| Back inside when it got a bit nippy and wandered around after a drink in the Schooner, where the Battle of the Sexes game was on at 1.30pm. I had a ticket for the last performance of the ice show. In the past, they had two per cruise but now it was one, which several Indy fans weren't happy about. It was a brilliant show though, with the violin played by Canadian, Melissa Santerre. Many were already poshed up but I wasn't going to until it was over. Dinner was interesting when I received the advance menu - fish fingers of sorts! I had to have those. I skipped the show, handing in the tips form, then went to bed. |
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| Our final port was La Coruña, where we were from 11am until 6pm. I'd last been to this port almost five years before on Aurora for the New Year cruise so didn't remember much except it was raining all day. This day seemed nice so I went ashore after lunch. Despite it being only 1pm, there was an enormous queue of people waiting to get back on who'd ventured no further than the adjacent department store! Well it takes all sorts. If my back let me walk and walk and walk like I used to be able to, I would have done that but as it was I was limited to taking pics of the surrounding area and Indy before returning to the ship to take a useless painkiller and rest after a quick snack in Sorrento's. I love it when people piss off the ship - you can get a seat! They were getting ready for Rock Britannia in the Royal Promenade. I was quite disappointed I had to miss all these events due to lack of seats and crowds. I'm unable to stand so long and people grab seats really early leaving those standing being pushed and shoved. It's one reason I favour the likes of Vision. |
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| We cast off about twenty-five minutes early as I was in the Diamond Club. On this night it was full while a lady sat opposite me coordinated in purple. She was from Redditch while her husband was born in Liverpool. I went to the production show afterwards then dinner. The fish finger things were actually very nice but the beef Wellington was weird. I also had to listen to the waiters singing. People were in the library, huge family with noisy brats. What the hell is wrong with people's manners? There were far too many kids of all ages on here during term time, running around throughout waking hours unsupervised. Where were the parents???? Where were the kids area staff???? Why the hell weren't they at school???? The parents may choose to pay a pathetic fine but people book cruises at certain times of the year to get away from the little sods so if they're going to take them away from their education, keep them in the kids zone or with you constantly and get them to shut the hell up especially in quite areas. Out of the forty-three cruises I've taken of varying lengths, the kids behaviour was the worst on this one. I'm afraid Royal Caribbean has to take some blame for not keeping an eye on them either. How about this for an idea? If the brats aren't confined to the kids area the entire cruise (bar meal times and tours with family in ports) then they aren't allowed onboard? Or, better still, charge more for them. I realise any parents reading will be infuriated by that but try cruising without yours for a fortnight during school holidays then you'll see what the rest of us have to put up with daily onboard. |
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| The 10th November was our final sea day as we made our way back towards Southampton. The Bay of Evil had a few bumps but Indy was faberooni again. We entered the English Channel around 11.40am and it definitely became smoother. Such a lazy day. Lunch in the Romeo & Juliet and I was sat at the same table as the couple at breakfast in Madeira. Another couple were with us and the man was quite patronising towards the waiter when he asked for gravy, lifting the lid of his pie, scooping some onto his knife and going, "Gravy? See?" Then, when the waiter had gone, the man started saying how they don't understand English. It really is hard to bite your tongue at times. It was lovely in the afternoon so I sat on the deck a while but again, many of those with balconies were hogging seats in the public rooms instead of enjoying what they paid for. Before dinner, I was unable to put my case out due to the hoover being the other side of the door. In the library were four teenagers lounging around with their feet on the furniture. Did their parents teach them any manners? When I returned, John had moved it and done my room earlier than usual! An early night due to our homecoming. |
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| Up at stupid o'clock for our 5.15am arrival. Now the first time I had been on Indy, she went to the Upper Swinging Ground to turn before docking. Since then, she had become clever and turned on the spot, which I wanted to see. It was absolutely FREEZING and a far cry from a year before when I returned on QM2. We hit a small fog bank as we passed Dock Head but it was so cold I couldn't stay out to watch us finish docking. A quick charge of my phone, since the cold drained a good 70% of the battery before heading to the Prom deck for the arrival of Queen Victoria. She came through the same fog bank then I went inside. I phoned my dad, asking if he saw the fog now and he said he had, telling me Adonia had passed. I went back out and saw her emerging through thicker fog. More people on her were taking photos of us than the other way round. My fingers were so cold and numb. |
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| I went to collect my hand luggage then left, saying goodbye to John on the way out. Despite being Diamond so can go whenever, I had chosen 7am for disembarkation and was off by then so it worked out well. Due to being a Sunday, public transport didn't begin until after 9am, the ferry 10am, so it was a taxi home. |
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And that was the end of my return to Indy after four and a half years. Was it worth the wait? In some ways, yes, and I'm glad I got to go back for a longer cruise.. But the crowding, waiting ages for a lift (it was quicker to walk, which I did going down often from deck 14 to deck 2 but unfortunately can't go more than three decks up by foot), kids doing whatever the hell they liked with no discipline made me love the smaller ones even more. I'd also never seen so many pushchairs and wheelchairs during a cruise, pushchairs and prams taking up a lot of lift space, thus making people wait. If the itinerary is right or someone wanted me to share, I would go on her, a sister ship or a Voyager class again but I'm afraid Vision remains my preference due to the things Indy lacks - lots of natural light, space inside for all and gorgeous large public rooms. The main complaint for me though was the amount of bell peppers everywhere except the dining room, either cooked with something (such as sauteed mushrooms for crying out loud) or hidden with no mention of them in descriptions. Apart from Barbara which hers to all peppers, I met a lady with just bell peppers like me so that's three the chef could have made ill or killed. Numerous people have allergies to dairy, gluten, peanuts, whatever and labels should be clear before they kill someone. I can just imagine the poor patient in anaphylactic shock after eating something not labelled properly getting a fat bill from the ships' doctor! I had none of these issues on Vision so it should be standard ingredients fleet wide not left to a chef who has obsessions with things. Mind you, I have complained on Vision in 2009 about the peppers in the potato curry at dinner not being listed on the menu but nothing's changed so clearly some poor soul will have to die of their food allergy before RCCL do the label everything in buffets and Cafe Promenade properly. It's another reason I'm reluctant to return. It made me VERY nervous of eating on there, thus ruining the cruise somewhat. To see more photos of the ships at our various ports of call, click on the Other Stalking index, while those from Gran Canaria be found in the Various Ships index and more of QV and Adonia are here. |
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