lavender29

Hi regarding kids clubs, make sure they attend on the first evening, as that is when they all get introduced to each other, and tend to bond, never mind how tired they are drag them there that first night. :)

You read my mind!!

 

Does anyone have any ideas though what may replace the current promotion that ends tomorrow?

I am waiting too, hopefully something good , hopefully buy one get one half price, + tips +loads obc, that will do nicely.

Seems to be a grey area, we tried to book flying from Birmingham to Rome it was £199. each on the reduced flight offer excluding seat and hold luggage and ta could not tell us any flight times or airlines let alone if transfers were included so we left it for now.

If you are select dining prebook your table and time through your personalser before you go for each night, then your table will be the same every night, make sure you link each room so you are all together. Otherwise you may not get to sit together. when there was 10 of us I booked each night for 7.30. It is upstairs in the main dining room (deck 4, I think,) downstairs is only traditional timed seatings.

Hi does anybody remember if they ran the buy one get one half price offer, again about last March, was hoping they may do it again in march this year when the present offer finishes in feb. missed out last September waiting for holidays to be authorised, it works out a good deal for us as we have to pay for 2 cabins.

All this talk of price reductions and swapping cabins makes me so envious ! We in the UK are stuck with what we book and the accompanying price unless we cancel and forfeit our deposit. I am seriously thinking of taking a chance on using a US TA next time, even with pound / dollar fluctuations.

Quite agree we missed out on the buy one get one half price offer last august, as waiting for holiday dates to be authorised through work, now hoping they bring it back in march, its trying to get the best deal, as once booked that's it .

I am sure you can leave ship a day earlier as it is the same country. But also your ta may transfer your deposit to another cruise with no loss. as another option.

Hi As your children are older, it is also very easy to catch the train. a port bus runs between the train station and port for 2 euro each. then its 1 train journey straight into Rome.

They had those competitions on our first Carnival cruise, years ago.

We found it silly and annoying, being treated like children at summer camp, the way they kept urging us to cheer for "our" team, something we could not care less about.

Many of us would just get up and go retreat to the privacy of our balconies whenever they started it.

 

So we were happy to learn they were no longer doing it when we took our next Carnival cruise a few years later.

But we cruise with Carnival so infrequently that we really don't know if it is a regular practice with them, or just the whim of whoever happens to be running the activities at the time.

 

 

We never expected to encounter it on Celebrity, and were very surprised to find the activities staff encouraging it on our last Celebrity cruise.

It was not only at the pool, but even in the lounges they kept urging the port and starboard sides to compete to see who could make the most noise.

 

I am guessing this was likely the "bright idea" of some employee who came over to Celebrity from Carnival, or one of the other cruise lines that promote those type of noisy rah-rah competitions.

 

The relaxing, laid-back vibe on Celebrity has been among the features we find most appealing about this line.

 

Those brochures from Oceania are starting to look more attractive. :D

 

 

Totally agree after 3 cruises with celebrity, we do find all the celebrity pool games against officers, and port verses starboard etc so silly and annoying, I just wish celebrity had a outside adult quiet pool, that's the one thing I miss on celebrity ships, I don't like the enclosed feel in the solarium.

Hi thanks all, for all the info, never realised about casino credits.

Oh dear,

 

Have just read the posts above mine! I really hope it wont be that bad.

Don't worry at that time of year, there are not so many kids on board, due to the new terms starting.

Thanks for replies that's good info thanks, its not alcohol we want in the day, just nice to be able to get a coffee or soda.

On a cruise that is sold as a 14 night, that is also 2x7 nights, on the Royal can you stay on board on the changeover day in Athens or do you have to get off and return later, also do any bars etc stay open.

We sailed on the Royal Princess in July this summer Barcelona to Athens. Although we booked as a 14 day cruise it was sold in 7 day increments. This is our 4th time to Europe and we are assuming because it was sold as 7 days vs a 10, 11 or 12 day cruise which we have always had in the past there were many more children on this cruise.

Also Europeans take vacation in July and August so there were definitely more families which in turn means more children.

For example we had a group of 58 South American teenagers from 15 – 17 years old. There were many European families with 2 – 4 children from infants through teens. This was the first time we had such a diverse group of passengers from all over the world.

The turn over after each 7 day segment was large. In Rome we embarked 3400 new passenger according CD Ron Goodman.

The children that we encountered, including the teenagers from South America were well behaved and respectful so it was not an issue, just very different than our Princess cruises in the past.

were you allowed to stay on the ship on changeover days, or did you have to get off and return later, also were any bars etc open, we are looking at a similar for next year 2x7 days.

were you allowed to stay on the ship on the changeover days, and were any of the bars etc open, or did you have to get off and return later, ?

Thanks everyone for your replies, and answering my questions with no silly comments. unfortunately on our last Princess cruise we only used the casino on no smoking nights. and never went in skywalkers due to the stale smell. As we normally use the casino nightly we will just have to stay with Celebrity or P&O for the time being. Thanks again for your time in answering.

Can anybody who recently has come off the Royal in the Med tell me if they still allow smoking when playing certain slots in the casino on the Royal. Did not realise this on our last cruise with Princess in the guide it said all public rooms are non smoking except for the cigar lounge. Also is the nightclub non smoking please.

I am looking at a 14 night cruise next year on the Royal August 19th, that has a overnight stop half way through the second week in Istanbul. If the problems there are on going does anybody have any idea when Princess announce their changes, not worried about missing Istanbul, but would hate them to also remove some of the other ports to change the passage, cant decide if to book it or not. It is going to other places that we really want to go to.

Our flight is a evening flight out of Athens, does anybody know the latest you can disembark, or if you can purchase a late stay on board for the day, like Celebrity offer.

Thankyou all for replies I shall still book the cruise. I was more worried about maybe not being able to go in the sky lounge, as that is one of the only bars we use.

Thankyou for your replies it is not the aspect of having a certain group of people on board, its the thought of having certain venues closed etc.

This cruise is only partly chartered with Pied Piper gay cruising, so is also available to the public.

Hi we are looking at a 2x7 night BtoB cruises on july 23 2016 on Equinox. they are also chartered out to a gay and lesbian group. Has any body been on a cruise before like this, is it quite noticeable, do we still have use of all facilities, friends were on a cruise a few years ago with a motorbike group, that were given sole use of the sky lounge every night. So others could not use it before midnight.

Thanks both for replies princess and celebrity just do the one meet, and that's usually enough just to first meet up. will be going next July or August.

Hi my sister and I are 20 and 21. Do P&O arrange any meet and get togethers for 18 to 25 year olds, have been with Princess and Celebrity, that both do and have had brilliant holidays, but parents thinking of trying Azura or Ventura. Any help appreciated also do they have a night club like celebrity and princess.