Bon Voyage Dawn Princes Round Europe Cruise 2013

[bazzaw]

The transit takes around 12 hours -- so they should get to see some of it

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

They are anchored in Great Bitter Lake now - and the sun has riz. They are waiting for a convoy coming the other way. Fascinating to watch on AIS

 

Barry

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

It sure is fascinating to watch Barry. Those must be big lakes to hold all those ships. Looks like Dawn is at the front of the convoy that is forming and waiting for the second part of the canal to Suez to clear.

 

 

 

The convoy is forming....

 

[bazzaw]

David

 

There were 17 ships in that northbound convoy that DP is waiting for.

 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Another grab of the convoy forming..

 

 

Also interesting to note in Barrys pic ,

the red ships are all tankers..

looks like they come at the back

 

 

 

[bazzaw]

David

 

AND THEY ARE STILL COMING!!!!

 

I don't recall spending much time at all in the lake - and my wife informs me that we went straight through. DP has been sitting there for I don't know how many hours and a couple more to go as far as I can see. Still -- the weather looks fine and it is surprising how interesting these cargo ships are as they pass closely by. I am sure the passengers are suffering as they lounge around the upper deck - drinks in hand!! :p

 

 

Barry

[Pushka]

I could manage it myself!

[NSWP]

Been following the various blogs, but no reports on Valletta, Malta. As we visit Valletta on Arcadia next April I was seeking the intelligence to do our own thing there.

 

Yes that Suez Canal is like the London M25 orbital motorway. Chockas all the time.

[bazzaw]

Les

 

Stay tuned!!! The next blog post to here http://venice2sydney.blogspot.com.au/ will be for Valetta :)

 

PS Have you bought a new tux for your cruise next year?? :) You will be on Arcadia after all!!! You have to keep the standards up on P&O :)

 

Barry

[NSWP]

Les

 

Stay tuned!!! The next blog post to here http://venice2sydney.blogspot.com.au/ will be for Valetta :)

 

PS Have you bought a new tux for your cruise next year?? :) You will be on Arcadia after all!!! You have to keep the standards up on P&O :)

 

Barry

Thanks Barry, never came across that blog, but have now. As for tuxedo for Arcadia mate, no more Tuxes for me since I donated mine to Oxfam shop in England last year post Arcadia WC For next year's Arcadia in the Med following Golden Princess around South America it will be dark suit mate, I have turned into a cruising bogan, LOL, well I would be a Chav on Arcadia. LOL. The P&O UK uppercrust will be muttering..'scruffy colonial.'

 

Anyway back to the topic, don't go for fly/cruise packages, you will not be getting any air fare deals in that, generally. Book them separate, yourself.

[NSWP]

Les

 

Stay tuned!!! The next blog post to here http://venice2sydney.blogspot.com.au/ will be for Valetta :)

 

PS Have you bought a new tux for your cruise next year?? :) You will be on Arcadia after all!!! You have to keep the standards up on P&O :)

 

Barry

Copied Barry, just saw their entry/pics re Valletta. Actually the couple doing that blog were fellow pax with us on Arcadia March/April last year, Syd-Sou.

[bazzaw]

Copied Barry, just saw their entry/pics re Valletta. Actually the couple doing that blog were fellow pax with us on Arcadia March/April last year, Syd-Sou.

 

les

 

yes- there are certainly very well traveled -- we did the 28 day Tahiti cruise on Pacific Pearl with them.

 

Barry

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

[NSWP]

Slightly off topic but a couple of my friends from down here just did the 21 days sector - Rome-Rome of the current 90 days Dawn Princess cruise. Their previous cruise experiences have been with HAL. They told me they were not impressed with the ship, it was getting old and a little tardy, they had a couple of power cuts and were stuck in a lift. Also the food was very ordinary. But most of all, a lot of complainers on board, who were very negative about the cruise generally. 90% of the pax on board are Australian.

 

Interesting comments eh?

[MMDown Under]

Slightly off topic but a couple of my friends from down here just did the 21 days sector - Rome-Rome of the current 90 days Dawn Princess cruise. Their previous cruise experiences have been with HAL. They told me they were not impressed with the ship, it was getting old and a little tardy, they had a couple of power cuts and were stuck in a lift. Also the food was very ordinary. But most of all, a lot of complainers on board, who were very negative about the cruise generally. 90% of the pax on board are Australian.

 

Interesting comments eh?

 

Yes.

 

I'm surprised that people continue to do long world/grand voyages on Dawn Princess, after the fiasco of missed ports, including Dublin, on the World Cruise.

 

Having said that, the bloggers I follow all seem to be having a wonderful cruise. However, I suspect this is more to do with them being experienced cruisers, who organise their own land excursions to "different" places, rather than the ship.

[NSWP]

Yes.

 

I'm surprised that people continue to do long world/grand voyages on Dawn Princess, after the fiasco of missed ports, including Dublin, on the World Cruise.

 

Having said that, the bloggers I follow all seem to be having a wonderful cruise. However, I suspect this is more to do with them being experienced cruisers, who organise their own land excursions to "different" places, rather than the ship.

My friends said the 'Whingers' they came across at meals, bars, entertainment areas, shorex etc were those who had been on board since Sydney, maybe they were novice cruisers, a WC is not the best choice for one's first cruise, plus they missed a few ports due to Middle East issues, but such is life on the high seas.

 

I agree the bloggers on Dawn are motivated and quite happy.

[MMDown Under]

My friends said the 'Whingers' they came across at meals, bars, entertainment areas, shorex etc were those who had been on board since Sydney, maybe they were novice cruisers, a WC is not the best choice for one's first cruise, plus they missed a few ports due to Middle East issues, but such is life on the high seas.

 

I agree the bloggers on Dawn are motivated and quite happy.

 

Missing Middle Eastern ports because of the current political situation there shouldn't be a problem, as safety is main issue. However, ships not being up to the task is another matter altogegther!

 

Trouble is we all buy the dream!

[bazzaw]

A friend of mine just finished the Sea Princess Sydney to Sydney WC. He enjoyed it -- but said that 106 days was too long (for him) !!! - mainly there was not enough for him to do on sea days.

 

I understand what he is saying -- after 42 days, I was ready to get off Oriana in 2010. I felt that I had exhausted everything that that particular ship had to offer me - and felt the same for the return trip on Arcadia. I think that 106 basically non-stop days would be too much for me too. Even following the WC's via the Internet seems almost never ending :)

 

I guess it all depends on your personality. We do a lot of motorhoming/caravanning. I have seen motorhomer/caravanners who can sit in a place for weeks at a time -- just reading their books quietly everyday outside their van. Not for me I'm afraid -- I have never found anywhere in Australia that I wasn't ready to move on from after a few days :)

 

Barry

[NSWP]

A friend of mine just finished the Sea Princess Sydney to Sydney WC. He enjoyed it -- but said that 106 days was too long (for him) !!! - mainly there was not enough for him to do on sea days.

 

I understand what he is saying -- after 42 days, I was ready to get off Oriana in 2010. I felt that I had exhausted everything that that particular ship had to offer me - and felt the same for the return trip on Arcadia. I think that 106 basically non-stop days would be too much for me too. Even following the WC's via the Internet seems almost never ending :)

 

I guess it all depends on your personality. We do a lot of motorhoming/caravanning. I have seen motorhomer/caravanners who can sit in a place for weeks at a time -- just reading their books quietly everyday outside their van. Not for me I'm afraid -- I have never found anywhere in Australia that I wasn't ready to move on from after a few days :)

 

Barry

I agree with you Barry. 49 days on Arcadia - March/April 2012, Syd-Sou was enough for me, I am quite happy with 3 weeks to 4 weeks max which is what we normally do. On Arcadia after leaving Langkawi we had 8 sea days across the Indian Ocean as we missed the Seychelles due to pirate activity, many pax went stir crazy. Not me, I just played cricket every arvo and went to choir practice and ate and drank and swam and slept and watched the sea with my binocs.

 

But like you...no way a full 90 day or 104 day WC for me, not on Dawn/Sea/Sun Princesses anyway. The P&O UK ships seem to handle them ok.

[MMDown Under]

When I was young, i did two halves of a world cruise, on two different ships, and loved every minute. However, times were different, as there was longer in ports (think big events with streamers, bands, etc.) and neither ship had mechanical problems. In addition, I spent 9 months in UK/Europe in the middle.

 

A whole of world cruise doesn't interest me, but I can see how it would appeal to others.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

They will be in Salalah later on today.

They are still in Pirate Alley.:eek:

[Kiwi Kruzer]

[Kiwi Kruzer]

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

 

[NSWP]

Thanks again David for the pics. Reading the blokes I note a few did not go ashore in Mumbai, including Ray and Paula, bloggers. Is that because they did not want to buy the $100 Visa or felt it was unsafe? Does anybody know?