Have I got the ship to myself?

[zetarose]

Hi is anyone going on the Thomson Destiny on 25/9/2008?

 

Would be nice to have a few people to talk to while onboard lol

 

Look forward to hearing from you if you are going on the same date.

[smiffy1951]

Hi Zetarose:)

 

I put a similar note on when I was going on this cruise on the 26th June this year and I didn't get any replies either - Mind you the ship was packed but obviously nobody on there read the messages on this site!!!!

 

Smiffy1951

Janet

[scarymary555]

Hi is anyone going on the Thomson Destiny on 25/9/2008?

 

Would be nice to have a few people to talk to while onboard lol

 

Look forward to hearing from you if you are going on the same date.

 

Well this is spooky!! Have just joined this forum today and lo and behold I see this thread straight away. My husband and me are hoping to go on our very first cruise in September but we're leaving it to the last minute in order to get a bargain (we hope!) and we've got out hearts set on 'Jewels of the Med' ~ 25th Sept.

 

Are you a first time cruiser as well? Who are you going with? I'd love to chat to you....hope you see this post. :)

[zetarose]

Hiya Mary,nice to hear from you,would love to chat,especially as you are hoping to go on your crusie the same time as me,its nice to know that I wont be the only one on board,dont want to be too selfish and have all the waiter service! lol

 

This is my first cruise,am looking forward to it very much and counting down the days,I will on deck 2 or 3,outside cabin,looking forward to sailing the med and seeing different ports of call and going exploring.Im going with my partner,who also has never been on a cruise before,no kids though,they are looking after house while we are away,clever eh!;)

 

We have gone for the inclusive drink package,Im not a big drinker at home but will try to make up for that with the cocktails,hope you will be able to join me for a drink or 3 Mary!

 

Look forward to chatting and get that cruise booked for Sep 25th,love my partner to bits but some other people to chat to would be good lol

 

Take care

[scarymary555]

Hi Zetarose....

 

We're leaving our two teens 'home alone' as well.....woohoo!! :D

 

I would certainly love to join your for a drink or 3 and can only keep my fingers crossed that I managed to get a last minute bargain for this cruise! ;)

 

I know what you mean about 'other halfs' ~ it can be a bit hard work having a decent conversation with them sometimes. :rolleyes:

[zetarose]

Hi Mary,nice to hear from you again,i'm counting on you to get that cruise booked,need a drinking buddy to try the cocktails on the list,starting from the top and working down to the bottom!I will be keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you that you get your holiday.

[scarymary555]

Hi Mary,nice to hear from you again,i'm counting on you to get that cruise booked,need a drinking buddy to try the cocktails on the list,starting from the top and working down to the bottom!I will be keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you that you get your holiday.

 

DH was talking to his Mother last night about which cruise we're going on because they've been on several Thomson Cruises. Her and her partner were trying to put us off Jewels of the Med, saying that Med Renaissance was much better but I'm sticking with the one we've picked. Can always try that one next time! ;)

[zetarose]

Hi Mary,thats spooky,I was looking at the Med Renaissance for my next cruise,i havent even been on my first one yet!Hope you manage to get booked for Jewels of the Med,fingers crossed its not fully booked.

 

Chat soon,take care

[smiffy1951]

Hi Zetarose & Scarymary555:)

 

We did the Jewels of the Med cruise on the 26th June and it was fabulous. I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

Corsica is lovely, and if you're visiting Toulon go on the trip to Cassis it's beautiful. Barcelona is great too especially Las Ramblas.

 

As you say you can always to the other one next time!!! Sounds like you're hooked on cruising already.

 

Smiffy1951

Janet

[zetarose]

Hi Smiffy,Im looking forward to seeing the sights,been checking the different ports out,question for you,how much are the excursions to those on the Jewel of the Med?,dont want to go on all of them,just been picking a few that really interest me,would prefer to do my own thing on some days. Are the excursions full days or half,think on some half a day would suit me better,be nice to visit and then relax back on the ship,plus my back isnt as young as it used to be and lets me know if i do a whole days walking!

Been checking out ports of call to the Med renaissance,they sound really nice too.

 

Take care,chat soon

[kruzseeka]

I think the Cassis trip was £29 (half-day) which was in fact about 5 hours. It was a great excursion. It gives you time to wander around Toulon afterwards - or just get back to the ship for a cream tea!

 

As smiffy says, it's a fabulous itinerary although we didn't do Trapani when we did it. The Renaissance itinerary is great too - a mix of the 'must see' cities like Rome with charming, picturesque ports like Villefranche. I wouldn't be able to pick between them! You've got the answer though -enjoy this one then get planning/booking for the next!

 

You'll love it!

[smiffy1951]

Hi Zetarose:)

 

It was Kruzseeka who recommended the trip to Cassis to me and yes it was around £29 for the half day trip.

 

We did a half day trip every day except in Barcelona where we did our own thing on the open top bus around the city which cost 20 euros. If I remember rightly we spent about £120 each for 4 half day trips and some were a bit more expensive than others. I must admit we usually have a look at the trips when we arrive and decide what we want to do, then book them straight away so we are not disappointed if there is a trip we want to do that then is fully booked. I suppose if you do a full day trip you wouldn't have as much time to relax when you get back on board, especially if you are on an early sitting for dinner.

 

I know a lot of people like to do their own thing in a lot of places, but when there are just the two of us we find it nice to be with a crowd of fellow passengers and that way you get to know people better, so you can stop and have a chat when you see them on board. If there are a few of you then you can do your own thing and divide the cost. I suppose it's like everything, it's all down to personal choice.

 

Anything else I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask.

 

Smiffy1951

Janet

[zetarose]

Hi Cruzseeker & Smiffy,thanks for the tips,its good when people have been on certain excursions and can give feedback.I was thinking of trying the Pompeii one and also a trip in Ajaccio.I s there much of a beach at any of the ports of call?I dont intend to lie getting baked,just be nice to walk along the beach or have a rest and take in the scenery.

[kruzseeka]

I don't remember a beach at Ajaccio where we docked - but there may be one in the vicinity. We did the little Noddy train trip around the town which was good.

 

Likewise at Toulon - where you dock is at the waterfront. Perhaps if you do a Google search for the tourist information office at Toulon you can find out if there are any beaches around. Some people on our cruise caught the bus from Toulon to get the cable car up Mount Faron? (not certain of spelling) and said it was really good. There is a beach at Cassis though which you would have time to visit if you went on the trip - but you wouldn't have too long to spend at the beach before meeting the coach again.

 

We did Pompeii on our own, catching the train from Naples which takes you to just across the road from the entrance to the site. We bought the radio commentary and did the 2.5 hour 'highlights' tour - which actually took us more like 3 hours. It was very intersting and we enjoyed the visit immensely. I have heard the Herculaneum site is excellent and although smaller than Pompeii, the buildings are rather better preserved.

[kruzseeka]

Hi zetarose!

 

Ajaccio also has a pretty decent sandy beach within walking distance of the tender pier.

 

Hank

 

I've just spotted this post on the destinations board - this could be quite useful for you as although we liked Ajaccio very much, we felt we'd had a good flavour of the place in a few hours so perhaps you would have time for a beach visit here.

 

I think the ship docked really close to the town so you won't have problems of transport to get back to the ship. I always feel really reassured if I can walk back to the ship - no worries. If we've taken public transport I always end up heading back far too early - just to be sure we get back in good time. I have a real dread of stand on the dock waving to all my fellow passengers sailing away to the next destination!

[zetarose]

Hi Kruzseeker,I agree with you about getting back to the ship on time,would hate to arrive late and like yourself be seen waving off the fellow passengers to their next destination!I think thats why I was prefering to go on the excusions so at least I knew then if we got back late the ship would still wait for us.From what I have read so far Cassis and Ajaccio do seem to be really nice places to visit.

 

I havent heard from ScaryMary for a while,just hoping that she managed to book the cruise for Jewels of the Med she was hoping to go on,I know the cruise isnt til Sep,but I wondered how long the cruises take to get fully booked.

 

Regarding the excursions,should I book them as soon as I get on board,how quick do they get booked up?

 

Chat soon,take care

[kruzseeka]

When you get to your cabin you will find the destinations guide telling you all about the trips/costs/length/departure times/how active they are/if any meals are included.

 

Because excursions are important to us (although not necessarily the ship's trips - some we do on our own, or just explore) I always check out the excursions as soon as I get on board resisting the temptation to explore the ship/take my first cocktail etc.!

 

If there is a special excursion you want to do and there is 'limited availability' (it will mention that in the guide too) then get straight down to Destination Services and hand in your order form. [When we went to Malaga we specially wanted to do the Alhambra excursion and there was only one coach going so we booked that the minute we got on board - even before we found our cabin!]

 

You don't need to commit to all the trips in one go - get anything really important booked then you can reflect a bit more on any other. You can always ask at destination services how much space is left on various trips so you will know whether to make your mind up quickly. Often there is availability up to the day before it goes. You can keep booking throughout your trip - and your ideas may change as you go along depending on weather/experiences at other ports/how energetic you feel etc., etc.

 

The destinations people do port showcases telling you about different ports to do on your own which can be quite useful but it depends on the staff delivering the info as well as their familiarity with the port. I often email the tourist offices of the places we're visiting to ask them to send me a guide (remember to add your address) also have a good look at their websites - you can often decide what you'd like to do or see from that.

 

The destinations team do presentations about the tours they organise too but usually don't tell you anymore than what you read in the guide. I find there is so much info when you're listening to it that I end up getting confused about what they said about where! It's easier for me to read the info quietly (from the guide) and then if I have any questions about particular trips, go to the destinations desk and ask them directly. I've found them helpful when you go with specific questions.

 

Smiffy and I were talking about the Cassis trip earlier - I didn't go on the cruise planning to do that one but we'd been to Toulon before and the description in the guide sounded so interesting that we just decided to go. So, you might end up going places you never imagined as you find out more about the destinations! Anyway, I hope this helps - any other questions, just get back.

 

PS Yes, hope ScaryMary gets the deal she wants. I'm tracking some Sept departures too!

[zetarose]

Hi kruzseeker,thanks for the info,never thought to ask tourist info board to send me details,will look into that,be nice to have some guides sent so I can browse through them before I go away.

 

Imagine if myself,you and Mary all got to go on the Destiny in September,what a ball we would have! lol,would make a change to actually chat to you in person rather than typing everything lol.

 

Ive been checking out the weather for the areas in Sep and by all counts it seems it will be sunny,not too hot hopefully but will be bringing the lotion with me anyways,I usually burn into a nice red colour so being prepared helps.

[scarymary555]

Hello Peeps {waves frantacially}

 

Sorry I've not been on here in a little while but what with work, shopping and now decorating (kitchen) I've not had much time to myself! So I'm now sitting here with paint all over my hands and a cup of tea catching up on the posts ~ you've been a chatty lot!

 

Still haven't booked yet.........we're playing Russian Roulette with the Thomson website! We're watching the price drop a bit and judging when to jump in a book. With a bit of luck we'll get it for half the price you guys paid! :p :D

 

Anyway, I won the Euro Millions on Friday!! When I logged on this morning there was an email to say I'd won something and should go to the site and check my ticket! So I did.......................£6.30!!! :confused: :eek: :D I'll buy you a cocktail onboard!

 

Thanks for all the info Kruzseeka and Smiffy. I'm pondering about what trips to do and what not to do. The in-laws were trying to put me off Naples but although I'm not that interested in Naples and would love to do Pompeii or Herculaneum.

 

We'll definately do Barcelona........we went there on our honeymoon! ;)

[zetarose]

Hi Mary,nice to hear from you,thought you might have found a bargain and already sailed somewhere else lol.

 

Please dont tell me what you paid for cruise if we do get to meet onboard else a cocktail might make it to top of your head and work its way down:D

 

I did a bit of retail theraphy( a woman can never have enough clothes you know).I picked up a tour guide book for Barcelona,havent read it properly but some the pictures and places to visit look lovely.

 

One thing I was wondering about if anyone knows,how much roughly is room service if I decided one morning to have breakfast in bed,or call it cocktail hangover not ready to face world just yet.;)

[kruzseeka]

Oh isn't the issue of how much you pay for a cruise soooooooo sensitive? I've been on both sides - having paid pretty well top whack on some cruises ('cos we b ooked early on a cruise we especially wanted to do) and also on cruises where we got a last minute deal (when you have to be prepared to be more flexible - and possibly miss out altogether if it sells out!)

 

I hate to get into conversations (usually over dinner) about who's paid what and I try really hard to evade answering - I feel awful if I've paid a lot less than others - and pretty awful if I've paid a lot more too!

 

My DH always says - decide what we're prepared to pay - book it and then forget what it's cost. It will only spoil your holiday if you keep dwelling on it. I think he has a point so I try to avoid the issue at all costs!

 

Enjoy your cruise both of you (hope you manage to meet up) and concentrate on drinking the cocktails!!!! ;) ;)

[zetarose]

Hi Kruzseeker,yes i hope that myself and Mary meet up onboard too.As for her getting a bargain,I hope she gets a good deal,I was only joking about the cocktail over her head,Im nice,honestly!:)

[kruzseeka]

Yes, I do know that - and that you wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good cocktail either - you've been looking forward to sampling them for so long!!! :D

[scarymary555]

Hello again peeps........

 

Can't see you wasting a perfectly good cocktail over my head zetarose.....best make it a water! :D

 

Kruzseeker ~ are you toying with the idea of joining us in September maybe? That would be great to meet up with another 'cruiser'. ;)

 

I s'pose I better think of a 'Plan B' in case we can't get a place on the Destiny. :confused:

[kruzseeka]

Really looking at the Emerald/Calypso as these itineraries would be totally new to us. However, if we don't end up booking any of those, who knows where we'll end up?? Pretty determined to go somewhere though - so might catch up with you both yet! Line up the cocktails in case!!!!