Arion Cruise Review 29th August

[seabourndt]

HERE IS A SHORT REVIEW OF MY ARION CRUISE TO AMSTERDam and back.

ACCOMADATION.

MY CABIN 227 ON THE UPPER DECK WAS A DOUBLE CABIN WITH 2 BEDS, A TV, 1 CHAIR, BATHROOM WITH SHOWER.

 

EMBARKATION

QUITE GOOD BUT SURPRISING HAD TO WAIT IN LOUNGE FOR 40 MINS WITH MY NO 5. THERE WERE 7 I THINK.

 

mon 29th aug

i got the free coach from london victoria to tilbury, i was told the coach would bre on the screen, but it was not and was hard to find out where the coach was?

after an hour on the road we arrived at tibury cruise terminal. after goinbg security was given a card with number 5 and waited for it to be called. after about 40mins i checked in, and proceeded to go up the gangway for the only picture taken! after i board the ship the gangway started moving quite a lot =for no reason atr all! after queueing up to be allocated a table at dinner. i was taken to my cabin. my luggage was insidre and i unpacked. at 2pm we left tilbury, at 3pm th lifeboat druill my muster point was the main lounge inside which was nice. after a buffet lunch in a very small table not enough room to put your arms! and afternoon tea in the dining room. it was casual night for dinner, the dining room was at the back of the ship. which even in calm seas was quite bumby! had a sorloin steak, which was quite a long time coming as they made a mistake in forgetting to bring mine! i could not believe it! there qwere tipping envelopes on the table already, this is quite bad! funny enough i was the only one on this table not getting any envrelopes at all. after dinner which toon nearly 90mins, i went to the show. this was very good the same format as thew FUNCHAL which i went on in april. very fast paced, singers and dancers and other singing. i found the winter garden very nice one side smoking and the other non smoking. shertered and with plants a lovely place to have a cigar.

 

TUE 30TH AUG.

today we are in AMSTERDAM arrive there 9am, after a light breakfast as i waas late getting up. as soon as the excursion passengers were off we could lreave. no shuttle buses i walked the 15min walk to the station. after looking arounfd the shops i bought a ticket fot ROTTERDAM. i got this for half fare as i used to work for the railway. an hour later i arrived in ROTTERDAM, where i bought a pass for the trams. made myy way over the erasmus bridge to the HOTEL NEW YORK whee i heard there were models of the NIEUW AMSTERDAM. time went so quick there was not enough time to see the maritime museum as i love it. i made my way around the shops back to the stn for the train back to AMSTERDAM. i walked back to the shiop[ and only just made it in time before the gangway was brought up. after a quick afternoon tea. i watched us leave AMSTERDAM, we left and then came back into the pierwedging usnright under the pier supports. luckily no damage was done to either the ship or the pier. we made our way along the river, through the lock wherre i saw the lovely ship SEVEN SEAS VOYAGER outside the locks. which i had cruise on a few years ago. the noorth sea was still calm iam glad to say as the ship does move about a bit. after another casual dinner, i wished they had told us there would be no need for any suits. the show was even better than the 1str night, LOS PARAGUYAS AND THE SINGERS AND DANCEERS were really good. the dancers were also in the winter gardensmoking cigarettes, the all seemed to be speaking ukranian.

 

wed 31st august.

after an early breakfast, pasid my bill at reception, left my cabin to sitr on deck. we arrived in tilbury at 0930am nearly getting rammed! by the tug in tilbury to get their line accross. after a veryt ashort wait mu colour was called to leav4e the shiop. i found mu luggage ansd boarded the coach for victoria. apart from entering the departure coach stn instead of the arrival one everything went ok.

 

my thought of the cruise; i juist loved the small ship, it was easy to find your way around, the food and shows wretre very good, just the feeling that in rougher seas would not be so comfotable.

dave

[HeinBloed]

Somehow I think we know each other from another thread.

 

We have booked ARION for March 2009 for a Red Sea Cruise from Alexandria to Safaga.

 

Anything I should know about ARION???

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[seabourndt]

i just found your reply whilst looking at the saga listing. interesting you are doing ARION next year. found it quite bumpy in very calm seas in the restaurant as was sat right at the back where the bit goes round. i love the winter garden(wish FUNCHAL had that) yes seen you both on NCL DREAM last cruise and QUEEN VICTORIA.

all the best

dave