Water Pools

Here is the family area and it has two pools on either side of the centre deck.

This was also the place were we  "Danced Under the Stars" to the Rock Band that was on board.

The pool bar is in the background for soft drinks as well as Cocktails, wine and beers... and above that was the Sky Bar.

But this is the H20 area  especially for the younger children and it has water coming in sprays from all the objects around it

You can also see the upper decks running along side the pools.

I know these people have their coats on but these photos are taken while we are still in the UK.

So not that warm to be in swimwear .... well not yet any way.

More to follow as we sailed into some warmer climes.

Hugs xx

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Outside on Deck ...

Solarium

The outside of this enormous ship had a complete running track that many people used everyday.

But this was a very pleasant spot to sit in.

It was the Solarium and although there were children on board this area was child free.

The sunbeds in here were more comfortable too and it was very sheltered.

Solarium Pool

Waiters  wandered around all day  serving drinks and delicious fruit Cocktails,  and there was an Ice Cream bar where you could serve yourself  to soft and tasty ice cream.

This is the pool area attached to the Solarium  and it was such a pleasant place to be in.

One of the other attractions was the  two Jacuzzis' on either side of the ship that were cantilevered outside the decks.

You could sit in them and watch the waves going past beneath you... and they were open 24 hours a day.

You can see the handrail of the upper decks in the photo.

Remember these are well above the sea about 10 decks up and the view was fabulous and as you can see they are quite large.

Imagine sipping Cocktails while enjoy the bubbles in one of these as you cruise along under blue skies.

Here is a photo of the climbing wall ... which needless to say I did not attempt.

It was quite big and of course tuition was given before you could use it.

It was very popular with the younger generation especially the lads.

In fact all tastes and sports  were catered for,  what ever the age group or level of expertise.

There was even a class for Cardmaking and another for Scrap booking.... which I missed!! 

More from the ship in my next post.

Hugs xx

On board ...

Royal Promenade

This is the main street that runs along deck five and it is like a shopping mall it was so big.. you can just make out the cobbled roadway .

It has shops, cafes and bars on either side and the cafe is open 24 hours a day, and the sky changes colour at night.

There is an English Pub that has live music each evening and it was very popular.

There is even a barbers shop along one side.

The windows on either side are to cabins, which are on the inside decks, and they overlook the street ... but  they are so sound-proofed that there is no disturbance to the occupants.

Vintages Wine Bar

This is the place that became one of our favorite spots and this is Vintages Wine Bar.

The car outside is a real Morgan and Griff loved it.

He would love to have driven it on some country roads .... but there was no engine in it.

Now how do I know this ?????

Because Griff was underneath having a look at it all, as cars and watches, along with cameras and phones are among his pet subjects.

In fact any gadget is right up his street.  He's a real Inspector Gadget.

Alhambra Theatre

This is the Alhambra Theatre and it seated over a thousand people.

The shows where shown twice each night for different dining seatings and we went to the 9pm shows.

The standard was excellent and the costumes and scenery could rival any West End show.

There wasn't one show that was bad. And the crew and staff work really hard to please all the passengers.

Ice Rink

This is the Ice Rink and it was bigger than it looks here.

Once again the show was excellent and in the two weeks we had on board there where two different shows.

The audience was very appreciative of the skills displayed by the young skaters.

Now this was the closest I got to this area.

It was the GYM with so much stuff in there it was amazing... all overlooking the sea as you worked out.

There was even a boxing ring in the centre of it ... but we wandered in .. took  a photo and wandered out again ... and never went back!

In my next post I will show you some of the delights that are outside and some of our favorite places there too.

Hugs xx

Cruise Holiday ...

We set off for  Southhampton on the 5th October and  stayed  overnight in a  hotel before going on to the port to  sail away on the  6th.

This was my first  glimpse of the ship ... taken as we where waiting to  check in our luggage,  and then on to  park the car.

The next time  we would  see our cases was later in the day  when they  where delivered outside our  cabin door.

The ship was huge and we were so excited to be going on this cruise holiday around the Mediterranean. 

It was due to sail at 4.30pm,  but we went on board at 12 noon... and so as the ship was quiet we went around her decks to explore and take some photos.

This was to be our home for the next two weeks and even the bed was huge. 

We had a TV and a bathroom and a lovely balcony that we wanted so that we could see each new port we visited as we sailed in.

It was good dry weather the day we sailed and we joined the sail away party as we left Southampton.

This is my "Film Crew" practising  with his life jacket ... and looking very pleased with himself in the process.

Hopefully none of this will be needed but we had to have a go to make sure we got it right.... and we joined the drill to abandon the ship in the event of an accident.

There are 14 decks on this ship and as soon as we came out of a lift I was lost.

Fortunatley Griff has a good sense of direction or we could have spent the next two weeks wondering around trying to find our cabin or the dining room again.

This was looking from our cabin door along one side of the corridor ... to give you some idea of the size.. and the same distance ran the other way as well.

I will show you some more of the inside of the ship in my next post as we had two days sailing before reaching the first port of call.

Hugs xx

Holiday Post ...

Hi Everybody ... I am in Palma Majorca writing this post and would you believe ....it's raining. We went to the Caves of Drach this morning and it was really wonderful going underground to the largest subteranean lake in Spain.

The views were breathtaking.  I have photos to show you just as soon as I can but the cost of Internet connection on the ship is very expensive and it is slow so it takes up the money before I can get any where.

The holiday so far has been really good and ysterday we visited the Sagradia Famillia in Barcelona ... and wait till I show you those photos.

It was absolutely stunning and we had to  queque for almost an hour to get inside and guess what  ..... it was raining then too.  Even got a photo of my film  crew under a brolly we bought from some enterprising person for $5.

But it was so worth it it when we got inside.

So this is a short post and thanks for all your good wishes. The photos will follow as soon as I can hook up my own PC to the internet.

Hugs xx