Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Suekersh
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Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Suekersh »

A fairly brief review of our recent Med cruise on Oriana Iberia Cruise

We embarked Oriana on Sunday 7 August for a 12 night Iberia cruise.

We travelled down from Lancashire the day before and as expected it was a long journey with many roadworks and heavy traffic due to it being a main holiday period and hot sunny weather which enticed day trippers onto the road. Add to the equation an event at Silverstone and Blenheim Palace the result was chaos on the roads and a 6 1/2 hour journey.

Our hotel for the night was the Elizabeth house on the Avenue. Very comfy family run hotel with a great breakfast included and a very competitive price for parking whilst on the cruise.

Embarkation was a breeze. We arrived at the QE2 terminal just before noon and were checked in immediately and directed to the priority area where we were greeted by the lovely Loyalty manager Danny. We had coffee and chatted until we boarded at around 12:45. We met up with our friends who were in the next door cabin and made our way to the priority embarkation lunch where the champagne flowed well.

After unpacking I went to the gym to meet my torturers for the next 12 mornings, and was happy to see David still on board with a new gym instructor Gi Gi.
Sailaway party was on the Terrace deck with DJ Phil. The Ents staff were there chatting to pax but no dancing. The weather was very pleasant and the party well attended.

The first morning was bright and sunny but quite windy and not the temperatures we had expected from an August cruise. There was plenty going on around the ship including Zumba and Battle of the sexes to keep me occupied.

The 2nd sea day was very hot and the wind had dropped significantly. We spent the day in the sun and had a light lunch by the pool.

Our first of three formal nights and it was the Captains Welcome on board party which was in the Crows Nest. We had dinner first and attended the later party where the drinks kept coming. It would have been rude to leave them. The formal ball was well attended with the dress code well adhered to. The average age on this cruise is at least 15 years younger than on our last Oriana cruise earlier this year.

Wednesday found us in Praia de Rocha and after my usual early morning gym session we set off to the tender point. We were actually tendered into Portamao with the choice of going to Praia de Rocha. We opted for Portamao and fresh sardines for lunch barbecued at a local restaurant washed down with a delicious local wine.
The weather was hot and sunny and perfect for wandering around sampling the local beer before lunch.

The tendering back to the ship was not great and we had over an hours wait in the hot sun. There were some very unhappy passengers and I doubt P & O will call there again. It was a 25 minute journey from the ship to the tender dock. P & O were told that 2 tender docks would be available but at the last minute this was changed to one. With the loading and unloading each tender was taking over an hour to do a round trip. P & O were using 4 tenders but without the 2 docking stations they were fighting a losing battle.

Thursday was a sea day and the clocks went forward during the night. I forgot to set my alarm and woke up too late for the early morning gym session.
During the morning it was Oriana Uncovered where all the different departments showcased their skills in the atrium area.

At noon it was our Baltic/Ligurian lunch and our table was hosted by the food and beverage manager who we had met a few times on previous cruises. He is an excellent host and the wine flowed well. The food was exceptionally good and we ended up sleeping the remainder of the afternoon away.

It was the 2nd formal night of the cruise and we both ordered a very light dinner. I went to have a look around the shops and was asked to take part in the Fashion show later on in the cruise.

There were then 5 consecutive Port days. The first was Tarragona and a maiden call for Oriana. A shuttle was laid on into the city centre. It is a very pretty place with a Ramblas along the sea front and many Historic buildings as well as tapas bars and restaurants. We had a lovely day wandering around and enjoying the local food and wine. Once back on ship the locals performed a human pyramid to the delight of the Oriana passengers.

The following morning we arrived in Valencia. We have been to the city here many times so decided to visit the science and art area. A taxi there was only 7 Euros for the 4 of us. This place is huge and extremely modern. The river was diverted a few years ago after disastrous floods and the space left is now a magnificent park in the city for the use of everyone. There were playgrounds for children, gym areas, cycle paths and jogging areas. We caught the little train around and saw so much more than if we had walked. The train returned us back close to the Oceanagraphic building. Another huge place both inside and outside with aquariums , dolphin displays, penguins, sea lions, walrus, turtles etc etc. A great day out.

Cartagena was next and is one of our favourite Spanish ports. Unfortunately there was the huge Royal Princess in dock so we had to dock on the other side of the port and had a shuttle into the centre. We didn't rush off as it was a Sunday call and the majority of shops were closed. By the time we got there it was very busy and we were disappointed that our favourite tapas bar was derelict. It looks like the whole area is being revamped as it is close to the Roman amphitheatre which has been opened up to visitors and is a huge attraction. We set off in search of a new tapas bar. The key is to follow the locals and this paid off once again and we ended up at the Galleon. Not as traditional as El Barril but equally as good food and probably more choice. Free wi Fi and for 11 Euros per person for a 4 course meal with a drink and bread excellent value.

We arrived in Malaga to cloudy skys. Very disappointing as this was the day we had decided to head for the local beach. There was a Ferria on in town but we were heading there in the evening. The weather was very hot but the sun only occasionally beat the cloud. It probably meant it was more bearable to spend the morning relaxing but I never felt the need to enter the water.
The Ferria really gets going in the evening when it moves to the outskirts of the city. This really should have been an overnight call instead of back on board for 11 pm. The festivities hadn't really got going properly when we had to leave at 10pm. The Spanish certainly know how to party. We had local food and drink and saw the horse parade and all the locals dressed in their traditional costumes dancing the flamenco. It was a great night but just not long enough time there.

Our final port was Tangiers. We did not get off the ship at all but had a well deserved relaxing day on the Terrace pool soaking up the sun. Normally the ship is very quiet on port days but Tangiers is an exception. I would estimate that 50 % of passengers stayed on board or got off and back on again very quickly.

2 sea days back to Southampton. The first one was the fashion show. There were six pax and 3 crew members modelling various outfits from the shop on board. It was a bit of fun and held on the Terrace pool. Dodging the sun beds as we walked round was a challenge and at one point the pool threatened to overspill. We all had the opportunity to have our hair styled at the spa which was useful as it was our final formal night and Peninsular Club cocktail party where once again we were well looked after by the officers and crew.

The final day and the dreaded packing loomed. Not as bad as normal as we had packed with the intention of self disembarking for the first time ever.
The weather stayed fine and the seas calm all the way through the Bay of Biscay.

The entertainment manager was Nigel Travis with Mikey as his assistant. In our opinion Mikey is a far livelier Ents manager and has done this role on Oriana on many cruises so unsure why Nigel was brought on from Oriana for this cruise.

The headliners worked hard and as well as performing 7 shows over the 12 nights they taught a salsa class on sea days as well as the line dancing classes. We didn't go to see the shows but our friends did and reported back that they were the best they had seen.

The Caberet artistes were very mixed with 2 dreadful acts. The Beatles Experience were excellent. Mick Miller was the comedian on board but we didn't go to see him.

The dancing in Harlequins was very well attended. The John James Trio and New Wave played strict tempo music and both groups kept Harlequins very busy every night.

We didn't dance as much as we usually do as the weather was so good we wanted to be outside.
The terrace bar now opens in the evening from 8:30 until late with subdued lighting and background music. It was very popular on the balmy summer nights and a great place to meet up and chat. This is a new venture introduced on Oriana by the new senior management team and has been a great success. The tables have covers and lighting and as the sun goes down there are pashminas available for ladies to borrow if required.

We ate in the mid ships Freedom Dining restaurant with the same waiters every night. The food was excellent especially the fish and the variety of vegetables being served. We were all impressed with the choice and quality.

We disembarked at 7:15 am to a cold rainy Southampton. The journey home was quicker than on the way down but very busy due to the V festival. It rained hard all of the way and felt more like November than August.

Another great cruise with friends, 12 nights is not really long enough for us but we wouldn't hesitate to do the same itinerary again ( preferably without Tangiers) on Oriana at this time of year.

Sue
Last edited by david63 on 20 Aug 2016, 13:10, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Corrected the date

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by david63 »

I have corrected the date for you Sue - unless you have a Tardis and are telling us what will be happening next year!

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Meg 50
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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Meg 50 »

you tendered at Portimao... we docked there on Adonia. Is it shallow, or was there a problem?


edit:


looking back at my blog - we were expecting to tender, but docked instead.
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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Meg 50 »

I went to look at Portimao on Google street - and discovered Adonia in dock! It was dated May 2014 - so our cruise
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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by david63 »

Meg 50 wrote:
I went to look at Portimao on Google street - and discovered Adonia in dock! It was dated May 2014 - so our cruise
I hope you were waving :wave: :wave:

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Gill W
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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Gill W »

Thanks for the report, I'm off on Oriana tomorrow for 12 nights so it was an interesting read for me.

We had Nigel Travis as our entertainment manager on Oceana in February, so it looks as we might have him again. Hmmm....
Gill

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Raybosailor »

Enjoyed your review Sue, but I think you did well to be away from the Ferria at 22:00 as it gets quite rowdy later on, you don't go to the Ferria late on in decent clothes as a lot of drink is thrown about.
When our son lived out in Spain we always made a point of visiting him when one of the bigger Ferria's were in town, you would always find me by one of the giant paella pans where the vendors would turn the paella over with something like a builders shovel.

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Dancing Queen »

Gill W wrote:
Thanks for the report, I'm off on Oriana tomorrow for 12 nights so it was an interesting read for me.

We had Nigel Travis as our entertainment manager on Oceana in February, so it looks as we might have him again. Hmmm....


Hmmm indeed Gill but I'm sure his mother loves him :roll: :lol: :lol:

Have a lovely cruise.
Jo

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by oldbluefox »

Thanks for your review Sue. Enjoyed it.

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Happydays »

Thanks for your review, I enjoyed reading all about the cruise.
We have only been on Oriana once and liked the ship seemed to have a good feel to it:)

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Kenmo1 »

Thanks for the review, Sue.

Oriana seems to be getting a lot of new and interesting ports to visit. We missed out on a visit to Praia de Rocha back in May - the Safety Officer said tendering is a problem with this port and it is quite a lengthy run for the tenders.

We did do Tangiers and luckily 6 of us were wandering around together so not too intimidating but if we ever visit again we will probably stay on board.

Where to next ?

Maureen.

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Suekersh »

david63 wrote:
I have corrected the date for you Sue - unless you have a Tardis and are telling us what will be happening next year!
Thanks David. Brain still in cruise mode.

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Suekersh »

Meg 50 wrote:
you tendered at Portimao... we docked there on Adonia. Is it shallow, or was there a problem?


edit:


looking back at my blog - we were expecting to tender, but docked instead.
Oriana is slightly too big for docking in Portsmao. We Also docked there on Adonia in 2014. A Thomson ship was docked in the same place we docked on Adonia.

Sue

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Suekersh »

Gill W wrote:
Thanks for the report, I'm off on Oriana tomorrow for 12 nights so it was an interesting read for me.

We had Nigel Travis as our entertainment manager on Oceana in February, so it looks as we might have him again. Hmmm....
He isn't on there permanently but not sure when he is disembarking. If you are lucky he will have gone and the lovely Mikey will be there until 10 September.

Have a great cruise. Our friend wanted us to stay on for this one but I have a wedding to attend on 2 September so had to decline. Shame as it is going to some interesting ports.

Sue

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Suekersh »

Kenmo1 wrote:
Thanks for the review, Sue.

Oriana seems to be getting a lot of new and interesting ports to visit. We missed out on a visit to Praia de Rocha back in May - the Safety Officer said tendering is a problem with this port and it is quite a lengthy run for the tenders.

We did do Tangiers and luckily 6 of us were wandering around together so not too intimidating but if we ever visit again we will probably stay on board.

Where to next ?

Maureen.
Look out for even more interesting ports in the new brochure. These are known as Discovery ports and according to the Captain in his Peninsular party speech the new brochure will have some very interesting cruises for Oriana. We are not booked to be back on until next September but I have no doubt we will squeeze something in before that.

Next for us Maureen is Arcadia to USA and Canada in 3 weeks then nothing until 2 Jan when we are back on Arcadia for the World cruise. We would have liked to do the Oriana Xmas cruise but it doesn't get back into SH until after the 2 Jan when Arcadia sets off. Looks like Xmas at home alone this year.

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Suekersh »

Raybosailor wrote:
Enjoyed your review Sue, but I think you did well to be away from the Ferria at 22:00 as it gets quite rowdy later on, you don't go to the Ferria late on in decent clothes as a lot of drink is thrown about.
When our son lived out in Spain we always made a point of visiting him when one of the bigger Ferria's were in town, you would always find me by one of the giant paella pans where the vendors would turn the paella over with something like a builders shovel.
We saw the vast Paella being made and it was just about ready to eat as we were leaving. It smelled delicious.

We have been to Ferrias before in Nerja which is the beg of October but never had chance to see the huge Malaga one. I would have loved to stay there overnight and joined in the festivities. They do get rowdy as the Spanish live for their Ferrias and save up all year to eat and drink there for the duration of it.

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Re: Oriana to the Med. 7 August 2016

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Post by Jan Rosser »

Interesting report Sue having been on Oriana back in June I could relate to the tendering issues - waited for over an hour to tender into Guernsey. In the end they brought in a boat from the island which took loads of passengers so not such a long wait to get back. The Headliners were on their first cruise when I was on the ship and for newcomers were outstanding both singing and dancing although the shows were the same old faithfuls :roll:
Janis

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