BOREDOM ABOARD THE BRITANNIA

WE SAVED HARD FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS TO GO ON OUR TRIP OF A LIFETIME,NOT ONLY THE DESTINATION BUT THE FACT WE WERE GOING ON A NEW SHIP ,THE BRITANNIA.WE WOULD HAVE DONE BETTER GOING ON AN OLD SHIP AROUND THE MEDITERANEAN.WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO SPEND MANY DAYS AT SEA BUT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD ENJOY FIRST CLASS ENTERTAINMENT AND HAVE FUN ,FUN,FUN.WE WERE SUBJECTED TO THE MANY MONOTANOUS CHANCES TO TAKE PART IN QUIZES THE COST TO P AND O ZILCH,ON DECK QUOITS THE COST TO P AND O ZILCH ,WE COULD JOIN COOKERY CLUBS THE COST TO P AND O ZILCH BUT COST TO THE TRAVELLER VERY EXPENSIVE,IF WE WERE PEOPLE THAT ENJOY DANCEING WE COULD JOIN THE USUAL DANCE AND KEEP FIT CLASSES OR WE COULD GO TO THE EXPENSIVE GYM OR EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE HEALTH CLUB.SWIMMING WAS CATERED FOR BUT IF YOU WERE A NON SWIMMER AS I A AM AND WANTED TO JUST COOL OFF OR PLAY IN THE WATER WITH GRANDCHILDREN TOTALLY OUT OF THE QUESTION AS THE POOLS WENT FROM 5FT 5INS TO 7FT 5INS AND I AM 5FT TALL SO ALL WE COULD DO AT THE POOL WAS SIT AT THE EDGE AND DANGLE OUR FEET AND WHAT I FOUND DISTURBING IS THAT IN BRITAIN WE HAVE TAKEN HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES TO OUR ABSOLUTE MEASURES BUT ON BRITANIA NO LIFE GUARDS BY THE POOLS.WE WERE INVITED TO DRESS UP BLACK TIE ON FOUR OCCASIONS WHICH WE TOOK GREAT ATTENTION AND CARE TO DO SO.FOR WHAT I DON’T KNOW AS FOUR OF THE NIGHTS WE COULDN’T FIND ANYTHING TO DO EXCEPT SIT IN A CORRIDOR OR COFFE BAR AS ALL THE BARS WERE SO FULL WE COULDNT FIND ANYWHERE TO GO .MY HUSBAND FOUGHT HIS WAY TO A BAR AND CARRIEDS DRINKS BACK TO WHERE WE HAD FOUND SPACE.THE THEARTRE SHOWS WERE EXTREMELY POOR THERE WAS ONLY TWO NIGHTS THAT CAME CLOSE TO BEING A SHOW.WE HAVE BEEN ON MUCH CHEAPER CRUISES ON MORE SUBSTANDARD SHIPS THAT HAVE SHOWN FABULOUS SHOWS.ALSO CHILDRENS DISCO WAS AT 6.30PM AND AN ADULT HAD TO ATTEND AND OUR DINNER SITTING WAS 6.30PM SO HOW COULD OUR GRANCHILDREN GO TO THE DISCO WE DID COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS WHILST ON THE SHIP TO NO AVAIL.I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY. WE HAVE BEEN CRUISING MANY YEARS AND HAD SOME TRULY FABULOUS TIMES THIS TIME WE THOUGHT WE WOULD PUSH THE BOAT OUT AND TREAT OURSELVES TO THE BEST WE COULD AFFORD AND I HAVE TO SAY IF THIS HAD BEEN OUR FIRST CRUISE WE WOULD NEVER HAD CRUISED AGAIN. THIRTEEN DAYS WE WERE SUBJECTED TO BOREDOM WITH TIME TO FILL P AND O’S TILLS IN THEIR SHOPS AND BARS SO WE WERE CASH COWS FOR P AND O TO MAKE MONEY ON THE SHIP TO GET THE SHIP OVER THE ATLANTIC INTO THE CARIBBEAN.THEN WE WERE SUBJECTED TO POOR ISLANDS TO BE HASSLED BY PEOPLE WANTING TO GET HOLD OF OUR HARD EARNED CASH.NOT THAT I MIND SPENDING MY MONEY IN OUR DESTINATIONS BUT NEVER I HAVE I BEEN TO SUCH POOR ISLANDS I AM SURE THERE IS BETTER ISLANDS TO VISIT I NOTICED THAT THE SHIP WAS LEAVING BARBADOS WITHA MUCH BETTER ITINERAY THAN WHAT WE HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT A HOLIDAY AND PEOPLE ALL OVER THE SHIP WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT MUCH THE SAME THING AND I HOPE THEY ALL PUT IT DOWN ON PAPER.