A very nice break but we were not old enough. Showing the ships age now but the staff were great.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We arrived earlier than our allocated time as we were dropped off by a taxi, but the process to book in was very quick. We then had to wait for all the priority guests to embark before us, but once it was our turn, we kept on moving. Security was a bit of a road block but again we kept moving, and once we had walked all the way to the ship a friendly greeting awaited us.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I can't complain about any of the food, i think there was only one meal i found it difficult to make a choice. I did have to order extra veg for the first couple of evenings in the main dining room but after that our table waiters knew and put them on the list. We only went to Shindu once and it was lovely, an experience not to miss (in my opinion).
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
As this was the Christmas and New year cruise for adults only, the average age was 76, we were on the younger side and found that the majority of the activities were aimed at the older end. Saying that we did enjoy the various quizzes and even managed to win one.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Again as the average age was rather high, a lot of the entertainment was aimed that way also. We did see a couple of the shows by the on-board team which as always were very good vocally. The band Pulse are very versatile and can play anything, just keep an eye on the Horizon for what to expect.
Children's Programs
Adult only ship
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The waiters were great and get to know you if seating at the same table, always pleasant and try to assist where they can. The cabin steward did his job very well, but they do seem to have lots of cabins to do and we only saw him a couple of times.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Aurora is now 22 years old and does show it in various places, but this ship was build for the longer voyage and the amount of stowage in the cabins is great. We did have a lot of trouble with the plumping on this trip. Cleaning staff did a good job.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We went for a balcony cabin midships on deck 10, this one had the sofa which turned into a bed which we didn't use but it makes the size larger. Not the biggest balcony that we have had but large enough for us to sit out (when the conditions were ok) and enjoy the view. A large amount of stowage space for all our bits and pieces but we found we had to open our luggage to get it to fit under the bed. We did have to report our toilet a couple of times as 'blocked' and we were not the only ones, it seems a bigger problem with the plumbing existed as whilst alongside one port all the water was off for a few hours.
Ship tip
If you like marmite take your own, it seems the 'packets' are no longer used, so if it does not work in a dispenser then it will not be available.
I like Vigo, but we didn't stay ashore too long as the rain decided to fall rather a lot. As we visited on Christmas Eve the shops didn't open early and also shut early.
First time we have visited. A short walk to the sea front paths and an information office just down the road which supplies a local map and directions if needed. Found the shopping centre with lots of larger shops and free wifi. Very pretty place.
We anchored out for the new year's eve fireworks which were wonderful (over 8 mins all around the bay) but were due to use tenders but the wind was too much so another sea day.
I like Lisbon and have been a few times. We berthed in the new terminal very close to the main town and walked in. Got the Hop on Hop off bus for a trip before having the local Pastel Del Nata and a coffee (we also got some to take back with us) and of course lots of shops to get those deals which we all love.
The allocation of times to get off was a bit hap hazard to say the least, in past times we have had some kind of option to select our preferred time, but on this occasion as there were lots of 'priority' guests, those that can walk were left for 0930 - 1000. We waited in the main theatre for a while and then they started to get some of us off. We did manage to be one of the first from our batch as we had a taxi booked coming from home. The reception staff would not even talk about changing any times for us.
We were on this cruise also, our experiences were almost word for word the same, we felt at 66 yrs old we were too young. I haven’t bothered to review as I couldn’t say anything different.
Only difference is we had no problems with the plumbing!!
But overall a lovely break
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