Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

Reports about cruises on Arcadia
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Kenmo1
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Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#1

Post by Kenmo1 »

Having moved house earlier this year and also done a Baltic cruise in May, we hadn't intended to do the Black Sea until next year but looking at the itinerary next year we realised there were only 2 places we hadn't visited before but the cruise this year had 5 new places for us to visit - Cartagena, Heraklion, Izmir, Odessa and Yalta so we brought the trip forward. We also like Arcadia so it was a good choice for us. We booked early August for an obstructed view cabin and were upgraded to G60, the reception deck level and a very convenient position plus being low down and midships it meant I didn't feel queasy on the bumpier days at sea. Even booking Getaway we saw the price drop by £400 each and could have had a balcony for the price we paid if we had waited a few more weeks. The cabin had a connecting door with G62 but the doors were looked and to keep my neurotic mind at rest, we stood the 6 water bottles we purchased against the door. The speed at which we traveled whilst at sea was snail's pace, obviously with fuel saving in mind and the shortened days in port were a bit frustrating - 3.30pm back on board in Lisbon is annoying when there is so much to see there even though we have been there several times we still enjoy it.

Day 5, CARTEGENA in Spain was a warm, sunny day and we went to the Roman Amphitheatre and museum which cost us 5 euros each as we had copies of our passports with us proving that we were senior citizens. However, it is only 6 euros normally and worth the money especially on a gloriously sunny day.

Day 8 KATAKOLON, Greece. Have been here before but it was a rainy day then whereas this visit was sunny and very warm. The main trip was to Olympia but we decided against that and instead wandered around the small but pleasant sea front and shopping area.

Day 9 HERAKLION, Greece. What a dump! We made the mistake of using the HOHO bus and spent most of the ride in traffic jams or being hit on the shoulders and face by overgrown trees poking through the gaps at the sides of the bus. Also the earphones didn't work so we heard nothing, not that there seemed much to see. The main stop would have been the ruins at Knossos but we didn't risk getting off because we were worried we wouldn't get back to the ship with all the dreadul traffic jams.

Day 10 IZMIR, Turkey. Sunny but a very chilly wind blowing off the sea. We walked right along the seafront towards the Clock Tower in the main square.
First time here for us and if we call here again we would do the trip to Ephesus which seemed to be a very popular excursion.

Day 11, ISTANBUL, Turkey. Have been here before but really wanted to go back. We arrived late about 2pm as another ship was in our berth. I think we had the furthest berth out of the port but the tram system is brilliant. The first day we walked to the Galata Bridge, about 20 minutes and then crossed over and headed for the Grand Bazaar which was open as it was Saturday but would be closed on the Sunday. Everywhere was heaving with people. It was also quite a chilly day but a least it was dry. We had a coffee in the Grand Bazaar and a wander around and then walked downhill to the Galata Bridge and tried to get a tram. After letting 3 packed ones go by we learnt to use our elbows and squeezed/pushed/pulled ourselves on.

Day12 ISTANBUL. We caught the tram near the ship to Sultanhamet and went straight to the Blue Mosque. Big queues but we eventually got in. Because it was a chilly, rainy looking day I wore a raincoat so was able to use the hood to cover my head and shoulders and I also remembered to wear socks as I didn't fancy walking around the mosque in bare feet. From Blue Mosque we went to the Ayia Sofia Church/Museum. I swear the amount of scaffolding inside has spread since we went there a few years ago. After that we went to the Basilica Cistern which is well worth a visit but you have to pay by Turkish Lira as they won't take Euros or Credit Cards. We then went to Topkapi Palace and visited the Harem, Treasury and Armoury. A good day.

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Kenmo1
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

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Post by Kenmo1 »

I've just managed to wipe out a report on Odessa but here goes for another try :(

After an exhausting day and night in Istanbul, it was nice to have a quiet day at sea.

Day 14 ODESSA. A cold, crisp day. We moored right by the Potemkin Steps but decided to take the shuttle bus into town. Had a look around then walked to the Opera House and looked for a cafe but a lot of places would not take euros so had to get some Ukrainian money - a very slow process!! Eventually walked back to the Potemkin Steps and made sure we avoided the men at the top of the stairs who were trying to place eagles on your shoulders for a photo opportunity - no thanks. Walked down the steps (lots of them) and went back to Arcadia for a snack. Afterwards we wandered along by the ship to the little church at the end.

Day 15 YALTA. A lovely sunny day and a glorious view. We walked along the promenade to the Alexander Nevsky cathedral (golden onion type domes on top). Had a coffee and then caught the cable car - well more like a builders bucket - to the top of the hill. Only 2 can get in each cab and you have to be pretty nifty to get on and off, an experience for the brave. Lovely views from the top, especially as it was a lovely day. Even the local McDonalds wouldn't take euros which surprised us but we still managed to use their WiFi. 3 tour buses were late back so we left at 6pm.

Day 17 PIRAEUS. We had booked a trip to the Corinth Canal as we did the Acropolis some years ago. In some ways I wish we had done the boat ride through the canal as there were no boats in the canal while we were there but we did see one entering as we drove back past the area. We went to the ruins and museum at Corinth and by this time the temperature was in the high 20s. Not too bad an excursion - we can only put up with a limited amount of ruins and I think this was just about right for us. Enjoyed a few hours sunbathing in the afternoon and watched the Thomson Celebration sail out which brought back nice memories of a couple of cruises on her. Left the port late as someone had to be taken to hospital.

Four sunny days sailing at a snail's pace and then Day 21 LISBON.
We caught the shuttle bus to the main square in town and caught a number 12 tram to the castle. The tram is an experience in itself and I understand the number 28 is the most popular tourist one but they always seemed to be jam packed. We have been in the castle a couple of times but had a look around the area and stopped at a cafe for a hot chocolate and egg custard tart. The tart was gorgeous but the chocolate was like sludge. We walked back down following the tram lines and headed for Black Horse Square. We wandered back up the town looking in the shops and, as it was starting to get very hot, we caught the shuttle bus back to the ship and sunbathed for a while. It is always worth being on deck at the back for the incredible sight of the Arcadia funnel going under the bridge and you can see a lot of the main sights, Christ the King Statue, Henry the Navigator monument, the Belem Tower etc.

Two more days at sea and then back to Southampton. Independent travellers could register what time they wished to get off and then a leaflet was issued confirming your time allocation and telling you where to meet so that there wasn't the usual chaos around the ship and blocking staircases. When it was time for your group to leave you followed an admin person to the gangway and off you got in a very orderly manner - so much better. Back home on the Isle of Wight by 10am after a very enjoyable cruise.

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Dancing Queen
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

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Post by Dancing Queen »

Great review Kenmo, we haven't done the Black Sea but I'm being very tempted by the reviews I keep reading, have got my eye on one for next summer :D
Jo

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GillD46
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#4

Post by GillD46 »

I enjoyed your very comprehensive review. We are doing the Black Sea next year on QV. Thank you for taking the time to post.
Gill

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Gill W
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#5

Post by Gill W »

Thanks for your review, which I enjoyed. I've recently returned from the Azura cruise with a similar itinerary, so I've been keen to read about the Arcadia cruise.

Glad you had a good time
Gill

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Kenmo1
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#6

Post by Kenmo1 »

Thanks DQ, GillD and GillW for your kind responses. This is a cruise which I am sure we will do again - it has a nice mixture of ports, some seaside places and some towns/cities so you get a nice variety. I have never done a report before as we tend to be wanderers and can't give much advice about what routes/roads to take to get to the sites. We also tend to avoid the excursions due to the cost but we realise that in the future we may have to start doing some if we want to see more than just the area around the port.

I made the effort to do the review because having read David's concerns about the forum, I felt that I needed to contribute something useful rather than just jump in and out with the odd comment. Thanks for your encouragement.

Maureen


rita17
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#7

Post by rita17 »

Thank you for your report. We did a Black Sea cruise a few years ago and you brought back some fond memories. Our cruising friends are keen to do this one so looks as if its on the agenda again.


arcadialover
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#8

Post by arcadialover »

Lovely review. This is on our list for 2015.

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Manoverboard
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#9

Post by Manoverboard »

Thank you for the report and indeed for making the effort to support D63 .... :clap:

Tis always enjoyable to read about the Black Sea Ports, perhaps one day P&O will offer a more comprehensive option out of Istanbul or Athens.

I was holding back waiting for more info re the inter-connecting doors but it seems as though they were, thankfully, a non event ;)
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being

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Kenmo1
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Re: Arcadia J314 E. Med and Black Sea

#10

Post by Kenmo1 »

Thank you MOB. I have started to write a daily journal whilst on holiday so that we can remember what we did otherwise after 20+ cruises, places, ships etc all get muddled up in our memories. It was actually quite useful to type out the report and I gained from it as well.

Once we saw the picture of Dame Kelly Holmes on G deck, we remembered that we had been on that corridor when we did a previous cruise to San Francisco - we think in either G70 or G76. I knew the water package we ordered would come in useful - those large heavy bottles made a good doorstop but you were quite right, there was no problem with interconnecting doors.

Maureen

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