| I found a note from Jacqueline Arnold arranging a meet in the atrium the next day. I had a sleep and rested my back, ordered room service then popped up to the Cyb@study. When I got back to the cabin, Juanita was back from her all-day jaunt across Dublin and had a great time by all accounts. It appeared we'd missed each other by a few minutes. We went to the Terrace Pool for the Irish sailaway in our lovely sunshine. The Captain came on with his pre-departure spiel and just when they restarted the music because they thought he finished, he opened his mouth again. We waved to two crew on another vessel and they waved back. Part of our fantastic Irish music was Agadoo as the ropes went then S Club 7 with Reach For The Stars! Very Irish - not! There was actually very little Irish music and what they did play consisted of The Pogues & The Dubliners singing Irish Rover and Van Morrison's Brown-Eyed Girl. Purlease! Even American cruises lines would do better. It was Smart night so we went back in twenty minutes later to change, passing Ulysses, which I'd last seen on my first cruise to Dublin on Constellation in April 2007. |
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| Then it was to dinner and we noticed the interpretation of Smart left a lot to be desired among my fellow passengers. It would be so much easier to ditch the semis and just have formal and casual. You can't misunderstand those! I'd pre-ordered French onion soup and came without the Gruyère cheese crouton, which suited me fine. I much prefer plain soup to fighting a huge soggy topping with just a spoon. No one thought I'd put four sugars in my tea but considering I take two teaspoons and those hold half, it's the only way to get any sort of sweetness. |
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| Since neither of us fancied seeing Amanda Russell (who???) in the Curzon, we went on deck a while before I went back to the Cyb@study to try and get something done, only wasted an hour that day because it hates Yahoo then we headed to the Crows Nest to try a Chocominti Martini, which was only available on Fridays. It was so dead in there and the drink wasn't a patch on Martinis on Celebrity. As we headed back down we spotted the gorgeous sunset on the Prom Deck so popped out and saw Mike admiring the view. Then it was back to the cabin with three sea days ahead of us to relax. |
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| Because the clocks had been 'retarded', I was awake far too early but determined to enjoy a lie in. 8am is one thing, 7am is ridiculous Juanita went to breakfast then the port lecture on Greenland. There was a crew drill at 10am, the second in two days. Since there was sod all to do if you were between ten and nearly dead, we ended up going to a 60s music quiz in Champions hosted by Gavin to kill some time. |
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| We didn't do that great, scoring seven out of twenty. I must pay more attention to WHO sings the songs on Gold Radio rather than just the songs. Still, considering Juanita drew a blank most of the time since they often didn't get what we had, we could've done far worse! Then we hit the shops. Well they had been naughty by not having Aurora bags like the one I'd bought on Arcadia, P&O brollies and the trousers I like from the first day! It's the only place now I can find those trousers so stocked up on this trip as well as last November's. It is disappointing they've got rid of the boy/girl bears so now they're wearing a jumper to match Celebrity's! I was glad about the brollies and thought they'd stopped them like so much else. My others came from Oriana in 2007 and Aurora in 2008. The book sale in the atrium had so much naff stuff you can get cheaper on Amazon. They sold charts of Northern Europe (which included the Baltic) and Iceland for a tenner. Then went to the Portunus desk to see about changing Juanita's details for the Portunus/Peninsular Club from my home address to hers only to learn the cheapskates won't send anything abroad! When I added Greg to my booking back in March, P&O put his address as mine 'for paperwork', which I'd assumed was cruise stuff since nothing else was said. It's different, apparently, if you're an Australian who's booked through P&O Australia. So where does that leave Americans or other nationalities who booked through P&O direct, Vacations To Go and numerous other outlets???? Yet another forewarning for when Greg and I go on Oriana next year. We dumped the stuff then went to meet Jacqueline and Bill before going to the Crows Nest for a drink. Afterwards the three of us went to grab some lunch while Juanita returned to the cabin. We went to the Sidewalk Cafe for a cheeseburger. It's one place I'd never been to during my four previous trips. Pity the salad is a quarter of tomato on top of lettuce and grated carrot. Hardly worth giving any. Back to the cabin afterwards and we had some sun glistening on the water! |
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| By the time afternoon tea came around at 4pm, Juanita was peckish so we went down the corridor to the Medina. I pointed the couple next to me towards the Grand Event next year, which they hadn't heard about. Do I get a big fat commission???? The waiter overfilled my tea and everyone was curious as to how I'd drink it without spilling any so I pulled it slowly towards me and sipped. Having worked in the catering industry, Juanita wasn't that impressed although did keep calling it High Tea, which is something entirely different. Even so, posh hotels aren't the same as cruise ships. |
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| Up to the Cyb@study for a while and I spend more time there due to chatting with Christian, a web designer from Austria who was in charge, than actually being online. Our first formal night and time for the Captain's booze up! I knew from previous experience he'd be in Carmens first so we had the deputy Captain at the Crows Nest, Max Rossi who was Italian. When Captain Pembridge turned up he went straight into his spiel, warning us we may not get into Qaqortoq because they've had reports of the port being packed with icebergs but would keep us posted. Also a severe storm would passing be south of us so, being on the edge, we'd be a bit bumpy. |
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| He finished after dinner started so we headed for the lift, bumped into Cedric and Marge then waited about ten minutes for the lift to come! Tonight we discovered Cedric has strawberry envy when he saw Gareth had a bigger one than him! I ordered two desserts, with the ice cream in place of the cream with my strawberries. Cedric was telling us more stories as well as not only trying to recruit for line dancing but also the choir! The choir was called Aurora Vocalists and held on sea days in the Playhouse cinema yet all the Horizon said about it was "With Suzanne from the Entertainment Team and Paul Hodgets from Kool Blue." On this basis, many, including us, had no idea it was passenger participation with a public performance towards the end of the cruise. Gareth absolutely refused even though Cedric kept saying they need more men and the Welsh are good singers. |
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| The show afterwards called Let's Face The Music and Dance, which focused on Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bob Fossey and Jerome Robbins and wasn't that great. There's a young, tall dancer who looks like he's spent too long with the fake tan and hasn't started shaving. He also had the fixed grin of syncronised swimmers. The troupe didn't gel particularly well. Afterwards we went to the film quiz in Masquerades and came fourth with a respectable 20/31. |
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| Again the clocks were 'retarded' only I forgot to put mine back! Juanita woke me up when she was going to breakfast. I got up because I thought it was 9.40am so had better get a shift on to Champions for the 70s music quiz at 10.30am only it wasn't. Bugger! Church bells rang around the ship at 10am for the Sunday Service fifteen minutes later, which was held in the theatre. Apparently it was packed with all those nearly deads being nearer their God to Thee! Well, there would be icebergs dead ahead. Hehe. So I charged the laptop then headed off. |
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| Not bad in the quiz considering we got twelve points and the table we marked had one more. We went to the Photo shop for the Dublin sailaway and the welcome party photos and saw Mike looking at one of them. Juanita decided she wanted copies of the Southampton sailaway and welcome party pictures. Darren, behind the counter, said we WOULD get to Qaqortoq because its his birthday. We believe him - not! We had lunch in the Sidewalk Cafe and tried to avoid looking at the nearly dead in skimpies. They should put it away, especially when people are eating! At least one old dear was more covered as she climbed into the hot tub in a bathing dress. One problem with having a retractable roof is the stink of chlorine when you eat. |
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| We went for a wander around the deck and it was quite cold and 10c, though thankfully not raining. Afterwards I went to the Cyb@study for Happy Hour while Juanita nabbed a seat in Champions for Scattergories at 2.45pm. We had no idea what it was but had no interest in whist, bridge, quoits, shuffleboard, poncey dancing or lectures on World War II so there wasn't much else to do when you're not nearly dead since it was too cold to lounge on deck. With activities like that, it's no wonder people are going to the likes of Royal Caribbean. At least they have activities for all ages, even the same ones! |
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| Scattergories with Katie turned out to be a lot of fun and certainly made you think. We came joint third with six points which wasn't bad considering how hard it is. The winner (a group of four) had nine so we could be pleased with ourselves. It was a picture quiz afterwards and we were joint second with 31/32 - improving! There was a kiddy show with a balloon man/magician at 4pm in Masquerades so we popped along to watch that. Unfair they get better entertainment than grown-ups who aren't nearly dead! The sea was getting a bit bumpier by now - yay! We listened to Radio Aurora with DJ Pablo on the telly, though you have to wonder why they bother. It was Casual/60s & 70s night but hardly anyone dressed up. I'd ordered egg mayonnaise and it was the strangest one I've ever had! I think it wasn't mayo but something else but it was very nice. The "hand cut chips" were laughable as was the clearly tinned marrowfat peas and not mushy which accompanied the Loin of North Atlantic haddock. I only ordered it because no one knew what a loin of fish looked like! It was Brian's birthday, something Val said made a change when they were away because usually it's her who gets embarrassed, so we all sang to him. Cedric yet again tried to recruit and failed. I'm so glad Cedric and Marge were young at heart for pushing eighty and not part of nearly dead who were on other tables! |
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| The comedian was Shaun Perry - who? The only Shaun Perry I've heard of is a Renault car dealership! Well according to the blurb in Horizon, he toured ten years with Jethro. That makes all the difference - not! We skipped it, opting for the All Seats A Shilling quiz about films in the 50s and 60s. Either the tables in there are quite high or the seats broken from all the fat people or nearly dead crashing onto them. Gavin looked cute in his 70s gear, posing for a photo. He comes from Fareham and was fast becoming my favourite of the entertainment team because he was personable and a good laugh. |
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| Didn't win but some people don't half take it seriously, especially the nearly dead! FFS it's only a bit of fun so don't scowl if you lose! Life's too short, especially for you lot, so go and play some whist, swim in the sea or something! Masquerades for the Nostalgia Quiz next and we got the same score as those we marked, 38. Not bad again considering Juanita didn't have a clue for most of them and it was just the two of us. |
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| We popped to Carmen's for the 60s and 70s night then Juanita left. I stayed a while listening to resident group Caravan and watched as few people got up to dance despite Gavin, Suzanne and the ents team doing their best. Probably due to most of the passengers being nearly dead! The floor's full on party cruises but then it's a different market. Then I popped out onto the Prom deck en route to the cabin to see us shrouded in low cloud. |
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| It was an earlier start than usual on our third consecutive sea day (11th July by now) as we wanted to go to the theme quiz on animals. It was either that, line dancing, bridge, shuffleboard, a spa workshop or another boring WWII lecture! Anything to escape the awful music on Radio Aurora! P&O Cruises certainly do their best to make younger passengers bored, don't they?! |
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| One of the questions asked what you got if you crossed a springer with a cocker. Since I have one of each terror I'd better know that and I did - a sprocker. It was Gavin's 80s music quiz next and we won - yay!!!! We had nineteen points so went to a tie-break, which is where we first met Phil and Maureen, who would become our friendly rivals, who were also only two playing in their team. The prize was a P&O Cruises luggage tag - priceless! |
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| We went onto the Prom deck for a bit to check out the lie of the, er, wet stuff. Despite the cold and few bumps, it was quite pleasant but we didn't stay long anyway. |
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| Before the noon announcement, the Captain came on to say we the ice pilot had sent through a satellite picture of the icebergs blocking Qaqortoq making it unlikely we'd get in and we had an impending force 8 around Cape Farewell, rising to a force 10 to look forward to - Bumpy, Bumpy, Bumpy! Now forget the Beaufort Scale, you should use the Bumpy Scale which is far more accurate than Beaufort, Met Office and the info channel. Forces 1-4 is Bumpy, 5-8 is Bumpy Bumpy, 9-12 is Bumpy Bumpy Bumpy. It's very easy to tell which you are by the number of dead bodies the ship hits (probably the nearly dead, their mobility scooters making for bigger bangs), how often your windows get washed and how many times you fall on your bum. Why it's not adopted officially, I'll never know. Laundrette on Deck 5 next. Even though I was in F109 for eleven nights in 2007/8, I had no idea this was at the end of the corridor. Never having done laundry onboard before, I didn't know you had to take your own stuff or buy some so Juanita went to the Emporium where you were only offered a pack of two tablets with no brand on. Due to the price (tax free shopping is a MYTH on cruise ships because everything actually costs more), she decided to shove all her washing in as well. The instructions on the tablets said put into the compartment but the machines were top loaders with rubbish instructions and no compartment so she dissolved them in water first them added the washing. While she did the drying, I went for lunch in the Sidewalk Cafe. We were rocking quite a bit by now and it was also raining. The temporary door, like the majority leading to outside decks, did nothing for my back with the push/pull and aircon vacuum making them heavy. |
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| After going up the a very rocky Cyb@centre, Juanita and I went to Champions for Scattergories. We had a score worthy of Eurovision - nil points! I was just glad we weren't the only ones but due to the numbers attending, Katie only managed to do two of the three rounds. A great nineteen in the picture quiz afterwards but lost the tie-break. Out on deck for a bit of sea action then back inside where we bumped into Gareth and Beth. I was glad the artwork was firmly attached to the wall. |
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| Well the weather was getting really bad by now so we enjoyed it from the dryness of the cabin. Even Juanita couldn't stop watching Mother Nature at its best but her back started to play up. Hers is caused by a different problem to mine so rested while I sat on the table to video and photograph, wishing we were on the deck below as I had been during the force 11 in January 2008. The data on the info channel hadn't been updated for hours, still saying it was force 8 even though we were being thrown around. |
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| It was Smart night. Juanita got herself dressed but the motion of the ship caused her back many problems so she had to stay there. I went to find Agosthino to tell him and he gave us clean cups, fresh biccies and our pillow chocs. I told her if I was the only one at the table I'd be straight back. It turned out I wasn't but Val hadn't gone either. There were a few poundings on the window from the waves and the Captain came on between main course and dessert to tell us they'd made a boo boo with the weather prediction earlier. We'd had 85 knot winds and swells up to nine/ten metres! A gasp went around the Medina from the nearly dead when he told us the wind. That's Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee on the Bouncy Scale! It would be another four hours before things started to calm. |
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