Transatlantic travels - Pursuit Lisbon to Rio 13 November 19

[Grandma Cruising]

6 hours ago, marinaro44 said:

The event is usually for Discoverer level members or higher.

Yes, that’s what it was. It’s a nice event - no speeches, just the chance to meet senior officers and talk to other passengers with nice nibbles and drinks.

[hamrag]

14 hours ago, Lottie A said:

Very much enjoying your review HGC. Your photo’s are fantastic. 

 

Me too.☺️

[Grandma Cruising]

To continue -  our tour of Sao Vicente then took us out and about around the island. We drove through the Calhau area where there is a little agriculture, but our guide Sonia explained that most of the farmers are retirees who are farming as a hobby or for an extra bit of income. Sao Vicente gets very very little rain so the farmers use windmills to produce the power to lift water from the underground aquifers, but the farming is precarious and threatened by crows and pigeons that damage the crops.

 

From there we drove to the coast 

 

Next we went to little restaurant for lunch - it was fish or chicken, with salad, fries, rice and vegetables, plus a drink of our choice from beer, wine or sodas, and a dessert. It was OK - pretty basic - and not helped by the number of flies about!

 

After lunch we went drove along the coast alongside the ‘Long beach.

 

After driving along the coast, the tour finished with a drive up to the top of Monte Verde, at 744m it’s the highest point on the island. Unfortunately it was a bit hazy, so the view from the top was not so clear.

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising

[travelberlin]

3 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Yes, that’s what it was. It’s a nice event - no speeches, just the chance to meet senior officers and talk to other passengers with nice nibbles and drinks.

Did it used to be a breakfast? Somehow I do not remember it. I am discoverer plus.

[Grandma Cruising]

Dinner at Discoveries again last night - a sharing table of 7 with a couple from Liverpool, a Norwegian couple and a lady from Guernsey - very good company.

I had Tuna with spicy Japanese mayo, and my DH had Beef Carpaccio, for starters, then we both had Bouillabaisse which had lots of sea food in it, then the Chef’s special of Lamb loin with basil potatoes. My desert was lemon-ginger sorbet(fantastic flavour) and  my DH had Tiramisu gelato which he loved.

After dinner we popped in to the Cabaret lounge towards the end of the show - Azamara singers doing Songs from Broadway - but didn’t stay as it’s not really our choice of music.

 

Today is the first of 5 sea days - the sea’s pretty calm and the weather is glorious. It was difficult to find 2 sun beds on Deck 11 at 9am - we’ll have to start getting up earlier. We have tea & fruit juice delivered at 7am, but are pretty slow in the mornings - we’ll need to speed up I think!

[Grandma Cruising]

28 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Did it used to be a breakfast? Somehow I do not remember it. I am discoverer plus.

I think it’s a different type of event on different ships and different itineraries. The timing and venue was perfect - we caught the last of the evening sun.

[hamrag]

34 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

....It was difficult to find 2 sun beds on Deck 11 at 9am - we’ll have to start getting up earlier. We have tea & fruit juice delivered at 7am, but are pretty slow in the mornings - we’ll need to speed up I think!

 

Send hubby up, following tea & juice....I am certain you realise how useful we can be at times!

[silkismom]

I wonder what special things they will have on our Jan Pursuit to Antarctica, not a lot of options to pick up local food once we leave Argentina. I'm starting to dig out my old "woolies" to pack for that.

[excitedofharpenden]

33 minutes ago, silkismom said:

I wonder what special things they will have on our Jan Pursuit to Antarctica, not a lot of options to pick up local food once we leave Argentina. I'm starting to dig out my old "woolies" to pack for that.

Just pack plenty of layers and definitely some good thermal underwear is a great idea. And a nice wooly hat!  The scenery is just amazing. I loved it. 

 

Phil 

[silkismom]

Phil, were you on the Pursuit last year?

[excitedofharpenden]

14 minutes ago, silkismom said:

Phil, were you on the Pursuit last year?

Yes.  Well the Antarctica cruise was actually January.  I got on in Lima in December and got off after Antarctica. 

 

Phil

[Grandma Cruising]

We spent all day on sunbeds yesterday, the weather was glorious. One thing we have noticed on Pursuit that is different from the other 2 ships is that it’s practically  impossible to hear the announcements on Deck 11.  There’s a terrible echo which makes them sound like nonsense. We’ve never had that problem on Journey or Quest.

We ate in Prime C last night. The appetiser was a sort of asparagus and red pepper reduction over smoked salmon, served in a small glass. I had warm water lobster salad, roasted Pumpkin soup and Rack of Lamb, my DH had smoked salmon, crab cakes and a T bone steak. We both had the wonderful  Limoncello soufflé for dessert.

We actually managed to see most of the show after our meal. It was a very funny magician called Greg Moreland.  He was very good - a mixture of ‘mentalist’ and traditional magician with lots of comedy thrown in. 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising

[excitedofharpenden]

Aside from the huge “golf ball” on the starboard side of deck 11 that takes up so much space.  

 

Phil

[Grandma Cruising]

51 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Aside from the huge “golf ball” on the starboard side of deck 11 that takes up so much space.  

 

Phil

You’re right about that.

[Grandma Cruising]

Today’s programme had an item at 10am in the Cabaret Lounge described as a ‘Special Event’  It turned out to be a Cook Off between two teams - Captain Antonio and HD Ryzsard against CD Amanda and F&B Manager Elisabeth. It was a really fun event, hosted by Assistant CD Lee. It was to the same format as Ready Steady Cook with Green Peppers and Red Peppers. Captain Antonio and Ryzsard won! Here’s a couple of photos - not very good because they were taken with my IPad.

[Ithikan]

What fun!  Did guests do the judging?

[excitedofharpenden]

Ryszard nearly always wins.  He is Mr Competitive!

 

Phil

[Grandma Cruising]

Weather’s not so good today. It was cloudy this morning and we had some heavy rain (luckily for me, it was during the Cook Off). Still cloudy this afternoon, but warm enough to be on a sun bed on Deck 11.

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, Ithikan said:

What fun!  Did guests do the judging?

Yes, people put their names in the hat & 3 were drawn out to be on the panel. The first person to be drawn out was an American woman who was a retired navy captain, who had also been a dietician, so a good choice as a judge. Captain Antonio & Ryzsard were the red peppers and Amanda & Elisabeth were the green peppers. The audience all had cards with a red pepper on one side and a green card on the other. The judges closed their eyes while we held our cards up - it was pretty even, but the 3 judges gave it to the red peppers by a majority decision.

[Grandma Cruising]

Dinner at Discoveries on a sharing table for 10 - all British. I had Japanese sushi and Fish Bisque, DH had beef ravioli and we both had prime rib of beef with mushrooms. I had ricotta cannoli and he had a gelato (can’t remember the flavour). Another lovely meal in great company. Afterwards we had a drink in the Living. Room listening to Riviera Sounds and watching their Cha Cha class. 

[Grandma Cruising]

Today was the day we crossed the equator, so we had the crossing the equator ceremony with Lee, assistant CD, as King Neptune. After the Captain had knelt before King Neptune, two officers who were 'polliwogs' (I.e. had never crossed the equator) were 'sacrificed' - they had to kiss the fish, have arctic waters poured over them, meet the flotsam & jetsam of the sea (coloured 'splodge'), have their organs removed by the butcher of the seas (Ryzsard) then be put in the water (pool) by King Neptune's pirates.

After this King Neptune demanded more sacrifices and Amanda, Elisabeth and Ryzsard were all 'sacrificed', then passengers got the chance to go through it too, if they wanted to.

Edited November 23, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising

[Cruise Lover77]

Hello everybody,

 

I am also on this cruise and I just would like to tell everybody, that we are all haveing a fantastic time on board the Ship. It started right when we have bboardedthe ship, we have mmet so many crew member that we know from our cruise last year on the TA Pursuit BCN - MIA. and the best was, we also have been recongnized and that was really fantastic. We had so many highlights already it is really hard to tell everyone. Just for today, We passed the archipell of San Paul and San Pedro, hat Officer BBQ and the Equator blessing ceremony. That was so much fun. They all work so hard to give us a fantastic time and I can't wait to see, what is comeing up next.

 

[cheznick]

Amanda and Elizabeth take to the water at the equator 

[BBMacLaird]

What fun! Thanks for sharing pictures...I can sail along with you vicariously!

[Grandma Cruising]

Great photo, cheznik!

 

At 5 pm yesterday we went to the Living Room to hear an acoustic guitar set by Nate and watch the setting sun. Dinner in Discoveries again, this time at a very international sharing table - us 2 Brits, 2 Canadians and a US couple. My DH and I both had scallops with Thai risotto and galangal soup ( delicious), then I had Hot & Sour seafood soup then seared Tuna, whilst he had asparagus soup followed by a NewYork Strip steak. His dessert was chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache. Mine was a fruit sorbet. Another lovely evening.