dining

Hello just thought i must make a point of saying that my best friend and my self have been on the Island Escape 7 times now and like you we like to sit on a table for two.the first cruise we went on we got sat at a table with two men who were very very drunk and this put us off.Now all we do every meal time is ask the staff on the door if we can have a table for two and always get one even if we have to wait a little while or go back in half an hour.When we went last year the manager even remembered us and found us a table for two without us asking.

We were on same cruise. I was asked, each time we visited the Island Restaurant if we would share a table. I stood firm and insisted on a table for 2 and eventually (not a long wait) one was found. Food was very good, better than I had expected. We are not anti-social at all, but I prefer not to have to make small talk with folk I dont know over dinner. That was the whole point of this informal cruise, to be relaxed and not to have to do what we did not wish to do. The cruise generally was fine although we never actually received the cabin we booked, and in fact were given four cabin numbers within 24 hours of departure, even though we paid extra to book a particular cabin. ! Although the cabin we were eventually given was ok, the balcony rarely was in the sun (the reason why I booked a balcony cabin) as it was usually facing north for most of the cruise and the one I had booked would have generally been facing south most of the time. Would I book Island again, probably not. We have now done over ten cruises in the last four years and enjoy cruising. (We are lucky enough to be able to take land based holidays as well) Island was fine, but not anywhere near as good as Princess Cruises. In the end, because they have less balcony cabins, you end up paying proportionatly more than you would on Princess, where the standard for most things is much better, certyainly the Princess ships and dining experience is generally ahead of Escape. However, the staff on Island were very good, friendly and helpful, could not be faulted at all. Its certainly much better than Thomson Cruises but perhaps not as good as Ocean Village and a few stars lower than Princess. Anyone who has booked Island should probably have a good holiday but we prefer Ocean Village and Princess. To conclude, food good, staff good, itinary good, ship ok, cabins, ok. Princess on the otherhand would score excellent on almost everything whilst still, generally, an informal cruise line. If you want a table for two, do as I did and say no thank you to sharing and wait a short time, a table will be found. Also, much better if you dine at 6.45pm or 8.30pm and avoid the busy time of 7.15 pm. Far fewer guests dine early or later and its much easier to find a table which alolows a bit of privacy.

HI YA IF YOU WANT A TABLE FOR 2 YOU SHOULD HAVE SPOKE TO MATRIDER ON YOUR FIRST DAY HE WOULD HAVE LOOKED AFTER YOU BUT A NICE TIP MUST BE GIVEN .THEN YOUR GARATEED SAME TABLE EVERY NIGHT WE WERE GIVEN SAME TABLE ONE YEAR WE MET PEOPLE GOING OUT ON OUR FLIGHT FROM EDINBURGH AND MET UP WITH THEM FOR OUR MEALS AT NIGHT BUT DONE OWN THING SOMETIMES DURING DAY COUPLE OF TIMES WE MET THEM TO SHARE TAXIS WHEN GOING ON TRIPS