Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Gill W
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Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Here's my report. Be warned, it's longer than I thought!

Embarkation

We had a very early embarkation time of 10.40am. We left home at about 9.30am, and arrived at the car park at around 10.25am. There was a slight delay here, mainly because some people were making a meal out of getting their luggage out of their cars. The luggage is handed over for transport to the terminal, and the passengers are taken to the terminal by bus or coach. We eventually got to the terminal at 10.45am. There were no queues at all, and they were inviting everyone who was arriving to immediately go forward to check in. We were onboard by 10.55am. The cabins weren’t ready until noon, but they said we could leave our hand luggage in the cabins, so we didn’t have to lug it around with us. We had a very early lunch in the buffet, then back to the cabin to unpack – our cases were waiting for us by this time. By 1pm we were fully settled and relaxing on deck with a drink. All very civilised


The cabin

We had an outside cabin on Deck 10. The cabin was very spacious. It was a bit dated, with dark wood furniture and the bathroom fittings were a little old fashioned. However, it was spotlessly clean, and our steward, Xavier, was very helpful.

The shower was quite large by modern ship standards, and there was enough storage space in the shower room. The wardrobe was open styled, like it is on Ventura and Azura. There were at least 7 drawers, plus a cupboard which houses the large safe. There were also further drawers by the bedside – ample storage space.

There was a dressing table, and easy chair, and flat screen TV. Plus a large fridge and a kettle to make tea and coffee. No biscuits, however!

We were very pleased with the cabin. It was classed as a ‘Superior Twin’. There are balcony cabins, but not that many, being an older ship.
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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The Ship.

Columbus was originally launched in 1988, and has been through a number of owners and names in her time, notably P&O Arcadia 1997 -2003 and Ocean Village 2003-2010. She then went to P & O Australia as Pacific Pearl until earlier this year. As a complete coincidence we saw her docking in Tauranga in March this year.

She carries around 1400 passengers in 775 cabins.

For an old girl, she is in very good shape. She had a refit in 2015 and further improvements this year before she joined CMV. As a result most of the public areas are very pleasant places.

Deck 7 is the main public deck. The Palladium Show Lounge occupies the forward space – there is also an upstairs balcony on deck 8. We preferred to sit upstairs in the balcony as the view was better. Downstairs, the ‘raking’ wasn’t very steep, and if you got a tall person sitting in front of you, it really blocked your view. There was more than adequate seating in the show lounge, and it was possible to arrive a few minutes before the show and still find a seat. Only down side was a few pillars, so there were a few restricted view seats. Drinks service carries on during the show, which I found a bit distracting.
The atrium is located over decks 7, 6 and five. I remember seeing photos of it when she was Arcadia, and it looks very much as I remember it. It is a very attractive looking space. There’s all the usual things you expect to find in an atrium area, such as shops, Hemmingway’s coffee shop, reception, photo gallery, tours desk, future cruise desk and so on. The Atrium was also the location of my favourite watering hole, Raffles on deck 6, great spot for people watching. There was a small casino located on deck 5, just off the atrium area. We walked through a couple of times, but nobody seemed to use it.

Going aft on Deck 7, there is Connexions Bar. The light coloured furniture gave this bar a nice airy feel. Next door is Taverners Pub, which, due to the dark furniture, looked rather gloomy and depressing. At the back of the ship was the main dining room, the Waterfront.

The other main passenger deck was the Lido deck, on Deck 12, along with Sun deck on deck 14. These decks seem very spacious with plenty of room for sun beds. We did sit out from time to time, but this wasn’t a sun bathing type of cruise due to the northern itinerary. This deck these decks are also home to the Oval Pool Bar, Plaza d’Or coffee bar, Gelato’s for ice creams, Alfresco Grill and Plantation Buffet. The two select dining restaurants were on this deck too – The Grill (not to be confused with the casual Alfresco Grill) and Indian Restaurant Fusion, which is actually a sectioned off part of the buffet. Another feature was the sea screen. On this cruise it just played music videos, at moderate volume.

At the very front of the ship on deck 14 is the Dome Observatory, which is a Crows Nest type bar.

The back of the ship has tiered sun decks, with some very comfortable ‘Spa’ style sunbeds. The spa itself, along with the gym and hairdressers is tucked away down on deck 2 – we did not visit this.

The library and cards room are on deck 11. Both are spacious rooms, but have received none of the refit – they are both very dated. The books in the library are in a terrible muddle and the chairs look very uncomfortable. Not somewhere to spend any length of time. These rooms could do with some TLC.
Gill

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Passengers

This seems to be an adults only ship. I think, during the school holidays, they had some ‘family friendly’ cruises, but there are no special facilities for children at all. There were no children at all on this cruise, and the average age of passengers was ... er.... mature. I’d guess at an average age of early 70’s. Most were British, although there were some Americans doing the week long cruise as part of a longer European holiday and a big group of Norwegians.

Dress Code.

CMV operates three dress codes – formal, informal (jacket required) and smart casual.

On this seven night cruise we had two formals, four informals and one smart casual. The one smart casual was the first night, even the last night was informal.

Adherence to dress code was low, and I mean low. On the formal nights, I would say about 50% of the men were in dinner jackets, and maybe another 15-20% in suit and tie. The rest of the men wore an assortment of clothes. Some were in a light coloured jacket with no tie, like you’d expect to see on informal night. Others were in casual attire – I even saw a couple of men in shorts. On informal nights, instead of jackets, many men were sporting cardigans! Many of the women looked like they had gone shopping down at Tesco’s rather than going out for the evening (but I think you get that on all ships!)

There seemed to be no enforcement of the dress code at all. I was quite surprised on the first formal night in the MDR when one of our table companions turned up in a sweatshirt! Also, there’s no sense of leaving the public areas at 6pm if you are still in your day clothes. One evening we went to the Dome at 7pm for a pre dinner drink, and there was a crowd of women still knitting and nattering – they looked like they’d been there all afternoon!

I don’t think the lack of adherence to the dress code was in any sense ‘wilful flouting’. I think it was more like a bunch of old people who just wanted to be comfortable on their holiday.

I must admit we went rogue ourselves. The second formal night was a port day. We had been out all day, getting back to the ship at 5pm. We just couldn’t be bothered with formal night. So we dressed smart casual instead and went to the buffet. Afterwards, we went to Raffles and the show lounge, and didn’t feel at all out of place. On the last night, we didn’t bother with informal, and just dressed like we would on the last night on P&O. Most other passengers had the same idea that night.

I know the formal dress codes and adherence to the dress codes important to many people. If formal dress is a big part of your holiday, CMV may not be a good choice for you.

On the end of cruise questionnaire I suggested they ditch the informal nights – these seem to be outdated on most cruise lines, and would appear that they are not required by CMV passengers.
Gill

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Food

Overall, the food on this cruise was very good.

We took breakfast and lunch in the buffet. The selection of food on offer was less than you would find on P&O, but the quality was fine. We ate one lunch on deck at the Alfresco Grill. The burgers are freshly cooked, rather than pre-wrapped like you find on P&O these days.

There were short periods where there was no food available in the buffet, for example between lunch and afternoon tea. However, opening times were amended on port days, so that people on afternoon tours could have something to eat before they went, and people coming back around 2pm still had access to food – there was flexibility in this respect.

No trays in the buffet. This wasn’t a problem for us, but I know that the lack of trays can cause difficulties in some cases

We had 5 dinners in the MDR. The choice on the menu was slightly less than you’d expect on P&O, but the quality was in general comparable with P&O. The Beef Wellington in particular was excellent.

There was no freedom dining, it is ‘club’ style with 1st sitting at 6pm and second sitting at 8.30pm. We were on 1st sitting, on a table for 6. It was ok, but sharing tables isn’t really my ‘thing’.

We ate once in Fusion, the Indian Restaurant. The cover charge was £14.90pp, and we thought this was reasonable. Fusion is actually a sectioned off corner of the buffet, but it is decorated in Indian style. With curtains drawn across to screen the area from the rest of the buffet, it had a nice ambience.

The Fusion menu was limited. Just one starter (mixed kebab and samosa), a choice of 4 main courses, and one desert (a selection of bite sized dessert dishes). However, it was delicious, and were enjoyed our evening here.

The other evening we ate in the buffet. The choice here was very limited in the evening. It was fine for just one night, but I wouldn’t make a habit of it on Columbus.

We didn’t try the other select dining option, a steakhouse called the The Grill. The cover charge was £24.90, which seemed quite pricey.

There was an all inclusive drinks package at £17 per person, per night. We didn’t go for this, as we wouldn’t drink that much every day
Gill

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Entertainment.

There was a show in the Palladium Show Lounge each evening. On five nights of the cruise we were entertained by the resident show team, and the other 2 nights we saw a comedian called Steve Terry.

The shows are timed at 9pm for 1st sitting, which is really good, as there’s no rush to dash off to the theatre, and there’s time for a post dinner drink. The show for 2nd sitting diners was at 7pm. I would imagine this would not be very popular with late diners as most people like to see the show after dinner.

The production shows were, generally, of a good standard. Probably less costumes and props that P&O, but all the shows had a live band playing, instead of the taped tracks that P&O have these days. There was a girl violin player who played a prominent part in the shows. I remember something similar from Magellan, so this must be a CMV tradition. One of the girl singers was outstanding, but one of the boy singers struggled – he was also assistant cruise director.

The cruise director, Tony Parkin, was an acquired taste – fortunately he grew on me as the week progressed. As one old girl behind me commented ‘he likes the sound of his own voice’!

There was live music in the bars at various times in the evening

The day time programmes looked fairly thin compared to P&O, but there was the usual crafting things, talks, line dancing, zumba etc.

This was an Antique Legends Themed Cruise, and TV antiques experts such as Henry Sandon and David Harper were onboard and gave various talks.

As this was a port intensive cruise, we didn’t spend much time on the daytime entertainment, but it seemed sufficient, especially with the themed aspect.


Ports.

We had four ports on this cruise

Kirkwall
We called here last year and had spent time in the town, so this year we went on an excursion to see Skara Brae, The Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness.

Torshavn, Faroe Islands

First time here, and in the morning we wandered round this pretty port town, and in the afternoon went on a tour to see some of the villages. The scenery was fantastic.

Lerwick.

Also a maiden call for us. This was the only tender port on the cruise. We stayed in town and had a good look round. There is a very interesting museum here about the history of the Shetlands

Invergordon

We called here about 8 years ago, and it didn’t seem to have changed much. We did a full day tour that took in Inverness and Culloden. Last time we were here, P&O didn’t offer a tour to Culloden, so I was pleased to get a chance to visit – the visitor centre explains the battle very well, and you can spend time walking on the moor too.

We were lucky with the weather, particularly in Torshavn and Invergordon, both being very sunny days
Gill

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Disembarkation

Getting off the ship was very straightforward. We had to leave our rooms by 7am, and waited in our appointed lounge until out disembarkation time, in our case 8.15am. When we were called, we walked off the ship to the baggage reclaim area, found our cases immediately, and walked out of the terminal straight on to the bus to the car park. Our bags followed the bus in a transit van. We were at the car park by 8.30am, and home by about 9.20am

Summary

CMV is not a luxury line, but they don’t charge luxury prices either. For a good value, 3 star experience, sailing from local ports, I would recommend them.

I would book a cruise on Columbus again, but only a fairly short cruise, up to a maximum of 10 days, as the dining options and entertainment might be a bit limited for a very long cruise.

The shops were very expensive. I was looking for a bottle of perfume, but the price was almost double the High Street price – I wasn’t going to pay that!

The main downside for me was the lack of freedom dining – another reason I wouldn’t book a longer cruise, as I’d struggle with the idea of a large table every night.

The dress code issues I mentioned didn’t bother me, but I highlighted this point as I know it’s an important part of the cruise for many.

Overall, a thumbs up from me – for what I paid, it was well worth the money
Gill

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Kenmo1
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#7

Post by Kenmo1 »

Thank you, Gill, for a very comprehensive review. I wouldn't mind giving the Columbus a try for a short cruise. I love the idea of the group of women who you thought had been knitting and nattering all afternoon - Brits on holiday. :) :roll:

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Where did you embark/disembark?

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by barney »

Cheers Gill - nice review.

Tilbury I presume, from where you are.
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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Thanks for the review Gill. Helps us dodge a bullet! We had considered Columbus because we liked the look of some of their itineraries.

But the show stopper is as you anticipated. We like dressing up and for that reason choose cruise lines ehich offer some formal evenings. But there's no point if the adherence is so poor and there's no attempt at enforcement.

I don't subscribe to the "we've paid for our holiday and can do what I like philosophy" if it goes against what the cruise line is advertising as the product and other passengers who do conform will reasonably expect.

Fuddy duddy? Maybe. But for me other cruise lines are available that suit us.

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#11

Post by oldbluefox »

I feel much the same Merv. Dressing up is part of the holiday for me but if you are going to find yourself in a minority then why bother?
Thanks Gill for a very comprehensive review. I do like the sound of CMV and their use of more accessible ports for us but I would need to consider my dress codes - maybe a suit rather than a DJ.

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#12

Post by GillD46 »

A very interesting read. Thank you. Arcadia was our first P&O ship - though not our first ship - back in 2001 and we both thought she was a lovely, and very friendly ship.

Fixed dining and having to share a table are a big no for us so unlikely we'd consider her now.
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Gill W »

david63 wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 16:27
Where did you embark/disembark?
As Barney suggested, Tilbury.

CMV sail from various ports all over the country
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Gill W »

Mervyn and Trish wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 16:42
Thanks for the review Gill. Helps us dodge a bullet! We had considered Columbus because we liked the look of some of their itineraries.

But the show stopper is as you anticipated. We like dressing up and for that reason choose cruise lines ehich offer some formal evenings. But there's no point if the adherence is so poor and there's no attempt at enforcement.

I don't subscribe to the "we've paid for our holiday and can do what I like philosophy" if it goes against what the cruise line is advertising as the product and other passengers who do conform will reasonably expect.

Fuddy duddy? Maybe. But for me other cruise lines are available that suit us.
I don't think the dress code non-adherence was a 'fuddy duddy' thing. There was no sense that people thought formal dress codes were out of date. Most of them were older than you, and it seemed to me that they were old people who who just wanted to feel relaxed in clothes they were comfortable in, rather than putting a bow tie on.
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Gill W »

oldbluefox wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 17:07
I feel much the same Merv. Dressing up is part of the holiday for me but if you are going to find yourself in a minority then why bother?
Thanks Gill for a very comprehensive review. I do like the sound of CMV and their use of more accessible ports for us but I would need to consider my dress codes - maybe a suit rather than a DJ.
You wouldn't be out of place in a suit and tie on formal nights. In fact, if we go on CMV again, I'll suggest it to my husband, as he's got a couple of suits that haven't been out of the wardrobe for a couple of years
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Gill W wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 18:26
Mervyn and Trish wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 16:42
Thanks for the review Gill. Helps us dodge a bullet! We had considered Columbus because we liked the look of some of their itineraries.

But the show stopper is as you anticipated. We like dressing up and for that reason choose cruise lines ehich offer some formal evenings. But there's no point if the adherence is so poor and there's no attempt at enforcement.

I don't subscribe to the "we've paid for our holiday and can do what I like philosophy" if it goes against what the cruise line is advertising as the product and other passengers who do conform will reasonably expect.

Fuddy duddy? Maybe. But for me other cruise lines are available that suit us.
I don't think the dress code non-adherence was a 'fuddy duddy' thing. There was no sense that people thought formal dress codes were out of date. Most of them were older than you, and it seemed to me that they were old people who who just wanted to feel relaxed in clothes they were comfortable in, rather than putting a bow tie on.
Still a showstopper for us Gill. We want to be sheep, surrounded by like minded people as comfortable as we are to be dressed up, not in cardies and shorts on formal nights.

I don't just want to not be out of place, I want to wallow in it! Some don't get it when we talk about ambience. Fair enough they can go on casual lines and we'll go on the more formal. Neither is right or wrong. Just not for us.

Thanks again for the review. CMV looked a possibility with it's published dress code, but it seems it doesn't deliver.
Last edited by Mervyn and Trish on 07 Sep 2017, 21:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by oldbluefox »

Gill W wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 18:28
oldbluefox wrote: 07 Sep 2017, 17:07
I feel much the same Merv. Dressing up is part of the holiday for me but if you are going to find yourself in a minority then why bother?
Thanks Gill for a very comprehensive review. I do like the sound of CMV and their use of more accessible ports for us but I would need to consider my dress codes - maybe a suit rather than a DJ.
You wouldn't be out of place in a suit and tie on formal nights. In fact, if we go on CMV again, I'll suggest it to my husband, as he's got a couple of suits that haven't been out of the wardrobe for a couple of years
:lol: :lol: I'll have to get rid of the mothballs first Gill before I confuse them with mint imperials :lol: !!!

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#18

Post by qbman1 »

Very informative, Gill - many thanks for sharing. I'm absolutely with Merv on this one - we really wouldn't consider CMV after what you said about the dress codes. Either don't have a dress code at all or enforce the ones you have - simples !


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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#19

Post by Mrsvalb »

Thanks for the informative review Gill. I feel that we had a lucky escape having had to cancel our cruise on Columbus in June for health reasons.

We would be ok on a ship that is smart casual, but if there is a dress code we feel that it should be enforced.

Glad that you enjoyed the cruise though.

Val

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Gill W »

I think they'd be better off marketing themselves as smart casual - although I'm not sure men in cardigans is smart casual!
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Dennis The Menace »

Thanks Gill, very informative, a good read cheers 😀

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Hi Dennis. Good to see you. Just found your book in our bookcase again the other day. We were sorting some stuff to take to the charity shop but you survived!

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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#23

Post by Manoverboard »

Thanks Gill .... tis always good to have the opportunity to read a balanced review that is not P&O based / biased.

Haven't got a cardi ( yet ) but would probably sail on Columbus if the itinerary was what we were looking for.

:wave:
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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

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Post by cruisin_duo »

Enjoyed your review Gill. There are so many great reviews on the site at the moment. Nice to have another perspective about the different lines. Thank you.


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Re: Columbus Cruise 28th August – 4th September 2017 – Scotland and Faroe Islands

#25

Post by daib GC »

Very interesting Gill, would I be able to cruise with my Mobility Scooter. Was there level access to get off.

We sailed on Arcadia in 2002 and had a great cruise but without the scooter as I was walking then.

Dai

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