DamianG

Michelle & Kyle checking out the seats outside Sindhu. I would have liked to sit here one evening but it never happened.

This sort of thing really annoys me, just dumped on the aft staircase. Sheer laziness & ignorance.

18th August Just after 3am Michelle and I were woken up again with the gushing water noises followed by some kind of tap, valve or hose being turned on then shut off loudly. This time Michelle went out on the balcony and looked up to see the infinity pool being refilled. Surely we are not the only cabin to be disturbed by this noise in the early hours, especially as we are on deck 10 so there are 4 decks between us and the infinity pool on deck 16. Also, I find it highly unlikely that we are the only cabin to ever report such a noise from the aft cabins on all the Arvia cruises to date. The fact that this has happened 3 times on our cruise, yet the lady on reception said that she was not aware of what it could possibly be, makes me feel like we just got a disingenuous response when we reported it. We always choose aft cabins whenever possible and have never had an issue like this before, even on Iona. To me, it feels like another example of how Arvia is mismanaged (same as it is with the dining situation). Despite the disturbance I still got up early with the intention of using the launderette when it opened at 8am. When I got there I was surprised to find all 6 machines already full, and even more surprisingly several driers on the go (so clearly passengers had ignored the notice of the operating hours and been in well before 8am). One lady was there already ironing some clothes and when I called in to try my luck again an hour or so later she was still there. Michelle and I went to the MDR for one last round of Eggs Benedict. We left Kyle sleeping with the do not disturb sign on the cabin door (as we had agreed with him the night before in case you are wondering). Michelle’s Eggs Benedict with 2 rashers of bacon order was served with 2 Cumberland sausages instead. The waiter looked dumbfounded when we pointed out the mistake, and initially he was going to place a new order but we decided to just swap plates and I had them instead (not the worst sausages ever but I’m still not keen). All 4 eggs were perfectly cooked, “Which was nice” (another Fast Show reference), as it should be but a first for us on this cruise. Later Michelle took Kyle to the Quays for his pancake and maple syrup breakfast while I got the tea and latte from Vistas. The previous evening Captain Brown had warned us that the ship may sway from side to side up to 1 degree and that was apparent straight away. The sea was more lively than it had been on this cruise to date but nowhere near bad enough for me to reach for my Metoclopramide tablets or for sick bags to be deployed near the staircases. Mum later reported that she was really feeling it but as a first time cruiser this wasn’t that surprising. Michelle and I both think that the side to side swaying is more to do with the height of the ship than anything else but maybe someone with more nautical knowledge will correct me on that one. It had been wet overnight and a grey morning. The sun had broken through and the sunny starboard side of the promenade deck had quickly dried whereas the port side was still soaked. We still preferred to sit in the shade of the starboard side and Michelle and Kyle had a hot tub to themselves. I joined them and it was the first time I’d been in one on the promenade deck. As soon as I got seated Kyle switched on the whirlpool function and somehow it immediately took my breath away. I started coughing and had to stand up to try catch my breath in some fresher air with it taking me a few minutes to recover. It was completely unexpected and I can only put it down to the humidity in the glass enclosure around the tub, since the only other one I’d been in aft was open thus getting in more fresh air. So I’m a promenade deck hot tub lightweight but I’ll be better prepared next time. We didn’t do anything exciting in the afternoon. The reality of our last 2 days on board had kicked in so we pretty much just lazed around after packing a few items. I picked up some Gavi di Gavi late afternoon and the only thing interesting to report was the appearance of a very wide cargo ship following our wake in the distance. It looked a real beast and was pumping out a lot of smoke, and we had a good laugh when it was close enough for us to read the MSC logo on the side, given that we will be sailing with them for the first time next year. I’d not really felt hungry earlier so had skipped lunch bar a few of Kyle’s leftover fries. Michelle took Kyle to the Quays for some snacks late afternoon then reported back that today’s attempt to divert passengers away from the MDRs on formal night was to offer Tex-Mex food. I therefore fluked having the best of both by having a burrito, empanada, and chicken fajita with rice around 5pm. All that wasn’t as substantial as it may sound and easily kept me going until dinner later. Despite our lazy afternoon we were still late meeting everyone else in the Atrium pre-dinner. I had to return to the cabin to pick up my glasses and on my return had the not so genius idea of using the Atrium steps to get down from deck 8 to 6. The Atrium was absolutely packed for formal night and so many passengers were having photographs on the staircases that it was impossible to use them so I had to double back. We were still on time for our usual booking at Meridian and once seated Oswin was quickly on hand to greet us. An Amuse-Bouche was served pre-starters and none of us noticed that Michelle’s mum’s stroller hadn’t been folded up and moved away from the table. We all knew about it when a waiter tripped over it but somehow he managed not to launch the full tray of Amuse-Bouches across the MDR. Thank goodness but ironically no one liked them anyway and we certainly couldn’t identify the ingredients between us. Eventually I asked Oswin and he advised that it constituted Mango, Pineapple, Ginger (so that was the chewy bits) and chilli flakes. He then asked did I like it and when I just said “No” he walked away laughing. For starter I chose Smoked and Cured Fish. I knew I wouldn’t like Creamed Smoked Mackerel with Horseradish Mayonnaise (mainly because of the Horseradish) so I got that one out of the way then enjoyed Gravlax Tartare and lastly Roulade of Smoked Salmon and Cornish Crab. Michelle enjoyed Buttered Asparagus with a soft Poached Hen’s Egg cooked to perfection. Her mum chose that as a main and it was basically served with double everything. Michelle had Cream of Cauliflower soup (very thick but good) and I had Bouillabaisse, fishy as you would expect but a little salty for my taste and I wouldn’t choose it again. I was slightly surprised that Cream of Cauliflower Soup was on the “Marco Recommends” side of the menu rather than the Bouillabaisse. We both had Grilled Duo of Lamb and Beef Fillets accompanied by Pont Neuf Potatoes, Roasted Vine Tomatoes (which none of us ate) and Madeira Jus. The menu didn’t mentioned roasted root vegetables but they were on the plate again. The lamb was good and though the beef was tender I would have preferred it a little rarer as it was bordering on a liver taste if that makes sense. That’s what popped into my head anyway. I finished with Trio of Chocolate which I really enjoyed, even if the third part of the trio was just a smear across the plate. I don’t know, one minute they’re offering gammon, egg, pineapple, and chips as a fine dining main course then their presenting a dessert with a smear for appearances. Different chefs and kitchen departments I guess. Michelle had Baked Blueberry Souffle which was really good even if the accompanying Spiced Blueberry Compote had escaped out of its ramekin on the journey from the kitchen and made it’s own attempt at a designer smear across the plate. After dinner we went to the Crow’s Nest which was busy as you would expect on a formal night. Throughout the evening I only noticed a handful of gentlemen not in tuxedos or suits and it was the same in the Crow’s Nest so well done gents. As usual the cards came out and I followed Leeds United’s Friday night match along with the comments from friends back home. We were robbed by the way. We left the Crow’s Nest and decided to walk all the way aft on deck 16 before the descent to deck 10. We passed through the Horizon Buffet and yet again it was very busy. We looked at the infinity pool which was still full (water that is, not passengers) and the swim up bar which was empty. We also looked at the other infinity pool higher up near the Panorama Pool & Bar (18). It was all very tranquil and still surprisingly warm. I’d been getting quite sleepy in the Crow’s Nest but the walk and fresh air had definitely woken me up. It made no difference once were back in the cabin and I was straight asleep as usual.

Today’s P&O offering in The Quays to steer passengers away from the MDRs on formal night is Tex Mex. So I skipped lunch. Don’t let the man get you down…

I noticed a few cabin door decorations today. Please don't let this thread go off on a tangent talking about a certain tropical fruit (aka Ananas Comosus). 😉 🍍

This ship appeared in our wake, reeled us in and is now performing a slow motion overtake. Maybe I shouldn't grumble about P&O so much as I'm having serious doubts about our booking with MSC for 2024.

For @Presto2

Tortilla Soup, Pork Rack and White Wine Syllabub.

Playa de la Victoria

17th August No noise disturbance overnight and I would probably have slept in but for setting the alarm clock with the intention of maximising our day in Michelle’s favourite port Cadiz. We had another Quays breakfast where we bumped into mum and sister who let us know that they wouldn’t be joining us for our day out as they were planning to go shopping. After breakfast we were quickly ready then I delayed us from getting off the ship as I had to return to the cabin to get my hat (the one person in our party who really needed a hat more than most but the only one without anything in our bag). We therefore missed meeting Michelle’s parents at the gangway (it was always a loose arrangement anyway) and just expected to see them quayside. There was a minor panic by Michelle when she realised that there were in fact 2 gangways but we were quickly able to view both from a distance after exiting the terminal and could not see her parents anywhere. All we could do was make our way to the bus stop only to find that they were already ahead of us stood waiting to cross the road. We were too slow to catch the bus already there but there was another parked up behind it so we weren’t hanging around too long. We were using Linea 1 to get to Residencia near Hospital Universitario and the fare was still just €1.10 per person (unchanged since our last visit 5 years ago). The bus didn’t have a display announcing the stops so we counted 7 then got off at the right place (I did ask the lady sat next to me if that stop was Residencia and she said “No” only to be corrected by 2 other passengers!). Once we alighted it was just a 5 minute stroll to Playa de la Victoria (the beach) which we think is a lot nicer than the one nearest the cruise terminal (La Caleta). It was only 10:40am and this time we had the pick of several sun beds with parasols. Kyle headed straight into the sea with Michelle and this time I quickly joined them. It was freezing cold and a bit rocky to start with but we soon found a spot with sand underfoot where the water was up to my chest (plenty deep enough for me). I was looking around and taking it all in so I didn’t notice the big wave coming our way and about to crash into us. I kept my balance but water went on my sunglasses, sun hat, in my ear, and a little in my mouth (just a bit thankfully). Yet again Kyle swallowed some sea water which made him wretch again and bail out not long after. We all returned to the sun beds then after sorting out my sunglasses and swapping hats we all went back in. Kyle said that he much preferred the other beach (Alicante) and the water was certainly warmer there being from the Mediterranean (compared to the Atlantic in Cadiz). Michelle and Kyle soon went back leaving the extremely rare occurrence that I spent the longest time in the water. Once I’d been in and out a few times it didn’t feel so cold and I enjoyed just looking up and down the beach and taking it all in. In that moment I decided that Cadiz was probably my favourite port too. At 11:45am we decided to pack up as we wanted to get to our favourite restaurant La Marea before it got busy. As we were getting our things together the sunbed hire guy arrived and though we offered to pay he said it was okay as we were going. That was a bonus and saved us 2 x €19. As always it took a while to dust off all the sand and get changed, and Kyle probably left around half a bottle’s worth of talcum powder scattered around as he was trying to dry his legs. We got to La Marea (www.lamarea.es on the promenade just a few minutes from our sunbeds) just after 12pm and could see that it had been refurbished, looking a lot smarter than the last time we were there. No customers were seated yet so we didn’t anticipate any problems until the manager had a long conversation with someone asking before us who looked a bit annoyed. The manager must have thought we were part of the same group so whilst talking to the gentleman he was also looking at us as well but my Spanish wasn’t good enough to translate every word spoken at speed. We suspected that it was fully booked and when we called the manager back to ask he confirmed that every table was pre-booked for lunch. This was a big disappointment for Michelle and myself though I am pleased to see the place clearly thriving. Next time we’ll have to be more decisive (not just us but anyone travelling with us as well) and pre-book. We looked at the restaurant next door but it looked a little pricey (La Marea isn’t cheap but we know what we are getting for our money there) and I was put off by the variety on the menu which included Sushi, other Japanese dishes, and Mexican food alongside the more usual Spanish fare. We therefore kept walking and eventually just decided to return to the port area. We missed one bus whilst trying to cross the busy road then another waiting for Michelle’s parents to catch up. We then had a bit of a wait and when the next bus finally arrived it was full but the driver allowed us to get on and stand. Typically as we pulled out another bus was right behind us. Fortunately it’s only a short ride (around 12 minutes) and we were soon back in port. We didn’t want to get back on the ship yet so we quickly made a new plan to visit a particular shop (before it closed for siesta at 2pm) to try find Kyle’s collectables then have some drinks and tapas somewhere. Google maps did us proud directing us through the maze of narrow streets and alleys in under 10 minutes. I cannot imagine that we would have found the place so easily with a paper map. Kyle picked some unique items and though they were expensive we let him buy them (we had saved a fortune on lunch after all). I had €43.08 left on my Travelex card and the cost was €49.98 so I was particularly proud of myself for being able to ask the checkout guy if I could use up the balance on my card and pay the rest in cash (all in Spanish). Kyle was super happy and announced that this was his best port of the cruise so it was all worth it. From there we consulted our new favourite app Google maps to look for somewhere to eat. We’d walked past loads of places but there looked to be a few places dotted around Plaza Candelabria just 2 minutes away so we headed that way. In my head I pictured a pretty square surrounded with outdoor tables and parasols. What we got was a building site with men actually working along with a busy mini tipper going back and forth. We decided to walk round the square anyway and found that only half the square was being revamped. On the other side we passed Bar Zapata just as a waitress was setting up tables outside. It wasn’t the prettiest looking bar but we decided to sit down anyway and were really glad that we did. We chose a Spanish cured ham tosta with “salmorejo” which Google couldn’t translate into English. It turned out to be a very liquified cheese sauce (reminiscent of those individually wrapped orange colour cheese slices from supermarkets, “plastic cheese” as we call it) and it was quite different from anything we’ve had before. We also chose potatoes and chorizo (spicy version) generally known Huevas Estrellados and they were really good. Quite salty and no fancy presentation but good enough for us to clear a large portion. With vino for us and a Coca Cola for Kyle our bill was just €24.80. Despite us not being able to see the port because of all the surrounding buildings Google maps told us it was just a 2 minute walk away and so it was. We were soon through security and back on board around 3:30pm. Kyle telephoned his aunty to arrange some more hot tub time and after we’d escorted him to the promenade deck for the meet up we returned to the cabin so that I could finish my write-up of the previous day. Once that was done I went to get us some drinks and when I walked into the Keel and Cow the waiter taking orders remembered me which I appreciated. All aboard time was 4:30pm but as often happens there were a few stragglers, with the last calls for them being 4:47pm. I went back to the Keel and Cow (taking my glasses back as usual) and this time the bar man looked at me, smiled, and said “2 more Gavi?”. He had them ready on the bar before the waiter had even caught up with me to process the order. It certainly beats “pint of lager?”. Kyle has got a bit fed up of having Pepsi or Lemonade on his drinks package so I asked how long it would be before I could order a soft drink under my name using the Classic Drinks Package. I was honest about getting it for my son to have and the bar manager just said that it would be okay and handed over a bottled diet coca cola to me. The waiter asked how he should process the order on his tablet and the reply was to use the code “manager approved”. Fantastic service from 2 real gentlemen. Mum was sat waiting for my sister so I invited her to our balcony for the last sail away. Michelle also knocked on her mum and dad’s cabin door and they joined us as well so it was good to have them all with us as we sailed out of Cadiz. It was absolutely scorching hot and there was a good crowd in the Sunset Bar with the music playing just below us as usual. We also spotted our new Rovrum friend making short work of a pint of John Smiths. There was a big sail away event in the Sky Dome at the same time but I wouldn’t have missed the aft view of leaving port for anything. Once we passed the last bit of harbour wall our pilot disembarked then got straight onto a container ship to guide that one in, something I’ve never seen before despite all the ports we’ve been in and out of over the years. Later on we met in the Glass House for pre-dinner drinks. The Meridian booking showed in my diary section of the My Holiday webpage so we had no worries about our dining arrangement. Once seated in the Meridian we were surrounded by the usual passengers on the nearby tables, including baseball hat man (same baseball hat, different t-shirt, still not quite big enough). This time he was laughing and joking with the manager that he’d been giving stick to a few days earlier. Thank goodness. Oswin was soon on hand and asked us about our day. We asked if he’d had any time off and he confirmed that he did but didn’t go ashore and just had a good nap instead. I don’t blame him. Michelle and I both had Plum Tomato and Mozzarella Salad to start, very nice and just enough. Her dad had Grilled Sardines with Buttered Toast and Tomato Sauce (aka sardines on toast with ketchup). I would have liked a photo but he quickly demolished it. We also had Tortilla Soup which was like a peppery version of the “always available” tomato soup and we both really enjoyed it. Michelle had Beer-Marinated Roast Chicken which she said had a well-balanced spicy sauce (Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa) which was like a chipotle but not overpowering like some can be. Several of us, including myself, chose Pork Rack, which was in actual fact a gigantic pork chop the size of a small axe (albeit a blunt one that wouldn’t pass muster on TV’s “Forged in Fire”). Normandy Potatoes (seemed like Dauphinoise to me) which were good and roasted root vegetables again (which I didn’t eat, again). Are roasted root vegetables the new P&O staple? I’d rather go back to green beans myself. It was a huge main course which several on our table couldn’t finish and a massive contrast to my pasta dish yesterday which had way more sauce than actual pasta. As if we didn’t have enough on our plates Oswin got myself and Kyle bowls of chips which we (the table as a whole) couldn’t finish. Kyle got his favourite penne pomodoro without asking. For dessert I chose White Wine Syllabub which was all cream and no texture. Given everything else we’d had that wasn’t a bad thing. My rubbish palate couldn’t taste the white wine but I really enjoyed it. Michelle had sticky toffee pudding which she enjoyed. Kyle diversified by having a scoop of mint choc chip ice cream (as well as his usual vanilla) to accompany his standard 2 chocolate brownies. After dinner Michelle and I weren’t sure what was on in the Club Lounge. We were sure we’d seen it set up for a 70’s night when passing through earlier but the Horizon said the music would be Club Anthems (i.e., more recent pop music). According to the digital display it was the 70’s night which we would really have enjoyed but there seemed little enthusiasm for it amongst everyone else so we ended up in the nearest venue again (you guessed it, Andersons) where the cards came out as usual. This time we stayed a bit later and there were no signs of restless teenagers in the corridor. One of the comments on Cruise Critic mentioned repetitiveness and I’m certainly feeling that with our post dinner choices but trying to please everyone just doesn’t always work out.

On a lighter note here are a few photos of our lunch in Cadiz today. For the first dish Google Translate helpfully translated the Spanish word Salmorejo into the English equivalent “Salmorejo” (thanks a bunch Google). It turned out to be a very liquified cheese sauce on top of our cured ham tosta. The other dish is usually better known as Huevas Estrellados (or the more dull English “potato, eggs & chorizo”). As always the local vino went down extremely well.

Interesting this, I too thought they don’t want to upset people and get into altercations but it has occurred to me that maybe it runs a bit deeper than that and it is more a case of “Can’t afford to”? Maybe the message from the top is let passengers largely dress how they want, as they have to fill these floating monoliths (or at least fill as many berths as possible) every 2 weeks (or thereabouts)? I commented that it is usually gentlemen not dressed in accordance with the guideline in the Horizon, whether that is by wearing a t-shirt (or is that smart enough on some days, not sure), jeans (black jeans just look like chinos so is that okay or does anything qualify as smart?), football shirts (I’ve seen one in the MDR at dinner and a few around the ship in the evening), shorts (MDR, Crow’s Nest, everywhere in fact) & trainers (see previous comments about shorts). Ladies are invariably dressed smartly in general, with the only exception being the teenager we saw in the 6th Street Diner in the evening wearing a Lycra sports crop top & Lycra shorts. Call me a grumpy old fuddy duddy but just as I was thinking I wouldn’t let my daughter go to dinner dressed like that her dad walked through in his polo shirt, shorts and trainers. At least he was wearing a collared shirt! (And before anyone says anything the 6th Street Diner is a MDR on this ship). As reported there are supposedly circa 3800 “new to P&O” clients on this cruise alone so the last thing the corporation wants to do is alienate a load of potential repeat customers by upsetting them with restrictions such as dress codes. P&O has in the past been good at being a cruise line that can accommodate different passenger requirements (e.g., those that like to dress up can, those that prefer not to have alternative venue options on board) but on this cruise those previously distinct lines have been just rolled into one. In all honestly I really don’t know why they even bother to post the evening dress code in the Horizon every day.

I am trying to get through the entire cruise without choosing the “always available” beef steak or chicken though I nearly folded today. Most of my frustration comes from knowing how it used to be before P&O’s cutbacks (which started before COVID 19 or Brexit) and though there is always the old argument about cruising being cheaper than ever in real terms (taking into account inflation) that is not the case for us sailing in the main UK summer holidays.

Hi Graham, hard to be definite but I’d guess the 4 central aft cabins on decks 14, 12 & 11 suffered the waterfall the most.

Farewell Cadiz, our last port but always our favourite.

My sushi starter, bit bland but okay.

My pasta main versus Kyle's. Which would you pick, style or substance?

16th August It was around 3:30am when the banging noises returned to our cabin. I was awake immediately and so was Michelle but this time she managed to go back to sleep. I didn’t and the banging got worse and worse, eventually finishing with a really loud noise of rushing water followed by a bang similar to when you turn off a mixer shower. Maybe they were draining the infinity pool? When I last looked at the clock it was 4:18am. I really struggled to get out of bed after that and eventually got up after 9am. We were never going to be ready for MDR breakfast so went to the Quays yet again and I enjoyed a very light breakfast of muesli and pastries. The muesli was surprisingly good and the pastries were marmalade flavour which also suited me. After breakfast I went to reception whilst Michelle and Kyle went to Vistas to put in our regular order. At reception I said that I wanted to report the cabin disturbance overnight and it took the receptionist a while to understand what I meant. No apology, no report of maintenance that she could use as an explanation, instead just a (not entirely unexpected) comment that I should report it as and when it happens so that someone could investigate. I’m not really sure what I was hoping for, maybe an apology and explanation that there’d been an issue and it was a one-off, but I still walked away disappointed. I guess deep down I knew what was coming but I didn’t want to wake up Michelle and Kyle whilst I phoned reception at 3:30m so I’m not sure what would be the best way to deal with it in future. We spent a little time in Vistas then returned to the cabin. We were due to go to the Peninsular Club upper tier lunch at 12pm and my sister and mum duly arrived at 11:55pm to keep Kyle company. He could have joined us but chose not to. We went down to Zenith and were greeted by a few officers on the reception but these days none of them join you at the table. We’d already agreed to go with Michelle’s parents and requested a sharing table with other passengers for a bit of different company. Already seated with Michelle’s parents were 2 ladies and a gentleman. When the last passenger (a lady) joined us she immediately looked familiar to me. We chatted for a while before she eventually asked where we were from and once we said “Leeds” she advised that she was from Horsforth (a Leeds suburb where my sister and one of my best friends live). Then I was certain I remembered her and she was stunned when I told her that we’d met her before at a Peninsular Lunch on Britannia in 2015. With my random memory capabilities in mind I checked that my glasses case was still on the table. We had a really good chat and also got the gentleman sat opposite me engaged in the conversation. He was from Rovrum (Rotherham for those who need a translation) and once he’d warmed up was really fun company. We had a fair bit in common, especially since he was a traditional cricket fan interested in the County Championship and “proper” Test Cricket, not T20 or “the Hundred” etc. Whilst he was saying all this Michelle kept pointing to me and saying “like him…he’s the same etc.”. Lunch was fantastic as usual, champagne on arrival, Mediterranean Vegetable Tempura for starter (both of us) accompanied by a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, Blackcurrant Sorbet for me (not a big sorbet fan but I thought that this was the best I’d ever had, even better than the Champagne version), then Roast Cannon of Lamb accompanied with a nice glass (or should I say several nice glasses) of Cotes de Rhone. For dessert I chose Dark Chocolate Blood Orange Tart (rich and delicious) and Michelle had Tropical Fruit Eton Mess. Our new South Yorkshire friend chose the cheeseboard and although it was pre-plated (as they always are these days) it looked like a significant upgrade on the standard MDR equivalent. Once desserts were finished we were offered tea or coffee but when we declined they refilled our wine glasses instead. We were also given a plate of Petit Fours. A fun 2 hours had quickly passed and we were the last table to leave. Needless to say we didn’t do much in the afternoon, Michelle had a good nap and I read my book on the balcony. While we had been at lunch Kyle had taken his daily dose of jacuzzi so he was happy to just stay in the cabin as well, passing his time with online games and the usual YouTube and Tik Tok videos that he is interested in. I was pleased to see that our dinner reservation was viewable in the diary section of the My Holiday webpage so we arranged to meet in the Glass House at 7:30pm. The Atrium was very crowded but we all got seats for 20 minutes or so then moved on to the Meridian. We saw the same receptionist that had arranged our fixed dining but he seemed unsure about our arrangement for this first evening. He eventually said that we could go to the table and just before we set off mumbled “the reservation is for this evening only.” I turned around and reminded him that he had agreed that the reservation would be in place for the rest of the cruise and he said okay then wrote something down on a piece of paper. We were greeted at table 350 by the same waiter as usual and this time I made a note of his name, Edwin Dias. He took our orders and when it was Kyle’s turn he just said “Pasta and tomato sauce, no cheese.” I tried Vegetable Sushi as a starter, okay but wouldn’t have it again, and Michelle had Grilled Haloumi and Truffle Honey Roasted Figs, very small but tasty. We both enjoyed the French Onion Soup as well. For main we both chose Pasta Tortellini with Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil. Michelle liked it but I was disappointed with the small portion. Kyle had a huge portion of Macaroni with tomato sauce which looked far more appealing. Edwin also brought out 2 bowls of chips for him but that was too much and Kyle shared them around the table. He also offered us more drinks and when he came to me said “Silk and Spice?” How could I refuse? For an encore when taking the dessert orders he said to me “Cheese?” and when I declined and instead chose Crème Caramel he asked “Would you like some cheese after that as well?” Just for the record it was okay but a bit eggy for me. After dinner we went to Andersons where the cards came out again. It was noticeable that a few teenagers were running around in the corridor area between Andersons and the Meridian, not exactly causing trouble or anything like that and most likely just restless despite the options available to them on board. For balance I should tell you that earlier there were 3 young teenage girls going into the Meridian ahead of us, all dressed up and clearly dining without their parents. The Meridian receptionist treated them with respect saying “Good evening ladies, how may I help you” and he got the same level of politeness back when they requested a table. Fantastic. We’ve also noticed a few cranky toddlers about here and there this last few days so maybe 2 weeks is a bit long away from home in an unusual environment for some of the younger passengers. Anyway I digress. Last orders were called in Andersons at 10:50pm and everyone seemed tired so we called it a night. We had to dodge around the group of teenagers in the corridor on our way to the aft staircase but they didn’t take any notice of us and didn’t get in our way so all good. In the cabin Kyle put a movie on and as usual I’ve no idea when it went off.

Funny enough the wording in Horizon was different today (not sure if it’s been changing daily).

I doubt there will be any problems with kids splashing water over the edge of the infinity pool onto the aft balcony cabins on a Caribbean cruise in February. If it did happen then not all aft balconies are affected, only those in the firing line.

I've never been to Butlins so cannot compare but I can tell that the on board experience is very, very different in so many ways (some good and some not so good) to our 1st P&O cruise in 2004. There is definitely a lot of repetitiveness with so few port days for a Mediterranean cruise.