Ehg

Does it seem especially windy on the balcony when you have a room at the front of the ship?

 

 

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Oh, and the balconies were on the side of the cabin so no wind - we were able to get out on to the communal balcony at the front of the ship, but this was cordoned off if the wind was too strong. [emoji3]

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We were in a cabin directly below the bridge on P&O Aurora in November. Absolutely no noise whatsoever. As someone else said we had to draw the blinds at night so our lights didn't distract the bridge. We were lucky and had a very smooth cruise (Christmas Market Cruise) will a beautifully calm North Sea so no movement either. [emoji1303][emoji3]

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Contact the local running group http://www.cybistriders.co.uk they might also be able to help. [emoji1303]

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My sister says "are they a road runner or off-roader? Either way there are great routes up there. Turn right out of the port towards Holyhead Breakwater Park. Off road you can do Holyhead Mountain, the amazing cliffs (careful!!) and round to South Stack (one of Anglesey's attractions) very scenic. Or if staying on road, again, right out of port, up South Stack Road, through Llaingoch and out on the lanes to South Stack and a loop through Penrhosfeilw before turning left at Porthdafarch beach and back to the port."

She didn't give me distances, I can find out if it helps. I don't know if there are any races that day I'm afraid. What date are you visiting? [emoji4]

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We are booked on the Celebrity Eclipse, departing Southhampton on May21 at 4PM. Our flight from Boston arrives at Heathrow at 7:05 AM. Can any past travelers tell me if we have allowed ourselves enough time to get to the ship?

Thanks.

Elaine

Assuming your flight is more or less on time you've got plenty of time to get to Southampton. Heathrow to Southampton is approximately 60 miles so shouldn't take you more than an hour and a half.

Very envious of your Eclipse cruise, we sailed on her 2 years ago - our favourite ship. Have fun. [emoji3]

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I hoped you'd say Holyhead. I grew up on Anglesey. I think there should be some pretty spectacular runs from the ship. I'll check with my sister, she still lives nearby and is a runner. I'll come back to you. [emoji4]

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I was also outraged by the kitchen analogy - my wife made me spend £10k on ours :D

[emoji23]

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Wow! Did I really read this? What a sexist stupid remark to make ..... if anyone regulates this site, I suggest delete this silly comment!!

What's sexist about it?

I'm a woman, (although the way the PC brigade is going I'm not sure how much longer we will be "allowed" to admit to our genders!) and all I can ascertain is that the gentleman was suggesting his wife was savvy with money.

Please do not remove the comment. Fed up of this ridiculous over-reaction to perfectly benign comments.

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I should have read all the replies before sticking my oar in! Apologies for repeating what others have ably said! [emoji51]

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Based on research before we go there at the end of May, you're missing the great castle fortresses (at least four of them), the mountains of Snowdonia National Park, and a chance to go to a town which has a name about 30 letters long. We've booked a tour with a local tour company, Busy Bus, which will take us to see most of these places.

The port of Holyhead which the OP mentions is on the island of Anglesey. The places of interest you mention are on the Welsh mainland.

 

 

 

Holyhead is a busy ferry port but the following link has a list of attractions:

 

 

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186443-Activities-Holyhead_Island_of_Anglesey_North_Wales_Wales.html

I grew up on Anglesey and my parents still live there so I'm a frequent visitor.

Some of he places mentioned by Joanandjoe are actually on the island. Beaumaris Castle, and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantersiliogogogoch are on the Island, Caernarfon and Conwy castles are on the mainland as, of course, is Snowdonia, although you can see it from Anglesey.

Don't forget this is where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived before and just after they got married. It is a beautiful island. I am a little biased!

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We'll be on a 13-day U.K. cruise in July, and I'll be midway through training for my first marathon. I thought it might be fun to search for local races on the weekends we'll be there, or check in with local running clubs for some safe routes for training runs. I wondered if anyone might have suggestions for local running or race websites. I've done a couple internet searches, but in the U.S., I've found the best resources through word of mouth. Thanks for any help you can provide!

What ports will you visit?

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Maybe this will change as I believe they are looking at benefits and will be making some announcements after the world cruises - I can live in hope anyway.

 

 

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I hope you're right. This would be very welcome! [emoji3]

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Which Baltic ports are scenic not-to-be-missed during sailaway?

 

 

 

We're sailing on Celebrity's Eclipse this summer and have early seating (530PM) which interferes with most of the sailaway times so I'd like to book a specialty dinner on the nights where there's a spectacular sailaway scene so we can enjoy the scenery as we leave port and then eat a bit later. (I'm thinking an 8pm reservation would work.)

 

 

 

The ports/sailaway times are:

 

• 
   
  
• Copenhagen, Denmark - 5pm
   
  
• Stockholm, Sweden - 6pm
   
  
• Tallinn, Estonia - 7pm
   
  
• St. Petersburg, Russia - 6pm
   
  

 

 

 

Can anyone give me some first hand advice?

I agree with everyone else that Stockholm is the most scenic. I would also recommend Tuscan Grill for dinner on Stockholm sail away on the Eclipse. You will be sitting at the aft, we were even lucky enough to get a window seat. [emoji4]

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Ehg, We were on the Aurora Christmas Markets cruise and I'm very surprised at what you said about the food in the evening in the main dining room. We were in the Alexandra Restaurant, second sitting and we thought the food was excellent in most cases, especially with the new menu in action. I think I was disappointed with my main course on one evening but other than that the food was lovely. We were on a table of 8 and people were fulsome in their praise of the food. I had a sirloin steak on a couple of evenings, asked for it to be served rare and it was and it was juicy too.

 

 

 

We really liked the new dessert offerings, particularly the different Sundaes on offer. Stilton, soaked in port was on offer every evening with a very good cheese board too. I know different people have different tastes but I'm really surprised you thought the food was the worst you've ever experienced.

 

 

 

We only used the buffet for the occasional late lunch. I'm not a fan of buffets when on a cruise. However, I thought the food, especially the Daily Speciality was improved from our previous cruise last May. The cold selection was much better - the only thing I missed was the Jacket Potatoes which I used to enjoy with a salad.

 

 

 

So, everyone has their own opinion but I'd hate passengers to think the food on Aurora was awful, not this December it wasn't - at least not in our opinion!

I have expressed myself badly.

We were also in the Alexandria dining room, second sitting and the food was not bad. No better or worse than our other P&O experiences. However, the buffet was really not as tempting as we have found it in the past. I thought the choice was very limited and as I said the sections just seemed badly set out.

I did very much enjoy a baked potato which were available every day at the horizon grill. Agree it's a shame they didn't have them in the buffet too as it was a pain having to go backwards and forwards to collect salads to go with it.

Sorry you missed the baked spuds. I think this sort of reinforces my point about the buffet being a strange layout.....

There were hot dogs and burgers available every day at the grill too. These were pretty dirty, but who doesn't like a dirty burger or hotdog from time to time? [emoji6]

Totally agree about the waiters. We concluded that they were overstretched too, a shame as we have always enjoyed chatting to our waiters in the past.

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I'm afraid I was not a fan of the buffet. We have recently returned from a fabulous cruise to the Christmas markets, our first time on Aurora. Absolutely loved the ship, and had the best table mates ever, but the food was the worst of all the cruises we have done - the exceptions were the Glasshouse, which was extremely tasty, and Sindhu - delicious.

I found the buffet seemed badly laid out and unless you were there at peak times the full buffet rarely seemed to be offered. It did not detract from us having a great time, even though we love good food. I'm sure you will enjoy your cruise.

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Always do freedom dining and always hit it off with all we shared with. However, (hope this doesn't make me sound like a snob, as I'm not). We travelled down by coach from Warrington to Southampton. A single man sat on his own, opposite us, he made no conversation but my wife was uneasy as he kept staring at her. He he looked a bit weird to be honest quite scruffy . Anyway, later on the cruise we booked the wine pairing dinner in the Glasshouse. You share a table of 4, done it before and loved it.

 

 

 

We were shown to our table, low and behold we were sharing with the creepy guy and another lovely woman who was on her own. The whole dinner was horrendous, the guy just stared at both ladies in turn, did not engage in conversation, as much as the three of us tried to involve him. Just one word answers to questions , yes and no. The other lady was also plainly

 

uncomfortable with it. It turned out just a 3 way conversation and a relief when dinner was over

How awful! I bet the single woman was glad to be rescued by you and your wife! [emoji15]

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Strange that I have always found its those with left-wing views who are the more verbose, but of course that's probably because my views are right of centre.;)

 

 

Agree 100%, which is why the pollsters keep getting it wrong! [emoji6]

 

 

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I would just like to say that I have travelled on Cunard, P&O, Hebridean Island Cruises (a six star cruise line) and Seabourn (another six star cruise line) and I certainly do not 'look down' on anyone whatever cruise line they have travelled with.

 

It also does not matter to me where someone comes from, how they speak, or what they wear to dinner (unless it is classed a 'formal night' and they turned up in jeans and t-shirt! :p).

 

What matters in life is how each individual human being treats another one.

 

Politeness (as in a gentleman getting up from the table when a lady arrives which is an old custom but still adhered to by some) or a smile and thank you to someone who opens a door for you, etc, etc, is what is important in life. I try not to judge people before speaking to them and, if I do not particularly take to their manner, I politely move on. I don't then moan to just about everyone I can about how dreadful that person was. You don't know what they're going through in their life do you?

 

You have only one life (most people believe) and should try to go through it treating everyone with respect.

Couldn't agree more. [emoji3]

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You are now in a very big hole that you started digging yourself by making the above statement incinuating that unless on both your recent cruises that you were the very first to board and were the first in the buffet, which I very much doubt, that everybody after you that is not Liguarian Tier/Suites are the people that spread Norovirus and those who are Liguarian Tier or in suites always wash there hands and dont spread Norovirus which is an arrogant and silly comment to make.

I'm team Selbourne, I don't think s/he is in a hole. People need to stop taking offence at every opportunity. Selbourne was referring to the fact that (for whatever reason) s/he (don't want to offend you Selbourne!) boards first and is therefore able to get to the buffet first. Regardless of whether s/he is actually first or one of the first, the fact remains the chances of infection at that point is minimal.

Personally I like a little filth in my food - good for the immune system, but I get his/her point.

Whatever time you board, I'm sure you can probably get some ketchup from the buffet to go with the chip on your shoulder should you have one.....

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Totally agree....Most of us are just sick and tired of always having to be "PC," or we are called terrible names. You can't even simply disagree with someone without being called a name.

 

 

 

So if the elderly woman didn't want to sit with dongos or whatever she called them, that's her prerogative and perhaps her loss. In a way, it's kind of funny. Have you noticed that some elderly people don't have a wide "filter" and just say whatever they want?

There's no "like" button on here so will just have to do this - [emoji1303]

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Hello everyone. Thankfully, on all of our cruises, we have only come across 2 cases of snobbery.

 

The one that sticks out the most was in a queue for the future cruise bookings.

 

A very nice couple from Wales were at the desk booking a cruise,when the booking had finished,they walked away from the desk but were stopped by the woman waiting next in line. She actually had the nerve to say to them. "How can you afford to book another cruise so soon after this one, aren't you from Wales" The man replied" I might be from Wales but at least we Welsh have good manners" I thought this was a very quick retort. We were astounded that she had the cheek to do this. Happy cruising

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] that really is outrageous, but I bet that couple tell the story often. A great retort too.

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Overhearing a comment like that would have really appealed to my sense of humour, as long as it wasn't directed at me.

 

 

 

Personally, I find people who take the moral high ground and spend their lives wallowing in political correctness far more irksome than those who may be a little blunt.

 

 

 

On our first few cruises, when Club dining was the only option, we had some fabulous table companions. As the years went on and cruises became more affordable and mass market, we found that we were sharing with people with whom we had less in common and after a few cruises where it was a real struggle to have conversations and we found dinner a chore rather than a pleasure, we changed to freedom dining and ask for a table on our own.

 

 

 

Clearly the lady in question should have asked for a table for two, but rest assured that it can't be snobbery. Anyone who goes to dinner in a polo shirt has no class :D

Totally agree. I think I would even have found it hilarious if it had been directed at me! [emoji23]

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I don't. This lady clearly wanted to be seen to make her point, by getting to the table and asking to be moved in front of everyone else. Otherwise, why not just ask for a table for two or the size she wanted...as she arrived at the dining room?

 

Silly old woman must have sounded, and looked ridiculous.

 

 

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I didn't interpret the OP in that way. I got the impression that the lady was shown to an empty table and requested a smaller one and the OP overheard her explain that she didn't want "drongos joining her", in which case she wasn't being rude to anyone, but simply wanted to avoid potentially sitting with people with whom she didn't get on.

I may have misinterpreted the post?

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Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

It wouldn't have bothered me. Mostly for the fact that I don't know who she is, and in a floating city, you're inevitably going to find people with varying opinions/pasts/desires - you'll find that's what diversity is.

 

Just as she should, in your mind, be accommodating of every drongo (and boy are they out there), you should perhaps be accommodating of every snob (and boy are they out there).

 

So. Diversity goes both ways.

 

Happy cruising!

 

 

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Hear hear.

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Sorry to rain on your otherwise sunny parade, but we did Baltics on the Eclipse in June 2014 and I was very disappointed with the weather on the whole. St Petersburg was the only place really cracking the flags - both days, beautiful, but I have never, ever got as drenched as we did in Stockholm, Copenhagen was hit and miss, Tallin was rainy and sunny in equal measure, Warnemunde was sunny but quite cold. There was little sunbathing on deck - I snatched a few hours on our balcony. I do think we were unlucky, apparently the previous cruise had glorious weather the whole time.

In conclusion, I think Northern Europe has weather much like the U.K. - sometimes fabulous sometimes rubbish. The good news is, we loved it so much anyway we want to do it again.