Cruise ships

We did our 1st sea cruise last November on NCL Epic (we had done 2 river Nile cruises previously) and are booked to go on Carnival Vista in a couple of weeks.
We had talked about going on a cruise for a few years and last summer after coming back from a, quite frankly, boring beach holiday in Spain I checked out some of the specialist online cruise travel agents. One of them were offering a weeks cruise on the aforementioned Epic in a balcony cabin with flights and a 2 night hotel stay in Barcelona, the free drinks package was also included. This came out at £1400 for the 2 of us.
This was one of the best holidays we have ever had, the ports of call were great, the dining options and quality of food were amazing, the entertainment was 1st class, everywhere was spotlessly clean plus you could have as much booze as you wanted.
We were a little daunted when we first saw the size of the ship in port at Barcelona, but after a day or two, you get your bearings as to where everything is.
I think we are unlikely to go back to land based holidays after this.
 
Southampton is 2 hours direct on a train from Coventry, so is a great departure port for us. Done 3 cruises now, the 3rd one being with Princess...not so brilliant. P&O have been great. It's great value and it's the only time I've used a casino...good job, I like them!
 
We did our 1st sea cruise last November on NCL Epic (we had done 2 river Nile cruises previously) and are booked to go on Carnival Vista in a couple of weeks.
We had talked about going on a cruise for a few years and last summer after coming back from a, quite frankly, boring beach holiday in Spain I checked out some of the specialist online cruise travel agents. One of them were offering a weeks cruise on the aforementioned Epic in a balcony cabin with flights and a 2 night hotel stay in Barcelona, the free drinks package was also included. This came out at £1400 for the 2 of us.
This was one of the best holidays we have ever had, the ports of call were great, the dining options and quality of food were amazing, the entertainment was 1st class, everywhere was spotlessly clean plus you could have as much booze as you wanted.
We were a little daunted when we first saw the size of the ship in port at Barcelona, but after a day or two, you get your bearings as to where everything is.
I think we are unlikely to go back to land based holidays after this.

Are you getting on in Barcelona on the 23rd, cos that's the one we are getting off, spending two days post cruise in Barcelona before flying home.

Oh and for you and those people talking about how rigidly they enforce the no drink smuggling on board. Carnival don't in Europe so will be bringing booze on board at each port of call., especially now that they have pulled Turkish ports they will be adding 24% VAT to every purchase while on board
 
We have become huge fans of cruise ships having been on 3 cruises this year alone, it's a great way to meet people I know there are a lot of old people on the ships but there are a fair share of younger people to and everybody is there basically to have fun , we have seen some wonderful places this year that I probably would never have been to if not for the cruise ships like Tokyo, Vladivostok and Shanghai for example

We have just booked a World Cruise for early next year which ends up in Barcelona via Asia, India the Middle East and Europe can't wait

Are there any other cruisers on here who loves it like I do ? it really is the most relaxing holiday just unpack your suitcase and that's it for the entire journey no airports, taxis , car hire or any pain in the ass kind of travel I can recommend it for anyone looking for a relaxing holiday

The only drawback is going on a cruise is that you are guaranteed to eat too much lol

12 cruises completed and more to come.. Doing the half world when I retire in a couple of years then we'll travel back from Oz slowly

Tried Cunard this summer but there were too many stuck up fuckers on there.... Princess was our first cruise but my favourite so far by far was Celebrity but not cheap..

Fancy trying Seabourn but can't justify the cost.. I could have a shiny new BMW bike for what it would cost for the two of us

The best part about cruises for me is that there is no duty driver as you can walk everywhere on board

Off to Orlando in a few weeks where I'll be the duty driver for two weeks... Love it there but there's less drinking... I end up having a few Grey Gooses as nightcaps back at the apartment
 
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The one thing I would disagree with is that the cruise lines I have been on (P&O and Thomson) do not rigidly enforce the ban on bringing your own alcohol on board. Prices on both for drinks were similar to city centre bar prices; quite expensive but not ridiculous. The drinks packages did seem to be ridiculously expensive and you would have to be a complete piss head to get value from them.
All the cruise lines have relaxed carry on rules I think recently as they want to attract all types of passenger... As long as you don't take it out into the public areas and drink it in your stateroom you are fine in my experience.... Good for pre-drinks
 
Are you getting on in Barcelona on the 23rd, cos that's the one we are getting off, spending two days post cruise in Barcelona before flying home.

Oh and for you and those people talking about how rigidly they enforce the no drink smuggling on board. Carnival don't in Europe so will be bringing booze on board at each port of call., especially now that they have pulled Turkish ports they will be adding 24% VAT to every purchase while on board

As you have now been elevated onto my best Bluemoon Forum chum list I feel the need to look after your welfare and wellbeing ; )
The lass we use for cruising informs us that the information on ships alchohol policies remains valid.
http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=46
And she is not aware of any relaxation of the rules for any travellers regardless of global positioning.

Their UK website indicates Carnival don't allow this practise but with all sincerity I hope I am wrong and you can indeed take it aboard.
They mention it is for safety in case people over consume and then start to act the pan and get proper learey on board.
I say it is to ensure maximum profits prevail.Give them a bell or email to confirm mate.

Here is a link to a snippet from the wonderful Daily Mail website taken from July 2015.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/t...ttled-drinks-board-pay-pre-ordered-water.html

Here is the Carnival policy taken from their UK website
All liquor, beer, other forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages outside of the exceptions referenced above are strictly prohibited in both carry-on and checked luggage and such items will be confiscated and discarded and no compensation will be provided.

Bottled Water
We know some of our guests are accustomed to bringing on their own supply of bottled water so as part of this policy we have significantly reduced the pricing for (purified) bottled water which will be conveniently delivered directly to your stateroom. Once onboard, the purchase is non-refundable; guests may take home any unopened bottles.
Pricing is as follows:

3.99 USD for a 12-pack of bottled water (16.9 fluid ounce per bottle) for pre-cruise purchase. Please visit The Fun Shops at http://www.carnival.com/FunShops/in-room-beverages/water to place your order before your cruise to ensure we have an ample supply onboard.
$3.99 USD (plus gratuity) for a 12-pack of bottled water (16.9 fluid ounce per bottle) for purchase onboard by contacting Room Service.

Distilled Water
Guests may bring on board distilled water for use with a CPAP machine or nursery water for families with babies and packed in carry-on luggage.Distilled water may also be purchased onboard at $3.00 USD per gallon by contacting Room Service. The CPAP machine must be packed in carry-on luggage.

Coolers
Guests are prohibited from bringing large coolers onboard since screening and movement of large coolers through embarkation is an impediment to the boarding and security process. However small, personal-sized coolers, no larger than 12”H x 12”L x 12”W for the purpose of housing small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages and/or medications are permitted as carry-on luggage.

Purchasing Liquor During the Cruise

Ports of Call
All alcohol purchased in ports will be stored for safekeeping until the end of the voyage. The retained items will be available for collection in a designated lounge on the morning of debarkation.

A small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, juice, and milk) packaged in cans or cartons may be brought onboard as well as Carnival branded bottled water previously purchased onboard. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces each or less per person.

The Fun Shops (onboard)
All alcohol purchased in The Fun Shops onboard will be stored for safekeeping until the end of the voyage. The retained items will be available for collection in a designated lounge on the morning of debarkation.

The Fun Shops (pre-cruise orders)
All products sold containing alcohol have a limit of two products per booking (whether booked online or a telephone order). This includes alcohol, wine, champagne and beer. A ‘pack’ or ‘package’ is considered one product.

Alcohol pre-purchased through The Fun Shops for on board consumption is designed for in-stateroom entertainment only. Guests cannot take liquor bottles with them to public areas. Only wine or champagne that is ordered through The Fun Shops can be served in the dining room or Steakhouse. If the item is not consumed on board during the cruise, the guest may take it home provided the bottle has not been opened.

CHEERS! Beverage Program
 
Done a few. Best one was in 1999. Left UK, Gib, Malta, Suez Canal, Aqaba, Muscat, Bahrain x 2 , Dubai x 4 , Doha, Saudi, Cochin, Singapore, Hong Kong, penang, langawi, Vietnam, Shanghai, back to the gulf for numerous visits. Back thru the Suez. Malta, Majorca, Gib then finally Plymouth . Few visits I have left off as forgot about them - HMS Boxer Royal Navy
 

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