Cheap prices on Aurora!

[Ardennais]

3 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Not everyone wants to fly. 

True. I love the sea days out of Southampton! 

[Ardennais]

7 hours ago, GOQ said:

Take a look at the first photograph in this sequence. I had the Exactly equivalent  cabin on Arvia on its TA cruise in January.

It was absolutely horrible, the last cabin on the starboard side deck 8, cabin 8.123.

 

1. The seated view was obstructed by the green/frosted glass and the windscreen opposite.

2. Next to this cabin is an equipment room of some sort, I  am guessing it is aircon with extraction grills onto the deck. During the passage across the Bay of Biscay (TA Southampton to Barbados) it was horrendously noisy. It sounded like a metal filing cabinet was being thrown repeatedly across the room next door. After the BofB this racket fortunately stopped..    

3. Everybody, absolutely everybody, could look directly into my cabin. Some people passing by were quite brazen about it and had a good look, others were embarrassed and others might say good morning and might have a chat.

4. Somebody actually vomited onto my balcony (I have a photo to prove this), the mess looks like Weetabix ???, my mind boggles. 

 

 

 

Sounds horrendous. As you say, everything is visible and I could see people sitting at the dressing table. 

[Ardennais]

7 hours ago, wowzz said:

The problem with those itineraries is that you still have the three day slog out of, and back to, Southampton, with no doubt yet another visit to Gib included !

Just nice to fly out to the ship and do away with those six sea days.

I don’t see it as a problem, just a nice opportunity to relax and transition from work to holiday mode before the exploring begins! 

Edited March 1, 2023 by Ardennais
Typo

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

I don’t see it as a problem, just a nice opportunity to relax and transition from work to holiday mode before the exploring begins! 

Fortunately,  we haven't been in work mode for almost twenty years, so have no wish for a transition.  We just want to get to new ports, and sunnier weather asap !

[Fionboard]

Many dislike airports and flying and like sea days and longer cruises. Each to their own! 

[jeanlyon]

22 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Many dislike airports and flying and like sea days and longer cruises. Each to their own! 

Agree.  Having been aircrew for 16 years, I no longer fly and the first sea days are fine for me.  The only time I found them tedious was in bad weather on the way back. 

[Britboys]

18 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

See you on board!  I haven't been to Mykonos, Rhodes or Crete (well I have, but only landed and took off again in my aircrew days).

Rhodes Old Town is a really lovely place to wander around Jean. Heraklion is pleasant but nothing special.

[jeanlyon]

22 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Rhodes Old Town is a really lovely place to wander around Jean. Heraklion is pleasant but nothing special.

Yes that's mainly what we are going to do.  We are giving Athens a miss, been there loads of times.  Will find something in Piraeus.  Also going to Malaga and Palermo.

[GOQ]

Because of covid I had a cruise to Casablanca cancelled. By comparison with other cruise lines it seems that unless you travel with the  28 night+ cruises P&O are not very adventurous (unless you do a segment of a world tour, another topic). However in April 2024 R406 Aurora visits both Casablanca and Tangier. 

I am very  tempted.

Edited March 2, 2023 by GOQ

[Britboys]

9 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes that's mainly what we are going to do.  We are giving Athens a miss, been there loads of times.  Will find something in Piraeus.  Also going to Malaga and Palermo.

Malaga is lovely too and easy to stroll around.

[jeanlyon]

8 minutes ago, GOQ said:

Because of covid I had a cruise to Casablanca cancelled. By comparison with other cruise lines it seems that unless you travel with the  28 night+ cruises P&O are not very adventurous (unless you do a segment of a world tour, another topic). However in April 2024 R406 Aurora visits both Casablanca and Tangier. 

I am very  tempted.

Personally I would be very unexcited by both those ports.  Been to both.  Dirty, crowded etc.

[jeanlyon]

1 minute ago, Britboys said:

Malaga is lovely too and easy to stroll around.

been before.  We went to the Car & Couture Museum.  Really worthwhile.

[GOQ]

22 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Personally I would be very unexcited by both those ports.  Been to both.  Dirty, crowded etc.

Never mind, it will be something new for me even if it's horrible.

Bits of China were horrible, bits of New York, San Francisco etc., but was an experience, I am getting older now and I want to do/experience more.

🥵🤧🙃

Edited March 2, 2023 by GOQ

[jeanlyon]

1 hour ago, GOQ said:

Never mind, it will be something new for me even if it's horrible.

Bits of China were horrible, bits of New York, San Francisco etc., but was an experience, I am getting older now and I want to do/experience more.

🥵🤧🙃

Well that's true.  Bits of UK are 'orriblel too!

[davecttr]

My next cruise on Aurora was not cheap but still cheaper than the 14 night in the Med on Marella and I get to visit Iceland again, also Ireland and Norway. Plus lots of lovely sea days. I wonder if my suit still fits because i will embrace the formals. It has been 8 years since my last Aurora cruise and maybe venues have changed etc?

[Selbourne]

3 hours ago, GOQ said:

Because of covid I had a cruise to Casablanca cancelled. By comparison with other cruise lines it seems that unless you travel with the  28 night+ cruises P&O are not very adventurous (unless you do a segment of a world tour, another topic). However in April 2024 R406 Aurora visits both Casablanca and Tangier. 

I am very  tempted.

That would appeal to me too. P&O itineraries can be tediously repetitive, so any that go to somewhere different get my vote. Places like that are of course very different in terms of culture and standards than we are used to, but that’s half the attraction for me, otherwise we just live in a sanitised bubble. 

[daiB]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

My next cruise on Aurora was not cheap but still cheaper than the 14 night in the Med on Marella and I get to visit Iceland again, also Ireland and Norway. Plus lots of lovely sea days. I wonder if my suit still fits because i will embrace the formals. It has been 8 years since my last Aurora cruise and maybe venues have changed etc?

The changes are a Sindhu where the library was and a Glass House instead of Cafe B. Oh and the casino has opened up to be part of Champions. We were on at Christmas and that was not cheap.

 

Dai

[MrsTW]

We’ve just booked a reasonably priced cruise on Aurora to the Baltics in the summer. Had been looking at this itinerary for a while. A few new ports for us which is always welcome. Just a lowly inside but these days, we’d rather do more cruises in an inside than less if we had a balcony.

We love sitting on the promenade decks which is why Britannia is my least favourite ship. Her adult only section is good though. 

 

Recently completed a cruise on Arcadia to the USA and Caribbean and next up is Ventura, ….…one of my favourite ships, then Aurora followed by Iona later this year. Iona is lovely. Totally changed my mind about large ships. Been on her twice already. 

[jh1809]

If that cruise on Aurora to the Baltic is the one in 2024, then I've just booked on it too. I've been on one |Baltic cruise previously, but this one has quite a few ports that are new to me too. It's not calling at either Copenhagen or Stockholm *unless my memory is going), which slightly surprised me.

[wowzz]

On 3/1/2023 at 5:40 PM, SeaJane said:

5 hours ago, jh1809 said:

If that cruise on Aurora to the Baltic is the one in 2024, then I've just booked on it too. I've been on one |Baltic cruise previously, but this one has quite a few ports that are new to me too. It's not calling at either Copenhagen or Stockholm *unless my memory is going), which slightly surprised me.

 

We have booked a Princess cruise to the Baltic this year (July). Both Copenhagen and Stockholm are included. Looks to be a far better itinerary than any offered by P&O.

[Fionboard]

Lots of lovely destinations in the Baltic. Good to see them instead of the usual suspects for a change.

[jh1809]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

We have booked a Princess cruise to the Baltic this year (July). Both Copenhagen and Stockholm are included. Looks to be a far better itinerary than any offered by P&O.

I've been to Stockholm and Copenhagen before, though, and the 2024 Aurora cruise includes quite a few ports that will be new to me, as well as the old regulars Helsinki and Tallinn (and Tallinn is so lovely that I'd happily keep on going back there).

[jeanlyon]

Just been reading elsewhere that there are no themed buffets any more on Aurora?  Used to love Indian night and also Italian.  Anyone confirm.  Sad if it's true.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, jh1809 said:

I've been to Stockholm and Copenhagen before, though, and the 2024 Aurora cruise includes quite a few ports that will be new to me, as well as the old regulars Helsinki and Tallinn (and Tallinn is so lovely that I'd happily keep on going back there).

The 2024 itinerary does look interesting. Was a little tempted,  until I saw that the cheapest saver balcony cabin was over £500pp more than our Princess deluxe balcony.  I know the Aurora cruise is 16 days rather than 14, and prices next year are more expensive, but even  so, I think I'll pass.

Edited March 4, 2023 by wowzz

[MrsTW]

17 hours ago, jh1809 said:

If that cruise on Aurora to the Baltic is the one in 2024, then I've just booked on it too. I've been on one |Baltic cruise previously, but this one has quite a few ports that are new to me too. It's not calling at either Copenhagen or Stockholm *unless my memory is going), which slightly surprised me.

No this year. 
Not sure what your itinerary is but ours is super. Due to St Petersburg obviously being dropped, Riga and Skagen have been added.