Cruises

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1875

1875

LEGENDARY RADGE
Joined
Jul 17, 2003
I ken there are a few cruisers on here. I have a big birthday next year and fancy a cruise that includes Havana/ Cuba and Jamaica. Any thoughts?

Ballpark, what does it set you back per person and am I better just flying to Cuba and on to Jamaica or is the boat worth it?
 
From memory Cuba is an issue with cruises.. all cruise companies are American registered and cannot stop there.

Not a fan of cruises personally, but my wife loves them. Being the good husband that I am we’re going on one this year
 
southfieldhibby said:
From memory Cuba is an issue with cruises.. all cruise companies are American registered and cannot stop there.

Not a fan of cruises personally, but my wife loves them. Being the good husband that I am we’re going on one this year
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Yep i think you're right , pity cos I reckon 1875 would love Havana. I wasnt sure about cruises but i've done 3 and loved every minute . The last one was the far east which was fantastic
 
I went on my first last year, and it wasn’t a great choices but was still a great holiday. I say that because it was part southern US (Miami, New Orleans) and part Caribbean (Dominican republic, Barbados). That itinerary sounded good to me, but I soon realised it was basically a transition from touring the eastern seaboard of the US and then the Caribbean. As a result there were more than typical days at sea vs shore stops than I gather is usual, while we sailed from US to the Curry bean.

It was great fun though and I very much recommend Cruises generally based on it. Iirc @Jack is a very, ahem, experienced cruiser and will have more to add. Prices vary based on cabin. Interior ones with no windaes are cheapest, then windae, then balcony. Of course there’s also the suites and so on but will assume you’re no more likely than me to be looking at them.

I went with Tui, and and the flights were part of it. If you fly independent I’d allow a buffer for delays or they’ll set sail without you ! Tui boats are modestly sized compared to the big giant ones but I found that a plus, at least for first time - a manageable size to get your head round.
 
I’ve done a few cruises, either with the old work or under duress from my shop steward. Being a fussy bassa some of the entry level ships and companies are just not for me.
The better ships are in the Med during the summer and the Caribbean for the winter. The better ships I’ve experienced are Celebrity or Holland America. My wife likes Fred Olsen.. I don’t.

@1875 i reckon you’d get much more out of a land tour of Cuba than any cruise. I’d avoid Jamaica, the places a cruise ship would take you are bleak.
 
Done 6 cruises.
Mostly European. Best one was the Baltic Capitals.
St Petersburg was worth the money alone.
Fancy doing a big one in 2 years time when I finally give up work.
Looking at Antarctic via S America.
It's not cheap, but you only live once........
Or so I'd been told.....
 
greencol said:
Done 6 cruises.
Mostly European. Best one was the Baltic Capitals.
St Petersburg was worth the money alone.
Fancy doing a big one in 2 years time when I finally give up work.
Looking at Antarctic via S America.
It's not cheap, but you only live once......
Or so I'd been told.....
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You only die once!
You live every day 💚
 
I haven't done the Caribbean, but it's on the list!

Sadly because of USA politics ships that sail/to from there can't stop off in Cuba. I see Ambassador do a no fly from the UK that avoids the USA for a round trip the includes Cuba and Jamaica but I'd never use them, they're shite.

Miami is the biggest and busiest cruise port in the world. There's bound to be a cruise line that would fit your budget, whatever it is.

For me it would be pick the places you'd like to visit and find an itinerary that fits as many in as you can.

Mrs Jackie and I always get a balcony cabin, although we upgraded to a suite on our most recent trip. We've decided the extra cost isn't really worth it.

Our next trip will be the Far East next year during the Japanese Blossom Season. Guess who picked that one? At the moment we can't decide on a lap of Japan or a trip to or from Singapore, both about 20 nights including flying time.

I'm not sure if @egb_hibs has caught the drift about relaxed cruising 😎 Sea days are when you really really relax and take in the full benefits of sailing in a super hotel.

And I'm not sure about expert status! We've done almost 100 nights on board. There were a couple of couples on my last cruise who'd done over 100 cruises!
 
Been on half a dozen. P&O,Princess and Celebrity cruises. Loved them all, service great, can’t do enough for you, food great, wouldn’t even know you were on a SHIP, they’re no boats btw 🤣 boats are when you go fishing frae seafield beech 🤣
Do a cruise and you’ll never do a beach holiday again 👍👏
 
joethehibby said:
Been on half a dozen. P&O,Princess and Celebrity cruises. Loved them all, service great, can’t do enough for you, food great, wouldn’t even know you were on a SHIP, they’re no boats btw 🤣 boats are when you go fishing frae seafield beech 🤣
Do a cruise and you’ll never do a beach holiday again 👍👏
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Have you been anywhere since your last cruise ?
 
joethehibby said:
Been on half a dozen. P&O,Princess and Celebrity cruises. Loved them all, service great, can’t do enough for you, food great, wouldn’t even know you were on a SHIP, they’re no boats btw 🤣 boats are when you go fishing frae seafield beech 🤣
Do a cruise and you’ll never do a beach holiday again 👍👏
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Not for me…
Just don’t fancy cruises, i like to roam about the sights whenever i like, chill out on an exotic beach when i like, be in about the culture I’m at…. Actually in the ocean swimming, love it, just that sense of freedom being out a wee bit looking out at the never ending ocean, back at the shore… so utterly peaceful, at ease…. No bobbing about feeling ill on a ship 🫣
 
Hattie said:
Not for me…
Just don’t fancy cruises, i like to roam about the sights whenever i like, chill out on an exotic beach when i like, be in about the culture I’m at…. Actually in the ocean swimming, love it, just that sense of freedom being out a wee bit looking out at the never ending ocean, back at the shore… so utterly peaceful, at ease…. No bobbing about feeling ill on a ship 🫣
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There isny any bobbing about, like I said you wouldn’t know you were on a SHIP unless you looked over the side or through a windy 🤣
 
Jack said:
I haven't done the Caribbean, but it's on the list!

Sadly because of USA politics ships that sail/to from there can't stop off in Cuba. I see Ambassador do a no fly from the UK that avoids the USA for a round trip the includes Cuba and Jamaica but I'd never use them, they're shite.

Miami is the biggest and busiest cruise port in the world. There's bound to be a cruise line that would fit your budget, whatever it is.

For me it would be pick the places you'd like to visit and find an itinerary that fits as many in as you can.

Mrs Jackie and I always get a balcony cabin, although we upgraded to a suite on our most recent trip. We've decided the extra cost isn't really worth it.

Our next trip will be the Far East next year during the Japanese Blossom Season. Guess who picked that one? At the moment we can't decide on a lap of Japan or a trip to or from Singapore, both about 20 nights including flying time.

I'm not sure if @egb_hibs has caught the drift about relaxed cruising 😎 Sea days are when you really really relax and take in the full benefits of sailing in a super hotel.

And I'm not sure about expert status! We've done almost 100 nights on board. There were a couple of couples on my last cruise who'd done over 100 cruises!
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Jack I take your point, but we basically had two full days and two half days on shore out of eleven days I think. Just a bit skewed in the balance imho. I agree the days at sea were great but having never been to the Caribbean I just wanted a bit more time on shore than one half day as it turned out!
 
joethehibby said:
Been on half a dozen. P&O,Princess and Celebrity cruises. Loved them all, service great, can’t do enough for you, food great, wouldn’t even know you were on a SHIP, they’re no boats btw 🤣 boats are when you go fishing frae seafield beech 🤣
Do a cruise and you’ll never do a beach holiday again 👍👏
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One I was on was a boat compared to some of the things we were moored alongside, think of crocodile Dundee’s ‘that‘s not a knife this is a fckn knife’ scene
 
egb_hibs said:
Jack I take your point, but we basically had two full days and two half days on shore out of eleven days I think. Just a bit skewed in the balance imho. I agree the days at sea were great but having never been to the Caribbean I just wanted a bit more time on shore than one half day as it turned out!
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That's why choosing the right itinerary is so important.

You have to bare in mind most Caribbean cruisers are American. They are happy with any destination so long as it has a McDonald's, a Starbucks and a pharmacy they can pick up cheap prescription drugs.
 
I used to work on them. Went everywhere, expect the Far East and Alaska and 🇨🇺
My mate had a honeymoon in Cuba. He flew there and hired a driver and got taken around the island.

You can pay anything for a cruise, depends what you want to do. If you want to get off and do stuff, you could go for a cheap room, as you're only going to be sleeping there. The rest of the time you'll be on land when in port and when you're at sea, you'll be taking advantage of the same ships amenities that the punters in the penthouses have paid £££££

Be friendly to the staff, they remember the punters who aren't.

The Caribbean usually is OK for weather, although we got re routed for a hurricane to Jamaica. The interesting weather comes in South America, The Mediterranean and crossing the Atlantic.

People do pay ££££ for certain places and never get there because of weather or the ship comes down with a virus and they won't let you dock.


Watched a Derby match going through a fjord in Chilie and lost a signal. Sat there on my own like a idoit, on my own helpless.

Not sure that was any help but it brought back a memory, thank you
 
A mate had to do a lot of family stuff in the States some years ago. It meant that he was away from his wife and young child for a fair bit. His wife and child later joined him on the States and, as a thank you for her looking after their kid on her own, he got them a liner crossing back to the UK. When she go back I asked about the crossing. She hated it. Went to a lecture on the ship about the Titanic! She barely slept for the rest of the voyage.
 
Quite enjoy cruises. Have done Royal Caribbean, P&O cruises, Norwegian, and most recently Cunard on the Queen Mary 2. A couple have been Transatlantic crossings, and the others in the Med and the Caribbean. Would never ever go on Norwegian again, absolute shite. Cunard was quite fancy and pretty reserved, whilst both P&O and RC were good. Service on Cunard was the best, and the main food, but on one of the extra restaurants on P&O was one of the best meals I've ever had.

No doing Caribbean again, all the same. I think Japan in 2026 for the wife's 50th. We want to do the fjords next I think.
 
Never done Caribbean , too far for me (a) no keen on flying too far or (b) too many sea days together . wee flights to venice,, palma, etc to board SHIP are fine . Done canaries, baltic and a few meditteranean cruises 👍 favourite was Greek islands in september, great weather as well . Baltic next best for me . Don’t know if they still go to St Petersburg though with ukraine war being on 😩
 
I’m the opposite of cruises. I head for the Alps mainly, most recently Tuscany though. Even going there has its challenges for me as I don’t like flying but it’s a necessary evil. Cruiseliners, boats or anything capable of sinking are an absolute no go. Ankle deep in the sea at Cullen beach is far enough.
 
Hattie said:
Fuck

Feck knows mate, I’m not even past straiton turn off yet!!! Radio says it’s closed 🤷‍♂️
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I'm going to use a bosses expression now

Well you should have left earlier then 😤
 
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