Mercury

Mossel Bay and the surrounding Garden Route is a fantastic part of South Africa. There is so much to do and I can't understand why more cruise ships do not use this as a port on their way to Cape Town.

Oudtshoorn is a lovely place for a visit. I agree with Stan that the Cango Caves are a must (we visited last month) and the best Ostrich farm IMHO is Highgate. It is, however, very very hot in Dec/Jan and very busy (hence why we went in April).

Another option would be to visit Knysna. One of our favourite day trips is to go to Featherbed Nature reserve (just google it). Not sure if any shore excursions to Knysna are offered. Knysna is slightly further from Mossel Bay than Oudtshoorn is, but the driving time will be similar as you do not have to go through a mountain pass to get to Knysna.

Although I live in Jhb, I am often in the Garden Route so feel free to ask!

Can I just add my 2c worth on Carnivore restaurant. This restaurant is IMHO not indicative of what South Africans eat and you will find that it is mainly frequented by tourists. I can guarantee you that South Africans don't eat crocodile, giraffe, zebra.

The beef in South Africa is (together with Argentina) the best I have eaten (and my husband and I have been to more than 50 countries). If you enjoy meat, rather go to the Grillhouse which is conveniently situated in Rosebank. The roads in Jhb are notoriously bad for potholes and I would not recommend you driving out to Muldersdrift (where Carnivore is) at night as it is a high crime area.

We will be in Johannesburg for a little over a day in December 2014. We overnight there with an evening flight the next day and were wondering how to spend the day. Do you have any suggestions on what to see and do? A place to go for dinner? I think we are staying at the 54 On Bath Hotel. This is the last night of about a 40 day trip away from home including a 4 day stay at Kapama Private Game Reserve. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

I would recommend the following:

History: If you are interested in history of the City of Johannesburg, then Gold Reef City will be a good option. The Apartheid museum is close by.

Animals: The Anne van Dyk Cheetah centre is a wonderful, informative experience.

Tribal origins: The Lesedi Cultural Village offers an insight into 5 different South African tribes.

As far as restaurants go, I would recommend you go to Mandela (Sandton) Square. The Picolo Mondo is one of our favourite restaurants.

Ekala Eco tours offer various options for day trips as does Felleng and both are well reviewed on Trip Advisor.

So, in a nutshell, I would recommend that the first evening you arrive, you go to the Level 4 restaurant (which is conveniently located in 54 on Bath hotel).

Alternatively ask the hotel to arrange a transfer for you to Mandela Square (it's only about 15 mins from Rosebank) and enjoy dinner at Picolo Mondo.

The next day, I would contact either Felleng or Ekala and arrange whichever tour you prefer.

Have a wonderful time!

Hi Terry

So glad you have decided to come to Africa and specifically South Africa! I went on a Silhouette cruise in 2012 to Venice, Dubrovnik, Montenegro, Malta etc and your photos were an inspiration!

We are cruising the Greek Isles later this year.

I live in Johannesburg and travel the Garden Route (Knysna, Plett, George, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn) regularly so if you have any questions on these areas, let me know. The Sabi Sands / Kruger Park area is the premier wildlife area of South Africa so it is also worth considering. We have stayed at Chitwa in the past and it has been fantastic. It is however, a malaria area so if you want to avoid this, then a place like the Eastern Cape may be a better option for you to do a safari.

Happy planning!

Mack2 thank-you so much for your very informative post.

It has helped me immensely.

Thanks everyone - you have all been incredibly helpful and I am SO looking forward to this cruise :)

"Jackets are required for semi and formal nights."

 

Excellent. Thank you, this is what I was looking for.

 

I thought all mass market cruise lines had a "suggested" formal attire specified for the MDR and have now learned that it is more than a suggestion (i.e. - they will not let an adult enter the MDR on formal night without a jacket).

 

The more you know!

The OP was specifically asking about her young children. Jackets ARE NOT required in the MDR for children aged 3 and 6 years.

We went on the Silhouette with my DD (aged 5 years) and my DS (aged 3 years) in Sept 2012. We went to both formal nights in the MDR and on both occassions my son wore a button down shirt and chinos. We did not see any children his age with suits - we did see a baby with a tux having formal photographs.

Our children had such a wonderful time on this cruise and totally loved the Fun Factory. I'm sure you are going to thoroughly enjoy Celebrity.

If you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, be sure to ask your waiter to bring you French Press coffee. It's far better than the drip coffee they'd typically bring you...and no additional cost!

My DH loves french press coffee. Thanks for this suggestion!

Love the french toast suggestion - it's one of my favorite things for breakfast!

Is Cagneys open for lunch on embarkation?

Thanks everyone for your replies and recommendations - it is much appreciated!

This post has links to the Breakaway Haven Restaurant breakfast and lunch menus, which should be essentially the same (although not necessarily 100% identical) as the Cagney's menus on the Jade. Note that the dinner and dessert menus in the post isn't relevant to this thread as there is no separate suite dinner venue on ships built prior to the Epic.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=38081003&postcount=1

Thanks so much!

We'll be cruising on the Jade in our first suite later in the year.

I have seen that one of the suite perks is breakfast and lunch at Cagneys. What does Cagneys typically serve for breakfast? Is it buffet style or is there a table service menu? And likewise for lunch?

TIA!

Thanks again everyone!

It looks like my TA is recommending a MB category as these have four person occupancy with a pullman bed. (I have 2 children).

Thanks everyone - appreciate all the help!

Hi - ship talk can be confusing - Port Side means the left side of the ship when you are facing the front of the ship - on the Royal Princess' date=' all these staterooms end in an even number, regardless of the deck.

 

If you want to be on the side of the ship that is always next to the port/dock, that is a bit trickier, as you often don't know in advance which side of the ship will be next to the dock.

 

Hope this is more helpful than confusing.:)[/quote']

 

Thanks for your photos s'villeGals. Yes, you are right - I see the particular cabin I quoted is a 3 berth. I saw the white dot and thought it meant 4 berth, but then found out that the white dot referred to wheelchair accessible and it is a red dot that I need for a 4 person cabin!

 

I know that port means left side. It seemed, from the previous poster's advice, that it is necessary to book on the port (left) side, otherwise people on the Sky Way are able to look into the cabin.

I don't know if you are aware that A432 is wheelchair assessible which is probably why it is a little larger. If no one in your cabin needs a wheelchair, you may want to check to see if the bathroom is standard. I believe it will not have a bathtub - not sure if the sink would be lower.

Thank-you for pointing that out to me. I see there is a white dot on this cabin (does that mean wheelchair accessible?) I am still getting used to the symbols that Princess uses!

I'll do my best. We aren't in the largest of the angled balconies, but I'll see if I can get some pictures of the largest ones. Some are 54 square feet and the largest are 72 square feet, so both are definitely larger than the standard balconies.

Thank-you - that will be much appreciated!

We had completed a cruise on the M.S. Royal Princess during the end of August. We had booked a mini-suite and I think our room was R 410 Port Side. Due to the angle of the ship our balcony was much larger than standard, we had no problem with 3 people sitting outside. In addition, being on the Port Side we had no problems with individuals on the Sky-Way being able to look into the cabin.

 

There are serious deficiencies with the ship including lack of a central staircase and too few pools. But, fortunately, our room, was not one of them. Fairly large, nicely laid out with an excellent balcony.

 

enjoy

Thank-you for your very informative post. I had no idea that it is necessary to book a cabin portside. Is this only with regards to the mini suites on Deck R or is it relevant to other decks too?

I am interested to know what the angled balcony is like. Is it bigger than the standard balconies and would you recommend this cabin?

Thanks HRPro :)

Has anyone stayed in the CAT MA mini suites? These mini suites have balconies which appear to be angled when looking at the deckplan. Does this make the balcony bigger /smaller? Would you recommend booking this mini suite category?

I am looking specifically at A432 as I need a cabin that has a 4 person occupancy.

Many thanks for any replies.

Oh well. There are so many anomalies that NCL needs to work out with the plans for the Breakaway. I guess the only way to be sure will be for you to wait until after April to book. At least by then, there will be an actual ship and the answers will be more apparent. :(

 

Sorry,

~Michele

I agree. I think I am going to delay my booking until then. Why NCL can't provide certainty at this stage I have no idea.

I couldn't agree more. NCL really has done a poor job with updating the room info on their website. I really have been looking for floor plans for this room since I have booked it already (and paid for it). The ship is almost insisted being built so how can they not know the room deign yet? Impossible and frustrating.

I too am frustrated. I want to book a CAT MB mini suite but I have no idea whether this category has a bathtub. The family mini suites (M2 - 4) are listed as having a bathtub but not the MB yet they are the same size :confused:

I am pleased you enjoyed your time in Dubrovnik. This past September was busy and the heat wave a bit difficult to handle, but it is still a better time to visit than July or August. May I suggest you think about a land tour, there is so much to enjoy in the fall.

Yes, thank-you. A land tour would be wonderful. The world is so big with so much to see and do... if I could come again next year I would be very happy!

September would be my first choice, as many of the European land guests will be gone. Dubrovnik will still be busy but much better is September than July. No doubt in my mind at all on this question.

Dubrovniktravelady, in March, I asked you for your valued input as to when would be better to travel to Dubrovnik.

I just want to let you know that your reply above was a big factor in us changing our cruise date. You will not know just how much it meant to us - not only did we have the most amazing cruise but we were able to have family members join us and it was extra special.

I also followed lots of other suggestions and advice you have given on this thread - thank-you - your advice is worth gold.