Melsea's 1st Half World Cruise, Arcadia 2016 Part 4

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melsea
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Melsea's 1st Half World Cruise, Arcadia 2016 Part 4

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Post by melsea »

Day 3. Embarkation Day. 17th March 2016
It was an exciting day for us along with loads of other people. At this point we have no idea how many there were of us getting on board, I just know there is a fair few of us. I was not to know I completely underplayed the fair few of us bit in that sentence.
Breakfast to start the day and it was even worse than yesterday, no helpful staff to help us and some food items were running out and not being refreshed. We weren't even late either. Managed to have something and at least it won't be long before we get on board so nothing to worry about. The night before we were given an update by letter to our room of the arrangements for our transfer to the ship, this was before we went out to dinner. There were four time slots, we had the third at 11.40. However when had got back to the hotel, this had been revised on the notice board you had to pass by on the way to the lift, the makeshift help desk for Imagine Cruises, travel agent we had all booked through. Our time slot was changed to 12.10, so off we trotted down with our cases in the lift. We were lucky to get an empty lift, as you can imagine there were many of us doing the same journey. The night before I had attached our cruise labels to our cases having printed them off at home and brought with me a small stapler and tape to do this job. No sooner had we got out of the lift our cases were taken from us to go on vehicles and taken to the terminal. Although we had arrived in reception at the allocated time they were not ready to take us. Because of the sheer numbers we were able to leave our room later than they usually allow. So not going anywhere we were direction to a side room with no door and we told to wait in there. While sitting there we got chatting to the other passengers and heard their stories of the time getting here and what they got up to while in HK for the couple of days. Can't remember them now but suffice to say, some were good others not so good. One thing is for sure is the varied experiences of our flights, as far as I know there were three different airlines used depending on when you booked, where you were flying from and what type of flight it was, meaning, was it direct or was there a stop on route, which there was for some. We flew Virgin Airlines and it was from Heathrow to HK direct, brilliant flight it was too. Others not so good, including one was on Cathay Pacific where the food was luke warm and passengers fell ill, it was the fish option.
So there we are waiting and about 45 mins later we were ushered to the coach to be on our way.
Journey took a little bit of time as HK has quite a network of one way streets, so you invariably have to go completely in the opposite direction a fair way. On arrival a P&O member of staff came onto the bus and said to us, if you don't have a cabin allocated to you yet please can you locate your luggage and I think he said they will put a blank one on and for them to put their name on it. We actually got our allocation a few days before we left but there were a good many who were not allocated still. To say it was chaotic is to make it sound nice it was anything but because where we got off was a very tight space barely room to move and the luggage was everywhere, lots of it. We had to navigate our way out which was not signed posted either so we hoped for the best to find our way. Once in the building that doubles up as a huge shopping complex there were staff with arrows telling us where to go. Because of the vast numbers they said to us if you want to go away and come back later the queue will be less. Some people did go but most of us chose to queue. This queue was formed around the outside of a cafe which was way behind where we would actually be checking in, it was long. Not sure how long we were in this queue. Ah just remembered something, I think it was on the way there we were given the paperwork to fill in about our health and had we been unwell recently, you know the one I mean that we fill in before we get to checkin at Southampton. Just before we got into winding queue close to the desk we were separated in one of two queues depending on what deck your cabin was, not sure which queue the no cabin people were in. We went to the left and as we moved along a lady came along and asked who we were and she located a boarding pass type of thing and this had our details for our Chinese Visas, we just needed to fill in 1 or 2 things? and sign it then give this in at the desk. We got on around 3pm, so just over 1 an half hours later. They had 10 desk open to deal with what I learned later to process 1150 passengers.
We had lunch and yes we were somewhat hungry. Our cabin was one of the obstructed view outside ones, two doors left of the glass outside lifts. We could see HK from our position. We had booked a guarantee inside cabin and got this allocation, around 8 grades up from what we paid. Okay you cannot see much but it's a big window, lots of light and a very roomy cabin, with shower over bath. A three quarter size settee. In front of this is an oval shaped table. A large Vanity table & chair with a mirror going to the ceiling and the width of desk. Opposite the double bed on the wall is a large flat screen television. Two big hooks either end of TV on wall. Three double wardrobes, one of which consist of shelves and the safe on a shelf that is easy to get to. The bottom half of this wardrobe had a half size hanging space for trousers. Needless to say I can use the bath but not Bill, no chance there.
Our one case we sent on ahead was in our cabin when we got there. The others to follow which was not long after and they were all together on the landing area of where the glass lifts were so not far to take them, since we have cases with four wheels attached we had no problem with manoeuvring them.
After our eats I decided to go out, Bill stayed on board. One of the things I wanted to do was to see the light show that happens every night from the water front. The lights come from the buildings roof tops and from the front of the buildings too. It's quite a spectacle and I don't know off hand where else this happens in the world but I guess someone will know.
Back on board not long after the light show had finished. We didn't go down to dinner as we were quite frankly knackered. We had room service instead. Onwards with the cruise towards China which would take three sea days to get there. Once there it's two full days.

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