Travel

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship – Fira and Oia

April 11, 2019

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship was one of the highlights of our trip around Greece on P&O Oceana in September 2018. This was our second port day and you can read about our sea days here and stop at Pireaus in Greece here.

It’s fair to say it was the destination I was most looking forward to visiting. I am a traveller who tends to research and plan for hours before travelling but this was the one time that I could have enjoyed a better stop if I’d paid more attention.

I hope by reading this I can help you enjoy a day when visiting Santorini by cruise ship.

Santorini

Holidays in Santorini is the dream of a lifetime for many people. As this is the top tourist destination in Greece, the island is famous for the impressive caldera, the volcano and the romantic sunset. In fact, it is frequently included among the best destinations in the world. Over the last years, tourist season has extended in Santorini, from early April until early November due to the many cruise ships that dock there. Source: www.greeka.com

When you arrive by sea, there is no confusing the island of Santorini. Dazzling white houses cling to the edge of vertical, rocky cliffs against azure blue waters. The most southern of the Cyclades islands, it is surrounded by Thirasia and Aspronisi, which were once part of a large volcanic island. Considered by many to be the site of the “Lost City of Atlantis”, this magical little island glimmers from the fading sun as many watch its decent from the numerous bars and cafés at the water’s edge.

Arriving on Santorini from a cruise ship

Our cruise ship P&O Oceana docked in the sea offshore from the old port of Fira and we were transferred to the Island by tender. As we had a balcony cabin we could see the tenders being loaded and passengers being ferried across. We found this beneficial as we could see when the initial hustle and bustle had ended and we could enjoy a less crowded boat and a relaxed trip across. This short boat trip itself was a real treat.

When you arrive at the Old Port of Fira there are 3 ways to get up to the cliff tops so that you can explore the town and travel further afield on the Island.

Landing port visiting Santorini by crusie ship

Landing at Port of Fira

The 3 choices to get into Fira town are Cable car, walk up the 600 steps into the town or ride a donkey to take you up the steps.

At this point I would state that I do not in anyway endorse anyone riding the donkeys. There is mounting objections, quite rightly too to these poor creatures being used for tourists. Heavy overweight tourists are being carried and causing injury. There are even gathering campaigns for cruise ships to boycott Santorini until the donkey transfer is discontinued. Therefore I will not discuss this option

If you choose to walk I would suggest that you would have to be super fit to manage this climb! I only climbed a few whilst at the top and they nearly killed me. Also by walking you will have to look at the poor donkeys of Santorini and walk through piles of donkey droppings!

Santorini Cable Car

Having said what I have done so far you can guess that we used the cable car. During my pre cruise research I had read of there being long queues to actually get on the car. It was a blisteringly hot day in the high 30 degrees and thankfully we didn’t have to wait too long. I also have to give a big shout out to P&O who provide shade and cold water, either plain or infused with fruits to provide refreshments in the heat. The cable car looks modern and in great working order. The fee was around 6 Euro’s each if I remember correctly. Now at this stage I have to confess that one of my fears and phobias is heights. We shared our carriage with 2 older ladies who teased me all the way up after I sat there with my eyes closed gripping my husbands knee! I have been on other cable cars that I have tolerated better. It’s quite jerky as it passes over the upright towers. If you wish to see what it is like there are several videos on Youtube showing the journey.

Fira

As you may have read in my other posts about this cruise, we chose not to participate in any of the bookable excursions. Mr Fitz and I like to just stroll and explore ourselves, we viewed each Port as a taster of the destination. We had no desire to be off the ship for long periods, especially as it was so hot. Once we arrived at Fira we initially found ourselves on the main street. It was a typical small town with cafe’s, restaurants and gift shops, added to this the roadway was busy with cars and kamikaze scooters! We just ambled about and initially found ourselves ambling around and found ourselves following more dusty roads dodging psycho scooter riders! We don’t tend to use maps we like to just drift and see what we see. After a change of direction we found ourselves heading back towards the cliffs. I have to confess here that my research and homework fell short and I had missed something vital which I will expand on later in this post!

Again I cannot reiterate for a fair skinned celtic skinned woman like myself the heat was becoming unbearable! Even my sun loving husband was finding it hard going. Once we were back near the cliffs we found a network of small pathways between houses and hotels. I’ve taken a little bit of video footage to provide a taste of how lovely it is.

We found a little hotel with a cafe which seemed to provide art classes to tourists. There were several people sat around the edge of the terrace drawing and painting. This lovely quaint hotel was painted in the colours of blue and white, that are synonymous with the Island. It provided much needed refreshment and shade. I tried a traditional Greek coffee which was very strong and enjoyable.

Cooling off on Santorini

We then decided to make our way back to the cable car and return to the beautiful Oceana. We continued in the warren of small alleyways and found ourselves on the steps that climb up to the top. Boy they are challenging in the heat! It wasn’t just me that was struggling, even though it was September the temperatures were higher than the seasonal norm. We saw a few people struggling and overcome. We had carried water in our rucksack and I think that is an absolute must when on a Port Day. I packed 2 budget lightweight plastic water bottles and filled them up each day. You cannot always rely on having water to hand if you feel a little light headed in the heat.

There are some fabulous gift shops selling jewellery and gifts. I treated myself to a small necklace as a souvenir, another confession here – another of my addictions is to jewellery and accessories! Besides the normal tourist souvenirs, Santorini is full of one-of-a-kind boutiques and galleries and interesting shops that sell local arts and crafts and things that you wont find in Athens. There are over 40 jewelry stores, most of them on the main street in Fira which is how it got the name ‘Gold Street’ – Ypapantis Street is it’s real name. This street is considered to be one the biggest Gold markets in Greece.

Following the descent by cable car P&O staff were there again with shade and cool courtesy refreshments whilst we waited to board a tender back to the ship. Again I am going to say that the trip across by the tender is really relaxing and part of the whole experience of visiting Santorini by cruise ship.

Do your research

If you are planning to visit Santorini by cruise ship then do your research and don’t make the mistake that we did. Whilst we were walking around Fira we were looking for the viewpoint that is symbolic with Santorini – the white buildings with blue domed roofs on the cliff edge. We found similar but not that one! It wasn’t helped that in Fira we couldn’t find many signs to help guide our way.

After returning back to our cruise ship I decided to read a little more about the destination – that was when I had my light bulb moment, (my menopausal brain fog provides many of these, when I remember what I’d read or learned previously!) The iconic view is not in Fira but Oia. On reflection if we had taken an alternate route we could have improved our experience. This is the information I am offering to you to hopefully help you.

A fun way is after arrival by tender is to book a 20 minute boat transfer from the old port to Ammoudi Port in Oia for around 8 Euro’s. This includes a bus trip to Oia Town where you can spend a few hours, then take a half hour bus trip back to Fira. There is no return boat transfer from Ammoudi to Fira by boat.

An example of a boat ferry from Fira port to other towns

By doing this you can maximise your visit to Santorini in the time you have available ashore.

Of course you can always participate in one of your Ferry companies planned excursions when visiting Santorini by cruise ship if you like to be looked after and are nervous doing your own thing. That’s the beauty of a cruise holiday – it caters for all tastes!

If you’ve visited Santorini or taken a cruise holiday I’d love to hear your highlights.

Thank you for reading today, if you like my blog please subscribe to see more of my ramblings

Port of Piraeus and Athens via P&O Oceana

March 21, 2019

Piraeus for Athens was the first port day on our first ever cruise holiday in September 2018. We sailed aboard P&O Oceana – you can read about Day 1 – Embarkation at Malta here and my review of our sea days too.

Port of Piraeus

The Port of Piraeus has a big modern cruise terminal. We awoke on Day 3 to find we were docked right next to the Terminal building. Chatting to some of the crew we discovered that this is one of their favourite stops. The terminal includes telephones, a bar and cafeteria, an air-conditioned lounge and free WiFi. The crew all try and hop off and take advantage of these.

Also after a short walk through the terminal you can find regular Hop on Hop off buses that take you into Athens for the Parthenon and The Acropolis.

Mr Fitz and I did not book any of the organised shore excursions. We were happy just to find our own way around and experience a taster of the ports we were visiting.

I mentioned the daily cruise bulletin Horizon. In here it informed us that tickets for the buses could be bought in The Atrium of Oceana on the day of the visit. This is what we did and used this method of travel to take us around.

Tickets for Piraeus Hop on Hop Off buses could be bought in the Atrium

The bus ride into Athens is quite scenic. We were given new sealed headphones to listen to a guided tour of the route. The dialogue pointed out many interesting landmarks which we would not have spotted or recognised. For a football fan like myself it passed the home Stadium of Olympiakos, one of Greece’s largest teams. I love a good football stadium!

Olympiakos football stadium on bus tour from Piraeus Port

Drive from Piraeus passes Olympiakos Football Stadium

The Acropolis and Parthenon

When the bus arrived at the Acropolis is was around 11 AM, however it was already busy and extremely hot. The Parthenon stands proudly atop the Acropolis with a steady stream of visitors snaking their way up. As it was very high and extremely hot – well over 30 degrees even at that time of the day we decided not to climb up. Mr Fitz could manage it easily but I’m not sure I could anyway! We enjoyed a nice stroll round the perimeter of the base and admired the views down in to the City of Athens. One highlight was enjoying a pleasant sit in the shade listening to a gentleman in Greek attire singing and playing an accordion.

Athens landscape after bus tour from Piraeus

The view from the base of the Acropolis down into Athens

After a short stay of around an hour we hopped back on the bus and returned to the port of Piraeus and our wonderful cruise ship. The image of her as you approach never failed to impress us.

There were quite a few other passengers doing the same.

On our return we enjoyed more time on deck with a lunchtime snack from the Horizon Grill. It really is wall to wall food and all great quality.

Then I was able to watch my football team Manchester City play their game screened live on the TV in the sports bar – Winners Bar. This was an unexpected surprise for us.

Select Dining

In the evening we discovered that there was a Tropical themed evening. All other passengers seemed to know this before boarding. We didn’t however, really unsure why. Luckily though we did have suitable clothing. Mr Fitz had a linen shirt with a subtle flamingo print that I had purchased for him and I had a dress with a large floral tropical print.

Tropical themed evening

For our evening meal we had made a booking at The Beach House which has a slight cover charge. The food again was lovely. From the menu Ichose Coconut Crumb Tiger Prawns followed by a Tex Mex Ribs platter. Mr Fitz had a crispy bacon caesar salad and a hanging kebab. It was all delicious.

Our choices for dinner at The Beach House P&O Oceana

After dinner we enjoyed a balmy evening on deck with entertainment and music. The Entertainment team had a dance off, making the passengers sat on Port and Starboard compete against each other. All quite cheesy but surprisingly entertaining. The sight of passengers who work in Executive roles by day marching around to Tony Christie’s Amarillo, would bring a smile to anyone’s face.

A thoroughly enjoyable day. Our destination for Day 4 was Santorini. Please come back to read my review of our visit in a future blog post. I would love you to subscribe to my blog do that you don’t miss it.

Thanks for dropping in to read today – I really appreciate it.

Off the Beaten Track Ordsall Hall Salford

March 11, 2019

Earlier this week I attended my first Blogger meet up hosted by North West Bloggers. The venue was Ordsall Hall Salford. This is an impressive Historic House in the middle of a built up urban area.

The Hall has a meeting room that can be used and is a fabulous venue.

From the front it looks majestic with sympathetic grounds and a car parking area. Walk around the rear to gain entrance and Wow! it truly has the X Factor. As a proud Mancunian I love to promote the best there is to be found here, reviewing restuarants is my favourite activity.

Ordsall Hall

It was first mentioned in records as early as 1177. Possibly just an area of land, the first house was probably built around 1251. That fact alone is amazing – that it has stood the test of time. Ownership passed through several families and the building and land was expanded and the grounds developed.

If you are a lover of the history of this area there is a virtual who’s who of the well known and written about landowners of Manchester and Cheshire in the history of Ordsall Hall. An extract from the Hall’s website states “The Radclyffe family had been connected with the Hall for over 300 years and their family history tells of inter-marriages and feuds with other local families such as the Booths, Leghs and de Traffords. Some sat in Parliament as Knights of the Shire, and Sir Alexander (d. 1549) was High Sheriff of Lancashire on five occasions. Most were knighted for services in battle and took part in Court life: for instance, Margaret Radclyffe (d. 1599) became the favourite lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth and was seen at Court in a white dress as a gift from her twin brother Alexander as a symbol of the Queen’s purity. It was said to have cost £180 (which is equal to £31,000 in today’s money!)”

The Hall and grounds has been the site for many things from being a home to the affluent of the area, to Working Men’s Club to a Clergy Training Centre.

Ordsall Hall was purchased by Salford Corporation from the Executors of the Baron Egerton of Tatton in 1959 and, following major restoration work, was finally opened to the public in April 1972 as a period house and local history museum.

An expensive restoration project from 2009 – 2011 has made it into the magnificent period house and museum that it is today to be enjoyed by future generations.

Things to do at Ordsall Hall

There are so many activities that take place at the hall – from an informal knit and natter weekly group for locals, to Educational visits for schools, guided tours and craft sessions.

It is also a Wedding Venue, and if I was in the market for a wedding I could not think of a better location.

There are so many interactive props and items on display to enable visitors to really get a feel of what life was like for its residents and visitors of past era’s.

I have driven past Ordsall Hall so many times in my life without ever thinking of paying a visit. This week I only went in as I mentioned earlier in the post because it was the venue for a local Bloggers meet up. However, now I have had a taste of what is inside this fabulous House I will be back again and again to learn more and I intend to take one of the guided tours. I feel ashamed that as someone who has worked for many years in Salford and born to a Salford woman I should have taken more notice of this venue – described on a display banner as The Pride of Salford.

The meeting room was fabulous – bright with lots of natural light. Tea, coffee and water was on offer, there is plenty of power points and a large desk for everyone to sit round and enable work and sharing of ideas. There was even a vase of cheery daffodils on the table! A lovely little touch. For food there is a lovely little cafe to purchase food from. I can recommend a slice of The Persian Love cake – fabulously soft sponge with a hint of cardamon.

It is off the beaten track but it is very close to many other attractions and easily accessible by tram. Other popular attractions that it is close to are:

Media City – home of TV studios and the famous Blue Peter garden – 7 minutes by car, 26 minutes on foot.

Old Trafford – Home of Manchester United – 6 mins by car, 30 minutes on foot.

Lancashire Cricket Club – 5 minutes by car, 26 minutes on foot.

Salford Quays – the dock area and Lowry Outlet Shopping Centre. – 4 minutes by car 22 minutes on foot.

If you are planning to visit one of these more well known tourist areas in the future I highly recommend that you also take a short detour to Ordsall Hall – you will be more than pleasantly surprised at the fabulous work done here by Salford leisure.

Thanks for reading – if you’ve visited the Hall what did you do there? What would you recommend to do?

Travel Review – What we did on sea days aboard Oceana

March 9, 2019

P&O Cruses was our choice of Cruise line for our first ever cruise holiday. You can read about Day 1 here if you haven’t already. Sea Days on board Oceana are as much a part of a cruise holiday as Port days visiting new destinations. These days are still packed with things to do.

As I have many fabulous aspects of the holiday to review I decided to break down the whole review into days of the cruise and Ports visited.

Day 2 – sea day

Waking up on Day 2 we were refreshed after our early start and travel the day before. As we had a balcony cabin I was able to open the curtains and look straight out at the view of the sea. I also enjoyed my morning cups of tea on our own personal piece of deck. I say cups of tea as I am a huge tea drinker and need about 3 cups in the morning before I can face the world. A big shout out to P&O for providing proper sized mugs in cabins for a decent drink!

Praise Be to P&O for a full size mug for my morning brew

Having the balcony door open and feeling the warm sea breeze around the cabin whilst we got ready was lovely. Once ready we went for breakfast in the Ligurian restaurant which was designated for our flexible dining options. There is no dress code during the daytime, and we enjoyed a full English Breakfast with silver service in our shorts. The food and service was impeccable. Staff are friendly and attentive without being cloying and formal.

For the rest of the morning and afternoon we strolled around the ship discovering more of the fabulous activities and facilities to enjoy during Sea Days aboard Oceana. There is an exercise deck which fellow guests can walk around at a brisk pace. A marker on the wall telling you that 3.2 times around the deck equals 1 mile.

Mr Fitz and I enjoyed the walk daily and loved stopping at the stern to watch the wake flowing behind us. There is also a gym on board and we both used that regularly to counteract the excess calories consumed. I discussed this in an earlier post about how to avoid piling on excess pounds whilst cruising. Of course we took time to sunbathe on deck with another cocktail of course! The weather was stunning. Dare I say it was actually too hot at times for me – there are plenty of areas in the shade to sit and stay comfortable on deck during Sea Days aboard Oceana

Cocktail in glass being held sat on cruise ship deck

It would be rude not to!

The evening of the sea days (Day 2 and 6) is Black Tie dress code. Day 2 is The Captains dinner. Prior to cruising Mr Fitz was initially reluctant to participate in this. I think it’s a grumpy old man thing as it’s something he has done in the past. To ease us into this type of holiday we bought dinner suit trousers and our friend loaned him the use of his Dinner Jacket, luckily they are the same size. Mr Fitz didn’t want to commit to the full expense of the whole suit in case he didn’t enjoy this first P&O cruise holiday and wasn’t something he wanted to do again. For more on this please come back for our final evaluation to come in a future post. I on the other hand had plenty of suitable clothes in my wardrobe!

Mr Fitz scrubbed up very well and looked very handsome – well in my opinion anyway! I chose a knee length royal blue dress with silver accessories. Many ladies wear cocktail dresses, it is not obligatory to wear a long gown.

Mr Fitz looking dapper

Woman in blue dress taking selfie in mirror

Full length obligatory selfie in the ladies

Cocktail dresses are OK for Black Tie Captains Dinner – Ball gowns not necessary

Prior to dining everyone participating in the Black Tie dinner gathered in the Atrium for complimentary fizz and the opportunity to have a photograph taken by a member of the ships Photography team. These are available to purchase during your cruise if you like them.

Our official Captains Dinner Photo proudly on display at home

The Captain arrives to applause and addresses the gathered diners, there is then an opportunity to have a photograph taken with him too.

On the flexible dining option we had hoped to have a table for 2 for dinner but again we were given a shared table. Again an enjoyable experience. As the cruise progressed we realised that you could request a table for 2 but there could be a delay until one was available.

Again food and service was delicious. Reviews always extol the virtues of the food on cruise ships. P&O proudly advertise this. You may have read in earlier posts that we are both foodies and the food promised was a big feature of choosing a cruise holiday with P&O. We were not disappointed at all.

After dinner we had seen that there was a comedian performing in The Starlight Theatre that night so still in our finery that was our next stop.

We both spent a really enjoyable evening. The interior of this theatre is very like a cabaret club. Comfortable seating with tables for your drinks. There is water service throughout the show. To top it off the Comedian Jeff Stevenson was fabulous – a good old traditional comic.

A big thumbs up from us. We were really enjoying our first P&O Cruise aboard Oceana.

Sea Days aboard Oceana

I cannot review not just the sea days but all of this cruise without mentioning the fabulous timetable of activities. There is a vast array of sessions from learning to dance, yoga, talks about Gemstones from the on-board jewellers, to literary sessions. There are many fun things too. Each night when you return to your cabin a copy of The Horizon the onboard newspaper is laid on your bed as part of the turn down service. This lists all the activities for the next day, details about going ashore and food options. It is a fabulous thing to receive and invaluable.

Day 3 was our first Port Day and we were sailing to Piraeus in Greece ideal for a trip to Athens, The Parthenon and the Acropolis. If you liked this post and my review of Day 1 please come back to read my review of Day 3 in a future post. All follows and comments are always welcome I love to hear from you. Tell me if you’ve ever had a cruise holiday, what did you like or dislike, are you planning one?

Why decorate your cruise Cruise cabin door #TravelTipThursday #2

February 28, 2019

Cruise cabin door decorations are a fabulous way of identifying your cabin when you first board a cruise ship. Initially it can be daunting when faced with a multitude of doors all looking the same to find yours. In fact the corridors and the doors look the same too.

On our first Cruise holiday we got lost a couple of times identifying our cabin. In my review of Day 1 I mentioned that we had found a tip that helped us.

This tip is the simplest trick around. I packed a colourful postcard with blu tack and attached it to the front of our cabin door.

This was a simple, effective and easy way of creating cruise cabin door decorations – as we walked along the corridor we could locate our door easily. Yes, I know the doors have numbers but this bright card made it all so simple.

If you are part of a group, decorated doors can also make it easier to find other members of your party, even on different decks and in different types of cabins, without remembering multiple numbers. Even making identifying your cabin fun! You could create a group theme of Cruise cabin door decorations

For young cruisers or elderly passengers who may have more difficulty remembering cabin numbers, door decor can relieve stress and help everyone feel comfortable with finding their cabin on board the ship.

In the US decorations are used to make it easier to communicate with different family members or other passengers when you leave notes or messages for one another on a small whiteboard or notepad.

I foolishly failed to take a photo of my postcard in place to show you. But can show similar ones!

2 flower postcards a landscape postcard and a candle flatlay on a table

Simple postcards for cabin door decor

Hopefully no-one decides to play games and switch it to another door!

I mentioned EECC Travels – in the USA passengers make elaborate door signs. I do not think this is the norm on British Cruise lines, in fact ours was the only door with a decoration on, but we did hear passengers comment that it was a great idea.

Here is my Pinterest board showing examples I have found some elaborate and some simple. Items to use can even be purchased on Amazon and Etsy. Plus I’ve found a fabulous website, Zazzle, that sells customised door signs!

A word of caution though, if you wish to do this please check any rules and guidelines regarding what you can and cannot use with your Cruise line.

How about you do you have a hint or tip to find your cabin when on a cruise holiday? Let me know.

Review of Day 1 on board P&O Oceana

February 25, 2019

Oceana was the ship we chose for our first cruise in September 2018 to celebrate Mr Fitz’s 60th birthday. I had wanted to take a cruise holiday for a few years but Mr Fitz needed some persuading.

He’s not one for material gifts therefore I offered to pay for a holiday for his milestone 60th Birthday. He finally opted for a Cruise having heard nothing but positive reviews from friends. The recent TV show Jane McDonald Cruising also helped!

As we were celebrating a special occasion we opted for a balcony cabin, it added probably around £700 to the cost of our trip but we wanted that luxury. I know many friends who are happy to have an inside cabin – their viewpoint being that your cabin was just somewhere to sleep.

When booking we received £170 in onboard credit. P&O are not an all inclusive line and drinks consumed on board need to be paid for. Prior to sailing I did plenty of research watching Youtube – there are many vloggers who cover this topic, providing valuable hints and tips to help me prepare. One of my favourites are the lovely couple Elyssia and Jason over at EECC Travel. They are American and sail on Cruise lines that depart from their but I love their fun videos and great packing tips.

Oceana 13th – 20th September 2018

Day 1

We flew from Manchester Airport to Valletta in Malta. The check in and flight was very slick. Everyone on the plane is a passenger on the cruise. On arrival in Malta there were plenty of P&O Representatives to greet you and guide you to your awaiting coaches for transfer. It was very warm and there was a slight delay on the coaches, apparently the reps and drivers have to wait for permission from the Quayside that they can arrive.

A view from P&O Oceana in Valleta harbour

Valletta Quayside

On first arrival at the Quayside there appeared to be a long queue inside the arrivals tent. At this stage you have not yet see Oceana. However check in was really swift. Again there are plenty of staff on arrival to guide passengers and keep things running smoothly. Check in was swift. You confirm your identity, provide a credit or debit card for onboard purchases. Your photograph is taken and you are then issued with your on board cruise card. This does everything! Opens your cabin, pays for drinks and extra’s and confirms your identity whilst disembarking and re embarking on shore days.

Once through check in you get your first view of Oceana – and what a magnificent site as you walk towards her. She looked big and majestic in the hot sunshine with the P&O Livery on the bow. Sent a tingle down both our spines.

Our first sight of the magnificent P&O Oceana

We were on B Deck Cabin 619. Our luggage had already arrived, sometimes there is a delay in arrival. We were fortunate to be able to unpack immediately. We could also admire the view from our balcony, again compact but adequate, equipped with a small table and 2 comfortable chairs.

View from inside Oceana Cabin to balcony

View of the Balcony from the bed

There is adequate storage space, drawers and wardrobe. A few more hangers were supplied on request. The bathroom although compact was again adequate with enough storage space. We had a suitcase each and they both fit easily under the bed. Our cabin Steward introduced herself and said she was there to assist and help us get the most out of our holiday.

Our next step was to go and explore the ship. There is adequate time on Embarkation day to get off again and explore Valletta, however as we had visited and holidayed there before we decided to stay on board.

The ship was vast and I have to admit we lost our cabin on a couple of occasions on the first day. We were helped by a little tip we got from you tube videos. I will reveal this on my next #TravelTipThursday Post.

We were really thrilled by our first tour of the ship. I enjoyed my 1st cocktail – a Pina Colada the perfect holiday drink on the Pool Deck in the sunshine.

Pina Colada cocktail in deck bar of cruise ship

First Pina Colada on deck

On each deck by the lifts there is a guide to each level to help you find your way around.

On the first evening it is Mandatory to attend The Muster – a relatively new term to us. This is your lifeboat drill. You cannot avoid this as you have to scan your card, therefore they can track attendance. If you fail to attend you are traceable and have to have an individual session, that is my understanding anyway.

On this occasion Muster was not until 8.15pm, from other more experienced passengers we understood this to be later than usual. You have to attend your Muster Point, our was the Starlights Theatre, with your life jacket. During the Muster The Captain addresses everyone from the Bridge with instructions for the event of an emergency. You also try on your life jacket to ensure you know how to fit it.

2 people wearing life jackets on P&O cruise ship

The Muster P&O Oceana

Because Muster was later, the seating for Dinner was a little rushed. We were on Flexible dining, however this night everyone was just ushered to tables for speed. We prefer a table for two but were seated with 4 other couples. This was however a new enjoyable experience. Food was delicious with ample choice. During dinner we could sea out the windows that the ship was sailing away from port. We were off on our first cruise adventure.

Following Dinner we enjoyed a few drinks on board. There are several places to eat and drink on board. Each has it’s own unique vibe.

When we finally retired to bed we found the bed to be extremely comfortable and the gentle, barely felt movement of the ship, provided us with the best nights sleep we’d both experienced in ages.

Day 2 was spent at sea and I will describe that in my next post about our experience on board Oceana.

Thank you for popping by. I appreciate you following and all comments are always appreciated

Packing cubes My top 3 Benefits – Travel Tip Thursday #1

February 7, 2019

Earlyretirementrocks.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. This does not affect the price to you of any purchases you may make.

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are becoming increasingly more popular for travelling. I have been using them for around 3 years now. In fact I have 2 sets pink and blue – 1 set for me and 1 set for Mr Fitz for the rare occasion we use 2 suitcases, like on our recent cruise holiday. Alternatively if we use one shared suitcase the different colours quickly identify who’s clothing they contain.

Packing cubes in 2 colours

These little zipped cubes will give you back some of your sanity while you travel! They help you to stay organized, keep your belongings compact, and find what you need in record time from your luggage.

What are Packing Cubes?

Packing cubes are relatively small soft containers made of fabric, often in a rectangular shape, used for packing clothing. They fit neatly into your luggage, separating items inside.

The usually come in packs containing several cubes and often extra zipped bags for dirty laundry, shoes and toiletries. Amazon is a great place to start – there is plenty of choice to suit your needs.

Now that I consider myself an experienced Packing Cube user I thought I would provide you with my top 3 benefits for using them in my experience.

Organisation

These fabulous packing cubes keep your luggage organised, no longer does all the contents flop about within your case or you have to frantically search through to find that item that you want. Each cube can be used for particular groups of clothing – I often separate my clothes into tops, shorts, beachwear and lingerie. I can then find items more easily.

Packing cubes and pouches fit snuggly – photo taken after I’d started to unpack!

Utilises space

The packing cubes enable you to roll your clothing, which I feel uses less space within each cube and reduces creasing. They also fit snuggly into your luggage maximising capacity. Other items such as straighteners and jewellery rolls slip in the spaces between cubes.

Saves Time/Space in Destination

The cubes assist you a lot when unpacking at your destination. You can simply lift the cubes out of your luggage and place them as they are with their contents still inside into drawers in your accommodation. This helps you save space when it is limited and time and can get you to the pool, beach or back more quickly after your arrival. An example of this was on our first cruise holiday in September. Space is limited inside a cruise cabin, I was able to lift out the cubes containing swimwear and lingerie straight into wire baskets on a carousel inside the wardrobe of our cabin. As well as keeping the storage spaces neat and tidy I also knew where to locate these. Again on our recent holiday to Corralejo even though there was adequate storage drawers I chose to lift the cubes straight from our suitcase into them. Even my tops and Johns shorts remained in cubes. Many of our beach holiday clothes are made from fabrics that don’t crease. We arrived at our apartment in late afternoon so we were itching to get out into the winter sunshine and anything to save time helped!

The faster you can unpack the faster you can be by the pool

Packing cubes can be lifted out and transferred straight into drawers at your destination

This is my first post in which I hope can become a series of Travel Tip Thursday – I cannot promise that they will be weekly – I am just going to start today and see how this series develops.

Thanks for being here today

Have you used packing cubes? If so do you have any other uses for them? Let me know – I’m always ready to learn more

Winter Sun break to Corralejo Fuerteventura

January 25, 2019

Winter Sun

Winter sun is something that most people want in the mid winter slump after Christmas and New Year. Fortunately for Mr Fitz and myself we have been fortunate enough for the past 10 years to be able to have a weeks holiday for a bit of winter sun in January. It has become a habit that we have chosen Corralejo in Fuerteventura every year.

Over recent years we have enjoyed regular holidays and short breaks several times a year, one of our favourite summer destinations is Croatia, read my review of it if you haven’t already.

About Corralejo and Fuerteventura

Corralejo is a town on the northeast coast of Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands of Spain. It’s known for Corralejo Natural Park, featuring windy, dune-backed beaches like Playa del Moro. The park is home to endangered wildlife and Montaña Roja, a volcano with panoramic views. The town, a former fishing village, is dotted with eateries and bars. Nearby Lobos Island is a nature reserve with rare birds.

Like all the Canary Islands it is a Volcanic Island, but fear not they are all dormant. The official average temperatures for Fuerteventra in January are Highs 21 and Lows 15 with 2 days rain per month. Over the years we have found daytime temperatures to reach quite a bit higher. Plenty of hours for winter sun. At night it can be cool and windy so a light jacket and jeans is recommended. We have also experienced days of heavy rain, but it is often at times when other parts of Europe and mainland Spain are also experiencing downpours.

Daytime has enough sunshine to sunbathe by the pool or on one of the many fabulous beaches. It’s great to feel the winter sun on your face.

Feeling warm sun on your face in January

Things to Do

It must be said that it is a very chilled, relaxed resort. Perfect for recharging your batteries in the dark months of Winter. If you want disco’s, Karaoke and rowdy English bars then it is not for you. That doesn’t mean to say you cannot find these but they are the exception rather than the rule.

During the day many people gently stroll around the resort and beach fronts. During the years we have been visiting tourism to the Island has increased and it is obvious that much of the income has been reinvested. The shops, hotels and facilities have improved and are of a high standard. There is a good bus service that can be used to access many if not all areas of the Island for sightseeing.

The shopping experience in Corralejo has greatly improved

Shops selling designer items

One of the most stunning features are the beaches , no visit to Corralejo is complete without a trip to the famous Dunes. Miles of pure white sand and clear blue sea. A playground for fans of water sports and Kite surfing. A great opportunity for winter sun.

Kite surfing at the dunes

Mr Fitz enjoying the white sand at The Dunes of Corralejo

At night there are many fabulous restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, especially sea food. Plus there are many great quality takeaway’s and coffee shops.

Not forgetting the usual variety of Irish bars and bars showing football. There is an area in the Old Town known as the Music Square. It is a square surrounded by bars and restaurants and at night there is regular free musical entertainment and has a fabulous atmosphere. Three of our favourite bars are The Blue Rock in the Old Town, The Smiths Arms tucked away off the main street and O’Neils Irish Bar in the Atlantico Centre.

Some of our favourite haunts and restaurants are La Luna and Fado Rock close to the harbour. We ate at Fado Rock on the Saturday night of our stay. The food and service is exceptional. John had a fabulously fresh and tasty tomato and onion salad followed by a Fado special kebab, I loved my pork fillets with Roquefort sauce and canarian potatoes.

La Luna also has a lovely bar frequented by the locals. A perfect place for breakfast lunch or coffee is Bistro Cafe Latino on the sea front heading towards the harbour. A fabulous spot with great sea views by the sea

Enjoying coffee at Bistro Cafe Latino

Another great spot with sea views is the Bar Anno 2011 – serves fabulous cocktails and has a 2 for 1 happy hour between 5pm and 6pm. Great hosts and hospitality

Anno 2011 bar

The Harbour

Corralejo has a bustling harbour where ferries run regularly over to Playa Blanca on Lanzarote. A great suggestion for a day trip for lunch at the fabulous Rubicon harbour in that resort. You can also book a trip for a day trip with a picnic on a Catamaran, trips to Lobos to simply study its beauty and tranquility and soak up the sun. The water is extremely clear and you can see the fish feeding and the rocks on the sea bed.

El Cotillo

This is another beautiful old fishing village which is easily reached by bus, car or taxi from Corralejo. Much smaller than its neighbour it is really quaint but with another long quiet stunning beach. It is surrounded by beautiful lagoons where you can find the ultimate i peace and tranquility.

The beach at El Cotllo

Both the dunes in Corralejo and the Lagoons in El Cotillo have areas frequented by naturalists but this is well known and well respected by all.

The only word of caution I would give about the resort is the pavements hold many potential trip hazards, even the newly relaid block paved areas. Take care walking especially when visiting bars and restaurants around the side roads, particularly after dusk.

Do you have a favourite resort you return to regularly or a favourite Winter sun destination? I love to hear about other people’s travel recommendations.

Thank you for stopping by to read I really appreciate I would love you to leave a comment or email me.

London at Christmas Tea History and Theatre

December 30, 2018

London at Christmas is magical. I spent a lovely 3 days in London at the beginning of December with 3 of my girlfriends. It was a trip we had been planning since around February. I think it was me that instigated it by saying that I had never visited the shops or visited London at London or seen the Christmas lights.

Our visit was Thursday to Saturday, trying to avoid the busyness of the weekend. We all became friends through our shared hobby of entering competitions. Due to this we were able to pool some of the prizes we had won during the year, mostly experience vouchers, to cover the cost of many of our treats. The downside to this was that we had a few prizes to to claim which dictated a lot of our time and itinerary. We never did get to see the Regent Street lights at night! Read on to see what we got up to.

The idea of the trip began in around February time and we began to actually plan from around September. By booking train tickets and hotel rooms early we were able to get these at discount rates to minimise the expense of a trip to London at Christmas

As we had got a discounted rail fare by booking early we were able to travel First Class. Our day started with a bacon sandwich, tea and coffee. This was soon followed by a shared bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne!

Our hotel was the hub by Premier Inn Kings Cross. We each had a double room. The rooms are modern and compact and are perfect for 1 occupant. The bed is classed as a double but there is only access onto it from 1 side, meaning there would be a bit of a squash for 2 and if the occupant nearest the wall needed the loo at night they would have to climb over the other! The bathroom and shower was more than adequate – the rooms are well thought out to maximise space.

Double bed

Bathroom hub at Premier Inn Kings Cross

The hotel itself is in a great location with a lively bar and restaurant. Breakfast was included and described as Continental, this really did not do it justice there was a very large range of produce and choice available. The hotel was very well staffed and they were all so efficient and friendly. We would all definitely stay here again.

We travelled around the City using buses and Uber mostly. The first afternoon we headed to Regent Street and Liberty. As stated a couple of us had never visited London at Christmas before. A trip to Liberty was high on our to see list. I loved the old building with the fabulous Oak staircases and panelling. We loved browsing the very expensive silk scarves and handbags.

Liberty

Magical displays throughout Liberty

So many beautiful silk scarves

Next stop was Fortnum and Mason’s food hall, again another venue I had never visited. We all purchased a few treats for family and friends. I really liked the decor and produce available. Pricey but a lovely Christmas treat.

Fortnum and Mason window display

An expensive, indulgent Fortnum and Mason hamper

Our long day continued with Afternoon Tea in the The Galvin at The Athaneum Hotel. A lovely setting with friendly staff and great food. We are serial afternoon teaers! If there is such a thing and enjoyed the fare of offer.

Afternoon tea at The Galvin

Our final destination for the first day was over to the Apollo Theatre to watch Everybodys Talking About Jamie. I have to admit this was not my choice of show, I would have preferred a couple of others over this but I also know that I can be set in my ways regarding what I watch at the theatre and it is good to be introduced to performances I may not have chosen myself!that We had a couple of pre performance drinks in The White Horse close to the theatre. Myself and Mr Fitz love pubs and it has to be said that London have so many magnificent hostelries. That alone is a purpose for visiting the City!

The show has a very contemporary feel and subject matter, briefly the show revolves around Jamie and his school friends. Jamie is a 16 year old boy living on a council estate, he is openly gay and his career aspiration is to become a drag queen. His mother and friends are supportive, his estranged father is not. His best friend is a muslim girl in a Hijab. There are lots of risque lines and gestures but I have to say despite my reservations it was so entertaining and had you grinning from ear to ear. A real feel good show.

Third row seats! Everybodys talking about Jamie

The thrill of London Theatreland

Following this it was back to the hotel for a final night cap in the bar after a very long enjoyable day.

Our second day started early again as we had purchased tickets for Kensington Palace for 10.30 am. The Palace has 2 exhibitions covered by the ticket – Princess Diana’s dresses and Queen Victoria revisited. You can walk around the Palace in any order. We chose to look at the state rooms first where we came across a performance from 2 actors as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The theme was the Royals at Christmas and they acted out a piece about their plans for the day which culminated in an audience participation rendition of the 12 days of Christmas – well the first 5 only. This was so entertaining and we were so glad we caught it!

Actors in Kensington Palace entertained us as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

In the presence of royalty

The Queen Victoria exhibition was so fascinating, it was so interesting to see so many authentic pieces like clothing, pictures and jewellery on display.

An original painting of a young Queen Victoria

Queen Victorias Emerald and Diamond Jewellery sparkled so beautifully - talk about jewel envy!

Emerald and diamond jewellery designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria

We saved the exhibition of Princess Diana’s until last, this was the main reason for visiting the Palace. We are all fans of Diana, I personally remember her wedding and was working a night shift the night she died and watched all the events unfold in real time following the live news broadcasts.

The exhibition was smaller than we expected, in fact one of my friends commented that it was a little like the way Diana was seen by the Royals at the end, someone to be tucked away from public view. We learned that many of her dresses were auctioned off for charity and then loaned back to the Palace to be displayed. We really enjoyed looking at those available, including the tweed suit she wore on honeymoon at Balmoral – to be honest this is hideous and dowdy! There is also the dark blue velvet dress that she wore when she danced with John Travolta.

The images and photographs of Princess Diana's dresses at Kensington Palace can never replicate their full beauty

A selection of Princess Diana’s dresses

The one we all wanted to see – known as the Revenge Dress was not included in the exhibition unfortunately. For £16 a ticket we thought it great value for money.

Next stop was Harrods and again the Food Hall before enjoying a cream tea in Harrods tea room. We were sat next to the pianist and it was a very festive enjoyable hour.

Harrods cream tea

We returned to our hotel for a freshen up before dinner that we had pre booked at The Parcel Yard at Kings Cross. This venue was so busy and noisy but we had good food and service. The bar and restaurant was packed with people celebrating London at Christmas.

After a final night cap it was time for bed again after another busy packed day.

Before our return home the next morning we visited St Pancras station to see the Tiffany Christmas tree and ate a very large brunch at Bill’s in Islington – a prize of a £100 tab! We all ate really well and had enough funds left for a last bottle of champagne! After all it is Christmas.

Tiffany Christmas tree at St Pancras station

Brunch at Bills restaurant

Champagne at 12MD – don’t mind if we do

This was so enjoyable, even though Mr Fitz is my best friend and soul mate I think it is good to have time away with your girlfriends – good for the soul and gave us all the opportunity to do the things that our men don’t always want to do.

Have you been to any of these venues? Did you like them as much as us? What do you like to do in London at Christmas? Let me know or tell me of other places we may visit when we return.

Email me or comment I love to hear from you – thanks for reading today

A Michelin Star Experience – Northcote Manor

November 30, 2018

A Michelin Star dining experience has been on our wish list for a while. So we visited Northcote Manor on the night of my lovely husbands 60th birthday last month. I had booked and planned this as a surprise for the actual night itself. We are both foodies and love dining out as well as watching hours of cooking on TV. He knew I’d booked an overnight stay but not where however, as the day grew nearer I was a bit panicky about surprising him and revealed the venue and Michelin Star experience the week before.

Northcote Manor is a renowned small luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant situated on the edge of the Ribble Valley, in the heart of Lancashire. Lisa Goodwin Allen is the Executive chef after taking over from Nigel Haworth, both seen regularly on TV Cookery programmes, including the Great British Menu.

We traveled by car and the journey took less than an hour. It was easy to find and is a manor house set just off the main road in expansive gardens which include an area where they grow some of their own produce.

Our room was in the Garden Lodge set aside from the main Manor house housing the restaurant. We had booked the Tasting Break which included an overnight stay, a 6 course dinner and breakfast the following morning. We were allocated room 21, which was huge, a large double bed, sofa and doors to a private terrace fully surrounded by a hedge for privacy. The bathroom was fabulous with complimentary Temple Spa toiletries. Check in was super smooth and there was a birthday card from the hotel waiting for John in our room.

Dinner was booked for 7 and we had a pre dinner drink in the bar in the Manor House, this was so cosy and inviting. The short walk from the Garden Lodge to the Manor house is lit up and well paved, umbrellas are available in each room in the event of inclement weather. As it was October the terraces were bare but it was clear to see that there were many outdoor chairs and tables available to enjoy a drink outside in the summer admiring the surroundings and views. We were served 2 small hors d’oeuvres in the bar before being invited into the main restaurant.

The restaurant is luxurious to look at with attentive service. It is a high end experience as expected by a Michelin Star restaurant. Every course was explained to us as it was served. I chose to purchase the wine flight for myself, John stuck to beer, and the Sommelier provided a choice for a couple of courses. The service was excellent but a little too formal for our liking, after all we are only humble people who like to experience a taste of the good life and good food occasionally.

Our menu was:

AGED HAND CUT BEEF
Roasted Celeriac, Smoked Marrowbone
Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Rosé Émotion, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2015 (125ml £8.50)

WEST COAST SCALLOP
Clam ”Chowder”, Bacon, Chervil
Cottanera, Etna Bianco, Sicily, Italy, 2016 (125ml £10.00)

West Coast Scallop

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Black Truffle
Dry Sack, Amontillado, Williams & Humbert, Andalucia, Spain, NV (70ml £11.50)

Jerusalem Artichoke

CORNISH TURBOT
Orchard Apple, Watercress, Walnut
Chardonnay, Heitz Cellar, Napa Valley, USA, 2014 (125ml £15.75)

Cornish Turbot

RED LEG PARTRIDGE
Leg Bolognaise, Mushroom, Squash
Reserva, Viña Tondonia, Rioja, Spain, 2004 (125ml £15.25)

Oops! Forgot to photograph prior to eating!

FLAVOUR OF ECCLES CAKES
Muscat Grapes, Caramelised Pastry, Tea
Monastrell, Dulce, Bodegas Castaño, Murcia, Spain, 2010 (70ml £8.00)

Neither of us like pink meat, we could be classed as old fashioned as we love all meat dished ‘well done’. The Aged Hand Cut Beef was a version of steak tartare, so we asked for an alternative if possible. The request was no problem and we were given the equivalent course from their plant based menu, which was:

HAND CUT ROAST CELERIAC
Horseradish, Smoked Butter
Maison Antech, Crémant de Limoux, Rosé Émotion, Languedoc Roussillon, France, 2015, 125ml £8.50.

The courses were small but very rich with fabulous mixes of flavours and textures. The Partridge wasn’t really us, although we did eat most of us. My favourite course was the Cornish Turbot, absolutely delicious.

Following dinner we had one final nightcap in the lounge bar, with its roaring fire and dimmed lighting. Before retiring back to our lovely room. We were both full and satisfied from this luxury experience.

Following a great nights sleep we returned to the main restaurant for their version of a Full English Breakfast. Service was a little slow at breakfast but the food when it arrived was just the right portion size after the previous nights hearty dinner.

Cooked English Breakfast

Overall this was a one off experience for us for a special occasion, it was expensive, costing just under £600. There are large service charges added to each aspect of service. Our after dinner drinks of a pint of cider and a Baileys cost £24! We were really pleased to be able to experience this dining experience but would not repeat in a hurry. The one downside for me was that the temperature in the restaurant both at dinner and breakfast was too warm, I appreciate that being in the throws of the menopause this was my problem, but Mr Fitz also felt uncomfortable at times in the heat.

In summary though it was a fabulous experience for a pair of foodies like us for a one off celebration. If you were looking for a top class venue with Michelin Star food I would highly recommend it.

Dining out is our favourite pastime.

Have you had a luxury dining experience or a similar treat for a special occasion let me know what you did or where you dined at. We are always looking for places to visit to stay and dine. Leave me a comment or email me, I love to hear from you.

Thanks for popping in today