Cappers

I love this forum too. Me and my Adypoos are still quite new to cruising and I always check here first for all sorts of info when I'm looking to book something. Everyone on here has been an invaluable source of help with all sorts of things and I thank you all very much for taking the time and effort to answer me when I have asked anything,,especially Cruisin Linda,,she always seems to know what I want to know! Thank you Linda! I must be the only person on the planet who isn't on FB,,it's the work of the devil and I will never get drawn into it. My friend's ex-husband"s affair was discovered through FB,,pictures put up for the whole world to see..silly man! I'm not going anywhere,,I'm staying right here:D

We stayed for a week after the Adriatic Explorer at the Atlantica Grand (can't remember where it is). Hotel was very nice,,rooms were divine,,very modern and well equipped ,,food was out of this world,,service was impeccable,,entertainment was high quality but slightly reserved,,had a lovely restful week after a hectic cruise...BUT..and it might be a big but for some people..it was an enormous but for me! The hotel is on top of a cliff (stunning views) and in the middle of nowhere. It has a funicular railway to take you up and down the steep cliff to and from your room to the pool, restaurant etc and it's very slow and you wait ages for it! The "beach" at the bottom of cliff is awful,,very smelly and huge piles of seaweed that seem to have solidified over time, rusty sunbeds:( No good at all if you are a beach lover like me. Really can't fault the hotel at all except for it's location! I felt trapped after only a couple of days cos there really was nowhere to walk to in the evenings,,no shops to mooch just 1 bar at the bottom of the cliff which was actually very nice. I wouldn't go there again!

Good review so far Lexie...but anybody with such a cool name would never be boring darling girl,,,I'm a Lexy too:D

Alrite everybody? It's very quiet here lately! Where's RR? I'm hoping someone can tell me if all the deluxe cabins on I.E are outside cabins and have big windows. Are they on the boat decks or further down? I think I've nearly decided on the Souks and Sangria job for my birthday..the itinerary really appeals to me as I've not been to any of the places it goes to and I know I'd have a ruddy good time on the good old Escape:)

I've just been looking at Fred but they don't have anything suitable in April, nor do Celebrity...we quite fancy trying Celebrity. I really fancy the Souks and Sangria on the Escape,,but I also want a formal evening so I can dress up and feel glamorous for 1 night around my birthday and the Escape just doesn't do full on glamour does it,,I do love it though! Oooohhhh,,decisions decisions. I'm sure Agadir will be lovely for your birthday!

Thank you Linda:D:D It's hard to decide which one to do isn't it when you see 3 or 4 that you fancy. I've got plenty of time yet to get it sorted though so I'm going to think very carefully before I book it! I'm only 50 once and I want it to be special;)

Good evening everyone:) Have any of you seasoned intrepid travellers done a cruise around these areas? La Coruna, Bilbao, La Rochelle and St Nazaire? It's not a Thomson one,,it's a P&O one on Oceana but it's appealing to me! It's from 19th -26th April which will be for my special birthday but I was wondering about the weather in this area at that time of year,,,particularly the dreaded BOB:eek: It's basically all in and around that BOB area,,all the way across it to La Coruna and then back again,,,hhhmmm,,,I know there's no guarantees anywhere but do any of you have any experience of something similar? Pleeeeze...I posted on the P&O forum but no-one answered:o

:rolleyes: Should maybe have given you all an idea of where it's going!! ,,La Coruna, Bilbao, La Rochelle and St Nazaire.

Good evening everyone, I am looking at this cruise for my *0th birthday. I've never been to any of the POC or sailed on Oceana. I'm not particularly fussed which ship I sail on, they are all beautiful in their own ways but I was wondering about the weather in that area at that time of year,,especially the dreaded BOB. I'm fairly ok with a bit of chop but my poor husband suffers terribly and it would definately spoil it for him if it was continually rough. I know there's no guarantees anywhere and I know it's spring and Spain at least will be pleasant! Has anybody done this itinerary or similar, or cruised in this general area around Aprilish?? Any info and anecdotes would be much appreciated:)

I loved the Maj as well. Liked the fact that you can walk all the way around on the prom deck!

I'm looking at Souks & Sangria for April as well,,I have a special big birthday on the 25th and haven't been to any of the ports of call so it's appealing to me! The Escape is a lovely happy ship and I know I'll have an excellent time,,it's currently top of my possibles list of birthday cruises! The others are Spanish Sensations on the Maj and a couple of P&O jobs,,just need to decide pretty soon.

Have a lovely trip aboard your favourite ship RR!

It wasn't really on rough seas, it was just leaving the port.

Even the crew were shaken and the captain admitted it was scary...

 

 

Was it by any chance leaving Toulon? When I was on it over Easter I noticed we had a sharp turn out of port and all the chairs and tables at the sailaway bar went flying,,but the strong winds might have had a bit to do with it as well!

I suppose an unexpected sharp turn in stormy weather would be very scary for some people. I can understand how they would feel it was tipping over. Was it the Escape or another ship? The weather has been upside down everywhere this year, it's very strange,,must be the pesky jetstream again!

Bad weather, sea sickness, norovirus, port changes and a scary experience when we nearly tipped over. :-/

 

 

Ohh my goodness:eek: Really??? What happened?

Just had 5 days in Majorca,,was lovely, weather a bit iffy at times but had brilliant time. At Palma airport this morning in the check-in queue I overheard some folks moaning about the good ship! They moaned about everything,,on and on they went. Did they have a bad week at sea?

Can I just say,,,did a little 2 nighter on Azura last thurs/friday for my birthday,,Azura is a beautiful ship, the facilities are superb, the cabins are luxury, the food is exquisite,, blah blah blah,,but there is something missing. For all that glitz and glamour there is still a distinct lack of atmosphere that the Escape has in bucketloads! The sailaway party was nice but a bit flat compared to RR's fun filled departures from Palma. The entertainment team was conspicuous by their absence and the CD didn't make an appearance until the sailaway for the crossing home. That might be normal on little mini-cruises, I don't know. What I'm trying to say I suppose is that I love Azura as a ship but for atmosphere and friendliness the Escape wins hands down!

Darling boy...takes exception :mad:

 

 

ROFL...don't,,,I call everyone that..or my little swamp duck! ;)

Capper, did you not turn up the A/C in the cabin ;)

 

 

Yes darling boy but it didn't do anything! I don't think the vile weather last week helped! I hope they are having a better week this week.

Our cabin was quite cold actually last week,,and if I say it's cold it must be cos I'm never cold,,I work in a cold environment so am used to it but I shivered at night in bed.

sailing date: 26/3/2013

ship: Island Escape

cabin number: 9516..port side very forward,,couldn't be much more forward!

Comments about cabin: Very juddery all night long, terrible whilst at sea. Quiet but very bad vibrations, beds shook and the vibrations actually physically moved us as well.

Beds: 2 pushed together gives more room but it is up against the wall in this formation. Ok for 2 people, plenty of storage space.

Cabin facilities: Hairdryer worked very well, I didn't even get mine out the case. Lights were very strange, took ages to come on when you pressed the switches. Shower hot and powerful.

Would I reccommend it?: NO. If it's choppy (or worse) you will feel every slight movement. It's also on the lifeboat deck so there's people walking past your window or standing outside smoking.

Thanks Barny:) Yes we got to Aix,,it was very nice but being a Sunday most places were closed but the plus side of that was that it was quiet so you could walk around comfortably. It's an area we would like to see more of at some time. I didn't realise it was so far from Toulon actually,,was over an hour on the coach from the port, we had a very handsome young guide though;) We had tea and the most delicious crepes in a tiny little cafe on the main street,,oohhh they were yummy! Adypoos was glad the shops were closed,,especially the shoe shops! I, on the other hand was simply beside myself cos I couldn't go in these beautiful emporiums and stroke the beautiful footwear before giving his credit card some bash with a few pairs:D He has recovered nicely now thank you, I thought I was going to have to get the doctor to him at one point though. I told him to take a pill hours before he did but he didn't listen,,and then went and stuffed his face on Ronnie's marvellous meals in the Island restaraunt:rolleyes:

You forgot me....I'm gutted:rolleyes: No,,it hasn't put us off,,we will just make sure we book a midship cabin next time on a lower deck. We like the old lady very much and the people on her are great. Sorry to report though that there was a couple on board who have done 22 cruises on her!! You better get booking a few more Rebs to catch them up and take the crown!

 

We met some folks on the last night who were a great bunch,,truly seasoned cruisers who we had a right laugh with. They had only been back from the Dream in the Carribean a few weeks,,they do 8 cruises a year!!

 

I'm still feeling like I'm swaying though, it's most disconcerting, I'm not going to attempt to drive today cos I feel so unsteady:eek:

MallorcaChap,,,sorry we didn't get to meet up,,I didn't quite know what to do cos we said 4pm on the sea day didn't we but what with the change of itinerary,,,anyways,,we were off the ship all day in Barcelona and then on the sea day which was then thursday I felt quite unsteady and groggy so took a travel pill which knocked me for six,,I could hardly stand up,,it made me very very sleepy! I asked quite a few gentlemen in the Pub "are you by any chance Mallorca Chap" ...I got some strange looks!! My Adypoos eventually begged me to stop asking strangers silly questions:D:D

 

As Captain David said,,it was a funny old cruise wasn't it!! Hope you enjoyed it.

Welcome back Mchap and Mrs Mrschap :D

 

 

What about me??? :rolleyes: