purplesea

11 hours ago, Sussexboy said:

I think that Captain Camby is a connoisseur of vintage joke books!

 

Having just returned from Arvia myself, I agree with much of the original post. One thing I would add, and it has been said before, is that the ship is understaffed. Having recently been on NCL Prima, the staff there were more numerous, and smiled a lot more. That said I cannot fault the team in the Crows Nest and the Epicurean. They were magnificent, and treated my wife and I like a King and Queen for the fortnight.

 

After reading many comments we were unsure about the dining arrangements. We found the virtual queueing to work very well, and the food was a very acceptable standard. In some cases it was very good, and not a green bean in sight.

 

Right, I am off to look for Captain Cambys grandmother who has been walking 5 miles a day for the past few years. He apparently has no idea where she is…….

I have heard his Thoughts for the Day many times, perhaps it's time he found some new ones!

Morning all,

A dull, damp day here, not raining at present but forecast again for this afternoon.

A yes from me too.

I first bought a set, with a metal and screw loop, when we were doing a fly cruise and since then both my daugher and her husband and my mother have used them too.

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

My sister is home but has to take things easy.  She has to inform the DVLA that she is not allowed to drive for 6 weeks and that may be extended if she has another bleed or if her next MRI shows anything abnormal.

She has said that she is coming out for our sisters' monthly lunch on Friday.

My niece is staying with her Nan and will phone one of us if Nan is feeling ill. One sister is less than 5 minutes away in the car and I am about 10 minutes away.

Glad to hear that your sister is home, and has a good support team around her.

I know, only too well the frustration of not being allowed to drive due to brain problems!

1 hour ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Was on Arcadia for this year's Worldie.  Thought I would just chip in a couple of thoughts.

 

Cabin:  A bit dated, and dare I say tired in some respects.  Had a bit of an issue with the toilet intermittently not flushing, which continued throughout the cruise.  Staff came along and sorted it promptly.  Other than those comments everything fine with the cabin.  Decent size balconies.

 

MDR: Early sitting was at 1815, a tad earlier than the expected 1830.  That said, some people (not us) regularly wandered in at 1830.  Menus were a bit samey compared to the 2 months of P & O cruising we'd done in 2023, which we expected.  Still a good dining experience though.

 

Sindhu & Ocean Grill:  Had a lunch in Sindhu which was fine.  One dinner OG. Didn't bother again.  Service was great, the food not so, not really worth the extra money over the MDR for a return visit.  One dinner in Sindhu.  Great starter, let down by a bland duck main.  Well cooked but lacking spices.  TBH we thought the food in the Indian themed buffet was better.  All subjective of course, and galley teams change.  Just wasn't for us with the experiences we had.

 

Glass House pop up:  Did that once for lunch.  Great.  Much better than the other two.  Didn't do it again as the menu never changed and sufficient other choices in either the MDR or buffet.

 

Buffet: In the evenings they usually had a live cooking station special.  Sometimes the wait times for that could be quite long (25 minutes once for chicken fajitas!).  No pizzeria at the grill area.  

 

Entertainment:  Pulse were great, have all gone their separate way no though.  Entertainment team were only ok.  Our perception was that the ents manager wasn't that great, which spread to the rest of the team.  Apart from Martyn who was very pro-active.  Several of the classical recitals were held in the Crows Nest which was a really nice touch, especially if going prior to dinner.

 

Bars: Spent a lot time (and money!) in the Crows Nest and Rising Sun.  Spinnaker was nice as well for a quiet afternoon or pre-dinner drink.  Can't remember the name of the atrium bar, but that was good as well, with the music from either the busker or duo most evenings.  Drinks menu in the Globe was a bit limited regarding beers, and most staff wouldn't pop into The Rising Sun to oblige.  Apart from Suthide - thank you!  

 

Hope you have an enjoyable time on Arcadia as we did.

Thank you I am sure we will. 

Arcadia is due back from a refit three days before we board.

33 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

Arcadia: Entered service 2005, has had a few refits since then but by all accounts looking a bit dated now, especially in some of the cabins. Capacity circa 2000 passengers, very spacious in terms of pax versus the size of ship, especially on the outside decks. Very traditional as you would expect for an older ship. Fewer dining options than the modern ships. The best thing is that it is naturally a more friendly or sociable ship, i.e., you may have a conversation with a fellow passenger then see them again regularly and catch up, something that rarely happens with the larger ships.

 

Iona: Entered service 2021, capacity circa 5200 but I believe can go up to nearer 6000 if all berths are filled. Has a very modern design which splits opinion, with a focus on the bright and airy atrium which some love for the natural light but others compare to an airport lounge. Lots of dining options including four MDRs and the excellent Quays which are a fantastic altenative to the buffet. Naturally it can get busy in terms of embarkation and disembarkation, including when visiting ports.

 

I'd happily sail on either again. Choosing between one or the other really depends on which parts of the cruise are more important to you. If you want a more "old school" traditional cruise with a more intimate feel then Arcadia would fit the bill. If you want a big modern ship with lots of dining and entertainment choices then Iona would be the way to go. There are compromises to be made with either choice so bear that in mind and decide accordingly.

 

Doubtless others may have different opinions and I look forward to comparisons.

 

Thank you for the summing up of Arcadia.

I have sail on all the ships in the fleet with the exception of Arcadia and Aurora. I have booked a cruise on her for later on in the year, and was wondering what it would be like in comparison with the others. 

Morning all,

My first though when I saw Phil's post was he's deleted his avatar, didn't notice it was a first post!

Hope you have a good holiday.

Bright and sunny although windy, but heavy rain is forecast for later. Typical, as we had arranged to have a family get together and BBQ. Looks like we will be using the oven instead.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday everyone.

49 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Morning all, sorry I haven’t had time to catch up on all the news. My mum is still in hospital so life is work and hospital visits at the moment. My sister is popping up for a brief visit today so we get a day off from visiting. We’re busy sorting stuff out at home today. I should be getting excited for our cruise but can’t get excited yet. Really hope she’s out soon and safe in her Home being well looked after.

I hope your Mum is soon able to go home. Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery.

1 hour ago, brian1 said:

Off to LGW Premier inn soon.Flying out at 7 in morning.Might see you at Budapest airport @yorkshirephil.It's a small world,the best one was in a lift after just boarding Sea Princess in Montego bay 2007.I clocked the manager of a builders merchant I use at the back of the lift.I shouted out "Discount builders",his mrs said OH NO,I said don't worry I don't need any bags of sand this week.We laughed about it weeks later when I popped in there.

Something similar happened to me.

I was going on a cruise in the Fjords and someone from work was on the same cruise. We had got on the same train at Penzance and changed trains at Exeter. She was sitting in our reserved seats, so Mum asked her to move. She walked behind me, not seeing me. We saw her walking around in Southampton. It wasn't until we got in a lift (half way through the week) that she was in that she saw me, and I was greeted with "Oh, Tesco Penzance". That is the only time she saw me, but I saw her at a couple at other ports. Coming home, we were already on the train when she got on and she walked straight past us and again when we got off at Penzance.

Morning everyone, hope you are all having a good weekend.

Day of mixed weather here. Blue skies, rain and wind making it feel chilly.

Planning of having family BBQ tomorrow so have some cakes to bake and food to marinade, but other than that nothing planned.

5 hours ago, Grandad John said:

I would heartily recommend Epicurean having used it on Azura. I and a few members of the family are sailing on Ventura later this year with one member of the family having a milestone birthday. I should like to book Epicurean for us all, however one member of our party is vegan and whilst I have attempted twice to establish via P&O ‘question and answer’ if vegan meals are available in Epicurean no answer has been forthcoming. Any of you seasoned cruisers know if this is available?

Have you looked on My P&O under dining? They have a sample menus on there.

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

It is a worry when some of our regulars disappear.

I got Pauline to join CC plus I email a couple of American friends who are on CC who would post if anything happened to me.

We have both been a bit poorly today and lay on the bed watching TV all day.

Sorry to hear that you are both feeling poorly. Hope you are both better soon.

Take care.

2 hours ago, Beckett said:

@Megabear2 Thinking of you today with vicarious excitement. Have the best time.

 

@Josy1953 So sorry to hear about your sister Josy. I hope scan 2 is more positive. 

 

@Purdey16 Thanks for the wonderful photos of Tokyo. Enjoy Queen Elizebeth.

 

@Caullkhead it's a long long drive but willl be so worth it. Have a great time.

 

To all my other dear friends on CCF - just to let you know I'm taking a break. I'll be back soon and in the meanwhile wish you you all well - good health and happiness and excellent cruising. 

 

Jane xx

 

 

Don't be gone too long, you'll be missed. 

Wishing all the best.

Morning everyone,

Have rain here, but I think it's now stopped. 

@Purdey16 Lovely pictures and hope you have a great cruise.

@Josy1953 Congratulations on your win, but sorry to hear about your sister. I hope her scan goes well. Sending you best wishes.

@Caullkhead Have a lovely trip up to Scotland and hope the trains aren't giving you any grief!

Not lot planned today, a trip to Tesco to take advantage of their wine offer along with my discount.

Hope everyon has a good day.

31 minutes ago, happy v said:

Sewing was rubbish. We had to pin it. Get it checked to see if it was neat enough 

Tack it. Checked again. Then sew by hand. This was for our apron for cookery. I snuck in at lunchtime and did it on the machine.

I dropped sewing at the first opportunity. I had to take history as they wouldn't let me do metalwork.

Thankfully that wouldn't happen now

Similar to our sewing classes. First thing we had to make was an apron, pink and white striped material. I used to get frustrated with the pinning, tacking, sewing and then having to re-sew it if it wasn't right. 

I could sew when I started secondary school, as I learnt, literally on my mother's knee. I used to sit on her knee's while she used the sewing machine and she taught me too. It caused a few arguements about the way we were being taught at school too. Mum had attended Barret Street Trade School so she knew more than my teacher! 

After a couple of days of nice warm sunshine, we've got rain again🙄 although it's still a bit warmer than normal.

Hope you all have a good day.

Morning everyone,

Yesterday was a dull and misty start with the sun only getting out mid afternoon, but today is a complete contrast. Wall to wall sunshine and quite warm already, so after a few errands this morning will make the most of the sunshine in the garden.

@Purdey16  hope you both have a good cruise and look forward to hearing about it.

Hope everyone has a good day.

28 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

If you login to your booking and click in to Your Itinerary on the first day it will show your special request. Mine shows my husband's name and then

121 ASSISTANCE

Things To Know

121 assistance required in an emergency

 

How long does it take to appear after having submitted the questionaire?

I filled one in for my husband on Tuesday, but there's nothing there!

2 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

Morning all, sorry haven’t had time to read the thread. My mum has been in hospital since Tuesday night so it’s all been rather stressful. She’s on oxygen and antibiotics but they’re hopeful she won’t be in there for too long. It was a bit touch and go at first. Everyone at the Home says they miss her!

Sorry to hear about your Mum. Hopefully she will recover soon. Sending you all best wishes.

I can't answer for the summer holidays, but I was on Arvia at Easter and there were 1250 children on board.

Have had a lazy day reaeding in the garden as it's been a nice sunny day, although a bit breezy. We do have a weather alert for thunderstorms in place though!

I looked this up the other day - 7th to 25th November.

On Monday I booked a cruise with my TA and was asked about mobility. I said my OH would be taking a walking stick which was added to my booking. Yesterday, when My P&O appeared, I filled in the questionaire, have downloaded and printed it off, as proof!

On a previous occasion, before the new rules were applied, I had completed the medical assistance form for my mother and emailed it to P&O along with her allergy details. We arrived at Southampton and they had no details of her request for assistance, although arriving in our cabin there was a letter regarding her allergy. So what happened, as both were sent in the same email?

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Can I just clarify something?

Does all this rigmarole apply even if you occasionally need to use a walking stick?

Avril

Yes, I'm afraid to say it does. 

I have to fill in the form for my OH as he takes a stick, although he doesn't need to use it on the ship, but uses it sometimes when ashore.

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Very busy day here trying to finalise our accounts before going on my wanderings.  Sending best wishes to all who are unwell and on the road to recovery.

 

Had very sad news this morning in that my last remaining blood auntie died at the grand old age of 99, only three months off her century.  Now I am in a panic as I will miss her funeral on 31st May as I go away on the 24th.  My husband has assured me he will attend on our behalves but it's not quite the same.  

 

To cheer me up Dutch Decoy is declared to run at York on Thursday.  Hopefully he will finally get his head in front for the first time this year.

 

 

 

 

Sorry to hear about your Auntie, sending you and your family my condolences