I never thought that I would ever be that old that the prospect of cruising would appeal to me but how wrong I was … it’s not that I’ve got old (38 and holding fast!) it’s just that I had completely the wrong idea about cruising. Chances are that you have similar misconceptions – if so read on …
My first cruise was in 2000 on the Maiden Cruise Break of P&O’s then brand new ship, Aurora. The cruise was booked as an ideal way to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday and I was convinced that I was going to be the youngest on the ship and wasn’t really looking forward to the whole experience. That cruise turned out to be such a success that she and I did another one last year and have just returned from another in June this year.
The cruise this year was called "Renaissance and Rivieras" and called at Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno (the port for Pisa and Florence), Santa Margherita, Calvi, Palma and Gibralta.
As I only have experience of one ship – Aurora (I don’t think a North Sea Ferry trip to Norway really counts!) – I can't even begin to compare different cruise lines or even ships within those lines. However if you decide to take a cruise on Aurora this is what you will be letting yourselves in for.
**Specifications**
Aurora is a British Registered, 76,000 tonnes liner, accommodating 1870 passengers and 850 crew. It comprises the following:
10 passenger decks
4 deck atrium
2 outdoor swimming pools
Children's paddling pool
1 indoor/outdoor swimming pool with retractable sky dome
4 Jacuzzis
12 bars
2 restaurants
Deck restaurant
24 hour bistro restaurant
Coffee and chocolate bar
Concert Hall/Cinema
Theatre
Nightclub/Disco
4 dance floors
4 lounges
Cabaret Lounge
Casino
Card room
Writing Room
Library and internet study
3 shops
Hair and beauty salon
Health spa
Gymnasium
Deck sports
Golf simulator
Sauna and massage
Business centre
Children's and teenager's rooms
Night nursery
It's like a floating village. The staff are from all over the world - most of the officers are British, most of the cabin stewards and restaurant stewards are from Goa and most of the wine stewards are from the Philippines.
**Picking the Cabin**
In choosing which cabin to have there are many things to take into consideration. Let’s face it – on a ship there are so many things to do it’s unlikely that you are going to spend much time in your cabin, however, whilst you are there you might like to make it as pleasant an experience as possible. All cabins have private facilities – all you need to decide is whether you want a bath and shower or just a shower. They all have a telephone, television, safe, writing desk and chair, tea and coffee making facilities and plenty of wardrobe space – even for me!
The choices available to you are:
~Inside~
These cabins are the most reasonably priced and are usually two twin beds which are convertible to a king-size bed. Some cabins also have "pullman" berths - bunk beds - and can sleep four people.
~Outside~
The view from an outside cabin increases with the price you are prepared to pay. The cheapest outside cabin will have a picture window and some will have a balcony. The simplest outside twin cabins are very similar to the inside ones as described above except that they have a window.
Some twin cabins have floor to ceiling patio doors leading to a balcony with chairs and a table. You can also choose to have a stateroom, mini-suite or suite. The main difference with these cabins (apart from the cost!) is the extra living space you get - separate sitting areas and even dining areas.
If you really want to pamper yourself how about taking the Penthouse Suite. There are two of these on Aurora (one with a baby grand piano!) and apparently they book up very quickly. Both are on two floors with the bedroom and dressing room upstairs and a large living room/dining room/bar area downstairs leading to the balcony. You also get a butler!
On all the cruises we have taken so far we chose a basic twin cabin with a balcony and bath – there was also a small seating area with a two seater sofa, small writing table, two chairs and television. The balcony was also small with two chairs and a low table but it was ideal as it meant that both of us could “escape” from each other when we needed! The bath was quite short but certainly as wide and deep as one you would have at home – you couldn’t really lie down in it though without bending your legs quite considerably. The shower was good and powerful and, unusually for me, I never managed to flood the bathroom once!
**Joining the Ship**
Most of Aurora’s cruises leave from Southampton. You can join some in New York and others at various points during the World Cruise but most of the time you have to get yourself to Southampton. The first year we went by train, the second by coach and this year we flew. The latter was definitely the best way but also the most expensive. When we went by coach it was with a company called Evesway who pick up from local points throughout the country and take you directly to the ship. They also collect you from the ship at the end of the cruise and take you home again. It’s very convenient but Newcastle to Southampton is a long long long long way in a bus! As you can’t really trust either the trains or the planes to get you there on time we stayed overnight in Southampton before the cruise – that gave us an opportunity to look around the town and we even managed a trip to the Isle of Wight.
On the morning of the cruise we got a taxi to the dock. Our cases were whisked away and were waiting for us in our cabin. “Check-in” was similar to that at an airport but a lot more friendly. The “departure lounge” is a bit ordinary – considering you are about to go on a luxury voyage you would think they could make it a bit more special. I understand refurbishment plans are in hand. When you check in you are given a card with a number on it, together with your cruise card which acts as your passport and payment card whilst you are aboard. The ship is boarded in small groups of about 20-30 people based on the number on your card so you don’t really have long to wait to go through security – again it’s similar to an airport but a lot less threatening.
Once on board you are either taken to or pointed in the direction of your cabin – if you need help finding it just ask! Finding your way around the ship is quite daunting at first but you soon get the hang of it – you'll be provided with a little pocket map and once you work out which way the ship is pointing it is all plain sailing!
**Service**
As soon as you get to your cabin your Cabin Steward will introduce him/herself to you. This is one of the most responsible positions on the ship – they will look after your every whim during the cruise, bring you breakfast in bed, tidy up after you, change sheets and towels and generally make sure everything is perfect for you.
As well as having your own Cabin Steward you will also have a specified table in one of the restaurants for dinner where you will have your own Dining Steward and his/her Assistant for the duration of the cruise. You will also have the same Wine Steward for each dinner. As a result they get to know your likes and dislikes and by the end of the cruise you have all become best friends!
You are likely to see your Dining and Wine Stewards around the ship during the day too as they will help out in other restaurants and with the buffets.
With a normal operating capacity of 850 crew to 1870 passengers there is always someone to help you with whatever you require. The quality of the service is exemplary - the stewards are friendly and pleasant, helpful without being obtrusive – perfect, in fact!
**Food**
The temptation to eat for England on a cruise is sometimes impossible to resist. Food is available 24 hours a day – there are speciality sea food buffets, barbecues, room service, a chocoholics buffet (yes, as good as it sounds!) – you can eat constantly!
Breakfast can be taken in your cabin, in either of the main restaurants or in the Orangery which offers a buffet-style breakfast. We tended to have a buffet breakfast where you could help yourself to as much fruit, cereals, cheeses, cold meats etc as you liked. There was also a hot buffet – I managed to give up my addiction to their fried bread but I developed a serious muffin habit by the end of the holiday! There is also Café Bordeaux, a French-style bistro which offers meals 24 hours a day.
A buffet lunch is also offered in the Orangery, or there might be a barbecue on deck or a speciality buffet. The Sidewalk Café offers pizzas and burgers and usually one of the main restaurants will also be open for a more formal lunch.
If you fancy a little snack between lunch and dinner how about afternoon tea! Served every day in the Orangery – I can recommend their macaroons, cooked freshly on board each day!
There are two main restaurants – Alexandria and Medina – which restaurant you have dinner in is determined by the location of your cabin (and not how much you paid for it!). They are both very grand with lovely sweeping staircases for you to waft down – they also have excellent disabled access (please see below).
P&O will provide diabetic, vegetarian, fat-free etc meals on request and there is just so much to choose from that hopefully everyone would be able to find something to suit them.
As far as children are concerned, they sit with their parents for breakfast and lunch but the special children’s tea in the Orangery means that dinners are peaceful, childfree occasions!
Aurora also has an extensive wine cellar with very good wines at reasonable prices. Their house wine is Ernest & Julio Gallo so you probably won’t need to deviate from there if you like their wines. Prices are a lot cheaper than most restaurants with a carafe of the house wine at £5.55.
Below is a sample menu just to give you an idea of what is on offer at dinner - you don't need to eat from all the courses and if you were particularly hungry you could have any fish dish as a fish course too.
Diced Avocado with Prawn and Marie Rose Sauce
Spinach and Stilton Potato Gnocchi with a Red Pepper Coulis
Chicken Liver Terrine with Orange Salad and Oven Toast
~*~
Blended Parsley and Mushroom Soup
Consommé of Chicken Celestine
~*~
Salmon en Croute
Roast Loin of Pork
Tagliattelle Pasta Carbonara
Braised Breast of Goose
Thai Vegetable Green Curry with Basmati Rice
A selection of cold meats and salads available on request
Vegetables - Turnips au Gratin, Courgettes, Rissolee and Boiled Potatoes
~*~
Bread and Butter Pudding with Fresh Pouring Cream
Mississippi Mud Pie with Cream
Apricot Vacherin with Pineapple Coulis
Vanilla, Strawberry, Kiwi Ice Creams
Fresh Fruit Salad
Lemon Sorbet
~*~
A selection of British and Continental Cheeses with Biscuits
Fresh Fruit
~*~
Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Speciality Teas
Coconut Candy
~*~
Fresh from the bakery - White, Wholemeal, Malted Wheat and Caraway Rolls
If the prospect of facing a menu like that every night is too much for you then you could pass on dinner if you wish. We did that the night we were in Palma as we had had a tiring day and got room service instead - toasted bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches with salad, followed by fresh fruit salad - whilst sitting on our balcony watching the lights of Palma! (It could have been very romantic if I hadn't been with my mother!!)
The quality of the food is excellent and if, by some chance, you did not fancy anything on the menu, just mention it to the steward and he will try to get you whatever you want. There are always some vegetarian choices on the menu but in addition there is a separate vegetarian menu - just ask your steward!
**Things to Do **
There are so many things you can do on board Aurora – I favoured lying by one of the three pools or on my balcony with a book. If you are feeling energetic there’s golf, tennis, quoits, shuffleboard, laser trap shooting, a gymnasium and three swimming pools. If you’re interested in more quiet pursuits there’s a well-stocked library and, of course, shops. I found the shops a bit disappointing – there are some clothes and jewellery available and a small amount of duty free perfume and cosmetics. There’s also a small shop selling essentials like Paracetamol and Maltesers! There are also talks on the destinations you will visit and classes in all sorts of things – on our cruise these included wine tasting, napkin folding and ballroom dancing. Or you could maybe spend the day being pampered in the beauty salon. You are informed about what is going on in a daily newspaper which arrives the night before so you can plan your day ahead.
At night there are movies in the cinema, classical concerts and shows in the theatre – these included Grease, an Agatha Christie play and shows featuring Cabaret Artists. Generally the quality of the entertainment was very good as, in addition to guest artists just on that particular cruise, Aurora has its own Theatre Company. There are numerous coffee bars, pubs and wine-bars, many of which offer live music and dancing, a casino and games room. There is also a disco – or whatever the young people are calling it nowadays! So you can easily boogie away the extra pounds you have put on during the day!
Our cruise this year coincided with the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations - we had a special barbecue lunch, a street party and fun fair, and a Cocktail Party followed by a gala dinner. It also coincided with England's World Cup matches and these were all shown live in most of the bars and theatres on board. Needless to say the whole ship was swept along on a wave of patriotic fervour - OK if you're an English Royalist but it mustn't have been too pleasant for anyone else!
**Tours**
A range of tours are offered at each port of call and where necessary transfer busses will take you from the port to the town centre. Often the ship is docked alongside at the port meaning that you can come and go as you please via the gangway. Sometimes, in smaller ports, the ship has to anchor at sea. When this happens you go ashore in the ship’s lifeboats which act as tenders. If you now have visions of having to row yourself ashore you needn’t worry – these lifeboats are covered, motor-driven boats, holding at least 100 people. It’s a great adventure getting on and off them - especially when the sea is a bit choppy – but there are always lots of safe pairs of hands ready to make sure you don’t get wet! The downside of going ashore by tender is that you can’t just come and go as you please – you have to wait for the next lifeboat and even though usually 4 boats are used at each port it can sometimes be a longish wait – especially if they are having problems with rough seas.
If you do decide to do a tour they usually cost about £20 per person for a half day course and £40 for a full day. A tours brochure is sent out to you a few months before you sail so if you like the sound of a tour you can book it there and then. Alternatively you can book tours once you are on board – either way you pay for any tours at the end of the holiday when you settle your on-board account.
On our cruise we did a half day tour of Barcelona and a full day tour of Florence. The rest of the time we just made our own way ashore and explored by ourselves. We had to go ashore by tender in Monte Carlo, Santa Margherita and Calvi but fortunately the see wasn't too choppy so it was an easy transfer. The tours were both good value and took us to places we wouldn't have been able to visit in the time by ourselves.
**Money**
You won’t need much money on board as P&O operates a cash-free system. As soon as you get on board you are given a cruise card which acts like a credit card – whenever you buy anything simply hand that over as payment. At some stage during the cruise you will need to register with the Reception Desk and arrange for a payment method – either credit card, cash or cheque. You can also have other people’s cruise card bills settled with your account.
Cash is only required for the Casino – and even there you can now charge chips to your on board account – and tipping.
Ah the dreaded word – “tipping”. It’s something we Brits still can’t cope with very well. There will be a leaflet in your cabin offering some guidance but basically you should tip your cabin steward and two restaurant stewards – as long as you feel they have given good service. The bar stewards get a percentage of your drink’s bill!
**Children**
Not having children myself the last thing I want on a holiday is to have to put up with other peoples. Despite there being quite a lot of children on our last cruise we hardly ever saw any! Aurora has a variety of clubs and playrooms especially for children so from 2 to teenage they are looked after and, more importantly, kept away from the rest of us!! There are some very hefty discounts so if you are thinking of cruising with children it might not work out as expensive as you think.
**Facilities for the Disabled**
You would not think that there would be many facilities for the disabled on a ship however, as well as having especially adapted cabins for wheelchair users, all the corridors are very wide with guide rails along the walls, every public room has wheelchair access and there are spaces for wheelchairs in both the theatre and cinema. Getting on board and going ashore can be a problem if you are wheelchair bound – sometimes if the gangplank is not too steep it is possible to wheel a chair up and down it. However, on occasions where that is not possible you will find the crew are always there to help carry you down if need be.
Getting onto a tender is tricky enough if you don’t have sticks and chairs to contend with – again I have seen wheelchairs lifted on and off the lifeboats and a gentleman relying on two sticks to get about was very gently helped aboard. Nothing is too much trouble for the crew and they are there to help you as best they can.
**Health**
There is a fully-equipped medical centre on board with a doctor and nurses. If you are concerned about feeling sea-sick I would recommend you get some tablets before you travel as the injections the doctor gives on board will cost about £50. Apparently they are not very pleasant but they certainly do the trick. I have been lucky and never felt sick on Aurora - the stabilisers are very good and even in a force 10 gale in the Bay of Biscay last year the movement wasn't excessive.
We did have one adventure on our cruise in June - one lady took seriously ill whilst we were off the coast of Spain and a helicopter was sent from Vigo to air-lift her off the ship. All the decks were cleared and passengers moved from the area where the helicopter was going to hover - we were quite lucky as we could see what was happening from our balcony. The lady was taken off on a stretcher, along with a member of the ship's medical crew and taken to hospital. Thankfully, we later learnt that she was making a good recovery.
**What to Wear**
Any ideas you possibly have about cruising will probably include lots of dressing up. On our two week cruise we had 4 “formal” nights, 4 “informal” and 6 “casual”.
“Formal” is where you can really get carried away. Generally this means tuxedo or dinner jacket and black tie or lounge suits for men and ball gowns, cocktail dresses or anything as over the top a possible for women. Having said that, don’t be put off by the idea of “formal” evenings – you will find some ladies in the most spectacular ball gowns and others in relatively ordinary skirts and tops.
“Informal” – as this might suggest this is not as formal as “formal” but still quite smart. Lounge suits or jacket and tie for men, cocktail or day dresses for women.
“Casual” – well the name says it all – just avoid shorts and trainers and you’ll be OK!.
There are often special themed nights - we had a Black and White Ball, and various party nights - where you can dress appropriately if you wish.
There are also free laundrettes situated throughout the ship if you fee the urge to do some washing. These also have irons and ironing boards. There is a laundry service and pressing service too if you would much rather have someone else do it for you however there is a charge for this service.
You can actually bring as much luggage with you on your cruise as you like - as long as it will fit in the cabin! You will find that there is enough room under the beds for a couple of large suitcases and hold-alls but not really that much more space (unless you've got a much larger cabin, of course!).
**The Other Passengers**
The first thing I noticed is just how wrong I was about everyone being older than me. On the last cruise we did there were couples with babies (P&O will take babies from 6 months old), young children and teenagers. There were quite a lot of families too – grandparents (or “baby sitters”!), parents and young children. People travelling by themselves, with friends or with other family members – it’s impossible to stereotype cruise passengers by age any more.
People came from all walks of life too. We met a retired couple who had sold their house and car and bought a small flat instead and were using the money from that sale to fund their holidays – this was their fourth cruise so far – and it was only June! Another couple were celebrating their silver wedding anniversary and another were on honeymoon.
**How Much Will It Cost Me**
Well, cruising is not cheap. The initial outlay can be very expensive indeed. The brochure price for an average two week cruise with P&O starts at £1,610 per person, sharing with three others in an inside cabin, to £3,399 per person for an ordinary cabin with a balcony (based on two people sharing), rising to £8,199 per person for the penthouse suite.
Ignore the brochure price – there are always discounts to be found. If you book early you will get at least 30% off. If you don’t book early you will probably still get 20% off plus any Travel Agent discounts they might be offering. If you book late you will also probably get at least 20% off and sometimes there are 2 for the price of 1 offers. So, don’t let the brochure price put you off – ring around – you’ll be amazed at the savings you can make.
As for children - infants get a 90% discount, children 60% and teenagers 50%. Any single occupancy has a supplement of 20% on the normal price.
Once you are on board all your food and entertainment is free. You only pay for soft drinks and alcohol – the alcohol is at duty free prices however so you certainly won’t feel you are being ripped off because you are a captive audience. If you like cocktails every night all the bars have a different one on special offer - £2.00 per drink - so it gives you the opportunity to try something unusual for a change.
Excursions are also extra but you don’t need to take them if you don’t want – there’s always plenty to do in port without taking a tour and if the port is a long way from the town centre there is usually a free shuttle bus. In Palma, for example, we docked a very long walk from the centre of the city but a convoy of free shuttle buses was provided and we didn't have to wait very long for one to take you in either direction. In Gibraltar the taxi companies provide the shuttle at a cost of £1.00 per person each way from ship to shops! However the walk wasn't very long - just took about 10 minutes - and it's often nice to have a stroll after you have been on board for a while.
Another “hidden” cost is clothes – any excuse for a new outfit – and the shoes and bag to match! You don’t really have to dress up unless you really want to – for me though that’s one part of the cruise I love as I don’t really have much of an opportunity to prat around like Scarlet O’Hara in Newcastle!
**Conclusion**
The conclusion I have come to about cruising is that it can be anything you want it to be – you can be energetic and jog around the deck or work out in the gym or you can relax by the pool with a good book – or you can do both. You can dance the night away and sleep until lunchtime or you can be up early to watch the sunrise at sea. You can eat what you want, when you want and when you go ashore it’s really comforting to be able to come and go as you please. Compared to a fortnight’s self-catering in Benidorm a cruise is an expensive holiday but once you are on board you need not pay for anything else and the service is second to none.
You may not like the idea of being on a ship with so many people, but don't worry - there is never a feeling of being over-crowded. The ship is so large it's easy to get away from people and find a quiet corner. You may also feel the ship is too large and it might be impersonal. Whilst it is true you will never meet everyone on board the chances are that you will keep bumping into the same people over and over again - everyone develops their own little routines such as where they have coffee or which bar they prefer and you will soon get to know lots of people. Cruising is a very sociable pursuit and cruisers like to stop and chat - everyone speaks to everyone else and the atmosphere is very friendly.
Well, I'm getting perilously close to my 5,000 word max limit! I hope this has given you some idea of what to expect if you ever take a P&O cruise - I am sure you will have the best holiday ever and don't forget to send me a postcard!
by (5%):
13.04.2009 14:44
Congrats on the diamond xx
05.11.2007 15:09
I am so jealous. It sounds fabulous. Maureen x
28.04.2004 19:04
great review!