New to cruises

Katiehound

If you buy a 'Saver' fare with Fred you don't get the cabin number ( but you get the grade) nor do you get the dining option confirmed. When the luggage labels arrive (about 3 to 4 weeks before) you see the cabin number. Dining allocated on board.

On a European cruise you are likely to be given the late dining option, on a more tropical cruise you are likely to get the early dining. They give you the least popular, for example in hot places folk like to sit out on the deck late & eat late. However, if there are spaces at the dining sitting you would prefer you pay an extra £2pp per night- not a huge sum if you have saved over £1k. Some people just prefer to dine in the self service- same food with laid tables and then you can eat between 6.30 & 9pm and not be retricted to specific times.

I think the current sale has a mix of possibilities: deals for this year which might be 'saver' fares - and need to be paid in full . There are also sailings for 2021- fares aren't reduced but they include free gratuities & free drinks package ie worth £24 pp per night.

You pays your money......etc

I personally like Fred. Generally the food is good, the ports visited interesting and the staff are delightful. The other cruisers are very friendly.

Katiehound

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

"and just to mention that Fred. Olsen has an 'Enjoyment Promise' so that if you find that the cruise really isn't for you they will get you back to UK and refund cruise price."

I wonder if anybody has exercised that right ?

Would be interesting to hear of any examples.

I actually think that someone did do this on the last cruise I was on. I feel pretty certain that they got off at the first port which was La Coruna.

I don't think they guarantee to get you back to your exact point of departure, but it certainly UK! and you get cruise price refunded...

NoodleDoodleMan

For anybody considering a Marella or Fred Olsen cruise for the first time it's worth recognising that the clientele are nearly always Brits, whereas other cruise lines, especially the bigger ones, have a much more diverse passenger population.

We've never sailed with Cunard or P&O, apparently they are also popular with the "home support" cruisers.

This is not a cricism of differing scenarios - just something to be aware of.

badger09

Katiehound wrote: »

If you buy a 'Saver' fare with Fred you don't get the cabin number ( but you get the grade) nor do you get the dining option confirmed. When the luggage labels arrive (about 3 to 4 weeks before) you see the cabin number. Dining allocated on board.

On a European cruise you are likely to be given the late dining option, on a more tropical cruise you are likely to get the early dining. They give you the least popular, for example in hot places folk like to sit out on the deck late & eat late. However, if there are spaces at the dining sitting you would prefer you pay an extra £2pp per night- not a huge sum if you have saved over £1k. Some people just prefer to dine in the self service- same food with laid tables and then you can eat between 6.30 & 9pm and not be retricted to specific times.

I think the current sale has a mix of possibilities: deals for this year which might be 'saver' fares - and need to be paid in full . There are also sailings for 2021- fares aren't reduced but they include free gratuities & free drinks package ie worth £24 pp per night.

You pays your money......etc

I personally like Fred. Generally the food is good, the ports visited interesting and the staff are delightful. The other cruisers are very friendly.

Agree with everything above:)

We've done 8 FOC cruises so far all bar one have been great in every respect. Last one, German Waterways & Kiel Canal September last year was disappointing, mainly due to the cold weather and constant rain. Itinerary wasn't my choice, and Hamburg, which I was looking forward to, was closed for German Reunification day.

HOWEVER the cabin was comfortable, food was good, staff delightful and other cruisers friendly.

We've done both Freedom and Saver fares and never (yet:cool:) had an awful cabin allocated on the Saver. If on Saver, we pay the additional £2x2 per night to choose later sitting. Neither 6.15 nor 8.30 suits us, but 6.15 is just too early if we've been out all day.

Many choose the more casual anytime restaurant, but we like the service in the other restaurants. I have a food intolerance and its safer with the same waiters every night.

Dress code is fairly relaxed. No shorts/flipflops/vests in restauants in the evening but ok @ lunchtime. Some like to dress up on formal evenings, but its not compulsory:D

Trying our 1st non Fred cruise next month with Princess. Will be interesting to compare

NoodleDoodleMan

Trying our 1st non Fred cruise next month with Princess. Will be interesting to compare

Princess are an excellent cruise line, with very high standards.

Drinks are expensive though with a 15% service charge - so keep tabs on the "happy hour" times for offers.

Also, if (like us) you don't know what "Friends Of Dorothy" meetings are all about and are tempted to join in - do some advance reseach to avoid potential embarrassment !!!

Happy to answer any questions, if I can.

Katiehound

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

Also, if (like us) you don't know what "Friends Of Dorothy" meetings are all about and are tempted to join in - do some advance reseach to avoid potential embarrassment !!!
.

Luckily someone pointed out what it meant!

Drinks on Fred are pretty much pub prices, no added service charge. Some folk buy a bottle of wine to 'keep'at the table.

The only other cruise line I have tried is C&M. Columbus is a nice ship- best cabin ever (she was built for Princess line) ship capacity slightly too large for my liking. My advice would be avoid Marco Polo at all costs- great itineraries but pretty much everything else- not brilliant.

My only other venture away from Fred was to book with Voyages of Discovery which then went to the wall. I was grateful to have travel agent do pretty much all the paperwork for the claims for refund of deposits.

mickey234

Katiehound wrote: »

and just to mention that Fred. Olsen has an 'Enjoyment Promise' so that if you find that the cruise really isn't for you they will get you back to UK and refund cruise price.

Wow....... I bet it's like saying that a Time Share Seminar is NOT going to be a hard sell.....!

NoodleDoodleMan

Luckily someone pointed out what it meant!

Yes, indeed - that was our first ever cruise, we went with Princess, in the Caribbean, ten years past.

'Er indoors was in curiousity mode and observed "that Dorothy must be well liked, she meets with her friends every afternoon" - for one reason or another we we missed attending, too many other distractions onboard.

On our second Princess cruise, this time in the Meditteranean, she spotted a notice in the daily newsletter about Friends of Dorothy meetings - " she must be on is on this cruise as well" her ladyship commented !!!

In the restaurant on the second night she casually mentioned that Dorothy was onboard again and was obviously a popular passenger - cue one fellow diner who quietly explained the scenario, resulting in big red faces !!!

Talk about innocents abroad !!!

badger09

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

Princess are an excellent cruise line, with very high standards.

Drinks are expensive though with a 15% service charge - so keep tabs on the "happy hour" times for offers.

Also, if (like us) you don't know what "Friends Of Dorothy" meetings are all about and are tempted to join in - do some advance reseach to avoid potential embarrassment !!!

Happy to answer any questions, if I can.

Thanks NDM

It's going to be a very different experience. Over 3000 passengers v800 - 1300, sailing from Sydney, so expecting a younger, livelier crowd. Also cruising with friends for their 1st cruise.

Trying to get my head around the onboard pricing policy, not to mention exchange rates USD/AUD/GBP/SEK:eek: etc (friends are from Stockholm). Big birthdays for both my friend & I, so we'll have fun whatever happens.

LOL re the Friends of Dorothy.

We were last in Sydney in February 2010 for my birthday, in hotel overlooking Sydney Harbour, bridge & ferry port. Husband watched pink cruise ship arrive, then was puzzled why there were no women on any of the balconies, until I mentioned him it was Mardi Gras Pride week.:)

pelirocco

It all very much depends on what you expect from a cruise , some are more up market then others , check out Cruise Critic
As you would like AI and going on your budget I would suggest Marella , and either one of the Discovery or Explorer ships , they are newer than Dream or Celebration , bigger ( but not huge ) and have more entertainment . The advantage is they arrange the flights and transfer , and you get to stay on the ship at the end until you need to leave for the airport ( although you will have to have vacated your room by 8.30 ish as with all cruises )