Arcadia at Southampton

Good Day Everyone!


Greetings from Arcadia in the Bay of Biscay in perfect sea conditions with blue skies, blue seas and a beautiful white ship setting her course on her first Round World Cruise.


After all the hype on SKY NEWS about the weather in the south of England, we were all a bit concerned as to how our call at Southampton would work out. Obviously everyone wants to get home and the new joining passengers and crew need to get aboard! The force was with us as our day ran without a hitch. We already knew that 58 of our crew members were at Mumbai airport on Saturday when the BA Flight was cancelled, therefore they all had to return home and we had to ask those on board to remain for another 10 days until Barbados. Obviously this was disappointing for those who were all excited about going home to see their families. The crew who were asked to remain on board were marvellous and did so with grace and I do appreciate their full cooperation at this time as we cannot operate without them.


It was a busy day for all staff, and the Christmas decorations all had to be off loaded. New stage sets were loaded for the Headliners Theatre Company - the logistics of all this along with use of cranes and window cleaning etc has to be all carefully coordinated between ship and shore operations. There are so many gift deliveries on a day like this, flower arrangements and champagne galore! So many good wishes being sent with love to family and friends. It is important that we get these to the Staterooms and Suites in good time so as not to miss that special WOW factor moment.


Arcadia was alongside at 0630 hours and baggage discharge and storing commenced. All our passengers disembarked as normal and on time. Our thanks to Evaesway Coaches and our Operations Department as they were ahead of the game. The coaches that were used for Oriana's departure were kept in Southampton along with their drivers, who were put up in Hotels. Each coach had two drivers allocated so that there would never be any need for rest stops should there be delays in traffic due to the severe weather. By 0900 we had the majority of our new crew on board and by 1600 all passengers and crew were on board. Check-in at Ocean Terminal was a dream and there was a happy atmosphere from the moment passengers entered the Terminal. The great advantage of Ocean Terminal is that because of all the glass walls you feel as if you are on the ship the moment you set foot in the building. At 1615 we completed a full Crew Emergency Drill and then at 1630 the statutory Passenger General Emergency Stations Drill. By 1730 all stores and baggage was loaded and the gun port doors secured for sea.


At 1750 the gangways were landed, the pilot was on board, Commodore Steve Burgoine had made his departure broadcast, the band was playing on the dockside, the Firework Contractors were all poised and Arcadia was about to let her ropes go! There was a shiver in my spine and an air of excitement everywhere as passengers and Ship's Company sailed out on this Round World Cruise. The fireworks were let off at the QE2 Berth and added a celebratory edge to our departure, the noise, the dark sky all lit up, the smell of gunpowder..............and the rest!


Many of our Colleagues for our Southampton Office came down to see us and wave us off. I took a few photographs which I will post soon. You just never know who you are going to see next and as our Cruise Director Nigel and I walked around the Muster Stations during the passenger drill there were waves and shouts of 'Hi James - we're back'!! We have a number of Australian Passengers who were with us on last year's Grand Voyage and many British Passengers who have been here before. This is the greatest compliment to any ship, the loyalty of our passengers to the P&O Cruises Brand. I also met another couple today who did a full Caribbean Season with us a couple of years ago - they joined Arcadia at Southampton and cruised on board throughout the Barbados, Acapulco and New Orleans winter fly cruise season and disembarked on the ship's return to Southampton. If you are going to do a winter break you might as well do it in style!


Next port of call is Madeira and then our trans Atlantic sea passage to Barbados. The number of people who have said to me how glad they are to get away from the snow and ice! Thank you to everyone who sent me thank you cards and letters of well wishes for this World Cruise and to say how much they had enjoyed the Christmas Cruise. These are much appreciated and very thoughtful.


Tom and Elane -I missed not bumping into you today! Richard and Susan - hope you got home OK? Anita and Neville I hope you got to meet up with Graham and Jackie - I owe them a thank you note - so Graham and Jackie B - if you are reading this blog please accept my thanks for the book. Charlie and Jean (Margaret!), Harold and Mary et al - thanks for your wonderful company at Dinner! To John and Yvonne down in New Milton - keep well and get yourselves back on Arcadia one of these days! Anne P - make sure you join us for the Sydney Sail in on the 23rd February, and Mike and Beryl - do encourage Anne to do it! Thanks for all the message on the blog - they make my day. It is great to think that Norma and Peris met Elaine and Tom through this blog. On my rounds of the ship today it is very rewarding to have passengers I have not met before come up and say 'James we follow your blog'! Then they tell me they have their friends and family all tuned in to keep track of us. One man said the blog was wonderful as it would save him having to send any postcards!!


I will get a copy of our itinerary posted soon. You can always keep up with our P&O Cruises Ship Web Cameras @ http://www.pocruises.com/ and you check out other sea blogs at http://www.bestblogsatsea.com/

Viewed as one of life's last great travel experiences there's something magical about setting sail to explore the globe. From captivating seascapes to the exciting destination and carefree way of life on board, sailing the globe is an experience you will never forget.


I experienced my very first full Round World Cruise on Sea Princess in 1985 as an Assistant Purser on the Front Desk, and since then I have been part of 18 Round World Cruises ( joining or leaving at some stage of the voyage), from 2003 to 2008 I was fly cruising in the Caribbean.

Joining and leaving in far off ports gave me some wonderful opportunities to tour in Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore. Gosh - I feel very lucky. I often say that if I had my life to live over again I don't know how I would fit it all in - a privileged position to be in I think.........!


Best wishes to all our friends and shipmates on Aurora who are also on their Round World Cruise, we are thinking of you.


The world awaits.


James.



For a moment like this some people wait a lifetime.