arcadia 4nt mini cruise review

hi all cruisers;

as there seemed to be more going on the shorter one in july, i was hoping to meet the one that replied.

FRIDAY 3RD JUNE.

I ARRIVED IN SOUTHAMPTON TO FIND NO SHUTTLE BUS UNLIKE THE QM2 WHOSE PASSENGERS SEEMED TO WAITING FOR ONE. I GOT INTO A TAXI FOR THE MAYFLOWER TERMINAL, BUT THE TAXI DRIVER DID NOT EVEN SPEAK!!

ARRIVED TO FIND A LONG QUEUE, WHICH I JOINED AFTER GIVING MY CASE TO GO ONBOARD. WE EVENTUALLY GOT TO THE END AFTER ABOUT 50MINS. WE WETRE TOLD THERE WAS A DELAY AS THE DUTCH CUSTOMS HAD REQUESTED TO CHECK ALL OUR PASSPORTS. I THEN SAID ABOUT THE FACT I DID'NT HAVE A CREDIT CARD AND WAS PAYING IN CASH EVEB THOUGH THEY SAID THEYT WERE NOT TAKING CASH!! THEN THROUGH THE SECURITY X RAY,UP STAIRS TO THE CUSTOMS WHO JUST LOOKED AT THE PASPORT NOT STAMPED THEM AS WE WERE TOLD!! THEN GOT A BOARDING PASS NO 8 WERE WERE AT NO 3 AT THIS TIME. AFTER ANOTHER 5O MINS I FINALLY GOT ON BOARD. 2 HOURS AFTER ARRIVING, AFTER PICTURE TAKING FOR EMBARKATION I WENT THE LONG JOURNEY TO GET TO THE SHIP. AFTER CHECKING MY CRUISE CARD, I WAS LEFT TO FIND MY OWN CABIN, NO HELP AT ALL. I ARRIVED ON DECK 8, NUMBER A159 AT THE AFT END, A BALCONY. FOUND MY LUGGAGE AS WAY AWAY FROM THE CABIN. GOT IN AND FORGOT THE CABIN CARD TO GET THE CASE AND GOT LOCKED OUT!! WHY THE CRUISE CARD COULD NOT BE USED TO GET INTO THE CABI I DON'T KNOW?

I UNPACKED AND WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO CALL ME BUT NO ONE DID, I RUING NICK AND CARON FROM CRUISE CRITIC BUT THEY HAD ONLY JUST GOT ON BOARD AND WOULD CALL ME TO GO FOR A DRINK, BUT THE CALL NEVER CAME! I LOOKED OUT THE BALCONY GLORIOUS!! GREAT VIEW AND COVERED FROM ABOVE THE SUN DECK, TOTAL SECLUSION. UNLIKE THE OTHERS THAT WERE OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS AS IT WAS POURING WITH RAIN, AND THE CHAIRS WAS SOAKED. THERE WAS A MINI BAR, BUT NO DRINKS INSIDE IT! NOT EVEN ANY ICE IN THE ICE BUCKET! AFTER THE LIFEBOAT DRILL HELD IN THE MEREDIAN RESTAURANT, VERY HANDY, BUT IT WAS DONE VERY WELL!

I SHOWERED BEFORE DINNER WATCHING US LEAVE PORT IN THE POURING RAIN. DID'NT ,MISS MUCH OF THE SAILAWAY PARTY. PASSED THE QM2 A LOVELY SITE! FOUND MY TABLE FOR DINNER ON DECK 2, LOWER. NO 24 WITH QUITE A NICE BUNCH ON A TABLE FOR 6. A LADY FROM SOUTHAMPTON SHARING WITH ANOTHER, A COUPLE ON THEIR 1ST CRUISE EVER, AND A COUPLE FROM IPSWICH. WAS HOPING TO SIT WITH MIKE WHO I HAD MET ON QM2 AND WAS SUCH A LAUGH BUT NO!

DINNER---I HAD MELON,VEGETABLE SOUP,BREAST OF CHICKEN AND A RUM SLICE, A NICE HELPING OF VEGETABLES TOO, COUGETTES,CARROTS,POTS. OUR STEWARD WAS A GOOD FELLOW, FUNNY AND SERVED THE COURSES WELL.

THE SHOW--WAS "ALLAN STEWART" A SCOTTISH COMEDIAN AND TAKING OFF PEOPLE, HE WAS GOOD BUT UNFORTUNATLY I HAD SEEN HIS EXACT SAME ACT I THINK A YEAR AGO. I COULD'NT WORK OUT IF I COULD SMKE CIGARS AS THE BROCHURE SAID ONLY OUTSIDE ON DECK. SO I SAVED MONEY AND HAD THEM ON MY BALCONY WITH THE WINE I BROUGHT ON BOARD.

SAT 4TH JUNE.

WOKE UP AT 0830 TOO LATE FOR THE RESTAURANT SO WENT TO THE SELF SERVICE, WHICH WAS DIFFICULT AS DIFFERENT FOOD WAS IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND COULD'NT SEE WHERE THEYB ALL WERE. CEREALS,YOGHART,EGGS,BACON,SAUS,TOAST, VERY GOOD.

AS I WAS ON TOUR IN ROTTERDAM I HAD AN EARLY LUNCH IN BELVEDERES THE SELF SERVICE AGAIN. I HAD BOOKED THE CITY TOUR AND HARBOUR TOUR. IT WAS A GOOD TOUR WHICH GAVE AN HOUR TO DO SHOPPING, I DECIDED TO WALK TO THE MARITIME MUSEUM. I LOVE GOING TO THE SHOP, THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING GOOD THEREE. BY THE TIME I GOT BACK IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE. NEXT WAS HE HARBOUR CRUISE OF AN HOUR, MAINLY THE CONTAINER TERMINALS. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO BE TOLD WHERE THE OLD "ROTTERDAM" WOULD BE BERTHED WHEN SHE FINALLY ARRIVED TO BE A HOTEL. THE BOAT THEN HAD A TERRIBLE JOB OF DROPPING PEOPLE OFF BY THE SHIP AS THERE WAS NOT MUCH ROOM TO GET IN. THE GANGWAY WAS VERY STEEP FOR SOME OF THE OLDER PEOPLE. I GOT BACK ON THE SHIP. WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY PASSPORT BUT WAS NOT ASKED TO SHOW IT ONCE. DINNER IN MEREIDIAN RESTAURANT, NOT REALLY TALKED TO ME MORE THROUGH ME. I LEFT AT THE END OF THE DINNER, AND NOT ONE SAID BYE!

I THOUGHT I MIGHT NOT BE COMING HERE AGAIN. I COULD'NT BOOK ARCADIAN RHODES AS IT WAS FULLY BOOKED THE 1ST NIGHT, SO BOOKED THE ORCHID FOR SUNDAY, THE FORMAL NIGHT. WENT TO THE SHOW WHICH WAS A SORT OF "CIRCLE DE SOLEIL" WHICH WAS REALLY GOOD! I SAEW MIKE THERE, AND WE TALKED BEFORE THE SHOW STARTED.

AFTER DINNER I WENT OFF THE SHIP TO GET PICTURES OF THE ARCADIA FROM THE BRIDGE AT NIGHT.

SUN 5TH JUNE.

GOT UP AT 0730HRS. BREAKFAST IN MEREDIAN RESTAURANT.

I DID THE FULL DAY TOUR OF BRUGES FROM A DESERTED ZEEBRUGGE, NOTHING THERE AT ALL! WALKING TOUR, WITH A LOVELY CANAL BOAT, HAD A GREAT COMMENTARY WHICH WAS VERY HUMEROUS BY AN ENGLASHMAN WHO WAS NOT!! HAD 3 HRS TIME FOR SHOPPING FOR CHOCOLATES. THE TOWN WAS BEAUTIFUL AS WAS THE CATHEADRAL. HAD A 25MIN WALK FROM THE TOWN TO WHERE THE COACHES WERE PARKED!!

GOT SHOWERED BEFORE GOING TO THE GALA PARTY. WHICH STRANGELY WAS ON DECK, NOTA GOOD IDEA AS THERE WERE HARDLY ANYWHERE TOP SIT APART FROM ON THE SUN LOUNGERS. AS WE WERE LEAVIN PORT THE CAPTAIN WAS TOO BUSY TO ATTENT. BUT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN OTHER OFFICERS THERE INSTEAD ALL WE GOT WE A FEW WORDS FROM THE CRUISE DIRECTOR. THEN HAD A WHISKY?? NO CHAMPAGNE? AND ONE CANAPE??

I LEFT AND WENT TO DINNER UP ON DECK 11 IN THE ORCHID RESTAURANT. A LOVELY PLACE, I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE TO START WITH, BUT OTHER CAME LATER. HAD A TABLE TO MYSELF, BUT THAT WAS OK.

HAED SPRING ROLL,TOM YONG SOUP,QUITE SPICY! DEEP FRIED MONKFISH--LOVELY!! AND MANGO BRULEE ANOTHER LOVELY CRISPY ONE!!

I MISSED THE SHOW AS I LEFT IT TOO LATE AND THERE WERE NO SEATS LEFT. IT WAS "MARTIN DANIELS" PAUL SON WJHO WAS GOOD BY ALL ACCOUNTS.

MON 6TH JUNE.

GOT UP AT 0730HRS, BREAKFAST INDINING ROOM. HAD TO GET A STICKER TO THE EXCURSION, TODAY WE WERE IN GUERNSEY. THE 4TH TIME I'VE BEEN THERE ON A CRUISE SHIP. SO I BOOKED THE ONE TO SARK. AFTER GETTING OFF THE TENDER, BOARDED THE FERRY TO SARK A 45MIN TRIP IN QUITE ROUGH SEAS! GOT ONTO THE TRACTOR FOR THE TRIP UP THE HILL. THEN ON THE HORSE AND CART RIDE AROUND THE ISLAND IN 2 HOURS, A LOVELY DAY OUT, A LOVELY ISLAND. HAD FISH AND CHIPS FOR LUNCH INTHE VILLAGE CAFE. THEN THE TRIP BACK TO GUERNSEY, MUCH ROUGHER THIS TIME, AS WAS THE TENDER TO THE SHIP. INDEED WE NEARLY COLLIDED WITH THE SHIP WITH THE WAVES. I SHOWERED AND SAT ON THE BALCONY IN BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE AFTER A REALLY MISTY DAY.I WENT BACK TO THE MEREDIAN RESTAURANT FOR THE LAST DINNER OF GOAT CHEESE AND SOUFFLE,GAZPACHO SOUP, TURKEY AND STUFFING, AND RASBERRY SORBET.

THEN TO THE LAST SHOW " THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER" SOME OF WHICH I HAD SEEN BEFORE! I THEN STARTED PACKING, AND HAD MY LAST CIGAR OUT THE BALCONY.

TUE 7TH JUNE.

AWOKE AT 6AM AS IT WAS SO LIGHT AND SAW WE WERE COMING INTO SOUTHAMPTON, WENT IONTO THE DINING ROOM FOR A BREAKFAST OF PANCAKES AND MAPLE SYRUP, A MUCH BETTER MIX OF PEOPLE HERE!

THE QUEUE FOR THE RECEPTION TO PAY THE BILL WAS SMALL! GOT OFF IN 30MINS, GOT STRAINGHT INTOP A TAXI, NO AITING AND OFF TO LONDON BY 12NOON.

ALL IN ALL A GREAT TIME, JUST A FEW LITTLE THINGS, FIRST THE NEGATIVES;

1.LONG QUEUE TO GET ON SHIP OF 2HOURS.

2.NO ONE TO SHOW YOU TO CABIN.

3.NO DRINKS OR ICE CUBES IN THE MINI BAR.

4.SAME ARTIST DOING SAME MATERIAL.

5.SAYING NO CASH PAYMENTS, WHERE THEY DID ACCEPT IT.

THE POSITIVIES:

1. TEA/COFFEE MAKING FACILITIES IN CABIN.

2. CRUISE LOG OF THE CRUISE WE HAVE JUST DONE.

THATS IT.

DAVID TEMPLAR

3.

SUN 5TH JUNE.

GOT UP AT 0730

It is nice to know you are back, Dave, and to read the interesting review. You certainly get around. Matilda.

Good balanced view of the ship -- it's pluses and its minuses.

Do me a favour and post this in the messageboard in Cruise Connections on P&O's own website. It should result in some interesting responses from the self-appointed honorary members of the P&O PR department who frequent that board !

went ion this board very slow, and never met up

dave

We were in the Rising Sun from 3.30pm on sail away day, only a few didi turn up.

Sorry that you could not make it.

Rex