Cruising Colemans

25/07/2024

Today is boarding day!

We sail on MSC Seaside for a week around the Med. We’ve had a busy few months so we’re taking the opportunity to have a relaxing holiday. We’ll post some pictures from our cruise but we won’t be doing a daily blog for this one

22/07/2024

Happy Monday everyone! Whatever your plans are for this week, have a great one!

21/07/2024

If you’re considering a cruise on P&O Arcadia, have a look at the 5 things we loved about this ship!

In June 2024, we sailed on Arcadia for a 3 night cruise, taking us to Guernsey. Arcadia is one of P&O Cruises older ships and in some parts it does show howe...

19/07/2024

We’ve reached 1K followers here on Facebook! Thank you everyone for your continuing support and for following along, liking and commenting on our posts. We really appreciate it all. Here’s to the next 1000 followers! 😀

17/07/2024

A little bit of a throwback today to our cruise on P&O Iona. This was in September 2021 when cruises were just starting up again after the pandemic. The cruise didn’t stop anywhere, we just sailed down the coast of France to Spain and back again. We had a fantastic week on board and it was great to be back cruising again!

16/07/2024

Our tour of the fantastic Azamara Quest has finally gone live on YouTube! If you’ve wondered what a smaller ship has to offer, have a look at our video and see what you think.

If you enjoy our videos, have you thought about subscribing to our YouTube channel? It’s completely free - all you have to do is click the subscribe button 😀

Welcome to our tour of Azamara Quest!We sailed on Quest on a fantastic 9 night cruise around Iceland. This was our second cruise with Azamara and they’ve qui...

15/07/2024

Valencia is a lovely city with some historic areas alongside more modern sites. These buildings are iconic in Valencia and are a real feature of the city. The museums are chargeable but you can walk through the small bio park for free

14/07/2024

A little throw back to our short cruise on P&O Arcadia to Guernsey. We’re back in Guernsey next month and we’re hoping to explore the island a bit more

10/07/2024

During our cruise on Quest, we crossed through the Arctic Circle for around 4 hours. Unfortunately it was during the night so we didn’t get to experience the usual traditions of crossing the Arctic Circle. We were given certificates to commemorate the occasion though!

08/07/2024

One of our favourite things on board Azamara ships is the sea day brunch. The restaurant was open between 10am and 1pm and you turn up when you’re ready. Most of the buffet is self service but some of the hot food is served to you and made to order. There is a large selection of delicious food on offer. Definitely not one to be missed!

07/07/2024

We recently sailed on the wonderful Azamara Quest, staying in a Club Balcony Cabin. If you’re interested to see what you get with a balcony cabin on Azamara ships, have a look at our brand new video which will give you a tour of this cabin

We sailed on Quest for a 9 night cruise around Iceland which was a fantastic experience. We stayed in a Club Balcony Cabin which is the entry level balcony c...

03/07/2024

We recently sailed on Azamara Quest for a 9 night cruise around Iceland. Here are our thoughts on the cruise and our experience with Azamara

The Good

The crew! The crew are what makes Azamara. They are incredible - so friendly, helpful and the best service we’ve experienced on a cruise (and land for that matter). They are all fantastic but to name a few that we had a particularly great experience with - Dinky, Dejana, Ian, Mary, Rhea and Lenard. We only dined in the MDR but the food was delicious every night with lots of options. The house band Musiq4Soul were fantastic. They’re probably our favourite house band at sea! The ship itself is lovely. We’ve been on some of the mega ships and being on a ship with only around 600 passengers is a wonderful experience.

The Bad

The only negative we found were a couple of the ports on this itinerary weren’t great. Excursions are very expensive in this part of the world so to go anywhere will cost you. In most of the ports it was possible to walk around the local town but a couple of the ports were disappointing. This is only our opinion. Ship wise, the only negative for us is the bathroom but we knew to expect this!

The Overall

This was only our second cruise with Azamara and they have quickly become a firm favourite of ours. You genuinely feel welcomed on board and it seems as though the crew are happy to be working there. We had a fantastic cruise but it was over far too soon. We can’t wait to sail with Azamara again

01/07/2024

Day 9 - Reykjavik

Today we stopped in our last port which is Reykjavik. We booked ourselves a puffin watching tour by rib boat which was good fun. We saw hundreds of puffins on two different islands. This was booked through a third party operator.

After the tour, we came back to the ship for some lunch, where we ordered room service. This can be done using the tv to select the food of your choice and you will receive a call to confirm your order.

As it was our last day on board, we needed to pack so we took the opportunity during the afternoon to organise ourselves.

We had our last delicious dinner in Discoveries before watching the last of the shows by the production cast. The night was finished off by watching Musiq4Soul one last time.

We are staying in Iceland for a couple more nights before we head home. Tomorrow, we disembark 🙁

30/06/2024

Day 8 - Reykjanes

Today was a stop on the larger town of Reykjanes. The town is relatively close to Reykjavik.

There weren’t many excursions on offer with Azamara or through other avenues so we took a walk around the town. There was very little to do here so we weren’t off the ship for very long. The town is very industrial and the only thing we saw was an Icelandic Rock n Roll museum!

We came back on board and had some lunch and then went to The Sanctum terrace to relax in the hot tub. The sun was shining and we were the only 2 people there so it was very relaxing!

Dinner in Discoveries was great as always. After dinner, we had an evening of entertainment. We saw the production cast perform a Brit Rock show which was very good before watching Musiq4Soul in the Living Room. They really know how to entertain and get the party started!

Tomorrow we dock in Reykjavik which is our final port

29/06/2024

Day 6 - Akureyri & Day 7 - Grundarfjordur

We stopped overnight in Akureyri so we were able to get off at our leisure.

We started off with a relaxing breakfast on our balcony. It was a bit chilly but we had a fantastic view! We didn’t book an excursion here so when we left the ship, we took a stroll around the town. It’s more built up than our previous ports but still a nice port to have a walk around.

Before dinner, we had a drink in The Den and saw Barry on the Keys. We then had dinner in Discoveries which has been delicious every night. We skipped the after dinner entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge and instead, took in the views from the Living Room.

Day 7 saw us dock in Grundarfjordur which is another small town of around only 800 residents.

We didn’t dock until 1pm so in the morning, we had a leisurely breakfast before seeing a guest speaker talking about Reykjavik. Straight after this, there was a Q&A with the Captain and Hotel Director. It was really informative and both of them were good fun!

For lunch, there was a bbq up on deck so we made the most of that before going ashore. We didn’t book any excursions here so we took a walk around the town. It’s very pretty but not a huge amount to see unless you venture a bit further afield.

Tonight was White Night which is a signature event on board Azamara ships. As the weather was sunny, it was held up on deck. It was very cold so blankets were provided for everyone. Another bbq was held but we only stayed for the crew introductions and the Captains speech. It was a bit cold for us! We had dinner in Discoveries which was great as always.

After dinner, we went to the Living Room to see Musiq4Soul perform. They have been fantastic the whole cruise. The White Night party continued in the Living Room until late.

Tomorrow we dock in Reykjanes

27/06/2024

Day 5 - Husavik & Aykureryi

Today we had two ports of call! Our first stop was in the northern town of Húsavík. We were only in port until 1pm so we booked a whale watching excursion. It was a 3 hour tour with no guarantee of seeing anything.

We were lucky to see a pod of dolphins quite quickly on the tour. It’s great to see them in their natural environment. We weren’t confident of seeing any whales but we were very lucky and we saw 2! A very successful day.

It was close to all aboard time when the tour finished so we made our way back to the ship and treated ourselves to a burger in The Patio for the sail away to our next port.

Around 4 hours after leaving Husavik, we were docked in Aykureryi. We are here overnight so we decided not to get off when we docked. Tonight was the Azamazing evening which took place on board. The star of the show was Greta Salome who is an incredible musician, playing the violin and singing. We weren’t sure if it was going to be for us but she was fantastic and very entertaining.

Tomorrow we have another day in Aykureryi

26/06/2024

Day 4 - Seydisfjordur

Today we stopped in the small town of Seydisfjordur which only has around 700 residents. The town is easily walkable from the ship and, unless you choose to hike or see some of the sites up the hills, it’s pretty much flat.

We had a walk around the town, which is very pretty. We saw the church, the rainbow road as well as the waterfalls. It was a really good morning out.

In the afternoon, we had a spa treatment. We booked the managers special which, by cruise standards, was a good price. Always check what offers they have, usually on a port day as there can be some great deals!

We had dinner again in the Discoveries restaurant which was again delicious with fantastic service. We were lucky to get a lovely window table tonight as well!

After dinner we went to the Living Room to watch the house band. Again they were fantastic and took requests, even singing songs they didn’t really know!

The entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge was the production cast singing crooners which wasn’t to our taste so we headed back to our cabin. The sun doesn’t set until after midnight here so we took in the view from our balcony. We were treated to a double rainbow and we could see some whales way off in the distance.

Tomorrow we stop in Húsavík

25/06/2024

Azamara Quest
Days 1, 2 & 3

Our cruise started in Amsterdam, from the port of IJumeden which is around a 45 minute drive from the centre of Amsterdam.

As soon as you board, you’re directed to your muster station, where you are greeted with a glass of fizz for a short safety briefing.

The rest of the day was mostly spent eating and enjoying the sail away from port.

In the evening, we had a fantastic dinner in the Discoveries restaurant before heading to the Cabaret Lounge for the welcome on board and evening entertainment. The entertainment is a little low key but the cast of 6 singers and dancers are great.

Days 2 and 3 were relaxing days at sea. Azamara put on a buffet brunch in the Discoveries restaurant with an incredible feast and definitely not to be missed!

Day 2 was glorious sunshine so we were able to spend some time on deck. We booked the Sanctum Sun Deck for the cruise so spent some time in the hydro pool. Each cruise the Captain hosts a welcome event so we went to that in the evening. He introduced all of the senior staff on board which was nice to see. The production cast put on another show and we saw the house band in the Living Room who are fantastic.

Day 3 was a bit rough with 14 feet swells overnight and throughout most of the day. We chose to have a relaxing day, reading, watching a film and eating some more!

The Cruise Director performed in the Cabaret Lounge and she was fantastic! She’s a trained singer and dancer and it really shows.

Tomorrow is our first port of call, Seydisfjordur

22/06/2024

We’re on board!

Today we have boarded Azamara Quest for 9 nights around Iceland. We’re starting off by watching the on board safety briefing. Azamara knows how to do this well and offer a glass of fizz as you watch!

20/06/2024

Now this is our kind of turndown service! We’re looking forward to our first Holland America experience later this year 😀

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Ready to savor special moments filled with chocolatey elegance? Come aboard and make every moment a delicious adventure! Learn more at the link >> http://spr.ly/6185g3QqL

18/06/2024

A bit of a personal one today but happy wedding anniversary to us! 13 years married and many more to come 🥰

17/06/2024

On our Arcadia cruise, we stayed in a Deluxe Balcony Cabin (A102). The cabins are a tad dated but spacious with a good sized balcony. You can find our tour of the cabin by clicking the link below ⬇️

https://youtu.be/2bmFyIyJuYo?si=RbIAgeHtVSLsiwE8

16/06/2024

🚢🚢 Virgin Voyages Secret Sail 🚢🚢

Virgin Voyages currently have some great prices and there is now FREE bar credit. Plus, if England win the football today, your bar tab will be DOUBLED!

What are you waiting for! Click the link below to download the My Kind of Cruise app

https://rebrand.ly/cruisingcolemansfacebook

15/06/2024

Next week we will be joining Quest for only our second ever Azamara cruise. We loved our first cruise on Pursuit and were very much looking forward to this one. We have some things planned but if anyone has any recommendations for Iceland do let us know!

13/06/2024

Wow! We’ve hit 900 followers on our page! Thank you so so much to you all for following, commenting and liking our posts. It’s very much appreciated 😊

As well as our page, you can also join our group - Cruise Chat With Cruising Colemans along with our other social media channels on Instagram, X and TikTok. We also have a YouTube channel which is completely free to subscribe to. Use the link to see our videos and to subscribe.

https://youtube.com/?si=PtZx-Y5-Vmvg8KHr

Thank you again and happy cruising!

11/06/2024

We recently sailed on Arcadia for a short 3 night cruise, taking us to Guernsey. These are our thoughts on Arcadia.

The Good

The crew are what makes Arcadia great. They are so friendly and helpful. There was never a delay in service, even with the ship being full. They are a credit to P&O. We dined in Sindhu which we have always enjoyed across the fleet. Delicious food and service was fantastic. We found that all areas of the ship were clean and inside, the ship has been very well maintained, given her age.

The Bad

Some outdoor areas were looking a little tired with a lot of rusty spots but this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the cruise. With our port of call being Guernsey, tender boats were required. This might be port specific but the tender operation very much lacked. It was a very slow process. We weren’t able to get off until around 1.30pm and last tender back was 5pm. There was another ship in port at the same time so not all P&Os fault but it was a bit disappointing.

The Overall

We’ve been on some big modern ships, Wonder of the Seas for example, but there’s something a bit special about smaller ships. The service feels more personal and given that the ship was full, it never felt understaffed. We really enjoyed our time on Arcadia and would happily sail on her again and preferably on a longer cruise! Yes some of the decor is a little dated but it all adds to the charm of Arcadia

10/06/2024

On our Arcadia cruise, we visited Guernsey. We didn’t book an excursion, our plan was to walk around St Peter Port. However, there was an issue with the tenders and they took a very long time to get everyone off.

We didn’t end up going ashore until around 1.30pm and the last tender back was at 5pm. It didn’t give us much time so we walked down to the lighthouse and visited Castle Cornet. It was £11pp to enter and you could take a guided tour if you wanted to, included in the price. From the top there are fantastic views of the town and you can see your ship from there too!

09/06/2024

Some more fantastic prices with Virgin Voyages for 2024. This is a great itinerary around the Med with some fantastic ports, including an overnight stop in Ibiza. Virgin Voyages is adults only and always includes Wi-Fi, soft drinks and speciality type dining. Tips are included in the cost of your booking.

For more information and to book, click the link below to download the My Kind of Cruise app ⬇️

https://rebrand.ly/cruisingcolemansfacebook

08/06/2024

Do you take part in the silent disco on a cruise? This is the first one we’ve been to and we really enjoyed it!