Any cruise aficionados here?

[stupendor]

The one we are looking at is with P&O on The Ventura

I worked on the Ventura for 6 and a half months, so in regards to the formal wear they do have set formal night but you can glam it up as much or as little as you choose. Most guests will, so join them if you don't want to stand out. I always liked to see the odd rebel still in their shorts and flip flops amongst all the tux's!

The restaurants do have seating times for dinner, from memory 18.00 and 20.00. If you want to splash out a little I recommend the two posh restaurants, the white room and east. They are fantastic. There is also a buffet that is open for about 21 hours a day. Which is alright, but after eating there every day for more than half a year it got a bit samey!

Come and go as much as you like in the ports as has been said already, I never got to the Caribbean but the word was there wasn't a lot to do regarding excursions, more beaches and shopping. If you do a bit of research you can do the excursions yourself, but as said again, the ship won't wait if you are late. If you've not been to Madeira before, it's a great little island.

The other thing is, make the most of the entertainment! Get to the shows even if you think it won't be your thing, you'll be paying for it in the cost of the trip anyway!

 

[Dave the OAP]

Cheers everyone (esp Dave)

The one we are looking at is with P&O on The Ventura

Dep Southampton
3 days at sea to Madeira, Portugal
5 days at sea to Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Then one day each to
Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda
St. Lucia
Grenada
and finally Barbados from where we fly home

(maybe)

We know a couple of people who have done this....the only downside to this cruise is days at sea...if the weather is dicky, it's a long time away from ports. However there is tremendous amount of entertainment on board and the Ventura is a nice ship.

Karen couldn't cope with rough seas, so we tend to fly to the carribean, but of course that adds a chunk on to the price. We fly heathrow to JFK and JFK to San Juan in peurto RICO. Of course you could fly to Miami or fort lauderdale and you are almost guaranteed decent weather straight away.

Have a look at princess cruises out of Miami and fort lauderdale...they have good itineries.

I recommend you choose a cruise and then hawk the price around...thomas cook, virgin holidays, cruise.co.uk etc. you will be surprised at the deals, especially on board credit. Smudge can also advise you on their prices.

Regards

 

[smudge]

Oh, & any NSC'ers coming on a ship I work on, I promise to get you on the VIP list......if you bring a copy of the Argus & some Yorkshire "hard water" tea bags!
Here for 3 months at a time, miss way too much football, but at least I know my my ST is getting good use

 

[pasty]

I worked on the Ventura for 6 and a half months, so in regards to the formal wear they do have set formal night but you can glam it up as much or as little as you choose. Most guests will, so join them if you don't want to stand out. I always liked to see the odd rebel still in their shorts and flip flops amongst all the tux's!

The restaurants do have seating times for dinner, from memory 18.00 and 20.00. If you want to splash out a little I recommend the two posh restaurants, the white room and east. They are fantastic. There is also a buffet that is open for about 21 hours a day. Which is alright, but after eating there every day for more than half a year it got a bit samey!

Come and go as much as you like in the ports as has been said already, I never got to the Caribbean but the word was there wasn't a lot to do regarding excursions, more beaches and shopping. If you do a bit of research you can do the excursions yourself, but as said again, the ship won't wait if you are late. If you've not been to Madeira before, it's a great little island.

The other thing is, make the most of the entertainment! Get to the shows even if you think it won't be your thing, you'll be paying for it in the cost of the trip anyway!

Nice one!

 

[skipper734]

Cheers everyone (esp Dave)

The one we are looking at is with P&O on The Ventura

Dep Southampton
3 days at sea to Madeira, Portugal
5 days at sea to Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Then one day each to
Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda
St. Lucia
Grenada
and finally Barbados from where we fly home

(maybe)

That's what I was on about. Done it twice with Thomson, Brilliant.
Get some of this....

 

[SussexHoop]

We arrived back this morning from a cruise to Norway on Ventura. We had a balcony cabin which is brilliant when you wake up in the morning as you sail up the fjords. I found the ship quite warm so it was really good to just open the balcony doors and let the fresh air in.

The food is really very good, drinks reasonably priced (£3.25 for a JD with ice, bottle of Pinot Grigio about £15, Gavi di Gavi about £17, Laroche Chablis £25). We ate in both East & the White Room and both excellent.

The entertainment isn't my cup of tea but then I didn't go for the entertainment. The tours are pricey so we did our own thing. Excellent gym / steam room and sauna to help try and keep the weight off.

If you can afford the balcony cabin, I'd go for it but a word of warning - there are some at the back of the ship which are right above one of the entertainment venues which has a DJ playing until the early hours and you can hear it in your room. Thankfully we were so knackered / pissed we just slept through it.

 

[Stat Brother]

Cheers everyone (esp Dave)

The one we are looking at is with P&O on The Ventura

Dep Southampton
3 days at sea to Madeira, Portugal
5 days at sea to Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Then one day each to
Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda
St. Lucia
Grenada
and finally Barbados from where we fly home

(maybe)

I'm sure that would be great.
As said Madeira is a great island.

But given the choice of that cruise or the time and money in Barbados.
Then Barbados wins hands down.

It's the greatest friendliest place on the planet, and I'll fight anyone that says any different

 

[pasty]

Loads of thanks to everyone that's replied. Think we are convinced to go for it. Now to try and raise the funds.....

 

[Dave the OAP]

Hi mate

Antigua, we did a stroll into the town and hunted down the cricket ground and got a brilliant tour around there going to all parts of the ground, office. scoreboard etc by the groundsman ( who thought John Snow the best fast bowler he had ever seen, including Holding etc)
Antigua & Barbuda -
St. Lucia - Did a catamaran to the Pitons...I would 100% recommend this as you get to see so much of the island ( albeit from the sea) We got lunch, rum punch ( this is somewhere in the region of 120% proof as rum is cheaper than water so beware!!!) a few swims, and snorkeling and a very calming trip...went with some brilliant americans who were very entertaining. Nice bit of reggae on the way back with dancing and more rum punch...went over the warfarin INR limit by a lot that day.
Grenada - not our favourite place, but we did get hassled by someone who wanted to show us the island. You can get these guides who will take you to the castle etc, but Grenada town is nothing special...decent beach near by and the water taxi's just next to where you moor. 3 dollars each way
and finally Barbados from where we fly home - again did a catamaran in barbados. Tiami Catamaran Cruises - Welcome to Tiami Catamaran Cruises Give them a go...it was superb and we got dropped off at the Hotel beach that Tiger woods got married on...he hired the whole place for $2million...magnificent hotel and beach.

One thing to remember if you have a late flight, cruise ships chuck you off very early in the morning so if you have a late flight, look at either getting an excursion that last a while and takes you to the airport, or find a hotel with a day room...there is nothing worse that sitting in an airport for 7 hours !!!

Dave the Cruise Critic.

 

[pasty]

Hi mate

Antigua, we did a stroll into the town and hunted down the cricket ground and got a brilliant tour around there going to all parts of the ground, office. scoreboard etc by the groundsman ( who thought John Snow the best fast bowler he had ever seen, including Holding etc)
Antigua & Barbuda -
St. Lucia - Did a catamaran to the Pitons...I would 100% recommend this as you get to see so much of the island ( albeit from the sea) We got lunch, rum punch ( this is somewhere in the region of 120% proof as rum is cheaper than water so beware!!!) a few swims, and snorkeling and a very calming trip...went with some brilliant americans who were very entertaining. Nice bit of reggae on the way back with dancing and more rum punch...went over the warfarin INR limit by a lot that day.
Grenada - not our favourite place, but we did get hassled by someone who wanted to show us the island. You can get these guides who will take you to the castle etc, but Grenada town is nothing special...decent beach near by and the water taxi's just next to where you moor. 3 dollars each way
and finally Barbados from where we fly home - again did a catamaran in barbados. Tiami Catamaran Cruises - Welcome to Tiami Catamaran Cruises Give them a go...it was superb and we got dropped off at the Hotel beach that Tiger woods got married on...he hired the whole place for $2million...magnificent hotel and beach.

One thing to remember if you have a late flight, cruise ships chuck you off very early in the morning so if you have a late flight, look at either getting an excursion that last a while and takes you to the airport, or find a hotel with a day room...there is nothing worse that sitting in an airport for 7 hours !!!

Dave the Cruise Critic.

Great stuff, thanks Dave.

I believe on the last day the ship docks in Barbados at 6am so from what you say it's likely we are going to have some time to kill before flying back. What happens with luggage transfer - do they take it to the airport for you or are you on your jack jones to get to the airport?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Great stuff, thanks Dave.

I believe on the last day the ship docks in Barbados at 6am so from what you say it's likely we are going to have some time to kill before flying back. What happens with luggage transfer - do they take it to the airport for you or are you on your jack jones to get to the airport?

It depends on the line I think. If you do an excursion then the bags will be loaded on to the coach and will stay there and you just off load them at the airport. If not, I suggest you get to the airport, stick them in left luggage and get a cab back into town...we did this in Venice a few years ago as we were chucked off at 7 and our flight was 5 in the afternoon.

 

[Stat Brother]

One of the weirdest things ever happened to me at Barbados airport.

We were sitting there minding our own business when the exact negative copy of my mum was pushed to the seats opposite.

Same everything:-
Hair
Clothes
Jewellery
Glasses
Mannerisms
Expressions.

I can't explain how much this woman was my mum, only black.

 

[pasty]

Plunge now taken Sail from Sothampton next month. Thanks for all the replies guys

Downside, I miss (dirty) Leeds and P'boro home games

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

I've never seen the appeal. Why would I want to spend days locked on a boat with hundreds of people, meaning as soon as one of them catches a bug I am guaranteed to get it too? Secondly, if the boat is sailing for five days at a time, the food is obviously going to be shit. Why visit a load of places but only get to see them for a few hours, meaning if any are good I'll have to go back? I can catch a flight and then do things at my own pace, rather than be herded around like scum and told where to be and when. And that's without even mentioning sea-sickness.

Some fair points there.

 

[Justice]

Titanic

 

[Dave the OAP]

I've never seen the appeal. Why would I want to spend days locked on a boat with hundreds of people, meaning as soon as one of them catches a bug I am guaranteed to get it too? Secondly, if the boat is sailing for five days at a time, the food is obviously going to be shit. Why visit a load of places but only get to see them for a few hours, meaning if any are good I'll have to go back? I can catch a flight and then do things at my own pace, rather than be herded around like scum and told where to be and when. And that's without even mentioning sea-sickness.

Herded around like scum?

You really are an odious fucker.

Good job cruising isn't for you.

 

[timbha]

I've never seen the appeal. Why would I want to spend days locked on a boat with hundreds of people, meaning as soon as one of them catches a bug I am guaranteed to get it too? Secondly, if the boat is sailing for five days at a time, the food is obviously going to be shit. Why visit a load of places but only get to see them for a few hours, meaning if any are good I'll have to go back? I can catch a flight and then do things at my own pace, rather than be herded around like scum and told where to be and when. And that's without even mentioning sea-sickness.

NSC Gold - for total ignorance

 

[skipper734]

Man up Badger. These ships are not car ferries, you have to have at least a one in 10 year storm before you even feel it. I've been across four times, and only once was it bad enough for them not to fill up the pools. Nowhere near as bad a the 79 Fastnet race.
The food is invariable some of the best you would have eaten, and if you prefer not to talk to anyone then that would be fine. The only herding involved takes place at the Airport if you fly back.