Dean

Dean

Member since Invalid Date
1
Review
4.0
4 out of 5 stars
Average rating

Reviews by Dean

TU

TUI Cruises

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4 out of 5 stars

An "ok" Experience

So everyone told me going on a cruise would be the best holiday I could have. Wrong! Tui Marella Discovery ship and cruise pluses: Firstly going Premium was superb. Lounge facilities, priority security checks, bigger seats, good food,  so far so good Barbados transfer to ship was seamless,  staff helpful and smiling! Cabin, pretty good and thank god for balcony. There is very good hairdryer in the room  a safe and coffee/tea making facilities. Clean and functional Restaurants serving excellent foods catering for most tastes and the staff are friendly and helpful. On board there are various activities arranged by the staff during the day when at sea and the evening entertainment is also very good throughout. Sadly there are some negatives for us, these may not be an issue for others though? Internet is awful even having paid for  ships connection. Intermittent at best , wasted £40. Many travellers had same complaint. The connection is so poor fail to see how  they  justify charge which leaves you feeling scammed.  Do not pay for it! Use wi fi in port or pay for roaming from your supplier! Pool, small, very small and massively overcrowded on sea days as you may imagine. Far too much chlorine drawing complaints around pool! Pool closed for a short period on 24th as "something was floating in it?" Sunbeds placed at 8:00am and a number of disagreements took place between travellers who thought they owned a position!!!   Sunbeds were packed in lines like sardines ( particularly on an at sea day). When you lie down you are virtually touching person next to you who you may never have met before  ( a quick way to make friends or get a slap lol) No sun shades due to limited space but shaded areas available (so if you are fair skinned beware) If you leave your sunbed unattended for an hour you get a ticket and risk having towels removed. Support this because some of those ignorant travellers would place towel early then disappear for hours!! We found 60 minutes was more than enough time to eat and return. Bar staff very good natured but so slow sometimes. There were regular queues at Atrium Bar on 24th  despite some staff taking orders on the floor (again very slow and only appeared intermittently. ) If you go on thinking its a hotel on water then your expectations of hotels are not high! Its a ship with limited room. Its clean, tidy and functional. No real in -room entertainment  such as music chanel on TV but how much time do you spend in your room? No mini fridge to keep supply of cold drink/water which generally ( not always) now comes as standard in hotels.  No drinking water in room  but there are several water stations to fill a provided jug on some floors. This was a topic of complaint among many we spoke to. We went Premium and so did a couple near us. We found out at end of tour that they had 6 complementary bottles of water in their room because they booked before 22nd previous July ? Whats that about? Understand these things and the holiday comes into its own and a great many people clearly find it enjoyable. I guess its just horses for courses as they say. Excursions Really looked forward to the semi submarine tour however once on coach we were told the engine had broken down and that part of the tour was replaced by a visit to a Butterfly Farm. Really?  However these things happen, its not the fault of TUI and we were offered  a reduction in tour price. Still very disappointing though and a long time on the coach ( good Aircon though). We did the Turtle viewing tour on the Wednesday and its fantastic. Do take beach shoes though. Snorkel and mask supplied if you don't have one . Tour guides brilliant and passionate The Rum and Son Grenada was well worth it for the 2 hour  beach time alone. It is 5 dollars for a sunbed! Snorkeling is good Not too much travelling so highly recommended St Lucia Piton cruise was fabulous. Open water, a stop to photograph Pitons and a stop of 30 mins swimming at gorgeous Bay. Plenty of rum punch on offer. Well recommended. If we were ever to hotel on one of the islands it would be St Lucia, it wins hands down for us! In conclusion I am glad we tried it and thoroughly enjoyed many parts but I am definitely a "land lubber" and enjoy a good hotel and beach holiday . My wife would cruise again though so as I say its horses for courses and not for me.