Selbourne ‘Live’ from Aurora’s 2024 Grand Tour

[Gettingwarmer]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Sorry to hear this Selbourne.  Take care of yourself and if necessary seek medical advice.  Having just arrived back home yesterday after a very unexpected extra week stay in Barbados after being refused permission to fly due to the fluid build up in my lungs I can certainly sympathise.  So far three lots of antibiotics have only reduced the symptoms enough to get me home, but thankfully I'm here now and later this morning will be back in the care of my own local health team.  I hope the old fashioned remedies work but if not don't hesitate to seek professional help.  Both onboard Britannia and ashore I was told this year's virus infections seem to be very strong and take a lot of fighting.

 

Presto2 sorry to hear of you both catching covid.  I hope you both feel better soon.

 

 

 

Glad you have got back home and hope you can recover fully from your illness. So much going round now and hitting people hard. Best wishes to everyone under the weather at the moment. 

[grapau27]

7 hours ago, Selbourne said:

 

Day 33 - Sunday 4th February - Fort-de-France, Martinique 

 

Well we are now half way through the cruise but not half way through the ports, as we still have 15 ports remaining after today (plus a partial transit of the Panama Canal) and we have visited 12 ports so far (it would have been 13 had we not missed Key West). 

 

Can I start by thanking everyone for their kind comments about how they are enjoying reading this live blog. As I’m sure you can imagine, it takes some doing, but I am absolutely staggered that views of this thread have now exceeded 100,000. I know that a lot of people read it regularly, but even allowing for that it’s a scary number that puts me under some pressure to continue!

 

Today was the last in a continuous run of 6 ports - the French island of Martinique. I didn’t have a tour booked today so we managed breakfast (in the MDR) for the first time in a week. Afterwards we collected the ‘Britain Today’ paper (which a lady in the lift quipped should be called ‘Britain Yesterday’, given how out of date it always is) before getting ready for our walk ashore. Our balcony faces the town, so we heard the lively and large band (all members adorned head to foot in bright red) that welcomed passengers for the first few hours. 

 

We were berthed in the town centre, so it was an easy few hundred yards from the ship to the centre of things. Being a Sunday almost everything was closed and the place was a bit of a ghost town. Fort-de-France isn’t a pretty place and lacks both the colour and the charm of the more Caribbean influenced ports. The decaying buildings in places such as Dominica and St Vincent added authenticity, whereas in Martinique they just looked neglected. I was quite surprised, as I had it in my head that this would be one of the nicer places (a bit like the south of France). With hindsight, I should probably have booked an excursion here, but none had appealed. 

 

On to the positives. It was the easiest place yet with a wheelchair, so we could have a good wander around. The promenade was wide and level and was covered in murals. You can only walk as far as the underside of the fort (which was closed being a Sunday) and there was a very small beach there. We then walked up the side of the main park (lots of stalls but all closed due to - you’ve guessed it, being Sunday)!

 

Next stop was the ornate library which, surprisingly, was open. We then wandered around the rest of the city centre but it was lifeless as pretty much everything was closed. We didn’t get bothered by anyone though (as some had mentioned from previous visits), so felt perfectly safe. I managed to get some syrup for my sore throat from the pharmacist that I found open. Well I hope that’s what I’m now taking 😂. At just €4.99 I can’t imagine it’s up to much, but I’ll chance anything now as it’s just not easing and remains painful to swallow.  

 

Neither the lunch nor dinner MDR menus were grabbing us much today, so we decided to have lunch in the Glasshouse. Dennis is off today, so service wasn't as good or enthusiastic as usual, but we both thoroughly enjoyed our food and it’s one of the places that is consistently cool. Whilst it was cloudy ashore, it was still 30 degrees, so we are always keen to find a nicely air conditioned place whenever we get back on board.

 

We had a bit of a siesta before heading down to Raffles for an afternoon cuppa. Even the atrium can be nice and quiet on Aurora! Back to the cabin, or more specifically our balcony, for the sail away. Thankfully we couldn’t hear the live band on deck 12 so were hoping that they got off today! 

 

Yesterday I mentioned that around 10% of the meals in the MDR are poor. Well today was one of them. I had pork collar with veg and it needed more sauce with it. They can’t make tasty sauces to save their life and seem to have an aversion to seasoning. Bland in the extreme. My wife had creole shrimps with pineapple and coconut rice which she enjoyed but it came with, yes you’ve guessed it, green beens. A natural accompaniment for a dish such as this 🤔😂. Our assistant waiter very kindly offered to get me some warm water with lemon and honey, so I shall see if that makes any difference tonight. 

 

Yet another comedian in the theatre, so our trend of early nights continued, but when we returned to our cabin the band on the open deck 12 was in full flight and this meant that we’d be hearing that for the next 90 minutes. A definite negative on warm weather cruises, and I was interested to read that it irritated @mrsgoggins as much on Ventura as it does me on Aurora. 

 

Tomorrow we have a rest day (sea day) after our run of 6 ports and the daytime entertainment looks quite good. I’m really hoping that I can begin to start shifting this sore throat and cough over the next 24 hours, as it’s damned painful, exhausting during the day and disturbing my sleep at night. Also, the next leg of the cruise is the part I am most looking forward to and I want to feel that I’m over the worst of it by then. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice photos @Selbourne.

My doctor recommended gargling with warm Salty water for sore throats and it certainly works for me.

I'm pleased you have so many views of your blog as it is always interesting reading every day.

Edited February 5 by grapau27

[P&O SUE]

So sorry you’re still under the weather Selbourne, really hope you start improving soon. 
 

I have a special birthday in November and I must admit I’m put off a cruise for it due the bugs in the winter and the really rough seas we seem to be getting more now that time of year!

[Slugsta]

@Megabear2 I'm sorry that you were not well enough to travel home as planned and really hope that you are on the mend now.

 

@Selbourne I used to be a nurse practitioner and would have been very happy to see someone who had a bad sore throat that hadn't improved after a week! It is possible that you have a secondary bacterial infection on top of the virus.

[Presto2]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Sorry to hear this Selbourne.  Take care of yourself and if necessary seek medical advice.  Having just arrived back home yesterday after a very unexpected extra week stay in Barbados after being refused permission to fly due to the fluid build up in my lungs I can certainly sympathise.  So far three lots of antibiotics have only reduced the symptoms enough to get me home, but thankfully I'm here now and later this morning will be back in the care of my own local health team.  I hope the old fashioned remedies work but if not don't hesitate to seek professional help.  Both onboard Britannia and ashore I was told this year's virus infections seem to be very strong and take a lot of fighting.

 

Presto2 sorry to hear of you both catching covid.  I hope you both feel better soon.

 

 

 

Oh goodness Megabear2 - I hope that you begin to feel better soon and the fluid clears.

 

Have to admit  Covid has knocked me up more than the last time we caught it, (April 2022) but we were not eligible for a Covid jab this time so it is a while since we had one. Never mind, nature's own defences now and onward and upward. 

 

Take care Mr and Mrs S

[Angel57]

22 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Oh goodness Megabear2 - I hope that you begin to feel better soon and the fluid clears.

 

Have to admit  Covid has knocked me up more than the last time we caught it, (April 2022) but we were not eligible for a Covid jab this time so it is a while since we had one. Never mind, nature's own defences now and onward and upward. 

 

Take care Mr and Mrs S

Sorry to hear you were “knocked up” Presto.

But on a serious note, I also missed out on the jab this time due to my youthful age and had Covid just before Christmas……

@Megabear2 - get well soon.

[mercury7289]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Sorry to hear this Selbourne.  Take care of yourself and if necessary seek medical advice.  Having just arrived back home yesterday after a very unexpected extra week stay in Barbados after being refused permission to fly due to the fluid build up in my lungs I can certainly sympathise.  So far three lots of antibiotics have only reduced the symptoms enough to get me home, but thankfully I'm here now and later this morning will be back in the care of my own local health team.  I hope the old fashioned remedies work but if not don't hesitate to seek professional help.  Both onboard Britannia and ashore I was told this year's virus infections seem to be very strong and take a lot of fighting.

 

Presto2 sorry to hear of you both catching covid.  I hope you both feel better soon.

 

 

 

Megbear2

Same symptoms, not nice and a bit scary, mine is finally clearing a bit, started,12th December also had 3 lots of antibiotics. Had to dial 111 doctor wanted me to dial 999, but strike in progress so did not want to up take emergency's time. Defiantly seek help!

[Presto2]

1 hour ago, Angel57 said:

Sorry to hear you were “knocked up” Presto.

But on a serious note, I also missed out on the jab this time due to my youthful age and had Covid just before Christmas……

@Megabear2 - get well soon.

In my defence 'knocked up' can have two meanings in SOT -- I've checked 🙂 🙂 🙂 

[Selbourne]

Todays MDR menus 

 

Edited February 5 by Selbourne

[RJChatsworth]

Selbourne - Thoroughly enjoying your passage on Aurora, particularly so because we are going on her soon.  Do hope you get well soon.  We caught COVID on QM-2 which wasn’t very nice but we were well looked after on the ship.

 

i was also interested in your visit to Martinique on a Sunday.  We went there many years ago also on a Sunday and it was shut.  We were amazed, even though French, because it was so poor and run-down we thought they would take any advantage to make some money.  Even Josephine’s statue in the main square was headless and it had been like it for a long time. 
 

I can see how the menus might grate after time!

[Red Ray]

On 2/1/2024 at 8:50 AM, pennib said:

Good morning Selbourne. Useless info for today: did you know that the courthouse in your picture is unique as it has a pineapple on the roof?? Clue: look carefully at your photo. Thanks for your blogs and I hope you have a better time all round on the return trip to Blighty 

It needs to be careful - it will get the more broad-minded Caribbean courthouses knocking on its door...

[Dermotsgirl]

5 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

So sorry you’re still under the weather Selbourne, really hope you start improving soon. 
 

I have a special birthday in November and I must admit I’m put off a cruise for it due the bugs in the winter and the really rough seas we seem to be getting more now that time of year!

 

That's two of the reasons that I've currently got no cruises booked and no plans to book any.

 

I'm really sorry to hear that so many forum members are ill at the moment.

 

@Selbourne As I mentioned above, I seem to have moved away from cruising, so I'm not really active on the forum very much, but I do look in every few days to keep up with your adventures, so I really appreciate all the efforts you are making with your reporting. 

[zap99]

4 hours ago, mercury7289 said:

Megbear2

Same symptoms, not nice and a bit scary, mine is finally clearing a bit, started,12th December also had 3 lots of antibiotics. Had to dial 111 doctor wanted me to dial 999, but strike in progress so did not want to up take emergency's time. Defiantly seek help!

Just to make all you poorly folk feel a bit better, about 15 years ago, on Ocean Village I had very similar symptoms. The ships Doctor did some clever things . It was pneumonia and my medical bill was over £1,000. Good news was that the insurance paid up quickly and I got 2,000 airmiles.

[jh1809]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Todays MDR menus 

 

I notice that the dinner menu seems to have departed from the usual format. There are no recommended dishes, and the usual "always present" dishes such as the Caesar salad starter and the chicken breast main course are absent. Not that that would have been a problem for me, as some of the offered options look potentially very tasty.

Edited February 5 by jh1809
fix my typo

[brian1]

2 hours ago, jh1809 said:

I notice that the dinner menu seems to have departed from the usual format. There are no recommended dishes, and the usual "always present" dishes such as the Caesar salad starter and the chicken breast main course are absent. Not that that would have been a problem for me, as some of the offered options look potentially very tasty.

Sorry sir we've run out of Caesars.

[MellyMoo1989]

6 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Todays MDR menus 

 

Lovely menu tonight 🙂 Lunch one didn't look too shabby either. Definitley going to be leaving that ship at least 2 stone heavier when it's my turn, ha ha!

[Selbourne]

Just now, MellyMoo1989 said:

Lovely menu tonight 🙂 Lunch one didn't look too shabby either. Definitley going to be leaving that ship at least 2 stone heavier when it's my turn, ha ha!

As I’ve flagged, what turns up is often not quite as grand as the description! 
 

One other thing that we’ve noticed is that when an item is repeated, it’s not always the same as when we’ve had it before. At lunch we both had Chicken Tangdi, which we both enjoyed but was quite different from the Chicken Tangdi that we had a few weeks back! Also we both had the rice pudding and, again, it was different from the last time we’d had it. The Amarena cherries that come on top of it were gorgeous last time and tasted as though they had been soaked in a lovely liquor for a few days. Today they were just plain, and quite bitter, cherries. Very odd. 

[Selbourne]

Day 34 - Monday 5th February - Sea Day

 

I had a marginally better nights sleep but my sore throat is incredibly annoying, especially late afternoons and evenings when it’s particularly painful to swallow. I’ve got through several packets of two different Cold & Flu tablets, loads of paracetamol, two types of Strepsils and a throat syrup and none of it is touching it. I keep looking at the spare box of antibiotics that I’ve got in our medicine box and thinking ‘shall I or shan’t I’? My wife says not to touch them 🙄 I know that she’s right but I’m fed up now!

 

In all honesty, given the amount of people that have been coughing on this ship since week 1 (and continue to do so) and the way that viruses spread like wildfire around cruise ships at the best of times, I’m not in the slightest bit surprised that I have succumbed during this long voyage. I am just willing it to start showing signs of easing before the Central America section, as that’s the segment that I am most looking forward to. However, it dawned on me tonight that a lady on the next table in the MDR is still coughing regularly and has been ever since we moved there, which was on 18th January, so almost 3 weeks ago (and I don’t know how many days she’d been coughing before that). 

 

After our usual light breakfast we went to deck 12 where there was a stall of branded souvenirs for Aurora’s 2024 Grand Voyage. We weren’t tempted enough to buy. We then spent the rest of the morning in the theatre, first listening to the initial presentation by John Laverick on features of the UK canal network and then the first of two port lectures given by the excellent port presenter Lynn. My ears pricked up when she mentioned that we would need to go through immigration in Panama, especially after the debacle with US immigration that resulted in me having to cancel my Kennedy Space Centre visit. I am due to go on a Panama Canal Train tour there, whereas my wife intends to stay on the ship all day as it’s a Yellow Fever hotspot and she hasn’t been vaccinated against it. Having an exemption certificate doesn’t lessen the risk of contracting it - only the actual vaccination will do that! 

 

We went to the shore excursions desk afterwards to seek clarity on whether my wife will need to go through immigration if she doesn’t intend to go ashore, and Lynn has promised to get a definitive answer for us as it seems unclear. 

 

Lunch in the MDR was actually quite good. We both had Chicken Tangdi which we both enjoyed, even though it was very different from the Chicken Tangdi that we had a few weeks back (that we also enjoyed) 😂. We are noticing that now - items that we’ve had before can be very different second time around. Very odd. 

 

After lunch we both went to another Orca whale talk, but the post lunch lethargy challenged both of us 😴 😂 

 

At 4pm there was the second port talk of the day, this time on Costa Rica. Lynn stressed that there’s nothing in Puerto Limon of interest, so a tour was essential. but notes that I made pre cruise suggested that this wasn’t the case. I’m doing a half day tour anyway to see more of the place as it’s a wildlife haven, but intend to explore the town with my wife as well. 

 

We then headed to the Playhouse for Eloise Irving’s second performance. Although the music choices were film scores, which is more our thing than the folk stuff she did last time, we didn’t feel that it was as good. Her voice didn’t seem to suit the songs quite as well and the harp sounded quite ‘twangy’ (to use a highly technical term) 😂 

 

It was another Black Tie night but we’d asked our waiters for a sneak preview of the menu last night, as we were only going to bother getting dressed up if it was a special menu. If it wasn’t (like the last Black Tie night) then we were considering a boycott and going to a specialty restaurant! Thankfully it was a proper formal night menu, as it should be. Credit where credit is due, we both had Beef Wellington and it was probably the best one we’ve had in a long while. We always ask for medium rare in order to get medium and this seems to work each time. 

 

During the meal there was an emergency call due to a suspected fire in the waste handling area, but this was dealt with promptly and the Captain made an announcement to reassure everyone soon afterwards. I would never worry about my safety on a P&O ship as they take it all so seriously, and deal with it all so professionally, as they should. 

 

The 10pm theatre show was vocal group Unity’s second show which appealed to me as little as their first show, but it was Billy Joel songs tonight and that meant that my wife wanted to go! As it happened, even though we arrived 20 minutes early, both the seats that allow a wheelchair user to sit next to their companion were already occupied. My wife still wanted to see the show so I left her and went back to the cabin, returning to fetch her when the show finished. The lack of provision for wheelchair users to sit next to their companions in the theatre is a major shortcoming on Aurora. Two suitable seats in the whole theatre is woeful. 

 

I was glad to get out of my dinner suit as the ship is so ruddy hot everywhere. The MDR felt OK when we walked in but we are at the back where it is noticeably warmer (presumably as it’s by the windows, that would have been acting as a greenhouse during the day). The lifts and stairwells are so warm it’s as if the heating is on. We’ve given up on the Crows Nest and Library for the same reason. Even our cabin, with the air con on its lowest setting, is still too warm for me. If the state of the air conditioning on Aurora is now such that they can’t get the whole ship to a more consistent temperature, then I don’t think we’d rush to book any more cruises on her to very warm destinations. 

 

As I was sat in the cabin on my own with the annoying noise from the live band on deck 12 blaring, I decided to go up there and see how many passengers actually attend it. At 10.10pm there were no more than a dozen and a few of those seemed to be crew. This confirmed my belief that the numbers who are adversely affected by the din probably far outnumber those who are benefiting from it. I remain of the view that this is a bad call. 

 

Tomorrow is Curaçao, which everyone says is very nice so we are looking forward to it. 

[Eddie99]

Time for a visit to the medical centre?  It’s what your insurance is for.  It must be worth taking the time to go, and paying whatever excess you have on your policy, to get your health sorted out to really enjoy the remainder of your trip.  Plus - you need to be fit to help Lady S get the best from the cruise

 

Lecture, or gentle prodding, over.  Enjoy Curaçao.  It’s so beautiful.  I hope everything goes well for you today

 

 

[paulatsea]

If you start coughing I would take the antibiotics straight away - if you have 5 days worth that’s probably enough.

My last sore throat (very bad like yours) stopped and then the cough started and I needed antibiotics.

Hope you improve.

 

Actually If it was me I would probably take them now - my wife would also disapprove - because the last 3 times sore throat was followed by chest infection.

Edited February 6 by paulatsea

[Interestedcruisefan]

Not too late to book scuba diving in Curacao selbourne!!

 

Lol

 

It's amazing there!!

[zap99]

6 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Not too late to book scuba diving in Curacao selbourne!!

 

Lol

 

It's amazing there!!

Just the thing to do if you have respiratory issues. Ears OK?. If not take a dive to 20m. That will clear them out....permanently. lesson 1. Don't dive if you have a cold. Lesson 2...see lesson 1.

Edited February 6 by zap99

[Purdey16]

On 2/5/2024 at 9:11 AM, Megabear2 said:

Sorry to hear this Selbourne.  Take care of yourself and if necessary seek medical advice.  Having just arrived back home yesterday after a very unexpected extra week stay in Barbados after being refused permission to fly due to the fluid build up in my lungs I can certainly sympathise.  So far three lots of antibiotics have only reduced the symptoms enough to get me home, but thankfully I'm here now and later this morning will be back in the care of my own local health team.  I hope the old fashioned remedies work but if not don't hesitate to seek professional help.  Both onboard Britannia and ashore I was told this year's virus infections seem to be very strong and take a lot of fighting.

 

Presto2 sorry to hear of you both catching covid.  I hope you both feel better soon.

 

 

 

Megabear2 I’m sorry to hear you have been really poorly while you were away and had to wait until you improved a little to fly home , hope you now get much better soon , there is so much chest infections and pneumonia around this year that’s lasting a long time, I hope you get better soon .

[Eddie99]

+1

I’ve refrained from off-topicking Selbourne’s thread, but I feel it’s time to offer my sympathy and hope you get completely  better very soon, Megabear 

[P&O SUE]

Interesting to hear about the air conditioning issues as I’ve been watching YouTube videos on Aurora as I’m going on her for the first time at Easter. This was a new year cruise and they were so uncomfortably hot in an inside cabin they eventually got another cabin. They even slept with their cabin door open one night!!

I hope we don’t get that, it will be unbearable. Our cabin is a sea view one and I did wonder about bidding for a balcony upgrade but the price is quite high!