Additional Photos

If you haven't already seen them here are the links to my photos so far

https://picasaweb.google.com/117902327079935340480/GrandPrincess2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOThxb6QzZGI0wE#56 66329276682663826
https://picasaweb.google.com/117902327079935340480/Cadiz1?authkey=Gv1sRgCPOEj_eg7dbalgE#
https://picasaweb.google.com/117902327079935340480/Gibraltar?authkey=Gv1sRgCNXX3fbg2ce4Dg#
https://picasaweb.google.com/117902327079935340480/Venice?authkey=Gv1sRgCMOX-p2T3ZiS_wE#
https://picasaweb.google.com/117902327079935340480/20111014Dubrovnik?authkey=Gv1sRgCNeEiISpk5S6rgE#
https://picasaweb.google.com/117902327079935340480/Split?authkey=Gv1sRgCMjKpsS7hO_FZQ#

Day 20 See You in Singapore

Oh dear, what a sad day. The cases are packed and awaiting collection. We need to vacate our cabin by 8 am tomorrow morning and travel back to Bexhill ready to hibernate for the British winter. It has been an eventful cruise.

The train allegedly ran out of fuel in Eastbourne on our way to Southampton.

A freak wave broke through a window on deck 5 sending sea water in to the ship

We were confined to our cabins, while the ship changed course to repair the damage.

The weather around Malta was so bad that we missed out that port altogether. It was replaced by an amazing afternoon sail into the Venice sunshine.

The rain in Corfu was constant and torrential.

The faulty plumbing in our bathroom flooded our whole cabin, the corridor outside, and part of our neighbours’ cabins.

We were given a free meal in the speciality restaurant, Sabbitinis (beautifully presented and served, but perhaps the quality of the food was overstated).

We have been onboard for 17 days and travelled 5993 nautical miles.  I don’t want to go home.

If you have taken the trouble to read this blog, I thank you sincerely for your interest. I have now reached day 20 of my 50 day blogging challenge and will complete the remaining 30 days in April and May 2012, as we circumnavigate the globe via the Far East and Alaska. By the end of next week, I should have added a few more photos and links to my cruise photo album.

Reading this blog is entirely free of charge, but if you would like to make a donation to my chosen charity, this can be done by visiting www.justgiving.com/ClaireBaldry   

 

Day 19 A New Carpet

As we left our cabin this morning, the maintenance team with a roll of brand new carpet were waiting outside the door to recover the floor. Apparently they have rolls and rolls of the stuff tucked away in the ship’s equivalent of the basement. Take note ‘Carpet Right’, a new carpet fitted in less than 24 hours. This cruise has been full of unexpected excitement.  Last week we were not allowed out of our cabins due to bad weather. This morning we are not allowed in due to carpet fitters. I shall head up there in about an hour to see if the work is finished.   

So I have time on my hands. Tomorrow I will write a short review of Sabbatinis, the speciality Italian restaurant, and then give my overall impression of the cruise and the ship, which, although rather eventful, is largely positive.

For today, I will take a detour into the world of diabetes, and explain why it is my chosen charity for this blog. Diabetes has many forms, but can be divided into 2 main categories, Type 1 and Type 2. The most common, Type 2, usually affects people as they get older and is frequently, though not always, linked to lifestyle choices such as diet and body weight. Type 1 diabetes is a far more serious chronic condition, which is usually diagnosed before the age of 30. The cause is unknown, but because the pancreas becomes so ineffective, it can only be treated with daily injections of insulin, and requires frequent measuring of blood sugar levels. It is this condition that my husband, Chris, has dealt with for over 30 years. He gives himself at least 4 injections a day, and now suffers from some side effects such as retinopathy which has badly affected his eyesight. In addition, Chris often receives no warning of hypoglycaemia (low bloodsugar) so can unexpectedly drop from consciousness at any time. This means that they took away his beloved driving license, and he retired from work earlier than most people. Nevertheless, partly thanks to DiabetesUk, the condition is now easier to manage. Large sterilised needles have been replaced by insulin pens, and new treatments are likely to emerge in the next 20 years, giving hope the unlucky numbers of children who are diagnosed in  their teens or even at primary school.

If you have enjoyed reading my blog, then please consider making a small donation to DiabetesUk. You can do this by visiting www.justgiving.com/ClaireBaldry , which is a secure site for charity donations. If 200 people donate at least £5 each, I will reach my £1000 target. Your donation, however small, will make an enormous difference to the quality of life for thousands of diabetics throughout the world.       

Day 18 Gibraltar

It is 5.30 pm ship’s time. The sun is blazing down on our balcony. The hillsides of Morocco  are rising up from the South.  On the starboard side of the ship, the Spanish coast is visible to the North. We are sailing away from Gibraltar at a rate of over 22 knots. It has been quite a day. 

The minibus driver and courier were Bert and Ernie, comfortingly British. They drove us through the town to the base of the rock.  We then took a ship’s tour up the rock on the cable car, squashed in a little glass box suspended from the overhead wires. The views from the top were breathtaking.

We strolled through the nature reserve in the land of the Barbary Apes. We watched them, they watched us. With uncanny  human characteristics they carefully investigated each and every  tourist.

There followed a long walk through St Michaels caves. We were amazed by lengthy stalactite  filled passages which penetrated the hillside. 

Then we explored the siege tunnels, built by soldiers to ward off invaders.  It was an exceptional trip. Ernie and Bert filled us with history, until they finally dropped us in town to do the necessary ‘duty free’ chores. Another 15 minute walk took us to the ship for a late lunch and a well deserved rest in our cabin......or so we thought. As we approached our cabin, 6 maintenance men were clearing water from the corridor. Where on earth was that leaking from??? Uhem...where do you think....from the toilet in our cabin. So, yes, I am sitting on the balcony in the sunshine leaving Gibraltar, but inside our cabin a large blower is drying out the carpets, which will apparently be replaced tomorrow. We could have moved cabins, but I’ve grown rather fond of the place, wet carpets and all. We could no doubt make a massive fuss, but for now the free specialist dining meal we have been offered in Sabbatinis is enough to look forward to.

Sorry we never got to meet up, Anthea. Hope your sister is okay. Chris and I loved Gibraltar. We will return.      

Day 17 What sort of Cruiser are You??

Today we met some old friends....well it felt like that. Actually we met them for the first time less than 2 weeks ago at our first cruise critic meeting. Having promised to arrange a second meeting, Chris and I played postman yesterday evening and delivered a suggested time to each member’s cabin. Hey presto! They nearly all turned up. Everyone looked relaxed and was in  jovial mood.  We shared experiences by scoring different aspects of the ship out of 10. Unsurprisingly, there were different experiences, but two main themes emerged, as follows:

Service and food were largely considered to be excellent.

Entertainmen and especially communication by Princess were not so well thought of.

Nevertheless, most of us said we would go on Grand Princess again, and there was a general feeling amongst the group that the quality of a cruise is partly what you make of it.

 I’m having trouble loading photos tonight, but when this improves, the cruise critic group picture  will appear below.   

After 13 days at sea, I am beginning to feel institutionalised. We wake, we breakfast, we walk round the deck, we lunch, we take photos, we quiz, we dress up, we eat, we drink, we watch a show, we sleep. Occasionally, a port visit or other activity interrupts the routine, but that more or less sums it up. Today Chris and I were trying to categorize different groups of cruisers. This is what we came up with......

The Grumblers These are people who spend their whole cruise moaning about everything. It doesn’t seem to ruin their cruise, but it’s not much fun for the people with them

The Sunbed People They grab a towel and stake their place on the sun deck regardless of the weather. They stay fixed on those sunbeds risking both sunburn and hypothermia.

The Fitness Fans You never actually see these cruisers, but I am told they do exist. They rise before breakfast, spend at least an hour in the gym, eat all the healthy options onboard, treat the promenade deck like a running track, and their clothes still fit at the end of a cruise

The Serious Quizzers These people are incredibly knowledgeable, but don’t join their team and get a question wrong. They won’t let you forget it.

The Cruise Eaters I mean the real cruise eaters. They get calorific value from every meal and snack.

The Navigationally Challenged  Easily spotted as they wander out of the lifts without direction. The horizontally challenged cannot differentiate between port and starboard and fore and aft. The vertically challenged always leave the lift on the wrong floor.     

There’s something of me in several of these groups. Does anyone recognise a bit of themself?

Gibraltar tomorrow.

   

Day 16 Launderette Wars

Today was supposed to be a quiet day. No ports, no significant entertainment, just time to visit the launderette, and prepare for tonight’s formal dinner. I will gloss over the formal dinner. If you are an experienced cruiser, you will know all about it. If you don’t cruise, then it will probably be of no interest.

The launderette was far more exciting. Each deck houses one small laundry room for use by guests at a small fee. To summarise, there are 2 washers and 2 driers, and on sea days they are in high demand. Having waited my turn, I got my washing in okay, but intercepted a MAJOR row between two other guests. Apparently the ‘gentleman’ guest had removed the ‘lady’ guest’s washing without folding it, and she was furious, swearing, abusive, quite manic, as I hid behind my book listening. I think they both need a holiday!     

Apart from that, there’s not a lot to tell really. Chris and I toured the ship and took photos of Sir Francis which I will upload to his website on our return. We are also trying to find a word to describe passengers who spend their time complaining about everything and anything. I find this surprising, since it doesn’t seem to stop them booking more cruises. One man in the lift told me he was writing a list of things wrong with the ship to give to the Captain when he next saw him. This included  complaints about the sea conditions and the weather. I bet the Captain can’t wait!! My favourite phrase  so far is ‘cruise grumblees’, all other suggestions welcome.

Claire

Day 15 Nice Weather for Ducks

The weather forecast for Corfu said......’Partly cloudy with occasional showers’

The partly cloudy transformed into completely cloudy, and the occasional shower started at 6 am and has continued all day to descend with enthusiasm on this usually sunny Greek Island. Not to be daunted, Chris and I unfurled the Pac a Macs and caught the shuttle bus to the edge of the port, thence a 1.5 euro bus ride into town. Rivers of rain tumbled down the cobbled shopping streets as we made our way through town taking shelter where we could. Despite the dangers of slippery footpaths and numerous umbrellas, we managed to spend a few Euros on presents, before gratefully sharing a taxi back to the ship with another drenched couple.

The coats are hanging up throughout the cabin to dry out, the socks will take longer, and I am considering testing the hairdryer on my very damp boots. 

Thankfully, this was not our first visit to Corfu, we have been there before. We know it to be a pleasant, but not remarkable location, and could tolerate the rain with good humour. Some other cruisers found the whole situation unbearable, and, combined with the cancelled Malta visit, are determined to hold the Captain personally responsible for global weather conditions...more of that in a later blog entry.

So, we reach day 15 of this 50 day Blog. We have two more sea days, followed by our planned ascent to see the apes in Gibraltar, thence the long sail back to Southampton. The end of this cruise will take the reader to day 20 of the Blog, with the remaining 30 days to start next April when Sir Francis, the duck, will accompany us as we circumnavigate the world via the Far East and China.

The Blog is, of course, completely free to read, but we are hoping to raise some money for the charity DiabetesUk as part of the 50 day challenge.  If you have enjoyed reading the Blog so far, there are several ways you can help.

1.       Please click on the blog as often as possible. This increases the number of visits and helps us gain publicity.

2.       Please tell your friends about the Blog. Add a link to to your social network page on facebook or twitter, or click the facebook icon on the blog. You can do this more than once.

3.       If you haven’t already done so, become a follower by clicking on ‘Join this Site’ and following the instructions. Please ask your friends to join too. If we get enough followers, we can use this as evidence for more publicity.

4.       Our aim is to raise at least £1000 for DiabetesUK by the end of the 50 days. If you would like to make a donation, however small, you can do so by visiting     www.justgiving.com/ClaireBaldry

Thank you, especially, to those readers who have made a comment on one of the Blog pages. It is extremely encouraging to know that someone is taking the trouble to read as I write.

See you tomorrow, Claire

Day 14 Dubrovnik When Harry met Francis

The Dalmation coast of Croatia has always been a favourite of mine. Dark green mountainous fiords are interspersed with scattered villages and towns.

 The buildings are steeped in history and offer a wealth of discovery to their visitors. Dubrovnik is no exception. Founded in the first half of the 7th century by a group of refugees from Epidaurum, their settlement was established at the island and named Laus. Opposite, at the foot of the mountain, Slavs developed their own settlement under the name of Dubrovnik (named by "Dub" - type of wood). The settlements were separated by a channel which was filled in 12th century, and since then the two settlements have been united. At that time the city walls started to be built as a protection from different enemies (Arabs, Venetian, Macedonians, Serbs, etc.), who wanted to conquer Dubrovnik.

So, it was close to this city that our ship sailed this morning, arriving over an hour late as another ship had temporarily ‘stolen’ our berth. This was not my first visit to Dubrovnik, but I was struck with how the city had developed since our last view of it shortly after the end of the war. The city walls were cleaner and had been repaired. It was also thronging with tourists, and far more expensive than a few years ago.

We caught the 10$ shuttle into the city and joined the crowds to tread on the wide marble pavements and admire the architecture. Fortunately we had remembered to bring Sir Francis and decided to allow him to ‘pose’ on a statue. Just as we did so, an American gentleman, sat a small teddy beside him. ‘This is Harry’, he said, ‘He travels all over the world with me’.

We also spent some money, on us, on a grouper fish made of palm leaves, really. It sounds mad, but I will upload a photo when we reach home. It is currently ‘bubble-wrapped’

I swam again today in the afternoon. The weather is due to break tomorrow, so this was probably my last chance to mitigate against the impact of some of the eating with a gentle swim. I doubt I lost much weight, but I did feel the effects of the sun.

Tomorrow we visit Corfu, weather willing. See you there.   

Day 13 Split, a City of Contrasts

At 10.00 am this morning we dropped anchor in the bay just outside the Croatian City of Split. As our ship is too big to find a berth in the harbour, this is the one port of call where tender boats are used to transport us to land. As we approached the bay it became very evident that, although only about 200 miles from Venice, the contrast in terrain and construction is vast. Chalky green hillsides dominate the coast while a slightly incongruous mix of old and new architecture rises up from the city.

Split is the economic and administrative centre of Middle Dalmatia, with about 200,000 inhabitants. It is also the jumping-off point for exploration of the coast and islands of the beautiful Croatian Adriatic. The site was first settled when, at the end of the third century AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace here. This palace now has UNESCO world heritage status.

Split is a busy port, with ferry services to the nearby islands filling this section of the Adriatic.

We left to catch our tender boat shortly after 10.00 am and were ushered aboard very quickly with very little queuing. The tender took us to the luxurious palm lined esplanade worthy of any South European resort. At this point there was very little evidence of the country’s Communist heritage or more recent war. However, as we walked into other parts of town a very mixed picture of wealth and poverty began to emerge. The expensive cruisers and yachts floated in a harbour which sometimes smelled of poor drainage, and designer shops accompanied buildings and flats in poor repair.

For 10 euros each we took a bus tour of the surrounding area, and saw similar contrasts, as in the UK, but more defined.  

This was an amazing day, full of hope for the future tempered with the inheritance of a troubled past.....See you in Dubrovnik tomorrow.

Day 12 A Taste of Venice

What more can I say about Venice? Having slept later than we intended, Chris and I took the shuttle along the Grand Canal to St Mark’s Square to arrive just before midday. We sat in the open at the front of the boat. The sun was shining, and the canal was full of water buses and taxis. I now genuinely believe that I prefer Venice even over Florence. Like Florence it exudes history but it flaunts it less. Venice has nothing to prove. It knows it is special. Venice is a small city, extremely concentrated, every corner, monument, Church or museum contains a piece of history, a tale, or a tradition.

 It takes years to train to be a gondolier, yet they stand on street corners and sell their services like second hand car salesmen. The shops are overfull with high quality souvenirs from Murano glass or with Harlequin connections. Contrary to what we expected they are not excessively over-priced. We spent a considerable number of Euros on the grandchildren, and rather less on ourselves...can’t say what we bought in case the family are reading this!! Having arrived in town late, we stopped at a little bistro type cafe in an outer alley way near St Mark’s Square. The pasta was freshly made to order and of very, very high quality. Chris said it was the best Lasagne he had ever tasted.

So now, it is dark. We are sailing out of a moonlit Venice ready to disembark in Split, Croatia at lunchtime tomorrow. See you all then,

Claire   
 

Day 11 Sailing into Venice

 

Today we sailed in to Venice. The sea was calm. The sky was blue. The city looked wonderful. The pilot boarded just before we entered the lagoon, and every building and rooftop seemed to come straight off the pages of a travel book or the scene of a romantic film set. I felt as if I was sailing straight into the Merchant of Venice.  We could see into the canal ways and look beyond the bridges. We watched the gondolas bobbing in the sunshine. It was almost too real to be real.

We ate early evening  on the ship then took a taxi boat to the centre of town where we strolled around St Mark’s Square now lit up at night. We admired the Murano glass in the shop windows and watched the restaurant musicians as they serenaded their diners. Venice is indeed a very special place.

Tonight we sleep on the ship while berthed at the dockside. Tomorrow, we return to the city to step beyond the square explore the narrow streets and alleyways.

Day 10 A Force 8 Gale

Here is the weather report. Overnight and earlier this morning we hugged the coast of Sicily and Calabria and headed into a moderately choppy Ionian Sea. We then moved away from the coast to work our way around the ‘heel’ of Italy, before regaining our northerly direction into the Adriatic towards Venice. It has been reasonably sunny, but with 12 foot waves and sporadic giant bursts which engulf our balcony. Chris spent some time on the balcony playing ‘chicken’ with the waves until he got completely drenched. Because the sky is so clear the view of the sea is very dramatic, and I have some amazing photos, but I feel very sorry for people who suffer from seasickness. The buffet was very quiet at lunch.  Having completely missed Malta, the Captain is hoping we will arrive in Venice late afternoon tomorrow ready to disembark for an evening ashore.

The weather has brought some interesting challenges.....how to walk to our cabin without grabbing the handrails....and washing my hair, the latter being achieved only after covering the bathroom floor with foam and water.

We watched a very funny comedian and impressionist last night, Gary T Thompson, apparently sometimes on TV, though I’ve never seen him. Tonight, thanks to our cancelled Malta visit, we get to see our favourite magician again, Andy Leach. He was supposed to disembark in Malta, so is still with us. I wonder if they’ll double his fee.  If I have time tomorrow, I will try and add a few more photos to the Cadiz blog, and download a picture of today’s waves. This is much easier to achieve when we are closer to land.

So hopefully, folks, we will reach Venice tomorrow in time for a couple of much needed hours on land. Wish us luck,

Claire

Day 9 Confined to Quarters

It is 7.45 am ship’s time and we are not allowed to leave our cabins for 2 hours. It was very rough overnight and at 4.00 am this morning a freak wave pushed in 2 windows on deck 5. I was asleep but Chris tells me it sounded like an explosion (we are on deck 9). Sea water entered the piazza and the ship turned South to be closer to the African coast in order  to seek more sheltered conditions so that the windows could be repaired. It is comforting to know that we are now closer to Libya should a further crisis occur.

So this is our current situation......

No one was hurt and we are all safe. The windows have been replaced with metal plate. Decks 5 and 6 are closed while they replace the carpets. The ship is now turning North  towards Sicily in high seas. Everyone has to stay in their cabins as this is a difficult manoeuvre and the ship is rolling unpredictably.....and it IS rolling unpredictably.  I am trying to ignore the creaking and other strange noises. Fortunately, I have my travel kettle and a store of ship’s cookies to keep us going until they let us out.

Sadly we will not now be visiting Malta, but we are allegedly heading past Sicily and straight up to Venice. If I have further news I will add more to the blog later today.

Afternoon Update

The sea is much calmer and we have been released from captivity in our cabins. We will now be arriving in Venice tomorrow afternoon for an overnight stay. The ship is largely functioning as usual minus one bar and some of the central lifts. Shame about Malta, though I understand the weather there would not be welcoming. Might book ourselves an evening trip in Venice when the details are published. Photo of damage below

Day8 Wet and Windy

What a difference a day makes. We are heading due east,  north of Algeria. The clouds have gathered and occasional rain showers are invading the balcony. Chris sat in the cabin for almost an hour watching CNN and waiting for some news of the F1 qualifying. Just as a picture of Sebastien Vettel  appeared on the screen, the rain cut the satellite signal and we lost the picture. When the picture was restored it was baseball. He is not happy!

So it’s a quiet day. I tried to upload some more pictures of Cadiz to yesterday’s blog, but the connection is so slow that I am using too many internet minutes. Some of the photos have landed in the wrong place as well, but I will wait until we are closer to land before I try to sort it.

We don’t arrive in Malta until Monday, so in the meantime here’s a bit more about the ship....

Grand Princess was refurbished in Spring this year. She lost Skywalkers nightclub, which was the large iconic spoiler at the back of the ship. The rear of the ship does look odd now, but as the nightclub used to shake in the wind, I think its demise was probably timely. The atrium has also been reorganised with the addition of an International Cafe, extra pizzeria, and Vines Wine Bar. As we are already feeling excessively overfed, I doubt that the pizza will attract us, but maybe we will feel differently if the rain follows us to Malta!

For those of you who know the Grand Princess, I think the best alteration is the reorganisation of the Horizon buffet. As I already mentioned, there are extra entry points for toast at breakfast and puddings at lunch. This prevents a lot of unnecessary queuing (and people moaning). If the weather is dull tomorrow, I plan to do a photographic  tour of the ship, but it may not be possible to download the photos until our return, depending on the signal. 

This afternoon I decided to burn off a little of the eating by walking around the promenade deck. Each lap is a third of a mile so I went around 3 times at a reasonable pace. On my third lap the sun appeared momentarily and the Algerian mountains rose up on the horizon. We are quite close to the North coast of Libya, but there has been no sign of Colonel G. in an escape boat.

A final note for kindle users...there was a perfect 3G signal in Cadiz, which meant I could read my emails for free.

Day 7 Cadiz

We are sailing due West along the south coast of Spain having spent a very sunny day exploring Cadiz. Occupying a tiny peninsula on the south coast, Cádiz is a set in a beautiful corner of Spain and is well worth a visit. It was founded in 1100 BC, and is the oldest inhabited city in Europe. It has developed through Phoenician, Roman, Cartheginian and Muslim influences, and  as the skyline shows is now an architectural mix of very old and very new.

 The old town is in the tip of the peninsula and is buzzing with beautiful plazas that are constantly full of life. To get there, you must first pass through the new town, an elegant metropolis with excellent beaches.

Not wishing or needing to book a trip, we left the ship at about 10.00 am ready to catch the local ‘Hop on, Hop off’ tourist bus.

 Unfortunately the Costa Mediterranea was berthed alongside us, so the queue for this bus snaked a very long way along the promenade, and we realised we were in for a very long wait.

 But luck came to our aid. Firstly a gentleman who didn’t want to wait gave us his ticket for 2 adults (worth 30 euros) and then disappeared before we could say thank you. If you know him, please thank him on our behalf. Secondly, we realised if we walked back one stop we could avoid the cruise crowds and hop straight on to the bus.We secured a front row upstairs seat and enjoyed the commentary as the bus, unable to navigate the narrow cobbles of the old town, circumnavigated the peninsular. At this point in the blog, I would love to give a detailed historical overview of the main sites, but it was incredibly hot and time was limited. So, in common with many cruise destinations we have visited we simply sampled the highlights with a view to ‘returning one day’.

We loved the views across the bay, and imagined Sir Francis Drake sailing in to secure the trade routes in the 1500s. Known as El Drak in Cadiz, he is not a favoured figure so we kept a close eye on our little duck’s safety.

We also enjoyed the beautifully sculpted seaside gardens full of fountains and Mediterranean blossom.

 

Last night was the first formal Captain’s dinner. Oh no....I thought my dress was unique! 

Not wishing or needing to book a trip, we left the ship at about 10.00 am ready to catch the local ‘Hop on, Hop off’ tourist bus.

 Unfortunately the Costa Mediterranea was berthed alongside us, so the queue for this bus snaked a very long way along the promenade, and we realised we were in for a very long wait.

 But luck came to our aid. Firstly a gentleman who didn’t want to wait gave us his ticket for 2 adults (worth 30 euros) and then disappeared before we could say thank you. If you know him, please thank him on our behalf. Secondly, we realised if we walked back one stop we could avoid the cruise crowds and hop straight on to the bus

We secured a front row upstairs seat and enjoyed the commentary as the bus, unable to navigate the narrow cobbles of the old town, circumnavigated the peninsular. At this point in the blog, I would love to give a detailed historical overview of the main sites, but it was incredibly hot and time was limited. So, in common with many cruise destinations we have visited we simply sampled the highlights with a view to ‘returning one day’.

We loved the views across the bay, and imagined Sir Francis Drake sailing in to secure the trade routes in the 1500s. Known as El Drak in Cadiz, he is not a favoured figure so we kept a close eye on our little duck’s safety.

We also enjoyed the beautifully sculpted seaside gardens full of fountains and Mediterranean blossom.

Last night was the first formal Captain’s dinner. Oh no....I thought my dress was unique! 

 (Photos to follow, having problems downloading)

Day 6 Now We are Platinum

We are heading due South along the East coast of Portugal. I ordered coffee and croissant for 7.30 am this morning and stepped out onto our balcony to watch the sunrise. The temperature had already risen to over 20 deg  so the balcony was warm if somewhat damp with the overnight dew. The cloud masked the outline of the sun, but shades of red were still visible on the horizon.

Later in the morning we went to a presentation on Alaska to give us a taste of next year’s travels. Then, you have to believe it, I went swimming in one of the outdoor pools, empty (except me) very warm and enough exercise to lessen my guilt about the amount of food I am eating

  For the first time in our cruising lives, Chris and I have gone up a loyalty tier with the cruise company.  We have been elevated to the lofty status of ‘platinum’ with Princess. It’s not the top layer. You have to cruise a lot more for that (called elite)  Neither is our promotion  due to an extensive portfolio of cruising experience, but a lucky combination of cruises with both P&O and Princess. Apart from priority boarding, always welcome, the greatest benefit is $100 dollars of internet access each which gives us 500 minutes between us. It sounds a lot but will only just be enough to complete this phase of 17 blog days, especially when downloading photos and on sea days, where the satellite connection takes longer. So, just a few photos will be uploaded onboard, and the rest when we return to the UK. If I have enough minutes I will also update Sir Francis’ website. 

 I took Sir Francis to dinner last night, and thanks to the goodwill of our slightly bewildered dinner companions managed to take a few dining photos of the duck.

 We also went to the show, a very funny comedian, but the theatre was so packed we had to stand at the back.  Please don’t mention it in your comments in case he reads them, but I have noticed there is duck on the menu tonight.  

 Last night we chose.....

Smoked salmon and crayfish tails

Chicken consommé/haddock chowder

Spaghetti Carbonara/ Roast chicken

Pear Souffle/sugar free   blueberry whip

Watch out tomorrow for our arrival in Cadiz.

Day 5

Our First Sea Day

Day 5 of the blog is written on our first full sea day. If you’re into cruises or want to know more about the ship, then this is written with you in mind. If not, then I would skip this bit and wait until day 7 when we sail into Cadiz.

First a bit about our cabin.....sorry ‘stateroom’

One of the things Chris and I like about Princess Cruises is the number of reasonably affordable mini-suites available on Dolphin Deck. Really, they’re just larger cabins with 2 TVs, a proper bathroom and a large settee. The balconies are very spacious, but uncovered so you are overlooked by the upstairs neighbours.  The beds are comfy, but Chris and I still woke up in the early hours. It takes a few days to settle down.

The sailaway yesterday was very calm, good weather too, but during the night the weather moved the sea around somewhat. Nevertheless, we rose this morning to find ourselves on a very smooth Bay of Biscay. We breakfasted in the newly designed Horizon Grill, a major improvement with toast on a separate isle so the bread wars have ceased. Then at 11.00 am we attended a cruisecritic get together. We met some really interesting people, including at least one Crows Nest member, two Australians, two Israelis, various Brits and a few Americans. We all agreed to meet up again for a drink later in the cruise. Today’s film was the King’s Speech,  and we were tempted bit we thought we might nod off in the theatre, so instead we ordered some coffee and sat on our balcony. It was just about warm enough.  Then Chris and I joined a Scottish couple for a team quiz. We definitely helped them lose!

Last night’s dinner....a very chatty table for 10 (bit too big) with really good company.

We chose....

Spring rolls/Lobster pate   Barramundi/Rib of beef  Sugar free mousse/ Cheese Platter  

More tomorrow, Claire

Day 4

We’ve finally made it...Grand Princess and day 4 of my 50 day blog. When I first came up with this idea, I had no idea how many hurdles would need jumping before we reached this point....family issues, bereavement, work changes .....I won’t bore you with the details.

But here we are, in our lovely mini-suite on Grand Princess. As some of you know, Chris is not allowed to drive for health reasons. I despise the drive to Southampton, so  we used our Tesco vouchers to treble our ‘rewards’ and ordered our ’free’  train tickets from redspottedhanky.com. They arrived several weeks ago in a red spotted folder and we felt as if we were getting something for nothing.

We expected a  very straightforward journey, but the train ran out of fuel at Eastbourne and they dumped us all on the platform. (Chris wants to know how an electric train can run out of fuel). Anyway, we did finally reached Southampton, 10 minutes taxi to the port, and thanks to our new ‘platinum’ status priority boarding straight on to the newly refurbished Grand Princess. Now too late for lunch, we consoled ourselves  with our complimentary glass of bubbly following a brief introduction to our steward......our steward is called Aerial....Chris thought of washing powder, I thought of the little Mermaid, but he’s actually a charming Man from the Phillipines who folds pyjamas as if they are the most precious silk.  Tomorrow is one of two sea days. I will use the opportunity to update you on our cabin, the weather, and some general impressions.....See you then!

Claire