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Rulocal
Rulocal

Rulocal

A really nice guy who is working relentlessly for world peace (when sober) Leia mais🇬🇧Ashton-in-Makerfield
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  • RulocalIndy, Spanish FlairRulocal

    Lisbon

    4 de setembro, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Arrived in Lisbon this morning but, I don't think I'll be getting off because a national day of mourning has been declared because of the tragic funicular tram accident last night. Apparently 15 dead and 18 injured.
    💔💔💔So sad 💔💔💔

    On a lighter note just by chance we met two old friends from Scotland, Tom and Jean Kelso, who we had no idea that they'd be on board. So a nice surprise.    Leia mais

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  • RulocalIndy, Spanish FlairRulocal

    Sea Day

    2–3 de set., North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Today we had the Pinnacle Lunch with an officer, which was nice good food, free booze but, no officer, except for the hotel director who introduced the heads of departments then they all promptly left. There used to be a couple of officers who had the meal with us and chatted etc but, obviously times are changing. This is the first time we've sailed with Royal since the loyalty changes and I've got to say it's not the same the whole feel of the ship is different. Luckily we have met up with some old friends and that's but as I said the feel of the ship is different. Whether it's just this ship the Independence ots which we know quite well, I don't know but we'll see.Leia mais

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  • RulocalIndy, Spanish FlairRulocal

    Boarding day and first night

    1 de setembro, Bay of Biscay ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Didn't do a lot today, as is usual for a first night on a cruise. It's the first time I have been on this ship (Independence ots) for about 5 years. Still a good ship but, the atmosphere is not as good as it used to be. This imho is due to the changes in the loyalty program, where now it's hit and miss if you are allowed in the consierge/suites lounge. Where we used to meet everyone and it was like a family, even with the usual family arguments, it was still a great place to meet up with old friends.
    Luckily on this trip we are allowed in the lounge and again by luck we met up with friends that we hadn't seen for ages. First of all I saw Jackie and Terry Jewel, who were sitting with two other friends Wendy and Diana whose surnames I can't remember. Then Sheila Hazlehurst and her husband turned up, so it was almost like old times, and a nice evening was had by all.    Leia mais

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  • RulocalArvia, Mediterranean, May 2025Rulocal

    Cadiz Spain 🇪🇸

    5 de junho, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Cadiz today and I finally got off for a walk around. Been here a few times and I like it. Only off for about an hour and had a stroll along the old ramparts, which are literally 2 minutes away from the ship. But are a nice place to walk along and chill. There are some more ramparts apparently and next time I go to Cadiz I must find them. Ooh I do like a good rampart missus! 🤣Leia mais

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  • RulocalArvia, Mediterranean, May 2025Rulocal

    Barcelona.

    3 de junho, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Well in Barcelona today, I did get off but didn't get far! Firstly the queue for the shuttle busses was horrendous, seriously I've never seen it that bad before. The queue must have contained hundreds of people it zig-zagged right around the terminal. So I started to walk but I didn't get far as my heel was really sore, so I once again returned to the ship. Thing is I've been to most of these ports before, so relaxing on the ship is probably the best option for an old fart like me😂Leia mais

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  • RulocalArvia, Mediterranean, May 2025Rulocal

    Alicante, Spain 🇪🇸

    31 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Well I didn't even get to the bottom of the gangway this time. The weather was in the 30s again and I've seen Alicante before, so I stayed onboard ship again.
    We met two nice couples this evening, who invaded our space 😉 to do the quiz. So obviously we agreed to join them to form a team, they did look like they needed all the help they could get 🤔😉😂. All joking aside, they were lovely people and we joined them every evening from then on to do the quiz. They made the second half of the cruise for us. So thank you Darren, Joanne, Marty and Amanda. An interesting point was that Amanda, is the step daughter of the actor Derek Fowlds, he of Heartbeat and Basil Brush fame. Her biological dad is also an actor, whose name escapes me at the moment.Leia mais

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  • RulocalArvia, Mediterranean, May 2025Rulocal

    Day 3 At Sea

    28 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Day 3 was normal quiet sea day until the captain announced a medical emergency concerning one of the crew. I'm not sure what the problem was but, the captain said we'd be turning around and heading to Lisbon at full cruising speed. Now the next announcement was one I'd never heard before in 25 years of cruising. He wanted volunteers to donate blood so, god knows what had happened to the crew member! Anyway we arrived in Lisbon about 9 in the evening and the crew member was safely transferred to an ambulance. That at the moment is all the information I have.Leia mais

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  • RulocalArvia, Mediterranean, May 2025Rulocal

    Day 2 La Coruña

    27 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today we arrived at our first stop, the port of La Coruña. So as usual I got off the ship for a walk around the town for an hour or so. First stop was an indoor market, selling mainly fish and fruit & veg. I don't know what it is but, foreign food markets seem so much more exotic than the ones at home. Next was one of the most ornate churches I've seen. God knows (well he would wouldn't he) how many small alters there were but, there was a lot. Each one beautiful in its own right. Next I came across an unusual little square which seemed to be dedicated to the film and TV industry. Into the marble floor tiles was carved various characters of the entertainment industry from Laurel and Hardy, to Fred Flintstone and Barney. Now, I've been to La Coruña a few times but, never come across it before. (Just one practical point of interest is that the free wifi just outside the cruise terminal by the two naked statues is very good.)Leia mais

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  • RulocalArvia, Mediterranean, May 2025Rulocal

    Day 1 onboard.

    25 de maio, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The coach trip down to Southampton was tiring but, far better and easier than driving down. We whizzed through check-in thanks to Sheila needing a wheelchair to board as she cannot manage the zig zag passenger bridge. This is the second time we have been on the Arvia and I still can't find my way around. In my defence it is a strangely set out ship, very higgledy piggildy, stop start layout.
    Nice but not one of my favourite ships. A quick word about our cabin, we booked an inside cabin as we normally do. But although clean and in good repair, it is quite small. That appears to be the norm on the newer mega ships no matter which cruise line. The ships are no doubt larger but, to squeeze nearly 8000 passengers/crew they have definitely reduced the size of the cabins particularly the cheaper inside cabins. That said the cabin is comfortable and clean etc, and we don't spend a lot of time in there, mainly just sleeping. So no real problem.    Leia mais

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  • RulocalApex Canaries and PortugalRulocal

    Onboard Celebrity Apex

    6 de outubro de 2024, Espanha ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    First impressions of the ship are good, it is quite big and looks quite different with the magic carpet bars on the side.
    Having said that it's big, at 130,000 tons it's 20,000 tons smaller than the Independence of the seas.
    Anyway upto now I've not bothered getting off the ship at Madeira or Tenerife, choosing to chill out on board instead.
    Today which is day 6 we are in Gran Canaria and for me it might be more of the same, as in chilling out on board. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said it's about the journey not the destination, or something like that!    Leia mais

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  • RulocalApex Canaries and PortugalRulocal

    Coach to Southampton

    1 de outubro de 2024, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    The coach trip to Southampton was really good and comfortable. The time passed really quickly due to chatting with a couple we met from Liverpool (Paul & Janet O'Shaugnessey) I've probably spelled that wrong! On arrival at the port the embarcation was brilliant, smooth quick and efficient. Probably the best we've ever had.Leia mais

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  • RulocalSpectrum, Suez Canal 2019Rulocal

    Spectrum Conclusions

    5 de maio de 2019, Emirados Árabes Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    Nice ship if you like the bigger ships, plenty of things to do and places to eat, even though most of the more interesting places have a cover charge.
    To me, the main inside decks, 4 and 5 don't seem to flow, they are a bit stop and start with too many angles if that makes sense? They don't have the smooth transitions that ships like the Independence or even the Oasis do.
    Overall I'd give the Spectrum an 8 out of 10, for the design etc, and a 10 out of 10 for the crew and the food.    Leia mais

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  • RulocalSpectrum, Suez Canal 2019Rulocal

    Suez Canal

    26 de abril de 2019, Egito ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This must be the 5th or 6th time we've transited the Suez Canal, and as with all the other times this was a wonderful experience. It always amazes me how the dug it, it's definitely a brilliant achievement. And as before the transit was peaceful and relaxing, also our stateroom was on the starboard side of the ship, so there was plenty to see from the balcony.Leia mais

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  • RulocalSpectrum, Suez Canal 2019Rulocal

    Pinnacle Lunch

    26 de abril de 2019, Egito ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we had the invite to the usual pinnacle lunch. Well I say usual, because it's the norm to have one on every trip. But this one was exceptional, it was held in Tepenyaki the Japanese restaurant onboard, and the whole thing was amazing and definitely the best pinnacle Lunch I've ever had on any ship. Thanks Gianluca.Leia mais

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  • RulocalNavigator TA Nov 2018Rulocal

    Freeport, Bahamas

    16 de novembro de 2018, Bahamas ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We where supposed to go to Coco Cay, in the Bahamas, but due to the weather, we couldn't tender in. So we had yet another change of port, and went over to Freeport on Grand Bahama. As it is mostly a shopping port, with nothing really exciting or interesting to see, I once again decided to stay on the ship.Leia mais

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  • RulocalNavigator TA Nov 2018Rulocal

    3rd sea day

    7 de novembro de 2018, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    This is the 3rd day at sea 🌊 and the ship is still rocking and rolling.
    Day after tomorrow we dock in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and the weather is supposed to be good, so that should cheer up some of the moaners.
    One good thing about the lounge of an evening, is that with the lounge being suites and Pinnacles only, it's much quieter than the lounge upstairs which is bedlam.    Leia mais

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  • RulocalNavigator TA Nov 2018Rulocal

    Interesting changes

    5 de novembro de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Well originally we were supposed to go to Boston, New York, Port Canaveral then Miami. But because of the bad weather in the Atlantic, our route was changed to Bruges, Le Havre, Madiera then Miami.
    Now they have sussed a route out which takes us to Gran Canaria, Coco Cay, Port Canaveral, then Miami. Only problem is that each change disappoints or pleases different people, so in other words the company can't win, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.
    Anyway to be honest, the changes don't bother Sheila or me.

    The other thing that has upset all the Diamond plus guests is that due to the number on board they are not allowed in the concierge lounge, so poor Nadja has had a steady stream of complaints. This is building up to be a very interesting cruise.    Leia mais

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