JeanieC,Aston

I will be on Silhouette as she docks in Southampton on the 3rd May. Jameson will do for me but more important have they got Guinness,,,,last year same cruise,same time,they had none.

Hi It’s very nice if you like docks,,,Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe. From the centre to the North Sea its 20 miles of docks. If you are a ship buff like me it’s great. Btw,a short taxi/walk from where the ship docks you can have lunch on SS Rotterdam and see how cruisers used to live years ago.

Hi Not sure it’s to do with water levels,I imagine the water level in Amsterdam is controlled by the locks into the North Sea. The water levels in Holland is always controlled by dykes,,,they suffer from high water levels not low. A problem a few years ago was Amsterdam imposed a tourist tax on cruise passengers,P&O ruises was one company that refused to impose the tax into fares so refused to dock in Amsterdam and instead docked at Ijmuiden (sea side of the locks) Passengers transferred to Amsterdam by shuttle buses. Like lots of other ports it may just be the large amount of cruise traffic these days.

Hi We did two Fred Olsen cruises from Liverpool last year. The Scottish Islands in June,,,8 nights,and it rained every day. Your lovely country the Norway Fjords in end August,unbelievably sunny and warm. FO are older ships but full of character,love the wrap around decks,,,,food and service second to none….and beer prices very reasonable,unlike Norway..lol. I bet you know where this is?

Hi Ken. Hows your head for heights,,have you time for the Harbour Bridge walk?

Hi. I was in Rotterdam in March on P&O Iona. Just for info the ship docks next to Erasmus Bridge. Photo taken from on the bridge….

Hi 43 is a Spanish liqueur with a taste of vanilla..a bit sweet for me. If anyone is in Spain try a Carajilo it’s a espresso with a dash of aSpanish brandy. You see workman down a quick one on the way to work.

Hi I have my Irish Coffee using Jameson after dinner,,,,with the cream poured on over the back of a spoon,,,not the squirty stuff. Takes a lot of practice keeping the cream on top of the coffee.

Hi Wouldnt that last one be a Espresso Macchiato?

A tip….most ports of call are not the main cities of Europe,are easy to walk around for a taste of local life,food,drink etc. For the big attractions like Barcelona,Rome,Florence,Athens and Naples etc jump on the HoHo bus to get a real glimpse of the place,,get on and off if you want to visit somewhere like the Trevi Fountain or Acropolis,,,the HoHo in Barcelona is the best in Europe imo.

The only problem with ordering FOS is the 15 minutes sat looking at it whilst it cools down. Just be careful you don’t get a piece of that hot cheese stuck to the roof of your mouth.

Duplicated

Duplicated

If I sail Celebrity from Southampton I will wear a blazer on Chic nights. If I sail P&O from Southampton I will wear a Suit & tie or my Tux. Horses for courses. On formal nights on P&O or Cunard if not wearing Jacket & Tie or Dinner Suit you will stick out like a sore thumb.in fact you will be refused entry into MDR and certain bars. I don’t have strong feelings either way,if you don’t like the rules don’t book the cruise.

Hi Maris Shame it’s all over,one of the best bloggs I’ve read….really enjoyable. And the photos made it even better.

Hi There is a pub 100m from the cruise terminal called Kelly’s Bar who have live music on. My favourite is the Rob Roy on Pearse Sq just a bit further along. My last visit before lockdown on Reflection …..in the Rob Roy. The train station is next to the ship,,,20 minutes into Cork City.

What rules have been broken? It astonishes me why people want threads closed. If I don’t like a thread I don’t read it.

Hi Jim I was on a Round Britain cruise last year,,if you haven’t booked a tour on Shetland already i would suggest doing it know,,,there is a lack of vehicles on Shetland and tours get booked up quick. I also see your cruise has Cobh overnight,,there is some great little pubs and they put on live music when a ship is in,,,,fiddles and Bodhran at the ready. I can see lots of unsteady people walking back to the ship that night. With Liverpool,Waterford and Belfast this is a great itinerary. I will be on the Silhouette cruise from Southampton on 3rd,,,the same itinerary as the one you missed with COVID last year. The cruise last year was a shambles,,,I’m giving X a second chance.

Hi Also called in these parts……Paddy’s Wigwam.

Hi Jim Keukenhof Gardens are absolutely beautiful this time of year. Last time we went there were coaches from Central Station direct to the gardens,,otherwise it’s a convoluted journey with changes by train. Or you can book tickets for gardens/coach included with maybe a 1.5 hr optional canal boat trip for €50.

Just for info….. When the show finishes in the Limelight Club,,,at 22:30 they open the doors to the non paying public. In Feb there was a trio and lady lead singer,,a good way to end the night with a bit of live music and there is a small dance floor. I think it was overlooked by a lot because it was never crowded in there. A couple of nights it was the venue for karaoke.

Hi I don’t think they do. We embarked at 13:30-14:00 and immediately tried to book a time for the 710/ club. Every single day was fully booked except the 00:15 slot,it had availability for every nigh. ps,I don’t think it was all jazz,one night it was the guitar playing busker from the pub.

See my post just posted above.. You might not need to but some people do,,,,,

Hi It’s open from 23:00 to 01:00. As a diabetic having eaten at 18:30 I like some carbs before I go to bed,,my wife likes to get a hot chocolate. I don’t suppose you will ever get to the 00:15 show in the 70/club then.If you could manage to get a slot that is.

I was on Iona in February,was very disappointed,they seem to have sacrificed music venues for eating outlets. The one caberet room the Club was packed every show,,,70/Club totally booked by 13:00 on embarkation day. Where was the Ballroom dancing? None,,,why not in foyer like Ventura a totally waste of space. Britannia and Ventura I love the entertainment venues,,,,,,Iona not so much. Tried all 4 MDR’s and found food and menus far inferior to other P&O ships. The Olive Grove was good,,Fish &Chips in the Quays good. But queuing up for 20 min in the late buffet to get a sandwich was a joke. A few of us complained to the restaurant manager as he walked through,,,,,I agree he said,it’s because there’s only one station open.,,,,,well you are the manager open two,he never did. Another idea that didn’t work,,,,,ordering drinks via waiter with iPads was a shambles. Taking orders from those stood at the bar ignoring the room. The music in the Dome was another idea that doesn’t work,,,the poor girl group may have been good singers,but in the Dome they sounded awful. I will cruise on P&O again,but it would take a big improvement to get me on Iona again. I don’t think P& O has yet got the handle on managing such a big ship.