Oriana’s Final Christmas Cruise.

[oldbluefox]

Thanks for your reviews although it sounds way too hot for me but it's interesting for those of us not there!!

[Meg 50]

Tuesday, 22 January 2019 -Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Today is the start of the 2nd financial sector of the cruise and our statement was outside the cabin door as we went to breakfast.

....
We ate in Sindhu and as this was the first night of the new sector it was at a reduced price.

I thought sectors changed on the day new passengers board. clearly I'm wrong!

[david63]

I thought sectors changed on the day new passengers board. clearly I'm wrong!

Where a cruise is over 28 days then you have to settle your account part way through the cruise and have another account for the remainder of the cruise.

[prefdavid]

Sue included some great pictures with her email but unfortunately I'm not able to include them here - sorry

Wednesday, 23 January 2019 - Panama Canal

The hour went forward overnight putting us back to 5 hours behind the UK and we needed to be up and around early for the part transit of the Panama Canal.

It was still dark but we could make out the lights of the ships waiting to transit the Canal .

After a quick buffet breakfast we set up by the railing of the aft deck. The crew hadn’t yet put the sunbeds out so we had to untie them and secure our spot for the day. The aft deck was full by the railings before the crew arrived. They must have thought we were mad getting up as such an early hour.

The pilot boarded around 6:45a.m. Guest speaker Thomas Judson started broadcasting facts and figures from the Bridge.

At 7:10 we passed under the new but still unfinished Atlantic bridge which was built by the Chinese and has a total clearance of approx 246 ft. which is high enough for the newer larger ships.

We reached the first lock on schedule just before 8a.m.

As Oriana sailed into the lock the service bridge for vehicles closed and then the lock gates began to slowly close.

Once fully closed the water rose to allow Oriana to pass through.

The electric mules ensured that Oriana kept a straight course and didn’t damage the walls of the lock.

Once Oriana was safely through the lock gates closed to allow the water to drop again for the following ship to enter. The water from the lock transferred into the adjacent lock ready for the ship coming in the opposite direction to continue its journey. A very slow process but much quicker than the alternative routing sailing right around South America.

We exited the final lock on the Atlantic side just before 9:30 a.m. and sailed into the Gatun Lake which is 23 miles long and 164 square miles in total.

Charges for cruise ships are per bed at 130 US dollars per bed so around 300,000 US dollars for Oriana’s passage. It wasn’t made clear if this was for a full transit or the part transit.

Oriana anchored in the Gatun Lake until just after 12:30 p.m. and finally exited the last lock at 3:15 p.m. to sail back into the Caribbean Sea.

It had been a long hot day on deck with occasional cloud which gave some relief from the searing temperatures.

Late afternoon Captain Alan broadcast using his sexiest voice and we knew it wasn’t going to be good news. As we had taken the Internet earlier in the day Garry had looked at the passage weather forecast and had mentioned that there was a bad storm brewing around Curacao. As he had predicted Captain Alan announced that due to the storm Oriana was not going to be able dock in Curacao but that he had secured a berth in Cartagena tomorrow. We very much enjoyed Cartagena last year when Aurora called there and would much rather be there than in a stormy Curacao.

The tours desk had managed to organise a few tours for Cartagena but no shuttle bus into town which is a taxi ride away.

Garry had spent far too long in the sun watching the Panama Canal transit and felt too unwell to go to dinner. I checked the buffet but it was the Great British theme so opted to go to the dining room on my own.

I didn’t bother with any of the entertainment which was the John Denver tribute act in the Theatre and a Carnival Party which should have been on deck but had to be moved to the Pacific Lounge due to inclement weather.

Tomorrow we are in the lovely port of Cartagena.

[cruisin_duo]

Sue,

Enjoying the reports. Hope Garry is feeling better.

[Whynd1]

Hi Sue

Enjoying reading your reports,hope Garry feels better soon.

[GillD46]

I love reading about the Panama Canal transits, they bring back so many amazing memories - the Suez transits too, which are every bit as interesting. Glad you had a good day, and that you enjoyed your day at Cartegena.

[prefdavid]

Next instalment

Thursday, 24 January 2019, Cartagena

Last year on Aurora we stopped in Cartagena and we had taken a tour of the city by Horse and carriage which meant that we only had a short time to look at the beautiful Oasis park by the dock. Our unscheduled stop in Cartagena today has the most attractive cruise terminal of anywhere we have visited. Birds, flaura and fauna. Anteaters, Parrots and Peacocks. Cheap beer and wifi which as we got there early was fast and reliable. We were able to look at everything on offer. The crew were enjoying having their photos taken with the colourful parrots which were so tame that they just roamed around posing for photos. We took our time browsing the fabulous emeralds. Last year Garry had bought me a pendant and earrings set and a ring to match. I looked at the bracelets but couldn’t find one that I liked that would go with the jewellery I had. I decided to wait and keep my ‘powder dry’ for our call into St Maartens. It was a great day and hopefully appeased the passengers who were disappointed about missing Curacao.

Just before we were due to set sail Captain Alan broadcast that Oriana was having boiler problems or as Captain Alan called it the ‘Old Boiler’ . We had noticed that the water for showers was only luke warm. The engineers had been working on the problem for most of the day and although we would be delayed leaving Cartagena there were two sea days to make up the time and it wouldn’t impact on our call to Greneda.

Even though it had been a port day The formal night had not been changed. It was the 6th formal night of the cruise and I was relieved to find the dress I planned to wear still fit me. It was Marcos Beef Wellington menu with Port Marinated Stilton to finish. The food continues to exceed our expectations but the result of that is my waistline increases every day.

We couldn’t face sitting in the theatre as it was a fabulous Caribbean balmy evening. Instead we changed out of formal wear and went out onto the aft deck. A group of passengers had the same idea and had set up some music playing from their tablets.

We now have two sea days before we reach Grenada.

Friday, 25 January 2019 - 1st Sea Day to Grenada

A glorious sea day with unbroken sunshine and a breeze to keep the high temperatures bearable. I was out on deck by 7:30 a.m. and hardly moved all day. My butler who cannot cope with sitting in the sun kept me fed and watered.

We had pre booked dinner in the Beach House which was extremely busy as we had been due to have a late night stop in Curacao . I had the fish Hanging kebab which once again was delicious. It was so lovely sat outside in the warm night air.

In the restaurant they were celebrating Burns night with the Parade of the Haggis. Our Head waiter Sentinel visited us in the Beach House with tomorrow’s menus and asked us if we would like to go down to the restaurant to watch the Parade. We declined but it was very thoughtful of him and just another example of the excellent attitude of all of the crew and officers on board Oriana.

The downside of not stopping in Curacao is that the entertainment acts couldn’t change over. Once again not wanting to sit inside the theatre we opted to make our own entertainment on the aft deck. This is the most underused area on the ship. The bar only opens on sea days late morning and closes at 6 p.m. such a waste when in the Caribbean where the deck gets busy early and stays busy later.

Ironically when we returned to the cabin the invites for the cocktail party had arrived and the venue is the Aft deck. Just hope there is no liquid sunshine that evening but at least it is on a casual night.

[prefdavid]

And there's more

Saturday, 26 January 2019 - 2nd Sea Day to Grenada.

Another day spent doing absolutely nothing but reading and soaking up the sunshine. It was breezy on deck which meant that anything not tied down blew away. I found it quite amusing watching passengers chase their flip flops and crossword puzzles around the deck.

I mentioned that we had had invites delivered for the Peninsular cocktail party on deck. Apparently there are so many of us that there was also a party on deck this evening and the bar and area was closing at 4 p.m.

Some passengers obviously those not invited were not happy about this and were plotting to have a ‘lie in’ and refuse to move. I am not sure what happened as I left before 4 p.m. having been out there since 7 a.m.

The party did go on so the protesters must have been moved on. I do think that more notice should have been given about the early closure so that passengers could opt for a different pool area for the day.

The evening entertainment was the entertainment teams own show in the theatre. It was just too nice an evening again to sit inside and as ‘our’ preferred area was closed off due to the clearing up after the party we opted for the aft bar on 12. It’s not a bar we generally use as it is also the outside eating venue for the buffet area and the other side is roped off as it is the Beach House area.

After a couple of cocktails we moved to the Riviera deck where Caravan were hosting the Tropical Party as the entertainment team were otherwise engaged in the theatre. Not calling at Curacao to bring on new entertainers has certainly challenged the entertainment team and they are very fortunate to have both Caravan and Protocol on board who are capable of hosting the venues.

Tomorrow we arrive in Grenada.

[prefdavid]

Another day, another Caribbean island

Sunday, 27 January 2019 - Grenada

Another superb Caribbean morning. Grenada is known as the spice island and the wind must have been in the right direction as there were the spicy smells wafting in the air.

I had ordered room service breakfast as I was on an early snorkelling trip to see the underwater statues. We docked before 8 a.m. and I went off to meet the rest of the tour group. I was so happy to see our friend Ken holding up the sign. He had been hoping to get a snorkelling tour as group escort.

We were frog marched single file through the tunnel to the marina where our Starwind catamaran was waiting for us.

The guides were excellent and took us round each statue in turn explaining what they each represented, their depth and their age. There were plenty of coloured fish around but the statues were the main reason for this snorkel trip. We had 45 minutes at the site before reboarding the catamaran and we were welcomed back on board with rum punch which flowed all the way to Grand Anse Beach which we were told is in the top ten beaches in the Caribbean.

On the beach the drinks continued flowing . It was a fabulous morning out and Oriana was always in sight.

Back on board my butler sorted our lunch out whilst I was in the shower and as soon as we had eaten we set off to explore the port area. We bought some spices and other souvenirs to take home.

We said goodbye to Sentil our diet waiter who is leaving tomorrow and is so excited to be going home. Maria the Head of wine came by our table to say goodbye, another excited lady going home to her family. James our cabin steward is not going home but is changing areas so another goodbye. Ivie takes over his role from tomorrow.

The entertainment was the excellent Runaround Kids in the theatre. A big change though as the lead singer and guitarist had changed dramatically to a lead singer and pianist called Andrew although still Irish. A very similar show but with a different slant. After the theatre we headed down to the Pacific Lounge where Justine was performing as Tina Turner.

Tomorrow we are in Barbados.

[GillD46]

We went on snorkelling trips to the statues from a couple of Grenada holidays some years ago. I love the island. I don't rate Grand Anse as one of the best beaches myself - although it is big and convenient from the port. We prefer one or two of the beaches a bit further afield.

[prefdavid]

Next

Monday, 28 January 2019 - Barbados.

The ship docked early and Oriana had been allocated the berth nearest to the sheds which must have been a great relief to the F & B team as over 60 tons of supplies had to be loaded. It was close to the terminal so no shuttle was required which was another bonus. A Holland and America ship had been allocated the berth on the other side of the port.

Captain Alan made his final broadcast and said his goodbyes. He has been an excellent Captain and has kept us informed about the many challenges he has faced.

We disembarked around 08:30 and Oriana was being painted in readiness for the new Captain embarking. The Panama Canal transit had left the usual scuff marks along the sides of the ship.

We got into a taxi van and had a short wait whilst it was filled up. A couple got out at the Boat Yard, then 6 more at the Harbour lights which left 4 of us going to Accra Beach. It was 5 dollars each to the Boat Yard or Harbour lights but only 2.50 dollars more to go much further to Accra. We arranged for the taxi to collect us at 1:30 p.m. which gave us just over 4 hours there.

When we got there the Tikki bar hadn’t opened but the sun loungers were out. They looked really tatty and I don’t think they had been changed in all the years we had been going there. Right next to their beds were new ones with big squash comfy cushions. The beds were 20 US for 2 beds and a brolly and 2 bottles of water. The beer was 15 dollars for a bucket.

The ones at the Tiki bar are 30 US but include 6 bottles of beer or the equivalent cost of cocktails.

For the difference of 5 dollars we opted for comfort.

It was a lovely morning with some light cloud. The surf was up so no snorkelling but the surf boards and body boarders were having great fun in the waves. The wi fi was fast and free right by the edge of the sea.

We reluctantly left our comfy bed to meet the taxi driver at the time agreed. For the first time ever in the Caribbean ports we have visited he didn’t turn up. Luckily there was another taxi there waiting for his 2:30 pick up and after 15 minutes of ours not showing up he agreed to take us back to the port and then come back for his later clients.

We had a look round the shops at the port before spending the rest of the afternoon on the aft deck.

Captain Sarah broadcast her evening information and started with a joke that Captain Alan had not had a tight trouser moment to alter his voice but had actually disembarked Oriana.

We ate dinner outside at the Beach House which was busy as it was such a warm night. The new head waiter in there is Anniban who we have known for quite a while. Edward is our new diet waiter and he came up to introduce himself and pass us tomorrow nights menus.

We were too late to go to the Headliners show Reel to Reel but we have seen it many times before. Suzanne Godfrey was playing flute music in the Pacific Lounge but we headed for our usual spot on the aft deck for a drink under the stars.

Tomorrow we will be in Dominica.

[prefdavid]

More adventures from Sue & the Butler

Tuesday 29 January 2019 - Dominica

Captain Sarah broadcast early morning to say we were docked but there was a problem with the accommodation ladder. It took us a while to realise she was talking about the gangway. 10 minutes later she broadcast to say one gangway was open but only until 10 a.m. as they had still not been able to secure the 2 nd gangway and for safety reasons they should have two gangways fixed and open.

We disembarked and immediately saw that the problem was because the dockside was too small to have a fwd and midships gangway so they were trying to erect one from deck 5 which had probably not been used for months. It looked like the deck hands were busy chopping dried paint off the mechanisms.

We walked around the town and noticed a new supermarket had been built. There were Many more craft stalls and market stalls and we bought some souvenirs and helped the local economy. There were lots of devastation and derelict buildings in the town but gradually life is getting back to normal for them.

They really need to invest in a taxi dispatcher. There were hundreds of taxi vans who were selling similar trips at the same price but they wouldn’t leave until their van was full. So many vans waiting for those elusive last two passengers.

We returned to the ship and the accommodation ladder had finally been erected. We ate early lunch in Al Frescos as I had an afternoon snorkelling tripped booked to Champagne reef.

We were frogmarched past the market stalls and many of the taxi drivers were still hoping for an afternoon fare. The catamaran and crew were waiting for us at a small run down pier.

We sailed past the bar we used to snorkel Champagne reef from and it was heartbreaking to see that all of the hard work Clem had put into building not only a bar, changing facilities, dive shop and a very long wooden walkway down to the small beach for easy access to the reef had all had been completely devastated and only bits of wood could be seen as remnants from the bar. I had e mailed Clem before the trip and hadn’t heard back from him so I was relieved to hear from the crew on the catamaran that he is okay and does intend to rebuild his business and the boardwalk to the champagne reef.

It was a great snorkel trip despite the rain making an appearance. The snorkel tour was guided to protect the reef which is no where near as vibrant as it was before the hurricane but it is growing back and new corals and sea life were visible. The volcanic bubbles which gives the reef its name were just as amazing as before. The crew in the water with us really knew the reef well and explained the different fish and corals.

The rum punch flowed well during the sail back to Oriana. This was my final snorkel trip of the cruise although we have a beach day planned in Antigua.

Once back at the port we were held up again as the Accommodation ladder was causing more problems as they tried to stow it away.

We had an invite to the 6 p.m. Peninsular cocktail party but no way could I be ready for that time so we went to dinner first and then attended the 8 p.m. party which I much prefer anyway.

Captain Sarah drew the winning ticket and then spent the rest of the party walking around and chatting to many of the passengers.

Using the aft deck worked well except for the loud speaker system. For some reason only one of the speakers near the bar was working which probably explains why the aft deck is no longer used for the Sailaway parties.

Tomorrow we are in Saint Maarten

Wednesday, 30 January 2019 - Saint Maarten

We had decided that as today was going to be a shopping day we would get off the ship mid morning. Our plans changed when we saw the Royal Caribbean monstrosity the Allure of the Seas with its 6000 plus passengers and another 2000 crew arriving. The Aida Diva was already in dock when we arrived. We decided to get off as early as possible as the queue for water taxi across to town would be huge later on.

We sat in the sun close to the beach waiting for all of the shops and bars to open before making our way to Ocean Jewellers.

They greeted us like old friends and offered us drinks but at 10am and wanting to keep our brain clear for negotiations we only accepted water.

I had gone with a shopping list but only expected to buy a couple of items. We started with the Emerald bracelet I had been looking for in Columbia and showed him an earring from the set I wanted it to go with. It took less than a minute before he brought out the perfect match. Next was a garnet bracelet which took a little longer but once again another perfect match to the stones in a set I had purchased in Sri Lanka. He gave me a choice of 2 different opal bracelets both of which matched a pendant and earring set we had bought in Curacao. Next on my list was a pair of gold earrings to replace the one I had lost whilst in Madeira. I had given him the one I had left and he came back with an almost identical pair. My shopping list had been filled but then I had to decide which I wanted the most. In the end he came up with such a good price for the lot and even lower when Garry offered to pay half in cash. For the whole lot it was less than an inferior Emerald bracelet I had seen in Columbia.

Deal done we left him to the paperwork and settled down with a beer and wi fi. He came back with my odd earring which he had transformed into a pendant for me as part of the deal. I hadn’t even thought of that and so pleased as Garry bought me the earrings for a wedding Anniversary present when we visited Jersey many years ago.

We said our goodbyes until next year with promises to keep in touch and to put reviews on the relevant sites.

We were shopped out but still wanted to find a store that had been on Old Street before the Hurricane. We found Kennys further along on Front street and although he no longer sells liquors he pointed us to the best value shop. Anyone wanting to buy Caribbean shirts, T shirts or dresses this is the place to go. The same dress in Barbados was 15 or 20 dollars each but here they were 3 for 30 dollars.

Shopping finished we headed back to the ship and spent the afternoon in the sun.

After dinner we went to the Lords Tavern to listen to Protocol and then to the Pacific Lounge for the final performance from the Runaround Kids. We got there early but it was already busy and by the time they came on the lounge was packed out. Another brilliant performance and such a shame they are getting off tomorrow in our final Caribbean port Antigua.

[GillD46]

Sounds like a good shopping trip.

[MaureenB]

What a wonderful shopping list. I'm green with envy.

As always I am really enjoying your reports. Keep then coming.

Best wishes to you both

[silver surfer 2010]

We enjoy Effy's in St Maarten but noticed last year when we were in port that they were not prepared to haggle like they used to. We put it down to the result of the previous years storms but gave them the trade anyway.
Enjoy your reports Sue, make the best of the warm weather, it was -8c in East Kilbride this morning and even at 16-30 today it is only 2 degrees in Edinburgh. Fortunately we have not had any snow, not like the dump they have had in the South, even Cornwall has had it's fair share.

[prefdavid]

Next

Thursday, 31 January 2019 - Antigua

Our last day in the Caribbean started sunny and there was a buzz around the ship as around 200 passengers were getting ready to spend the day watching England try to play cricket against the West Indies.

The rain started just as we were preparing to get off to spend the day at the beach so we stayed on the ship for a while. It wasn’t raining a lot not like it was when we were here in November so after waiting half an hour we decided to get off and then decide what to do for the day.

There were lots of different opinions about whether it would clear or stay drizzly all day. We wandered around the port area trying to decide whether to risk the beach or do an island trip instead. We plumped for the beach but instead of going to Valley Church which is some distance away we decided to go to the nearest beach so that we could get back easily if it didn’t clear up.

We thought the taxi driver was taking us to Dickinson bay but instead he took us to a delightful smaller beach close to Fort James. We found out it was called Millers beach. The facilities here were excellent with showers, toilets, beds, huge wooden sun shades and a bar. The free WiFi reached down onto the beach which was clean and the water calm, shallow and clear. The sun was out and very hot, the cloud and rain had disappeared. I hadn’t brought my snorkel mask but there was a rocky area to one side which I will investigate next year. Another excellent find and not far from the port. The only downside was that they had run out of my favourite local beer the Wadadli. I had to make do with my second favourite Caribe. The Rum punch was excellent and made from scratch unlike lots of the bigger bars where it is pre made.

We knew that our taxi driver Enoch was going to return for us as he hadn’t taken any payment on the way out. There is a good system at the bar where he leaves his telephone number and the time he is collecting us. If we wanted to leave early they would have rung him.

A local band The Harmonites Steel Orchestra played the wonderful sounds of the Caribbean at the Riviera pool. A group of 4 all originally from Antigua were playing drums made from different material. One guy appeared to be playing old Oil drums. This band have been together for 51 years and in 1979 performed at the Super Bowl. They gave us a fabulous send off from the Caribbean.

After the Steel band had disembarked it was the Great British Sailaway Party. The Sailaway parties hadn’t been very successful this cruise up to today. A couple had been rained off and the other poorly attended. This one filled the decks and was great fun. The entertainment team were very proactive getting passengers involved and the passengers from the Costa ship docked next to us looked on bemused at a thousand plus Brits singing and waving their Union Jacks as we said goodbye to the Caribbean and started the long trek home across the Atlantic Ocean.

We had booked the Beach House for dinner as we thought this would probably be our last chance to eat dinner outside. It was very busy as many other passengers had the same idea. Once again I chose the mixed fish Hanging kebab as this will be the last time we will eat at the Beach House on Oriana. It was another excellent meal and a very sad feeling as we left, but there will be lots more ‘final moments’ as we make our way back to Southampton.

We were too late for the show in the theatre which was Fogwell Flax. It was no great hardship and we spent another perfect evening under the stars on the aft deck.

[Meg 50]

Next

Thursday, 31 January 2019 - Antigua

....
After the Steel band had disembarked it was the Great British Sailaway Party. The Sailaway parties hadn’t been very successful this cruise up to today. A couple had been rained off and the other poorly attended. This one filled the decks and was great fun. The entertainment team were very proactive getting passengers involved and the passengers from the Costa ship docked next to us looked on bemused at a thousand plus Brits singing and waving their Union Jacks as we said goodbye to the Caribbean and started the long trek home across the Atlantic Ocean.

we had a sailaway next to a Costa a few years ago - they decided to compete with Andrea Bocelli and 'Time to say goodbye'!

[prefdavid]

Sue's on her way home now

Friday, 1st February 2019 - 1st Sea Day to Praia Vitoria

A sunny but windy sea day. We set up on the aft deck just after 7 a.m. knowing that our morning was going to be interrupted by the mandatory muster drill. This has to be held within 28 days of the last one. I waited until the siren sounded before leaving my sunbed to go to Harlequins, our muster point. Garry had gone down earlier so that he could have a seat but I wanted to stand near to the door to make a quick exit once it was over.

The drill was not broadcast by the Captain but was read from a sheet by one of the Headliners. Whilst I understand that it is maritime law to hold one of these but is it really necessary to remind passengers who have been on board for 28 days where the smoking areas are etc etc. It dragged on as these things do and made worse with a microphone malfunction. I found it amusing when we were told to put our life jackets on that many struggled because of the weight gain the straps needed adjusting. I had cheated and tried mine on and made the adjustments in the cabin before the drill. Once we were dismissed I made a swift escape and went back onto the deck to resume my prostrate position on the sun bed.

As it was our Granddaughters 12th Birthday we took the Internet package so that we could contact her.

Every message that came through seemed to show snow and bad weather forecast for the UK. It seemed unreal to be in swim wear in the hot sun reading about the freezing conditions that we will have to deal with in 9 days time. I intend to make the most of these last few hot days.

We had dinner with Kenneth in Sindhu. It was very busy but the service was attentive as usual and the food excellent. Time just flew by and poor Ken had to go back to work whereas at least we could relax after such a lovely evening.

We missed the vocalist Lloyd Wade in the theatre but hopefully we will see his second show.

Looking forward to another hot and sunny Sea day tomorrow.

[Whynd1]

Make the most of it Sue.

Thanks for the reports.
Lindsey

[prefdavid]

Next couple of days

Saturday, 2 February 2019 - 2nd Sea Day to Praia Vitoria

Another sunny sea day although there was about 3 minutes of liquid sunshine early on. It arrived just as us early birds had set up for the day which sent everyone scuttling back for cover. The rest of the day was hot and sunny with quite strong winds across the deck.

Both yesterday and today Oriana was speeding along at over 21 knots. If we keep up this speed we will reach Praia Vitoria a day early. The sea is unusually very calm for the Atlantic so perfect sea day weather.

The clocks were changed at noon making us 3 hours now behind UK time. We prefer done in the afternoon rather than overnight but it does cause problems for the cabin stewards and other areas of the ship.

Oriana now has a problem in the ships laundry as there were paper napkins at dinner. No issue for us but whereas we jumped to the conclusion that the laundry had a problem others were shouting ‘cutbacks, our waiter confirmed it was a laundry problem. Poor Oriana is having quite a few problems in various areas.

It was the first of three Baltic Tier lunches today and although we had heard last cruise that Oriana was to be renamed Piano it was according to passengers who attended the lunch confirmed that it would be renamed Piano Land.

After dinner we went to the Crows Nest to listen to Protocol. Mandy Mudden a comedienne / Magician was in the theatre and the Orchestra playing Glen Miller in the Pacific Lounge.

Sunday, 3 February 2019 - 3rd Sea Day to Azores

The day was cloudy but warm enough to sit out even though the Temperature noticeably cooler but still 21 degrees.

Oriana had slowed down considerably to around 15 knots. A passenger at breakfast explained that there was a very sick passenger on board which is why we were speeding along for the last two days. She surmised that the passenger had either improved considerably or that there was now no need to get to Praia early. I don’t know where these passengers get their information from.

The clocks were once again changed at noon. The sun was still losing the battle with the cloud but the wind had dropped considerably and the sea was calm so quite pleasant.

It was the 8th Formal of the cruise and Black & White night. The majority of passengers complied and the ones that didn’t stuck out like a sore thumb.

We went to see Fogwell Flax in the theatre singing and imitating various 60s 70s and 80s recording artists. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and think that he is a better singer than comedian.

We finished the night in the Lords Tavern listening to more 60s and 70s music from Protocol. They certainly attract the crowds and the Tavern was heaving.

[Kenmo1]

Poor Oriana is having quite a few problems in various areas.

Oh dear, that doesn't bode well for our next two cruises, Sue.

I have told our friends about your visit to Millers Beach mentioned in your previous report on Antigua as they are calling there next month and were looking for a beach near to the port.

Hope the weather here isn't too much of a shock to the system for your return to the UK although the temperature has increased considerably in the last couple of days.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Maureen.

[prefdavid]

Monday, 4 February 2019 - 4th Sea Day to Praia Vitoria.

A bonus hot sunny sea day. Skies clearer than yesterday. Temperature was still over 20 degrees but when a rogue cloud blocked the sun it dropped considerably.

We have not seen or heard from Captain Sarah since leaving Antigua but as the weather has been great and the seas very calm there hasn’t been any need.

Clocks went forward again although the Bridge appeared to have forgotten as there was no mention at the noon announcement and none of the ships clocks had been put forward. As the horizon newspaper has been so full of errors a quick check with reception confirmed it had gone forward and soon after that the clocks were adjusted.

I had another lazy sea day spent on deck reading and chatting with other likeminded passengers. The cruise is coming to an end quickly now and the chat is about the weather at home instead of about the fabulous ports of call.

It was the Headliners Killer Queen show in the Pacific Lounge and the film Bohemian Rhapsody was showing in the theatre. We opted for the show as although we have seen it many times it is one of our favourites. One of the dancers got injured in the first show and unfortunately soon after the 2nd show ended a passenger fell and was badly injured. The Pacific Lounge was cleared as the medical emergency team were called out.

It was Chinese New Year and a good excuse for a party. Caravan were playing in Harlequins to welcome in the year of the Pig.

[prefdavid]

Tuesday, 5 February 2019, final Sea day to Praia Vitoria.

Not a sunbathing day but not raining. Very windy and the temperatures have dropped considerably. Okay when sun is out. I walked around the deck a few times and took the opportunity to take some photos of Oriana’s venues.

I went back to the battle of the sexes to find the ladies are losing this sector by over 300 points. The day was a draw until the tie break 50 point question when the men won the points putting them 350 more than the ladies.

It was our 9th formal night of the cruise and some lubricant was needed to get my dress zipped up.

We went to the tavern to listen to Protocol who certainly had a busy night as there was a ‘lock in’ party night which didn’t start until 11:30 p.m.

Fogwell Flax was in the Pacific Lounge and Lloyd Wade the Soul singer in the Theatre.

Tomorrow we arrive in Praia Vitoria.

[prefdavid]

Wednesday 6 February 2019 - Praia Vitoria, Azores

Wow this really was an unexpected hot sunny day. It started off chilly so I got off in Trousers and fleece. By the time we reached the town I was discarding layers. We had great free wi fi right by the beach area and a lovely view of Oriana.

I was disappointed the Gin Tasting bar had still not reopened but we stopped at a local bar for refreshments. The prices here are so cheap so we had another.

The town is picturesque but really only one Main Street. The town band was out to welcome the passengers and it certainly looked and felt much different than when we called here last year when it was cold and raining. I tried some wonderful leather boots on but they were slightly too small and there were no larger size left. They would have been a bargain at 25euros.

The sun was on the aft deck which is where I spent the rest of the afternoon.

It was the final Sailaway Party as we left the Azores. Captain Sarah’s evening broadcast was for rougher seas and long swells as we made our way back to England.

We ate at Sindhu last night and another excellent meal. The quiz which should have been in the Tavern had been moved to the Piano Bar which is very close to Sindhu. Ken had got stuck in a meeting so joined us for the main course and desert, Deborah, who had been in the meeting with Ken came say hello and joined us for a glass of wine and chat. It was very quiet in there and other than our table the rest were officers and crew.

Jon Martin the comedian who we saw in December was back on board in the theatre and a game show in the Pacific Lounge.

Sea Day tomorrow and all down hill from here.