Cruise Ships

ice_cubes

ice_cubes

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Hi guys
I couldn't find a thread on travelling by CruiseShips - so hopefully this one will do.

Who has travelled by cruise ship - which company & destination... What did u like/dislike & any tips?

I have been on 2 x cruises before and enjoyed it alot, so I plan to go on more in the near future.

December 2017 (3 nights, 4 days):
MSC Sinfonia - Oh Ship Cruise (Durban to Portugese Islands)
Like: Non-Stop partying from Friday until Monday :)
Dislike: We didn't get to go to the Island due to "bad weather" so ended up being a "cruise to nowhere"
Tips: Rather buy the drinks vouchers. Drinks on cruise are overpriced (4$ per drink!) & they add a service charge to each transaction.

December 2018 (7 nights, 8 days):
MSC Meraviglia - Western Mediterranaen Cruise (Spain - France - Italy - Sicily - Matla - Spain)
Like: The ship is huge & there's entertainment & food at any time of the day or night. The service was exceptional.
Dislike: Bad weather = ship cant dock, so you are stuck on the ship until the next port.
Tips: Rather buy the drinks vouchers. Drinks on cruise are overpriced (6 euro per drink) & they add a 15% service charge to each transaction.
 
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ice_cubes said:
Hi guys
I couldn't find a thread on travelling by CruiseShips - so hopefully this one will do.

Who has travelled by cruise ship - which company & destination... What did u like/dislike & any tips?

I have been on 2 x cruises before and enjoyed it alot, so I plan to go on more in the near future.

December 2017:
MSC Sinfonia - Oh Ship Cruise (Durban to Portugese Islands)
Like: Non-Stop partying from Friday until Monday :)
Dislike: We didn't get to go to the Island due to "bad weather" so ended up being a "cruise to nowhere"
Tips: Rather buy the drinks vouchers. Drinks on cruise are overpriced (4$ per drink!) & they add a service charge to each transaction.

December 2018:
MSC Meraviglia - Western Mediterranaen Cruise (Spain - France - Italy - Sicily - Matla - Spain)
Like: The ship is huge & there's entertainment & food at any time of the day or night. The service was exceptional.
Dislike: Bad weather = ship cant dock, so you are stuck on the ship until the next port.
Tips: Rather buy the drinks vouchers. Drinks on cruise are overpriced (6 euro per drink) & they add a 15% service charge to each transaction.
Click to expand...

Did the Sinfonia cruise not have 24 hour food?
 
I'm looking at booking a 3 night, 4 day cruise for April 2019.

1. How do you go about buying drinks vouchers?

2. How much is insurance?
 
Are they really as cramped and over crowded as people say they are?

SO has been hinting to go on one, but I am not very keen on crowds. Avoid them where I can.
 
Beyond.Celsus said:
Are they really as cramped and over crowded as people say they are?

SO has been hinting to go on one, but I am not very keen on crowds. Avoid them where I can.
Click to expand...

Theres lots of quiet spaces on cruiseships. The place where u will always find ppl is the buffet restaurants and the pool. But there's speciality restaurants as well, and its not crowded at all.

Go when schools are open if its SA cruises. Or go during low season if its international cruises.
 
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My wife and I have been on 3 Royal Caribbean cruises in the Western & Eastern Mediterranean. Booked through Discovery Card's travel benefit and got 20% off the cruise and flights.
 
We did the MSC Portuguese Islands one end 2017. I'm glad I did it, but wouldn't do it again. Essentially you're spending a lot of money to be trapped on a floating hotel with the drinks prices that go with said hotel. Thankfully we did get to disembark, but the beach you're taken to is essentially a private one. It's gorgeous, but you really don't get to experience anything authentically local / new. It's more of the same (food, booze) as the ship, only now with beach sand.

I'd you want to travel to experience new places and different cultures wouldn't recommend this specific cruise. If you're after a 4 day piss up, however, go for it

I'd prefer to spend money traveling and seeing new things, cultures and places. Longer cruises to overseas ports would be preferable I think.
 
PoppieChoffel said:
We did the MSC Portuguese Islands one end 2017. I'm glad I did it, but wouldn't do it again. Essentially you're spending a lot of money to be trapped on a floating hotel with the drinks prices that go with said hotel. Thankfully we did get to disembark, but the beach you're taken to is essentially a private one. It's gorgeous, but you really don't get to experience anything authentically local / new. It's more of the same (food, booze) as the ship, only now with beach sand.

I'd you want to travel to experience new places and different cultures wouldn't recommend this specific cruise. If you're after a 4 day piss up, however, go for it

I'd prefer to spend money traveling and seeing new things, cultures and places. Longer cruises to overseas ports would be preferable I think.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by no different cultures. We met some people from Benoni on our last cruise.
 
How much for a drink voucher?
How much can you drink then? (Drink till you drop?)
Can one braai on the ship? :)
 
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