Well, did the Princess experience put us off cruising?
Not on your life! We've been to Save'n'Sail this week, and the next one's booked. No more big ships for us, we're returning to Fred Olsen's Braemar. And Harold will be with us, so watch out for more adventures from the Famous Five!
Janet
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Under the Stars
Each generation of cruise ships has bigger and better ‘attractions’. The way the UK market is moving I assume a full sized greyhound racing track is now on the drawing board. The Grand Princess was designed in the 90’s for the American market. At that time, the huge open air cinema screen hanging over the main pool was probably the dog’s dangly bits.
This attraction is called ‘Movies under the Stars’ and I imagine it works well in the Caribbean. In May in the Mediterranean “Movies if you’re Hard Enough” would be a more accurate title. Last night, faced with Bernie Flint at the Theatre (he’s the one who won Opportunity Knocks) we decided that it would be preferable to spend a couple of hours on a wind swept deck.
After the formal dinner we changed into more appropriate clothing and headed for the pool. It’s a good time to get a sun lounger on the Grand Princess and we were soon lying under our complimentary blankets trying to spot stars through the cloud cover.
The story of the film, Happy Bones, was difficult to follow. My ears were freezing but when I covered them with my woolly hat I couldn’t hear the sound. I finally settled for one in and one out and sod the stereo. Julie was the first to crack. After about an hour she bravely whispered “I’m going inside, I might be some time” “Me too”, “Me too”, “Me too”, came the three, almost simultaneous, replies.
Dave C
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Postscript on the Virus
The last few days have been lovely - fluffy Mediterranean seas and blue skies. Even Gibraltar looked good in the sunlight. I’m now chilled enough to finish the blog about Norovirus. Cruisers need to read this - others can, if they wish, look away now.
I went to the Pursers office to mention, politely, that I didn’t think they should charge for poisoning Janet. I would have had a better chance of winning an argument with a Speak Your Weight machine. After a lifetime working for government and large organisations I can spot a corporate policy at 100 yards in thick fog. The Princess Line (sorry) on the virus is – IT’S ALL THE PASSENGER’S FAULT
Since then I’ve pieced together the bones of what I assume is now Carnival’s worldwide policy on what has to be called a Gastrointestinal Virus. This implies a normal tummy bug frequently found ashore as opposed to the word Norovirus which has become associated with cruise ships. The spin is that passengers bring this virus on board just like they bring on board colds and verukas. Because the passengers don’t wash properly they then infect each other despite the crew’s valiant attempts to stop the spread of the Noro - sorry gastrointestinal virus.
To reinforce this position the Captain reads out a daily ‘update’ which was obviously written by corporate lawyers with minimal input from human beings. This stresses that that there has been an “increase in the occurrence of the virus” - not an outbreak because, like death and taxes, this bug is always with us. Numbers are not announced unless the daily “increase” is less than twenty.
From inadequate data, I‘ve extrapolated that we’ve had in excess of 300 cases. In a cafe in Ajaccio, Saint Julie was helping the family on the next table translate jambon & fromage on the menu (the demographic isn’t quite what we’d hoped for) when they told us that they, and their two children, (obviously educated at home but not in French) had all been ill for eight days! The couple on the next table then joined in to describe their illness so, from this random sample, I may have underestimated the total.
The rest of the scam goes something like this - You have to report any incident of gastrointestinal virus. If you do someone from the Medical Department will have to talk to you. This is what is called a consultation and everyone knows that medical consultations have to be paid for. You will automatically be given anti diarrhoea tablets because they’ve got several crates to shift at $10 a pack.
Finally the really brilliant bit - By the middle of the cruise everyone on board has twigged that reporting the virus will cost you around $100 a pop. The number of reported cases then drops day by day until, amazingly, as we near Southampton the “increase in occurrence” approaches zero. On turnaround the ship is given a special deep clean to be absolutely sure that the virus has been eradicated so if it appears again on the next cruise it can only be the fault of dirty passengers.
Carry on Cruising?
Dave C
I went to the Pursers office to mention, politely, that I didn’t think they should charge for poisoning Janet. I would have had a better chance of winning an argument with a Speak Your Weight machine. After a lifetime working for government and large organisations I can spot a corporate policy at 100 yards in thick fog. The Princess Line (sorry) on the virus is – IT’S ALL THE PASSENGER’S FAULT
Since then I’ve pieced together the bones of what I assume is now Carnival’s worldwide policy on what has to be called a Gastrointestinal Virus. This implies a normal tummy bug frequently found ashore as opposed to the word Norovirus which has become associated with cruise ships. The spin is that passengers bring this virus on board just like they bring on board colds and verukas. Because the passengers don’t wash properly they then infect each other despite the crew’s valiant attempts to stop the spread of the Noro - sorry gastrointestinal virus.
To reinforce this position the Captain reads out a daily ‘update’ which was obviously written by corporate lawyers with minimal input from human beings. This stresses that that there has been an “increase in the occurrence of the virus” - not an outbreak because, like death and taxes, this bug is always with us. Numbers are not announced unless the daily “increase” is less than twenty.
From inadequate data, I‘ve extrapolated that we’ve had in excess of 300 cases. In a cafe in Ajaccio, Saint Julie was helping the family on the next table translate jambon & fromage on the menu (the demographic isn’t quite what we’d hoped for) when they told us that they, and their two children, (obviously educated at home but not in French) had all been ill for eight days! The couple on the next table then joined in to describe their illness so, from this random sample, I may have underestimated the total.
The rest of the scam goes something like this - You have to report any incident of gastrointestinal virus. If you do someone from the Medical Department will have to talk to you. This is what is called a consultation and everyone knows that medical consultations have to be paid for. You will automatically be given anti diarrhoea tablets because they’ve got several crates to shift at $10 a pack.
Finally the really brilliant bit - By the middle of the cruise everyone on board has twigged that reporting the virus will cost you around $100 a pop. The number of reported cases then drops day by day until, amazingly, as we near Southampton the “increase in occurrence” approaches zero. On turnaround the ship is given a special deep clean to be absolutely sure that the virus has been eradicated so if it appears again on the next cruise it can only be the fault of dirty passengers.
Carry on Cruising?
Dave C
Wednesday 19th May Gibraltar
Didn’t get to the disco last night after all, as we discovered that a ventriloquist was performing in the Vista Lounge, and how could we possibly bear to miss that!
We’ve been in Gibraltar today, and as I type this we are sailing through the Straits, dolphins all around the ship, and Morocco tantalisingly close by. We had breakfast together again this morning and then all went shopping. The two Js went in lots of jewellery shops before Julie managed to find a beautiful gold bracelet. The Daves were very patient and fully deserved the pint of beer we treated them to at the end of the morning. We walked as far as the Trafalgar Cemetery, hoping to see the graves of those whose died in the battle, but it was surrounded by roadworks and the gates were padlocked, so our long walk was in vain.
It’s been a very hot day. We bought newspapers in town and were thrilled to see that England is also basking in glorious sunshine.
Janet xx
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesday, 18th May 2010 - At Sea
The ship was rocking and rolling last night after we’d sailed away from Ajaccio. We had dinner in the restaurant and then tried to find a quiet spot for a drink or two, eventually settling for seats in the Atrium where a Canadian was playing the piano and crooning a la Sinatra. Julie was first to make a move for bed (and the sea-sick pills) but was fairly closely followed by the rest of us. Janet had a perfect night’s sleep, thanks to one of her magic blue sleeping pills!
Awoke this morning to another beautiful day, so we all met for breakfast and then went our separate ways for a day’s sunbathing/shade-seeking. Julie and Janet attended a card-making class early in the afternoon, but it was rubbish, so we left after a very short time, and went and had a cappuccino.
Tonight is our second formal evening, and at the moment the seas are quite calm, so I hope we can manage to stay out a bit later than last night! Movie Under the Stars tonight is ‘Avatar’ but I don’t really fancy that. Anyway, we’ve still not investigated the ship’s disco, which is held in the ‘spoiler’ high above the back of the ship. Better go practice my moves now... just in case.
XX
Janet
Monday, May 17, 2010
What a Difference a Day Makes
Sunday
The less said about yesterday the better! As Julie has already mentioned, bad weather prevented us from docking at Naples, and so we missed the trip to Pompeii which we’d been looking forward to for months. So – once again – we spent much of the day in the cabin, this time watching the rolling seas and enormous waves, much more like the Atlantic than the Mediterranean.
The choice of entertainment last night was somewhat limited as new artistes were due to embark at Naples, so instead of the advertised Ventriloquist (honestly!) we went to one of the bars where we listened – reluctantly at first – to an amazing Hungarian 5 piece band. Piano, two violins, double bass, and accordion! They were wonderful, and we all agreed that Harold would have loved to have been there. Cheers H., we’ve been thinking of you and hope you’re having a wonderful time in Montegnegro
Monday
This morning we awoke to clear blue skies and a glorious view from our window. We are in Ajaccio, Corsica, and have had a wonderful day. The four of us met for breakfast in one of the formal dining rooms, and then left the ship to explore the town. We sat on the beach for a while, Dave C* even venturing into the sea for a paddle, then wandered through the streets looking at the shops and marvelling at the number of pharmacies that one small town can support! Found a nice cafe/bar overlooking the bay, and ordered ‘quatre bieres’, which were so refreshing that we decided to stay there for lunch and another quatre.
It’s late afternoon and we’re about to sail away. The sun is still shining, so we hope that the next few days will bring more decent weather and happy times to blog about!
Janet
xx
The less said about yesterday the better! As Julie has already mentioned, bad weather prevented us from docking at Naples, and so we missed the trip to Pompeii which we’d been looking forward to for months. So – once again – we spent much of the day in the cabin, this time watching the rolling seas and enormous waves, much more like the Atlantic than the Mediterranean.
The choice of entertainment last night was somewhat limited as new artistes were due to embark at Naples, so instead of the advertised Ventriloquist (honestly!) we went to one of the bars where we listened – reluctantly at first – to an amazing Hungarian 5 piece band. Piano, two violins, double bass, and accordion! They were wonderful, and we all agreed that Harold would have loved to have been there. Cheers H., we’ve been thinking of you and hope you’re having a wonderful time in Montegnegro
Monday
This morning we awoke to clear blue skies and a glorious view from our window. We are in Ajaccio, Corsica, and have had a wonderful day. The four of us met for breakfast in one of the formal dining rooms, and then left the ship to explore the town. We sat on the beach for a while, Dave C* even venturing into the sea for a paddle, then wandered through the streets looking at the shops and marvelling at the number of pharmacies that one small town can support! Found a nice cafe/bar overlooking the bay, and ordered ‘quatre bieres’, which were so refreshing that we decided to stay there for lunch and another quatre.
It’s late afternoon and we’re about to sail away. The sun is still shining, so we hope that the next few days will bring more decent weather and happy times to blog about!
Janet
xx
Has the Pope Got a Balcony?
Well now we know – he hasn’t.
Rome, Saturday May 15th was a very wet day. Luckily Julie and Dave had booked a tour on a coach so kept dry as they saw the wonderful sights of Rome. Dropped off at the Vatican City for half an hour – time for a quick coffee and some photos – all under an umbrella!
Janet and Dave back in the fold tonight and dinner in the buffet followed by an excellent magician, Philip Hitchcock.
Sunday 16th May - No Napoli.
Bing Bong – that was the first sound we heard today. The Captain advising that it would not be prudent to dock in Naples due to the poor sea conditions. So no Pompeii for the St Annes Cruisers. Dave C* did manage some sunbathing – complete with fleece and Berghaus, and Julie and Dave went to the pictures to see ‘Crazy Heart’.
Julie
xx
Rome, Saturday May 15th was a very wet day. Luckily Julie and Dave had booked a tour on a coach so kept dry as they saw the wonderful sights of Rome. Dropped off at the Vatican City for half an hour – time for a quick coffee and some photos – all under an umbrella!
Janet and Dave back in the fold tonight and dinner in the buffet followed by an excellent magician, Philip Hitchcock.
Sunday 16th May - No Napoli.
Bing Bong – that was the first sound we heard today. The Captain advising that it would not be prudent to dock in Naples due to the poor sea conditions. So no Pompeii for the St Annes Cruisers. Dave C* did manage some sunbathing – complete with fleece and Berghaus, and Julie and Dave went to the pictures to see ‘Crazy Heart’.
Julie
xx
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Malaga
Due to recent gastrointestinal events I’ve not blogged about Malaga so here is the delayed story.
We’d arranged to meet Roy and Carolynn, who live near Malaga, outside the Cathedral at 11.00am. For non Manchester blog followers Roy is a Round Table/41 Club friend who decided some time ago that living on a golf course in Spain was a lot more fun than owning an IT company in Manchester. The ship was late because of a diversion to drop off a sick passenger (I wonder how much that cost) and so we found them sitting in a cafe opposite the Cathedral round about noon.
The original plan had been to see some sights (well one probably) before we started drinking but Roy obviously thought he’d done enough culture after staring at the Cathedral for an hour so, without wasting any more time, we set off on a Tapas crawl.
We drank and ate our way though six bars during the course of the afternoon although Roy did have a coffee in one because he was driving. I discovered that Malaga wine is very similar to sweet sherry and that, if you drink enough of it, you can eat things you are glad you don’t recognise.
The most memorable bar, after the crypt with the cross of flowers, was the derelict (but in a nice way) police station. Here, in front of rows of barrels, the bartenders chalked up your bill on the old wooden top of the bar. Here too a cheap night’s drinking was available to anyone with a duster, chalk and the ability to write Spanish upside down.
Belatedly, could I thank Roy and Carolynn for being our hosts and guides for the day. Local knowledge is so important when you visit an historic city.
Dave C.
We’d arranged to meet Roy and Carolynn, who live near Malaga, outside the Cathedral at 11.00am. For non Manchester blog followers Roy is a Round Table/41 Club friend who decided some time ago that living on a golf course in Spain was a lot more fun than owning an IT company in Manchester. The ship was late because of a diversion to drop off a sick passenger (I wonder how much that cost) and so we found them sitting in a cafe opposite the Cathedral round about noon.
The original plan had been to see some sights (well one probably) before we started drinking but Roy obviously thought he’d done enough culture after staring at the Cathedral for an hour so, without wasting any more time, we set off on a Tapas crawl.
We drank and ate our way though six bars during the course of the afternoon although Roy did have a coffee in one because he was driving. I discovered that Malaga wine is very similar to sweet sherry and that, if you drink enough of it, you can eat things you are glad you don’t recognise.
The most memorable bar, after the crypt with the cross of flowers, was the derelict (but in a nice way) police station. Here, in front of rows of barrels, the bartenders chalked up your bill on the old wooden top of the bar. Here too a cheap night’s drinking was available to anyone with a duster, chalk and the ability to write Spanish upside down.
Belatedly, could I thank Roy and Carolynn for being our hosts and guides for the day. Local knowledge is so important when you visit an historic city.
Dave C.
Saturday, 15th May 2010
An early morning phone call from one of the nurses released me from my isolation. Hurrah!
Today we were in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, and had planned to have a walk into the local town as we’ve been to Rome before. Sadly, the weather was dire, low grey clouds and continual rain, so we spent the day onboard. The ship was very quiet as the majority of passengers (including Julie and Dave) had opted for organised excursions to Rome – hope they all took their umbrellas!
The four of us were reunited for dinner this evening and then went to a show – a very entertaining magician. The Assistant Cruise Director Stuey-Stu (yes, as bad as his name) announced that the weather forecast for tomorrow is cloudy, so it looks like umbrellas may be needed for the highlight of our cruise – Naples, and our tour of Pompeii.
Janet
xx
Today we were in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, and had planned to have a walk into the local town as we’ve been to Rome before. Sadly, the weather was dire, low grey clouds and continual rain, so we spent the day onboard. The ship was very quiet as the majority of passengers (including Julie and Dave) had opted for organised excursions to Rome – hope they all took their umbrellas!
The four of us were reunited for dinner this evening and then went to a show – a very entertaining magician. The Assistant Cruise Director Stuey-Stu (yes, as bad as his name) announced that the weather forecast for tomorrow is cloudy, so it looks like umbrellas may be needed for the highlight of our cruise – Naples, and our tour of Pompeii.
Janet
xx
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Design Issues
I’m interested in cruise ship design. In my career I’ve done hospital wards, prison cells and accommodation for laboratory mice so I understand most of the problems. If you’re wondering, the mice always get the best conditions although there is, of course, a catch.
During Janet’s confinement I’ve had time to study our cabin. It’s one of the best we’ve ever had with spacious sleeping and sitting areas. As the ship was designed in America, the problem of “where do you put the telly” has been solved with a flat screen TV for each area. The British solution usually involves hinged brackets. The American influence can also be seen in the fierce air conditioning and the myriad of visible and concealed lights. The ship must have a high PBPNM rating (polar bears per nautical mile) but, for the Cruise Lines, global warming is not a problem. Melting ice caps mean more seas to sail and new places to visit and it gets a lot easier to park in Venice.
The cabin’s plan is long and thin so it’s on one of the lower accommodation decks where the ship is at its widest. Our balcony is open to the sky and the balconies above rack back from the front of our sitting room. This arrangement means that the balconies on this deck get more sun but the occupants are on display and probably on YouTube if they don’t behave themselves.
The layout means that noise on the balconies is the only aspect of the design where the naval architect said sod it and went off to have lunch. Our next door neighbours are a couple with a young daughter. It’s like living next to Orville the Duck. At first she sounds cute, then she sound annoying, then you wish you had an Uzi machine gun. This gamut of emotions takes less than five minutes.
All things considered however, it’s a very nice cabin and it’s just a shame that we’ve seen a bit more of it than we’d planned. Janet’s release papers have just come through so we’re off for a walk in the rain.
Dave C
During Janet’s confinement I’ve had time to study our cabin. It’s one of the best we’ve ever had with spacious sleeping and sitting areas. As the ship was designed in America, the problem of “where do you put the telly” has been solved with a flat screen TV for each area. The British solution usually involves hinged brackets. The American influence can also be seen in the fierce air conditioning and the myriad of visible and concealed lights. The ship must have a high PBPNM rating (polar bears per nautical mile) but, for the Cruise Lines, global warming is not a problem. Melting ice caps mean more seas to sail and new places to visit and it gets a lot easier to park in Venice.
The cabin’s plan is long and thin so it’s on one of the lower accommodation decks where the ship is at its widest. Our balcony is open to the sky and the balconies above rack back from the front of our sitting room. This arrangement means that the balconies on this deck get more sun but the occupants are on display and probably on YouTube if they don’t behave themselves.
The layout means that noise on the balconies is the only aspect of the design where the naval architect said sod it and went off to have lunch. Our next door neighbours are a couple with a young daughter. It’s like living next to Orville the Duck. At first she sounds cute, then she sound annoying, then you wish you had an Uzi machine gun. This gamut of emotions takes less than five minutes.
All things considered however, it’s a very nice cabin and it’s just a shame that we’ve seen a bit more of it than we’d planned. Janet’s release papers have just come through so we’re off for a walk in the rain.
Dave C
Spanish Practices
From our balcony at Barcelona we spotted these two ladies washing the roof of the terminal building. The health & safety method statement must have been interesting. “We’ll climb out of window, cover the shiny metal roof with soapy water and then we’ll walk on it mopping as we go” No Problemo.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday 14th May 2010
Still confined to the cabin, but feeling much better. We’re anchored in the bay off Cannes, and have had the sun on the balcony all day, so Dave and I have spent most of the day out there watching the yachts of the rich and famous pass by – it’s the Cannes Film festival this week, so there’s a lot of posing going on!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Confined to Barracks
Ok, bad joke, bad karma. Janet started vomiting at about 9.30 last night which was, fortunately, fifteen minutes after she left the dinner table.
We got a nurse to the cabin about 1.30am and, after I’d impolitely pointed out she’d been quite a long time for a 911 (It’s an American boat), she said that the team had done sixty so far night with another twenty left to visit. I don’t think we were supposed to know that. The Captain has told us for the last 3 days that the outbreak is being contained with similar levels of new cases so the total affected must now run into hundreds. Anyway she stopped being sick at about 2.00am partly due to the injection she had in the bum and mainly due to the fact that she was empty.
The hit squad have been in to do a shallow deep clean and we (I’m OK so far) are confined to the cabin for 48hours. There’s time off for good behaviour but I’m not doing too well in that area. Special diets are available though room service, at least they would be if they would answer the phone. They’re not stupid; there are a lot of sick people out there.
The bill was in the mail box this evening. Yes seriously - $111. They sailed with a Norovirus outbreak from the last cruise obviously still active, they made people ill, they asked everyone to report illness and then they charged them for medical inattention. Think about it; say a minimum of 100 cases per day, that’s $11,000 for four Nurses. “Cruise Line Profits from Norovirus”– The Mail will love it, even proper papers will find it hard to resist, but remember - you heard it first on this Blog.
Janet’s made me promise not to kill anyone till she’s better but she’s improved amazingly and I think she’ll be fine tomorrow. I can hardly wait.
Dave C
We got a nurse to the cabin about 1.30am and, after I’d impolitely pointed out she’d been quite a long time for a 911 (It’s an American boat), she said that the team had done sixty so far night with another twenty left to visit. I don’t think we were supposed to know that. The Captain has told us for the last 3 days that the outbreak is being contained with similar levels of new cases so the total affected must now run into hundreds. Anyway she stopped being sick at about 2.00am partly due to the injection she had in the bum and mainly due to the fact that she was empty.
The hit squad have been in to do a shallow deep clean and we (I’m OK so far) are confined to the cabin for 48hours. There’s time off for good behaviour but I’m not doing too well in that area. Special diets are available though room service, at least they would be if they would answer the phone. They’re not stupid; there are a lot of sick people out there.
The bill was in the mail box this evening. Yes seriously - $111. They sailed with a Norovirus outbreak from the last cruise obviously still active, they made people ill, they asked everyone to report illness and then they charged them for medical inattention. Think about it; say a minimum of 100 cases per day, that’s $11,000 for four Nurses. “Cruise Line Profits from Norovirus”– The Mail will love it, even proper papers will find it hard to resist, but remember - you heard it first on this Blog.
Janet’s made me promise not to kill anyone till she’s better but she’s improved amazingly and I think she’ll be fine tomorrow. I can hardly wait.
Dave C
Julie's Diary
Tuesday, 11th May. MALAGA
Dave and Julie disembarked for a bit of culture in this very interesting city. The cathedral was amazing and well worth a visit. We set off on the top deck of a tour bus, but the weather changed and we finished the tour under cover.
As it had stopped raining we bravely started the long walk back to the ship, to be caught in a downpour and returning to the ship looking like we had fallen overboard!
Movies Under the Stars tonight – very romantic under a tartan rug!
Wednesday, 12th May.
A sea day and so gentle exercise – a walk round the promenade deck, and a trip to the library. Managed to finish that book in one day!
We saw part of an Art Auction today, and anyone with $160,000 to spare could have bought an original work of art. However, the auctioneer did manage to sell a framed photo of Tiger Woods for $65. More money than sense springs to mind!
Thursday, 13th May. BARCELONA
Happy Birthday Adam!
Barcelona today and one of our party is incapacitated – more of that story from the Currans. Another architecturally wonderful city. Came back onboard for lunch and a flamenco show.
Julie
xx
Dave and Julie disembarked for a bit of culture in this very interesting city. The cathedral was amazing and well worth a visit. We set off on the top deck of a tour bus, but the weather changed and we finished the tour under cover.
As it had stopped raining we bravely started the long walk back to the ship, to be caught in a downpour and returning to the ship looking like we had fallen overboard!
Movies Under the Stars tonight – very romantic under a tartan rug!
Wednesday, 12th May.
A sea day and so gentle exercise – a walk round the promenade deck, and a trip to the library. Managed to finish that book in one day!
We saw part of an Art Auction today, and anyone with $160,000 to spare could have bought an original work of art. However, the auctioneer did manage to sell a framed photo of Tiger Woods for $65. More money than sense springs to mind!
Thursday, 13th May. BARCELONA
Happy Birthday Adam!
Barcelona today and one of our party is incapacitated – more of that story from the Currans. Another architecturally wonderful city. Came back onboard for lunch and a flamenco show.
Julie
xx
Monday, May 10, 2010
Health Worries
Its official, the Captain has announced that we have got Norovirus on board. I suspected as much when I saw how our cabin steward was dressed this morning (photo above). The ship’s crew are shitting themselves (probably literally) and doing everything they can to stop it spreading. Cabins have been specially cleaned and you can’t serve yourself in the buffet. Stuff that gets handled regularly (salt, pepper, price lists etc.) have been locked away and casual sex with the waitresses is definitely out for the next few days.
Janet didn’t go to line dancing today so that’s a relief. She’s shown mild interest on several occasions and so of course I’m worried it’s in her genes. I’m Ok because, although Janet’s family is from Westhoughton, mine isn’t and so we are not blood related. It’s obviously a concern for our kids, however, particularly if they ever want to have children. Anyway, if she doesn’t go again tomorrow, it’s probably a false alarm and all we will have to worry about is the Norovirus.
Dave C
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sunday evening, 9th May
So far, so good.
The coach journey to Southampton was good, but embarkation was slightly delayed as there had been an outbreak of Norovirus on the previous cruise, so they were doing extra ‘sanitising’ before we all got on. Whilst waiting in the long queues that formed, we were handed leaflets stating that we could only bring onboard one bottle of wine or champagne per person per voyage – which made us slightly anxious for a while, as between us we were carrying 9 litres of wine in boxes, 1 bottle of fizz, a large bottle of gin and two cans of ready mixed G&T. Still, most of it was packed in the suitcases, which had been whisked away by the porters, so we’re OK for pre-dinner drinks for a few days!
We’ve been crossing the Bay of Biscay today, in not ideal conditions. Grey seas with big waves, and grey skies with occasional heavy showers of rain. Julie seems to now accept that the Curran’s fleece and waterproof jackets weren’t such a stupid idea after all! We’ve explored the ship and will no doubt be reporting on some of its more quirky areas in due course. We ate in the buffet last night, as our table reservation in the main dining room had been screwed up (they’d put us on separate tables!) The food was truly excellent, the Daves had rib of beef, and the Js had a Malaysian vegetable spicy stew thing, with rice. I daren’t tell the Weight Watchers amongst you the things I’ve eaten in the last 24 hours, except to say that calories consumed in one day must equal those that I normally would eat in a week.
Activities so far... not a lot. Dave C has started a new book, done some creative writing, and had a bath. Janet has been to a painting class and a line dancing session, and eaten a lot. Not sure what the others have been doing but I suspect not much!
Hope all is well in Blighty and beyond... Hello to Gareth in the Caribbean, Ste in LA or Seattle, and Mark & Marie in Neuchatel. Hope you had a lovely birthday Marie!
Janet
The coach journey to Southampton was good, but embarkation was slightly delayed as there had been an outbreak of Norovirus on the previous cruise, so they were doing extra ‘sanitising’ before we all got on. Whilst waiting in the long queues that formed, we were handed leaflets stating that we could only bring onboard one bottle of wine or champagne per person per voyage – which made us slightly anxious for a while, as between us we were carrying 9 litres of wine in boxes, 1 bottle of fizz, a large bottle of gin and two cans of ready mixed G&T. Still, most of it was packed in the suitcases, which had been whisked away by the porters, so we’re OK for pre-dinner drinks for a few days!
We’ve been crossing the Bay of Biscay today, in not ideal conditions. Grey seas with big waves, and grey skies with occasional heavy showers of rain. Julie seems to now accept that the Curran’s fleece and waterproof jackets weren’t such a stupid idea after all! We’ve explored the ship and will no doubt be reporting on some of its more quirky areas in due course. We ate in the buffet last night, as our table reservation in the main dining room had been screwed up (they’d put us on separate tables!) The food was truly excellent, the Daves had rib of beef, and the Js had a Malaysian vegetable spicy stew thing, with rice. I daren’t tell the Weight Watchers amongst you the things I’ve eaten in the last 24 hours, except to say that calories consumed in one day must equal those that I normally would eat in a week.
Activities so far... not a lot. Dave C has started a new book, done some creative writing, and had a bath. Janet has been to a painting class and a line dancing session, and eaten a lot. Not sure what the others have been doing but I suspect not much!
Hope all is well in Blighty and beyond... Hello to Gareth in the Caribbean, Ste in LA or Seattle, and Mark & Marie in Neuchatel. Hope you had a lovely birthday Marie!
Janet
Preparations
Some things, like having babies and ironing, are biologically impossible for men. Packing falls well within this category. Over several weeks, cruise clothes and stuff accumulated in the guest bedroom until it looked like a badly run charity shop. Although the task looked impossible Janet managed, in less than two hours, to pack all her clothes and quite a lot of mine into our three suitcases.
These days we have a complete kitchen cupboard devoted to medicines and it was a hard task deciding which ones to pack. Our Doctor, or as we call him, Dealer, prescribes a lot of pills that we have to take daily. We counted these out and threw away the packaging so there was room for essentials like laxatives and those things that do exactly the opposite. With the rich foods and the choice of viruses on a cruise ship things can go either way.
The laxatives were a new type so I road tested them a couple of days ago. With new medicines it is important to read the instructions which clearly recommended one tablet just before bedtime. Pity I read them after I’d taken two in the morning. This led to an interesting 24 hours which included what can only be described as a nervous night’s sleep.
Janet decided that, for the holiday, I needed a professional haircut. She usually cuts what’s left of my hair but since the No 2 clippers broke she’s had to improvise and I’d started to look a bit like Max Wall. I went to a new ‘Unisex’ hairdresser in town who turned out to be a totally disinterested ladette who looked like the fat bird off Gavin & Stacy. Rolls of flesh were covered in hair and tattoos. The hair was mostly from previous customers and the entwined parrots had obviously started out as lovebirds.
With my head in one hand and her shears in the other she displayed skills that must have been learnt in the Australian Outback. “Wot you bin doin then” she shouted, over the howl of pop music. As the only thing we had in common was the ability to breathe oxygen, conversation was not a success. After about five minutes pummelling I opened my eyes to discover I had a close but surprisingly acceptable haircut. “How much do I owe you” I asked.
She hesitated for a moment, still back in the shearing pen and ready to untie my back legs. “Err, just £3 Luv”. Amazing, I’ll go there again - I don’t know how she does it for it for the price.
Dave C.
These days we have a complete kitchen cupboard devoted to medicines and it was a hard task deciding which ones to pack. Our Doctor, or as we call him, Dealer, prescribes a lot of pills that we have to take daily. We counted these out and threw away the packaging so there was room for essentials like laxatives and those things that do exactly the opposite. With the rich foods and the choice of viruses on a cruise ship things can go either way.
The laxatives were a new type so I road tested them a couple of days ago. With new medicines it is important to read the instructions which clearly recommended one tablet just before bedtime. Pity I read them after I’d taken two in the morning. This led to an interesting 24 hours which included what can only be described as a nervous night’s sleep.
Janet decided that, for the holiday, I needed a professional haircut. She usually cuts what’s left of my hair but since the No 2 clippers broke she’s had to improvise and I’d started to look a bit like Max Wall. I went to a new ‘Unisex’ hairdresser in town who turned out to be a totally disinterested ladette who looked like the fat bird off Gavin & Stacy. Rolls of flesh were covered in hair and tattoos. The hair was mostly from previous customers and the entwined parrots had obviously started out as lovebirds.
With my head in one hand and her shears in the other she displayed skills that must have been learnt in the Australian Outback. “Wot you bin doin then” she shouted, over the howl of pop music. As the only thing we had in common was the ability to breathe oxygen, conversation was not a success. After about five minutes pummelling I opened my eyes to discover I had a close but surprisingly acceptable haircut. “How much do I owe you” I asked.
She hesitated for a moment, still back in the shearing pen and ready to untie my back legs. “Err, just £3 Luv”. Amazing, I’ll go there again - I don’t know how she does it for it for the price.
Dave C.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
17 Sleeps to go !
Wow It's getting ever closer. We have had a worry regarding the volcanic ash and how it would affect our holiday. How would it affect cruisers leaving from Southampton I can hear you say. Well it doesn't, but it could affect those bound for Montenegro i.e Harold ! So a quick check with Princess Cruise lines shows that there are limited cabins left, just in case that volcano starts erupting again ! Deja Vu eh?
Janet has been shopping and has a new sun hat, so that's encouraging, although she is also on the look out for a warm fleece which is slightly worrying. Perhaps that's just for our evenings watching the movies out on deck which we are very excited about.
So this weekend we will be deciding our trips - Pompeii is a definite. May also be getting out some holiday clothes !
Julie
Janet has been shopping and has a new sun hat, so that's encouraging, although she is also on the look out for a warm fleece which is slightly worrying. Perhaps that's just for our evenings watching the movies out on deck which we are very excited about.
So this weekend we will be deciding our trips - Pompeii is a definite. May also be getting out some holiday clothes !
Julie
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Bring it on...!
5 weeks to go. Time to set up another blog.
The luggage labels have arrived, the Smiths have been allocated their cabin number, the days seem to be whizzing by and we're getting excited (well, at least, Julie and Janet are!)
Janet
The luggage labels have arrived, the Smiths have been allocated their cabin number, the days seem to be whizzing by and we're getting excited (well, at least, Julie and Janet are!)
Janet
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