Holidays 2025.

[Carole]

We cruised on harmony of the seas a few years ago. western caribbean - was fantastic,, but i wouldn't want to do another cruise. not sure why just the feeling that i wouldn't do it again.

We did Royal Caribbean once, although not on that ship.
We didn’t particularly enjoy it and wouldn’t do another on that line although we have friends that love it.

 

[Carole]

All the dressing up for meals would put me off.

Depending on the cruise line, you most certainly don’t have to.

The cruise that we have just done had 12 “casual nights” and 2 “Gala nights”.

The Gala nights were black tie and almost everyone dressed up but even those nights there were restaurants and places to go for those that didn’t want to.

I put a dress on every night whether it’s a casual night or not, it takes the same amount of time to get dressed whatever you put on and I like the chance to dress up a bit as I’m always so casual at home.

The days of compulsory dressing for dinner are long gone although there are still some upmarket cruise lines for those that still want to.

 

[Carole]

Also @Mudgie the ship that we went on had about 14 places to eat and 14 different bars including a pub called Brodies. (With a decent choice of beer and cider)
Husband used to go to the pub on match days (because of the time difference he was sometimes in there at 8.00am )

They also had a venue called The Keel and Cow which had pub style food. Also there were speciality restaurants , more intimate and serving fabulous cuisine, these cost a little extra but worth every penny.
The days of fixed dining are long gone too, you choose your own time for dinner.
Sometimes we ate early, sometimes late, usually working around which entertainment we wanted to watch.

We found that birds of a feather flock together, people soon found the bars, restaurants and venues that suited their own personality.

 

[Mudgie]

Also @Mudgie the ship that we went on had about 14 places to eat and 14 different bars including a pub called Brodies. (With a decent choice of beer and cider)
Husband used to go to the pub on match days (because of the time difference he was sometimes in there at 8.00am )

They also had a venue called The Keel and Cow which had pub style food. Also there were speciality restaurants , more intimate and serving fabulous cuisine, these cost a little extra but worth every penny.
The days of fixed dining are long gone too, you choose your own time for dinner.
Sometimes we ate early, sometimes late, usually working around which entertainment we wanted to watch.

We found that birds of a feather flock together, people soon found the bars, restaurants and venues that suited their own personality.

Carole,
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to explain in such detail.

 

[Trumpet]

Also @Mudgie

They also had a venue called The Keel and Cow which had pub style food.

Keel and Cow.
Were you on Iona or Arvia?

 

[Trumpet]

Over the weekend Mrs T spotted 14 nights in the Caribbean, balcony cabin with P & O end of January £1k per person.
Bargain.

 

[Carole]

Keel and Cow.
Were you on Iona or Arvia?

Last year we did The Iona, this year we did Arvia, both lovely ships.
Which one did you do?

Over the weekend Mrs T spotted 14 nights in the Caribbean, balcony cabin with P & O end of January £1k per person.
Bargain.

Yes that’s a bargain, there are some great deals on at the moment. Especially when you think what is included for the price.

Of course we paid a premium because it was a Christmas/New Year cruise.

 

[Trumpet]

Haven't been on Arvia yet, think it's the only currently active one we've not been on over the years.

 

[staffordjas]

Also @Mudgie the ship that we went on had about 14 places to eat and 14 different bars including a pub called Brodies. (With a decent choice of beer and cider)
Husband used to go to the pub on match days (because of the time difference he was sometimes in there at 8.00am )

They also had a venue called The Keel and Cow which had pub style food. Also there were speciality restaurants , more intimate and serving fabulous cuisine, these cost a little extra but worth every penny.
The days of fixed dining are long gone too, you choose your own time for dinner.
Sometimes we ate early, sometimes late, usually working around which entertainment we wanted to watch.

We found that birds of a feather flock together, people soon found the bars, restaurants and venues that suited their own personality.

I didn't realise they had normal sort of bars etc on board. Thought it was just restaurants (probably because I've only seen the inside of a cruise ship in films ) Can't really imagine just how big these cruise ships are inside.

One of my friends has the luxury balcony cabins ,and pays extra for those with unobscured views. I'd have to have a cabin with outside balcony as well if I went. She's warned me to check room plans if booking , as could be looking out onto just a lifeboat in front of the balcony.

My other friend and her hubby choose the cheaper inside cabins , no windows/port holes at all. Chooses right in the centre of the boat to minimise movement (after telling me you can't feel it......) . Shown me photos of the tiny cabin with hardly any room by beds and a tiny shower/loo , that's not for me at all! Wouldn't like to feel so enclosed and I like space. She says they don't spend long in the cabin , as always something to do. And can see what the weather is like on a TV screen in the room ....noooooo , those sort not for me at all.

 

[Trumpet]

P & O website has loads of photographs of the internal areas, bars, restaurants etc.

 

[Carole]

I didn't realise they had normal sort of bars etc on board. Thought it was just restaurants (probably because I've only seen the inside of a cruise ship in films ) Can't really imagine just how big these cruise ships are inside.

One of my friends has the luxury balcony cabins ,and pays extra for those with unobscured views. I'd have to have a cabin with outside balcony as well if I went. She's warned me to check room plans if booking , as could be looking out onto just a lifeboat in front of the balcony.

We agree, we wouldn’t go if we couldn’t have a balcony.

Regarding the bars, restaurants and entertainment on board , all ships are different.
The Arvia which we have just been on has 5000 passengers but because there are so many different venues people spread out so it rarely feels crowded (usually at the breakfast buffet , but even then there are less crowded venues to go to). So much choice of things to do.
We don’t stick to the same cruise line, we like to experience different things. Last year we went on a smaller ship which only had 750 passenger. Luxury by day, but boring at night.

Here is the map of the Arvia that they give you on embarkation to stop you getting lost.

 

[Carole]

We saw a bargain cruise round the Arabian Penninsula, too good to turn down so off we went.
The cruise started off in Dubai, not a place that we would usually choose for a holiday but we had two night there before the cruise to explore. I’d last been 16 years ago with work and hardly recognised the place, so much building had gone on since my last visit.

 

[Carole]

First port of call after Dubai was Khasab Oman where we took a Dhow cruise round the Musandam Fjords.
We we’re lucky enough to see dolphins (although I didn’t get a photo).
When we were back on the cruise ship at dusk, we spotted smugglers speeding across the water, apparently to Iran where there is a roaring trade in cigarettes. No photos of the smugglers either.

 

[Carole]

The following day took us to Sir Bani Yas Island, United Arab Emirates, although we only docked for an afternoon.
The island is home to thousands of free roaming animals including giraffes.
We had a walk around the beach side although it was a little windy that day. It was more commercialised than I had been led to believe so a little disappointing.

 

[Gramaisc]

You should have mentioned your past. They might have let you pop up to the roof for a better view.

 

[Carole]

The next stop was Abu Dhabi and we were very much looking forward to visiting The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. I’d got my own Abaya and headscarf and off we went. It didn’t disappoint, in fact the sheer scale and beauty of it blew us away, it was one of the most stunning pieces of architecture that I have ever seen. The photos don’t do it justice.

 

[Carole]

We had made friends on the cruise with a Qantas pilot and his wife, we hit it off straight away and spent quite a bit of time with them. They were with us on the mosque visit but then Mitch, the pilot went off to Ferrari world and my husband went to the Manchester City Experience for a quick look.
Afterwards we reconvened and went to The Corniche (a promenade). It was novel to see camels on the beach.

 

[Carole]

Next stop was Doha and we’d booked a tour to see the main sights.
We absolutely loved it. Past, present and future all merging together.
Like much of the Arabian Gulf it was pristine, no litter or graffiti and so much money being spent on the infrastructure. No pot holes here!
It was amazing to wander round the souk and the camel market but also see the new buildings with their amazing architecture.

 

[Carole]

 

[Carole]

Bahrain was our final stop, our least favourite destination of the cruise.
All in all though a fabulous holiday, and in a world that is increasingly becoming the same, it was a privilege to experience a different culture.