WG’s Summer Cruise, June 2026 – Part Five

Thursday 25th June – At sea

Do you ever get the feeling you have done something wrong and you actually haven’t? Well, the information to put the clocks forward to European time went out yesterday, saying that the ship’s clock would change at 02:00 hrs this morning. So, I switched my iPad and iPhone to Paris time and swapped to the watch I keep one hour ahead when I went to bed. When I woke up it was 06:50, which meant plenty of time to sort myself out before the sea day breakfast time of 08:00.

I watched the sun come up and left my cabin a couple of minutes before 8 o’clock so as to get to the Main Dining Room a little after. It is at the opposite end of the ship and down eight decks. There was not a soul to be seen. Even my cabin steward was not about, as he usually is. No one was in the lift lobby. The lift went down to Deck 2 without anyone getting on. I checked my watch, nearly 8. No one was about on my walk to the MDR. Had I got the time wrong, or was I on a ghost ship?

The first person I saw was the girl on the MDR desk, then a queue of waiters ready to guide you to your table. Relief, I hadn’t got it wrong, just a very slow morning with only a dozen people in the 550+ seat MDR. Anyway, it was all OK and I ordered my orange juice, Rice Krispies, and because I enjoyed them yesterday, two poached eggs which went on square white toast from the toast man. I think it was three cups of tea this morning.

Back to sort out a bit more Jinnie and this journal, and maybe catch up with the hour’s sleep I lost last night. It’s warm on the balcony with watery sunshine, rather nice sitting in the warmth, out of the breeze. This will do me nicely until it’s time for lunch. The 12 o’clock position and weather announcement from the bridge prompted me to wander down to the Neptune Pool for a bite to eat. Being a sea day, the lunchtime sandwich counter is open, so I collected a couple of soft rolls, one egg mayonnaise and one chicken mayonnaise. I spot Andy from our evening table and join him for what has become our regular lunchtime chat over a roll and a beer.

An hour later it’s back to the balcony for a read of my Jack Reacher novel. I am about a third of the way through the book and he has just put the whole of a small-town police force in hospital, two full-time officers, six part-time deputies and two civilians. But I am disappointed he hasn’t killed anyone yet! The sun is now fully out, and I am shifting to the shady corner of the balcony because the full sun is rather warm. When I came out onto the balcony, I put my iPad on charge, so it’s no Jinnie or diary for a while. I finally lost the shade, and it got too warm for me in the full sun, even coated in Factor 50. So, it’s back inside for a cool down and a siesta.

A nice shower to wash away the residue of the suntan cream and down to dinner. At first reading of the menu, I am not certain what to have so I study it a little more closely and decide to start with leek and potato soup, which is really good. Then it’s steak and mushroom pie, which is not quite what I expected but was really tasty. It comes in a little bowl with a shortcrust pastry lid, mashed spuds and pearl onions. I think the onions might have been better in the pie, but heigh-ho.

Next was a bowl of ice cream, which is consistently good, followed by a cuppa. Then, as usual, a nightcap before bed.

Friday 26th June – Vigo, Spain

As we chug into port through the protecting islands it is raining. The weather forecast says sun all day, so either the BBC or God has got it wrong! And so down to breakfast with hardly a soul to be seen. I suspect people have seen the rain and gone back to sleep. There are only four of us on a table for six this morning and the waiter can’t be bothered waiting for anyone else, so sets about taking our orders and clearing the two unused place settings.

It’s back to orange juice, Rice Krispies, a mushroom omelette, square toast and tea this morning. As we are eating, the Staff Captain makes the “all clear to go ashore” announcement. He adds that the local forecast is for the rain to stop within the next 30 minutes and it will be dry with sunny spells for the rest of the day. We have an evening in port and the “all back on board” time is 22:30 hrs. I suspect I will be back well before that, as my excursion to La Toja Island by trolley train gets back to the ship at 14:00 hrs.

I was on the coach early and we left bang on time, with a second coach a few minutes behind. It was an hour and twenty minutes to La Toja Island, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Quite an interesting ride through the countryside and towns, and across the bridge onto the pretty island, only spoiled by driving through a torrential downpour. I learn the island is famous in Spain for La Toja soap, made with local mineral-rich spring water and supposedly good for skin problems. It is only a small island with just 45 permanent residents, but it has three large hotels and thousands of holiday homes.

We stop at one of the hotels for what the courier calls snacks and a drink. Well, it was much more and totally unexpected. There was an enormous buffet laid out in what was a rather nice hotel, very modern and at least four stars. There was excellent coffee available and an assortment of soft drinks and bottles of local beer, with no limit to how much you ate or drank. The trolley train was waiting for us in the hotel car park, and we did a circular trip around the island and across the bridge to the town of O Grove on the other side. Then along the promenade to the harbour and back the same way to the island and to the spot where the coach was parked.

A bit of free time to wander the local shops in the sun that had now come out, before a dash along the motorway back to the ship, where we arrive bang on the stated time of 14:00 hrs. Not a bad trip, but not the best. Two things, it was impossible to hear what the courier was saying on the trolley train, and the food coming at eleven in the morning was a bit too early. If it had come after the train ride, it would have been more appropriate.

Back on the ship and Galiciafest, a festival of Galician rock music, had just kicked off virtually outside my cabin. I understand it goes on until the early hours of the morning. What a shame we are here until about 11 pm. The captain has apologised and says P&O were unaware that the visit coincided with the music festival. Gosh, it’s loud in my cabin even with the balcony door closed and the TV on. It must be hellish in front of the stage. I didn’t bother with lunch today as I was still stuffed from the mid-morning hotel buffet, but I did drink a pint of Pepsi Max to rehydrate myself. Now I need a siesta.

I really enjoyed my dinner this evening. I started with a prawn cocktail, the first time it has been on the menu this cruise. A few years ago it was available every evening as an always-on. I don’t know if prawns became too expensive or prawn cocktails went out of fashion, but it disappeared only to make a very occasional reappearance. But I like it, so that was what I had as my starter, and it was really good.

I was torn between haddock and chips or butter chicken for my main course. In the end I opted for the butter chicken. It came with basmati rice, poppadoms and a chapati and was delicious. Dessert was an easy selection. There was crêpe Suzette with ice cream on the menu, and I didn’t have to think about that for one second. It was all washed down with my usual cup of tea before my nightly trip to the Crow’s Nest.

I guess it was about 11 o’clock when I got back to my cabin and Galiciafest was still going strong and the crowd had swelled. I stood on the balcony watching for a while and then the band on stage played the only song I recognised, “Sweet Caroline”. The ship joined in on the chorus with three quick blasts on the ship’s horn and the whole crowd seemed to turn and cheer. A few minutes later we cast off and used the thrusters to move far enough away from the quayside to swing through 180° and head out to sea.

Saturday 27th June – At sea

Well, this holiday is nearly over, just today and tomorrow at sea, and then it’s early on Monday morning that we arrive in Southampton, where I see I have been given a Priority Disembarkation time. If everything goes to plan, I should be home by mid-morning.

The early light woke me up at about 06:20 and it looked grey and misty outside with a light drizzle. As it’s a sea day and breakfast in the MDR starts at eight, I didn’t rush to get up. Instead, I added the ending to another chapter of Jinnie. The story is coming along, but a bit more slowly than I hoped.

Down to breakfast, and today I’m on a table for six with four people I have breakfasted with on several occasions and a single man who didn’t join in the lively conversation. In fact, he didn’t speak a single word apart from when he ordered his breakfast and asked for the cruet to be passed. He didn’t even say good morning to the rest of us. Either very shy or very rude. My usual breakfast of orange juice, Rice Krispies, a mushroom omelette and square white toast, not to mention several tiny cups of tea.

Back to the cabin after breakfast and the sun has come out and it is rather nice on the balcony with just a slight breeze. Today we are crossing the Bay of Biscay, but we are quite a long way out in the Atlantic and the sea is creating a very gentle roll on the ship, and there are a few white horses. The roll is so slight that you only notice it when you compare the horizon to the ship’s rail.

For a sea day there were fewer than normal people around the Neptune Pool at lunchtime. It also means the sandwich and salad counter is open. So, I selected egg mayo and chicken mayo rolls, found a table and called a passing waiter for a bottle of Doom Bar. Rehydrated, I made my way to my balcony to read a bit more of my Jack Reacher novel on my Kindle, as the sun has put in a welcome appearance. A nice restful afternoon, only interrupted by a pod of dolphins playing in the bow wave and something I have never seen at sea before, a semi-submerged submarine passing in the opposite direction.

It’s the last black-tie dinner tonight, preceded by the Peninsula Club cocktail party, where the object among many passengers is to drink as many free drinks as possible in the 30 minutes allowed for the party before dinner. I refuse to partake in such a game, so I get a free vodka and lemonade and make it last through the Captain’s speech. It is always the same, a load of statistics about miles sailed and food consumed. Then there is the fabled “prize draw”. All the invitations are collected at the doors and supposedly go into a “tombola”-type drum. I am sure it is rigged, as the winner of the bottle of cheap champagne is always a little old lady travelling alone.

Then it’s a mad scramble for the lifts to get down to dinner. As it’s a formal night it’s the usual “enhanced” five-course menu, starting with an amuse-bouche. Tonight’s is watermelon gazpacho that tastes like cold watermelon juice. Then I chose prawn cocktail as my starter, that’s two nights running, before a soup course of cream of white onion, which was excellent. I nearly said “Souper” but thought better of the pun.

For my main I had roast rump of lamb. I must say I like lamb, but only when it’s hot. I don’t like cold lamb one little bit, but this lamb was excellent. The dessert was the best of the cruise, a raspberry soufflé with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream, quite magnificent. Then a nice cup of tea and coffee creams, before a quick stop in the Crow’s Nest for my nightcap. The final event of the evening is watching England win while lazing in bed, as we are still on European time.

Sunday 28th June – At sea

It’s a bit grey early this morning and it looks like it has been raining. The ship is nearly across the Bay of Biscay, and it has been really calm. However, I understand that we have just made it in time, as there is a storm due tomorrow. We should round the island of Ushant at about 11 o’clock and then we are in the English Channel.

Down to breakfast and some of the same people as yesterday, so it’s the same breakfast as yesterday, orange juice, Rice Krispies, square toast, a mushroom omelette and lots of tea. As it’s the last full day of the cruise, it’s back to the cabin for packing. I must remember to leave out stuff for tonight and tomorrow.

Just before 11 o’clock this morning we pass P&O Britannia heading south into the Bay of Biscay and the ships partake in a hooting competition. I don’t think in all my cruises I have ever seen another P&O ship at sea. I have seen many in ports all over the place, but this is a first.

There is a major thing wrong with the last day of a cruise, it’s called packing. Admittedly it is easier packing to go home, you just throw everything you can see in your case. Then you go around the cabin and open every cupboard and drawer, check the bathroom to ensure you have got your wash bag and zip up your case. The instructions say it can be left outside your cabin door from 2 pm, and any remaining pieces before going to bed. I will do just that, have my dinner and my nightcap, pop my last couple of things in my case and leave it outside my door. In the morning it’s an early breakfast and I have a disembarkation time of 08:45. I will be surprised if that works, as it was similar last cruise, but everything was running late.

Down to dinner and only Maurice is missing from a full table tonight. He is 92 and has not come to dinner very often. I think second sitting is perhaps a little late for him. Nice meal tonight. I started with Ardennes pâté with onion marmalade. Then sweet and sour chicken with vegetable rice. Finally, a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. Just as we were leaving the table, Jim asked if I had any more cruises booked and I said, “Yes, I am on Iona over Christmas,” and Jim said, “Snap.”

Monday 29th June – Southampton and home

A very short entry today. I woke up as we were chugging up the Solent and there was a beautiful sunrise. The ship went past the cruise terminal and did a 180° turn in the “turning basin”, and then back to the terminal where apparently the airbridge is busted. I decided to brave the buffet for breakfast and found my orange juice, tea, Rice Krispies and an omelette from the “Omelette Station”. Sadly, no square toast.

Back to the cabin to pick up my carry-on bag and see the cabin steward has been in and changed the bed and put the luggage mat on it. One last check that all the drawers and wardrobes are empty and it’s down to the Priority Disembarkation meeting point in the Piano Bar. I have a time to go of 08:45 and it is exactly that time when the ship’s officer in charge of the room sends us down to the gangway and onto the quayside. A short walk to the door into the huge luggage reclaim area, where the suitcases are laid out by deck. I was on Deck 10 and there are only 23 cabins on that deck, so I had no problem locating my case.

Not a soul to be seen in the Green Channel, perhaps they are hiding behind a two-way mirror. Then out and a short walk to recover the car. The sat nav told me I would be home at 10:30 and it was actually 10:33, but that was because I stopped to buy a bottle of water.

Do not fear, this isn’t the end, it is only a pause, as I will be back cruising over Christmas and the New Year.
 

© WorthingGooner 2026