P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Cape Town this morning

 

Today we join Azamara Pursuit for a 12 night South Africa Cruise

 

The ship only holds 900 guests so will be the smallest ship we have cruised on. Apparently it's often only half full this time of year as well.

 

The food gets great reviews and drinks are included

 

Can't wait.

 

Boarding appears from what I can see to be very laid back. No online check in required prior. No luggage tags needed prior. We just have to turn up with passports and baggage and credit card to swipe. And they take a photo. Apparently. Hopefully it's as easy as that.

 

I guess on smaller ship cruises with less passengers they dont need to have done much in advance.

 

 

 

Azamara ships only hold around 700 guests when full, a world away from the new mega ships, they are now over 20 years old but very well maintained, our favourites.

[Ilovemygarden]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Cape Town this morning

 

Today we join Azamara Pursuit for a 12 night South Africa Cruise

 

The ship only holds 900 guests so will be the smallest ship we have cruised on. Apparently it's often only half full this time of year as well.

 

The food gets great reviews and drinks are included

 

Can't wait.

 

Boarding appears from what I can see to be very laid back. No online check in required prior. No luggage tags needed prior. We just have to turn up with passports and baggage and credit card to swipe. And they take a photo. Apparently. Hopefully it's as easy as that.

 

I guess on smaller ship cruises with less passengers they dont need to have done much in advance.

 

 

 

Look forward to hearing how fabulous you think it is.   I’m not in the least bit envious🤢   There has been a little covering of snow here this morning too!  🥶

[indiana123]

1 hour ago, brian1 said:

West Kent housing the spiders in the outside meter boxes were as big as my fist,lol.

Oh no, I would be gone.

 

Even the word  sp*d*r makes my skin crawl😼

 

 

[Fionboard]

30 minutes ago, Bloodaxe said:

Azamara ships only hold around 700 guests when full, a world away from the new mega ships, they are now over 20 years old but very well maintained, our favourites.

Used to be P&O Adonia and was very popular. 

[kalos]

34 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

Oh no, I would be gone.

 

Even the word  sp*d*r makes my skin crawl😼

 

 

Remember Home Alone ?

 Some spiders are Hollywood stars 😉 The tarantula on Marv's face was actually real.

Actor Daniel Stern recalled how the crew initially told him they had a rubber tarantula

that they could use, but they also had a real one that looked better as it would crawl

about on his face ..😲 

https://youtu.be/mnXkMaMz7Ks?si=A3SqrYrelymqykYt&t=39

 

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Today we join Azamara Pursuit for a 12 night South Africa Cruise

 

The ship only holds 900 guests so will be the smallest ship we have cruised on. 

We cruised on her when she was Adonia, we thought he was a beautiful little ship.

Avril

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Fionboard said:

Used to be P&O Adonia and was very popular. 

 

All 8 ships were originally built for Renaissance cruise line around 2000, they went out of business shortly afterwards.

After various owners Azamara now have 4 and Oceana cruises have the other 4, lovely ships.

[indiana123]

 

 

We were lucky enough to have the massive suite at the front of Adonia, which was fine in calm seas, but when it got rough we couldn't move in the cabin, we couldn't get from one side to the other.   Everything landed on the floor.. nearly us too.  But we loved Adonia and we were very sorry when she went.   It had a lovely atmosphere.

[kalos]

Managed to get up to a sunny 1.c today ,so to cheer us both up went out and

bought a nice big cod from and home made fish cake with a few chips to share .

Mrs K warmed up some beans and added a bit of curry to make it a nice 

winters day meal.

Talking of beans with such a meal ,I'm missing our mate @grapau27 and 

his photos of similar meals and his weather reports. Nowt since Saturday ?

Hope all is well and your just somewhere nice Graham 

Sat watching the indoor bowls televised from Potters resorts ,Who have 

adverts reading "Imagine cruising " 🤔  Oh I can tell you Mr Potter on cold 

days like these we are more than capable of imagining it 🙃

 

Have a good day 😊

 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, indiana123 said:

 

 

We were lucky enough to have the massive suite at the front of Adonia, which was fine in calm seas, but when it got rough we couldn't move in the cabin, we couldn't get from one side to the other.   Everything landed on the floor.. nearly us too.  But we loved Adonia and we were very sorry when she went.   It had a lovely atmosphere.

We sailed on one of her sisters, Tahitian Princess, on an Hawaii to Tahiti cruise, and we certainly noticed that the rolling Pacific swells regularly caused the swimming pool to flood the pool deck, you certainly needed one of those little tables to keep all your possessions dry. 

[Eglesbrech]

4 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

We cruised on her when she was Adonia, we thought he was a beautiful little ship.

Avril

We did too, pretty ship. We liked her and Artemis.

[Eglesbrech]

Well it was minus 6 here last night and snow forecast for tomorrow. my food waste bin has frozen, it’s one great lump of frozen peelings and slops etc.
 

Managed to get out for a walk, well wrapped up, in the mid day when the sun was shining a bit. It was nice, bright and frosty.

 

I made a big pot of soup and put the individual portions out to cool on my cooling table.an hour later they had gone from hot to starting to freeze!

 

Based  on that sent OH out to the wine celler (aka the garage) to wrap up the cases of wine and beer or I fear we could lose a few bottles, it’s that cold. I don’t fancy wine ice lollys!

[SeaJane]

5 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

We cruised on her when she was Adonia, we thought he was a beautiful little ship.

Avril

Our first cruise was to the fjords on her in 2012 and got us hooked on cruises! We then did 19 nights to the Med on her in an aft suite a few years later which was lovely. We certainly noticed her pitching a lot when we sailed through a storm, but we loved that she was able to visit the more unusual small ports. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 hours ago, Bloodaxe said:

Azamara ships only hold around 700 guests when full, a world away from the new mega ships, they are now over 20 years old but very well maintained, our favourites.

The double bed is huge. Cabin is great. We have our normal inside. Big TV perfectly positioned on the wall opposite the bed

 

Very international passenger mix. I've heard plenty of US guests, UK and German already. 

 

Seems to 'be a group on a golfing type escape as well

 

Embarkation took less than 10 mins

 

Waiters walking round offering cocktails everywhere 

 

Seafood buffet welcome dinner tonight

 

Very hot on hygiene and washing hands at the moment

 

Captain said an unknown virus being tested at the laboratory still is in South Africa currently - pool will be closed for first few days at least

 

And buffet all the food will be served 

 

I can't believe how little walking we have to do to get anywhere. Hardly any stairs to climb and hardly anywhere to have to walk far to at all

 

I've pre-booked 4 speciality meals plus just added an Italian Opera speciality meal

 

Also I've booked some spin classes which are FOC. We pay for those on P and O. But of course this cruise is significantly more expensive than P and O. 

 

However drinks are included and seem very good quality and gratuities are included

 

Very impressed so far though

 

Entertainment will be limited but everything else will be high quality it seems

 

Even the buffet  seems very refined

 

 

Edited January 15 by Interestedcruisefan

[Josy1953]

I am going to the AGM at our bowling club tonight.  Who chooses 7:30pm for a meeting in the middle of winter?  I hate driving when it's dark now that those very bright headlights have become fashionable and consequently dazzle all oncoming traffic.  I am picking up one of of my team mates because she is 78 years old and doesn't drive, she lives about 5 minutes walk away from the club but understandably is not happy to walk alone after dark.

[Eglesbrech]

The garden thermometer is showing minus 7. It’s baltic out there.

 

Roll on the snow. I have looked out my sledge, I may be an oldie but I still love sledging!

[Ardennais]

5 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

I am going to the AGM at our bowling club tonight.  Who chooses 7:30pm for a meeting in the middle of winter?  I hate driving when it's dark now that those very bright headlights have become fashionable and consequently dazzle all oncoming traffic.  I am picking up one of of my team mates because she is 78 years old and doesn't drive, she lives about 5 minutes walk away from the club but understandably is not happy to walk alone after dark.

Ha! Every committee, society, club etc starts at 7.30pm in Wales, all year round! 

[Adawn47]

8 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

The garden thermometer is showing minus 7. It’s baltic out there.

 

Roll on the snow. I have looked out my sledge, I may be an oldie but I still love sledging!

Were you one of the ladies sledging on that christmas ad?🛷 I hope you get the snow you're waiting for, but please keep it up there with you. Brrr🥶

Avril

[Adawn47]

Morning Wide-awake-club members.

I've been awake since 4.10am. I've a streaming cold and can't rest so decided to get up so as not to disturb Frank. Begining to build up my natural immune system at last.

It's very peaceful here at the moment, so I'm scouring through my piles of cookery books to find some interesting, healthy, tasty, low salt recipes.

Well, I'll let you all snooze and go and make myself another coffee.

Keep warm.😊

Avril

[lincslady]

Good to read your cheerful post, Avril - life is obviously getting back to normal for you both.  

 

I too have been awake since about 4, but had had 6 hours so not complaining, and now off to make the first mug of tea and back to bed for a bit of a read (just got into the Vera books, and loving them).

[Adawn47]

10 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Good to read your cheerful post, Avril - life is obviously getting back to normal for you both.  

 

I too have been awake since about 4, but had had 6 hours so not complaining, and now off to make the first mug of tea and back to bed for a bit of a read (just got into the Vera books, and loving them).

Yes, things are begining to feel a little more positive now and I can see an improvement in Frank every day, apart from a bad cold which he has so kindly passed on to me (sharing is caring)🙄

He's also started planning the garden jobs for spring so all's good👍

Enjoy your cosy read. Snuggled up warm is the best place to be over the next few days.

Avril

[Angel57]

Good morning. I was awake between 1am and 3 am and then finally went back to sleep for a few hours until 0630. No idea why I had a bad night apart from the fact I have the dentist this morning!

A very thick frost here - and I stupidly who forgot to put the car in the garage yesterday in order to stop me having to de-ice it this morning (rarely do this as it is such a tight squeeze to get it in and me out).

Stay safe everyone in the ice and frost.

Gill x

[Angel57]

@Adawn47 - hope your cold is not too bad and it is so great that Frank is improving under your TLC.

[Josy1953]

@Adawn47

Good to know that Frank is getting better albeit slowly. 

Take care of yourself, a cold is something that you could have done without.

It is a cold snowy morning here.  I hope that it clears up later.

I was greeted with this when I got up this morning,

I'm just glad that I put the car in the garage when I got in last night.

 

[Snow Hill]

Morning, I have been awake since 6 woken up by gritter lorry going past, seems we have a a very light sprinkling of snow.

 

I am back on volunteering duty today, so will be in full “arctic” gear, thermals, layers, wind proof waterproof jacket (part of uniform) woolly hat, snood, gloves, thermal socks and my fleece lined boots, should keep me warm. 🥶Not sure how many visitors we will have only 2 on Sunday and 1 yesterday, but we have other jobs we can get on with in the bookshop or checking for any falling masonry. 
 

Tomorrow I have the annual training, the same courses repeated each year, H&S, Safeguarding and Inclusion gets boring. I find the H&S particularly boring, as I was a TUC trained H&S Rep when I was working and until a few years ago a School Governor with responsibility for H& and Risk Management. I have to go to ensure a box is ticked somewhere and I am not removed from volunteer list, it’s a role I enjoy doing. May just put my ear buds in and list to a few podcasts on my phone. 😬
 

Given I saw a photo of everyone sitting in the room with coats on yesterday I may wear same arctic gear as today. 🥶