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Cruising with Pullmantur


CruiseLovininIL
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I'm sailing on Horizon soon, so I'd be grateful for any advice about sailing with Pullmantur.

  • Do most ladies wear dresses on the formal night?
  • Were there activities where not speaking Spanish doesn't matter so much - karaoke, exercise/dance sessions, morning walks and so on?
  • Was the muster drill done early, and did it take long? It seems passengers are embarking and disembarking at most ports.
  • What were the internet packages like?
  • The excursions look quite reasonable - did anyone try them? I presume English speakers stay near the guide for a summary of the talk?..
  • Did anyone try any spa treatments? If so, what did you think, and were they sales orientated?
  • Also, were the photographers pushy, like on some other lines?
  • Any other advice and tips?

Thanks!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The first time we cruised was on the Horizon in 2009 when it was called the Pacific Dream. We were on the ship at New Years and most people were well dressed but that was most likely due to the New Years celebrations and the "premium" price of the cruise at that time of year. Each Pullmantur ship we have been on has been different and the part of the world you are cruising in also makes a difference. We have had some good excursions and at most of the excursions are available in English. Photographers were always around but never pushy.

If there has been a down side to Pullmantur is that they can be very bureaucratic. For one example, we purchased the expanded drinks package online before one Caribbean cruise and I had an email receipt for it but it did not show up when we boarded. The staff told us they could not do anything for us until they contacted Madrid even with my receipt.

A second time out of Barcelona we were told we could not board the ship as our Canadian passports did not have a stamp in them saying when we arrived in Europe. We had arrived in Paris by plane and transferred to Barcelona and they rarely stamped passports at CDG Airport. Eventually we were able to convince them that we had not swam across the Atlantic and showed them our flight boarding passes did they let us board.

Overall we have enjoyed our Pullmantur cruises.

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We are on the transatlantic in May from Colon to Lisbon. Like others I would recommend a suite as you get lots of extras (Junior Suite is not included). This will be our 3rd Cruise with this company and the previous 2 have been great, they are also excellent value for money. We also got a free upgrade from a Grand Suite to a De-luxe suite.

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Thank you very much for the help and advice, really useful.

That sounds scary at Barcelona! :eek:

Probably for another thread, but those issues remind me of Costa. I'd bought the drinks package online but it didn't show up and they couldn't guarantee payment hadn't been taken. On disembarkation day I was told I could leave my bags as I had a late flight, then the security guard wouldn't let me back on the ship because my cruise had finished, ignoring the luggage token I showed him. I had to find someone else to let me on while his back was turned!.

I'll let you know how my short Spanish cruise goes, and thanks again.

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We are on the transatlantic in May from Colon to Lisbon. Like others I would recommend a suite as you get lots of extras (Junior Suite is not included). This will be our 3rd Cruise with this company and the previous 2 have been great, they are also excellent value for money. We also got a free upgrade from a Grand Suite to a De-luxe suite.

 

 

My wife and I will also be boarding in Colon for the 2017 Spring Transatlantic. I have been looking for a rollcall, but I guess there may not be one. We will probably be arriving at the Panama City Airport the day before departure, so we were hoping to find others to discuss hotels and transfer arrangements.

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My husband and friends are doing the transatlantic on the Monarch in May from Cartagena Columbia to Lisbon Portugal.

And my cousin and I are doing the Mediterranean Breezes on the Sovereign (Spain-Italy-France) at the end of October.

 

Hi NOLAGrandma from a NOLA girl !

 

We did the Mediterranean Breezes itinerary on the Sovereign last October. Great ports. We felt it was a good value for the ports you get to visit. Hope you enjoy!

 

Kim C

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Hello

We are arriving in Panama on Sunday 7th May and have opted to stay at the 5 star Grace Panama, it has outstanding reviews and the contact we have had with the Hotel has all been positive.

They have arranged for a Car to Pick us up at the Airport at a cost of about $40, payable direct to the Hotel when we arrive, they have also said they will be able to arrange a transfer to Colon Port on the Wednesday and it will be fine to sort out the details when we arrive.

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We have just completed the Horizon sail through the Islas Canarias (5 islands) during Carnival with a day in Agadir, Morocco. Having cruised NCL, Princess, and Celebrity I must say this is the best value available. The food both formal dinner and informal buffets, had equivalent food. In comparison to other lines, I felt the meals catered to quite a sophisticated palate. The soups and stews at lunch and dinner were superb. Service was eager and respectful. Our waiter and serviceperson both spoke English well and seemed to be quite prideful of their role in our holiday. Cabin services were unintrusive. The shows were way better than on most American Lines...good enough for this Las Vegas couple.

Basic alcoholic drinks were included; Pinacoladas and Margaritas as well, with each liquor represented with upcharge available for calls. The music in the clubs were upbeat and tended to be Latin salsa and other happy tunes. The escorted tours were great value and were reliable for a full or half day of sightseeing on these beautiful islands. We are examining other itineraries with Pullmantur for our next adventure!

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Hi NOLAGrandma from a NOLA girl !

 

We did the Mediterranean Breezes itinerary on the Sovereign last October. Great ports. We felt it was a good value for the ports you get to visit. Hope you enjoy!

 

Kim C

Kim,

 

Did you book your excursions onboard? Any suggestions? They all look great and I'm looking forward to our trip

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

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Kim,

 

Did you book your excursions onboard? Any suggestions? They all look great and I'm looking forward to our trip

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

 

Hi NOLAGrandma,

 

we ended up doing more of the ship's excursions than we planned because one member of our group fell in Mallorca and tore a ligament in her knee. If you went on the ship's excursion, they let you use the ship's wheelchair. It was the most effective way to get her around the ports.

 

Initially, we booked two excursions online prior to sailing: the Rome Complete and the Transportation to Cassis from Toulon (no tour, just the bus to Cassis).

 

We picked the Rome complete because you have to get to Rome from Citivecchia anyway and this included the bus transportation, plus the tour obtained your tickets to the Vatican which can be a pain to wait in line for. Plus, it was the most effective and cheapest way to see a lot of sights in Rome and the Vatican. I'm not sure I'll ever get back to Rome, so I wanted to see as much as I could. This tour was reasonably priced and covered a lot of ground. Since it took over an hour each way to and from the ship and you saw A LOT of Rome, the tour was fast paced and at times felt rushed. We had only about 40 minutes free time and we had to chose between the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish steps or lunch. We chose the Trevi Fountain and grabbed take out pasta which we literally ate on the run from the Trevi Fountain back to the bus. Best take out pasta I've ever had.

 

We decided we wanted to see Cassis and the ship's bus to Cassis was the cheapest we could find. We booked this online before we left. However, once on the ship we were notified the bus was cancelled due to lack of people. So Pullmantur offered us the prebook online price for any other tour they had availability on. We chose the tour to Aix en Provence, which several of us wanted to see anyway. I was a little disappointed in this tour as the tour was 5 hours total but it took 1.5 hours to get to Aix from Toulon and then 1.5 hours to get back. We had a guided walking tour once we got there, but very little free time and no time to eat. Since we were in port for so long that day, it is unclear why we did not have more time in Aix.

 

We initially had planned just to take the train on our own to Pompeii. However, once my friend hurt her knee we knew this was out, so we booked the Naples/Pompeii excursion while on board. We were very grateful to have a guide in Pompeii as we did not fully realize how large nd confusing Pompeii is. After you tour Pompeii, you have some free time in Pompeii to shop or eat. Then the bus drives back to Naples. The bus tour of Naples was uninteresting as you just drove by buildings without stopping. There is one stop in Naples to take pictures of a fountain. I really could have skipped Naples altogether.

 

We did not book anything in Sardinia as my friend with the hurt knee decided she needed to stay on the ship and off her feet. We thought we could get off the ship and maybe find a tour or transportation to Alghero to see the Devil's grotto, but we underestimated how little there is in Porto Torres. The only tour we could find required 8 people to go to Alghero and we were only 4. We just walked around the town. There is a beautiful basilica. It was market day (I think the town is so small that any day a ship is in port is "market day") Some people walked down to the beach but weren't impressed. So we walked to the basilica, browsed the market stalls, ate lunch and got back on the ship. I regret not taking the ship's tour to Alghero as I really thought I could find an independent tour but it didn't work out.

 

In Mallorca, we booked a Segway tour through Segway Palma. It was fun until my friend tried to show off and fell and hurt her knee. The biggest problem we had was that there was a marathon being run in Palma that day. So the ship ended up docking at another pier. There were no taxis to be had as the roads were closed for the marathon. So we decided to walk to the Segway place. But our directions were from the other pier and with all the road closings, we got hopelessly lost. We ended up late for our tour and missed part of Palma.

 

Sorry this was so long. I hope the information is of some help.

 

Kim C

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  • 3 weeks later...

We just returned from a Pullantur cruise on the Zenith, and were very disappointed. This was our fifth Pullmantur cruise and we had booked the Royal Suite with balcony.

The balcony was unusable because it was always flooded from water that had been used to clean the deck above and needed daily vacuuming of the water. The toilets were erratic and they did not want you to flush toilet paper down them. In addition they did not provide facial tissue in the cabin, you needed to have brought your own.

Our air conditioning did not work at first and needed repair and our door key did not work and required a carpenter/electrician to replace the entire locking system.

The food in the dining room was the poorest we have had on any cruise in terms of quality and variety..

The good things were that with the Royal Suite we had access to a small Waves Yacht Club such as is on the Monarch. There we had free internet too. Also we had a private deck area to sun on and very good old Celebrity teak lounge chairs. We also got a good bottle of Cava or Prosecco daily and a fresh fruit basket each other day. They also gave us Todo wrist bands so we had access to all the premium drinks but some wines were not available or very limited as they did not get their full order when they departed Santo Domingo.

Prior to this cruise we had already booked another Pullmantur cruise for the fall on the Monarch and hope it will be better.

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  • 2 weeks later...
We are on the transatlantic in May from Colon to Lisbon. Like others I would recommend a suite as you get lots of extras (Junior Suite is not included). This will be our 3rd Cruise with this company and the previous 2 have been great, they are also excellent value for money. We also got a free upgrade from a Grand Suite to a De-luxe suite.

I was wondering what extras were included in your cruise. We have booked a suite with Pullmantur Horizon, and I am finding it difficult to glean information from web sights and videos as we don't speak French or Spanish.

thank you .

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My wife and I will also be boarding in Colon for the 2017 Spring Transatlantic. I have been looking for a rollcall, but I guess there may not be one. We will probably be arriving at the Panama City Airport the day before departure, so we were hoping to find others to discuss hotels and transfer arrangements.

I've had a hard time finding the roll call, too. I'm taking the Monarch from Colon as well. Arriving from Miami at about 2 PM. Staying at Riande Aeropuerto Hotel Casino the night before we board. Thinking of taking the bus from the shopping center. Or willing to share a taxi from hotel to Colon. Took the ship last year from Colon to Rostock. Satisfied enough to repeat the trip.

Kathleen (aka wanderwoman)

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Hi Bill 21

 

You were asking what extras were included in a suite, I am assuming you have a Grand, de-luxe or queens suite (Junior suites seem to be excluded), for the three main suites mentioned you will go to Priority Check In, be offered champagne and other refreshments, be issued with a special colour cruise card (ours was silver last time), be escorted to the ship, have a table for 2 in the main dining room in a premium location, this table will be available for your exclusive use at Breakfast & Dinner (need to check about Lunch, sometimes it is, sometime it is not) if it is not available at lunch time you do not have to queue, your card gives you priority seating. Same applies to disembarking or embarking at any port, no queuing you have Priority. Room Service is Free. There is a Coffee Machine in the Room and suite guests have their own concierge. There is a private lounge on Monarch (and I believe there is one on Horizon) called Waves Club, where there is a lovely sitting area outside, a very modern lounge with all drinks included and light snacks always available and also free unlimited internet. There are often other perks, vouchers for duty free etc.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask if you want more information.

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Hi Bill 21

 

You were asking what extras were included in a suite, I am assuming you have a Grand, de-luxe or queens suite (Junior suites seem to be excluded), for the three main suites mentioned you will go to Priority Check In, be offered champagne and other refreshments, be issued with a special colour cruise card (ours was silver last time), be escorted to the ship, have a table for 2 in the main dining room in a premium location, this table will be available for your exclusive use at Breakfast & Dinner (need to check about Lunch, sometimes it is, sometime it is not) if it is not available at lunch time you do not have to queue, your card gives you priority seating. Same applies to disembarking or embarking at any port, no queuing you have Priority. Room Service is Free. There is a Coffee Machine in the Room and suite guests have their own concierge. There is a private lounge on Monarch (and I believe there is one on Horizon) called Waves Club, where there is a lovely sitting area outside, a very modern lounge with all drinks included and light snacks always available and also free unlimited internet. There are often other perks, vouchers for duty free etc.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask if you want more information.

Thank you so much for your prompt and in depth reply that is a great help. When I booked the royal suite 1103 I wasn't given any information about perks. It has been difficult getting information. There is also some confusion with different sites...some class my cabin as a royal suite and some don't. So I'm hoping you might also clarify if indeed what type of suite it is

Thanks once again for your help

Bill.

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Thank you so much for your prompt and in depth reply that is a great help. When I booked the royal suite 1103 I wasn't given any information about perks. It has been difficult getting information. There is also some confusion with different sites...some class my cabin as a royal suite and some don't. So I'm hoping you might also clarify if indeed what type of suite it is

Thanks once again for your help

Bill.

Hi Bill: Suite 1103 on Horizon is definitely a Royal suite with balcony,one of the two best accomodations on the ship. We were in 1102 in November 2016 from Marseille under CDF, and our French dinner table mates gave us a tour of their suite 1104, lovely. Separate bedroom and lovely double bathroom with shower and bath.

Lavazza coffee and tea machine and well stocked bar fridge. Sparkling wine fruit basket in suit on embarkation with the fruit basket renewed later in the week. Appetizers or goodies delivered every afternoon.

There is no Waves Club bar on Horizon, but there are many perks for embarkation and debarkation and for dining as previously stated, priority access to the captain on Gala night, significant free internet access etc.

Hope you enjoy your week on Horizon. We did.

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Thanks once again Valencia expat and Downdie for all you help clearing up the confusion about the Horizon and my cabin. I'm really looking forward to this cruise. A pity is nearly 12 months away. Just glad I have a couple of others on NCL before then....

Happy cruising to you all.:)

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There is a Waves Yacht Club on the Zenith too, but the main area is on Deck 8 and is smaller than on the Monarch. There are two classes of the Waves Club, Black and White and only Waves Club Black passengers have access to the private deck area that is located on Deck 12. Staff is the Waves Yacht Club on the Zenith were fantastic and the most helpful we ran into on the cruise.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Are you arriving the day of the cruise as well

 

I will be arriving the afternoon before and staying the night in Cartagena. I've got a couple of connecting flights so wanted to leave time for any issues.

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