removing or cutting back on perks and services but it's only my opinion and others will no doubt have their own views 😊

Edited June 22, 2023 by NightWoman
Spelling error

[paulatsea]

7 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Turn down may become a thing of the past as more lines seem to be moving away from turn down. I know some people like it but not a big deal for us, we had been on Arcadia for 3 days last December before my other half realised. It would be interesting to see how many would take it up if it was an added priced extra, as extra priced services seem to be the trend these days.

Maybe a “select price plus”  - includes : 

turn down

full breakfast in the cabin (n times)

priority boarding

 

I would pay extra for that. 

[Britboys]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:49 PM, Mrscw said:

Hi we are due to sail in July to the Artic circle land of the midnight sun cruise, I thought the Ambition was a new ship in the Ambassador line. 

We have sailed to many places around the world and was really looking for ward to this one. We used to use Cruise and Maritime before they ceased trading.

She is new to Ambassador but began her service in 1999. Her last major refit as far as cabins/public rooms is concerned was in 2019 when she went into service with Aida Cruises.

[Martha1974]

We’re really looking forward to sailing on Ambition after 2 cruises on Ambience (just booked for March 2025 😱). Having looked at the deck plans there seem to be a lot of differences but I quite like that the ships are different and will have their own character. We have no problem with the fact that they’re both “pre-loved” ships from other lines. We also sailed with CMV on the Marco Polo and Columbus and loved both of them (lights blue touch paper and retires)! 

[yorkshirephil]

12 hours ago, Martha1974 said:

We’re really looking forward to sailing on Ambition after 2 cruises on Ambience (just booked for March 2025 😱). Having looked at the deck plans there seem to be a lot of differences but I quite like that the ships are different and will have their own character. We have no problem with the fact that they’re both “pre-loved” ships from other lines. We also sailed with CMV on the Marco Polo and Columbus and loved both of them (lights blue touch paper and retires)! 

We are also looking forward to cruising on Ambition after two cruises on Ambience, the fact that they are second hand makes no difference to us, we have just got back from a Cunard cruise on QE and she is a beautiful (old style) ship but needs a bit of TLC as she is getting on. We had a few cruises with CMV on Marco Polo which we loved and Columbus which looked brand new inside after the refit. 

[JoJo1947]

On 6/15/2023 at 10:01 AM, tim_london0 said:

Why do people even expect a turn-down service?

 

this is 2020, not 1920.

 

Thanks for the review BTW 😀

 

 

Tradition 😀

[AJ28]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:49 PM, Mrscw said:

Hi we are due to sail in July to the Artic circle land of the midnight sun cruise, I thought the Ambition was a new ship in the Ambassador line. 

We have sailed to many places around the world and was really looking for ward to this one. We used to use Cruise and Maritime before they ceased trading.

Hi Mrscw, I think we are on the same one; 25 July, 14  nights, from Liverpool? We too used to enjoy CMC cruises and were sad when they ceased trading during covid. We enjoy the speakers and crafting sessions in particular. It was a good price when we booked it a few months ago but now price is fallen further :O

[Mrscw]

24 minutes ago, AJ28 said:

Hi Mrscw, I think we are on the same one; 25 July, 14  nights, from Liverpool? We too used to enjoy CMC cruises and were sad when they ceased trading during covid. We enjoy the speakers and crafting sessions in particular. It was a good price when we booked it a few months ago but now price is fallen further 😮

Yes we are sailing on that one, we booked over a year ago as it is for special birthdays hubby 80 and me 70. we have noticed the price difference pity they cannot refund the difference. Struggling a little with what to pack, thinking of several layers for during the day and adding a shawl or light jacket for the evenings. 

[AJ28]

21 minutes ago, Mrscw said:

Yes we are sailing on that one, we booked over a year ago as it is for special birthdays hubby 80 and me 70. we have noticed the price difference pity they cannot refund the difference. Struggling a little with what to pack, thinking of several layers for during the day and adding a shawl or light jacket for the evenings. 

It's for my 60th! We've done several northern cruises over the years, visiting Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Faroes, all in July. I will take a waterproof jacket, comfortable waterproof walking shoes, brolly, hat, gloves and scarf for those "just in case" cold or rainy days in port or on any sea days (we have seven on this cruise).If I don't need to use them - its not a waste, its a win!

 

Although I am a Scouser born and bred, I've lived in Falkirk nearly 30 years and my mum stays in North Wales so we were happy to sail from Liverpool (done so before on a CMV ship) and will stay with her and drive up on the 25th. I am assuming you've got free parking as you booked early?

[Mrscw]

13 minutes ago, AJ28 said:

It's for my 60th! We've done several northern cruises over the years, visiting Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Faroes, all in July. I will take a waterproof jacket, comfortable waterproof walking shoes, brolly, hat, gloves and scarf for those "just in case" cold or rainy days in port or on any sea days (we have seven on this cruise).If I don't need to use them - its not a waste, its a win!

 

Although I am a Scouser born and bred, I've lived in Falkirk nearly 30 years and my mum stays in North Wales so we were happy to sail from Liverpool (done so before on a CMV ship) and will stay with her and drive up on the 25th. I am assuming you've got free parking as you booked early?

We have all that as we went to Finland January 2022 just the opposite as it was never day light. Did not take up the free parking as our son will be driving us we are in Lancashire so not a long drive. Do you know how many Captain nights there are? Getting quite excited now. 

[AJ28]

6 minutes ago, Mrscw said:

We have all that as we went to Finland January 2022 just the opposite as it was never day light. Did not take up the free parking as our son will be driving us we are in Lancashire so not a long drive. Do you know how many Captain nights there are? Getting quite excited now. 

Oooh January, a very different experience. Did you see Northern Lights? We had them one evening a few month ago here but I had an early night and missed them!

 

I am assuming two formal-ish nights, one per week. I will take some dresses for evenings and a fancy cardigan. Trousers/tops for day time. Are you interested in meeting for a coffee/chat when onboard? We booked a guarantee outside and are at front on deck 8 (above the ship's name). I'm looking forward to the craft classes and Adrian (husband) likes the speakers events.

[Mrscw]

39 minutes ago, AJ28 said:

Oooh January, a very different experience. Did you see Northern Lights? We had them one evening a few month ago here but I had an early night and missed them!

 

I am assuming two formal-ish nights, one per week. I will take some dresses for evenings and a fancy cardigan. Trousers/tops for day time. Are you interested in meeting for a coffee/chat when onboard? We booked a guarantee outside and are at front on deck 8 (above the ship's name). I'm looking forward to the craft classes and Adrian (husband) likes the  speakers events.

We are also on Deck 8 with an outside cabin. Yes we saw the Northern Lights but a very small show that night. It was great, we had a night in the Ice hotel that was amazing. it was -25 one day but because there was no wind did not feel that cold. Yes would love to meet for coffee/chat onboard. 

[Mrscw]

47 minutes ago, AJ28 said:

Oooh January, a very different experience. Did you see Northern Lights? We had them one evening a few month ago here but I had an early night and missed them!

 

I am assuming two formal-ish nights, one per week. I will take some dresses for evenings and a fancy cardigan. Trousers/tops for day time. Are you interested in meeting for a coffee/chat when onboard? We booked a guarantee outside and are at front on deck 8 (above the ship's name). I'm looking forward to the craft classes and Adrian (husband) likes the speakers events.

Do you do lots of crafts? 

[AJ28]

20 minutes ago, Mrscw said:

Do you do lots of crafts? 

I do. I'll try anything! I like to do small cross stitch pics (for cards) though need a magnifier to see pattern/thread needles. On past CMV cruises I brought a latch-hook pic to do on sea days. Currently into needle felting at the moment, particularly landscapes but started with a cactus at a workshop last year, well chuffed with it! 

 

I'm pretty philosophical about the current price reductions, we booked in April, couldn't any earlier, and as my local cattery was getting full for July (and its the best one for my cat) had to find something quick. The major pluses are a relatively short drive to the port from North Wales (which is far better than driving to Southampton) and an itinerary which we know from past experience we will enjoy as we love fjords, the type of ship vibe is another plus and we hope it is similar to CMV.