Sue Kersh's Epic Adventure

[prefdavid]

Don't know if Sue reported on the last couple of sea days to Aqaba, as I don't think I've dropped a report over the side whilst tendering but here's the next instalment of her epic adventure.

Friday 14 th April 2017 Aqaba -Jordan

An early start for the 80 miles and 2 hour coach drive to the Ancient City of Petra. This has been on our bucket list for many years and it did not disappoint.

The coach was modern and comfortable and stopped for a comfort break en route for coffee and to use the facilities.

Aqaba is a seaside resort on the Red Sea and as it was Good Friday and a holiday weekend it was very busy.

The scenery on the way to Petra was very mountainous with magnificent rock formations and little or no vegetation. We went through vey thick fog and could not see anything for a while.

When we arrived at the outskirts of Petra we disembarked the bus and noticed that the temperature was considerably colder than in Aqaba and I was glad that I had taken my fleece.

The walk into Petra to the treasury was a mile long gentle slope down a rough sand/ shingle pathway which narrowed to only ten feet wide. This is known as the siq. The path twisted between sandstone cliffs of different colours and with the sun shining on them it was quite spectacular. The only difficult part was half way down there was water running down the road making it slippery. The guide explained that there had been much needed rainfall the previous night and the channels which were meant to hold the water had overflowed. The guide stopped regularly to explain what we were seeing and to check everyone was okay. The lack of intense sun helped considerably and we were very fortunate to have an early start.

The walk took just over an hour and was so worth it. The treasury was magnificent and the photos I had seen just didn't do it justice and hadn't prepared me for the vastness of the building. There was a lot to see just around the treasury but many walked on to see what else they could find. The track was much rougher and slippery after the treasury so we decided not to continue further. We were offered donkey, camel or horse rides to go further but declined. I climbed up higher to see the view but whereas climbing up was fairly easy coming back down was a bit scarey. Luckily some locals were around to lend a helping hand.

We decided not to tackle the uphill road back and paid for a carriage ride up past the the wet slippery area and then walked the rest of the way.

Enterprising locals had opened cafes/restaurants near the gates of Petra just before the main hotels and we stopped for a much needed ice cold drink, there was also fast free wifi. We stayed there until it was our appointed lunch time at a local hotel.

It was a huge buffet with plenty of different choices. There were over 800 passengers on the trip and the hotel coped very well with the numbers. Some pax ate early before the walk into the ancient town but I really wouldn't have felt like attempting that walk after lunch.

The journey back was completely clear and we could see Israel, Egypt and Saudia Arabia in the distance.

It was a long and tiring day but so worth the effort. Everyone I spoke to felt the same way.

Too exhausted to make an effort to go to dinner we spent the evening on the balcony with room service and a bottle of wine.

Tomorrow we can relax and recuperate as it is a sea day.

Sunday 16 April 2017 - transit the Suez Canal

We heard the anchor last night whilst we were in the theatre which meant that we were at our waiting point in the Gulf of Suez ready for our entry into the Suez Canal. A tropical party was held on deck. Unfortunately the wind which had been hot during the day had turned cooler. We returned to the balcony for drinks with our friends and enjoyed the Tropical party music sheltered from the wind.

We woke early at 5:15 a.m. And we were already making our way to the entrance of the canal. I went to the exercise class and had a great view as we slowly sailed along. The first part was walled and had soldiers with large guns positioned along the canal side.
The scenery changed to greenery where the land had been irrigated but it was mainly mountainous and sandy coloured.

The ship celebrated Easter with The Great Easter egg hunt throughout the ship. Passengers were collecting clues in the hope of finding all of the eggs and then being entered into a draw to win a meal for two in Sindhu. The entertainment staff have been very pro active and I haven't heard anyone complaining about them. For passengers who enjoy daytime entertainment there has been a huge choice of both indoor and outdoor activities.

It was an extremely hot day on the balcony and the flies were a real pain. When our friends joined us mid morning they said that there was quite a cool wind on the open decks.

We sailed through the canal in a convoy but the only boat close to us was the tug boat. The scenery changed many times but the sea was always bright blue and looked clear. There were armed military positioned at regular intervals along the canal just standing and keeping watch in the heat of the day.

The Suez is not as exciting or as interesting as the Panama Canal mainly because of the desert environment but also there were no locks to negotiate. We passed various monuments built to commemorate those who lost their lives in the war and a monument to peace.

We lunched in Sindhu and had a table by the window with fabulous views. The lunch was a hot and cold buffet there was so much choice and all delicious. A bottle of Sauv Blanc went down very well with the food.

Arcadia sailed under the huge Shodada 25 January Bridge which has a clearance of 70 m over the canal and is 3.9 km long. This bridge defines the admissible maximum height of ships able to pass through the Suez Canal. The bridge was deserted and looked like a bridge to nowhere. In comparison the ferries which operated close to the bridge were exceptionally busy and had to wait for gaps in the convoy to cross the canal.

Later in the afternoon the Captain announced that there was a change of route due to another medical emergency. We diverted from the convoy and headed for Port Said. All of the officials had to be disembarked there along with local vendors who had set up stalls on the ship selling local Egyptian goods.

We were docked for over 2 hours whilst the paperwork was sorted out and Arcadia was given clearance to leave.

The show in the theatre was two professional dancers Jo and Leighton who now call themselves Epic Moves. They were fantastic and I hope there is a second show. We had met them on a previous cruise when they were teaching dancing on board.

Tomorrow is sea day before we reach Heraklion, Crete.

[Whynd1]

Fantastic report Sue. Have really enjoyed these.

Lindsey

[oldbluefox]

Thanks for your reports Sue. They make fascinating reading.

[GillD46]

We have gone through the Suez Canal twice now and we personally found it every bit as interesting as the Panama Canal, so much history. We will be doing it again next year, and the following year in the opposite direction.

You are really nearing home now back in Europe. And I shall be getting World Cruise Blog withdrawal.

[qbman1]

We have gone through the Suez Canal twice now and we personally found it every bit as interesting as the Panama Canal, so much history. We will be doing it again next year, and the following year in the opposite direction.

You are really nearing home now back in Europe. And I shall be getting World Cruise Blog withdrawal.

Me too - it's been brilliant !

[Whynd1]

Quite agree it's almost as good a being there !!!!!!

Lol

[qbman1]

Yep - a bit cheaper though !

[prefdavid]

More exciting adventures from Sue.

Tuesday 18th April 2017 Heraklion, Crete

There was a definite 'nip' in the air as we docked early in the morning and there was still snow on the tops of the high mountains in the distance.

The sunrise was stunning and as it got higher the temperature increased very quickly.

We caught the shuttle bus to the port gates then it was just a matter of following the yellow line along the sea front into the old town. The city is enclosed and defined by the Venetian Wall. It was an easy 15 minute stroll and took us into the centre and the main shopping area. The market was huge and filled with local fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices as well as the usual typical Cretan souvenir shops.

It was very hot in the spring sunshine but as soon as we were in the shade it was chilly. We wandered around taking in the sights and smells of the Cretan market. We made a few small purchases before finding a bar to sample the local beer which was called Santorini Blonde. The free Wi Fi was amazingly fast.

We lunched outside in the sun In a local taverna close to the fish market. Fish was the speciality and once ordered we saw the owner go to the market to collect the fresh fish. Tomatoes garlic and olive oil and Taramasalata with fresh bread to start followed by grilled Prawns, and fried squid all the food was fresh and delicious, washed down by more local beer. A perfect afternoon in the Med.

We decided against the walk back to the ship and instead jumped in a taxi. We stocked up on a few cabin essentials in the Duty free shop then returned to the ship. The late afternoon sun was on our balcony and was still very warm.

Our friends came round for pre dinner drinks bearing gifts of fresh strawberries and champagne which we enjoyed whilst listening to the sailaway music on deck.

The evening entertainment was the Headliners performing the Queen tribute show Killer Queen. The lead singer is still unwell but the other 4 vocalists coped well without him.

We have another port day tomorrow in Athens.

Wednesday 19th April 2017 - Piraeus, Athens.

We woke to sunny clear skies but a cool 17 degrees temperature. It was expected to rise to 23 degrees but as we were going high up the Acropolis we dressed in layers.

There were four ships in the same area of the port and the other three were disembarking and embarking passengers so it was absolute chaos in the terminal building. We fought our way through to the exit and were offered a tour round to include the Acropolis for 70 Euros. As there were four of us we thought this was a good deal.

We set off with Christos the Greek and he showed us the Highlights of Piraeus which included the impressive yachts in the Marina and the pretty harbour full of fishing boats and yachts before he drove us to Athens and the Rock of the Acropolis. He gave us as much time as we needed here and pointed out the way to walk to buy our tickets.

With so many cruise ships in port the queue was horrendous and it took us 45 minutes to buy the tickets. By this time it was very hot and we were peeling off our layers. The wait and uphill climb to the top and the Parthenon was well worth it. I am not really into 'Old Relics' but the views were stunning. A lot of renovation has been done and part of the Parthenon still has scaffolding erected.

Christos was waiting for us and we asked him to take us to a coffee house/ bar for refreshments. He knew all of the short cuts and back streets to avoid the traffic jams and we had coffee and beer close to the original Olympic stadium built in 1896. The open air stadium was very impressive and looked like it had been renovated but Christos told us that it was in its original state.

The next stop was to see the Palace and the unusually dressed guards with Pom Poms on their shoes. They do quite an elaborate movement as they change positions. We took our photos and asked Christos to take us for lunch.

He parked in the Old Town of Athens where he showed us where the shops were and recommended a restaurant for lunch. We did a little shopping then had a traditional Greek lunch sat in the sun with local beers.

Back at the port we visited the duty free shop and bought enough cabin essentials to last us the rest of the cruise.

Whilst we were in dinner the Captain announced that the wind had reached 30 miles an hour and we would be delayed leaving the port until it calmed down. We were delayed 3 hours but it shouldn't make any difference to the time we arrive in Malta on Friday.

[GillD46]

Athens is one of, if not my favourite city in Europe. It sounds as though you packed in quite a lot.

[wolfie]

I remember our call at Piraeus on our worldie,( the worldie that wasn't A REAL WORLDIE because it was just a circumnavigation of 80 days), and, as we had visited the last remaining ports after Athens before, including a land based holiday in Athens, just wanting to get home ASAP to our then youngish daughters and our dog.

Don't wish away your last days.

[prefdavid]

Friday 21st April 2017 Valetta, Malta

Arcadia was docked and cleared by 8 a.m.
This is our Penultimate port of call and it really feels like the cruise is coming to an end. Many passengers I speak to have already started packing and preparing for home but we will leave it to the final two sea days after Lisbon. My pleas to the Captain to turn the ship around and do it all over again have fallen on stoney ground.

The weather was dry and sunny but a cool 17 degrees every time we visit Malta we are plagued by a cold wind. Our intention had been to get the HO HO bus to see the blue route but it was far too cold to sit upstairs where we would have got the views so that will yet again have to wait for another warmer weather cruise visiting Malta.

We walked to the lift which took us up to the battlements where the gun is fired everyday at noon. There was free Wi Fi there but just our luck hoards of German school pupils wanting to ask questions and take photos, and then the gardeners arrived using noisy tools.

We gave up and found a local cafe bar where the wifi was fast and it was out of the biting wind. Once everyone had updated emails, received and sent messages we set off to see if anything had changed since our last visit here.

We saw the noon gun being set off or rather heard it as there were crowds of people , then went back to the ship for lunch and to thaw out. Malta is a lovely place when it is hot and sunny with lots of historical buildings.

The Mersey Beatles were in the theatre and were fantastic despite the dodgy wigs. We are hoping they will be on again before they disembark in Lisbon.

1st of two Sea Days tomorrow as we sail through the Mediterranean Sea.

[prefdavid]

Sea Days to Lisbon

Saturday 22nd April 2017 1st Sea Day to Lisbon

We had our final meet up of friends in the Viceroy room. We have met up once or twice each leg to discuss ports of call and the cruise in general. Lots of tips and advice about cabins for future cruises have been exchanged. I hadn't expected much weather wise as it was April in the Med but was pleasantly surprised to have Sun all day on the balcony and as it was sheltered from the wind it got very hot.

We ate for the last time this cruise in Ocean Grill and once again it was excellent. Although the food in the dining room has been exceptionally good on a long cruise the menus do get monotonous. The £12.95pp charge is well worth it and like most of the passengers we much prefer Ocean Grill to Sindhu. Ocean Grill is busy every night whereas Sindhu has to reduce their cover charge of £16 to fill the restaurant.

Sunday 23rd April 2017 - 2nd sea day to Lisbon

Another perfect sunny day and I spent the morning reading on the Balcony.

At 12 noon Mark the Ents manger interviewed Geoffrey Dobinson the dance instructor. This was held in the Globe and I nearly missed it as I went to the Theatre by mistake. Luckily I got one of the last seats available. My mistake was not as bad as Shaun Wallace (The Dark Destroyer) who had read the Horizon wrong and put his clock back an hour a day too soon and was late for his final talk in the theatre. Doh. No chance for us mere mortals then.

Geoffrey was very entertaining and told us about his life and how he got into the world of dance at a very young age.

I gave the final Crew Show a miss as the weather was too good and I spent the afternoon in the sun. I could just make out the Coast of Spain on our starboard side and we passed Gibraltar late afternoon.

Jimmy James minus the Vagabonds was in the theatre and he got a standing ovation from the majority of the passengers.

Tomorrow we dock in Lisbon which is our final port of call this cruise.

[GillD46]

I can't believe your voyage is coming to an end. Hope the last few days keep well for you.

[AileenB]

Wishing you smooth sailing for the final part of your epic adventure and thank you again for your wonderful blog!

[poole boy]

Really good cruise report thoroughly enjoyed it thank you.
poole boy

[Whynd1]

Safe journey home both

Thank you for taking the time to do all the reports Sue, really enjoyed them all. A fantastic world cruise by the sound of it.

Take care
Lindsey

[gilly88]

thank you for taking us all on a wonderful journey, safe passage home.

[anniec]

I've really enjoyed this fantastic blog. Thank you so much, it's greatly appreciated.

[CaroleF]

Really enjoyed reading it, not quite the same as being on the cruise but the next best thing. I think we are on the Aurora South America trip that Sue and her husband are non next January so it's good to know I won't have to think about posting accounts as Sue does it so well!

Carole

[prefdavid]

Monday 24th April 2017 - Lisbon, Portugal

Arcadia sailed under the April 25th bridge at 8 a.m another bright sunny day but a chill in early morning air.

There is a lot of building work going on at the port which prevented us from walking straight through the gates. As we were docked a long way from the station we got a taxi there and then the train to Cascais. The taxis wanted to do tours and wanted 90 Euros for the trip to Cascais with 3 hours there. We knew the train was less than 5 Euros return so didn't take them up on their offer. The trains run every 20 minutes and takes between 35 and 45 minutes depending on the stops it makes.

By the time we got there the sun was fully high and it was pleasantly hot.
Cascais is a quaint picturesque sea side town with fishing vessels in the Marina. Completely different to busy bustling Lisbon.

We found a bar with wifi and we were all so impressed by the friendly service and cleanliness that we stayed on there for lunch. Delicious fresh sardines with a jug of Sangria sat in the sun. A great last port day of this epic cruise. We call at Lisbon again in August and will come to Cascais again but it will be hot enough then to swim in the sea and have a few hours on the beach before a later lunch.

Back at the ship the sun was on the balcony but I was very disappointed that there was no Great British Sailaway. When the Horizon newspaper arrived the Great British Sailaway is being held tomorrow at 1p.m. whilst we are at sea. Never had that before and it is the only one of the 114 night cruise.

Tomorrow we need to start sorting the cabin out ready for packing and retrieve our cases from storage.

[prefdavid]

Really enjoyed reading it, not quite the same as being on the cruise but the next best thing. I think we are on the Aurora South America trip that Sue and her husband are non next January so it's good to know I won't have to think about posting accounts as Sue does it so well!

Carole

We're on that one as well. It'll be very nice to finally meet Sue and Garry and as you say, not much need to post a blog with Sue onboard.

[qbman1]

I feel rather sad that this is coming to an end - we've all been there with you Sue !

[cruisin_duo]

Have really enjoyed reading about your travels. Thank you for posting.

[Suekersh]

Well back home and reality. We had a fantastic cruise and thank you for reading about it and commenting. The memories of the amazing sights will stay with us and will be cherished forever.

Everything was fine at home even the lawn had been mown. The washer has been going virtually non stop.

Getting on the bathroom scales was quite a shock so I was back at the gym and exercise routine this morning. Strict diet now for 7 weeks.

Sue

[kaymar]

Welcome home, Sue and thank you for all the time and effort you have put into your reports over the last four months - they have been very readable.

I don't believe the bit about the bathroom scales, though, after early morning exercise classes almost every day - unless, perhaps, it was all that tonic water?