daiB

If you have assistance booked they board you in the order of your boarding times. However they do not stick to them. If there is a pusher available they will not wait until your booked time they will get you on as soon as they can.

Well our experience was on Aurora, Ventura and Iona. It is also the case that in most ports the scanners are shore side where they do not care about bottles of booze. And in most the Duty Free shop is on the ship side of the scanners.

Even this last paragraph was not true on Iona recently on both cruises I saw people carrying boxes of duty free very early in the cruise. ?????

Never seen a table in our 8 cruises since the COVID break. I think they have just given up on the idea.nPossibly they have found that bar sales have not been affected

Intercruises seem to employ many of the staff.

Your first statement is quite true There are many reports of a sorting going on before you get into the terminal those at the correct time straight in and boarding inside 20/30 mins and the ones who are early are directed somewhere to wait. Sometimes standing for an hour or two.

You will get lunches and parties on your cruises, only on the two big buggers there is no party but they do have a lunch for 14 night cruises.

Linked bookings have no effect on boarding at all. They are only there for set dining. The link will get you allocated the same table. And that it.

Well it is certainly the case in the MDR and always been so. I think they stopped asking as so few took them up. However my post above was about the Epicurean. I asked and the waiter said of course sir. Now I don’t know if I just caught him in a good mood or he recognised me. But as they say in the NE shy bairns get nowt. 🙂 🙂

In March for Iona there was a separate desk by the point where my scooter was labelled just by the lift. We were then directed to go and wait to board.as we had priority as we got to the far end they had just started boarding. It was all very quick

Some cruises have a vast number of higher tiers especially on Aurora and Arcadia. Recently we have had in excess of 500 and up to 800.

No all your nights count no matter how short, 2/3/4 nights all count, with regard to losing nights if you had not cruised for a while, that was scrapped and to my knowledge all your cruises counted. Where people missed out was when the Portunus club started around 2001/2 and people moved from the POSH club, which you had to join, and pay a fee. I would call the Peninsular club and check.have a list of your cruises handy. Gan Canny Dai

Any cruise line cannot just find extra staff to cover school holidays. Where do they sleep?, where do they come from? Shorter cruises always feel full as everyone tries to cram in as much as they can in a short time. School holidays just makes it worse We were on Iona in the first week of the Easter Holidays and apart from one afternoon I was not aware of any over crowding. The only queues I saw were for formal night photos.

Private schools often do not have the same holidays.

Should not always believe what others “tell” you including crew.

We are doing this one this year. It is a replacement for a July Baltic cruise. Is that the one you have booked?

The only queues I saw were for the photographer on formal night. Oh and to see Gary Barlow. But the queues were to get good seats.

OK we are sorted for 2025. Arvia back to back in July/August and Britannia in September/October. Happy Days Gan Canny Dai

Selbourne, it is not the regular discounts you get when booking which debar you it is the friends and family fares or the special fares for TA’s themselves. Go for it.

Yes

David there is on the big boats if you book before you go but that comes off any food you order.I think it was £20. Not sure about the rest of the fleet.

Also if you stand too close it will not close the door.

You will notice a massive improvement in facilities for wheelchair/scooter users. Every door to an outside area is automatic, so no struggling with heavy doors. No lips on the doors to outside areas all flat. The balcony doors are automatic and the exit is smooth. The auto doors on the bathroom are good as well they have sensors which prevent them opening until everything is clear. However word of warning do NOT use the rails hooks on the back of the door as this will stop the door closing.

I have to say Selbourne that I am a little surprised that, you with all your experience would base your future cruises on anything else but your own experience. Having read these pages for many years I know that there are always some people who have in their opinion bad experiences and if you beleaved them all you would never cruise. All I can say is that the report above is miles away from our experience. I never go into the clubhouse but my wife does, every night and children messing about on the dance floor is her biggest gripe. I have just asked her and she tells me she did not see it on our cruises, one of which was in the Easter Hols. Now that may mean that it happened when we were eating or somewhere on the ship. Anyway good luck with you Iona cruise in August. Not sure we would book then being a retired teacher. I look forward to your review. Gan Canny Dai

I think the restrictions and high price of the drinks package are quite deliberate. British holidaymakers do not have a good reputation with regard to booze. I like to drink but there is no way I would spend enough to justify a package even if my wife drank the same amount as me, which she doesn’t. I know what we spent on booze on the last 2 cruises and it was no where near the price of the package. And I could drink exactly what I want.