Cloudyrain

Night 2: Entertainment I love the artists and singers, but usually my husband and I have to take turns in going to watch things, and being solo this time I didn’t expect to see much this holiday. However, with a bit of luck there was an Ariana Grande tribute on tonight and my son happens to like one of her songs, and therefore I was able to persuade (aka bribe) him to comply for 45 minutes. It was in the Havana bar at the Aft of deck 7, and very popular: although I looked in on the first show and it was half empty, so maybe people had been out or at dinner. There were people standing for the second performance, although the odd table did come free throughout. She was very popular with the younger ones too, and it was a lively (noisy) vibrant show. I really do like the modern cover artists that P&O bring onboard: we had previously seen a Paloma Faith tribute who was outstanding (but maybe not as popular with some of the other passengers) so I’m glad they are continuing to bring newer acts on board. If people do have younger children, or those who are sensitive to sounds, ear defenders are a great investment and still allow my son to hear the music and enjoy it, without it being too overwhelming.

Night 2: Battle of the Buffet. We missed the set-dining time this evening so made do with a sunset cocktail in the Metropolis (which was half empty) and prepared to battle the buffet. Ah the buffet, such a strange place: one minute you walk in and it’s empty, the next minute there is a queue snaking all around with no one really knowing what they are queuing for. I managed a half decent roast ham (or gammon) with brussels, and roasties and jus that tasted better than they looked. The chocolate mousse was lovely, and a mini-cheese and biscuit plate to make up the calories lost wandering around aimlessly on deck tours with my son. I’m not one to take photos of the food, but have attached a helpful picture of the buffet to help those unfamiliar with the venue.

Arrival In Amsterdam: we sailed slowly down the canal from around 1pm, and arrived and were cleared around 5pm. There is a steady stream of people leaving the ship (mostly mixed-family groups, I’ve seen no blow-up dolls or anything to signify stag/hen parties!). We are docked right next to the giant Movenpick Hotel which is a good way of finding our way back. Passports are apparently required here which is unusual, I can’t think of anywhere I’ve needed one on a European cruise before.

The Arcade: this was a massive draw for us. It’s not massive, and some of the evil “no one ever wins” grabber machines are there, but actually the games themselves are mostly ok and mostly reasonable. They start at 50p a swipe, up to £1.50, but watch children who are allowed to wander off on their own - I’m pretty sure I saw an over-enthusiastic pre-teen spend about £780 trying to win a £3 key ring… The best thing about the arcade is the “bribe factor” - and if anyone reading this onboard right now is hearing someone say “if you just sit down for half an hour you can have 3 goes on the arcade” that’s me. One thing to add: the arcade spend does not come off the OBC it appears - which I found out after being quite frivolous with the bribes 🤦‍♀️

Kids Club: the booking opens at 8.30am and on the Iona this became a bit of a stressful battle - think “Hunger Games” but more serious… Anyway, they either have more staff, less kids, or less demand, but so far it’s been great. Even logging on the same day I have been able to book a slot. They will provide a pager of required and I completed the preregistration and advised them of the additional information required for the care of my son. For anyone travelling with SEND children (or any children for that matter) I would recommend: - pre-registration - watch the YouTube videos of kids clubs (if available) - familiarise your child with the deck plan - visit the kids club at the registration session on the first day, even though you have already regular and don’t need to do so it’s great for the staff to meet your child, and your child to meet the staff - don’t go to the first session as it’s really busy - arrive at least 30 minutes after the session has started - agree a trial time (60-90 minutes etc) - get a pager - head to the Metropolis bar and have a congratulatory cocktail - keep your fingers crossed!

Dining: we chose early dining, not sharing a table, and have been given a great table in the Bay Tree. It was a bit chaotic at 6.30 when half the ship descended wanting to change tables/dining times/not understanding the dining system. I heard lots of disgruntled people, maybe the TAs or P&O need to make more effort to explain it as I h and lots of complaints. Once we were seated food came quicker than the wine, and they don’t keep the bottle now, which isn’t a problem - especially as the bottle was a screw top and I had left my travel bottle stoppers at home. We were happy with the food: it was very usual P&O options, but good quality. Just to caveat that we have been on the Iona twice in the last few months, and the menu is the same. I do wish they would expand it a little, and get it back to what it had been previously, but it’s fine for us and was tasty and good portion sizes. They are also happy to provide more than one option per person: the table next to us had two extra courses without problems. Buffet: we visited the buffet just before it closed and were surprised with the options (lamb, as per the MDR, plus a few other options). The buffet on Ventura is my bugbear, but the food itself is fine, the space and tables are fine, it’s just the awful design/layout that is terrible! The rear buffet area is a lot more manageable! Pool Food: pizza and burgers/hot dogs are available and adequate. They aren’t going to win awards, but actually I think they are good quality for what is effectively “fast food” - and the pizza is really nice.

Cabin: we are on deck 9 mid in a Superior Deluxe cabin. The cabin itself is tidy, clean and spacious. Granted the tile grout has seen better days, but haven’t we all 😉 There is a strange shower over the bath: it’s fine for 5ft 5” me, but I think anyone much taller would struggle! The bathroom is spacious with shower gel, shampoo and hand wash in bottles. The towels are decent too, better than last time we came. There’s two robes, two pairs of slippers, a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates provided on arrival. No binoculars or atlas as there was last time we came, pre-Covid. Two TVs: they aren’t interactive and have set channels, but they do provide a little guide of what’s on in the room. I will have to measure them for size, all I know is that they are bigger than the one in my kitchen so not that bad 😂 The fridge is a fridge: it’s about 7c which may help those like us who have medication to deal with. I don’t know how consistent it actually it, but my electronic thermometer is relatively accurate and it’s adequate for our medication and saves daily trips to the medical centre! The beds are comfy, there are tea and coffee facilities: no biscuits though. A chair, sofa (also a bed) and a table, but plenty of space in the walk in wardrobe for the wheelchair, a million hangers, and a safe. The balcony (2 chairs, 2 footrests, a table) is uncovered which doesn’t bother me - except when it’s drizzling 😂 We got the cabin as part of the P&O upgrade system and are very happy with it. It’s only a few doors down from the cabin we actually chose a few years ago so perfect location and quiet etc. The mid-lifts can be busy at peak times, but the rest of the time they are fine. No issues and everyone is very good with lift-etiquette.

As the title says: I will try my best! The day before: we stayed room only at the Ibis 3* with dinner at TGI Fridays (which we pre-booked as it can get busy, although being a Monday it was quieter this time). It’s just my son and I this time so after a few (reasonably priced) hotel bar drinks we went to bed. The morning before: breakfast at McDonalds (with half the ship’s passengers judging by the luggage tags!) and a wander in to the centre, followed by a trip to the Showcase cinema happily filled the time. The area outside of the centre itself is lovely and worth a visit. Car Parking: I used CPS directly this time, although usually I go with Portside Meet and Greet via Holiday Extras. I prefer the meet and greet option, but as I was travelling alone I thought CPS would be better this time. The parking/key hand over was very quick and easy. I dropped the bags at the luggage drop myself as there was a wait for a porter and with a bit of juggling (and the benefit of packing light) I managed ok with the wheelchair, small case and bag. Embarkation: we had assistance and they were excellent as usually. I also found other passengers were great and no vocal comments about us pushing in this time (which we have sadly experienced in the past). The Security team were also brilliant and helpful, and the system was great. We had arrived about half an hour before our time, but nothing was said and it wasn’t busy in assistance so there wasn’t any naughty queue. We tapped at our muster station and headed to the buffet for a snack and drink. The front end of the buffet was super busy, but towards the back (Beach House/Terrace Pool end) it was quiet and we easily got a drink. There was a good choice of food and plenty of drinks waiters etc. The rooms were ready quickly too, so a great start 😊

We always do the credit card and passport details etc, but ignore the photo part as it never works for us, and the one time it did they retook them at port anyway.

Fingers crossed for a trouble free remaining journey. We were in Mallorca during a severe storm a few years ago where people sadly died (not a cruise) so I appreciate how scary they can be and how quickly they can appear.

I’m sorry you experienced some unthoughtful people on the cruise, and I understand your difficulties of dealing with disability and the lack of consideration and unseen problems encountered by wheelchair users. However I just wanted to point out that my mum ran perfectly well when she had a colostomy bag, my friend regularly rides a bike and runs in the gym with a catheter, my son runs brilliantly some days despite brain damage affecting his senses and hearing, and unobvious physical abnormalities, which mean he can’t manage in “normal toilets”. The woman may have had a thousand valid reasons to have used that toilet, or may have just been someone being thoughtless, but I think it’s unfair to judge people and comment. sorry to post this, and I have thought twice about it, but we openly receive hurtful comments from people on cruise ships who have no idea of the situation we are in. It is upsetting and especially cruel for my son who doesn’t understand why people say unkind things to him.

I didn’t see any subtitled screenings when we were onboard. There are films on the TVs in the room (often the same as in the cinema) and if I recall CC/subtitles are an option (as to their quality I can’t comment as we managed ok without them). you can contact accessibility@carnivalukgroup.com and they may be able to advise.

We buy the water can package for my husband, but my son and I really dislike the taste. The water out of the fruit juice machine is equally awful. Iona had a separate ice-water machine in the buffet and Quays that was nice, and we would fill bottles with that. However, you want take on water of your own either at boarding or at port with no restrictions.

My son has complex needs and is autistic and kids club on P&O cruises have been moderately successful (if we get an hour we are elated). Before we travel we look at YouTube videos of the ships and kids clubs facilities, and also the deck plan to see where it is in relation to where we are going to be waiting. Then we take him on the registration session so he can meet the staff and show him around. On the first session he attends (we avoid the actual first session as it’s usually chaos) we drop him off about an hour after it starts when the children have settled and there are fewer adults about. We do not stay and settle him - we have tried that in the past and it just means we can’t leave. We instead take him in and hand him over to a staff member who immediately engages him in an activity we have pre-agreed (e.g. something involving dinosaurs) and we agree a collection time with him: just 45 minutes to start with and build from there. We also have a pager so they can call us if they need to call. He also has a teddy/toy with him of his own, so he has some familiarity. I don’t advocate dropping and leaving them crying, but I also don’t advocate staying for 20 minutes. You need to drop her, but have it planned and prepared so she isn’t crying: being a little upset is fine as long as there is a person in there looking after her. speak to the staff, speak to your daughter, and see how you feel. Having said that, we have been on previous cruises where despite all our efforts our son just didn’t want to go and trying was more upsetting than just accepting it wasn’t going to happen.

I would recommend a med cruise to be honest: a port-intensive one. As much as I love Norway and the Fjords, I much prefer med-ports as I prefer wandering about cities on holiday and visiting museums etc. Based on your review you might prefer a fly cruise with Marella or NCL as they tend to do 6 ports in 7 days - and after all that port time you will appreciate a day off being stuck on the ship 😉

They are “hidden” in the ceiling: not like on the older ships where they were folded up against the wall like a 1970s caravan - banging your head on them every time you got up to go to the loo in the night 😂

Thank you for all the effort, it’s been a great live blog and really appreciated. We go soon and I’m really excited to see the Ventura for myself: it’s always been one of my faves 🙂

It’s the school summer holidays in England from around the last week of July until the first week in September so any cruise starting in the UK will have children on board: I caveat that with Scotland breaking up several weeks earlier. Norway is great for kids; lots of Vikings, popular Fjords destinations offer great options that are child-friendly (Stavanger Petrol museum, Olden Skylift/glacier, Alesund Aquarium or view point, Haugesund Viking village etc. You could do a week to the Fjords on a cruise and then a week in Iceland land-based, or there are quite a few options that include a few Fjord stops and other interesting options (Orkneys/Faroes etc) on the way to Iceland.

But possibly not though because when is “a change a change”. In my job we have to make judgements of “significance” based on guidance, but it’s still fluid and all the guidance is “for example” and caveated by “taking in to consideration X Y Z”. So although they may have guidelines that says “significant = 50% change” they may have other criteria (like extra sea days, loss of overnights, reduction in days etc).

I did read the first post, and as I added, it may be that they don’t know the answer yet as it may be that other changes are possibly pending. If you are asking them “how many more changes would be required to make it a significant change” I would expect they probably have a formula, but that it would be fluid and reflect the nature of the change and the reason. Therefore I wouldn’t expect they can answer you.

I wouldn’t think this is a significant change relative to the whole holiday. For me it would mean “booked for the canaries, changed to the Fjords”. I also wouldn’t expect changes due to anything out of their control to be classed as significant unless it meant the whole thing needed to be changed. I know it’s disappointing when you have your heart set on something, but I wouldn’t expect them to refund for a couple of ports being swapped for other ports in the same vicinity, or accounting for such a small portion of the actual trip as a whole. I would have thought they have a set criteria (percentage of dates changed etc) that counts as “significant”. Edited to add: is it possible that they are possibly expecting further changes to occur, and therefore they are holding off until that is confirmed?

We have two wheelchairs in our group and always found the side of the skydome near the blocked-off buffet entrance to be the best venue for us as we could move chairs and tables about, it wasn’t a cut-thru once the entrance closed, and there was plenty of space for chairs etc, and easy access to the disabled toilet. The staff will move loungers for those wheelchair users who want to sit up front (for a clearer view) 😊

My son loved the Roman ruins/amphitheater - and it’s so close and accessible for kids of all ages. They also have quite a few cool little ice cream parlours about that were a firm favourite. A bit further along there are a couple of little playgrounds which were popular.

So much better than Marseille - it’s a great swap 🙂 P&O go there quite often in my experience. The Roman ruins and museum is just off the port and is really interesting and accessible (and not mega expensive) and the little streets are great. It’s a lovely port of you don’t want to travel far 😊

We had 17317: a GC corner balcony, but absolutely huge. No one could look in to our balcony room, and it was at the end of a corridor so super quiet. People could in theory look at you if you are stood at the edge of the balcony, but it’s not really an issue, it’s not like I’m invisible any other time, or that I sit in the nude on my balcony, or that I’m worth looking at compared to the scenery 😂 It does have a big overhang, but we really liked that as it was shaded from rain/wind - and we aren’t sun-worshippers. It’s my favourite balcony we have ever had. We previously had deck 9 and it was just noisy with the people in the hot tubs including a group of people who got in drunk every afternoon singing bad songs badly 😬