Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

Reports about cruises on Arcadia
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GillD46
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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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I am looking forward to your report on Bermuda, since we are there overnight on Ventura in 2020.
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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Friday, 26 October 2018 - Final Sea Day to Bermuda

The sun was on our balcony all morning and that is where I stayed until it was time to get an early lunch before the Battle if the sexes, as Gervase Phinn was talking about children and Christmas in the theatre at 2 p.m.

I wasn’t particularly hungry so I just had a bowl of fruit salad and headed down to the Rising Sun for the Battle. The ladies did well and we ended up winning the day although the men did score more on the picture round.

Once again it was standing room only in the theatre for Gervase’s final talk. Another great performance but he and Roy Walker need to exchange notes as some of his anecdotes were the same as Roy’s jokes.
Gervase leaves the ship in Antigua and has one more performance before that which will be a question and answer session with the Entertainment Manager Alex.

I called at the tours desk to check that all my snorkel trips I had booked were actually going to run. I have had experience in the past of them being cancelled due to lack of numbers and everything else interesting booked up.
Two out of the Three trips I had booked three months ago have sold enough and will be going but the one I particularly wanted to do in St Lucia only has 7 passengers booked and is likely to be cancelled. If I cancel it now and book a private trip I lose 10% of the cost but can then try to book a private trip or I wait until the tours cancel it and not lose anything but then may not be able to book a private trip. I find it very annoying that having booked this tour so long ago that it could be cancelled. Surely they make enough money off most of the tours that they could withstand a loss to fulfil the tours that they have taken bookings for and held the money for over 3 months.

We had pre dinner drinks at our cabin but although the weather had improved dramatically it was still not warm enough without the sun to sit outside. Bermuda is so much further North than the Caribbean Islands on a latitude of 32 degrees whereas Barbados is on a latitude of 13 degrees.
We finished off the delicious Rhubarb and Ginger Gin which B & M had brought on board with them. It was certainly a winner and we will have to look out for it in the Duty free shops in the Caribbean.

After another excellent dinner B & M headed to the theatre for a double act of the Harpist and Roy Locke whilst we opted for the Crows Nest here Authorised were playing and of course where the Gin flights are served. I really must be more adventurous and try a Southern flight or an Off the beaten track flight soon but I stuck to the Northern flight.

We met B & M later in Spinnakers bar for the evening quiz where we didn’t disgrace ourselves but also didn’t win. It was a bit of lighthearted fun.

Tomorrow we are in Bermuda.


Saturday, 27 October 2018 - Bermuda

The weather was as forecast with a mix of sun and cloud. We were sheltered from the wind on our balcony as we watched the long sail in to the island around the reef that surrounds Bermuda. The temperature was in the low 20s which was perfect for the sightseeing day we had planned.

The clocks had gone back another hour putting us 4 hours behind UK time but of course tomorrow the UK puts the clocks back to GMT. Very confusing but as we still need to go back another hour before we reach Nassau we will still be 4 hours behind UK time.

We docked on time at 9 a.m. but for whatever reason there was a hold up clearing the ship for passengers to disembark.
We had arranged to meet our group in reception at 9:30 expecting that the vast majority of passengers would have left by then but the queues were horrendous. After six sea days everyone was desperate to get off ship.
Lewis Foggo our tour guide and driver for the day was ready and waiting for us. After brief introductions we set off in his taxi van 10 for a tour of island. Lewis was extremely knowledgeable and showed us the best view points, fabulous beaches and houses as we drove through the different Parishes with English names. The locals were so friendly and welcoming they were always happy to talk about their family and lives. It helped that Lewis seemed to know everyone.

We arrived at St George just in time for the enactment where a local lady had been accused of being a nagging and gossiping wife. She was tried and sentenced to the ducking stool. Lots of frivolity as she tried to escape, was captured and finally ducked numerous times. We were so lucky to arrive as it started and many other trips arrived too late to see it. Some only had 30 minutes here which was far too short a time to see it. I had asked Lewis for 2 hours which was just about right.

We had a quick lunch in the local White Horse pub where I sampled a Rum swizzle which if we had more time I would have been tempted to sample another. We wandered around this small quaint town St George which was founded in 1612 and named after Admiral George Somers whose ship the Sea Venture was wrecked on the Bermuda reefs. It had once been the Capital of Bermuda. It is full of lovely old houses and the Old State House is the oldest building in Bermuda dating back to 1620. There were lots of local individual shops but to Garry’s relief the jewellery shop was closed.
St Peters Church is the oldest continually occupied Protestant church in the Western Hemisphere. It was beautiful and so well preserved.

Lewis continued his tour around the island showing us the beautiful pink beaches but the best place was Tobacco Bay. It looked gorgeous and a perfect snorkeling spot. Unfortunately it is too far away from the Dockyard for us to get there tomorrow as we only have half a day before we set sail for the Bahamas.

We drove through Hamilton the capital of Bermuda but this held little interest other than the cathedral it is just a commercial city with a fabulous waterfront.
We all had an amazing day and we said our goodbyes to Lewis. I had found him on Trip Advjsor and for anyone wanting a private tour of the island he is well worth contacting.

We had booked Ocean Grill for our evening meal which was menu 2. We all agreed that menu 1 is the better option and that neither of the new menus match the old ones. The service was excellent as usual . Garry and I shared the Mixed fish dish which was presented on a stand. The waiter offered to serve it but we preferred to serve it ourselves. There were large tiger prawns, mussels, salmon and halibut. All were delicious and served with salad and fries. The desert choice on menu 2 left a lot to be desired, where on the old menus we were spoilt for choice. I guess we just don’t like change.

As is usual with an overnight stay there was a local act brought on board.
Tonight it was a Tropical Steel Pan soloist Robert Symons. The Headliners were in the theatre performing Night of a Thousand Stars.
Last edited by Suekersh on 28 Oct 2018, 13:56, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Interesting Sue, thank you. I have made a note of Lewis for 2020.
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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Gervaise was on one of our Arcadia cruises - he was amazing - I'd heard him before and dragged OH there - he then dragged our table to the next one.

They ended up being streamed to cabins for crowd control and an extra one was put on on our last sea day!
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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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I agree about Gervase Phinn. He was on an Oriana cruise we did back in, I think it was 2008. He's fantastic, a really lovely man who must have been a wonderful Primary School Inspector. Maybe the current Ofsted inspectors would do well to listen to him. His books are really worth reading; one can't but laugh out loud. I know a few years ago his wife was taken ill but I have heard she is still travelling with him so hopefully she's now fine. I'd love him to be on our long Canada/USA trip next year. He filled the theatre every time.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Sunday, 28 October 2018 - 2nd day in Bermuda

We awoke to a sunny day and the wind from yesterday appeared to have calmed down although it was hard to tell as we were so sheltered from it. We only had half a day in port as Arcadia was due to depart at 13:30.
It was a Sunday and although the ferry and bus was running to Hamilton it was too risky due to the the early departure time and the limited Sunday service.

We met B & M and disembarked at 9:30 ish. It was still windy on the dockside but as soon as we turned into the Dockyard it disappeared. We wandered around and ended up at the National museum. 15 dollars for adults and 12 dollars for seniors over 65. I was not impressed when I looked at the receipt to see that he had classed me as a senior.

We came here last time we visited and there is plenty to see to occupy the few hours we had there. The Commissioners House had been revamped since we were last here and looked magnificent with fabulous overlooking the island. We spent most of our time at the Dolphinarium where the staff wanted to talk about their work with conservation and the dolphins. The majority of the Dolphins were born here and their normal life span in the wild would be around 14 years the eldest Dolphin here is 44 years old and is the Grandmother of the youngest. Unfortunately only one male dolphin has been born and is still a juvenile so unable to mate. He is certainly going to be a busy boy once he is up to the job as he has nine females ready and waiting for his attention.

It was such a lovely spot sat in the sun watching these beautiful creatures perform naturally. They are not totally in captivity and the gate out to the sea is opened during the day but he younger ones don’t want to venture outside and the older ones always return to the safety of their home. We watched some people swim with the older dolphins but I wasn’t tempted to do so myself. Another bonus was the free wi fi enabling us to catch up with the outside world.
All too soon we had to head back to the ship. There was a BBQ on deck but we headed to the main dining room.
I had invited friends around for our own sailaway party which turned out to be a great but boozey afternoon in the sun watching the pilot navigate his way around the reef that surrounds Bermuda. Being able to witness this almost made up for the early departure time from Bermuda.

Monday 29 October - Sea Day to Nassau

A perfect sea day with high temps sun with broken clouds to give some relief from the heat. I went on deck with Maureen straight after breakfast but as the sun was on the balcony Garry stayed there reading. He popped up to the deck to check if I needed topping up with sun lotion and at lunch time he brought us chicken fajitas to put us on until the Gin Afternoon Tea event.

When I returned to the cabin I realised he hadn’t been lonely as Bob had joined him for a glass of Rosé on the balcony whilst Maureen and I were drinking sparkling water infused with summer fruit cordial on deck. Mmm I know who got the best deal there.

This was another entertaining afternoon tea with Savio, Sunil and Obia. It was even better than last time as my friends joined us and it was a great fun way to spend an hour.
The first tasting was called Curtain Up and drank from a teacup with the Hendricks gin soaked cucumber curtain, Hendricks gin and elderflower cordial and was infused with mint. This was served from a Tea pot and eaten with the Gin infused Smoked Salmon, cucumber and cream cheese sandwich. OMG I thought I was in heaven and with the oohs and ahhhs I could hear from around me it could have been an out take from the film ‘When Harry Met Sally’
My favourite from last time was the Show Time Cocktail , Andersons gin served with Grapefruit and Prosecco and eaten with a spiced gin infused custard profiterole.
The third gin called ‘Stage left’ which was made with Tanquerry had been tweaked after feed back from the last event and instead of being served on crushed ice it was served on small cubes and with a raspberry coated in icing sugar rather than a teaspoon of sugar. I think that this had improved the drink and credit to Savio who had taken the feed back on board. There were cup cakes to eat alongside this drink.
It is hard to rate these drinks as they are all so delicious but the second one the ‘Show Time’ remains my favourite.
After we had finished our tastings we were once again invited to the Gin Parlour to sample the various gins they have on sale there. Once again we were conscious that it was a formal night and limited our sampling to around four different ones.

It was the Third Formal night and we skipped pre dinner drinks and went straight down for dinner. It was another Marco’s menu but because of the afternoon tea I only picked at my food. The dessert was Blueberry soufflé and was delicious. No port Marinated Stilton although there was a very nice soft Camembert which tempted me.

The show was the Headliners Reel to Reel which we have seen many times. It was such a nice warm Caribbean night that we decided to skip the entertainment and had a drink under the stars instead.

Tomorrow we are in Nassau which is a new port of call for us.


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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#57

Post by MaureenB »

Thank you Sue for the usual informative and well written report.

I am eagerly waiting for the next instalments.

Continue having a wonderful cruise

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Tuesday, 30 October 2018 - Nassau

For the last time this cruise the clocks went back another hour overnight
We are finally on Caribbean time and four hours behind UK time.

The sail in was very picturesque as we passed some of the many islands that make up the Bahamas.

We were docked by 9 a.m. and our peace was shattered when a Disney ship arrived a few minutes later. They certainly know how to make an entrance and it would be my worse nightmare to be on that ship with its incessant noise. Luckily for us our Captain had gone straight in so we were facing out to sea whereas the other 3 ships had backed in. This meant that once the Disney had docked we couldn’t hear the noise.

My trip was an afternoon one so we had the morning to explore. The first thing that hit me was the noise and bustle. The port area is being renovated and there was dust and debris all around.
We were not impressed with what we saw. There were many hawkers everywhere and every stall on the straw market were selling the same items. There must have been around 350 stalls each one wanting us to buy from them. It was so intimidating that we didn’t buy anything at all.
We found an air conditioned Internet cafe and had a break away from the heat and the noise.
There were some nice quiet spots and small park areas but it certainly isn’t one of my favourite Caribbean ports.

We returned to the ship to have an early lunch and collect my snorkelling gear. Garry set himself up on the balcony for the afternoon and I set off back to the dockside where the tour guides were meeting us. There were only 15 passengers on the trip and we were walked back through the port area and along the harbour where our boat arrived as we did. My heart sank when I saw it. There wasn’t room to swing a cat. It had no facilities at all and we were all squeezed in like sardines in a can. It was certainly very cosy. We got very wet from the spray as the boat sped along to the first snorkel spot. The Captains pointed out various buildings of interest and the fabulous houses on Paradise Island and told us who they belonged to.

We arrived at the 2 nd choice snorkel point as the first was deemed too choppy and therefore unsafe. We had been warned that this may be the case before we set off. The size of the boat was a problem as everyone tried to get ready to snorkel. It really wasn’t fit for purpose. The already cramped space was even worse once we had donned life jackets. There were two ways of entering the water. Jump in from the side or climb down a steel vertical ladder.
I jumped in as I realised how long it was going to take to get everyone down the ladder. The water was lovely, very clear and warm. The fish were being fed by the Captain so there were a lot of them and some quite large ones. I saw a young barracuda and a turtle made an appearance. The coral was sparse and appeared to have been damaged. The snorkeling spot was average at best and when a large catamaran arrived it was swamped especially as they had been provided with fins. I decided it was time to get out and tackle the vertical ladder back into the boat. A few had already got back on and the others followed soon after. We laughed as we had to dance around each other to remove our vests and dry off. There was only room for one person at a time to stand up.
The next stop was a deserted beach which was more like a sand bank but once again the water was clear and lovely. It was more like a beach for treasure hunting rather than sunbathing and horror of horrors no bar. There were huge conch shells there that had been washed up and I did a double take when I saw a large Iguana watching me. He was perfectly still and looked like he was guarding his island.

The journey back was much pleasanter as we didn’t get sprayed as we sped along. It was back on board for 4:30 and at 4:00 pm we were cutting It fine. Some passengers still stopped to buy souvenirs but as it was a fair walk to the ship I went straight back.

We watched the sailaway from our balcony and I had my first alcoholic drink of the day. It was the first snorkeling Trip I had been on that only provided water to drink even after the swimming had finished. I had booked this trip for our cruise in January when we return to Nassau but I will be cancelling it.

B & M came round for pre dinner drinks and they had similar thoughts about Nassau as we did. We ate in Sindhu on menu 1 which was another excellent experience and made up for the mediocre day.

We missed the theatre entertainment which was obviously someone very clever as he was a singer and trumpet player.

We did the quiz in the Spinnaker bar where we didn’t do very well but we were by no means the worst score.

A sea day tomorrow before we reach Grand Turk.

Wednesday, 31 October 2018 - Sea Day to Grand Turk

Arcadia was cruising South Easterly which meant that the sun wouldn’t reach our aft balcony until lunch time.
After breakfast I set up on the aft deck where the weather was windy, some clouds but very hot as the sun burnt them off.

We ate lunch on the balcony with a glass of Spanish Rosé. This is what sea days are all about for us, a lazy peaceful afternoon in the sun reading. The sun by now is very hot as cruise further South in the Atlantic Ocean.

Creatures of habit we had G & T on the balcony before heading down for dinner. It was Halloween Party night in the Globe and after dinner we returned to the cabin to change into our Halloween party clothes.
We gave Girish our cabin steward a bit of a scare when we left the cabin transformed.

As P & O had emailed passengers before we left home to inform us there would be a Halloween party a good number of passengers had joined in the fun. There were some excellent costumes and many had gone to a lot of effort. I sampled a Zombie cocktail which was made with dark and light rum and grenadine to make it look like I was drinking blood. The Globe looked very spooky and again a lot of effort had gone into the decorations. The resident band Authorised Provided the music.

Tomorrow we arrive in Grand Turk.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Thursday, 1 November 2018 - Grand Turk

I had an early snorkel trip booked and I left my butler to his laundry duties and went to find my meeting point.
It was hot very hot and where we met there was no shade.
We were asked to read a form with various questions on regarding health but were not asked to sign anything which surely defeated the object.
This turned out to be one of the best snorkelling trips I have ever done. It was a huge catamaran and only around 25 of us on board. There was loads of room to move around and plenty of crew to serve drinks. There was an intensive safety briefing and then for those who hadn’t snorkelled before a lesson on how to use the mask, fins and snorkel vest.

The water was wonderfully warm and so clear. There were hundreds of fish and as the crew were feeding them they were very tame and just swam around us. We had about 30 minutes snorkelling before the whistle went calling us back on board. The Rum punch flowed all the way to the beach and once on there the rum started flowing again. It was non stop partying back to the ship and everyone could hear us coming. Such a difference from the snorkel trip in Nassau.

After the catamaran had docked I went to find our friends on the beach which is right opposite the ship. Garry met me as I was walking towards the beach and by this time the Carnival ship had docked and the beach was heaving. We had arranged that I would find them opposite the centre lifts on Arcadia and the plan worked. Garry dropped off some supplies and went back to the comfort of the cabin. He is not a beach lover. There had been lots of changes since the hurricane hit and whereas on previous visits here the beds were free of charge but they are now payable and the vendor wanted 25 dollars for 2 beds and a brolly but wanted another 20 dollars for an extra bed. I told him where to stick it as I knew I would be spending more time in the water than on a bed. We later found out that the beds further back with the Green brolly were free of charge. I don’t remember P & O telling us this but I didn’t go the port talk. The water was lovely and clear with plenty of fish to see. Not the different varieties that I had seen on the reef but enough to keep me occupied.

Sailaway was at 4 :30 pm and after the usual predinner drinks we returned to the cabin whilst our friends went to see the show Money Makes the World go Round. We had seen it on Aurora and didnt think much to it. When I met them afterwards for the quiz in Spinnaker bar they were of the same opinion. We narrowly missed winning the quiz with 17/20 but we actually talked ourselves out of 2 of the answers so could have had 19 points. The winners scored 18.

Tomorrow is a sea day before we arrive in Tortola.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Post by Suekersh »

GillD46 wrote: 28 Oct 2018, 14:46
Interesting Sue, thank you. I have made a note of Lewis for 2020.
Hi Gill, he gets booked up early so a good idea to get him pencilled in as soon as poss,

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Suekersh wrote: 02 Nov 2018, 15:10
GillD46 wrote: 28 Oct 2018, 14:46
Interesting Sue, thank you. I have made a note of Lewis for 2020.
Hi Gill, he gets booked up early so a good idea to get him pencilled in as soon as poss,
Ok, will do.
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GillD46 wrote: 02 Nov 2018, 18:06
Suekersh wrote: 02 Nov 2018, 15:10
GillD46 wrote: 28 Oct 2018, 14:46
Interesting Sue, thank you. I have made a note of Lewis for 2020.
Hi Gill, he gets booked up early so a good idea to get him pencilled in as soon as poss,
Ok, will do.
We might be interested in this as well

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Friday, 2 November 2018 - Sea Day to Tortola


It was another glorious Caribbean Sea day with high temperatures, plenty of sun and broken clouds. I got some ironing out of the way before breakfast and afterwards visited the Tours desk to give them feed back from the snorkelling trips I had done and to ask if the numbers had increased for the St Lucia trip.
My thoughts on the Nassau Trip were the same as the tour guides who had already noted the boats lack of facilities and lack of space for the number of passengers. They also confirmed that it would be the same boat used again in January. We discussed other options for our visit to Nassau in January on Oriana. They were very helpful.
Unfortunately the St Lucia snorkelling Trip between the Pitons still only has 7 passengers booked on it but it won’t be cancelled until 48 hours before we arrive there.

I had a couple of hours on deck whilst waiting for the sun to arrive on the balcony.
Garry stayed in the cabin as he was having problems with his back which is usually caused by sitting on the loungers or sun chairs. It was too painful to have a physio treatment but the acupuncturist on board gave him a free 15 minute consultation and then fitted him into her busy schedule for a treatment. Fingers crossed he starts to feel the benefit tomorrow.

It was our fourth Formal night and as a Garry wasn’t up to sitting through dinner he ordered room service and I went to dinner with our friends.
Dan Delgado the Trumpeter and Vocalist performed his second show in the theatre. B & M went to see him and I returned to the cabin to see how Garry was doing before meeting up with them for the quiz where we didn’t do very well.

Tomorrow we dock early at 7 a.m. in Tortolla.

Saturday, 3 November 2018 - Tortola

We had planned a beach day but Garry decided to rest his back and not accompany us.

My favourite beach here is Brewers Bay but I had been unable to obtain up-to date information regarding its status after last years hurricane. As I wasn’t meeting B & M until 10 a.m. I had a foray ashore to the Tourist information office. They confirmed my fears that Brewers Bay was still closed. They suggested other options including Smugglers Cove and Long Bay but both were a long way from the port.

I returned to the ship armed with information and discussed the options with B & M. We decided on Cane Garden Bay as that was the easiest to get to and as the weather was overcast we could get back to the ship if the weather worsened.
The open sided buses/taxis run to Cane Garden and back to the ship all day long, 8 dollars per person each way. The road there was always very ‘hairy’ and although repaired after any hurricane damage it was still an unnerving experience as the open sided van chugged up the steep hills in low gear then hurtled down the other side with the horn blazing as we went round the corners.

Cane Garden is a lovely beach but the the last time we visited it was far too commercialised and busy whereas Brewers Bay was exactly the opposite. This time Cane Garden wasn’t overly busy and the hurricane damage was still evident although some improvements had been made ready for the season starting. There were excellent shower facilities but the architect was obviously a man as in the huge block of washrooms there were only 2 ladies loos. Whilst queuing for the loo one of the shower doors opened and both a lady and a man came out of the same cubicle. They both apologised but as there were men’s washrooms as well it seemed very odd. It gave the ladies in the queue a good giggle.

We settled in front of a bar with free fast WiFi reasonably priced drinks and waiter service. The water was perfect and although on the Atlantic side of the island it was sandy and access to the water was very easy. We sampled the local Caribe beer as well as the Red Stripe which is brewed in Jamaica and finished with the bars home made Rum Punch. The cloud stayed with us all day but it was very hot. There was one squall when the sun shades in front of us were almost blown away but we only saw a few drops of rain.

We got the same driver back to the port. Most of the shops there had reopened but as it wasn’t full season they were very quiet.

Once back on the ship Garry told me that there had been quite a few squalls and a lot more rain than we had experienced on the other side of the island.

The evening entertainment was a female comedy magician Mandy Muden. Garry made it down to dinner but wasn’t up to sitting in the theatre and I was quite happy to give this show a miss.

I met up with B & M later for the Spinnaker Bar quiz and they gave me a run down of the show and it certainly sounded as though I didn’t miss much.
The quiz went better than last night and we scored 18/20 making us joint first place with 4 other teams. The tiebreaker question was How many floors are there in the Shard building? There were 5 different answers and the winning team were only one floor out.

Tomorrow we are in the shopping haven of St Maarten but it’s a Sunday.

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Sunday, 4 November 2018 - Saint Maarten

We docked early at 7 a.m. The weather was hot and sticky but the forecast was for rain later in the afternoon. Garry decided to get off with us for a walk around.

We met B & M and bought tickets for the water taxi which took us into town. The Hurricane damage was very evident and now there was only one stop to the main pier. Arcadia does not leave until 10 pm but the water taxis are finishing at 5:30 p.m.

Our aim was jewellery shopping and we had bought jewellery from Ocean Jewellers in the past. They had sent us an email informing us of their new location and we found them easily. They welcomed us like old friends and offered us a drink. They keep a well stocked bar but Garry wanted to keep a clear head for negotiations and stuck to water. I was looking for some amethyst earrings to match some amethyst jewellery I had bought in Uruguay earlier this year. I wasn’t disappointed and also found an amethyst white gold bracelet as well and a chain. We sealed the deal with another drink and free wi fi. The guys then directed us to their friends booze shop which virtually finished our shopping and left a big dent in the mens wallets.

We wandered down Old Street where the Old Car had been swept further down the Street by the Hurricane. The damage here had been bad and renovations were ongoing. Many of the businesses had not reopened. We walked along to where the supermarket had been but it was no longer there. We asked a local who just said it was gone. We stocked up on soft drinks in a small shop and Garry returned to the ship whilst we went in search of a nice bar overlooking the beach.

The rain was forecast for 3 p.m. and we returned to the ship for 2 p.m.

There was a letter waiting for me from the tours desk which as I expected was cancelling my snorkelling tour in St Lucia. Luckily I have booked a private tour with Cosol so the day has been saved. I was annoyed when I realised that the refund for my tour had been processed the previous day. I do think that after the number of times I had spoken to tours about this trip that a courtesy phone call when the decision to cancel had been made would have been appropriate. There were only 7 passengers booked so not a huge job. I fully understand the reason for cancelling the tour but the way it was dealt with causes ill feeling which is such a shame as the tours staff have all been very friendly and helpful.
I do wonder how the other 6 passengers who had booked feel. At least I was prepared for the cancellation as I had been proactive and asked about numbers having been disappointed in the past with tours being cancelled because of lack of numbers.

The forecasted rain started about 2:30 pm and continued all afternoon. The balcony certainly got a good washing. Passengers who hadn’t timed it as well as us were arriving back completely drenched.

The Headliners performed Destination Dance in the Theatre. We didn’t want to see the show so arranged to meet up with B & M in the Crows Nest after it had finished.

It was Tropical Night on deck which probably explains the rainy weather. In all our years of cruising I only remember a couple of good Tropical party nights on deck.

We did visit the Tropical Party on deck and it was in full swing. The rain had stopped but it was still wet underneath the feet.

Tomorrow we will be in Antigua.

Monday, 5 November 2018

The early morning looked very promising as Azura followed us into the port of Antigua and docked right beside Arcadia.
The promise of sunshine didn’t materialise except in the liquid form and this continued all Morning.

There were lots of beach and water related tours today and even though the rain was torrential only 2 were cancelled. We had a beach break booked but P & O had changed the location so we cancelled it very early on in the cruise. The beach excursions went ahead and I hope they found shelter. There were so many passengers querying bout the beach breaks and complaining that the tours had not been cancelled that an announcement was made confirming that the tours were going ahead.
We had planned to meet B & M at 10 a.m. but postponed this as it was still persisting down. We kept thinking it looked brighter but then the rain came on heavier.
Eventually around 11 a.m, it slowed to drizzle so we met up and went ashore. We had to run the gauntlet of taxi drivers all desperate for business. There are a number of shops on the port but nothing really appealed. The bars were all full to bursting and the rain started again. We decided to write the day off and headed back to the ship.

During lunch the rain stopped and the sun came out so once again we ventured ashore. This time it was to find a bar get wi fi and a local Wadadli beer. At the the first bar we had to make do with a Carib beer but it did have great wi fi. We were luckier at the next bar and I got my fix of the local beer, Wadadli. The sun was hot and it turned out to be a glorious afternoon.

Soon after we got back on ship the joint sailaway party began. Our Entertainment team went over to Azura for their party, then the Azura Entertainment team led by Leon came over to Arcadia. It was great fun with friendly banter between the two ships. Azura sailed first and we had a fabulous view. We followed soon afterwards not far behind.

We ate dinner in Sindhu which was menu 2 his time. Another great meal with excellent service. We had planned to go to the Spinnaker bar quiz but this wasn’t being held tonight for whatever reason. We decided on an early night as it was the female magician / comedienne in the theatre and we had heard bad reviews from passengers after her first show.

Tomorrow we are in St Lucia and I have an early private trip booked.


Ranchi
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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#65

Post by Ranchi »

If you buy a pair of earrings which cost £390 +x ( where x is less than £390) you would expect to pay duty on them when you returned to the UK.
If you are travelling with a partner who has not bought any souvenirs, can you each import 1 earring and so avoid paying any duty?
I’m sure I’ve seen some people intentionally wear a single earring.


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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#66

Post by cruisin_duo »

Enjoying your cruise reports.

How do you find the time to write them, as you are very active on your cruises?

Hope Garry's back is getting better


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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#67

Post by LadyPCruiser »

Hi Sue - thanks for taking the time to write such informative cruise reports - they are so helpful. We are also on the 35 night cruise in January so I will look out for you😎😎

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#68

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Tuesday, 6 November 2018 - Saint Lucia

There had been rain overnight but as the night clouds cleared there was blue sky. I had ordered room service breakfast which I ate outside but soon after there were early morning squalls and the sky darkened.

Garry stayed on board as I had booked the Cosol tour of the island which included the snorkel between the Pitons. B & M were also booked on the trip. We got off in our waterproofs and met Cassius who would be our driver, tour guide and barman for the day. There were 9 of us in the mini bus that could have seated 12 so we had plenty of space. Once in the mini bus we didn’t need our waterproofs again all day. The sun came out and followed us around the island.

The Cosol tour involves everything about St Lucia. We had photo stops over the different bays which included either a rum punch, beer or water. At one of the stops there was a local bar with about 20 different rums to sample. One sample cost a dollar but for 5 dollars we could sample them all. We all declined as it was still very early. We stopped at a banana plantation where we sampled bananas, spiced rum, banana ketchup, and a hot sauce. We drove through the rain forrest and then had a stop for brunch. The food tables were laid out buffet Style and everything on offer was home made and from Saint Lucia.
The venue was open sided with fantastic views over St Lucia and the Caribbean Sea. This stop also included another drink or two. After the brunch we went to the sulphur springs where some of our party were persuaded to get into the mud baths. It didn’t appeal to me but Maureen enjoyed it. We saw the smoking volcano which feeds the mud baths and it was time for another drink.
My favourite part of the day was the exhilarating boat trip to the marine park situated between the Pitons. The snorkelling here is amazing with crystal clear water and lots of different varieties of fish. We had an hour here before the boat took us back to where the mini bus and another drink was waiting for us. We needed to wash the the salt away and what better way than with a Rum Punch or beer. Water was on offer as well as other soft drinks but strangely there was little uptake.
Next was another water based activity involving a very fast flowing waterfall. The water was so cold compared to the sea but very refreshing. Our final stop was back at the brunch venue for freshly made bread and cheese which was delicious. Of course it was another mandatory drink stop as well and as it was the final stop before returning to the ship it would have been rude to refuse.
It was a fabulous day and P & O did me a favour by cancelling my tour booked with them. Cosol are so professional but make it all fun as well. This was my 5 th trip with them and I have enjoyed every one of them but this time everyone in the minibus were from Arcadia and we all had a great party.

We were back on ship by 3:15 and it was a quick shower and change before we went to a sailaway party hosted by the Loyalty Team in the Viceroy room. Brooke explained that the party was to reward the most loyal guests on board. There were around 20 people invited. The drinks flowed and it was a friendly group of cruisers.

We headed back to our cabin as we had invited B & M round for pre dinner drinks and the view of the Pitons again as Arcadia sailed past them on its way to Barbados.

The entertainment in the theatre was a female vocalist Helen Wilding. After a very tiring day we decided to give it a miss and to have a drink under the stars instead. We met B & M later for the quiz in Spinnaker bar but we didn’t do very well only scoring 15/20 and the winning score was 19.

Barbados tomorrow which is our final Caribbean port before we start our long sail home across the Atlantic Ocean .

Wednesday, 7 November 2018 - Barbados

Another sunny day in Paradise for a short time.
I had arranged to meet our friends at 10 a.m in the terminal as unlike us they are not early risers. Garry and I disembarked early to look around the port shops and as this was our last Caribbean port I wanted to make the most of it. We made our purchases and went to the meeting point to wait for B & M and tried to get the wi fi which was painfully slow.

Garry decided not to accompany us to the beach as his back although improved was still giving him pain.

In Barbados all of the fares are regulated and the price to Accra beach is now 7.5 US dollars each for a single journey which is a considerable increase from last year. We got in and he was about to go when 2 more pax off Celebrity joined us. The taxi should have seated 7 but they took up 2 seats each and more, when he tried to fit another two in I said no way and that we would get out. He wasn’t happy but he would have lost 3 fares and only replaced us with 2. With hindsight we should have got out as the taxi was a bit of a banger, no air con and dodgy windows. We dropped the other 2 passengers at Carlisle bay and he continued to Accra beach. Before we got there we could see the dark clouds forming and then the squall hit. It looked like it was in for a couple of hours at least so we abandoned our plan for the beach day and asked him to return us to the port. He charged us 50 dollars for a half hour taxi drive. B & M stayed in the port area as they hadn’t done any shopping but I returned to the cabin extremely disappointed with how the morning had turned out. It didn’t help as there was a queue to get back on board and as there was not a No Entry sign at the midships gangway I along with a few others headed for that one. We arrived there to be told that they were not admitting passengers and to go back to the forward gangway where of course the queue was even bigger.

We had lunch in the main dining room then as the weather had improved from deluge to liquid sunshine we returned ashore. Whilst in the cabin I had tried on the sun dress I had bought earlier in the morning and loved it so I wanted another one. Shopping done we then went to Coconuts bar where the sun was shining and had a Rum punch whilst chatting to Newby and some of his friends.

Back on ship the sun when it managed to fight off the cloud was on our balcony which is where I spent the rest of the afternoon. I did go up on deck to see B & M and make arrangements for the evening but the group playing were so loud that we couldn’t chat so I didn’t spend long there.

After dinner we went to see one of the Headliners new shows called a Magic Moments, all about Burt Bacharach. I had seen it last cruise and it was excellent as it was again tonight.

We didn’t do too badly in the Spinnakers bar quiz and came second.

We now have 5 sea days to Praia Vitoria in the Azores.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#69

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Thursday, 8 November 2018 - 1 st Sea Day to Praia Vitoria

A sunny, hot but windy day crossing the Atlantic. The seas weren’t rough but the winds were buffeting the ship which caused some vibration and sudden movements. Luckily our aft balcony was sheltered from the wind and I spent a very lazy day out there.

As we are now sailing Northerly the Sun was on the balcony from very early morning. As there are no loungers on the balcony I had taken my Pilates mat just for this purpose.
We went to the buffet to collect some lunch to take back to eat in the sunshine with a couple of glasses of wine. It was perfect and really makes the extra cost of these cabins worth while.

Time for a Rant: My biggest bug bear on this cruise is walking along the corridors and finding trays of left over food outside peoples cabins. If food has been ordered from Room service then these are collected regularly. The problem is passengers that collect food from the buffet to eat in their cabin then expect someone else to magically take their plates and trays away. If we collect our food we return the plates and trays to the buffet where we got them from. This has become a bigger problem since P & O started charging for room service at lunchtimes and evenings. I just hope that because of the laziness of some passengers that P & O don’t ban everyone from taking food back to their cabins.
The plates left outside cabin doors are a trip hazard as well as being unsightly. The passage ways are narrow enough without extra debris being left around. Rant Over:

Garry went to the Spa for a back massage which has improved enough for him to tolerate it being touched. He was very impressed with the new Spa manager and how much more organised they appeared to be and commented on this to her.

It was the 5 th Formal night and the evening entertainment was Steve Hewlett a Comedy Ventriloquist. We had seen him before where we found him quite amusing for the first 20 minutes but had no inclination to see him again. After dinner we went to the Crows Nest for a quiet drink before walking through the shops to the Spinnaker bar.
The shops were just setting out the Guess handbags ready for the 30% discount sale tomorrow. I started talking to the shop assistant about them and explained what type I was looking for. Hey Presto she turned up with my perfect bag and agreed to honour the discount that would have been applied if bought tomorrow. Result!
At the Spinnakers quiz we were once again the joint highest scorers but lost out on the tiebreaker.

Another lazy sea day tomorrow.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#70

Post by Suekersh »

cruisin_duo wrote: 07 Nov 2018, 12:49
Enjoying your cruise reports.

How do you find the time to write them, as you are very active on your cruises?

Hope Garry's back is getting better
Hi, I usually make notes during the day and write it up at night once we return to cabin or as I don’t sleep much early in the morning with my 1 st cup of coffee.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#71

Post by Suekersh »

LadyPCruiser wrote: 07 Nov 2018, 13:36
Hi Sue - thanks for taking the time to write such informative cruise reports - they are so helpful. We are also on the 35 night cruise in January so I will look out for you😎😎
Look forward to meeting you LadyPCruiser. I have met other passengers on this cruise who are also on the 35 nighter.

Sue

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#72

Post by Gill W »

Suekersh wrote: 09 Nov 2018, 12:24

Time for a Rant: My biggest bug bear on this cruise is walking along the corridors and finding trays of left over food outside peoples cabins.
That drives me mad, it's so unsightly, and an accident waiting to happen.

Hope Garry's back is improving
Gill

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Post by Suekersh »

Monday 12 November 5 th sea day

We have had 4 more hot and sunny sea days since I last reported and should have been docking in Praia Vitoria in the Azores tomorrow.
However the Captain announced earlier that due to a Cold front we are skipping the Azores and heading for La Corunna in Northern Spain.
We are ecstatic about this news as we have been to Praia Vitoria and it really is a one horse town although the locals are very friendly.

The sea days have been very hot and sunny and I have done very little other read and relax on our balcony which is a real sun trap. It has been very windy up on deck but we have been sheltered from it.

On Friday which was our 2 nd Sea day I was catching up with life in the world of Facebook and I came across a post asking if anyone had seen their parents. They had left home on 20 October and hadn’t been in touch. Through messenger I offered help, got the cabin number and made the phone call. Thankfully all was well and I was able to put the posters mind at ease. There might be a load of rubbish on Facebook but it does come in useful at times.

I ordered a large bucket of ice and chilled a Rose wine which we had with our lunch on the balcony. After lunch Brian and Christine who I had been chatting to on Facebook before the cruise came round to look at the cabin as they had booked it for a future cruise. They appeared happy at their choice and now they can look forward to their cruise without worrying about the cabin.

The entertainment was the fabulous show Mr Tinkertons Clockwork Circus.

The 3 rd Sea Day was spent on the balcony in the sun. We drank the bottle of champagne courtesy of P & O with lunch. I
t was the Crew show during the afternoon in the Palladium, I wish they had left it until later in the cruise when the weather is bound to change. Jimmy James minus his Vagabonds performed in the theatre. He was excellent and got a standing ovation.

Yesterday was the 4 th sea day and Remembrance Day. There was a church service in the Palladium followed by a Memorial and 2 minutes silence at the Aquarius Pool. This was very well organised and I suspect 80% of the ship attended.
I spent the remainder of the day soaking up the sun.

It was the 6 th of 7 planned formal nights, this was a Black and White theme and it was also the Peninsular cocktail party. The meal was excellent and YES we had the Port Marinated Stilton to finish.
The evening show was the Headliners performing Killer Queen in the Palladium Theatre.

In the Syndicate quiz I met Simon the man I had telephoned to check on for his daughter which was interesting.
We thought we had done well scoring 18/20 but 2 teams got full marks.


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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

#74

Post by cruisin_duo »

Enjoy the rest of your cruise Sue.

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Re: Sue Kersh Arcadia Cruises

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Thursday 15 November 2018 - La Coruna

Seven days at sea since we left Barbados and it was great to reach land although we have been very lucky with the weather. Yesterday was significantly cooler and time to pack the swim wear but it was still warm enough to sit out.

On Tuesday we called at the Azores very briefly at 4 a.m. to disembark a passenger who had badly broken her arm, then set off full speed ahead to La Coruna and out ran the storm which was threatening the Azores.

Prior to eating dinner in the Ocean Grill we called into East bar for a glass of champagne. The service in the Ocean Grill was excellent but after going there 4 times this cruise I still prefer the old menus and hope they change again before we are back on Arcadia.

The show was the Ventriloquist and like most passengers we gave it a miss.
The clock went forward an hour putting us onto the same time as the Uk but it needs to go forward another another hour tomorrow night to put us on Spanish time.

Wednesday - As the new acts could not board in the Azores Mark Daley the lead singer from the Headliners performed his own Cabernet show which was excellent. The Captain announced that we would be docking in La Coruna as early as 3 a.m. due to another medivac.

All these hour changes plays havoc with our sleep patterns but we were still up early and watched as dawn broke over La Coruna.

We disembarked at 10 a.m. and looked around the compact Spanish town finishing in a Tapas bar where the locals were frequenting. Excellent selection of Tapas and the local Albariño wine went down a treat. It was a pleasant temperature to walk around and sightsee.
After tapas lunch we headed back to our cabin for coffee and the candied ginger we had bought in town.

It is our final formal night of the cruise this evening and the joys of packing to look forward to tomorrow although we have been invited to a friends cabin for champagne after lunch.
The fabulous group the Four tunes were due to perform tonight but because of the port change they are not on board. Mick Miller the comedian got on today. He will be performing tonight and probably tomorrow night as well.

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