New to Cruising - Boudicca 9th April 09

[motorcar48]

Hi Steve,

 

You're right we are flying from Manchester. Our eta at home is even worse than yours, about 8pm via National Express and we leave at 9.30am. It'll be a long day but I'm trying to think of it as part of the holiday.

Started packing today.:D DH has been trying his tux on. Still fits so far but not sure he'll be able to say the same thing by the end of the cruise.

Getting really excited now. Just need some knock out pills to get me through the flight. At least we don't have to fly back. I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to flying.

My brother's in-laws got back yesterday from 2 weeks on the Boudicca so am going to try and get feed back from them as to how it went.

 

Not long now!!

 

Cheers

Sue

 

Sue,

You are not alone in your love of flying, could have done with some company for moral support, my previous longest is 5 hours, have got some happy pills from our GP. As you say at least we dont have to fly back.

Also started packing, is it time to go yet?

Be interested to hear any comments you can pass on from your brother-in-laws trip

Best wishes

Sheila

 

[Robbo123]

Also booked for this cruise and new to this sight - days and hours being counted down.

 

We have been on the ship before, about 2 years ago, and like all the other Fred Olsen ships we have been on, had great service

 

In reply to the person asking about cleaning etc, always found that reasonable, in fact help with the packing, as we can get the evening wear pressed on board, reasonably

 

How is everyone else finding the weight allowance!

 

Flying from Gatwick, and hope to meet some of you on board at some point

[shecat7]

Its a doddle if they have complimentry drinks. Flew virgin across to l.a and it went by in mins. Thompson fly could be different.

I always go on a diet about a month before, was surprised as my loud caribbean shirt last worn in oct on the boudicca now fits.

Will start packing at the w/end, hope your tickets arr today.

Sue would love to know how,s she is still stacking up.

Hope to win at trivia this time 3rd time lucky but always there is someone to beat.

One person on the last trip had been on over 10 times and had all the questions and answers in the cabin, kept them each trip. Hell its only a bottle of (cheap sparkling chardonay sorry fred champagne )

steve

[curlywurly]

Sue,

You are not alone in your love of flying, could have done with some company for moral support, my previous longest is 5 hours, have got some happy pills from our GP. As you say at least we dont have to fly back.

Also started packing, is it time to go yet?

Be interested to hear any comments you can pass on from your brother-in-laws trip

Best wishes

Sheila

 

 

Happy to report that according to my brother's in-laws Boudicca is still in excellent condition and they may even have left us a bit of food! They could not find fault with any thing and thought the food was fantastic. There were plenty of activities going on all day and evening. Even the weather was fantastic and there was no sign of the rain which seems to have been blighting the cricket recently.

 

Sheila, I too have been for some happy pills. I've never tried them before. I've always just tried to get through it some how, but decided this time that enough was enough and as this was a special occasion I didn't want to start the holiday out as a giberring wreck!

 

Nine more days and counting.

 

Sue

[motorcar48]

Welcome to the thread, another expierienced cruiser, we are the newbys, the virgin cruisers. Having read other threads on the forum we started this to try and learn a bit before the cruise and feel a little less like fish out of water. Its been great fun and we look forward each day to opening up and seeing who has said what.

Reading this and others the majority speak highly of Fred and the ships, Boudicca certainly comes out well and you've just added to that. I've already declared I have a problem with a slipped chest and I have the will power of a womble when it comes to good food, looks like an even longer diet when we get back

We've read some of the not so happy reports, but how big a brain do you need to realise that winter and the bay of biscay might not be too pleasent and if a Captain does'nt feel comfortable trying to enter a port he is not going to risk his ship and passengers to keep the wingers happy. We then end up with that desease from accross the water, "we want compensation".

Must be honest we are in the practice pack & weigh mode and we are struggling, just hope the scales are accurate or it could get expensive. She has promised to let me have at least one of everything on top of what I am wearing, socks, shreddies, hanky, shirt. I am lucky

Is it time to go yet

 

David & Sheila

 

[motorcar48]

:) I nearly forgot to report the good news - the tickets finally arrived in the post at lunchtime :)

Looking at the travel arrangments at least one of us should get there.

Robbo 123 from Gatwick

Sue & Curly from Manchester

Steve & ?, plus ourselves from Stanstead

Our flights are with Thompson, flew from Coventry to Faro with them, I suppose it was short haul, enough said. Anyone flown long distance with them, it has to be better.

Is it time to go yet

 

David & Sheila

 

[shecat7]

What time are your flights, mabye we can wave to each other at 30,000 when we get across the atlantic. I suppose they must stagger them or it would be chaos at barbados. Dave the ? mark is hilary , sorry i forget her name sometimes . C>R>A>F>T time. The bay of biscay is the luck of the draw. Last time on the bodicca the propellor was out of the water and we spent the whole day in the cabin. not sick but you just dont have any power in your legs . had room service all day.

Next day as right as rain , crazy .

steve

[motorcar48]

Hi Steve & Hilary

 

Flight No Tom 615 from Stanstead 09.50

Ive been watching the cricket, play has been suspended a couple of times due to rain, a lot of the time it has been overcast yet the temperature has been 25 - 27, so fingers crossed

Good to hear from Sue that Boudicca is still in good condition, did I read somewhere that over the winter she had an argument with the dock side and dented the front.

 

David

 

[curlywurly]

Hi Steve & Hilary

 

Flight No Tom 615 from Stanstead 09.50

Ive been watching the cricket, play has been suspended a couple of times due to rain, a lot of the time it has been overcast yet the temperature has been 25 - 27, so fingers crossed

Good to hear from Sue that Boudicca is still in good condition, did I read somewhere that over the winter she had an argument with the dock side and dented the front.

 

David

 

 

Hi David,

 

It was blamed on a computer glitch.:rolleyes: I saw some pictures and it was a fairly big dent. Brother's in-laws did't mention it so perhaps it has been fixed.

 

"Sue & Curly from Manchester"

 

DH is Phil, but I'm actually Curly, not sure DH knows how to turn the computer on!:)

Have just spent 3hrs+ setting up my new laptop and am just about ready to throw it out of the window. I've lost count of how many restarts it's needed. I need a holiday to recover.:D:D:D

 

8 days and counting!

Sue

[shecat7]

sue try the boudicca translantic great people going lol

steve

[motorcar48]

One should never assume anything.

Nickname curly, guess it must be a bloke, how did he get the handle, either in the 60/70s he had an afro or he is as bald as a ....... .... or to put it another way has a solar panel for a sex machine.

How wrong can you be when it turns out to be a ladys handle, there might be an interesting story behind this one, over to you sue.

Still in pack & weigh mode, still struggling, looks like I might have lost my spare hanky.

Be interested to hear more about the 'computer glitch' and the dented front

 

David

 

[curlywurly]

One should never assume anything.

Nickname curly, guess it must be a bloke, how did he get the handle, either in the 60/70s he had an afro or he is as bald as a ....... .... or to put it another way has a solar panel for a sex machine.

How wrong can you be when it turns out to be a ladys handle, there might be an interesting story behind this one, over to you sue.

Still in pack & weigh mode, still struggling, looks like I might have lost my spare hanky.

Be interested to hear more about the 'computer glitch' and the dented front

 

David

 

 

 

Sorry, no interesting story, just very curly hair.... oh and a partiality to those yummy chocolate bars of the same name!

 

There's a thread somewhere on here about the dent, with pictures. I'm about to go out but I'll see if I can find it tonight if you haven't already found it.

 

1 week to go and counting...............

[motorcar48]

Went looking and found a picture, must have been embarassing with all those other ships in harbour, I know what is like if one of my guys dents a vehicle you dont need to say very much their peers can be quite sarcastic and take the michael. I'll bet the other captains & crews made the odd comment or two

 

 

In an awkward place, you would certainly want to stop the leak.

 

Only three working days for us, can't come quick enough. I always look forward to my holidays, for some reason even more so this one. Probably because its a first for us plus all the stories and good vibes we've been getting

 

David

 

[Robbo123]

Just a thought, anyone fancy meeting up for a drink at some point?

 

Might need one after this weekend, after the packing gets under way - who said 25kgs was a lot to use up ! :)

 

Thursday will soon be here

[curlywurly]

Just a thought, anyone fancy meeting up for a drink at some point?

 

Might need one after this weekend, after the packing gets under way - who said 25kgs was a lot to use up ! :)

 

Thursday will soon be here

 

Hi Robbo,

 

We'd be up for that. Perhaps having been on Boudicca before Steve can suggest a good place to meet, all assuming thay want to join us.:)

 

Haven't tried weighing the luggage yet. I've been putting that one off as I know I'll then have to decide what to leave behind. DH maybe??!! Only kidding Phil, honest. After all I need someone to carry all that excess baggage!

 

Cheers

Sue

[motorcar48]

We are up for it as well, you guys know the ship, say when and where, we will be there. :D

Very much enjoyed talking to you all and the info you have passed on, it'll be good to meet you.

 

David & Sheila

 

[motorcar48]

When we decided to come on this cruise we thought, Carabean great weather, even checked on the internet to see what the weather would be like, we cant go wrong or can we

 

Being a cricket fan, followed the series, nearly every one day series game has been interupted by rain. Todays match in St Lucia was late starting due to torential rain and then there was another interuption due to rain, the only good thing is England won the series. Tell me the weather will only get better, please :(

 

David

[shecat7]

As god gave us little green apples ,"the weather will be brilliant, hot and sunny winds calm ,seas smooth, food excellant, drink plentiful, trips outstanding and the crew efficient.

We will all win the lottery (dont forget to do it before you go ) and our favourite team will win promotion, as mine is Grimsby which is near being sent to the conference, you can see i am a great belivier in fate, hope and charity. A day dream beliver. Whatever happens we will all enjoy.

steve

[Robbo123]

When we decided to come on this cruise we thought, Carabean great weather, even checked on the internet to see what the weather would be like, we cant go wrong or can we

 

Being a cricket fan, followed the series, nearly every one day series game has been interupted by rain. Todays match in St Lucia was late starting due to torential rain and then there was another interuption due to rain, the only good thing is England won the series. Tell me the weather will only get better, please :(

 

David

 

The last time we did we did the Caribbean, every trip we were reminded that it was liquid sunshine - we are following this time, by not doing so many trips, so we can not be told that

 

Can quite agree about the great cricket result! Roll on Thursday :D

[Robbo123]

We are up for it as well, you guys know the ship, say when and where, we will be there. :D

Very much enjoyed talking to you all and the info you have passed on, it'll be good to meet you.

 

David & Sheila

 

 

How about meeting in the observation lounge on board, perhaps sometime during the 2nd day / evening - as we may be shattered from the flight and 5 hour time difference.

 

Who will be brining the carnations long to wear in the button hole :rolleyes:

[shecat7]

what time does your flight leave gatwick

[curlywurly]

How about meeting in the observation lounge on board, perhaps sometime during the 2nd day / evening - as we may be shattered from the flight and 5 hour time difference.

 

Who will be brining the carnations long to wear in the button hole :rolleyes:

 

 

Day 2 sounds like a good idea. Could be embarrasing if we fell asleep in our drinks!

How about pre-dinner drinks as that would allow for any trips during the day? We're on early sitting so don't know how that fits in with everyone else?

 

Sue & Phil

[shecat7]

2nd day would be fine. ? captains welcome party day.

Looking at itenary do not count flying day or sailaway day

1st day barbados

on previous cruises, party has been on this day at 5.45pm

on 2nd day at st lucia

3rd day expect it to be caribbean night/ party night on deck

I still have the daily ships programmes from our oct cruise if anybody needs help.

We are also 1st sitting down as 4 seasons rest on our cruises section but maitre d could change it before

steve

[Robbo123]

Day 2 sounds like a good idea. Could be embarrasing if we fell asleep in our drinks!

How about pre-dinner drinks as that would allow for any trips during the day? We're on early sitting so don't know how that fits in with everyone else?

 

Sue & Phil

 

Sounds good to us as well, we are on early sitting, and we only have a morning trip - not to sure it may be Captains welcome party, but could do it pre that or instead of that?

 

Steve& Jan

[Robbo123]

what time does your flight leave gatwick

 

Without hunting out the tickets (no not lost them) I have veen told it is 10.20 or 10.30, in that region - where are you flying from and what's your flight time?

 

Steve & Jan