Britannia B017 Fantasy Blog

[DamianG]

29^th July 2020

 

Gibraltar

 

Once again, I’d slept in (finally getting the hang of it after 11 sleeps onboard) and was woken just after 8:30am as Britannia used it’s azipods to push us sideways towards our berth. The view forward was out to sea and I could just about make out the coastline of Morocco and Ceuta across the Strait of Gibraltar. I quickly got dressed and went out onto the balcony to watch us dock one last time.

 

We’ve been to Gibraltar many times before and only have half a day scheduled here anyway so we didn’t have any grand plans and were not in any rush to disembark. We let Kyle sleep in as late as possible then got him up in time to make the cut for breakfast at the Epicurean. Zaheer greeted us and took time to speak to Kyle about his birthday again.

 

After breakfast we made a quick pit stop to the cabin then disembarked around 10:30am. I’d have been happy to walk down North Mole Road and Waterport Road to get to the Main Street but Kyle was adamant that he didn’t want to do “lots of walking AGAIN” so I paid £12 for 3 return taxi tickets from the port. The taxi minibuses were lined up ready for cruise ship passengers so we were quickly loaded and on our way.

 

After being dropped off we headed down Main Street and after half a kilometre turned left up City Mill Lane to find our destination shop The Toy Box. Once inside Kyle quickly found the collectable toys and chose what he wanted so it was a case of mission accomplished by 11:15am. Strolling back I kept an eye on the windows of stores selling duty free spirits and though we weren’t by any means determined to buy something we did end up getting a twin pack of 1 litre bottles of Baileys for £20.

 

As we only had half a day here and needed to be back onboard by 12:30pm we were just going to catch the taxi back but we bumped into the in-laws sat outside The Little Rock Restaurant & Bar in Casemates Square where they were having a coffee and using the café’s free WiFi. We decided to join them for a while then we all returned to Britannia together as they had taxi tickets as well. Once onboard I went up to the Lido Grill to get some pizza for Kyle and it was packed. Clearly many passengers had chosen not to get off as they looked very settled and I would guess that they were mostly families with drinks packages getting their money’s worth.

 

I returned with the pizza then sat on the balcony where I could hear the music booming out from the “Great British Sail Away”. We used to enjoy going to them but the format doesn’t seem to have changed since our first P&O cruise in 2004 and a lot of the songs are the same too. Much as I like “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers I wasn’t bothered about seeing everyone dance around to it and besides Kyle doesn’t like the sail away events at all. In any case I could hear it all loud and clear from our balcony. I watched us cast off one last time then passed 20 minutes or so dolphin spotting and trying to take some decent photos.

 

The in-laws knocked on our cabin door at 2pm and Michelle told me to smarten up as she was “taking me out.” She then explained that she’d arranged for Kyle to stay in with her mum and dad while we went out for lunch and her suggestion was the Glass House. Kyle was clearly happy with this plan as he was shooing me away, so I quickly got changed and off we went, down 4 flights of stairs to Deck 7. We were soon seated and after careful study of the menu we chose a wine flight each and 3 small plates each so we had a fine selection of food and drink on our table. We really enjoyed the whole experience and I have no idea what it cost as for once Michelle signed the bill (though I know that ultimately, I will be paying).

 

We were out for around 90 minutes before returning to the cabin. We didn’t do much thereafter, Michelle & Kyle played games and I alternated between the cabin and balcony where I tried to spot landmarks on the Moroccan coast line. Sunil brought today’s canapés, Sesame infused Thai Fish Cakes with Sweet Chilli Jam, which we enjoyed before getting ready for an earlier than usual dinner.

 

We met the in-laws at 6:00pm and luckily our favourite table was still available. We chatted briefly with Sachin and Virat, mostly about Gibraltar which they said was a good port for them in terms of shopping and stocking up. We told them that as we’d been here so many times before it wasn’t our favourite, especially for just half a day. If we ever get to go for a full day then we might get a little more out of it, perhaps with a trip to the “other” side of the rock to the beach, or maybe across the border into Spain (suggestions welcome). For dinner I chose Dill-cured Swedish Salmon, Norfolk Turkey and then the Baileys-flavoured Brioche Bread & Butter Pudding. The dessert was somewhat heavier than I would usually choose but no prizes for guessing what the attraction of it was! Michelle skipped a starter then had the same as me. Kyle decided to go with fish fingers and chips but didn’t like the fish fingers at all so Sachin brought him more fries and extra ketchup.

 

After dinner we all went to the Live Lounge for the Portunus Peninsular Club Cocktail Party (why can’t I get “Portunus” out of my head?). There was a huge queue to get in so we skipped the line for photos with the Captain and went in the other entrance to be greeted by various officers and crew. We easily got seats but initially didn’t get any drinks as we requested sparkling wine and both waiters patrolling our area didn’t have any. Credit to them though as they both returned to our seats with sparkling wine so we went from zero to 4 glasses in no time. When the 2^nd glasses arrived, we did politely say that we now had drinks but the generous waiter insisted that we take another glass each anyway. Don’t mind if I do, thanks very much.

 

There was the usual spiel from the loyalty manager then he introduced Captain Derek Gray who put on a 20-minute comedy show. He was extremely funny, commanded the floor and held the audience’s attention throughout. When it came to the prizes Captain Gray announced the passenger with most days on board (1200+) then presented the winner with a very nice photo album (the perfect gift in the digital age as Captain Gray sarcastically suggested!) and a bottle of champagne. There was another bottle of champagne as a lucky draw prize as usual and when that had been drawn Captain Gray requested another drum roll and surprised us all by drawing another invitation ticket and promising another bottle of champagne. He then repeated this twice, each time teasing the audience saying “We’re not finished yet, I can’t think of a better way to hand in my resignation.” One of the loyalty managers then dashed on to the floor behind him and ran off with the bucket full of invitation tickets so that he had to stop. No doubt this was a well-practised routine but all the same it was really funny.

 

The party ended at 8:30pm to coincide with 2^nd seating fixed dining and the Live Lounge quickly started clearing. We weren’t in any rush but were soon ready to go ourselves and as we tried to get out passengers were jostling to get in ready for the “Adele” and “Ed Sheeran” lookalike performers who were scheduled later. One chap in particular was pushing past people and grabbed one of our seats pretty much as soon as we stepped aside.

 

We decided to go to the Crow’s Nest so I made up for taking the taxi in Gibraltar by using the staircases instead of the escalators and I arrived shortly after Kyle, panting as usual. Michelle and the in-laws already had seats and as luck would have it The Waves were in there playing an acoustic set. Honestly, I didn’t know having forgotten to look at the evening’s entertainment details in the Horizon newsletter. Kyle couldn’t believe that we were going to see “that band again!” but I was happy. As we were a little earlier than usual, we had a couple of rounds of drinks before retiring to our cabin at 10:30pm.

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by DamianG

[Britboys]

On 7/27/2020 at 12:04 PM, DamianG said:

Monday 27^th July 2020

 

Palma de Mallorca

 

I slept in for once and was woken just after 8:30am as Britannia’s azipods gently pushed us sideways towards our berth. I opened the curtains to find a view of the sea so I knew immediately that we had reversed into the port. Being used to aft cabins and the propeller rumblings when reversing, I was amazed at the quiet contrast of a forward cabin and the fact that I didn’t wake up earlier. I got dressed and headed out on to the balcony with camera in hand ready for the obligatory long-distance photo of the Cathedral.

 

Once everyone was up, we went to the Epicurean for breakfast as usual and midway through our meal the calm was interrupted by Cruise Entertainment Manager Neil Oliver making an announcement over the PA system. He said that Limelight Club performer Darren Day had left the ship in Barcelona but that his replacement, Chesney Hawkes, had failed to get on board. Apparently, the one and only flight that he could have caught to Barcelona was cancelled so he was still stuck in the UK. However, Katherine Jenkins had just finished a series of performances at The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and luckily, they’d managed to contact her and got her to agree to replace Chesney. Now that’s what you call an upgrade!

 

After yesterday’s exertions there was no military plan for today. We lazed around the cabin for an hour or so eventually disembarking just after 11:30am. We strolled along Avenida de Gabriel Roca then made our first stop in the Marina at The Boat House for a coffee, tea and coca cola. Suitably refreshed, we continued our stroll, stopping just short of the Cathedral to turn left along Avenida d’Antoni Maura, then continuing thorough a maze of streets in our quest to find Juguetería La Industrial “La juguetería más antigua de Palma” (the oldest toy shop in Palma). It was impressive as toy shops go but unfortunately didn’t have anything that Kyle wanted so we soon moved on.

 

We set off heading North-West towards El Corte Inglés as we knew that would be a safe bet for Kyle’s taste in toys. On route we lucked into a fabulous “Chacuteria y Bomboneria” (deli and sweet shop) La Pajarita which looked too good to bypass without going inside. Once in, the friendly staff offered us free samples and Kyle in particular loved trying the different chocolates. We ended up spending €18 on sweets, chocolates and pastries but I didn’t mind as it made up for the disappointment of La Industrial.

 

Now that we had all had a sugar rush the next leg of our journey seemed to pass quickly. Palma’s version of El Corte Inglés was not quite like the flagship store in Barcelona, but it was fairly large and had the all-important Juguete department. Kyle quickly worked out which floor we needed and directed us to the elevator. They had a decent range of products and he picked up some more collectables at a reasonable price. We were tempted to go up to the top floor Cafetería but instead decided to gamble on getting something to eat in our final destination.

 

Shopping done we left the store and took the short, easy walk to Parc de Sa Feixina. It has a pretty good kid’s playground and Kyle played a while using the climbing frames and slides. We know its not as much fun for him when he is on his own so I tried to join him on a few of the climbing activities but found myself to be too big for most of the narrow access points. We stayed about 15 minutes before he’d had enough then we continued South through the park hoping that the food market would be open. Our noses soon confirmed that our gamble was going to pay off as we could smell the barbeque before we could see it. We got some ribs and chorizo accompanied by Albariño in plastic beakers and a coca cola for Kyle. He didn’t like the smell of the meat so I returned to the counter to get him some bread rolls but when I returned, I found him tucking into the ribs and chorizo with gusto. Michelle had persuaded him to just give them a try and he ended up taking both plates from her, so I found myself returning to the counter for a third time to get us some more. We all enjoyed the food and the total cost including drink refills was just €26.

 

Suitably refuelled, we made the long walk back to Britannia and were back onboard just before 3pm, well inside the all-aboard time an hour later. We dropped our purchases off in the cabin and after a quick change went up to the Sun Deck to use the Terrace Pool aft. I was happy to take a dip in the plunge pool with Kyle as it was still red hot (the park thermometer displayed 32°C when we were there). It wasn’t long before we were tracked down by the in-laws who had just returned from their day out using the hop-on hop-off bus. Kyle excitedly told them his version of the day’s events, especially going into great detail about the sweet shop.

 

We watched the sail away from the Terrace Pool area and this gave us an extended, last view of Palma that we wouldn’t have got had we been on our port side balcony. Once we were out to sea, we returned to the cabin to find today’s canapés which, by chance, were Baby Beef Burgers in Brioche rolls thus continuing today’s barbeque theme.

 

We went to the Meridean at our usual time of 7pm and Mohammed said that he had held “our” table back for us. Maybe it makes his task of allocating tables easier but even so, I cannot state enough how much we appreciate this. We seem to see the same passengers in our corner every evening so I guess we are not the only ones who like a regular table choice despite being on freedom dining.

 

Sachin and Virat were on hand to greet us and they encouraged Kyle to tell his version of the day’s activities. I went all-in for dinner with a choice of Bury Black Pudding with Duck Egg, Smoked Ham and Lentil Soup, and continued the barbeque theme of the day with Grilled Grass Fed Sirloin Steak. I could just about manage to eat some Vanilla Ice cream to finish. Michelle chose Oven Roasted Mixed Pepper Soup, the Steak then Cheese and Biscuits. We decided to visit Portugal for our wine choice, Vinha Grande, Casa Ferreirinha, Douro which we’d tried at the wine tasting. Kyle had some carrots and beans for a starter then pasta with tomato sauce.

 

After dinner we went to the Live Lounge to see soul singer Jaz Ellington supported by the Britannia Orchestra. Apparently, he was a semi-finalist in the first series of “The Voice” on TV (no, I didn’t know him either). Anyway, he put on a good show which I enjoyed but the rest of our party seemed less bothered about. He was joined on stage by his wife for the second set but as good a singer as she was, I preferred it when he sang solo. We stayed right to the end before setting off back to the cabin at 10:30pm. We were at the completely wrong end of the ship so we had a long walk home, especially for Kyle and I as we used the staircases. Once we were back in the cabin, I checked my phone and found that I’d banked another 10,000+ steps so I told Kyle how well he’d done with all the walking today. We let him stay up a while to watch TV but I have no idea what time he switched it off as I was spark out in seconds.

 

I am so missing Spain after reading this Damian. I've not been over since the beginning of March. That is certainly un gran Parilla where you had lunch. My mouth is watering.

[DamianG]

Thursday 30^th July 2020

 

Sea Day

 

Did I say that I’m getting the hang of sleeping in later? I guess I spoke too soon as I was awake before 7:30am so I decided to go the gym. Arriving just after 8am, when I mistakenly thought it would be quiet with just a few other insomniacs working out, I was shocked to find almost every treadmill and exercise bike in use apart from those where the technology didn’t work (which I only found out after trying them of course). Eventually I got the chance to use a treadmill and I managed 18 minutes which is good enough for me first thing in the morning. I must have looked a right idiot running with my iPhone in my hand but I wanted to count those steps as always.

 

I lasted around 45 minutes in the gym then made the long walk from aft to forward across the sun deck. No one was playing deck games just yet but there were passengers in the whirlpools even at this time in the morning. Arriving at the forward staircase I took a peek in the Serenity Pool & Bar area. It certainly looked a lovely, calm place which we would probably have liked to use in our pre-parenting days.

 

I decided to go all the way down to Deck 5 to pick up the daily crossword from reception, but once I’d done that, I just couldn’t face the 6 flights of stairs back up to our cabin so I cheated and used the lift for once. Sorry Kyle.

 

Arriving back in the cabin at 9:15am it was still in darkness as Kyle was still spark out and Michelle had gone back to sleep after I’d disturbed her earlier. I woke everyone up and we went for breakfast at the Epicurean where I immediately ruined all the good gym work with a big breakfast which, in fairness, I felt that I’d earned.

 

After breakfast we went back to the cabin and I spent about 25 minutes on the crossword, coming up just 1 word short as usual. I couldn’t leave it unfinished so I resorted to Google and was annoyed at myself for not getting it. If anyone wants to have a go the clue is “There’s no life in these boring cruise ships” (9 letters).

 

At 11:30am Michelle and I changed into smarter clothes and not long after that the in-laws arrived to look after Kyle while we went out for lunch. He did have the option to come with us but readily preferred to get rid of us for a couple of hours so we didn’t feel too bad leaving him again. We had invites to the Caribbean Tier Luncheon so we said our goodbyes and headed for the Oriental Restaurant. We found it to be far nicer than the Meridian Restaurant and we were on a lovely table laid out for nine hosted by Food & Beverage Manager Ben Fernandes. Once everyone was seated Ben introduced himself properly and told us that we had hit the jackpot having him as our host. He then said that this wasn’t because he was special in any way, but that because of his position part of his job was to keep a watchful eye on the waiters so he was sure that they would be extra attentive to keeping our glasses refilled!

 

As ever the lunch was fantastic, we had nice company and Ben proved to be right as we had magic, self-refilling wine glasses that never needed topping up no matter how much we drank (with full credit to our stealthy, unobtrusive wine waiter). For lunch I chose Thai Spiced Crab and Sweet Potato Cake, Dorset Lamb Rack then Rum and Raisin Ice Cream. Michelle chose the same starter and main, Peach Sorbet and Rocky Road Brownie. As for the drinks, we had Champagne on arrival, Sauvignon Blanc with the starters and Pinot Noir with the mains. Midway through lunch Captain Gray came into the restaurant and spoke to guests at each table individually. He was humorous and witty as usual, referring to us as the “lucky” table. Conversation flowed and Michelle and I enjoyed the opportunity to socialise with fellow passengers, something we always used to do but have less chance of doing these days. We all got on so well that our table was the last to break up, with ourselves and another couple staying on even after Ben and the other guests had excused themselves.

 

We eventually returned to the cabin at 2pm and found that the in-laws had ordered room service again so Kyle had eaten and I had no need to brave the buffet. We wanted to get some fresh air so we arranged to meet up with the in-laws at the Terrace pool in 20 minutes. Kyle was reluctant at first but once we got there, he was happy to divide his time between going in the plunge pool and playing Top Trumps card games. I went in the plunge pool with him and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite warm for once.

 

We returned to the cabin just as today’s canapés arrived, Cauliflower Cheese Rolls. These were probably my least favourite so far but Michelle loves cauliflower cheese so they were soon taken care of. We lazed around for a while before we got ready for dinner, with us all dressing up for today’s theme “Tropical Night”. For once I’d remembered my Hawaiian shirt and I was looking forward to seeing other passenger’s interpretation of the theme.

 

We were slightly early getting to the Meridean for dinner but Mohammed told us to go straight in and he would let the in-laws know we were already seated. Sachin complimented me on my shirt then asked if we were alone or expecting the in-laws to join us. At that point they arrived and Virat helped them get seated. After the big lunch I wasn’t that hungry but still managed Irish Rope-Grown Mussels, Monkfish Tail Wrapped in Bacon (why couldn’t that be on the menu tomorrow for “Fish Friday”?) then Roasted Spiced Black-peppered Pineapple with Tropical Rum and Raisin ice cream. My favourite ice cream twice in one day, what a treat. Michelle had the same starter and dessert with Spicy Tiger Prawns for her main. To go with our choices, we chose a bottle of Grüner Veltliner, Smaragd Kollmütz, Erich Machherndl, Wachau. We wouldn’t have usually gone for an Austrian wine but we had tried it in the Glass House and enjoyed it. Kyle had pasta with tomato sauce as usual but with a side plate of green beans. Grandad had his favourite main English Pork Belly, then celebrated by ordering a Cream Horn for dessert from Kyle’s kid’s menu.

 

After dinner we went up to the Lido Deck for the Tropical Party but we didn’t stay long as it was a little too noisy for Kyle and a bit chilly for the in-laws. At least from there it was a short hop to the Crow’s Nest where we got settled in a corner and I got a second chance to enjoy the Spanish guitar music by Amigo. We stayed for a coupe of rounds of drinks again and got back to the cabin slightly later than usual at 11pm.

 

[Britboys]

Sounds like a lovely day at sea. I was looking forward to reaching Caribbean level at the end of my cruise in October, which has now been cancelled, which would have been in time for my Worldie sector next year, which is likely to be cancelled! And if the worst happens and we lose Aurora and Arcadia, I'll never make it there...

 

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

Sounds like a lovely day at sea. I was looking forward to reaching Caribbean level at the end of my cruise in October, which has now been cancelled, which would have been in time for my Worldie sector next year, which is likely to be cancelled! And if the worst happens and we lose Aurora and Arcadia, I'll never make it there...

 

Same here. We had just got to Caribbean and then.............

[Britboys]

5 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Same here. We had just got to Caribbean and then.............

At least you have attained it 😊.

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, Britboys said:

At least you have attained it 😊.

That’s true, although the way things are going I can see us never deriving any benefit from it!

[AndyMichelle]

18 hours ago, DamianG said:

Thursday 30^th July 2020

 

Sea Day

 

Did I say that I’m getting the hang of sleeping in later? I guess I spoke too soon as I was awake before 7:30am so I decided to go the gym. Arriving just after 8am, when I mistakenly thought it would be quiet with just a few other insomniacs working out, I was shocked to find almost every treadmill and exercise bike in use apart from those where the technology didn’t work (which I only found out after trying them of course). Eventually I got the chance to use a treadmill and I managed 18 minutes which is good enough for me first thing in the morning. I must have looked a right idiot running with my iPhone in my hand but I wanted to count those steps as always.

 

I lasted around 45 minutes in the gym then made the long walk from aft to forward across the sun deck. No one was playing deck games just yet but there were passengers in the whirlpools even at this time in the morning. Arriving at the forward staircase I took a peek in the Serenity Pool & Bar area. It certainly looked a lovely, calm place which we would probably have liked to use in our pre-parenting days.

 

I decided to go all the way down to Deck 5 to pick up the daily crossword from reception, but once I’d done that, I just couldn’t face the 6 flights of stairs back up to our cabin so I cheated and used the lift for once. Sorry Kyle.

 

Arriving back in the cabin at 9:15am it was still in darkness as Kyle was still spark out and Michelle had gone back to sleep after I’d disturbed her earlier. I woke everyone up and we went for breakfast at the Epicurean where I immediately ruined all the good gym work with a big breakfast which, in fairness, I felt that I’d earned.

 

After breakfast we went back to the cabin and I spent about 25 minutes on the crossword, coming up just 1 word short as usual. I couldn’t leave it unfinished so I resorted to Google and was annoyed at myself for not getting it. If anyone wants to have a go the clue is “There’s no life in these boring cruise ships” (9 letters).

 

At 11:30am Michelle and I changed into smarter clothes and not long after that the in-laws arrived to look after Kyle while we went out for lunch. He did have the option to come with us but readily preferred to get rid of us for a couple of hours so we didn’t feel too bad leaving him again. We had invites to the Caribbean Tier Luncheon so we said our goodbyes and headed for the Oriental Restaurant. We found it to be far nicer than the Meridian Restaurant and we were on a lovely table laid out for nine hosted by Food & Beverage Manager Ben Fernandes. Once everyone was seated Ben introduced himself properly and told us that we had hit the jackpot having him as our host. He then said that this wasn’t because he was special in any way, but that because of his position part of his job was to keep a watchful eye on the waiters so he was sure that they would be extra attentive to keeping our glasses refilled!

 

As ever the lunch was fantastic, we had nice company and Ben proved to be right as we had magic, self-refilling wine glasses that never needed topping up no matter how much we drank (with full credit to our stealthy, unobtrusive wine waiter). For lunch I chose Thai Spiced Crab and Sweet Potato Cake, Dorset Lamb Rack then Rum and Raisin Ice Cream. Michelle chose the same starter and main, Peach Sorbet and Rocky Road Brownie. As for the drinks, we had Champagne on arrival, Sauvignon Blanc with the starters and Pinot Noir with the mains. Midway through lunch Captain Gray came into the restaurant and spoke to guests at each table individually. He was humorous and witty as usual, referring to us as the “lucky” table. Conversation flowed and Michelle and I enjoyed the opportunity to socialise with fellow passengers, something we always used to do but have less chance of doing these days. We all got on so well that our table was the last to break up, with ourselves and another couple staying on even after Ben and the other guests had excused themselves.

 

We eventually returned to the cabin at 2pm and found that the in-laws had ordered room service again so Kyle had eaten and I had no need to brave the buffet. We wanted to get some fresh air so we arranged to meet up with the in-laws at the Terrace pool in 20 minutes. Kyle was reluctant at first but once we got there, he was happy to divide his time between going in the plunge pool and playing Top Trumps card games. I went in the plunge pool with him and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite warm for once.

 

We returned to the cabin just as today’s canapés arrived, Cauliflower Cheese Rolls. These were probably my least favourite so far but Michelle loves cauliflower cheese so they were soon taken care of. We lazed around for a while before we got ready for dinner, with us all dressing up for today’s theme “Tropical Night”. For once I’d remembered my Hawaiian shirt and I was looking forward to seeing other passenger’s interpretation of the theme.

 

We were slightly early getting to the Meridean for dinner but Mohammed told us to go straight in and he would let the in-laws know we were already seated. Sachin complimented me on my shirt then asked if we were alone or expecting the in-laws to join us. At that point they arrived and Virat helped them get seated. After the big lunch I wasn’t that hungry but still managed Irish Rope-Grown Mussels, Monkfish Tail Wrapped in Bacon (why couldn’t that be on the menu tomorrow for “Fish Friday”?) then Roasted Spiced Black-peppered Pineapple with Tropical Rum and Raisin ice cream. My favourite ice cream twice in one day, what a treat. Michelle had the same starter and dessert with Spicy Tiger Prawns for her main. To go with our choices, we chose a bottle of Grüner Veltliner, Smaragd Kollmütz, Erich Machherndl, Wachau. We wouldn’t have usually gone for an Austrian wine but we had tried it in the Glass House and enjoyed it. Kyle had pasta with tomato sauce as usual but with a side plate of green beans. Grandad had his favourite main English Pork Belly, then celebrated by ordering a Cream Horn for dessert from Kyle’s kid’s menu.

 

After dinner we went up to the Lido Deck for the Tropical Party but we didn’t stay long as it was a little too noisy for Kyle and a bit chilly for the in-laws. At least from there it was a short hop to the Crow’s Nest where we got settled in a corner and I got a second chance to enjoy the Spanish guitar music by Amigo. We stayed for a coupe of rounds of drinks again and got back to the cabin slightly later than usual at 11pm.

 

Lovely pic Damian, you both look so happy. 

I expect canapés to be a bit exotic... Cauliflower cheese??? 

Andy 

[DamianG]

12 hours ago, Britboys said:

Sounds like a lovely day at sea. I was looking forward to reaching Caribbean level at the end of my cruise in October, which has now been cancelled, which would have been in time for my Worldie sector next year, which is likely to be cancelled! And if the worst happens and we lose Aurora and Arcadia, I'll never make it there...

 

 

I know some people choose not to attend the upper tier lunches which is why P&O send out invitations which require a response. We however, absolutely love it and look forward to it every cruise. We enjoy socialising with the other passengers who are (almost always) pleasant and good company. As for the table hosts, we've had the Deputy Captain, Headliners Dance Captain, Senior Electrical Engineer, Food & Beverage Manager, Chief of Security etc. All fascinating in their own way with different perspectives of life onboard. 

 

I can just imagine a table with you, the Selbournes etc. where none of us have met before but we all get on famously and the host cannot believe that we all didn't know each other previously.

 

[DamianG]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

Lovely pic Damian, you both look so happy. 

I expect canapés to be a bit exotic... Cauliflower cheese??? 

Andy 

 

Reality check Andy, keeping it real! Anyway, Michelle says "What's wrong with cauliflower cheese?"

 

I'll try harder on today's episode!

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

I know some people choose not to attend the upper tier lunches which is why P&O send out invitations which require a response. We however, absolutely love it and look forward to it every cruise. We enjoy socialising with the other passengers who are (almost always) pleasant and good company. As for the table hosts, we've had the Deputy Captain, Headliners Dance Captain, Senior Electrical Engineer, Food & Beverage Manager, Chief of Security etc. All fascinating in their own way with different perspectives of life onboard. 

 

I can just imagine a table with you, the Selbournes etc. where none of us have met before but we all get on famously and the host cannot believe that we all didn't know each other previously.

 

 

We really enjoy the lunches as well.  Last cruise our table was hosted by Leon de St Croix, which was a treat for me as I have a passing interest in Astronomy.

 

Another lovely lunch, there were only two tables, our was hosted by one of the senior engineering officers and his wife.  It was actually the officer's last day at sea before retiring when getting off in Valetta the next day.  We felt quite honoured that this chap had chosen to spend his last lunch at sea with some strangers, and we just happened to part of them.  And he was a biker!

[DamianG]

19 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

 

We really enjoy the lunches as well.  Last cruise our table was hosted by Leon de St Croix, which was a treat for me as I have a passing interest in Astronomy.

 

Another lovely lunch, there were only two tables, our was hosted by one of the senior engineering officers and his wife.  It was actually the officer's last day at sea before retiring when getting off in Valetta the next day.  We felt quite honoured that this chap had chosen to spend his last lunch at sea with some strangers, and we just happened to part of them.  And he was a biker!

 

Leon de St Croix!!! Wow, that would have been great! He was the cruise director on a couple of our voyages and was fantastic. He even played piano at the church service.

 

The Senior Engineering Officer (Scottish chap) who hosted our table (2017 I think) had retired to live in South Africa but P&O were that desperate for experienced staff that they'd recalled him after making him an "offer that he couldn't refuse." He had a whole host of stories to tell and kept the table conversation going brilliantly.

[Selbourne]

7 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

I know some people choose not to attend the upper tier lunches which is why P&O send out invitations which require a response. We however, absolutely love it and look forward to it every cruise. We enjoy socialising with the other passengers who are (almost always) pleasant and good company. As for the table hosts, we've had the Deputy Captain, Headliners Dance Captain, Senior Electrical Engineer, Food & Beverage Manager, Chief of Security etc. All fascinating in their own way with different perspectives of life onboard. 

 

I can just imagine a table with you, the Selbournes etc. where none of us have met before but we all get on famously and the host cannot believe that we all didn't know each other previously.

 

How kind! If, at a future loyalty tier lunch, you dine with the Executive Chef or F&B Manager, can you furnish them with your list of delicious canapés and suggest that an upgrade in the current offerings are in order?

 

We had always wondered why so many sea birds swarm around the aft of the ship when we leave ports in the evenings, swooping and diving, until we realised that it was all the aft suite passengers disposing of their inedible canapés so as not to offend the butler 😉

[DamianG]

Friday 31^st July 2020

 

Sea Day

 

I was awake before 8am again so I “fell in with the doors” at the launderette for one last washing cycle. Back in the cabin Kyle was still asleep so we let him lie in as late as possible and just passed the time catching up with things on the internet. After I’d been back to the launderette to put everything in a dryer, we dragged Kyle out of his sofa bed so that we could get to the Epicurean for breakfast before the cut-off time. I had Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon and it was delicious as always. After breakfast I picked up the clean and dry washing so everything was running to plan.

 

Kyle wanted to stay in the cabin so we agreed and took our time packing one suitcase ready for later. At 11am Captain Gray made an announcement that a passenger onboard was seriously ill and needed hospital treatment so we were diverting to Brest where an ambulance would be waiting. He gave clear instructions that this would be a quick stop with no passenger disembarkation allowed and that this would not delay our arrival in Southampton. A couple of hours later it felt like Britannia had slowed down and I went out onto the balcony as the French coastline was now visible despite it being a grey day. We sailed straight into the berth which meant that I could see the port from our (port side) balcony and we were clearly using industrial docks rather than any type of cruise or ferry terminal. It was the third time I’d been on a ship in port without disembarking (the others being Ephesus and Casablanca) and it was definitely the least interesting of the 3.

 

We decided to skip lunch in favour of afternoon tea and I took Kyle to the Lido Deck for some pizza. He also wanted an ice cream (served right next to the pizzeria) so he had a reverse order dessert then main course lunch (not for the first time I might add). Once he’d eaten his lunch, we insisted on having some time out of the cabin so we went to the Terrace Pool area aft where we readily got seats and Kyle was able to use the plunge pool. The in-laws tracked us down which meant that Michelle and I were able to leave him with them briefly to go and pick up some snacks from the afternoon tea selection in the Horizon. I was glad at being able to just get my own choices for once with no responsibility of choosing for anyone else. When we got back Kyle was enjoying a Strawberry Daiquiri mocktail so we ordered some drinks as well, Pina Colada for Michelle and just a diet coke for me.

 

We stayed at the Terrace Pool until 5pm then went back to the cabin, just in time for today’s Pancetta, Watercress & Mozzarella Arancini canapés. We opened our complimentary bottle of champagne (that’s been in the fridge for the entire cruise) and it went very well with the snacks. I can’t remember when it started but leaving the complimentary bottle of fizz until the last days of the cruise has become a ritual for us though we usually crack it open when leaving the last port. However, with us only having half a day in Gibraltar it didn’t feel right so we just left it until the very last day. We played some music from my iPhone via a Bluetooth speaker (finally got to use it on the last day) and had some final balcony time before we had to finish the remaining packing and get ready for dinner.

 

We went to dinner at the usual time and were quickly directed to “our” table. Seated at the neighbouring table were the same passengers who had been there most nights and we chatted briefly after they complimented Kyle on his good behaviour. Michelle and I both chose Smoked Haddock Fishcake, Vegetable Consommé Soup, Roast Monkfish Tail with Lemon Tart to finish. I made a simple wine choice of Oriol Rossell Cava Brut as per the menu (might as well double down on the fizz on the last evening). Kyle had one last portion of his favourite pasta and tomato sauce. After dinner we said our goodbyes to Sachin and Virat, and I got Kyle to hand them an envelope with a small extra tip. I know that tips are now included in the fare but we felt that they had gone above and beyond regular service, especially with Kyle.

 

We decided to pay our one and only visit to the onboard pub “Brodies” where we easily got a large table and seats ready for the James Bond quiz. As usual we failed miserably even though I love the films and must have taken part in the same quiz on at least a dozen cruises. I’m pretty sure that the questions never change but I just cannot remember all the answers year after year. Mindful of tomorrow’s drive I just had soft drinks while Michelle and Kyle switched back to cocktails and mocktails (with more resulting “brain freeze”). We stayed until 10:30pm then retired to the cabin where Kyle insisted on finishing watching a movie before lights out (not that I have any idea when that was) 😴

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by DamianG

[Harry Peterson]

20 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

.......until we realised that it was all the aft suite passengers disposing of their inedible canapés so as not to offend the butler 😉

I'm so glad that's not just us then.  Though after an incident (resolved with a wire coat hanger) involving a WC on an early cruise we soon learned.  After that we always took the things ashore to dispose of.  In truth the butlers probably find the whole thing hilarious - maybe there's a competition of some sort behind the scenes.

 

Always optimistic about them, but rarely justified.

[Britboys]

Love the sound of the Arancini!

[DamianG]

6 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'm so glad that's not just us then.  Though after an incident (resolved with a wire coat hanger) involving a WC on an early cruise we soon learned.  After that we always took the things ashore to dispose of.  In truth the butlers probably find the whole thing hilarious - maybe there's a competition of some sort behind the scenes.

 

Always optimistic about them, but rarely justified.

 

They're completely hit and miss (mostly miss) aren't they? Blinis one day, egg on a Ritz cracker the next:

 

 

[Selbourne]

9 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'm so glad that's not just us then.  Though after an incident (resolved with a wire coat hanger) involving a WC on an early cruise we soon learned.  After that we always took the things ashore to dispose of.  In truth the butlers probably find the whole thing hilarious - maybe there's a competition of some sort behind the scenes.

 

Always optimistic about them, but rarely justified.

Harry, I’m appalled. Have you not read the very clear notices that appear regularly in the daily Horizon papers “Passengers are reminded that canapés must not be flushed down the toilets”.

[Ilovemygarden]

Damian - don’t  know what I’ll do with my day when you reach Southampton and your lovely cruise comes to an end. Are there no offers to stay on for a back to back?

[AndyMichelle]

10 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

Reality check Andy, keeping it real! Anyway, Michelle says "What's wrong with cauliflower cheese?"

 

I'll try harder on today's episode!

You are doing great Damian. 

What is right with cauliflower cheese? 

Andy 

[SeaJane]

16 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'm so glad that's not just us then.  Though after an incident (resolved with a wire coat hanger) involving a WC on an early cruise we soon learned.  After that we always took the things ashore to dispose of.  In truth the butlers probably find the whole thing hilarious - maybe there's a competition of some sort behind the scenes.

 

Always optimistic about them, but rarely justified.

Us too! 
I do enjoy the strawberries dipped in chocolate and the smoked salmon on rye though. Most of the others I’d happily do without.

[Harry Peterson]

52 minutes ago, SeaJane said:

Us too! 
I do enjoy the strawberries dipped in chocolate and the smoked salmon on rye though. Most of the others I’d happily do without.

I’d almost forgotten those ones!  They were good.  I suppose part of the problem is that there’s just too much food.  If that weren’t the case, maybe they’d be more appreciated.

[DamianG]

16 hours ago, Ilovemygarden said:

Damian - don’t  know what I’ll do with my day when you reach Southampton and your lovely cruise comes to an end. Are there no offers to stay on for a back to back?

 

I would love to do a back to back one day, but as for a fantasy version after 17,000+ words I really need to get back to all the typical, dull post-cruise stuff like cutting the grass and house cleaning!

[DamianG]

16 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

What is right with cauliflower cheese? 

Andy 

 

Nothing is right with it in my opinion but Michelle loves it!

[DamianG]

Saturday 1^st August 2020

 

Southampton

 

I briefly woke in the early hours as Britannia docked in Southampton but for once I managed to get back to sleep. At 7:30am we got Kyle up and had an early breakfast in the Horizon for a change then went back to the cabin to gather our belongings. We managed to catch Kapil before we left and gave him a small tip in an envelope. We were out of the cabin before 8am as requested and we soon met the in-laws in the Atrium. We had an early disembarkation time slot and they had booked assistance so we were in the terminal by 8:30am. We found all our cases instantly (this is still fantasy remember) and after a steady stroll we had the car loaded and were on the road for 8:50am. The roads were kind to us so with just one stop we were home by 2pm.