Cruise RU450
to the Canaries and Morocco
on Saga Ruby
(Please scroll down to see my photographs and report)
| Date: |
Port: |
Flag: |
Tour escort: |
Comment: |
24
Apr
2011 |
Southampton
UK |
 |
- |
- |
28
Apr
2011 |
Funchal
Madeira |
 |
Faial
circular |
Snow and a
Black Scabbard
fish lunch |
29
Apr
2011 |
Santa Cruz
de La Palma |
 |
Volcano &
wine |
South
coast
tour |
30
Apr
2011 |
Las Palmas
Gran Canaria |
|
Island
discovery |
Sunny,
breezy &
lunch out |
01
May
2011 |
Santa Cruz
Tenerife |
|
Mount
Teide |
Snow on
mountain so
tour curtailed! |
02
May
2011 |
Arrecife
Lanzarote |
|
Panoramic |
El
Campesino |
03
May
2011 |
Agadir
Morocco |
 |
City secrets &
Fantasia show |
Horses,
camels &
snakes! |
04
May
2011 |
Casablanca
Morocco |
|
City tour |
Mosque &
souk |
05
May
2011 |
Cadiz
Spain |
|
Seville |
Castle,
cathedral &
lunch |
06
May
2011 |
Lisbon
Portugal |
|
Sintra town &
palace |
Summer resort
of kings |
09
May
2011 |
Southampton
England |
 |
- |
- |
Here's my report on the cruise:
I had a lovely cruise to the Canaries and Morocco on Saga Ruby.
On Maderia I was escort on the all day tour of the eastern end of the island.
The weather was good until we had a heavy thunder storm
with fresh snow lying on the mountain roads.
The Black Scabbard fish lunch was delicious.
Camara do Lobos, Madeira
In Santa Cruz de la Palma I avoided the royal wedding by going into town in the morning.
It was an English free zone but the Germans were out in force.
I did some photography ready for a future port lecture.
In the afternoon I was escort on the south coast tour.
Unfortuantely it was too windy to walk around the Fuentecaliente volcano crater rim.
On Gran Canaria I was escort on the all day tour
which included my first visit to the lovely town of Teror.
Sunrise in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
On Tenerife the mountain tour was curtailed by snow
so I had to make do with a first visit to the old town of Orotava
and the orchid garden in Puerto de la Cruz.
Tenerife
Gardens on Tenerife
Mount Teide, Tenerife
On Lanzarote I got to see Cesar Manrique's unique Peasant's House Museum (Casa el Campesino)
for the first time.
A lady fell over running on the cinder path and the bus driver had to provide first aid.
Lanzarote
In Agadir I enjoyed the Fantasia show with Jenny Brown the dance instructress braving a camel ride.
I avoided joining in the folk dancing!
The horse show was disappointing and I didn't like the snake charming much either.
However the acrobats were excellent.
In Casablanca I marvelled at the huge new mosque on the morning city tour.
I took the last shuttle bus into town in the late afternoon
and after ten minutes caught the last shuttle bus back to the ship!
Self portrait in a Casablanca bazaar
In Cadiz I was tour escort on the all day tour of Seville.
We started off at Carmen's tobacco factory (on the last night of the cruise
Iwona Boesche the violinist played the marvellous finale
from Pablo de Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy!)
I hadn't been to the castle (Alcazba) or cathedral (Giralda) since 1985
so I had forgotten what a magnificient place Seville is.
The husband of the lady who had fallen over in Lanzarote
had a diabetic turn but thankfully I had a banana hidden about my person.
In Lisbon I did the Sintra town and palace tour.
Although I have been to Sintra twice before
this was my first visit inside the fantastic palace.
The swan and magpie ceilings (amongst others) are incredible!
I also explored the modern town there for the first time.
Bridge over the Tagus, Lisbon, Portugal
Funicular, Lisbon
Royal Palace at Sintra near Lisbon, Portugal
There were lots of dancing ladies on board the ship
but one ambitious dancer fell down on me doing the chase in the cha cha.
It transpired that she was wearing inappropriate shoes:
flat with rubber soles!
Good points were:
- Triple aspect, forward facing observation lounge with circular dance floor.
- Excellent programme of up to 3 lectures per sea day.
- Hosting two tables in the main dining room.
- Inside twin cabin with full sized bath.
- Good sized rectangular dance floor.
- In bed by midnight every night!
- All round teak promenade deck.
- Free fruit and water in cabin.
- Triple height oval staircase.
- Efficient cabin steward.
- Free launderette.
Usual sea day programme:
09:00 - 09:45 Line dance class in the Ballroom.
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch in the Lido.
14:15 - 15:00 Ballroom / Latin American dance class.
Usual evening programme:
06:30 - 07:15 Pre-dinner dancing in the Britannia Lounge.
07:15 - 09:00 Dinner in the main dining room.
09:00 - 09:45 Pre-show dancing in the Ballroom.
10:00 - 10:45 Showtime.
10:45 - 11:15 Post-show dancing in the Ballroom.
For the record ...
- Food: Excellent, steak and lobster all the way!
- Tours: In every port.
- Weather: Good but some snow on Madeira & Tenerife mountains!
- New ports: Two - Agadir & Casablanca.
- Sail-aways: Only one with us dancing.
- Tea dance: No.
- Masonic meeting(s): No.
- Service clubs: No.
- Dinner host: Yes, two tables in the main dining room.
- Line dancing: Yes, led by Jenny Brown the dance instructress.
- Sequence dancing: Yes, three evening sessions led by Basil Brown the dance instructor.
He also tried and failed to teach a complicated rhumba that neither Harold nor I knew.
- Ballroom dancing: Lots.
- Western night: No.
- Tropical night: No.
- British (Red, White & Blue) night: Yes, in celebration of the Royal Wedding.
- Singles party: Yes.
- Singles lunch: Yes, but we were bounced off the passengers' tables!
- Formal nights: Three.
- Cocktail parties: Two. We were dancing elsewhere for the Britannia club cocktail party.
- Captain: the newly promoted and nervous Stephen Angove.
- Cruise Director: Jo Boase.
- Assistant Cruise Director: Kayleigh McMahon.
- Host/ess: Cathy Ellis
- Host: James Selman.
- Cabin mate: Harold Walker from Sale in Cheshire.
- Dance couple: Jenny and Basil Brown.
- Other dance hosts: None.
- Lecturer(s): Jeff Roberts (Destinations), Dr. Jack Hardy (Marine Biology),
Dr. Stephen Head (Wildlife) and Brian Fisher & Vince Gradwell (both Gardeners).
- Musician(s): Iwone Boesche (violinist), Mezin Classical Trio and Paul West (cocktail pianist).
- Group(s): Saga Ruby orchestra (6 Byelorussians from Belarus) and the Touchstone trio (3 Filipinos).
- Comedian: Gerry Graham.
- Singer: Laurence Robinson.
- Magician: Martin John.
- Computer instructor (and pianist!): Alan Webb.
- Cabins: 312 and 433.
- Passenger(s): Christine and Sally & Gillian both from Milford-on-Sea.
- Diners: Elaine, Rhona & Doreen all from Nottinghamshire;
Dawn, Joy, Molly and Vida.
- Dancer(s): Jean (x3), Dorothy (x2), Pat, Doreen, Annette, Muriel from Canford Cliffs and Mavis all the way from Australia!
- Photographs taken: 816.
- Good, free Wi-Fi: Funchal main square, mountain Parador on Gran Canaria,
main street in Agadir and restaurant in Seville.
