And then along came a special offer on Groupon - just over R5000 for both of us on a cruise from Durban to Portuguese Island - and we talked about maybe going ... and then the special offer was sold out so we said, oh well, it's not meant to happen. Until it came back on Groupon - and impulsively we booked.
On Monday 4th April we set off - to stand in a LONG queue to check in and another LONG queue to go through passport control. Pete was NOT impressed when we got onto the ship and we had to queue AGAIN to find some lunch and then AGAIN for lifeboat drill.
The ship is impressive - big areas where people can congregate - lounges, theatres, bars, dining rooms, pool areas, shops - all beautifully appointed and cleaned all the time. Cabins are a bit small but there are plenty of other places to go so it doesn't matter that the rooms are small.
And it went on for quite a lot of the 3 1/2 days
As the weather wasn't calm enough to get off at Portuguese Island - so we spent one day in Maputo Bay - lovely sun and a calm day as we looked longingly over to the Island, unable to get there.
We decided the pool deck was a bit crowded for us, so we found sun loungers on the aft deck on our floor, where were were on our own for most of the day. We spent sunset on the deck - the clouds made for an amazing sunset.
The weather got worse as the evening went on and we started to move out to sea for a very slow trip back to Durban. That's when I really felt sick and spent quite a lot of time lying on my bed while Pete wandered the decks alone - before they locked the doors so we couldn't get out, it was so rough.
So what didn't we like - the number of people on the boat - 2500 passengers and 800 crew. We would have been happier with 2450 people less! The buffets - such a crush and people were greedy - it made us feel a bit sick. And the rah-rah entertainment - not our scene even when I was feeling ok - imagine learning to salsa when the floor is moving all the time. And the cost of the drinks!!
What did we like - looking at (not buying) the shops, the beautiful carpets and furniture, the lovely views when it was fine, the lovely dinners, the shows (we only went to one), the delicious Proseco on the Italian Dinner night, and the attentiveness of the waiting staff - the waiters are amazing!
Would we do it again - maybe. If we knew we would be able to get off at ports and see something different. We would prefer a different boat with less people. But if another special came up, we might take it.
As we said, the adventures cover the whole spectrum of our 40 years - so my dos of nausea must have been the year I was pregnant with Sarah and had endless morning sickness!!
The year is a quarter over and so far we've had 9 adventures - so we need to move things on a bit. Any ideas?
Thanks for sharing your adventure, Deb and Pete. You are brave. I am not a good traveler so I don't think I'd venture onto a ship not knowing if I'll be sick the whole time. It does look amazing though.
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