paulatsea

2 minutes ago, DiLC said:

Thanks. Reread email and there’s a notice about support on board ship in case of emergency which wasn’t there before. Do it must be that. appreciate help 

Welcome - hope you enjoy the cruise.

54 minutes ago, DiLC said:

In may booked a first cruise with P and O for next July. Have received emails giving same information as on original bookings saying important information included but there’s no additional info. Got two of these and wonder if this common for them?

anyone know why?

thanks 

I have had this in the past - additional email contained info about not wearing fancy dress and I think something about behaviour.

Not easy to spot the difference.

It was just text towards the bottom of the email.

7 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Is that £1,200 per person or per couple? If it’s per couple then that does indeed compare very well to P&O given that it includes a drinks package. If it’s per person then, even with drinks included, that wouldn’t seem to be that much of a bargain, albeit I know that the P&O adult only ships can carry a hefty price premium.

Per person - yes I’m comparing to Aurora/Arcadia/Marella explorer 2 - all the adults only ships on balcony basis - I should have mentioned that !

Just had a look - never been on princess before - some very reasonable prices for 5/7 nights balcony with princess plus package -

£1200 ish for 7 nights sky princess 2024 from Southampton 

is this the normal type of rate ?

We usually only do adults only on p&o or Marella  - obviously depending on time of year - but outside school holidays are there many children on board and are they well behaved on cruises from Southampton  !! ?

Yes both prev celebrity ships

We have been on Marella Explorer 2 (adults only) several times so I can only speak for this ship - but I expect the others are very similar.

All inclusive with good brand included drinks.

Fantastic staff - really friendly and efficient. (Probably the best in our experience)

Well organised excursions.

Good MDR - easy to get table for 2 with nice food.

Relaxed atmosphere.

Adults only on explorer 2.

The only thing we don’t like is they are all fly cruises - if they went from the UK I would probably use Marella all the time.

go for it ! You won’t be disappointed.

1 hour ago, London-Calling said:

Thanks Paulatsea.

 

To he honest I've experienced pluming, air-con issues and worn furniture on lots of older ships, such as CMV, Olsen and Thomson. Unfortunately it's not unusual. I guess that the way these lines offer some great fares, is that they do not spend a fortune on refits.

 

In addition, sadly tables for two are rare on many ships.

 

The Saxophone issue was dealt with.

 

Ambassador do offer some great late fares, even on their balcony cabins.

 

Yes I will try Ambition as soon as I have the time and money. She actual passed us, as we were going up to Norway, she was coming back. Please see video below:

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you London-Calling - will watch both videos later.

15 hours ago, London-Calling said:

One Year On

 

I was fortunate to be onboard 'Ambience', the new Ambassador's cruise lines first ship, for her maiden cruise in May 2022. 

 

 

My original ship review was generally positive, but highlighted some serious issues.

 

 

13 months later, I have just returned from a second cruise onboard Ambience: a 17-night cruise to Norway’s North Cape and Spitsbergen.

 

It was an excellent itinerary of eight ports of call and eight days at sea, in between. Below are my opinions about the onboard experience, one year on.

 

 

June/July 2023: Ambience Cruise Review - HERE

 

 

 

Thanks very much - I have just read your excellent and thorough review - and will watch the YouTube video tonight with a glass of wine !

Its a shame the problems have not all been ironed out.

I prefer balcony cabins and these are expensive on ambassador (as there are less of them compared to other ships I suppose) which has put me off ambassador so far , along with the aircon , tatty furniture and lack of tables for 2 issues.

I cannot  believe someone would play a saxophone in their cabin - how incredibly stupid and selfish - was there any action taken about this ?

Glad you had a good holiday despite all the cabin moves and strange steward !

We went to Spitsbergen with Fred in 2017 - What an amazing place isn’t it ? Probably the most interesting cruise we have done. 

Do you plan to go on Ambition ?

On 6/30/2023 at 7:44 AM, Angel57 said:

My personal thoughts on my 7 day cruise on Aurora 22/6-29/6

 

Arrived at 1140 for 1230 boarding. Waited in a queue outside Ocean Terminal where people had times ranging between 1200 and 1400. We were not segregated and so it was a complete mess when time slot was called and there were a couple of stroppy stewards. However once inside the terminal building, embarkation was quick and efficient and if I had arrived at 1230 all would have been fine, but for once the roads were clear and no queue at CPS.

 

Cabin C181 (balcony) - very comfortable, quiet, new upholstery, excellent cabin steward. Only negative was the balcony is very tired and the patio doors externally are literally falling apart, altho the new balcony chairs are very comfortable.

 

MDR - only ate twice as menus did not inspire. No issues though with Freedom dining in getting a table either then or at breakfast. Parade of Chefs back on final night.

 

Sindhu - lovely. Booked to eat there for the first night on day of boarding. It was fully booked by day 2 for the whole cruise.

 

Beach House - Delicious food. I thought the £9.50 cover charge was fair, but to then change on top for certain dishes it made it a little costly (eg - it was an additional £7 or £7.50 for the steak). This again was mostly fully booked by day 2.

 

Glasshouse - no booking required. Always turned up around 6.15/6.30 and got a table. Very enjoyable.

 

Horizon buffet - only had lunch here twice. IMO it was all rather boring and samey.

 

I had no complaints about the quality of the food at dinner. The beef wellington in particular was fabulous and it just melted in the mouth.

 

We only went to two shows - Applause (excellent) and The Lavelles doing Motown (very well received but poor imo). The theatre was full by 8.25 for Applause - booking not being used.

 

A friend was poorly whilst on board and the medical team were beyond amazing. They could not be faulted.

 

Dress code was pretty well adhered to (altho there are always a few…..🙄🤣).

I witnessed a couple of instances in the Crows Nest (on formal nights) when the waiting staff discretely reminded passengers of the dress code and that they would not be served. I also saw a man in shorts be told at 5.30, when dress code was evening casual, that they would not be served after 6pm.

 

Very few irritating issues - altho we did have a nearly 2 hr wait for a tender over to St. Peter Port in Guernsey so gave up. No apology issued for the delay.

 

So, a great cruise on Aurora and the experience was closer to pre 2020 than I thought it would be. 

 

 

 

Thanks very much for your report - nice to know that it all seems pretty good and like it used to be.

I am on Aurora at the end of August and then again in December.

Very much looking forward to it.

Was your tender part of an organised tour and if so did you get a refund ?

Thanks

Yep - same for me.

This looks way better - thanks for the info.

I wish they had an App as well as the website.

Maybe one day…

Sincere condolences Bazrat.

I have enjoyed your posts.

Fionboard - did you get a resolution to your insurance issues ? I would have thought a second all clear scan would mean your premium should not be affected - or was it ?

thanks

50 minutes ago, Mick B said:

Hi all,

I have done a few TAs and so far both have been from the UK to the USA with the dreaded night flight home, but only after spending a few days in NYC first.

 

I have now booked a TA next April from Port Everglades to Southampton on the Jewel in order to get the long flight over with first and then to simply sail back home.

As with my other 2 TAs I have booked an Interior. Not just because its the cheaper option, but because the weather can be unpredictable at any point during a TA no matter where you are in the ocean, so we always book a room that is centrally based to avoid bad movement. I always research my room and make sure it is close to the aft lifts but not right close and not near any noisy machinery or under anything like the dinning room where tables may get moved around first thing etc.

I know having a balcony or JS is nice, but you really need the nice weather and calm seas and find these a better option for Caribbean or Med cruises.

Some balconies may face the sun but that can get blocked by things like the deck above sticking out etc, so choose wisely!, Always research your cabin and check the surroundings. Don't forget, you can always enjoy the sun up on the top decks!

 

Another more important thing here before attempting a TA is to check what your ship has to offer as if you hit stormy weather then the top decks with the deck chairs may be closed and if your ship doesn't have a Solarium with a roof, then you may find yourself stuck indoors with limited things to do.

 

Things like the outdoor pool may be roped off or drained for days on end. Even indoor things like Bumper Cars can be off limits and even the shows with dancers can be cancelled along with Ice shows etc for obvious reasons, so you MUST be prepared to find things indoors to do.

 

I enjoy the TAs because they normally offer a chance to unwind and relax as opposed to getting off the ship every day at a port. It is nice not having to get up at 6am to cram breakfast down your throat because you have to be off the ship at 8am because you may only have six hours in that port and don't have the time to visit all you wanted to visit whilst there.

 

Lastly, depending on how many stops the cruise has, means that entertainers may have remain on board for the duration (or most of it), so you may end up with the same acts performing over and over for 14 days. Not too bad if you like the Beatles and one of their good tribute bands are performing around the ship throughout. But, be prepared for slightly less varied entertainment than say a 7 day cruise with lots of ports.

 

Hopefully if you bear all these factors in mind, and are prepared beforehand, then you should enjoy a nice relaxing holiday.

I can tell you this, my wife would not have done a second TA if she did not enjoy the first and she certainly would not be wanting to do a third next year.

 

regards,

Mick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totally agree re getting the flight over first then enjoying the journey back.

We hated the flight back.

54 minutes ago, zap99 said:

That's if P&O are ok with booking a cruise ,switching cabins half way through. I guess the rich folk could book 2 cabins on different sides of the ship, a bit like 2 sunbeds.

Swap with someone who likes shade

18 hours ago, zap99 said:

I thought " POSH " originated from the India days, so that the cabin gets lots of shade. 🤔

It does !
The OP used it in this case to ensure sunny side both ways transatlantic  - so its the reverse of the original meaning.

14 hours ago, Aulanis said:

 

Ambassador pester you to leave a review on trust pilot - I recommend you read some

of them.  Interestingly they dont respond to bad reviews .

 

For me it is so far so bad, we have no experience of cruising with Ambassador but the recent round of price cuts has meant we have paid well over the odds as a reward for booking early.   Also mentioned in reviews on TP

We have been away on a cruise and on our return thought we would get up to speed with
Ambassador.

Have to say I was shocked to find we paid around £400 each more for our standard plus inside cabin than they are now offering it at although the category is showing as wait listed???   So why still advertise it?

That is more then I have ever seen in a price drop on our 30 previous cruise.

I understand the price paid  is contractual so as I have seen other lines sometimes
cover the price drop with OBC  or an upgrade  I have asked our TA to see if anything is available.

They say it is unlikely but will try- could take 7 days for an answer!  Having since read TP

I think I know the answer.

Moving on from that I have been trying to find out when embarkation time is and find that the web site is pretty abysmal.   3 differing suggestions as to that!   Not our exact time but just an indication of when embarkation might BEGIN would help.  I have emailed them.
Auto response suggests 14 days for a reply.   Daft thing is it says I can request a callback
within 2 days??   go figure!   I might even try that.

More great news  Guest act  ” Mr Showbiz ”   Jimmy Nairn  been in the entertainment business  for 50 years .....   never heard of him,  anyone else?

So no good points so far including "for my convenience and comfort they are fixing the inside temperature on the ship at 21/22 deg " so doesnt sound ideal for sleeping.

Anyway its not true according to several reviews of winter cruises.   I think it must be

ambassador speak for  if its hot you cant cool it and if its cold you cant make it warmer.

   I am going to use this as the start of my review tho it will end up  TLTR.

Thanks for this - look forward to further reviews from you - very useful.

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. 

18 minutes ago, happy v said:

This won't be of any help if you just want to go to Amsterdam. If the tulip festival, Kuekenhouf is your main focus we went from Rotterdam and it is almost equidistant between there and Amsterdam. The drive went passed a lot of tulip farms so was very nice. 

Thanks - good to know as kuekenhouf is on my list.

47 minutes ago, thornegirl said:

Ive sent the email, I'm expecting a 28 day response time! I'll keep you updated of the outcome.

Thanks - sorry your Holliday was ruined. Horrible thing to do.

Did 3 cruises on ocean village but nothing transferred to p&o - is it too late now  ? ! 
Really liked ocean village - wish I had done the last one when it went to Australia - just missed out as fully booked when I asked.

15 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

We've also received the offer to bid for an upgrade.  Minimum £450 pp to go from standard balcony to deluxe.

 

I phoned up to get a price on simply upgrading.  £625 pp. 

 

Decided to put a minimum bid and see what happens.  We're on an Early Saver fare anyway so location not a issue.

Good luck 🤞 

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.

36 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

I have holidayextras - they said that if the condition was being treated with medication or in hospital or as an outpatient then you need to declare it.

if it does not require medication or hospital or outpatient treatment you don’t.

Also if you had been referred for tests or investigation. I asked this in relation to a new condition.

I have holidayextras - they said that if the condition was being treated with medication or in hospital or as an outpatient then you need to declare it.

if it does not require medication or hospital or outpatient treatment you don’t.

52 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

Not perceptions - based on facts and personal  experience over many years.

 

Fact - my car has never been damaged or broken into in a secured cruise car park.
It has in public car parks.

 

Fact - Most Car Insurance will not cover loss/damage if car left unattended overnight / for several days in a public car park - reason ?  actuarial statistics on theft damage from public car parks.

 

And peace of mind (perceived or real threat ) is worth a premium - to me.

 

 

 

My mistake re insurance . Out of date and no longer correct . Fact !!