Sue Kersh Live from Adonia

[Jacknian]

We've only done one back to back cruise but I agree it's brilliant to see most of the other passengers getting off and knowing you have another cruise to look forward to. We loved sitting out by the pool and watching all the new people getting on and the children's faces when they saw the pool etc for the first time. Some of them had come prepared with their costumes already on and were straight in the water. Great report sue, hope you have a lovely second cruise.

[Dennis The Menace]

5 Sept
Southampton

We arrived very early morning and we were still sleeping as we passed the needles.

We had breakfast in the Conservatory and said yet another goodbye to our quiz companions.

We waited until the majority had disembarked then got a taxi to our hotel where the car was parked. We checked everything was okay and unloaded our duty free and other purchases we had made in Spain and Portugal.

We caught the bus into the city centre which was a first for a very long time and I think after paying £1.70 each for a 5 minute journey Garry will now apply for his senior citizens bus pass. We did some shopping to stock up on supplies and then took a taxi back to the ship. We had already been given our cruise cards for the next cruise so could board immediately using the crew gangway.

Once check in opened at noon we made our way down to the Curzon lounge for the champagne lunch. This was even busier than last cruise so lots of regular P & O pax on board.

We spent the afternoon on the balcony with free Wi Fi. This is the first time we have experienced this in Southampton.

We set sail early before 4:30 and saw Caryll waving the big hand from her balcony. I hope she could see me waving back but we were a long way off so possibly not.

Casual night as always on the 1st night and after dinner dancing in the Curzon lounge where we met Bobbie and Gary who we hadn't seen since we were on Oriana approx 4 years ago. We didn't stay for the Welcome on board show as we had seen it last cruise so made our way to the Crows nest for my favourite cocktail Long Beach Iced Tea.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

[Dennis The Menace]

Sea Day to Scilly Isles

Surprisingly it was warm enough to eat breakfast outside at the back of the Conservatory and once again the Dolphins were performing much to the passengers pleasure if the oohs and aahs were anything to by.

The ship was cruising at 9 knots and the sea was Mirror Calm.

A typical sea day with lots on offer. There are only 2 sea days on this cruise so the programme was pretty full.

The ladies did much better in the Battle of the sexes today but we did outnumber the men by about 3 to 1.

It was very hot during the afternoon and I decided to go to the shuffleboard and Quoits. A first for me. The shuffleboard I found very difficult even getting the disc onto the board was a trial. Luckily I had a patient and skilled partner and without any help from me we actually won and I am now the proud owner of a P & O prize passport and a sticker.

I found Quoits much easier and I managed to hold my own at this game and quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately we were knocked out in the final but it was a very close game finishing at 19 / 21.

It was the first of 2 formal nights and the new Captains Welcome Aboard Party.

Captain Bourne was quite amusing as he described the slow cruise from Southampton as cruising with the handbrake on. He described the ports we would hopefully be calling at and explained that the tide times were critical in enabling us to dock at Honfleur. Is he preparing us for a disappointment?

Dinner once again was excellent and the Port Marinated Stilton cheese made another appearance.

The entertainment was Jamie Michael Stewart who was an original member of TVS The Love Boat. He was an accomplished performer and sang Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Michael Buble songs. He was accompanied by the very hard working resident band Quintessance.

Tomorrow we should be tendering into the Scilly Isles. The forecast is good.

[CaroleF]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds shuffleboard difficult. My husband plays shuffleboard when we are on a cruise and he attempted to show me how to play. I just cannot get the hang of hitting the disc - or whatever it's called - without bringing my arm back - as you would if you were hitting a croquet ball for example. I was useless at it!

Sue, you mention Captain Bourne - is he now the captain? I've not heard of him before. I know Sarah Breton takes over at the end of our cruise on 28th but I didn't know who would be Captain on Friday when we join. Glad you're having such a good time. Never tried Long Beach Iced Tea - sounds interesting.

Carole

[Dennis The Menace]

Carole, I'll email your point re Captains out to Sue, just in case she doesn't look in here for a bit

7 Sept

Scilly Isles

It was a reasonably choppy night at sea and because the ship was sailing slowly and circumnavigating the Scilly Isles there was some movement during the night.

We woke to clear skies but a definite chill in the air. The sea although not as mirror calm as yesterday, has only small wavelets.

This was one of the ports we had been looking forward too but in reality did not live up up to our expectations. The powers that be decided that P & O could not use their tenders and the boats used to ferry us ashore were antiquated at best. Only one had any sort of shelter from the piercingly cold wind and even only for half the pax that were on it. The rest were completely open to the elements. Luckily it was only cold and not raining.

We disembarked in the town by some very dodgy steep steps covered in slime as the sea covered them at high tide. As it was low tide when we arrived there were approx 30 steps to climb. Once in town the majority of cafés, bars and shops were closed. We made our way to the info centre to be told its Sunday nothing much opens on a Sunday. We had considered booking a boat ride to see the seals and birds but it was far too cold to contemplate that. We saw a bus with the destination Worlds End and that just about summed up our thoughts on the Scilly Isles on a Sunday. The sun had come out but not strong enough to warm the cold wind. These islands must be extremely wealthy if they decide not to open up when a cruise ship is in port. I can't understand why we didn't call here yesterday and had Sunday as a sea day. Everything would have been open and would have made it a much pleasanter experience.

We found a cafe open and had a coffee and gradually one or two shops opened but the local arts and craft shops stayed closed. The shops that did open were doing a roaring trade but I had been looking forward to seeing some locally made jewellery and other crafts. At noon we looked around for some local fish delicacies, but the only places open were just offering usual pub grub at ridiculous prices. In the end we gave up and went back to the ship for lunch. Lots were having the same idea and the open boat back to the ship was full to capacity. They only ran every 30 minutes and other boats pulled up alongside them and embarked and disembarked their pax by climbing onto our boat to access the dock steps. Certainly not for the faint hearted and lucky that the sea was relatively calm.

Bang on the half hour we set off but on arriving at the Adonia there was another boat waiting to load pax up. We had to circle the ship and hang around until it set off. The wind was biting, I had worn layers expecting to shed some as the day got warmer but lots of pax were in shirts and t shirts. Finally we re boarded Adonia and made for the buffet for some hot soup. It is a long while since I have felt that cold on a cruise ship. Now I know why I don't do North even though the Scilly Isles are South they are nowhere near South enough for me.
I am pleased that we managed to call here and tick it off our to do list but do not feel the need to return.

After lunch we returned to the cabin as the balcony was in the sun and enjoyed the view whilst sat in the sun, with a coffee and port sheltered from the wind. Don't know why but when we returned to the cabin there was a plate of fruit waiting for us. Last night Canapés were delivered delicious chocolate covered strawberries.

The entertainment were the Headliners performing Night of a 1000 stars. Very energetic and fabulous costumes.

The Band were performing Bandstand in the Crows Nest but as we had seen it last cruise we decided on an early night in readiness for our trip to Blarney Castle tomorrow.

[JillD66]

Thanks a lot for the reports - hope the sun is still shining and the sea calm!

You mentioned engine problems earlier (on the 1st cruise!) - is all sorted? I'm interested as we're off on Adonia to Canaries in October and would rather not miss any ports.

Also can you confirm CD for late October? I cant find a link to the list of officers on P & O ships. Also cant find the last Peninsular magazine where the list might've been!

Thanks

JillD

[Dennis The Menace]

Have forwarded your query to Sue, Jill

Re the CD point, I understand the new peninsular magazine is imminent (those that get the world cruise brochures sent to them already seem it have one), so it will hopefully confirm who it will be in there

[Quizzical Bob]

Shame about the Isles of Scilly, we spent a few days in Bryher a couple of years ago and it was a wonderful experience.

[Dennis The Menace]

Thanks a lot for the reports - hope the sun is still shining and the sea calm!

You mentioned engine problems earlier (on the 1st cruise!) - is all sorted? I'm interested as we're off on Adonia to Canaries in October and would rather not miss any ports.

Also can you confirm CD for late October? I cant find a link to the list of officers on P & O ships. Also cant find the last Peninsular magazine where the list might've been!

Thanks

JillD

Jill, Sue says engine problems all sorted. Not sure about CD yet.

[Dennis The Menace]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds shuffleboard difficult. My husband plays shuffleboard when we are on a cruise and he attempted to show me how to play. I just cannot get the hang of hitting the disc - or whatever it's called - without bringing my arm back - as you would if you were hitting a croquet ball for example. I was useless at it!

Sue, you mention Captain Bourne - is he now the captain? I've not heard of him before. I know Sarah Breton takes over at the end of our cruise on 28th but I didn't know who would be Captain on Friday when we join. Glad you're having such a good time. Never tried Long Beach Iced Tea - sounds interesting.

Carole

Hi Carole, yes definitely Captain Bourne at the helm for the moment, unclear when the swap over will be at the moment.

[Dennis The Menace]

8 sept

Cobh

As much as the Scilly Isles disappointed yesterday Cobh has impressed today. The sail in was superb with fantastic scenery and colourful houses. The sun rise was beautiful though very cold at that time of the morning.

We had booked a trip to Blarney Castle which included a tour round Cork and an Irish Whiskey Coffee from the pub Christys next to the Woollen Mill.

Our Irish tour guide was very Informative and kept up the dialogue all the way to Blarney. Once at the castle she shepherded us through the entrance and gardens up to the castle where she then left us with maps and a time to be back at the coach of 12:45.

By this time the sun was quite hot and as I had wrapped up after our experience yesterday I had to shed some layers.

We had decided not to kiss the Blarney Stone after a friend of a friend had told him that the locals specially 'treat' the Blarney Stone especially for the visitors. I am sure I don't need to expand on that, it would have been nice to be able to climb to the top for the view but that wasn't possible because of the queue all the way down the steps. It would have taken up all of our 2 hours time there.

We wandered around the beautiful gardens and took photos then made our way back to the centre. We had our free Irish Coffee sat in the sun at Christys then set off to look around the vast Woolen Mill store. We headed for the Waterford Glass section and purchased some wine glasses, then continued looking and purchasing other souvenirs and gifts. There were lots of Americans around and spending. The time soon passed and we finished with a quick drink in Christys sat outside in the sun, and then made our way back to the coach. We needn't have rushed because as usual there were a couple who thought that the return time did not apply to them.

On the return journey our tour guide filled us in on Irish History and of course the tragic Titanic story and the lesser talked about Lusitania which was sunk off Kinsale by a German submarine.

We ate a quick lunch in the conservatory then set off again for a walk around Cobh. Cobh was originally called Cove but after Queen Victoria visited in 1849 it was renamed Queenstown In her honour. In 1921 the town reverted back to the Irish form of spelling for Cove and although it is pronounced Cove the spelling is Cobh. It is a quaint little town with lots of history and Interesting statues and monuments dotted around. On the front is a lovely garden area and a Bandstand. I would love to be here sat in the sun with the Band playing and the ship in the background.

There were many Typical Irish pubs with live music playing and Adonias passengers sat outside enjoying the Guinness or Murphys.

I headed for the White Star Titanic Experience. It was 9 Euros and I was given a ticket like the passengers on the Titanic would have been given. I was Katie McCarthy aged 24 and a 3rd class passenger. There were approx 15 people in the group. We were shown where the tenders left from and where in the distance behind Spike Island the Titanic was anchored on 11 April 1912. 123 passengers boarded at Queenstown and 83 of them did not survive. There was a mock up of a 3 rd class cabin and the common room and also a first class cabin. Even the 1 st class did not have their own bathroom facilities. We were shown how the Titanic sank and it was a sobering thought watching it sink knowing that in a few hours I would be back at sea on Adonia passing the point where the Titanic departed from. At the end of the tour there was an interactive room where you could find out more about the passenger you had been allocated. Lucky Katie McCarthy survived In lifeboat no. 15 and arrived at New York on board the Carpathia on April 18th 1912. Her final destination was New Jersey to join her elder sister who had married and settled there. Katie had been travelling with three neighbours from the Tipperary area but she was the only one to survive.

I returned to the ship via the Heritage museum which we were docked beside. Unfortunately I did not have time to do that tour as I wanted to be back on ship to hear the local Irish singer Amanda Neri who was performing at 4 pm on the open deck before sail away. She was excellent and a nice touch to have a local artiste on board.

It was The Indian buffet night in the conservatory and after eating an excellent meal in there we retired to the cabin. The entertainment on offer was Vince Earl a comedian and the 60 s & 70's party in the Crows Nest.

We returned to our cabin to find that Diogo had left us a Towel Animal in the form of a dog wearing Garry's glasses.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

51.9323° N, 8.56557° W

[Dennis The Menace]

9 sept

Sea Day en route to Guernsey

Another Sunny day although windy on the open decks. Lots of pax had searched out sheltered areas and were sunbathing. We have been very lucky with the weather this cruise so far.

I played Quoits and won another Gold sticker, then had another go at shuffleboard but still struggled getting onto the board. We did get into the final without scoring a point but that was because our opponents kept hitting the minus 10.

After lunch it was the final of the Battle of the Sexes and the ladies improved on their score and well and truly thrashed the Men. Yet another little Gold sticker. I was informed by a serious collector of gold stickers that 3 entitled me to a P & O travel alarm clock.

Our last formal night of the cruise and it Black and White night. The entertainment was the a Headliners performing West Side West End, which involves quick costume changes done on stage in full view of the audience. That kept the men awake during the show!

The Band performed the Big Picture in the Crows Nest narrated by the Executive purser Michael Lobban. As the title suggests they played theme tunes to TV and Film. Very enjoyable but I do prefer it when Tracy Narrates as she injects a bit of humour into the narration. The purser tried to do this but he has not got the experience that Tracy has and his timing was a bit out.

Once again Diogo had left us some Towel Art, this time it was a Tortoise wearing Garry's glasses. Very talented chap our Diogo. He has been an excellent Cabin Steward and has kept us stocked with sweets and biscuits and more importantly Ice and lemon for the G & T. He is very busy with cabins on both sides of the ship as well as the aft cabins which include 2 suites.

Our last sea day of the Cruise and tomorrow fingers crossed we will tendering into Guernsey.

[Suekersh]

My last few reports.

Guernsey.
Wow we have been so lucky with the weather. Another beautiful sunny day and although the sea is not calm the tenders are quite able to handle the small waves and short tender ride into Guernsey. No waiting around for ages for tenders on Adonia.

We wandered around the town and noticed lots of jewellery shops as well as Boots and Marks and Spencers. As this is a Duty Free Island we had expected prices to be lower than back home but they appeared to be exactly the same.

We were heading for the bus station for a tour of the island but when we got there the queue was huge with lots of pax having the same idea. One bus was just leaving, but the queue was enough to fill another bus as well. No extra buses had been put on to accommodate the cruise ship passengers. I felt sorry for any locals who use this bus to get around as all these pax intended on staying on for the full journey. The next bus was not for a further 45 minutes and it was doubtful if we would get on that anyway. We found a Local coffee shop and sat in the sun.

They did eventually put another bus on but demand far outweighed supply and as we didn't want to spend the day in a queue which was growing longer all the time we decided to give it a miss.

We walked around the port area looking at the huge yachts in the harbour and enjoying the sun. On our return to the ship the wind had got up and it made for an uncomfortable tender journey back to the ship but once back we had the sun on the balcony and a fabulous view of the Marina.

We ate at Sorrentos again and enjoyed another fabulous meal but the ambiance was ruined by one couple spouting to another couple on the next table to them in a very loud voice about how many cruises they had done etc etc bore bore bore. We really didn't want to hear it and I am sure the other diners close by felt the same. Even when food was put in front of him he didn't shut up.

The entertainment was Chris Reynolds as Elvis and the Band performing in the Crows Nest.

When we returned to the cabin Diogo had left us a towel monkey hanging from the air con vent.

Tomorrow is our final port Honfleur in France and the clocks go forward an hour to European time.

Honfleur

Another wonderfully sunny day. We had to arrive here very early morning on the tide and done people lower down the ship commented that it felt more like being in a Lock. As the tide rose the ship rose enough for a gang plank to be put out. When we disembarked the walk way was completely flat but on our return to the ship it was extremely steep. Sone of the older infirm pax really struggled getting back on board.

Honfleur is a very pretty French town. Lots of character with the many restaurants and shops selling local produce. It is quite hard walking around because of the cobbled streets and uneven surfaces. There was an ancient Carousel which had been renovated and was working.

We had intended eating lunch out but after having 2 very small coffees at a cost of almost 10 Euros we changed our mind. Instead we purchased some local cheese and a bottle of wine and returned to the ship where once again our balcony was in full sun. Certainly starboard has been the best side for the sun this cruise.

Before our final dinner I exchanged my 3 gold stickers for a P & O travel alarm clock.

The evening entertainment was the Headliners performing We'll Meet Again. Another brilliant show with the passengers singing along and waving their Union Jack flags. The band were playing in the Crows Nest.

We said our goodbyes to the entertainment team and other crew members and passengers we had met on the cruise.

We have really enjoyed the ports of call on both of the cruises but the seven day cruise made us realise that for us seven days is just not long enough.

To conclude

A fabulous cruise on a very friendly ship. Wonderful ports of call and the weather could not have been better.

The only slight criticism was the call to the Scilly Isles on a Sunday.

We really like the smallest ship in the fleet and look forward to cruising on Adonia again in the future but for now 14 weeks to our Christmas cruise on Oriana.

Thanks to those who have read my reports and once again many thanks to DTM for tendering them for me.

Sue

[Meg 50]

....
Honfleur

Another wonderfully sunny day. We had to arrive here very early morning on the tide and done people lower down the ship commented that it felt more like being in a Lock. As the tide rose the ship rose enough for a gang plank to be put out. When we disembarked the walk way was completely flat but on our return to the ship it was extremely steep. Sone of the older infirm pax really struggled getting back on board.

we had that problem when on Adonia in Bordeaux!

To conclude

A fabulous cruise on a very friendly ship.

We really like the smallest ship in the fleet and look forward to cruising on Adonia again in the future.

Sue

trying to resist the temptation to say, "I told you so!"

[Bobbie]

We've been home a week and I've only just got round to reading Sue's report, which was very interesting. We had met Sue and Garry before a few years ago, and it was nice to meet again and catch up on the second of their back to back cruises.

It was a pity Sue and Garry had a bad experience on the Scilly Isles, as I have to say our experience was totally different. I agree with everything Sue says about the journey ashore in the local boats, it was absolutely freezing and some people in our boat only had short sleeved shirts on! I had made enquiries online about hiring a little electric golf buggy to do a bit of sightseeing round the island, but hadn't want to book in case we didn't get there -the place was only open between 9 and 10 on Sundays! We managed to get ashore by 9.15 so I rang them and asked if a buggy was available. They had no two seaters, but said we could have a four seater for £40 (it would normally be £45, and the two seater £35). We thought we would go for it, as we'd probably only ever visit St Mary's once. We followed the beach round and soon found the place, the buggy was easy to drive so off we went!

We decided first to make our way to a beach which we'd heard was nice, I think it was called Pelistry. One problem with St Mary's is that there are no signposts, so our map was of littlle use! After going wrong a few times we managed to find where we thought there should be a track down to the beach. Another problem was finding somewhere to park the buggy - most of the roads just had hedges along the side, and if you did find a gap it was a field entrance, which we'd been warned not to park in! Eventually we managed to park, and find the track, so set off towards the beach. It was worth the walk. The sand was white, like a Caribbean island, and there was not another soul on the beach. By this time the sun was breaking through and it was becoming quite warm. We walked quite a way along the coastal path with beautiful views of the azure sea, strange-shaped rocks, and more white beaches in the distance on another island. We were going to have coffee in a cafe but - guess what - it wasn't open!

Next we went to see a prehistoric village and burial chamber. The site was really pretty, covered with purple heather, and with great views of more islands and Adonia in the distance. We managed to find Juliet's Garden, a cafe/restaurant we'd heard good reports of, and amazingly it was open! In fact, we got the last table, it was very busy. We had coffee and cakes and admired the gorgeous view looking back to St Mary's.

We drove round more winding lanes, and looked at more beautiful beaches, then at about 2pm decided to take the buggy back as we wanted to have a look around Hugh Town before returning to Adonia. On the walk back Gary decided he simply had to swim in the beautiful clear water. He had brought a towel in his rucksack, but found he had forgotten his swimming trunks! Undaunted, he stripped to his pants (there was nobody nearby, and from a distance they just looked like trunks!) and in he went! The water was cold and he didn't stay in long, but he said he just had to do it.

We then had a little wander round Hugh Town where, as Sue said, not much was open, and made our way back to the ship at 3.30pm. We'd had a really wonderful day, and thought St Mary's was beautiful. I have lots of amazing photographs.

In Cobh we did much the same as Garry and Sue, taking the tour to Blarney Castle. We also thought Cobh was a lovely, quaint town, very picturesque, and enjoyed the Irish singer who came onboard.

In Guernsey we had hoped to hire a car, but they were all booked out. We looked at the buses, but didn't fancy spending an hour and a half going round the island on a rickety old bus, so found a taxi driver and asked if he could take us for a quick drive just to see a little of the island. At £40 an hour it wasn't cheap, but we would've paid more for the car, and once he'd seen the narrow roads Gary was rather glad he wasn't driving! The driver had to be back by 12 for another job, so we actually had an hour and twently minutes, for which he still charged £40. He had been the editor of the local newspaper before retiring and he was very knowledgeable and interesting. We saw the coastline and beaches, a few villages, and the Little Chapel, we were pleased we'd done it.

Honfleur was beautiful, as Sue has described, and I filled up my memory card taking so many pictures!

We really enjoyed the cruise, and being on Adonia for the first time. I'm sure we will cruise on her again, although I'm not sure I'd want to do a cruise with a lot of sea days as, with no dance instructors onboard, we're not sure if there would be enough to keep us occupied if the weather wasn't good and there were lots of sea days. (We normally do dance classes both morning and afternoon!)

Sue, thanks for your report, it was a lovely cruise and hope to bump into you both again one day!

[Suekersh]

Hi Bobbie,
It was great meeting you and Garry again. It was such a lovely cruise and weren't we lucky with the weather.

Our friends are thinking of booking the same cruise next year but with the itinerary reversed therefore avoiding calling at the Scilly Isles on a Sunday.

Hope to meet you both again in the future. Keep in touch with your future cruise plans.

Sue x

[Popeye The Sailorman]

Just managed to read your report Sue.. Sounds Fab. Thanks for taking the time
to provide plenty of details.

Cant wait for our Adonia trip next
May 2015..

Steve

[Suekersh]

Thanks Steve. Hope you have as great a cruise as we did. Lovely ship. Different to the rest in the fleet but equally as enjoyable. We are looking forward to March 2916 when we are booked to sail on Adonia again from the Caribbean. Will probably manage to fit one in before that though. Fingers crossed.

Sue

[frintonite]

with all due respect Sue, don't you think you may be a bit old to still be cruising then (2916)

[Dancing Queen]

One things for sure Sue if it's 2916 you'll be saying 'sod the diet' you won't care !!!

[cornmillgirl]

Fabulous reporting Sue, I too have just read it, Popeye the Sailorman and I have been on Adonia a couple of years ago and next on her for 20 nights in
May 2015 and I can't wait, we absolutely loved her, she is a lovely ship and so popular.

And thanks to DTM for posting your reviews as well, think he struggled to keep up with your reporting!!

[oldbluefox]

Thanks a lot for your report Sue, which I have found really interesting. So much so that I am going to have a look at those cruises on Adonia which sail into Seville etc. Whilst Adonia would not be my first choice of ship some of the ports you visited (Tangiers excepted) sounded lovely and very different from the usual ports.