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the east man
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26-05-2008 11:05 AM
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Joined: 05 May 2008
Posts: 6
| Just over a week now until we go on our first ever cruise on the Island Escape. Just me and the Mrs. We have payed for all Inclusive, does anyone know what it entails? Do drinks in the Oasis Resturant come under all inclusive? Are coffee and tea in the Brasilla coffee bar included. If anyone has anything specific they would like me to look out for while we are away please just ask. I will hopefully give a full review when I return
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My Latest Review: Jun 2008 Island Escape Cruise Ship (9/10)
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cruiseaddict13
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29-05-2008 10:31 AM
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Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 11
My Profile
| Hi Eastman, I'm going on the same cruise as you but a week later. This is my first time on island cruises but have cruised many times with thomson. I think you'll find that once you've been on a cruise you'll be hooked, its fantastic!!!! I could'nt get all inclusive unfortunately, but I have heard that the drinks prices are quite high. Hope you have a great time, see you there!!!!!
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mtek
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29-05-2008 08:57 PM
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Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 43
My Profile
| Hi East Man - I was on the Island Escape last summer and got the all inclusive free as an early booking incentive. Most drinks are included except premium brands, speciality coffees and certain cocktails. In the Island restaurant there are wine waiters (a very few) and you will be lucky if you get more than one glass of wine with dinner (this is included) but the restaurant is very much a get them seated, get them fed and get them out affair. In the Oasis drinks are not all inclusive but they sometimes offer a bottle of wine at a reduced rate. I ate there for the second week of my cruise because a buffet (like the Island) do not give any sense of occasion at dinner. The Cafe Brazil is again not all inclusive (at least it wasn't last year). I really only discovered this place on the last day of my cruise and it really did have the best sausage rolls I have ever eaten. For a first cruise the Island Escape is OK because you have nothing to compare it with. Hopefully you will not have too many children on board and the weather will be good - when it rains they have a sliding cover over the pool area and it becomes very unappealing. Don't book the Oasis every night until you have decided if the food is to your taste. The service is wonderful and the food looks good but I think they use a butter substitute in their sauces which meant that after the first night I asked them to put the sauce on the side. Hopefully they have done at least some of the refurbishments they were planning to do over the winter. I can't be totally positive about my cruise but I do realise its each to their own so don't think I am implying that you won't have a great time - if you go with an open mind and the intention to enjoy yourself you will.
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the east man
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30-05-2008 12:01 PM
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Joined: 05 May 2008
Posts: 6
| Many thanks for that excellent info mtek, much appreciated!!
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My Latest Review: Jun 2008 Island Escape Cruise Ship (9/10)
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mtek
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30-05-2008 08:49 PM
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Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 43
My Profile
| Hi again East Man. I looked at my post again in the light of day and there is nothing factually wrong with it but as its your first cruise I wanted to reassure you (and your lady wife) that every cruise is what you make of it. A lot of the time I find that the ports of call are more important than the ships facilities. If you have great weather and like minded people you meet then the trip will be wonderful and you will want to give up the land based holidays for every. My issues with the island escape are very personal - I have wanted to cruise on her since 2002 when she was launched into the British market and they made the documentary series about her over her first few weeks sailing. This showed a Captain who was hands on, people getting genuine concern if issues arose and when I was on her last year that was not the case. The Captain at that time was Captain Horne who is now, I think Operations Manager for the line, and and he was on the ship on the day I left last year. Hopefully he will take up the comments made by others on the cruise who had the opportunity to talk to him.
Its an old ship and converted from a car ferry but the staff act as if they are on a 5 star ship (apart from a few of the cabin stewardesses - just see my review from last year, used cotton buds from the previous occupant quite obvious in the cabin). Food on cruise ships always looks better than it tastes so both buffets look great but I left with a feeling of "so what". I avoid organised entertainment but I met people who loved the shows.
I suppose that my view of IE is tainted by the excursions. I booked several on line prior to departure and 3 of them were cancelled. When I went to the reception desk the night before I left I was told that because I had booked them on line they could not refund the money to my account but promised that the monies would be back in my bank account within 10 days automatically. When I got home and after ten days nothing happened and so I wrote a letter and no reply and no result. Because the amount was just over 100 pounds I did not go any further but I decided that if I ever cruised with Island Cruises again I would not book trips on line. I have given them a second chance this year as I booked the Island Star for December in the Caribbean and I will not book excursions until I arrive there so that's one problem sorted. Have a wonderful holiday and relax and enjoy yourselves. Regards Marie
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