Good Evening from the Balcony cruise - sorry but the cruise is now fully booked, for refunds please contact our branch in.............

Sobriaty is not good for one telly is boring and I've run out of ice cream I need my Grandson to work the video

I must admit it has rained tonight, quite hard rain in fact, (thought I'd cheer up Maureen H and Magsy) Who's fightened of a drop of rain, 14 floors up
When I asked for a quote for my contents insurance they insisted I had flood damage, If I get flooded God Help the rest of the lower down folk. (I call them my teracota allotment dewellers

Anyway just a point to ponder on. This time next week it will be 24 -30 degrees and I will be in just a T-shirt and wellies with a set of 'king Dicks' to hand.
those water pumps take some overalling :rofl
Take care and good night - do not close the site down whilst I have an early night will you

Byeee for now

Phil Morris

Aw Magsy, you've taken it off! It's OK for you to keep it on. Asking Van to host it just means you are a considerate user. I'm sure there are plenty members who have avatars linked to other sites, but don't realise that it's not the done thing.

I see you have posted for Van's attention, thanks. He is busy at the moment so it may take a few days before it is actioned.

Anyone else who wants a new avatar, please post here:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=8688&start=80

Thanks.

luci

The call........

I think I got it

Was offered 5 night Carribean cruise in November with 2 nights in hotel first
£299 from Heathrow not including transfers from airport to hotel/ship.

I am sooooooooooooooooo excited. I am ringing tomorrow to confirm everything. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the offer is still there.
I know its not £10, but it sounds a fab cruise ship!


Did I mention that I just might be a little bit excited????

Amanda, That is wonderful news! I am so happy for you! Well done for holding out girl! Best news today!

Nice one Amanda

£299 for a cabby cruise isn`t a bad deal at all.

Hope all goes well for you.......no freak snowstorms in the Caribbean etc.

Congratulations Amanda. I'm really delighted for you. Please let us all know details of where exactly you are going. That will be something to look forward to.

oh dear phils balcony cruise is fully booked. never mind perhaps we can all get in a long boat on the kennet and avon canal, where the sun will shine on us. . vivien. have a good trip phil and don't get sunburnt.

(Sorry this is off topic, Luci.) Pleased to hear the rain arrived, Phil. I can understand queries about insurance on my bungalow which is a mile from the coast but 14 floors up? Do they think you might flood the place with Bells?

Maureen H

Might as well add my off topic footnote whilst we are at it!

Flats can be flooded by burst pipes....especially from the flats above!

Is Phil insured against falling off the bacony when he has had a few and they hit rough weather?

Anyway......great to hear there is at least a trickle of new successes coming through. Who is the next DE cruiser to go on their confirmed cruise then

Wallecan and The Explorer are off to the Caribbean on 9th April which is just 17 days away!

Yes we are the next to go to the Western Caribbean - two week from this Friday. I thought I was the only one on the NCL Sun from Miami, but Colin (Explorer) is a last minute joiner. It's good to have some company, other than 2,000 Yanks!

All set to go, apart from whether to take anti- malaria tabs, as one of the excursions is into a tropical rain forest (Lamanai & The New River Safari from Belize). Any advice on what to take, if anything, appreciated.

The Rise docs do refer to reconfirming the American Airlines flights, but don't say how to do this. I have already booked my seats for both flights through the AA Web Pages & intend to check in 24 hrs before on the AA net check-in facility. Do you think that is sufficient?

With all this AA talk I might be joinig Phil with the Bells
Anyone into digital photography? I am thinking of buying a digital mid range like the Canon EOS 300D, whilst in Miami, as the $ exchange rate is so good, and wonder if it will actually be much cheaper than UK, and where to shop.

Wallecan, its Roatan as well that has malaria risk. In Belize anywhere outside of Belize City has risk, not just the jungle.

See the useful info thread and I have provided a link to a MASTA factsheet. This discusses that on cruise ships in malarial areas, it is acceptable not to take prevention. This is because the risk is very low on a cruise ship (malarial mozzies bite from dusk to dawn and don't come off land far).

The drug to take is Chloroquine (which can be bought over the counter cheaply) if you want to be safe than sorry. I have not decided yet whether to take any. Regardless of what you do, make sure you follow strict bite precautions. Mozzies also transmit dengue fever for which there is no prevention.

Edit...here is the link..http://www.masta.info/library/factsheets/cruise_fact_sheet.pdf

I did the MASTA brief too and I was informed that Hep A, Typhoid and tetanus are recommended. Hep B to be considered.

The Rise statement about confirming flights is probably generalised. If AA say there is no need (which they do) then there is nothing you can do. For peace of mind, the best thing you can do is ring up AA like I did and check.

HTH

Hi Wallecan

You wanted tips for your cruise: DO take sunblock, even if you've got no intention of sunbathing - we northern Europeans aren't used to strong sun at this time of the year, most of us haven't had any for around 6 months, and the risk of burning isn't worth taking.

Luci, if this post is in the wrong thread (e.g. if there's a special one for hints and tips), do feel free to move it there.

Fay

Wallecan and the Explorer

Hope you have a fab time on your cruise. I was on the Carnival Inspiration last July and we stopped in Belize. We really wanted to do a rain forest tour but they were all sold out very quickly. We ended up doing the cave tubing which was a mixture of every emotion imaginable - fright, exhilaration, panic, relief (when it was over!) and 'I can't believe I actually did that'.

This is not really off topic is it? You are going on a DE cruise.

For the uninitiated - cave tubing starts with carrying a large inner tube for about an hour and 15 minutes to the river in the rain forest. You only wear what you don't mind getting wet ie t shirt, swimming costume and a must is a pair of fish shoes (rubber soled, canvas topped). The guides give you a miner's lamp to wear on your head and then you wade into the river, sit in your tube and off you go! Your lamp picks out bats as you float in and out of the caves. Beware of the sink holes! and the rapids. The guides are at the front and back of the group so you don't get lost, but sometimes the river bottom meets your own bottom with a bit of a thump, especially if there are hidden rocks. Also the hardest bit is stopping at the end of the trip. The guides grab you from carrying on over the rapids.

I'd say 'go for it' if you are a bit adventurous!

Also, I forgot to say that I didn't take any malaria tablets, just sun screen.

Are the ships in dry dock for repairs as we dont see many cruises being given. Last night I decided to prepare dinner just a light one from the cook book my Wife co/wrote,Appetizer,8oz softened cream cheese,1 cup sour cream,4 oz jar red caviar,2 tsp worcestershire sauce,mix well and chill. Main course, 2 cooked lobsters,8 oz mushrooms, 4oz butter, 2tsp dry mustard, 4 slices bread,1 clove garlic, 1 tsp lemon juice, pinch salt/pepper. Cut the lobsters in half lengthwise, remove the meat, chop and mix with the mushrooms,2oz of the butter and the mustard. Fill the lobster shells with the mixture. Place under moderate grill and cook for 5 minutes. Toast the bread. Crush the garlic and blend with the remaining butter, lemon juice and seasonings. Spresd on the toast, cut in halves or quarters and serve with the lobster. Then the wine has just got to be the right temp. But you dont want a cookery programme on this forum but till the shipping lanes start filling up and I hope they do this is a one off.No ice or water in the whisky.

Just a tip for first-time cruisers: you'll meet lots of fascinating people on board, and for me some of the truly inspiring stories came from the crew, most of whom are the kind of people you won't normally meet. One example stands out: the Marco Polo (Orient Lines) has a large quota of Fillipino crew; all the waiters, wine waiters, bar staff and cabin crew. The senior decision-makers have found that things work best that way. The Fillipinos are among the most delightful people you'll meet, they're totally genuine, their warm smiles and desire to please are striking time after time, and nothing is too much for them.

The Marco Polo set up an orphanage in the Phillipines, and all crew donate 10% of their wages to run it - some crew members were brought up there. You can find lots more info at the ship's reception, there are 2 large-ish albums on the orphanage, one with pics and the other detailing its history and other facts. Poverty in that country is overwhelming, and the stories of so many crew members are inspirational.

As far as I know, no HT members are booked on the Marco Polo - but it was listed in the DE offer, so maybe some of you will be booked on it at some stage.

Fay

So where is your restaurant Tukomb0?

Hi Chris

Here is the Health Advice for Travellers from the Dept of Health which gives the recommendations for each country.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/fs/en

Regarding malaria, the above website states:

If you are going to visit, travel through, or even just stop over, in a malarial country, even if you have lived there before, take the following precautions:

Rest of article here: Malaria Advice

You may still need to check with the nurse at your GP practice as the type of anti-malarial you may need depends on where you are visiting, eg the preferred one for Kenya is Larium and not the usual chloroquine.

HTH

luci