Cruise
on the Discovery
across the Indian Ocean
March/April 2009
(Please scroll down to see my photographs and report)
Date: |
Port: |
Flag: |
Escort: |
Comment: |
14 Mar 2009 |
Port Louis Mauritius |
|
Gardens & Sugar Mill |
See photo below |
18 Mar 2009 |
Praslin Seychelles |
|
- |
Swimming |
19 Mar 2009 |
Port Victoria Seychelles |
|
- |
Walked around town |
20 Mar 2009 |
La Digue Seychelles |
|
- |
See photo below |
24 Mar 2009 |
Malé Maldives |
|
- |
Walked around the entire island! |
26 Mar 2009 |
Goa India |
|
- |
No visa! |
27 Mar 2009 |
Mumbai India |
|
- |
No visa! |
30 Mar 2009 |
Porbandar India |
|
- |
No immigration so bus into town! |
01 Apr 2009 |
Muscat Oman |
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- |
Walked along prom into town |
03 Apr 2009 |
Salalah Oman |
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- |
Took taxi into town |
08 Apr 2009 |
Sharm el Sheik Egypt |
|
St. Catherine's |
Red sea hotel late lunch |
09 Apr 2009 |
Aqaba Jordan |
|
City Tour |
- |
10 Apr 2009 |
Aqaba Jordan |
|
Petra |
Petra hotel late lunch |
11 Apr 2009 |
Safaga Egypt |
|
Luxor |
Luxor hotel late lunch |
Date: |
Port: |
Flag: |
Escort: |
Comment: |
Andreea's beach on La Digue, the Seychelles
Botanical Gardens on Mauritius
Old minaret in Malé, capital of the Maldives
Gandhi's birthplace, Porbandar, India
The promenade, Muscat, Oman
St. Catherine's monastery, Sinai, Egypt (C) Dr Tony Waltham
Petra, Jordan
Karnak temple, Luxor, Egypt
>
|
Doc. Martin's line dancers
Geoff, Lyn, John & Martin
Gertrude & Martin dancing on deck on tropical night
Joan & Martin
Lyn, Ann & Gabrielle
Always smiling!
Martin & Pauline
Dancing on deck on tropical night
Here's my report on the cruise:
Just to let you know that I have just got back from my month
in the Indian Ocean on board the M.V. Discovery.
She's a lovely old ship but was only half full so I got my own cabin!
I worked with John Banfield who was amusing
and the lovely Lyn & Geoff Dye who shared the dance classes.
The first fortnight's cruise director liked deck parties, line dancing
and a passenger talent show; the second fortnight's didn't.
Good points were:
- Cheap internet (from 3 US cents per minute).
- Wi-Fi in most lounges (Windows only, not Linux).
- Hosting a table in the main dining room as on Saga ships.
- No rules to obey (e.g. access to pools and jacuzzis).
- No contracts to sign.
- Flexible dress code.
- Retractable sun roof over lido deck and pool.
- Line dancing troupe in the passenger talent show taught and led by me.
- Excellent 5 piece band.
- Excellent classical trio playing dance music in second lounge not in a corridor as on FOCL.
- Duo, Trio and Band played lots of Sambas, Tangos and line dance country music as well as the usual stuff.
- Excellent programme of up to 4 lectures per sea day.
- Some good theme nights (St. Patrick's, Arabian, Indian).
- Speciality dance classes (tap, belly, Argentine tango etc).
Usual evening programme:
- 18:00 - 18:30 Dancing in second lounge to Duo or Trio
- 18:30 - 19:45 Dinner in main dining room
- 19:45 - 20:30 Dancing in second lounge to Duo or Trio (overlapping with ...)
- 20:00 - 20:20 Dancing in show lounge to band (often no dancing pax present)
- 20:30 - 21:15 Show in main lounge (overlapping with ...)
- 21:00 - 21:45 Dancing in second lounge to Duo or Trio
- 22:00 - 22:30 Quiz in second lounge (Internet break for me!)
- 22:30 - 23:15 Dancing in second lounge to Duo or Trio
- 23:15 - 23:30 Break for midnight snack
- 23:30 - 24:00 Dancing in second lounge to Duo or Trio (often no dancing pax present)
Here was my itinerary:
- Fri 13th Drove to Brighton, took bus to Heathrow.
- Sat 14th Arrived in Mauritius.
- Sun 15th Tour escort to Botanical gardens and sugar factory.
- Mon 16th Missed out on Madagascar due to civil war.
- Tue 17th Taught first line dance class and had St. Patrick's day deck party.
- Wed 18th Shuttle bus to Cote d'Or beach on Praslin island in the Seychelles.
- Thu 19th Walked into Port Victoria on Mahé island in the Seychelles.
- Fri 20th Walked to Andreea's beach on La Digue in the Seychelles.
- Sun 22nd Crossed the equator at the equinox!
- Tue 24th Walked around the complete circumference of Malé island, capital of the Maldives.
- Thu 26th Arrived in Goa but couldn't go ashore without an Indian visa.
- Thu 26th Invited to Indian dinner in the Yacht Club select restaurant with Pauline
- Fri 27th Arrived in Mumbai (Bombay) for 3 days but again couldn't go ashore.
- Mon 30th Shuttle bus to Gandhi's birthplace in Porbandar without an Indian visa!
- Wed 1st. Walked along the prom from the port to Old Muscat town, Oman.
- Fri 3rd. Took taxi into Salalah, Oman with Judith & Brenda.
- Sat 4th. Survived transit of pirate alley when 5 other ships were attacked!
- Sun 5th. Invited to dinner in the Yacht Club select restaurant with Joan.
- Mon 6th. Missed out on the Yemen due to shootings.
- Wed 8th. Paid £50 for tour to St. Catherine's monastery from Sharm el Sheik.
- Thu 9th. Tour escort around Aqaba, Jordan.
- Fri 10th Tour escort to Petra, Jordan.
- Sat 11th Tour escort to Luxor, Egypt to see Valley of the King's, Colossi of Memnon and Temples at Karnak.
- Sun 12th Flew home to Gatwick staying overnight with Mark in Brighton.
- Mon 13th Drove home to Bournemouth to mow lawns and do the laundry!
The pax, cruise directors, CEO and captain all said they were very pleased with our performance.
Perhaps my finest cruise so far!