Selbourne ‘Live’ from Ventura

[Sarah1974]

@Selbourne I've just finished reading!  Thank you for your excellent and balanced blog of your cruise.  Can't wait to read your next adventure

[Scots Couple]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:41 AM, Selbourne said:

Day 5 - Wednesday 1st November

 

We had our first good nights sleep of the cruise, thanks to the much calmer seas and the creaking noises having pretty much subsided. We were already berthed in Funchal, Madeira when I pulled back the curtains and we had a glorious view overlooking the town and mountains. We were greeted with clear blue skies and 19 degrees, with a high of 25 predicted. 

 

We went to breakfast in the Bay Tree MDR half an hour or so after disembarkation had begun. Yet again we were told that there would be a wait (10 minutes) if we wanted a table for 2 but, as always, in reality this was less than 5 minutes. I ordered an omelette (interesting that they aren’t on the breakfast menu, but they didn’t flinch when I asked for one). I was glad that I’d added some bacon and beans to it as the omelette was tiny, but I felt that I’d over eaten a bit the day before so that wasn’t a problem!

 

After breakfast we did a lap of deck 16 to get our bearings and then returned to the cabin to get ready to leave the ship. Disembarkation was easy (even the lifts were no problem) and we decided to use the accessible shuttle as it was still loading. I had to travel in the normal shuttle, but arrived 5-10 minutes before my wife so was ready to wheel her off the tail lift when she arrived. 

 

We picked our way through the lovely centre of Funchal as far as Rua Santa Maria, as I’d read that this was a very old street with uniquely painted doors. Not the easiest place to get around with a wheelchair (hills and cobbles) but we managed and it was worth it. On the way back we passed the market, but unfortunately it was closed as 1st Nov is a public holiday (All Saints?). We had to cross a main road to get back to the town centre and were shocked to see that there had been an accident where someone crossing the road in a substantial mobility scooter had been struck by a motor bike. The motor bike was on its side in the middle of the road and the poor scooter driver was still in the scooter which was also on its side. Traffic had come to a halt waiting for the emergency services. I do hope that those involved are both OK and that the scooter user wasn’t one of our fellow passengers. 

 

We walked back past the cathedral, and as it was quite hot and we are back in Funchal in 2 months time we decided to head back to the ship for lunch. As is often the case, we would have been far quicker walking back to the ship than using the accessible shuttle, as it took an age to load the 4 wheelchair users and secure them in place with straps etc. It’s commendable that P&O provide this service, but if the weather is OK in January I think we might walk / push back to the ship and avoid the shuttle as it’s a short walk, albeit the last few hundred yards to the terminal is a bit awkward with a wheelchair. 

 

We went to the MDR for lunch and one of the couples we shared with had done several World cruises (amongst plenty of others) and were able to give us loads of great tips for our Caribbean cruise in the New Year. The other couple had been on Arvia recently and said “never again”. They were unaware about booking speciality restaurants and shows before the cruise and claimed that they couldn’t get in to anywhere, which surprised me. They also felt that Ventura was in desperate need of a refit. Have to say she looks fine to us! 

 

During the afternoon we had a visit from the deck manager, as he’d heard from our steward that we’d had some noise issues from all the creaking etc. I played him my little video clip and he said that if it’s that bad on the way back he will send some engineers to see if they can do something. I can’t see what they can do, as it’s the ships design, but thanked him for his kind offer. As I’ve said before, credit where credit is due with P&O, in that they want us all to be happy and will do their damnedest to fix problems. As I’ve also said before, anyone using a cabin that we’ve had the previous cruise should be grateful that we’ve usually had all the niggles sorted that those before us have just tolerated 😂 

 

We departed on time from Madeira at 5pm and it was still a pleasant 23 degrees and calm waters. A whale and dolphin tour boat was returning as we left and over their tannoy I heard the guide say that they had seen bottle nose dolphins, pilot whales and sperm whales. I stayed on our balcony for an hour after departure hoping to see something, but nothing (on our side anyway). 

 

Dinner was booked in Epicurean so we decided to have pre-dinner drinks in Metropolis as it’s above it. We hadn’t dared venture up there for the first few days as it had been so bumpy at the aft of the ship 😂 I managed to persuade the waiter to find me a Doom Bar that hadn’t been near a fridge and he excelled. He had to go to another bar apparently. It’s little things like this that make cruises special for me, especially when he said that he’d put a supply of un-chilled ones behind the bar for me for future visits! Lady S had her first cocktail of the cruise - a Ruby Rose Punch. She liked it at first but then decided that she preferred the Rhubarbellini that she’d had on Iona. I’d had a sip of the punch and liked it, so I ordered her a Rhubarbellini and said that I would finish the punch as my Doom Bar had disappeared at an unseemly pace. Rock and Roll 🤪. 

 

Around 15 minutes before we left an excellent pianist arrived and played some brilliant James Bond film sound tracks including No Time to Die. He obviously wasn’t the same pianist that we’d overheard at Sundays religious service, unless he has the same sort of warped humour that I do and he was doing the church gig under duress 😂 I wish that we could have stayed longer as I was enjoying it and had also spotted another cocktail that I fancied, but everything in moderation 😂  This was all whilst we were looking at a moving video wall of Time Square, which took us back to our USA and Canada cruise. We shall definitely return, especially when the pianist is due to perform there. 

 

I was wondering what sort of welcome we’d get at Epicurean, as when I’d dined there alone a few nights back around half a dozen of them all seemed to know that I would be back on the 1st for some reason. The wine waiter had even stopped me as I was leaving and said that he would look forward to seeing me again on 1st and would join me at the table. Hopefully when I arrive with Lady S in tow I won’t upset him too much 😂 

 

The warm speciality breads are always a lovely way to start the meal. I particularly like the beetroot bread and the marmite butter! We both had the scallops with scallop tartare starter, which we thoroughly enjoyed. My wife had the Black Cod with Lobster Tail main (which she loved and said was cooked perfectly) and I had the Limousin Fillet of Beef. I always order steak ‘Medium’ but the one I’d had in Epicurean a few nights before was almost well done, so I decided to order ‘medium rare’ this time. It turned up ‘medium-well’ so my plan almost worked 😂 My wife had wimped out on wine having had a few cocktails, but I forced my way through a large Rioja. There was no debate about the dessert for me as it was Crepes Suzette, prepared table side with the theatrical Flambé. My Rioja hadn’t survived the main course, so a Sauternes to accompany it was only polite. On a roll, I decided to have a liquor coffee afterwards, with Amaretto. It’s a tough life, but the things I endure in order to provide some variety with my ‘Live Froms’ 😂 In all

seriousness, it was a fabulous meal. It’s a great shame that there isn’t an Epicurean on Aurora, as it’s such an enhancement to the other ships. 

 

We still haven’t attended an evening show in the theatre so far this cruise. None has appealed. The postponed first Headliners show (On the Horizon) was on, but we remembered it being poor from previous cruises, so we called it a night. It’s such a relief that you don’t have to drive home after a night out on a cruise ship 🤪

 We were on the same cruise and omelettes were on the  breakfast menu in Saffron.

[Selbourne]

48 minutes ago, Scots Couple said:

 We were on the same cruise and omelettes were on the  breakfast menu in Saffron.

Interesting. Definitely not on the breakfast menu in Bay Tree, as shown below 

[Scots Couple]

8 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Interesting. Definitely not on the breakfast menu in Bay Tree, as shown below 

Wow I would have thought the menus would be the same. The omelettes were very nice

[stephenSJ]

There was  a discussion earlier in this thread on creaking cabins and i posted about my previous poor experience in  a suite with a banging and creaking cabin. This time i booked a deluxe balcony on deck 9 which was the same type as selbourne experienced noise before it was fixed. so  i was a little apprehensive. However i can report that this cabin midships on deck was perfect - no creaking not even in the 60 knot winds we had in B of Biscay. no noise from neighbours or flushing toilets and it was kept immaculate. 

A couple of other things. this was a 12 night cruise and we had 3 formal nights and a Christmas attire night on the last evening for those christmas jumpers. The dining tables were set with crackers and a christmas special menu. There was a Christmas pantomine 2 afternoons, guest speakers and a final night headliners christmas show. 

Al in all very well done P & O - a great cruise.