Coronavirus Virtual Cruise

Post by **allatc** » 02 Sep 2020, 09:33

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Oulton Broad

Post by **Manoverboard** » 02 Sep 2020, 11:05

Strange people on Oulton Broad ... we were poodling along minding our own business in our little cruiser when somebody fired a gun at us and then dozens of yachts tried to crash into us but, hey, we were far too nippy to fall for their capers and were able to outsmart them

Post by **allatc** » 03 Sep 2020, 09:19

Today we are in Hull ('Ull ? substituted for Grimsby)

Post by **oldbluefox** » 03 Sep 2020, 09:45

The only recollection I have of Hull is passing through it to and from North Sea Ferries. In 2017 it was a city of culture so I'm hoping it has changed since our day since on the one occasion we ventured into town we found very little of interest.
(puts tin hat on)

Post by **Stephen** » 03 Sep 2020, 09:51

Manoverboard wrote: ↑02 Sep 2020, 11:05 Strange people on Oulton Broad ... we were poodling along minding our own business in our little cruiser when somebody fired a gun at us and then dozens of yachts tried to crash into us but, hey, we were far too nippy to fall for their capers and were able to outsmart them

That was me. You didn't pay the toll fee. I'll get you on the return

Post by **Manoverboard** » 03 Sep 2020, 10:33

The closest to Hull for us was the pleasant town of Beverley where we took No2 son for his interview at their Town Hall for an Environmental Science type attachment. Meanwhile we were in the same offices discussing the unfairness of our recently awarded Parking ticket ... the ticket was cancelled but he didn't get the job

Post by **allatc** » 03 Sep 2020, 14:57

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Hull

Post by **allatc** » 03 Sep 2020, 21:50

Friday's port : Whitby

This will be a tender port.

Those booked for the Magpie Fish and Chip Shop experience - have a great day.

Post by **Manoverboard** » 04 Sep 2020, 09:17

Four of us, in two cars, drove a very long way and back to visit Whitby for a special reason but things didn’t go too well.
Unfortunately it was wall to wall horizontal rain when we arrived at the Car Park and we all managed to leave without seeing their one and only well concealed P&D sign.

Cracking plates of fish ‘n’ Chips at the Magpie ( or similar ) but in spite of an appeal our collective £100 Parking violation fines meant that we would never return to their miserable God forsaken town

Post by **allatc** » 04 Sep 2020, 15:27

Manoverboard wrote: ↑04 Sep 2020, 09:17 Four of us, in two cars, drove a very long way and back to visit Whitby for a special reason but things didn’t go too well.
Unfortunately it was wall to wall horizontal rain when we arrived at the Car Park and we all managed to leave without seeing their one and only well concealed P&D sign.

Cracking plates of fish ‘n’ Chips at the Magpie ( or similar ) but in spite of an appeal our collective £100 Parking violation fines meant that we would never return to their miserable God forsaken town

Oh dear !

Post by **allatc** » 04 Sep 2020, 15:33

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Whitby ( when it's not raining)

Post by **allatc** » 04 Sep 2020, 15:36

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Post by **oldbluefox** » 04 Sep 2020, 17:53

I love Whitby. We discovered this little gem when we finished the Coast to Coast Walk. The route passed through a delightful little camp site overlooking the sea so we returned time and time again. What better than sitting outside in the fresh air with the barbecue on and a glass of wine and just chilling.

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From the site it was a few miles along the cliffs into Whitby, or going the other way took you to Robin Hoods Bay. Great fish and chips there down one of the alley ways. Signb inside saying 'Children who cannot behave will be fried!'

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Unfortunately the camp site changed owners and they decided to change the site to tin tents and mobile homes only and proper campers like wot we was were no longer welcome.

It was rare we took the car into Whitby cos the car parks were usually full with people like Mob clogging the place up thinking it was free!!!

Sadly I cannot find my Whitby photos but one day we ventured just a short way down the coast and found a delightful little spot, Sandwell - very pretty indeed.

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The last time we went to Whitby we were staying at Rosedale Abbey. It was a rotten day so we caught the train into Whitby but it was Whitby at its worst so we had a short walk around, a coffee to warm us and caught the train back. BIG mistake as it was the train all the kids from the secondary school caught and it was bedlam. Even the conductor did not do his rounds. In the situation I didn't blame him and I have never seen so many sweets, biscuits, cake and soft drinks consumed by so few. On the positive side we escaped intact!!!

Post by **Manoverboard** » 04 Sep 2020, 18:35

Was that a Rover 213 in your pic next to the tent, we of course had a 216GTi but never parked it in a field

Post by **oldbluefox** » 04 Sep 2020, 19:28

No Mob. It was a Vauxhall Astra and the slowest car ever. It only had a 1.6 engine so you really had to work the gearbox. It was a right tub!!! After that we had a Rover 75, one of the nicest cars I have had and up there with the Mercs and Beemers. Pity they stopped making them.

Post by **allatc** » 04 Sep 2020, 22:24

Next port : Berwick on Tweed

Post by **Manoverboard** » 05 Sep 2020, 09:23

When our grand children were about six they asked me to do a ‘ Family Tree ‘ for them. No problem and armed with some Genealogy Software plus a large scale map of the British Isles we enthusiastically set about the task. Their Great Great Grandfather had a cluster of medals for being in action in different parts of the World and had enlisted in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers who as it happens have their Regimental Headquarters in Berwick-on-Tweed.

The Fort and Museum is well worth a visit if you happen to be passing, from the medals they knew all sorts of things and we were able to obtain detail of the appropriate tartan to subsequently use as a background for a montage that we did of him and his army career.

Post by **allatc** » 05 Sep 2020, 13:48

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Berwick on Tweed.

My only photo. It rained nearly all day when we were here.

Post by **allatc** » 05 Sep 2020, 13:50

Sunday will see us in Leith (for Edinburgh)

Post by **Manoverboard** » 06 Sep 2020, 08:45

Leith followed by Edinburgh .... like wot I wrote in my Fred cruise report in 2017.
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To dock here the Captain had to traverse the Lock that keeps the high seas out of Leith, the benefit to us on the Starboard side was that we now had a front row view of the three Queensferry Bridges including the new one that was due to be opened by Her Maj the following Tuesday. ( May have a pic albeit from a distance )

We arrived mid-day ish and decided to stroll about in downtown Leith rather than going on a trip / HoHo Bus ride to Edinburgh that would doubtless replicate some of our Fred tour the following day. We basically walked in a rectangle taking in a number of apartment blocks that had been converted from the old warehouses that previously engulfed this area. There were also cafes, pubs, converted Barges, waterways and inlets plus restaurants etc along the route to look at or go into albeit most were restricted to evening opening times. There was in particular an area that had been seriously smartened up to preserve the memory of Merchant Seaman throughout the history of Leith, it had ostensibly been built to look like it once was back in the good old days. It is indeed a grand spot and worth seeing but it is utterly false according to the local guy that we spoke to who had lived there, or thereabouts, all his life. A place that the tourists and yuppies will love for sure he explained but a place that no longer looks or feels like home and more to the point it was now a place where he could no longer afford to live. There are gates and a lighthouse for example that have been slotted in for considerable effect but they are not original nor authentic. Sad really but that’s life as they say. We continued on our journey and final attraction prior to re-boarding the ship, that of the local Shopping Mall where we enjoyed a BLT sandwich and a coffee at the M&S Food Shop for our very late lunch.

The following day we had booked Fred’s ‘ Royal Edinburgh ‘ Tour at the Princely price of a tad over £123 each. We started by travelling a mere two hundred yards or so on our Tour Coach to the Royal Yacht Britannia. I am not going to describe every detail as it would take forever but I would say that it is an excellent choice but note that the entrance fee if you were to visit DIY would be a mere £15. A notable point regarding this venue are their Self Guide Audio sets, so simple, see a number in a room or on an exhibit and type that number into the hand set for a clear and concise explanation of what you are looking at. Ours were included in the price but I suspect that they would be ‘ extra ‘ for a non group DIY er.

However ... one doesn’t drive to the Queen’s entrance at this price nor does one walk sedately up the crimson staircase to board like wot Her Maj did nor does one have a person to guide you round the ship for two hours nor indeed does one get any curley wirley sandwiches or a scone plus a cup of Rosie Lee. Oh NO, on the ‘ 123 ‘ cheapo version you get dropped off at the shopping Mall, go up a floor or two in the lift and then arrive via the Tradesman's’ entrance.

To do the Deluxe Tour one would have to pay a per person cost of £145 !!!

If you paid £145 then your tour ends here whereas our cheapo version continues thus ...

Back onto the coach and a slow drive around the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, the route taken is identical to one of the HoHo buses, allegedly. Following that we were dropped for a short period to have lunch or whatever, we opted for whatever and climbed the steps of Edinburg Castle to see the location of their famous Military Tattoo. The plan was then to watch our recording of the event on the actual day after we returned home. One more stop at the end of our drive up the Royal Mile, that of Holyrood Palace. This is another venue that is definitely worth visiting, both for the palace, the architecture and indeed the gardens on a lovely sunny afternoon. For DIY ers the entrance fee to include everything was also £15.
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Post by **Manoverboard** » 06 Sep 2020, 09:26

Pics of the Leith Lock, housing, Britannia and the three bridges.
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Post by **oldbluefox** » 06 Sep 2020, 21:50

Holyrood and Britannia are wonderful visits. We thoroughly enjoyed these places.
We also ventured into the Scottish Parliament and came across an intimidating old character who was SNP through and through, raked up Bannockburn, Edward and William Wallace all over again and blamed England entirely for all Scotland's ills all within a five minute diatribe!!!! All of this without us saying a word or, thank goodness, letting on we were English. Tread in this place at your peril!!! Ignore Braveheart and it's an interesting visit for a wee while!!!

Post by **allatc** » 07 Sep 2020, 08:52

Today's port : Dundee

Must go and get some marmalade.

Post by **Manoverboard** » 07 Sep 2020, 09:30

At the time I wrote .... sorry, no pics.

The main attraction was doubtless the Highland Games at Braemar but sitting on a roughly sawn bench out in the rain, which didn’t materialise, for 6 hours didn’t ping my bagpipes so we went to St Andrews instead. A beautiful place in a wonderful location, they basically have three parallel streets, North Street, South Street and Middle Street so absolutely impossible to get lost. The region as a whole is known as the Kingdom of Fife and it apparently has a micro climate which enables them to grow more strawberries, raspberries and red currents than Kent. Mobietta bought a pot of locally made raspberry jam

. We did a tour of the villages after that, coastal and not so coastal returning to Dundee via St Andrews, of golf course fame of course.

Post by **allatc** » 07 Sep 2020, 21:51

Tuesday : Aberdeen

Post by **allatc** » 08 Sep 2020, 22:15

Not much activity in Aberdeen then!

Wednesday : Scrabster

Post by **Manoverboard** » 09 Sep 2020, 07:42

This was a cracking tour with Fred that went to Wick plus John O’Groats but the major highlight for me was the visit to the Pulteney Whisky Distillery. I didn’t even know that I liked whisky having drunk the basic stuff like blended Johnny Walker all those years ago. This was a different animal altogether and the sample that we were given to try was the real deal, a 12 year old single malt. I can only say ‘ WOW ‘.

As for Scabster itself ... Scabster by name and Scabster by nature I thought as we trundled through the wind and horizontal rain at nearby Wick to post a few cards and to buy some more cough sweets from Boots. Still no pics from me though

Post by **Stephen** » 09 Sep 2020, 09:14

Love whiskey

Post by **Manoverboard** » 09 Sep 2020, 16:54

Glad you can afford it, the 12 year old Pulteney that I mentioned above cost me £44 for a gallon litre

Post by **allatc** » 14 Sep 2020, 12:58

Having been confined to port due to rough seas

Todays port is Invergordon

Post by **Manoverboard** » 14 Sep 2020, 13:18

I was confined to quarters with man flu so have yet to see Invergordon or indeed Inverness

Post by **allatc** » 14 Sep 2020, 21:10

Moving on - Tuesday : Lerwick

Post by **allatc** » 15 Sep 2020, 22:11

There doesn’t seem much enthusiasm for this round Britain sector of the cruise.

Thinking about heading straight back to Southampton.

Post by **oldbluefox** » 15 Sep 2020, 22:20

Haven't done a round Britain cruise so sorry I cannot help you.

Post by **Manoverboard** » 16 Sep 2020, 07:53

As advised in #1639 I can only do pics for Belfast, Dublin and Cobh ... sorry about that

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Post by **allatc** » 16 Sep 2020, 13:07

OK

So we are heading for Belfast on Thursday.

Post by **Manoverboard** » 17 Sep 2020, 09:40

In 2017 we visited, courtesy of Fred’s Braemar, Belfast where we had booked a tour to visit the wonderful Titanic Museum but unfortunately I still cannot locate the pics ... however in 2008, after many years of avoiding the place, we bit the bullet as it were and booked an all Ireland coach tour. It was a wonderful tour with wonderful people and I would certainly commend it. In Belfast we stayed in the much bombed Europa Hotel and experienced the politics of the place, the pics, I have intended, reflect that.
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Post by **Manoverboard** » 17 Sep 2020, 09:40

Plus .... also of that era including a view from the Europa Hotel plus part of an organised pub crawl.
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Post by **allatc** » 18 Sep 2020, 11:39

Today's port : Dublin

Post by **Manoverboard** » 18 Sep 2020, 12:42

Have been to Dublin many times but there are 5 pics that summarise the place for me ....
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Post by **oldbluefox** » 18 Sep 2020, 14:27

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Post by **allatc** » 19 Sep 2020, 10:48

Back in Southampton.

Thank you for all who have participated.

I hope you have enjoyed our voyage.

I will update the port list and cruise map and post them on here in a few days.

Post by **MaureenB** » 19 Sep 2020, 10:52

Can I say how much I have enjoyed this thread? I didn't contribute as I never take photos but I have enjoyed seeing these.

Can you do another long trip somewhere? So much more interesting than the Alphabet Ports.

Thank you all

Post by **Manoverboard** » 19 Sep 2020, 12:07

Many thanks to you Captain, your Topic was inspired and most enjoyable

ps ... it wouldn't bother me a great deal if I didn't post another pic this side of Christmas

Post by **Pam + Neil** » 19 Sep 2020, 18:59

We too have enjoyed it . Thank you ! Like all good holidays they have to come to an end. Let's hope we all get the opportunity to enjoy our cruises when safe to do so!

Post by **Meg 50** » 19 Sep 2020, 19:29

Indeed it was good- though had been intending to take us to Galway tomoro!

Post by **cruisin_duo** » 20 Sep 2020, 12:49

Thank you, have enjoyed reading this thread and seeing the photographs. Reminded us of the many places we would still like to see.

Post by **JillD66** » 20 Sep 2020, 17:23

Thank you for this thread. We were saving a cruise round the UK for when we are too old to go further afield.
Now we've been virtually!

Post by **allatc** » 22 Sep 2020, 12:07

I think this is the complete Coronavirus Cruise Log :-

Southampton, St Peter Port, Brest, Bordeaux, Vigo, San Sebastian, Biarritz, La Corunna, Lisbon, Cadiz
Palma, Monte Carlo, Ajaccio, San Marino, Portofino, Livorno, Olbia, Sorrento, Alghero, Malta,
Corfu, Venice, Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Bari, Brindisi, Kephalonia, Corfu (again),
Katakolon, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, Samos, Kusadasi,
Trabzon Sochi Yalta Sevastopol Odessa Constanza Bourgas Nesebar Istanbul
Athens Rhodes Haifa Fethiye Antalya Cyprus Alexandra Heraklion(again) Messina
La Goulette - Tunis Cagliari Sardinia Civitaveccia Livorno Elba Genoa Nice
Cannes Port Gogolin for St Tropez Toulon Barcelona Mahon Ibiza Town Valencia
Alicante Malaga Gibraltar Agadir Lanzarote Fuerteventura Gran Canaria Tenerife
La Palma Madiera Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Bermuda Nassau Turks & Caicos San Juan - Puerto Rico Aruba Curacao Grenada
Trinidad & Tobago St Vincent Barbados St Lucia Martinique Dominica Guadaloupe
Antigua and Barbuda St Kitts & Nevis St Martin Tortola St Thomas Jamaica Grand Cayman
Roatan, Honduras Cozumel, Mexico Havana, Cuba Key West Florida

Miami Fort Lauderdale Savannah Charleston NC Norfolk VA Baltimore MD Bayonne NJ
Philadelphia New York Martha's Vineyard Boston MA Portland Bar Harbour
St John Nova Scotia Halifax NS (Lunenburg)

Qaqortoq Nuuk Reykjavik Akureyri

Bergen Olden Geiranger Andalsnes (Torshavn) Trondheim Tromso Ny Alesund
Honningsvag Alta Lofoten Islands Alesund Hellesylt Flam Eidfjord Stavanger

Kristiansand Oslo Stagen Copenhagen Visby Stockholm Helsinki St Pete's
Tallinn Riga Klaipeda Gdynia for Gdansk and Sopot Sassnitz
Warnemunde ... with excursion to Rostock Kiel Kiel Canal Hamburg ... with excursion to Luneburg
Amsterdam Bruges

Dover Harwich Lowestoft Hull Whitby Berwick on Tweed
Leith for Edinburgh Dundee Aberdeen Invergordon

Belfast Dublin

Southampton

This is possibly the most comprehensive set of port photos in one place on the entire web.
Thanks to all who posted.

Post by **Meg 50** » 23 Sep 2020, 15:34

we ought to sell it to a cruise company as a summer itinerary - 5 months - not appreciably longer than some worldies

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