J420

[Robert]

Madeira,canaries and Lisbon
Check-in at southampton was perfect as from being met at the entrance by the meet and greet lady to stepping onto Arcadia took 30 minutes exactly.
Once onboard,we were directed to one of the restaurants as the cabins were not yet ready for us.we were able to get lunch and a drink and then we were informed that our cabins were ready and once we had found them our luggage was also there.later that afternoon we went to our muster station as usual and then went for a pre-dinner drink after which we had dinner in the meridian lower.great food,good choices etc.
We found the food throughout the whole cruise to be very good but quite repetitive whether in the self-service or meridian restaurants.
Another disappointment was the lack of thought that seemed to go into daily sea day activities,whilst having a horse racing on film session in the evening,they could have had it during the daytime on that sea day.
Another minus in our opinion was that the headliners are relied upon too much,whilst what they do is very good,it does not and cannot replace top entertainers,but then then again it is a far cheaper option to p&o so maybe that's what they're looking at.
The crew and staff were very good and always stopped to chat as did the captain when up on deck.
Weather was a bit here and there but all in all we enjoyed the cruise and must save up ready for the next one,still to be booked but not quite sure who with yet.

[oldbluefox]

Thanks for your report Robert.

Sorry to hear you found the food repetitive. My problem is in working out what to have but I do enjoy my food. If you take into account the buffet, the outside grills and the dining room I find I have plenty of choice whether it be salads, cooked food, pizzas, curries or pasta dishes.

However it's good to hear you are planning your next cruise, whoever that may be with.