That is what I call a good deal (Holiday)

[T.C.]

Just booked our holiday for next year.

18 nights on Independence of the Seas (again) leaving Southampton with nine ports of call including Spain, Portugal, Gibralter, 3 in Italy and France, Deluxe balcony cabin, all in for £1300 Called the Ultimate Med Cruise.

Well pleased, downside is I have got to wait 11 months

[Falcorob]

Just booked our holiday for next year.

18 nights on Independence of the Seas (again) leaving Southampton with nine ports of call including Spain, Portugal, Gibralter, 3 in Italy and France, Deluxe balcony cabin, all in for £1300 Called the Ultimate Med Cruise.

Well pleased, downside is I have got to wait 11 months

Sounds a bargain mate. I take it that's for two of you?

[Nooj]

Not a bad price, that's all inclusive is it, food as well? Do you have to wear a suit the whole time? Are there screaming kids running about the place or all pensioners?

[Gio]

Not a bad price, that's all inclusive is it, food as well? Do you have to wear a suit the whole time? Are there screaming kids running about the place or all pensioners?

I'd have thought the screaming brats will be in school, alternatively they can lock them in the anchor deck, nobody will hear them scream (being a 160,000 tonner)

[T.C.]

Not a bad price, that's all inclusive is it, food as well? Do you have to wear a suit the whole time? Are there screaming kids running about the place or all pensioners?

That is all inclusive, so all your food (superb grub ) cabin service, entertainment is included.

Last time (In October) I wore a suit once and that was only because the wife wanted some decent formal photographs, but for the rest of the time it was shorts and T shirt even at meal times, unless you go to the fine dining in which case I wore jeans. Days at sea are declared formal and in the evening passengers have the option of wearing all their smart stuff, but we didn't bother as we tended to use the casual dining most of the time.

You don't see the kids. On Independence there were over 1,000 kids (of 3,000 pasengers) and I don't think I ever saw more than a dozen at a time as they are so well catered for with various clubs and events, and as for pensioners, of course you will get a spread but they are not a problem.

Passenger types are a spread of families, couples, pensioners, kids, but there is so much space you don't really get bothered unless you ewant to socialise.

[Nooj]

Jeans and shorts eh? I've always liked the idea of doing a cruise, but have been put off by the prospect of being trapped at sea in 'polite society' or with a bunch of people who are all over 60, or with crap families with badly behaved kids being a pain in the arse at all hours. If I can be left alone to slob around for a bit (within reason) and can have some space to myself it sounds pretty good.

[T.C.]

Jeans and shorts eh? I've always liked the idea of doing a cruise, but have been put off by the prospect of being trapped at sea in 'polite society' or with a bunch of people who are all over 60, or with crap families with badly behaved kids being a pain in the arse at all hours. If I can be left alone to slob around for a bit (within reason) and can have some space to myself it sounds pretty good.

Try it Like you, before I went on my first cruise I had my doubts as I also thought it would be full of old people, horrid kids and the like. Within an hour of boarding I was a full convert, and now we don't even consider any other type of holiday.

I have stayed at some posh hotels in my time, including places like the Savoy, but honestly these posh hotels cannot hold a candle to the comfort and luxury you find on board ship, the standard and quality of service is higher than anything I had experienced previously, and you are honestly pampered for all your needs throughout.

In the past I have come home from holidays in Florida, Hong Kong and the like and felt I needed a holiday to recover, on a cruise it is 110% relax and chill. I have never felt so relaxed both whilst away and after I got home.

And on top of that you get to visit some wonderful ports of call in different countries without having to get on a plane, pack or stand around in deparrture lounges, and as daft as it seems, seeing a new country for the first time from the sea is a completley different and more relaxing experience than seeing it from the air.

I should be a salesman for the cruise lines shouldn't I?

[Nooj]

Sounds good. Shame you can't take a bike ashore at each stop and explore the local twisties for a day, that would be a kick-ass holiday!

[Samray]

There will be no nursing home in my future........

When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:

1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.

2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service ( which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week).

3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night.

4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.

5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

6. I will get to meet new people every 7or 14 days.

7. T.V. broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.

8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.

9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare. If you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.

[T.C.]

I read vitually the same article over the weekend.

There is some merit in those comments as well

[D-Rider]

..... but where do you get $135 a DAY to pay for it all (plus tips etc)?

Even if you rent out your house, there's no way it'll bring in the $4000 per month (plus tips) ... or about £3000 in real money to pay for it. At least not if your house is like mine in the midlands ...

[T.C.]

..... but where do you get $135 a DAY to pay for it all (plus tips etc)?

Even if you rent out your house, there's no way it'll bring in the $4000 per month (plus tips) ... or about £3000 in real money to pay for it. At least not if your house is like mine in the midlands ...

The story I read was a woman who was wealthy in her own right, and her kids wanted her to sell the house which was worth about £900,000 (there was no morgage) so they could inherit the cash and she could be put in a home.

She sold the house, put the money into a high interest savings account or similar, told the kids that they could kiss he arse and their inheritance goodbye and sailed off into the sunset (excuse the pun).

She had worked it out that with her savings, the money from her property and her pension, with a nightly cost of between £60 and £90 per night (which is about average), she could cruise the world, live in luxury, eat well and prevent her family from inheriting a penny.

On the cruises we ahve done, I have met a few people who spend at least 6 months aboard various ships, so I can belive this womans story.

[ligloo]

Cruises are the best ever... as long as you stay clear of Puerto Rico LOL

I'm/We're young... ish ;) and it's the way to go for me from now on, did our first cruise last Dec in the Caribbean and I loved it!!! Could stay put if I wanted OR go exploring, different place every day or so ... hey ho lol Kiddo had a whale of a time and it was just soooo easy all round


Food mmmmmmmm..................

Puerto Ricans -------------- (that's a negative for the greedy bastids but at least they kept them to a certain area.... never seen owt like it in my life, 3 plates of food EVERY main course per sitting per buffet!!!! )

NEVER board a cruise that goes there, they get subsidised by their govt and pay sommat like $100 for the same as us!

I hate Dick Branson :(

[T.C.]

Cruises are the best ever... as long as you stay clear of Puerto Rico LOL

I'm/We're young... ish ;) and it's the way to go for me from now on, did our first cruise last Dec in the Caribbean and I loved it!!! Could stay put if I wanted OR go exploring, different place every day or so ... hey ho lol Kiddo had a whale of a time and it was just soooo easy all round


Food mmmmmmmm..................

Puerto Ricans -------------- (that's a negative for the greedy bastids but at least they kept them to a certain area.... never seen owt like it in my life, 3 plates of food EVERY main course per sitting per buffet!!!! )

NEVER board a cruise that goes there, they get subsidised by their govt and pay sommat like $100 for the same as us!

I hate Dick Branson :(

We had a similar experience to you in Honduras when we cruised the Carribean the year before last

Who did you go with? We went with Carnival who were absolutely superb, terrific ship (Carnival Glory) but our subsequent cruises have been with Royal Carribean on the Independence of the Seas, and in fact our next one is on the Indy again