Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

Reports about cruises on Oriana
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Kenmo1
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Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#1

Post by Kenmo1 »

We booked this 19 night cruise (11/10 to 30/10/17) because it contained 3 new ports for us. However, various changes were made during the cruise
Date plus Original Port and Amended Port

14/10/17 Cadiz remained as Cadiz
17/10/17 Messina remained as Messina
18/10/17 Corigliano Calabro remained as Corigliano - had originally been listed as Crotone but we knew of the change fairly early after booking
20/10/17 Venice changed to Trieste due to thick fog in Venice causing some ships unable to sail in or out
21/10/17 Ravenna changed to Split 11 am to 4.30pm.
22/10.17 Split changed to Corfu 11am to 5.30pm
23/10/17 Kotor changed to Catania from 9am (Day 1)
24/10/17 Corfu changed to Catania until 4.30pm (Day 2)
25/10/17 At Sea remained the same At Sea
26/10/17 At Sea changed to Cartagena 1pm to 6pm
27/10/17 Gibraltar remained as Gibraltar

We were really disappointed to miss Ravenna and Kotor but Trieste and Catania were new to us as was Corigliano. We always enjoy visiting Cartagena so we were happy with that change. The reason given for the Ravenna and Kotor changes were that very strong winds and poor sea conditions were expected to affect southern Italy and we needed to get ahead of the storm.

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Kenmo1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#2

Post by Kenmo1 »

Oriana has had a refit since we were last on her over a year ago. I wouldn't like to have to dust off the horrible plant wall in the atrium. The new carpets and the changes to the Conservatory reminded us of the refit on Aurora.

Hughie Taylor was entertainment Manager and was much more visible than previous times when we have seen him on other ships. He seems more suited to Oriana. The entertainment was excellent. The main speaker was John Lyons who played DS George Toolan in A Touch of Frost. He was an excellent speaker, no notes just all off the cuff and so funny. He did 3 talks and the Theatre Royal was jam packed every time and you had to get to the theatre about 20 mins before his talk to ensure you got a seat.

Gareth Oliver, a ventriloquist was hilarious and the Bluejays who sang 50s/60s music were great and a packed theatre for both acts.

The food was very good. The Bircher Muesli was the best I have ever had, full of grapes,apple,walnuts and raisins.

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and it seemed a very happy ship.


Whynd1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#3

Post by Whynd1 »

The morning we sailed into Venice it was so foggy you couldn't see anything.

We were all up on deck peering into the gloom. However the Captain made an announcement at breakfast saying that we were the last ship permitted to sail up the canal due to fog. So we were extremely lucky and the weather improved later on. It was actually quite special crossing on the shuttle in the mist and the cold.

Sorry you and so many alterations nto your cruise.

Lindsey

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Kenmo1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#4

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Cadiz We have visited here several times and have done the transfer to wonderful Seville before so this time we just wandered through the lovely parks to the right of the port area.

Messina - we have been to Messina several times and have previously done a PO transfer excursion to Taormina which is lovely. As there were six of us this time we set off at 8.15 am to the left of the port to head to the Messina Centrale Station which was about a 15 minute walk away. We were approached various times while walking through the port area and offered a taxi ride to Taormina for prices varying between 120 and 150 euros with some offering a stay of 1 hour and others offering a stay of 3 hours. We intended to catch the 9.18 am train for the 1 hour journey to Giardini-Naxos which is the station for Taormina and from there we intended to get a taxi up to Taormina. However, at Messina station a taxi driver of a mini-van offered us a 3 hour stay for 150 euros and that we would not need to pay him until he came back to collect us. We decided it was probably easier in the long run although obviously more expensive than a DIY trip. In fact we arrived at Taormina about 9.30 am and it was extremely quiet. This changed as the morning went on but it was gloriously sunny and a good view of Etna with smoke coming out. A lovely trip out and certainly better than yet another traipse around Messina.

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Kenmo1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#5

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Corigliano Calabro- We caught the free shuttle for the 20 minute uninspiring trip from the port area to Corigliano. The town looked very old and dismal but we walked up a slight hill to the left to look inside the church then walked back down to where the shuttle had dropped us off. We could have caught a town shuttle up to the Castelo Ducale - not sure if they charged for the town shuttle. Instead we walked the very steep hill to the right of the town centre and followed the signs to the Castelo. Quite honestly, it wasn't a particularly pleasant walk along the pavements as there was dogs mess everywhere. However, it was worth it when we found the Castelo and paid the 5 euro per person entrance fee. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around and climbing the spiral staircase up the tower which gave us some lovely views which were unfortunately spoilt by the power station down near the beach area in the distance.

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Kenmo1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#6

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Trieste - This was the replacement for Venice which was fog bound. Obviously Trieste also was foggy but easier to get into. Last minute excursions included a coach trip to Lake Bled in Slovenia but it seemed pointless to go if there was likely to be fog so we decided to explore Trieste. It had some nice plazas and buildings to look at and a back drop of steep mountains. We caught a number 2 local bus to a place called Opicine where there was supposed to be a good viewing area but you couldn't see much because the fog took a long time to lift. We caught the bus back into Trieste and then staggered up a very steep, uneven road to visit the Cathedral and the castle. It was equally difficult walking back down the road so not easy for those with mobility issues.

Split - I always enjoy wandering around Split especially on a lovely sunny day. Eventually we wandered along the tiled promenade and found some steps (not for the faint hearted) which lead to a viewing area. Well worth a look so thank you to whoever mentioned it because I think I read about it on here. You have to look for the steps and wander in amongst the narrow entrance to find them.

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Kenmo1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#7

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Corfu - Again a place we have visited several times and years ago stayed for 2 weeks so we just caught the shuttle bus into the town area at a cost of 4 euros each. It was a lovely hot afternoon so we mooched around the touristy shops. As it was a Sunday a lot of the main shops were closed. We were too hot and lazy to walk back so used the shuttle bus back to the ship.

Catania- I'm not sure which place I found the most dismal, Messina or Catania. The only decent road was the Via Etna which appears to be the main shopping street with a stunning view of Etna which looked surprisingly close and seems to dominate the area. There was snow showing quite clearly at the top. We wandered up Via Etna to the Bellini Gardens and further up the road or friends discovered the Botanical gardens. We wandered in and out of the shops on the first day.

On the second day it started spitting with rain but quickly cleared and we stripped down to our T-shirts once more. This time we wandered around the large fish/meat and vegetable market. We were back on board by 1 ish although not sailing until 4.30pm. A decidedly rocky ride overnight.

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Kenmo1
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#8

Post by Kenmo1 »

Cartagena - I love this place. You moor right in town and it is a really pleasant area for a wander. We saw the amphitheatre last time we visited so just wandered in and out of the shops. It was a really hot afternoon so just soaked up the sunshine and the atmosphere.

Gibraltar - Lots of previous visits here so just wandered into town to buy a cover for Ken's IPad and a new camera case and then a mooch round Debenhams and bought a new hoodie.

I guess the Captain made all his changes for the right reasons but I had so looked forward to seeing Ravenna/San Marino and was looking forward to the sail-in to Kotor. Obviously it was disappointing to miss Venice but we have been several times but it must have been quite upsetting for those who had planned their first visit to Venice.

Maureen

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Gill W
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Re: Not Quite What We Signed Up For.

#9

Post by Gill W »

Sounds like you had a nice time in spite of all the changes. Hopefully you'll get to Ravenna and Kotor another time
Gill

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