the penguins

yes and no - depends how you look at it. What the big cruise lines all offer is basically a South America cruise with a few days of "scenic" cruising looking at ice bergs. Nearly all the photos used of penguins are in South America or the Falklands none of which are the Antarctic. If the purpose of your cruise is the Antarctic then really that the price you are paying is for the days of scenic cruising. Expedition cruising: we had an inside cabin ( used only for sleeping the rest of the time we were fully engaged with landings, briefing and looking out from the deck/lounges) The price includes all landings loan of boots and a wind proof water proof jacket that you keep. Weather is the luck of the draw - we had the worst weather on our X cruise culminating in 90mph winds, 60 foot waves and the sea coming in through the doors outside the Sky Lounge - yes we know that's high. The Falklands was dropped. On Hurtigruten we had 1 bad day in the open sea and a couple when the ship simply moved to another bay to hide from the wind - something the big ships can't do. We have done the cruise on X and Hurtigruten - there is really no comparison. I posted pics on another Thread entitled The Antarctic and will be happy to post them again here. If you book early a lot of the expedition lines have good offers - for example Hurtigruten is currently including free flights London/Buenos Aires/London. as always it's about choice - not right or wrong - but it's important to understand the options and differences before making a booking.

Sorry for your problems we missed the port completely when we went with X. The long tender ride, shallow water, and changeable weather conditions make Port Stanley the number 1 port that cruise ships cancel or where there are huge delays. The only answer is to cruise on the small expedition type ships which get right in to the port which is what we did on our second trip.

Great pics which clearly illustrates the differences. The person in the bottom pic clearly looks totally relaxed.

yes but for UK/Europe its from day 1. X want younger passengers

14 nights is hard to market in the US especially when you need a day at each end for the flights bringing it up to a 16 day minimum. With the minimum paid vacation time for full time workers in the UK/Europe of 4 weeks (20 working days) this is not such a problem but 80% of X's passengers are still US/Canadian.

The footstools were removed from standard balconies some time ago. Our solution(s) to the issue to date has been: 1) tell the Steward on the first day that you would like 2 footstools and would pay $20 if they could get us them. Usually took around 20 minutes to arrive. 2) since we now have "disability assistance" we ask for the footstools when we submit the Disability Form that includes the size, weight of our Rollator. 3) the "cage" under the bed that holds the life jackets with a cushion/pillow on top works pretty well - just don't leave it out overnight.

also the chairs are not loungers just low backed seats and the table is very small. If you like to stretch out on a balcony you will be very disappointed with an IV. I have yet to see a single picture of a couple relaxing on their "IV" balcony. If you like the idea of a balcony but in fact rarely use it (we spend a minimum of 3 hours on ours every sea day ) then an IV could be perfect.

No portion size problems in the MDR- just order 2 or more of whatever you want (excludes lobster) or several different dishes (I always have 2 starters, 2 desserts and a dish of extra veg with the main). Equally importantly we enjoy sharing tables which is one reason we embrace the whole MDR experience.

Never heard if that. Lots of people pop in for a coffee or a bloody Mary. Yes they may check your Elite status but thats it.

its described by X as a Coffee House Style breakfast on S and M class 08.. to 10.00 in the Tuscan which is a great venue. Not sure about E class.

even when the special event is held the drinks are still also available in all the other venues.

correct back on to your card.

Quick update: just checked and the rules still state no contra bets with promotional chips on roulette, baccarat and craps.

Guess you got lucky - Silhouette refused the bets on our last 4 cruises. Hope your luck continues on your next cruise.

Sorry sent to quick. If you are going to look at an Expedition Cruise you also need the compare the seasons: Early: end Oct, November: more snow makes landings harder, lots of baby penguins, seals etc, good chance of whales. Late: Feb and early March: less snow landings on rocks, no babies lots of juveniles, less chance for whales. Christmas and New Year: wonderful but mega expensive. King penguins breed all year meaning you can see everything from eggs, through babies, juveniles and adults. We did late Feb/early March on the Fram (500 passengers but only has 208 for Antarctica, 12,500 tons). All pics except 1 taken by the boss (Anita).

We have done both and there is really no comparison. On X, or any of the other big cruise ships, you will basically have a few hours watching ice bergs which is interesting. On expeditions you will see the bergs and get close to the wildlife. The 100 limit is the Antarctic Convention limit - only 100 people are allowed on shore at any one time and no one person ( including crew) can be on land for more than 60 minutes. Good exploration ships rotate the passengers to keep the number on land to maximum of 50. Splash the cash, book cheaper cabins and go "exploration" would be our choice and if you want King Penguins include South Georgia.

These are only for the table games - and on roulette you can't use them for even bets ( red/black, odds/evens etc).

Only when actively playing

Agreed - see you on a cruise

thanks. As Elite+ on X and 4 points off Diamond+ on Royal we are are aware of the benefits of each. The difference between us is that you believe that if something is best for you then it must be best for everyone else and we should therefore all support you in seeking change. I have tried to illustrate that this is not so - the programmes are different and on balance that of X is better for us. enjoy your cruises and the benefits offered we certainly will.

x gives you 90 minutes (240 for Elite+) each free premium wifi that you can use as and when you like. We find this much more flexible than the Royal system which leaves us for days with no free internet. Best suggestion is to activate 1 package and see how many days the 90 minutes last. By preparing off line loggin sending and logging out you will be surprised how little you need to keep in touch. When thew first 90 is used decide if the second will last for the rest of the cruise, if not you can trade it in as a discount on a full package for the remaining days by which time there will probably be an offer. free drinks: also available at the Elite breakfast every day - champagne, bloody mary's and mimosas. free drinks in the casino when actively playing also a bag of free laundry each ( on Royal you just get a discount) also priority tendering (not offered by Royal) yes the programmes are different, embrace the differences and enjoy.

sorry - you wanted the Royal system which doesn't give us any free lattes or sodas or juice other than to use our drinks coupons i.e. 4 or 5 drinks a day. Now you want X to have a system that gives you the alcohol but also retains our free lattes. Your question was why would anyone not want the Royal system and I explained why. X seems to agree with me. When we choose Royal we accept that system, when we choose X we accept that. The same applies to the different systems for wifi, and laundry. Also we don't get priority tendering on Royal.

The longer the better. Late May early June or mid September to early October avoids the peak/school holidays. East or West Med really depends on your interests - personally we would avoid the Greek Islands as they get very crowded. Book private guides to get the most out of the ports. Our go to is Tours by locals - you deal direct with the guides, pay via the Head Office in Canada, full refund if the ship doesn't dock. Book with a guide that has a vehicle that holds 6 and share with one other couple through the Roll Call. We take out the lunch and have coffee /cake breaks. Book the Guides as soon as you Book the cruise as the best guides get booked up fast. Don't try to do too much in a day - less done well is better than just rushing around. Above all relax and enjoy

Why? Because at least for us X's system is way better. We don't drink alcohol and get unlimited lattes/teas/ chocolate throughout the day. During happy hour we get enough water to last the next day plus the occasional soda/tonic/ginger ale all in unopened cans. We pick up juices on the way in to dinner.

that's what I said - use your free minutes or trade them in as a discount. Personally the 240 free minutes at premium speed is a great deal as we have no need of an unlimited package.