sea princess 5th april 21 days and 12th april o8 14 days

[Dorset Cruiser]

Cruise is over and we are back home   Had a great time though

[icemaiden]

hi chris, i feel like ive never been away now that ive been back a week, wish i had done the 2 weeks in the carib now, feel like the atlantic part was a drag, and the slow boat home, it was like we took a slow route from antigua, and not the shorter plane journey, i did enjoy my holiday but not as much as others as i said, definately will be booking a bigger ship if we go on a cruise for 2 weeks again, but i`m not in any hurry as that last 8 days gave me enough time on a ship to last me a while,lol, and you realise how much smaller the sea princess is and not having so many places to go on the ship as larger ones, i`m looking to go to orlando or a caribbean island next year now, i hope you have a great time on the ruby princess, theres no doubting that its a big ship with lots to do onboard , so your family will be overbowled by it, cant wait for them to go with you on your trip, they will be hooked after it

speak later linda

[Dorset Cruiser]

Thanks Linda

Think this thread is just about finished now so perhaps I will see you on another thread another time.

Cheers

Chris

[Pochahontas]

Hallo Ladies - I hope your still about! Eds gotten over his chest infection - Ive booked another Cruise on the Grand for August next year!
I had a blast I really did - I loved the Sea Princess - I had such itchy fingers after coming back it was a no brainer to re book! this time though its in and out of Southampton, absolutly bliss, sailing out sailing in! no flights to contend with or weights! got a balcony stateroom as well!


Roll on August!

xxx

[icemaiden]

hi ingrid
glad to hear Ed has got over his chest infection, i havent been to great since last thurs, not sure whats up but if i`m still the same by fri i will make a doc`s appointment, its great that youve booked another cruise, we have the celebration on the 2 jan09 for a week to do first, but i dont think i will be doing a cruise next year, its between orlando or antigua, i love the both the same and after going back to the beach and visiting johnny in cheers antigua is looking hot for it, but then again orlando is fantastic for parks and shopping, we might try a flydrive so we can go down to miami then over to st pete`s at the other side, the beaches are beautiful over that side, then back up to orlando for more shopping and the parks, i love driving around florida, daytona beach is fantastic and the kennedy space centre, i think we are gona do the hawaii thing in 2010, but if its a cruise it will be a cruise back to los angeles with 2 weeks in hawaii before it, dont lose touch with us Ingrid i will be on here ,lol

Linda

[Pochahontas]

Hi Linda,

Sounds like you will have a blast in the Caribbean, I would love to go - but Kyle was a mess after the 8 hour flight to Barbados - if I considered a flight again with him I would take him to the GP and get him to prescribe a sedative!

How are you all keeping - give my love to Abby and Steven for me - Ed really enjoyed your company! even though he was poorly and not with it - tell you what though after the Antibiotics kicked in he is like bliddy speedy Gonzales! LMAO! he has cleared out the junk in the garden - set the green house up - and is going to look for a PT job - Doc said because he has been out of action for so long not to go for too many hours - something like a couple of hours a week.

Hollie done us proud looking after the house - I bought her a swaroski bracelet it cost $111 usd, in our Swaroski shop it cost over £100  I was really pleased I got a bargain!

Sasha is still doing her prima donna bit 

I really got itchy fingers after I came back was raring to go! now I have booked a cruise for next year - I don't want to go away again this year at all!

This Grand Princess is a massive ship! OMG lol! but not as many sea days two days out two days in, one sea day to Gibraltar!

I am back at work - everyone was so shocked at how dark I had gone! I have a facebook account with all my Sea Princess Photos on - if you want to come along and have a peek just PM me.

xxxx   xxx

[Dorset Cruiser]

Hi Ingrid

Thought this thread had 'died' but decided to have a look-see.

I'm glad the cruising bug has bitten you.  Sea Princess was our 17th cruise and we are eagerly looking forward to the 18th in January on Ruby Princess.  You will love the cruise you are doing on Grand.  Lovely ports down to the Med.  We were trying to find a cheapie cruise for September and had more or less decided on a RC cruise from Venice round the Greek islands but my son has asked if we will go back to Majorca with them, his in-laws to be and our two grandchildren.  What could I say - I would never turn down the chance of a week with my babies - so hopefully we are off in June to Alcudia where we had a lovely week last year.  The cruise will have to wait until next September

Linda - hope Antigua works out for you and that you get to Hawaii in 2010.  Our plans for 2010 include an Alaskan cruise as part of our RTW package

Chris

[Pochahontas]

Hi Ingrid

Thought this thread had 'died' but decided to have a look-see.

I'm glad the cruising bug has bitten you.  Sea Princess was our 17th cruise and we are eagerly looking forward to the 18th in January on Ruby Princess.  You will love the cruise you are doing on Grand.  Lovely ports down to the Med.  We were trying to find a cheapie cruise for September and had more or less decided on a RC cruise from Venice round the Greek islands but my son has asked if we will go back to Majorca with them, his in-laws to be and our two grandchildren.  What could I say - I would never turn down the chance of a week with my babies - so hopefully we are off in June to Alcudia where we had a lovely week last year.  The cruise will have to wait until next September

Linda - hope Antigua works out for you and that you get to Hawaii in 2010.  Our plans for 2010 include an Alaskan cruise as part of our RTW package

Chris

Hi Chris,

I was told by my work friend I have a disease of which there is no cure! and its name is the cruising bug!
I was looking out as well for a cheapy cruise/holiday for August this year or October - It riles me the cost of taking children on holiday in the proper school Holidays, the price just skyrockets.

I would love to do The Venice trip, its one of the next ones I will be eagerly keeping my eyes on for the future, I nearly booked a Nile Cruise for just myself and Ed for this August - but heaps of people have advised against it purely on the temperatures that time of year - I then looked into a half term break and Easter Half Term break for Next year - again out of season bargain prices - in season - double or triple. It really put me off booking anything.

I was very impressed with the Sea Princess our cabin was lovely - I cannot get over how well I slept and how I loved the rocking of the ship. I have read up on the Grand Princess and the 'Youth Centres' are two floors worth! and they have a splash pool of there own, so Kyle will be very happy with that.

We have been to Rome and Sorrento but missed out going to Naples and the Island of Capri - I will definitely visit Rome and duly throw my penny in the Trevi to ensure we return again! we went to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii - missed Herculaneum, so its going to be a tough one to decide whether to do the Island of Capri or Herculaneum! the one thing I will say though is on this trip I will not be booking any shore excursions via the ship - I feel quite confident finding our own thing to do in Europe with out much argument!!

I feel as if we have found our niche - we both loved cruising and the sea days - there wasn't time to be board! I got involved with the line dancing and Ballroom dancing - I trod on Alana's toes! OMG she tapped me on the shoulder to indicate which foot to move - can you believe I took flipping ballroom as a kid - with Peggy Spencer LMAO! anyhow I told Ed tap me on the ruddy shoulder and we were shoved about by the swells and nearly crashed into the stage!

I am so tickled as well Chris that this time we have a balcony - I loved the Ocean view everymorning I would peek through the curtains - the thrill of seeing the ship moving quite fast (emerald deck is very close to sea level)  and the white wake coming off the front of the ship was very mesmerising! although the Grand has staggered cabins and you can see down into the mini suites balcony's, I don't mind that so long as I can nip out and relax with my tea it will be bliss!

xxx

[Dorset Cruiser]

Ingrid

That's just why we like balcony cabins and will always try and find the money to pay for one.  We just love sitting there (with a cup of tea/coffee or a glass of vino) and watching the waves go by and we were in the right place to see two large pods of dolphins while on Sea Princess.  The balcony is always useful if you get fed up with 'hunt the sunbed'.  We were lucky in that we had the sun on our balcony for a good deal of the day on every seaday so we used to sit there in the morning and then try and get a sunbed after lunch when everyone else had had enough sun themselves.  You have to try and work out which way the sun will be shining for the majority of your cruise and then book either port or starboard.  We were just lucky that it worked out we had sun every day

Our AI in Alcudia was booked this morning.  Only have to wait until 10th June and then I get my babies for a whole week.  As they live in the West Midlands we don't get to see them that often.  Although we speak on the phone, because they are only 2 and 4 we don't get an awful lot of sense out of them   They are also coming down next weekend for the Whitsun holiday and they will be staying for the week.  Just hope its nice and we can get them on the beach - they love that!

As I say we have done a lot of cruises and actually Thomson take some beating if you want to book a cheaper fill-in cruise.  Of course, the ships are older and smaller but the cabins are much bigger, especially if you get a de-luxe cabin - they come complete with a bath as well as a shower and a minibar set up.  The food is good, the entertainment is excellent and they have some lovely itineraries.  We have been on Spirit and Celebration and had a great time and you can get some good deals, like Linda has with her AI in January.  Still if not, you always have next August to look forward to and Grand Princess.  I can't wait to get on board Ruby Princess in January - over 3000 passengers - what a huge ship she will be.

Chris

[Dorset Cruiser]

Ingrid

Are you on Caribe deck on Grand Princess.  We had a cabin on that deck on Sapphire last year and it is a double size balcony with half in the sun and half in the shade and room for chairs and table and a couple of sunbeds.  You look down on the minisuites but the deck above can look down on you when you are sitting in the sun

Chris

[Pochahontas]

Ingrid

Are you on Caribe deck on Grand Princess.  We had a cabin on that deck on Sapphire last year and it is a double size balcony with half in the sun and half in the shade and room for chairs and table and a couple of sunbeds.  You look down on the minisuites but the deck above can look down on you when you are sitting in the sun

Chris

Hi Chris I am on Aloha quad midship portside! I looked at all the pictures and its right under a 'hump' the trouble with taking a third person is it limits you to what cabin is available - I showed the photos to Ed (actually this sites shutter bit has some great pictures) and we both came to the same conclusion we didn't mind the extended roof, The last two times we were in Italy we had some amazing storms and it was August! so we think that the rain would have to be vertical to get onto the balcony or blowing a gale ourway! I still have my vouchers (Thomas Cook) to use against another mini holiday - but will look into Thomson - I thought the flight over with them was very impressive and couldn't fault any part of it. I still have my blanket neck muff and eye patches LOL!  I will have to go and have another lookie because I would adore doing the Aegean Sea.

I know what you mean about hunt the sunbed, I must admit though I found a really great  friends who would join us every day on Riviera Deck for our daily dose of Opas - one lady went hunting for spare beds and dragged them over for us! how cool was that - we set up our own section with little tables a few chairs and a couple of sunbeds and interchanged!

But now having done Cruising and experienced it - I definitely want the balcony! a little place like you say to 'escape'  I sort of worked out that going around the med - we would be land facing and have the sea on the way back - now from Naples we have a day at sea with a stop at Gibaltar - I figured the sun rises in the east sets in the west - so on the way Land and shade in the morning sunset in the evening - on the way back sun in the morning! Ed cannot take too much direct sun so the extra roof will also mean he will not be heading into the cabin away from too much of it, under the midday sun! on the way around the ports it dosnt matter too much because we will be off the ship! I think I might try the Ultimate balcony dining experience as well!!

Aw it will be so nice though for you to see your grandchildren - aw and they are weeny as well - takes me back to when mine were that age! I hope the weather picks up again and this latest rain belt isn't going to hang about - last year it was a complete wash out - we had terrible local flooding in Croydon, I had to turn around on the way to work and go home - it was terrifying to see side roads with rushing rapid water with debris of tree branches coming towards you! I couldn't even park up to wait it out as the drains couldn't cope and it was very high up the wheel arches. Then of course it felt like a very long winter on top of that.

Ingrid
x
 

[icemaiden]

Hi Chris
glad to hear you are going to alcudia, i spent most of me teenage years going there and into my 20s and 30`s, have you been before, the beach in alcudia is fantastic, we usally stayed either in a villa or the siesta apartments or the hotel lagomonte, i remember it before when there was only 3 large hotels there, we were thinking of going back to acludia as we havent been there since abby was born (13yrs), i am always saying that i want her to go there to where i spent my early yrs,lol, on holiday,there is a huge water park now and macdonalds and all that there, we used to cycle along to porta pollensa its lovely too, the furthest we cycled, and remember we were young,lol, was to can` picafort , if you havent been you will enjoy, its flat so no hills unless you want to cimb the hills in the background from the beach,lol, we did and they felt like mountains in the heat,lol, but the view is fantastic, there was a ship in the port the day we did that, but the people had to tender off it, anyway ive ranted here , hope you enjoy your holiday in june,

and hi to ingrid, sent you an email

Linda

[Dorset Cruiser]

Linda

This will be the third time we have taken Jamie to Majorca and the second for Molly.  The first time we had a villa because Jamie was only a baby and we felt that would be the best bet.  We just set his cot up on the patio under a huge parasol and he was as happy as larry - super holiday.  Last year we took the pair of them to Alcudia to the Marina Delfin Verde Hotel.  We were actually dreading it because we had read a mass of awful reviews about it but it turned out to be really nice.  The rooms were a bit basic but they were clean and quiet.  We had three rooms next to each other which was ideal.  The AI food and drink was excellent - plenty of choice and my son was even able to get his Jack Daniels and Clare her Baileys for no extra charge.  So we are going back there this year - just hope we have as good an experience.  The only disappointing thing is my daughter cannot get the time off work to join us - she will be dearly missed as the children ADORE her and her husband Ollie - I don't know who will give Jamie his shoulder rides as that is Ollie's job normally.  The children are really looking forward to the holiday.  The hotel chain has a mascot Marinita, a huge blue thing - well its a man dressed up really   They both fell in love with Marinita last year and Molly had a great time dancing with it at the kids disco every evening - Jamie was too shy to get up there and join her though.  Hope he can get up the courage this year.

Ingrid - I have kept the Thomsonfly blanket, cushion, eyemask etc.  We never even undid them so I will give them to my two grandchildren - they will get a lot of playtime out of them - they are at that age where they are always playing pretend games - I will just have to try and mock up an airplane for them

Chris

[icemaiden]

hi chris

it seems like ages since we were on the cruise , and its only been just under a year, its been a long 11 months, fingers crossed i will have a cruise or holiday booked in the next month or so

linda