Cruise.

Would I go on another cruise?
Well I imagine not all cruises are the same…

This one was definitely ‘Wetherspoons does cruising’.
We paid enough to expect silver service waiters and restaurant quality food, along with the odd string quartet on Black Tie nights, but we definitely didn’t get any of that.
I suspect that in the situation that they hadn’t sold enough cabins with a month to go, and then had to offer big discounts to lure customers, P&O then downgraded the experience to protect their profits.

We definitely had a good time, but that was far more to do with the ports we visited and what we did on land, rather than anything to do with the Floating Travelodge.
The best day was the last stop at Vigo, where we met old friends of Lizzy – Sophia and Mark – and had a real laugh and great food/ drink.

All the eating we did on land ( and neither of us exactly eat a lot ) was far far better than anything on the Good Ship Premier Inn… and we just ate at places we happened across quite casually ( rather than anywhere with any kind of recommendation/ review that we’d seen )

The entertainment was definitely Butlins ( and yes I have been ) and so was adequate for the assembled crowd on board, which I think was mainly there because ( for them ) it was a bloody bargain experience – 2 weeks at sea with pizza and chips for less than you’d pay in Margate.

A lot of people didn’t actually get off at the ( beautiful ) places we docked at, which says a lot about their cultural attitude I suspect. I mean I’m not exactly sophisticated but it really was SO MUCH more interesting/ rewarding to the eye in every way OFF the ship.

It’s a pretty old crowd on a ship, with lots of people with ‘ mobility issues’ though a large percentage of those were weight related I suspect. Yes, you will struggle up the steps in you are 5 foot 3 and 20 stone. Maybe have less pizza rather than ‘ getting your money’s worth’ because you’ll probably never lose the extra stone you put on in the 2 weeks on board – not with that level of inactivity anyway.
Just saying!

People were definitely friendly, and the staff were fairly attentive ( but hardly amazing, as we’d been led to believe they would be ). For example on 3 days no one came to clean our room.

So would I go again?
Yes, but I don’t think with P&O. Maybe they should stick to cross channel ferries?

PS Obviously Lizzy was amazing was start to finish, and without her non stop help I couldn’t have even considered going!

x

Oh and it’s been a while ( and yes it did used to happen ) since someone told me I looked a lot like Daniel Craig… but a lady went to great lengths to tell me I did… though obviously his wheelchair twin.
Still can’t see it myself but hey how can you not be a bit complimented… though of course he’s actually older than me and a bit of a short arse. Notwithstanding those 2 things I was grateful for her saying… 😊