It was a cold old miserable December day on the 10 th when we set off for Southampton for an 11 night cruise on the Indy to Spain, Madeira, Canaries and Portugal.

Car parking was done via ABP who have a new location on the docks area with mini bus shuttle. The price was good and the service was excellent, we whizzed from car park to terminal in under 5 mins.... easy peasy.

On entering the terminal we joined the first of many queue's to get on board, no individual queue was very long, but the sum total was. Some things could and should be made quicker for sure, and this needs a look at. It did seem slower than last year.

Once on board we headed for the Windjammer for a bite to eat, the choice was good, and the meals were excellent. Things were certainly looking up.

We headed for the cabin to see what the luggage situation was, in short we had a good wait before it turned up (~19:00) and I suspect RCI's system of scanning the cases for contraband is the main cause, they can offload and sort luggage in about 1.5 hrs, but getting cases to the cabin took 6 !!!

At 16:15 it was lifeboat drill as usual, ample notice was given and they said no lifejackets were needed. All I can say is that I hope that in the event of a real emergency I am not lumbered with some of the mateys who were on this drill, they sauntered around with no sense of purpose, and people were still looking for a lifeboat some 15 minutes later. Still there was a lecture on the Titanic during the cruise, and maybe this would give them some level of inspiration had the need been real?

I see on some reviews that people say that the drill should be indoors in the warm in the theatre, but on ships this size it is important that you know where your lifeboat is and how to get to it. If there was a problem, going to the theatre would be the last thing on my mind.  

Once the luggage had arrived and been stowed, it was off to see if things were much the same as last year. At this point I have to say I am an Indy fan and this was my 3^rd trip on it. I am pleased to say it was business as usual from 2009 and the ship is still in excellent condition. Teams of crew go around cleaning and polishing and their effort really shows.

All the bars are still the same, and some of the crew were still around. It was feeling like a home from home again. One thing that hasn't changed was the drinks prices, they are still high by most standards and this showed most in the restaurants where wine wasn't on the tables of the many. Brits also don't like the compulsory 15% tips added to drinks so many complaints were heard regarding this. The shorts though are at least a double in size, and possibly more, but when you can buy 2 liter Gordon's for $20 in the shop, you do have to think that drink is a cash cow for RCI.

Bar staff are friendly and efficient, and once they suss you out will make sure you get your drink promptly!! A special mention here for the Casino bar staff, and Fernando who worked the Theatre and other bars.

We had asked for 2^nd sitting and went at 20:30 to meet our new dinner friends; we had a table of 8 and quickly introduced ourselves. All were very nice people to dine with, and we had some very pleasant chit chat.

Our table staff Jerrill and Jerry were quite exceptional, and they most certainly earned their tips. In the past we have always thought that the waiters on the day were the best, but these 2 were head and shoulders above any we have met before. The head waiter did introduce himself but played no real part on the waiting process.

The MDR food was very good and certainly better than 2009. There was a “vitality choice” that had ~800 kcal for the diet minded, this menu also had a couple of main course options. The main menu was full of choice and only the really picky could find fault. Every meal had a sugar free pudding option as well, and some of these were very tasty!!!

If you are unfortunately diabetic like me, I can tell you that at every meal there was a good option for us.

So in summary the food is at the very least “good”, and on most occasions very good.

We dined once in Chops Grille and for a $25 fee you can have some high end dining, this was also very good and I have never had so much well cooked lamb on my plate at one time.

If you need a quick snack there are 2 places on the Royal Promenade, one a “Pie and Slice” place, and the pies were quite nice to be fair.

There was also a butty place further up the deck that did sandwiches and cookies; again this was a good place to snack attack.

And last but not least if hunger kicks in unexpectedly you can always summon room service, we did twice and it was first class in every way.

This trip of 11 nights had …

#5 port days.

#5 sea days.

As we all know this part of the world is not exactly hot at this time of the year, so the sea days at the beginning and end were not the best to lay on deck etc. The smaller pool (the adult one) was well heated and was very pleasant to swim in, but the kids and the main pools were decidedly cold. The overhang Jacuzzi pools were as usual ……………. very warm.

The climbing wall and surf machine were in use on most days.

They had a deck party on the crossing from Gran Canarias to Tenerife, the weather behaved itself and it was good. Unfortunately the food was served up quite late, but was very good when we got it.

Entertainment on board was quite good with 4 main shows, some guest entertainers, the ice show, quizzes, audience participation shows, lectures and the dreaded bingo etc. There was quite a lot to do, but sometimes it seemed ……………..  not quite enough. This ship was designed for much warmer climes, and the deck space is a vital component for this. On a wet sea day there were far to many people milling around on deck 5 with nowhere near enough seats for them all.   

I have had a look at the reviews that have already been submitted and see that most are singing the praises of |Joff and his US colleague; they are respectively the Cruise Director and his plucky assistant. I think they were “o/k” but that’s about it, the previous Cruise Director Graham Seymour was so much better and hit the button every time.

PORTS

VIGO – We went there on a Sunday, but as it was close to Xmas a large number of shops were open for biz. I know some of my table colleagues went on excursions and they did enjoy them. Not a lot to say about this place, it’s nice on a warm summer’s day but less so on a cold old December Sunday. I rate 7/10.

MADIERA – For me the highlight of the cruise, it was a nice sunny day and all the shops were open for biz. To get into town can I suggest booking the ships transfer bus, it’s cheaper than a cab and quite regular. Once there lot’s to see and do, and the usual souvenirs are available, these would include tea towels and some very tasty Madeira wines. I rate 10/10.

GRAN CANARIA – I went there earlier this year on a package deal, I don’t think it’s half as nice as Madeira, but the centre is a mere 10 mins walk from the ship and it’s got a large number of shops to spend in. I rate 6/10.

TENNERIEFE – First time here and it was o/k, the city centre is close and there is a free bus from ship to dock gate provided by the port itself. From there it’s up and down the streets, and there are some half decent shopping places to look at. I rate 7/10.

LISBON – our last port and one we quite like. The ship has a shuttle bus into town for ~$15, its cheap enough and I would do it. Once in town there are a number of places to look round and enjoy. Don’t forget to try the local tarts …………. Custard ones I mean, they are a local delicacy and very tasty.

One big thing here is to be on deck when you sail away, you go under what appears to be a bridge that is far to close for comfort. The distance from the bridge to water is 70m at high water, and the height of Indy is 63.7m, so you have a mere 6.3m (~20 foot) clearance, but it does seem much closer than that !! I rate 8/10.

Our cabin steward started off o/k, but towards the end tapered off a bit, the shower soap dispenser was empty and we were bathmat free one night. Minor points I know, but it is his job after all.

I did get an email today (as did many others no doubt) from a lady that was on the face of it hounded by Jehovah’s Witness’s on “a mission”. This seems a bit “off” to me, and I don’t think any of us go on holiday to be hounded by these people. I have nothing against them, but I would have been able to offer them some useful advice had they approached me, but the lady seemed quite upset.

There was unfortunately a novo virus outbreak onboard towards the end, the level of cleaning increased, and there were the usual telltale signs, these are a blue film put over the lift buttons and attendants full time in the toilets etc. RCCI are well versed in these problems and the outbreak seemed to be contained. Moral of the story is to be a clean freak when these things happen.  

The weather was in general very kind to us, the Bay did play up a bit both ways, but it wasn’t rough compared to what we had read about in previous reviews.     

So in summary … Did we enjoy the cruise??  YES we did.

Would we do it again? … Perhaps not in winter, but Indy in summer is our no 1 choice.