DamianG

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.

A couple of late night photos from our aft balcony last night. I really like the changing light colours in the jacuzzis.

Dress Code ignored by a high percentage of gentlemen on this cruise.

16th August I woke up at 7:45am and realised that we still hadn’t docked yet so I quickly got ready and went out onto the balcony. For once we didn’t have a good view of anything bar a canoeist chasing us as Captain Josh (as Michelle calls him) was steering straight into the port with no fancy reversing manoeuvres this time. We didn’t rush Kyle again so ended up in the Quays for breakfast. Although we were there in plenty of time I stood in the queue for hot items for ages and when I checked my phone I realised it was 9:58am with closure due at 10am. It was the second day running there had been a big hold up and I finally realised that it was because they had run out of hash browns, and instead of stepping aside passengers just stand there waiting for more and that holds up the entire line. Fortunately common sense prevailed and the serving hatch shutters didn’t come down until everyone in the line was served. Again we planned to get off the ship later than most to avoid having to wait for a shuttle bus. My sister called and although we hadn’t planned to go together they were ready to go so we met them quayside then all got on a bus. It was only a really short journey to the port entrance anyway so it probably wouldn’t have been such a big deal to get on earlier. We strolled around the promenade with the intention of having some beach time but we soon realised that we would have needed to be off the ship super early to stand any chance of getting a sun lounger and parasol. Of course it is the main holidays in Spain as well and the beach was very crowded with predominantly Spanish people. There were a few P&O passengers about (readily identified by their blue towels) but not many from what I could see anyway. It was already really hot and tough going for mum but eventually we found a free bench on the promenade then not long after we were able to move to another with partial shade from a palm tree. My sister, Michelle and Kyle all went in the sea then later I took a turn. When I joined them Michelle said that Kyle had drank some sea water and then been sick so I wasn’t in that long which suited me fine. He quickly recovered so they all went back in and I stayed with mum. I went to the edge of the promenade to take a photo and then bumped into Michelle’s dad. They had stopped just 2 benches away from us so moved to ours. Once our swimmers returned I told Michelle that I was going for a wander. Ever keen to avoid the high prices in tourist areas I walked along the promenade a little then crossed over Carrer de Jovellanos then climbed some steps up to the cliff top apartments on Calle de la Virgen del Socorro. Once there I spotted a small café where I was able to buy a mixture of 5 cans of pop and 2 beers for €9.80. Again I was pleased with my recall of Spanish vocabulary as I made the young waitress understand that I needed a mixture of drinks for 7 people and a bolsa (bag). When I got back with the goodies our swimmers had more or less got dressed and were getting ready to go. We were soon on a shuttle bus which overloaded a little though we had seats. It didn’t really matter for such a short journey and we were back on board at 3:10pm. Not the most successful day ever but at least we’d been out for a while and Kyle did enjoy going in the sea (despite being sick). This was our first visit to Alicante and we hardly saw any of it but we’ve had a very small taste and will have a better idea if we return in future. After we’d all had a shower Kyle arranged to have yet more jacuzzi time with his aunty. They were on the sunny side of promenade deck and it was far too hot for Michelle and I so we sat nearby in the Keel and Cow. When we went back out to collect Kyle he wanted to stay out for the sail away so we went back in for another glass of Gavi di Gavi (any excuse). We met everyone at 7:30pm in Andersons and as usual there was no availability on the My Holiday webpage for any of the MDRs. I walked to Meridian and mentioned table 350 which the receptionist said we could have straight away. I went back and gathered everyone together then we returned and once seated were immediately greeted by the same waiter as previous evenings. We noticed the same passengers as previous evenings on the table next to us on the port side, but a different group on the neighbouring table starboard side. Not long after the passengers who usually sit at the latter table strolled through the restaurant unescorted then were shocked to find someone else seated at “their” table. Surely they hadn’t just walked into Meridian without checking in? The waiters directed them back to the reception and they soon returned being escorted to another table nearby. I couldn’t help but notice a bit of commotion at the neighbouring table port side. A restaurant manager was working through a series of menus with a lady who seemed frustrated at the choices. Her partner or spouse interrupted and was quite rude to the restaurant manager, complaining and shaking his head. Now it’s none of my business, but here was a man dressed in a lilac t-shirt (that wasn’t really big enough for him), baseball cap, jeans, and trainers, having a go at the restaurant manager who was doing his best and was nothing but polite. Meanwhile the couple’s toddler daughter was climbing the window frame (I kid you not). Obviously I wasn’t going to get involved and it was nothing to do with me, but when they are drawing attention to themselves like this it’s hard to look the other way, especially when they are right in your eye line. At least his partner/spouse was nicely dressed as was the other lady with them (maybe his mother as there was a resemblance). Again I struggled for menu choices and started with Smoked Chicken Breast which wasn’t really my taste. I should have just gone for Caesar Salad like Michelle. I did pick a winner with Goan Vegetable Curry which suited my taste really well, whilst Michelle chose Corn-Fed Chicken Breast Milanese (“alright”). We both finished with cheese and biscuits and a glass of port. Kyle had to settle for spaghetti with tomato sauce despite our waiter’s best efforts. He apologised but said that if we were going to request this table every evening he would always try to get some penne for Kyle. He got Kyle a double portion of chocolate brownie and ice cream to try compensate. We left the restaurant around 9:30pm. I decided to take the initiative and ask for table 350 every evening. We would be sacrificing our dining flexibility but I was fed up of going through the same process every evening and making arrangements for everyone. The Meridian receptionist said straight away that they could do this and he could offer fixed dining at 8pm. I readily agreed, thanked him then caught up with everyone else to tell them. Nobody seemed to mind, as several said we’ve tried 6th Street Diner and The Olive Grove (both menus) so that’s good enough. We took the long walk to the Crow’s Nest and again were easily seated despite it being busier than on our previous visit. Whilst the rest of our party played cards I became obsessed with the view of the coastline and at one point I was convinced that we weren’t moving at all. My sister thought the same so I tried a ship tracker on my phone which confirmed we were indeed moving. With hindsight I’d like to think that it was a bit of an optical illusion rather than me just being dozy. Thanks again for the helpful comments and suggestions when I posted a comment last night. We left just before 11:30pm and as mum and my sister were going to the Horizon to pick up some milk we decided to walk that way with them. On entering the Horizon we were frankly shocked at how busy it was with nearly every seat taken and passengers with platefuls of food. As we walked through there some free seats further away from the serving stations and if I had to I’d estimate that it was around 2 thirds full. No wonder there are often complaints on social media about being nothing left in the early hours of the morning, the food was all getting hoovered up in the first hour. From there we walked through to the Infinity Bar deck 16 aft and caught the last part of the last Silent Disco song. There was a good crowd and a collective groan when it finished. Fortunately we just beat the crush at the exits and were soon back in our cabin.

Yes, I see the same & it’s probably just me. I’ve looked again & the lighthouse I was using as a reference point has moved a tiny bit now.

Sat in the Crow’s Nest & I’m convinced we are not moving (i.e., just parked up floating around off the coast of Spain). I tried a ship tracker app but still not sure if I’m correct.

Caesar Salad, Tomato Soup, Pan-Fried Breast of Chicken & Grilled Prime 5oz Beef Sirloin incorporated into the main menu choices every night. These all used to be separately listed as “always available” when P&O offered more choice. I struggled to choose again tonight but enjoyed the Goan Vegetable Curry.

From gammon & chips last night to Betty’s Hot Pot, tonight’s MDR menu.

The busy Alicante beach nearest the cruise terminal.

More canoes.

Anderson’s at 9:33pm

Last night’s MDR choices.

Great food and views at El Corte Inglés

14th August We had a bit of a lie in and a leisurely start to the day. We didn’t bother with the MDRs and instead had breakfast at the Quays where Kyle has taken a liking to the pancakes on offer. From there I went to reception to ask about my glasses. The lady in front of me was doing the same so when she was presented with a tray full of glasses to choose from I could already see my case. When it came to my turn there was a fine selection but I just chose my own. Kyle later asked if I’d tried any other pairs on! We got a latte and tea from Vistas then just went back to the cabin where we spent most of the morning, bar a few visits to the launderette. After overheating in Valencia Kyle had already decided to change his mind about going to the zoo in Barcelona so instead we just had a simple plan to go to El Corte Inglés on Plaça de Catalunya for a bit of shopping and some lunch. We disembarked just after 12pm (yes, I know, midday sun again) and we were quickly on a shuttle bus that set off as soon as we seated. For any coach fans it was a brand new Mercedes, very comfortable with great air con and the best shuttle bus yet. We were dropped off near the World Trade Centre as usual and headed off towards the bottom of La Rambla. There were Tui and Costa ships in port and it was immediately apparent that La Rambla was super busy. I don’t know about anyone else but for us it has really lost its enchantment with all the crowds of tourists and so many souvenir shops at the lower end selling all sorts of tat. Doubtless it’s a much better experience in the evening with all the bars and restaurants in full swing. It was a real slog getting from the bottom to the top, very hot and we were constantly having to avoid people. Despite my best efforts one man completely walked into me, after which I said to Michelle that I was fed up of dodging round people not looking where they are going, both ashore and on board the ship. As she said, so many are walking along focusing on their phones rather than where they are going as well. By the time we got to Plaça de Catalunya Kyle was completely fed up and said that the trip better be worth it. Once inside El Corte Inglés we were hit with a refreshing blast of air con which was very welcome. We made our way up an endless series of escalators to floor 9 where the juguetes were and Kyle quickly found his collectables. Although there was a good display section the shelves were not very full and there was nothing appropriate for him. At least he showed some maturity and decided to save his money, compared to many times in the past when he would have just bought something anyway. From there we went up to the next level and braced ourselves for the cafeteria. If you’ve never been it can appear chaotic and intimidating but if you do go through and get something it’s worth every penny (or cent). It was crowded and a hostess was directing traffic. “Italiano?” she shouted at us and I shook my head and replied “No, tapas” after which she directed me to the counters on the left side. There was a long line waiting for Italian food, presumably including a lot of Costa passengers, but our side wasn’t too bad thankfully. At the tapas station I asked for calamares, tortilla and patatas bravas. There were also croquetas but we thought that we would have enough, especially as the tortilla came with some toast and a tomato dip. The chef was multi-tasking, cooking everything to order bar the tortilla where he had one already sliced and 2 more cooking in pans. From there we went to the drinks section and got a Fanta (self-serve on tap) for Kyle and a bottle of Melior Rueda white wine for us. The total bill was €33.70 and I’m certain a similar meal would have been double that on La Rambla. Kyle had secured us a table and somehow I managed not to let the Fanta and wine bottle slide off my tray. Once we were all seated Kyle launched into the calamari and potatoes and ate very well (always a relief for us). Verdejo wouldn’t be my favourite wine but this one was okay and most importantly cold (and “barato” – cheap). The calamari was good and the patatas excellent. Often we find that UK versions of the brava sauce are far too spicy and overpower your palate, but this one was just right as you would expect, very tasty with just the right amount of spice. We took our time and I enjoyed looking out of the windows which run all the way around the seating area and provide spectacular views. From the cafeteria we went down to the pet section but didn’t find anything for our cockapoo Teddy. After that we went all the way down to the basement to pick up some shaving gel for me and some cabin snacks for Kyle. As luck would have it the wine section was next to the toiletries isle and my eyes were immediately drawn to the stickers quoting 50% and 70% off. Now you may not have noticed that we like our wine (“no way, really?” I hear you say….) and I was absolutely spoilt for choice. I’m used to prices being higher in the UK but some of those I saw were astonishing, with the lowest being €1.58 for a 75cl bottle. Even the Australian wine 19 Crimes which costs anything between £7.50 - £9.99 at home, was just €3.00. I could have filled several shopping trolleys but in the end chose La Luz Va, Valpincia Crianza, a 100% Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero that should suit us nicely, and a bottle of Castelblanc Brut Zero Cava, more of a risk as often they can be a bit too dry but fingers crossed. Shopping done we set off back to the ship but this time we avoided most of La Rambla by going down Carrer de Rivadeneyra as far as the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter then cutting across. It was busy but nothing like La Rambla and the journey seemed far quicker. There were plenty of passengers heading back to the shuttle buses but no queues. Michelle saw a teenage lad with his shirt off (walking along with his family) who was stopped by a policeman and told to put it back on. Inevitably the family got on the same shuttle bus as us (which was the nice Mercedes again). The temperature gauge on the coach stated 34 degrees. There were multiple scanners for security checks in the cruise terminal and just like supermarket checkouts at home I picked the wrong line. I didn’t realise that a wheelchair user had gone through with a bag on his lap and caused a hold up. A family had bustled through behind him before the security guard had a chance to see them, so he subsequently sent them all back. It was too late for me to switch lines as my rucksack had already passed through the scanner. The security team then had to look through the wheelchair guy’s bag and found several things which had set off the scanner, including a pair of walkie talkies. Lord knows why his companion doing the pushing hadn’t put the bag on the conveyor belt like everyone else. Once through we had to dodge around someone looking at the their phone rather than where they were going Back on board we spent time in the cabin and on our balcony. Lots of passengers were at the Sunset Bar deck 8 aft and for once there was some decent music playing. We waved off Tui’s Mein Schiff 2 and lots of their passengers were out on deck waving and cheering. The time passed quickly and it was soon 6:45pm when our ship was getting ready for departure. I now regretted agreeing to meet everyone at 7pm and stayed outside on the balcony as long as I dare before eventually rushing through a shower and getting ready for dinner. There were still loads of passengers in the jacuzzis and around the Sunset Bar in general, but it never occurred to me that this would have a positive affect on our dining experience. We’d already decided that we didn’t fancy the MDR main course choices. Since when has gammon, eggs, pineapple and chips been considered fine dining? We therefore called in the Olive Grove on our way down to the Amber Lounge and were attended to straight away. The receptionist gave us a pager and said that the wait could be anything between 20 and 40 minutes, which we said was fine. 20 minutes later the pager buzzed at 7:29pm. We were seated at a table for 2 and a table for 4 pushed together. Our tables were opposite the entrance so it wasn’t as good as last time but we were happy to be in and seated. I had the Italian Antipasti for starters which I really enjoyed. Michelle had Bolinhos de Bacalhau which she thought were good too. She also had a well presented Italian Salad to go with it. For main I had Middle Eastern Beef Kofta Gyro Pittas (more beef) which tasted better than it looked. Michelle had Moroccan Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank Tagine which was a popular choice and went down really well. Her mum had Spaghetti Carbonara which I thought looked a bit too wet. Michelle had Sicilian Lemon Tart which was very good, and I chose badly with Piedmont Torta Gianduia. I expected it to be rich (which is fine for me) but it was far too dry with a very dense sponge and just a thumbnail of cream on the side. I threw in the towel after a few spoonful’s. Service was extremely slow (not that it really bothered us though it took several attempts to request more drinks) and we left at 9:29pm, exactly 2 hours after being paged. We went to the library side of Andersons and were shocked to find that it was completely empty. Michelle then suggested that maybe Brodies was packed full of passengers watching the Monday night football, not that any of us were bothered enough to go check. We also thought that perhaps lots were still outside on the open decks. We stayed in Andersons until 11:15pm then returned to the cabin. Kyle’s movie finished just after midnight and whilst flicking through the TV options Michelle noticed a warning message about temperatures reaching as much as 40 degrees in some of the ports. It also said that it was still 27 degrees which we were really surprised at.

Already warm just before 8am & we have a canoeist chasing us down on our approach into Alicante.

Just after midnight & according to the TV information screen it was still 27 degrees. We’ve never seen a weather warning like this before either.