We were booked to go to Crete in 2003 but couldn't go as I had an emergency op. We've really wanted to get there since then and we've also wanted to do a cruise. When we saw that Ocean Village sailed from Heraklion it made sense to combine the two and have 1 fantastic holiday. We've considered the option of stay first and cruise second, but we are concerned that, having never cruised before, we may not like it and at least we will still have a week in a villa to follow.
It may be that the stay and cruise is the best option with a couple of nights in a hotel somewhere near Heraklion in between. We are just trying to find all the different options at the moment before we decide whether we can even afford to do this.
Thanks for your suggestions

Wonder if anyone here can offer some help. We would like to do a week on a ship and a week in a hotel (or the other way round).
So far the only companies I have seen offering this are Island or Thomson and until now were happy to go with this.

Yet on reading this forum it seems much advice is to avoid these and go with one of the bigger cruise companies. perhaps ncl, as we like the idea of not too formal.

The reason it has to be with a hotel is that one couple are unsure they want to cruise, so this is the compromise we have arrived at.

Here lies the problem, I don't mind trying to do this D.I.Y. but as we want a resort for the hotel week, again we can only find Island etc. that cruise from Palma, therefore enabling a week on Majorca.

We are 4 adults wanting to go from LGW late May/ early June.

Any advice?

My advice is forget the cruise and stay and do two holidays of one week each med flights are so cheap it does not add a lot to the trip costs and you can optimise each.

If you must do a 2 week holiday stay first then cruise.

A lot of cruises go from Barcelona so you could ferry/fly to majorca but think of other places

Work out where the DIY stays could be and then look for flights to other locations that may do cruise

I agree that the best situation is to do a week cruise and then a week in a resort. Many of the TA will do a tailor maid holiday for you or you can do it yourself. This is called I think dynamic packaging and is very popular. The only thing to be sure of is that you will not have as much protection. Booking this way but I would not hesitate to book a flight as long as I got there the day before the cruise just to be sure.
If you were doing the stay first then this would not be a problem.

Sue

I've stayed and cruised as well as cruised and stayed! In my view it is better to have the hotel week first. When we did it the other way round we felt the second week was a real anticlimax. We used Thomsons both times and have never had an issue with them.

There are fantastic cruises out of Barcelona, and I agree entirely you should stay and then cruise. You should be able to fly to Reus, next to Salou in Costa Dorada (assuming you are not fixed on Majorca) and there is another well known resort between Salou and Barcelona which name escapes me. There is a main train line running Salou up the coast to Barcelona.

Other option is to do the same cruising from Venice, and there is a well known resort within touching distance of Venice. Either way, at your proposed time of year hotel availability will be high, and prices negotiable.

Having said that, you will get a good package with Island or Thomson to get your introduction to cruising, but definitely advise stay and then cruise. On both our Island and Thomson cruise there were people on ship at end of first week, booked to go off and stay at resort for second week, queuing at Guest Relations pleading to let them stay and pay the difference....the ship was full and they reluctantly headed to resort!

Incidentally both Thomson Spirit and Island are very informal. If Island, would strongly advise the Star which is much smarter than the very much older, and extremely tired looking, Escape.

If it were me first time cruising with a stay in resort too, on balance, would recommend either Island Star or Thomson Spirit & Destiny. It keeps it simple when the transfers etc. are included. Because of the time of year and LGW you are in a fantastic position to wait until a couple of weeks before the time. Based on past couple of years May/June late deals, because it is outwith school hols, you will get a stay and cruise for between £600 and £700, perhaps even as low as £500. At that time of year it is certain that there will be availability on your chosen cruise, so no need to worry getting nearer your holiday slot. Even if the prices dont go as low as normal they will certainly be lower than what you would be paying to book now!

Thanks for advice here, I guess that reading through all of this that it is a bit too early to book yet.

Have been looking at prices and so far it seems to be about £1,200 per person for a stay then cruise, in an outside cabin.

Do you think we will get better than that nearer the time?

I have looked at Thomson, Island and OV and all about the same sort of prices, for a decent 4 star hotel then the cruise.

Thanks again

Definitely do the stay before the cruise, otherwise it will be an anti-climax, no matter how good the hotel is.

We've done two cruise and stays, once in Majorca and once in Cyprus, and both times I just yearned to be back on the ship. After the last time we decided we would only do stay and cruise or cruise only.

luci

We had decided on wanting to do the stay first Luci, it just seems a bit expensive at the moment.
Can you tell me who you did the Cyprus one with please?

We did a cruise round Turkey and the Greek Isles on the old Airtours Seawing which is no more unfortunately.

I believe the Thomson Emerald does a similar route. It's a very old ship, but has a very faithful following.

luci

marjrie

Do NOT pay £1200 for this. As I have said in an earlier posting you will get this for a little more than half that price if you hold your nerve and wait until 10-14 days before sailing. The date you are looking at will certainly remain available. You are quids in for two reasons:

1) Outwith school holidays.
2) You are in the London area, so no additional supplements to pay, or potential difficulty with flight availability, unlike us Scots!!

I would not pay any more than £700 for this, and if you are brave enough to go to 3-4 days before sailing could go as low as £500-£600

Hi Marjarie

We have just returned from a stay then Cruise with Island and have to say could not fault this ship/company at all.

We stayed in Majorca and was so glad that we done the holiday first and not the ship as others have said as I would have been so disappointed leaving to go to a resort hotel.

We however are hooked now on cruising so be warned its addictive, and are looking to do another Cruise next year with Royal Caribbean as they are comparable to Island/Thomson in price.

If you decide to go with Island the Escape is brilliant and the staff are very friendly, nothing is to much trouble for them, it also benefits you with regard to All Inclusive free of charge but not on the Island Star.
Thomson do A/I on some ships and I believe they are very friendly ships also.

Good luck and read lots of reviews.

Liz.

Have been looking at prices and so far it seems to be about £1,200 per person for a stay then cruise, in an outside cabin.

Looking at my TXT records for May20th this year there were the following avaialable as examples, plenty more

22may Island 7N cruise £349
5June OV S&C £619
29May OV2 S&C £639
1June Celebration C&S £649
2June Celebrity Galaxy 10n £699 (remember Jane Macdonald)

Windjammer, thank you so much for that, I am amazed at those prices.

I know we may pay more next year, but have decided that the right thing to do is to wait to book this nearer the time.

Do any companies do a cruise from Palma around the Med for a week and then have the options of a week in Majorca for the 2nd week?

Hi Wayne

I have merged your post with an existing topic on cruise and stay.

You could try Island Cruises HERE, Ocean Village HERE and Thomson's HERE.

luci

Hi Wayne
Island cruises do a stay/cruise or cruise/stay from Palma and you can stay in lively Magaluf or family based Alcudia and I think there are a few more places to.

We went in Aug/Sep and had a fantastic time on the Island Escape All Inclusive.

Just a bit of advice do the stay first, as when we went we did, and am so pleased we did it this way.

When we was departing I would have been on such a low going on a "Normal" holiday after a fab cruise. Also we wasn't the only ones as the Customer Relations had a line of people asking could they stay on board and they would pay the extra, they where disappointed as the ship was fully booked.

Enjoy whatever you decide
Liz.

hi,

we have just booked to do a stay and cruise holiday in june. we will be staying in Majorca for the first week then crusing on thomson spirit for the second week. Has anyone done this and if so, did you enjoy? this will be our first crusing experience so we do not know what to expect.

any replies greatly appreciated.

Hi Martyn and welcome to the Cruise forum!

I have merged your post with an existing similar topic which may have some information in earlier posts.

You may also find THIS TOPIC useful and also our THOMSON SPIRIT topic.

You can read our reviews by clicking on Cruise Reviews at the top of the page.

HTH

luci