Refit - The Journey Commences

Arcadia is in refit in Bremerhaven, returning to service on 20th December.


Bermuda Deck (Deck 7) Aft cross-alleyway - before..........

Well, Mr Cusick issued a challenge to me to ensure that the transformation of the aft end of the ship goes smoothly!! The work has been swift and within twelve hours, even before James had left, we see........




"Just make sure it's cleaned up before I go....!"
The ship has been a hive of activity with instant transformations of areas familiar to all. We have arrived safely into the wet dock at Bremerhaven and our first meetings with the shipyard managers and P&O Cruises Technical Superintendents, who we work with to ensure a smooth refit, took place this morning. I am all 'coffeed out'! We go to great lengths to protect items and areas that are not being refurbished - which means I keep slipping off the plastic coverings of the restaurant chairs and having mini-electric shocks on the plastic deck protection! All very stimulating! The catering has now also transferred off the ship to the yard canteen and I'll post some photos of that on another blog soon.

I am around the ship a lot to monitor the progress of the various projects. Sticking with the cabin theme I'll leave you with a 'one off' view of the stripping out of B138, the St Tropez Suite. The poor cabin steward would have a bit of a problem trying to clean this now.......!



All this in twelve hours....

I think it'll take a bit longer to rebuild somehow! Well, it's lunchtime now so it's off into the freezing cold to sample some fine British fare in the yard canteen.

Bye for now.

Ian

Current thought: If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Hello and goodbye!

James and Ian handing over today.......


Good Day Everybody

Well, we made it - eventually! We arrived in Southampton some twelve hours behind schedule last night and passengers remained in good spirits right until the very end. Our Cruise Director, Sally, laid on two additional shows in the Palladium Theatre - just when they thought the show was over there wasn't a dry eye left in the house when the Headliner's Theatre Company broke out with an emotional version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - the impact of the opening line was not lost on the audience!

Arcadia is now on the way to Bremerhaven for her first refit and today I handed over to my colleague Executive Purser Ian Wynne-Smythe. Many of our regular blog readers will know Ian as he has served on board many of our P&O Cruises' ships. Ian and I first worked together on Canberra in the early 90's. My thanks to Ian for volunteering to continue this blog during my leave. I am so excited about going home for Christmas and the New Year and will be rejoining Arcadia on 5th January at Southampton for Arcadia's Inaugural Grand Voyage.

All good wishes

James

We may not arrive at our port within a calcuable period, but we would preserve the true course. Henry David Thoreau

ARCADIA Inagural Grand Voyage 2009

Hello Again - just to keep your interest!

Arcadia lets go of her lines in Southampton at 5.00pm on Monday, 5th January 2009 ( the last time for 3 months) she embarks on her very first Grand Voyage. I will be on board - how exciting to be doing a world trip leaving at Southampton and returning to Southampton.

The first leg of this unforgettable adventure will take us to the island of the rich and famous, Palma, then to the mythical land of the Greek Gods, Piraeus. A highlight is undoubtedly going to be transiting one of the greatest engineering feats of modern times, the famous 100 mile long Suez Canal which will guide us to the mysterious land of the Pharoes and Salalah, capital city of Oman bringing us gently to the end of the 1st leg in the bustling city of Mumbai on 23rd January.

The 2nd leg carries us off to far off exotic lands most of us only dream of, Phuket, Penang, Port Kelang, Kemaman, Laem Chabang, Ko Samui, concluding in the vibrant city of Singapore.
Almost half way now!!

Arcadia’s 3rd leg departs from Singapore for Sydney on Friday, 6th February, visiting our friends Down Under in Fremantle, Albany, Adelaide and Melbourne along the way before sailing majestically under the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge toward our berth which is a stone’s throw from the legendary Opera House, a sight not to be missed and definitely not the morning to have a long lie in bed!

The 4th leg of this adventure takes us to Brisbane, Whitsunday Island, Guam, Nagasaki, Xingang, Shanghai and the vivid colours, sights and smells of Hong Kong.
From Hong Kong we travel to Halong Bay, Phu My, Kampong Saom, Singapore, Langkawi, Cochin, Muscat and exuberant Dubai.

The final leg of Arcadia’s Grand Voyage returns us to the pyramids in Egypt, back through the Suez Canal, Port Said, Suez, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Lisbon, Vigo before finally arriving back to our home port bringing with us 3 months of fantastic memories and unforgettable experiences.

Just think of all the blogs I will be able to post with all these exciting ports of call and wide oceans to sail............................please come back for more!!

Put a note in your diary now - http://www.jamescusick.co.uk/ - to check out my blog starting 5th January 2009. Happy New Cruising Year!

I will personally know many of our passengers on this Grand Voyage and by the time I return to Southampton I will know them all and they me................

There is a WORLD OUT THERE - come and join us on ARCADIA!

Best wishes meantime,

James.

New year, New Beginnings, New Journeys, New Hope, New Dreams.......

Christmas Cruise – Mediterranean Collection

This Christmas on board Arcadia is going to be a delightful Cruise around some of our favourite Mediterranean cruise ports.

Walking in a winter wonderland on board......the gingerbread display village.

We will have the pleasure of seeing a crisp and bright Lisbon followed by quick half day call to Gibraltar where I’m sure the legendary Rock will make for a stunning backdrop amid the clear blue winter skies.

Christmas Day is at sea which is a personal and memorable experience for everyone, passengers and Ship's Company alike. I take great pleasure in joining the Carol singers in the Restaurant for a few verses of Once in Royal David’s City, Deck the Halls among many more much loved carols and enjoy a truly traditional and festive evening. On Christmas Day it is a long standing P&O Cruises tradition that the Officers service the Christmas Day lunch in the Crew Mess! Captain Walters will be in the Galley carving the turkey!!

It is amazing what our Chefs can do with food!

We will have Santa Claus appearing out of the funnel to an excited crowd singing carols on the aft deck, crackers, party hats and all the trimmings. We even put on a special Christmas Show. We don't over do the piped music but we have something for everyone - you can do as much as you want or as little! We have a Company who specialise in Christmas Decorations and it takes around 35 dedicated people who work to a plan to decorate the ship. P&O Cruises give everyone a special Christmas Gift. We thing of everything - after all we have been doing it since 1837!

We also carry Chaplains on board the Christmas Cruise and there will be an Interdenominational Carol service with the seven lessons on Christmas Day. Special Choirs (made up of passenger and crew) and music galore!

So if you ever get tired of the Supermarket rush, who to invite to dinner and who not to invite to dinner, all those decorations to sort and spring clean the house then I suggest you just pack you cases and come on board with us. Don't forget to pack bags of style as on our ships you can dress to the nines. We have Formal Dress Codes which our passengers love and the British are adamant that we must maintain our standards of dress. There are not many places ashore now where people can look like Hollywood Stars for the evening!

One of the oldest professions in the Bible is the Innkeeper who was overbooked at the very first Christmas and had to use the Stable - this is how I like my Hotel to be - fully booked to over flowing! What a life being an 'Inn keeper' at sea!

Bye for now,

James.

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white - on a P&O CRUISES Ship that's WHITE!!

ROME - The Eternal City

Greetings from Rome!

As you will see from the pictures it was an overcast day but very comfortable for visiting the sights - so if you are not too fond of the high temperatures this is a good time of year to visit Rome. I never cease to wonder at the majesty of the place.

The Vatican Guards are always around to keep a watch eye - security is very tight.

The best people watching CAFE for morning Coffee and the best rest rooms in town!

The Entrance Foyer for St Peter's.

Not all areas of St Peter's are open to the public.

Below - the most famous stacking chairs in the world.

Cross over the Bridge for a light lunch.....

A comfortable little lunch stop before retuning for the coach back to the ship.

No matter how far your travel your Hotel awaits - the ARCADIA - waiting to throw the ropes off and sail the oceans deep....

And so another day is coming to an end but the evening is just beginning - so many memories that will last a lifetimes and this is just on day of your holiday! This is also a very specail day for the members of staff who get a chance to visit Rome. There are so many sights to visit in Rome and I have been to them all, and as always with P&O Cruises the choice is YOURS!

I would love to play one of the Organs in St Peter's so if any of you have any connections please let me know............

Every blessing,

James.

All roads lead to Rome!

The Reception Team - Ross Thomas

Ross Thomas my Front of House Manager with his FABULOUS Reception Team.

From left: Pearl, Bhushan, Cecilia, Elvis, Saviona and Ross

Hello Again!

The fabulous reception team are on duty daily and with plenty of smiles, regardless of the numerous types of queries and comments they deal with. They are the first point of contact for many enquiries. For those sunglasses forgotten at the champagne sail away, the reception will have them in lost property by the time the sun comes up the following day!! They will exchange currency, take payments for accounts and even sell those much needed stamps for the loved ones post cards. If the loved ones are on board, the team will also take gift orders ranging from the delicious cakes prepared in the galley to the relaxing treatments available in the Spa. If you would rather enjoy fine dining then they will also take reservations for the Gary Rhodes Restaurant, Arcadian Rhodes and The Orchid Restaurant.

Ross is also the 'Boss' for our on board FLORISTS - pictured above are Randy and Jeff.

Not only do they make up the gift orders but they also are responsible for the stunning arrangements of fresh flowers around the ship. Randy is also a big hit with our passengers when he appears in the talent show.................Randy also puts on Acoustic Nights in the Crew Bar!

The Passenger Service Assistants will keep everyone well connected with the long distant 'real world' that is left behind when you are cruising on board a P&O Cruises Super liner. They can connect calls, organise emails and fax, while also keeping passengers updated with the daily news. If that’s not enough they even provide a small piece of entertainment, no not their humorous side, the popular daily crossword!

Can we Help? - they all have a fun side! The Reception Team are great to work with. I once did an entire Round World Cruise on the Front Desk from Southampton to Southampton. It was hard work but I got to know all the passengers by name and we had a great time.

My favourite line is 'Is there anything else I can do for you?'

Must go and see to some passengers who wish to speak with me!

Bye for now,

James.

'When you smile the whole world smiles with you!'

The Oasis SPA - Paula Lees

Meet Paula Lees - The Oasis SPA Manager.

Good Day Everyone,

The Oasis Spa & Salon on board ARCADIA is a haven of tranquility, relaxation and serenity offering everything you would expect from a modern 5 Star Spa. Treat yourself to a new hair style, a make-over, a facial, massage therapy, detoxifying treatment or even personal training, there is something for everyone. And as the centre piece, we have the Hydro pool and Thermal Suite, the most relaxing area on the ship. A body temperature-mineral water pool with jet sprays for your neck and shoulders, metal bar beds to let the waves wash over you and the Lymphatic ring that invigorates your immune system.

Imagine going into the Thermal suite and relaxing on heated ceramic seats followed by heating up in any of the three steam rooms! I'm sure you'll agree, the Spa is the place to be!

Paula has a team of 18 staff in total, consisting of Fitness, Beauty, Massage, Hair, Nails and Reception. Paula is great fun to be around and has such a positive approach to her job.

Says Paula 'I love what I do and feel very proud to say that I am the Manager of such a wonderful department on board Arcadia'.


Wish you were here!

Bye for now,

James.

'Relax and forget about the cares of the world'!

Palma - Harbour View!

Hello again,

When I was in Palma last Tuesday I asked my good friend Toni Horrcch if he could find me a nice picture of the harbour for my blog - I just received this picture today so I would like to share it with you - SPECTACULAR I would say!

Toni is Managing Director of our Ship's Agency in Palma, Miguel Puigserver SA. They are one of our leading agencies and nothing it too much trouble for them.

Enjoy,

James.

Alf & Sally Fiddes

Good Day!

Meet Alf and Sally Fiddes who are great fans of P&O Cruises. Mr and Mrs Fiddes did their first cruise in 1957 on board IBERIA with Commodore Mallet, and the fare was £32.00 per person for a 10 day cruise. Their first port of call was to be Agidir however they had an earthquake there and the ship had to berth in Casablanca. Their second cruise was on ARCADIA number 2 with Captain Mayne and Staff Captain Dickie Firth. Sally says that on those days you had to register three years in advance to get on board! In 1962 they left New York on the CANBERRA on the day that Marilyn Munroe was found dead.

Alf and Sally have completed 132 Cruises with P&O Cruises many of these being Round World Cruises and Long Voyages - too many to count says Sally!!! They did their 100th Cruise on board ARCADIA number 3 with Captain Richard Fennelow and were upgraded to the top suite. Alf and Sally have been married for 54 years - they celebrated their Golden Wedding on board this ARCADIA in 2005. They have sailed on every P&O Cruises Ship that has been in service since 1957.

I asked Sally what was the highlight of all this travel with P&O Cruises and she said it was when she was with me in 1995 and we were presented to HM The Queen at the naming of ORIANA.

As very loyal passengers they were invited to the ceremony.

Sally tells everyone she is my 'Granny'! Which I take as a term of endearment. You could not meet nicer people than Alf and Sally, they bring joy and happiness to every occasion and above all Sally says that it is their cruising holidays that give them the energy to carry on with the Charity Work when they are back home.

Best wishes to Alf and Sally for many more happy cruises, we love you! I know they have two more booked! But that's no surprise is it?

Once you've booked - you're hooked!!

Bye for now,

James.

'It's the people that make the places'

Christmas Market.

Good Day Everyone,

Pictured above is Richard and Jo Player who introduced themselves to me at the Christmas Market in The Meridian Restaurant. Jo is a cousin of Gill Fields who used to work with me in the as our Children's Officer. Jo tells me that Gill is a BLOG fan so HELLO to Gill back at home! How strange that we should meet today as I once acted as Santa Claus for Gill in St Maarten in the Dutch Antilles, when I came out to the ship by boat with all the kids screaming with excitement over the ship rails at the sight of Santa coming on board. I will never forget it.

Some other passengers whom I have just met this cruise invited me to ARCADIAN RHODES for Dinner last evening which was a most enjoyable occasion. A couple of them are real foodies and live in Spain so I was happy to know that they were really impressed.

Karen Snaith our Commercial Manager held a Christmas Market in The Upper level Meridian Restaurant - our stunning two deck main dining room at the aft end of the ship on levels 1 and 2. The atmosphere was very festive with mulled wine and Christmas music and an array of goods to view. It was an extra event for a sea day morning and over 1000 passengers passed through the doors.

Karen with her SPA Team.


Katy and Charlie adding the Festive SPARKLE!

Donna and Kingsly with their famous 'Captain's GALA DINNER plate' which is very popular.


Our lovely Jenny who is our Communications Assistant who helped out at the Christmas Market with the Art Display.


The Meridian Restaurant with the brass shining!

Later I had a 'huddle' with all the Hotel Officers in The Conference Room to run over my expectations for the forthcoming Refit, The Christmas Cruise and The Inaugural Grand Voyage.

Our business is all about planning ahead while looking after our Passengers and Ship's Company on a daily basis. Much time and planning has gone into all of this from the on board team and our shore side teams at P&O Cruises therefore we are confident that all will go well. Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail! On these occasions it is empowering to be the Leader of such a professional and dedicated Team of people. We had a couple of days of heavy seas and I thanked everyone for the spectacular customer service that they continue to deliver. It is these Officers who make the difference as they lead their own teams whether it be in sales, Accommodation or Food & beverage, Entertainment or Medical!

Our Executive Chef Haydn Davis in the Print Shop ( below decks!) giving the final 'go ahead to print' on one of our Christmas Menus to Adwin our Senior Printer, along with Marvin our Assistant Printer and in the blue is Paresh our 'Bell Man' who takes all the messages around the ship.

And finally meet Clifford Fernandes who was just been voted in as our new Crew Club Chairman - it was a very close call! Best wishes to Clifford in his new position. Clifford is standing beside one of the hundreds of pieces of art work on display around Arcadia. Please excuse the trolley but these pictures are 'live'!

Wishing you a great week ahead,

James.

'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas'!

EASTENDERS to WEST ENDERS - Sally Sagoe.

Our glamorous Cruise Director Sally Sagoe and I backstage in the Palladium Theatre, checking for final preparations for this evenings show.

From EastEnders to West Enders - meet ARCADIA's Cruise Director Sally Sagoe.

Its such a joy to work with the exciting ,exhilarating, dynamic personality of ex Soap Star and Singer Sally Sagoe - a consummate professional. Its always wonderful to see Sally introduce and close every show in the Palladium Theatre and she is there on the Theatre doors each night of the cruise, chatting personally to all passengers as they leave to get immediate feedback from every show. At the same time Sally will be discussing the tremendous enthusiasm of passengers trying to attend over 40 sea day activities. Sally is an exceptional Manager, a motivator of people, dedicated , committed and versatile. Sally loves a challenge and in our dynamic Cruise business things change with little or no notice , therefore she is a flexible professional who has worked through change management programmes to deliver first class results.

Award nominated ex TV Soap Star Sally is probably best known for the part she played in 'EastEnders' ( Mrs Hannah Carpenter), on of Britain's best loved TV Soap Operas. Her London West End Theatre, Television and Film performances have been well documented, culminating in the accolade of being invited to perform at the ‘Royal Variety Performance’ - Sally is delighted to have met the late Queen Mother. Sally spent many years as a Television and West End Theatre Actress and Singer - and has toured many parts of the world with her own Jazz bands. In addition she is a qualified Teacher & Physical Therapist and designs many of her own glamorous evening dresses. She has been at sea for over a decade. With her zest for life, exotic international background, extensive entertainment background - both as Singer, Actress and Manager , unflagging energy, versatility, travel, and love of people – Sally embodies the ideal Cruise Director.

Sally - who as an artist has experienced many First Night West End Performances tells me, the feeling of a First Night stage performance is exhilarating!! After all the Dress rehearsals ,Tech runs , Topping and Tailing , etc - its finally - “Ladies and Gentlemen Overture and Beginners Please”.The Orchestra are in the Orchestra Pit (beneath the stage) awaiting their “Cue”- the stage set - which took 3 hours to build - looks stunning - an “OSA” (off stage announcement) advising passengers about the show is heard - artists are in positions stage left and stage right - “Head packs” are on - costumes adjusted – you are waiting in the “wings” - the house lights go down - the auditorium is silent - Front of house and Backstage expectant – sound and lighting effects spring into action - its curtain up - and - you’re on!

Another exciting P & O Cruises West End style musical production is about to commence. The excitement is mounting - finally you are on stage - everything you worked towards is for this moment –- the audience response is electric - another standing ovation - the feeling is indescribable - that’s Showbiz and we love it.

I love the Theatre on Arcadia says Sally - Superb sound and lighting equipment - exemplary technicians - wonderful Pyrotechnics - its like working in the West End every night - what more could a girl ask for?! Last nights production was “World Steps” - with stunning costumes, choreography and cast performances. Here is a photograph of the cast together with Sally and I.

Headliners Theatre Company - It’s Curtain Up with Sally !

Sally says - life at sea is wonderful . Life long friendships are forged in this luxurious styled International community. Trust, loyalty ,commitment, dedication and honesty are good old fashioned values essential to the well being of our ship community.

As Executive Purser this is the best thing about my job, getting involved in so many different aspects of the ship.

Have a great Weekend!
James.

'Excellence will explode in your life when you are inspired by an idea, driven by a dream, pushed by a purpose and propelled by a passion'.
Howard Simon

Ajaccio

The view from my cabin as I opened the Curtains today. No winter blues here!! This is the port of Ajaccio coming into view.

The Napoleonic Exhibitions at Ajaccio.

Bonjour!

Ajaccio is a beautiful port of call on the Island of Corsica. This is where Napoleon was born and everywhere around the town you are reminded of their Hero with tributes to the great Emperor. The population is around 280,000 people and this is a French Island however it used to belong to the Italians before Napoleon came along. As our Agent told me Napoleon won many battles but also lost a few - but sure isn't life like that?! The Island is divided into two areas - the North and the South - how unusual! In the north there is BASTIA and this is the administration Capital and all the Ferries operate from there. In the south AJACCIO is the commercial centre and the focus for all Cruise Ship activities. It would take you 2.5 hours to drive from Ajaccio to Bastia via a range of mountains some as high as 2500 meters . You can imagine how wonderful it is here with the French and Italian influences.

The Calanches of Piana.

A busy day on board for all as we are at anchor and operating a boating service to the town. Passengers find this very exciting as they get a change to view their Ship ARCADIA from the water. All the local shop keepers and Coffee Bar owners must love to see the ARCADIA pull into port!!!

The Sanguinary Tower at Ajaccio. See the crystal clear waters!


On board ARCADIA we have our team of BUTLERS! When I was working in the P&O Cruises Southampton Office in 1999 I had all the fun of setting up the Butlers Job Description, the Service Standards Manual and then interviewing 36 candidates for the position. The Butlers have been a very welcome addition to the top suite services. Did you know that all of our Suites have their own individual names on the door and are named after famous ports which we visit?For example The New Orleans Suite, The Athens Suite, The Auckland Suite and such like.

ARCADIA's Suites are served by a Team of five Butlers. Between them they provide various services to 35 Suites around the ship. They organise the Concierge service, special items and requests making sure are all is at hand even before the passengers embark on the ship. They start the cruise by meeting the passengers and escorting them to their Suites and helping them unpack and settle in. In a typical day the Butlers start with early morning tea and breakfast service, organising advance booking in our Speciality Restaurants, Tours bookings, Spa appointments, organising parties right from arranging the canapés to delivering the invites, serving lunch and afternoon teas, drinks& canapé service in the evening, and finally ending the day serving an intimate dinner on the balcony. They still find time to deliver laundry and to clean shoes. The butler is only a phone call away and will even help you pack and escort you to the gangway as you disembark the ship. The Butlers Team on board the Arcadia consists of Rajesh Kumar Sharma, Satya Sahu, Anoopkumar Purshottam, Rohit Pinto and Santosh Kiran Barboza.

My grateful thanks to Laurent Sicard, managing Director of Medacruise for the French lessons and some of the beautiful photographs. Laurent takes care of Corsican Ports.

And finally my thanks to my good friend and Colleague Peter Thomas, Executive Purser on board AURORA for this fantastic picture of AURORA at Anchor. The Butlers first went live in 2000 on board AURORA, the year AURORA was named by HRH Princess Anne, and guess what I was there!

Meilleures Salutations,

James

It will soon be Christmas and we will all be singing 'When the red red Robin comes Blog Blog Blogging along'!

BARCELONA!

Good Day Everyone,

Welcome to Barcelona! It is one of my favourite cities in the whole wide world. It is so lively and vibrant and so so stylish.

Even the Cruise Terminal is very stylish - you would think you were in a modern Hotel Foyer.

The gangway configuration today. As you can see it was a clear sunny day - great for November!

Having a terminal building means that you are leaving the ship much higher and this gives you the chance to study the ARCADIA and see things you would not normally look at like our Fast Rescue Craft, which we would use if there was a 'man overboard' or the likes.

The building above is the impressive Naval Academy, not to be confused with the 'Cusick Academy of Cruising' which many of my staff have graduated from!!!!!

We had a busy morning with arrival formalities and Crew Drills followed by Crew Rounds. This is where the Ship's Company are exercised in their Emergency Duties. Today we had everyone in The Palladium Theatre for Refit Safety Awareness. Then I inspected a section of crew accommodation on the forward end of deck A. We have a Hilton below decks that only we see, 500 crew cabins.

Once all the morning business was cleared up the Blog Luncheon Associates met on the quayside to go in one of my favourite restaurants - Los Caracoles for the best Garlic Prawns and Roast Chicken in town!

I always like to check the table - it is a 'Hotel Trait'.........! There are plenty of private rooms for functions as well...you can see the chickens cooking, and the kitchen staff are very welcoming! I can see my chickens on the top shelf.....

In 1835, the Bofarull family founded one of the most charismatic restaurants in the City. Can Bofarull, in the most emblematic part of the Gothic District, near Las Ramblas. Over time, the restaurant was renamed in honour of its most famous dishes, LOS CARACLOES (Snails). Since then, four more generations of the Bofaurull family have managed to maintain the excellent standard of high quality traditional cooking.

Check out their website -

http://www.loscarracoles.es/

So much to look at in the interior of the Los Caracoles.

I enjoyed the the show last evening and managed a dance in the Electra doing my ship walk, I love dancing, fell in with some good company and, before I knew it I was 'On that midnight train to Georgia'!!!

Must go and see what is going on in the Hotel. Arcadia is now sailing for Ajaccio where we will be at anchor and run a boating operation between the ship and shore.

Best wishes,

James

'No one can know the pleasure of sailing free over the great oceans save those who have had the experience'

Joshua Slocum