Live On-Board Iona G208

[DamianG]

Tuesday 5^th April

 

I had one of those nights where you’re constantly dozing and waking up from the early hours so I was half-awake as the aft of the ship juddered up to the dockside at 6am. I dozed back off to sleep though, so didn’t properly wake up until 8am and Kyle eventually came back to life an hour later. We didn’t feel like rushing to breakfast and it wasn’t until 9:20am that I looked at the app for a restaurant but the booking system for breakfast appeared to have already closed. I suppose that we could have dashed down and become one of those inconsiderate families who dive in at the last minute but instead we chose to go to the Quays and check out the self-service option. It had the usual fare but no “golden triangles” (fried bread, in case you’re wondering) and it did have some decent pork sausages (unlike the MDRs). It was busy but not overcrowded and we easily found a table for ourselves before I went back to get us some drinks. I didn’t have my glasses so couldn’t read the instructions for the hot water, which meant that I pushed the button to fill a mug then couldn’t understand why the water just kept flowing instead of switching itself off after a certain amount. A kind lady rescued me by pressing the stop button and said that she’d had the same problem until someone else helped her out. The other downside of not having my glasses was that I’d got a green tea for Kyle which he was suitably unimpressed with, so I went back for another and this time it was my turn to show another lady how to shut off the hot water. The food was decent quality, though I managed to choose myself a rubbery poached egg and the hash browns were extremely crumbly and reminded me of supermarket own brand fish cakes.

 

After breakfast we went straight to Vistas as Kyle wanted a “nice” cup of tea and I wanted a latte. Kyle’s drinks package does not include hot drinks at Vistas other than hot chocolate (which we think is a bit strange) so Michelle made do with a bottle of water. We stayed a while then when Kyle had finished his tea we returned to the cabin but it hadn’t been made up yet. Kyle wanted another tea anyway, so we went back down to Vistas and sat in the library side of Andersons which was busier than we expected but quiet anyway (in a library sense of being quiet).

 

We gave it 20 minutes or so then returned to the cabin which had now been freshened up. We had 30 minutes or so looking at maps online and making a rough plan, then made our way down to deck 6 to go ashore. We had a fairly straightforward, if long, walk across Erasmus bridge then just followed the road along Coolsingel (where we’d identified a particular toy shop for Kyle). The plan was then to take a right turn towards the Grotemarkt. As it turned out, Kyle needed to go to the loo so we took some stairs underground not far short of our targets and completely fluked a slight shortcut.

 

The toy shop was a dead loss but Kyle had already seen something he wanted to buy in the superstore where we’d used the loos (at a cost of €0.50) so he was happy. We carried on from the superstore and found the market area without trying too hard and Kyle chose that traditional Dutch fare churros. At least they came in a very nice Spanish flag themed cone. We had a browse around the outdoor stalls then headed inside to the food area where Michelle and I shared some chips and mayonnaise (“chipsh and mayonnaishe” in Dutch, I think so anyway). They were absolutely fantastic and put our local fish and chip shop to shame.

 

After leaving the market we called in a sports shop and I bought some shorts for the gym. They were a brand I’d never heard of (INQ) but I like them so who cares? We then went back to the main road with every intention of catching the tram back but there was no ticket machine at the stop and when I tried to read the instructions on the fare map it only referred to buying tickets online or downloading an app. Shame as a tram ride back would have been nice but at least the trek back felt a bit quicker than the outward journey. Once we were back at the Rotterdam City terminal an Ainsley Harriet lookalike security guard insisted that we wore our masks and showed our cruise passes, while doing a salt and pepper shaking dance. Okay, I might have made that last bit up but he did look like Ainsley and was a very friendly, bubbly character with perfect English (of course). The security checks were reasonably quick and we were through in no time, even if I did keep having to hitch up my jeans having taken my belt off before going through the scanner.

 

We weren’t back onboard until around 2:30pm so Michelle and I decided to go for formal afternoon tea in the Aqua MDR. We were seated on a table for 2 but the tables were extremely close together with just a narrow gap to squeeze through between them. We got lucky with nice companions either side, and even more fortunately dodged being next to an overbearing couple who we’ve somehow managed to keep seeing around the ship despite there being 3k plus passengers. They seem nice enough but appear to have an endless supply of tales to tell and don’t seem to mind who they’re forcing them upon. Sure enough, they were soon telling the tale of the man who’d thrown his wife overboard and had subsequently been arrested (she was rescued apparently). I’ve no idea when this was or which ship, but it’s not the nicest gossip to share anyway. Bizarrely, they ate the scones from the fantastic 3 tier display of sandwiches and cakes then departed without touching anything else. They told the couple next to them to help themselves to the leftovers but would you? What a waste of food.

 

After afternoon tea we went to the Glass House for a glass of Prosecco each (Sylvoz – bit nicer than the Conti that they serve on the open decks) then we got a message from Kyle asking for some pizza and a cup of tea. So room service dad went up to Deck 16 to do the honours, made the delivery to deck 14 then returned to the Glass House on deck 7. It’s all exercise and I was duly rewarded with a glass of Aigle Les Murailles Chasselas Chablais, Switzerland. From Essex to the Alps, sounds like one of Brian’s epic road trips. Anyhow, I’m really getting into this Glass House wine list and loving the opportunities to try new things. Michelle went for Valvidivieso Rapel Valley Merlot, from Chile, and she finished before me so that says it all.

 

After leaving the Glass House we made the now traditional trek back up to the deserted Sunset Bar on Deck 16 to pick up some Proseccos for our pre-dinner cabin drink. It may not be quite as nice as the Glass House Prosecco, but the guys in the Sunset Bar don’t seem to worry too much about measures and just fill the glasses right to the top. For the second day running they were all stood together in their P&O rain jackets chatting amongst themselves so maybe they were happy to see us. As we were leaving a lady was putting in the exact same takeaway order as us so maybe she’d cottoned on to the larger measures as well.

 

Given our late afternoon lunches we didn’t try to book dinner until just after 8pm. As we’ve now tried all the MDRs it’s clear that Opal suits us the best so we joined the queue for that even though the other venues had fewer “guests” waiting. As we left the cabin I received the table ready notification and we were soon being directed to table 144, which was next to the table we’d had in Opal previously. Waiter Mohammed Ali Rizwan (“call me Rizwan”) immediately said “Welcome back” which was lovely to hear, and asked how we all were. That’s one thing we’ve missed on this cruise, building a rapport with regular waiters, so it was really appreciated on our part. Even better, when we made our food order Rizwan quietly asked me if he should order Kyle’s pasta twice and keep one warm in reserve in case he wanted a second portion “like last time”. How’s that for top class personal service?

 

Michelle chose broccoli soup as a starter and steak as a main, requested as medium-rare but delivered rare (just about okay for her though). I went for haggis bon bons (very small but tasty) and leg of lamb (superb). Rizwan also insisted that we had some extra vegetables and fries “for the table”. We stuck with our new Portuguese favourite red wine Silk and Spice, and again it accompanied the food very well. We both had a panna cotta for dessert, served by Christiano (“just call him “Ronaldo” like the rest of us”) then finished with a glass of Kahlua. As June Whitfield, playing Evelyn Brunt in Carry on Abroad, said “I tried it once but didn’t like it.”

 

It was fairly late after dinner and Kyle wanted a final cup of tea from Vistas so we sat in the Atrium on deck 6 and Michelle and I finished the day with a glass of Beefsteak Malbec (as sold by M&S) from the Emerald Bar. We were back in the cabin for 10:40pm and Kyle put a film on to watch. I think I saw the first 5 minutes!

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, DamianG said:

Tuesday 5^th April

 

I had one of those nights where you’re constantly dozing and waking up from the early hours so I was half-awake as the aft of the ship juddered up to the dockside at 6am. I dozed back off to sleep though, so didn’t properly wake up until 8am and Kyle eventually came back to life an hour later. We didn’t feel like rushing to breakfast and it wasn’t until 9:20am that I looked at the app for a restaurant but the booking system for breakfast appeared to have already closed. I suppose that we could have dashed down and become one of those inconsiderate families who dive in at the last minute but instead we chose to go to the Quays and check out the self-service option. It had the usual fare but no “golden triangles” (fried bread, in case you’re wondering) and it did have some decent pork sausages (unlike the MDRs). It was busy but not overcrowded and we easily found a table for ourselves before I went back to get us some drinks. I didn’t have my glasses so couldn’t read the instructions for the hot water, which meant that I pushed the button to fill a mug then couldn’t understand why the water just kept flowing instead of switching itself off after a certain amount. A kind lady rescued me by pressing the stop button and said that she’d had the same problem until someone else helped her out. The other downside of not having my glasses was that I’d got a green tea for Kyle which he was suitably unimpressed with, so I went back for another and this time it was my turn to show another lady how to shut off the hot water. The food was decent quality, though I managed to choose myself a rubbery poached egg and the hash browns were extremely crumbly and reminded me of supermarket own brand fish cakes.

 

After breakfast we went straight to Vistas as Kyle wanted a “nice” cup of tea and I wanted a latte. Kyle’s drinks package does not include hot drinks at Vistas other than hot chocolate (which we think is a bit strange) so Michelle made do with a bottle of water. We stayed a while then when Kyle had finished his tea we returned to the cabin but it hadn’t been made up yet. Kyle wanted another tea anyway, so we went back down to Vistas and sat in the library side of Andersons which was busier than we expected but quiet anyway (in a library sense of being quiet).

 

We gave it 20 minutes or so then returned to the cabin which had now been freshened up. We had 30 minutes or so looking at maps online and making a rough plan, then made our way down to deck 6 to go ashore. We had a fairly straightforward, if long, walk across Erasmus bridge then just followed the road along Coolsingel (where we’d identified a particular toy shop for Kyle). The plan was then to take a right turn towards the Grotemarkt. As it turned out, Kyle needed to go to the loo so we took some stairs underground not far short of our targets and completely fluked a slight shortcut.

 

The toy shop was a dead loss but Kyle had already seen something he wanted to buy in the superstore where we’d used the loos (at a cost of €0.50) so he was happy. We carried on from the superstore and found the market area without trying too hard and Kyle chose that traditional Dutch fare churros. At least they came in a very nice Spanish flag themed cone. We had a browse around the outdoor stalls then headed inside to the food area where Michelle and I shared some chips and mayonnaise (“chipsh and mayonnaishe” in Dutch, I think so anyway). They were absolutely fantastic and put our local fish and chip shop to shame.

 

After leaving the market we called in a sports shop and I bought some shorts for the gym. They were a brand I’d never heard of (INQ) but I like them so who cares? We then went back to the main road with every intention of catching the tram back but there was no ticket machine at the stop and when I tried to read the instructions on the fare map it only referred to buying tickets online or downloading an app. Shame as a tram ride back would have been nice but at least the trek back felt a bit quicker than the outward journey. Once we were back at the Rotterdam City terminal an Ainsley Harriet lookalike security guard insisted that we wore our masks and showed our cruise passes, while doing a salt and pepper shaking dance. Okay, I might have made that last bit up but he did look like Ainsley and was a very friendly, bubbly character with perfect English (of course). The security checks were reasonably quick and we were through in no time, even if I did keep having to hitch up my jeans having taken my belt off before going through the scanner.

 

We weren’t back onboard until around 2:30pm so Michelle and I decided to go for formal afternoon tea in the Aqua MDR. We were seated on a table for 2 but the tables were extremely close together with just a narrow gap to squeeze through between them. We got lucky with nice companions either side, and even more fortunately dodged being next to an overbearing couple who we’ve somehow managed to keep seeing around the ship despite there being 3k plus passengers. They seem nice enough but appear to have an endless supply of tales to tell and don’t seem to mind who they’re forcing them upon. Sure enough, they were soon telling the tale of the man who’d thrown his wife overboard and had subsequently been arrested (she was rescued apparently). I’ve no idea when this was or which ship, but it’s not the nicest gossip to share anyway. Bizarrely, they ate the scones from the fantastic 3 tier display of sandwiches and cakes then departed without touching anything else. They told the couple next to them to help themselves to the leftovers but would you? What a waste of food.

 

After afternoon tea we went to the Glass House for a glass of Prosecco each (Sylvoz – bit nicer than the Conti that they serve on the open decks) then we got a message from Kyle asking for some pizza and a cup of tea. So room service dad went up to Deck 16 to do the honours, made the delivery to deck 14 then returned to the Glass House on deck 7. It’s all exercise and I was duly rewarded with a glass of Aigle Les Murailles Chasselas Chablais, Switzerland. From Essex to the Alps, sounds like one of Brian’s epic road trips. Anyhow, I’m really getting into this Glass House wine list and loving the opportunities to try new things. Michelle went for Valvidivieso Rapel Valley Merlot, from Chile, and she finished before me so that says it all.

 

After leaving the Glass House we made the now traditional trek back up to the deserted Sunset Bar on Deck 16 to pick up some Proseccos for our pre-dinner cabin drink. It may not be quite as nice as the Glass House Prosecco, but the guys in the Sunset Bar don’t seem to worry too much about measures and just fill the glasses right to the top. For the second day running they were all stood together in their P&O rain jackets chatting amongst themselves so maybe they were happy to see us. As we were leaving a lady was putting in the exact same takeaway order as us so maybe she’d cottoned on to the larger measures as well.

 

Given our late afternoon lunches we didn’t try to book dinner until just after 8pm. As we’ve now tried all the MDRs it’s clear that Opal suits us the best so we joined the queue for that even though the other venues had fewer “guests” waiting. As we left the cabin I received the table ready notification and we were soon being directed to table 144, which was next to the table we’d had in Opal previously. Waiter Mohammed Ali Rizwan (“call me Rizwan”) immediately said “Welcome back” which was lovely to hear, and asked how we all were. That’s one thing we’ve missed on this cruise, building a rapport with regular waiters, so it was really appreciated on our part. Even better, when we made our food order Rizwan quietly asked me if he should order Kyle’s pasta twice and keep one warm in reserve in case he wanted a second portion “like last time”. How’s that for top class personal service?

 

Michelle chose broccoli soup as a starter and steak as a main, requested as medium-rare but delivered rare (just about okay for her though). I went for haggis bon bons (very small but tasty) and leg of lamb (superb). Rizwan also insisted that we had some extra vegetables and fries “for the table”. We stuck with our new Portuguese favourite red wine Silk and Spice, and again it accompanied the food very well. We both had a panna cotta for dessert, served by Christiano (“just call him “Ronaldo” like the rest of us”) then finished with a glass of Kahlua. As June Whitfield, playing Evelyn Brunt in Carry on Abroad, said “I tried it once but didn’t like it.”

 

It was fairly late after dinner and Kyle wanted a final cup of tea from Vistas so we sat in the Atrium on deck 6 and Michelle and I finished the day with a glass of Beefsteak Malbec (as sold by M&S) from the Emerald Bar. We were back in the cabin for 10:40pm and Kyle put a film on to watch. I think I saw the first 5 minutes!

Sounds like a good day. Your Kyle is a right old tea wallah! Really unusual for young people these days...

[Purdey16]

Really enjoying your blog Damian and pleased your enjoying your cruise especially the glass house and all the different wines you’re trying out , Kyle certainly loves his tea what a boy , it’s certainly a lot better than drinking fizzy pop that a lot kids / teenagers drink , and like my son when he was young he also would’ve had pasta for lunch and dinner every night . Have you tried the American pancakes with blueberry compote and Nutella sauce and cream yet lovely way to start the day . Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[DamianG]

5 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

Really enjoying your blog Damian and pleased your enjoying your cruise especially the glass house and all the different wines you’re trying out, Kyle certainly loves his tea what a boy, it’s certainly a lot better than drinking fizzy pop that a lot kids / teenagers drink, and like my son when he was young he also would’ve had pasta for lunch and dinner every night . Have you tried the American pancakes with blueberry compote and Nutella sauce and cream yet lovely way to start the day . Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

 

Yes, Kyle really loves a cup of tea, at home he'll often come down from his bedroom around 9pm and we'll hear him in the kitchen putting the kettle on.

 

Funny you should mention the pancakes, read about them tomorrow...

[DamianG]

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by DamianG

[DamianG]

Less floors, more steps yesterday 

 

 

[Harry Peterson]

Those Dutch chips with mayonnaise!  As you say, far better than ours. Belgian chocolates to be had in the Netherlands too at a fraction of our price for some reason - Leonidas was always a must! They’ve got branches here too, but stupid prices.

 

We used to spend every Christmas and New Year in Amsterdam as a family, and summer holidays in their equivalent of Center Parcs. Enjoy the rest of the cruise, and thanks for the blog.

[P&O SUE]

Great read again thanks Damian. I was going to comment on Kyle’s tea drinking too! Reminds me of a friend’s daughter at another friend’s daughter birthday party. The mum of the birthday girl asked who wanted squash and who wanted lemonade and this little voice piped up ‘cup of tea please’ 😁 she was 3 or 4!
 

Ive just seen on facecloth someone on Iona has been on an amphibious vehicle in Rotterdam, looks fun.

[pete14]

4 hours ago, DamianG said:

Tuesday 5^th April

 

It was fairly late after dinner and Kyle wanted a final cup of tea from Vistas so we sat in the Atrium on deck 6 and Michelle and I finished the day with a glass of Beefsteak Malbec (as sold by M&S) from the Emerald Bar. We were back in the cabin for 10:40pm and Kyle put a film on to watch. I think I saw the first 5 minutes!

Thanks for another good read. I am pleased you are having such a good time and it brings back fond memories of cruising, something we have not done since COVID. I do remember several bottles of the ’Beefsteak Malbec’ in the MDR on Arcadia. It was a very nice wine and a good accompaniment to food. Memories of what is sold as ‘Beefsteak’ Malbec in many supermarkets at the moment are not so fond. Obviously different vintages of the same wine can differ in taste. If this is the reason for the change, it would be great if they could produce more vintages like that from 3 years ago. I remember it having a real cork onboard, from supermarkets it is a screw cap so perhaps they really are different. 

[gsgbrumuk]

2 hours ago, DamianG said:

Less floors, more steps yesterday 

 

 

 

Must have sailed under a low bridge

[Jonesthecat]

This is so helpful, thank you ever so much for posting it. I'm going on my first cruise on the 16th April, on the Iona, and I have no idea what to expect. So this is really good to be able to read.  Disappointing to read how early the restaurants stop for breakfast as I had hoped to get the gym in before hand.

 

Can I ask you a question Damian, we are thinking of the drinks package and use the on board spend towards it, but I saw somewhere something about a 15 drinks per day limit-is this true and if so is that all drinks (e.g. a combination of hot, soft drinks and alcohol? if so its seems really poor value?) Many thanks. 

[crusingdan]

1 hour ago, Jonesthecat said:

This is so helpful, thank you ever so much for posting it. I'm going on my first cruise on the 16th April, on the Iona, and I have no idea what to expect. So this is really good to be able to read.  Disappointing to read how early the restaurants stop for breakfast as I had hoped to get the gym in before hand.

 

Can I ask you a question Damian, we are thinking of the drinks package and use the on board spend towards it, but I saw somewhere something about a 15 drinks per day limit-is this true and if so is that all drinks (e.g. a combination of hot, soft drinks and alcohol? if so its seems really poor value?) Many thanks. 

There is a 15 drink limit per day but this is on alcoholic drinks only.

 

So you can have essentially an unlimited amount of soft or hot drinks a day and this does not count towards the limit.

 

There’s more details and the Ts and Cs on the P&O website - https://www.pocruises.com/onboard-activities/bars-and-lounges/ultimate-drinks-package

[BrianI]

If I had 15 alcoholic drinks I would be flat on my back. As I understand it, as a couple, both have to buy the package. This makes it more unlikely both will utilise the full amount. Not worth while taking out the package if you are just going to break even. 
You also need to factor in the time spent ashore. 
Brian

 

[sddsddean]

23 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

 Michelle and I finished the day with a glass of Beefsteak Malbec (as sold by M&S) from the Emerald Bar.

 

Discovered this on our last cruise on Arcadia. Best Malbec I've had (in my opinion)...not as 'rough' as some. BTW, its available cheaper than M&S at Morrisons and Tesco!

 

Simon

[P&O SUE]

1 hour ago, Jonesthecat said:

This is so helpful, thank you ever so much for posting it. I'm going on my first cruise on the 16th April, on the Iona, and I have no idea what to expect. So this is really good to be able to read.  Disappointing to read how early the restaurants stop for breakfast as I had hoped to get the gym in before hand.

 

Can I ask you a question Damian, we are thinking of the drinks package and use the on board spend towards it, but I saw somewhere something about a 15 drinks per day limit-is this true and if so is that all drinks (e.g. a combination of hot, soft drinks and alcohol? if so its seems really poor value?) Many thanks. 

  
That was the main dining room I believe the buffet is open til about 11am for breakfast items and just about almost 24 hrs so you won’t go hungry! 

[P&O SUE]

26 minutes ago, BrianI said:

If I had 15 alcoholic drinks I would be flat on my back. As I understand it, as a couple, both have to buy the package. This makes it more unlikely both will utilise the full amount. Not worth while taking out the package if you are just going to break even. 
You also need to factor in the time spent ashore. 
Brian

 

Totally agree Brian. When they first came out I got out my bill for a 12 night cruise and it was nowhere near the amount of the package! We’re not teetotal at all but didn’t spend anywhere like it. We have a glass of wine or two with dinner, possibly a glass at lunchtime if it’s a sea day and cocktail or two or gin and tonic.

 

 

[Bazrat]

32 minutes ago, BrianI said:

If I had 15 alcoholic drinks I would be flat on my back. As I understand it, as a couple, both have to buy the package. This makes it more unlikely both will utilise the full amount. Not worth while taking out the package if you are just going to break even. 
You also need to factor in the time spent ashore. 
Brian

 

The biggest problem I have with the package only I drink alcohol, I could make it work if I was prepared to drink 30 pints a day.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, Jonesthecat said:

This is so helpful, thank you ever so much for posting it. I'm going on my first cruise on the 16th April, on the Iona, and I have no idea what to expect. So this is really good to be able to read.  Disappointing to read how early the restaurants stop for breakfast as I had hoped to get the gym in before hand.

 

Can I ask you a question Damian, we are thinking of the drinks package and use the on board spend towards it, but I saw somewhere something about a 15 drinks per day limit-is this true and if so is that all drinks (e.g. a combination of hot, soft drinks and alcohol? if so its seems really poor value?) Many thanks. 

I see that you only have two sea days on your cruise. Unless you perhaps only plan to be ashore in each port for half a day, I would imagine that it will be quite difficult to make it worthwhile. 

[gsmt47471015]

1 hour ago, sddsddean said:

 

Discovered this on our last cruise on Arcadia. Best Malbec I've had (in my opinion)...not as 'rough' as some. BTW, its available cheaper than M&S at Morrisons and Tesco!

 

Simon

Most wines on ships are considerably cheaper at various super markets and if unavailable at these then a good wine merchant 🍷 

[DamianG]

3 hours ago, Jonesthecat said:

This is so helpful, thank you ever so much for posting it. I'm going on my first cruise on the 16th April, on the Iona, and I have no idea what to expect. So this is really good to be able to read.  Disappointing to read how early the restaurants stop for breakfast as I had hoped to get the gym in before hand.

 

Can I ask you a question Damian, we are thinking of the drinks package and use the on board spend towards it, but I saw somewhere something about a 15 drinks per day limit-is this true and if so is that all drinks (e.g. a combination of hot, soft drinks and alcohol? if so its seems really poor value?) Many thanks. 

Hi and thanks for the kind comments.

You’ve got the answers you need from other posters so all I can say is that only you can decide if the drinks package will work for you.

It’s working for us this time as we are onboard far more than usual and it’s including unlimited drinks for our son. It is unlikely to be value for our next planned cruise where we expect to be ashore a lot more.

We’re enjoying trying different wines etc but nowhere near 15 alcoholic drinks each per day! 

[pete14]

2 hours ago, sddsddean said:

 

Discovered this on our last cruise on Arcadia. Best Malbec I've had (in my opinion)...not as 'rough' as some. BTW, its available cheaper than M&S at Morrisons and Tesco!

 

Simon

Simon, do you think the Malbec bought in a supermarket is as nice as that bought onboard? Maybe my palate has been addled by drinking more than my fair share of it.

[Megabear2]

Re 15 alcoholic drinks a day, it really does depend on your drinking pattern.  Whilst I'd end up flat on my back our friends did manage to consume their 15 drinks on Princess by having bottled beers.  Through the day into the evening it worked out to 7 pints each, a lot for me but apparently quite normal for them on a day out.

 

The one man we met on a Caribbean Britannia cruise who fascinated me used to be by the pool at 7.30 waiting for the bar to open as he was determined to have his 15 drinks a day. He told us he had created a spreadsheet of what to drink and where to maximise his package!

[Son of Anarchy]

3 hours ago, BrianI said:

If I had 15 alcoholic drinks I would be flat on my back. As I understand it, as a couple, both have to buy the package. This makes it more unlikely both will utilise the full amount. Not worth while taking out the package if you are just going to break even. 
You also need to factor in the time spent ashore. 
Brian

 

The only time we seriously considered the drinks package was when we did a staycation on Iona last year.  No ports at all, so more drinking on board 🍺.  Luckily though, people had posted drinks prices.  Although primarily a beer and wine drinkers, we would have partaken of cocktails, but noticed that the price of a lot of cocktails was now above the £6.95 threshold.  So we didn't go for the package.  

[DamianG]

Wednesday 5^th April

 

I was awake just after 8am again and we made sure Kyle was up and ready for 9am so that we could go to breakfast in the MDR. We chose Coral simply because it had the shortest virtual queue and the table ready notification came through more or less straight away. We were soon seated in a better position than before and I took note of the tables for two which seemed to be randomly spaced out, with some close together and others more widely segregated (up to about 1 metre). Kyle said that he didn’t want anything (not even a cup of tea) so to try tempt him into eating something Michelle ordered American pancakes with syrup and eggs Benedict with a side order of bacon. I chose the full P&O breakfast but without Cumberland sausage. The waiter confirmed that pork sausages are not available in the MDR. In due course Michelle was presented with a plate of 3 pancakes with syrup, and a separate plate with the other items. Our master plan failed as Kyle stubbornly refused to try the pancakes, so Michelle had a double portion breakfast then announced that she was well and truly stuffed.

 

After breakfast we went to Vistas for our usual cup of tea for Kyle and latte for me. We sat in Andersons for a while again in the hope that our cabin would have been refreshed but that didn’t work out as we still returned to the cabin too early, just as it was being finished by the steward. We then had an awkward 10 minutes or so just killing time mooching before finally getting back in the cabin at 10am.

 

A friend had suggested that I could visit the De Kuip stadium, home of Feyenoord, which didn’t appear to be too far South of the city terminal. Kyle had no interest in this whatsoever and Michelle kindly said that she would stay with him so off I went. After a little research I now knew that tram tickets could be bought in the underground Metro stations and Wilhelminaplein was only a 2 minute stroll from the terminal. I had a wait to use the ticket machine whilst various P&O passengers tried to work out how to use it, including the couple who went all the way through the purchase process then abandoned it at the last minute (leaving the details on screen without cancelling), followed by the party of 4 in front of me who faffed around for ages before deciding that €16.50 each for a day pass was too much and they’d use taxis instead. Personally I found it really straightforward, as it was simple to change the machine to English then easy to select a 2 hour any line, any journey ticket for €4.00.

 

It was just a 10 minute ride to the dedicated stadium stop and I took a few photos of the stadium from the outside. I then went through a revolving door into what looked like a reception, and this seemed to take a security guard completely by surprise who (once he realised I was British) barked at me “What do you want?” He then said that I could not go any further and ushered me outside, pointing me in the direction of the club shop. The staff in there were much friendlier and helpful, advising that the stadium was out of bounds due to preparations for tomorrow’s Europa Conference League match, and that stadium tours were generally on Fridays. As expected, the merchandise seemed expensive but they suggested that I try the second club shop, just across the car park. This time the lovely sales assistant helped me to find a good quality Adidas polo shirt for €20.00, which I thought was a bargain. After leaving the shop I did a lap of the stadium perimeter and saw that it has its own dedicated railway station as well, very impressive. My return journey to the cruise terminal was just as straightforward, and I was soon going through the security checks. I put my wallet, mobile phone, spare coins and belt in my bag in an attempt to not set off the scanner. I was about to take off my coat but they advised that I didn’t need to. As soon as I walked through the scanner beeped and Ainsley was there to pounce on me with a jolly “Ah ha! We’ve caught you at last!” He then identified my glasses in my coat pocket as the trigger. D’oh!

 

Once back in the cabin we persuaded Kyle to go ashore based on the promise of more chorros and some money to spend. As often happens, he wanted to do the exact same thing as yesterday which was less appealing to us, so we agreed a slight compromise to include a visit to a large department store not far from where we were heading. I took us all to the Metro station and bought 3 more 2 hour tickets. Apparently under 12s can travel free as long as they are “city registered” but to keep things simple I just bought Kyle a ticket anyway. We were soon on a tram and what seemed like a long walk yesterday was just an 8 minute ride across the bridge to Beurs tram stop. We knew where to get off because we could see H&M and C&A department stores on the roadside.

 

We went into De Bijenkorf department store which was huge, spread out over several floors. It also seemed to be expensive so we didn’t buy anything. We left and made our way across the main road Coolsingel and headed to where the waffle stand was the day before but it wasn’t there. Kyle, who hadn’t yet eaten, was devastated. We carried on to the Grotemarkt and noticed that there weren’t any outdoor stalls there either. Once inside we did a grand tour of the food outlets before finally finding somewhere that sold churros for Kyle. Michelle and I weren’t especially hungry but thought that we may need a little something to keep us going, and we eventually settled on sharing a Greek chicken pie, made from filo pastry, which was delicious. After leaving Grotemarkt we went to Kyle’s new favourite Dutch store Hema where he duly spent his money. It’s one of those stores that sells everything and anything so I also bought some bin bags, as I’d felt guilty about the mess in our cabin bin (leftover sweets and sugar that had fallen off them) that we'd seen the (cabin) steward trying to sort out earlier.

 

The tram ride home was equally swift and this time I managed to get through the scanner without setting any alarms off. Boarding was quick bar a small wait on the gangway to let staff help a wheelchair user get down the other way. We had a bit of cabin time then Kyle asked for pizza so Michelle and I went on another room service run. We had to pass through the Horizon restaurant on our way to Taste 360 on deck 16 and as we did so I noticed that chicken biriyani was available. We generally avoid the Horizon restaurant on P&O ships but I couldn’t resist getting a portion and some onion bhajis to take back to the cabin. Michelle was still stuffed but did manage a bhaji. The spicey food again went well with the glasses of Sauvignon Blanc that Michelle had picked up while I got the pizza.

 

After eating Kyle wanted the cabin to himself for a while so that he could FaceTime his friends without his embarrassing parents being around. This was fine by us given that he doesn’t use the kids clubs and much as we love him a little time apart does us all some good. Michelle and I therefore took the empty dishes back up to the Horizon restaurant (as otherwise they’d be stuck in the cabin all evening) then decided to go to the Crow’s Nest. We easily got some good window seats and Michelle had a Raspberry and Hazelnut Brûlée and I had a Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum and Pepsi Max. We stayed until just before 6pm when passengers started to arrive dressed formally for dinner, which was our cue to move on.

 

We picked up our regular order of Proseccos from the Infinity Bar deck 16 aft then returned to the cabin. Needless to say this was still too soon for Kyle but we had been away for over an hour and in any case we wanted to get ready for Gala dinner evening in a relaxed, not rushed, manner. As I was shaving there was the bing-bong for a Captain’s announcement (which boomed out in the bathroom as well as the cabin) and I knew straight away what was coming. Captain Dunlop announced that the forecast was poor with Gale Force 8 winds forecast for the Dutch / Belgium coastline. Not only would this be potentially dangerous for such a high-sided ship, but also it would have a knock-on affect on us being able to transit the Niewe Maas river out to the Hook of Holland without causing issues for the other traffic. We were therefore going to stay another day in Rotterdam, and depart 7am on Friday morning. Naturally our visit to Le Havre had been cancelled. Bizarrely, the latest all aboard would be 6:30am on Friday morning, I guess for any passengers or crew who want to stay out all night. Doubtless there’ll be disappointment amongst some passengers with a few no doubt outraged as usual. For us, we’re not too bothered as we didn’t have a plan for Le Havre anyway, and I for one will enjoy actually being able to see the transit up the river on Friday morning.

 

Following the changed itinerary announcement Captain Dunlop went into a long monologue about how much passenger loyalty was appreciated and how he personally was rewarding this with a voucher issued to each adult for a free glass of champagne as a thank you. Considering that there always used to be a Welcome on Board reception, where you would get at least one free drink and often more, I found this to be exaggerated and unnecessary. Do I understand why there isn’t a Welcome on Board reception? Yes, of course I do. Do I appreciate a free glass of champagne? Yes, absolutely. Does it need to be accompanied with a patronising speech by the Captain taking personal credit for it? No, not in the slightest.

 

Kyle was adamant that we were not returning to Opal MDR for dinner so instead we booked for Coral and the table ready notification came through straight away. A very high proportion of the diners were dressed formally which I honestly hadn’t expected, and it was great to see. There was an Amuse-Bouche of a tomato and gin drink which was pleasant enough, followed by Dressed Devonshire Crab and Scallop Cerviche for me (small but tasty apart from the big lump of onion in the crab mix) and Asparagus with Poached Egg for Michelle. I had the Beef Tenderloin (pretty well cooked but not exactly melt in the mouth) and Michelle New England Half Split Lobster and Mornay Sauce (tasty enough but they do seem smaller these days). Kyle’s pasta with tomato sauce (no cheese) was delivered with cheese so he tried it then left it. A replacement was quickly ordered and soon delivered. Michelle had Marques de Reinosa Rioja Blanco to accompany her dinner and I had Silk and Spice again. For dessert we were both going to have cheese and biscuits until we realised that as this was a Gala dinner it would just be some kind of Stilton cheese balls mix. Instead we both had Biscuit Glace, described as Hazelnut Parfait with Raspberry Coulis and Almond Tuile. It was nice but not very "biscuity". We finished with a glass of Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port each. Whilst enjoying the port we saw a lady on a nearby table complaining about the cheese and sending it back in no uncertain terms.

 

After dinner we made the long trek from deck 7 aft to deck 17 forward to the Crow’s Nest. One thing I should mention here is that several cabin decks midships are completely shut off, presumably to be used as isolation cabins if required. This is understandable but a bit of a nuisance when trying to get from aft to forward or vice-versa. To circumnavigate the closed corridors, we went from deck 6 aft straight up to deck 16, walked through the Horizon restaurant / Beach House (where people were eating), past the pool / show area at the Sky Dome pool then up the last flight of stairs to deck 17 forward. Anyway, we found some nice seats in a corner but unfortunately this made us invisible to the waiters and waitresses, who served several passengers in our corner (who arrived after us) but not us. Eventually we flagged down a waitress and used our free drink vouchers for a glass of champagne each. Once we’d finished those drinks we remained invisible so after 15 minutes or so we just gave up and called it a day. I suppose that I could have got up and chased after someone to serve us but honestly I could not be bothered. We made the long walk back past all the obstructions and were back in the cabin for 10:45pm.

Edited April 7, 2022 by DamianG

[DamianG]