Portside

Many thanks for all your posts. They are much appreciated. We're planning to discuss it in more detail this week and make a decision.

Thanks for the input, it is greatly appreciated. Keep them coming!

I'll follow this post with interest as a river cruise is on my to do list also. I agree that Crystal do look attractive based on the ships and the fact that it's Crystal so you know the service will surely be excellent but I find their itineraries a little underwhelming compared to others. I'm sure the Crystal itineraries will also come with a much higher price tag than many others too. Interesting to see some lesser known to me river companies being mentioned on this forum. I had never heard of Riviera Travel for example, nor had I heard much about Emerald Waterways or Uniworld but I see both

I see a short term impact taking place. I think the overall cost of travelling to Europe will rise but not by too much. I see a 10-15% increase while the dust settles on the referendum and the pound settles down. Once we got over that hurdle I think things will reach a plateau that most will find satisfactory.

Having looked into it cruzwithkidz, yes all cruise lines declare whether a cabin is obstructed or not despite whether the obstruction is just a small fraction or the majority of the view. I too have used Google to help me with this and some cruise lines websites offer the chance to view obstructed view cabins, P&O being one of them. It's your final comment that is exactly my way of thinking at the moment. I would prefer the extra money saved to go towards another holiday therefore giving us something else in the calendar to look forward to. I do however worry that by opting for a lowe

As for bingo being a sport, surely not!

I agree re Wikipedia. Dreadful source of information that can be amended at the drop of hat to state anything you want it to. Inevitably it will be flagged and removed but If I wanted to make London the capital of the United States on there I could do so at will, albeit for a short space of time.

It is a big shame that this is required. The city is certainly worth visiting and it's terrible that such changes need to be made based on horrible events such as this. I haven't experienced Thessaloniki or Volos myself so I cannot pass comment on those ports.

Not for me right now. I actually agree with one of the points raised above. I'm not sure as to whether travel insurance companies would keep your cover intact if you travel against the advice of the foreign office. It's a good point raised. It is a shame but no I would not consider travelling there at the moment.

Looking at several cruises for 2017 at the moment and one option for us is to perhaps downgrade on our accommodation choice which would in turn allow us to perhaps use the extra money to squeeze another one in if possible. Just wondered what people thought of obstructed view cabins? I've never had one myself. I know friends and family that have, each with their own differing opinions so I thought I'd consult my fellow forum members on the issue. Have you sailed in an obstructed view? If so what did you think? Was it money well saved based on the difference between that and say a clear

Whilst I agree with your point OWT, it would be foolhardy for Royal Caribbean to approach the situation in any other way. For them to issue future cruise credits appears as positive PR in many passengers eyes and avoids them facing significant losses by making any sort of actual cash refunds. I think they have operated in the same way any other cruise line would have. It's sadly the way of the world now but I cannot blame the cruise line for taking this stance.

Hello and welcome along AnDelBul, I look forward to reading some of your posts about your cruising experiences.

Like you AnnieP, I find the concept of seemingly endless sea days on a cruise something that is not for me. I commented above about a different style of re-positioning cruise that would perhaps interest me but that would primarily depend on the pre/post cruise options available as well as the ports visited during. I do not find Southampton to New York transatlantic sailings appealing in the slightest, nor do I over to the Caribbean from Southampton. I appreciate that prices can often be attractive for a nice getaway with good food and relaxation but for me there needs to be more to it than tha

Thanks for the responses. If I were to ever do one, it would need to be reminiscent of the approach you take smtcan. I'd want to know that a plan was in place for when I got off the ship such as a land tour. I can appreciate that the cost is an attraction but I do agree with you that this probably would not suit me unless I had plans either pre or post cruise. I much prefer the idea of something like Singapore to Dubai thus giving me the option of spending time in these destinations both pre and post cruise with relaxation in between, now that I perhaps would consider.

Has anyone done a Caribbean repositioning cruise? I just wondered what they are like and whether they are in fact worth it? I just cannot get my head around spending money just to be at sea. I know there are ports of call on the itinerary but 6 days minimum at sea is a long time. I suppose it's great if you want to just chill out but surely for a few days the weather wouldn't exactly be great either going into or coming out of Southampton. For me, I prefer a busier cruise with more ports of call and less sea days. I read Bolsover's blog on it recently and although there are good p