flipflop104

Thanks for this, I'll have a little look and investigate 😊

Hello We're on a cruise next month that when in Italy, docks at Genoa, Rome and Palermo and we'd really love to do a tour/visit to make some mozzarella ourselves (doesn't have to be buffalo mozzarella, specifically, although that would be a bonus) - we've seen people do it on cruise programmes but can't recall the ports they docked in when they did those tours. I wondered if anyone knew of any tours/visits that we could get to while we were in one of these ports? Failing that, if we can't make it ourselves, is there anywhere we can do a mozzarella tasting session? I've done a google but I just get results showing me how to make my own mozzarella at home rather than tours in the ports we're visiting, so not sure if it's simply not possible in these ports or I'm just using the wrong words to get the right results. Thanks in advance.

Ok, thanks for your advice - we prefer more casual anyway, so that's good news 🙂

Hello We've got a cruise booked on MSC World Europa in March and I can't find anything to say which nights are formal nights, gala night, party nights, etc. so we know what to pack. We've also got a P&O cruise booked in May and the formal and casual nights are already available for us to see so expected to be able to see the dress code details for the upcoming MSC cruise but I can't find them anywhere within "Manage My Booking". Is anyone able to point me in the right direction, please? Thanks in advance

Wow, you really know your stuff and are very helpful and full of suggestions. Thank you so much, it's really appreciated 😊 And glad I am giving you soemthing to research seeing as you've done all yours lol 😊 I'd love to do Hawaii to Sydney but my partner is very new to cruising - took me ages to get her to go on one as she's terrified of being at sea (where she can't see land), gets seasickness and can't swim so on paper a cruise is her worst nightmare lol. I've managed to get her on a couple now (Med cruise just after covid but round Mallorca and Italy so pretty calm seas and Caribbean for New Year that's just gone, and again relatively calm seas and both had minimal sea days) but any with lots of sea days and the potential for rough seas would deffo be a no-no. I've got to take baby steps with her. and ease her in slowly lol. And while I'd also like to do Silver Muse 15 days cruise you mention, she works for the NHS in a hospital ward and isn't allowed more than 2 weeks off at a time, so adding in the few days in Bora Bora and the travelling time, we wouldn't be able to do that long a cruise (hence why our search is so restricted). The wedding is just us two (no family coming so no one else to think of) and we intend to get married in Bora Bora and then just have the cruise as our honeymoon so nothing special to plan (just getting all the legalities sorted to marry in Bora Bora) except getting the right cruise at the right time. But I still like to plan early - it's my 50th in February 2025 (man and dad, and auntie accompanying us) and I'm planning to go to LA (for Disney Cali), then west coast train down to San Diego, then fly to Vegas and then fly to New York (staying 3 nights in each place) which is why February/March isn't a good time for the wedding and we'd prefer Sept./Oct./Nov. for the wedding and the cruise. But if pushed we can swap them round if we really have to, but I do like being in Vegas on my birthday and would prefer my 50th hol in February when it's my actual birthday. As a side note we saw a Princess cruise for 2023 and early 2024 with Cruise Kings that does a 3-night pre-cruise stay in LA (Disney - ✔️) then sails from LA-San Fran-Monterey-San Diego ✔️-Ensenada and then back to LA and includes a post-cruise 3 night stay in Vegas ✔️. I asked if they can stick New York on the end of Vegas before flying us home to the UK and they said they could ✔️, so I'm really hoping that package is replicated by them in 2025 too. Anyway, I digress, sorry. lol I shall deffo check out that website you recommended - it's always helpful to get receomendations from experienced and knowledgeable people. The extra searches you threw in are ideal cos we don't have anywhere specific we want to go - just know we want to do something in and around the South Pacific area, so happy to be pointed in directions from people who have been before and know their stuff. I've only ever done Caribbean cruises before (and Med.) Having said all that, I think you're right and loks like I'm going to have to wait until at least later this year if not, early next year to see a full and comprehensive list of itineraries and options (this doesn't suit my early planner brain lol).

I've been looking at cruisetimetables.com but I'll take a look at that as well, thanks. I suspect i might be looking a bit too early as not all the cruise lines may have released their port plans yet. But i like to get organised, haha!

Yeah I was aware of the restrictions Bora Bora are putting in place regarding ship sizes. Bora Bora is where we wanted to get married and thought as most ships stay overnight in Bora Bora we could hop off and get married on one of the days we're docked but we think you have to be there more than a couple of days to get married so are now thinking we'd do 3 days in Bora Bora to get married and then join a cruise (so, the cruise doesn't have to stop at Bora Bora as we'll have already been there). Don't really want to go on the likes of NCL, RCI, Celebrity, etc as we have done these before and want a "step-up" for our wedding - plus the ships will be too large to go to certain places, I believe? I can't even seem to find cruises round Cook islands/Fiji that are around 7-10days duration, as an alternative (seeing as we will have done Bora Bora), but maybe I'm looking too early or not looking in the right place(s)?! PS. Thank you for your helpful and insightful knowledge thus far.

We are wanting to go Sept./Oct./Nov. time in 2025 for about 7-10 days. Silversea is one of the lines we have been looking at - when we say "small ship" - we don't mind 500/600 pax just don't want it to be as small as PG or Windstar.

Thank you 😄

Oh it's nothing to do with luxury - it looks like a gorgeous ship - it's just that Paul Gauguin and Windstar are just a little too small for our liking tbh (and no casino which we like to play on an evening).

Thanks, I guess they will get more bookings from Med cruises.

Hello, Sorry if this is a silly question, but why do the like of Regent, Oceania, etc. only do cruises in the South Pacific (or seem to from what I can find) in January-March time when it's not the best season to go? When I google the best times to go, I get this result: "Although the South Pacific is hot and humid most of the year with warm seas and clear skies, the best time to visit is generally between April and November when the weather is driest. The exception to this is French Polynesia, where the peak season is shorter and runs from June to August." We are wanting to get married in Bora Bora (late ish 2025 - Sept./Oct./Nov.) and then jump on a 7-14 days cruise round the South Pacific and it seems the only time we can go is between January and April ish. Unless we go on Windstar or Paul Gauguin type cruises which we don't want (we were hoping to go on something like Regent / Silversea / Oceania, etc.). Or am I just not looking in the right places? lol Thanks in advance

No probs. We were curious about the canopy before we went and couldn't find any pics anywhere hence why I made a mental to note to take pics for ppl. We prefer the shade so it was good for us but not if you're a sun worshipper. Don't get me wrong, it did get some sun but not loads and not constantly.

Balcony A723 on P&O's Britannia in December 2022/January 2023. The balcony is the main differene from regular balcony cabins as it's massive in comparison. The cabin can be a little noisy from chairs being dragged around in the sunset bar which is directly above (but not overlooked because of the addition of the canopy) but it didn't bother us. If you don't like noise or are disturbed by it, don't choose this cabin. As I said we weren't bothered by it but it was pretty much always there. Not intrusive I would say, but deffo always there so if you like silence this cabin is not for you. Not really any noise from people though. And very quiet in the corridor as being back of the ship, there isn't any footfall apart from the other 5 cabins in the area. The canopy on the cabin below us intruded on our view of the wake as you can see it through the glass balcony which is a shame and it means you can't look directly down on the wake which I thought was a shame and spoiled it for us. I would deffo choose another aft cabin but only one that didn't have a canopy on the balcony below. The cabin is a few steps from the lifts/stairs which lead directly up to the buffet and sunset bar whih is really handy. Directly down the lifts to get to the Oriental restaurant which is also handy for breakfast but as we were on freedom dining we couldn't use the Oriental for lunch/dinner as that was for the set dining diners. I've added a load of pics and a short video and "hopefully" some 360 photos so you can move your phone/mouse around to navigate round those. In the pics at the rear of the ship, it's the balcony directly under the flagpole, between the two canopies (immediately right of centre). Any questions, just ask and I'll try to assist. GH010151.MP4

Thanks for all your replies, they are very helpful and give me a nice starting point 😁