By “popular” demand, here are a few personal views on Arcadia’s recent jaunt to Iceland and Norway.
EPISODE I
The drive down to Southampton was relatively painless until we reached the A34/M3 junction where there was a fairly hefty queue to join the motorway (which is normal for a holiday weekend) but the M3 itself was pretty solid. We weaved our way through the highways and bye-ways and took the A33 straight into the docks but it seems that a broken-down circus lorry was the culprit and a lot of other passengers were delayed. We also heard horror stories of 3 to 5 hour delays on the M25 and several of the Essex girls on board said they would never cruise from Southampton again !!
Arcadia was parked at the QEII terminal as Queen Vic was occupying the Ocean and the check-in was the quickest and most painless we had ever experienced. Maybe due to the road hold-ups but at 12:30ish there were just two couples in front of us in the queue and we were on board with our noses in the trough and a glass of Pinot Grigio before 1:00 !!
The sailaway was just perfect – a lovely, clear sunny afternoon and even the freebie Jacquart shampoo was well chilled and drinkable. I even managed to claim the comfy chair with the footstool behind the Aquarius bar.
Cabins were ready soon after 1:30 and our luggage had all arrived well before 2:00 so all in all, a first class start to the cruise.
The ship certainly did not feel full and on-board gossip reckoned there were about 1,600 passengers which I cannot confirm either way but it did sound about right. An extraordinary number of people that we spoke to had made cheap late bookings which indicates to me that the Getwaway system is not doing P&O any favours. Anyway, there was a good atmosphere and a very good age mix. The average age must have been considerably lower than we have experienced on Arcadia in the past and the “grumble-factor” was down too!
Food, service and facilities as good as ever so nothing much out of the ordinary to report there. As I noted in my cabin review, the balcony furniture throughout the ship is in the process of being changed to some nice, modern tubular framed stuff. There were a few grizzles that some of the cabins still with the old wooden furniture had it snaffled on the last sea day, presumably so it could be replaced in Southampton. The weather wasn’t brilliant that day so I doubt many people would have been sitting out anyway, but at least it was something to moan about.
I shouldn’t laugh but we did come across a poor chap in a mobility scooter on C-deck, who had backed out of the lift into a huge pile of balcony furniture. The doors closed and the fellow couldn’t move forwards or backwards. We came down the stairs and heard a plaintive cry of “help, I’m stuck”! Luckily a couple of other passengers helped me to dig him out !
Our Captain was Sarah Breton – first time for us. She seemed to do an excellent job and her announcements were authoritative and precise but she is maybe not as “people-friendly” as some of the masters we have sailed with and was seldom visible around the ship. Of course, the usual stereotypical jokes were in evidence, particularly about parking. My favourite was that we had a few extra tender ports in the itinerary because she could not reverse out !
First sea day to Dublin was great. Perfect weather and flat seas whilst we sailed along the Cornish coast and out past Bishop’s Rock and around the Scilly Isles. A taste of things to come, you would hope.
First formal night but no Captain’s welcome-aboard party so we assumed that would be on the next sea day after Dublin. Last Christmas it was postponed from the first night due to dodgy weather so I wonder whether it is now on the second formal night as a matter of course ?
The weather held for our call in to Dublin Bay, Arcadia’s maiden visit to Dún Laoghaire (Dun Leary to you and I !) where we tendered in. We were off early and had virtually no wait but we heard reports of 1 to 2 hour delays around mid morning. Cue more moaning !
We had booked a river cruise on the Liffey but, to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it at the moment. Apparently, the cruise usually goes downriver to the estuary, which would have been great but there is a new bridge under construction (the Marlborough Street Public Transport Priority Bridge) and if the tide is anything but at its lowest, the cruiser cannot pass under. We therefore had to head slowly upriver for about half a mile and, for those of you who are familiar with the Liffey, there are high stone walls flanking it upriver. The cruiser rides very low in the water and is fully enclosed, much like the Bateaux Mouche boats in Paris, so the poor guide was extolling the virtues of all the buildings and all we could see was the roofs !! Ah well, we got our mandatory pint of the black stuff afterwards.
Rather than hang around, we returned to Dún Laoghaire to enjoy the sunshine, an excellent lunch and another Guinness or two so the day wasn’t a total write-off.
To be continued……
J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
PART II
Before we go any further on our epic voyage, let’s talk about entertainment. I know this has been a bone of contention with many and the consensus is that the standard of entertainment on board P&O has been slipping. On this cruise, however, we could find little to complain about. OK, the Headliners shows are all repeated from previous cruises but, especially on Arcadia, they have a slightly different twist due to the antics that the stage can produce. Don’t know how true it is but Cruise Director Christine Noble said that the stage is more versatile than anything in the West End.
The Headliners artists were all perfectly capable and put on a good show as usual. Christine Noble made the point that the shows cost so much to produce and stage that they have to keep them on the ships for about 5 years each to get their money’s worth. Seems like I have seen some of them 4 or 5 times so I guess we can expect some new ones anytime soon !
Christine may have a rather supercilious attitude although I think that is down to her voice training – she seems to have spent far too long at elocution lessons (!) but she is very knowledgeable and a hard worker who seems to earn the respect of her team, most of whom were also P&O stalwarts.
One interesting new feature to us was a series of “radio plays” performed by four of the ents team in the Crow’s Nest on sea day evenings. They were all quite amusing and certainly well-performed even if some of the language may have offended the sensibilities of your granny. I am not convinced, however that the Crow’s Nest just before dinner was the right time and venue for this.
The cabaret acts were generally of a high standard and, for the most part, watchable. OK, we had Luke Burrage, the juggler who can’t catch, but he was only on once. New to us was The McDonald Brothers, a couple of Scottish lads who apparently came 97th or something in the X-Factor in 2006, but they were very, very talented and can play a whole host of instruments between them. Then there was Jacinta Whyte who won’t be too familiar to most of you as she is a self confessed “P&O Virgin”. This was her first cruise engagement and I hope she has many more as I am sure you will all love her. Jacinta is a talented Irish vocalist who has many West End shows on her cv and she has a wide-ranging and varied repertoire. Lastly, there was comedian Peter Piper, a veteran of many P&O engagements and always good value. He and his good lady were out and about on the ship and on a different trip most days and always happy to chat.
Right, after we left Dublin we had two sea days on the way up to Reykjavik. The first day turned out to be a bit hazy and noticeably cooler and we had a bit of an incident during the morning. I admit to being rather puzzled when we were supposed to be heading north and the sun appeared directly outside our balcony on the port side (for the geographically-challenged amongst us, that meant we were heading almost due south !). Luckily, before mass panic ensued, Captain Sarah came on to announce that there had been an “incident” resulting in a “serious injury” to a crew member and that we were returning to Bangor in Northern Ireland where the inshore lifeboat was taking him off and to hospital in Belfast for surgery. It does not speak well of the average P&O passenger that the Captain felt the need to ask that people didn’t take photographs of the unfortunate chap being off-loaded.
Anyway, the RNLI RIB whizzing around the ship made an interesting spectacle and the transfer went off smoothly, albeit with the usual ghouls hanging over the Promenade Deck rail ! The crew member apparently had a badly broken arm which required surgery. I cannot testify as to the authenticity of this, but on-board gossip had it that he had a mishap whilst arm wrestling !
After about an hour we were on our way and Capt Sarah assured us that we would still be able to make our scheduled visit to Reykjavik on time, no doubt due to the fact that the schedules now largely allow for low-speed transits (a fuel and cost-saving measure?). Even with the delay, we seldom exceeded 18 knots.
The rest of the day was uneventful but became increasingly foggy and Thursday dawned to a pea-souper after that bloody Sarah had been playing with her foghorn all night ! It was also considerably cooler so the shorts were packed away for the duration ! The fog showed little signs of clearing all day so we were fearful of three wet days in Iceland with poor visibility.
On Friday we pitched up in Reykjavik and were delighted to find the fog had completely cleared, even though it was rather overcast and perishing cold – about 8 degrees whilst you lot at home were sweltering in searing heat. At least we could sleep comfortably at night !
I have to say we were unsure of what to expect from Iceland but it is a fascinating place and well worth a visit. Just don’t go there for the weather.
We don’t usually do too many P&O tours but decided to take one each day in Iceland to see as much of the place as we could on the basis that we would probably not return. Day one, therefore, we took the shuttle into Reykjavik in the morning and wandered around the town – much smaller than I had expected and very “quaint”. We dodged a couple of heavy showers and the weather then picked up for the rest of the day, just in time for our “panoramic” tour around the city. The Lutheran church is well worth seeing – an enormous edifice which dominates the skyline. Whist we were in, we were fortunate that an organist was playing – all very atmospheric, even though he did remind me a bit of the Monty Python skit (but fully clothed!).
Also worth seeing is The Pearl, just above the town. It is a 360 degree viewing platform and revolving restaurant atop 6 large geothermal water storage tanks with fantastic views all around. The sun came out just in time and the temperature soared to 10 degrees !
After that, back to the ship and off to the north…….
There you go, that’s enough excitement for this instalment – more to follow !
Before we go any further on our epic voyage, let’s talk about entertainment. I know this has been a bone of contention with many and the consensus is that the standard of entertainment on board P&O has been slipping. On this cruise, however, we could find little to complain about. OK, the Headliners shows are all repeated from previous cruises but, especially on Arcadia, they have a slightly different twist due to the antics that the stage can produce. Don’t know how true it is but Cruise Director Christine Noble said that the stage is more versatile than anything in the West End.
The Headliners artists were all perfectly capable and put on a good show as usual. Christine Noble made the point that the shows cost so much to produce and stage that they have to keep them on the ships for about 5 years each to get their money’s worth. Seems like I have seen some of them 4 or 5 times so I guess we can expect some new ones anytime soon !
Christine may have a rather supercilious attitude although I think that is down to her voice training – she seems to have spent far too long at elocution lessons (!) but she is very knowledgeable and a hard worker who seems to earn the respect of her team, most of whom were also P&O stalwarts.
One interesting new feature to us was a series of “radio plays” performed by four of the ents team in the Crow’s Nest on sea day evenings. They were all quite amusing and certainly well-performed even if some of the language may have offended the sensibilities of your granny. I am not convinced, however that the Crow’s Nest just before dinner was the right time and venue for this.
The cabaret acts were generally of a high standard and, for the most part, watchable. OK, we had Luke Burrage, the juggler who can’t catch, but he was only on once. New to us was The McDonald Brothers, a couple of Scottish lads who apparently came 97th or something in the X-Factor in 2006, but they were very, very talented and can play a whole host of instruments between them. Then there was Jacinta Whyte who won’t be too familiar to most of you as she is a self confessed “P&O Virgin”. This was her first cruise engagement and I hope she has many more as I am sure you will all love her. Jacinta is a talented Irish vocalist who has many West End shows on her cv and she has a wide-ranging and varied repertoire. Lastly, there was comedian Peter Piper, a veteran of many P&O engagements and always good value. He and his good lady were out and about on the ship and on a different trip most days and always happy to chat.
Right, after we left Dublin we had two sea days on the way up to Reykjavik. The first day turned out to be a bit hazy and noticeably cooler and we had a bit of an incident during the morning. I admit to being rather puzzled when we were supposed to be heading north and the sun appeared directly outside our balcony on the port side (for the geographically-challenged amongst us, that meant we were heading almost due south !). Luckily, before mass panic ensued, Captain Sarah came on to announce that there had been an “incident” resulting in a “serious injury” to a crew member and that we were returning to Bangor in Northern Ireland where the inshore lifeboat was taking him off and to hospital in Belfast for surgery. It does not speak well of the average P&O passenger that the Captain felt the need to ask that people didn’t take photographs of the unfortunate chap being off-loaded.
Anyway, the RNLI RIB whizzing around the ship made an interesting spectacle and the transfer went off smoothly, albeit with the usual ghouls hanging over the Promenade Deck rail ! The crew member apparently had a badly broken arm which required surgery. I cannot testify as to the authenticity of this, but on-board gossip had it that he had a mishap whilst arm wrestling !
After about an hour we were on our way and Capt Sarah assured us that we would still be able to make our scheduled visit to Reykjavik on time, no doubt due to the fact that the schedules now largely allow for low-speed transits (a fuel and cost-saving measure?). Even with the delay, we seldom exceeded 18 knots.
The rest of the day was uneventful but became increasingly foggy and Thursday dawned to a pea-souper after that bloody Sarah had been playing with her foghorn all night ! It was also considerably cooler so the shorts were packed away for the duration ! The fog showed little signs of clearing all day so we were fearful of three wet days in Iceland with poor visibility.
On Friday we pitched up in Reykjavik and were delighted to find the fog had completely cleared, even though it was rather overcast and perishing cold – about 8 degrees whilst you lot at home were sweltering in searing heat. At least we could sleep comfortably at night !
I have to say we were unsure of what to expect from Iceland but it is a fascinating place and well worth a visit. Just don’t go there for the weather.
We don’t usually do too many P&O tours but decided to take one each day in Iceland to see as much of the place as we could on the basis that we would probably not return. Day one, therefore, we took the shuttle into Reykjavik in the morning and wandered around the town – much smaller than I had expected and very “quaint”. We dodged a couple of heavy showers and the weather then picked up for the rest of the day, just in time for our “panoramic” tour around the city. The Lutheran church is well worth seeing – an enormous edifice which dominates the skyline. Whist we were in, we were fortunate that an organist was playing – all very atmospheric, even though he did remind me a bit of the Monty Python skit (but fully clothed!).
Also worth seeing is The Pearl, just above the town. It is a 360 degree viewing platform and revolving restaurant atop 6 large geothermal water storage tanks with fantastic views all around. The sun came out just in time and the temperature soared to 10 degrees !
After that, back to the ship and off to the north…….
There you go, that’s enough excitement for this instalment – more to follow !
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
THIRD INSTALMENT – anyone still with me ?!
Right, where was I ?
The sea conditions from start to finish were superb so anyone on a first time cruise will have a false impression of what cruising is all about. Some are in for a nasty shock when they cross Biscay in December. The Passenger Information Channel noted the sea state as “slight” or “glassy” virtually every day – and not a sick bag in sight.
OK, Day Two in Iceland was a visit to Ísafjörður (I copied that from Google to get all the accents and stuff right). Again a bit overcast to start and perishing cold but, hey-ho, a jumper and a coat and away we go. In the morning we took a tender into “town”. It is a working fishing community with many traditional houses and the Philistines amongst us were heard to say “huh, there’s nothing here” and “what have we stopped here for”. In fact, to me it was a typical Icelandic community surrounded by picturesque wooded hills and I could easily have spent more than just a morning there but we had to get back for a quick burger in Neptunes and off on our afternoon trip to Vigur Island. By then we were getting all “boated out” as it involved another tender trip in and a half hour boat trip out to the island. Again, well worth the visit, though. Vigur is a privately owned and family run island with the emphasis on wildlife preservation, particularly birds.
They have nesting puffins, arctic terns, eider ducks and guillemots to name a few and there is a guided walk right around the island to get up close and personal with the birds. The arctic terns are real thugs and will attack anything that they perceive as a threat. We were all issued with 4 foot long poles with a little blue flag on top and told to hold them above our heads as the terns will automatically go for the highest point. The trick is, however, to stand next to Peter Piper as he is about 6ft4 tall with a shiny head like a beacon and they all go for him first !
It seems the family make their money from tourists, selling surplus puffins for meat to keep the numbers manageable (they have 80,000 odd apparently) and producing eider down (no ducks are harmed in this process but I think the puffins might not be too pleased !)
Whilst we were there the National Geographic Explorer pulled in to the bay. Their “tenders” are all RIBS and all the passengers are issued with lifejackets and have dayglo anoraks. Now that is what I call cruising !
Next day we arrived at Akureyri – again the weather was fair and we set off for a trip to the local botanical garden (quite a revelation – not the sort of thing your expect to see in Iceland) and then off for a drive in the country to Godafoss waterfall. Not huge but quite spectacular. The temperature must have soared to 10 degrees but then we were less than 60 miles from the Arctic Circle. Apparently, this summer is miserable, even for Iceland and they usually expect something in the mid teens so please don’t let my whingeing about the weather put you off !
That night Cap’n S said we crossed the Arctic Circle from about midnight until 5:30 a.m. so cue the Ship’s Photographers to try to flog us “certificates” commemorating the event !
Not much to say about the next two sea days as it was completely foggy and flippin’ cold but, as always, we enjoy the relaxation and dodging from drinks to meals and back again.
Off to Norway……..
Laters
Right, where was I ?
The sea conditions from start to finish were superb so anyone on a first time cruise will have a false impression of what cruising is all about. Some are in for a nasty shock when they cross Biscay in December. The Passenger Information Channel noted the sea state as “slight” or “glassy” virtually every day – and not a sick bag in sight.
OK, Day Two in Iceland was a visit to Ísafjörður (I copied that from Google to get all the accents and stuff right). Again a bit overcast to start and perishing cold but, hey-ho, a jumper and a coat and away we go. In the morning we took a tender into “town”. It is a working fishing community with many traditional houses and the Philistines amongst us were heard to say “huh, there’s nothing here” and “what have we stopped here for”. In fact, to me it was a typical Icelandic community surrounded by picturesque wooded hills and I could easily have spent more than just a morning there but we had to get back for a quick burger in Neptunes and off on our afternoon trip to Vigur Island. By then we were getting all “boated out” as it involved another tender trip in and a half hour boat trip out to the island. Again, well worth the visit, though. Vigur is a privately owned and family run island with the emphasis on wildlife preservation, particularly birds.
They have nesting puffins, arctic terns, eider ducks and guillemots to name a few and there is a guided walk right around the island to get up close and personal with the birds. The arctic terns are real thugs and will attack anything that they perceive as a threat. We were all issued with 4 foot long poles with a little blue flag on top and told to hold them above our heads as the terns will automatically go for the highest point. The trick is, however, to stand next to Peter Piper as he is about 6ft4 tall with a shiny head like a beacon and they all go for him first !
It seems the family make their money from tourists, selling surplus puffins for meat to keep the numbers manageable (they have 80,000 odd apparently) and producing eider down (no ducks are harmed in this process but I think the puffins might not be too pleased !)
Whilst we were there the National Geographic Explorer pulled in to the bay. Their “tenders” are all RIBS and all the passengers are issued with lifejackets and have dayglo anoraks. Now that is what I call cruising !
Next day we arrived at Akureyri – again the weather was fair and we set off for a trip to the local botanical garden (quite a revelation – not the sort of thing your expect to see in Iceland) and then off for a drive in the country to Godafoss waterfall. Not huge but quite spectacular. The temperature must have soared to 10 degrees but then we were less than 60 miles from the Arctic Circle. Apparently, this summer is miserable, even for Iceland and they usually expect something in the mid teens so please don’t let my whingeing about the weather put you off !
That night Cap’n S said we crossed the Arctic Circle from about midnight until 5:30 a.m. so cue the Ship’s Photographers to try to flog us “certificates” commemorating the event !
Not much to say about the next two sea days as it was completely foggy and flippin’ cold but, as always, we enjoy the relaxation and dodging from drinks to meals and back again.
Off to Norway……..
Laters
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emjay45
- First Officer
- Posts: 1192
- Joined: April 2013
- Location: Ellan Vannin
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
I’m with you qb and enjoying your report. Sarah Breton was the captain on our first cruise and lots of people moaned about her not being ‘people friendly’. All we cared about was that she got us there and back safely. Now though having cruised a few times and with different captains, I understand what they meant. My son and I would love the Vigur Island trip, not sure about the terns though. 
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sunseeker16
- Second Officer
- Posts: 236
- Joined: June 2016
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Yes, I'm reading and enjoying. Wasn't going to interrupt but seeing as you asked ...
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Nearly done, chaps, just one more to go......
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
EPISODE IV - Norway and home
Alesund. My birthday so Champagne before breakfast to start the day.
Sadly, it was the worst day we had weather-wise with frequent showers and a tad chilly. Last time we were in Norway we were spoilt with searing temperatures and bright sunshine so I suppose we were expecting too much. Still, it is a very pretty Art Deco town and we had a good wander round in the morning. Afternoon was a boat trip through the islands and up a fjord but you could hardly see the sides, which was a shame as it would have been spectacular on a good day. On the way back we capped at the café and viewpoint above the town which, again, would have been magnificent if you could see your hand in front of your face !
Then two bottles of pre-dinner Champagne in our cabin with our new best friends John and Linda, wine and after dinner malt, balloons, singing and sickly sweet cake (delicious), drinkies in the Palladium whilst watching “We Will Rock You” and then more in the Crow’s Nest. Please can someone tell me if I enjoyed myself ‘cos I really can’t remember much about it !
Next day Olden and the weather wasn’t a great deal better. We had done the tourist bit and the glacier trip before so we were happy to wander around the town and along the river this time. Managed to shelter in a café each time it rained but you don’t want to do that too often at those prices ! We left at 3ish to make Stavanger in time (at the now customary low-speed). The sail out along the 60 odd mile fjord is spectacular so, again, it was a shame the weather didn’t allow us too much of a view. Still the clouds cleared a bit when we reached the mouth of the fjord and we had a glimpse of the sun before the fog came down again.
Last port was Stavanger. Wey-hey, a bit brighter and later in the day at sailaway we almost had a heatwave when the temperature nearly touched 15 degrees. That morning was probably our favourite tour as we went out to another garden, this time on an island out in the fjord. It is billed as the world’s most northerly palm island but that is really a misdescription as it is a 20 acre public park bedding scheme gone mad ! Definitely worth a visit next time you are there and everyone on our tour was enthralled. It is Flor & Fjære. Take a look at this link and see if you agree.
Managed to jump up and down in front of the port webcam as promised but I doubt that Notso was watching !
Sadly, we left four passengers behind. Not just hearsay, this time, as we saw the poor souls running along the quay and gesticulating at the bridge as we pulled out. Mind you it was made quite clear that we should be back on board by 3:00 and we did sail very soon after that so these four were probably less than 5 minutes late but then a departure time is a departure time after all.
Last sea day home was a nice wind down although again a trifle misty but by then we were acclimatised ! I did break out the shorts, though, in eager anticipation as much as anything else. Nice to see the Straits of Dover passing by as we had our final after dinner drinkies in the Crow''s Nest.
Oh yes, and there was a new (to us, anyway) disembarkation system. A couple of days before Southampton, we were invited to register our own preferred disembarkation time so we plumped for 9:00 and we were asked to assemble after breakfast in The Globe when a localised announcement would be made inviting us to disembark.. On the last morning we had breakfast in the MDR at 7:30 ish and were able to vacate our cabin by 8:00 as requested (or near enough as made no difference). We took one last turn of the Lido Deck to remind ourselves what the sun looked like and then tagged on to the end of a very short queue of no more than half a dozen folk to leave the ship at about 8:30. I don't feel too bad about it as we certainly didn't delay anyone else. I think that even if we had not abused the system it would have worked very well and is certainly a great improvement on the coloured cards we used to have.
OK, that’s it, another excellent cruise with P&O over and I hope our fellow passengers enjoyed it as much as we did. Only four and a bit months to the next one……!
Thanks for sharing just a bit of it with me.
Alesund. My birthday so Champagne before breakfast to start the day.
Sadly, it was the worst day we had weather-wise with frequent showers and a tad chilly. Last time we were in Norway we were spoilt with searing temperatures and bright sunshine so I suppose we were expecting too much. Still, it is a very pretty Art Deco town and we had a good wander round in the morning. Afternoon was a boat trip through the islands and up a fjord but you could hardly see the sides, which was a shame as it would have been spectacular on a good day. On the way back we capped at the café and viewpoint above the town which, again, would have been magnificent if you could see your hand in front of your face !
Then two bottles of pre-dinner Champagne in our cabin with our new best friends John and Linda, wine and after dinner malt, balloons, singing and sickly sweet cake (delicious), drinkies in the Palladium whilst watching “We Will Rock You” and then more in the Crow’s Nest. Please can someone tell me if I enjoyed myself ‘cos I really can’t remember much about it !
Next day Olden and the weather wasn’t a great deal better. We had done the tourist bit and the glacier trip before so we were happy to wander around the town and along the river this time. Managed to shelter in a café each time it rained but you don’t want to do that too often at those prices ! We left at 3ish to make Stavanger in time (at the now customary low-speed). The sail out along the 60 odd mile fjord is spectacular so, again, it was a shame the weather didn’t allow us too much of a view. Still the clouds cleared a bit when we reached the mouth of the fjord and we had a glimpse of the sun before the fog came down again.
Last port was Stavanger. Wey-hey, a bit brighter and later in the day at sailaway we almost had a heatwave when the temperature nearly touched 15 degrees. That morning was probably our favourite tour as we went out to another garden, this time on an island out in the fjord. It is billed as the world’s most northerly palm island but that is really a misdescription as it is a 20 acre public park bedding scheme gone mad ! Definitely worth a visit next time you are there and everyone on our tour was enthralled. It is Flor & Fjære. Take a look at this link and see if you agree.
Managed to jump up and down in front of the port webcam as promised but I doubt that Notso was watching !
Sadly, we left four passengers behind. Not just hearsay, this time, as we saw the poor souls running along the quay and gesticulating at the bridge as we pulled out. Mind you it was made quite clear that we should be back on board by 3:00 and we did sail very soon after that so these four were probably less than 5 minutes late but then a departure time is a departure time after all.
Last sea day home was a nice wind down although again a trifle misty but by then we were acclimatised ! I did break out the shorts, though, in eager anticipation as much as anything else. Nice to see the Straits of Dover passing by as we had our final after dinner drinkies in the Crow''s Nest.
Oh yes, and there was a new (to us, anyway) disembarkation system. A couple of days before Southampton, we were invited to register our own preferred disembarkation time so we plumped for 9:00 and we were asked to assemble after breakfast in The Globe when a localised announcement would be made inviting us to disembark.. On the last morning we had breakfast in the MDR at 7:30 ish and were able to vacate our cabin by 8:00 as requested (or near enough as made no difference). We took one last turn of the Lido Deck to remind ourselves what the sun looked like and then tagged on to the end of a very short queue of no more than half a dozen folk to leave the ship at about 8:30. I don't feel too bad about it as we certainly didn't delay anyone else. I think that even if we had not abused the system it would have worked very well and is certainly a great improvement on the coloured cards we used to have.
OK, that’s it, another excellent cruise with P&O over and I hope our fellow passengers enjoyed it as much as we did. Only four and a bit months to the next one……!
Thanks for sharing just a bit of it with me.
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Manoverboard
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 13014
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Dorset
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Yep, keep it coming ... 
The highlight so far, inc episode III, is that poor chap in a mobility scooter who got stuck in the lift ... no, no, just kidding.
++++
Have read it all now ... pity about the weather, that's a real shame.
Seems your Lady Captain is not one to be messed with on that evidence ... 5 minutes for goodness sakes, but next time they'll be on time.
The highlight so far, inc episode III, is that poor chap in a mobility scooter who got stuck in the lift ... no, no, just kidding.
++++
Have read it all now ... pity about the weather, that's a real shame.
Seems your Lady Captain is not one to be messed with on that evidence ... 5 minutes for goodness sakes, but next time they'll be on time.
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Not sure we will see them on a P&O ship again - it will be everyone's fault but their own !Manoverboard wrote:Seems your Lady Captain is not one to be messed with on that evidence ... 5 minutes for goodness sakes, but next time they'll be on time.
Mind you, the instructions were "Back on Board by 3:00 p.m." and in the past we have usually sailed some time after that but in this case we were cast off and away by five past the hour. Maybe Cap'n S had a hot date with the pilot to keep ?!
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sunseeker16
- Second Officer
- Posts: 236
- Joined: June 2016
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Lovely - thank you
We've been to Flor & Fjaere - absolutely fabulous! We had good weather, so we were lucky. It's fun to show people pics of blue skies and palm trees and invite them to guess where it is.
Sorry your weather wasn't the greatest. Belated happy birthday
We've been to Flor & Fjaere - absolutely fabulous! We had good weather, so we were lucky. It's fun to show people pics of blue skies and palm trees and invite them to guess where it is.
Sorry your weather wasn't the greatest. Belated happy birthday
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Dark Knight
- Deputy Captain
- Posts: 5119
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: East Hull
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Nice one QB
all sounds very nice apart from the weather
all sounds very nice apart from the weather
Nihil Obstat
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qbman1
Topic author - Captain
- Posts: 12153
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Very nice indeed. Iceland is certainly a destination I would recommend everyone sees at least once. I know you said you were considering a cruise there so get out and book it !Dark Knight wrote:Nice one QB
all sounds very nice apart from the weather
It is not the sort of place you go for the weather so any warmth would be a bonus. Just pray for clear blue skies !
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oldbluefox
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 11343
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Cumbria
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Good report QB and belated birthday greetings but sorry to hear the weather wasn't so good. I agree the new system of disembarkation is much better than the old one. Sometimes it was difficult getting off the ship for those who had camped out near the exit.
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Dark Knight
- Deputy Captain
- Posts: 5119
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: East Hull
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
QB
next years is booked, Caribbean, the year after is our 10th wedding anniversary and Lady D is looking for something a bit Special, so maybe the Amazon or such
But it will be on the list as I always wanted to do Iceland and Greenland etc
next years is booked, Caribbean, the year after is our 10th wedding anniversary and Lady D is looking for something a bit Special, so maybe the Amazon or such
But it will be on the list as I always wanted to do Iceland and Greenland etc
Nihil Obstat
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emjay45
- First Officer
- Posts: 1192
- Joined: April 2013
- Location: Ellan Vannin
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Just caught up with the last episode. Yes shame about the weather but you seemed to have had a good time. Those poor people being left behind, my worst nightmare and one reason we usually do the P&O excursions.
If we missed the ship my OH knows I'd blame him.
If we missed the ship my OH knows I'd blame him.
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rogerrovers
- Cadet
- Posts: 56
- Joined: January 2013
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Many thanks for your reports. I found them very interesting as I have not been to Iceland.
Jenny.
Jenny.
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arcadialover
- Senior Second Officer
- Posts: 476
- Joined: May 2013
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
We were on this cruise and had a fantastic time. We heard the rumours about the 4 missing passengers and was told by an officer it wasn't true and the ships log says that all passengers were on board. The welcome on board party was held on the 4th day because it isn't a good idea for health and safety reasons to hold a party with so many people all in one place (this was from the cruise director). !!!!!!!!!!!
Like you we have seen all the shows a million times before, the best one for us was Killer Queen, they got a standing ovation at the first show, never seen this before, but they certainly deserved it. The Mccdonald brothers were very good and actually came 5th in the final, the year Leonna Lewis won.
I agree the captain isn't very personable and we never saw her around the ship but her broadcasts were always very friendly and informative, more than could be said for the officer of the watch who sounded totally board with the whole thing.
Have to say that the food in the MDR was some of the best we have ever had, beautifully presented and hot with a lovely choice, the beef wellington was delicious. We had great table waiters and a lovely cabin steward, he had 19 cabins to service.
A few people tried to engage us in conversations about how little they had paid, but having booked on day one and paid a lot more we promptly removed ourselves from any further discussion. We also heard that there was 500 less passengers on board from a reliable source.
Roll on the next one, and glad you enjoyed the cruise.
Like you we have seen all the shows a million times before, the best one for us was Killer Queen, they got a standing ovation at the first show, never seen this before, but they certainly deserved it. The Mccdonald brothers were very good and actually came 5th in the final, the year Leonna Lewis won.
I agree the captain isn't very personable and we never saw her around the ship but her broadcasts were always very friendly and informative, more than could be said for the officer of the watch who sounded totally board with the whole thing.
Have to say that the food in the MDR was some of the best we have ever had, beautifully presented and hot with a lovely choice, the beef wellington was delicious. We had great table waiters and a lovely cabin steward, he had 19 cabins to service.
A few people tried to engage us in conversations about how little they had paid, but having booked on day one and paid a lot more we promptly removed ourselves from any further discussion. We also heard that there was 500 less passengers on board from a reliable source.
Roll on the next one, and glad you enjoyed the cruise.
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emjay45
- First Officer
- Posts: 1192
- Joined: April 2013
- Location: Ellan Vannin
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Arcadialover I'm glad to hear no-one was left behind, sounds as if you too enjoyed the cruise 
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Manoverboard
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 13014
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Dorset
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
BUT the OP has posted ...arcadialover wrote:We heard the rumours about the 4 missing passengers and was told by an officer it wasn't true and the ships log says that all passengers were on board ...
" Sadly, we left four passengers behind. Not just hearsay, this time, as we saw the poor souls running along the quay and gesticulating at the bridge as we pulled out "
I'll have 50p on Cubie's version ... for me the Officer was playing it down and the Log stated that ' All passengers are accounted for '.
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being
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Gill W
- Senior First Officer
- Posts: 4897
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Kent
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
I really enjoyed your report, as I was on the Arcadia cruise to Iceland and Norway last year.
We had 4 ports in Norway and only the one stop in Ireland, (Dublin) so I was interested to hear that you called at 'Dun Leary'
I thought Iceland was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed our trip from Isafordjur to the abandoned village. The air was so crisp and clean and we had beautiful weather that day. The sky was an amazing shade of blue. It's something I'll remember for a long time.
Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
We had 4 ports in Norway and only the one stop in Ireland, (Dublin) so I was interested to hear that you called at 'Dun Leary'
I thought Iceland was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed our trip from Isafordjur to the abandoned village. The air was so crisp and clean and we had beautiful weather that day. The sky was an amazing shade of blue. It's something I'll remember for a long time.
Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
Gill
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Suekersh
- First Officer
- Posts: 1562
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Lancashire
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Enjoyed your report QB. Hope the weather improves in the Fjords for our journey up there on Oriana.
Some pax do push their luck on the back on board time.
Sue
Some pax do push their luck on the back on board time.
Sue
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emjay45
- First Officer
- Posts: 1192
- Joined: April 2013
- Location: Ellan Vannin
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
You're quite right MOB qb DID see them. I wonder if they got home alrightManoverboard wrote:BUT the OP has posted ...arcadialover wrote:We heard the rumours about the 4 missing passengers and was told by an officer it wasn't true and the ships log says that all passengers were on board ...
" Sadly, we left four passengers behind. Not just hearsay, this time, as we saw the poor souls running along the quay and gesticulating at the bridge as we pulled out "
I'll have 50p on Cubie's version ... for me the Officer was playing it down and the Log stated that ' All passengers are accounted for '.
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Manoverboard
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 13014
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Dorset
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
They would have got home ok ' MJ ' assuming that they were carrying their passports, else a copy, plus well loaded credit cards.
A lesson to us all of course and it makes you ask " How many pax take a copy of the ' Horizon ' ashore with them ? "
or 
A lesson to us all of course and it makes you ask " How many pax take a copy of the ' Horizon ' ashore with them ? "
or Keep smiling, it's good for your well being
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arcadialover
- Senior Second Officer
- Posts: 476
- Joined: May 2013
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Manoverboard wrote:BUT the OP has posted ...arcadialover wrote:We heard the rumours about the 4 missing passengers and was told by an officer it wasn't true and the ships log says that all passengers were on board ...
" Sadly, we left four passengers behind. Not just hearsay, this time, as we saw the poor souls running along the quay and gesticulating at the bridge as we pulled out "
I'll have 50p on Cubie's version ... for me the Officer was playing it down and the Log stated that ' All passengers are accounted for '.
The actual cruise log says "with everyone on board". The 4 missing passengers were only called for twice, which is unusual. We actually left at 3.07 so doubt there was even time for crew to have checked their cabin and remove their passport etc from the safe.
Could have been locals just waving bye to the ship.
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jay-ell71
- Senior Second Officer
- Posts: 892
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Cotswolds
Re: J308 Iceland and Fjords July 2013
Thanks for the report. I always enjoy reading about other people's experiences.
Sorry about the wet, cold weather. You missed a rather enervating heat wave here!!!!
Either the four "passengers" running along the dock were fake passengers or the log was incorrect. Usually the ship leaves 30 minutes after the "be on board" time doesn't it? We saw late crew running along the dock on one occasion, and the ship had cast off, but a gangway was put out for them anyway, and they got on. I bet they got a ..well ..." talking to" from the Captain!! Another time a sole passenger was late and running, he got on OK, he hadn't altered his watch and did not realise he was late; he thought he had half an hour to spare. Ships do not usually leave passengers behind who have actually arrived before the ship has left.
Sorry about the wet, cold weather. You missed a rather enervating heat wave here!!!!
Either the four "passengers" running along the dock were fake passengers or the log was incorrect. Usually the ship leaves 30 minutes after the "be on board" time doesn't it? We saw late crew running along the dock on one occasion, and the ship had cast off, but a gangway was put out for them anyway, and they got on. I bet they got a ..well ..." talking to" from the Captain!! Another time a sole passenger was late and running, he got on OK, he hadn't altered his watch and did not realise he was late; he thought he had half an hour to spare. Ships do not usually leave passengers behind who have actually arrived before the ship has left.
Jay