An EPIC Cruise to the Canary Isalnds with Walking Difficulties

[fabnfortysomething]

Clocks forward 1 hour again and woke to a cloudy and cool day with 5 foot waves so not a calm seas sunbathing day

 

They were selling off half price NCL sweatshirts and t shirts at the Marketplace so bought a bright pink hoodie

The on board shops seem to have stopped selling such practical items that you might actually need to buy if the weather conditions weren’t what you packed for. However the expensive high end clothing on sale in the boutiques didn’t exactly seem to be flying off the shelves!

 

Anyway armed with my hoodie 6 and I headed up to deserted Spice H2O and made the acquaintance of the bar waiters there .Rebellious fish by this time was our cruise cocktail so we indulged.

 

After the post rebellious fishes nap at 2.30 it was time for my third and final hot stones massage and got caught up in a locker mess up

 

When you hand over your keycard at the Thermal spa reception they give you a specific locker number with key card to access spa and they store your room key card in a numbered slot so can quickly identify your card on leaving-simple system eh-what can go wrong?

Well when someone chooses to randomly pick a locker other than that assigned!

My allocated locker was in use and locked and when I informed the staff they suggested I use an adjacent free locker-OK but isn’t that going to compound the system failure even more?

Spoiler alert it caused an issue the next visit!

 

After my wonderfully relaxing massage I headed to the Cavern Club as 6 had intended to take part in the second name that rock tune quiz

As I walked in 2 women said “you’ve just missed him”-OK we must have made an impression on fellow passengers for recognition mode!

 

I found him back in the cabin ever so slightly bitter that his solo effort had been beaten into second place by another team-however still an improved score than when I had “helped “ him the previous time

 

I provided 6 with a cut price facial exfoliation and moisture mask using my own treat products and left him snoring quietly as I headed for my 7pm reservation for Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

 

6 doesnt “do” shows and I have learned from bitter experience that it is much better for me to attend solo than suffer his obviously bored face.

Fortunately I have a daughter and friends who do appreciate theatre so at home have plenty of company to choose from but on a cruise ship it is just so easy to do solo stuff.

 

I found a seat right down at the front just behind the wheelchair guests reserved seats and to the side so had uninterrupted view of the stage

I have seen the show in London West End and on regional tour so knew that the advisory that not suitable for children or the easily offended was accurate.

 

However despite 3 announcements in the 30 minutes before the show started where the above warning was stated lots of kids remained

Even with the cast member announcing at start that “kiddies should grab their floatties and head back to Splash Academy” they were still there!

 

Earlier in the cruise we had been chatting to a lady who was chaperone to the two 10 year old boys who share role of the supposed 6 year old in the play

She was on “free time “ as they were in kids club but she said that during the show she keeps them in the dressing room whilst not on stage-which actually is 90% of the time so they aren’t [supposedly] aware of the adult content so NCL are doing their protective role

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the show but it really isn’t suitable for children and as for the crying baby at the back.............

 

 

After the show I found 6 in the Cavern club listening to the Starlights and discovered Cornel had rescued him from a predatory female during the break by coming over to talk to him about guitar stuff

See I have such a movie star looks husband I need to be there to protect him!!!!

 

This cruise corresponded to British school Easter holidays so expected a lot of children on board

We didn’t notice a lot of them during the day as we avoided the main pool decks and the kids clubs were popular

 

However late at night was a different story

Apart from too young audiences at Priscilla there were a lot of kids at Howl at the Moon late at night including after the posted 11pm adult theme time

In fact one night 2 kids were in the front row with their parents and kids were playing games on their phones.Obviously uninterested in the show but taking up prime audience viewing space[a lot of pillars in headliners mean a lot of restricted viewing spots]

 

O Sheehans also had a lot of kids running wild late at night especially in the arcade area and 6 walking stick was required a few times to plant himself and give stability to avoid being knocked over by an overtired excitable child

 

OK perhaps am an old fashioned parent but we kept our children to a bedtime routine so they weren’t overtired and if we didn’t arrange a babysitter we had a quiet night

 

OK rant over

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Continuing to enjoy your review. I'm interested in hearing the rest of the locker saga. I had the same issue a couple times and when I went out to the desk to let them know someone was using the locker they'd assigned me, each time they assigned me a different locker. I was on the March 6 sailing so I assume we likely had the same staff so it's interesting they didn't do the same.

 

Since you were down in front for Priscilla, I must ask the burning question: did you come away with a ping-pong ball? ;)

[fabnfortysomething]

Continuing to enjoy your review. I'm interested in hearing the rest of the locker saga. I had the same issue a couple times and when I went out to the desk to let them know someone was using the locker they'd assigned me, each time they assigned me a different locker. I was on the March 6 sailing so I assume we likely had the same staff so it's interesting they didn't do the same.

 

Since you were down in front for Priscilla, I must ask the burning question: did you come away with a ping-pong ball? ;)

 

hehe the ping pong balls were being fired out the front not the side:D

[Quilting_Cruiser]

hehe the ping pong balls were being fired out the front not the side:D

 

Oops. Missed the "to the side" part. Some friends were on B2B on my sailing and then the next. They sat in the front row on the second leg and sent me pic hold a ping-pong ball. :D

[fabnfortysomething]

We have visited Malaga previously and nothing particularly leapt out at us to do and it’s a shuttle ride to the city rather than just a stroll along the front so we decided to stay on board.

 

So a lie in and leisurely breakfast then up to Spice H2o for rebellious fish tasting

2 maintenance men were working on one of the 2 towers removing loose paint with a power tool .This was causing aggravation for one of the waitresses who was trying to keep the tables clean and flakes of paint kept floating down. They stopped for an hour but then came back and started again -thought she was going to climb the tower and give them a piece of her mind!

 

The sun was coming out but still a bit breezy and the balcony was in shade so time to visit the spa

I was given an allocated locker but found it locked so asked one spa attendant what to do-she suggested I use an adjacent empty locker.

 

However at the end of the session I entered the code and opened it to find someone elses property in there and no sign of mine!

I called another spa attendant who obviously thought I had mistaken the locker and got me to try my code on the lockers around-no access allowed

She then had to use her master key to open several lockers to find where my stuff was-eventually found in a locker that my code hadn’t worked on earlier!

 

So different staff have different ways of dealing-obviously my stuff had been moved to another and locked up but I wasn’t able to access

However my code worked on the original locker I had used allowing me access to a strangers property.-bit of a security issue! Fortunately there was nothing of value in there but still......

 

I noticed my throat was a bit sore which was the first sign of the chest infection that I and half the ship would come down with over the next couple of days-at least it wasn’t a Norovirus outbreak!

 

We had reservations at 6.45 at La Cucina for our second platinum latitudes complimentary meal

The venue is accessed via the Garden cafe and part is open to the atrium above and so noise from Garden Cafe carried[perhaps poor seat as was a freebie?!]-Areas to either side were quieter as had a roof above. We did however have a good view of sea in front of us

 

The meal was OK but not as good as in Le Bistro. The meal itself took nearly 2 hours

Starter I had Involtini which I didn’t like at all. It was eggplant wrapped around minced veal and a tomato and cheese sauce. I found it too highly seasoned for my taste but 6 had the vegetable soup which he enjoyed

 

Main course I had filet mignon but asked them to omit the gorgonzola cheese-that was good

6 had lamb and Pancetta which was good

We only had room for ice cream for dessert.

 

It confirmed our decision that we wouldn’t pay extra for speciality restaurants as we are perfectly happy with the included venues.

 

We headed for the Cavern Club and the Starlights at 9.30 but I soon realised I needed to go for a nap

That nap turned into an early night as was really struggling with my sore throat but 6 lasted the night out till midnight

[fabnfortysomething]

Our last day I woke with a very husky voice and sore throat-great!

It was overcast and a bit cool so only a few brave kids on the pool deck

 

Decided needed local anaesthetic for the throat and so to the atrium bar for a few rebellious fish

 

With it being so cool outside the atrium was busy and the venue for trivia and fruit carving demo.

 

Lunchtime we met up with fellow roll callers for a farewell lunch in the Manhattan room and a good sociable time.

 

Then a final Thermal Spa visit.

 

That afternoon was first time sun was actually on our balcony so had an hour out there reading

 

Evening headed back to the atrium bar and to fill out a few vacation hero cards

As previously mentioned this is the first time have not done so for at least one bar worker but Hari from the atrium bar deserves an anti vacation hero award.

 

The atrium was very busy that day but he seemed to deliberately ignore people at the bar obviously waiting for a drink-ourselves included. Dont know what his problem was but a few people were getting impatient and tapping their keycards on the bar which made the atmosphere a bit tense.

We gave up and headed to another bar but there is definitely a lack of good attentive bar staff which is not our usual NCL experience.

 

We headed back to bed for a nap as was coughing well by this stage and noted that many others on the ship were doing the same. I did manage to revive and head out for final night with the Starlights

Sasha the female vocalist was absent-another victim of the sore throat/cough virus

 

It was a good final night marred by another example of poor parenting and poor bar waiters.

 

About 11pm a couple of pre schoolkids dressed in their pyjamas were sat with their parents next to the dance floor .Kids were obviously tired and kranky and one kicked out and knocked his glass over which smashed onto the floor

 

Bearing in mind the kids had bare feet the parents were a bit laid back but not as much as the bar waitress who had to be told 3 times by the bartender to clear up the broken glass[we were sat at the bar so overheard the conversation]

 

Bid farewell to Cornel after getting email address from him so 6 could send some of the photos he’d taken

He obviously liked the one of him in rock star pose on stage as we noted he’d added it on facebook!

[ollienbertsmum]

I have enjoyed this review. I probably wont have time to post tomorrow because I have to go out with my workmates to 'celebrate' going on leave. They will all promise to miss me :D

 

I have just noticed that you are from the North East. I studied at Newcastle University and I worked for a year in North Tees so that is an area close to my heart.

 

I promise to raise my glass to you on Sunday afternoon. This is my first UBP cruise. I wonder if it will be worth it as our bar bills have never really been that expensive - but guess what it is my birthday on our at sea day so I will make the most of it.

 

Happy sailing

[fabnfortysomething]

I have enjoyed this review. I probably wont have time to post tomorrow because I have to go out with my workmates to 'celebrate' going on leave. They will all promise to miss me :D

 

I have just noticed that you are from the North East. I studied at Newcastle University and I worked for a year in North Tees so that is an area close to my heart.

 

I promise to raise my glass to you on Sunday afternoon. This is my first UBP cruise. I wonder if it will be worth it as our bar bills have never really been that expensive - but guess what it is my birthday on our at sea day so I will make the most of it.

 

Happy sailing

 

yes we actually live Bishop Auckland!

 

usually we would purchase the wine and beer package but as the UBP was a "freebie" did try out cocktails which never usually do

 

our experience with bar staff on this cruise was completely different to the usual-they have always been very friendly and efficient but more to the point prepared to engage in conversation whilst still checking out for potential customers

 

I hope our experience this time was a one off and not a result of offering too many UBP so staff unable to cope-actually I suspect too few staff and we have commented such on our post cruise questionnaire

 

have a great time and thank you for your kind comments

I will probably appreciate your raising a glass on Sunday afternoon as will be taxi ing my daughter and her fiancée around possible wedding venues in the Darlington area!

[fabnfortysomething]

We had priority disembarkation labels so we put our cases out the night before and planned to get off the ship about 9.30 after a leisurely breakfast.

We were awoken 7.30 by the first announcement to leave ship then it went quiet till 8.15 when they want you at least out of the cabin!

 

I noted that the lounge chair had disappeared from the balcony so for future residents of a large balcony cabin if there isn’t one your cabin steward can provide.However they must be under orders to leave only the standard 2 chairs and a table for the next people-seems a bit daft as if the balcony is big enough surely at least 1 lounge chair should be a standard.

 

We walked down stairs to O Sheehans with our carry off luggage as the lifts were jam packed with people trying to carry off their own luggage Easy walk off only seems to work if you plan to be one of the first people off the ship otherwise it’s congestion everywhere.

 

We had arranged to meet L and D for breakfast and then share a taxi as our hotels were very close so a last O Sheehans breakfast. We collected our cases from the priority baggage area and out of the terminal

 

The taxi queue was long but moved pretty quickly and it cost 21 euros for port to Pl Catalunya area-half of that was supplements for baggage.

 

We checked into Hotel Indigo and left our luggage as rooms would not be ready until lunchtime. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and warm sunshine so we wandered slowly down Passage Gracia to view Gaudi’s masterpiece/monstrosity depending on your point of view of Casa Batlo

There were long queues to enter and at 22.5 euros each we resisted temptation.

 

We people watched in Pl Cataluyna for a while then wandered back to the hotel to soak up some sunshine in the courtyard.

 

Rooms were ready 1.30 and as we had brought the platinum complimentary fizzy wine off the ship we mixed it with the hotel complimentary orange juice and pretended we were still on board!

 

We had a quick snack in the hotel restaurant and an early night as my cough was starting to get me down and felt exhausted.

 

Next day we had a lunchtime flight and had originally intended to get the airport shuttle bus from Pl Catalunya but as it was raining we took the easier and slightly more expensive option of a taxi to the airport[34 euros]

 

There were supposed to be 10 check in desks for our flight but only 3 open and a long queue

When we got to the front they had no record of our wheelchair assistance booking and had to reallocate our seats as we had randomly been placed in emergency exit rows

 

Ourselves and another group needing wheelchair assistance were told to stand to one side and 15 minutes later a woman appeared with a wheelchair and pushed 6 200 yards across the room to the official special assistance zone before going back to collect the other person with a walking stick-really we could have walked to that area ourselves and at least there were seats unlike having to lean against the wall !

 

Another 15 to 20 minutes passed before 2 guys appeared with wheelchairs and forms for us to fill in asking us to rate the assistance programme-you’re kidding we don’t know yet!

 

They then took us through security and a supposed special assistance line for wheelchairs which meant had to get out of the wheelchair while it passed through x ray and then we followed.

However there was no seating available to help with getting footwear on and off so a bit of a hassle

NOW we could rate the wheelchair assistance programme but they had taken the forms back!

 

We had pre booked airport lounge but when realised the guy was taking us through passport control we decided to let it go and thought may as well kill time at the gates and at least we knew we were at the correct place.

 

So Wheelchair assistance programme at Barcelona airport?

Great inbound from meeting at plane to getting through airport and out to taxi area-

Leaves a lot to be desired outbound from check in desk to plane.

 

So home with 2 souvenirs from the holiday

1 a chest infection

2 mosquito bites discovered the next morning

 

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!!!!

I took enough insect repellent and citronella bands to supply half the cruise ship and on the final morning in Barcelona in the rain I wear ¾ jeans and am somehow attacked around the only exposed skin round my ankles on way to the airport!

 

Despite that a very enjoyable holiday

[trinitytrees]

I was on the same cruise as you, I too came home with breathing difficulties and felt quite sluggish until Wednesday of this week.

 

Like you I found bar service to be quite poor, one barman was downright rude, I have passed on my comments to NCL.

 

We never ate in Manhattan as we dined in speciality restaurants every night.

 

We had mixed experiences, some very good some not so good.

 

I hope NCL take a look at some issues that have been mentioned.

 

Pris illa I thought was a fantastic show.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I was on the same cruise as you, I too came home with breathing difficulties and felt quite sluggish until Wednesday of this week.

 

What's up with that?! This happened on our sailing, too. I was on the March 6 sailing and came up sick. Got the sore throat, congestion, coughing in the last couple days. As did at least four other people from our roll call that I can think of off the top of my head. :(

[trinitytrees]

What's up with that?! This happened on our sailing, too. I was on the March 6 sailing and came up sick. Got the sore throat, congestion, coughing in the last couple days. As did at least four other people from our roll call that I can think of off the top of my head. :(

 

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by what's up with that?

 

I was just acknowledging to op that I too along with others have experienced some kind of virus whilst on the ship.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by what's up with that?

 

I was just acknowledging to op that I too along with others have experienced some kind of virus whilst on the ship.

 

Which is what I intended, also. "What's up with that?" is just a rhetorical colloquial phrase that's typically used as a way of saying you've observed the same thing. I said next that on my sailing several of us also came down with identical symptoms. I was simply agreeing with and acknowledging what the OP and you said.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Quilting_Cruiser

[fabnfortysomething]

The chest infection is at last getting better but it just goes to show how easily bacteria and viruses spread on cruise ships

 

let's just be thankful wasn't Norovirus:eek:

[evitacruiser]

One of my sons who was on the trip has been really ill with a chest infection and sore throat since we came home. He is just about feeling better now.

[trinitytrees]

Thank you for explaining your terminology I had not heard that expression before.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thank you for explaining your terminology I had not heard that expression before.

 

 

No problem. I hope I explained it so it made sense. I figured you must not be from the U.S. since you weren't familiar with it. :D

[fabnfortysomething]

No problem. I hope I explained it so it made sense. I figured you must not be from the U.S. since you weren't familiar with it. :D

 

after having cruised with NCL for a few years we reckon we can "speak American" but have also educated our cousins across the pond on a few regional English phrases. It got really interesting on a cruise to Norway last year with a lot of Australians aboard

 

What is the expression " a common language divided by nationality"

[Quilting_Cruiser]

after having cruised with NCL for a few years we reckon we can "speak American" but have also educated our cousins across the pond on a few regional English phrases. It got really interesting on a cruise to Norway last year with a lot of Australians aboard

 

What is the expression " a common language divided by nationality"

 

Colloquial phrases always interest me when I see through the eyes of those not from the same country. Some are downright laughable.

 

On my cruise last month at one dinner I was sitting next to a new British friend and he asked me to "translate" the menu for him. I found myself explaining the difference between a couple cuts of meat and what's loaded on a loaded baked potato as well as the definition of a pound cake. After explaining how a pound cake got its name, he asked, "And, what would make it a "snickerdoodle" pound cake?" It was actually quiet enjoyable for me. My daughter the teacher would be proud. LOL.

 

I also learned a few Scottish phrases, including "wind-up merchant" which was totally new to me and the other Americans at the table.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Quilting_Cruiser

[evitacruiser]

Colloquial phrases always interest me when I see through the eyes of those not from the same country. Some are downright laughable.

 

On my cruise last month at one dinner I was sitting next to a new British friend and he asked me to "translate" the menu for him. I found myself explaining the difference between a couple cuts of meat and what's loaded on a loaded baked potato as well as the definition of a pound cake. After explaining how a pound cake got its name, he asked, "And, what would make it a "snickerdoodle" pound cake?" It was actually quiet enjoyable for me. My daughter the teacher would be proud. LOL.

 

I also learned a few Scottish phrases, including "wind-up merchant" which was totally new to me and the other Americans at the table.

 

 

We had this same discussion but unfortunately there was no one to educate us.....can you help?:D

[bostonfred]

We came home healthy, but did have a teenager hacking away at the computer next to us while we were printing up boarding passes. We plan to submit a review soon. All in all , it was a great cruise. Loved the entertainment, food and ports. I believe we were lucky because the weather was good and the outside areas of the ship could be utilized most of the time. As usual NCL, treated us royally, can't say the same for the passengers. Lot's of line cutting at the buffet, and the bar at spice h2o was every man for himself. I have calmed down so I will leave it to avoid controversy.

[evitacruiser]

I am also planning to do a review.

 

We did enjoy the cruise and we met some lovely people, (you kow who you are!!) but overall we felt the service was lacking and the crew just didn't seem as happy as we have come to expect on other cruiselines.

 

We also had a big service fail by guest services. This was our first NCL cruise so we can only compare to other lines.

 

This was our first experience of travelling with someone in a wheelchair. It gave us a different perspective to human nature, mainly positive, but not wholly!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We had this same discussion but unfortunately there was no one to educate us.....can you help?:D

 

Happy to! I know the name seems quite strange until you know the original recipe for pound cake was very simple: pound of butter, pound of flour, pound of sugar, etc. So, logical name: pound cake. It's a yellow cake that's usually very dense. It's most often eaten with something like berries on it. A snickerdoodle is a type of cookie (that would be a biscuit to the Brits!) that has cinnamon sugar on it, so I surmised that a snickerdoodle pound cake would be a dense yellow cake with cinnamon. Which, as it turned out, it was. I had it, too, because after the discussion about what it was, it sounded really good! :D

[evitacruiser]

A "Snicker" to Brits is a chocolate bar with nuts in it. So, for us us reading the menu it could have been something which fitted that description, when the reality was different. It was nice though!!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

A "Snicker" to Brits is a chocolate bar with nuts in it. So, for us us reading the menu it could have been something which fitted that description, when the reality was different. It was nice though!!

 

I know it must be confusing! Just the difference in what Brits call chips and we call chips throws me off when I visit. I have to stop and think, "Now what's British English for a potato chip? Oh, right, it's a crisp!" :p

 

We have Snickers candy bars here in the U.S. that have nuts and nougat or caramel in them--I'm not a fan, so would actually have to look it up. It's a very popular type of candy bar. But, add the doodle to the end and you get this deliciousness: