cublet

Hello, I'm waiting for a competition to name the next Icon ship - my entry will be 'Butlin's of the Seas'. Sorry - only UK CC members will get this. Regards, Cublet

Hello, There used to be a 'Stay a while' option that for a small(ish) amount of money you could stay on-board and use the public facilities and Windjammer until mid afternoon. This option was to be found in the Cruise Planner. If you are going by train please check with the station what platform your train will use and just as important whether the lift to that platform is working. I didn't, it wasn't and all the steps nearly killed me. Regards, Cublet

Hello, M&S are not on my shopping itinerary for the very simple reason that here, in Bristol, they don't sell whole coffee beans. Perhaps a little way-out but there is a Majestic Wine Warehouse on the main drag to the port (depending on the route you take) that will probably have something for every taste. Regards, Cublet

Hello, You will get a letter advising you of the change-over procedure - and in summary it will be this. You will go to somewhere like a dining room early in the morning. You may or may not be required to complete a Health Questionnaire - depending on what's going on with Covid. You will be given a new card for the next cruise. You do not have to depart the ship to complete the 'change-over process' but may do afterwards if the mood takes you. You will swipe your old card on a terminal marked for 'disembarking', join a conga line to the next terminal to swipe your new card as if 'embarking'. That's it - job done. Along with your new card you will be given an 'In-transit' card. This is used to show security should you have disembarked. seen the delights of Southampton and wish to embark and by-pass some of the genuinely new embarkers' requirements. Exactly how it works I don't know as there's nothing in Southampton that's excited me enough to disembark on change-over day. Regards, Cublet

Hello, This is an excellent differentiation between 'Afternoon Tea' and 'High Tea'. When the Eclipse first hit these shores about a decade ago, Murano served a 'once per cruise' Champagne Afternoon Tea. Sadly no more. But I get my Afternoon Tea 'kicks' from Reid's Hotel in Madeira either to or from the Canaries see below. Regards, Cublet

Hello, I had this yesterday evening referencing a May sailing that I'm not even booked on. The only other thing I noticed was the 'Ship's time' was five hours behind UK time. My familiarity with Royal's IT caused me only to half raise an eyebrow. Regards, Cublet

Hello, I've only ever seen Stevia on P&O. Regards, Cublet

And a nervous breakdown! Cublet

Hello, That sounds a bit like 'Resale Price Maintenance' that was illegal (apart from books and medicines) but now subject to a 'Competition and Marketing Authority' investigation that's normally in secret but has heavy penalties if found not to be in the public interest. Regards, Cublet

Hello, The Alhambra is my #1 suggestion. If an excursion is not offered by Royal you will have to book in advance and select a time (that may not tie-in with the ship's movements). My #1 not serious suggestion is (was) an 'Authentic Flamenco' show with refreshments. Glass of wine and some cheese - fine; three women working-up a sweat stamping on the floor - fine; guitarist - fine; singer - what singer? If the range of the human voice is, say, two octaves then that's 24 notes - this singer used about 1 and a half of them and the only word I could hear was "Ah-ha". Regards, Cublet

Hello, I don't think there's any such thing as 'common sense' any more. I blame call centres that, if they don't employ muppets, certainly turn them out. These individuals have to follow a 'decision tree' script whose 'common sense' answer is often on a different leg and not showing on the screen. Regards, Cublet

Hello, Pizza for Afternoon Tea?? Good grief! Best Afternoon Tea at sea - Cunard Second Best - P&O Unranked - everyone else. Regards, Cublet

Hello, Iceland - no (or you wouldn't notice it), Norway - yes (depending on the time of year). Regards, Cublet

Hello, Better crockery and cutlery and that's about it I think. Regards, Cublet

Hello, You should also be able to see it when you go on-line to your Cruise Planner and it will show what you have to spend. Regards, Cublet

Hello, Don't believe the FC posting. But firstly you need to have specific 'missed ports of call' or 'changed itinerary' insurance - it is not standard even with so-called 'cruise insurance'. I have had quite a few 'missed port of call' events and have successfully used a generic letter from the captain to all passengers saying what didn't happen, when and why. If not volunteered by the ship, it should be sought from Guest Relations as soon as possible. (P&O are pretty useless at that.) I submitted that with the original booking showing the full original itinerary. What you can do after the fact is more difficult and I'm afraid have no experience but a letter to the cruise line would be a start. Regards, Cublet

Hello, I'm afraid your posting was a little too brief for me to understand. Are you saying what I said does not apply to NA PEOPLE (that is nearly what I said) or to NA ITINERARIES (such distinction/exclusion is not mentioned in the NextCruise presentation)? Regards, Cublet

Hello, I am not disputing anything that has been written before, but am adding this for anyone reading this thread from this side of the pond. If you book on board, you can make any number of changes free of charge up to final payment date. Regards, Cublet

Hello, My problem with fresh OJ on board is the lack of common sense of the server. Freshly squeezed OJ is poured into scalding hot glasses fresh from the dishwasher killing it dead in impact. The problem with the 'from concentrate' OJ is that it requires a 7:1 dilution and the person doing the diluting loses count part way through and you can have either orange coloured dishwater or something that will de-grease the ship's engines. I think we need to clarify the type of 'machine' one could bring. There's the manual squeezer/reamer as per the link in post #2 (not what I would term 'a machine'); There's the electric squeezer that looks, at its top, like the thing in post #2 but with an electric motor below turning the reamer activated by downward pressure; A machine where you drop in a whole orange and the orange is liquidised and filtered (to a degree) producing orange juice and an orange sludge. To my simple middle of the road kind of mind, there should be no problem with the first, and plenty with the third. I'm so middle of the road that I bring 2. above. It's all plastic apart from the motor. WJ knives are adequate to cut the oranges in half and two oranges produce a good sized glass per day. It has accompanied me on Cunard, Celebrity, Royal and MSC. I bring cellophane bags to take the pith and peel to the garbage. I have it first thing in the morning when I get out of the shower. As to 'going without' for a few days, I never cruise for less that 14 nights at a time and that does not count in my mind as a 'few days'. Regards, Cublet

No, I am not confused. It was Eclipse out of Southampton from the start. Moreover from where I was usually sat, I could see into the kitchen and the cupboard where the small boxes were stored. Regards, Cublet

Hello, What I miss from the 'Coffee House Style breakfast' are ordinary cereals, eg (my first preference) Special K. When or why they were dropped is either a mystery or 'covid' - the answer to a lot these days. Regards, Cublet

Hello, Being part Italian myself, I find Tuscan Grille OK but not a patch on Murano though I've never lunched there only had dinner. To those in the UK and of a certain age, it reminds me of a Berni Inn which, if you know what you're going to get before you get there, is no bad thing. It is however far superior to Royal's Giovanni's Table/Kitchen. Regards, Cublet

Hello, My local bus company 'enhanced' the service by moving from four departures per hour to three. Regards, Cublet

Hello, Not being too picky, but I would call it a 'pub' with 'pub food' (and not even 'gastro-pub') and not what I would call a 'bar' - Champagne (R) Bar for example. It is usually heaving with sports fans if there is some sports showing on the TVs, many of them apparently deaf or close to. Regards, Cublet

Hello, I didn't realise that the President of the Russian Federation had been 'given the chop'. Regards, Cublet