FannyLiz

6.45 PM ? That is a whole day later than they expected. And why Brest I wonder ?

They have been told they will not sail before Saturday morning at the earliest as another storm is due. The French newspapers are reporting the approach of storm Domingo. i’ve been watching Discovery who is en route to 1/ 2 Spanish ports whose identifier I don’t know. Fingers crossed all is OK. ( ES FUE> ES LCG )

I don’t think the passengers have been told yet. I have just asked.

Just had a phone call from friend on the S of A. They are now scheduled to leave Falmouth on Saturday morning. She doesn’t sound too upset as they are enjoying every minute so far with free-flowing champagne and excellent food.

Thank you. Much more up to date than either MarineTraffic or VesselFinder. I hope she is not getting battered around too much but clearly she kept on sailing. I think she should be back in Portsmouth on Tuesday.

Does anyone know where Spirit of Discovery is ? My ( free versions) of the marine traffic apps show her some time ago en route from the Canary islands to A Coruna. Not much shelter along that coast. Has anyone a more up to date app ?

Good. They were told 5 pm this evening earlier on but looking at Windy that looked very stormy as well. Glad they have delayed it a little. My friend on board seems to be having a great time eating, drinking and being merry. All the perks of a cruise without the nausea. I am sure they could spare you a hot mealWindsurfboy. 76 miles due north of Portsmouth and it is flat calm and a bit drizzly here. I

They are being looked after very well on board and expect to leave Falmouth at 5 pm this evening. They have not been told what impact the stopover will have on the rest of the itinerary.

Quite ! I notice the Spirit of Discovery left Gran Canaria an hour or so ago en route to A Corúna. She’s going to have an exciting trip back to UK where I am due to join her on Tuesday next. I was beginning to worry that she would not be back for then but would rather she was late than sailing in unsafe conditions. My worst, out of some grim sailings, was a Brittany Ferries trip when we were in the Western Approaches with what was reported as 90 mph winds at the Needles. We were all confined to our cabins and told not to move at all. For the first few hours I was petrified we were going to sink but after a bit wished it would happen quickly as I felt so awful. The dining room was a complete wreck next morning.

I notice that S of A has made it into the Daily Mail ( online app edition) this evening: A huge 60,000 tonne cruise ship en route from Portsmouth to Madeira was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Falmouth in Cornwall today to seek shelter from the incoming destruction. The Spirit of Adventure, which is the equivalent of 22 London buses long, had been due to make the trip as part of its ‘Sunshine in the Canaries’ cruise. It was built in 2020, promises comfort and private balconies as standard.

Any port in a storm…. Wise decision by the powers-that- be.

I don’t know if I am mis-interpreting this but both the VesselFinder and Marine Traffic apps are showing Sof A making for Falmouth, due to arrive at 7.30 am tomorrow. I have a friend on board who did not mention this stop when she texted from the ship at lunchtime and I am fairly sure the first scheduled port is Lisbon. I assume they are going to sit out the storm there ? The Windy app shows horrible conditions in the Bay of Biscay on Thursday.

Thank you for that analysis. I hope there’s no trouble booking the speciality restaurants. I had hoped to be quite spontaneous about it. I don’t really want to map out my evening meals before I even start the holiday. Looking at Windy for the 7th I think my evening meal might be taken in my cabin….

Take more soda water with it.

You either live a long way away or you are going to be there before the current cruisers get off !

SO excited ! What time are you being picked up Banjo ? I’m 11.45am to 12.15pm ( 76 miles from Portsmouth )

Don’t you dare ! Please make sure he gets her back on time. I have a close neighbour who is off to the Canaries on her next Tuesday. Enjoy the rest of the trip and thank you again for your blog. I swear I’ve put on several pounds just looking at the photos of the food.

Apologies Windsurfboy; I was being a bit flippant and shouldn’t have been. I’ve been watching the various cruise news channels on Youtube and you are right, it is worrying. I think I shall wait and see what Saga do on the day. Not long now ! At the moment I’m more concerned about Atlantic weather forecasts and have packed more Stugeron.

Or wear a complete outfit made from the Union Jack, with “ I am English” written round your hat band ? I understand the US government have issued a worldwide caution because of possible terrorist attacks on US citizens. What a nasty mess we are in.

Thanks once again for this blog. I feel as if I am there. I’m intrigued by the fate of the person left behind in Venice. I thought anyone who missed the ship had to sort it out themselves or with the port agent. Does that mean a Saga crew member was left behind in Venice to make sure they were OK? Impressive and really above and beyond service if it does.

Hope you had a good day and your feet are not aching too much! We never found duty free in Gib was a bargain and much was cheaper in UK. I notice a bin of walking poles on the exit to the gangway. I’ve been wondering whether to take mine on SoD in 3 weeks time. Are these something that both ships supply or just SoA ? I’m so enjoying your blog, thank you once again.

Interesting stuff, thank you. I’d love to know more about the logistics of provisioning a ship. I wonder if the relevant crew members could be persuaded to do a talk on the subject ? I don’t think I’d be the only attendee.

Thanks.

Do Saga offer any “ behind the scenes” tours ( bridge, kitchens etc) ?

I hope there will be e-bikes on SoD. My husband I I used to over-winter in Spain and Portugal in our motorhome. E-bikes were our transport. When near Gibraltar we used to ride in to shop etc. Getting in was easy as it was usually around 11 am. Getting out was a different matter ! The first time we left it until about 5 pm when several thousand Spaniards, riding bikes, mopeds and motorbikes, go back home over the border. I chickened out but was not allowed to wheel my bike through the pedestrian entry and so had to join the masses. I can still feel the terror when I think about it and would not advise anyone unused to e- bikes to start using them in Gib.