Sue Kersh Live from Arcadia

[Dennis The Menace]

Morning all, hope everyone is fine and dandy

Here's the first instalment of Sue's blog from Arcadia, enjoy ;

Arcadia Cruise J514 to Venice

Hotel stay and embarkation.

A very late change of plan meant that we travelled down to Southampton the day before boarding. An extremely busy weekend in Southampton with the International Boat show, Manchester United Fans travelling to the match against Southampton and Freshers week at the university caused a shortage of hotel rooms. We eventually got a room at the Botley Park Spa Hotel and after a long drive down which took almost 6 hours we were very happy with the ground floor room which was large, clean and had everything we needed for the overnight stay. There is a pool and gym facilities which hotel guests can use free of charge but I had brought a bottle of wine with me and I just spent the afternoon relaxing whilst Garry watched the sport on the large TV screen. WI Fi was free of charge and the speed was adequate.

We had booked the package which included dinner bed and breakfast. Dinner was 3 courses with a small choice of menu and although not gourmet was hot and tasty. Breakfast was a mixture of buffet and a freshly cooked hot breakfast. All very good and value for money if booked as part of the package. The cost without the package was £30 for dinner and £18.50 each for breakfast.

We were both shattered and retired back to room for an early night. At 4 am we were wakened by the occupants of the room next door who were young lads arriving back with some friends in a very inebriated state. They could no longer speak at normal levels and they continued their party. We gave them 20 minutes to settle down before we rang the night porter. He was very proactive and immediately came to speak to them. It didn't work although they did turn the volume down slightly it was still far too loud. The night porter returned and got rid of the extra people in the room into a taxi. That worked and we had a peaceful few hours. At 7 am we got our own back by putting the TV on and not being as quiet as we normally would. Petty I know but it gave us some feeling of satisfaction although I doubt they even noticed.

The journey to the port was approx ½ hour and we set off early enough and didn't have any problem with the boat show traffic unlike our friends and other passengers we spoke to later. CPS started checking cars in at 10:30 am and we were in the priority pre embarkation area before 11 am and on board ship before noon. The cabins were not ready until 2 pm so we made good use of the free champagne and hot buffet served in the Meridian restaurant. Our friends joined us at about 1 pm so had some catching up to do. Garry went off to book the spa package for the duration of the cruise which was £150 per person or £200 for a couple which for 17 nights seems good value especially as we will get 10 % discount.

Our cases had all been delivered to our cabin which is a mirror image of the last cabin we had on this ship for 50 nights in February 2014. Storage is always an issue on Arcadia with a distinct lack of drawers and shelf space. Our sofa does have pull out drawers for shoes but our friends whose cabin is next door but one to us but on the side rather than the aft does not have this extra space.

We booked Freedom dining and there was no queue to get a table for 4 by the window. Friendly waiters and wine steward, good food and great company an excellent start to our cruise.

After dinner we went to see the Entertainment Manager Elaine Cole introduce her team and the Headliners performed a few song and dance routines.

An early night beckoned ready for our first of two sea day tomorrow before our first port of call on Wednesday at Cadiz.

50.9029° N, 1.43895° W



Sent from my iPad

[Stephen]

Hello Dennis, hope you are keeping well.

Mike Doyle (comedian) was on the previous cruise. If he's still on-board go and see him. Still very good apparently.

[qbman1]

Hello Dennis, hope you are keeping well.

Mike Doyle (comedian) was on the previous cruise. If he's still on-board go and see him. Still very good apparently.

Mike Doyle is quite active on Twaddle @MikeDoyleComedy

I have a bit of banter with him, although I have not yet seen him perform. Hope he might be on at Christmas

Looking forward to the ongoing cruise reports - always interesting from Sue K

[Stephen]

We saw him back in 2006, brilliantly funny without the vulgarity or belittling members of the audience that you often get with comedians. Some friends of ours who have just come off Arcadia said he is still just as good. He likes a drink as well, or he did then. He must have spent the best part of a lunchtime afternoon one day in the bar drinking and chatting with a group of other passengers.

Top man

[qbman1]

He posted some pictures from Lisbon last week of what looked like a boozy lunch with some people from the ship. Looks like he's on QM2 to New York at the moment

[Stephen]

Just had a look on his Twaddle page, and yes I see he is currently on QM2.

I'm new to this Twaddle malarkey so I probably just sent a tweet to god knows who asking if he will be on a couple of cruises we have booked. Does he have a list of cruise ship itineraries by any chance QB

[Gill W]

I haven't seen Mike Doyle for several years now, but I thought he was really good.

[qbman1]

Just had a look on his Twaddle page, and yes I see he is currently on QM2.

I'm new to this Twaddle malarkey so I probably just sent a tweet to god knows who asking if he will be on a couple of cruises we have booked. Does he have a list of cruise ship itineraries by any chance QB

He does have a website:

http://www.mikedoyle.co.uk/index.html

but there doesn't seem to be a list of cruise bookings. I'm not sure how far ahead they book their entertainers but I am sure he will get back to you and let you know if he is on your cruise

[Stephen]

Thanks for that QB.

Once you get use to Twaddle it becomes a bit addictive

[barney]

Cheers Sue & Dennis

"Garry went off to book the spa package for the duration of the cruise which was £150 per person or £200 for a couple which for 17 nights seems good value especially as we will get 10 % discount."

We are on Arcadia for 13 nights in about 6 weeks
What is this Spa package about ??
Sounds interesting.
Do you just book it on the first day and what do you get for your money?
cheers
barney

[Stephen]

I haven't seen Mike Doyle for several years now, but I thought he was really good.

If I remember correctly he has/had a very good singing voice as well.

[Dennis The Menace]

Hello Dennis, hope you are keeping well.

Mike Doyle (comedian) was on the previous cruise. If he's still on-board go and see him. Still very good apparently.

Hi Stephen

I'm ok thanks after a rough summer, and finally having to say goodbye to my faithful old mate Maui (my cat ) at the ripe old age of 18. Looking forward to cruising again very soon after far too long without one

[Dennis The Menace]

Cheers Sue & Dennis

"Garry went off to book the spa package for the duration of the cruise which was £150 per person or £200 for a couple which for 17 nights seems good value especially as we will get 10 % discount."

We are on Arcadia for 13 nights in about 6 weeks
What is this Spa package about ??
Sounds interesting.
Do you just book it on the first day and what do you get for your money?
cheers
barney

Hi Barney

I emailed your comments to Sue, who swiftly replied as follows :

"You can visit the spa any number of times per day if you have the package. There is a Hydro pool with beds around it. In the room next door there are heated beds with great views of the ocea, steam rooms, sauna and aromatherapy showers. Great if you have lots of sea days or a cold weather cruise. We go at 8 am every day and have the pool to ourself. We will also use it after a long day it before dinner. Not sure how much the package will be for a shorter cruise but ours was £200 for a couple or £150 for single. Alternatively £75 per person for 5 day passes"

Hope that helps

[Dennis The Menace]

21 Sept

1st Sea Day

We lost an hour last night to put us in the same time zone as Spain. A bit mean on our first night as we have another sea day.

We were up early and breakfasted in our cabin before visiting the Spa at 8 am. A very relaxing Hour before I went to the not so relaxing Zumba class where we were given a real work out by Sarah for ¾ hour. Back to the cabin to shower and change then it was battle of the sexes with DJ Martin where the ladies were victorious. We went to the main dining room for a light lunch then back to the cabin where I found time to do the daily Sudoku and crossword.

The weather has been drizzly all day but the Bay of Biscay has been only slightly choppy. The sun keeps trying to make an appearance but isn't putting in much of an effort. Must try harder sunshine.

Later in the afternoon I attended a small meet up in East of fellow passengers I had been in contact with on various cruise forums. This was held in the East bar which although on deck 11 is mid ships and there was no movement at all.

Our first formal night of the cruise and Marcos menu in the Main Dining room. We decided to eat first and then attend the 8 pm Captains Welcome on board party to avoid the 6:30 rush into the freedom dining room. This worked well and we had a very enjoyable meal finished off by the Port Marinated Stilton. Arcadia does this so much better than the other ships, no skimping with the port on here.

We finished dinner at 8 pm just in time to arrive at the party without queuing to get in. We have not cruised with Captain Trevor Lane previously and he stood by the entrance to the covered Pool area and welcomed everyone individually.

The drinks flowed well and the speeches were short just how a good party should be. After the party our friends went off to see the show in the theatre a comedian called Lloyd Davies. We decided to opt for the East Bar to sample the cocktail of the day which was Peach Bellini, then to the Welcome on board ball in the Globe. On our way we met CJ the singer in the band Inspiration. Unfortunately they very rarely play in the globe now for the dancing and have been moved to the Rising Sun and the Crows Nest. Such a shame as they played strict tempo music for the dancing and always had some banter with the passengers. The Sunshineband who play in the Globe now are okay but their type of music grates after a while. The lead plays all sorts of different whistles and other wind instruments. Geoffrey and Brenda are the very talented and experienced dance hosts/instructors on board.

The ballroom/Latin/sequence dancing finishes at 11:30 pm when DJ Martin takes over for the late night Disco.

There were mixed reviews about the comedian from excellent, very funny to the best I can say was he didn't swear and no dirty jokes but most were old hat. It doesn't sound like we missed much.

[Dennis The Menace]

22 Sept

2nd Sea Day

We spent much of the day like yesterday with a spa session, Zumba, Battle of the sexes then lunch. The Ladies had a disastrous round and were well and truly thrashed by the men. Early days yet and plenty of time to catch up.

We did take the opportunity to check out tonight's menu and we all agreed to book Ocean grill as nothing on the MDR shouted 'EAT ME' and we had been trying to fit in menu 1 for the soft shell blue crab starter. Ocean Grill are doing an early bird special of a free bottle of P & O paint stripper if you dine from 6 pm to 6:30 pm. No surprise that these slots were already booked and I don't see any point in spoiling a lovely meal with a cheap plonk.

The day improved after lunch but the sun is still struggling to burn off the cloud. The temperature is very pleasant and we spent the afternoon on the balcony watching the Dolphins playing in the wake of the ship. The sun finally won the battle against the clouds at 5 pm and we just had a little time in it before we got ready for the evening.

The Ocean Grill was busy so the free bottle of paint stripper was obviously doing what was intended. The result though was extremely slow service and one main meal of steak that was inedible. The meal was not charged for. The starters were all excellent as was my duck. To finish I chose the Sherry Trifle Wally Ladd which I normally describe as orgasmic. Not this time it was okay but compared to past experiences disappointing. The offer of the free wine finishes tonight so we will give the Ocean grill another chance later in the cruise. The restaurant manager came to the table full of apologies and assured us that next time we dine there the service will have improved. I do hope so as this is our favourite restaurant.

The act in the theatre was Rebecca Nelson described in the Horizon as a stunning crossover Classical singer. We decided to give this a miss after eating the rich food I didn't fancy sitting in the theatre.

Cocktail of the day Piña Colada.

Tomorrow we dock in Cadiz and the forecast is for sun and temperatures in the mid twenties. We have booked the Jerez on your own trip as we have never visited there.

[Quizzical Bob]

Thanks for passing on Sue's reports Dennis. If you get the chance to contact them we can recommend this place: http://www.tabancoplateros.com

They do a nice platter of six (maybe five) assorted sherries with cheese or other extras for only a few Euros.

[barney]

Cheers Sue & Dennis

"Garry went off to book the spa package for the duration of the cruise which was £150 per person or £200 for a couple which for 17 nights seems good value especially as we will get 10 % discount."

We are on Arcadia for 13 nights in about 6 weeks
What is this Spa package about ??
Sounds interesting.
Do you just book it on the first day and what do you get for your money?
cheers
barney

Hi Barney

I emailed your comments to Sue, who swiftly replied as follows :

"You can visit the spa any number of times per day if you have the package. There is a Hydro pool with beds around it. In the room next door there are heated beds with great views of the ocea, steam rooms, sauna and aromatherapy showers. Great if you have lots of sea days or a cold weather cruise. We go at 8 am every day and have the pool to ourself. We will also use it after a long day it before dinner. Not sure how much the package will be for a shorter cruise but ours was £200 for a couple or £150 for single. Alternatively £75 per person for 5 day passes"

Hope that helps

Thanks very much Sue
I've mentioned this to the better half and we may well give it a go.
Sounds like all is very good on Arcadia as usual
regards
Barney

[Dennis The Menace]

Thanks for passing on Sue's reports Dennis. If you get the chance to contact them we can recommend this place: http://www.tabancoplateros.com

They do a nice platter of six (maybe five) assorted sherries with cheese or other extras for only a few Euros.

I sent this info onto Sue last night Bob, cheers. I think she normally goes online as soon as free wifi is available in the port so hopefully they will see your recommendation in time. Ta

[Suekersh]

Hi all, in Messina today but quite overcast so binned the beach day and are mooching round town. Not much here but glad we didn't book a trip as it was raining when they set off. We will go and see the clock at noon. Unfortunately my e mail has stopped working so can't send Dennus my reports. Will try to copy and paste.

Port of Cadiz
Finally we have reached the sun. Wall to wall hot sunshine all day. Azura was also docked in Cadiz today on their final port of call before sailing home to Southampton.

After breakfast and the usual spa session we met our friends to find our tour coach to visit Jerez. Home of the Sherry. We had a very informative guide Daniel who was an American but lived in Cadiz.

We had planned a route which included Sherry tasting, the local market to purchase the famous Jerez vinegar, a short stop at Carefour to stock up on cabin essentials and finally lunch in a tapas bar taking in as many sights on the way that we could find. It all went according to plan and we arrived back at the pick up point with 5 minutes to spare and had a very enjoyable day.

There was a party sailaway on deck in fabulous sunshine but we decided to enjoy it from the balcony. We could hear all the music but sit in comfort with a G & T watching the ship manoeuvring out of the port. Lots of horn blowing from the Captains of both ships and a very lively deck party with lots of flag waving as pax competed against each other as to which ship could party the loudest.

The evening entertainment was the Headliners performing 'A Night of a Thousand Stars' and the Arcadia Orchestra playing Music from Stage and Screen in the Globe, followed by music from Abba and the Beatles. A race night in the Rising sun and various other music in the bars around the ship.

Cocktail of the Day Strawberry Daquiri.

[Suekersh]

Thanks QB for the recommendation we were too late to get it this time but will keep it for next year.

[Suekersh]

Thursday - 1st Sea Day to Messina
A perfect Sea Day. Blue sky and calm seas.

It was our Peninsular lunch at noon and there were approximately 100 passengers in the Baltic/ Ligurian Tier. Our table was hosted by Bradley who is the officer in charge of the Food and Beverage. A very interesting man who kept the conversation flowing with his stories of ship life. In 1999 he was the first ever Indian to be promoted to officer status. The wine flowed well and the food as usual was delicious. Bradley passed on some interesting information regarding the menus. They are very soon to be updated with even more choices.

By the time we returned from lunch the sun was full on our balcony which meant a lazy afternoon soaking up the Rays.

Our 2 nd formal evening and after early evening drinks with friends we made our way to dinner. We were slightly later than our normal time and there were no tables available. We were given a bleeper but it was about 20 minutes before we were seated and even longer before a waiter appeared. We had obviously arrived at 'Rush hour'. It was worth waiting for though, the twice baked crab soufflé was delicious.

Formal night Ball in the globe with the band Inspiration. Fabulous night, so much nicer to dance to a band who keep strict tempo, with a large repertoire and not a whistle in sight! They are so wasted playing in the pub.

It was the Comedian Lloyd Davies again in the theatre but were enjoying the music and dancing in the Globe so decided to give him a miss.

Cocktail of the Day was Summer Love. (Grey Goose apple juice and elderflower cordial).

[Suekersh]

Friday Sea Day before Messina.
I had forgotten to put the breakfast order out last night so I had my first breakfast of the cruise in the MDR. Another beautiful hot day with calm seas.
Zumba first today followed by an hour in the Spa, then The Battle of the sexes where once again the Ladies were victorious.

Garry had ordered room service for my lunch which was waiting for me when I returned to the cabin. We spent the afternoon on the balcony in the sun. It was extremely hot with only a very slight breeze.

Another excellent dinner in the MDR followed by the headliners performing
Breakdown Blues in the Palladium. Not their best show but very lively. Inspiration were playing in the Globe and we finished our evening in there.

Cocktail of the day Absolut Spring Punch. (vodka, Raspberry liquor, lemon juice and champagne).

Tomorrow we docked in Messina.

[Suekersh]

E mail is still down. Got WI fi in CorfuMessina
We woke to an overcast sky and some rain which scuppered our idea of getting a taxi to a beach resort. We had a leisurely hour in the Spa As we decided to delay disembarking until 10:30 am to see if the weather improved. It did but not enough to bother with the beach. The sun was hot but the clouds never fully disappeared all day.

Taxi drivers on the port were offering a return trip to Taormina for 25 Euros per person return but the weather still didn't look settled enough to risk it and having visited there in June we decided against it. It was a good price though and we may well take them up on it when we visit here again next year.

We wandered into the town to the only spot worth seeing which is the cathedral and the Astronomical Clock Tower. We found a bar with free Wi Fi and enjoyed an hour in the sun. Unfortunately my e mail has stopped working and even after re setting there is a problem.

At noon we had the prime spot in front of the clock and watched the various figures going through their routine and then made our way back to the ship.

Our balcony was in full sun so we lunched on there and settled down to a lazy afternoon. Instead of ordering room service we risked bringing a tray down from the piggery. It will be my first and last visit there of the cruise. How the MDR food can be so good and the buffet so bad is a mystery.

Celebrity Silhouette was docked stern to stern with us and we had a good view of their aft balconies. It is a very unusual looking ship.

By 4 :30 pm the clouds had won the battle and we left as we had arrived in the rain. We are hoping for better weather tomorrow in Corfu where we will head for the beach.

Another excellent dinner followed by a visit to the Palladium to see New Zealand songstress Rebecca Nelson. She is a stunning singer, very patriotic as she is a reservist for the New Zealand military. She sings at all the large New Zealand events and the Rugby tournaments. Very talented young lady.

We finished the evening in the Spinnaker bar where Stuart was playing the organ and singing. He is very entertaining and chats in between his numbers. Very amusing especially as he has been on tour during the day wine tasting.

The rugby was shown in the arising Sun and the globe and both venues were packed out.

Cocktail of the Day Pimms Blackberry & Elderflower.

[Suekersh]

Hi all we are in Split today. Will attempt to post the reports. Our e mail is still not working and sky are being extremely unhelpful.
Sunday - Corfu
We docked to wonderful views from our aft balcony of Corfu Old Town and a beautiful sunny day. We lost another hour last night to put us on Greek mainland time of GMT + 2. We had our usual hour in the Spa then met up with our cruise mates to find a taxi to Paleokastritsa beach that had been recommended by their ex neighbours who now live in Corfu but are away yachting this weekend. The taxi cost 25 euros each return for a 30 minute drive to the beach. Less than half the cost of the P & O beach trip.

As we arrived and had no sooner laid our towels down when the heavens opened. We quickly packed up and dashed to the nearest bar to sample the local hospitality. Free fast Wi fi and local beer kept us occupied until sun came back. It is a very picturesque bay with lots of boat trips on offer to see caves. The Ionian Sea was warm and perfectly clear with lots of fish. A perfect beach day once the rain had cleared.

Blame it on the Boogie in the Playhouse followed by the 60 s and 70s party on deck. The Globe was kept free in case of rain. We finished the evening with a drink in East and checked out the wine menu in Sindhu.

Cocktail of the day G T & E. ( Gin, Elderflower Cordial and Tonic)

Tomorrow we dock in Dubrovnik.

[Suekersh]

Dubrovnik.
We docked early well before 8 am. The only/ first ship in. The weather was sunny with light cloud. The breeze was cool when the sun was hiding behind the cloud.

We disembarked at 8:30 and caught the shuttle into the city. Free for select payers and a £5 single charge for saver fares. It would have been cheaper for saver fare payers to share a taxi into the old town for 13 Euros per car.

Our plan had been to get a boat to Cavtat as we had visited Dubrovnik may times. Unfortunately the stay here was cut from departing at 4 pm to all on board at 2:30 pm. Cavtat will have to wait until next time we visit.

We wandered around the beautiful city of Dubrovnik. Tiny alleyways with many different unique shops. We sampled and bought local goodies from the colourful market traders and enjoyed the tasty but very small coffees in a local bar. The harbour area was busy and the Galleon arrived as we watched. The town was far less busy than the last time we visited here and much pleasanter to walk around.

All too soon we made our way back to the Shuttle pick up point and back to the ship. The Queen Victoria had arrived and berthed behind the Arcadia. We had the sun on the balcony for the sailaway and even as we changed direction and lost the sun it was still hot enough to sit out enjoying the stunning views of the Croatian Coast line which was some compensation for our early departure.

The menu for dinner included the local dish of Ribarski Brodet which is a Fishermans Stew. It was delicious full of different types of fish and shell fish.

The entertainment was the extremely talented String Idols. Two young ladies who can really make their violins come alive. Excellent entertainment. They play different genres of music with a little bit of choreography and humour..

Cocktail of the day The Godfather (Amaretto & Johnnie Walker Black Label.