Caribbean Cruise Options

[Jennizor]

Yes Dave, Stockholm is on the itinerary. We booked the Baltic cruise to replace the one we had cancelled last year. We are also on Iona in Feb 22. We booked this to replace the one that was cancelled this year. Just looking forward to booking a cruise that isn’t a replacement for one cancelled.

[tring]

On 3/14/2021 at 12:20 PM, wowzz said:

I'm fed up reading about M&H in the papers!)

 

 

You may prefer this option:-

 

 

[daddyfixit]

We are due to fly out in November 2021 (both jabs & if allowed by Boris)...on a Saturday.

Going on Azura for the 1st time, also with P&O for the 1st time--but friends done this cruise 2 years ago assure me the ships the same as Crown princess and balconies are ideal size for watching the world go by.  I am looking forward to it after a somewhat troublesome couple of years and cant wait to actually land in Barbados with the 1975 Typically tropical tune playing in my head!

5ALD-rI8Q08[1]

[zap99]

On 3/14/2021 at 4:12 PM, wowzz said:

Thanks for all the comments so far. Looks like flying in the day before is the best option.

We use our balcony a lot, so the bigger balconies on Azura sound attractive.

Just got to wait and see what the prices are like as and when the brochure is released. If they are too silly we'll have to think about a land based holiday instead.

One last question. If we book premium seats, I assume we have to take part in the midnight stampede to book our seats?

 

I can't remember about booking seats on the P&O charter. I can't remember it being a last minute rush. A plus if going premium is that you land first🤣

[Teabelly69]

If you are looking at Jan 23 your ship choices are Arvia or Brittania as Wait a is doing fly cruises to the Canaries.

[Teabelly69]

Azura not wait 😆

[terrierjohn]

8 minutes ago, Teabelly69 said:

Azura not wait 😆

Isn't predictive text just great!!!!😎

[Teabelly69]

Love it 😃😃

[Denarius]

On 3/15/2021 at 1:59 PM, kalos said:

 

We too joined the midnight crew when we flew on the Airbus which had 2 seat only 

configuration at the windows  and as you say did not want to be stuck in the middle

in the row of four. That plane had a set of toilets downstairs ,so we booked seats a 

few rows away which was handy on a long flight .We think it's worth checking the seat

options ASAP as it left no undesirable seats for hours on end .

I have travelled premium several times and as I recall it the configuration in premium economy is 2 3 2. ie only 3 seats in the middle. As a solo traveller I never book a seat as invariably I get allocated an isle seat in the centre block with a couple in the adjoining seats.

[joeecco]

Most people are saying to fly into Barbados and not St Lucia but we can’t make the dates work for that so are about to book to fly in and out of St Lucia.. 

 

Is it an awful experience or is it still okay? Someone said it’s an uncomfortable 1 hour transfer and we can deal with that if that’s all it is. 
 

Is it the same process as Barbados where it’s straight off to plane to the coach and to the ship or is there more to it? 
 

[Son of Anarchy]

Can't comment on PandO's embarkation and disembarkation procedures in St Lucia, but have flown there and stayed just outside Castries.

 

It's about a 1 to 1.5 hour road journey from Hewannara to Castries.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's uncomfortable if the vehicles are similar to those used in Barbados, but then I'm used to older vehicles and poor roads.   Maybe make sure you've got some bottled water and take in the views.

[ann141]

2 hours ago, joeecco said:

Most people are saying to fly into Barbados and not St Lucia but we can’t make the dates work for that so are about to book to fly in and out of St Lucia.. 

 

Is it an awful experience or is it still okay? Someone said it’s an uncomfortable 1 hour transfer and we can deal with that if that’s all it is. 
 

Is it the same process as Barbados where it’s straight off to plane to the coach and to the ship or is there more to it? 
 

We have flown into St Lucia and Barbados and although Barbados is preferable because you get on the ship quicker! I would happily fly into St Lucia again if the Itinerary was right.The journey from the airport to the ship didn't seem too uncomfortable to me.

[joeecco]

18 minutes ago, ann141 said:

We have flown into St Lucia and Barbados and although Barbados is preferable because you get on the ship quicker! I would happily fly into St Lucia again if the Itinerary was right.The journey from the airport to the ship didn't seem too uncomfortable to me.

That’s great, thanks a lot. We are going to book later today, more than happy with the price, only about £100 more than the new 2023 dates that are now available, I’ll take that haha!

[Guest ccpm]

Booking seats in Premium Economy can be tricky as I have been on right as they are released and already a lot of not available. I like, as does a previous poster, to be near the loo and in an aisle seat. Last time I could find neither so just booked something in desperation I suppose. Then kept worrying about the poor folks whose legs I was going to have to climb over every loo visit. Rang P&O seems all is not as shown on the booking screen (This was Thompson) and a previously "unavailable' one became open. Worth a thought. 

[tring]

5 hours ago, ccpm said:

Booking seats in Premium Economy can be tricky as I have been on right as they are released and already a lot of not available. I like, as does a previous poster, to be near the loo and in an aisle seat. Last time I could find neither so just booked something in desperation I suppose. Then kept worrying about the poor folks whose legs I was going to have to climb over every loo visit. Rang P&O seems all is not as shown on the booking screen (This was Thompson) and a previously "unavailable' one became open. Worth a thought. 

 

I would be in exactly the same position as you.  When do P&O allow booking of flight seats?  Thomson and other airlines allow bookings as soon as you book the flight, though I realise the flights will not be available a couple of years before the holiday, when cruises go on sale.

 

We have pre-registered for a couple of fly cruises on Azura for the winter 2022/23 season - are the short haul flights the same - can you book flight seats and if so when?  I think they are only economy seats for them, but often airlines have extra legroom seats, if only the ones by emergency exits.

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, tring said:

think they are only economy seats for them, but often airlines have extra legroom seats, if only the ones by emergency exits.

The problem you have is that until you know the carrier,  it is difficult to give a precise answer.  Obviously, all carriers have emergency exit rows,  that give more legroom, and then carriers such as Jet2  offer  extra legroom seats at the front of the cabin. It really is a nightmare, and personally, it puts me off booking a fly/cruise holiday when I have no control over my seat allocation. Sorry, I know it is pedantic, but I'm too old to spend hours in an uncomfortable seat!

You need to keep in contact with your TA to find out how soon you can book your seats,  so as to get the ones with the most legroom. 

 

[tring]

30 minutes ago, wowzz said:

The problem you have is that until you know the carrier,  it is difficult to give a precise answer.  Obviously, all carriers have emergency exit rows,  that give more legroom, and then carriers such as Jet2  offer  extra legroom seats at the front of the cabin. It really is a nightmare, and personally, it puts me off booking a fly/cruise holiday when I have no control over my seat allocation. Sorry, I know it is pedantic, but I'm too old to spend hours in an uncomfortable seat!

You need to keep in contact with your TA to find out how soon you can book your seats,  so as to get the ones with the most legroom. 

 

We are not so bothered about extra legroom, though would book them or similar for a flight booked with a land hol.  What we would want is at least one aisle seat so I can get to the loo easily, (we usually book seats across the aisle from each other. Emirates and Tui let you choose seats as soon s you are booked on the flight which is fair as the early booked get first choice.  Malta and Tenerife are not long flights though so will have to manage.

[Guest ccpm]

Previously with Thompson it was 14 weeks prior to departure from midnight on a specific date. The blurb I had through as confirmation this week shows emergency row seats are this time a whopping £75 to  prebook and have restrictions as to who can sit there e.g.certain health issues.

 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, ccpm said:

have restrictions as to who can sit there e.g.certain health issues.

Surely that has always been the case?

[Guest ccpm]

On 4/10/2021 at 8:04 AM, wowzz said:

Surely that has always been the case?

Yes may well be but the impression I had was the OP hadn't done that before so ws just adding asmuch info as I had. Apologies if I got the post wrong.

[tring]

9 minutes ago, ccpm said:

Yes may well be but the impression I had was the OP hadn't done that before so ws just adding asmuch info as I had. Apologies if I got the post wrong.

It is near the loo and aisle seats that I would want, but was waffling a bit about not likely to be upgraded darts on short haul as well.  We usually do book emergency exit seats and have been fine so far, but as we are getting older, may have to stop doing so soon 🙂

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by tring

[john watson]

The early in the year fly out sail home is a good cruise to book if you can manage the dates.  The long flight only happens once.  You can bring back unlimited weights of purchases.  If you go the Friday you get an extra day holiday (15) and it is one of the cheapest cruises per night.

 

Regards John

[Presto2]

Just looking at this thread. Have to say, the Caribbean would be my retirement cruise --- not close enough yet though!

 

Just thinking ahead - do you need to have vaccinations for this holiday ?

Is it as amazing as it looks?

How does it compare to a cruise of Italy / Greece as we love ancient history and exploring?

 

What is the site seeing like? Just worried that I may get fed up of much of a much ness --- though, even writing this, I think I am mad just saying it !!!

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Just looking at this thread. Have to say, the Caribbean would be my retirement cruise --- not close enough yet though!

 

Just thinking ahead - do you need to have vaccinations for this holiday ?

Is it as amazing as it looks?

How does it compare to a cruise of Italy / Greece as we love ancient history and exploring?

 

What is the site seeing like? Just worried that I may get fed up of much of a much ness --- though, even writing this, I think I am mad just saying it !!!

A Caribbean 35 night cruise was our retirement cruise, one for the winter sun and two to see how we would fare with 35 nights. The fact that we have done 5 more long cruises to the Caribbean/USA in winter tells a story as far as we are concerned.

The Islands are great for exploring, depending on what rings your bells of course, not a lot of ancient history when compared to some European countries, Mexico may suit you. I could write a tome about the different islands many we have done several times. We have never needed a vaccination yet even in central America, however that could change if there was an outbreak.

[Presto2]

2 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

A Caribbean 35 night cruise was our retirement cruise, one for the winter sun and two to see how we would fare with 35 nights. The fact that we have done 5 more long cruises to the Caribbean/USA in winter tells a story as far as we are concerned.

The Islands are great for exploring, depending on what rings your bells of course, not a lot of ancient history when compared to some European countries, Mexico may suit you. I could write a tome about the different islands many we have done several times. We have never needed a vaccination yet even in central America, however that could change if there was an outbreak.

That's interesting. Have to say have always fancied Mexico.

No jabs for the likes of Barbados then? (not thinking COVID)

Am surprised