Britiscruizin

No more news to date. I have an appointment with a cranial-osteopath tomorrow to see if she can help as she comes highly recommended for balance problems. My ENT consultants appointments not until November so I guess I have to "soldier" on until then. I have noticed the swayings not quite as bad as it was so hopefully it WILL go away soon!!

He's very good & passionate. We've not had the pleasure of cruising with him but, would love to in the future. Very talented & much nicer voice than some of the so called "professional" singers we've suffered on some cruises!

Thanks for posting.

Thanks Sparklebee, I've had 9 weeks of it now! Hope yours goes away completely very soon. Its a horrible feeling.

Thank you to everyone for their advice, I respect all your opinions & am grateful for them.

I've got an appointment with an ENT consultant who specialises in MdDS but its not until November (typical of NHS here in UK!!). I've been prescribed some new drugs today which can take a couple of weeks to get in the system. So fingers crossed they help.

I've also been told the Epley manoeuvre won't help in my particular case but that Cranial Osteopathy may help so I'm looking into that.

I will let you know how I get on with all my appointments.

Thank you all again.

Thank you everyone. I'm going to ask my GP to refer me to the Balance Clinic to see if exercises can help. I've also contacted the MdDS who sent a very useful leaflet. They also say that sitting in a rocking chair, riding in a car or sitting in a small boat (no I don't have one!) can provide temporary relief. They also say Stemetil, Serc etc don't help but low dose antidepressants do. Again I will talk to my GP.

Thank you all for your advice I really appreciate it.

Hi LuLu

I have googled it & done a lot of research online, all the info fits my symptoms exactly. It can last for months. I see my doctor again on Thursday & a consultant as soon as the appointment comes. I'm just looking for advice from fellow sufferers really. Thanks for all the replies so far I appreciate it.

Thank you for all the replies ! I've now had this for 9 weeks. I've tried sea sickness tablets but they didn't help. Also 2 different meds from my doctor. I've heard that low dose anti-depressants can help so will have to ask my doctor on Thursday. Will give the single ear plug a try....willing to try anything its so awful.

Keep the advice coming I really appreciate your replies.

I always suffer from MdDS when returning from a cruise. I suffer the swaying sensation & light-headedness usually for 3-4 weeks & it gradually goes away. However, after returning from the North Cape on 28th June I found that the MdDS hasn't gone away! Infact its worse, I've had tests to eliminate other causes of my dizziness but everything points to prolonged MdDS.

So, does anyone else suffer from this?? If so can you offer me any helpful advice? Its beginning to get me down as I can't go out as I feel as though I'm walking on a mattress filled with water!

Please help.....I look forward to hearing from fellow suffers past & present.

Pat

Here is a link to some of my photos of the fabulous food on Ruby Princess when we went to the North Cape in June. Beef Wellington features near the end. Sorry I couldn't figure out how to just put up the one picture!

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-photos/princess-cruises/photos/album-4501/

We had it on the 2nd formal night in Michelangelo but it was also in Horizon Court earlier in the cruise.

Hi Shogun

Enjoying your "live from" as we were on the Ruby back in June when we went to the North Cape & Fjords. We loved the ship & the crew were so friendly. Can you say hello to Ana & Boyan in Michaelangelo (waiters) from Trish & Dave for us please?? They were great.

Finding your posts of interest as possibly doing this itinerary next year.

Enjoy the rest of the cruise.

Trish

According to Sea Scanner, Ruby Princess is in Invergordon & been there the past 4 hours. Weather on the shops webcam looks like few rain spots but, fairly bright overall.

According to Sea Scanner Ruby Princess is in Invergordon been there for 4 hours.

Not been on the Crown but on the Ruby we went to see the Maitre'd on the first afternoon & asked for a table for two. He said they only had the "bench" seats but allocated us one for that night which wasn't too close to those either side. We found it quite acceptable & after two nights booked it for the rest of the cruise. It was treated as a table for two & not a table of 12 as we've experience before. We spoke to the couple to our left who had also booked the table but, not to the various couples who occupied the other table as they obviously wanted to keep to their own company which we respected. We've been the same & don't always wish to socialise during our evening meal, being quite happy to at other times. I wish there were more "proper" tables for two as so many people seem to prefer them.

Thank you all for your great comments. We certainly loved this cruise. As we are from England we didn't find the weather too cold!! Yes the North Cape was 3degrees but, we knew how far north we were going so took plenty of layers, hats, gloves etc & were very warm. Some people we met from Florida found it very cold most days! So I guess its what you are used to. The only day we found the weather a problem was in Trondheim, that was more due to the wind & rain than temperature.

Thanks for the added info on the Flam railway. We booked a Princess tour as we didn't want to miss it.

I have lots of photos & all the Patters but, not being techno-savvy I don't know how to post them, please feel free to give me details & I'll do my best.

To anyone planning this cruise I can thoroughly recommend it if you rate stunning scenery over sunshine!!!!

PPorts:

Bergen: is known as the “gateway to the fjords. Due to the ship docking in the industrial port a free shuttle bus was provided into the town. Bergen is very easy to find your way around & is a pleasant port. “Must sees”, the Funicular railway, Bryggen Old Town & the Fish Market. Advice; Easy to do “on your own”.

Flåm: Flåm is a village at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjorden, an arm off of the main Sognefjorden. It is picture postcard beautiful with mountains, waterfalls & the fjord. “Must sees”, the famous Flåm Railway which has astounding views. Advice: Easy to do on your own.

Geiranger: The deep blue UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord is surrounded by majestic, snow-covered mountain peaks, wild waterfalls and lush, green vegetation. It was our only tender port. There were a few problems with the tenders transporting passengers as a ship where Ruby should have dropped anchor didn’t leave! Therefore, we were further away from the port. “Must sees”: The famous viewpoints Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road), Dalsnibba and Flydalsjuvet. The Fosseranding Waterfall Walk with one mile of steps following alongside. Kayaking, canoeing or hiking for the more adventurous! Advice: Easy to do on your own.

Trondheim: Is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag County. In our opinion the only port we didn’t particularly like. The weather didn’t help as it rained all day & then the gale force wind prevented us from leaving so the Commodore wisely decided to remain in port for 6 extra hours. “Must sees”, the Nidaros cathedral, old town houses along the river accessed by an old wooden bridge. Shuttle buses were available at $16pp return but, it was easy to walk. Advice: Fairly long but, level walk.

Honningsvag & North Cape: Honningsvag is the northernmost city on the mainland of Norway. It’s the “gateway” to the North Cape & there is very little to see in the port. There is an Ice Bar & a few souvenir shops. We took a Princess organised trip to the North Cape, it was rather chilly but, having researched the area we were prepared with coats, hats & gloves & were nice & warm. When standing at the North Cape cliff with the iconic globe monument, only the Svalbard Islands separate you from the North Pole. On the drive up we saw numerous reindeer & had a photo stop at a settlement.“Must sees”, the iconic globe & everything in the Visitor Centre. Be prepared for queues in the shop!! Advice: Take ship tour.

Tromso: city that is the 9th largest urban area in Norway. Shuttle buses were chaotic (again $16 pp return) too many passengers & not enough buses. It was do-able on foot but, was a considerable distance. “Must sees”, the Arctic cathedral, cable cars. For us the highlight of Tromso was the beautiful sailing away of almost 2 hours of stunning mountain scenery. Advice: take shuttle unless you like walking!

Stavanger: The city is the third-largest urban zone and metropolitan area in Norway. The ship docked right in the centre so was very easy to get around. To the delight of many of the male passengers the World Volley Ball championships were being held!! “Must sees”, Old Stavanger 173 wooden houses build with wood at the turn of the century. Pulpit rock, Petroleum museum, Lysefjorden cruise. Advice: Easy to do on your own.

Anyone wanting any other information on this cruise please feel free to ask.

We were on the Ruby Princess "Land of the Midnight Sun" cruise out of Southampton 16th-28th June.

Embarkation at Southampton was very efficient & fast: 30 minutes from arriving we were checked in, through security & in our room! The cases had already arrived so we heaved them in & headed to Horizon Court!

Stateroom C722 is on the Port Side Aft: its got the double depth balcony so has some cover/some open which is great. Our room steward Ramesh, was the best we've had on 6 cruises. He was the epitome of the "invisible" man, keeping our room spotless every time we nipped out! The bed was very comfortable & there were 2 US 110v sockets & a European socket 220v behind the bed, very useful for re-charging our gadgets. The bathroom was compact but, adequate with plenty of storage. We had more than enough room for all our clothes & paraphilia & believe me I'm not a light packer!! We asked Ramesh for more coat hangers & pillows & they appeared in a flash.

We ate our evening meal in Michelangelo on anytime dining. Personally we thought the menu change wasn't good. We much preferred the old one. Our waiters Ana & Boyan were cheerful & efficient, nothing was too much trouble. We had a lovely table for two, although it was partly bench seating the tables weren't too close together & it wasn't treated as a table for 20 as we've experienced before.

The cruise director was Martyn Moss whom we like. He's witty & shares our sense of humour. The production shows were new to us (last cruise 2012) & very good. Steve Larkins in Mercury Rising, a tribute to Freddie Mercury was brilliant. The Macdonald Brothers harmonies & Celtic music went down well. We didn't see the comedians or ventriloquist. The theatre had 3 shows some nights which meant not having to get there too early to find a seat.

The ports were stunning, the mountains, the fjords & the spectacular North Cape, simply breath-taking. I will write about each port in the ports section.

There were a variety of activities from the choir to towel animals to keep everyone amused. For the football fanatics (Poor England!) the world cup matches were shown when the satellite signal allowed.

Disembarkation in Southampton was simplicity itself: we went to our meeting point, simply walked off with our hand luggage & collected our suitcases (ok one had the handle broken off!) loaded the car & drove home to a rather soggy Westcountry.

All in all a really enjoyable cruise on Ruby Princess, the friendliest ship we've had the pleasure to sail on. We will be back

It really doesn't matter which side you are on for this cruise. We came back on 28th June & had a cabin on C deck Port side. In Bergen the ship docks in an industrial port with compulsory free shuttle bus into town: so nothing much to see either side. The going under the bridge is best viewed from the top deck! Flam has spectacular panoramic scenery as does Geiranger (our only tender port). Tronheim we docked port side (I think) but it was dreadful weather so didn't take much notice. Honningsvaag again panoramic views, we docked port side. Tromso, a long way out but mountain views all around. Stavanger, right in the heart of the town, starboard side but, views everywhere!

Please feel free to ask if I can be of further help. This was one of my favourite cruises to date.

Bon Voyage to you all, hope you have a great cruise!! We're in the UK watching the webcam of you leaving, very impressive sight. Wish we were there, except you have heavy dark clouds & we have blue skies & sunshine!!

Bob & Pam look forward to hearing your views on the Royal, always love your posts.

Please be very wary of P&O so called upgrades. We were upgraded on a cruise on Ventura & were allocated what looked on the deck plans to be a great position. However, it was the noisiest stateroom we've ever been in & it ruined our cruise. Think very carefully why the "upgraded" cabin was still available....why hadn't a regular cruiser booked it:confused: Enjoy the cruise whatever you choose to do.

Slugs definitely have 4 noses, a question that comes up regularly in our quizzes:)

Thanks to the person who posted the photos of the transit through the canal, for someone who's never been fortunate to do it, its been very interesting.

Enjoy the rest of your trip Pia.

Hi Dubrovniktravelady

We will be in your beautiful country very soon, we leave the UK on May2nd! The weather here at present is dreadful, very wet & cold. I was wondering if you could give me an up to date forecast for the weather in Dubrovnik for the 12th May? Is it likely to be ok?

Also, how much are the walls this season? Has it gone up?

Really looking forward to visiting Dubrovnik & Split & I thank you for all your helpful imformation which I've kept a note of.

Many Thanks