The Med

11 hours ago, Los_Pepes said:

That happens when when the three largest cruise companies have a combined 85% market share. Competition in sparse, just look at what happened when we were left with 3 mainline air carriers. 

Exactly this.

Premium brands, airlines,  and now cruise lines, at one time striving to be the best in the business, trying to stay one step ahead of the competition. 
 

Now, sadly, it’s a race to the bottom.

Thank you for the replies and apologies because I’ve inadvertently started 2 threads on the same subject.

However I’ve now discovered the roll call and shall work my way through the pages and discover all the things that I need to know.

By the way, great photos Sammyboots! 

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

Probably the Tuesdays.  Did you not believe it when I answered yesterday?

Apologies, but I’m all of a flux at the moment.

I couldn’t even find my original post from yesterday, let alone find an6 replies.

I honestly didn’t mean to ignore you! 

1 hour ago, mahdnc said:

The normal rule of thumb is that the first EC occurs on the first full day of the cruise (Cruise Day 2) and the last EC is two days before the last day of the cruise.  So that means your 2 Evening Chic nights should be Tue Jan 24 and Wed Feb 1.  Because they are both sea days, that pretty much guarantees that it will be those two days.  Sometimes the EC night schedule doesn't follow that rule of thumb when they fall on a port day, but yours do not.

 

You may have a 3rd EC night that falls in the middle of the cruise and when I look at your schedule it is not obvious to me when that would be.  Celebrity's literature says you get two ECs but it is very common for a 3rd EC to occur on extended cruises such as yours.  If you were to have one, my guess is that it will fall on Sunday Jun 29 (Day 7) which is your second day at Aruba and it is exactly in the middle between the other two EC evenings.  Either way, you are going to have a great cruise.

 

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/15047638_CEL_Evening_Chic_Overview_Flyer.pdf

 

Excellent and very helpful information, thank you so much.

We are sailing on The Edge on 23rd Jan for an 11 night cruise.

I’m presuming that there will be 2 or possibly 3 chic nights but does anyone know what nights these will be?
 

I like to get my hair appointments booked in.
We only booked the cruise a few days ago and I’m now rushing round trying to get everything sorted. 
 

Thanks in advance for any advice or help. 

How often do the buses run to and from 7 mile beach?

We’ve just booked a cruise and we leave in 2 weeks so I’m now frantically trying to glean up to date information on the destinations.

I’ve done a quick search and I’m getting either old posts or conflicting information.

We’re not interested in tours but just want to wander the old town of Cartagena on our own.

Questions: Is it still easy enough to get a taxi from port to town? We don’t want a situation where we can’t get a taxi back to the ship easily.

Would we avoid the pushy touts if we got off the ship early, 8.00am ish?
 

Does the hop on hop off bus stop at the port and is it reliable? Some people on trip advisor say they enjoyed it, others have said they waited an hour for a bus. Don’t fancy long waits.

Thank you in advance for any help from anyone who has visited there fairly recently.p

We are sailing on the Edge on the 11 night cruise departing FL on 23rd Jan.

Would anyone know when the Chic nights will be and how many?
 

Apologies if this has already been discussed but we only booked the cruise last week and I’m now frantically trying to organise everything including hotels, parking, packing, restaurant reservations, researching destinations etc.

I usually have time to search the boards but at the moment time is of the essence.

. Many thanks in advance.

14 minutes ago, Britboys said:

We all know that an on-line forum such as this is a minefield as it is very difficult to know the tone in which a post is written.

You have made some very valid points in your post but, to be honest, describing yourself as "middle class" (when a majority these days feel such class distinctions are no longer appropriate or valid), calling people "Obese, tattooed, underdressed people" and saying that P&O is "too low, common" for you was hardly likely to endear you to others reading your post.

I think many of us may well have some sort of empathy with some of what you write but language is very inflammatory at times and can easily lead to other, valid observations in the same post being overlooked.

Actually yes, put into context like that I accept that it was rude.

So apologies for anyone that I’ve offended. 
I am quite outspoken and opinionated and I absolutely love a lively debate.

However, I have learned that perhaps I shouldn’t always put my thoughts on a forum.

10 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

 

 

 

But I think I've said enough. I haven't been rude, mean or hurtful in any of my comments and I am not judging anyone either as I was not there and can't confirm what it was like, nor do I know the OP personally so I cannot make judgement.

 

 

But you have made a judgment of me and you’ve certainly lectured me, telling me to open my mind and live in a different way.

Do you have any idea how patronising that is?
 

You have no idea of me as a person. Things said on a forum do not directly related to how a person is in real life.

Also another person has said she doesn’t like tattoos, loud mouthed drunks but I don’t see her getting a virtual beating up.

It appears that I’m the punchbag. 
I’m not criticising anyone for their opinion or right to choose their holiday but people seem to be quite aggressive in their approach to me.

25 minutes ago, wowzz said:

 

To categorise an entire cruise line,  as the OP has done, based on the supposed  reactions of a few individuals, is totally illogical. 

I'm sure even Silverseas has the occasional passenger with a tattoo or who might have one too many drinks.,

 Actually that’s not correct.

As I said, several people have picked up on only one aspect of my post, but don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.

I’m not solely judging it on a few passengers, I’m judging it on the whole experience.

Not enough crew,  lack of decent service, no wine menu brought out unless we asked, not as much choice in the buffet as other cruises, etc. 

I’ve enjoyed other cruise lines better and that’s why I will choose them in future.

If people were on the same cruise as us and enjoyed it then fair enough, I can only speak as I find. 
 

5 minutes ago, emam said:

 

There was no nastiness in my post. I only asked a simple question based on the information that you have stated, that you prefer more upmarket lines. I couldn't understand why you would book P&O feeling how you do, even if it was all you could get. I did read your first post but that was a long time ago.

 No, you weren’t rude at all.

Apologies if my post looked like I’d singled you out.

I was referring to all the other nasty remarks and my question about whether it’s acceptable for people to be openly rude to us because we’d dressed up and made an effort, was meant for the people who made those remarks.

1 minute ago, jeanlyon said:

Have to agree Andy.   It's a booze cruise dressed up to be something else.  I have heard all the same comments about the 3 day cruises that were done in the past, usually to Belgium or similar.

 

The comments also reminded me of our one and only cruise on Azura.  Sunbeds, boozed up tattoed people, bad language.  I have never found that on Aurora or Arcadia, so a different crowd of people who perhaps like more up market things.

 

 

We were naive, I accept that.

We’ve only ever done one 3 night cruise before, that was on Cunard.

It was a completely different experience to Britannia.

No loud, swearing, boozed up people on that. 
 

A much nicer cruise all round.

2 minutes ago, emam said:

 

Can I ask, if you feel that way about P&O, why did you book with them in the first place. Why didn't you book one of the upmarket one's that you mentioned?

 If you had read my first post then you would see that we did actually book Cunard.

This got cancelled and as the dates were in the diary we looked for another cruise going the same time, the P&O went one day earlier.

I also said in my first post that we booked with some trepidation because we had heard that standards had dropped and this indeed proved to be the case.

I wouldn’t usually judge a person on appearance but it was quite upsetting for me, having dressed up for the first time in such a long time to walk into the restaurant and have someone judge me on my appearance.

Yes they raised their eyebrows at us and sneered because the men were in black tie and the ladies in gowns. 
I found this to be rude and disrespectful especially as they should have been turned away for not following the dress code.

So for all the nasty remarks that I’ve received because I judged them for not following the dress code and for the way they looked, can you explain to me why you think it acceptable for them to judge us for our appearance?
 

21 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

We all have unconscious bias, but it's best being left unconscious, not expressed certainly on social media.

 

We all are happier, in a lazy sense, with our own kind , but hopefully have pleasant surprises when we overcome our biases, but it's not easy. The more this happens the more we do it.. But sometimes , people live up to our biases. Also its not only the "middle classes" who are biased

 

I felt the Med expressed himself badly, and said things he shouldn't, but some of the responses, do not treat him with kindness, lecturing is just another form of rudeness.

 

 

Thank you.

I did express myself badly and I’ve obviously offended quite a few people.

However, it’s a discussion forum and I have the right to discuss and have a different opinion.

I do fully admit to being a snob and make no apology for that.

 For the record, I’m not male, I’m a female pensioner.

41 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

See no, that's where you're wrong.

 

You are not entitled to choose who you spend time with when you're on a cruise with hundreds or thousands of other people.

 

You choose to cruise, then you choose to be onboard with everyone else that has paid their fare on the same cruise. You have no control over who they are. If they can buy a ticket, they have the same rights as you.

 

The only way you can ensure you're only around "your people" is by staying at home.

 That’s oversimplification.

Surely by booking a cruise line like Silverseas as opposed to Disney you are going to get a different demographic?
 

Its true that you can’t pick and choose each and every passenger but by picking a certain cruise line (or restaurant or hotel for that matter) you get an idea of the type of people that are going to be there.

I wouldn’t expect the same type of people in a Harvester restaurant as La Manoir. 
Cruising is the same.

11 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

Absolutely agree with you that everyone has some sort of unconscious bias. I even teach courses on this very subject to many companies.

 

However your bias is very much conscious as you've stated class, outfit, appearance and equated them to "lowered standards". This is not a case of judging you, quite the opposite, I do not know you and thus I can not judge you, I'd need to meet you, talk with you, learn about you. 

 

The exact things you have seemingly failed to do with the other guests on board and that is YOUR prerogative. 

 

As I said in my post, I used to be "obese" and have lost 10 Stone over lockdown and I've found that people treat me completely differently. Have I changed as a person? No. I just don't happen to be fat anymore and as such, the assumptions that I am lazy, unmotivated, unhealthy and suchlike are gone and people instead treat me with a newfound respect that I am finding unusual.

 

You say you wouldn't visit a "rough pub or restaurant" as you wouldn't have anything in common with the clientele. I'm not even going to go into the definition of "a rough pub" but I will ask how you would know that you have nothing in common with a large group of people, just based on what pub they choose to drink at? 

 

I pride myself on being able to talk and get along with anyone. Through my work, I work with everyone from young kids from underprivileged black and ethnic minorities to CEO's of multi billion companies and you know what? I never assume anything about them, because I always see every encounter with someone new as a chance for me to learn something. 

 

Sure, I wouldn't invite certain people I don't get along with to my home for wine and cheese but even those people that rub me up the wrong way have something to teach me, something for me to learn from and experience. One of my favourite parts of cruising is that I get to meet people from all walks of life and admire them. Perhaps you could learn something from others too? 

 

It would be easy for me to be rude or to be dismissive of you but in all honestly, that's just not me and instead I offer you one suggestion. Open your mind and try starting a conversation with someone like me or anyone else, someone who isn't part of your "class" or "usual suspects" - you'll be surprised how fulfilling your life will become.

Well you might not be judging me but you have certainly made some unfounded observations.

Do I have overweight friends? Yes I do. I don’t judge them either.

Do I have friends covered in tattoos. No, I don’t like tattoos at all but I wouldn’t treat anyone differently because of them. I just don’t like to look at them so I don’t particularly want a holiday where there is a high prevalence of them.

I happen to be very polite and friendly with people on meeting them and can hold a conversation with people from all walks of life.

In my previous job before retirement I had to deal with everyone from rich to poor and different cultures so it’s wrong to say that I don’t meet with people from different backgrounds.

However while I mix with different people daily I wouldn’t necessarily socialise with them, I tend to socialise with the many friends that I’ve already got.

So on holiday I prefer a more up market experience. It’s just a personal choice. I know what I like and I know what type of holiday I like.

The lowering of standards was actually referring to the service onboard not the people.

I’m entitled to my opinion and I’m entitled to spend my well earned time off with people of my choosing, the same as anyone else.

Theres a reason why some people only choose Cunard or Regent Seven Seas or Seabourn or Silverseas.

I’m not alone in having a preference.

If people on here are happy to keep cruising with P&O with like minded people then fair enough. It’s a personal choice, it’s just not my choice.

I wouldn’t judge anyone for choosing it but I shouldn’t be judged for having a different opinion. 

From my very long first post which covered quite a few issues, the things that people have latched on to are the words obesity and tattoos.

People are asking me not to judge others and yet are making a judgement on me because of my views. However I think most people are guilty of some form of unconscious bias.

However, absolutely  nowhere did I say that I thought myself better than anyone else, just different. That’s all, different.

In the same way that I wouldn’t visit a rough pub or restaurant at home because I wouldn’t have anything in common with the clientele, well it’s the same on holiday.

We’re not experienced cruisers but I did book a 3 night knowing that it would be a different experience. I hardly paid anything for the cruise so my comments weren’t so much as a complaint but more of an observation.

Perhaps other people who are thinking of booking a staycation can make an informed decision based on the comments.

I do think that standards have dropped, if other people are happy to accept a sub standard service that up to them. 

We still had fun but overall it’s not the cruise line for me.

Silverseas anyone? 

11 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks Zapp.

I agree after 54 cruises on Royal Caribbean,P&O, Princess and NCL where Pauline wears a different cocktail dress every night and I always dress smart P&O do tend to enforce the dress code more strictly than others.

As long as people are friendly that's what matters but I avoid snobs.

Graham.

Quote

 

Well that’s interesting because you want to avoid the snobs, and we want to avoid the chavs?

So we’re equally at risk of offending people.

How does that pan out then? 

7 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks Zapp.

I agree after 54 cruises on Royal Caribbean,P&O, Princess and NCL where Pauline wears a different cocktail dress every night .

 How would you feel if you and Pauline walked into a restaurant , (having waited 55  minutes to get in, Pauline looking lovely but you get disregarded at the door, sneered at by people that have no manners, and then basically rushed through by the staff?
 

.

Minutes 

Just now, The Med said:

Well as I said in my first post, it was honest and I knew that it would offend people.

 

We are all different, I’m not judging anyone for their choices of tattoos or being overweight. I’d just rather cruise with  my own kind 

Well as I said in my first post, it was honest and I knew that it would offend people.

We are all different, I’m not judging anyone for their choices of tatt

9 minutes ago, Peanut006 said:

 

 

I refer to the paragraph above which you quote about “tattooed” people. Although I am not a huge fan I have come to accept them as my daughter is a tattoo artist and of course has lots of them. . I agree they are typically stereo typed but they are normal intelligent people. 
 

Absolutely when I referred to obese, tattooed people, there was a stereotype there. 
I’m completely not undermining anyone’s choices in life or judging the way they choose to live their life. 
But as I said in my first post, people feel comfortable mixing with their own kind. 

It’s interesting to see everyone’s different experience of it all.

Because we have also cruised with other cruises we know for example that we shouldn’t pack black tie on  Celebrity (even though we love cruising with them).

Wed told our friends that on P&O to pack the glam stuff because people do dress up.

Perhaps we were unlucky on our cruise that they didn’t. 
Usually when the lift doors open and you walk into the atrium, it’s an array of beautiful dresses.

Just not this time, for us.

Harry, I don’t agree with you about the cost of comedians.

Most would be happy to perform again and at a discount.

They mostly just want to get their name out there and get a name for themselves.

it’s not difficult for a Booker to research decent comedians.

My son is a comedian and a promoter a d could definitely book more relevant acts than what we had to sit through.

Zap99, we paid next to nothing for our cruise so I’m not complaining about value for money, we had a laugh and made the most of it.

It was just that our friends hadn’t cruised before and we wanted it to be fabulous for them, and it wasn’t.

We’ve cruised with P&O on longer cruises 4 years ago and enjoyed it, we just thought that this was a bit rough around the edges.