Our 1st Cruise.
 

Some photos of our Geek Island Criuse.
Already mentioned our bad experience of our car parking at Bristol Airport,so was glad to experience a good flight to Corfu.

Arriving at Ship.


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...53e2d5c5_c.jpgP1010628 by john barry, on Flickr

Booked De Luxe Balcony,there was a Balcony,but calling it De Luxe,was pushing the boat out a bit.

1st day at sea,view from Balcony.:}

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fc4aa81e_c.jpgP1010636 by john barry, on Flickr

1st shore excursion Santorini, Lovely place but far too crowded. The expression as safe as houses does not apply here.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5213f8f7_c.jpgP1010697 by john barry, on Flickr

Some people don't like their neighbours too close.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9edc9feb_c.jpgP1010706 by john barry, on Flickr

Sailing into the sunset to Athens.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4713feb6_c.jpgP1010747 by john barry, on Flickr


2nd excursion was Athens and Ephesus. Was really looking to revisiting here has i had been here about 20 yrs ago. The courier spent the 1/2 hr drive giving us a history lesson,when we went up the mountain to see the house that Mary was reputed to have lived,we got 1/2 way up stopped to take some photos of the statue put up in her honour then turned around and back to Ephesus. Courier then give another 20 min lesson,passed through entrance then another 20min lesson,walked to 1st monument then another 20min lesson.Then she told us we have 30mins of free time to see the rest.:mad:
On the way back to port called to visit a Mosque and another 20min history lesson before we went inside,where we were all given a copy of the Koran.
Got back to port,the 1st sign i see is taxi to Ephesus 10 Euros.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3ddaf2bd_c.jpgP1010710 (2) by john barry, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8abaf25a_c.jpgP1010728 by john barry, on Flickr
This is where i spotted the only Rover.


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ca096e51_c.jpgP1010768 by john barry, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...28523bdc_c.jpgP1010769 by john barry, on Flickr

Final night sailing back to Corfu. Had a good 3hr show of lightning.Took about 60 photos only one was at the right time.


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8302b7cf_c.jpg71828742_486711738724863_6998157748609220608_n by john barry, on Flickr

The Greek answer to the Loch Ness monster swam pass today.:}

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b1bf0e4d_c.jpgP1010808 by john barry, on Flickr

Overall a good trip,the entertainment on board more than made up for the poor excursions.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8c597335_c.jpgP1010787 (2) by john barry, on Flickr



THE END.

what did you think of the food on board?
Did you find much noise from the cabins around yours?
Would you do another cruise? Wife likes cruises, me, take em or leave em, prefer being in our caravan.

macafee2

Great photos and a great write up, thanks:}

Great pic of the lightening :bowdown:

6 restaurants on board and 1 snack bar,we ate at the buffet restaurant.
Food was just average,have had better at 4star hotel.
Although all restaurants are in the A/I package there was a service charge in 3 of them. They have A/I and A/I Premium,which offers better beer and Cocktails. All quiet in our cabin,but did hear of one cabin who had a problem couple next door. Would definitely do another,but arrange excursions myself.
As i said the best part of the cruise was in the entertainment offered,especially in the Broadway Show Room. Standing ovation every night. Also excellent service from Cabin Crew who were mostly far east and eastern Europeans. The only drink you pay for is water, but found a water dispenser at mid ship. So for the seven nights on board and if swmbo wanted a cup of tea in cabin,i was her personal cabin service. :D

DIY excursions are much cheaper but a word of warning, if you are late back doing your own thing the ship may not wait for you, if you are on one of their organized excursions it will.

Our last cruise the food was poor and seems since our first cruise has gotten worse.
FWIW, if you every go from Southampton and decide to use their parking they do take pretty good care of the car.

macafee2

First cruise is always a steep learning curve.........especially with such things as dining and excursions.

If you go again you will be more selective over the ships shore excursions and with some homework before you go can often do your own thing and go and see things you are specifically interested in. However macafee makes a very valid point in that the ship will only wait if one of their own tours is late.

We tend to use them if their is a special site / museum you wish to see which would normally have to queue for a long time as the ships shore excursion can skip the queue most of the time eg: Hermitage museum in St Petersburg etc.

We used to go with P&O but have found their standard of food has dropped and now mainly go with Royal Caribbean where the standard has been brilliant.........so far!

We have always found the cabin staff etc to be excellent and normally cannot do enough for you.

We have gone to the Bristol car park you used when we lived in Exeter, and in their introduction when we have booked it does ask for drivers to disconnect all electrical items such as dash cams etc.

Interesting, we have been threatening to go on a cruise for a few year and felt ready to take the plunge just for 7 to 10 days as an extra holiday around April 2020. We were advised to sail from uk so the wife can pack enough dresses and also take a couple of boxes of wine on board.

Having seen some of the cruise details and video's taken by passengers I have to say i was less than impressed with the balcony cabins, we have frequently had weekends away in Amsterdam and used P&O from Hull, with the exception of the balcony the cabins seem very similar to the best grade cabins on the ferry, which were just adequate, also the shopping areas seems very similar.

The pools seem crowded as do the decks and the pictures of the water in the pools overflowing due to sea swell seemed to be a common occurrence.

We usually hire a private villa with pool etc and hire a car and go exploring. Alternatively as a second break we may have a week as a package holiday in a hotel and again come and go as we please even if we are A.I.

Cruises seem to be A.I. but you are only allowed to leave the hotel on certain days.

Still undecided...

All depends on ships, cruise lines and areas you travel through plus , most important, what the budget is.

Doubt the P&O ferry will have a Central Park, Carousels, zip lines, water zip tubes running round the ship, go carts etc, Tiffany, Tag Heuer , Coach,Michael Kors shops etc, etc

We have never seen the water in pools overflowing but as I am not a good sailor have always done the homework as to the waters the ship will travel through so as to minimize the threat of rough seas. Does not always work but the modern large cruise ships are so stable that I have yet to be ill. ( in a force 10 last year but was fine as the ship coped brilliantly)

We have been on ships with 4 to 6000 people and they have never seen that crowded on the decks but agree if it is a cruise in the sun the pools can be busy, especially on a sea day. However if the ship is in port, most people are off on shore and the pools can be very quiet.......so some who are not concerned by the port visit, enjoy the quiet around the pool.

We use the ship as a floating hotel to wake up in a new place / country each day ( choose a cruise with not too many days at sea) which then gives you a snapshot of the place and you can then decide if you would want to return for a longer stay. Nothing worse than turning up somewhere for a fortnights holiday and immediately knowing it was a poor choice.

Cruising is not for everyone and people get different things from them. It may be to some just a very nice floating hotel, some enjoy all the daily activities and courses run onboard, some the shore excursions, some the evening entertainment , some the casino etc etc. We are all different and like different things.

As i said earlier the Delux cabin with balcony was not up to the standard of a 4/5 star hotel. But my main reason for doing the cruise was the excursions,Ephesus,Santorini,Athens,and i was a little disappointed with all 3.
I may be a grumpy old man,but sitting by the pool in the hot sun is not my cup of tea.:D Also at my age i have not got a great appetite and eat very little,and i have not got a great appetite for drink, only had about 5 cocktails during the week so A.I. is wasted on me.
Adding it all up,poor excursions,average cabin,but i still found that overall it was a good experience and enjoyed the week.:}:}:}
Off to Florida with g/kids next year,now that is my cup of tea.;)