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Same Old Ports


Eglesbrech
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With the big ships replacing the medium ones there will be less choice of ports in the future. The smaller ports can't cater for a huge ship as the numbers swamp the town even if the ship can actually get into the harbour and apparently there is increasing resistance to large numbers of cruise ships visiting.

 

Take your point, I have been into places like Ketchikan and Skagway in Alaska where it is common to see half a dozen big cruise ships in at the high season, July/August with 20,000 pax in town, the footpaths can't contain them, so they are all over the roads. The business people like it though. :rolleyes:

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Very true.

Sorry to hear about your health issues but good you can enjoy cruising from Southampton.

Graham.

 

And Graham, if I may...that is exactly why one should do these big adventures whilst one can and enjoy them to the fullest. I was lucky enough to retire at 55 and have been travelling overseas every year since. We have a long way to go for a decent itinerary. Many Aussies just travel to NZ and the Pacific Islands on the ships, once you have done it a couple of times, boring !! Just like you guys hitting the European Ports.:halo:

 

Whilst we can do the long trips and afford to do them, we will continue to do them.

'SKI' - Spend Kids Inheritance !!':hearteyes:

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Very true.

Sorry to hear about your health issues but good you can enjoy cruising from Southampton.

Graham.

Thank you, I am just glad that we did most of the places on my bucket list before my husband became ill. We were lucky enough to be able to travel extensively when we were younger. The only country that we never got to, because it was on the list to do after retirement when we could go for several months, was Australia so we have lots to be thankful for. We now tell our nieces and nephews to do everything now and enjoy life you don't know what is round the corner.

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Thank you, I am just glad that we did most of the places on my bucket list before my husband became ill. We were lucky enough to be able to travel extensively when we were younger. The only country that we never got to, because it was on the list to do after retirement when we could go for several months, was Australia so we have lots to be thankful for. We now tell our nieces and nephews to do everything now and enjoy life you don't know what is round the corner.

Thats fantastic you have been able to do what you have done.

I always tell young people to enjoy themselves and holiday when they have their health.

I am 60 now and was fortunate my late mam took us on foreign holidays from age 10 so i was hooked on travel very young and my wife and i love cruising and foreign holidays.

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And Graham, if I may...that is exactly why one should do these big adventures whilst one can and enjoy them to the fullest. I was lucky enough to retire at 55 and have been travelling overseas every year since. We have a long way to go for a decent itinerary. Many Aussies just travel to NZ and the Pacific Islands on the ships, once you have done it a couple of times, boring !! Just like you guys hitting the European Ports.:halo:

 

Whilst we can do the long trips and afford to do them, we will continue to do them.

'SKI' - Spend Kids Inheritance !!':hearteyes:

I like your attitude,i agree always do it now rather than putting off for another day because that day might never come.

I hope you enjoy your cruises when you come over to the UK.

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I like your attitude,i agree always do it now rather than putting off for another day because that day might never come.

I hope you enjoy your cruises when you come over to the UK.

 

We tell the kids we're spending their inheritance and they encourage us to do it, thankfully. Daughter even jokes that every time a friend of her father dies, he books another cruise!!! Long time dead, this is not a practice run!!

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First cruise 30 odd years ago visited Elba & Cannes. Elba was beautiful but I have not seen it on itineraries again until recently. It’s strange but reading back someone complained about Dominica.. we found it really good.Horses for courses, I guess. Now, El Ferrol on a rainy Thursday...

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LOL,dead right there.We did a tour there from Corfu,what a dump.

 

Thats such a shame. there are some very interesting and beautiful places in Albania. Girokastr is extremely interesting and there are wonderful beaches and also other historic places to visit.

 

They need visitors, the country was shut for 50 years! We have very good friends there.

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Take your point, I have been into places like Ketchikan and Skagway in Alaska where it is common to see half a dozen big cruise ships in at the high season, July/August with 20,000 pax in town, the footpaths can't contain them, so they are all over the roads. The business people like it though. :rolleyes:

 

We had the most wonderful holiday in Alaska, travelling by ferry, car and truck camper. We cruised by the Alaskan Marine Highway, meeting locals and staying three nights in each port. The ferries go to places where the big ships can't go. It was lovely to have the ports to ourselves and locals, once all the big ships went late afternoon. Sometimes the big cruise ships love places, without the infrastructure, to death.

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We had the most wonderful holiday in Alaska, travelling by ferry, car and truck camper. We cruised by the Alaskan Marine Highway, meeting locals and staying three nights in each port. The ferries go to places where the big ships can't go. It was lovely to have the ports to ourselves and locals, once all the big ships went late afternoon. Sometimes the big cruise ships love places, without the infrastructure, to death.

 

Sounds great Marion. Luckily we we did the Inside Passage cruise in the May, start of season, only 1 or 2 ships in each port. But I know of people who did it in July/August, way too many people.:evilsmile:

 

You did it the right way.:halo:

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Thats such a shame. there are some very interesting and beautiful places in Albania. Girokastr is extremely interesting and there are wonderful beaches and also other historic places to visit.

 

They need visitors, the country was shut for 50 years! We have very good friends there.

 

Yes, they do need visitors, and I was rather sad to see how dismissive people have been about it. There's not much to do in Sarande itself yet, but when we called there I went on an excursion to the nearby Butrint National Park which, if you like Greek and Roman ruins, is fascinating.

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Yes, they do need visitors, and I was rather sad to see how dismissive people have been about it. There's not much to do in Sarande itself yet, but when we called there I went on an excursion to the nearby Butrint National Park which, if you like Greek and Roman ruins, is fascinating.

My post earlier referred to our own experience of Sarande when calling last year. We were booked on the Butrint excursion, but had to call off because we both felt a little unwell first thing in the morning. However, we both felt better later on, and decided to take the tender ashore and merely have a wander. On landing it was evidently a very poor town, which we had expected because of the country's history. What we didn't expect was the number of aggressive beggars constantly badgering you for money. It was the first time I have been verbally abused by a boy probably no older than 5 or 6. He was really aggressive to us. I'm afraid we then made our way back to the tender and returned to the ship. I have never felt so nervous at a port of call, and we both feared for our safety. Having been both a soldier and firefighter during my career, I don't consider myself to be easily frightened. One thing's for sure, we won't be going ashore at Sarande in the future.

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Yes, they do need visitors, and I was rather sad to see how dismissive people have been about it. There's not much to do in Sarande itself yet, but when we called there I went on an excursion to the nearby Butrint National Park which, if you like Greek and Roman ruins, is fascinating.

 

I agree with what you say about Butrint National Park. It is well worth a visit. Some lovely scenery too. However, Sarande itself is hugely under developed and probably not yet worthy of being a cruise ship destination, but I guess it will stay under developed without cruise ship income.

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Take your point, I have been into places like Ketchikan and Skagway in Alaska where it is common to see half a dozen big cruise ships in at the high season, July/August with 20,000 pax in town, the footpaths can't contain them, so they are all over the roads. The business people like it though. :rolleyes:

P&O did an Alaskan cruise on Arcadia in 2011, and we were in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Whittier etc in late May before all the big US ships arrived. The glaciers were calving and it was just fantastic to be there. Thousands of whales were migrating north and the other wildlife was magnificent, and no crowds.

Why they've never repeated that cruise is beyond me.

We joined Arcadia in San Francisco, went up to Seattle, and then into Alaska for 12 days cruise. The return route was Vancouver, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, Colon, Cozumel, Miami, Port Canaveral, Charleston, New York (2 days), Rhode Island and Boston, and then home via the Azores.

Great memories.

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My post earlier referred to our own experience of Sarande when calling last year. We were booked on the Butrint excursion, but had to call off because we both felt a little unwell first thing in the morning. However, we both felt better later on, and decided to take the tender ashore and merely have a wander. On landing it was evidently a very poor town, which we had expected because of the country's history. What we didn't expect was the number of aggressive beggars constantly badgering you for money. It was the first time I have been verbally abused by a boy probably no older than 5 or 6. He was really aggressive to us. I'm afraid we then made our way back to the tender and returned to the ship. I have never felt so nervous at a port of call, and we both feared for our safety. Having been both a soldier and firefighter during my career, I don't consider myself to be easily frightened. One thing's for sure, we won't be going ashore at Sarande in the future.

 

Oh dear, that's not good at all. By going on an organised excursion outside the town, I missed the attentions of the beggars.

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My husband and I have jumped ship this winter due to P & O doing the same fly cruises year on year. We like to do at least 1 Caribbean cruise each winter, (last winter we did 2) the hurricane not withstanding, we are trying Thomson for the first time. We are doing exotic explorer and cuban fusion on Discovery 2 to try different ports. It is a shame, and I will miss the formal nights,and the Britannia in particular but it's a big world out there. We may not like Thomson but we will give it a try.

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P&O did an Alaskan cruise on Arcadia in 2011, and we were in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Whittier etc in late May before all the big US ships arrived. The glaciers were calving and it was just fantastic to be there. Thousands of whales were migrating north and the other wildlife was magnificent, and no crowds.

Why they've never repeated that cruise is beyond me.

We joined Arcadia in San Francisco, went up to Seattle, and then into Alaska for 12 days cruise. The return route was Vancouver, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, Colon, Cozumel, Miami, Port Canaveral, Charleston, New York (2 days), Rhode Island and Boston, and then home via the Azores.

Great memories.

 

They probably haven't repeated it because of the costs involved. It will be quite an expensive cruise for P&O to begin with as they would need a lot of 'casual' contracts with port agents. Also, since 2011, fuel costs have risen and the pound has dropped against the dollar. Cunard are about to announce some Alaskan itineraries for 2018 or 2019 I think.

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They probably haven't repeated it because of the costs involved. It will be quite an expensive cruise for P&O to begin with as they would need a lot of 'casual' contracts with port agents. Also, since 2011, fuel costs have risen and the pound has dropped against the dollar. Cunard are about to announce some Alaskan itineraries for 2018 or 2019 I think.

 

 

 

Also from my recollection it was a hard Cruise to sell and they had to heavily discount late on to fill the ship.

 

This in itself caused problems as the large group of late bookers were not keen to tip which caused a strike of wait staff in Vancouver.

 

Perhaps they may be able to try again as bookings for all cruises are healthier.

 

The other problem is that it takes away a ship in August and September when cruises from Southampton are popular. Or indeed May June.

 

 

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I think Princess have Alaska covered. Assume as has been said Carnival wouldn't think it worthwhile to put a P&O ship out there when it could be in the Mediterranean giving both cruises from Southampton and fly cruises.

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Also from my recollection it was a hard Cruise to sell and they had to heavily discount late on to fill the ship.

 

This in itself caused problems as the large group of late bookers were not keen to tip which caused a strike of wait staff in Vancouver.

 

Perhaps they may be able to try again as bookings for all cruises are healthier.

 

The other problem is that it takes away a ship in August and September when cruises from Southampton are popular. Or indeed May June.

 

 

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Yes it was May/June.

I think the problem with sales was because it was promoted late, and sailed from Southampton only a month or so after the return of the world cruises. We joined it in San Fran and were on board for 47 nights, so overall it must have been about 70 nights.

The strike took place in Seattle, which was the port after San Fran.

According to our waiters there had been negotiations to introduce auto tips some months previously, which the crew were in favour of. It all came to a head after San Francisco because, as you say, late bookers, who picked up a bargain for that sector, left the ship and virtually paid no tips.

The strike lasted about 2 hours 6pm until 8 pm, and it caused a bit of chaos with delayed dinner, and ship's officers helping out in the dining room.

Auto tips came in across the fleet for everyone soon after the cruise.

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Sounds great Marion. Luckily we we did the Inside Passage cruise in the May, start of season, only 1 or 2 ships in each port. But I know of people who did it in July/August, way too many people.:evilsmile:

 

You did it the right way.:halo:

 

Locals told us May was the best time to cruise Alaska, by ship, because they are pleased to see passengers arriving again for the season. They are all burnt out at the end of the season and pleased to see the last big ship leave.

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P&O did an Alaskan cruise on Arcadia in 2011, and we were in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Whittier etc in late May before all the big US ships arrived. The glaciers were calving and it was just fantastic to be there. Thousands of whales were migrating north and the other wildlife was magnificent, and no crowds.

Why they've never repeated that cruise is beyond me.

We joined Arcadia in San Francisco, went up to Seattle, and then into Alaska for 12 days cruise. The return route was Vancouver, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, Colon, Cozumel, Miami, Port Canaveral, Charleston, New York (2 days), Rhode Island and Boston, and then home via the Azores.

Great memories.

 

That does sound a wonderful cruise itinerary. I find many current itineraries lack excitement.

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