Riviera Trans-Atlantic April 2015

[buggins0402]

About 2 years ago we did a 7 day cruise from Lisbon to Southampton, spending 3 days first in Lisbon area and then heading up the coast to Porto and on to Bilbao, Spain etc. Spent extra time in London. Absolutely want to go back to Portugal and to Bilbao. Beautiful places and wonderful people.

 

Have a similar cruise booked for next year. What were your other ports?

[Hambagahle]

LouAnn - I know that a lot of the staff were getting off in Barcelona and had flights out that morning... our "second" steward was one of them and we didn't see him on the day we disembarked. We did have breakfast served in the suite and certainly nothing was removed in the way of bathrobes etc. I have no idea why there weren't enough waiters in the Terrace that day. Doesn't make sense. but by the time we left the suite and headed for the shore (0830 I think) there were very few people waiting around to disembark.

 

Could very well have had something to do with the drydock I think. I remember once arriving in FLL on Regent's Voyager which was headed to the Bahamas for drydock and mattresses were being "hurled" down the stairs - were all over the hallways. They had US mattresses and needed to get them to Grand Bahama!!

 

As for ports - I rather like Casa! I have been there a few times for my work and last time we were there we went to Rabat which is very special. Morocco is a lovely country and I am so worried that all this IS business will change it... Never been to Agadir though! ( and certainly don't want to go back to Gibraltar. )

[findacruise]

Have a similar cruise booked for next year. What were your other ports?

 

Itinerary: Lisbon, Oporto, La Coruna, Bilbao, Bordeaux (2 days) sea day, Southampton. In Lisbon we stayed at the Hotel Avenida Palace, which is a lovely old palace. Our breakfast was included and was an excellent buffet. It is in walking distance of many sites and the staff very pleasant. We were with our TA and a group and we did an outstanding private tour to a couple of wineries outside of Lisbon. The same was true in Bordeaux.

 

In Bilbao we liked the actual city as much as our visit to the Guggenheim!

Enjoy planning - I love that part, as it heightens my anticipation.

[YoHoHo]

Thank-you Hambagahle for taking us along on your cruise. We enjoyed your reports and just makes that much more eager for our next O cruise

[YoHoHo]

"Have some Madeira, m'dear? It's ever so better than beer..."

Now if it were gin you'd be wrong to say yes. The evil gin does would be hard to assess ...

I'm glad I am not alone remembering this song. DW gives me rolleyes when I serenade her with this. I don't understand why :rolleyes:

[hondorner]

Now if it were gin you'd be wrong to say yes. The evil gin does would be hard to assess ...

I'm glad I am not alone remembering this song. DW gives me rolleyes when I serenade her with this. I don't understand why :rolleyes:

Mark, did you realize my second post #174 is a link to a YouTube of Lou Gottleib singing the song? Love the expressions and wicked laughs...

[StanandJim]

Mark, did you realize my second post #174 is a link to a YouTube of Lou Gottleib singing the song? Love the expressions and wicked laughs...

 

Mr. Gottlieb gives a lascivious interpretation which I find hysterical now, but I grew up on the more sanitized Tony Randall Version.

To quote the lyrics. it's simply a case of CHACUN À SON GOÛT :p

 

She was young, she was pure, she was new, she was nice

She was fair, she was sweet seventeen.

 

He was old, he was vile, and no stranger to vice

He was base, he was bad, he was mean.

 

He had slyly inveigled her up to his flat

To view his collection of stamps,

 

And he said as he hastened to put out the cat,

The wine, his cigar and the lamps:

 

Have some madeira, m'dear. You really have nothing to fear.

I'm not trying to tempt you, that wouldn't be right,

You shouldn't drink spirits at this time of night.

Have some madeira, m'dear. It's really much nicer than beer.

I don't care for sherry, one cannot drink stout,

And port is a wine I can well do without...

It's simply a case of chacun a son gout

Have some madeira, m'dear.

 

Unaware of the wiles of the snake-in-the-grass

And the fate of the maiden who topes,

She lowered her standards by raising her glass,

Her courage, her eyes and his hopes.

She sipped it, she drank it, she drained it, she did!

He promptly refilled it again,

And he said as he secretly carved one more notch

On the butt of his gold-headed cane:

 

Have some madeira, m'dear,

I've got a small cask of it here.

And once it's been opened, you know it won't keep.

Do finish it up. It will help you to sleep.

Have some madeira, m'dear.

It's really an excellent year.

Now if it were gin, you'd be wrong to say yes

The evil gin does would be hard to assess..

Besides it's inclined to affect me prowess,

Have some madeira, m'dear.

 

Then there flashed through her mind what her mother had said

With her antepenultimate breath,

 

"Oh my child, should you gaze on the wine that is red

Be prepared for a fate worse than death!"

 

She let go her glass with a shrill little cry,

Crash! Tinkle! it fell to the floor;

 

When he asked, "What in Heaven?" She made no reply,

Up her mind, and a dash for the door.

 

Have some madeira, m'dear.

Rang out down the hall loud and clear

With a tremulous cry that was filled with despair,

As she paused to take breath in the cool midnight air,

 

Have some madeira, m'dear.

The words seemed to ring in her ear.

Until the next morning, she woke up in bed

With a smile on her lips and an ache in her head...

And a beard in her ear'ole that tickled and said:

Have some madeira, m'dear!

[YoHoHo]

Yes, my memory is of the Limeliters. Ironically just recently on Satellite radio they played Glen Yarbrough's most recognized hit. Nice trip down memory lane

 

No Don, I did not follow the link. I will now. Sounds like fun!

[Hambagahle]

"Have some Madeira, m'Dear " Flanders and Swann in "At the Drop of a Hat" - very popular in the UK in the '60s.

 

In spite of the fact that I love the song - I hate Madeira wine. Too sweet!! Port tastes better but even that is sweet... happily for Madeira most people like it!!

[Juhlin]

Dear Hambagahle

Thank you very much for your review of the Riviera Transatlantic cruise. It was very interesting to read your words. We will be on the Riviera in May 2015 for 8 days.

We have been on the Riviera last year already, and we met a young woman who was working at the Reception desk. She lives in the same city in Switzerland as we do. Unfortunately, we did not ask her email address. Did you also notice a young woman from Switzerland working at the Reception desk? We hope to see her again on our cruise in May.

Best regards from Switzerland!

[Hambagahle]

Dear Hambagahle

Thank you very much for your review of the Riviera Transatlantic cruise. It was very interesting to read your words. We will be on the Riviera in May 2015 for 8 days.

We have been on the Riviera last year already, and we met a young woman who was working at the Reception desk. She lives in the same city in Switzerland as we do. Unfortunately, we did not ask her email address. Did you also notice a young woman from Switzerland working at the Reception desk? We hope to see her again on our cruise in May.

Best regards from Switzerland!

 

I haven't written my review of our Riviera cruise yet! Will be writing one hopefully on Sunday when it rains...

 

No - I didn't see anyone from CH at the reception desk or anywhere else on the Riviera, except for my husband and I that is!