Katomerikaf

There are designated smoking areas on the ships.

Trips - DIY all the way unless it's something that you really want to do that is only on offer via the ship.

Do lots of research before you go online looking at various forms of transport etc.

My advice is to do your excursions as soon as you can in the morning and this should leave you plenty of time to get back to board on time.

If you are booking a trip through an independent company see if you can pay when you get there.

We have saved lots of money and had a more realistic experience of the places we have visited (especially in the Caribbean)

An example would be paying around £30 each for a beach trip for 3 hours when we managed to do the same and sit in a quieter spot using a public bus and the same experience for around £15 between us.

Also this puts more money into the pockets of local people who probably appreciate it more.

Time to get off my soap box .........

What does the $60 package cost and which currency ? US or EC$ ?

Do they still charge for using the safes on Celebration and if so how much is it:ship:

How did you manage to get the upgrade? Was it offered to you or did you have to ask?

It always depends on the ship as to the drinks that are or aren't included. You can sometimes get AI as part of you deal for free if you book at the right time or at a reduced rate.

Has anyone got an up to date drinks menu for the Celebration?

Do the waiters now serve wine with the meal in the main dining room or is it still served by the sommeliers ?:tropical-drink::tropical-drink:

Sorry it might be too late but we went on a ship tour that was called 'botanical gardens and deshaies'.

It was a fab tour that took in all the sights from the tv series.

We tried to DIY but was going to be VERY expensive.

For part of our second week we were on deck seven and in cabin 7007.

I don't think that this was an inside plus but it seemed a bit more spacious than the cabin we had had on deck 2 -2001.

Maybe because of the layout things might have been more spacious ?

Other than air conditioning noise there was little other noise in this cabin and it was fairly near to a lift.

Also because of its situation there wasn't much foot traffic. We didn't seem to feel any great amount of ship movement.

Looking at the inside plus cabins that are available on floor seven I'm not so sure that any of them seem any better situated from each other so may not be worth the extra to pre-choose one.

It's difficult to know what to do sometimes ....

I would think you would be allocated the cabin for the full fortnight - can't see you being asked to move.

We recently moved in the middle of our second week but that was due to cabin noise so we did have two cabins and that was our choice.

They are there - Thomson giving the usual options such as 'can be combined with...'.

I don't know if the brochure can be downloaded or not - this might help.

We also booked online and it was easy to do the research from the comfort of my settee !! It also saves potential disappointment if the excursion is full onboard. When we passed by destination services on Discovery there was often a queue although you can also use the digital touch screen system to book.

One thing to point out is that you can still cancel excursions that are pre-booked up to 24 hours beforehand - just in case you change your mind.

I have cruised a few times before Royal Caribbean (2) and Carnival (2). And I have just booked a cruise only from Barbados on the discovery. Can anyone help with the following questions.

 

Dinning- is it easy to get tables for 2 in the main dinning room.

Is main dinning open for lunch every day

Is the tapas and the coffee shop included in the "all in" or is there a supplements for these restaurants/cafe

Are all cocktails included in "all in"

What is the cost of the Supplement for the Asian and the Steak house

Does anyone have info on gluten free food (especially sweets lol)

 

Cabins.

We have been allocated a cabin on deck 3 next to the lifts - is it noisy here.

Does anyone know what the white area across from 3552 is.

Do all cabins have tea & coffee making facilities, if so do they provide sachets of coffee.

Is there an ironing room.

Do they provide poolside towels

 

Excursions

When does booking for these open.

 

What currency are accounts settled in

 

What do we have to bring with us to board as I cant log into my booking on line as it is cruise only so only have a conformation email.

 

I am sure I will have more so all help appreciated.

Wow - lots of queries !!! I can help with some.

We had no problem getting g a table for two. We only had to have a pager once and were called back to sit after about 5 mins - I'm sure this might alter week by week depending on guests on board.

I think the dining room was open some if not all days - we saw a menu for lunch but were never on the ship to partake.

AI - tapas included - coffee port - half price charge.

- loads of cocktails included

I did notice that there were gluten free options on board in both Islands and main dining room but if you have any problems you can have a word with reception and they will get you in touch with the chef in the galley.

Cabins did have tea and coffee. We had nescafe inc decaf and also Yorkshire tea bags.

Pool/beach towels are provided daily in your cabin

Excursions are available to book online but also as soon as the destination desk is open - not sure what times but every evening at least. There is also a digital booking system via onboard screens.

Accounts settled in sterling - I think you can go to reception to pay in cash and local currency but there will be a conversion charge. You need to give details before you board of a visa/debit card for this.

We were fly cruise and needed our passports and as said before a visa/debit card.

Hope this helps !! :confused:

There is a form that you can fill in online with your details but each time I tried this there was 'a problem' with the system.

I then had an online chat with Thomson and was given the following email address

aftertravelcustomersupport@tuiuk.com

When you get in touch give your name, date of travel and booking ref - these were needed on the online form.

Mine was not a complaint but more a disgruntlement about cabin noise and I have had several speedy responses back and forth, inc a refund of pre-paid cabin money but each response was from a different person and I remain dubious about whether the noise will be sorted in the end for future passengers.

Having just had the AI package I have to say that we enjoy not having to sign for drinks each time we have one. Equally we don't overdo it either and drink a lot less than some other passengers seem to - probably because we are off the ship most of the day.

We enjoyed a couple of cocktails/ciders/beers and also some lovely Sauvignon Blanc with our dinner. To be honest though both of us felt a bit 'All Inclusived' out towards the middle of the last week as I am sure some other passengers must be.

What I really think should be included is water - non was readily available, especially during the evening and when it was there were only small glasses. I am sure providing more free water would save the company money as people were drinking soft drinks and alcoholic drinks to quench their thirst (IMO a maimi vice worked well for me!) :tropical-drink:

I think it would be a great idea to give everyone a set allowance to make their own drinks choices.

Likewise Dronnygirl !!

We did indeed see all three llamas. The blue and yellow ones didn't move at all through the two weeks but the pink one had to be carted on and off the ship each day to meet and greet us on the dockside - maybe it was Thomson's idea of having passengers know where to go !!

Sounds like the AI was working OK!!

 

Sent from my VF-895N using Forums mobile app

It was indeed Pensioncruiser !!! :champagne-toast:

Just back from Discovery and wondered if anyone can tell me anything about the llama thing going on there!

Staff I asked just shrugged :confused::confused:

I don't know if it was secret but me and hubby went up a staircase that wasn't labelled as anything and ended up in the spa - don't know who was most surprised by our sudden appearance - us or the spa staff !!!!!

We bought some rum from Barbados and no one questioned it so it must be OK. I never saw anything to suggest otherwise :wine-glass:

We were at Vigie Beach on Saturday and had a great time.

We decided to walk there and back and this took approx. 30-40 mins and was a straight forward walk, using a basic map from g.earth. Castro is more than willing to sort taxis out if needed.

Ridgerunner - the sea was a bit wavy but didn't stop me going for a swim even though I am not very confident in the water, though this will be different every day.

Castro and his colleagues were very friendly and helpful and we had a choice of sunbeds. The beach was very quiet when we got there - ourselves and another couple at first, then gradually got a bit busier - still not busy though! There was plenty of natural shade and sun umbrellas if you needed one. As promised there was no hassle from vendors on the beach.

There were facilities very nearby where you could use the loo and buy drinks, snacks etc.

This was a very relaxing day for us and we really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Castro for providing a great service and I hope you carry on bringing people to this beautiful spot!!

:cool:

Cabin Number: 7007

Cruise Ship: Tui Discovery

Date of Cruise: March 2017

Bed Formation: Double/Twin

Bath/Shower?: shower

Adjoining Cabin?: no

Balcony?: no

Comment on the Size of the Cabin: Spacious feel to cabin. Large enough space.

Comment on any Noise Issues: Just general background noise. No noticeable noises from other cabins.

Comment on Storage Space: Plenty of hanging space. Plenty of drawers etc

Comment on the Bathroom: Powerful shower.

Any Other Comments?:

Would You Recommend this Cabin?: Yes

Link to any Images:

Score out of 10:10

Cabin Number: 2001

Cruise Ship: Tui Discovery

Date of Cruise: March 2017

Bed Formation: Twin but can be double

Bath/Shower?: Shower

Adjoining Cabin?: No

Balcony?: No

Comment on the Size of the Cabin: Fair size - didn't feel small

Comment on any Noise Issues: Yes - lots of banging from above so could be a problem. Mainly during the night. No noise from passing crew or passengers though.

Comment on Storage Space: A good amount of hanging space. Lots of large drawers.

Comment on the Bathroom: perfectly adequate for needs.

Any Other Comments?:

Would You Recommend this Cabin?: Yes if you are able to sleep through loud noises!!

Link to any Images:

Score out of 10: 6

This is something I haven't done although as my hubby's fav tipple we would love to go - not open on Sundays when we are in Barbados !!!!

Check out their website - think it has got some info. I don't think it is too far away from the cruise terminal so we were going to walk there. There will be plenty of taxis if walking isn't your thing.

We are on Discovery for the next two weeks and will be dressing to impress - I'm sure we won't be on our own ! :cocktail::tropical-drink::champagne-toast:

Thanks ReedPrincess !

I have got the right place now - I think I was going to head towards the beach almost straight across from the roundabout - glad I checked!!