Almost live from Arcadia en route to Caribbean

[Host Sharon]

Thanks for the updates. Sounds lovely (from a freezing although sunnry UK). I had my first ever try on the Wii on Arcadia and actually won the bowling! I don't think the expeienced players were too thrilled about it!!

[Johnthed0g]

To be honest I didn't know there was such a thing where is it?..Wii that is

[Balconyandwine]

Even though I'm a diehard OV follower, I have really enjoyed reading your trip reports Cap'n Pugwash. How have you found this cruise compared to previous Christmas ones you have done. Your early finish on New Years Eve was surprising, was this down to an uninspiring party?

[Johnthed0g]

1 am. is akin to an all night rave on Arcadia! You generally have the ship to yourself after 12 midnite. You may meet an old couple toddling back to the cabin..arm in arm...they ain't in love just holding each other up!!

[lord of the seas]

1 am. is akin to an all night rave on Arcadia! You generally have the ship to yourself after 12 midnite. You may meet an old couple toddling back to the cabin..arm in arm...they ain't in love just holding each other up!!

 

They could be two single travellers looking for love.;)

[capnpugwash]

I think this cruise is spoiled by the lack of children and young families, It means the average age is too high.

 

I was having a swim this morning in the pool on the stern of deck 9 and we were moored back to back with the Ventura. It is at least 40 foot taller than Arcadia and it truly looks like a block of South London council flats. The star turn for our cruise arrived on board today, Richard Digance is a talented comic/musician who is a regular entertainer on board British cruise ships. He was strolling around the pool that I was in and I realized that he has lost a lot of his hair and looks quite old, I suppose that he is quite old really. He should update the photo that they use in his advertising for his shows as it could be described an contravening the Trade Descriptions Act.

 

 

The Commodore broadcast this morning announcing our arrival, berthing and landing clearance. He went on to say that due to the distance from the terminal everyone would have to take a shuttle bus which would be provided at no cost. I thought that this was quite good news but I, like the Commodore, had overlooked the 500 wheelchair confined passengers who are unable to take an unadapted bus and so would be virtual prsoners on board. Well 20 minutes later the Purser announced that anyone, including wheelchairs could make there own way and that the bus would operate anyway. I imagine that there were a number of disgruntled passengers on the phone before that situation was resolved.

 

 

This captain seems not to like to be seen on board, others have made a point of walking about the public areas of the Ship during various times of day to encounter passengers, this guy hides on the bridge and just uses the tannoy to talk at us. It is not very nice really but realistically I don't really care who is driving the ship as long as he is competent, I don't need or want a close personal relation with him but I think he should be more available.

 

 

As I have mentioned we have the Ventura moored behind us, and opposite to us we have the Caribbean Princess which looks about our size. It is a very smart looking ship. For some reason I expected the QM2 to be here as well but maybe I did my maths wrong, it wouldn't be the first time. We were delayed leaving by the Caribbean Princess leaving before us, the Ventura is staying for 2 days in Barbados so the crew and passengers will be there overnight.

 

 

I heard another Ventura story today as told to a fellow whist player by a current passenger from that ship. It seems that earlier in this voyage two couples or families were put off the ship for fighting and drunkenness. Nothing unusual there except the drinking occurred the evening or a couple of evenings before one of them was due to be married on board. I bet they are popular with any guests who might have attended. I don't think that behaviour of that nature is limited to the Ventura, but you always hear that name in conjunction with bad behaviour. Shame really.

 

 

We went to the early sitting for dinner as we wanted to see Richard Digence. He is very funny but 80% of his act was a repetition of his show last year which was very disappointing although still amusing. In my opinion and from what I have heard the entertainment on this cruise has been poor.

 

 

It is official, we are on our way home and sailing north east towards Africa and then Europe. We were promised calm seas and a smooth ride to Vigo, naturally we are bouncing about on a choppy sea and the wind is blowing at force 5. I hope that things settle so we have a couple of warm days heading home. We have 5 sea days ahead of us which will be great and I am looking forward to them all.

[Oarsman55]

had overlooked the 500 wheelchair confined passengers who are unable to take an unadapted bus and so would be virtual prsoners on board.

 

This isn't going to be very PC, but here goes anyway: has anyone else ever wondered about the safety implications for everyone should a cruise ship go down with so many disabled people on board, unable to assist themselves or move quickly? I believe airlines limit the number on each flight for this reason.

[lord of the seas]

This isn't going to be very PC, but here goes anyway: has anyone else ever wondered about the safety implications for everyone should a cruise ship go down with so many disabled people on board, unable to assist themselves or move quickly? I believe airlines limit the number on each flight for this reason.

 

P&O just want the money.

It's survival of the fittest when the ship's going down.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

I think this cruise is spoiled by the lack of children and young families, It means the average age is too high.

 

 

 

I heard another Ventura story today as told to a fellow whist player by a current passenger from that ship. It seems that earlier in this voyage two couples or families were put off the ship for fighting and drunkenness. Nothing unusual there except the drinking occurred the evening or a couple of evenings before one of them was due to be married on board. I bet they are popular with any guests who might have attended. I don't think that behaviour of that nature is limited to the Ventura, but you always hear that name in conjunction with bad behaviour. Shame really.

 

 

.

 

Strange how these rumours get around in relation to Ventura, have just read this re Ventura on another forum

 

Ventura Xmas Cruise -Just back

 

Happy New Year everyone. Just arrived back this morning from the Ventura Xmas cruise and can't believe how cold it is. After two weeks of temperatures being up in the 90s most days it's a real shock to the system.

Will post a review over the next few days. Had a fantastic time on board and P&O really seemed to do everything they could to make this years Xmas /New year cruise a success

[Johnthed0g]

Strange how these rumours get around in relation to Ventura, have just read this re Ventura on another forum

 

Ventura Xmas Cruise -Just back

Happy New Year everyone. Just arrived back this morning from the Ventura Xmas cruise and can't believe how cold it is. After two weeks of temperatures being up in the 90s most days it's a real shock to the system.

Will post a review over the next few days. Had a fantastic time on board and P&O really seemed to do everything they could to make this years Xmas /New year cruise a success

 

So?...doesn't mean that nobody got kicked off.

Just been reading James Cusick's blog...he seems to think that everything is absolutely splendid onboard good ship Arcadia, I always used to believe him, but I suppose what else CAN he say?

[DKNYC]

Hi Jim

Hope you have an enjoyable Transatlantic .:)

BTW: QM2 was in St Kitts on New Years Eve, and St Thomas on Jan 1st. She was in Barbados last Monday Dec 28.

 

Denise

[capnpugwash]

It was a lovely day, very warm but with a cooling breeze across the decks, ideal conditions for sunburn!! I joined the Single People Traveling Alone this morning and got my free cup of coffee and a very pleasant chat with a few other passengers. One point which was raised was that like a lot of shipping lines P&O are introducing, or more accurately reintroducing single cabins and are charging a single person supplement. Several of the ladies were convinced that the supplement was in the order of 100% which to my mind makes no sense, but they were adamant. It makes no sense to me as if you have to pay a large supplement surely you would want a large double cabin. It will bear further examination.

 

 

I sat on the Promenade Deck in the shade for a couple of hours during which the time was advanced by 1 hour at noon. It is so much better than adjusting the clock at 2am and so losing an hour's sleep. I don't know why it is only cruise ships that do this, it would be great if Cunard did it on the QM2 during the eastbound transatlantic voyages.

 

 

This afternoon the Doctor came on the Tannoy request Group O+ or O- blood donors to assist some poor person. I suppose that with the elderly content of the ship matters of this nature are to be expected.

 

 

It is time to open another bottle of Champagne as we prepare for our last casual evening in the Caribbean area, tomorrow we have to start wearing Jackets again. I am going to miss this little treat, perhaps we should introduce it at home, or perhaps not. Reading the blurb in the cabin I have just noticed that tomorrow is the Indian Selection in the Buffet Restaurant so I will probably go there, I haven't had a decent Indian meal for a couple of months and as most P&O come from India their curries and other dishes are normally very tasty. The other bonus is that I can avoid wearing a jacket for another evening, I don't normally mind but it just seems a little unnecessary when we have just worn casual shirts for the past 8 days, apart from New Years Eve. It is quite habit forming, all this relaxation. It is now nearly 6pm and it is still 81 degrees which feels wonderful.

 

 

Dinner was good fun as we are all becoming more familiar as table companions, we then went to the quiz which we won by a good margin scoring 19 out of 20. We did have the other answer as well but dismissed it as we had been asked a similar question earlier in the week. Still 19/20 feels pretty good.

 

 

After the quiz we were treated to an hour of the Ship's Orchestra playing up in the Crows Nest, it was a great sound until they lapsed into modern jazz. You really can't beat live music.

 

 

Overnight the sea is calmer and the wind has moderated to a gentle breeze measuring force 3, but the air temperature is 6 degrees cooler, this change will increase as we proceed north. Another quiet day today.

[Johnthed0g]

Thanks again for keeping us informed....Question...you say that you will going to the buffet for the Indian night & therefore won't have to wear a jacket, has it become the norm that dress code is not observed in the Self serve? if so I wish they would flippin' say so, then people would know where they are with it. People seem to think this is ok but it doesn't actually say so.

[fatty48]

Thank you Capn for your posts, My Mum & Dad (Mary & Cliff from Cardiff) both in their late 70's are on board with you, Your posts make it just like being there with them. Wishing you calmer seas for your trip back to blighty. Regards Roger

[capnpugwash]

John, it was 50/50 in the Buffet with people either attired casually or with Jackets on. It didn't seem an issue and I have always thought that the buffet is far more relaxed than anywhere else on the ship. I could, of course be wrong.

 

 

Late in the morning the sky which had been clouding over got quite dark and it started a fine drizzle which blew into all the corners of the Promenade Deck. It was too damp for me but the hardy ones moved close to the windows, away from the rails. I can feel the chill of Europe approaching as the ship continues it's north easterly course.

 

 

I think the time to put the shorts away is fast approaching and it becomes difficult not to think of heading home. We are due in Southampton a week today, so we have six more evenings and six more days.

 

 

In view of the inclement weather I went to a couple of daytime quizzes today and failed dismally to score enough points to emerge victorious although my pride remained intact albeit bruised. It is so much easier to be part of a team rather than having to remember everything.

 

 

I did go for a curry this evening and it was delicious, not too hot but nice and spicy. I now have a bit of time on my hands and thought of the show but it is a “well known” comedian who is so well known that I have never heard of him. I will give him a miss.

 

 

I am going to take advantage of the warm evening and spend an hour on deck as the ship and its' air conditioning seem to be spreading a sore throat and a cold to many of the passengers. Fresh air can't hurt, can it?

 

 

It was nice on deck, still quite warm without being hot. Overnight the sea seems quite calm, we have a force 6 blowing and the sky has a few clouds dotted about. The temperature is in the low 70's which is still nice but it has encouraged the wearing of long trousers as shorts have been returned to the suitcase. Shame really.

[Johnthed0g]

Hi there & thanks for the dress/dining info....interesting that it appears we can use the buffet without ruffling feathers. If the comedian is Mike Doyle I thought he was very good.

[capnpugwash]

John the comic was Les Bryan.

 

It actually was very pleasant on deck this morning and after morning coffee I spent a couple of hours relaxing in the shade and had a couple of glasses of cooling cider. Very nice morning.

 

 

Dinner was formal tonight and it was quite nice food although it does seem reminiscent of school dinners sometimes, I wonder if is because the constituent parts have been stored on board since we left Southampton 17 days ago. Fish that is served certainly seems adversely affected and is often dry and grey looking.

I actually saw the Commodore walking around the ship this evening which is the first time for me. He very seldom broadcasts and keeps himself to himself, perhaps he is shy or something. Certainly not sociable but then neither is the cruise director Nigel Travis. He is either hiding away in his office or more likely up on deck 10 in his secret spot for tanning. He is as brown as a berry and obviously thinks that he is immune to skin cancer. He appears each evening in the theatre to announce the act but other than that he could have been left behind in Southampton.

 

 

We won the quiz again tonight with only 1 question answered incorrectly, the question posed was “Where is the headquarters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution”? Well done to all of you who knew that it is in Poole, Dorset, and those of you who didn't should try to remember it in case you ever decide to enter a future quiz on P&O.

 

 

Whilst talking last night to the Deputy Cruise Director, Elaine, I mentioned that I was far from satisfied with one of the young entertainment officers. This girl, Libby has a very unfortunate attitude and I describe her as rude and indolent. She does the absolute bare minimum with absolutely no good grace. Everything seems to be too much effort for her. The rest of the staff on that department are fantastic and really put themselves out for the passengers.

 

 

Today's weather is distinctly cooler and a great deal cloudier than it has been so far, it looks like it is raining or is going to rain imminently and if I can get any time on deck today I will try to take advantage of the opportunity.

[Norfolk Brit]

Dinner was formal tonight and it was quite nice food although it does seem reminiscent of school dinners sometimes

 

Get your flak jacket on, Cap'n - I once described dinner on Arcadia as reminiscent of school food and never heard the end of it.

 

Love your reports, as usual, thank you. Would you go on Arcadia again?

 

Mary

[Johnthed0g]

Thanks Capt. We liked the food, & if we didn't fancy what was on the menu there was always the "always available" Never heard of the comic either! If 'Libby' is a quite tall ''willowy'' slim girl, we found her very pleasant, may not be her though.

[hansol1966]

Have enjoyed reading your posts Capn always candid but honest well done. By the way as of 9.00pm 5 jan we have snow, Surrey (Haslemere) has never looked better 4-6 inches at the moment with a foot minimum expected tonight. Coldest spell for 29 years, just making you feel better and im sure warm weather will return in a weeks time.

Thanks for your posts.

Fred.

[DelR]

Very much enjoyed your posts, just get ready to dig your your car out when you get back to Southampton.

[capnpugwash]

Mary, we are on her again in October, tried to change but dates inflexible. It will be ok.

John Libby is quite tall with very odd dark hair, could not be confused with anyone pleasant :)

Fred, Thanks for update, can you keep me ma advised, of any thaw really.

 

I was up in the Belvedere buffet for breakfast as usual as I can access the wifi from there and was preparing to upload todays musings when I was approached by a man with a strange enquiry.

He said “Is that connected to the web”? Answer “Yes”.

“Is it easy to connect”? “Yes fairly”. “Well why don't they connect to world radio”? “I don't know, it might be to do with bandwidth”. “I wish that I had brought my laptop with me, I spend about 4 hours a day on the web when I am at home”. “Well you would have to buy a package, and you would use a lot of time listening to the radio”. “Why would I need a package, I have broadband at home”? “Well you would be using the ship's satellite to access it not your home broadband and that has a cost, I bought a 4 hour package at 25 pence per minute”. “That is very expensive. Much more than at home”. “I think it is quite cheap when you consider that we are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean”.

He wandered off grumbling. Wouldn't it be nice if your home broadband covered you throughout the world.

It was quite pleasant on deck 3 although there was no sign of the sun, so I sat out there for an hour or so late in the morning. There are some strange people on board, there are lots of walkers, some power walkers but they insist on walking in different directions so it is very confrontational at plenty of narrow spots on the circuit. We are saved from the joggers during the day, although in the quiet of the evening they can be spotted circling the Promenade Deck in the half dark. They mostly wear black running gear so that they can't normally be seen, but if you catch them against the ship's lights you can spot them.

 

 

We played whist this afternoon, as usual and halfway through the Commodore came on the tannoy to announce that in order to offload two seriously ill passengers, we were sailing to Punta del Gado in the Azores for their urgent hospitalization. We are due there at 8.30am tomorrow and will stop for just as long as it takes to get them off and we will then continue to Vigo in Spain, arriving on time on Friday. They must be very unwell to alter course just to get them into hospital two days early. That is the peril of traveling with such an aged passenger population.

 

 

Dinner tonight was semi formal so a jacket but no tie was required. I don't really know why they do that when the alternative to formal is smart casual, this being trousers and a shirt, whether it be long or short sleeved.

I am a stalwart fan of formal but this twist just seems a bit unnecessary. The meal this evening was very nice, roast rib of beef followed by syrup sponge with custard. I am not a foodie but those two dishes pressed all of the right buttons as far as I am concerned.

 

 

We are still making our way to the Azores, the temperature is now in the low 60's and the sea is fairly smooth. It is almost 8am on Wednesday January 6. We are 1 hour ahead of GMT which we will adjust to at noon today, that will last until tomorrow, I believe when we come back to our current time for 1 day whilst we are in Vigo. It seems very complicated with all this chopping and changing when we are at sea anyway and it doesn't really matter what time it is.

 

 

I can see land approaching and I feel like a sailor from ancient times and want to call out “Land Ho”. But people would stare at me.

[Johnthed0g]

The broadband one is a classic!! People are odd aren't they, seem to think things should be just like home. Food is a good one too. Keep up the good work.

[cruisegal101]

Jim, I am thoroughly enjoying your posts. Keep up the good work!

[capnpugwash]

What a nice looking place the Azores is/are, really pretty. It was a great shame that we only spent an hour there dropping off the patients and then we were off to Vigo.

 

 

The numbers of people on board seem to have increased as it was absolutely impossible to get a steamer chair on the promenade deck. 95% of the people were fast asleep with their mouths wide open. I could have cleaned up if I were a denture thief. Quite an unpleasant view. No snoring from what I heard as I searched the deck so that is something. I sat for a while on one of the chests that are used to store blankets and lifejackets and only moved when I realised that both of my legs were becoming numb.

 

 

I moved inside to find that the heating had been turned up a few notches which will really help with the already rampant spread of a sore throat/cold bug that has affected about 25% of the passengers, including my wife. With all the coughing and spluttering I am amazed that I have avoided it thus far. I find it much healthier to keep cool rather than warm but it comes back to the age of the majority of passengers on board. Very old. Some of them look so frail, they could snap in a strong breeze.

 

 

We have a minor domestic incident on board where a man who had been missing on board for over a day returned to the bosom of his loving wife yesterday. A row ensued and she decided that a few drinks would solve it.. This was clearly the wrong decision as evidenced by her staggering into the main restaurant 30 minutes late for dinner almost unable to walk unassisted. Her escort parked her against a pillar close to her table and then left. She made it to her seat and the next episode was outside the buffet this afternoon where she was spotted again blind drunk and berating the world about being unable to find her husband who apparently had gone somewhere for a drink and she must have visited several of the eleven bars that there are on board in a sad effort to track him down.

 

A major subject for discussion is the bad weather in the UK and people are raising their fears that they may not be able to reach home on Sunday morning once we dock. It certainly is worthy of consideration but I am hoping that in four days time the situation may have improved or at least stabilised.

 

 

It is horrible to contemplate that we only have 4 nights left on board, we certainly do not seem to have been away for 18 nights already. When we booked it and before we came, it seemed such a long trip whereas it is just over three weeks in reality. I do know that we are fortunate to be doing this trip but that doesn't make it any easier.

 

 

We had lamb chops for dinner and the richest chocolate flan dessert, they were both fantastic. A few glasses of a good claret helped to wash it all down. After dinner we went to the quiz where we tied all the way through with 4 other teams and they gradually fell away until we were left tied with just one at question 18, they got the answer wrong, we didn't; That left us in the lead by one point and we maintained that lead until the end, 18/20 is not a bad score and we have now won 6 times out of 18. I believe there is one other team who have also won 6 times so there is bound to be some inter-table competition as some of our players are almost manic.

 

 

The sea is quite rough and we are going fairly quickly to make Vigo on time so we are back to rolling and pitching, but we are quite used to it by now.

 

 

The shops on board are really pushing their tat on a daily basis but are unwilling to offer any of the quality stuff that they have at anything approaching an attractive price. It is a very unattractrive thing but at least they don't lay trestle tables across the corridors like other lines insist upon.