Sirena 29/3 Barbados - Barcelona

[ToxM]

Well I thought I should start a rolling report on this. We are only a few days from embarking. 

 

I know there are a few of us on the board who are on this trip, so everyone else please chime in as well!

 

This trip has been so long in coming! It’s for my 50th birthday, and after my birthday for the previous 2 years being in full lockdowns in the UK, frankly it is well deserved! I have always wanted to do a TA, and this popped up and it was perfect. We booked I think the day it went on sale. After lots of research (I love my research) a PH3 right at the front under the card room seemed like a good idea (I will report on that as well). 

 

Due to how covid progressed, the trip to Barbados to meet the ship evolved through many iterations, and here we are in a penthouse (upgraded no less) for 8 nights prior to the cruise. It’s actually worked out well because the BA2 wave of Omicron is terrible in the UK and we both feel much safer here in Barbados. I bought antigen tests with us to do throughout the week and so far we are all clear. We do our official embarkation tests on Saturday. I don’t want to tempt fate, but I will be devastated if I can’t embark. 

 

Sirena is on her way to Barbados - she docks on the 26th. I may ask Marital Unit if we can do a drive by - I may well cry! This will be her restart cruise  and thinking about it - it makes sense, all the crew will be nicely quarantined after their trip across from Italy. Dottie has been posting on a book of face group which has been exciting to see. The passenger load looks light, and I am excited to be on an R class ship. 

 

Heathrow decided to lift their mask mandate on the Wednesday before we flew (we still masked up) and Virgin lifted their mask mandate on flights on the Thursday (we didn’t mask up on the flight). As I had booked 1a and 2a in Upper Class (birthday treat) and the load in Upper was not full it felt it was safe as there was not a lot of foot traffic around us. I have been mainlining First Defence nose spray since prior to the flight and continued through the flight and also when we are likely to go anywhere a little busy here in Barbados. Flight was lovely, crew was lovely and I was well fed and slightly tipsy through most of it and 9 hours flew by - excuse the pun. 

 

As I mentioned earlier we got upgraded by the hotel to a penthouse - we are on the third floor with two huge balconies and lots of space right on the beach - it is glorious! We’ve hired a car, done some shopping, are driving around the island eating in well ventilated places and coming back for a swim and a relax on the balcony. Nothing unsafe as we are coveting our negative state like it is a national treasure. 

 

Barbados is gorgeous, the people warm and friendly and they drive on the correct side of the road! We embark on the 29th at 11am - I don’t want to wish my time on Barbados away, but I am so excited for this. Once I get a negative test on Saturday I will be crawling the walls with excitement. 

 

I was on a short cruise on QM2 which was her restart cruise. They had some snafus and to be frank I wasn’t too fussed with Cunard, but I just know this restart cruise will be better - just because it’s O. 

 

Sorry if I have waffled a lot. I will try and add some pics here but from my iPad they seem to come out upside down and I am not sure how to fix them.

[PhD-iva]

Thank you very much for your posting. I will be on a transAtlantic on Sirena next March. That will be my first experience on an R-class ship and I am very excited!

Edited March 25, 2022 by PhD-iva
Edit

[ToxM]

So here is the view from our balcony

 

 

This is an upside down (why????) view from above Animal Flower Cave - didn’t go in as it was an enclosed space)

 

A bit of liquid sunshine from this morning. 

 

Upside down - but this is our covid/sunscreen table. New normal I feel - but it’s ok … all these things keep us and others safe. 

Edited March 25, 2022 by ToxM
Added text

[LHT28]

If you have time  & they are open  try Agapey Chocolates   YUMMM

https://www.agapey.com/

 

Enjoy the Birthday cruise

[ronrick1943]

Sounds like a great trip, looking forward to reading and seeing all about it.  TA’s are the best-we have one coming up……….travel safe and fun.

[erikb923]

Cant wait, hope to be on Sirena next year! 

[ToxM]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

If you have time  & they are open  try Agapey Chocolates   YUMMM

https://www.agapey.com/

 

Enjoy the Birthday cruise

Thanks for this! I see they are in the port shop so we will get some there 🙂

[nannycheryl]

I’ll be anxious to hear how your cruise on Sirena is. We’ll be boarding in Rome on April 19. Enjoy yourself and Happy Birthday!🎉🎁🎈🎂 

[babysteps]

Thanks for the posts, looking forward to armchair-sailing along with you @ToxM!

 

9 hours ago, ToxM said:

...This is an upside down (why????) ...

Maybe an answer - on my DH's old phone, we would always turn the camera (for sideways pics) the opposite way that the phone thought we should. On the phone (in the camera app, gallery etc) everything looked right-side-up. Save that same photo to a computer? Upside down - I assume some orientation tag didn't transfer from phone to pc format??

 

You could try turning your phone the 'other' way when doing landscape-oriented photos and see what happens. Or you could use a free photo editor that allows you to rotate and resave the photo before uploading to CC, but that's way more work than I would ask you to do on vacation! We can all see the pictures even if they remain upside down 🙂

[ToxM]

Antigen testing tomorrow for embarkation on Tuesday. Well within the 72 hour limit. We spent the day in the car enjoying Barbados, travelled to St Nicholas where the view is spectacular and then around via Bath Beach and Bathsheba (love Bathsheba!). 

 

Here’s the spectacular view. Upside down of course…. 

[ToxM]

Covid tests for embarkation are all done (all clear!) and we got an email this morning asking us to rewatch the muster video. 

 

Sirena is docked at Bridgetown waiting for us. 

 

I am beyond excited! Tomorrow is my birthday and we are going to Champers for a special meal (luckily for us it is 5 minutes up the road). Then I get to repack a mountain of washing and get us ready to embark on Tuesday!

[ORV]

4 hours ago, ToxM said:

Covid tests for embarkation are all done (all clear!) and we got an email this morning asking us to rewatch the muster video. 

 

Sirena is docked at Bridgetown waiting for us. 

 

I am beyond excited! Tomorrow is my birthday and we are going to Champers for a special meal (luckily for us it is 5 minutes up the road). Then I get to repack a mountain of washing and get us ready to embark on Tuesday!

Fantastic, I know you've been excited about this cruise, glad to hear it's an all clear. Enjoy your cruise. 

[Cruze4Ever]

Enjoy your cruise!  Who is the cruise director?  We are going on the Sirena on April 19th.

[nannycheryl]

Have a wonderful time! 

[ToxM]

18 hours ago, Cruze4Ever said:

Enjoy your cruise!  Who is the cruise director?  We are going on the Sirena on April 19th.

Dottie is on board I believe.

[ToxM]

Yesterday (Sunday) was my birthday. We eased into my 5th decade with a leisurely drive north up the coast via the edges of the port - I had wanted to see Sirena with my own eyes and I saw a cheeky funnel with O on it peeking between a Marella ship and some buildings. Good enough for me and very exciting!

 

We stopped in Speightstown at a lovely cafe called Orange Street Grocery and had brinch… a Breakfast Pizza for me! Lovely and we sat right by the sea and were serenaded by a steel drum player. Breakfast Pizza is very nice btw….

 

Came back to Worthing to chill and read on the balcony. Marital Unit got me two books on the history of Venice (fell in love with the place during a visit there on Marina). Started to think about packing, but not something I want to do on my birthday (although I always find it ridiculously exciting to pack for a cruise!). Because we had the luggage allowance I have been able to bring ALL the pandemic clothing sale items I have been buying for cruising over the last two years (ladies - you KNOW what I mean), so with two big suitcases just for me, and a large amount of washing its going to be another game of Tetris.

 

I had made reservations at Champers which is one of the posh restaurants on the island - luckily it is approximately 200m from our hotel so we had a very leisurely wander over and were seated right next to the sea. If you are in Barbados and have the chance for a trip to Champers - do it - very nice. I got a menu printed especially for the occasion and a big fuss made. 

 

Came back and watched the slapathon/Oscars and then fell into bed.

 

Now it’s nearly 6am the day before we embark and I have a very very big grin on my face!

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by ToxM

[ToxM]

The Marella ship appears to have left and now we have a full view of Sirena waiting for us. 

 

https://www.iwcpinc.com/cameras/shallow-draught/

[PhD-iva]

Thanks for sharing. Are the books on the history of Venice very good? Venice is my favorite city. Titles please, perhaps I can find them on Audible.

[ToxM]

54 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Thanks for sharing. Are the books on the history of Venice very good? Venice is my favorite city. Titles please, perhaps I can find them on Audible.

I fell in love with Venice after our Marina trip. Feel extra lucky we could do the trip down the Guidecca. We returned again in 2018, but I feel it will be a place I will always be able to return to and never get tired of. There’s something magical about a place where the only way to properly see it is to get completely and utterly and magnificently lost in. 

 

Peter Ackroyd - Venice - Pure City 

John Julius Norwich - A History of Venice

 

I bought a heap of books that have been in my reading queue for far too long for this trip just in case we get quarantined, so these two are in my queue. It would be ironic if I was reading a book about the city that coined the term quarantine while I was in quarantine…

 

Let’s hope I am just reading about it 😉

 

We are just off for a last trip out and about in the hire car before I tackle the repacking (I hate packing to go home, but packing to continue a holiday onto a cruise - oh this is all good).

[PhD-iva]

12 minutes ago, ToxM said:

I fell in love with Venice after our Marina trip. Feel extra lucky we could do the trip down the Guidecca. We returned again in 2018, but I feel it will be a place I will always be able to return to and never get tired of. There’s something magical about a place where the only way to properly see it is to get completely and utterly and magnificently lost in. 

 

Peter Ackroyd - Venice - Pure City 

John Julius Norwich - A History of Venice

 

I bought a heap of books that have been in my reading queue for far too long for this trip just in case we get quarantined, so these two are in my queue. It would be ironic if I was reading a book about the city that coined the term quarantine while I was in quarantine…

 

Let’s hope I am just reading about it 😉

 

We are just off for a last trip out and about in the hire car before I tackle the repacking (I hate packing to go home, but packing to continue a holiday onto a cruise - oh this is all good).

Thx! And, I LOVE packing!

Unpacking, not so much…..

Edited March 28, 2022 by PhD-iva
Edit

[ToxM]

Pretty much all packed up and ready to go. I was up stupidly early as am very excited.

 

Did mean that I got to see one last beautiful Barbados sunrise.

 

Selected an 11am checkin as I wasn’t sure how long the process will take in Barbados and our antigens hit their 72 hour window at 12.

 

Wish us luck, the final hurdle awaits!

 

 

[Cruze4Ever]

2 hours ago, ToxM said:

Pretty much all packed up and ready to go. I was up stupidly early as am very excited.

 

Did mean that I got to see one last beautiful Barbados sunrise.

 

Selected an 11am checkin as I wasn’t sure how long the process will take in Barbados and our antigens hit their 72 hour window at 12.

 

Wish us luck, the final hurdle awaits!

 

 

Good luck and have a great cruise!!!

[ToxM]

We are onboard! 

 

The band played and the crew all waved and cheered as we got onboard, it was very emotional!

 

Suite is lovely, Maximus the butler is lovely. 

 

I hear there are 390 of us onboard.

 

Pics later 🙂

 

[YoPhilly]

Have a lovely, lovely cruise.  Enjoy!

[Cruze4Ever]

Did you have to have a PCR test 3 days before the cruise and COVID test before going on the Sirena?  We had to do that in February before getting on the Riviera.  We are going on the Sirena in 3 weeks.

 

Enjoy the cruise and keep us posted.   Thanks!