Cruising to the Canaries – Part Three

Day 10 – Monday, at sea

I awoke just after six thirty to scattered cloud and a bit of movement. We are on a fast run for this ship, about 20 knots, to Cadiz for arrival at 07:30 tomorrow morning. As it’s a sea day it means the MDR is not open for breakfast until 08:00, so I had a longer lie in bed before getting up. I was down at the MDR just after 8 o’clock and led to a table in the corner by a window just about as far from the entrance to the restaurant as possible. I was first on the table and was quickly joined by two couples, one of whom I had eaten breakfast with on the first full day of the cruise.

According to the Captain’s early announcement this morning, we are currently riding through 2 metre swells, which is no problem for a ship of this size. But according to one of the ladies I was breakfasting with, it had been very rough in the night. I was asleep and didn’t notice. I think I now know the breakfast menu off by heart, and ordered my orange juice, tea, Rice Krispies, mushroom omelette and square toast by rote. I must say I do enjoy a mushroom omelette and so far every single one I have had has been delicious.

Back to my cabin, which Junjun had already serviced. As we are heading north, my balcony is in the shade this morning, so I grabbed my Kindle and found a seat on deck in the sun and out of the breeze. I don’t think I mentioned it before, but I am now reading my fourth book of the cruise, and this is The Second Sleep by Robert Harris. I have read several of his books previously and I must say you never quite know what to expect from one of his books. I have read his tales about the volcano eruption that buried Pompeii, and the election of a new Pope. This one is set some 1000 years in the future, where the world has suffered some form of worldwide apocalypse and Britain has reverted to a peasant economy, the Church is all-powerful and the height of technology is the muzzle-loading rifle. There is also a hint of a long ongoing war with Islamists in the north of England. So far it’s a very difficult tale.

About 12:30 I was getting peckish, so I headed to the Poolside Grill for a burger and chips. I have a silly problem when I order a burger, and the same thing happens very nearly every time. All the prepared burgers are cheeseburgers, and I don’t want the cheese. But the server seems to think that if you don’t want cheese you also don’t want lettuce, tomato and onion, and it is not easy getting one with what they call salad, without a lot of fuss. Anyway, I managed to get what I wanted, and it was pretty good.

Back to the cabin for an afternoon on the now sunny balcony and a ship-wide announcement from the Captain. There seems to be a strike by metal workers and demonstrations are planned for Vigo tomorrow, so our visit is cancelled. Instead, we are heading straight to our last port of call, Lisbon, where we will arrive about midday tomorrow and overnight at the cruise terminal. I suspect there will be loads of missed port insurance claims being made by people whose holiday has been ruined by missing Vigo.

I was on my own for dinner this evening as the couple sharing for dinner were at their Baltic lunch and two big multi-course meals in a day are too much for most people. I rather enjoyed tonight’s dinner. Mushroom soup to start, not the cream of sort, but dark brown and flavoursome. Then a veal schnitzel, something I rarely see on a menu these days, it was served with thinly sliced fried potatoes and mange tout and was super tasty. Dessert was another favourite of mine, sticky toffee pudding and custard, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The waiter knows I often have ice cream for my dessert, so he also brought me the mixed ice cream of the day, a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla. Not sure how I managed to finish it, but I did, just. All finished off with a nice hot and strong cup of tea before a trip up to the Metropolis on Deck 16.

Day 11 – Tuesday, at sea (AM) / Lisbon (PM)

I awoke just after 6 to a calm sea, checked the time and went back to sleep. I eventually got up about 6:45 after checking what time breakfast started today. The routine is 07:30 on port days and 08:00 on sea days. As today is a bit of a hybrid, I thought I had better check, and the Horizon Guide says 07:30, but we are still at sea. I got down to breakfast just after the restaurant opened and was sent to the same table as yesterday, and I was even joined by some of the same people as yesterday. So, I decided to have the same breakfast as yesterday: orange juice, tea, Rice Krispies, mushroom omelette and square toast.

We turned into the River Tagus just after 10am and passed under the 25th of April Bridge about 11:30. They are building a new cruise terminal, much closer to the city centre than the old place we used to stop at by the bridge. The ship did a 180° turn in the middle of the river and we were docked and cleared to go ashore by 12:30. The new cruise terminal looks to be only half finished, with work continuing so that it can take at least three cruise ships.

I thought about going ashore for a wander, but first lunch called: a hamburger, chips and a beer by the pool. After lunch, the sun was on my balcony, so I decided to finish my Robert Harris book. A rather odd, but compelling story. Then I buckled down to writing a bit more of Jinnie’s Story and never made it ashore. I am on an excursion after breakfast tomorrow morning, so that will have to do for my viewing of Lisbon.

My first reading of tonight’s dinner menu didn’t particularly excite me. There was nothing there that leapt out at me as ‘must have’. Rather reluctantly, I settled for good old reliable tomato soup for my starter. Next, it was a medium rare sirloin steak with French fries and broccoli. The steak came with what I can only describe as a thick mushroom gravy. I guess I was lucky as my steak was wonderfully tender, unlike my table companion Paul, who was sawing at his with a steak knife. For dessert, I chose a crème caramel that came with a crumbly shortbread biscuit. The waiter also brought me a serving of tonight’s mixed ice cream, a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of cookie dough. The vanilla is very nice, but not so the cookie dough; it was not at all to my liking. A cup of tea and up to the Metropolis for my regular nightcap.

Day 12 – Wednesday, Lisbon

High cloud when I woke at about 06:45 this morning and a tiny bit of sun. I’m off out on an excursion called ‘Lisbon by Land and River’ but it doesn’t depart until 9:45, so I have plenty of time for a leisurely MDR breakfast. It’s the same table and one of the same couples as the past two mornings. This morning, we were joined by a couple from Motherwell who had very thick Scottish accents. Within minutes of sitting down, they were moaning about the SNP ruining Scotland.

This morning, I started with my usual orange juice and Rice Krispies but decided on scrambled eggs and bacon for a change and, of course, several cups of tea. While waiting for the Rice Krispies, the toast girl arrived and, as usual, I asked for square toast, which they must get from the kitchen. I don’t know whether she forgot or couldn’t be bothered, but it never arrived. That’s her off my Christmas card list.

Apparently, it is a ten-minute walk from the ship to the coach park, so I will give myself plenty of time and not hurry. I arrived at the coach twenty minutes before it was due to leave, and it was pretty full. I still managed a decent window seat, but it was completely full by the time it left fifteen minutes early. We skirted around the back of the city centre; apparently, coaches are no longer allowed to cross the main city square where the buses and trams all stop and start. Eventually, we landed up near to where the cruise ships used to dock near the new bridge. We were directed to the boat we were going on our river trip on, and I found myself a nice seat by a picture window. Then we had a long wait until the second coach arrived. With both coach loads on board, we set sail.

I guess there were at most 120 on a boat licensed to carry 400, so there was plenty of room. We chugged down the river under the bridge, past the monument to the Discoverers with Henry the Navigator to the fore. According to the courier, Henry the Navigator couldn’t navigate and suffered from terrible seasickness! On to the Belem Tower, which was being repaired and covered in scaffolding. A snack was included in the trip; it turned out to be half a cheese and ham bap, a miniature Portuguese custard tart and a small glass of pineapple juice.

The boat then turned round and went back upriver as far as our cruise ship before turning back to its dock. I guess the whole river cruise took 1 hour twenty minutes, and the best thing was the custard tart. Back on the coach, and it looped even further out of the city to take in Edward the 7th Park and its ‘wonderful’ view over the city. The coach didn’t make a photo stop, but I did manage a snap through the coach window when we stopped at a traffic light. We arrived back at the cruise terminal at the same time as a fleet of what the Americans call ‘minivans’ were delivering a host of Yanks freshly arrived from the airport to board the Silversea ship Silver Ray, which had docked just in front of Ventura.

Another one of those security checks by the port security and another official who insisted I put my belt through the X-ray machine. I was damn close to losing my trousers round my ankles. You might have guessed I was not impressed with this morning’s excursion. Back about 1 o’clock and it is very quiet on board. I very quickly got a hot dog, chips and a beer. Now I am a bit happier!

A nice easy afternoon in the sun updating this cruise log, making a start on the next chapter in Jinnie’s Story and reading my next Jack Reacher story. And I nearly forgot—I did manage 40 winks. All aboard time was 17:30 and we used the thrusters to push the ship out sideways into the river far enough into the stream to pass the Silver Ray, which is still loading Yanks. The river is fairly wide here, heading downstream to the estuary, but not as wide as the 17 kilometres I understand it is in one part.

Down to dinner at 20:30 and I must say the MDR is not very busy. I came down in the lift with two ladies that sit on a table near our table. While still choosing our meal from this evening’s menu, I see they have simply had a cup of coffee and are leaving without even looking at the menu. I wonder why?

This evening I started with a white crab meat and prawn mixture with a little salad and some Marie Rose sauce. I suppose it could be described as a disassembled seafood cocktail, but it was delicious. For my main this evening, it was a pork steak with a slab of potato that I have never had the likes of before and hispi cabbage, which again was excellent. The dessert I chose was warm sponge with lemon drizzle and custard, and it was excellent. Once again, our waiter also brought us bowls of mixed ice cream. Today it’s a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of strawberries and cream flavour. I can’t stand strawberry-flavoured things, so I ate only the vanilla. Next, it’s a cup of tea and a nightcap.

Day 13 – Thursday, at sea

For some unknown reason, I woke up and checked the time on my phone. 1 minute past six and it is a bit grey, but the sea is calm. It seems to have been raining overnight, but as the balcony on the deck above forms a roof over my balcony, you would hardly know it. No rush to get up as it’s a sea day and breakfast in the MDR isn’t until 08:00 this morning. Dragged myself off bed at around seven and was outside the MDR just as the doors opened.

Today, for the 5th day running, I’m with some of the same people on the same table. So, I order the same things to eat. The lady sitting next to me had forgotten to bring her reading glasses down to breakfast, so she got through most of her order by memory before saying, “and I will have a mushroom omelette like this gentleman.” As the waiter disappeared to get cereals and porridge, she turned to me saying, “Hearing you order an omelette made me realise I rather fancied that but I didn’t know it was on the menu.” Another lady on the table said, “It isn’t but I saw this gentleman order one early in the cruise and I’ve had one every morning since.” I’m glad that I have converted some breakfasters to eating off-menu items.

When the toast girl arrived, she looked at me and said, “Square toast,” and the lady from the couple who have been on the table with me for the last five mornings said, “This man is still waiting for yesterday’s toast, he’s been here waiting 24 hours.” Anyway, I got my square toast this morning, and it was still warm, so I don’t think it was yesterday’s.

Back to the cabin, as I forgot to take my pills down to breakfast. So, I had them with a glass of water this morning instead of my usual orange juice; I doubt it will make the slightest difference. I really don’t have much to do this morning, so I had a wander around the ship’s supposedly tax- and duty-free shops. I still have a load of cabin credit on my ship’s account that was awarded when I booked the cruise and an extra £150 from being a Carnival shareholder. So, I have treated myself to a litre of Tanqueray Gin and Absolut Vodka and a giant Toblerone for the LGND. I still have a lot of credit left, so I will have to find something else to buy or it will be lost.

It’s not very nice on the open deck this morning; it is misty and there is a fine drizzle. I think I might as well retreat to my balcony, where it is nicely protected, and read my book until lunchtime. I might even have a look at what’s available in the buffet. I really fancy making myself a prawn salad, but I bet there are no prawns today! I was right — no prawns, so I made myself a turkey salad and rather enjoyed it for a change.

This evening is the third and last formal night on board, so I have to get dressed up in my best bib and tucker. But first, it is the Peninsula Club party. Not much of a party as it only lasts 30 minutes, but you get free drinks. The formula is always the same: the Captain gives a little speech, reading out some facts about the cruise, like how many miles we have sailed, how many people from each level of the Peninsula Club are on board (43 in the Baltic Level like me) and how many weddings have taken place. Then they announce who on board has clocked up the most cruise days (over 2000 days). Finally, they draw an invitation to the party from a drum and the winner gets a bottle of champagne and their photo taken with the Captain. While this all went on, I managed 3 glasses of ‘champagne’, which I suspect was Prosecco.

So, I am all dressed up and it is two hours until dinner, so I headed back to the cabin to do a bit of shitposting. They always try to make a bit of an effort with dinner on a formal night, and tonight’s was no exception. A carrot juice and peach amuse-bouche to begin, not bad but certainly not wonderful. For my starter, it was a lamb bonbon in a mild curry sauce with pickled pink onions.

The soup course came next and was French onion, which is good, but it is served with a giant cheese crouton, which is more like cheese on toast floating on top of the soup, which I always do without. For my main, I had Beef Wellington with dauphinoise potatoes, roast root vegetables and broccoli, and what an excellent piece of fillet steak it was. For dessert, I chose a savarin of raspberries with vanilla sabayon and whipped cream. An excellent dinner, topped off with a cup of tea and chocolate truffles.

Day 14 – Friday, at sea

We crossed the Bay of Biscay during the night, and if it was at all rough, I didn’t notice it, as I slept like a baby. This morning, we are level with Brest and about to turn into the Western Approaches / English Channel. The Captain says we will be hit side on by 2-metre swells rolling in from the North Atlantic, so we might roll a little until we line up with the direction of the waves, but he has his stabilisers deployed.

Breakfast this morning on a different table, but still with some people I have breakfasted with before. However, one new lady who had only just realised you could breakfast in the MDR. She has been on the ship nearly a fortnight and been suffering the fight that is the buffet breakfast all this time!

Of course, right at the end of the cruise is no time to have a different breakfast, so it’s orange juice, tea, Rice Krispies and a mushroom omelette. I suspect it will have to be different tomorrow, as it is a mad rush to get everyone fed before disembarkation, and I doubt I will be able to get an omelette. I have priority disembarkation and should be off at 08:00 to 08:15 with the other Baltic Level passengers. So, I will be queuing up outside the MDR when it opens at 06:30.

It’s an easy morning today, but packing after lunch, when I shall throw all my dirty clothes in my suitcase, leaving out only tonight’s stuff and my travelling home stuff, which, to think about it, could be the same. It’s still grey, but now we are running in and out of mist. I sat reading — it’s another Jack Reacher — and I must have nodded off because the ship’s foghorn made me jump, and it is murky and drizzling out there. Still, it’s time for lunch and it’s a hot dog with piles of fried onions and French fries. I nearly forgot — and a nice bottle of Doom Bar.

So, it’s time to pack, and as I said, it’s always easier going home. It’s just emptying the drawers, shelves, wardrobes and bathroom. It took about 30 minutes, leaving out only what I needed for tonight and for going home. We seem to have run through the fog and the sun’s out, but it’s a drop in temperature compared to where we have been.

A nice final night menu. I started with a white crab meat and shrimp tian that had a smear of Marie Rose sauce, quite delicious. Then a medium-rare sirloin steak with a fried egg, French fries and grilled cherry tomatoes. After that, I could only face ice cream and a cup of tea. Not a bad last night-of-the-cruise meal. Back to the cabin to put my last night’s clothes in my case, lock it up and leave it outside the cabin door to be offloaded for me in the morning.

Day 15 – Saturday, Southampton and home

I woke up just after six as we headed up the Solent in dead calm water. There is an early opening of the MDR and buffet for breakfast this morning, so as I have priority disembarkation, 08:00 to 08:15, I was down just as the doors opened. I was on a sharing table for six and service was particularly speedy this morning. For my last meal on board, I had my usual orange juice, tea, Rice Krispies and square toast, but today I had scrambled egg, as with a full dining room, I didn’t think they would want to be cooking an omelette.

Back up to my cabin to pick up my carry-on bag, which now contains 3 litres of ‘duty free’ booze. I spent a bit more of my cabin credit on it and Toblerone. The cabin steward was hanging around, so I gave him his promised tip and headed down to The Glass House / Red Bar to wait for my disembarkation time. The girl in charge of the room was struggling because the next-door assembly spot was full, with people standing, and there were lots of spare seats in my meeting spot.

At about five past eight, she announced that because so many people had taken the option to carry their own bags off, the queue for customs went back into the luggage hall and we were being held until it eased. It was 08:25 before it was time to go, and then it took at least 10 minutes to find my case in the packed ranks of suitcases organised by deck. Straight out through customs, not a sight of immigration, and to the car pick-up, where there was no queue.

I followed the exit signs and landed up driving around the back of the container port, heading for the M271 and then eventually the M27 / A27. The satnav said 1 hour 30 minutes, and it was almost spot on. I pulled up on my drive about 10:20. Perhaps it had been quicker going via the M271 than driving through Southampton, with five big cruise ships in port.

My next cruise is booked for Christmas and the New Year, and once again I will be producing a log.
 

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