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cruisegalleeds
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20-01-2008 08:03 PM
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Joined: 20 Jan 2008
Posts: 6
| Have booked a 20 day cruise to Brazil on Island Escape next November and need to know if it has a laundry room. We are in an outside cabin on bronze deck and would like info regarding tea making facilities, safe, plug points and noise [if any] in fact any info would be most helpful,
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My Latest Review: May 2007 The Emerald Cruise Ship (10/10)
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THE TYRE MAN
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29-01-2008 05:51 AM
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Joined: 29 Jan 2008
Posts: 1
| hi i have been on the island escape a few times and regards to laundry the cabin steward will take care of this for you most items are around 2 to . pounds and are back in your cabin whithin the same day or earley the next .there is a safe in the cabins and sockets which you will need adaptor for euro type there isnt tea and coffe making facillites in the cabins but the isand escape has a 24 hour beechcomber restraunt with fre flowing coffe tea etc only a couple of decks up fom bronze .ive also been on the island star a few times aswell as the esacpe and would say the escape is qiueter all in all weve had good food and great times on both hope this helps regards mike..
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suebee
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29-01-2008 04:40 PM
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Joined: 29 Jan 2008
Posts: 1
| We went on the Island Escape last July and had the best holiday ever, this was our first cruise, so although I cannot compare only with hotels, I can give lots of info, we have just booked again this morning for another holiday on the Island Star, which is just slightly bigger, just for a change of scenery really, my husband was all for booking with the escape again, as he particularly enjoyed sitting at the very back of the ship in the bounty lounge (coffee bar section) watching out of the window as we sailed away from the ports, as their is no outside deck area their he preferred that, whilst I personally prefered to be watching on the outside, everyone is different. We mostly dined in the Beachcomber restaurant as you could sit in or out, and just help yourself to what you wanted. Also in the main restaurant where you only paid for your drinks unless you wanted fruitjuice you were shown to your table by a waiter, sometimes a short wait, maybe a minute, but you needed to tell him if you wanted a table for two otherwise they try and mix everyone together, which is nice, but sometimes you just want to be able to eat with just the two of you. Very good range of food in both restaurants did nt feel the need to pay to dine in the other one, which you need to book for, I think it was only about £15 each a full meal but, their was not one day when there was not at least three different choices that we could not make our mind up about, always lots & lots of choice. The only time food was quite limited choice was at 2.00 in the morning, when it was maybe burgers, or hot dogs, or salads, fruit, sandwiches, puddings etc in the beachcomber.
We collected our card at the beginning of the cruise that you charge everything to, you give them your credit or debit card no, and pay after checking the bill at the end of the holiday(night before), no problem at all as you are told as you go along how much things are, and can check at any time with reception how much you owe. Just watch yourself if you use the internet, as a very slow connection, and their is a cheap package if you take it in advance, but you are charged at the end and do not realise how long you are on sometimes, charging was not very clearly pointed out in the internet room I did not feel. We drank soft drinks most of the time which were about £1.40 each for the small bottle of coke. Water, Tea, Coffee, Fruitjuice was available free in the Beachcomber. I often took fruit back to the cabin for a snack and no one stopped me. I bought some screw top bottles once onshore to take back to the cabin for ease. I noticed that someone buying alcohol in the shop on the ship was not allowed to open it and had to collect it just before embarkation, but heard of others that were buying it on land at stop offs, and bringing it back to the ship in a bag.
The shop had quite a few choices in sweets, but not everyones choices, and once again some were quite highly priced.
We enjoyed the odd game of Bingo in an evening in the Bounty Lounge, which you charged to your card, and if yo9u won was awarded back to your card, we won twice which was nice and reduced our bill.
We were on board for one week, spent quite a bit in the jewellry shop, boutique, and perfume shop, as well as our drinks and Bingo, oh yes and trips came to about £700 in total at the end. We only went on one organised trip to Rome as we thought they were all a bit overpriced, but thoroughly enjoyed that, very glad we did the tour by bus, as it was such a hot day, and the bus had air conditioning, and we saw most of Rome all in one day.
After being on board the ship a couple of days I noticed quite a few people had little square bags around their necks with their charge card in a part of the front, eventually asked someone where they got them from, and was told reception for about £2. This was the best think I bought all holiday, kept all my money and card in this was so easy when sun bathing and the card was always to hand.
Well enjoy, and ask away for anything else you need to know, and by the way I spoke to lots of other people on the cruise who had been on other ships and said that for this range of ships 3star it was definately their preferance as it was so relaxed and friendly.
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cruisegalleeds
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29-01-2008 10:06 PM
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Joined: 20 Jan 2008
Posts: 6
| HI Tyreman and Subee, thanks for your info, greatly appreciated,
best regards to you both.
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My Latest Review: May 2007 The Emerald Cruise Ship (10/10)
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mtek
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29-01-2008 11:17 PM
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Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 43
My Profile
| Hi Cruisegalleeds
In relation to the plug points these are plentiful enough in the cabin but buy a two (flat pin) American adaptor as these are on sale in the shops (in limited numbers), soon run out and are twice the price you would pay at home.
The safe in the cabin has a charge - I can't remember the sterling equivalent - but it is around 10£ per week. On a 20 day cruise I would guess they may have a flat rate.
I was on the IE in June last year and (I have to say) never again. Awful food, pressure to buy drinks from stewards, cabins not properly cleaned and generally a relaxed attiitude (towards standards, organisation and hygiene) that bordered on the ignoring of all the above. I have written a review and the big concern was the attitude of the dining room staff when the hand sanitiser was out of action one day.
Noise is mostly from other passengers and the tea/coffee from the Beachcomber depends on there being a clean dry (plastic) mug available.
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cruisegalleeds
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06-02-2008 08:36 PM
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Joined: 20 Jan 2008
Posts: 6
| Many thanks EMTEK, U have given me a great picture, I am always surprised when others say that hygiene food etc was a bit wanting, however I have also noticed that it always seem to be at hol peak periods wheras we tend to go in May & November and never seem to hav any probs, maybe we are just lucky. We hav been on Spirit, P&O Arcadia etc and must say prefer Thomsons [ partic as I constantly get lost on big cruisers ] and def prefer the smaller more intimate ones.
Best regards,
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My Latest Review: May 2007 The Emerald Cruise Ship (10/10)
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