My proposal is £ 392 per person for a week, and I challenge you to do better!

I chose some dates at random.

Saturday 26 November, fly BWIA from Manchester to Bridgetown, Barbados.

Join easyCruise for 8 nights, disembarking in Barbados on Sunday 4th December.

Fly BWIA back to Manchester.

Flights for 2 people £540
Cruise (per cabin) £244

Cost for 2 people £784, that's £392 each!

Go ahead, beat that price!

I don't want to start another discussion on the relative merits of easyCruise vs traditional lines, and I know that food is extra, but just look at the price!

The cheapest traditional cruise I can find is Carnival Victory £759 out of Miami, same dates, calling at San Juan, St Thomas and St Martin.

easyCruise has twice the number of ports of call: Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada, The Grenadines and overnight in Barbados.

Spend all day on the beach and eat out at the ports of call. Two people have £734 spending money towards food, before the costs of the two cruises match. That's £90 (160USD) a day, surely way more than enough.

The flight is the expensive bit, so can anyone get to and from Barbados (or one of the other ports of call) cheaper?

[ 09-15-2005: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

Everybody will be happy for you if you're happy with the product mix you're describing.
Different strokes for different folks.

To each his own.

Posters on these cruise talkers' sites tend to respect each other's tastes, as far apart from one to the next they tend to be at times.

But...perhaps '' challenging everyone to find better '' is going just a weebit too far...Just enjoy your findings, good on you for tracking them down, and the best of luck in enjoying the products itself when you come down to the Carribean.

If I flew all that way form the UK, I would be looking for something a little more 'up-scale' than the Easycruise experience.

Even Carnival, RCI or NCL's products are many notches above the Easycruise concept, but each to their own.

I believe you get what you pay for!

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
An impossible price to beat when compared to all the 'regular' cruise lines. However, it is like comparing chalk and cheese!

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
Or to put it another way, however much you save on buying an easyCruise, you'll soon find that shipboard entertainment and dining cannot be obtained for any price at sea.

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But you don't need it. The idea is you go clubbing each night in a different town, fall into bed in the early hours and wake up the next afternoon for a couple of hours on deck before starting all over again. One lunch snack will do aboard.

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Originally posted by PamM:
But you don't need it. The idea is you go clubbing each night in a different town, fall into bed in the early hours and wake up the next afternoon for a couple of hours on deck before starting all over again. One lunch snack will do aboard.

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
...is a bit like investigating how to convey 12 friends into town in a limo and concluding that it's cheapest to put them all on the number 15 bus.

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Exactly! That's why Stelios has introduced EasyBus too.

[ 09-17-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Would you undertake your sub £400 package?

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I have been watching "Cruise with Stelios" on Sky tv and it makes interesting viewing.

My ideal cruise involves plenty of relaxing round comfortable pools, in good weather. For me, the Princess "Grand" class or the RCI "Voyager" class are perfect.

I also have enjoyed "Ocean Village" twice now, and have booked for a third time on her. While the lido deck gets a bit crowded, on Port days there is lots of room to stretch out. I just pay the £5 a head supplement for waiter service in the "La Luna" restaurant and again, it's perfect.

Now, I am sure that there are many on this forum who would find these ships not to their liking and would prefer a smaller, quieter ship with possibly better food and service (although I have no complaints with RCI and only a few with Princess).

On the other hand, how many forum users like to explore the destination islands? If easyCruise is used just as overnight accommodation and as transport, then I could be attracted.

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Wake around 10am, there is no room service breakfast, but it's a short stroll to the coffee bar for a coffee and a pastry on board. Because most of the passengers are younger than me, they will have been drinking much later in the night and they are probably all still asleep.

Stroll on to deck, and enjoy the first views as the ship approaches the port of call. The sun's out, the views are great, and it's always interesting to watch arrival and departure procedures.

By lunchtime, the ship has moored, and it's time to go ashore. Finding a local "beach bar" restaurant for lunch is easy, and again, dining in shorts on the beach makes a change from dinner suits on gala night! I am enjoying my locally bought lunch even more, because I have not paid for all the free food on board!

Afternoon is spent either exploring or simply lazing on the beach. Now the Caribbean Sea is as warm as most swimming pools, so there's no problem there.

Dinner is spent at a good local restaurant: obviously a good look at port guides before setting off on holiday is needed, to choose good quality establishments. After a relaxing evening, return to the ship late evening.

Fortunately I'm not a light sleeper, because I bet it's not silent at night.

So, having eaten in a variety of good local restaurants and spent days on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I return to your question.

Yes, I think I would give it a go. Not for a wedding anniversary or a special celebration, but it just could be a really pleasant holiday.

I've attended champagne receptions at the House of Lords and also enjoyed a beer sat in a plastic chair on the pavement outside a bar in Spain. I drive a Mercedes, but on holiday I rent whatever car's cheapest. I've eaten at some great restaurants, but I enjoy a breakfast at MacDonalds. I've had some great cruise holidays, but I've also had some great times at Butlins!

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..........convey 12 friends into town in a limo and concluding that it's cheapest to put them all on the number 15 bus.

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Maybe you're right, but I would be happier on a bus
with the right 12 friends than in a limo on my own.

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
...........shipboard entertainment and dining cannot be obtained ..............

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I must admit that I enjoy the fine dining and good entertainment on board, but after a week I find it all much the same. I don't think I could cope with a world cruise, but if anyone is giving tickets away, I will try.

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Originally posted by Meldrew of the Seas:

I must admit that I enjoy the fine dining and good entertainment on board, but after a week I find it all much the same.

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