Our Favourite Bits Of 2024 - Audio Only 🎧 | Cruise Cast Ep.23

In our look back at our (nearly) first year of the Suite Natured Cruise Cast, we've put together our favourite bits, and some of our favourite (or least favourite) "Mood Music". 

With contributions from many of our special guest co-hosts too. 

Ever wondered if a catchy intro track could make or break a podcast episode? We certainly have, and our quest to find the perfect mood music has taken us on a wild ride, from the swashbuckling notes of Pirates of the Caribbean to the unexpected charm of an '80s sitcom theme. Join us as we share our musical misadventures and a hilarious tale from a recent cruise to Albania with Virgin Voyages that involved an impromptu wine hangar tour. It’s all about embracing the quirky side of travel and podcasting with a smile.

Indulge your taste buds as we recount our culinary adventures aboard various cruise lines, where the bread at the Veranda Restaurant and a cardamom-infused bread and butter pudding from Sindhu reign supreme. Our gastronomic journey wouldn't be complete without a nod to the exceptional risotto from the Eden Restaurant. Of course, we can't help but vent about the sky-high prices and relentless upselling at cruise spas. Our passion for cruising began with unforgettable experiences on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas and NCL Epic, and we’re excited to share those cherished moments with you.

For those wondering about the true value of butler services or the practicality of drink packages, our candid chat covers it all. From a laugh-out-loud incident involving a cheese box to the perils of keeping clothes clean amidst oil spills, our experiences highlight the ups and downs of cruise life. Dive into our discussion on the pricing frustrations surrounding onboard drink packages and how some shrewd Black Friday deals helped ease the sting. With an upcoming trip on the Queen Victoria on the horizon, we're all set for new adventures and more stories to tell.

Transcript

Cruise Cast

Linzi 0:00

Welcome to episode 23 of the Suite Natured Cruise Cast. Hi, I'm Linz. As always, I'm joined by Marky.

Mark 0:07

Hello.

Linzi 0:08

Hello, and this is apparently our best of 2024.

Speaker 3 0:12

Apparently.

Linzi 0:13

Apparently so. If you're watching, enjoy all the Mrs Slocum hair colours. But first here's a lot of mood music.

Speaker 3 0:39

What did you think of today's mood music? I'm laughing because I even asked you that, so I feel I know the answer.

Linzi 0:48

I don't know what to say does that mean you loved it? I feel like you know your father did, when they had the three faces of Elvis. That's what.

Speaker 5 1:06

That's what they had it did feel a little bit like wrong, but first a little mood music wow, wow.

Speaker 3 1:24

I'm not sure if that's better than the last one or not.

Linzi 1:28

You know what, one day we will find the perfect music. That's not it, no, and now some mood music. I can't let you pick the music.

Speaker 3 1:48

See, that's what happened when you leave me alone to pick music.

Linzi 1:52

The brief was adventure.

Speaker 3 1:54

Yeah, but everything adventure sounded like Pirates of the Caribbean. But first a little mood music that's my favorite intro music so far are we talking about whether cruising is good value for money in cuba? That track genuinely? If you don't know this, it's called cruising to cuba. Is it really genuinely? Is, wow, yeah, we've not talked about that before but first a little mood music yeah, I'm not sure about that music either. No One of these days we'll get an intro music. That's absolutely right.

Speaker 6 2:48

Yes, it is awesome.

Linzi 2:51

But first a little mood music.

Speaker 3 3:06

Your face seems to suggest you didn't like that mood music.

Linzi 3:08

That's the lift to hell music. I do not like that lift music, that music reminds me of the Trafficker.

Speaker 3 3:37

Oh, but first a little mood music. What did you think of today's music? Well, I will take it for the audio listeners that that face isn't impressed. So the quest continues for more mood music.

Linzi 3:48

That was the worst one yet.

Speaker 3 3:50

That was the worst one, yet I would try to go with something, because last week's one was quite a dark one.

Linzi 3:55

Yes, but at least I had something to say. That was like you've been trapped in a lift.

Speaker 3 4:02

Okay, I'll keep working on it. But first a little mood music what did you think to this week's mood music?

Linzi 4:26

Well, it got more virgin-y at the end, I feel.

Speaker 3 4:30

I was going to go really virgin Ibiza clubby type thing.

Linzi 4:34

Okay.

Speaker 3 4:35

For the mood music.

Linzi 4:36

Yeah.

Speaker 3 4:37

But I couldn't find any that I liked.

Linzi 4:38

Okay, well, we're still looking, we're still looking.

Speaker 3 4:55

But first a little mood music. So what did you think of today's mood music after criticising last week's?

Linzi 5:05

I felt it was like something from a 1980s sitcom.

Speaker 3 5:09

Ah, you see, I was kind of going with 1980s Magnum type.

Linzi 5:12

No, that wasn't Magnum. That wasn't Magnum. No, no.

Speaker 3 5:16

In which case I shall carry on trying to find the perfect mood music.

Linzi 5:20

But first a little mood music.

Speaker 3 5:40

I'm going to take it from your face there that you are not as impressed with episode 19 mood music as episode 18.

Linzi 5:46

I liked episode 18, episode 19 what year is it?

Speaker 3 5:51

I was just kind of going with some like jazzy upbeat thing. We'll keep working on some mood.

Linzi 5:58

I feel we're going to cut to our special guest and they'll have just hung up quick list but first a little mood music. Wow, I mean, are our special guests actually dressed up for that music? It sounds very.

Speaker 3 6:31

He's suggesting it's like a 70s adult music.

Linzi 6:35

Yeah, I don't know what to.

Speaker 3 6:37

It was called the Martini Bar. Okay, late night, martini Bar Well that's appropriate, we'll take it.

Linzi 6:42

Yeah Well, I thought it worked for today Lovely, but first a little mood music. Did that set the right mood? It?

Speaker 3 7:09

did it, did it. Did so on the last cruise cast of the year.

Linzi 7:17

I've got some mood music that you like. That's right for the mood. The mood music sets the mood. Well done.

Speaker 3 7:21

It's a Christmas miracle.

Linzi 7:22

Oh my goodness, it is.

Speaker 3 7:24

The second excursion was much more recent.

Linzi 7:27

Oh, and we went to Albania.

Speaker 3 7:31

It wasn't, I'm genuinely not setting you up with that in advance. You just knew what I was going to say for the second one.

Linzi 7:37

Yeah, so we went to the largest wine store in.

Speaker 3 7:42

Well, this was on Virgin Voyages.

Linzi 7:43

Yes.

Speaker 3 7:44

When we went into Kota yes, it was.

Linzi 7:47

We thought we were going on a 45 minute bus ride yeah to where they keep all the wine and there'd be a wine tasting it was this old um military plane hangar.

Speaker 3 7:59

Yeah to the mountain which now was amazing, which now stock the line.

Linzi 8:03

so we, we were like that sounds great, that's very us, yeah. And now onto the bus ride. The lady said if anyone needs a bathroom break we can stop at a service station.

Speaker 3 8:17

Because we're nearly halfway through.

Linzi 8:18

Because we're nearly halfway there now. This is after an hour.

Speaker 3 8:22

Yeah.

Linzi 8:22

And people are like no. And then when we finally got there and people definitely needed a bathroom break a lot of the ladies, the loo, the toilet, was about four foot off the ground oh, I remember you said I didn't go so my legs were dangling.

Speaker 3 8:42

It was like you were sitting in one of those hammock chairs on Virgin.

Linzi 8:47

I just I was like what, what is this?

Speaker 3 8:51

Who is this toilet designed for?

Linzi 8:52

Yeah, I didn't have my camera, else I would have taken a picture. Anyway, then we got into the hangar. It was a 10 minute tour round the wine.

Speaker 3 9:02

Yeah.

Linzi 9:03

Then we sat down.

Speaker 3 9:04

It was a massive hangover. Yeah, yeah, the tour could have definitely been a lot longer.

Linzi 9:07

Then we sat down for our food and our meal and the wine tasting. But of course it's a two-hour ride back, so I was literally picking little zips because I was like I can't do it on that bus again.

Speaker 3 9:19

No, there were no toilets.

Linzi 9:21

There were no like loos or anything on the bucket, no. And then the power went out.

Speaker 3 9:27

Yeah, and you have to bear in mind this is in an underground cavern and they lost the entire power and it was off for about five minutes. We have got some footage of it.

Linzi 9:36

So they brought out candles.

Speaker 3 9:37

So we were assigned pitch darkness for about a minute and I got the impression this happened quite often because they didn't panic, no, and they had candles and matches ready to go.

Linzi 9:47

Yeah.

Speaker 3 9:48

And then we were all setting sort of this candlelit cavern, which actually quite nice.

Linzi 9:52

It was, and then the power flicked back on, yeah, and then I found a nicer ladies to go to before we set off back, but we got back with like it was coming up to six o'clock in the evening. Well to get back.

Speaker 3 10:05

It took nearly two and a half hours to get back. The traffic were getting busier. Yeah, we were due to get back, for there was a splash of romance, a sail away party. Yeah, that we were in and we missed the first half hour of that With free drinks. We got on there and some friends of ours who were on there as well just loaded you up with drinks.

Linzi 10:26

Oh, my face must have been like thunder and they're like where have you been? And I was like Albania, because it was literally just off. We could see Albania.

Speaker 3 10:35

It was. We were less than 10 miles from the border of Albania, from where we got on at Koton.

Linzi 10:40

Have you? Have you Sambuca? Oh no, it's not Sambuca, it's Uzo, because we're off to Athens.

Mark 10:46

Athens.

Linzi 10:48

Athens very soon.

Speaker 3 10:49

That was quite strong lousy that seemed like a much better idea about 10 minutes ago what were we thinking? That's a bit heavy.

Linzi 11:01

For Monday night that seems very heavy now, if you could pick a the perfect speciality menu and you can pick any speciality restaurant you've ever been to, what? What are we having?

Speaker 6 11:21

that's a good question. Actually, that is easy because, I already said, I love asian cuisine yes so on friday and thursday, first of all taste on queen, and during the press night I went to their indian restaurant, the specialty restaurant, which was so, so good. The starter I had there is probably one of the best starters I've ever had on the cruise line. Wow, it was so good, honestly, and they weren't afraid to use spice oh, that's good. And I want fire when I'm having Indian cuisine. So that was great, I want fire when I'm having a hint of cuisine.

Speaker 6 11:58

So that was great. I'd also say, just to be a little bit different, when I was on Disney Magic a few years ago, I was invited actually by the crew to experience Palo for their brunch.

Linzi 12:11

Yeah, nice.

Speaker 6 12:13

I don't know if you're aware of the brunch.

Cruise Dining Preferences and Pet Peeves

Speaker 6 12:14

I mean, it's such a beautiful, elegant, traditional venue with just the most um, quintessential sort of disney service and, wow, the variety of food. That was great and they just wanted to keep giving you more and more and more. And you know, I was like my gosh I've literally just had breakfast and I'm on brunch and I think it was a great variety of food and it was really really very well done. And if I the one last thing I wanted to mention, actually I'm not a vegan, but I really rate the plant-based restaurant on Green Co. It's only features on Avia. Honestly, matthew and I we were a bit jugous about some of the dishes, but I know I'm not a minister, I know I'm trying to try this out. It was, in my opinion, stunning. And I know some of my vegan friends booked on to Arvid just because they felt they're going to have a lot of variety and, thank goodness, they loved it as well and they kept going back night after night after night. So those are the ones I'm reaction. Yeah, what about you?

Speaker 3 13:18

What about?

Mark 13:19

me well you came with a question.

Linzi 13:22

Oh well, yeah, exactly now I the my favorite, because I'm not a bread person unless I'm at sea, so my favorite bread I'm getting from veranda restaurant, on which is essentially a crispy cream itreme. It's so good.

Speaker 3 13:37

Yeah.

Linzi 13:38

So I'm getting that and then having the black and blue soup, onion soup from Crown Grill Princess. Yeah, that's a good choice For main course. Oh, this is a hard one.

Speaker 3 13:55

It's not for me.

Linzi 13:55

Oh, oh, my goodness, I'm probably going to have, I'm gonna go a nice steak. Well, have you got something different but my? But my pudding is the bread and butter pudding in um, um sindu in sindu. I love it absolutely. Oh, is that the?

Speaker 6 14:18

one that's kind of like infused with cardamom. Yes, it's precise.

Linzi 14:21

Yes, it's so good.

Speaker 3 14:24

Now the dude cooks it slightly differently on different shapes, but I own an Avia. It's so good, it's the same, yeah, and it's absolutely delicious.

Linzi 14:34

Yeah.

Speaker 3 14:35

I'm going to change.

Linzi 14:38

And how much am I charging for my meal?

Speaker 3 14:39

though that's the thing. How well it'd have to be for no more than 40 pounds, or jamie can't try it, so we're gonna limit it. Okay, so that's your fantasy meal, but yeah, the the one that I would add into that mix on, I don't know, I just have a generic steak one.

Linzi 14:56

Yeah.

Speaker 3 14:57

It's a bit too obvious, but the risotto that we had in Eden.

Speaker 6 15:01

Oh yes, which was sort of endless right so on.

Speaker 3 15:05

Celebrity, any of the Edge Class ones. They have the Eden restaurant, which is an expensive one. Ah, seriously, it's about £80 per person now but you go into a restaurant. That's what you would pay on. Land would probably be £250. Yeah, yeah, if you sort of give up that way. But they do a risotto on there. That is, without doubt, the best risotto I've had at any restaurant, land or sea, and it is just amazing. It's dreamy. It'll be really interesting to see what people put in the comments, and please do put in the comments of your pet peeves, the things that you really dislike that annoy you on the cruise.

Linzi 15:47

They're going to say influencers and vloggers.

Speaker 3 15:51

People with big cameras filming. We don't have a big camera.

Linzi 15:53

No, we do it very stealthy. We do it very stealthy.

Speaker 3 15:56

We're not talking at the table. No, no, no. So I'm not going to say vloggers and influencers.

Linzi 16:02

But I bet it's on the list.

Speaker 3 16:04

I'm sure it is for some people. Yeah, because it's not just cruise bloggers and cruise vloggers and cruise influencers. You get them from all avenues.

Linzi 16:15

All sectors, yeah all fields.

Speaker 3 16:16

And I think people who do more cruise-focused content are probably more aware of it and be a bit more discreet. Yeah, and I think people who don't, or maybe not. Anyway, we've gone on a tangent there. We certainly have, Because that doesn't annoy me but, like I said, it might annoy other people. I'm sure it will. I'm sure it will. What's another of your pet peeves? Things that annoy you? Spar prices. Spar prices that came out without any thought. Does my head him? Have you been putting a list together while you've been thinking of this? Does my head him?

Linzi 16:49

Why? Because they're stupid, they're stupid prices, and then what they do then is you get your planner and then they've got our offer on and they'll bring them down and bundle them together so there'll be more sort of land-based more reasonable.

Speaker 3 17:03

So when you're saying the price history, but you're comparing it to what they are on land, to some fancy ass. Hotel spa jobby get you with with the fruity language again.

Linzi 17:15

I just you know like, come on Just.

Speaker 3 17:19

No, I do get it. There are one or two cruise lines where the pricing is more reasonable, mm-hmm. But generally speaking, you are paying a premium for.

Linzi 17:30

And then if you do it, you go on. You think you know what I'll treat myself. We'll do it, we'll have a spank.

Speaker 3 17:34

You're going to go on to one of my things that I ate. Then you get the hard sell. Damn it, that's one of mine.

Linzi 17:44

That was probably one of my bits of it gets me. So the anxiety, the anxiety, it's just so much. Yeah, you're going to start flogging me, selling me that hundred. And Do you remember when we spent $120 on bath salt sachets?

Speaker 3 17:58

I remember when you spent $120 on bath salt sachets. I don't remember me ever spending.

Linzi 18:02

I think they stay in the bath, and it was not that was the Elvis ones as well.

Speaker 3 18:08

Yeah, I'm not saying that they're bad products, I'm not saying they're not worth it, but if I want to buy that, I'll buy that. When I'm at home, drunk, normally when I've had a few drinks, and it pops up on some shopping channel, oh, that's a great idea.

Mark 18:20

And she said in that case, royal Caribbean is your line, and she booked me on to was Navigator of the Seas. I think it was early 2000s.

Mark 18:31

I think it just started sailing yeah and I took my mum because because you know you do and it was just the right fit for me at that time because it wasn't too formal, it was a lot of fun. But I still had that kind of feeling of you know, go for dinner, go to a show and stuff like that, yeah, yeah. So that's, I got bitten by the bug, like that, and then I brought you in to the cruising world after a year or two of dating, right?

Speaker 7 19:01

Yes, yeah, it was NCL Epic. Oh, she was a new ship at the time. I think she had only been out been sailing less than a year, I think Was it. It was 2012 when and it was in the Haven, so I was spoiled, rotten on my first cruise.

Speaker 3 19:22

Yeah, and do you think that sort of then, set that level of expectation, then going forward?

Speaker 7 19:29

yeah, I'm yeah yes um, it's quite funny because, uh, we talked about this when we were on um anthem of the seas recently about different like, because we obviously cruising has changed so much in even in the short time 12 years I've been cruising and, um, I think people I mean we could talk about the economics of cruising until the cows come home. I think that there's a common, known issue across the board that cruising has got more expensive over the years and for us, you know, you have to ask yourself what are you willing to pay for this? What do you perceive as value? And there's a lot of things in that and what I'm trying to dance around. The point is that I've never stayed in a standard cabin.

Speaker 4 20:20

Then just say it. I don't want to come across as a snob. There's no shame attached.

Speaker 7 20:23

I don't want to come across as a snob.

Mark 20:26

I have.

Linzi 20:29

I'm quite easy. I'm an easy person.

Speaker 3 20:32

You just said a second ago you had work to sit next to at dinner.

Linzi 20:35

But I'm easy to go on holiday with. A second ago you were hard work to sit next to at dinner, but I'm easy to go on holiday with. Just don't sit next to me. Just don't sit next to me. I mean, if you have to sit next to me, prepare yourself why?

Speaker 3 20:45

what do they need to prepare themselves for?

Linzi 20:48

oh, because they need to prepare themselves for whatever chaos follows chaos, so'm a chaotic person?

Speaker 3 21:00

you're not, it's just chaos tends to follow you that's not my fault, I just I'm. Let's sum up Christmas sausage drinks and the concerns being size, price, the sausage. No, I'm not concerned about the size of the sausage or the price of the sausage. I imagine it will be large. I imagine it will be relatively expensive and German and cheesy for you, irene.

Linzi 21:33

I honestly love a cheesy sausage. I remember going to the Christmas German market in Leeds, and this is from my other time, other life Not. We were together, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 21:53

Different job.

Linzi 21:54

Different job and we went as a team to get to the Christmas markets to have a cheesy sausage did you go specifically just to get a cheesy sausage? With amy oh, I love amy, and we was there, was all the whole team there, but I was sat next to amy and it was the bench seating. So we're on the bench and there's another bench in front of us and I bit into the sausage and the cheese, shot across the table and landed on.

Speaker 3 22:27

On this, on her back.

Linzi 22:29

On the back of another lady.

Speaker 3 22:30

Oh, so not in your team.

Linzi 22:32

Not in our team. Random lady had cheese Like waiku. Five years ago lady had cheese good like white goo.

Speaker 5 22:41

Ha ha.

Linzi 22:42

Two miles ago, a black goat.

Speaker 3 22:46

And were you just crying and left her? Or did you apologise or just walk out quickly? I didn't apologise.

Linzi 22:51

I didn't apologise.

Speaker 9 22:53

Did the lady notice.

Linzi 22:55

No, she wasn't.

Speaker 3 22:59

And you didn't tell her she had the big cheesy gooey stain down her back.

Linzi 23:03

Gooey stain. Oh no, I loved it, I loved it, I loved it.

Speaker 3 23:15

I feel that could have been in next week's Confessions segment. I feel that could have been in next week's confession segment.

Linzi 23:26

I'm not convinced you got forgiveness from the lady I'd have forgiven you. Oh, if.

Speaker 3 23:34

Amy's listening. Amy, love to you, amy.

Linzi 23:36

And to the lady whose bag was seized.

Speaker 3 23:37

No, black of the coat. Black of the coat, I thought you said a bag. Black of the coat. Black of the coat, I thought you said a bag. No, the coat. That's even worse Down the back of Well to the lady who Lindsay.

Linzi 23:47

Creamed her cheese.

Speaker 3 23:48

Creamed her cheese, the back of her coat. She's very sorry. Honestly, even if she doesn't look, it's out there now. I'll make sure she's sorry.

Linzi 23:56

I'll make sure she's sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

Speaker 3 24:03

When you got home, it was when you've been walking through the centre of Leeds and you got home and there's a white smear down your coat. You might have been a bit concerned.

Speaker 9 24:13

I don't know how a virgin can churn out so many top-quality plates of food across the ship as they do, even in, even in the galley, yeah, and then, and the dock and the other places. We just thought everything we ate was really like elevated.

Speaker 3 24:29

It was, yes, awesome yeah you made a really interesting comment on uh the live. I think it was yesterday, um, when you were talking about Sir Samuel's.

Linzi 24:41

Oh, it was with Tom and Dom on.

Speaker 3 24:42

Tom and Dom, and it was a live. You felt that the way was far superior, which is included to Sir Samuel's.

Speaker 9 24:55

Yes, I had pretty much the same, exactly the same menu. Yeah, so I can compare both quite comfortably and it was just head and shoulders. Yeah, nothing wrong with Cunard stuff, but the Cunard meal was really good.

Linzi 25:11

Yeah.

Speaker 9 25:12

It was better yeah.

Speaker 8 25:14

And included the atmosphere in there was better.

Linzi 25:17

I mean, we did go on the last night on Queen Anne, so it could have been a little bit quieter, yeah, but in the wake the atmosphere was really nice. Yeah, it feels like you're in a really she-she restaurant in this big city, doesn't it?

Butler, Drinks, and Cruise Comparisons

Speaker 9 25:28

Yeah, and I also think the waiters and the staff in the restaurants, they're just so passionate about it. Yeah, I mean mean without exception. We thought or maybe on Exaversion, on the first night the girl was amazing and saved up. I thought, well, we were lucky getting here. And then we went to the camp and they were great and we went away across everywhere we ate. We had the same experience, didn't we? Yeah.

Linzi 25:53

I got into trouble in the dock for getting my own cheese box are we heard about that yeah?

Linzi 26:01

I got into trouble. But the waiter, because I went, I wanted some of the blue cheese that's in the takeaway fridge so I went off to get some. And he's like, where are you going, ma'am? I'm going to get some some cheese. And he's like I'll get it. I'm like, no, it's, it's fine, I can. I'm here, look, I'm getting it. He's like I'll get it, I'm doing it. And he was very cross with me. All right for getting the cheese box to why to deliver it yeah, yeah, and then he wheeled the little trolley over.

Speaker 3 26:29

Then, if you remember, and he did yeah well, you then asked if he could get some of the feta cheese that's in the mediterranean gin and tonic in the tonic, yeah it's so good

Speaker 4 26:40

but the go-karts I'm glad they're one and done. I mean, I guess it's on a couple of ships, but I'm hoping norwegian stays away from go-karts because, like you said, it took so much space from what could be actual experiences for families. That is already included for everyone. You also got white, terrible stains on your shirt when we did the go-kart oil spill. I know I was wearing white, like there's white spots all over my or there's white areas on my shirt and there's just oil all over it from someone ahead of me slicked like I don't. I don't even understand how it happened.

Speaker 3 27:11

So they didn't wash it, it didn't get cleaned, it went in the trash oh no, oh no, which is even more expense yeah, it is then 50 dollars for the cutting plus the shirt yes yeah, maybe it's a secret way of ncl trying to get more money from laundry services maybe if I put my tinfoil hat on.

Linzi 27:34

Yeah, maybe that's exactly where it is they do like yeah, what was your?

Speaker 3 27:40

experience on there. What that was your first one, I loved it.

Speaker 8 27:43

I loved going. Yeah, I loved going through those doors. I thought that was amazing. I just loved other people looking at me on the pool deck and then I was like I'm gone, I disappeared, you can't follow me. That was brilliant. Same thing, like you said I've cruised msc a lot.

Speaker 8 27:57

I think I've done eight MSC cruises now, so I'm normally cheapest inside cabin, diving cabin, fine, um, so I knew what I was getting myself into with. You know, msc is very lively cruise line, great. But having that pool deck, I think for me that was the main thing. A butler I don't think I need a butler particularly. It was great fun, no, um, but I don't have anything for a butler to do. I don't want them to unpack or iron like I just don't have. If I have clothes that need ironing, I just don't bring them on a cruise because I'm so used to not ironing them right.

Speaker 8 28:31

But I have done before smaller cruises, more luxurious cruises, um, and I definitely prefer a big ship with a small area, because sometimes on the small luxurious ships you can't avoid like if they have entertainment, they've got on a local guest, they want everyone to dance, like that's the one thing that's happening, you can't avoid it versus on a big ship, go roller skating, go to the theater, go bowling and then just go back when you want yeah, I think that bit of being able to go out into a bigger ship and and have that massive because virtual as that example one is a huge hit.

Speaker 3 29:07

But you've just got so many other options than just being stuck behind those glass doors. I mean, you're not stuck anyway. No, it's not a torture to be there, no, no but having those other options, and we did the same. We went out to some of the other restaurants, tried some of the different speciality and went to the theater, as opposed to just sitting in the yacht club lounge and listening to the pianist yeah, which might get a little bit boring if that was your only entertainment.

Linzi 29:32

Yeah maybe, maybe I'm with you on the butler. I just it's nice that they they bring you things in the afternoon. The lemon meringue pie that we had was a dream, but I'm not where. They had to insist if you were going to the speciality. Oh, come on, I'll meet you at this time and I'll walk you through the shit.

Speaker 8 29:57

I found out. Yeah, I felt like going to a. Yeah, mom will be back to pick you up after the party, which you know, they were so lovely. But also I can just walk because I know where it is.

Speaker 5 30:13

Yes, yeah, you know you obviously that question on facebook is the drinks package worth it? Yeah. The response, though, was you have to be an alcoholic. Add on that 15, 18, 20 percent, and in the cruise line it can add up like the cumulon drinks. They are quite pricey. Then you add on your 15 percent and I think it's well. Two gin and tonics probably haven't got any change from $20 a beer.

Speaker 10 30:41

No, no. The thing is that you said, though, just during the day you start off with your coffee, you might have a Pepsi by the pool. You might not even have a proper cocktail, you might have just a mocktail you might have some water because you've been to the gym and you add all these little things. They add up. No, they do. Do you know what I'm saying?

Linzi 30:58

I know what you're saying. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 31:01

Well, I mean at the time we were recording on this. Both of us are going on Q&A to Queen Victoria in a few days and we sat about a week ago and really debated whether we were going to get the drinks packaged, because it's more expensive for a mini cruise.

Speaker 3 31:16

Yeah, they have sort of that dynamic pricing, don't they? If it's more expensive for a mini cruise, yeah, they have sort of that dynamic pricing, don't they? If it's five days or less, it's this price, it's there. But then when we went through, we did what you guys just talked about. Then, where you go, right, well, we're definitely going to have probably a couple of coffees during the day and sit and chill. I'll probably get a juice. You might get one, you might not. We'll definitely get some water with a meal.

Speaker 3 31:38

We'll definitely have a glass of wine with the meal we'll definitely get a water to take back to our cabin at night and then just by the time we'd finished doing that bit, before we got on to any of the alcohol, we'd covered nearly two-thirds of the cost of the package. Yeah, so then you're like well, of course we're gonna have some other cocktails or something else during the day. Yeah, one or two. Yeah, I suspect we might not be quite as full on as on on virgins, um, but having said that, it's a package this time, not not the bathtub, so who can say?

Onboard Drink Package Pricing Frustration

Speaker 10 32:09

and I suppose I'm sorry. Going back to what we're saying around about there being annoyances with drinks packages, I kind of find it a bit annoying that like, say, you book or pay for your drinks package now before we go on like Queen Victoria. It's cheaper, you go on the ship and you're being charged more just because you're doing it on the ship.

Speaker 10 32:25

And the frustration is for people who will have a lot of onboard credit because they're thinking, well, I'll do it when I get on the ship, because they won't let them use that onboard credit until they're onboard. So then they're sort of being conned. They, they're on board, so then they're sort of being conned. They're getting the onboard credit but they're losing out on the benefit of it. Yeah, because they're having to use more of it to pay for the drinks. But another thing, like now as well, we've got black friday deals. So luckily, in our instance now we can actually get a further discount on the drinks package because we were looking to book ours today. It was paid today, so we're gonna get the discount on top because it is slightly cheaper.