Capnpugwash is off to the Mediterranean

[capnpugwash]

Following the advice that I was given by my cousin who works in Southampton for Cunard and RCIL I arrived bang on 3pm. There was a line about of 35 cars waiting to disgorge their luggage prior to self parking, I had visions of sitting for an hour but I was totally wrong. Within 15 minutes I was dropping off my rather charming pink and grey cases, well I figured that no-one would have the front to steal them and as I walk into the luggage hall I will spot them from 200 yards.

Having dropped the cases off, I parked the car and walked back to check in. It was empty, at least until I walked around the corner. RCIL operate differently as you go through security and the metal detectors before you check in. This was a matter of 3 or 4 minutes and I joined the throng waiting in a cunningly designed Disney queue. To be fair there were only about 100 of us and about 25 desks were open, so within 50 minutes of pulling into the baggage drop I was on board. They do this very sexy pre-boarding where you input your credit card details and your inside leg measurement etc. but it is all absolute bull****. The lady behind the counter still swipes your passport and credit card so no time is saved.

I went straight to my cabin and it is bigger than Cunard or P & O and very comfortable. The TV was blaring out so I missed the call to the Lifeboat muster at 4.15. Eventually I joined them and stood outside on deck 4 for 45 minutes by our lifeboat while the chap taking the drill showed us how to put a lifebelt on. Useful I suppose and required by SOLAS.

Having completed that task I went back to the cabin by which time the luggage had arrived so I unpacked and found a home for most things. I then went and registered for an internet package which you have to do in the centre on deck 8, sadly I went down to deck 5 to be told this at the Guest Relations desk at the other end of the ship.

It is stunning to walk down the arcade that runs the length of deck 5, they had a band playing and it was really great. The atrium must span 250 yards in length by 4 decks in height. You cannot help to be impressed by it and I couldn’t help thinking how much my kids would like the ship. I went back to the cabin and booked into the web package and then went down to deck 5 and found the Champagne Bar. All my good intentions evaporated and I had a Pomegranate Cosmo, followed by a Washington Apple Martini and then closed with an Apple Martini. They were all wonderful and Christine and Mauricio prepared and served the m admirably. I could quite easily get into trouble on this ship.

Having quaffed these cocktails I headed back to my cabin on deck 8 to get changed and write this journal. We sailed at just before 5pm and have now exited Southampton Water past the Isle of Wight and are steaming at 18 knots along the English Channel, we have a force 6 wind blowing us along and the sea is calm.

More later

[Pemcorgimum]

Glad you made it onboard safely and I did tell you that you'd love the Champagne Bar.

 

Stay out of trouble!!

[sandian]

Thank you for this, I will be following you with bated breath as we will be doing the Italian Med in May.

 

Can't wait.

[BMT]

Will be following your journey closely.

 

We have been on Indie many times, but are trying the new Queen Elizabeth on a round Britain cruise in September. This will be a first Cunard cruise for 70 years for my mother and I will be very interested to learn how you compare Indie to Cunard, as is bound to happen:D:D:D

[capnpugwash]

Update No 1

 

My assigned dining is in Romeo & Juliet restaurant on deck 3 which is a very pretty room and it has a central atrium which is 3 decks high, very impressive and quite grand. I was shown to my table which turned out to be a 4 seater, with one seat occupied by a very charming man from Bexhill, the remaining seats were unoccupied throughout the meal. During our discussions it became apparent that we had both requested larger tables as we are both travelling on our own. The head waiter could not have been more helpful and having studied her chart reassigned us both to a 10 seater right next to our original table, fantastic. The position of these two tables is directly adjacent to the window so there is a great view of the sea as we carve our way through it. I don’t believe that the ship is full despite the sign at Guest Relations saying that there are no alternative cabins available; I wonder if that is due to a high single occupancy, where the cabins are full but the dining room seems half empty. During dinner we were discussing what had brought us both on this trip, my main reason was price and curiosity and his was free time and the need for a break. It transpires that the price that I paid for a superior balcony cabin was slightly less than he paid for an inside cabin. This shows the value of shopping around and of a good travel agent.

The food was excellently prepared and when I asked for a jacket potato to accompany my pork chop, the waitress almost ran to the kitchen to get it. Tonight is the first formal evening and also the Captain’s welcome aboard cocktail party, it is being held in the Royal Promenade mall, which seems a little odd to me. I am undecided whether to attend or give it a miss.

We have made good progress over night and are just at the northwest tip of France about to turn southwest to cross the Bay of Biscay. The sea remains slight but we have a force 8 wind blowing us along, we are doing 15 knots and the wind is measured at 68 kilometres per hour which is 43 mph in old money. The sea is only 322 feet deep beneath our keel, which shows that we are still over the Continental Shelf.

The RCI meet and greet is being held this morning at 9.30 in the King Lear restaurant on deck 5. I believe that this is the top level of my dining room being two decks above it. The meeting went well and it was hosted by a couple of entertainment officers, with coffee, pastries and melon available. Once we had all assembled we introduced ourselves to the company and there was a raffle drawn. There were 16 prizes on offer and about 30 guests there. I sadly managed to avoid winning anything. The do lasted a little over 45 minutes and after it I went up to deck 13 and had a walk around. The rock climbing wall was there, all 35 feet of it with different grades of hand and foot holds, behind that is a tennis/basketball court and behind that is a crazy golf course. At the very stern is the flowrider where passengers can practice their arts in surfing, body boarding and other similar things. It was closed today due, apparently to inclement weather. There were plenty of people walking around but no-one was actually using any of the equipment. Perhaps when the weather gets a little warmer they will become more popular.

There is a burger, hot dog and soda fountain establishment on that deck, called Johnny Rocket’s and I quite fancied a hot dog but the place was shut and a notice proclaiming that customers must pay a $4.95 supplement, I suppose that isn’t bad if you have a milkshake and a few dogs or burgers but it might be a little too much for a single hotdog. It is almost lunchtime now and I am going to try to skip the midday meal as is my practice on board but with all the fast food on offer it won’t be easy!

More later

[philayl]

Hi Cap'n, I am surprised you didn't try the climbing wall, thought it would right up your street!:D

[sandian]

Thank you, keep it comming.

[Pemcorgimum]

I am so sorry ''you sadly managed to avoid winning anything'' in the cc meeting- equally sadly I have never won anything either.

 

Don't worry you didn't miss much and I am sure you will get a chance to win a ''coveted '' keychain in a trivia quiz.

[Dorchester]

Hi Cap'n, I am surprised you didn't try the climbing wall, thought it would right up your street!:D

Oh come on now Phil - let's not be too silly! Its patently obvious to me that the Good Cap'n is keeping himself for the flowrider, where he can perfect his surfing tricks :eek:

 

Excellent journal Cap'n (as usual) - keep it coming!

 

Regards,

David

[capnpugwash]

Update No 2

 

Well, I made it until 1.45 and then went up to Windjammer buffet, but it was absolutely packed with people eating, their melamine plates piled high with food. That is my two worst nightmares combined; buffets and greedy people. So I returned to my cabin and called room service for a steak sandwich and a pot of coffee. It duly arrived and I must say it was very disappointing, it was an open sandwich and the meat was very well done rather than the medium that I had requested; it filled a hole I suppose although it was a bit leathery but the coffee was nice, warm and quite strong, which is exactly how I like it.

Being a sea day the ship is full which accounts for the crowds in the buffet. Speaking of the ship, the cabins are obviously aimed at the US market as there are no UK power sockets, just two US and one Continental type. Fortunately I had a US adapter in my bag from some earlier trip. They may have adapters available from the cabin steward, or they will probably sell them in the on board shop. They have a kettle for the occupants to use together with teabags and UHT milk, surprisingly no coffee for some reason which eludes me. There are only two lift towers on board in spite of its’ size, I suppose that it is due to the presence of the Royal Promenade in the centre of the ship. There are about 10 or 12 lifts in each tower which serve all 14 decks, they tend to have a mind of their own and won’t always stop at floors in spite of the floor being selected by the passenger, I have no idea why, perhaps it is just a foible of the equipment. Talking about the lifts, each car has a carpeted floor with a 4 foot by 8 inch rectangular section in the doorway. This contains the name of the day of the week which I think must be changed each night to signify the following day, weird but quite useful I suppose, and unique in my experience.

As I said earlier, tonight is a formal night. For the first time on a cruise I didn’t bring my tuxedo, preferring to wear a dark suit instead. I don’t know if I will be in the minority or the majority but I think that it will be the latter. I have booked a deep cleanse grooming treatment for me this afternoon; according to the handout this comprises a soothing face and scalp massage and a deep pore-cleansing. It includes a double close shave to leave the skin squeaky clean, revitalised and perfectly balanced. It takes 45 minutes and costs a mere $75. A little personal treat which I only booked because the girl was so friendly and she was from Cape Town. I am sure that I will enjoy it and it saves me 5 minutes later on as I prepare for this evening. At least that is what I am saying to myself to justify the cost.

We are currently a third of the way across the Bay and the sea is very slight, the wind has abated to a force 6 and we have 750 feet of water beneath us as we sail at 15 knots. We look in good shape to arrive in Lisbon the day after tomorrow morning at 8am, I haven’t been there for just over a month!

More later.

[Pat&Liz]

Great review! I'm really enjoying reading! Hope you have a great cruise!

[Highly Sociable]

Jim,

 

Your posts are really cheering me up in this extremely busy, pre 31st January, week :)

 

Jane

[marielco]

Enjoying the journal - please keep writing. I think the lack of coffee in the stateroom is because they have take away coffee in the Cafe Promenade etc...

[PAFC]

Hi Capnpugwash great journal, we join her when you get off on the 13th feb. Hope you can let me know if you have any warm weather thanks.

[northernsailor]

Interesting reading as always Capn'... enjoy your cruise :)

 

Chris

[BMT]

Hola Capn

 

Great review so far!! Keep it comin':)

 

Just wondering why you didn't have lunch in the Main Dining Room? Their lunch on the seadays is the highlight of our cruise!! Fab salad bar and excellent lunch menu. We make a point of going there - have to check the CruiseCompass for times though:eek:

 

Sometimes its also open on port days - then it is just a regular buffet - but in lovely surroundings. We also HATE the WJ in 'rush hours' by the way and have also resorted to room service.:D:D

 

But check out Sorrento - have rather good steak and kidney pie etc. And nice sarnies at the Promenade Cafe.

 

Enjoy!! We also have fun in the piano bar (Schooner Bar), depending on who is entertaining.

[Dorchester]

Thanks for the update Capt'n - please keep them coming as and when possible. Shame about no coffee in the cabin, as this is required to get me into gear each morning!

 

Regards,

David

[jenny wren]

I am interested to read your 'take' on this ship as we have just left her !!

 

I can recommend Johnny Rockets...a fun experience with small jukebox on each table to choose your favourite golden oldie!! We went once when we were too late for the Windjammer which closes at 2.30 pm...

 

We too felt that the dining room (also Romeo and Juliet) was half empty but wondered if alot ate in the Windjammer in the evening.

[PAFC]

I agree with BMT lunch in the Main Dining Room is a must.

Hi jenny wren where you fom in cornwall?

[Mark2]

Capnpugwash

We are also embarking IOS on 13 Feb as you get disembark, so are very interested in your observations.

Thank you for taking the time to keep us up to date on your cruise activities and comments regarding the ship.

[Lighthouse Lady]

Hi Captn from Oz travellers ready to board when you disembark.

 

great reading thanks. We are like others particularly interested in temperatures on deck and inside the ship seeing we are sweating it out here in Queenland. Are the ladies getting around in summery clothes or rugged up a bit when inside the ship ? Ta Es

[tmorr]

Hello Capnpugwash great journal, I too join her when you disembark on 13th Feb. I notice quite a few of us on that cruise reading your post.

I hope you are meeting some interesting people. I look foward to hearing more of your adventure.

Tracey

[capnpugwash]

Update No 3

 

The temperature inside the ship is fine, lots of people in shorts and t shirts and outside is ok but a little more bracing.

 

The shave and massage were wonderful, I feel totally revitalised which a couple of martinis will do nothing to enhance. There are 6 bars on board, the Schooner Bar with live music, the Champagne Bar which serves Champagne as well as martinis. Vintages which is a wine bar, the Plaza Bar which is inside the Windjammer buffet, the Dog & Badger pub which is a pub, the Wipe Out Bar which is a sports bar and the Olive or Twist bar which is a great venue, very similar to the Commodore Club on Cunard except it is at the stern of the ship, but it has big windows and great staff. Additionally there is the Viking Crown lounge and Boleros, the first is a good place to watch the sunset and the other is a Latin nightclub; there is another nightclub on board called the Labyrinth which is open until the wee small hours. Speaking of which, it is now 1.30am on our third day, I fell into company in the Champagne Bar and had a couple of cocktails after dinner than were good for me, but we did manage to put the world to rights.

Dinner was very nice and we had 8 people on the new table that all seemed to gel quite well with each other. Overnight we continued heading southwest and are now at the southern end of the Bay of Biscay about to start heading south parallel to the west coast of Spain and then Portugal, the seas remain slight although the sickness bags did make their first appearance yesterday on the stairways, I have no idea why as there is so little motion but perhaps there are some very sensitive passengers on board. We have a force 6 wind off our port side and currently have 16,000 feet of water beneath us. Today is the first day that tickets are available for the two ice shows that are staged; the venue holds 800 people so in theory everyone who wants to see them will be able to do so. Nonetheless I anticipate that the queue will be quite lengthy to pick them up. I have been told that the shows are worth seeing so if I have to queue, I will.

Today is my first laundry day, there are no laundrettes on board so everything gets crammed into a large paper bag for the stewardess to take, and with a bit of luck it will be returned, clean tomorrow. The costs are reasonable, I think, at $3.50 to wash and iron a shirt.

More later

[BMT]

So pleased that you seem to be enjoying the Indie.

 

Don't worry too much about the ice show tickets. There is a line at each show for those who don't have tickets - they seat the ticket holders first and then the nons!!! Never yet met anyone who hasn't managed to see it. Oh dear, having said that, hope you won't be the first!!:D:D Seriously, there won't be a problem with a single seat.

 

There are also tickets left at Guest Relations, usually on the right-hand side of the desk.

 

There is also a large section reserved for suites and spare seats are filled with non-suitees a few minutes before the show.

 

The shows are remarkably good for such a small area - you just have to forgive the occasional fall!!:eek:

 

You are quite right about the movement - we were in a huge storm on her last year, hit by a freak wave which went over the Bridge and yet she travelled really well. BUT some passengers still feel the movement.:eek:

[ctcontrol]

Hello Capt! Hope you enjoy Indy. We are also travelling on her when you disembark on 13th Feb so will be watching your thread with interest!

 

We've used the on board laundry before and find it to be very good and reasonable too. Is your Cruise Director Joff Eaton? If so, highly recommend the Progressive Trivia Quiz he does on sea days (If he does one).