June 19, 2008

Greetings from London Heathrow Airport.

I departed Los Angeles yesterday afternoon on British Airways and sit for the obligatory 4 ½ hour layover at London Heathrow on my way to Barcelona.

This was the first time in almost 15 yrs that I’ve flown BA and the reason I chose them was because of their new Club World Business Class seats which not only turn into a truly lie-flat horizontal bed, but are also very private as each seat is basically a self contained “capsule”. More on this later.

As we begin our peak summer travel season, I arrived at LAX a good 3 ½ hrs before my flight was scheduled to depart. Check in with BA was a breeze. They have dedicated lines for those in First Class, Club World (Business) Class, World Traveler Plus (Premium Economy) and World Traveler (Economy). I was literally the only person in the Business Class check in line and within minutes I had my boarding pass in hand and invitation to the departure lounge which is shared with Qantas Airlines and the other One World Alliance Members. What I found odd was, I was not given a boarding pass for my connecting flight from London to Barcelona until I asked for it. Why the connecting boarding pass wouldn’t be automatic is beyond me. After checking in, I was directed to take my bag to the TSA Screening area-this is where I hit my first snag. As smooth and stress free the check in process was with BA, the opposite was true here. The line to drop off your bags with the TSA was literally the entire width of the terminal building, doubled back on itself three times!! From the time I got in this line until the time I cleared security to gate area was over 2 hours! Please make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to allow for the added lines and security procedures if you are traveling this summer.

After clearing security I went to the Business Class Lounge which BA and the other One World Alliance airlines share with Qantas. The lounge has just completed a major remodel and expansion and has a very “hip”, clubby feel, almost a bit Austin Powers.
At the far end is a huge bar/lounge with several plasma TV’s, there are at least 20 computer terminals with free access and a small self serve buffet and bar area. As it too so long to clear TSA and Security I only had 30 mins in which to enjoy the lounge and spent that entire time on the computer checking my work email.

The flight was showing on-time/boarding so I made my way to the departure gate only to
Find it jam-packed with people all hovering around the check in counter but nobody was boarding. This a pet peeve of mine-Why do people push their way through the boarding line and hover around the jetway door?? I had no less than 3 people practically knock me down to inch their way toward the front of a line that wasn’t moving! Don’t these people realize that we ALL arrive into London at the same time?? They actually started boarding about 20 mins before our departure time so I knew we wouldn’t be on-time.

Once onboard we were advised that there was a problem with getting one of the cargo doors closed and we would be delayed for about 20 mins. The actual delay was a little over 1 hour but the crew kept everyone comfortable and it wasn’t too bothersome.

Onboard, I quickly settled into my little “capsule” at the window (seat 20A) and had fun playing with all the controls for the seat, video system etc. One thing different with BA’s Business Class section is all of the window seats face aft, while the aisle seats face forward. Flying backwards didn’t bother me at all, but it’s a bit strange to be sitting face to face with the stranger in the aisle seat. Fortunately there’s a built in privacy screen that can be raised in between the seats which worked very well. As for the seat itself, I must say that it was the most comfortable Business Class seat I’ve ever sat in. The seat could be adjusted in any position imaginable and when fully extended to the lie flat position, converted into a 6’6” horizontal bed that fit my 6’3” frame very well. The seat was also wide enough to make it possible to sleep on your side quite comfortably. The provided cotton comforter and pillow were nice touches. Each seat has a 8” personal entertainment system with 200 channels of audio and video on demand. The options included first run and older movies, TV shows, concerts, games and several music channels. I enjoyed having video on demand since I nodded off several times during my movie and had to rewind back a few times to see what I missed. The service onboard was friendly and attentive without being obtrusive. The food was decent as far as airline food goes. First and Business class passengers have access to the Club Kitchen- which is a self service galley containing hot and cold food, snacks, beverages etc in case you wanted something additional in-flight.

Our arrival at Heathrow was into BA’s new terminal T-5 which had much bad publicity after it’s grand opening in April when the baggage delivery system failed to properly route the luggage to the connecting flights causing thousands of travelers to arrive without their luggage and consequently causing BA to discontinue service through this terminal until the problems were worked out. Since April they’ve slowly been phasing flights back into terminal T-5 and I must say, from what little I saw of it, it is a beautiful, state of the art facility. As my connecting flight is operating from terminal T-1, I opted to make the long trek directly to T-1 and spend my 4 hours here.

It’s just about time for me to make my way to the gate for the BCN flight… stay tuned for more……

Bob, I love all the detail! I write travelogues like this when I travel, too, and I REALLY appreciate reading them from others. Looking forward to ship details, fellow passengers, land excursions, menus, entertainment, activities... everything!! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.

-Denise

Hi Denise-

Glad you're enjoying the posts.. I'll do my best to give as much detail as possible, but starting tomorrow when we board the Brilliance it's going to be non-stop and I apologize if my brain starts to slow down :-)

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer as fast as possible.

Barcelona- June 20th.


I arrived into Barcelona on-time last night, however my luggage did not! To the credit of British Airways, they knew exactly where the bag was and what time it could be expected to arrive. The bag was delivered to my hotel around 10pm and with 3 days pre-cruise here in Barcelona I wasn’t quite as worried as I would have been if I were going directly to the ship.

Clearing Passport Control and Baggage Claim was a breeze and I was in a taxi and on my way to the hotel within minutes. I flew into Barcelona the night before my group and reserved the Hotel Rialto on Priceline for $125.00. This 3-star hotel was located 1 block off Las Ramblas and while nothing fancy was clean and comfortable for 1 night. The hotel is going through a renovation and the room, while very small (think inside cabin on the Monarch of the Seas) was very clean.

After a restful nights sleep, I took a taxi from the Hotel Rialto to the Atrium Palace hotel where I was to meet my group. The group flew in from Tampa on USAirways via Philadelphia and were about an hour late, but at least everyone had their luggage.
RCCL had a special for this sailing that included cruise air for $1000.00 per person which was a savings of almost $900.00 per person over booking air independently. I also booked our 2 night pre-cruise stay through RCCL and while the cost of the rooms were a little more expensive this way, it proved to be a good value as all transfers from the airport, hotel and ship were included as was a daily buffet breakfast each morning at the hotel.

The Atrium Palace is a beautiful 4-star hotel located on the Grand Via, one of the main streets through the city and only a short walk to Placa Catalunya and Las Ramblas. All guests who book through RCCL are automatically given rooms in the front of the hotel that have small balconies overlooking the Gran Via. The rooms are very clean, quite large by European standards and very quiet. The hotel also has a spa, indoor pool and Jacuzzi, restaurant and bar, free wireless service and 2 computers with internet access.. RCCL also has a hospitality desk in the lobby that is manned from 9am-12pm each day. The staff here could not be more wonderful and did the best they could to get rooms ready for my group as fast as possible.

Once into our rooms most of the group took showers and a brief nap. Kath and I walked down to Las Ramblas and found a little bar and had a few drinks before returning to meet the group in the hotel’s lobby. I made reservations for the group a friends restaurant. This restaurant was formerly called La Villa and is located right off Las Ramblas behind the Hotel Cittadines. The name of the restaurant now is “Restaurant” but other than the less than original name change, nothing else was different. Everything is cooked to order and very fresh. The menu while not large has something to appeal to everyone. The group dined on salad, seafood paella, grilled fish and of course several pitchers of sangria which the Manager gave us with his compliments. After a nice dinner we wandered around Las Ramblas before returning to the hotel for a much needed sleep.

Barcelona- June 21st

The weather thus far has been hot, but not unbearably so. Temps. were in the mid 80’s with not much humidity and a nice breeze. Nights have also been very comfortable and seeing as how it had been raining on and off here for the past 3 weeks, we are very fortunate to have dry, sunny skies.

As mentioned when booking the hotel through RCCL, daily breakfast at the hotel is included. Normally this would cost 16 Euro per person and while it was a very extensive buffet, with both hot and cold items, it wasn’t worth this price. If you book the hotel direct and have to pay for breakfast, I recommend going to one of the many nearby cafes instead.

After breakfast the I put the group on the HOHO bus for the day. Tickets can be purchased at the hotel’s front desk for 21 Euro per person. After getting the group off on their bus, Kath and I walked the entire length of Las Ramblas to the port area and decided to take a 1.5 hr harbor cruise for 11.50 Euro each. While this harbor cruise was nothing more than a boat ride without any narration, it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed ourselves. As we left the harbor we passed by the Navigator and Voyager docked end to end. Upon the return to the harbor, there was some sort of parade happening so we watch as the marching bands and large “puppets” passed by. Then it was on to a Tapas Bar for a quick bite and back to the hotel for a little nap until the group returned from their day on the HOHO bus.

I arrange for the group to dine tonight at a Tapas Restaurant near the hotel called Ciutal Contral which was just a short walk down the Grand Via. The food and service was excellent and prices were very reasonable. After dinner I guided everyone around the city with the obligatory gelato stop on the way back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we’re being picked up at 1030am for the short transfer to the Brilliance and the beginning of our cruise….

Just a note, Bob is going to post photo links on webshots after he gets them upload!

Hi Bob,

Been watching for your reports and enjoy the information you are posting. Thank you. Wish I was there.

Hi Virginia-

Wish you were here too!! Glad you're enjoying the posts and as usual when I'm with a group sleep is something I won't be enjoying until the flight home :-)

At least we'll be on the Monarch together for the Oct. group if not before!!

So Bob how did things go today? It is 8:14 PM PST here. Will be watching for tomorrows report. Enjoyed the photos!

June 22nd- Brilliance Embarkation


This morning we were able to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before RCCL send our bus to transfer to the Brilliance at 1030am. The busses arrived on time and departed the hotel at 1045am for the short trip to the pier. We arrived at the Barcelona Cruise Terminal around 1130am after making a brief stop at another hotel to pick up a few more cruise passengers.

Upon arrival at the pier, we were surprised to see quite a few people in line to check in at such an early hour. There were no less than 30 designated check in positions for those not Diamond/Diamond Plus or in Suites and 6 dedicated desks for those that were Diamond/D+, Suites. Those in the group eligible to check in at the Priority desks had SeaPass cards in hand within minutes. Those not eligible waited in line no more than 10-15 mins to be checked in. Boarding began promptly at 1145am and we were on the ship within minutes.

Cabins were not ready until 1pm, but lunch was readily available in the Windjammer.

After giving my group members a brief tour of the ship, everyone was able to settle into their cabins before heading to the lunch buffet.

Today sent by extremely fast and all too soon it was time for dinner. Tonight’s Welcome Aboard show was for everyone at 8pm. It’s also important to know that the Brilliance has My Time Dining available from 6pm-10pm on Deck 4 as well as Traditional dining with main seating at 6pm and second seating at 9pm on Deck 5. We chose the 9pm second seating as we much prefer having the same wait staff each night which is much more pleasant when traveling with a group. Per my email to RCCL in Miami, I was given the tables I requested and we have a fabulous staff-Waiter- Ahmet from Turkey and Asst. Waiter Leonardo from Philippines. Headwaiter not seen tonight, but that’s expected on the busy first night.

Tonight’s dinner was excellent with the exception of the filet of cod. With the exception of 1 person, 4 of us had to send it back it not only smelled foul but tasted very fishy and old. We exchanged it for the medallions of pork which were excellent. Others in the group had the prime rib and chicken and were also happy with their choices as was the one person who had the only edible piece of cod served to our table.

After dinner the group split up and wandered around the ship enjoying the various musicians all of which have been excellent. The few that attended the Welcome Aboard show enjoyed that as well.

Kath and I decided to pay a visit to the casino and after 2 spins on a 25 cent machine I hit a jackpot that paid me $300.00, so all in all, I’ve had a wonderful first day onboard!!

It’s now 4am I’ve just returned to the cabin to type today’s review. We wound up staying in the Starquest disco well after it’s 230am closing having drinks and chatting with our crew member friends and staff whom we’ve known from other ships.

It’s important to mention that today was another warm, sunny beautiful day, however shortly after dinner we sailed into a fog bank that has been with us ever since. You could not see the Pool Bar from the Viking Crown Lounge and the ships fog horn as been sounding every 30 seconds.

Captain has said we can expect 82 degrees and a sunny day tomorrow in Cannes.

We’re due to arrive and drop anchor in Cannes at 10am and I’ve arranged a private guide and driver for my group to take us into Aix-en-Provence for a full 9 hour day of touring the “off the beaten path” Province countryside.

Just to digress a bit, this group I’m escorting is quite diverse. Ages range from 40 to 80 and from Diamond Plus members to first time cruisers. Some members of this group had done this same cruise with me 2 yrs ago and because of that we decided to do the things we didn’t have time to do last time-thus our tour choice in Cannes of heading into Province rather than the popular excursions to Monte Carlo, Eze, Nice and Monaco.

Some in the group have oceanview (Cat.H) cabins on deck 3 and D1 cabins on deck 9.
Kath and I have the coveted aft, corner D1 (cabin 9256). I must say the Brilliance having just completed drydock in April is sparkling clean. Lots of new carpet and upholstery throughout, including the cabins. The paint outside is fresh and there’s an overall newness about the ship. The crew has also been nothing short of phenomenal this first day onboard.

Well everyone, it’s now after 5am and I need to get up in a few hours to ready my group for our excursion. Stay tuned for the next installment of this Virtual Tour…..

Really enjoying your reports Host Bob! For anyone that needs Bob's photo link here it is: http://travel.webshots.com/album/563872275fMgofJ

Bob, thank you for the wonderful posts! I almost feel like I'm there (not close enough, though!) Is Angie still in the Viking Crown?

Hope your having an awesome day!

Craig

Just a reminder that if you're enjoying Host Bob's reports and wish you were traveling with him that Cruise Freek Forums has a wonderful opportunity to travel with Bob on Celebrity Solstice on May 25, 2009. This is an 11 night Mediterranean cruise. For full details, visit:
http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/Group-Cruise-in-Europe-2009-with-Cruise-Freeks-h23.htm

I am also developing a website for our Celebrity Solstice cruise on May 25 2009. I literally just started this one so your patience as I continue to build it is appreciated. Keep in mind we have no actual photos of the ship, only artist drawings. Here's the site (bookmark it to visit it often):

http://celebritysolsticemay252009.makeswebsites.com/?cp=1

So nice to read your posts Bob and say hello to Kath please.

Hi Bob!

I had the Pork Medallions on Monarch lat week, and thought they were very good! We had a great time, but missed you! Take lots of pictures!