I am the owner of a global Visit-the-World.com web-site and also of a tourist attraction and camping/caravanning site called Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park at Gwbert, Cardigan, Wales.
Therefore, we are extremely interested in cruising and world travel.
On September 18th 2013, we embarked on our first ever Celebrity cruise, after having made several other cruises with other lines over the past 15 years, several with the excellent Bolsover Cruise Club.
For the first time, we cruised from Harwich, Essex, which was a long way from Cardigan, Wales on the west coast.
It may have been 340 miles via the dreaded M25 after the M4.
We stayed the night in Colchester the night before to get to Harwich early.
We entered the car park at 10 am to be told it was not open, even though we could board at 11.30 am.
The parking people suggested we go to theCafeat a supermarket half a mile away, for an hour.
They could do with aCafewaiting room at Harwich Car Park.
We returned at 11.10 am and got in straightaway.
The cases got taken immediately, no messing around.
However, we were shocked when we paid €87 parking fee in CASH and were told they did not give receipts for cash!!!??? Amazing ! As a businessman, that is ludicrous.
Anyone could have pocketed the €87 !! There is no record.
First impression of the ship, following the Ventura in May ? The decor and wood-panelling seem plain and a bit “anti-septic” after more “colourful” , flashy ships.
The wood [ or plastic wood] was a beech-type grain , not as attractive as some woods.
Again, by the middle of the cruise, we were used to it.
The window [ great large round window] cabin was excellent.
We’ve had both bigger and smaller in the past.
We had a great location , starboard on deck 3 next door to the main desk and foyer area, so handy for embarkations etc.
The lifts were great, with VERY few queues.
The 2000 person Infinity did not feel as crowded as the 3000 passenger Ventura in May.
There were more lift queues on the Ventura.
We chose this cruise because, at 66 , I normally work a 7 day week, March to November running the Farm Park.
It was our first Sept holiday in 42 years of marriage.
Our daughter and son-in-law joined the business last Oct, giving us our first May and Sept breaks ever.
We normally cruise in winter, restricting our venues.
So we had never seen the areas around L Havre, Bordeaux, Bilbao , Vigo and Oporto.
We were not there for the wine, we wanted the shore destinations, and 2 days for most destinations suited us.
We are not keen on sea days.
I am not particularly keen on dressing up either ! First stop , we went to Honfleur in Normandy by sharing a taxi from the BUS DEPOT for the 14 miles with two English couples who were on our ship.
There was a problem with buses to Honfleur.
The first two were full.
They need more local buses if there is a cruise ship in Le Havre.
One of the men was paralysed from the waist down, so we had to fold his wheel-chair in the taxi.
We managed fine.
It cost 55 Euros, so we gave the driver 60 Euros, 10 Eur each, and asked him to return at 5.30 pm as we went our separate ways for the day.
Honfleur is a superbly atmospheric , mediaeval town around three harbours.
There are dozens of lovely restaurants around the picturesque Old Harbour.
Great for sea food in a very pretty town .
VERY Recommended day out !! We had lovely weather and everyone met up at 5.30 pm to return directly to the ship.
Another 55 Euros…..we gave 60 Euros and everyone was very pleased.
Next day, my wife and I took the train to Rouen.
Very interesting old city with a lot to see around the old part surrounding the cathedral , made famous by Monet.
Scaffolding marred it though ! There was disappointing thick sea fog around Britanny with no sea-day sun bathing and the fog-horn going quite often.
The sea was flat calm though.
Then we hit GREAT WARM SUNNY WEATHER as we neared La Rochelle further south.
We went to Bordeaux on a cruise booked coach trip.
Excellent !! Bordeaux surprised us.
The wonderful limestone buildings have been cleaned , making a huge area spectacular, architecturally.
It is an UNESCO world heritage site ! No wonder ! The 18th century buildings all along the Garonne River are fantastic ! A picture ! It was a Sunday, so locals were enjoying in the river-side parks.
We could do with more time there sometime.
The next day, we explored La Rochelle.
That is also very interesting and old in parts, but nowhere near the smartness of Bordeaux .
Still, La Rochelle is very nice.
The Germans used it for their U-Boat harbour in World War 2.
The many Americans and Canadians on our cruise were either primarily there for the wine cellars of France and Spain or for a visit to Omaha Beach in Normandy.
The weather was around 80 degrees and sunny in Bordeaux !! Beautiful ! Next stop, was Bilbao in the Basque region of Spain.
First day, we took the coach trip to San Sebastian, which I last visited in 1964 as a 17 year old schoolboy.
It is a superb resort with attractive classical buildings.
We would have liked more time there.
we didn’the walking tour with an EXCELLENT Basque guide, who knew his stuff! The Basque region has an unemployment rate of 11 per cent compared to Spain’s 27 pc.
In those hills there are MANY newish factories and depots between Bilbao and San Sebastian, even though there is little flat ground.
They are an entrepreneurial people, with the oldest language in Europe [ pre-Indo-European].
Even older than my first language of Welsh , which was the language of England and Southern Scotland for 1000 years [ in earlier form] , before the English came from Germany and the Scots from Ireland, in the 5th century, after the Romans left Britain in AD 410.
The earliest Welsh poetry [I have a copy], of Aneirin’s “Gododdin” comes from Din Eidin, now Edinburgh.
It was composed circa AD 600.
Bilbao surprised me !! Superb clean city with lovely architecture and Old quarter.
We went to the amazing stainless-steel clad Guggenheim Museum.
Not a right-angle anywhere !! Fits in better than I expected !! We needed more time there.
We had to be back on board by about 1 pm if I recall.
Vigo in Galicia , north west Spain , was attractive, although not as smart as the Basque Region.
Still enjoyable with the weather still good.
Cheaper than the Basque area and France.
Then the final port was Oporto , Portugal, where we ran out of luck with the weather.
The heavens opened and there were rivers of water flowing in the streets at times.
We were on the street train in pouring rain, then walked in the dry.
The deluge came just after we got on the bus.
Portugal is REALLY suffering economically.
Old buildings need sprucing up.
Many are closed for business! Very sad.
The Euro has not done them favours.
MUCH cheaper for coffees , cakes etc than Northern Spain and France.
Still worth visiting.
It would look much better on a sunny day.
Then two sea days back to Harwich.
The Infinity food is excellent on the whole, with the beef being really tender and good.
I am a beef farmer , so I know beef !! We had chosen Anytime Dining , so we had to queue at times.
Not bad though.
However, one meal took 2 hours to serve so we missed a very good juggler.
Never mind ! Some entertainment was excellent, especially the comedic violinists and Sam Kane , the singer/comedian.
The principals in the shows had excellent voices, better than on Ventura, I reckon.
However, one young lady, singing in a band was out of tune at times.
There was MORE CHOICE and items of entertainment on the Ventura.
Celebrity Infinity could do with more talks/lectures on sea days.
Bit lacking there.
And WHY have LOUD music blaring non-stop in your ears on the top deck, from HUGE speakers.
Mature people…….MOST CRUISERS….DON’T WANT A CONTINUAL NOISE BOMBARDMENT IN THEIR EARS IF THEY ARE SNOOZING , READING , CHATTING OR SUN-BATHING ON THE TOP DECK !!! ……ALL WE WANT IS PEACE AND QUIET !! SWITCH THE DAMN MUSIC OFF, PLEASE !! Berlitz Book of Cruising makes this point too !! A very good ship on the whole[ no norovirus BUG hit me , like on the Oriana in Nov 2012 !! ] is being spoilt by one or two things that can be put right at NO COST…or very cheaply !! One little thing !! Please get some HP BROWN SAUCE FOR OUR BRITISH BREAKFASTS IN THE OCEAN-VIEW SELF SERVICE!! AI STEAK SAUCE FOR THE YANKS……….AND NO HP BROWN SAUCE FOR BRITS………SAILING FROM ESSEX !!! ????[ SOUTHAMPTON IS MUCH EASIER FOR US IN WEST WALES , MIND !] COR’ BLIMEY !!
