hehny

Thank you so much!

I understand that times may change but in your experiences how early are you able to disembark? We will be going from Amsterdam to Basel and are trying to find flights. Many thanks!

I’ve found Princess’ MDR to be far superior to Cunard’s Britannia. With that said, neither compares to the Grills due to the separate kitchen.

But Oceania still has the best food IMO.

Adored Oporto. We took a river cruise and visited a local port wine cellar. Highly recommend it!

Oceania is the only cruise ship that stays for three days in St. Petersburg. That gives it the edge IMO. We went and had a great cruise on Marina.

As others have noted, priority boarding is somewhat of a misnomer. There has been lots of chatter on the board about the high number of elites and impacts on sailing benefits (laundry etc). Platinum is after suites and elites,

Obviously the later you arrive, the quicker you will board as there is usually a huge queue between 11 and 12. We are elite and once waited nearly 45 to an hour minutes at 11 to go through security alone. By contrast at 2 we just walked on board.

Enjoy your cruise!

The official site recommends that children be 10 or older. Obviously, you know your child best.

More people are inclined to review when they are unhappy. Cruise critic is a very small demographic. I have had some amazing experiences with Oceania but never posted. I wouldn’t be concerned.

Like the coffee & tea section, correct?

Yes, and some pastries.

You may want to consider hiring a guide. We had less than a day in Rome and she got us through the Vatican, forum and colisseum (guides can skip the line to buy tickets so we didn’t worry about advance purchases..but they still have to wait in line for security) in a timely manner. She was better able to gauge timing and tours.

As noted, it’s become increasingly common for the colisseum to close at capacity. We waited close to an hour for the Vatican security but did the colisseum early to avoid closures. I believe it was around a 40 minute wait and while we did not have timed tickets, she was able to buy them immediately and so we joined the line quickly upon arrival. It is frequently overbooked and does close routinely especially in summer.

I am a more a do it myself tourist, but in Rome it was very helpful to have a guide when we were dealing with a time limit.

Good luck!

Regarding weather, we went last July and it topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There really is no answer to the age old question, what will the weather be like?

What do they typically serve on buffet midnight or later?

 

Always assumed nothing other than coffee and went to Horizon Court.

On late days in port, there was a small section open.

Did you book as a group? If so, this was my experience:

We traveled (and booked) as a group of 20 three years ago and princess had a group coordinator work with us. Although we wanted to eat together, the main dining room couldn’t accommodate that many people at one table. What they did was they gave us two tables next to each other.

There was an issue the first night where the tables were not near each other. After that, we were told we should call the dining line and reserve our dining each day since we had such a large party. That way we could be seated at tables next to each other.

The only restaurant that was able to accommodate us at one table was the crown grill.

Certain cruise lines only allow a restricted number to do this if at all...it does affect the final manifest they are required to submit at disembarkation. As for saving money, they are losing any of the incidentals (alcohol, casino, photos) may have enjoyed. There is also always the possibility of missing the port and then you are stuck. It’s not as easy to leave a cruise early as you may think. That’s why many choose not to allow it.

Never seen this and I am a midnight buffet visitor :)

You may wish to post this on the disability boards for a better response.

I don’t not have personal experience with your request, but a quick google search brings up accessible hotels. Here is one example that talks about touring:

https://www.sagetraveling.com/barcelona-disabled-access

Good luck!

This is not new and has been reported upon by the British press extensively, as noted above. We travel through Europe frequently it really is luck of the draw. You are lucky if this was your first experience with long wait times. The aim is 45 minutes in Heathrow, but at peak times that isn’t happening. With Brexit, it will likely get worse.

Fast track is offered to those who fly first/business and will allow you to skip the long queues.

If it doesnt fit, your steward can store it during the voyage and return it to your room the night before disembarkation.

Yes, we’ve done this in the past. I believe we gave them 24 hours notice. It was a ton of food! Delicious. You would need at least two people.

As your waiters get to know, they will often suggest off menu items for your enjoyment.

They didn’t offer us a second course with duck meat but I’m sure you could ask. They aim to please.

Always go for the itinerary with the most days in SPB. You won’t regret it!

You will likely need to be out of your room at 8, although some users have reported 9. It will say in your disembarkation forms. In the past, we were asked to leave the ship by 10. Remember, NCL will want to turn over for the next cruise.

Unfortunately there is no answer to your question. There has been a lot of press in the British papers about the long queues at Heathrow... for both UK and non EU citizens. The aim is 45 minutes. After years of going back and forth at different times of the year, I can say while summer queues are traditionally longer there isn’t a huge bit of difference during the year. I would plan on at least 45 and any less is a bonus.

The Ritz. Browns. Claridges. The Dorchester. Well worth the money but book early for afternoon tea. They offer the quintessential tea experience! Harrods is okay but not as refined.

The general rule is the longer the itinerary, the less children onboard. Cunard is generally child free, compared to other cruise lines. World cruise sectors don’t really attract families due to their duration.

The closest you may get is an upsell. It’s not likely that you would be offered a free upgrade, especially as a first time cruiser. There are many factors that enter into upgrades. I know of some cruisers who live near Southampton and are offered special deals at the last minute so the ship is full (literally one booked a week before). But I never heard of free upgrade at the QG level.

While cruise ships usually sail full, I have been on voyages were some of the premium cabins were empty. It’s just not in Cunard financial interest to cheapen their highest product by giving it away for free. Note that the most desired cabins will go quickly so it is best that you book the QG if that is what you really want.