Have you experienced cruise and stay?

We have just returned from two weeks on D2. Great cruise, great itinerary. We are thinking about a cruise and stay for next year, so a couple of questions: we think we would do either the Greek islands or the western Med. what is the quality of hotel we can expect? Are the hotels AI? Do you know a particularly good cruise and stay itinerary? Thanks

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Hi we also did two weeks on D2 returned 10 Aug. Our first cruise was a week western med from Palma Majorca in 2016 we did a cruise and stay as we thought the itinerary was port intensive and would need to unwind for a week. Our hotel was AI and a good choice loads of activities/sports for our two teenage boys but they decided the ship was better and could we do two weeks on board!

Go onto their website and do a mock booking.... pick itinerary and after selecting ship detail s it will offer hotel options not all AI normally choice from self catering through half full board and up. Depends which is highest priority the itinerary or the hotel the choice really is yours.

Thanks for that. I have looked earlier, but there is nothing like first hand experience.

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If you decide to do the Greek Islands your hotel will be in Corfu.

I can recommend the Louis Corcyra Beach in Gouvia. We have been twice and are booked to go again. It is AI.

The Eva Palace is a lovely hotel, adult only but it's a little bit isolated.

In June we stayed at the Louis Kerkyra Golf, great hotel for families, the facilities for kids were fantastic and it is AI.

The standard of the hotels TUI use for cruise and stay in Corfu is very good I think.

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Thanks Sheila49, I’ll look at them.

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Hi...for western med most of our hotels were based in Sa Coma a decent beach but not a lot other than shops to wander around of an evening. We stayed at Protur Safari park which we picked as it said a watermark was on-site..... hmmmm ok for under 8 maybe. Not sure if you can pick other Tui hotels other than those they give might be worth checking direct.

We did a week on the ship then a week at the Son Matias Beach in Palma Nova.

We love the Palma area, including Palma Nova, but noticed the difference between cruise life and hotel life so quickly.

As such, if I was to do it again, I'd maybe do the stay bit first, then go on the cruise.

That said, we're quite active, so if you like to chill by the pool and park yourself at a bar or restaurant all night I suppose it doesn't matter what order you do it in :)

Cruise and stay is ok, we have done it out of Corfu and spent the second week at Costas Golden Beach Hotel - fabulous, in fact we have been back twice since. The only problem is you have to pack and unpack three times - we would not do cruise and stay again, but that's a personal thing I know.

I sort of thought the packing/ unpacking would be easy. One case for the cruise clothes and one for the hotel, or am I being optimistic? I see what you mean though. I will look at that hotel as we like the area too.

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Hi Shot2bits.

We did a cruise and stay last October, the cruise was around the canaries and the stay was in north tenerife Puerto de la cruz. The hotel that we were in was possibly the best hotel we have ever stayed in. It was the “Hotel Rui Garoe in the la Paz district. I think it is part of the tui groups hotels. Everything was perfect, the food was fantastic we were allocated a table on arrival and that was our table for the whole of our time there. the clientele was predominantly German but they were such a friendly crowd and made everyone feel included. At the breakfast buffet there was a choice of streaky continental bacon and German and Spanish sausage, but next to it there was proper back bacon and British sausage,the head waiter explained that we listen to our clientele and act upon their suggestions.outside in the pool area there was an attendant/lifeguard and as you approached him he picked up the sun lounger mattress and carried them to your chosen spot and set up the sunbed to your satisfaction overall a fantastic experience.

As a postscript it begs the question why are the hotels that Thomson sell to the British market inferior to those that are sold to the continental market. And on another tangent why are marella fleet the poor relation to the German fleet. Mein scheif.

Your PS poses two very good questions. Perhaps it’s because the British are loath to complain? Rui are part of TUI. Generally they are excellent hotels, the Rui Palace in Madeira is the only one I have experience of but if it is representative of the other hotels in the group, then they are of a very high standard. Good suggestion though, thanks.

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Hi Shot2bits. We have done 3 or 4 Cruise and Stays. In the Canaries (winter) we stayed once at Be Live Family Los Gigantes, and once at RUI Buena Vista in Playa Paraiso - both excellent with large apartmant type rooms, but in areas away from Las America. In Corfu we stayed at at the Louis Corcyra Beach - great service. In Fuengrilola we stayed at the Florida Spa (H/B +Happy hr).

All were excellent but in different ways. We have done stay then cruise and vice versa and enjoyed both, but we are retired, so we can relax when we get home!

If you decide to do the Greek Islands your hotel will be in Corfu.

 

I can recommend the Louis Corcyra Beach in Gouvia. We have been twice and are booked to go again. It is AI.

 

The Eva Palace is a lovely hotel, adult only but it's a little bit isolated.

 

In June we stayed at the Louis Kerkyra Golf, great hotel for families, the facilities for kids were fantastic and it is AI.

 

The standard of the hotels TUI use for cruise and stay in Corfu is very good I think.

 

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I to can recommend L .C. BEACH in Gouvia done a cruise and stay on the good ship majesty :(:( ports of call Athens, Katakolon Kusadasi Bodrum andsantorini , probably your ship will be Disco 1 coming back from asia enjoy

We had a cruise and stay three months ago (our first-time cruise).

Someone had said to me not to do it and I wasn’t too pleased about this but now I can understand why. :confused:

We had such a fantastic time on the ship when we got to the hotel it was a complete let-down (it was a good 4-star hotel).

The crew on the ship go out of their way to make sure you have a good holiday, they can’t do enough for you. You just don’t get treated the same way in a hotel.

I was sorry I had booked the stay part - should have had two weeks on the ship, would definitely have enjoyed that much better.

If you want to do cruise and stay might be better to stay first, then cruise?

Just do a two week cruise, saves all the hassle - like the previous post cruise staff just spoil you for anything else.

and depending on the Itinerary, sometimes a back2back cruise can be no more expensive than cruise and stay, especially if the hotel is also All inclusive