myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

It will be the first time to Tobago. I want to book the flight but would like advice about VA's service reliability

Caroline

Hello Caroline

Welcome aboard!

I believe Virgin's track record is as good as any of the major carriers, but given Sods Law, it is really a matter of keeping your fingers crossed with any of them.

we have mostly used virgin over the past two years (switched from BA because of the better frequent flyer stuff!!) and can report no reliability issues at all during that time (at least, not on any of our flights). can be a little hit and miss catching someone in the office if you need to make any changes to your booking but has always gotten sorted.

i would say that subjectively there seems to be a little lacking recently in respect of in flight services but its that non stop bit that still clinches it.

paul

Caroline,I have used Virgin everywhere---I can't realy fault them.
Yup some times there are the odd moments when some idiot becomes boring(passenger I mean).As for time keeping no problem----except you may arrive in Tobago 15 minutes early
David

Yeah, we like Branson's metal tubes too. Well like is probably not the right word. I hate flying. It is so bl***y boring and uncomfortable. But it actually worked out cheaper for us to get a three week return on Virgin than on XL. The on-line check-in means that we don't have to get to Gatwick too long before the flight and the fact that it is a direct flight sways it for me.

Tony


http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyandjanette

Thank you all those "old hands" who replied to my enquiry. The deed is done. We are booked on Virgin Atlantic!! First time in Tobago and sooooo looking forward to the experience. Have managed to get first week's accommodation but still to sort second. A celebration is in order. It is also great to be on board with you all. Thanks again.

Caroline

Hey Caroline when and where are you going???

Hi Carole

We have booked for two weeks, one week near Plymouth and one in Castara. Going from 7 Feb.

Saw your blog about contact lenses. My husband, Ted, found real difficulty snorkelling because he wears glasses - couldn't see a thing, when I was seeing the most beautiful fish. We decided to get a prescription lense mask. Took his eye prescription to Dive Machine in Tonbridge and they made up the mask. It does take about a week or more in busy times, so give yourself plenty of time. Go to divemachine.com It is on the A26 outside Tonbridge, near the Chrysler showroom. It is an investment but Ted says its worth it.

Caroline

Ooooh thanks Caroline will have a look at that, brilliant! I am sure that will be much better than trying to avoid getting water in my lenses!

Could I use the same mask for diving do you think, I've never dived before so have no idea if you would use the same mask or not?!

That's a shame we won't be there the same time as we are off in Jan.

Hi Carole

I don't know the answer, but presumably if you buy a mask suitable for diving, it can also be used for snorkelling. Best to ask Dive Machine or similar to be on safe side as a prescription lense mask is an investment and you need to get it right.

Are there experts in the forum who might be able to comment please?


I do wish you a very happy holiday. I'm sure you will enjoy.

Caroline

Hiya,

Yes, a proper dive mask is perfectly good for snorkelling! You'll have no problems at all!!

Lisa.

Hi Liza

I think Carole was thinking of a mask that you buy for snorkelling and whether that is good enough for diving as well.

Your advice would be appreciated.

Caroline

Hiya!

To be honest, if you're going to get a mask made, I wouldn't have thought it would be one for purely snorkelling. The ones you'd get for snorkelling would - I should imagine - tend to be the cheaper 'off the shelf' ones, which wouldn't take prescriptions into account. If you're getting one made with prescription lenses, I'd have thought it would almost certainly be a proper dive mask! A snorkelling mask wouldn't necessarily be any good for diving, as you couldn't tell how it would react under pressure, but a dive mask is fine for snorkelling.

Hopefully that clears that up! Whether you end up diving or snorkelling, Tobago is definitely the place that you want to be able to SEE! The marine life is pretty special here! It would be a pity to only be able to see blurred shapes!!

For what it's worth, I know several people (my other half included) who actually learned to dive wearing contact lenses. As long as you make your instructor aware of the fact that you're wearing them, you should be fine, though it might be worth carrying some spares, just in case!

Lisa.

Hello, I would just like to add that it is perfectly possible to go into a well stocked dive shop in London and get a mask witn minus lenses "off the shelf" and as long as You keep one number less on the diving mask than on Your prescription You will do fine. The water breaks the light as well and makes you see a bit better anyway underwater.
Happy snorkeling!
Dr Stefan

Hi Stefan

Thanks for that. What a fascinating bit of info - I would never have realised that you need to specify less than your prescription, although now that you mention it, it does make sense - I'm shortsighted and always wondered why I seemed to be able to see better underwater.

Are there any name/locations of 'well stocled' dive shops in London that you can think of? To be honest, I wouldn't know where to start looking for one.

Don't know about shops stocking prescription diving/snorkling masks - but if you Google the phrase, you'll find there are several companies offering them. They generally seem to be £75 upwards - and you need to supply your usual prescription. Some masks are ex-stock - some are made to order so take a few days.

If you want a cheaper option - go to the Tesco on-line shopping website. They offer a mask for which you can by individual lenses to fit yourelf. Can't remember how much the mask is (£24.99?) but each lens is £9.99 and they go from -1.5 to -6.0 (I think). I think this was all in the scuba/triathlon section on the site.

Hope this helps. Thanks to Roland I now know why my vision isn't so bad when snorkling - it's that magic 1.0 reduction in shortsightedness!!

Jane

Hmmm interesting, so if I am -3.75 I need to get them at -2.75 then I assume or does it work the other way round and it would be -4.75?!!!

This thread has come a long way from Virgin Atlantic's reliability record hasn't it haha!

Caroleeeeee

Hiya,

Yes, I'd heard that Tesco were stocking masks now! I never realised I'd miss Tesco!! If you can't get to Tesco, however, call your local dive centre (they'll be in the phone book!). They may well stock them, and, if not, should be able to point you towards somewhere that does!

One thing to bear in mind.... ALWAYS try the mask on before you buy it. Fold the strap back on itself (so that it's over the front of the mask), put the mask over your eyes and nose, (make sure there's no hair in it!) breathe in through your nose, hold your breath and let go of the mask. If it stays where it is, it's sealed! Keep your hands underneath it, just in case it wasn't sealed! Some shops get funny about people dropping their merchandise over the floor!! (been there, done that!).

Make sure it's comfortable though. You might spend more time in it when you get here than you anticipated! You don't want one that constantly puts pressure on the bridge of your nose, or on the septum. After a while, that just gets SORE!!!

If you're slightly claustrophobic about having something on your face, choosing a mask with a clear 'skirt' around it can help!

It's worth trying the snorkelling here. It really is second to none!

Lisa.

What's a Tesco

Lol!

Tesco is the thing you wish for at 3am when you find that you've run out of nappies (that's diapers for Bill and our friends from other side of the pond, and I guess the easiest way to describe Tesco would be as the UK equivalent of Walmart, though we have that too now, since they bought out Asda!) and that the smallest member of the household has just ripped the sides off the one she was wearing! This comes three hours after changing the baby only to discover that the heavy box of nappies you've been using was actually full of her toys with just a single nappy on top!

Oh the days of 24 hour shopping... Not that I never needed it then, but it's just one of those things, isn't it... you don't need it until you can't have it!