Adonia cruise - part 2

Monday 25 August

A bumpy night but otherwise fine. We decided on breakfast in the main dining room however as I wasn’t keen on trying to carry trays across the Conservatory.  the one downside of a small ship (well smaller - 30,000 grt) is if you hit rough seas!). She is one of the well-known R ships, most of which went to Azamara and Oceania, although Princess have one too. 

 

After breakfast  we went to the travelling alone meet – to find just two others there, albeit male!  Went back down to Andersons for our pre-arranged meet up with friends from a cruise forum. It was nice to put names to faces and we chatted for nearly an hour before lunch beckoned. On the way I stocked up on perfume (Aromatics Elixir) as it was a very good price, before popping down to Deck 4 to see if my friend - the Housekeeping Manager, was available as I hadn't spotted him yet.  Had big hug and kiss and a chat with him. He told me of plans to re-refurnish Adonia at her refit in 2016. After lunch in the restaurant I had a nap  in cabin. The first day or nearly every cruise I have done, I am usually tired  - first day lethargy! After changing for dinner we had drinks in Anderson’s and then to dinner, where 2 were missing - due to the bouncy seas - I wish someone would fill in those potholes on the way to the Med! ! Syndicate Quiz and then bed. 

 

 

Tuesday 26 August

Still bumpy and the top decks still closed as windy so no quoits for my friend. Not making any difference to me as shuffleboard courts closed for refurbishment. – grrrrr! Solos meet after breakfast followed by theme quiz (16/20). Bought a watch  - why can't I resist those sales tables?? Then met up with my friend and we went to the Conservatory for lunch followed by a doze and read in the sun! Fortunately on Adonia, the pool deck is very sheltered and good in most weather.

 

Showered and washed hair for Captain’s Welcome Aboard party. Captain David Box was very welcoming as I thanked him for his contributions to our last book. Chatted to friends and managed three drinks before dinner and the quiz.

Adonia cruise - 24th August 2014

I was up very early to see Adonia sail In at dawn from her previous cruise. She followed Queen Victoria which was shrouded in swirling mist as the day woke up. Arcadia was last in of the three that day.

 

Our cab picked us up at 11am and we were soon at the Mayflower Terminal. It was a quick check-in and after a half-hour wait (during which time an online cruise forum friend came over to say hello) we were able to board from the Promenade Deck. Entertainment officer Mel was standing at the end and said – there’s a familiar face – when she saw me. 

We headed for the Curzon Lounge for our Baltic embarkation lunch and two glasses of champagne. There was an announcement that our cabin was ready at 1pm so we went off to dump our hand luggage only to find all our luggage had been delivered so we unpacked and got straight before setting off to familiarise ourselves with Adonia again.

We had Cabin C36 – an obstructed view on the port side, but we had carefully chosen one with a view between the two tenders so very good indeed. 

 

Storage is nearly all cupboards on Adonia- not the easiest to use, and the bathrooms are minute, but fine for 12 days! Muster drill was at 3.30pm after which we went out on deck for the sailaway.  Captain David Box felt we all needed a discussion about the weather!! Obviously it was not going to be good news – a bumpy first two days. We were going to sail out through the Western Solent so we were out on deck for sailaway - after all we had three other ships to pass so there was lots of whistle-blowing to each other. 

 

 

After a while we were getting cold so went to the Crows Nest for a sherry, only going out again as Adonia neared the Needles. 

Hurst Castle Spit

 

After lots of photos we showered and changed for dinner – table 10 for 8 – three couples and us but one of our best tables and all good fun.  Went to the show and then bed.

Adonia - and a pre-cruise maritime fix

23 August 2014 saw me driving down to my friend at Hythe as we were due to board Adonia the following day for an interesting 12 night cruise to the Iberian peninsular and Morocco. The highlight of this cruise was going to be sailing up the river Guadalquivir to Seville!

Since it was a Bank Holiday weekend I thought it better to go the day before and in any event - the Maritime Festival was on in Southampton.

I reached my friend's house around midday so after a snack we set off on the Hythe Ferry to Town Quay and walked round to the Ocean Terminal where the festival was being held. It was a lovely hot and sunny day and as we sailed over, the ferry paused mid-channel to let the RedJet ferry disembark at the exact moment a flypast came overhead of a Spitfire and another WW2 aircraft - perfect!

 

The events and exhibits were a bit mixed but it was good to see the work being down to restore some of the city's old trams and to be able to walk on board Shieldhall and the steam tug Challenge before a welcome ice-cream and a wander back to Town Quay to see Aurora and Independence of the Seas sail and the University ship Explorer move berth.

 

Afterwards we had a long wait for the ferry as it was full of football supporters! Then an early night ready for the morrow.

A glut .....

Well, from four months of no cruising, I now seem to have a glut! After booking Braemar, I was still looking for a short break to use up a week's worth of leave I have this year. The perfect cruise popped up in the form of Funchal. No- not the capital of Madeira, but the classic cruise liner now owned by Portuscale Cruises, but being chartered to Cruise & Maritime to replace Discovery. It is a nine-day cruise to the Canaries and Madeira, flying home from Lisbon - hmmm - my first fly cruise. Portuscale have been operating her now for a few months, since she was completely refurbished and brought up to current SOLAS regulations. Some friends week on a week's cruise to and from Falmouth but I haven't yet had any feedback. I do like to try these classic ships before they all end up as razorblades. She is small - only 10,000 grt (and we have to cross the Bay of Biscay in late October!) but built in the early 1960s as a liner plying the route between Lisbon and the Azores so should be a good seagoing vessel.

Lisboa and Porto

We saw her sister ships in Lisbon recently - Lisboa and Porto were laid up. The Azores, another of the fleet, is also being chartered by CMV and I will try and book a visit on her early next year - so lots to look forward to shipwise.

I see no ships!

It's been a bit of a long break between ships recently. This in the main is because I had an arthroscopy on my right knee so have been unable  to drive and been at home recuperating. Whether it will put off needing a replacement long I don't know - yet!

The problem however, being at home with only the internet for company on some days is that I started browsing cruise sites - and the inevitable happened of course - I booked a cruise!

This time I am going on Fred Olsen's Braemar. I am not really a fan of Fred Olsen, but having said that my only cruise with them was on Balmoral to the Baltic back in 2010.

Braemar at Lisbon

I had a great time and the food was delicious but I did not take to the ship. This is not at all because she is old - as readers should know I love the classic ships, but somehow I felt Balmoral was a bit depressing. In part this may be because there were a very high percentage of virgin cruisers on board. This was the only cruise where I got dressed for formal night, walked into the public rooms, and went back to the cabin to change as I felt so overdressed! 

Balmoral sun deck

In my opinion, the main lounge - the Morning Light Bar, was very boring and plain, in contrast to the atrium which was all mirror glass. Also, the upper decks were a bit messy and the loungers were the horrible metal-framed ones with plastic tape wrapped round them.  A lot of people I spoke to them said how much they preferred Braemar so I am hoping for better things.

Balmoral atrium

Balmoral atrium

Balmoral Morning Light pub

The main advantage of this new cruise is that it is a three night short break so I don't need any annual leave from work. The clincher was a very good single price, especially for a twin cabin..

Anyway, this cruise drought will (God willing) be broken in four weeks time with Adonia to Portugal, Spain and Morocco so lots to look forward to.

Ship weekend

Just back home from a long weekend with my friend in Southampton. The main reason was a business meeting in Carnival House, but it was a good weekend for ship spotting.

When I arrived on Thursday afternoon (26 June 2014), AIDAStella was berthed. Although I am not a fan of their hull art (big lips and eyes not unlike those sold as jewellery in Greece  or painted on fishing boats etc to ward off the evil eye!) the design of the ships themselves looks good and at just over 71,000 grt, they are a perfect size (for me anyway).

AIDAStella is the newest ship in their fleet, launched in 2012. They carry just over 2000 passengers - a high number for the vessel's size, and their crew to passenger ratio is low but then their target audience are German-speaking families in the main and offer  a party-atmosphere. Possibly not my style, but I'd love to look over one of the ships sometime. I have always been intrigued by the hammocks slung on every balcony!

I awoke early Friday morning to see my favourite ship had snuck in while I wasn't looking and was berthed at the Ocean Terminal.

I still believe Oriana is the perfect ship - for me at least. I love her wide open teak decks, bright elegant décor, separate theatre and cinema, forward observation decks... I could go on. She sailed that evening in bright sunshine (contrary to the weather forecast, to Norway and Iceland.

 

 

Saturday 28th was a busy day in the port as I awoke at 4am to see Emerald Princess sailing past. 

 

 

She arrived early for a deep clean following an outbreak of norovirus on board. Next in was Ruby Princess followed by Independence of the Seas and Arcadia.

 

 

After a day meeting with friends and shopping, we caught the Hythe Ferry - in torrential rain - just in time to see them begin to leave on their next cruises. A good weekend for ship-watching! 

Independence of the Seas

Arcadia

Ruby Princess

Emerald Princess

 



Cancelled

 

Just received word that our visit to Voyager next Saturday has been cancelled for a Health & Safety inspection! I seem to be fated not to see that ship as I had a visit booked last year and then wasn’t feeling very well on the day and didn’t want to face a three hour drive to the port.

 

I particularly wanted to see Voyager to compare her with the Saga pair. I know my friend looked over her and described her as very beige and was interested to see what I thought of her. The itineraries are very interesting and of course, being a small ship, she can get into many ports bypassed by the mainstream vessels.

 

http://www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk/ship.php?ship_id=897

 

So – no ship fixes now until we board Adonia in August, although I still have a fair amount of ship-related work to completed before then, not least a book to mark the 175^th anniversary of Cunard.