Discovery World Cruises

Hi,

 

Has anyone sailed aboard the M/V DISCOVERY (former ISLAND PRINCESS)? I recently received a brochure for this ship and was impressed with the very interesting itineraries. I am curious about the food, service, shore excursions, etc., on this ship. How would this ship compare to the MARCO POLO (another mid-sized older ship that offers reasonably priced cruises to exotic destinations)?

 

Thanks for any information,

 

Chuck

I'm advised by an ex-employee of Orient Lines that the Discovery "product" is VERY MUCH the same as found aboard the Marco Polo. As I'm certain you know, many of the key crew members (Captain, Cruise Director, Onboard Booking Consultant) as well as members of the Dining Room and housekeeping staff have left Orient Lines and joined Discovery World Cruises. If you liked the Marco Polo, you should also like the Discovery.

Thanks for the information. As you know, there is not a lot of information available about this new line. I must say that the brochure is impressive.

 

Chuck

We went on Discovery in November last year for three weeks from Egypt to Lisbon. This was the last two cruises of the Voyages of Discovery half of the year. We thought the ship was good - in particular it was nice having known faces in the dining room from Crown Odyssey and Marco Polo. We think that both Voyages and World Discovery do excellent itineraries. Our only complaint was the food which to us was disappointing and certainly not up to the standard of Orient. As my husband put it - mealtimes were just times to eat you did not look forward to them. It may well be that the food is by now better - certainly they got a new chef for the second half of our cruise. Also World may have a bigger allowance per passenger for food. This was the only thing on the cruise that would deter us from going again.

We sail on Discovery this friday, so let you know our thoughts in early august

So glad to see action about this ship. We want to take the March 6 New Zealand trip but have been hesitant as know nothing about her. Have been lurking and hoping for guidance.

Do you people use travel agents, internet discounters or the Discovery people themselves. We want to have deviation air and I have been stalling. Their air prices are significantly lower. Maybe we had better get moving if we want decent accomodations.

Thanks in advance

I Am Also Considering Changing From Crystal In March/05 To Discovery Nz/sp.

 

Spoke To Head Office In Ft Lauderdale Today, Say They Are Working On Food Improvements, They Read These Boards!

 

The Itinerary Is Very Appealing & Interesting , Also Worried That Crystal Maybe Too Glitzy,sailed Harmony In/91 Enjoyed It, But You Could Tell It Was La Controlled !! Discovery Will Be More Casual And Laid Back.

 

Have You Made Any Decision?

hi angela did youdo a review of the discovery as i might be going on her soon

I Am Also Considering Changing From Crystal In March/05 To Discovery Nz/sp.

Interesting choice - it's not easy to compare the two as we have a bit of an apples-and-oranges comparison here.

 

Certainly ship-wise CRYSTAL HARMONY should be much more luxurious. I also imagine it's a lot more formal, less port-intensive, and hopefully a fair amount more expensive, if not you're either getting a great deal on HARMONY or a terrible deal on DISCOVERY ;) ...

 

If you've not seen it yet you might want to take a look at this from my good friend Raoul Fiebig (ruderhaus). Ironically in some of the photos you can see CRYSTAL HARMONY's much newer running-mate CRYSTAL SERENITY in the background.

 

DISCOVERY certainly doesn't have the glamour of a CRYSTAL HARMONY but she looks like a very attractive ship, and it's easy to forget that not too long ago she was actually a pretty high-priced item as ISLAND PRINCESS. (She got five stars in the 1981 Fielding's guide, widely regarded as the very first modern crusie guidebook!) Also it looks like she's been very nicely fixed up by Discovery World Cruises; the best of her original design remains yet she looks fresh and new as well. She looks like a very nice alternative for people looking for more port-intensive, less glitzy (but certainly still very comfortable and even somewhat luxurious) cruises without going to an expedition-type ship. Essentially, she's what MARCO POLO used to be. The only question mark does seem to be the food; I've heard more than a few negative remarks toward that end. It is worth noting though that most have to do with Voyages of Discovery; I don't know if I've actually heard of anyone who's been on her when being marketed by Discovery World Cruises and the food could well be different.

 

Of course it would be unfair to not point out CRYSTAL HARMONY is now 15 years old and doesn't hold nearly the same position in the market that she used to - I remember when the luxury ship was either CRYSTAL HARMONY or ROYAL VIKING SUN, depending on who you asked (this was before Silversea, Radisson, etc.). Radisson in particular with their all-suites and open seating have hit Crystal pretty hard so they're doing some pretty significant discounting on some cruises and for a change I think you can now get a very good buy on Crystal (on the specific cruises they're discounting that is), especially on HARMONY and SYMPHONY which are both older than most of their competition at this point. However HARMONY is still over 15 years newer than DISCOVERY and is still operating in an entirely different market segment, even if she's not as shiny and new as she once was.

 

Please do let us know what you choose, as I said you've got two completely different products here with very little crossover between the two so it will be interesting to see what you go for.

My last cruise was on Crystal Harmony and my next cruise is on MV Discovery, so I can only offer a description of the former. Last year's Alaskan cruise on Harmony was undoubtedly the best experience I've had on a dozen or so ships. The food, entertainment, excursions and service - particularly the service - were the best I've ever seen. They really treat you like a pampered guest on Crystal and not just a paying customer. Most surprisingly, I found a lower fare on Crystal (as a single traveller) than any of the other lines offering comparable cruises.

 

I've booked passage on Discovery for next year's eclipse cruise segment from Tahiti to Easter Island. From what I've seen of the cabin layout [forgive me for posting a link to another board's gallery], it will be significantly more cramped than the king-sized bed I enjoyed on Harmony. Adequate, but certainly not luxurious. I'm a little concerned about the reviews the food has received. Hopefully, Discovery World Cruises has improved upon the shortcomings of its predecessor, but I won't know for sure until I sail.

 

Interestingly, I've also sailed twice on the Marco Polo. While some of the amenities don't match those available on larger ships, she remains my favorite cruising vessel. The camber and shear of the decks, the art deco touches in the public rooms and the general feel of a real sailing ship make her unique. I'm encouraged by Doug's comparison of the Discovery as what MARCO POLO used to be. If that's the case, I'm sure I will be pleased with the overall shipboard experience.

Doug, your post made for very interesting,informative, helpful reading, sure you could be a leading contributor for newspaper & magazine travel sections!

 

I am remembering on Harmony, it was so new, I enjoyed it, but found the experience a little over the top, prefer to travel to see new sights and experience all that they can offer.

Seems that Crystal is more for the feeling of being cosseted in luxury,served amazing food and watching lavish floor shows,

 

Those things can also be had in Las Vegas and the only reason I booked again was that I want to see China and the land tour and the single cabin offer, made for an attractive deal.

 

As I am semi retired intend to cruise more,flying in economy is a pain and the extra charge for bus/first is ridiculous,ships,even at single rate offer the best value,specially when you shop around for the deals.

 

Christmas I am booked on the Amsterdam to Antarctica,it was more resonable than Discovery and I have read great reviews, would have preferred the Zodiac excursions,but HAL seemed the best bet for Xmas.

 

So, I am now deciding whether to go to the S Pacific or stick with China, which obviously will offer more brain stimulation,but may be too cold as well, will let you know.

 

When you have time, let me know your choice, Hasta luego, KC:)

If you liked Marco Polo TR I am sure you will like Discovery as a ship and you will also enjoy having some of the Crown Odyssey/Marco Polo crew on it - including Captain Eric! You don't actually say which cabin you have booked. If it is on Promenade deck these are very nice indeed and a good size. If you are on Pacific or the deck/s below, deck for deck I think the cabins are a little smaller than Marco Polo. We were in an inside on Pacific deck and found it quite satisfactory but the storage space was definitely less than in an I (equivalent grade) on Marco Polo's main deck. We think the itineraries for both Voyages of Discovery and Discovery World cruises are excellent and in fact as we are destination people there are very few lines which fall into this category. The food question is the only thing that would stop us booking again unless we were sure they had sorted it out.

 

In many ways Discovery World cruises have scored an own goal. It is the same ship with the same crew as Voyages of Discovery but at a very different price. Voyages is a comparatively cheap cruise line and really very good value for money. I always hesitate to criticise food because I think people have very different expectations and tastes and you have always to take into account the fare paid by the largest number of passengers on the ship when comparing ship to ship. A lot of cruisers do not do this. Some cruise lines have plainer fare, others gourmet and this I really do not mind. The thing that made me criticise Voyages was not the menus per se but the actual quality of the meat, fish and salads for which I do not think there is an excuse.

 

Doug you say most of the complaints over food have been with Voyages. On the board that is probably true because few people have commented on Discovery World. However the two reviews following mine of November, were in December and was the start of Discovery World and pretty damning. That of course was early days. I personally have only come across one other comment in the Spring though I cannot remember on which board which was not too encouraging. It probably is fine now because they have to get this right - not least because they should be considerably upmarket to Voyages.

 

I look forward to your review TR (which I hope you will do after your trip).

 

Seabourndt. Yes I did do a review of the Discovery in November last year. Whether it is still there in the old cruise reviews I don't know. However you can get the gist of what I said in this. Which are you thinking of going on? Voyages or World? On the question of food I think I probably said to you on Black Prince that I thought their food superior to Voyages so that gives you an idea. The strengths of Black Prince on food were that it was well cooked and I thought the buffet lunch choices excellent. Did you see my reply to Hi Angela. Have you decided how to spend your windfall!!

hi there i did see the sept 16th onew ondiscovery very cheap but mundy cruising don't even reply, so asked about a single on prom deck inapril next year lima to misami. also got a ship visit from ols aug 27th not confirmed yet. what is rthe differencebetween discovewry and world i haveno idea. no not decided about my windfall on fred olsen stioll looking. another shjip visit onblack watch before i decide. also doing visit on siolver cloud inlodon

Seabourndt You certainly get around!! We have just got our three weeks on Marco Polo on September 30. Looking forward to this very much - only slightly dampened by the recent report on Orient Board. We have now definitely booked Black Watch for the mini cruise on 17 December to Rouen. I like sailing up the Seine. Perhaps see you there if your visit to Black Watch is satisfactory.

We are booked on Discovery for the Christmas cruise Lisbon to Buenos Aires.

 

It was interesting to see the comments on the food, which confirms what we suspected.

 

Our last cruise was on Minerva 2 earlier in the year and although it is a fantastic ship which we would go on again without hesitation our one reservation was on the food - although this was compensated to some extent by the open sitting dining arrangements which we found very satisfactory.

 

Interestingly, another poster has noted the food on Discovery as being inferior to Black Prince, and my comment about Minerva was that it was not in the same class as Fred Olsen - as long as Discovery is not worse than Minerva we shall find it acceptable !!

 

I shall be interested to hear from anyone who returns from Discovery before we go on Dec 9th, although anything prior to that will be with Voyages of Discovery as ours is the first of the owner's Winter program .

 

I read the detailed critique of the ship by the German travel writer (whose name I can't remember) and was quite comforted by that - as I read an earlier comment on this site from someone who had been very dissatisfied with the first cruise when they claimed that work was still being carried out as they sailed.

 

The German writer said that there was still some refurbishing to be done in some cabins and as far as I can work out from the published itineraries there is a gap of two weeks between the end of the last VoD cruise which finishes in Rome and the start of the one we are going on from Lisbon.

 

Does anybody know if further refurbishing is scheduled for those two weeks?

 

Glad to hear any further comments

 

Kath

I forgot to ask in my previous post if anyone knows what mix of nationalities we might expect on the Christmas 2004 World Discovery cruise from Lisbon to Buenos Aires?

 

I'd also be interested to hrear from anyone else who has booked the cruise.

 

Cheers Kath

thanks for your post, great you're going on marco polo wherer is she going?

yesi get aroiunfd don't i silver cloiud visit at tower bridge on 15th discovery and black watch good to hear you're going on the mini cruise hopefully going too and will be better the the black prince. did you get anything from fred olsen, just wondered as i wrote to them and if some did'nt doid they still get something. also hoping to go on thre new albatros next may if they can sort it ols. booked on the arcadia too hopeinmg to get some pictures ogf her in venice so,metime.

david templar

also hoping to go on thre new albatros next may if they can sort it ols.

I doubt the OLS will be able to get a visit on ALBATROS as from what I've heard Phoenix have stopped allowing visits to her indefinitely. The reaction to her has been... Well, not very good.

Minke: Will you be posting your review soon? I'd like to book, but would like to hear your opinion.

Review will be a few days yet, such a lot to do at home! we had a good time & would go again at right price. Food in DR was good, buffet not our scene. Entertainment & some wait staff are only on for the VoD summer charter so how that affects the winter months under Discovery cruises I do not know

Char70 wanted to know with whom to book. I just booked a single cabin for Antarctica (1/7/05). I called Voyages directly and was directed by the reservation agent there to a travel agency in California where I live. The price I got from the agency is $475 cheaper than from Voyages directly. The agency has a group rate. I suggest you call Voyages and ask them for the name of the agency in your area that offers group rates. Since you are from California, the agency I used is probably the agency you would use.

------------------I called Voyages directly and was directed by the reservation agent there to a travel agency in California where I live --------------------------------

 

 

Thanks R&M for your information. Don't know who Voyages are and would appreciate your info re travel agent.

 

We have already booked for 3/05 directly from Discovery as were nervous about certain cabins (claustrophobia). Havn't got air yet as want to stop for few days in Fiji on way down. Would prefer Samoa but air schedules are killers. Deviation is $150pp each way.

 

We are antiquated and need more time than most for jet lag. Also want more pre days in Auckland to poke around.

 

If I changed to a knowledgeable travel agency would I be able to keep our cabin?

 

Thanks again

Char70-"Voyages" is Discovery World Cruises, the cruise line itself. I should not have used the term "Voyages" as it was misleading.

 

The cruise line agent directed me to call Golden Bear Travel in Novato (1-800-551-1000). Golden Bear has group prices for Californians. Apparently those who live in other states may need to contact a different agency.

 

I am not trying to drum up business for this agency but merely pointing out that the cruise line itself told me to contact them for the best deal.

 

I have no idea whether you would be able to keep the same cabin but a toll free phone call should give you your answer.

R&M - Thanks for the information. I'll give them a ring and see what they have to say.

 

It is nice to have a place to come to for this type of information.

Anyone else on the Nov. 9th cruise?