Arcadia (P & O)

12th-15th December 2011Voyage No. J113Y – Cruise BreakDestination: Zeebrugge, Le HavreSpecial appearance by Derren Brown

Cabin No. A89 on A Deck:

Due to very bad weather conditions (force 11 gales) we were unable to get into Le Havre and had to spend the day circling round and round near Zeebrugge. Fortunately the seas calmed down a little on the second day and we were able to get into the harbour early in the morning on 14th December. We went into Bruges, taking the train from Blankenbergen, but the weather wasn’t very good and by lunchtime we were freezing and wet! We therefore came back a little earlier than anticipated after a very nice (but wildly expensive) lunch.

The shed was very nice although unfortunately the toilet broke down twice! The public rooms had all been decorated so it looked very Christmassy. This ship had a much more modern feel than some others we had been on and we really liked the design.

Just one formal night as it was a short cruise and we had a table for two in the Meridian Restaurant. Derren Brown was the guest attraction and we had front row seats in the Palladium theatre for his show which was very good.

As we couldn’t get into Le Havre, the Captain decided to keep us circling near Zeebrugge so we would have more chance of getting into that harbour if and when the winds calmed down. You can see from the picture we did an awful lot of circling!

We took the train from Blankenbergen to Bruges and spent a lovely morning walking round the Christmas markets and generally browsing the shops – many of whom had made a big effort with their decorations.

Unfortunately it turned very cold and so we went to a restaurant for a very nice lunch and a curiously presented glass of local beer. We were very surprised at how expensive it had become since we last visited the place.

The weather deteriorated so we headed back to the ship in the pouring (freezing) rain.

Bars/Lounges on Arcadia: The Belvedere (self-service buffet), Meridian Restaurant, the Crow’s Nest, the Orchid Bar, the Piano Bar, the Rising Sun pub (pictured), the Aquarius bar, the Globe and the Palladium Theatre.