Arcadia Mediterranean Cruise 30th June 2009

Tuesday 30^th June 2009

After 2 hours and 20 minutes in bed I find myself up and trying to sort myself out ready for a cruise and a last minute dash to Southampton. Thankfully the packing had been started last weekend and the second case had been packed on Sunday, but I still had many things to do before I was going anywhere. Its all been pretty stressful in the run upto this one as I prepared for yet another brochure launch. P&O if you could just take note not to have World Cruise brochure launch, end of campaigns etc when I choose to go on a cruise, that would help to keep my stress levels down and lead me to being a lot more chilled out as I set off for Southampton.

Im not travelling light, why should I, but Mr C gives me one of those ‘what the hell do you need all this stuff for?’ looks, but at least he knows better than to pass comment. I set off early to miss the work traffic, but I had this niggling feeling I had forgotten something. Purse? So I found somewhere to pull over and ran to the boot of the car to check. Phew it was there, and checked my tickets, so that’s everything and I can relax a little and continue my drive to Southampton. It was a good drive and I arrived 2hrs and 15 mins later in quite a dull Southampton.

Met up with Lynn, Rod and Rebs at the Holiday Inn, yay were going on a cruise! We were just preparing to go for a coffee when something came over me, and it wasn’t a god ‘something’! Passport!!! I haven’t got my passport? I ran to the car and ripped open my laptop bag thinking it has to be there, Im just having a mad moment. But it didn’t matter how much I looked there was no passport!!! Quick call to Mr C to ‘do somethng’?! but what could he do he was at work and couldn’t get out of it. I had to think fast. Could I get home and back before sailing time? Answer was no, but I had to give it my best shot, as it was my only option. Back in the car I quicky phone Lee to see if he can go check for my passport and at least drive half way down to me? Answer to that was a very quick ‘No Mum, can I call you back’ By this time I have worked it out. 2 and half hours there, two and half hours back, no time allowed for hold ups and I would literally scrape back to the dock at 5. It would be too late surely? Fear not Mr C is in rescue mode, and was almost home to check for the exact spot where my passport had been sitting for the last 3 weeks. He had already mentally planned a bike courier to get the passport to me, but then he declares ‘Janie its not here’ at that moment I was just approaching a motorway services so I pulled into the car park and looked through lap top bag again. Still nothing! So, I’ve got my tickets, but they had all been in the same place at home to my passport, insurance document and confirmation invoice, which had sat neatly together for the last 3 weeks or so. So if I had picked up those documents where was the passport? Brochures, it was on the bed with brochures. Got to get cases out of boot and start searching, not an easy task when Mr C had somehow managed to put the cases in the boot with the handled pointing away from me, but sheer determination helped me drag the first case out of the boot. Thankfully it was the case I wanted, but it was also the case that was pretty rammed with a lot of stuff tightly squeezed in. Ive got to keep my head, it doesn’t matter about things taking off in the breeze, or the stupid idiotic truck drivers who insisted on giving am a loud ‘honk’ every 10 seconds (why do they have to do that? I felt like screaming at the lot of them) Halleluiah, a passport, I have a passport!! Exactly where I thought it would be too? I was shaking so much I didn’t know what to do next? I ran to the front seat and put the passport there while I tried to chase around the car park retrieving a few items, some I just let go with the wind. I could hardly get the lock back on the case, and how I picked the case up and threw it in the boot I will never know!! Quick call to Mr C, quick call to Lynn, quick call to Lee everybody stand down! Right now then, Im on the M27 heading the wrong way, I have to keep my witts about me and get back to Ocean Terminal didn’t know quite where I was going but kept going and the car seemed to work out the route pretty well. So here I am tootling through Southamton with a bit grin on my face, happy in the thought that I am actually going on the cruise that one hour earlier I didn’t think I would make!

Now my Southamton morning wouldn’t be complete without a ‘clipboard woman’ experience and I found one working for CPS. Im well aware that CPS need you to remove all keys and just hand over the car key with the tag provided. But my key fob had one of those tiny little Aurora ships on and half moon emblem and she’s telling me to sort it out. Well a) my hands are still shaking from earlier trauma and b) Im not risking breaking my nails, so I tell her its fine, If they get lost they get lost. But she’s insisting! Apparently they ‘ruin other peoples keys’! What?! Thankfully a porter comes to my aid and Im allowed to get back to checking I have put everything back into my bags.

So a swift entrance into the new lifeless terminal, to the top of the escalator to be greeted by a man handing out the norivirus & swine flu declarations. Next we move onto a lady trying to give us cards and instructions to sit and wait until our letter is called. I think not?! Why didn’t she ask if we were suites or Gold? She was aware within a millisecond after I tod her we were suites and Golds, but anyone arriving unaware would have done as they were told and sat and waited. We were checked in immediately and escorted to the Priority waiting area.

We weren’t there 2 minutes and we were invited to board. Well I say ‘we’ but somehow we missed the announcement and the rest of the waiting passengers went without us.

We made our way to the Crows Nest as instructed to be greeted by Dominique, and I use the term loosly as she for some reason decided we were mini suite passengers and tried to direct us accordingly. Now she is confused ‘Gold and Suite’ which side of the room do I send them. She chose the ‘suite’ side so that the Butler would know where to find us. Champagne arrived, cakes arrived (ooh they’re new) and 4 tiny sandwiches arrived. (don’t over feed us will you P&O?) 4 triangles with the cruise cut off between 4 adults, nothing like stretching the budget. service was slow and drinks weren’t flowing, infact at one point our glasses were taken with no offer to replenish. Deary me if this is how they greet premium passengers now its not looking good. Looking around we noticed other tables had name cards of their suites on them, so I went in search of the Venice Suite from the lady handing them out, only to be told we don’t need one and some suites don’t have a card, ‘but it’s the Venice suite’ (I could see the card in her hand at the top of the pile) ‘Cabin A167, Venice suite’ again she repeated her response, then she got the message and I was allowed to take the card back to the table. Butlers are milling around and we try to select who we want and don’t want, several walk past us, so we guess we are not theirs, then one approaches and we are escorted to Venice Suite and Annexe!

It didn’t take me long to have a quick shuffty round my new abode, and I did spot a nice bottle of Moet on ice!, but I wanted to see this Venice Suite. Ooh cool I would like a suite, I like the space, and the separate dressing area, and the big bathroom with proper bath and shower, oh and the balcony is fab. Enough privacy under the overhang and around the side, but also deep enough to allow sitting in the sunshine too. Of course, the balcony isn’t as deep as it would have been pre refit.

Lynn wastes no time in getting a bottle of champers opened so while Roid unpacks, we flounce about with a glass or three of champagne. Don’t really remember unpacking if Im honest, but it didn’t take long as most of my stuff was packed on hangers and the rest of the clothes just needed lifting onto a shelf. I must confess I have no idea where I would have put Mr C if I had bought him with me, this cabin seems mighty compact and bijou.

As soon as muster is over I head up a deck to make a couple of phone calls and its disappointing to see that it has rained. Didn’t stop us joining in with the sailaway party though and a glass of something.

Im absolutely done in and within minutes of showering and laying on the bed Im asleep. It has been a big traumatic day.

Frances and Mohit are to be our waiters for the next 16 nights and they did a mighty fine job on the first night. After dinner we headed to Crows where we found them to be doing a syndicate quiz. We did quite well and even I got a couple of answers correct, the question master certainly liked the sound of his own voice though! Im very good this evening and elect not to drink (too much!) as I have very important World cruise bookings to tend to in the morning, so I need to be as fresh as a daisy when I get out of bed.

Wednesday 1^st July 2009 ~ at sea

Breakfast is served on the balcony of the Venice suite, how cool is that? Its also served nice and early so that I can be filled up with lots of tea to sart my morning in the office.

Well what a nightmare I had this morning. P&O hadn’t got passenger details loaded into the internet system so I couldn’t use the internet until late morning. For some bizarre reason my phone was refusing to make or receive calls under the ships satellite, and would only function with text messages. Thak goodness I left my world cruise bookings in the capable hands of a colleague back in the UK or I would have produced kittens by now. So 11.30 and the internet is functioning but then starts my second nightmare, lack of 3 pin uk plug sockets in any of the public areas. My laptop just drains on the battery so I have to find an adaptor. Cybercentre Manager was unable to help, you would think the shop would stock them as it must be a common request, but no, they didn’t sell them or could help me. Next stop reception to ask if they have one they can loan me? I cant bring my laptop down to reception to be charged! Noooo that really doesn’t help, I can charge it in the cabin but cant work in there because it doesn’t have wifi. Nice man at reception says he will send me an adaptor straight up to my cabin. I got there to find a 4 gang extention lead! Shall I scream or shall I cry? A drink would be good but I have work to do. I decide I have to go back to reception and try again, and Im rescued by a passing officer who could tell something was getting lost in translation. Within minutes he had been into the back office and produced a continental adaptor for me. That officer was the ever lovely Passenger Service Manager Mario, who at the time I felt like he had saved my life, and I could have kissed him but thought better of it!

So now I need somewhere quiet to work, and I chose Intermezzo as it was quiet and the bar was closed so I should be able to just get my head down and get on with working. Within minutes the same talkative officer from last night appeared and started talking to some passengers. He stood right in the middle of the marble floor area and his voice just echoed around the atrium. He was there for a good 20 minutes. Its not a good morning! I was so glad when my work was done and I could slam too my laptop lid and go in search of a beverage. I found Lynn, Rod and Rebs having lunch by Neptune and Rebs could see I needed a drink and before I could offer a large cocktail of the day was with me. Arrrrhhhh that’s better! Thanks Rebs.

I decided to take it easy this afternoon and have a rest, almost feel like im on holiday now! As Im getting ready for Captains Cocktail doo I have a knock at the door and in walks room service man with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries.

Champagne delivery is becoming as frequent as milk delivery around here. I don’t waste time dipping into my strawberrys!

Its Captains Cocktail Party this evening, but we cant go without some pre party drinks so its over to the Venice Suite for a glass or 3. It’s a lovely evening out on the balcony, ooh and they have strawberries too. Cant be late for Captains Cocktail Party and we enter as instructed via the midship stairs. A nice chat with Daveid Sheperd the newly appointed Executive Purser, bless he was only a Baby Purser when I first knew him. I must be getting old?! The party was a great place for people watching and oh boy were there some people to watch! Captian Ian Walters introduced all of his officers and congratulated the ventilation team for getting the Gold Pin award for June. Ian seemed a little surprised to see me and asked about one of his favourite young passenger, Lizy, because he has watched her grow from a tot to a lady. I even got a kiss!

Captains Gala Dinner and myself and Lynn decided to swap to the otherside of the table tonight so that we could see the wake and the fantastic sunset. It was a great but at the same time frustrating as we couldn’t people watch, so we will be swapping back tomorrow night. Now, we were a bit late for dinner, and we did take our time, and we did do the after dinner liquers, but we didn’t know we were so late that the show had already started.

We made our way from aft to forward to the Palladium Theatre and entered on the upper level to find the show had started and the place was packed. Lynn very stupidly spotted some seats right on the front row, right in the middle. Well I saw that as more of a dare, so rather than take the discreet route I trooped us all down the centre of the theatre, down 3 floors to the vacant seats. As you can imagine that didnt go unnoticed by Mike Doyle and before we knew it we had become part of the act! Freeman, Hardy and Willis indeed! He took quite a liking to Rebs peach dress as well. He was extremely funny, and yes I have seen him many times over the years, but he still makes me laugh.

After the show I needed to go and find someone and I was advised that Piano Bar was the place to go. Clifford was quite surprised to see me so obviously the gossip that I was onboard hadn’t filtered round to him.

Me and Lynn went onto Electra and it wasn’t exactly busy, but we crawled out of there at 10 past 4, so maybe it was the drinks that were good?

Thursday 2^nd July 2009 ~ at sea

Almost starting to feel as if Im on holiday now. Ive decided to go for the healthy option this morning and have a nice bowl of fresh fruit and a bowl of fruit n fibre. Rohit has even managed to find me some cranberry juice and he has arranged for a little sunshine as we dine on the balcony.

I have to go and finish off some work that frustration prevented me from completing yesterday, so I have a very chilled out morning in the piano bar, listening to whats going on at the same time as working.

By the time I got out by the pool Lynn & Co were already there and there wasn’t a chair in sight. There were plenty of towels catching the rays though! Me and Rebs decided to have 50% shares in a sunlounger and as Rebs spent most of the time in the pool I was able to just have a much needed little snooze.

Im ready early this evening so after causing much confusion at with the Photo boys and girls as they try to unravel ‘who I am’, I go for pre, pre dinner drinks in the Piano Bar and catch up with Clifford. Then im heading back to the Venice Suite for pre dinner drinks.

Geee whizz its absolutely scorching out on the balcony. I guess we must be in the Med then?

Me and Lynn are back to our usual seats at the dinner table tonight and we can observe what is going on, in addition to that we have a most stunning sunset at the back of us.

We decided to venture upto the Orchid Bar this evening for a drink. It was like Siberia up there. Could they get the air con down any lower? Needless to say we didn’t stop long. Electra was dead and so it was a reasonable early night for us.

Friday 3^rd July 2009 ~ Almeria

Butler wanted to ‘Buttle’ early this morning and suggested breakfast at 7.30! no chance of a lay in then. He was on time as usual and lays his table up all nicely and asks ‘would you like your cornflakes or your fruit first today Madam?’ Well, what a difficult question to start the day. I switched today and had the cornflakes first.

The sun hadn’t been long risen and was just coming around the corner balcony. Almeria was in a haze some distance away, but we slowed to almost nothing and the pilot embarked.

A bit of work in Piano Bar and decided I would go ashore with Lynn and Rod. What a flamin waste of time Almeria was. I think P&O can remove that one from their itnerarys and certainly wasn’t worth getting onto the shuttle for. It was so bad that we couldnt even find a fridge magnet, and that’s a first!! Couldn’t wait to get back to the ship. I was changed into a bikini and straight up on deck to rearrange the loungers to my liking right infront of the pool.

Its hot, hotter than I have ever known probably, scorching scorching hot! Large PeachTree coolers were ordered and were kept in steady supply all afternoon as we baked. I took several dips in the warm pool in an attempt to cool down, and the rest of the time I lay in the overflow at the edge of the pool, but even the steady supply of ice cold cocktails and splashing water weren’t helping.

At 4.00pm I caved in and had to return to the cabin for a cold shower, but I was back up on deck for 5 ready for sailaway at 6. Captain announced that all pre departure checks had been made and we were ready to sail but as two coaches were late back from Grenada we had missed our pilot slot so would have a little wait.

Sailaway party out by the Aquarius Pool. Only one thing I can say here and that is that the Ents team are not as well groomed as those on Ventura. Scruffy, faded uniforms and not a lot of passenger interaction. No sign of the Cruise Director either!!! Sangria was the Sailaway cocktail so it would have been rude not to have a couple of those. Wasn’t sorry to see the back of Almeria as we sailed away and as Lynn said, it was the best part about the place!

Pre dinner drinks in the new comfy seats at the Aquarius Bar. Ooh Im liking those! But its oh so warm, very balmy evening.

I struggled with the menu a little tonight. What happened to the standard P&O menu? It seems that gone are the days when I used to know what to expect each evening. Another lovely sunset and we have the perfect table by the aft window over the wash.

Im so tired tonight. I went out on prom deck for the first time this cruise. I was supposed to be out there to get some air and liven myself up but it was so muggy that it wasn’t really doing much good. Decided to go into Piano Bar for a drink and Clifford did an excellent job of finding us a table in a very surprisingly packed bar. Martin the ‘close up table magic’ magician man was doing the rounds and amazed us with a couple of tricks. Not seen that on P&O before!

I didn’t last long. My eyelids were going and my bed was calling so off I trotted.

Saturday 4^th July 2009 ~ at Sea

It was a restless night again. I cant sleep its so hot under the super thick, old and dead duvet. Ive got the air con on freezing but its not helping as the duvet is killing me. I was awake early so ventured out on deck only to find all the sunloungers still stacked in piles. I just had to lay my chair out myself and sit there and watch the morning unfold. Breakfast was ordered for 8.15 so it wasn’t far to nip down to the balcony to the perfectly laid table again.

A lovely warm gentle breeze across the deck today, but where did the thick fog come from? Very strange to be sat there in thick fog, with the fog horn blasting and the sun still blasting through.

There was no escaping a little bit of work, but only a little bit as it is Saturday, so I nipped off to the Piano Bar for a Cappachino which was surprisingly busy considering that it was a hot sunny sea day.

I spent the day on the sunlounger, going to and from pool to sunlounger, sipping on cocktails of the day and when 3 o’clock comes around we move onto the 3 o’clock specials which today were Moscow Mules. But ts hot, oh so hot. At 5.30 I decide enough is enough and after a shower go for a rummage through my wardrobe. The thing is that there is such a lot of clothes in there that I don’t know what dresses I have, so me and Lynn decide to liase and try and sort our informals from our casuals. Deciding on dresses tonight was made harder by the fact that they have made an informal night into a deck party night, but posh frocks were decided on.

Deck Party was actually very good and Rebecca versed me in the fine art of how to play the air Guitar.

The social skills of the ents team was noted yet again as nil, or maybe even minus one. They were dressed up and doing their thing but that is about as much as they did do. The band came back on and killed it somewhat so we went in search of venues of other excitement, and ended up in Intermezzo with ‘half pint’ the shortest bartender in the P&O fleet which caused us to giggle uncontrollably.

We are thinking that surely by now the DJ has had a break and will be down in Electra to continue the party. Oh how wrong we were! Not even a hint of any music being played and the lights were on as if to say ‘it aint going to happen’ We amused ourselves at the bar with the cocktail list and the usual faces were at the bar. Horray the DJ has appeared, but he announces to the barman in full earshot of all passenger that he was not here to play for long, and what he did play was solely for the benefit of the dance troop ‘as they have been working!!’ He will be playing what ‘they want’ he will not be taking requests and it will finish at 2.00am! Well Im sure they have been working, but pardon me for thinking that is what they are here to do? Never mind the passenger then who have paid for the privilege to be here and to be entertained. He had the music so loud you couldn’t even have a conversation, and was certainly not the type of music that you want to ‘listen’ too. True to his word at 2.00am he pulled the plug, and when I breathed a sigh of relief at the peace and quiet, he showed his true colours and cranked the music back up from background music to full on! Some of you might be thinking, why didn’t I just move to another bar then? Truth is this was the only bar still open, oh and don’t forget I was a passenger in a passenger area not a crew area!

All in all it was quite a strange night. Lynn had been busy arranging a second wedding with Scottish John. They are to be married tomorrow and he will wear his kilt. Lynns dress will be made from the curtains and drapes from his room (she doesn’t want to spoil the Venice Suite) and naturally I am to be Matron of honour along with Rebs. Maybe we could use the curtains from behind my bed that freak me out. Meanwhile some horrid leary man on the opposite side of the bar has not stopped staring at us. Why do some men think they become gods gift to women after a few drinks? He has made me feel very uncomfortable but eventually a woman appears and he is all over her, they leave but not without him continuing to stare over her shoulder. We are last to leave, we needed to give our eardrums time to recover. I nearly jumped out of my skin when we got out of the aft lift on A deck. Leary man was there, standing with his back to us. We did our best to creep past him unnoticed but as we turned the corner we heard a haunting ‘Laaaadies’ We scurried down our corridor but I could feel his eyes and as I turned round there he was poking his head around the corner watching us. Most of A deck must have heard me scream but nobody came out to see, me and Lynn synchronised the opening of our cabin doors while he continued to stare, and we both waited until we heard each cabin door shut safely behind us. Weirdo!!

Sunday 5^th July 2009 ~ at sea

You wouldn’t think that Breakfast served by a Butler on the suite balcony could get much better would you, but this morning some dolphins were playing of the starboard side. What a way to start a Sunday.

I had a very lazy day today just lazing by the pool. Dipping in and out of the pool to keep cool, then sipping on my cocktail, before having a little shut eye! I did creep off to do just one hours work mid morning, but I was soon back on my sunbed. I decided to walk down to Neptune Grill today and partake ina Cajun Fajita wrap which was rather nice.

As I looked up from my sun lounger it occurred to me that I had been onboard a few days now but had not ventured upstairs to see what was going on. So I went on a little walkabout to what was what. Nothing much had changed but it did occur to me that there was plenty of sunbathing space on this ship and some great quiet areas up over the Orchid etc.

We transited the Messina Straights today which made for some good viewing from the sunlounger. A regent Seven Seas ship past us on the starboard side and so too did another ship apparently, but I was too busy nattering and must have missed that one.

Its another formal night tonight and I have many things to do. Important things like change the colour of my toe nail polish! We all decided to go for a splash of colour tonight to brighten things up a little.

Piano Bar is the venue for Pre Dinner drinks with the lovely Clifford. Well not with him, but he was serving them. Dinner this evening was not good. I decided to have a sirloin steak but it was more like blue than medium well, so that had to go back. The next one was only slightly better so that wasn’t as enjoyable as I had hoped. I went on Frances recommendation of the sweet and have to say that was left too as it was tasteless.

Mike Doyle was on in the Theatre again and we mande it before curtain up this time. Seats were a bit hard to find though, but we found some toward the front. He was funny, but not as funny as the first night, still worth the effort though. We needed to return to Piano Bar as I realised I opened a bar tab but didn’t sign it, didn’t want the baliffs knocking at my door in the morning. Rebecca had us in fits of laughter when she studied the cocktail menu for ages and then declared she would like a Strawberry Daqueriss. How Clifford kept a straight face I will never know, professionalism I guess? Me and Lynn were helpless (sorry Rebs but it will stay with me for a long time) oh well that’s the Piano Bar cleared again then.

We went down to Electra but it left me scratching my head again wondering why the DJ hadn’t looked at the average passenger profile and seen that it was something like 57.4 yrs for this cruise. Why on earth was he playing house music, full blast to an empty room? Oh I get it, to clear the place, or better still discourage passengers from staying when they stick their head through the door. Why someone hasn’t questioned the bar takings in that place I will never know. Attract the passengers and they will spend their pennies.

There seemed a lot going on in there tonight with just the few people that occupied the place. A man has sat the other side of the bar every single night with a scotch and never utters a word, maybe he just likes people watching like me.

Monday 6^th July 2009 ~ Dubrovnik

Well, I finally have a change of duvet and I slept though the night. I woke with a start at 7.30am and realised it was the pre arranged breakfast time, so dived out of bed and grabbed my Arcaida bathrobe.

It was baking outside. We were just yards from our berth and preparing to tie up. A combination of heat, sun, tiredness and maybe a slight hangover was not good.

It was too hot really to do anything in Dubrovnik other than gently stroll.

We found a lovely little bar tucked away with great views across the sea, then we strolled gently back collecting an icecream on the way back to the Shuttle bus.

I had a lovely light lunch of jacket potato from the Neptune Grill but I couldn’t resist a long island iced tea to wash it down which wasn’t the best idea knowing I had work to do. A little nap would have been nice but it wasnt to be.

Captain Ian Walters has just welcomed us back home and he has pulled away at 3.30 sharp, he certainly doesn’t mess around

Pre dinner drinks in the Crows this evening. Trust us to make the effort to get from aft to forward for a pre dinner drink with a view and find a classical concert on and no drinks being served until it was over. We really should read the Horizon Today, but even if I do read it its usually the night before so Im never sure what day it is anyway. The Bar lads looked to be enjoying the concert anyway and were sat on the sofas at the back of the bar getting into the full swing of it. They knew exactly when the end was coming and were ready to pounce on their trays as soon as the last note struck.

We just had one drink in Intermezzo (a swift ‘arf) after dinner as its Venice tomorrow so we were in bed soon after midnight – now theres a first!

Tuesday 8^th July 2009 ~ Venice

I had a phoned call at just gone 6.45 to tell me that we had just ‘turned the corner’ which was mighty handy as I didn’t have to worry about trying to wake myself up at the precise time. I didn’t even have to get dressed, just throw some water at my face, pull on the white fluffy robe and get myself on the balcony of the Venice Suite. Oh yes, if your gonna watch Venice appear before your eyes do it on the balcony of the Venice suit with a glass of Bucks fizz in hand! It’s a stunning morning, clear fine and sunny, ooh and very hot again! Rohit the Butler came and laid the table for breakfast just as we approached St Marks square, so the backdrop to our breakfast this morning was St Marks Square and the Grand Canal. Couldn’t ask for much more really.

I never tire of sailing into Venice its just such a fantastic experience, but this sail in will stay with me forever.

Two ships were in as we approached the dock, Ruby Princess and Empress which looked familiarly like the old original Royal Caribbean Empress to me.

We had water taxi passes to take us into Venice and despite a longish queue it did clear vey quickly. The shuttle service to water taxi and bus station was also provided but not many people appeared to be choosing that route. We sat right at the front of the boat out in the open and got our second look at Venice unfolding before eyes again. The water taxi dropped us off one bridge beyond the bridge of sighs so there wasn’t far to walk. It was very busy and the journey from cabin to shore had taken exactly one hour.

A lot of police with riot shields and police dogs were lining the front of some important looking building so no idea what that was about but somebody important was obviously in town. We didn’t get as far as St Marks and went off up a side street browsingin the interesting little shops, close to by where we ate last time I was in Venice. It didn’t take long to wend our way around into St Marks but oh it was busy, and very hot! From there we made our way to the Rialto Bridge by which time we were ready to melt! I know I keep going on about the heat, and I love the sun and the heat, but this si intense stuff, We decided it must be time for some lunch, so we dined in a little restaurant just beside the Rialto Bridge, stunning absolutely stunning.

We dined on pizza, salad, ham and melon washed down with wine and plenty of water (get me, coming over all healthy!)

Who ever the important people in town are, must be very important because they had the canal cleared for them by police before they came whizzing past in a convoy of smart boats.

The clouds were building, just as Captain Walters had advised, and we could feel a storm brewing so decided to head back. We were trying the get to some old bridge that must be famous but I cant recall which it was now, but decided it was too complicated. Good job really as we arrived at St Marks just as the heavens opened and oh boy did they open. Thunder and lightening like I had never seen or heard before. It cleared the square and the verandahs were packed with people. I had to feel sorry for those who had gone to Florins to sit to and listen to the orchestra etc as they were now squashed on seats, under cover, with the world and his wife shuffling past them! But the band played on and it was a little bit like the band still playing when the Titanic went down. It really did thunder and lighten like nothing I had seen before really and the water was pouring off the tops of the buildings and creating waterfalls off the rooftops. We attempted to get out and head for the water taxi station at one point but noticed the blue sky heading our way so retreated back under the cover. We were right to hold off a while longer and the sun was soon back out blasting on St Marks square. By the time we passed over a couple of bridges we no longer had to dodge any puddles as the sun had dried up all the rain and you would never have known it had happened. The Gondalier men were having to bail out their lovely gondolas before they could start to take any more fares for the day fancy getting caught in that lot. A lot of work continues to be carried out on all the buildings around st marks and I wish they would refrain from using huge advertising screens to cover up the work being carried out. We walked, in the by now, searing heat as far as where Oriana used to berth years ago. A River Cruise boat was berthed there today along with all the expensive yachts. We stopped off for a drink and ice cream before gently making our way back the ship. I had expected huge queues for the water taxi but we walked straight on bypassing the Princess passengers. It was an enclosed boat on the way back so we tried to generate some breeze by opening all the windows but we weren’t very successful.

Captain Walters is off on the dot again. He doesn’t like to hang around. Rohit popped out on the balcony for a chat and to take the breakfast order etc. Salmon canapés today which went down nicely with the glass of bubbly as we sailed back down to pass St Marks for one last time today.

It was interesting to have a birds eye view of the other side of the water, but to also be able to see St Marks and the Grand Canal at the same time.

Venetian Ball this evening, on a casual night! Great bit of planning that was by the entertainment team, and finding something in my wardrobe that remotely passed for casual and colour coordinated with my mask was not easy. We pre dinnered up by Aquarius and I must say it is a lovely place to pre dinner in those lovely new chairs. A glorious sunset again too, and there have been some stunning ones.

We did our usual entrance to the restaurant making what seemed like a 110 ‘good Evening’ greetings to the waiters who line our path.

Masked ball was in the Globe but we didn’t attend. Instead we graced the ever lovely Clifford with our presence in the Piano Bar. Im amazed he doesn’t have a Gold Pin as he is one of the few remaining bartenders that have that little bit of charm and flair. I think we pretty much drank our way through the martini cocktail menu, and Melon is the best one in my opinion. Steve joined us for a drink and we had him in stitches with our little stories of fellow passengers. You see Im a big people watcher and people fascinate me. Many have nicknames but you have to be there to appreciate what my line of thinking is. Obvioulsy we missed the Masked Ball, but we didn’t miss the filming for the DVD and we had the camera set back up for us at the bar. The Lynn & Jane DVD should be coming along nicely now.

Naturally we graced Electra with our presence, we have to really, or Vinod would worry that we had been left behind at the last port.

Wednesday 8^th July 2009 ~ Split

Oh Im loosing track now of what day it is and where we are. Rohit always does his buttling to perfection and gets a nice new backdrop for us to eat a breakfast. Im liking this living in luxury malarkey.

Split is a tender port so we are anchored off the port today.

I went off to the Piano Bar to do a little bit of work and the passengers collecting tender tickets provided me with 30 miutes of entertainment. Why do they have to Tut so loudly and protest at having to wait patiently? Lol, I was feeling quite smug knowing that we had priority tender passes. It was great just turning up at the bottom staircase when were ready without having to be told when we could go ashore.

My first visit to Split and I liked it. Very clean, lovely water front and nice old town contained in the old city walls. We found the Palace and a bit of a market, but it was hot, oh so flaming hot. We passed best part of the morning away in a shoe shop trying to work out how many Krona there were to the pound or euro. In the end we decided that 20 Kruna (or whatever they were) was approx €3 and there were 7 Kr to the €. So basically the shoes we were looking at were cheap but they didn’t fit lol. It was a bit bouncy coming back on the tender which added to the fun.

Back onboard I was changed and straight up by the pool to spend the afternoon doing sunlounger, pool, sunlounger, sleep, pool, sunlounger sleep etc. it was hard work trying to keep cool, almost as difficult as trying to keep my eyelids open!

Time for Mocha in my office then its shower time. What happened to afternoon naps? Just not enough hours in the day, plus I have to spend certain hours of the day on UK office time and then revert back to ships time, so it all gets very confusing, especially whan a few cocktails are put into the mix!

Informal night tonight, not that you would notice. Sorry fellow femail passengers but I have found the dress code on general to be dire. We don’t care though and go out in our posh frocks. Pre dinner drinkies in Intermezzo but its warm, very very warm and you can almost smell the warm air coming from outside through the aircon. I was sat on the sofa but could feel the sun burning through the window on he back of my head so had to retreat to the bar. Cosmopolit’Als and Parisian Mimosa were order of the day. I munched through a bowl of vegetable crisps but turned my nose up at the hor d’eurves.

We ended up in the quiz in Crows after dinner and a one point I had to go out on deck to try and wake up. Why do they feel the need to make the questions so stupidly difficult, and oh boy do folk take it seriously! Needles to say that it killed us and an early night was in order.

Thurssday 9^th July 2009 ~ Corfu

Breakfast is served Madam! Oh I could get used to this. And the balcony view keeps changing. We are just approaching Corfu as Rohit does his Buttling bit. Its hot, oh my goodness is it hot! (have I mentioned that before, lol) I want you all to know that its really hard to eat a full English in the full blown heat of the Mediterranean, but Im doing ok.

Port authorities had laid on a shuttle to the duty free area for those who are less mobile, and just the other side of the duty free area is buses into town. So far they have all been complimentary shuttle buses, so that is good. One of my gripes with RCI (and there were many) is the fee they charge for the shuttle bus services, so Im hoping P&O don’t go down that route.

Corfu was hot, very very hot and we had a wander from new town to old, shopped for a souvenir or two and then headed for the little café by the sea. It is a lovely setting and young local lads were playing in the sea and fishing in the crystal clear water. I could have done with getting in the sea myself but it wasn’t going to happen with all the fish swimming about. Costa Victoria was anchored out and tendering passengers ashore and Splendour of the Seas glided past us and went and berthed infront of Arcadia. The sea was doing a lot of laperty laperty against the rocks and it is an idyllic little setting, if you just want to sit and admire the view.

I had a tuna banquette while Rebecca and Lynn had a sandwich, but the puzzling thing is that the sandwich and banquette were both one of the same! It was a very slow walk back to the shuttle, but after a quick change I was up by the Aquarius pool. Not a sun longer to be had, but I didn’t want one. I just laid in the water surrounding the pool, which would have been lovely had it not been quite so warm. Even the pool water was warm. The sun was that intense! I thought there was going to be ‘pool wars’ at one stage when a bloke jumped in and splashed another couple who were in the pool but just stood at the edge, they obviously didn’t want to be splashed despite being in the pool at the time. That little drama calmed down but then a little old lady started having a go because there were too many people stood in the pool so you couldn’t swim if you wanted to! She didn’t have a leg to stand on really as she was fully clothed walking along the deck and no sign of her swimming costume and goggles, just her walking frame.

I tried to be good and tried to get indoors to do a bit of work but the cocktails kept flowing and the water was keeping me cool so I stayed an extra hour on deck before going to do a bit in my office at sea!

Captain Ian Walters and Executive Purser, David Sheperd, Private Party up in the Viceroy Room this evening, thankfully it also spilt out onto the sectioned off open deck. Shirley kept the drinks flowing and the very charming and witty Mario PSM kept us entertained for almost an hour.

Yes we were fashionbably late for dinner, but I think Francis could guess where we had been. Why we needed wine and a large Baileys after dinner remains a mystery but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tropical deck party up by the Aquarius pool this evening. We met Rhodes Chef man and we chatted to all that stopped by. I wanted to go and sit with my feet in the pool but decided against it as some bright spark might have sent me in for a dip. It was an excellent deck party, but I think it was down to the passengers more than the ents team if Im honest. They all seemed to disappear at one point and came back to finish what the started but I could be wrong. Shelia continued to look after us with a steady flow of drinks but she did scowl a bit when I asked for a diet coke at one stage! It was just one of those things that had to be done. Deck party finished at about 1.45 and we stayed for quite a while afterward just people watching and having a giggle as only girls do!

We went down to Electra but as suspected Mr Personality DJ hadn’t managed to drag himself down there yet, and when he did he made it very clear that he didn’t wish to be there. Infact when we next checked he wasn’t there and had just left his booth on auto pilot! We amused ourselves with the cocktail menu starting off with Brandy Alexanders and finishing with Frozen Margerittas, which wasn’t the best way round to try things. No idea what time we crawled off to bed, but there was nobody about which isn’t unsual!

Friday 10^th July 2009 ~ Zakinthos

Not a good morning for a hangover. I could hardly face my full english on the balcony this morning. The sun was just piercing and the tummy was doing a few loops looking at my bacon, even the melon was an effort. Couldn’t even attempt the loudness of toast. I had to get back under the duvet and think about attempting to pull myself together, which took a while!

Im liking the priority tender passes very much as I certainly wasn’t in the mood for any pushing and shoving this morning,not that I push and shove, but many do! So it was straight down to deck 1 and onto a tender. The sea was thankfully like glass because I don’t think I could have dealt with movement of any kind this morning. Note to self ‘do not drink a brandy Alexander with a frozen margeritta chaser’

We were going to go to the Blue Caves today but the boat trips didn’t work well with our timings and we were worried that it would have cut it a bit fine for getting back to the ship, especially as Captain Ian always seems to get away on the dot!

Hell, it was hot out there today and just the walk from tender to sea front nearly killed me. Scorching, intense heat and full blazing sun.

I don’t think we lasted an hour and got back to the tender station and I was extremely grateful of the iced water. Couldn’t wait to get back in the air con of the ship and it was straight upto Rising Sun for a fanta.(yes, a can of Fanta, note that alcohol was not consumed)

Im now sat in my office at sea in the Piano Bar, enjoying the cool air conditioning and trying to work. A passing officer has just informed me that its 39 degs outside so Im staying inside as I just cant take anymore today.

Time for some lunch I think, and then a sleep as Ive not had hardly any sleep at all this cruise, busy little social butterfly that I am!

Well, Ive just been sat out by the Neptune Pool eating my chilli jacket potato and it was baking in the sun, and I mean baking! It was all I could do drink my glass of white wine before it got warm. Ive just had a quick stroll out by Aquarius pool and is almost deserted, row after row of empty seats and I don’t think its because people are ashore either, because there simply isn’t enough in Zakinthos to keep you ashore. So now im under the duvet ready to knock out some Zzz’s. I’ve just had a little chuckle to myself because I decided to have my choccie off the bedside table, but judging by the state of it id say that there is a good chance I slept with it last night.

Seems like I took the fast track route to sleep and woke up without a clue where I was or what time it was. It was the Captain that woke me up actually to welcome me back on board, welcome home, and to tell me that all his little ducklings we safely back onboard and were being safely stowed by the second officer. He’s just suggested that I have a lie in tomorrow as it’s a sea day. Oh what a fab idea that sounds. A cruise and a lie in sounds like a perfect combination to me, but I doubt the latter will happen.

Next I did something really strange! I got out of bed and made a cup of tea! Now theres a first! That’s usually Mr C’s job. I suppose I could have bleeped Andre or even Rohit but I wanted it in a mug with a biscuit to dunk!

Well, its Cowboy night tonight so you can imagine what funny looks I got when I flounced down to the Piano Bar in a black cocktail dress with bright red sparkly shoes, but do I care? No! Im on a cruise and I don’t do casual very well, especially not country and western themes.

We are dining in the Orchid tonight so it was pre dinner drinks in the Orchid Bar. It was very busy up there and several waiters seemed pretty determined to move me from the bar stool to share a table with other couples, even when Lynn and co arrived they still tried to seat us elsewhere. I was very impressed with the champagne cocktail menu in the Orchid so we made it our mission to work our way through it. I liked the melon and Banana one!

The meal in Orchid was superb and I can highly recommend it, but oh we seemed to case havoc in there. Not misbehaving just laughing and giggling at anything and everything, and somehow we also found time to eat the food and drink yet more champagne. I had the spare ribs which just melted, then the chicken and something soup, the lemon and lime chicken was to die for and the banana pancake at the end was divine.

As if we hadn’t wreaked enough havoc we went onto have fits of giggles in the ladies, scare a waiter out of his life outside the bar, and then once inside the Orchid bar we proceeded to clear that place too! Im sure it wasn’t us but it sure did seem that way!

Electra was busy and alive and had flashing lights. We couldn’t work it out? Why had it come to life all of a sudden? DJ Martin was on a night off, and Magic Martin was DJ’ing in his place and oh boy did he make a better fob of it. If only we could have Magic Martin doing the DJ bit every night we could have a bit of a boogie, and maybe, just maybe the bar would actually take some money from the passengers who came into enjoy themselves?

Saturday 11^th July 2009 ~ At Sea

Considering I was dead on my feet last night I didn’t fall into the best sleep ever and I woke several times between 4 – 6.00am so at 7 I was up dressed and out on deck. It was blowing a bit of a breeze across the open deck but it was still a beautiful morning. I got a cup of tea and bedded down in one of the new big wicker sofas. Oh I love them, I want one! And can now understand why people sit in them all day without moving. At 8.15 I knew Rohit would be serving breakfast on the balcony so I nipped down to be seated and served baked beans on toast, lol, well I just fancied something different but I wont be trying them again in a hurry. I fully intended to just sit for an hour up on deck and then go and do a bit of work but it didn’t quite work out like that. I ended up just lazing around. Ice carving was at 11 (it was a red Indian!) so sort of watched that, it involved the effort of sitting up though. I nipped along to Neptune to check out the BBQ but was a good girl and settled for a jacket potato and salad.

I seem to have developed a bit of old lady syndrome and I keep falling asleep on my sunlounger! Im usually far to busy being nosey to fall asleep but Ive done it a few times this cruise. I turned over in the hope that I would be too uncomfortable to sleep but no, I was gone again.

I caved in at 3.30 and went to do a bit of work, press my evening dress and get showered before sneaking a few Zzz’s under the duvet.

Black & White night and Portunus Party night up in Crows. It wasn’t the most riveting of parties. The officers kept themselves very much to the themselves, Loyalty Managers did very little mingling and the Captain said the same predictable few words. We didn’t win the Portunus gift which remains the same as it has been for over a year now, still the silver goblets and champagne stopper gift set. The only thing that was nice about the party was the service of drinks and the Portunus Champagne cocktail, thankfully that green cocktail they invented seems to have been ditched. Portuus party was in Crows and dinner of course was at the aft in Meridian so that was another good bit of planning.

After dinner we went for Cosmopolit’Als in Intermezzo, so good that we had to have two. Lynn and myself then made a spur of the minute decision to sit at the bar in Globe and observe the dancing. Jeepers, did we get some funny looks from the other ‘locals’ sat at the bar. Clearly it was their bar, their bartender and we should have waited for an invite to attend. Nice bartender suggested a Le French Martini, which I have to say was very nice, and very strong with a definite kick to it. The Ents team were supposed to be socialising and dancng etc but as I would have expected there only appeared to be Magic Martin doing any dancing, with the others preferring to linger at the back of the room and chat amongst themselves.

Ed came by and advised us that Electra was busy! Yes right Ed of course it is! Curious as ever we drink up and head for Electra. Whats going on? Its rammed! Not even a barstool for us and the Barstaff suggest we retreat to the ‘naughty corner’ oooh were not liking it down in the naughty corner so its time to eject somebody from the bar! Well we didn’t exactly eject him, we just appealed to his Gentelman side to see if he was willing to give up a seat so that we could have the spare one next to him as well. And a true gentleman he was too, albeit an ever so slightly drunken one! John decided that we should do some shooters but oooooh I so do not do shooters. It greatly amused Vinod that he had to give myself and lynn instructions on what to do with the lemon, salt and said shooter.

I believe that Lynn was more gullible than me and shot the drink down as instructed but I took more of a lady like sip and discarded the rest. Then it was tequila slammers, which I managed to use a bit of slight of hand for, and after pretending to take my tequila I slipped it onto a table behind me. Lots of people were dancing, but you can see the good old P&O DJ tricks kick in and the ‘clear em out’ music started to kick in. At 4.20 we caved and departed.

Sunday 13^th July 2009 ~ At sea

Im first on deck again and the sun hasn’t even risen, but oh boy was it a good one when it did. Absolutely stunning! I swear the deckies think I am mad, but its more a case of once I am awake I need to be up and about.

After Breakfast in the exclusive Venice Dining option Im back on my sunlounger and the now predictable Zzzz’s start to form. Luckily I woke up at 11.20 as it was Gold Portunus Lunch in the Meridian at noon. Thankfully we had a lovely host, the ever charming and witty Mario, but other than that is was the most dullest of events! Two Loyalty and Future cruise managers who didn’t make a speech, or attend tables with any form of greetings. The Captain was in attendance but he also never bothered to say a few words. I threaten every time not to attend the Gold lunch, but I always think that the one time I don’t, then something unmissable will happen. Come on P&O, I say this every time. Why cant you be a little bit more inventive and give us regular Gold passengers something just a little bit different to show your appreciation? I don’t think Im wrong when I say that the ‘special event’ has been exactly the same since 2003, so given that I have taken an average of say 3 cruises a year since then (often more), this must have been my 18^th Gold lunch?!!! Does that sound ‘special’ what we really need is a ‘Justin’ on every ship, but Im beginning to think that they broke the mould when Justin came along and personality doesn’t really count for the job in question.

So, it wasn’t long before the bikini was back on and I was out by the pool, sleeping off the wine from lunch!

Informal night tonight and I was amazed that the dress I had chosen for tonight still had room in it. I thought I was going to have to bring out a reserve but the blandness of the food seems to have encouraged me to eat less this cruise. Pre dinner drinkies in Piano Bar with the ever charming Clifford serving the drinks. The menu was yet again uninspiring so I went for steak and fries and Francis even slipped in a bit of ketchup for me, yummy.

We decided to try out Spinakers Bar after dinner and try and solve the mystery of why they have candles and table cloths some evenings. Tonight was a non table cloth and candle evening and it turns out that its to create an ambience on Formal nights, which sounds like a waste of time to me. We amused ourselves tonight with the fact that ‘half pint’ the Bartender grew 12 inches everytime he went from Intermezzo to Spinaker. In Intermezzo he can just about peer over the bartop, but in Spinaker he manages the bar with ease. Rod was crying watching him come and go and for some reason we seemed to clear yet another bar.

Lynn and myself moved onto Piano Bar where Clifford was just departing and so left us in the hand of Theo who is champion cocktail maker so made us some green concoction which was very nice. Apparently he has named us the ‘AbFab’ girls and Im not quite sure whether I should be flattered or not? Piano bar is a great place for dress code observations and it left us with a few gasps of horror!

We moved onto Electra, not expecting much and not being met with much, so after one drink we retreated to bed.

Monday 13^th July 2009 ~ Gibraltar

Sun was just emerging from behind the rock when I turned up for breakfast on the balcony, a little nippy in the shade so I had to don one of the soft fluffy bathrobes. Captain announced our arrival and told us all to be back by 1.00pm.

We took a steady stroll up into town, and even I couldn’t believe how many buildings had shot up since last year. That street into town is almost unrecognisable now. The actual Main Street is possibly more of a dive than it ever was and we didn’t even make half way before we turned around and headed back. A visit to Swarovski shop was the best part of Main Street but they hadn’t got anything that took my eye so it was time for some research at the new Ocean Village complex. This didn’t disappoint, a lovely marina, a few nice select shops, restaurants and bars and nice waterfront area. We sat outside at Pussers Bar and no visit to Pussers would be complete without a Painkiller.

It was nice, and went down very well, but it wasnt the same as Tortola. I found out why later when I asked to purchase a bottle of Painkiller mix and was told that they didn’t have any as it doesn’t travel well from the Caribbean. There was a Pussers shop across the way but it was closed but the very nice manager opened it up for us to go and browse in there and we made it worth his while with quite a few purchases. Jerk chicken marinade and Grog for me when I get home! We didn’t leave until about 12.20 so we were cutting it fine really to get back to the ship, but naturally we made it.

For me it was a quick change and out on deck for the deck party. And what a fantastic British sailaway it was! Why cant the ents team give us even a hint of that for most sailaways? The Aquarius deck and wings were packed with waving flags and we danced for an hour in the edges of the pool, but predictably the DJ pulled the plug dead on 2.00pm as per Horizon daily news sheet. Vinod knew to keep sending over the Pimms and it was great because we didn’t even need to move from the pool. The wind picked up and we got battered as we tried to lay on the sunbeds, but the sun was still glorious so I stuck it out for as long as I could before retreating inside to catch up with some work.

Informal night tonight and oh boy do some passengers take that to the extreme. But is that the passengers or P&O’s fault? I think its P&O’s fault for not upholding the ‘suggested’ dress code, but no doubt others will have differing opinions.

We pre dinnered in the Venice suite with champagne and canapés of date and soft cheese, but the Pringles were nicer, lol. We were still fashionably late for dinner as there was champagne to drink.

Dinner was almost a non starter for me. No starters I liked, neither soup I liked, and main courses that either didn’t inspire or I simply didn’t like. It wasn’t only me as lynn was the same. Francis russelled up some Melon for starter and I opted for roast pork for main, but there wasn’t even any taste in the apple sauce. I got conned into a lemon parfait sweet but wished I had gone for the mango sorbet.

Post dinner drinks in Spinaker again just to se if ‘half pint’ was still growing and a new waiter had appeared from somewhere and he took a while to get used to us. Me and Lynn then moved onto Piano Bar to see Theo and allow him to mix one of his specials. We had a Rainbow Margeritta this evening which was very good and there was an art to drinking, which of course I mastered. Now you will have already noted my earlier comment about dress code. I in the Piano Bar on Arcadia do you really think it is acceptable that I share that bar with an older guy in shorts, t shirt and sandals? The pub I can almost accept it in but not a Piano Bar, but it seems that the bar lads are now powerless to ‘suggest’ that anyone selects either a more suitable venue or more suitable attire!

Time for Electra and the usual faces are at the bar. A new man has appeared, but he doesn’t speak or drink so he wasn’t very exciting, and we must have scared the hell out of him as he left soon after our arrival. Vinod was as pleased to see us as ever but even we couldn’t hack it and decided to retire after one drink. Vinod very kindly called us a cab, escorted us from the bar, opened the cab door and saw us safely on our way. Big night in Electra tomorrow apparently! We shall see!

Tuesday 14^th July 2009 ~ At Sea

Rockin and a rollin as we pass Portugal, and blustery is a mild word for the conditions out on deck. I was one of only a few who was out on deck by Aquarius today and I got my loungers sorted before heading for breakfast. I came back to sit and do my CSQ but the wind was battering me and as I had work to do I headed for my office! Flamin heck it was rammed in there because of the ‘A Factor’, as was all of the Atrium, so that meant no WiFi spot for me. I tried the cyber center and side rooms but all busy with workshops. I had no choice but to try and get into the back of Piano bar and work form there, but Sally Sagoes voice was drilling me and concentration was near on impossible so I had to go in search of somewhere else. One of the workshops in the cybercentre had finished so I got a table and set up office there, only to be ejected 2 minutes later because another workshop was about to be started! Grrrrrr… im getting ratty now. I thought Globe might have a bit of wifi signal as it was close to the Atrium but that was rammed with Mrs Fashion Woman, so I ended up in Electra where it was blissfully peaceful but I couldn’t find a plug socket so my laptop battery zapped and there was no wifi! Im feeling very icky trying to type and feeling the motion sickness kicking in. for me it’s a bit like trying to read a book while in a car or on a train, and its not a good feeling. Time to ditch the laptop and get some air.

As I breeze through Belvedere I bump into Lyn & co so a drink of cola helped bring me round to the thought of some food. Unfortunately that never happened as I have a dislike of tray pushing and decided on a jacket potato, but todays choices were prawn or curry and I thought neither would go down particularly well so declined all possibility of lunch.

Decided to complete one of my missions to circumnavigate the prom deck as I had only set foot out there once this cruise. That mission complete it was time for my bed, and there I stayed until tea time when I slipped on a pair of trousers and a top, nipped up a flight of stairs for 3 finger sandwiches, a toasted tea cake and a cup of tea, then it was back to the duvet!

Formal night tonight and we are meeting the lovely Mario fro pre dinner drinks in the Orchid Bar. Not a good evening to be late but unfortunately I was due to some late checking of work emails which delayed me some what.

The ship is really bouncing around tonight but it didn’t bother us up in the highest bar on the ship, mind you the kir Royales helped. Im loving the nibbles and we had 3 pots between us. We were rather more than fashionably late for dinner, infact we were very late! But Ollie was still on the doors so we took it to be ok and Frances has come to expect it of us bless him. Ive not been over inspired by the menu’s this cruise and this evenings Chaine de Rositure this evening was no exception. Im not a big foodie, and im not really a big eater, so im not really the best person to pass comment about the food (but I might do later) parade of the chefs happened in the distance and that was the final Gala dinner done and dusted. We really were rockin n rollin around tonight and there were plenty of vacant seats. I was very surprised when Rebbeca spotted Dolphins dancing in the wake as I thought they only really came out to play on calm days? How wrong I was! Im missing the lovely sunsets that we used to get on the way out to the med, and it was a bit grey out there tonight.

Us girlies decided we needed a shoe change to ensure that we could at least stay on our feet in the swell so we trooped back upto deck 8. Rod has had more than a ‘swift half’ this evening and is dancing round the suite in a black large brimmed hat with a suitcase, I think he thinks he is Gene Kelly!

Bar stools in Piano Bar is where we head next and we always seem to be able to clear a room in double quick time. Couple sat at bar were first to evacuate and then the port side, but starboard were a little more chilled and must have been enjoying the show we usually manage to put on. Clifford was being his usual witty charming self and Theo was in charge of cocktail mixing. Lynns was a little strong and did a good job of knocking her sideways but it was a temporary blip. Theo mixed us up another of his signature cocktails. Piano Barstools are a great place for people watching on deck 3 and deck 2 below. Formal wear was not very evident at all and I think we must have seen the best of it earlier on in the cruise.

Well the show had kicked out and it was due to be a big night out in Electra so we were itching to get down there as we couldn’t expect Vinod to reserve our barstools all night. Oh need we have rushed? Every barstool except two was available and the nightclub was deserted, mind you the DJ’s choice of 18 – 30’s music was enough to put anyone off entering the room. We observe so many people get as far as the door, hear the din that he is playing and then turn around a walk out. Surely if he played something a little more appropriate to the passenger profile onboard he could, and would, have a busier night?

We shocked Vinod by asking for two lemonades! But after our cocktail fest they were much needed. We only managed one further drink after that as Mr DJ had cranked the volume up so loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves think? Why? There was nobody in there. Maybe he wanted to get the man from G deck up there again in his Pj’s?!

Vinod went and called us a cab again, opened the door, pre paid the fare and told the cab driver to see us straight to our cabin door. It was a smooth and uneventful ride back to the cabin and my head was soon hitting the pillow for some sleep time.

Wednesday 15^th July 2009 ~ At sea

Oh I could have done with a good nights sleep but it never really happened. It was still a little rocky but that usually aid the seep process for me, so not sure what went wrong. It’s the final breakfast served by the Butler this morning, and it was still fine enough for a breakfast on the balcony.

The Bay is a lot calmer than the coast of Portugal was yesterday, its nice enough to sunbathe, but I don’t seem to find the time. There is packing to do, which is completed in shifts throughout the day, work to do, bits and pieces to collect, so it’s a busy morning.

Lunch in the Belvedere with Lynn & co, I visited the Neptune Grill for a jacket potato with prawns and a little salad, washed down with a glass of cola.

Rebbecca is delivered to the Retreat for her Wii Bowling tournament and then even thought Lynn was supposed to be packing it somehow turned into DVD watching with a southern comfort and coke! The Lynn & Jane DVD, other wise known at the Cruise Highlights DVD has no less than 15 appearances of us, so for once it was worth the £16.95 fee.

A bit more packing for me, then a little bit of work in my office at sea and lots of people watching. People in there ‘going home’ clothes always amuse me and now I have a couple of older ladies opposite me ordering tea with milk, and oh bit=y does she mean she wants milk! I hope the waiter gets it correct as I don’t fancy his chances. Bless ‘em, they have just worked out that the ceiling in the middle of the Piano Bar is the same as the one they look at when they sit on the nice sofa by reception! They have just heard an announcement to go and collect or purchase the Arcadia DVD, so they are now discussing what a DVD is. One of the ladys has a DVDmachine and it’s a bit like a record that you put in the tv and cansee all the old time films! I think they can see me smirking so im having to depart before I start to chuckle.

I popped out to the Aquaius pool and it was glorious. It’s a shame it was such a bad day yesterday, and I hear that Ventura, who is a day behind us is having glorious weather today as they pass the coast of Portugal. I laid on a lounger had had one final cocktail of the day before retreating to the cabin to tackle that final bit of packing. Its really not that bad packing for one, and im soon all done and even managed to drag the cases off the bed myself and put them outside the door. After a shower and one final listen to the crappy radio show Im out of the door. I called by the Venice suite (which has become my second home) just as there was an almighty roar past the balcony. Captain Walters is not impressed that the French Airforce is practicing a bit of its flying skills along side Arcaida. As we stood on the aft balcony the teo planes swooped down on us and then flipped and carried on sideways along the ship. The loud ‘Boom’ after noise was more scarey than watching the two planes almost dive bomb us. What a grand finale to a cruise. The show went on for 5 or 6 loops of the aircraft in the sky before the pilots went off chuckling to themselves.

I have a little bit of internet time left, so it’s a final check of my work emails before I earn myself a pre dinner drink. The waiter comes over and asks if I would like my normal Mocha (its cappachino in the morning and mocha in the afternoon) but its too close to Cosmo time for mocha’s. As I pass the photogs they give me one final interrogation of who I am, but I prefer to remain known as ‘The International Woman of Mystery’ it really has puzzled them this cruise, but no doubt they will work it out at some point.

Lap top packed away I remember that I still haven’t got a photo of Arcadian Rhodes and I have been meaning to go down there for days just as the doors open so as not to disturb any diners. It wasn’t too busy and Restaurant Manager was more than happy to let me in to take a photo. I was being very discreet until Michael Nicholson OBE walked in and insisted that he takes a photo of me in Rhodes. I dare say he was a very good war correspondent but being on the other side of a camera is certainly not one of his strong points! I almost got a close up of his face, then he took a lovely one of a pillar in the middle of the room, and eventually I got a rather out of focus photo of me in Arcadia Rhodes, courtesy of the Engineer who was about to dine with him.

As it’s the last night it simply had to be Cosmopolit’Al’s in Intermezzo, but he want there when I first arrived so I had a Belinni, and then another! But fitted in my Cosmo. As per usual on the last night the woprld and his wife is out. Where have they been all cruise? Plenty of ‘going home’ clothes in evidence in the restaurant tonight, not that the dress code has been particularly well adheared to all cruise. I often wonder what the rest of the passengers think as we flounce through the restaurant dressed upto the nines, but I think we are some of the few who actually realise that there is a dress code.

After dinner has to be Piano Bar to see Clifford and Theo, and Theo mixes us one of his legendary green things which look and taste good. We knew Vinod would be expecting us so after Rods final swift ‘alf, myself and Lynn head down to Electra. Whats going on? Its busy? There are no bar stools! This is an outrage and we are allocated a booth againm, thankfully with a better view than the naughty corner. Vinod tends to our drinks personally and even comes to escort us to the bar when a couple of stools become available, but we quite like it curled up doing some people watching so we stay there. It could have been a good night if I hadn’t had to start drinking lemonade as I was driving in the morning, and I really needed to go and get some sleep even though I didn’t want to declare the cruise over. Vinod was there to get us our cab, give us a big hug and wave us goodbye as he made sure the cab driver took us upto A deck. Last nights are very sad!

Thursday 16^th August 2009 ~ Southampton

Its times like this that Im glad I don’t have a window and I cant see Southampton looming outside. Quick shower, get dressed, final bits and pieces carefully thrown into bags and its breakfast time. Open sitting for Breakfast in the Meridian between 6.30 and 8.30 and I have to say it worked very well. Aurora tend to do two sittings and close the doors after 15 mins which often leads to a near riot. We were seated on a table for 4 almost the mirror image of our usual table. Service was fast and efficient and the bacon egg and beans has set me up for the drive home. A waiter spots me and comes across to say hello. Thankfully he had a name badge ‘Seby’ of course I recognised him when he came over but I couldn’t have told you which cruise it was from. But Seby knew, Oriana, Oriental Restaurant, table 78, 1995, I was travelling with both of my parents and my 3 children and we dined with the Security officer!!!! How do they do that? Of course he was correct. Lizy was 6 at the time so he was a little shocked that she is now 20!!

We have a final mission before we disembark and that is to check out some of the other grades of cabin. I was particularly interested in the larger inside and outside 3 and 4 berths down on G deck and we managed to get in all that we wanted to. I also checked out some of the aft facing balcony cabins on A deck which seemed very spacious and are of slightly different layout to the other deluxe balcony cabins.

Disembarkation had already started and I just like to be off and gone and not delay the pain any longer. The cruise is over so I have to depart.As I had a priority disembarkation pass I could disembark at any time to suit myself, so now was the time. As per usual I hadn’t listened to the announcements for where gangways were so I headed towards reception only to find that was the crew gangway and was directed up one deck. A glass lift conveniently opened for me and I stepped inside, up one deck and out again. Oh the queue was massive, it went across the foyer, up the stairs and down the stairs, but as there was only one of me I went more or less to the front. Oooooh dear if looks could kill I would have had 150 eyeballs shoot me from behind. I could hear the tuts, infact they are still ringing in my ears. Mr Entertainment officer was collecting the disembarkation passes, and mine was in my hand, but he wasn’t going to have it unless he asked me for it. I think he could read my mind as I said to myself ‘go on I dare you, you haven’t spoken to me all cruise, not once at a deck party, as I passed you in the corridor, at an event, nothing, so go on I dare you to ask for my card and say goodbye’ Of course he didn’t, he couldn’t bring himself to push that P&O smile just that little bit further so I retained my disembarkation pass for disembarkation of another cruise.

You disembark via the new walkway and straight into the upper floor of the Ocean Terminal, you then pass down a series of long slopes until you reach the Baggae Hall. Goodness me it was rammed. I turned to the porters and declared I think I need a Man’ and of course there was no shortage of volunteers. I chose the same young lad that assisted when I had mum with me last time, and it was far better than fighting with one of those self push luggage trolleys. He whisked all of my hand baggage off me and asked where my cases would be and what colour they would be. He found them both very easily in the Gold Priority area and then I saw the queue to get out through customs. Ive bever seen a queue like it. He asked me if I was feeling brave and as I had already survived the disembarkation tutts I was ready for anything. So he calmy walked to the front of the queue and pushed in. LOL, he was a brave man and nobody behind was amused, but we were. Every Custom desk was attended my a customs official as I walked through. They always make me so nervous. Why is that? I certainly never have anything that I shouldn’t have. But lots of passenger did have? Why to they think they can ram 1000’s of Gibraltar ciggies in their cases and get away with it. There were piles and pile of ciggies and tobacco piled up and being confiscated. Silly people. Despite there being 3 customs officials waiting to pounce on someone, thankfully they didn’t puck on me which is good as ive never fancied my dirty washing being pulled out in public.

As you pass through customs it brings you out where we first started at the foot of the escalator which you go up to check in. So Ive gone full circle!

Outside is a fleet of shiney Eavesway buses all lined up ready to take disembarking passengers back to their home towns. Ive become quite an expert of busses this cruise and they are starting to fascinate me now.

CPS key collection point is just across the road, im handed my keys and advised that my car is in D1. Porter man knows exactly where too look and before I know it my cases are in the boot of the car and Im heading back out of Southampton – but not for long!

So, I suppose many of you want to know which is my favourite ship in the fleet now that I have been back on Arcadia after a couple of years gap. That’s a tough one to answer. I really do like Arcadia, I think she looks better than ever after the refit. I love some of the tweaks that she has had since my last visit, and I think the Aquarius Pool and Bar area is one of the nicest decks of any ship. The biggest down side for me was the fact that trying to work whislt onboard caused me such a logistical headache. Nobody had warned me that I needed a continental adaptor to be able to plug my laptop in, in a public area. That may not be a big deal to most people, but for someone who has to carry on running her business even whilst at sea or on holiday, it became a big issue to me (thank you Mario for coming to my aid. In my book that’s going the extra mile!) Arcadia is certainly up there with my favourites and I will certainly go back on her in the not too distant future I hope, she probably even knocks Aurora off my close number two spot. But for me Ventura still has it, not only because I can work from my cabin via the internet without having to lug half my office around the ship, but she has some great facitiltes.

My favourite bits of Arcadia.

Orchid was absolutely faultless. The food and service was excellent and we just had such a fantastic night in there. The Orchid bar has such fantastic views, it has a very nice cocktail menu, and the nibbles are great too!

As I said before the Aquarius Pool area and bar. I love the outside lounge area and there is plenty of space out on the deck too.

Piano Bar, great bars staff and an ideal people watching spot sat up at the bar.

The Spa, I do like it in there but somehow just never found the time this cruise.

The Atrium. Whats up with the Atrium? Why do people harp on about it so much and say that Arcadia lacks one? I think she has a lovely Atrium, but then Ive never been a fan of this massive glam and glitzy atriums that are at the end of the day a waste of space.

All in all the ship has a lovely feel and the rooms just flow from one to the other quite effortlessly.

By the way the screening room was lovely, but I didn’t use it. Im not a cinema lover and cant recall any ship that I have ever been and sat and watched a film on. Probably the last cinema at sea I went in was Chaplins on Oriana 12 years ago or more to watch Magic Mikey do his tricks with the kids! I never heard anyone say that they had any trouble gaining entry to the screening room to watch a movie and from what I saw they were showing some pretty upto date films.

Being ‘Buttled’ as it became known. Being invited to breakfast everyday on the Venice suite balcony with Rohit doing his bit and making sure we were all happy with the breakfast. I didn’t really know what to expect from a Butler and I don’t think he did do what I had conjured up in my head he would do. I don’t think that was Rohits fault, but I do feel he had far too many suites to attend to, and that inturn meant that he couldnt possibly do everything that was listed as possible in the in-suite info card. He had a lot of cabins spread all over the ship, some aft, some midship and two at the front I believe. That’s a lot of ground for one bloke to cover and provide Butler service to a level that you would expect when you have booked an paid for a suite. We more or less had to have breakfast at a time that could be accommodated by him as he was busy serving others. We had afternoon tea one day but it was another Butler that attended. Basically that was it, he wasn’t there to pour the champagnes every night as the brochure suggests, and as far as Im aware he didn’t offer to pack (he could have come and done mine lol) Comments that are a little unfair perhaps, as maybe we never tested him to his full potential, but being the nice people that we are we felt he had enough to do without coming to faff around with our champagne etc, and he did always ask Lynn if there was anymore he could do. Maybe you should have a Butler again Lynn so that we can test the next one to the Max?

My not so favourite bits

Those dam flip up advertising boards every where! It was one of the first things I noticed as I boarded, and just presumed that they were there as a ’first day’ thing. But they remained throughout the cruise in the Atrium, Intermezzo, the stairwells, almost around every corner. It reminded me very much of being on a ship visit, but I thought they were very unnecessary throughout the duration of the cruise.

Crows Nest still lacks that little something. It has always looked to me as if they finished it in a rush and never got around to adding the soft furnishings to just bring a little life and warmth into the palce.

A trivial thing but I really didn’t like the curtain behind my bed that hid a blank wall. It kind of freaked me out! I would have preferred a blank wall, or a picture. A mirror would have been excellent, because as I put my jewellery on I automatically turned to that curtain everynight to see if it was ok. The cabin lighting was dreadful, and a full size mirror somewhere other than inside the wardrobe door would have been most appreciated. Every night I was trying to wedge the door open and stand back to look before the dam thing slammed to again.

Oh the bedding! The mattress wasnt the comfiest in the fleet, but oh those duvets. Mine was dead and lifeless with not a hint of a bounce in it. It was like a dead weight on me everynight, until I fainally managed to get it changed. I made the mistake of taking a peak at it under the duvet cover and really wished I hadn’t. It became a habit of mine after that, and inspected any that I got the opportunity too. Im told that they are all due for replacement later this year, and long overdue I say! The towels weren’t much better, but I notice that suite passengers had a much whiter and newer selection, so maybe I was not worthy.

Storage space in the cabin was a bit of an issue. Where I would have put Mr C and his belongings had he come with me, still remains a mystery, because I more than filled it. Only one bathroom cabinet too, the contents of which leapt out at me everytime I opened it.

The food. I cant put my finger on what was going on with the food and the menus, but it want to the usual high standard that I have become to expect. It was all rather bland, and I did struggle with choice. But as I have said Im not a big foodie, there comes a point where I can take it or leave it, so im not the best person to comment. But I certainly struggled with many of the mains and a lot of the starters. Thank heaven for vegetable crisps in Intermezzo.

Portunus

I always seem to have something to say about this subject and this cruise is no exception. Ive now done countless cruises with P&O since the 60’s and on the whole have remained loyal to them, but do I feel valued as a past passenger? Sadly not.

It got off to a bad start when we weren’t asked on arrival if we were priority members. Then our ‘welcome’ as we got out of the lifts to go into the Crows Nest Priority embarkation drinks was not very forthcoming. So our meet and greet bit didn’t go well. We found a table and were offered a drink of bucks fizz or champers. A plate of 4 small triangles of sandwiches, between 4 adults, plus a plate of small cakes. That was it, and I mean that was it! When we had drank our drinks the glasses were removed as if to say ‘Goodbye, off you go then’ but me being mischievous asked the next passing waiter for another glass of champers and he obliged. Bear in mind that this was Lynn & Rods first ever attendance at the much talked about Priority embarkation lounge onboard. Were they Wow’ed by the experience? I can tell you that they were not. There was nobody buzzing around chatting and welcoming us onboard. It was only my persistence that meant we did get the card to indicate that they were suite passengers and had they not been aware they could have been left to find their own way to their suite.

The only thing I like about Portunus is my 10% onboard spend discount. The more I spend the more I save, but that’s just a womans way of thinking!

Im not quite sure why P&O even bother with a gift anymore. Three little miniatures in a box didn’t really make me feel very valued and I know a lot of people don’t drink so its hardly the ideal gift. A bit more thought would have been nice.

I said this earlier but what makes P&O think that I feel special in anyway by giving up a couple of hours to attend a lunch in the Meridian. Ive lost count of how many I have attended now. Ok so we had a lovely officer to host our table but that is all that made it remotely special and many of the tables remain unhosted. I stayed until after coffee but considering there were two loyalty & future cruise managers present I didn’t see or experience either of them come to the tables and chat as I have known them to in the past. Not even a word from the Captain or any senior officer. I cant see how it can be that difficult to think of some other special event, even for those of us who have now endured 20+ lunches. Invite me to the Bridge with a glass of champagne, give a behind the scenes tour, a complimentary meal in a select dining option anything but please hit the lunches on the head. I think I have just attended my last one, unless there is bad weather and it might give me something to do on the day.

Some free internet time would be good, but realise not all use the internet, so maybe a choice of free laundry or free internet packages? And a bottle of wine at dinner wouldn’t go amiss! (thanks)

Portunus Party was also dire. It was only the lovely barstaff that kept us there. Officers and Portunus team did very little mingling, so I started to ask myself why I was there.

Arcadia after the refit

As Ive said she looked good and up until my cruise it had puzzled me exactly how and where the new bit started and finished. Apparently the stripping of cabins and cutting of metal work started as soon as she left Southampton for Germany late last year. By the time she arrived at the ship yard they were ready to make the last couple fo cuts and lift the old back end off. The new back end came as a pre built section and was lifted on and secured in place.

I was in a new cabin on A deck as was the Venice suite also new. The new cabins were C deck, B deck and A deck and then Lido deck. If you stand off the ship at the stern and look up you can see the difference in older lower decks and upper new decks. You can see the supports running across the bulkheads. I think it was D deck suites that remained to have the deepest balcony but most of that is under an overhang so is in shade. Im also told that the suites on the lower aft decks are larger than the A deck ones.

So, all in all I had a fantastic cruise. My observations are purely that ‘My’ observations. Will I return to Arcadia? Yes most definitely. The weather was superb, the ports on the whole were excellent, I met some ‘interesting’ people, but more importantly I shared some fantastic company!

You can view all of the photographs from this cruise via the photo tab at the top of the page, select ‘Arcadia Venice Cruise’