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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Richard With Hunting the Light by Micky777

We had just returned from a cruise on P & O's Oriana in search of the Northern Lights. This trip had been less than successful not least because when we did see the lights for a brief 15 minutes in Alta, I could not capture the event on my bridge camera. We spotted a very good deal for a six night trip from Tromso to Kirkeness and back with Hurtigruten with free flights from Manchester to Tromso and two nights in the Radisson Blue in Tromso one at the start of the trip and one at the end. We were determined to see the Northern Lights on this trip having been disappointed on the 11 night Oriana trip. Having arrived in Tromso in mid afternoon we looked in a brochure in the hotel lobby to find possible trips in search of the Northern Lights. A company offering exactly what we were looking for was located in an office immediately behind the hotel so we called in and booked the trip at 900 krona each about £95 so not cheap. Continue reading... Hunting the Light

 

Thomson Celebration Enjoyable despite gales! by BillRover

My wife and I took the Thomson Celebration Colourful Coasts cruise, embarking 21 March 2014 and occupying a Deluxe Balcony Cabin on Deck 9 forward on the ship. The cabin was indeed one of the high spots of the cruise. There was more space than in comparable cabins we have experienced with other cruise lines, with a large and comfortable double bed, table and chairs both in the cabin and on the balcony, separate his and hers wardrobes, both bathtub and shower in the bathroom, and a plentiful supply of toiletries. Our steward kept everything immaculate each day. One small niggle was that the toilets work on a vacuum system, and there were very occasional delays (up to 30 minutes!) before flushing! Another point to bear in mind is that, during stormy weather, a cabin such as ours, high up and forward on the ship, experienced a higher degree of pitching and tossing during stormy weather, although in the cabin position’s favour we did not experience any continual vibration or whining noise from the engines, as reported on many reviews about cabins located lower down and further aft on the ship. Continue reading... Enjoyable despite gales!

 

Marco Polo In Search Of The Northern Lights by Bittlenutuk

Well we were a party of 4 and boarded the ship with some trepidation considering previous reviews of this ship/cruise. 2 of us had cruised before but on much larger ships with Celebrity and P&O so it was difficult not to make some comparison. We all agreed that overall there was nothing whatsoever to be concerned about. I'm afraid we would have to disagree with previous disappointed passengers as we had nothing but praise for the quality of the cruise, the captain and the staff. Continue reading... In Search Of The Northern Lights

 

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[B]Marco Polo[/B] [URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=252795"]Land of the Northern Lights by sekrapdjp[/URL]
This 15-day cruise (commencing March 16th 2014) was made with the hope of seeing the Northern Lights, and was most enjoyable due to the fact that there were plenty of sightings of the Aurora Borealis and, particularly for the latter part of the trip, we had excellent weather. The itinerary was well devised to provide opportunities to see the Northern Lights and to view the amazing scenery of the Norwegian fjords. There was a good selection of excursions available at the ports of call, although it was also possible to explore independently due to the Marco Polo being berthed close to town centres, or a free shuttle bus being provided. Adverse weather prevented us calling at Tromso as originally scheduled on the way north, but an imaginative amendment to the original schedule enabled a call to be made at Tromso on the return south, at the expense of the less attractive port of Sortland. Continue reading... [URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=252795"]Land of the Northern Lights[/URL]

[B]Celebrity Solstice[/B] [URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=252796"]First cruise...won't be the last! by Figurehead1[/URL]
It was a leap of faith to choose this cruise as our first but either through luck or good judgement we really chose well. The ship was, in our opinion, 5 star in every aspect; comfortable, clean, superb staff, great food and good entertainment. Despite having almost 3000 passengers we never felt crowded and the solitude of the cabin was always available. The route was what we had wanted although a couple of the stops were not that exciting (e.g. Port Hedland). There were a number of sea days but it was a top end trip around Australia and it's a big place! In fact the sea days were rather nice. Plenty of activities if you wanted and peace and quiet to be found if you didn't. Our cabin stewards (Joe from Goa and Lincoln from Jamaica) were great and really deserve a special mention. The cabin was always spotless and they were both discreet and professional. Continue reading... [URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=252796"]First cruise...won't be the last![/URL]

[B]Oriana[/B] [URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=252801"]Northern Lights, Noro and 27 Knots by Micky777[/URL]
Embarkation at Southampton was not as slick as usual. We arrived early, about noon, and had to wait nearly two hours before our number was called to register and then a long queue for security which was very thorough, before we boarded the ship. Our luggage arrived at our cabin soon after we did so that was good. We had been on Aurora previously across the Pacific so we were interested to compare Oriana with our first P & O experience early last year. The Oriana is about 10,000 tons lighter than the Aurora but the layout is similar with a walk around promenade on deck seven always welcome. Some more modern ships do not retain this important, for us, feature. Oriana also has tiered outside decks at the stern so you can walk up from deck seven all the way to the Conservatory Buffet on deck 12 pausing on the way at each deck to look at the view on open decks. Continue reading... [URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=252801"]Northern Lights, Noro and 27 Knots[/URL]

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[URL="http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/"][SIZE=4]Write a Cruise Review[/SIZE]
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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Costa Serena First time crusier with a few reservations by jollyhollys

This review contains some of my own personal thoughts, opinions and suggestions that could improve your crusing expereince, especially if you are a first time crusier((like me). The review will be seperaetd into three sections. Positive, Negative and would be even better ifs! Positives Embarkation at Barcelona quick , efficient and hassle free. Cabin with a balcont worth paying the xtra for and spacious lovely and clean Drinks package, buy before you cruise. Its great value and not anywhere close to as limited as stated by other reviewers. At somewhere around £16 per person per day it is well worth it, especially if you, like me, make it your lifes work to travel all the way through the cocktail list! There are of course non alcholic cocktails so when you have made your way through the ones containing alcohol and fancy something else, feel free to ask the waiter or bar person to add alcohol of your choice to the non alcoholic ones and they will happily oblige! Continue reading... First time crusier with a few reservations

 

Horizon Good value experience spoiled by embarkation/disembarkation process by PooleBabe

As independent travellers to tour packages/companies I felt we were not given consideration nor treated in the same way as other passengers, I felt we lost 2 x half days of our holiday due to the embarkation/disembarkation process. I write below our honest/factual story which did detract from the wonderful 6 days we had on board with no other issues. If you are aware in advance and build it into the planning of your holiday then I hope you find this helpful rather than wasting your precious holiday time. We had already stayed in Barbados and as our flight was not until 5pm so we were determined not to waste yet another day of our trip. We took a taxi back to our previous hotel 20 minutes away from Port for 20 US dollars and paid a day rate of 60 US dollars which gave us a room, shower, towels and beach towels. This should not have been necessary! However please look up Oceans 15 on the internet if you feel you may want to use them as we did. They are located at Christchurch a 5 minute walk away from Dover Beach. We then paid a further 20 US dollars and took another 20 minutes taxi to the airport later in the day. Continue reading... Good value experience spoiled by embarkation/disembarkation process

 

Ventura A happy cruise review by c.withy

When myself and Husband and two friends had booked our cruise with the fantastic "Getaway" price, but remember this was non - refundable - I think some disgruntled cruisers may forget or not know this - so you do take a risk. we were concerned about the negative reviews, I now wonder if they were all on a different ship to us. we had wonderfully clean, bright cabins with a balcony, champagne, chocolates, flowers and of course the gown and slippers and excellent toiletries The White Company. Pleasant and helpful cabin girl, who could not do enough and remarkably never forgot our names. Continue reading... A happy cruise review

 

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Marco Polo Amazon, Caribbean and Azores 2014 by nain and taid

Having read the glowing reviews on Marco Polo's Amazon 6 week cruise, I thought I should redress the balance. We have cruised for the last 12 years on various ships, large and small, expensive and cheap, and in all weathers. Never have we experienced a trip like our 42 night Amazon, Caribbean and Azores cruise on Marco Polo. We had read the reviews before we booked, and were fully aware of the ship's shortcomings. There was no launderette! The ship was old with no balconies. The bath towels were small and very thin. There was no port lecturer, so no help for the independents. Other lecturers were rostered, but were of a very poor quality. To have an "expert" turning his back to his audience and reading his notes from the screen muttering to himself, does not inspire confidence in the veracity of his lecture or his preparation. Yes! The show lounge was basic.All that was acceptable. But to have only song/dance entertainment for all 42 nights, except for 1 comedy night, 2 magic nights and the odd (very odd!) film, was monotonous, to say the least.The show team were very good and did their best, some of the singing was excellent, but to show G rated films or children's animated ones (Rapunzel - really?) left many passengers yawning. Continue reading... Amazon, Caribbean and Azores 2014

 

Brilliance of the Seas Brilliance revisited - short 5 night sailing from Tampa by peteukmcr

Background – we travelled from Manchester, UK departing on Saturday, 22nd Feb flying with Virgin Atlantic direct to Orlando. Check in & Boarding One of the easiest and best we’ve experienced (expect for Allure which is on another level). Ship Brilliance is well maintained and there is plenty of space for everyone, even on sea days. OK space maybe at a premium on sea days around the main pool and especially in the Solarium, but there are plenty of empty sunbeds in other quieter areas. A good variety of venues, with a lot of emphasis on the Centrum with the aerial shows that take place there. New venues like Vintages were fairly quiet but with great staff. Similarly the Colony Club was very quiet unless planned activities were taking place there. Continue reading... Brilliance revisited - short 5 night sailing from Tampa

 

MSC Armonia Few frills, few faults by sands8kc

After reading some of the reviews, our expectations were not that high but thought that, for what we were paying, it would be a cheap break. As we were already in Tenerife, we were not part of a large group so Check In was extremely efficient and quick, but unfortunately, no one told us that there was a shuttle to get to the ship, so we had quite a walk along the dockside. We were on board at about 12.30 and were pleasantly surprised that our cabin was ready for us. It had been made up with a double bed, not with 2 singles as asked for, but this was quickly rectified and made the cabin much more spacious. There was so much storage space and although the shower was quite small, the water was always very hot. It was all extremely clean, so no complaints there. The staff didn't seem quite so well trained as with other cruise companies, stood around talking to each other quite a lot, but plates were always cleared quickly in the buffet. Continue reading... Few frills, few faults.

 

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Celebrity Solstice Great Holiday Down Under!!! Long Review by alan9945

We have recently returned from an 18 day cruise on the Celebrity Solstice from Auckland to Perth. I have recently read several reviews of the previous cruise to ours and cannot believe that our experience can have been so different. We had a great time! We have cruised over 10 times with Cunard, Celebrity, Princess, P&O, Ocean Village, Royal Caribbean and Thomson so have a lot of experience of cruising. As we live in the UK and don’t particularly like long flights we decided to break up the journey by visiting our son in Dubai, stopping in Singapore before flying to Melbourne to see my sister. We used Emirates for all of our flights and found them to be exceptional for food, entertainment and seat pitch even though we were in Economy. The other huge benefit of Emirates is their luggage allowance of 30Kgs each which is essential when spending nearly 5 weeks away from home. Continue reading... Great Holiday Down Under!!! Long Review

 

Azura My first cruise by Jeff Wood

Started well, flight to Barbados on the new Thomson Dreamliner was fantastic. We had the Premium upgrade and it was amazing, the service was superb ! Great not having to worry about getting cases from the airport too. When we got to our cabin we met our cabin steward, Ana. She was lovely, very helpful and friendly. The ship itself is massive, and I know lots of people struggled to find their way around, but personally I didn't have that problem, we soon worked out how to get to the various areas. Food. We had freedom dining, and we dined in the Meridian Restaurant, which I thought was very nice. I thought the food was great, no complaints from me. I think anyone who complains about the food must be living on a different planet to me, or certainly used to eating in expensive restaurants every night, which OK I admit I'm not. Also, the predominately Indian restaurant staff did an amazing job !, They were all very professional ,efficient and friendly. Continue reading... My first cruise

 

MSC Armonia EXCELLENT CRUISE by JOCKYDOO

We booked last minute and paid £199 each for an inside cabin but were upgraded to an inside which was nice. I think this may have been because we have cruised a dozen times with other cruise lines. Anyway we knew this was a much smaller ship than we were used to so our expectations were not high. Check in was fast and efficient and within 20 minutes of arriving at check in we were in our cabin. Cabin was spotless and had everything needed including a safe. We always had constant hot water. Cabin staff were very good and very attentive. Continue reading... EXCELLENT CRUISE

 

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Every Thursday, we'll randomly select three cruise reviews to feature here! Plus, we'll send each member a Cruise Critic logo item. We hope they enjoy it!

 

Trollfjord Bergen to Kirkenes, MS Trollfjord, MG 775 & MG 780 by EmmaN

We chose one of their more modern boats as my husband can suffer with seasickness so wanted one with the best stabilisers. We booked virtually the day the trip was released as we specifically wanted a cabin with a balcony and there are only 5 on that boat. We booked MG 775 and friends booked M2 782 next door. We stayed a few nights in Bergen first so caught a cab down to the Hurtigruten terminal where we walked straight up to the check in desk no queues and checked in and were given our room keys and dinner seating and table. We had requested a table for the 4 of us by a window and that is just what we got and on the starboard side of the boat which is on the mainland side as you go north, not that you could see anything but lights at night. Continue reading... Bergen to Kirkenes, MS Trollfjord, MG 775 & MG 780

 

Thompson Celebration Enjoyed Celebration by jorjababygirl

I have read other reviews and honestly was really not looking forward to our two week cruise on Celebration which was our 27th cruise and the first with Thomsons. I now write to say overall it was a great cruise in almost every way and comparable with P&O in many respects. Yes the lady is getting on a bit but we found her to be ellegant and very fresh after her refit and retains a certain character not present among some of the new high rise flats ships that hold thousands with everything available. The negatives were ship vibration in some parts and unavoidable roll due to rough sea states at times. We had a great spacious cabin with balcony but there is not enough public room space especially at night and during sea days, areas such as the new coffee shop could be used better and the sports deck is a waste of space. The cabin safes are not secure as any key can open any safe so do not drop your cabin key which are not in the main numbered so okay that way. Continue reading... Enjoyed Celebration

 

Norwegian Star Star turn by tellygirl

We have just returned from our 7th Ncl cruise and yet again were not disappointed with our holiday. The embarkation experience was different as our flight delays etc made us the only passengers going on the ship at the time but we were quickly processed on to ship by very nice staff . once on board we went to our cabin it is adequate in size as it is really just a place to sleep in. Yet again the beds are big and very comfortable. We had a balcony, very good for sail away and lucky as the sun seemed to be on our side of the ship most of time. Great for when out at sea when needing to get away from the all the bussle of people and food. Continue reading... Star turn

 

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Thompson Celebration The Colourful Coasts Roller Coaster by Broadhurstbob

We have stayed in the Canaries many times, and have also cruised there before, so the idea of doing them again was to get some winter sun without having to bother with too many excursions. Weather in and around islands can be unpredictable, the rain started just as we left the terminal in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and it’s about 200m to the ship. We have used the Thomson Celebration twice before and were looking forward to seeing what improvements had been made. On checking in we were advised that paying for our onboard spend by credit card would incur a 2% service charge, this was an unpleasant surprise and not well publicised in the precruise information. Celebration is an older ship but has a great crew with a fantastic atmosphere. The cabin was well laid out with the beds in an L shaped configuration, this is very space efficient. The ocean view was through a single porthole, and when it got rough did look like a washing machine. There is under bed storage for luggage and plenty of wardrobe and drawer space. The bathroom again has plenty of storage, and although small works well. Soundproofing between cabins is not great; we could hear the neighbours snoring. There are icemakers around the ship so you can always fill you ice bucket. Our cabin steward Arif was very attentive and efficient. Continue reading... The Colourful Coasts Roller Coaster

 

 

Marco Polo An eventful journey to say the least ! by DaveinWhales

This was our first cruise and many commented that we had certainly jumped in at the deep end, however, we were not alone it seemed. Quite a few people had been attracted by the amazing cruise itinerary......The Amazon and the West Indies and a few more places thrown in for good measure !!! To be honest, we had no intention of going on a cruise but at the price this trip was offered at it was just too good to refuse. We booked a basic inside cabin and I think we were upgraded to a "standard plus". I won't say what we paid but it was an unbelievably good bargain as far as we were concerned but I do know many people paid a lot more than we did and for the extra all they got was, in our opinion anyway, a slightly better cabin in as much as a little bit more room and possibly windows too. Both we felt we didn't need. Having booked the holiday, I then started gleaning as much information about the trip as possible and soon realised the Marco Polo certainly seems to polarise opinions so here's mine ! The first thing is to consider where the trip is going to before choosing a cabin. On cold weather trips being over the kitchens might be advantageous, on warm ones probably not. Certainly being under the rear deck is one to avoid during warm weather as the noise from above must be awful when they move tables and chairs around at the crack of dawn and very late at night. Anywhere near the show lounge would probably be intolerable of those who go to bed before 11.00pm We hadn't thought about any of these things so it was by good luck our cabin was well placed and, in our opinion , perfectly adequate for our needs. We were amazed how all our luggage vanished in to drawers,wardrobes and under the bed. Continue reading... An eventful journey to say the least !

 

 

Oriana Superb ship; superb crew by Lytham Scotty

Ship: Beautiful to look and beautiful inside - very traditional with lovely bars including Crows Nest at the top and front and my favourite "Andersons" (upmarketish) with superb, friendly bar and waiting staff. Large theatre; separate cinema with movies 5/6 times daily; large cabaret lounge; excellent large disco/dance club (much nicer than Oceana's grotty little grey box! Food: Much better than Oceana; excellent service for food and wine; even the buffet had good food (I just don't like some of the pushy customers there!). ALL Staff/crew: VERY friendly: the captain walks round ship 2/3 times daily and is approachable (and speaks English unlike the one on my Oceana cruise!); other senior officers walk round and also are very approachable. ALL bar staff friendly and get on well their bosses which shows a good ship. Entertainment: Apparently the best Headliners troupe ever; no weak links. Excellent entertainment during the day unlike the Oceana's non-stop quizzes and bingo. Spanish lessons, ballroom and line dancing lessons, port presentations, etc. Classical guitarist daily; pianist daily; three bands; various excellent guest performers in both theatre and cabaret lounge. Singles: EVERY morning coffee meeting (not just once as on Oceana!) AND special section of restaurant for singles afternoon tea every day. Continue reading... Superb ship; superb crew

 

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hey op...how did it go?

 

Im in a similar situation - the day we port in there is a half marathon in NYC.

 

Did you take the car service - if so which one? There are a few listed on yelp, so confused as which to use....

 

Did you have to go to a plan B or were you at the airport and sipping coffee and relaxing waiting to board your plane?

Hi! It was too easy. I debarked with no lines at 8:30 AM. Walked across the street from Pier 90 to the taxi stand and immediately got a cab to Penn Station. Got to Penn and was waiting for the 9:07 AM train to EWR. There were people but not massive crowds or anything. Made it to EWR with 2 hours to spare. :D

I would have a "Plan B" just in case, because of the special circumstances. Maybe a plan how to get over to Penn to catch the EWR transporter bus. You probably won't need it. Report back how it all worked out.

 

I agree about having a plan B. You should have the info about the airport bus from the street outside Port Authority as well as print out the New York Penn Station to Newark Airport Station train schedule.

 

If there are traffic or tunnel issues, then train would be the way to go.

I'm convinced I never want to live in a big big city! ;)

 

Plan B is stay in NYC and live it up for a few days. :D

 

Thanks again everyone. The trip is in just a few weeks so I don't have long to wait to see how it goes. Worse case scenario I can walk to port authority bus station or to Penn station. They aren't that far and I'm fit enough. I'm going to self disembark as early as I can as well. I feel pretty good now with the plans I've made.

You guys are the best. I mean that. :D Thank you. This is excellent information and I am taking this advice. I've just booked a car for pick up at the port at 8:30 AM on February 2. My flight is at 12:07 PM. I'll have a carry on bag with no worries about checking anything. Even if everything goes well and I'm sitting at the airport at 9:30 AM with a few hours to wait...at least I'll be there. ;)

 

Oh, and I'll definitely follow up with a phone call next week to make sure I speak with a person and have the reservation in place.

 

Thank you all for the excellent information.

Thank you all so much. This is why I love Cruise Critic. ;) Having used New Jersey transit to Newark on one other occasion, it was congested and with a bag in tow, I don't want to mess with it. A car service seems like the best bet. From experience, has anyone done a cab from this port? Is the price comparable? Just wondering. I know the Lincoln tunnel fee alone is $13 so I have to add that right off the top to whatever I pay.

 

Thank you thank you thank you!

I'm confused. First you said you wanted to take the airport bus that runs from Port Authority Bus Terminal, or a shuttle. Now you're sounding like you might take a car service?

 

Two of the largest car services in NY are Carmel http://www.carmellimo.com and Dial 7 http://www.dial7.com .

Sorry if I confused the situation. :o I just booked the cruise today and it leaves in 3 weeks. It's been a scramble. I'm open to anything that will get me to EWR by about 10 or 10:30. A car service might work because I can schedule the time and it's taking just me and it meets me at the port. I can try the train if I can get a taxi to Penn Station. Or I could take the Newark Express Transfer if I can get to the Port Authority. There are many options. I like an option that is the least hectic. :D I was hoping someone here could give me a recommendation and I appreciate those that have.

 

Thanks very much!

In our experience, most CTN walk-off starts around 7:30am. Regardless of superbowl, I don't think traffic early in the morning will be that bad, so the noon flight should be just fine.

If in doubt though, the train surely is the best way to go though you mention it's not your preference. We take the train in from NJ for a lot of our NYC cruises and have not ever had a problem. On Sundays they run on the hour and 14, so 7:14, 8:14, 9:14, etc. until after 10am.

My hesitation is getting from the port to Penn Station. It is only about 2 miles though. I should look at that option again. As of right now I'll be traveling alone and will just have one rollerbag to deal with. Is it easy to get a cab at the port?

 

Thanks!

Thing is, I don't know that anyone knows...

 

I'm sure there are those on the board who've flown out on a game day. Maybe even a MNF or Sunday night game. But...

 

It's the first time that there's been a Superbowl in the Meadowlands. They've historically been national security special events; if that's the case, it could screw with traffic all day. But you should be out of there well ahead of the craziness. And there are two cities that can generally handle security craziness, and I honestly think New York does it better than DC.

 

If you can get a good fare on Superbowl Sunday, I tend to agree with you that it won't be horrible. Carmel's currently quoting $51, plus tolls and tip, I'm sure, from the terminal for a sedan.

Thanks for the comments. You're right that it's anybody's guess how it will be. I'm hoping that I can self disembark by 8 AM to 8:30. Get transportation to the airport. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll look them up. That seems right up my alley. Hopefully be at the airport by 9:30 or 10 at the latest. It's gonna be Sunday morning if that helps any. But again...who knows?

 

The flight I was able to get is only $109 from EWR to Denver. That's an unheard of price usually. Fingers crossed!

Hi there. I'll be disembarking the Breakaway on February 2, 2014 with a flight out of Newark at Noon. I don't want to take the train to EWR. I'd rather have a shuttle or the Newark Airport Express from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Does anyone have a recommendation for transportation and is it feasible to have a noon flight on Super Bowl Sunday?

 

My flight out of EWR is really really really inexpensive so I'm assuming it's not a big day to travel in or out because the game is that day. And it doesn't start until 8:30 PM. But is noon feasible if I self disembark?

 

Thanks!

We are booked for a cruise on March 23, the Breakaway. We will be flying in on Friday, so we can see the sight on Friday and Saturday in New York. We will be flying into Newark. Can you recommend a hotel that we could get from the airport with a fairly reasonable price and with reasonable transportation into New York and then to the pier on Sunday. We may be staying with another couple to save money. Would like to stay under $200/night for just the 2 people or $300/night for 4 people. Appreciate any advice you might have. :)

I'm looking at options right now for a Breakaway cruise later this month. I'm taking the Newark Airport Express from Newark to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Then will take a taxi or walk the mile to 57th and Amsterdam where I found a Holiday Inn Express for $121 a night. It's then a 12 to 15 minute walk to the cruise terminal from there the next day. I've never done any of this and only been to NYC twice for a few hours each time but I'm crossing my fingers.

I just read the review to my DH.

He is shock that the administrators didn't contact this person and question him about some of the information he wrote.

I am sure glad they were not on our cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. We have so much bad luck, we would have probably run into them.

Cruise Critic doesn't verify the information posted in a member review. We receive thousands every year. We depend on the writer to provide an account of their trip. If a review is proven to be false, we remove it.

 

I think this message was a plant by *CC*. It was written by an alleged member Srandaz2, but there is no member in the member list by that name.

So, how did it get posted? It was posted by a *CC* Admin.

 

Keep in mind that *CC* was started on AOL but it is now owned by Trip Advisor, which is a publicly held travel company listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol TRIP.

I publish member reviews on the site and I'm not sure I understand your comments that it would be planted. What would be the benefit to that? Also, you don't have to post on the message board to post a member review and you don't show up in the member list until you've made one post.

 

Lastly, Cruise Critic is part of the TripAdvisor Media Group but I'm unsure what that has to do with this member review. If you have any questions about something on the site, please send it to the community manager. Thanks!

Do they have flat screen tvs in the cabins?

Yes, we did. We were in a GS and it was small compared to the size of the room. Then again we weren't in the room all day to watch TV.

I was also on the Sensation Oct. 6 to 10. We booked U114. Good location. Big room. Big balcony. Super room steward. We found the room to be a bit warm and no thermostat to adjust the setting. Looked like you could just twist the vents open or closed but the twist things on ours didn't line up to anything. I asked for a fan and got it. It helped circulate the air and provide nice white noise to sleep by.

 

There was definite wear and tear in our room and around the ship but that's expected for a ship that age. The crew couldn't have been nicer. Everyone smiling. Always greeting you.

 

The casino was not my friend. :( I left everything I brought in. A few nights I did get to play on their money for a while but overall I was a big loser. The casino host did buy me a drink and on the last night they sent me some choc. covered strawberries. I did accumulate a lot of points.

 

Only one of the hot tubs on the pool deck was open the whole cruise. The waterworks area was closed half the day on October 7 and all day October 8. Some kind of water flow issue. Thankfully it was open all day on the 9th. The large yellow slide was not as great as we hoped. You can feel every joint when you're sliding. My kids and I all agreed that it hurt our backs too much to do it more than once.

 

Food overall was pretty good. I wasn't impressed with the pizza area because they never had more than cheese or pepperoni available when you walked up. You could special order any of the other options but why not have a few of them available during peak times? The salad bar was lacking a bit but what they had was good. There was chocolate and vanilla soft serve and chocolate and strawberry frozen yogurt. We had a lot of all of them! :D

 

Embarkation was easy. Debarkation easier still. We carried our own stuff off and left at our leisure. Overall a good cruise. It was our first Carnival cruise. We'll definitely book them again.

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Dear Cruise Critic Members,[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]As always, thank you for your input and engagement with Azamara Club Cruises. It is staggering to note that after 24 plus months following the launch of Azamara Club Cruises in 2010, over 25,000 views appeared on Bill Leiber’s post about our new 2013 enhancements. I respect and appreciate your comments – good or bad, and trust you will continue to provide your input. Regardless of different views shaped by your personal tastes, dialogue is healthy – that is why we have our Presidential debates in the USA. It is a valuable way of creating a more balanced picture of any situation. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]It is not coincidental that Cruise Critic members voted Azamara Club Cruises “best” small ship in 5 categories in 2012, including Overall; Service; Value; Mediterranean Cruise and Fitness. I see it all over Cruise Critic that you love our onboard teams, the service and ambience they provide and itineraries we offer. Regardless of how our sales and marketing strategies are packaged, I believe you know that you will be served a product onboard by our team that is superior. This is an extraordinary value we provide - a staff that performs at consistent high levels irrespective of where guests are from. Keep in mind that our guests are coming from 40 plus countries and they have a wide pallet of varying tastes. Having stated this, we can do even better – and we will. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]As a side note, when we introduced new inclusive initiatives in 2010 (gratuities, water, coffee, teas, city center transfers, self-service laundry and boutique wines), I received tremendous criticism (especially from Cruise Critic members) for having made a poor business decision by adding the inclusions. Factually, the concerns expressed did not materialize and the brand has grown in guest loyalty and global reputation for satisfying its guests. Guest satisfaction is at an all-time high and will continue to escalate. Overall cruise experience scores ranged from 225 - 245 when I arrived and today they range from 285 - 295 on a scale where 300 is perfection. Guest satisfaction is high. In fact, we have actually had two perfect 300 scores in the last 14 months. This is virtually unheard of! [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Looking ahead we are delighted that the forward bookings for 2013 are excellent. In terms of revenue build we are 46% ahead of where we were last year at the same time. This is a tremendous uptick in business. Following the 2013 enhancements announcement, we are seeing our booking activities increase even further. We have worked hard on evolving our product offering to ensure that our past guests will return, as well as attracting new customers through our new inclusions. And while I realize that it is easy to mis-understand and/or disagree with certain elements, or maybe not see the full context, I will do my very best next week to outline and explain our forward direction. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]As we categorize your questions in groups and prepare to respond to you next week, I can promise you that you will receive comprehensive responses. I will be honest and direct in my answers, and while there might be items we disagree on, we will simply have to agree to disagree. However, if I feel that there are valid points affecting the majority of our guests, I will review such topics again with my team and determine if a change is in order. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Some housekeeping: Questions about the same subject matter will be grouped into one topic by Bill Leiber, and I will try to address all related issues in one response rather than posting to each of your posts. I intend to respond daily throughout the week, and I’ll be relying on Host Andy to keep our conversations on track. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Again, thank you for your passion and interest in Azamara Club Cruises. I look forward to next week’s sessions.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Sincerely,[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]Larry Pimentel[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3]President and CEO, Azamara Club Cruises[/SIZE][/FONT]

The Bridge Climb Team contacted us and we're posting this message on their behalf:

 

Hi all,

Don't forget, in addition to the BridgeClimb website, the Shore Excursions Tour Desk onboard your cruise ship can assist you with securing your BridgeClimb ticket upon your approach to Sydney. Enjoy your cruise and we hope to welcome you to the Bridge.

 

Best wishes,

The BridgeClimb Team

Hi guys! I did the full climb in 2002 and there are a few things I thought of. Maybe some of this has changed.

 

You have to wear their jumpsuit. So wear something comfortable that you wouldn't mind having under their jumpsuit and maybe get sweaty, etc.

 

Second, nothing on your body can be unattached. If you want to wear sunglasses, you have to attach them to your body with something they give you. They can't take a chance of anything falling into traffic below. If you have clips, barrettes, etc in your hair, you have to take them out or attach them.

 

Third, there are areas of the climb at the beginning that feel a bit tight. If you're a bigger person, you have to suck it in a bit.

 

They took many photos of us. We got a certificate to commemmorate the climb and we also bought tons of I Climbed It stuff in the gift shop. It's truly a once in a lifetime experience and it will stay with you. It's been 10 years since I did it and I remember it as clearly as I remember this morning. The climb is one of my top travel moments. :D

Please feel free to research the North American Homeports - West Coast Departures forum at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=413. It is where you can find additional hotel, transportation, dining & embarkation information.

 

Let us know if you have any questions.

another couple of 'one post' wonders. After being on this board for 3 years, all of a sudden we get TWO, count them, TWO new posters who just happened to have used a tour company no one has ever heard of.

 

WOW

 

 

Now you know how Trip Advisors rankings can get a bit off kiltered.

 

Again, it's your choice, but like I said before, at least get quotes from some of the reputable companies who you KNOW will make it their business that you have a great time in St Petersberg..

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

PS maybe the Mods can do something about these tour people (one post wonders) who come here to push their agenda.

Not every one post wonder is a fake user posting about a tour company. We do look into those and even talk about it in our guidelines. But some are legitimate people looking to share what they know. Unfortunately, that means you have to be extra vigilent in deciding what tour to go with because there are some fake recommendations.

 

If you see these, use the alert feature to report them. Thanks!

Hi guys...as a reminder, members cannot recommend tours they haven't taken. So while you may have contacted a company or booked a future tour with a company, you can't recommend them until you've actually taken the tour. Sorry for any inconvenience.