Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Jan Rosser
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Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Jan Rosser »

At last getting around to report on my recent cruise to the Canaries on Ventura with my son and family. They are the reason this is late - two days after arriving home they descended on me for a few days - well couldn't refuse could I - I don't see them often enough with them living so far away. ;)

Journey down to Southampton by Eavesway went well - in fact we were an hour earlier than we should have been - the driver pleaded innocence at the docks - said he wasn't a regular driver- he got away with it! Check in was painless as was security and my cabin was ready too so good start.

I chose a single cabin based on my experience on one on Azura last year but big mistake! More on this later.

The family and other grandparents arrived about an hour later - my granddaughters were so excited - they found their cabin and after inspecting mine we went upstairs for a quick snack before the lifeboat drill and then sailaway and unpacking. No band - I was disappointed but not the end of the world.

I have to say in its favour my cabin had loads of shelf and drawer space and the usual open wardrobe area - more than adequate for one person and believe me I take far too much! The single cabins on Ventura were part of the refit earlier this year and are next to the Exchange which was a really popular venue but much reduced in size due to one side of it being "pinched" to put in these cabins. The favourite karaoke song was "Sweet Caroline" grrrr which I heard often :thumbdown: I don't think the soundproofing was adequate although to be fair the music stopped around midnight. The biggest problem was the fire door at my end of the corridor which could not be closed quietly and as it slammed shut my room shook. Twice I was woken at 3.30 in the morning by teenagers one of whom I think had a a cabin in my corridor and who loudly announced this was a new part of the ship blah di blah - I could have strangled him.

So I shall not be booking a single cabin again on Ventura - not a complete disaster but a lesson learnt and I do not think they are good value anyway - I paid less for an outside obstructed on Azura a few months ago for the same number of days.

One of the other refits was Ramblas changed to the Glasshouse. The decor was unchanged except for the addition of wine cabinets and different menu. I quite liked Ramblas - they did a wicked Sangria there and tapas. There wasn't the same atmosphere as on Azura I'm afraid I wasn't that keen - be interesting to find out what others think when they try it. We sat in there some nights with the girls having "mocktails" - so funny - Phoebe was convinced they made here sleep better.

We were on freedom dining and went down to the Cinnamon restaurant most nights around 6- 6.30 pm as the girls dined with us each night. They have healthy appetites and although at the start of the cruise Phoebe (aged 6) had the children's menu she changed to the adult one halfway through and mixed and matched - her sister Olivia (10) only ate from the adult menu. The waiters were so friendly with the girls and we returned a few times to the same tables and their names were remembered each time which I think was lovely. We had wine every night - had lots of OBC to spend :lol:

The girls loved the Headliners shows and we had to go the theatre early to get seats - the 8.30 performance filled up very quickly.

We decided to dine in the Saffron restaurant for breakfast and this was a good move - we had a table for the seven of us and the waiters brought the girls whatever they fancied - there was no looking for somewhere we could all sit together and juggling trays etc.

We ate lunch most days in the buffet generally with no problem - Olivia liked a burger and salad but no chips and I have to say the fish goujons always freshly cooked went down very well. Generally though I stuck to salads.

Three sea days followed - the BoB was good to us and the girls swum and went to the children's clubs - this is when the retractable roof on Ventura is so useful although very noisy as you can imagine with it being school holidays. My son had received an email about the children's clubs being oversubscribed but when he went to register the girls he was told there had been a problem on the previous cruise with staffing levels - the CRB checks were taking a long time to process. The clubs did close lunchtime and early evening and I think this was due to staff shortages. This wasn't a problem for us as the girls didn't want to be in the clubs all the time particularly Olivia who could come and go as she pleased - I think she enjoyed this little bit of freedom.

First sea day was a formal night and much excitement about what to wear - that is the lovely thing about travelling with little girls they do love the dressing up. They insisted their daddy and grandfather matched their bow ties to their dresses and I know I'm prejudiced but they did look lovely.

On Tuesday 30th I attended the Baltic/Ligurian luncheon and was delighted to share the table with Barbara and Bob whom I'd sat with on a previous cruise and it was hosted by Nikki the HR manager - again I lunched with her last year on Aurora - very pleasant time - outstanding food and lots of champers and wine - don't have to tell you I fell asleep in the sun that afternoon. There were only five tables - not many of us which is understandable in the school holidays.

First port was Madeira - we took the shuttle bus into town and then made our way to the cable car - long queue but worth the wait just to experience the ride with children who oohed and aahed all the way up to the top (I include my son in this!) Lots of photos taken and then we reached the top and walked down to the toboggan area. The queue was horrendous and the girls weren't too bothered - they watched people setting off in the baskets but didn't want to wait for an hour - they preferred to ride down in the cable car.

We wandered around the town but the girls were hungry and so we returned to the ship and had lunch and then back in the pool.

The next day was Santa Cruz at La Palma - we had the shuttle bus from the ship to the gate and then walked along a pretty front although the girls found a playground almost straightaway and we stopped for them to play. I noticed all the Spanish ports had these lovely children's play areas along the sea front but what was quite amusing was the equipment which was aimed at let us say the "older" person - the sort of thing you see in a gym and several people were doing their morning exercise.

I'm pretty sure I haven't been to La Palma certainly not seen the replica of the Santa Maria - Christopher Columbus ship - it looked like wood but was actually made of concrete and there was a small charge to go on board and explore the museum and climb ladders etc. well worth the few euros. There were lots of lovely buildings and shops and we rounded it off with coffee in a bar where most of the customers were locals. As it was almost lunchtime and the children were getting fed up we went back to the ship for lunch and the pool.

Next day was Gran Canaria - can't say I am a fan of Las Palmas - we got off - looked around and the children found another playground. We did wander into El Cortes Ingles where I bought shoes - there are always sales on there and a girl can't have too many pairs of shoes. The girls had ice cream and we wandered back to the ship for lunch and had a lazy afternoon just sitting around the pool, reading and sleeping.

Lanzarote was the next port and the family had booked a camel ride and volcano trip so the in-laws and me took the shuttle into Arrecife - it was a lovely sunny day and we just wandered around had a coffee and then returned to the ship. The children had a great time especially impressed with the camel ride and were enthusiastic about the demonstrations at Fire mountain (their dad is a geography teacher so they had to watch and listen!). He said he would love to bring his class on a field trip to the volcanic park - can't see Bolton Council paying for that trip.

We left Lanzarote and had a day at sea before Lisbon. We had the Peninsular party that night and it was formal - Black and White night and most people were dressed appropriately. Again not many passengers at the party - in fact only one party - plenty to drink and lots of canapes offered but we had already eaten and others were on second sitting so not many takers. The captain gave the usual speech, drew the raffle, had his photo taken and that was it. We didnt hang around as we wanted to catch the 8.30 show. The family kept seats for us which I know is against the rules but there were still plenty of empty seats - however there was a lot of tutting from people behind us - oh dear :yawn:

That night the Captain cranked up the engines and boy was it noisy that night in my cabin - if you've seen the film Alien where the creature pops out of John Hurt's stomach well I swear there was something trying to get out of the walls of my cabin - I hardly slept and this was one of the 3.30 wake up calls by youngsters too so I was not a happy bunny.

My son and his wife were sightseeing in Lisbon so we grandparents took the children to Estoril and it was a lovely trip - we were delighted to find the resort so clean with a lovely beach which was monitored by lifeguards and people were constantly cleaning and picking up litter. The girls paddled and dug - we had drinks and an ice cream - a lovely morning. We had a guide on the coach and on the way she took us through Lisbon city and pointed out sites of interest to us and on our return we travelled along the coast road - I would recommend this trip to anyone travelling with children. I believe you could travel to Estoril by train but a few hours was enough for us and the coach from the ship suited us.

The highlight of the day for my son was the custard tarts - I kid you not - hot out of the oven - he raved for days about them. Seriously he did enjoy Lisbon but was disappointed with the amount of graffiti and unoccupied shops - I found this on my visit in April - sign of the financial hardships they are experiencing in Portugal. Lovely sail out of Lisbon under the bridge plus a sailaway party and another busy day over.

The day at sea after Lisbon was a bit overcast but the girls went to the clubs - they had made friends with two sisters and preferred their company to ours - quite understandable really. It was the last formal night and the girls looked beautiful as usual and my son and his father-in-law matched their bow ties to the girls' dresses again - they had no choice - the girls can be pretty bossy.

On our last day after the girls went to the club we sat on the prom deck in the sun but after lunch they wanted a last swim so we went up to the pool and it was really hot - the roof was open and so we managed to find swimsuits and had a lovely afternoon in the sun but at 4 pm for some unknown reason they closed the roof - everyone wondered why but I went down to finish the packing before going to dinner and the show.

We were up early on Thursday morning for breakfast and then went to the theatre to wait for the disembarkation call. It was actually very well organised - they took deck 6 left hand side off first which was where we were sitting and so on in sections. My luggage was in a separate section marked "Gold" - they still haven't changed the sign - easily found and off I went to the Eavesway coach - front seat upstairs and free wifi. We had a lot of info from the driver about the changes to the coach services next year - Eavesway will actually be running coaches next year for Celebrity, RCI, Cunard, Princess and P&O but not if you opt for free travel under the Vantage fares - you will travel with Interservices who apparently do not have any coaches!

I was home by 2 pm - just one stop at the services and a few drop offs - we had a trouble free journey.

It was a lovely trip - I really enjoyed it but have to say that it is a completely different experience travelling with the family - I don't see my family as often as I would like so am happy to be included on their holiday. We have already booked for next year.

I forgot to mention the Captain - it was Charlie Carr - bit of a character - he is from Wigan which is a mile or two from Billinge where my son lives - we had a chat to him one day when he was wandering around the ship and found him very friendly although one thing we noticed was that whenever we saw him he was carrying what I call "worry beads" and constantly played with them. I wondered why but didn't ask! Leanne Taylor was the CD and she interviewed him on a sea day - the theatre was almost full - he was very amusing.

So that's it folks - well done to anyone who has read this much - hope it hasn't been too much of a chore but I hope it encourages anyone contemplating going with the family to do so - you will have lots of fun and for me the company of my granddaughters was the highlight of the cruise.
Janis

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david63
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by david63 »

I got to the end :clap:

A good and interesting report - thanks :thumbup:

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Kendhni »

Great review Jan, it is always good to get time with family.

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by JenniC »

Lovely report Jan and I know how you feel about family holidays as we have done many. We are doing a short cruise next year with them for Steve's 65th and the two boys 18th. Taken me 14 cruises to get my son and his partner to join us and am so looking forward to having Chloe (7) with us but she does not do dresses although she has told me she will wear one when I wear my pretty evening dress!!!

Glad you had a good time, cabins being the exception. We were on Ventura in Feb and did wonder what she would be like after the refit, and like you loved Ramblas and although we like the Glasshouse, a mix of the two?? not sure :!: We also liked the Exchange, but did sometimes find it lacked atmosphere as it was too big.. is it better or is it now too small? Guess we will have to try her again to see for ourselves :thumbup: shame :?: :crazy:
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Suekersh »

Great review Jan. I wish we could talk our son and family into cruising.

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by sunseeker16 »

Ditto Sue, except substitute daughter for son!

Thanks Jan - I enjoyed reading that

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Jan Rosser »

Thanks all for your patience reading my report :thumbup:

Jenni the Exchange is much smaller and was always overflowing in the evenings - lot of people standing as there is a lack of seating having taken away all that seating area where the leather settees and tables and chairs were. I think you have the right idea about trying another cruise on her to see the differences :thumbup:

Forgot to mention the library had been moved to make way for the perfume shop which in turn has been replaced with a mini Harrods stocking Lulu Guinness bags and purses, Harrods bags, aprons, tea towels and knick knacks and Swarovski jewellery.

I agree with you about Ramblas - I liked the old format - the "new" bar is not IMO the same atmosphere as the Glasshouse on Azura but we still enjoyed drinking there. I didn't try the food but it looked exactly the same as on Azura - same menu.
Janis

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Meg 50
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Meg 50 »

Jan Rosser wrote:


We had a lot of info from the driver about the changes to the coach services next year - Eavesway will actually be running coaches next year for Celebrity, RCI, Cunard, Princess and P&O but not if you opt for free travel under the Vantage fares - you will travel with Interservices who apparently do not have any coaches!

So how will it work?
Meg
x

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Dancing Queen »

Great review Jan, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, it sounds as if you all had a wonderful time.

With regard to Charlie Carr and the "worry beads" we last sailed with him about 4 years ago and he had them then, I'm not quite as subtle as you ( he frequently passed our cabin as his quarters were just down the corridor ) so I said to him one day, did I need to be worried :lol: apparently he was trying to give up smoking and it was something to keep him occupied, I don't know if he succeeded perhaps someone else might know or maybe the devil in him want's to keep people on their toes :lol: :lol:

As you say a really nice man.
Jo

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davecttr
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by davecttr »

I am worried about that single cabin noise problem as i have one booked for next month. what was your cabin number? i am in F314.

Noise from the Exchange is no problem as i am never in bed until after midnight but engine noise!

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Jan Rosser »

davecttr wrote:
I am worried about that single cabin noise problem as i have one booked for next month. what was your cabin number? i am in F314.

Noise from the Exchange is no problem as i am never in bed until after midnight but engine noise!
I was in F334 which is the first inside cabin when you enter the corridor from reception. I don't think you will be affected by the fire door problem I experienced - I spoke to someone who lived down the corridor and they didn't hear it at all. I'm afraid I can't say whether you will get the noises I experienced - I hope not. It was at its worst when we picked up speed otherwise more bearable.

Have a good drink and you won't hear a thing ;)
Janis

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Jan Rosser »

Meg 50 wrote:
Jan Rosser wrote:


We had a lot of info from the driver about the changes to the coach services next year - Eavesway will actually be running coaches next year for Celebrity, RCI, Cunard, Princess and P&O but not if you opt for free travel under the Vantage fares - you will travel with Interservices who apparently do not have any coaches!

So how will it work?
Hi Meg

You are free to travel with Eavesway under your own steam but not as part of the Vantage package and the driver told us that Interservices will hire buses as and when needed. The biggest problem he told us is with the luggage restrictions. Apparently Eavesway coaches can carry 2 tonnes of luggage but if Interservices hire normal coaches they only allow half a tonne so that means only one suitcase and one piece of hand luggage allowed :shock:

What happens if you are going on a long cruise - no way could I manage - I took two suitcases on my last 12 night trip!

My son and his family opted for the free travel on the cruise booked for next May school holiday - it is worth about £350 to them - much more than they would get in OBC but are having second thoughts now. The driver told us to ring Eavesway and ask them what they could offer as an incentive to book them - they are going to do half price fares and OBC - might be worth trying.

Now I realise that's the version of events from Eavesway's point of view but they are a family run business who just couldn't make the cuts and raise the commission P&O wanted. They are freezing their prices for 2014 and personally I will use them when I can particularly with regard to the luggage restrictions - I just could not pack all I take into one suitcase :thumbdown:
Janis

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Gill W
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Gill W »

Thanks for posting your report, it was a great read, and it's lovely that people from all different age groups enjoyed themselves.
Gill

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oldbluefox
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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by oldbluefox »

Read it all beginning to end and enjoyed it. Sorry to hear about Ramblas. We used to enjoy going in there for tapas which was slightly different. I must say Ventura is one of the noisiest ships we have been on. I have never heard a ship creak as much as Ventura does.
I know how your son felt about those custard tarts in Lisbon. Every time we go we always have to make room for a bagful of them!!!

A great read. Thank you!!

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Jan Rosser »

oldbluefox wrote:
Read it all beginning to end and enjoyed it. Sorry to hear about Ramblas. We used to enjoy going in there for tapas which was slightly different. I must say Ventura is one of the noisiest ships we have been on. I have never heard a ship creak as much as Ventura does.
I know how your son felt about those custard tarts in Lisbon. Every time we go we always have to make room for a bagful of them!!!

A great read. Thank you!!
Thanks OBF - it was a shame about Ramblas - I really liked the tapas too. I actually didn't have any of those Pastel de nata in Lisbon :cry: - Matthew said they were fresh out of the oven and piping hot - do you know my mouth is watering :roll:
Janis

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by davecttr »

Ramblas was my favourite bar on Ventura and I still don't think it should have been changed. With the new smaller Exchange there is a lack of places to drink aboard.

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by GillD46 »

Great report, Jan. it sounds fun, just wish we had grand children to cruise with :cry:

Thanks for taking the time to write such a comprehensive review.
Gill

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Jan Rosser »

Thanks Gill - it was lovely to spend time with the girls - they really enjoyed the cruise and Phoebe waved to the ship as we disembarked and said bye bye Ventura see you again soon! We are going on Aurora next year so I hope she will like it as much - I'm pretty sure she will.
Janis

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Holiday Planner »

A lovely report, Jan. It really gets me in the mood for my cruise to the Canaries on Ventura on 1st September. Thank you. :thumbup:
Angela

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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by Manoverboard »

Thank you for that Jan ...

It seemed to me as though the report was of a cruise as seen through the eyes of two little girls ... different, sweet at times and very interesting.
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being


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Re: Report on my cruise N319 Ventura to the Canaries

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Post by arcadialover »

Great review. I bet the girls loved dressing up in their pretty dresses.

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