Hints On Booking Cruises

Sorry to hear you missed Vienna, @Busy-Lizzie. Hope you are fully recovered now.

My sister did a Danube cruise earlier in the yr and loved it, though there had been so much rain the itinerary had to be changed as the water levels were too high in places. She's doing a river cruise in France next yr.

 

The definition of a cruise I read somewhere - like being imprisoned, with the added disadvantage you might drown.

 

I've heard cruise liners describes as floating petri dishes. I know there must be plenty of good ones, but it's just not for me. A cousin of mine went on their one and only cruise and apparently they were given the same time for their evening meal and a show on the same evening. When they queries it the reaction was along the lines of 'Tough, that's what you've been allocated'.

 

The Riviera ship was kept spotlessly clean and was very comfortable. It wasn't overcrowded, we had guided tours every day but you could go out and explore on your own too.

The shows were after dinner @KT53.

We are back in Norfolk now. My tummy isn't quite better and OH has caught a cold but on the whole we enjoyed it very much. I don't think my bug was from the food, I think someone came on board with it because some people caught it early on and some later.

 

The main thing that would put me off of cruises is the entertainment and the formal dinners.
My idea of a holiday is just wandering around in jeans or a pair of shorts, if its hot, and my now famous vest.

I hate any type of formality and dont see it a something you do if you are on holiday.

As for dining at the captains table, I like it in formal but eating with the crew is not on my bucket list.

 

Yes I have no problem with dressing properly at evening meal times, but I always see these formal evenings that they appear to have on cruises, it seems to be that or just a complete mess in some cafeteria where you fight for your food.

 

You could take a supply of sandwiches, @pete!

 

Jane Mc Donald was on one only a few months ago and it involved a formal evening.

They would be starting to curl up after a few days.

 

I was thinking I would enjoy a cruise, but not the bit on the boat, unless I can just sit on my balcony watching the sea go by. Three questions - is there a TV, can you eat in your cabin and do you need a passport? Might be best to stay at home!

 

The cruise my cousin went on with the "that's what you've been allocated. Take it or leave it" attitude was in the Caribbean and I don't know which cruise company it was. They don't plan to try again to see if that was a one off.

 

I'm pretty sure you'd need a passport, @cactus_girl, even if you embarked at Southampton and stayed on board till you returned there. Unless, I suppose, it was a cruise to the IOW!

Bread lasts for ages now, @pete, due to all manner of additives and preservatives. Go for peanut butter as a filling (no refrigeration required) and you could do a week on the high seas easily.

 

You know its not a good one when they give you number, a big oar, and there is a bloke up front with a drum.