| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
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10th October 2021 |
Tilbury Essex U.K. |
Aboard just after two o'clock |
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12th October 2021 |
Brest Brittany France |
Tour to Medieval Locronan |
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13th October 2021 |
Montoir-de- Bretagne France |
Tour to Guerlande and La Baule |
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14th October 2021 |
Verdon-sur- Mer, Medoc France |
Tour to Soulac-sur- Mer |
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15th October 2021 |
Santander Cantabria Spain |
Scenic Santander Tour |
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17th October 2021 |
Leixoes Oporto Portugal |
Snapshot of Oporto Tour |
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19th October 2021 |
Cádiz Andalucia Spain |
Snapshot of Cádiz Tour |
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21st October 2021 |
Vigo Galicia Spain |
Scenic Baiona Tour |
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24th October 2021 |
SoToN Hampshire England |
Home by 10:45 |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke at 6:40 ready to break my fast with two fried eggs on toast. I finished packing and then at 10 o'clock called by at my neighbours at number two to warn them that my Saga taxi had been misdirected to them. The latter arrived at my house on time, with Craig Symes from Verwood driving a Skoda Superb. During the two hour journey, we chatted mainly about cars and stopped just once at Clacket Lane services, getting to Tilbury just after one o'clock. Here we both had a rapid lateral flow test and I had to provide a saliva sample for a PCR test on board. I ate my packed lunch, whilst awaiting the test result, which came quickly.
My name wasn't on the pax list, so I had to carry all my bags through to the cruise treminal. My vax QR code had time expired, so I had to backtrack to get my NHS app updated with two new QR codes, before checking in. On board, I was pleased to find that I had a top deck cabin with balcony overlooking the London Cruise Terminal. I met up with Marlon, Chris & Romeo in the theatre, but my laptop was flickering, so I will have to use theirs. They did a least have an HDMI lead on the stage, which is still apparently missing from the SofD stage! I then touched base with Michelle at the tours desk and with Jake, Resty and Rolando in the cruise office. I was surprised to see Jemma Thomas as Guest Services Director!
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At 4:30 I went to the pool, but the water and the showers were cold, so I just made do with twenty minutes in one of the hot tubs, with views across the sunny Thames to the Georgian church and Modern mosque of Gravesend. At 5:45 we had the safety drill in the Supper Club, where Rolando checked me in. I then walked back up the outside staircases at the back of the ship to view the lovely sunset over the upstream Thames, silhouetting the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. Back in my cabin, I worked on this blog.
At 6:45 I went to the sail away party in the Britannia lounge, but it was already dark outside. I had one glass of bubbly and listened to the duo, who did two songs and then Viva the house band started up. Just after seven o'clock, I adjourned to the Grill restaurant, where I dined with Rosemary from West Sussex and Geoff & Margaret from Sutton Coldfield. I began with the chicken broth, continued with the Caesar salad, main coursed on the roast beef and finished with the almond toffee ice cream. I had the lovely Chilean red wine to drink. At 8:30 I went to hear the folk singer, followed at 9:15 by Viva again. I went to my cabin at 9:30, not having had a siesta and losing an hour over night.
I was awoken by the moving of the chairs in the restaurant above me at 5:45, but it was now 6:45 on French time, having slept for eight hours. I had a decaff coffee in the cabin, before having the full English break fast in the Grill buffet with Bucks Fizz and tomato juice to drink. At nine o'clock I touched base with Rey, who I had previously worked with on the Spirit of Discovery (SofD). Back in my cabin I worked on my upcoming PowerPoint presentations. I then did seven circuits (over one mile) of the top deck walking track in the bright sunshine and cool wind, but it is a bit of an obstacle course! I had distant views of the south side of the Isle of White.
At 11 o'clock I gave my 45 minute talk on Brest & Montoir, but I couldn't get presenter view to work on their laptop. I wasn't allowed to cover the usual sights and walks, as independents weren't allowed ashore on their own. Afterwards I adjourned to the Explore Ashore desk for 20 minutes, but had no takers. At 12:30 I went to the line dancing led by Nick & Robert. They taught Mamma Maria, Ribbon of Highway as a two wall dance, and an easy version of Boot Sootin' Boogie. The latter had the first 12 steps of the Electric Slide, but then three steps forward with a quarter turn scuff. I would call this the Four Friezes line dance!
At one o'clock I lunched on chicken & chips followed by some small pieces of cheese, sat with Brenda from Hullbridge in Essex together with Iris and her husband from Stafford. I had one small glass of beer, before dozing for an hour. I then touched base with Michelle at Explore Ashore and chatted to Jemmas Thomas, who was now Guest Services Director rather than Cruise Director. She had previously worked for Silversea and so knew Cruise Directors Colin Barbiere-Brown and Vicki van Tassel, but not Nolan Dean.
At four o'clock I attended the singles afternoon tea party. I was sat with Joan from Shooters Hill, Mary, Rosemary (who I had dined with the previous night), Joan from Chesterfield and Audrey from Dawlish (who had her scone the Cornish way, not the Devonian way)! Back in my cabin, I watched my morning's lecture replayed on the TV. At 5:30 I spent only five minutes in the jacuzzi, before changing into my formal wear.
At six o'clock I went to the ballroom dancing session with the trio. They played strict tempo tunes with suggested sequence and ballroom dances for over an hour. At seven o'clock I adjourned to the Grill and was then joined by both Brenda from Essex and Rosemary from West Sussex. I began with my favourite lobster bisque, continued with the Caesar salad, majored on the lobster thermidor and finished with the cheese plate. I gave the sorbet a miss, to avoid having toothache. I had the Chilean red wine again to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to the Playhouse theatre to bag my seat before it became full. The Captain came on stage to say we couldn't go to Huelva, but could go to Cadiz instead. Luckily I had my 2019 Cadiz lecture with me, but it would need some updating. I then enjoyed the excellent 9:30 Swing production show, but unfortunately I had trouble staying awake after a hectic day. I went to bed at 11 o'clock having done only six and a half thousand steps, equivalent to two and a half miles, during the day. During the night, I had gone out on to my balcony for a magnificent view of the constellation of Orion with some French lighthouses spinning below.
My alarm woke me at seven o'clock, after eight hours of sleeping. It was still dark as we berthed in Brest, in between the two huge dry docks. The nearer, western one had a large LNG tanker ship and the further, eastern one had a huge Royal Caribbean cruise ship. The latter was having a series of water flume tubes being added to one of the top deck swimming pools. I had a decaff Nescafe in the cabin, before getting ready. I had the special breakfast of one egg Benedict on a brioche bun (we were in France!) with baked beans and black pudding. I was sat with Don from Orpington, John for West Yorkshire and Joan, who I had sat with at yesterday's tea, from Chesterfield.
At 8:30 I went to the North Cape Bar to be stickered by Rey for my first choice paid for tour (£44). On coach number three, I sat with Brenda in the second row back, behind Heidi the Guide. The sun was shining, but the mist was hanging over the water. It took nearly one hour to drive south east to Locronan a picturesque granite village.
Locronan means the Hermitage of St. Ronan, who may have been an Irish priest coming across to convert the Bretons to Christianity. We slowly walked around the very pretty village with a long time given over to exploring the lovely church and penance chapel alongside. Some of the pax were getting restless and I had to tell two gents to take their hats off! There were a couple of market stalls and some touristy shops, but few grockles apart from our three coach loads in their three bubbles. However, I bet that such a photogenic place would be heaving in the summer season! I fell asleep on the way back, waking up just in time to see the crossing of the Pont d'Iroise cable stayed bridge, which had been shrouded in mist on the way out.
Back at the ship, I lunched on the roast lamb with chips and green beans, sat with Linda & Jim from Tonbridge in Kent. The former had been the deputy headmistress of a school, whilst the latter had been born in Lyttelton in New Zealand, but whose mother had brought him back to Blighty in 1938 ready for the war! I then had a deep sleep for an hour and three quarters followed by an in-cabin decaff instant coffee, before updating this blog and uploading my morning's photographs.
At 4:30 I went to Andrew Baker's interesting 45 minute talk on the Philosophy of Happiness. Unfortunately with afternoon tea, late returning tours and the bright sunshine outside, he had only 10 takers in the 500 seat theatre. Furthermore he was interrupted four times by tannoy announcements! Afterwards, I went up to the top deck to watch the sail away from Brest, but had to forego my hot tub session. At six o'clock I danced with Brenda for nearly one hour to the trio in the Britannia lounge, but we had trouble remembering some of the sequence dances!
At seven o'clock we retired to the Grill where we joined one of the other speakers, Andrew Baker and his wife Linda for dinner. I had the cullen skink (killing skunk?) soup, the Caesar salad, the veal and the cherry caflouti to eat, together with some Spanish red wine. At 9:30 I went to the excellent hour long Kit & McConnel show "Over the Yardarm", similar to the classic Flanders & Swann duo. They began with a very funny poem about our embarkation at Tilbury the other day. The humorous songs were very funny and just a little bit naughty! At 10:30 I gave the production company's singers cabaret a miss and went straight to bed, having done only two and a bit miles of walking during the day, but not having used my pedometer during the hour long dance session.
I awoke just after six o'clock nearly one hour ahead of my alarm, but got up nonetheless. I had a decaff coffee whilst I worked on this blog, before getting showered. Just after seven o'clock the Grill was already packed. I had the egg Florentine special sat with Ken from Kent who had been a draughtsman in the Royal Engineers based at Chatham. I then touched base with Rey at the Explore Ashore desks.
I got to the Supper Club tours meeting place at 8:15, but we didn't get away until 9:15 on my £49 paid for tour. Going down the gangway I slid on the slippery wood and fell awkwardly hurting my left knee and right arm. The boys soon helped me up and after a short sit down at the bottom of the gangway I was OK and ready to join the bus. We drove out past the Black Country of the marshes north of Saint Nazaire. Our first stop was at the fortified medieval town of Guerande. We had over an hour to be led around this charming town, even nicer than the village of Locronan yesterday. Again we spent some time in the church, but here the guide Clair, who was guiding in English for the very first time, had a laser pointer! She also made extensive use of flip charts with large print writing!
Our next stop was at the salt pans of the White Country south west of Guerande. Here we saw lots of little white egrets and a few herons. Our final stop was on the promenade of the up market seaside resort of La Baule in the Blue Country. We had fifteen minutes here to photograph the beach, the Casino and the Royal Hotel.
Back at the ship at 12:30, I lunched on two small steak Dianes with chips and green beans, sat with three well spoken ladies. I then dozed for nearly an hour, only to be awoken by a tannoy announcement. At 4:30 I gave my 35 minute talk on Verdon-sur-Mer and Santander. Again I wasn't allowed to cover the usual sights and walks, as independents weren't allowed ashore on their own. Following on near the Explore Ashore desk, I only had compliments to receive!
At 5:30 I sat with Brenda at the Lido sail away, but it didn't start until 5:55. I only joined in one dance, the Electric Slide to Dance the Night Away by the Mavericks. We saw the Airbus Beluga / Guppy transport aircraft land at Montoir airport and then, after the sail away had ended at 6:35, we actually sailed away under the magnificient Pont de Saint-Nazaire! We passed three huge cruise ships under construction in the Chantiers d'Atlantique shipyard. One of these, the Wonder of the Seas, will be one of the world's largest!
At 6:50 I went to the noisy main dining room for the first and last time this cruise. I asked to sit on the singles table, but we still had one couple, together with Val from Bath, Lorna from Canterbury and singleton Paul. I had the parsnip soup, the Caesar salad (can you see a pattern here?), the filet mignon and the cheese plate, not the trolley. I had the Spanish red wine again to drink.
At 8:40 I retired to brush my teeth, update this blog and back up my day's photographs. At 9:30 I sat with Brenda at Ben Richard's swing song show. Unfortunately I had trouble keeping awake, after a busy day. I predicted both Sinatra and Buble, but the latter and only came as the penultimate song. After showtime, I went to bed rather than to the cabaret upstairs. During the day, I had only managed nearly three miles of walking, below my target of four.
I awoke at 7 o'clock and watched my second pair of talks on the TV. Just after eight o'clock I had the special break fast of three small king scallops on a small piece of black pudding. This was insufficient, so I then had a large croissant with smoked salmon and cheese to fill up with. I was sat with Audrey from the West Midlands, Sylvia from Saint Albans and Jean in the Grill restaurant overlooking the absolutely empty container port.
Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and worked on my up coming Silversea Palma presentation. At 11:30 I went to the Lido to have their lovely fish and chips by the pool in the sunshine. At noon I had my siesta for an hour and three quarters, awakening to my alarm at 1:45.
At two o'clock I went to the Supper Club to get stickered for my afternoon tour to Soulac-sur-Mer (£59). We began at the UNESCO listed Romanesque basilica which was rather special. The gothic doorway had to be inserted at a higher level when the church was finally dug out of the sand dunes which had completely covered it. Once inside, you now have to descend a staircase to the lower level of the nave itself. I had to tell one gent to take his hat off! We ambled passed the lovely 19th century villas to the beach, walked along the prom for a way and then returned via the pedestrianised main street.
Back at the ship, I had a decaff instant coffee sat out on my balcony with a view across the Gironde estuary in the glorious sunshine. On the other side of the ship was the enormous 2006 container port completely abandoned! Our guide said that it had been plagued by strikes, like much of French industry and like Britain in the 1970s, so the owners had transferred their business to Spain and left the site derelict! It is now used only for large cruise ships which can't go up the estuary to Bordeaux.
At 5 o'clock I went to the Brazilian sail away with the Supper Club jazz duo Luis & Giselle along side the pool. It was 5:40 before we got a samba, which actually sounded more like a cha cha! At 6 o'clock I danced with Brenda in the Britannia lounge, in spite of my left knee still hurting. I gave the cha chas a miss, not wanting to aggravate my condition.
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At 7 o'clock I dined in the Grill with Roy & Val from Wroughton near Swindon and a 93 year old lady from near Tewkesbury. I began with the cream of squash soup and continued with the colourful salad. I main coursed on the small corn beef hash cake with fried egg and onion rings, followed by the cheese plate again.
At 9:30 I went to Kit & McConnel's second show which was just as funny as their first. It was very politically incorrect and if you were Scottish, South African or a golfer you wouldn't have liked it! At the end I went to bed and to sleep at 10:45 having done just over eight and a half thousand steps or just over three miles of walking during the day. Considering I had a bad knee, that was not bad!
I woke up at 6:35 nearly one hour ahead of my alarm, but got up none the less. It took me nearly one hour to get ready for breaking my fast. I had the Spanish special with one fried egg on a bed of chorizo sausage and beans, sat with Joan from Chesterfield, David from Aylesbury and Richard from Eltham.
At 8:45 I went to the Playhouse to get stickered for my first included tour - Scenic Santander. We departed at 9 o'clock for a two hour panoramic drive around the city. We had a fifteen minute photo stop at the Cabo Mayor (Major Cape) lighthouse in the bright sunshine.
Back at the ship, I updated my Santander talk with items our morning guide had told us about. At noon I lunched on a small piece of gammon and a minute steak with a few chips and green beans, followed by two churros with chocolate sauce. I was sat with Ken from Kent, a lady from near Salisbury and a gent whose wife wasn't eating that time in the Grill. I then slept for an hour and a half.
After having my decaff Nescafe on my balcony in the warm sunshine, I got on with my next Silversea lecture on Valencia. At 5 o'clock I went to the sail away by the pool to hear the Viva pop group. When we did actually sail away, I went up one deck to watch Santander slip passed. At six o'clock I went to the Britannia lounge to dance with Brenda to recorded tunes. The quick steps were all a bit slow, so we ended up jiving to them instead!
At seven o'clock we adjourned to the Grill where we sat with Barbara from near Colchester, Essex and a quiet lady from Southend, Essex. Since Brenda is from Hullbridge in Essex and I grew up in Harlow, Essex - it was an entire table of Essexites! I had the cold gazpacho soup to start, followed by the Caesar salad. I main coursed on the poached salmon and finished with the sugar free strawberry mousse.
Back in my cabin I had a decaff instant coffee, before moving to the Playhouse theatre at 9:15. I sat with Brenda to watch the excellent "We are the Champions" tribute to Queen production show. At the end I retired to my cabin rather than go to the ABBA session in the Britannia Lounge. Having had FOUR after dinner chocolates, I wasn't feeling sleepy, so I watched my first two port talks again, not going to sleep until after 11:30.
I awoke at 6:30 and worked on this blog, before getting ready to break my fast. At 7:40 I broke my fast with the full English sat with Ken from Kent, a naturalist lady from the Weald and another lady. Out on the rear deck, I watched the beautiful sunrise with a rainbow to one side of the ship whilst Loremer was doing my cabin. Back in my cabin, I watched the second pair of my port talks, as Andrew's talk on the History of Spain had failed to appear. I finished off my Valencia talk and started updating my Cadiz lecture.
At 11:30 I touched base with Michelle at the Explore Ashore desks, before walking around the deck six promenade to see the common dolphins (the two tone variety) at play. At noon I went to the singles luncheon where I hosted a table with Brenda from Essex, Eileen from SoToN, Joan from Chesterfield, Barbara from Colchester and Brenda from Caterham. We began with the cauliflower soup, had roast pork for our main course and finished with a type of bread & butter pudding (though that wasn't what it was called)! I had just one glass of the Chilean red wine. This did however mean that I missed the Spanish tapas lunch by the pool!
At 1:30 I left to set up for my next pair of port talks. The boys had trouble getting their laptop to communicate with the projector for fifteen minutes of uncertainty. At two o'clock I spoke for 37 minutes on "Leixoes: the port for Oporto" and "Cadiz: Europe's Oldest City?" Yet again I wasn't allowed to cover the usual sights and walks, as independents weren't allowed ashore on their own.
I then slept for one hour, before having a decaff Nescafe in my cabin. The weather had deteriorated, so I decided against the hot tub, working on my next Silversea talks instead. At six o'clock I went ballroom dancing with Brenda in the Britannia lounge.
At seven we dined in the Grill with vivacious Barbara from near Cambridge and her friend Vicki from Enfield. I began with the grilled asparagus with poached egg followed by the Caesar salad. I main coursed on the beef followed by the praline pecan ice cream.
At 9:30 we went to Micky Zany's amusing comedy show. His multiple impersonations were brilliant but short, ending with a Norman Wisdom song! At 10:30 I adjourned to the Britannia lounge to hear the last two thirds of Stephen's excellent musical theatre cabaret. When he sang Mr Bojangles, which has a Viennese waltz rhythm, his partner Nick did a balletic dance across the floor! I went to bed at 11:30 having done just over five thousand steps equal to about two miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at quarter to seven, but it was now only quarter to six in Portugal which is on British Summer Time. I had my decaff instant coffee whilst updating this blog. At seven o'clock I broke my fast with TWO eggs Benedict, sat with the Yorkshire man from Woodbridge in Suffolk and another deaf gentleman who had forgotten to put his hearing aids in!
At 8:45 I went to the Playhouse to get stickered for my included "Snapshot of Oporto" tour. This was a panoramic tour of the city. We had one photo stop at Vila Nova de Gaia overlooking the Eiffel Iron Bridge (Ponte de Ferro), but it was overcast. On the way back to ship it started to rain.
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Back at the ship at 11:30 I had a prawn cocktail, the roast leg of beef with all the trimmings and some odd tasting blanc mange. I had just one glass of red wine, sat with a lady from Southport and a couple from Evesham, who were rushing off for the afternoon tour to Guimaraes! I then slept for over two hours, before having my mug of Nescafe. I spent fifteen minutes in one of the hot tubs under the canopy awning, but it was still raining outside. At six o'clock I went to the recorded Ballroom dance session with Brenda.
At seven o'clock I dined on the chilled soup, the Greek salad, the roast lamb and one Portuguese Pastel de Nata egg custard tart. I was sat with Robert (ex RAF) & Margaret from Bicester, together with the lady from near Salisbury. At 9:30 I went to the production company's excellent Crescendo crossover show. This included excerpts from Carmen and Oh Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. (Later in the cruise I teased David about the drum beats at the end of each phrase of the latter!) After an ABBA medley (sic), they ended inevitably with "Time to Say Goodbye". I went to bed at 10:45 BST, but 11:45 on my Spanish body clock's time, having done six thousand steps, about two and a bit miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at five past seven, but took three quarters of an hour to get ready. I then broke my fast with a couple from Nottingham and the naturalist lady from the Weald. I had the scrambled egg on half an avocado to eat and two small glasses of tomato juice to drink. Back in my cabin, I spent the morning working on my up coming presentations. At 9:25 the sun came out and I went on to my balcony to watch the dolphins frolicking in the sea!
At 11:15 I went to the Audience with Captain Franko Papic chaired by Cruise Director Jake Laflin. He said that he is required to steam into DoVeR harbour at 10 knots and then fling the azipods (giant out board motors) around to swerve into the berth. He calls this a hand brake turn and reminded me of VIFFing (Vectoring in Forward Flight) by Harrier jump jets!
At 12:30 we had the second line dancing class led by Nicola & Amber. They taught the Electric Slide, Achy Breaky Heart and 5678, the last two ready for the following night's cabaret! I lunched al fresco on the chicken Kiev with chips & mushy peas followed by some Stilton & Shropshire Blue cheese. I then slept for an hour and a half, before having my mid-afternoon mug of Nescafe. Having received a job offer from the Open University, I had to have a think, so I went hot tubbing in the warm sun shine!
At six o'clock I danced with Brenda to the trio in the Britannia Lounge. The Square Tango attracted a record nine couples to the floor! At seven o'clock I dined with Brenda, Pat from Farnham and Ray the Aircraft designer from Lytham. I began with the cream of onion soup, continued with the colourful salad and main coursed on the simple fare: omelette with chips & peas. I had the English butter toffee for dessert and helped Ray finish off his large cheese plate. We had a lot of boy's talk on planes, sorry ladies!
At 9:30 I went to hear the Michael Buble tribute artist Jamie Flanagan. His voice was very convincing and thankfully he had NO superfluous chat whatsoever! He sang all the famous Buble hits plus a few others too. At 10:30 I went to hear the two girl singers doing their cabaret up in the Britannia Lounge. When they sang "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain I joined in dancing the California Frieze. I went to bed soon after 11:15, having done only just over four thousand steps, but not counting the morning's line dancing or the evening's ballroom.
I awoke at 6:25, five minutes before my alarm. At 7:20 I broke my fast with ONE egg royale sat with Pat from Farnham again and a Scottish lady and her husband from Winchester. We were berthed in pole position right by the city centre, but still weren't allowed ashore independently (roll on the 1st of November)! At 8:45 I went to the Playhouse to be stickered for the included panoramic tour of Cadiz. We departed at 9:15 and were back at the ship by 10:30, having driven around the back of the cathedral, before heading through the land gate. We stopped for photos just once in the unprepossessing suburb of Puerto Real on the mainland. Other coaches had a much better beach photo stop than us!
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Back in my cabin, I sat out on my balcony in the sun shine with a view of P&O's Ventura, drinking some orange squash. At 11:45 I lunched on TWO pork chops with chips, carrots and broccoli, sat with one English and one Foreign lady in the corner window, with a magnificent view of Ventura. I then slept for over two hours, before having my mug of decaff Nescafe on my balcony. At 4 o'clock I spent twenty minutes in the two tubs, before sitting on my balcony nearly naked!
Unfortunately the sail away was cancelled as we couldn't depart until Ventura had left. We couldn't have the pool side party whilst still berthed as the locals don't like the noise! At six o'clock I went to the recorded dance music session with Brenda. The keen foxtrotters weren't present, so we were able to do the social foxtrot in peace. When Ventura did finally leave she required FOUR tugs to assist her with the levante wind blowing from the east. With our azipods (giant out board motors), we didn't need them!
At seven o'clock I dined with Brenda, Penny from Derby and Heather from Rainham. I began with the cold cherry soup, continued with the colourful salad and main coursed on the rib eye steak with sweet potato chips. We had Brenda's favourite mellow Merlot red wine again to drink. I finished the meal with the praline pecan ice cream.
At 9:30 I sat with Brenda for Micky Zany's second comedy show which was as good as his first. The final impressions were short but sweet, culimating in his singing of "My Way" in various characters, but not featuring Sinatra himself. His wife and Jamie the singer were sat directly in front of us. I went to bed at 11 o'clock having done nearly six thousand steps, equivalent to over two miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:50 and broke my fast at 7:35. I had one egg Florentine sat with Pat from Farnham, a lady from Heston near Heathrow and an elderly gent. I spent the morning working in my cabin, until at 11:15 I sat with Brenda in the Audience with three of the production company. They were Nick the dancer and manager, Nicola the dancer and Lewis the singer, all of whom were already my 'friends' on Face Book.
At noon we went up to the Lido by the pool for the German Oktoberfest. I had one sausage and one schnitzel with pasta followed by apple pie with fruit compote and whipped cream. Jimoel gave me one bottle of San Miquel beer. Just as I was finishing the latter, Resty ran over to call me aside to tell me that we were diverting to Lisbon with a medical emergency. I rushed down to my cabin to check that I did already have a Lisbon talk in the Saga format ready to go! We turned south east and headed into the Tagus estuary at 17 knots.
At 2:15 the Captain announced that we were back on track for Vigo, so I was able to go ahead with my planned talk at 2:30. I spoke for 33 minutes on Vigo: the Port for Santiago de Compostela, but wasn't allowed to talk about the sights or walks of Vigo. Afterwards I went up to the top deck to see the seaside resorts of Estoril & Cascais. I then slept for three quarters of an hour, before watching my Vigo talk on the telly. I had a short five minutes in one of the hot tubs in the sun shine, before getting dressed for dinner.
At six o'clock I danced with Brenda, including a Party Samba I had requested. At seven o'clock we dined in the Grill with a well spoken lady from Letchworth and her partner, a quiet man from Cambridge. I began with the cold fruit yoghurt soup and then continued with the Caesar salad. I had the gammon with gravy, veg and mash, followed by the sugar free plums with strawberry ice cream. I had just one glass of the Spanish red wine to drink.
At 8:30 I was back in the cabin updating this blog and completing my UK Passenger Locator Form (PLF). Unfortunately they wanted to send a SMS password to my mobile phone, but I had no signal at sea. I will have to try again tomorrow morning in Vigo! At 9:30 I sat with Brenda for Jamie Flanagan's swing show, which was even better than his first. He did a lot of Sinatra classics which pleased the audience. At the end, I went up to the Britannia Lounge and when she sang "Man I Feel Like a Women" by Shania Twain, I led off the California Frieze. I adjourned to my cabin at 11 o'clock and was asleep soon after, having done just over five and half thousand steps, not counting the ballroom dancing, during the day.
I awoke at 5:25 and dozed until 6:05 when I got up 25 minutes before my alarm. After showering, I updated this blog and made a second, successful attempt at my UK PLF. I broke my fast with Alan from Woodbridge, Jackie from St. John's Wood and the naturalist lady from the Weald. We talked about wild life, the Arctic and the Antarctic, as the two ladies had travelled extensively on ice breakers! I had TWO eggs Benedict and one slice of buttered toast. Back in my cabin, I updated this blog again.
At 9:15 I was stickered by Rey in the Supper Club ready for my included tour to Baiona. Our first stop was fifteen minutes where the little harbour meets the Royal Mount castle. I took all the usual photos here including the map of the Pinta's arrival here in 1493 with the Pinzon brothers, but not Columbus, who didn't arrive back until three days later into Lisbon. Our second fifteen minute photo stop was at the famous Virgin of the Rocks statue over looking the Atlantic breakers. On the way back into Vigo, we circled the hill top castle (Castro).
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Back at the ship, I lunched on the roast lamb followed by some cheese, sat with a lady from Canterbury and a couple from Liverpool. I then slept for two hours. After my mid afternoon decaff Nescafe, I spent fifteen minutes in one of the jacuzzis in the warm sun shine, but the wind was cold. I listened to Giselle who was doing her sound check ready for the operatic sail away at 5:15. At the latter she sang many famous arias, her voice was beautiful, but some of the backing tracks were distorted.
At six o'clock I danced with Brenda to the Viva trio in the Britannia Lounge. At seven we dined in the grill sat with Dr Margaret Webster and her husband Robert (ex RAF) from Bicester. I had the chilled fruit soup to begin, followed by the Caesar salad. I continued with the escalope of pork and finished with the sugar free panna cotta. I had two glasses of Spanish Rioja red wine to drink.
At 9:30 I sat with Brenda for the crew show. It was the usual mix of singing, but only modern, not traditional dance. The penultimate act was the officers and cruise staff doing "If I was not upon the sea". This included the Chief Engineer as the sergeant major, Guest Relations Director Jemma as the swimmer and someone I didn't recognise as the diesel fitter, the part I had once had to play! Exec chef John was the tennis player, Hotel Manager Jan Novak was the undertaker and CD Jake was the ballet dancer!
The final act was the celebrated hand mime to "You raise me up", not the original Casting Crowns "Who am I". Unfortunately the theatre was not dark enough for the full effect as you could clearly see the participants. Afterwards, I moved upstairs, but the cabaret had already finished, so I went to bed soon after 11 o'clock. During the day I had done eight thousand steps equivalent to over three miles of walking and not including the ballroom dancing.
I awoke at 6:35, but didn't get up until after seven. I had the full English break fast sat with Vicki from Enfield, Ken from Kent and a British man who lives in County Wicklow in Ireland. Back in my cabin, Loremer had already made it up and I worked on my laptop. I felt tired so I had a nap for an hour, something I rarely do in the morning. At 11 o'clock I went to the Audience with Exec Chef John McCerery from Sunderland, which was revealing about the enormous food operation on board.
At 12:30 Belinda & Hope, two of the dancers, taught Mamma Maria, the Four Friezes line dance, Little Red Book and Stroll Along Cha Cha, the latter with just a quarter turn at the end. At one o'clock I lunched on the steak & ale pie with chips & carrots, followed by two small cakes. I was sat with John originally from County Wexford but now living in Brighton, together with Audrey & Sylvia from Boroughbridge in Yorkshire. The latter two thought that Vigo had been the best stop of the cruise, but also liked Santander. They hadn't gone ashore in France, where there were no tours included in the cruise price!
I then slept for another hour, before having my mid-afternoon instant coffee in the cabin. I then had fifteen minutes in one of the hot tubs, but the wind was cold. At six o'clock I danced with Brenda in the Britannia Lounge. Requests they played included the Gay Gordons and the St. Bernard's Waltz!
At seven we adjourned to the Grill, where we sat with Vicki from Enfield and Barbara from near Cambridge. I began with the wild mushroom soup, continued with the Caesar salad and main coursed on the tenderloin beef, which was like a filet mignon. I finished the meal with the sugar free panna cotta. I had two glasses of the Chilean Merlot red wine to drink. At the end of the meal Vicki kindly gave me her complimentary bottle of bubbly, which I had not been given at the out set of the cruise. Carrying the bottle with me, who did I bump into for the first time this cruise in the lift? The Captain, of course!
At 9:30 I sat with Brenda in the Playhouse to see the crew parade and then the West End to Broadway production show. This featured West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Oklahoma, Phantom, Les Mis and Chorus Line. It finished with "Over the Rainbow" from the Wizard of Oz. At the end I popped up to the Britannia Lounge to catch the end of Viva's penultimate set of the evening. When the Secret Sounds competition results came on, I went to bed, having done only four thousand steps (less than two miles) of walking during the day, not counting the ballroom and line dancing!
I awoke at 7:50, but it was now only 6:50 back on British Summer Time (BST). I broke my fast at 7:30 by having TWO eggs Benedict, which came five minutes apart, together with TWO small glasses of tomato juice. I was sat with the lady from near Salisbury, 93 year old John and Pera from Cornwall. The latter remembered me from our Baltic Cruise and Holy Land Cruise both in 2014! Back in my cabin, I up dated this blog, back upped my photos and worked on my up coming presentations. At eleven o'clock I went to David McCaddon's interesting talk entitled "The Golden Age of Murder" which was on the Detection Club of collaborative crime writers. I didn't know that Agatha Christie, G K Chesterton, Dorothy L Sayers and other famous authors wrote novels together!
At noon I had shell-on prawns, BBQ pork ribs and some cheeses for lunch, sat with Pat from Farnham, 93 year old John and Penny from Derby. I then slept for an hour and a half. I spent most of the afternoon working on my up coming Silversea PowerPoints. At 4:30 I changed in to my going home outfit and started packing.
At six o'clock I went to the Britannia Lounge and asked Ronald to put on the dance tracks, even though it hadn't been advertised in the Today programme, but nobody danced. At seven o'clock I dined in the grill with Penny from Derby, Ray from Lytham and Pat from Farnham. I began with the curried soup and continued with the Caesar salad. I had the chicken as my main course, followed by the sugar free raspberry mousse. I had one glass of Rioja on my own account and one of Ray's, when he switched to mellow Merlot.
Back in my cabin, I up dated this blog. At 9:30 I sat with Brenda at the excellent fifth and final production show, singing and dancing around the world. I went to bed when it finished, having done under three thousand steps with no dancing during the day.
I awoke at 6:20, ten minutes before my alarm, ready to do my PCR spit test. I broke my fast with the full English sat with Heather from Rainham, a lady from Surrey and another singleton. Walking around the top deck, I bumped in to and chatted with Kit Hesketh-Harvey. His next work would be Dick (Whittington Pantomine) in Yvonne (Arnaud Theatre)! At eight o'clock I left my cabin and adjourned to the Britannia Lounge. Here I got out my lap top and up dated this blog.
Tag 20 was called on time at 9:30 and I said goodbye to Jemma at the gangway. I was off the ship by 9:35, but my driver hadn't yet arrived. I left a message on his answering machine and after a while he appeared. The drive home took less than 40 miuntes and I was back by 10:45. It had been a great cruise barred only by my fall, which had cut back on my walking, if not my dancing!
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14 Nights on board
13 Dinners in the top deck Grill
7 Ports (Brest, Montoir, Verdon, Santander,
Leixoes, Cadiz, Vigo)
7 Tours
6 Sea days
6 Old ports (Brest, Montoir, Santander,
Leixoes, Cadiz, Vigo)
5 ?
4 New towns (Locronan, Guerande,
La Baule, Soulac-sur-mer)
4 Lectures given
4 Included tours
3 Paid for tours
2 ?
1 New port (Le Verdon-sur-Mer)
1 Dinner in the main restaurant
1 Singles lunch in the main restaurant
1 Singles tea in the main restaurant
0 Cocktail parties
10 Cruise Lines:
√ Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines √ Saga Shipping Company √ Voyages of Discovery √ Seabourn (Carnival) √ Princess (Carnival) √ Cunard (Carnival) √ P&O (Carnival) √ Celebrity (RCCL) √ Silversea (RCCL) √ CrystalThirty Two Cruise Ships:
Saga Rose Saga Ruby Saga Sapphire Saga Pearl II Quest for Adventure Spirit of Adventure (old SofA) Spirit of Adventure (new SofA) Spirit of Discovery Black Prince Black Watch Balmoral Boudicca Braemar Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Elizabeth (QE) Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Sapphire Princess VoD Discovery P&O Oriana