Clodia

I was on the same cruise as you and ditto; delighted with food venues and excellent service.

I also did this; booked 7 nights paying in advance, and got the Olive Grove, which is popular, twice on boarding afternoon. Other nights I walked into the Glass House or the Keel and Cow and asked to be seated. One night I went for early dining in the MDR because there were 2 shows I wanted to see. Liked the bookings because I like to plan, but it seemed to work ok even for those who didn't.

Having loved Iona so much despite the negative reviews ( mine has been published today in the review section) I am very happy to consider Arvia for next year.

Greece rescinded ALL restrictions on January 30th. We booked a land based holiday there on the 31st, which was undoubtedly what they intended.

Please DON'T report fatalities or accidents onboard! My friend and I were on a Caribbean transatlantic on Azura a few years ago where there was a road accident on a shore excursion with one fatality and several serious injuries. It appeared on social media and my friend's mother, due to the 5 hour time difference, was absolutely hysterical with fear until we said "S**d the time diff, and phoned her direct. Relatives can be caused severe distress when things get out on social media before official information is given to families.

I've always got priority embarkation when I've had a mini suite.

Just got off Iona and she has the Olive Grove, a Mediterranean restaurant with most menu items being included and small extra charges for paella or hanging kebabs. The lasagne was wonderful. I thought I would hate Iona because she's so big and Aurora is my favourite ship, but the design is good with things split into sections so it doesn't feel as big. Review pending moderation at present, hopefully published soon.

Just got off Iona. I liked Aqua and Opal because they were smaller and dimly lit and I hate bright lights.

Or rum runners! I take these on because they are plastic therefore lightweight, and watertight/very unlikely to leak. And yes I have been known to fill up at ports especially if I want a particular make of,say, Spanish brandy. I wrap the container up in my jacket and carry it on in a bag. Mind you, I do get a drinks package or pay for drinks; i just like having something special for late night drinks on the balcony.

Yes I was caught out on the underestimation of walking in Iceland last year; the trip was advertised as a 3km walk but my watch told me it was over 5 km! I managed it, though I am having a bit of difficulty walking at the moment following an injury, but some people were quite distressed.

I didn't sit up until midnight to book for Iona G306; I went online at midday the next day and got everything I wanted to book in the way of shorex, shows and speciality restaurants. The only annoying thing is that the Olive Grove is still showing as "coming soon"

Suites and Baltic/Ligurian get the first boarding time at 11.45, but I'm not sure how they do it after that. Before covid there used to be a system and I got it out of a staff member, but all that went overboard.

I am on Iona on March 4th, and have made bookings for as many restaurants as possible because I am travelling solo and don't want to share since covid. What are my chances of a table for one in the MDRs, or will I have to have room service any night I cannot get into the onboard available places like the Keel & Cow, the Glass House or the Olive Grove?

I have done 3 solo cruises with Silversea. There's no pressure at all to join in, but if you want to talk to other solos there's a nightly meet up and some do go to dinner together. I am happy to be on my own, though I have joined others at times. I actually think Silversea is one of the best lines for solos, with of course some low supplements if you choose carefully.

I love it!

I often walk as I only have a small rucksack as hand luggage; my main suitcase goes ahead with the Baggage Handling Company. 13 minutes to City Terminal from Holiday inn or Premier Inn West Quay. About 22-30 minutes to the further terminals.

Having cruised solo on Aurora many times I would recommend solo occupied double balcony

Supervised tests are now virtually unobtainable in the UK. I had 3 booked for my cruise on Whisper this summer and only one was possible. We've just got to start treating this like norovirus or flu.

I was on Whisper a couple of weeks ago and found the selection of films, documentaries and port lectures to be perfectly adequate. I saw several films I'd been meaning to catch up with for a while.

C Deck balconies on Azura and Ventura are only overlooked from above if you are towards the rails; the sheltered part from the middle to the back is totally private. As others have said they are also large, and I always book one on those 2 ships if I can.

I managed a Randox test the night before a recent cruise in a hotel. As long as you have previously installed the app and uploaded your passport and personal details it all works. You type in the reference number from you order ( I had lost the packaging but fortunately had kept the email with my order acknowledgement which had it on). They then match the identity of the person with the specific test and you proceed, then wait while a 15 minute timer goes around on your phone. After 15 minutes the piece of software appears so you upload your result. It tells you "success" or to do it again. Then it says wait 2-3 hours for result. Obviously as cruise companies are the Last Men Standing on tests, they don't do as many now and after 10 minutes my phone pinged with a negative result and an certificate attached as a PDF: download this to your phone as that will work even if there's no wifi in the terminal. The certificate verifies your result with the name of the medical technician who examined your test. As Lloyds Pharmacy cancelled my appointment weeks before, and Medicspot cancelled the zoom test 22 hours before, the Randox one was my final hope. Thankfully it worked.

When I boarded Whisper on the 24th they gave the most cursory of glances at my fit to travel certificate/negative result it had cost me blood, sweat and tears to get. An arbitrary imposition, just like the face nappy and the butler pointing a gun at you each morning. This is my last cruise, nice though it's been, until all the rubbish has gone

That was certainly how staff at the dock interpret it. I am more than 270 days from dose 2 but had a booster in November 21 and that's what they counted I am really enjoying my voyage on the Whisper, but when invited to book my next voyage onboard, told Silversea staff that until all the rubbish goes, I shan't be doing so. This is the first cruise in over 20 years where I haven't booked the next.

The internet connection was good enough to use an app but failed to maintain a zoom link. Having 2 tests ordered worked. Either would have worked at home which indicates that guests with long transits may have problems. The other thing which is happening in the UK is that as cruise lines are now virtually the only organisations requiring tests, most testing has shut down making it much harder to organize a test.

There didn't appear to be any piers ide testing in Edinburgh yesterday. I had to leave home on Wednesday instead of Thursday because of the train strike, so instead of doing my 3rd party verified antigen test at home with fast internet, I was reliant on a very indifferent wifi at a hotel. Thank goodness I had a backup test. The one I'd booked on zoom failed as the connection dropped out and the observer terminated the meeting. The other was much simpler as I had already registered on the app scanned in my passport etc. All I had to do was input the test order number, do it and upload a snapshot, wait for the 15 minute timer to end and scan the result. I got a message saying please wait 2 to 3 hours for your results, but my phone pinged after 10 minutes with a negative result and attached fit to travel certificate. I downloaded this in case of no signal at the terminal. Everything else I had printed out. The whole thing took 5 minutes, temperature check, receipt of medical questionnaire, and endorsement by staff of proof of vaccination and sight of verified negative test and certificate.