| Our Royal Delft excursion wasn't due to start until 1.30pm and we had to go directly to the coach five minutes before. Having seen Amsterdam for a few hours back in 1995 when I visited a friend in Groningen, I didn't fancy that. If the former Holland America Line ship Rotterdam (V) was in permanent situ in Rotterdam that would have been good to see but I'll have to wait until I'm there next year. When I was at Rowan's we decided on this as it was short and cheap! The timing was ideal, I discovered later, as Ben was due to work that afternoon so we'd rearranged our coffee for 7pm onwards. Our first port of call was the ceremics factory which was fairly interesting. Afterwards we were given some time to shop. Then onto Delft town where our Dutch guide Vera gave us a brief tour before leaving us all to our our devices. Rowan bought me a set of 8 bears for my birthday/Christmas presents because, she said, she couldn't let me choose just one. Knowing my weakness for bears that would have been difficult! She bought a few things for herself as well. |
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| We left for Rotterdam at 4.25pm. The route appeared quicker and I was ready with my trusty camcorder and camera to get images our gorgeous ship as we went back over the bridge. I really envy the Dutch being able to get up so close. Despite a brief rain shower as we headed to Delft, the weather was much improved albeit still a bit nippy. |
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| We arrived back in the car park at 5.10pm. It was casual night again with dinner at the same set time of 6.30pm which was useful. On the short walk to the terminal I took a photo of the advert below which Ben had pointed out in the morning. That's how much the Dutch love Aurora and Oriana. Not that I blame them. Well Aurora anyway. I'll reserve judgement until I've been on Oriana. |
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| After a little more choccy shopping, including buying some boxes from Raffles at £8 a time, we went to the cabin to put away our latest purchases. A sudden heavy squall took us by surprise due to the part-blue sky so we went onto the balcony for a look. |
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| After another dinner with impersonal service, we went to meet Ben just after 8pm. Before he took us to the historical Hotel New York, we got some more photos as it was now getting darker and Aurora was slowly putting her lights on but it was quite cold by now. |
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| The Hotel New York was a fabulous place and well worth a visit. It still has that early 20th century feel as soon as you go through the revolving door. There is a very strong Holland America connection here supported by various photos and artwork adorning the walls. It was another enjoyable time with Ben and there is no doubt being in his company made the Rotterdam call more enjoyable. As we made our way to the exit to go back to the ship, he showed us the picture Carnival pinched for the main centrepiece in the Britannia Restaurant aboard Queen Mary 2. I prefer the original. We had missed a shower but that didn't prevent us getting wet regardless as we walked to the terminal! |
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| We got in the cabin and I found a letter saying there was a problem with my credit card. Rowan's neuroses came to the fore again, convinced they'd chuck us off the ship so we went to reception where I was told it was fine leaving it until the next day. Ben phoned to say he wasn't staying for our 11pm departure as he was cold and wet and we didn't blame him. Of course typically by the time we cast off five minutes early it had stopped raining! We blasted then made an approximate 45 minute journey backwards to the turning circle. It was quite fun. The pilot boat or harbour master zipped past with someone saying, "Bye, bye". The quayside had several people along the way all shouting goodbye to us as well while people in their flats were taking photos as we passed. |
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| So adieu Rotterdam until June! It was a lot of fun. On we sailed towards our next destination of Zeebrugge. I decided to get the postcards written while I had the chance and lo and behold we ended up in a force 7 gale! Aurora creaked and rocked a lot that night. I did lose my balance a couple of times and it did make it difficult to write. Bed was after 2am but we were up at seven for our 8am arrival. We went down to the Medina for breakfast and I discovered my watch was working again! Must hate Rotterdam. Pam later told me the same thing happened when she had been there. Correct orders for us this time but other people on the table had it wrong or cold food. Rowan had also ordered a hot chocolate which didn't come until she mentioned it to the waiter again. Another trip to reception about the letter and the woman was so stupid. Sorry but there's no other word for her. No matter how many times I kept telling her it was a debit card and I'd have to talk to the bank when they opened, she insisted I speak to my credit card company and even picked up the phone to dial the number. I had left it in the cabin so she told me to go back after speaking to them. I found out what the problem was but the woman at the bank was as bemused as I was by all this credit card business. So we went back down and I got a man this time who was more stupid than the woman which I never thought could be possible. He said there was no problem even though he had the letter in his hand and I didn't have to go back. When I pointed out she had told me to he phoned for the man who had signed the letter and everything was sorted in seconds. Why couldn't that have happened from the outset???? Another minus point for the P&O experience. Still it taught me to check the balance before I go in future! Our Bordering Bruges excursion wasn't until 1pm so we went for a wander as there was still many places Rowan hadn't seen. |
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| Despite the beautiful sun it was actually extremely windy and cold outside. We found the way in and I showed Rowan the Uganda Room where currently they do renewal of wedding vows. She fell in love with the Uganda model and wanted to take it home with her. I look morose and that's because I was coming down with a cold from the aircon and the weather so had a pounding headache but I wasn't miserable really. Rowan caught me before I was ready for the pic. Then we went next door to the Crow's Nest. Medina Restaurant guests had to meet there at 6pm for the Gala Party. |
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| They had closed the gangway on Formosa Deck so we had to go via Ellora. The stupid signpost had the arrow pointed down. Right so we go through the floor, do we(?) It was a bugger to find as well as there had only been the one sign by the lift. That wind had become more blustery. We got on the coach and headed out of the port towards Lissewege and our first stop, a 13th century church where it costs you 50 cents to light a candle if you're Catholic. I told my dad that when I got home and he said you can donate. Wouldn't believe they charge until I showed him the sign. He was not impressed. A few of our group did light candles. These old churches depress me, thinking how the vicars and priests of previous centuries had all that wealth in them while their flock starved. Once we got back in the coach we headed slightly out to an old barn which was something to do with monks and got a little rained on. |
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| Our next stop on the tour was the beautiful little town of Damme. We passed through some really lovely countryside. Here was also got rained on and everyone dived for cover. Our P&O guide lives on the ship with her husband who is beverages manager or something and their cabin, she said, was below the waterline which she liked. She also said Aurora and Oriana are the best ships in the fleet to handle bad weather. |
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| Bruges for the final stop - a chocolate shop! We had already each been given a free sample on the coach after setting off of one milk and one white piece. Now we would see a demonstration and then have about half an hour to shop. I bought 3kg of broken thick slabs and she kindly put it all in a box for me to carry while Rowan also bought some slabs as well as having boxes made up as gifts. |
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| We left at 3.45pm and were back at the ship forty-five minutes later. There was a letter waiting for us about putting your cases out at 9pm. This seemed ludicrous as not only were they in their wisdom holding formal night but sailaway was 5.30pm, the Gala Party at 6pm with first sitting half an hour later. Rowan went to check and was told by two people at reception they had to be outside the cabin for collection AT 9pm. Unsurprisingly, she told me, she overheard a lot of people complaining about it as she tried to find her way back to the cabin. We went back down and by now there was a separate desk to deal with disembarking. The man told us it was 9pm. Party cruise, blah, blah so it's always earlier than normal. In the end he said we could leave them out up until midnight. The timings on this last day were just ridiculous so we decided to go on deck for sailaway and skip the Gala Party. |
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| The Gala Dinner was better as far as the waiter service went but we still ended up with no refilled water glasses. Do they think no one drinks? After dinner we went to the other show with Richard Digance. He had promised a different set of jokes, songs and poems but for some reason most of it fell flat. Perhaps it was the mood of the passengers after that 9pm fiasco. Gale force 6 that night and he nearly fell over on stage twice. We went back to the cabin after doing some P&O souvenir shopping and got our cases sorted and put out. Rowan kept getting up to check to see if they'd been taken. I would worry if they were still there in the morning. |
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| A 4am wake-up call again as we ended the cruise. The sea was much calmer and wind had dropped to a force 2 which was better. Once Amy texted to say we were on Calshot cam we went up onto the deck for our arrival. It was flipping cold still but just starting to get light as we sailed up Southampton Water towards Mayflower Terminal. |
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| As we passed a blinking buoy on the quayside, we were slowly moving closer into the dock after turning and the holiday was almost at an end and in a few hours we would be off the ship. When the first rope was thrown, the docker who caught it received a round of applause. |
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| We went up a deck after we were secured to the Orangery for breakfast. It wasn't too crowded and the service so much better. A waiter carried Rowan's tray, took us to where to get the drinks and found us a table. The food was also better for some reason than we'd had in th Medina. We had to vacate the cabin by 8.30am so after saying goodbye to Macedonio and giving him a big tip for all his sterling service, we made our way down the stairs to wait on Ellora Deck for our colour to be called. We were red and due at 9am. As we waited we couldn't help overhearing a number of passengers grumbling about having to take their luggage off so this midnight thing clearly hadn't got through to everyone. Red was called ten minutes early, we got a porter and collected our cases then got a taxi to drop Rowan off at the station. Stupid idiot took us to the platform 4 entrance then tried to blame us. My dad met us, bringing over Rowan's Aurora book birthday present (which we left behind in case she was accused of theft) and off she went home to Plymouth while we got a taxi back and I was home by 9.40am. So the verdict. Cannot fault the ship or actual cruise. It's right up there for me with Navigator of the Seas. The only things which could have put a dampener on things was from the P&O reception staff and waiters in the Orangery the day of boarding and Medina all the time plus having formal on the last night with that daft letter about cases. Royal Caribbean managed to have it successfully on the second night even though we didn't dock in Cobh until 2pm and were there eighteen hours. Rowan doesn't have any forthcoming P&O cruises but I have several Weekenders starting next month with Oriana and then the New Year one on Aurora, so it will be interesting to compare the criticisms on this cruise with those. Aurora will be a very hard act to follow. She is everything I expected her to be after the visit last year and more. To me she is the true successor to Canberra rather than Oriana. Oriana was the practice while Aurora was the perfection. I'm sure Oriana fans will disagree but it is just my personal opinion. But I cannot wait to set foot on the Goddess in December and spend eleven nights savouring every aspect of her with more time to do so. I didn't take many interior photos as I have so many already from the visit which you can see here. Pictures of our Southampton departure can be found here. To see Ben's videos, click here. |
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