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December 2015
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  • Rulocal
    Day8

    Conclusions

     December 21, 2015 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    One of our better trips, despite the fall out with the Germans. (remember the cabin upgrade)
    The ship although old and small by today's standards, was excellent, well kept and had very friendly staff, in particular, Gisleni, the suites concierge.
    But I think the main reason for the trip being one of the best, was the people who we travelled with.
    On the first part of the cruise we where with a lot of people who we knew from previous cruises, and we had a ball, every night.
    The company was large, noisy and nearly all Brits.
    The last part of the cruise we were on our own at first as everyone else in the company went home.
    But being alone didn't last very long, in the first night we made a number of new friends, and although the company was not as large or as noisy, we still had a ball.
    We were both sad to leave everyone at the end of the cruise, but on the plus side we've got a number of new cruise friends, that we will no doubt see on future cruises.    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day8

    Done very well this time

     December 21, 2015 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    What started out as just another Suez / middle east trip has worked out very nicely.
    Firstly our cabin for the first part of the cruise was brilliant, it did not have a balcony, but it was massive and instead of just the normal square window, the whole wall at the end of the cabin was a floor to ceiling window wall.
    Then on the second part of the cruise, Gisleni the concierge upgrades us to a Grand Suite, as well as putting us on the list for Captains Table.
    To add to that Peter Dimitrov the hotel director invites us to Chef's Table, and also to the VIP galley tour and brunch.
    I would call all that a result.    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day6

    Captains Table and me hung over! (again)

     December 19, 2015 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    It all started the night before.
    We'd all had another great night in the concierge lounge, and about 9 o'clock there were five of us left just finishing off our drinks and chatting.
    Sheila and I, along with Colin and Julie, and the only pinnacle in the village Reinhold.
    Well Reinhold had a magnum of Moet & Chandon that he'd been given for being the highest cruiser.
    So he says let's get some ice and some glasses and we'll finish the night in style.
    We where about 3/4 finished with the champers when Colin disappears and 10 minutes later returns with another magnum of M&C.
    Well it seemed like a good idea at the time, so we finished this bottle as well.
    Cut a long story short, the next day I have the mother of all hangovers.
    After spending most of the day alternating between drinking water and sleeping.
    About lunch time, I'm planning a quick bite to eat and then a very early night.
    When under the cabin door is pushed an envelope containing an invitation to dinner with the Staff Captain that evening!
    Anyway we had a beautiful meal and great company, but captains table as usual is served the best wine on the ship, and I managed half a bloody glass.!
    Will I ever learn? Probably not. Lol    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day4

    Very Cosmopolitan

     December 17, 2015 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    This cruise as opposed to the last, our evening company only contains one couple that we've met before, that is Colin and Julie.
    The rest are a mix of Brits, that's Peter and Chris, from Wolverhampton, Terry and Jill from Ascot, and mother and daughter, Monica and Phoebe from Grimsby, who are a really fun couple and remind me of the Ab Fab characters Patsy and Saffi.
    Monica the mother is Patsy always up for a laugh and a good time, and Phoebe is Saffi, quiet and reserved and always trying to reign Monica in, and mostly failing miserably LOL.
    An American lady called Barbara, a Norwegian couple, Morten and Ida, and finally a German guy called Reinhold who happens to be the only pinnacle on board.
    So luckily enough it's another good lounge, not quite as noisy as last cruise, but still great fun.
    Oh yes this afternoon we did the VIP galley tour and brunch which was very interesting, one of the unusual things about it was that for each course you went into the galley and got it yourself.
    The starters and the desserts were laid out in the galley buffet style, but with the main course you went in to the galley ordered your main meal from the executive chef who then did a Gordon Ramsey thing and shouted your order to the sous chefs, who prepared your meal in front of you, which was quite cool.    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day3

    And it gets better

     December 16, 2015 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    While we where having our usual evening drinks in the lounge last night, Peter the hotel director comes in and comes directly to to Sheila and I and starts chatting, then does no more than ask us to lunch on the next sea day, and said to bring the friends we were chatting to also.
    He tells us to give Gisleni our cabin numbers so that the invitations can be sent.
    So after he left I'm giving Gisleni the cabin numbers when she tells me that Sheila and I are on the list for Captains table later on in the cruise!
    Things are definitely looking up.    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day2

    Had the last laugh

     December 15, 2015 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    I spoke to Gisleni the concierge, and told her how disappointed I was at not getting the upgrade, especially as the couple I mentioned to you in the last blog post did get an upgrade, not only did they get the upgrade but they went from an inside cabin on deck 3 to a junior suite on deck 8.
    That's a 4 step upgrade, when you are only supposed to get a one step upgrade.
    Anyway when I told Gisleni about being disappointed especially as I had offered to pay, and she tells me she had recommended that we get the upgrade as we were willing to pay, but she was overruled by the hotel director.
    She also tells me that she has the same opinion as me concerning this particular couple, as they had been rude to her, and even after getting the upgrade they where at guest services complaining about something else and being rude there also.
    The upshot is Gisleni says she will see what she can do and while I was there at her desk made a couple of phone calls and fired off three emails to different people, then tells me to come back later on in the morning.
    To cut a long story a bit shorter, she not only got me an upgrade to a Grand Suite, but got it for free!
    Needless to say Sheila is now a very happy bunny.    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day1

    Upgrade problem !

     December 14, 2015 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We asked Gisleni the concierge about an upgrade to a suite, and stressed that we didn't want it for free, we where willing to pay.
    That might sound silly, but with a free upgrade you don’t get the extra suite points.
    Anyway she tells us that there are two other couples who want the upgrade also, but that they wanted it for free, so we stood a chance.
    Well we didn't get the upgrade the other couples did.
    The galling thing is that one of them we know and also know that they never ever pay for upgrades, and moan and complain about everything on all their cruises.
    Also they are on a back to back cruise and got a free upgrade last cruise too.
    But que sera sera, such is life, what goes round comes round, I'll have the last laugh, and any other saying that you can think of.
    Watch this space, this isn't over! Lmao.    Read more

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  • Rulocal
    Day1

    Splendour Dubai Dec 2015

     December 14, 2015 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Today we started the new cruise, and we've moved from an outside cabin with a window, to a balcony cabin.
    Now on the face of it, that sounds good.
    But the balcony cabin turns out to be the size of a shoebox, a shoebox with a balcony I grant you.
    But still a shoebox.
    We're going to see Gisleni the concierge to ask if there are any upgrades we can pay for.
    Watch this space!    Read more

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