| Arms: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
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29th Oct. 2023 |
BoMoH --> SoToN |
On board by 12:20 |
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31st Oct. 2023 |
La Coruna Galicia Spain |
A Taste of Betanzos tour |
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2nd Nov. 2023 |
Cadiz Andalusia Spain |
Tram to San Fernando & Chiclana |
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4th Nov. 2023 |
Tarragona Catalonia Spain |
Tarragona Wine Tasting tour |
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5th Nov. 2023 |
Valencia Spain |
Two trips into the city |
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6th Nov. 2023 |
Cartagena Murcia Spain |
Roman Theatre tour |
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7th Nov. 2023 |
Malaga Andalusia Spain |
Train Ride to Fuengirola |
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9th Nov. 2023 |
Funchal Madeira Portugal |
a.m. Walking p.m. Fleeting |
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13th Nov. 2023 |
SoToN --> BoMoH |
Home by 9:15 |
| Arms: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke at 7:45, but it was now 6:45 on GMT. At 9:45 I unsuccessfully ordered a taxi from United using their new voice recognition system. At ten o'clock I succesfully requested a taxi from Streamline to take me to BoMoH station, where I caught the 10:41 train to SoToN. After another short taxi ride, I was at the terminal by 11:20 and on board by 12:20. Here I had the cream of vegetable soup and the roast beef (it was Sunday).
At 12:50 the cabins were released and I found I had an outside twin with two port holes right at the front of the ship on deck two. I then dozed for an hour, interrupted by a couple of safety announcements, which required me to attend the checker at my lifeboat. At four o'clock we had the entertainers cocktail party, where I had two glasses of Buck's Fizz to drink. It was good to speak to Ents. Man. Sammie, Dep. Ents. Man. Ritchiel and Admin. Kenneth. I sat with fellow speaker Chris Mason from North London and his friend Anthony from Alton in Hampshire. The latter grew up in Tarragona, so he later went through my port talk for me. After Sammie had finished talking, I went across to say hello to dance hosts John Molloy and Don McGregor. I also meet Beryl & Keith Bradley from Dukinfield, the dance couple, for the first time.
At 5:30 we had the first dance set where I mainly danced with Beryl. At 6:15 I dined with the dance host team on the cream of pumpkin soup, the roast lamb and the mixed ice cream. Brad Moodie the pianist said hello and sent me his new FaceBook handle ("Brad the Piano Guy"). At 7:15 and again at eight o'clock we danced to recorded music in the Oceans Lounge. I danced with Beryl, Michelle, April, Doreen and Helen (but not her daughter Caroline). As the floor became full, I sat out several dances.
At 8:45 I went to virtuoso violinist Tom Suha from Budapest who played a wide variety of pieces from classical, through easy listening to rock songs. However I had trouble staying awake. I adjourned to my cabin at 9:45 and started work on this blog. I went to sleep at 10:15, but it was now 11:15 on Central European Time (CET). I had done over ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking, during the day.
I got up at six o'clock, but it was now seven on CET. I enjoyed my second instant decaff coffee of the cruise in the cabin, before abluting. I then updated this blog. At eight o'clock I breakfasted on grapefruit segments and TWO eggs Benedict, sat with the solo travellers: eight men and just one lady!
At nine o'clock I touched base with the tour desk to hand in my escorting wishlist and to find out about last minute availability for La Coruna. At 9:45 I listened to Ria's fifty minute talk on all the tours this cruise. This provided me with valuable information on times and places.
At 10:30 two of the male dancers taught three line dances very well. First they demonstrated each dance, then Lewis the tall one taught them carefully on all four walls. I had to slip out after the second dance to go to Kate's interesting thirty five minute talk on the Cockleshell Pilgrims. The actual shell used as a logo is a scallop shell and not a cockle! She had technical issues and so started five minutes late. The first half of her presentation was in personal presenter view, not the normal display. She finished five minutes early.
Back in my cabin, I worked on my laptop. At 12:15 I went to the waltz class, but it was postponed owing to the rough seas. At 12:30 I lunched on the salmon & potato soup, the pork cordon bleu and the mixed ice cream. I was sat at the large round solo travellers table for ten in the middle of the Main Dining Room (MDR). I was next to ladies from Hinckley, Bedfordshire and London, with an equal split of males and females, unlike at breakfast that morning.
At two o'clock Jay(rick) set me up without issue, unlike Kate that morning. My La Coruna photographs displayed on the big screen, as I stood in the doorway greeting the guests. At 2:30 Sammie introduced me and I gave my thirty five minute talk including some coverage of Santiago. I had just a few questions to answer at the end.
Back in my cabin, I had another instant decaff coffee to drink, before sleeping for just half an hour. At five o'clock I went to the first dance set with the five piece band and singer Vina in the Ocean Bar. Here I mainly danced with Beryl and some other ladies.
At 5:30 I went to the Captain's welcome cocktail party, where I had one glass of Buck's Fizz and one glass of plain orange juice together with four canapes. At six o'clock I dined with the dance host team in the View buffet. I had the lobster bisque soup, the lobster thermidor as a starter and the steak with broccoli, red cabbage & a jacket potato as my main course. I finished with the mixed ice cream with lots of sprinkles and white chocolate buttons. I bought a bottle of Merlot red wine to share with the team.
At 6:45 we had the second dance set to the band and at 8:15 the third and final set, where I danced with Beryl, Sue, Jean, Joan, Michelle, Helen and her daughter Caroline. At nine o'clock I went to David Austen's Dedication to Musical Theatre show time, which also covered movies. He began well with ALW's Music of the Night from the Phantom, but there were some songs, including one by Adele, which I didn't know. He finished with two songs from Les Miserables, but I had trouble keeping awake.
I went to bed at 10:45 after a busy first day at sea when I had only done just under nine thousand steps, not quite reaching my daily target.
I awoke at 6:15 ready for my usual mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin. At 7:30 I had a freshly made cheese omelette with crispy bacon and plum tomatoes for breakfast sat with magician Marc Oberon. We talked about contracts and agents amongst other things.
At 9:15 I was on escort duty on the quayside ready to go on my third choice Taste of Betanzos tour. I was with guide Javier, driver Suso and twenty four guests. At Betanzos we visited two medieval gothic churches, before visiting the House of Cheese. Here we tasted five different types of Galician cheese and I had TWO cups of white wine. The latter cups we were allowed to keep to take home. Then a lady made a batch of cheese from scratch with milk, salt and vegetarian rennet. After ten minutes, we were able to eat the resulting cottage cheese. We then had our free time when I went in the Tourist Information Office (TIO) and used their free wi-fi.
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Back at the ship, I had the soup and roast pork for lunch, before heading out into the town. I walked to the provincial TIO, but it was closed for a long lunch. However the town's TIO in Maria Pita Square was open for me to collect a selection of maps and leaflets.
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Back at the ship again, I had my mid-afternoon instant decaff coffee, before sleeping for one hour, interrupted by the laundry man. At 4:30 we had recorded music for dancing in the Observatory. I was wearing my orange Hallowe'en outfit and Helen's daughter Caroline was wearing an orange dress when Entertainments Manager Sammie arrived and took our photo as we danced together!
At 5:30 we had the band playing for us in the Observatory, where I led off a Cowboy Charleston. I then dined with Dot the Ukulele lady and the four dance hosts. I had the spinach soup, the roast turkey and the honeycomb ice cream to eat.
At 7:45 we had the final dance set of the evening with the Session Five band again in the Observtory. I did one social foxtrot with Julia, but it was getting too rough to dance, so we all sat and listened to new singer Vina. Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and worked on my Cadiz presentation. I also had to prepare some Crystal Cruise Line bids for next year. I went to bed at 10:40 having done sixteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles of walking during the day.
My alarm awoke me at 6:40, having slept for eight hours, ready to breakfast when the View buffet opened at 7:30. I had TWO eggs Benedict and TWO croissants with smoked salmon to eat and TWO glasses of tomato juice to drink. I was sat with dancers Helen and her daughter Caroline.
When Agung came to service the cabin at 8:20, I did five circuits of the top deck jogging track, but only three quarters of one lap of the promenade deck, as a section was closed off for repairs. At 9:25 Jay set me up in the Neptune theatre, ready for me to give my forty five minute talk on Cadiz. At 9:45 Sammie introduced me and I only had one gent to speak to at the end. He told me about the English counter Armada of 1589 which was defeated at La Coruna by local heroine Maria Pita!
Back in my cabin, I had my second instant decaff coffee of the day, thus missing the second line dancing class. At eleven o'clock I went to the forty minute talk on 1930s art, architecture and ocean liners by Chris Mason. He covered both the modernist and the art deco movements. I then touched base with Sammie to check that my proposed lecture the next day had been cancelled due to our planned early arrival into Cadiz.
At 12:15 we had the waltz class where Keith taught the box, which I would call the double box or the figure of eight. At 12:30 I danced with Helen's 22 year old daughter Caroline to the waltz music. Keith then taught the quarter turn to enable the zigzag down the line of dance. When Helen and Caroline slipped out for lunch, I danced with the lady who had been dancing with Keith, as he was now preoccupied with the strugglers. There were 16 ladies and 10 gentlemen at the class.
At one o'clock I lunched on the German lentil soup, the sweet & sour chicken with rice and the cheese plate, sat at the large solo travellers table in the middle of the MDR. One of the ladies was a biology undergraduate at Keele University at the same time as I was a geography postgarduate there. Peter a foreign gent from Lithuania was bemoaning the lack of promised Phoenician/Punic coverage, so I pointed out that if he had attended my lecture that morning he would have heard about the Phoenician/Punic history of Cadiz! Back in my cabin, I slept for one hour.
At 3:15 I went to Kate's talk entitled Francis Drake and the singeing of the King of Spain's beard. As before she had technical issues and so started five minutes late. She comprehensively covered Sir Francis's career, but only had one slide at the end on the raid on Cadiz. She overran by fifteen minutes which upset Jay the stage manager who needed to set up for the following classical concert.
At 4:30 we had the first dance set to recorded music, which was well attended in the bright sunshine. At 5:30 the band came on and it continued to be busy, so I danced with lots of ladies including Beryl, Helen, Caroline, Sue, Julia and others. At 6:30 we dined with ukulele teacher Dot at a table for six. I had the lovely ratatouille soup, followed by the Korean beef ribs with courgettes and a jacket potato. I finished with two scoops of the sticky toffee fudge ice cream with extra nuts. At 7:45 we had the final dance set with the band. I danced with all the usual suspects.
At 8:45 I went to the Come Fly With Me production show, which I have seen several times before. It began with the airline departure lounge followed by the "Be An Italian" song. Then came France with "Je Ne Regrette Rien" sung in French and the Can Can. Next was the Argentine Tango and "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" sung in both Spanish and English. Then came Norway with a folk song followed by Alexander Ryback's "Fairytale" which won the Eurovision Song Contest some years back. The final stop on this round the world tour was Brazil with the Conga and "Let's Get Loud". There were three men and five girls in the show with two other men off sick. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking, during the day.
I got up at 6:15 ready for my freshly made cheese omelette with plum tomatoes and crispy bacon at seven o'clock. The gangway proved troublesome and it took ages for them to get it ready. I was the second person off the ship after the ship's photographer.
I just missed the 9:05 tram (TramBahia - Tranvia Metropolitano de la Bahia de Cadiz) from the railway station and had to wait until 9:52 for the next one to Chiclana de la Frontera. This hybrid tram/train had different height doors for the mainline platforms and the tramway ones. It went along very quickly on the mainline tracks, but crawled along the single track through the narrow and busy main street of San Fernando. There were extensive views of the bay, the salt marshes and the lagoons with cormorants, egrets and terns, but no flamingoes. At the far terminus, just beyond Chiclana de la Frontera, I photographed the huge tram depot and walked up the hill to take some photos. I had to wait over half an hour for the next tram back.
Back at the ship, I lunched with Beryl & Keith on the minestrone soup, the roast lamb with peppers & chips and the salted caramel ice cream. I then slept for an hour, before going back into the city. Here I recorded several versions of my usual piece to camera. I went in the Roman theatre, but it started to drizzle so I headed back.
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Back in my cabin, I had my mid-afternoon decaff instant coffee, whilst updating this blog. At 4:30 we had the first dance set of the day with recorded music in the Observatory. There was just a fifteen minute break before the second set with the band came on. I danced with all the usual suspects, plus Jane and Dot in her polka dot dress.
I then dined with ukulele Dot and the dance host team in the View buffet. I had the cream of carrot and ginger soup followed by the roast chicken with sweet potato gratin and green beans. I then had the cheese plate with no biscuits followed by a small strawberry mousse.
At 7:45 we had the final dance set with the band back in the Ocean lounge. They ended with a marathon Caribbean Calypso which I danced with Beryl. At 8:45 I went to Micky Zany's amusing comedy show. He bettered my "Bay of Biscuits" with the "Bay of SickBay"! I went to sleep at 10:45 having done over twenty thousand steps, equal to eight miles of walking during the day.
I awoke just after seven o'clock having slept for over eight hours. At eight o'clock I had grapefruit segments, two eggs Benedict and two slices of wholemeal toast with butter & Marmite for breakfast sat at the large round solo travellers table in the Bloomsbury restaurant. At nine o'clock I touched base with Destination Services to check on our call into Tarragona the next day.
At 9:45 I went to Kate's talk on Barcelona, yet again she had technical difficulties and displayed her personal presenter view throughout the forty minute lecture. At 10:30 Lewis and Charlie taught just two sixteen count beginner line dances, as they had to rush off to get dressed for the eleven o'clock Audience with all ten members of the Bolette Theatre Company. At the end of their interview with CD Sammie, Charlie and one of the girls did a quick costume change demonstration.
At 12:15 Keith & Beryl taught the cha cha, counting in with 1 2 3 cha cha cha. They covered the basic, New Yorks, spot turns and the shoulder to shoulder figure using just one hand. I was dancing with April. At one o'clock I lunched on the minestrone soup and the lovely fish & chips. I forewent on the tiramisu dessert.
At two o'clock Jay(rick) and Ed(ouard) set me up in plenty of time, as the theatre filled up to near capacity, despite the siesta time slot! One lady was from Ilminster and knew Mary who had been on my dining table on my previous cruise two weeks before! At 2:30 I gave my forty minute talk on Tarragona. I then slept for an hour.
At 4:30 we had the first dance set to recorded music in the Observatory. Julia reminded me that I had won Debbie Snashall's cha cha competition back on the Balmoral in 2009, fourteen years ago! At the end Keith played "Tell Me Ma" for the Mayfair Quickstep saying that it was going to be fast. However one old man, with a stick, started dancing it and inevitable fell over on to his innocent partner breaking a small table into two. He was unhurt, but seemed a little shocked as the paramedic arrived.
At 5:30 we had the second set with the band which included the Gay Gordons for the first time this cruise. At 6:30 I dined on the broccoli and blue cheese soup followed by the chicken souvlaki AND the beef stew with potatoes and carrots. I had a small cheese plate with a few broken biscuits and a small strawberry mousse. At 7:45 we had the third and final dance set of the evening in the smaller Ocean bar with the band. The floor was packed with dancers and I danced twice with Michelle at her request and once each with Helen, Caroline, Sue, Dot, Julia, Jane and others, but not Beryl.
At 8:45 I went to the excellent Magical Mystery Tour production show with nine members of the troupe. They played a series of Circus characters set to famous 1960s pop songs. I had to do one circuit of the all round promenade to reach my ten thousand daily step goal. Back in my cabin, I watched my Tarragona talk on the TV, before going to sleep at eleven o'clock.
I awoke at 6:25, five minutes before my alarm. At seven I had a freshly made cheese omelette with plum tomatoes and crispy bacon in the View buffet. At 8:45 Agung came to service the cabin, so I adjourned to the Observatory.
At 9:15 I was on escort duty on the quayside for my third choice Wine Tasting tour. We were driven by Juan and guided by Janine from Belgium on the coach and Elena from Italy at the winery. This was located in Nulles north of Tarragona in the form of an art nouveau (modernisme) cathedral of wine. After our guided tour, we sampled white, rose and sparkling wines with hazel nuts to nibble on and bread laced with olive oil to soak up the alcohol. Back in the city, Janine led us on a short tour past the Roman Circus and the Roman Amphitheatre. The latter was viewed from the famous Mediterranean Balcony.
Back at the ship, I had a late lunch of soup, followed by pork with vegetables and croquet potatoes. I finished with rum & raisin ice cream with toppings. I forewent my siesta and caught the 2:30 shuttle back into the city. I explored the old town above, before moving on to the new town below.
I caught the five o'clock shuttle back to the ship, having missed the first dance set at 4:30. At 5:30 I danced with Julia, Jane, Dot, Michelle, Helen and her daughter Caroline and some others, but not Beryl. At 6:30 I bought glasses of the special Sangria for Beryl and ukulele teacher Dorothy. I had the chicken soup, the salmon with penne pasta in cheese sauce and the cheese plate, sat with the usual fivesome.
At 7:45 we had the third and final dance set to recorded music with the usual suspects plus April. At 8:45 I went to Tom Suha's second violin show. He covered classical (Bach & Paganini), rock (Queen & AC/DC) and pop "You Raise Me Up". Unfortunately, not having had a siesta, I kept falling asleep towards the end. I was sat with a lady from Sussex and then I chatted to Jan Burgin, who had been at Keele University at the same time as me, near the exit. At 10:15 I went to sleep having done over twenty thousand steps, equal to eight miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke at 6:45 and had breakfast of a freshly made cheese omelette with plum tomatoes and crispy bacon at 7:30 sat with fellow lecturer David Winpenny. At 8:45 I collected a shuttle bus ticket number one, but we didn't get away until 9:15. I picked up a few city maps on the dashboard, but they all had water damage. It took thirty minutes to reach the drop off point on the north side of the dried up river bed linear park.
I walked along to the Royal Gardens (Jardines Real) where the Natural History Museum, which had been closed on my previous visit, opened at ten o'clock. I paid €2 to go in to see the dinosaurs and the whales as usual. I then went next door to the Fine Art Gallery (Museo de las Bellas Artes) which had free admission as usual. I took pictures of paintings by Velazquez, Goya, Rubens & El Greco.
Back at the drop off point, I caught the 11:30 shuttle back to the ship. Here I had the pea soup and the roast beef (it was Sunday!) followed by the Black Forest gateau sat with the solo travellers in the MDR. I then slept for half an hour.
I caught the 2:15 shuttle bus back into the city, this time crossing the dried up river bed to the city gates. In the city centre I photographed all the important buildings. I went to the top of the El Corte Ingles department store to take a picture of the rooftops from their cafeteria and to use their loo. At the railway station I finally found a Tourist Information Office (TIO), but they had no maps. Later I found another city map discarded on the pavement.
I caught the 4:30 shuttle bus back to the ship. I immediately had to back-up my photographs as I had run out of space on my mobile phone. Unfortunately I then ran out of space on my laptop too!
At 5:30 I went to the second dance set of the evening to the band and singer Vina. I danced with all the single ladies present and a couple of the married ones too. At 6:30 I dined on the cream soup, the roast pork with crackling and the salted caramel ice cream sat with the dance host team plus ukulele Dorothy. At 7:45 we had the final dance set with the usual suspects.
At 8:45 I went to the Sweet Soul Salon production show. I wrote when I saw it last year: "I went to the excellent Sweet Soul Salon production show, set in a beauty parlour. For a change there was a story line, in between the classic Soul & MoTown songs. There was some over acting from the singers & dancers, in particular the camp hair dresser Jordan was hilarious!" Reading the Daily Times in bed, I was surprised that my lecture on Malaga had been inserted. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done twenty three and a half thousand steps, equal to over nine miles of walking during the day.
I got up at six o'clock and worked on my Malaga presentation. At seven o'clock I had some scrambled egg with plum tomatoes and crispy bacon. When Agung came at 8:45 to service the cabin, I went up to the Observatory to look out over Cartagena.
At 9:15 I was on escort duty on the quayside for my fourth choice Roman Theatre tour. Here I met guide Pedro and driver Pepe with just nineteen guests. We began with a short panoramic coach ride around the town, before walking to the Roman Theatre. This consists of three buildings connected via two tunnels to the ancient site. Afterwards we had our refreshments at the Yellow Submarine cafe, where I had a glass of sangria rather than the Asiatic coffee. We then had some free time, during which I saw dance host Don McGregor dancing on the pavement with TV actress Linda Robson!
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Finally we drove the few hundred yards back to the ship. Here I had the Caesar salad with prawns, the roast veal and the honeycomb ice cream, sat with the solo travellers. Back in my cabin, I slept for one hour. At three o'clock Ed and Jay set me up ready to give my forty minute talk on Malaga at 3:30 to a reduced audience. We were still in port and the sun was shining! At 4:30 we had the first dance set to recorded music with a fifteen minute intermission before the second session.
At 6:30 I dined on the asparagus soup, followed by the surf and turf (two minute steaks, one piece of salmon and one prawn). I had the small cheese plate with two water biscuits with butter, followed by the rum & raisin ice cream. Ukulele Dorothy kindly bought an expensive bottle of red wine, which the waiter had trouble decorking!
Back in my cabin, I finally changed into my grey formal outfit. At 7:45 we had the third and final dance session of the evening.
At 8:45 I went to David Austen's second show time. He began with the "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the Lion King. He continued with songs by Frank Sinatra, Queen and Frankie Vallie. He ended inevitably with "Time to Say Goodbye", but sung in Italian. I went to sleep at 10:20 having done thirteen and a half thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke to the bow thrusters at 6:25 ready for two eggs Benedict and one glass of tomato juice when the buffet opened at seven o'clock. I caught the eight o'clock shuttle bus into the city and walked the half mile to the underground railway station. The attendant helped me operate the ticket machine, which cost €7.20 return to Fuengirola. I then caught the 8:30 train going west.
The ride along the coast through Torremolinos took forty five minutes. I came out of another underground station at 9:20 and turned left to head for the sea. I got to the Tourist Information Office (TIO) as it opened at 9:30. They gave me a map of Fuengirola and told me about the castle at the end of the promenade. This was about one mile in a westerly direction.
I climbed up to the impressive fortress which had free admission. I was able to take some great photos from the ramparts including the cannons. I walked back via the town centre with the bull ring, the town hall and a couple of churches. I just missed the next train east, so I had to wait twenty minutes for the next.
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Back in Malaga, I retraced my steps along Alameda Principal street to catch the shuttle bus from Plaza de la Marina back to the ship. Just after noon I lunched on the cream soup and the fisherman's pie sat at the solo travellers round table in the middle of the MDR. I then slept for one hour, but decided against going back into the city. Instead I took my first swim of the cruise doing six lengths and spending ten minutes in each of the two large hot tubs. The first jacuzzi was in the shade, until the second one in the sun became free. I was then joined by April from Kent. Half the roof over the pool had been retracted for the first time this cruise to allow the warm sunshine in.
At 4:30 we had the first dance set in the observatory as we sailed away, after Marella Explorer, but before Celebrity Apex, on both of which I have worked. At 5:30 we moved down to the Ocean bar to dance to the Session Five band. At 6:30 I dined on the chicken soup followed by the roast lamb with creamed leeks and Burgundy mushrooms. I finished with a small cheese plate without biscuits or butter. I was sat next to ukulele Dorothy and opposite dance host John as usual, with the other three on the rest of the table.
At 7:45 we had the final, crowded dance set in the smaller Ocean Bar where I danced with Beryl, Michelle, Julia, Sue and others. At 8:30 I went up to the top deck to see the silhouette of Gibraltar in the night sky. I gave Marc Oberon's second magic show a miss as usual. Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and worked on my Funchal presentation. I went to sleep at 10:15 having done twenty one thousand steps, equal to over eight miles of walking during the day.
I got up at six o'clock, half an hour before my alarm. At 7:30 I had two eggs Benedict to eat with one glass of tomato juice to drink. When Agung came to service the cabin at 8:20, I did eight circuits equal to one mile of the top deck jogging track in the sunshine.
At nine o'clock I touched base at the Destination Services desk to get the latest update on Funchal. I got given the Fleet in Funchal guide which included a useful map. At 9:45 I gave my forty minute talk on Funchal.
At eleven o'clock I listened to Jeremy Lloyd's amusing forty minute talk on bananas. At noon I went to the solo travellers lunch where I sat with Angela from London, Gail from Sandy, Peter and Staff Captain Kaarel Saask from Estonia. I had the onion soup, the beef lasagna and the sherry trifle with two glasses of the Merlot red wine. I then slept for over an hour.
At 3:45 I did six lengths of the indoor pool and spent twenty minutes in the hot tubs. However this was my last time in the water, as the chlorine had irritated my bleeding piles! At 4:30 we had the first dance set to recorded music, followed at 5:30 by the second session with the band in the Observatory. At 6:30 I dined on the cream of sweet potato soup, the large lamb shank and the rum & raisin ice cream, sat with ukulele Dot and the dance host team in the view buffet.
At 7:15 I watched the Olsen Awards production show of musical theatre songs which I have seen on my three previous Bolette cruises: "It began and ended with Les Miserables. In between were the famous R&H and ALW musicals that we know and love." At 8:15 I danced in the second half of the third dance set, performed by the band in the smaller Ocean bar.
At nine o'clock I watched the Olsen Awards production show again for the fifth time in total, sat with one of the dancing ladies. At 10:30 I went to Jonathan Beck's swing cabaret. I did a Viennese Swing with April and a Social Foxtrot with Caroline. When the pop trio came on, I did a Quickstep with Jane.
At 11:15 I went to the late night buffet for the first time this cruise, where I had one small smoked salmon wrap to eat. I went to sleep at midnight on CET, but only eleven o'clock back on GMT for Madeira in the morning. During the day I had done over eleven thousand steps, equal to over four miles of walking.
I got up at 7:10, but it was now only 6:10 on GMT. The View buffet was unusually busy just after seven o'clock, so I had to queue for my two eggs Benedict. We berthed at the end of the pier, whilst Balmoral, which had overnighted, was berthed on the city side. I was the first guest off the ship just before eight o'clock walking west to the Magnolia Quinta. Here I descended the ravine, before back tracking.
I found the British Cemetery and the Anglican Church for the first time. I went in La Vie shopping mall and the Sugar City museum which had free admission. I caught the 11:35 shuttle back to Borealis, which I have never been on before. I liked their central swimming pool with the roof open, but there was no rear outdoor pool. In the Observatory I had a complimentary cocktail of the day. On the Verandah I chatted to dance couple Jan & Mike. At the exit I spoke to Sarah the Saxophonist.
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Back on Bolette, I updated this blog. At noon I lunched on the pea soup, the ribs of beef and the sticky toffee ice cream sat with a gent from Kent and ladies from Bridport & Yorkshire. At 1:15 I heard Ents. Man. Sammie sing "Simply the Best" on the quayside stage, but I didn't stay to hear the other two Cruise Directors sing. At two o'clock the combined show teams started five minutes early, so I missed their set piece.
I then walked back into the city taking pictures of the Fleet in Funchal. I went in the military fortress (Palacio San Lourenco), but the public rooms were closed. I then caught the shuttle bus back to the ships, sitting with musician Sean Saye. We both went on to Balmoral for another complimentary drink. On the way in, I bumped into Mary Nicholson from Darlington who was on Borealis, but had just visited Balmoral.
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Up in the Top of the Crown Observatory I had my second complimentary cocktail of the day. Back on the quayside, I met Suzanne Jones and her mother. She had been badly bruised when she had fallen over on Balmoral's crossing of the Bay of Biscuits. She praised the Spanish health service, who had treated her.
Back on the beautiful Bolette, I updated this blog. At five o'clock we had the sailaway party where I danced with Julia, Jane, Caroline and Sue, as some of the singers did their cabaret numbers on the aft deck. When the disco dancing got going, I adjourned to a seat by the railings to watch Borealis depart. I moved to the side deck to photograph her as she left the harbour. At the end of Session Five's set, with the aft deck clearing, I did the Party Samba with Julia and some other ladies.
At 6:30 I dined on the cream soup, the piri-piri chicken followed by crab sticks instead of dessert. I was sat with the dance host team with ukulele Dot only arriving as I left. At 7:40 Funchal put on a five minute firework display, but not of course a patch on their famous New Year ones.
At 7:45 we had a dance set with the Session Five band in the Observatory. Here I danced with Julia, Sue, Beryl (a Ballroom Tango), Helen, her daughter Caroline and other ladies. I gave Micky Zany's second comedy show a miss as I was feeling tired. We then had a short dance set with the band in the Ocean bar from 9:30 until ten o'clock, but few dancers appeared and, feeling tired, I only did one dance with Beryl. I went to sleep at 10:20 having done nearly thirty thousand steps, equal to twelve miles of walking, during the fabulous Fleet in Funchal day!
I awoke at 6:40, having slept for over eight hours, but didn't get up until 7:05. At eight o'clock I had grapefruit segments, two eggs Benedict and two slices of brown toast with marmite, sitting at the solo travellers table in the MDR. I had to do some complicated form filling for my first Regent Seven Seas cruise in January. I asked to stay on in San Francisco for an extra week if possible. At 9:45 I went to Kate's forty minute talk on the Punic wars. Yet again she had technical difficulties and so used her personal presenter view throughout.
At 10:30 I went to Lewis and Charlie's excellent line dance class. They taught two easy dances properly to sixteen guests, before I had to slip out thinking that there was another lecture on at eleven o'clock. However it turned out it was the Oceans Loyalty Club cocktail party instead, which I didn't gate crash.
At 12:15 I danced with Yvonne at the rumba class, where Keith and Beryl taught the basic figure, the underarm turn, the arm to shoulder with cucarachas and the shoulder to shoulder. Surprisingly they didn't teach New York(er)s. At the start of the session, TV actress Linda Robson slipped out telling me the class was not for her!
At one o'clock I lunched on the lovely fish & chips followed by a cheese plate, sitting next to Peter the foreign gent from Lithuania, before sleeping for an hour and a half after yesterday's exertions. I then had to book my accomodation and meals in Milton Keynes for my next Open University staff development event, when I shall also visit my sister-in-law in Harlow.
At four o'clock I went to Keith Brymer Jones's excellent one hour long lecture about himself. He showed two great videos, the first of which had him in drag singing a funny version of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep"! The second had a close encounter of a couple with his hallmark of words written on their mugs of coffee!
At five o'clock I got to the last fifteen minutes of the first dance set to recorded music in the Observatory. After a fifteen minute break, we resumed dancing at the second dance session. At 6:30 I dined on the root vegetable soup, the escalope of veal and the strawberry mousse sat with the usual fivesome.
I then went to the variety show compered by Micky Zany. Marc Oberon did some magic tricks, before Tom Suha came on. He played "O Fortuna" from Karl Orff's "Carmina Burana" followed by "Let it Be" by the Beatles. I slipped out before Micky's musical finale.
Back up in the Observatory, I did a couple of dances, before Keith called a halt to proceedings owing to the increasing swell off the Portuguese coast. Both Borealis and Balmoral were going into Lisbon, but we were carrying on home instead. Back in my cabin, I had an instant decaff coffee and updated this blog. I decided not to go to the second house of the variety show.
At 10:30 I went to Ents. Man. Sammie's excellent "Back to Bacharach" cabaret in the Neptune theatre. She did famous songs by Cilla, Dusty and Karen, no need for surnames here! I then had a small toasted cheese and ham sandwich, only my second time in the midnight buffet, where I sat with dance host John.
At 11:30 I went to Charlotte Stones's Country Classics cabaret in the Observatory. She did famous songs by Dolly, Tammy and Crystal, again no need for surnames here! I went to sleep at 12:30 having done only six thousand steps, equal to just over two miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke at 6:50 to the dawn through my twin portholes, having slept for only six hours, not having done enough exercise the previous day. At 7:35 I had two freshly fried eggs with plum tomatoes and crispy bacon in the View buffet. I had just one glass of tomato juice and forewent the formal day's bubbly on offer.
When Agung came to service the cabin at 8:25, I did five circuits, equal to half a mile, of the top deck jogging track in the weak sunshine. I finally finished backing up all my cruise photographs. At ten o'clock I went to Chris Mason's final interesting talk on the 1960s.
At 10:45 I snuck into Lewis and Charlie's line dance class, where the former had already taught one dance to a dozen guests. Charlie taught the next dance and Lewis the third and final one. At eleven o'clock we had the last post and the two minute silence for Armistice Remembrance day.
At 11:15 I went to the Audience with the Captain, where he said that the two Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) Scandinavian/Swiss Azipod(TM) giant outboard motors had been down rated from 15 MW to 11 MW each at a recent service to conserve fuel. On this day Saga's Spirit of Discovery (SofD) was held up in Lisbon, alongside Balmoral & Borealis, awaiting Siemens engineers to repair their German Pods! (The third manufacturer of these giant outboard motors is Rolls Royce who call theirs Mermaid Pods!)
At 12:15 I went to Keith & Beryl's Tango class, where they taught the natural rock turn, the quick tap & point and the reverse turn. I danced with April who is a good dancer, so we coped. At one o'clock I lunched on the Stilton & broccoli soup, the salmon with pasta shells in a cream sauce and the pear gallette. I was sat with five solo ladies and four single gents at the Captain's circular table in the MDR.
I then slept for an hour and a half, before snucking into Kevin & Cynthia's Light Classical Concert for a few minutes. He sang a Schubert song in German, so I slipped out. Back in my cabin, I had my mid-afternoon instant decaff coffee.
At 4:30 the Observatory had just a few bewildered guests as the programme was wrong. I then changed into my red formal gear to commemorate Armistice Remembrance day. At five o'clock we had the first dance set with a good turnout in the Oceans bar.
At 5:30 I slipped out for the first Captain's farewell cocktail party. Here I had one glass of white wine and four small canapes on a small plate. At six o'clock I dined on the pea soup (again), the roast chicken (again) and the cheese plate without biscuits, as we entered the Bay of Biscuits also known as Sickbay! I was sat with the usual crowd and dance host Don McGregor kindly bought a bottle of Merlot red wine to share. We had some group photos in our finery.
At 6:45 we had the second set in the Ocean bar, but with very few guests, so I was able to do a proper slow foxtrot and a ballroom tango with Beryl and most of the other dances too. I did just one dance with Michelle and just one dance with another guest.
At 7:45 I went to the second Captain's farewell cocktail party, where I had one glass of orange juice and two small plates of canapes. At 8:15 we had the third and final dance set of the evening which was again busy. At nine o'clock I went to the famous Crew Show, but there was nothing new on display. I then had to do one lap of the promenade deck to reach my ten thousand step quota, equal to four miles of walking during the day. I finally went to sleep at 10:50.
I awoke at 6:55 ready for my first mug of instant decaff coffee of the day in the cabin. At eight o'clock I breakfasted on two eggs Benedict and two glasses of tomato juice. I was sat at the solo travellers table in the MDR with eight gents, but only two ladies!
At ten o'clock we had the Remembrance Sunday Service led by Ents. Man. Sammie. Guest Michelle read her Armistice poem and Hotel Man. Paul Goodenough read "In Flanders Fields". Molly Fairclough sang ALW's Pie Jesu beautifully, but her microphone was playing up. Sammie read an extra Poppy poem at the end.
Back in my cabin, I had my mid-morning instant decaff coffee. At 11:15 I listened to Jeremy Lloyd's interesting talk on Time: the Fourth Dimension. At 12:15 Keith & Beryl recapped the waltz, cha cha, social foxtrot, rumba and tango that they had taught on the cruise. With eight couples on the floor, I danced with Carol from Matlock.
At one o'clock I lunched on the roast lamb and salted caramel ice cream in the MDR. I was sat with five ladies, Peter the gent originally from Lithuania and a couple from Stockport. I then slept for an hour, before having my mid-afternoon instant decaff coffee. I did my packing in half an hour, before going to listen to the amusing Audience with TV actress Linda Robson. I was sat between dancers Sue from Basildon and Jane from Hinckley.
At 4:30 we had the first dance set of the evening to recorded music in the Observatory. Here I danced with a different lady for each dance called. At the end brunette Julia from London said goodbye, telling me that she was a great grandmother, but didn't look it!
At 5:30 the Session Five band with singer Vina took over and I again did every dance bar the Valentino Jive. I did a ballroom tango with Helen and a cha cha with her daughter Caroline. At the end the two ladies from Rainsford on Merseyside said goodbye.
At 6:30 I dined on the beetroot soup, the loin of pork with penne pasta and the honeycomb ice cream, sat with the usual suspects in the View buffet. Keith & Beryl kindly bought a bottle of the Merlot house red wine for us to share. Ukulele Dot gave me a copy of her flyer.
At 7:45 we had the final dance set of the cruise to the Session Five band in the Observatory. At the end I gave my thanks to singer Vina and the Boys in the band and said goodbye to the dancing guests. At nine o'clock I went to the fifth and final production show "Encore" about a choir. Unfortunately my favourite singer and dancer, Charlie, was off sick. This started slowly with songs I didn't know, but gradually got going with MJ's "Man In The Mirror", FM's "The Show Must Go On" and BS's "Don't Rain On My Parade" The latter changing "Mister Arnstein" into "Mister Olsen"!
At the end of the show, I had to do one circuit of the promenade deck to reach my ten thousand step quota, equal to four miles of walking during the day. I went to bed at 10:40.
I awoke at 5:20, ten minutes before my alarm. At six o'clock, I had grapefruit segments and the full English breakfast, sat at the solo travellers table in the Bloomsbury MDR. The table had eight gents and just two ladies as usual for this cruise. Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and finished packing. I left the ship at 7:40, but just missed the eight o'clock fast train, so had to take the slower stopping train. I got home at 9:15 after a super cruise, the highlight of which was the Fleet in Funchal rendezvous!
One lady later wrote: "I hope you returned home ok and thank you for the pleasure of your company on this trip. It was lovely to have an extra experienced dancer like yourself as all the hosts were very much in demand. I will check out your Blog of the trip, have just read some of the most recent ones. I appreciated your talks also and hope may be one day in the future our paths might meet again."
Keith & Beryl later wrote: "Thank you for everything you've done for us. We couldn't have done all the dancing we did without your help, and all the talks you provided were so helpful as well. Our only regret was that we were unable to say farewell to you as our paths didn't cross on disembarkation day. We will look with great interest at all you've sent us and will be honest as well but we're still not home yet, but once we're home we'll have a great time reminiscing over a superb cruise. Thanks once again."
Ukulele Dot later wrote: "Thank you so much for sending it! I only have time to skim through it at the moment but it looks brilliant - written in such a chatty way whilst being totally informative and detailed (this is why you are such a good lecturer!!). I was always hopeless at precis and being succinct, so I admire those who are!!! I will enjoy reading it all fully in a couple of days. Truly enjoyed your company and that of the lovely dance team. Do keep in touch as will I, and hope to meet on another cruise soon!!! Will speak again before you set off on P&O!!! Thanks again and x, Ukulele Dot!!!!"
Chris Mason's friend Anthony later wrote: "What a splendidly detailed record of the trip. I enjoyed reading it very much. I enjoyed meeting you and hearing your lectures and I hope our paths cross on another ship."
4:30 1st dance set 5:30 2nd dance session 6:30 Dinner in the View Buffet 7:45 3rd dance session 9:00 1st show time 10:30 2nd show time
1) "History & Highlights of La Coruna:
the Crystal City"
2) "History & Highlights of Cadiz:
Europe's Oldest City"
3) "History & Highlights of Tarragona:
Roman City"
4) "History & Highlights of Malaga:
Birthplace of Picasso"
5) "History & Highlights of Funchal:
Churchill's Pad"
1) "Pilgrimage to Northern Spain"
Kate gave this instead.
2) "History & Highlights of Valencia:
Spain's Third City"
No room in the programme.
3) "Cartagena: Art Nouveau City"
No room in the programme.
4) "Picasso: Greatest Artist
of the Twentieth Century?"
5) "The Story of the English Channel"
181 Cruises 43 Cruise ships (see below) 15 Night cruise 15 View buffet dinners 14 Evenings of dancing 13 Cruise lines (see below) 12 ??? 11 Main Dining Room (MDR) lunches 10 View buffet breakfasts 9 ??? 8 Eggs Benedict 7 Ports 6 Cheese omelettes 5 Port talks given 5 Lectures not given 5 Production shows 5 Main Dining Room (MDR) breakfasts 4 Train rides 4 Beef lunches 4 Pork lunches 4 Beef dinners 4 Chicken dinners 3 Tours 3 LED screens 3 Lamb dinners 2 Portholes 2 Lamb lunches 2 Pork dinners 2 Fish & chip lunches 1 Full English breakfast 1 Solo travellers lunch 1 Bath
Thirteen 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) * Oceania (NCL) * Marella (TUI) * Ambassador * CrystalForty Three Cruise Ships:
Silver Whisper Silver Spirit Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Dawn Black Prince Black Watch Boudicca Balmoral Braemar Bolette Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex 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 Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Queen Elizabeth (QE) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) P&O Arcadia P&O Aurora P&O Oriana P&O Iona Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Ambassador Ambience Ambassador Ambition Marella Explorer Oceania Sirena Sapphire Princess VoD Discovery