Smurfies Latest Adventure

[Ray B]

Today we were in Alicante where it was hot. Yet again the British abroad do no favours for anyone - walking around the town with no shirts on and covered in tatoos.

And I bet the men are just as

[Ray B]

Today we were in Alicante where it was hot. Yet again the British abroad do no favours for anyone - walking around the town with no shirts on and covered in tatoos.

At least they felt at home.
I do hope you and Mrs David had a nice time ashore, I'm told there are some nice places to visit in the area .

[david63]

But never mind Jack, where's Kate hiding?

Is Trish aware of your obsession with Kate?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Oh yes but she's more of a Jack fan herself.

[Stephen]

Would that be Mr Ripper.

[david63]

Still no body count and still no sign of Kate or Jack - although there was a girlie officer counting passengers on the shuttle bus!

Not much to report these last two days other than it has been hot.

The itinerary for the rest of the cruise is Valencia, sea day, Lisbon, two sea days then Southampton. Bearing this in mind the woman at the next table at breakfast this moring was overheard sayin that it would be better if it was - sea day, Valencia, sea day, Lisbon, sea day, Southampton as two consecutive sea days is too much (not sure how she would cope on a TA!)

[towny44]

Still no body count and still no sign of Kate or Jack - although there was a girlie officer counting passengers on the shuttle bus!

Not much to report these last two days other than it has been hot.

The itinerary for the rest of the cruise is Valencia, sea day, Lisbon, two sea days then Southampton. Bearing this in mind the woman at the next table at breakfast this moring was overheard sayin that it would be better if it was - sea day, Valencia, sea day, Lisbon, sea day, Southampton as two consecutive sea days is too much (not sure how she would cope on a TA!)

Not sure how she expects to get from Lisbon to Southampton with only one sea day either.

[david63]

Not sure how she expects to get from Lisbon to Southampton with only one sea day either.

Probably thinks it's a Tardis - which is easy to imagine when you see the inside!

[oldbluefox]

Some people shouldn't be allowed an opinion until they can think straight. Need to engage brain before opening mouth......so now I'll shut up

[CaroleF]

She sounds the same as the person I read on FB who was asking who the Captain was going to be on her forthcoming Saga cruise as she knew that one particular Captain had a worse record than other Captains for missing ports. She didn't want to have that Captain! Do these people really think Captains can just miss ports at a whim?

[Stephen]

I didn't know you could choose your Captain. You learn something every day

[Mervyn and Trish]

Maybe you can choose the weather as well?

[david63]

Just for Stephen

20250804_094842.jpg

[Stephen]

Looks like Onelife.

Not seeing any single malts behind him.

[david63]

This morning we woke to find a car park outside the window

20250804_173232.jpg

By my estimation there is something in excess of 1,000 cars out there.

Today we were in Valencia but decided against going ashore as the shuttle bus journey was 45 minutes each way and the temperature was estimated to rise above 30C. There was no other option to get out of the port as it is a commercial port and walking is prohibited - the cruise terminal comprised of a number of tents. Not sure why any cruise line would choose to come here.

[Meg 50]

we were docked somewhere where the entertainment ashore was to watch HGV learner drivers being put through their paces. fascinating - slaloming round bollards backwards and forwards! might have been Larnaca

[Ray B]

Most strange David, there is a cruise port next to the City which MSC use.
If you haven't been to Valencia before, you would have missed a beautiful place to visit.

[jacksparrow]

One of the worse places we were parked was outside a cement company in Kristiansand… not the best view from a balcony..

[david63]

One thing that is beginning to annoy me is the number of people you spend all of their time in the dinning room on their phones. I have seen tables of three or four where each of them are playing with their phones and only come up to take a mouthful of food occasionally! I don't have a problem with someone checking their phone - I do it as on MSC you are continually being sent notifications, mostly about what you can buy at an extortionate price.

Been another sea day and for once in our cruising career we have a cabin/suite that is on the sunny side most of the time.

Still no sign of any bodies, nor of Kate, Jack, the one crew member nor the woman security office. I am starting to think that the TV program is all make believe!!!

[Mervyn and Trish]

No! I'm shocked.

[Stephen]

It would annoy the hell out of me to David, people using mobile phones at the dining table.

All in all MSC doesn’t sound a cruise ship for me.

[Meg 50]

166.JPG

Bourgas as we went down the gangway! but at least we couldn't see it from our cabin.

[Onelife]

It would annoy the hell out of me to David, people using mobile phones at the dining table.

All in all MSC doesn’t sound a cruise ship for me.

Me too

[Portsmouth]

It would annoy the hell out of me to David, people using mobile phones at the dining table.

I also agree........... have to say 3 years ago I don't remember seeing phones being used in the dining room

I was just wondering if David has had a go on the f1 simulator although you do have to pay extra for that....I didn't bother
Or been down those slides whizzing down on those big inflatables through the tunnel .....its not just for the young I saw a few seniors having a go and even I went down them once ...just time it for when there are not so many kids

[david63]

It would annoy the hell out of me to David, people using mobile phones at the dining table.

I think that there are two points here, one is that for many this is a "normal" way of life and they have to have their face buried in their phone 24/7 no matter where theyb are or what else they are doing. The other point, more specifically to this cruise, is that the passenger demographic is towards the younger end of the scale where this behaviour is more apparent. I suspect you would find the same on many other similar ships - Arvia/Iona for example.

All in all MSC doesn’t sound a cruise ship for me.

I will summarise the good and bad points next week when I am back and try and give a balanced view.

I was just wondering if David has had a go on the f1 simulator although you do have to pay extra for that....I didn't bother

Walked past it the other day but it was closed - so didn't bother either

Or been down those slides whizzing down on those big inflatables through the tunnel

Not my scene.