Sue Kersh on Aurora

[Dennis The Menace]

Friday 16 February - Cartagena, Columbia
It was an extremely rough ride last night. We came through some rough seas between Southampton and Madeira but Aurora coped well with them. Last night we were being tossed around like we were in a rowing boat. There were loud bangs and judders as the waves hit the front side and back of the ship. The restaurant is on deck 6 and the waves were washing the windows whilst we were in dinner last night and it got worse.

This is our final South American Port. Cartagena is a walled city and was fortified to prevent attacks from the Dutch, French and British. We sailed past some of six the old Forts which used to guard the city from outside the walls and there were another fifteen forts inside the walls.

We docked a little later than planned but the trips went out on time. We were on the Horse & Carriage ride around the old town. We were taken in a coach to meet the horse & carriages and our guide Corpus pointed out the important buildings and sights along the way. We started at the Clock Tower and the old Plaza de los Coches which was the former slave market, churches and cathedrals and the famous Plaza de Bolivar which has the statue of Simon Bolivar who saved Cartagena from the Spanish. We saw the building where the dreaded Spanish Inquisition conducted the atrocities in the name of religion.

The carriages held 4 but we were in one on our own which was lucky because the seat next to me was broken and Garry nearly ended up sat on the floor. We saw a lot of the old city with it’s a Colonial style buildings and it was a pleasant way to spend an hour to view it. The traffic was quite heavy and we realised we had been separated from the other carriages. When we reached the end there was no sign of our group and we were searching frantically for them. Eventually we found them and I asked the guide if he could count. He was responsible for making sure the group was together before he set off. He made all sort of excuses and tried to blame the carriage driver but he was in the wrong and I certainly let him know it. After all of the warnings we had here about not wandering off on our own a tour guide leaves two of his group to do just that. I do think the warnings we had about this city were unjustified especially during the day. The locals were friendly and we saw many people wandering around on their own.

Back at the terminal was a Duty free area which was superb. Not only shopping but bars and cafes, an emerald cave, peacocks, parrots, flamingoes and Iguanas all roamed free. Wi fi had to be paid for and wasn’t great but you can’t have everything. Garry bought me some Columbian emerald jewellery and some coffee beans. We had an enjoyable day and I hadn’t expected to enjoy Cartagena as much as I did.

It was the Chinese New Year and dinner reflected that with the menus. After dinner we met Brian and Denise who had opted to go to the buffet for a change and had a drink outside at the Pennant Bar. Brian showed how much he loved me by spilling his precious beer over me. He wouldn’t waste good beer on just anyone! We moved tables and Denise showed Brian how much she loved him by sharing her beer with him. We had a good laugh about it and it is something else I can tease him about.

The evening entertainment was a very old ventriloquist Don Bryan. His act was funny in parts but I think 20 minutes would have been long enough. He used 3 different dummies which included a tennis ball which he could certainly have done without. The other two were Mr Noseworthy a dummy that was supposed to be even older than then Don Bryan and this was the most amusing part of the show, and a Vulture called Bird Reynolds. He does make his own puppets, which were expertly carved, but the funniest part of the show was when he got a member of the audience up and made fun of his socks and sandals. I doubt that we will go to his second show.

The Arcadia Orchestra were playing in Carmens Lounge.

Tomorrow we have a sea day to our first Caribbean port Aruba.

Saturday 17 February - Sea Day to Aruba
A very hot sea day with a welcome sea breeze on the aft decks. After the gym session and breakfast I chose my spot and set up there for the day. Garry did the washing whilst I was at breakfast and by the time I got back it was all finished.

I had a very lazy day in readiness for a run of ports in the Caribbean. In the next 10 days we only have one Sea day. There was a lot going on around the ship including speaker John Lyons about his years in the Touch of Frost series, vegetable carving demonstration, various deck sports and quizzes.

I had a short break (which actually lasted almost 2 hours, as at midday the clocks went forward and it was 1 p.m.) from the sun at lunchtime for a salad and 1/2 bottle of the white Chilean Sauvignon Blanc I had bought at the Vineyard in San Antonio.

The evening entertainment was the fabulous ‘Walk like a Man’. The tribute band to The Four Seasons. They were brilliant as usual and got a standing ovation at the end.

We have become resigned to the dreadful planning of the entertainment programme but tonight at 8:30 p.m. Elle, the Headliners singer, was in the Crows Nest which meant that 1 st sitting dinner had to choose between her and Walk like a man. 2 nd sitting didn’t even get a choice as she was only on once. Ben, the other Headliner, was singing in Carmens at 7:30 and 9:30. I felt for Elle as the theatre at 8:30 was packed with people even sitting on the steps so the Crows Nest must have been half empty. I do hope she is given another chance to do her session. We have had so much rubbish entertainment yet they put her on tonight.

Tomorrow we are in Aruba our first Caribbean port and I have an early snorkelling trip booked.

Sunday 18 February - Aruba
Although the port guide promised that Aruba has unbroken sunshine we woke to gloomy skies and some rain which didn’t bode well for my snorkel trip. The temperatures were in the mid 20s so very hot. The Island is one of the ABC Islands which are part of the Antilles together with Bonaire and Curacao. Blue sky emerged for a while whilst I was at breakfast but didn’t last.

I got to the meeting point in the terminal early as I was hoping for some free WiFi but no such luck. The trip was late leaving which turned out to be a bonus as there was a heavy rain shower. When we finally got moving the sun was shining and other than a few drops of liquid sunshine it stayed out most of the morning. The catamaran sped along the coast of Aruba past Eagle and Palm beach to our first snorkel spot Boca Catalina Reef close to the Beach. There were 3 ways of entering the water but the slide was the most fun. Lots of fish to see here and I managed to get some photos.

Our second stop was in deeper water over the wreck of the German Antilla ship. Here the water was quite rough as the wind had got up and the Captain advised that only strong swimmers should attempt the swim. Quite a few of us got in the water but some got out fairly quickly as it was rough. I managed to reach the wreck when I got stung by some floating red coral that had broken off. I gave up at that point and let the current take me back to the catamaran. Antihistamine cream worked and I was fine within a few minutes. The rum punch which flowed well all of the way back helped to ease the pain as well.

The Captain found the sun and calm waters and we had a lovely sail back along the coast of the island. The beaches here are white and sandy and the water was crystal clear. On the way back we noticed something black & shiny in the water a way off. Even with the rum punch no one could persuade me that it was a Dolphin. It appeared to be doing flip flops in the water. It turned out to be a rubber ring which had obviously escaped its owner and was making a dash for freedom.

After a shower and salad, which my butler had picked up for me, we set off out into town. There were local souvenir stalls open but as it was a Sunday the shops in the malls were all closed. We found some wi fi in the mall then went back to the ship intending to do some shopping on the way but most of the shops that had been open had closed early.

As we weren’t due to be back on board until 9:30 p.m. we met up with Brian and Denise and went out again to find a Bar on the waterfront. We found Edith in there already propping up the bar so invited her to join us.

We got back on the ship in time to get some supper from the buffet and eat it outside in the Pennant bar. The food was even worse than normal if that’s possible. It was a Caribbean buffet and I managed to identify a very well done roast beef, some white fish which looked like it had been cremated yesterday, I opted for a prawn and pineapple curry which was luke warm and although edible it certainly wasn’t enjoyable. I did enjoy the Waldorf salad and a fruit salad to finish. It actually didn’t matter that the food was so bad as we had such a good evening out.

The evening entertainment was a Guitar player and singer in the theatre and Caravan playing in Carmens.

Tomorrow we are in Bonaire and I have another early morning snorkel trip booked on a Private yacht.

[GillD46]

How I could do with some snorkelling right now.

[Dennis The Menace]

Monday 19 February - Bonaire
Bonaire is a boomerang shaped island and is surrounded by Coral reefs which is a marine park.
It was another early start this morning and no time for Eggs Benedict for breakfast in the Main Dining room.
There were seven passengers and a tour escort on the private yacht snorkel trip. Lissette collected us from the dock in her mini van and took us to meet her partner Mike, who was the Captain of the yacht. They were a lovely laid back couple who just loved the water and Bonaire. They made us feel at home and and talked about their life in Bonaire and their passion for the island and marine life. They had emigrated from Holland some years ago and were very fit and tanned.

We sailed for about half an hour to the marine park and the snorkel spot. I could see across the water to Klein Bonaire where I had snorkeled on a previous visit here. This was the best trip with P & O that I have ever done. The sea was so clean and clear as no pollution of the water is allowed in Bonaire. The brilliantly coloured tropical fish were happy swimming around and didn’t take any notice of us. There were many different species some huge and others tiny. I could have stayed in the water there all day. We were the only yacht there and it was so peaceful. The huge catamaran snorkel trips, where you have to avoid everyone’s legs and fins, just won’t be the same in the future after this one.

Once back on the yacht, where there was a fresh water hose to clean off equipment and bodies, Lisette & Mike made the decision to stay where we were for a while as they could see a squall in the distance. Lisette served both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks and then, once the squall had passed, hoisted the sails and we gracefully made our way back to the boat yard. The drinks flowed all of the way back and nothing was too much trouble for this lovely couple. This is certainly the way to travel in the Caribbean.

Back on the ship Garry was waiting with my lunch, then we set off to explore the small town of Kralendijk, which is the capital of Bonaire. It only has two main streets so very easy to walk around. He had already been off once and found the supermarket to stock up the cabin supplies. My gin had been running low, as had the diet cokes. Bonaire is an expensive place to live as everything is brought in, but the London Gin was only 9 US dollars and 43% proof.
We wandered around town stopping to chat to other passengers. There are some lovely individual shops as well as the usual touristy ones, and we noticed a lot more of them than last time we were here in December 2013. Garry treated me again to some jewellery. This time it was hand made glass, such beautiful colours and designs. Another reminder of our wonderful cruise.

We were meeting six friends for dinner in the Beach House and went for pre dinner drinks to Brian & Denise’s cabin. We weren’t happy with the table allocated in the Beech House as the wind had got up and although not cold it was annoying. They moved us inside, but it didn’t have any atmosphere and who wants to eat inside in the Caribbean. Denise asked them to move the table they had originally set up for us further back which they did. Outside, but out of the wind with a slight breeze. The food was outstanding as usual and the company of David & Tina, Edith, Caryll, Brian & Denise made the evening perfect.

The entertainment should have been the Headliners new show, Echoes in the Night, but due to illness this was cancelled and the ventriloquist was moved to the theatre. We gave it a miss as after seeing the first show (which many enjoyed) it just wasn’t ‘our thing’.

Tomorrow is our last relaxing sea day as we have a full week of ports.

[Dennis The Menace]

How I could do with some snorkelling right now.

Me too Gll

[Dennis The Menace]

Tuesday 20 February - Sea Day to Tobago
I had a very relaxing sea day but did get to the exercise class before breakfast, then stayed on the aft deck baking until 2 p.m. Even the free Rum tasting event couldn’t entice me to leave my spot. There was a lovely sea breeze and my butler delivered my lunch to my sunbed.

He then changed his hat from waiter to hairdresser and tended to my crowning glory. It’s amazing how much quicker hair grows in the sun.

It was the 12 th formal night of the cruise and the dining room was very quiet. I think people have either got fed up of dressing up or have grown out of their formal outfits. In the early days of the cruise passengers in formal dress was virtually 100% but this must have dropped to less than 70%. In the Club dining room the percentage may be higher but the freedom dining room was very quiet.

The group Walk Like A Man were performing their second and final show in the theatre and once again got a standing ovation. Such a shame they are getting off tomorrow and I hope we see them again on our future cruises. I wouldn’t mind them stalking my cruises.

There will be new acts arriving tomorrow as the old ones leave, the speakers are changing as well as the classical pianists.

Tomorrow we are in the small port of Tobago.

Wednesday 21 February - Tobago
It is quite a few years since we were last in Tobago and then we had to tender into shore. A cruise terminal has now been built which makes this beautiful island much more accessible.

Tobago is part of the republic of a Trinidad and Tobago which are the most Southerly of the Caribbean islands. They are completely different and there is no comparison between the built up island Trinidad where crime is rife and the beautiful laid back island of Tobago with its lush rainforest, waterfalls and fabulous sandy beaches.

We got off early and got a taxi to Pigeon Point which is privately owned and charges 3 US dollars for entrance, the beach was clean, plenty of sun beds, toilets and changing facilities which were manned and cleaned regularly. A choice of bars and restaurants and best of all no hawkers.

There were guys going round selling snorkel trips in Glass bottomed boats to Buccoo reef. I booked one of these for 20 US Dollars. The Captain promised I would be back at the beach for 12:30 as we had a taxi booked for 1 p.m. because we wanted to see the town of Scarborough.

The water was very clear and a huge reef which was still living. The reef was teeming with fish and we had a great view from the Glass bottomed boat. The snorkel stop was close by and the same reef that we had been viewing from the boat. I saw many different varieties and colourful fish but photographing them was difficult as the current was very strong there and snorkelling a challenge. The Captain had to dive in to save a guy who had assured him that he didn’t need a life vest as he was a strong swimmer. This was utter rubbish and very foolish of him as he was way out of his depth and he started panicking which made it worse.

The next stop was at the Nylon pool. This was very shallow and clear as it was a sandbank. It was like having a bath. The Captain encouraged us to grab handfuls of the sand and use it as an exfoliator.

We should then have returned to Pigeon point and it was already 12:30 p.m. but he did a detour to drop two passengers off at No mans Island, so called because no one owned it and trips went there for BBQs. We saw the P & O trip there. We finally got back to Pigeon at 1:15 p.m. and after a quick change out of wet swim wear we were relieved to find that our lovely taxi driver Elvira had waited for us.

We returned to Scarborough and had a wander around stopping for a local Caribe beer and buying some for the cabin. We supported the local economy and purchased some local coffee beans and other souvenirs.

Lots of passengers were getting free wi fi at the terminal but I was desperate to get into the shower and wash off the sea water and excess sand. We were far too late for lunch so had some afternoon tea sat outside at the Pennant bar to put us on until a Dinner. It’s hungry work snorkelling.

The announcement was in the Horizon that Aurora would become an adult only ship from April 2019. This came as no surprise as we had heard the rumour a few months ago. This will now pave the way for Oriana to be sold although at the moment this is still being denied by P & O.

The Headliners performed their new show Echoes in the Night. It has quite a complicated story line and although I enjoyed the music, the plot was very bitty and the acting certainly needed work.

Tomorrow we are in Barbados

[Quizzical Bob]

Great to read, Sue. It all brings back memories and generates some new wishes.

Walk Like a Man are Brilliant. They also perform all over the country and if anybody can get a chance to see them they shold grab it.

[Dennis The Menace]

Thursday 22 February - Barbados
It was another Caribbean sunny day but no beach day for me. We disembarked early to look around the port shops and stalls and managed to get some wi fi in the terminal.

There was a big change-over of crew today and our cabin steward Shalom, who had looked after us for the last 2 months, left and Darwen has replaced him. Endrich the head restaurant Manager has also left for home.

It was the special Peninsular Ligurian tier party at the Sunbury Plantation and we met in the terminal before boarding coaches for a tour of the island before arriving at the Plantation. Our tour guide Mona was a mine of information but didn’t seem to have an ‘off switch’.

Sunbury Plantation House is one of the last remaining sugar plantation houses and is over 300 years old, but restored recently after a fire. The gardens were large and old machinery used in the cultivation of crops were on display.

We were greeted by Handsome Gordon the Hotel General Manager and a glass of champagne. There was only one barman and the officers soon realised that Sunbury Plantation had not put on anywhere near enough staff to cope with the 260 plus guests, and soon got stuck in going round refilling the champagne glasses. The coach drivers and tour guides were also roped in and filled in as waitresses, as did the loyalty team.
Rum punch was served as well as tea & coffee, although there didn’t appear to be much of that being drunk. Sandwiches and cakes and scones were brought out, but there didn’t seem to be any organisation from the Plantation staff. If it wasn’t for the officers getting involved it could have been a disaster. They had gone for an afternoon out but ended up working harder than they probably do on ship. It was a fabulous afternoon and many of us were up dancing to the steel band, and the officers joined in the fun once everyone had been fed and watered. What amazes me is the whingeing from some passengers when we were being treated to this lovely afternoon. I think they were serving them wasp sandwiches.

We got chance to visit the Plantation house which was filled with antiques and memorabilia. We never did find out why there was a riding crop on the bed! The mind boggles.

Our tour guide on the coach back was Lynette otherwise known as Smiley. She was great fun and joined in our alcohol fuelled banter on the way back to the ship.

We did make it to dinner but although Garry went to see Jon Courtney, the piano playing comedian, in the theatre I returned to the cabin early.

Friday 23 February- St. Lucia
Rain showers were forecast as is the norm for St. Lucia. It is a very green island with magnificent rain forests and exotic gardens. It is part of the Windward Islands and is fully independent, but remains a member of the Commonwealth.

We were docked at the Paupers dock on the town side very close to the market area. Seraphine Point is a much nicer dock with exclusive shops and fun bars. It is a short walk around to there, or there is a very small boat which regularly runs back and forth between the two docks. The Celebrity Eclipse, although it arrived after us, had been allocated the prime dock. It probably has mainly Americans on board who are known to be big spenders in the jewellery shops, it is also bigger than Aurora so may not have fit in the town dock.

After P & O had cancelled my snorkel trip in St Lucia I had contacted Cosol tours and booked a full day trip round the island with them, which included a snorkel stop between the Pitons. I was the only Aurora passenger on the tour and 3 minivan loads from the Eclipse. In my minivan there were 6 Americans and 3 British including me. This trip was such good value - 75 US dollars per person which included all entry fees, Free beer, water, Rum Punch or sodas all day.

We stopped at various viewing points with a chance to shop for souvenirs. One was a banana plantation and were each given a banana to sample, as well as a short demonstration of how the bananas grow on the trees. We drove through the lush rainforest and Yellowbird pointed out the different fruits and trees. Everything was so exotic.

Brunch was a mixture of everything, local cooked by a lovely lady and served on a terrace overlooking the beautiful lush green landscape of St Lucia. It started raining but as we were all undercover it wasn’t a problem.

The next stop should have been the beach but the skies looked threatening so the itinerary was changed around and we went to the volcano, sulphur springs and mud baths. I didn’t partake in this as I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to dirty water used by many bodies caked in mud. Some of our group did partake and enjoyed it. The rain that had threatened did not materialise so we headed for the beach at Soufrierre and into a small, fast boat which took us to the beach between the pitons. We had been stocked up with refreshments before we left the booze van on land. I love these fast boat rides.

The marine park there is the best snorkel spot on St Lucia and, although not easy to get to, it is worth the effort. The rain started whilst I was in the water but it didn’t spoil the snorkelling at all and was over in 5 minutes or so. There was an abundance of brightly coloured fish and, it being a marine reserve, the water was crystal clear and the coral was thriving. We had an hour there before the boat returned us to Soufrierre and the waiting booze van.

The next stop was the waterfall which, unfortunately due to the recent heavy rain, it wasn’t safe to swim in but it looked fabulous as did the surrounding gardens. Yellowbird picked up some local freshly made cookies and passed these around.

The final stop was back where we had brunch for freshly baked bread and cheese washed down with Piton beer and rum punch or water and soda. They also brought out some local moonshine which was exceptionally strong but very tasty.

We had a few more photo stops on the way back to the ship including a flower called Rose of Sharon. We had stopped on the way out and photographed the flower which was white, but on the way back it was pink. Yellowbird explained that the flower only has a 24 hour life cycle and that tomorrow morning a new white one would be there.
We saw the two ships from the viewing point and then Yellowbird dropped me off at the terminal before taking the Eclipse passengers round to the Seraphine Point terminal. We all had a fabulous day trip around St Lucia and I will do it again next time we are here.

Garry was waiting for me to return. He hadn’t had a great day as was in the terminal building when a squall hit, sending glasses, pictures, tables and chairs flying. He was okay but, with flying glass around a bit, shook up. It sounded like we had had the best of the weather around the other side of the island. At least he had managed to get the washing up to date.

The evening entertainment was a female vocalist from Scotland called Shoana. She had a great voice but her song choice wasn’t to my taste. Not sure if we will go to her next show.

The tropical party was on deck but we didn’t stay long as it was so windy. We only had 38 miles to travel so not sure why the captain couldn’t have anchored somewhere out of the wind.

Tomorrow we are in Martinique overnight which of course would be a perfect night to have a deck party.

[Dennis The Menace]

Saturday 24 February - 1 st day in Martinique
This was the one port I wasn’t particularly looking forward to. It was a few years since we last visited and the people then were not friendly or welcoming.

We docked close to the ferry terminal and met David, Tina, Denise, Brian and Edith in reception and went to try to work out the ferry system. We did speak to a couple of locals who were helpful and their English was far better than our non existent French.

We caught the 08:30 ferry and the cost was 7 return whether we paid in dollars or Euros so we paid in dollars. We were on the Anse Mitan beach before it got busy and there were plenty of sun beds at 15 Euros for 2 beds. Bars were close by as were toilet facilities but they were limited. We had a great 4 hours there, the sea was lovely and refreshing and as we had secured some beds in the shade and some in the sun everyone was happy. Garry didn’t go into the water but did butlering duties on the beach, and came back with beer for everyone. We had another beer on the beach before leaving this idyllic spot to get the ferry back across to where the ship was docked. The ferry was behind schedule probably due to the wind which had got up.

Back at Fort de France we had a quick walk through the market and then found a bar for another beer. Poor Brian, it was his turn to buy and the 3€ beers at the bar were now 4€. We didn’t see anything nearby suitable for having lunch there.

On the way back to the ship we passed the craft market and I couldn’t resist the sarong with turtles on it which was shouting ‘buy me buy me’

We had missed lunch on board but I just had time for a shower to get rid of the sea water and sand before going up for afternoon tea in the buffet.

The evening entertainment was the piano playing comedian Jon Courtneys 2 nd show. He was extremely funny and got the audience involved in his silliness.

Kool Blue were playing outside on deck 8 for the Glass House's under the stars evening, and we met Brian & Denise and sat outside with a drink on deck 9 listening to them.

We are staying overnight in Martinique but, after trying and failing this afternoon to find a decent place to spend the evening out, we all opted to stay on board.

We have another full day here tomorrow.

[Dennis The Menace]

Sunday 25 February - 2 nd day in Martinique
It was another beautiful day in the Caribbean and although we should have been in St Maarten we intended to make the most of the change of port and see a different side of Martinique. The plan today was to meet up with the gang and do a taxi tour of the island. Denise rang early morning to say she had been unwell during the night so wouldn’t be joining us.

The five of us chatted to a taxi driver called Alex who spoke perfect English and offered us a 4 hour trip around the island for 40 € per person which he reduced to 35€ when another 3 people joined us. He made an extra 80€ out of that.

We had a short drive around Fort de France before heading out of the city to the Sacre Couer church where a service was being held. Stunning architecture and beautiful gardens. We stopped at many viewing points which had either stunning views or exotic flowers. At one stop we spotted a humming bird flitting from tree to tree. I didn’t manage to get a photo but Edith did with her super duper camera.

We stopped at a stream and a Bob Marley lookalike was selling coconuts straight from the trees. The juice inside was delicious and once drunk he then got his machete out and cut it in half so the flesh could be eaten. He did a good business at his spot on the bridge overlooking the babbling stream.

Soon afterwards we reached the waterfall. Alex said it was an easy walk down but only four of us made it all the way. It was like an assault course with steep uneven steps down to an even more uneven pathway which led to a well maintained wooden bridge, then stepping stones of a sort through the stream before we finally reached the wonderful waterfall. There were a few young people swimming in the pond area beneath the waterfall. We started taking photos then realised that the girls were half naked.

The views of mont Pelee and the Volcano were magnificent with only a small amount of cloud on the very top. We could see where the lava flow was and where the eruption in 1902 had blown a hole in the side of the mountain.

On the way back down towards sea level we stopped at the Rum distillery for tastings but it was closed. Alex explained that normally when cruise ships were in port it stayed open . We were allowed to wander around the beautiful gardens and to use the toilet facilities. The smell of the rum hung in the air teasing us.

The town of St Pierre was very badly hit when the volcano erupted and Alex showed us the remains of the church which was destroyed with the townspeople inside during a service. Within 3 minutes of the eruption 30,000 people were killed either by the buildings being demolished, fire or the sulphurous gasses which escaped. The ships in the harbour were destroyed.

St Pierre was the old capital of Martinique and was where Christopher Columbus first landed. It is now a pretty seaside resort with a dark volcanic sand beach and crystal clear waters. Even after over a hundred years since the disaster there are still many signs of the destruction, but houses are starting to be rebuilt.

We drove through more pretty fishing villages before Alex dropped us back at the ship.
We had seen a completely different part of Martinique and, as it turned out that the town of Fort de France was completely closed as it was a Sunday, we had made a wise decision to do a tour around.

There were some very disgruntled passengers on ship who hadn’t booked a tour and found there was nothing at all open close by the ship. Whoever plans the itineraries for P & O need to be made aware that although this is a Caribbean Island it is still very French and on a Sunday it is not open for business.

We decided against the entertainment on offer which was vocalist Shona Whites second show in the theatre, or a guitarist in Carmens, and instead sat outside and enjoyed the warm Caribbean night with a bottle of wine.

Tomorrow we are in St. Kitts but a glance of the Horizon paper showed that we are not docking at Port Zante, which is the cruise port, but are docking at a Commercial port which is a 20 minute shuttle bus ride to Port Zante.

Monday 26 February - St. Kitts
Another glorious morning and we docked early at 7 a.m. We could see Britannia and the Adventure of the Seas Royal Caribbean ship docked at Port Zante. We were at the Commercial port which was actually nearer to South Friars beach and the shipwreck bar.
The port had put on a shuttle to Port Zante and, thinking that we would have to go there to get a taxi back to the beach, we were off the ship by 08:30. But the taxi stand was there and we shared with another couple. It was only 4 US Dollars each to get to the beach. We were the first there and had the choice of beds.

The snorkelling there was fantastic. The sea was calm and the water crystal clear as no one else had ventured into the sea that early in the morning. This was the place I had spotted my first turtle in the wild on my last visit here, but he was nowhere to be seen today. Instead I spotted a huge Ray just lying on the bottom of the sea, once again another first as I had only seen them on planned trips where they are fed and encouraged to be in a certain area. There was an abundance of fish and many squid who all seemed to line up as though on parade.

By the time I came out of the water the beach was filling up with passengers from the Seabourne Odyssey ship, which was tendering passengers to the Caribou hotel about 500 yards further down South Friars beach. They charge around 15 US $ there for a bed so the canny Americans just wandered up to the Shipwreck bar for a free sun bed and cheap beer. I sampled the Rum punch made with a secret recipe and the Caribe beer.
We have been coming to the shipwreck bar for many years and never have we seen this beach so busy. The sad thing is that this bar has to close on 28 February as the land has been sold to the Hilton hotel group who are going to develop the land. This is a beautiful spot with wild monkeys and mongoose living in the shrubs and trees behind the bar, the fabulous coral reef , the small but sandy beach and the shallow clear water, all surrounded by hills and greenery. No wonder the Hilton wants this land but what a shame to turn this typical undeveloped Caribbean area into an overdeveloped concrete mass. 1000’s had signed the petition against it but money talks. Soon there will be nothing Caribbean left in the Caribbean Islands. Visiting St Kitts will never be the same in the future and although the beaches are public, no doubt the Hilton will prevent any road access to this beach and reef. We had 4 hours there then said our final goodbyes to this idyllic spot and returned to the ship to drop off the wet towels and change out of swimwear before catching the shuttle to Port Zante. It was heaving with cruise passengers but we needed a few more presents and some Duty free to take home so we braved the 7000 plus passengers swamping the port area.

I think docking at the Commercial port was actually a bonus for us but I felt sorry for the crew who had arranged to meet their friends from Britannia. They only get about 2 hours off and the shuttle was 20 minutes each way.

The evening entertainment was a conjuror in the theatre and Elle who is one of the Headliners in Carmens. I would have liked to go to listen to Elle but as this may be the last warm Caribbean night until late October we decided on a night under the stars on the aft deck.

Tomorrow is our final Caribbean port of Antigua before we start the long trek home across the Atlantic Ocean.

[Kenmo1]

Soon afterwards we reached the waterfall. Alex said it was an easy walk down but only four of us made it all the way. It was like an assault course with steep uneven steps down to an even more uneven pathway which led to a well maintained wooden bridge, then stepping stones of a sort through the stream before we finally reached the wonderful waterfall. There were a few young people swimming in the pond area beneath the waterfall. We started taking photos then realised that the girls were half naked.

We enjoyed the trip around Martinique and I think cruisers seriously miss out if they just stay in Fort de France. I was the wuss who had to be helped down to the waterfall and across the stepping stones. I'm glad we did it then because I don't think Ken's knee would cope with it now. Funnily enough I think a lot of our photos include half naked young ladies in the pool and it certainly wasn't me in charge of the camera. Maureen.

[Dennis The Menace]

Ha ha, that made he chuckle Maureen , sounds like Ken enjoyed the "photography" as much as the waterfall .

Anyways, here's more from Sue :

Tuesday 27 February - Antigua
Our last port of call in the Caribbean and we woke to rain and cloudy skies. I had planned a beach day and was relieved to find after breakfast that the rain had stopped and the sun had broken through the clouds. We shared a taxi with six others from the ship and headed for Valley Church Beach. There are apparently 365 beaches to choose from on this island.

The beach here is huge with clear blue water but no snorkelling. A bar and restaurant called The Nest with free wi fi, changing and toilet facilities and very few hawkers. I made the most of our final hot beach day and led in the sun reading with an occasional dip in the sea to cool off. We left at 1 p.m. and went around the shops in the port area and to the small supermarket to stock up on cabin supplies for the journey back across the Atlantic.

We had our evening meal sat outside with Denise and Brian in the Beech House. There was no entertainment on that any of us wanted to see so we took our time and had a lovely laid back meal. I had the Lava rock fillet steak which was delicious. A great way to finish off the Caribbean section of our cruise.

We now have 5 sea days until we reach Praia Vittoria in the Azores.

Wed 28 February - 1 st Sea Day to Praia Vittoria.
I went back to the early morning Exercise class which was body conditioning. I made the mistake of getting on the scales which wasn’t good news. The gym instructor told me that she thinks they are broken and weighing heavy. I asked her hopefully if she thought they were weighing a stone heavy.

After a light Breakfast I found my spot on the aft deck. It was windy but the sun was hot and quite pleasant.

The Macmillan Coffee morning was held on aft deck but wasn’t well attended which could have been because not many knew about it. The ents staff were having a hard job trying to stop things blowing away in the wind. Not the best place to hold a raffle.

No sooner had they cleared up it was the noon announcement and the clocks went forward an hour so noon became 1 p.m. and the archery competition between the officers and passengers. Not sure who won but they certainly made enough noise.

Formal night and a trio of vocalists in the theatre called Hollywood and the Kings. They weren’t too bad but once again the choice of music was boring and predictable.
We had intended going to the Formal Night Ball but on the way out of the theatre a waitress opened the deck door and the wind blew the contents of her tray all over my dress. She was very apologetic but it wasn’t her fault. I would have been more upset if it had happened at the start of the cruise and would have asked the laundry to try to sort it out, but as I have no intention of wearing it again this cruise I prefer to leave it to the professional cleaners at home. I couldn’t be bothered to go and change into another formal dress even if I could find one that still fit me so we gave dancing a miss again.

Thursday 1 March - 2nd Sea Day
The temperature had certainly dropped and the wind was fierce when I went out on deck. I had been to the Fab Abs class which was excruciating today and the scales were still broken!

My butler did the laundry whilst I was in breakfast which he said was unusually quiet so no laundry room gossip today.

I sat out on the aft deck for about 10 minutes but the wind made it too uncomfortable so I retreated to deck 9 which had a bit more shelter. When the sun came out it was hot but as it was only 9 a.m. the clouds were winning the battle most of the time. For the first time since leaving Chile, fleeces could be seen on deck albeit on top of swim wear. I stayed outside until lunch time but as the weather showed no signs of improvement I decided to go to the Main Dining room for lunch.

The weather and seas worsened as the day went on and when it came to getting ready for dinner we both decided against it. It was hard just standing up never mind getting in the shower and dressed. We ordered room service dinner and opened a bottle of wine. The entertainment was a comedian we last saw in August on Adonia who was reasonable but no doubt he won’t have changed his act. The Headliners were performing Killer Queen again in Carmens. As much as I enjoy this show I really wasn’t bothered about seeing it again 4 or 5 weeks after it was last performed and so we had a cabin night.

[Dennis The Menace]

Friday 2 nd March - 3 rd Sea Day
The seas and wind had calmed down but Aurora was still rolling around as the swell had not abated. I gave the exercise class a miss because of the motion of the ocean.

At least the sun was shining and the clouds were few and far between. I had a great day on deck and my butler served me lunch outside. I was fine whilst I was lying down. It was walking around that caused problems. The hour went forward at lunchtime, we are now 2 hours behind the UK and have another hour to lose before we reach the Azores on Monday.

We took the internet to catch up with family and friends and to check on the Snow Saga going on in the UK. You have all had it bad and I feel for you as I hate snow and cold weather so please just ensure it has all gone by next Friday.

By dinner time the swell had got worse and we were in 2 minds whether to go down to dinner or eat in our cabin. We did but only had 2 courses then left. It suddenly got worse, a lot worse, and everything flew off the dressing table and the glasses in the cupboard fell over, but luckily didn’t smash and our stash of booze stayed safe as well.

We gave the entertainment a miss which was yet another magician/conjuror/illusionist and a dance date in Carmens to the Orchestra.

Fingers crossed the seas and wind settle down overnight.

[Dennis The Menace]

Saturday 3 rd March - 4 th Sea Day
The sea had calmed down considerably but the swell was still causing some movement. The sun was out and the wind non existent so I set up on the aft deck to get what must be the last of the suns rays as rain is forecast for Praia Vitoria.
As has been the case most days none of the entertainment on offer appealed or was interesting enough to entice me out of the sun or away from my kindle.

The evening entertainment was the comedian Phil Melbourne in Carmens and the Hollywood & The Kings in the theatre. As we had missed Phil Melbournes first show earlier in the week we opted for that but the only seats we could get were where it wasn’t easy to get out or I would have left after 5 minutes. Some of the audience obviously found him funny but the jokes were all old hat told over and over again by the comedians P & O have dug up from somewhere.
We could have rushed to the other end of the ship to see Hollywood & The Kings but having been bored enough to fall asleep in their last show and already bored to tears by the comedian we decided not to bother.

Sunday 4 March - Final Sea Day to Praia Vitoria
It will be good to reach land tomorrow. The morning was gloomy but the sun kept trying to come out. The swell was still there but the sea looked calm even though the ship was rolling at times.

I always leave a glass of water by the bed and this morning was horrified to see big thick black bits at the bottom of the glass. The water looks okay but the black specks are so small that they can’t be seen except overnight they had settled at the bottom of the glass and formed into chunks.
Reception ordered jugs of water from room service and sent a technician to look at the water. The verdict was that the water is contaminated but they don’t know how or what with but it is not drinkable. They are closing off the supply to a number of cabins tomorrow to replace the pipes. No ill effects as yet so fingers crossed we haven’t been infected.

We ate in the Beach House as although it was formal night the menu in the dining room was very ordinary. There is no need to dress formally in the Beach House and it was very busy. We had another great meal in there and finished just in time to see the illusionist in the theatre. That’s another hour of my life wasted. If only I had ordered another cup of coffee In the restaurant. One of his tricks was quite clever but he was soooo boring and his act could have been over in 15 minutes. The usual rope tricks and making a lightweight table lift with a magnet is not formal night entertainment. The Headliners had another night off. They have certainly had a great holiday at our expense.
When we came out of the theatre the ship was rolling around again so we headed for the cabin rather than the formal night Ball.

[Ray B]

Very enjoyable Sue, but I was thinking that you must be very good on the old keyboard as I would see nothing if I did a report like this, it would take me ages. loving it.

[Dennis The Menace]

Monday 5 March - Praia Vitoria, Azores
Praia Vitoria is the cruise port on the island of Terceira, so called as it was the third of the Azore Islands to be discovered. It is Volcanic and some of the volcanos are still active.

It was a gloomy start to the day for our final port of call on this epic cruise. We got off about 9:30 a.m. and caught the shuttle bus into the small town, passing many emerald green fields and grazing cows. It wasn’t raining at that stage and very pleasant wandering around their market and small shops. There is only one Main Street which leads down to the harbour area where we could see Aurora in the distance. The Gin tasting place was closed for refurbishment so I settled on a coffee with great free WiFi. It was very busy with ships passengers especially, as by this time, it had started raining.

By the time we left the cafe the ship had disappeared in the mist. Our intention had been to get a taxi drive around the island but, even if we could have found one, we wouldn’t have been able to see the views. We could have walked up the 290 steps up to the viewpoint but the clouds looked threatening and the view after all that effort would have been of mist.

By this time the rain was getting heavier and, as we are calling here again in November and next February, we decided to leave the rest of the sightseeing until then and headed back to the ship to dry off and have lunch. The weather stayed the same for the rest of the day.

The entertainment in Carmens was the Headliners show, Top of the Billboards. We have seen this numerous times but always enjoy the music from the 60 s & 70s. It was one of the better performances from the Headliners and a good show.

In the Curzon theatre was a group called Graffiti Classics. We decided against going and will await the verdict of the passengers that did, as they will be on again before we disembark.

[cruisin_duo]

Thank you for posting your report. Have enjoyed reading about your cruise.

[Dennis The Menace]

Sue's final few days :

Tuesday 6 th March - Sea Day
After the rain and gloom of yesterday we awoke to bright sunshine and blue skies. Such a shame it wasn’t like this yesterday.

Good news from our Deck supervisor who has offered us a free meal & wine in any of the select dining venues. We opted for the Beach House on the last night as this is our favourite .

The Revolvers performed to a packed house in Carmens. Brilliant 60 s music and the whole venue was rocking. A brilliant atmosphere. Richard & Adam of Britains got Talent fame were in the Theatre but, as we have seen them before as The Johnson Brothers, we headed for Anderson’s Bar and the Gin Flight. I had been meaning to taste this since we got on board 10 weeks ago and had only just got round to it. Delicious, and I am hoping they also have it on offer in Anderson’s on Oriana.

Wednesday 7 March Sea day
Another bright Sunny day but a few bigger waves which now that the swell had reduced the ship coped without any problem.

Packing commenced but only half heartedly as we still have tomorrow and it might not be sunny tomorrow.

We met friends for coffee after lunch and said our goodbyes. David and Tina are staying on to sample the delights of the Frozen North, Brendan & Rob are flying back home to Australia and winning the prize for the furthest journey home. Denise & Brian are self disembarking and only have a quick hop over the water to the Isle of Wight. They will probably be home and unpacking before we even disembark. Friday traffic on the M6 will probably mean a long drive back to Lancashire for us. There are so many Ligurian tier members that priority is non existent. We have been allotted the Curzon theatre for departure of around 9 to 9:30 a.m.

It was the Final Formal night and the Parade of the chefs. We said goodbye to our lovely waiters, Christian & Jesse, who have looked after us so well, and to Sandeep our diet waiter who has also been a star. Even though we are freedom dining we have eaten in their area for 90% of the cruise.

Our invite to the Captains Farewell Cocktail party was for 20:15 in the Crows Nest. There were so many waiters serving drink and canapés that no one could complain. The Captain gave a short speech thanking everyone for sailing with him and thanking everyone for their kind words about the crew who have been exceptional.
Garry went to see the group Graffiti in Curzon and I stayed in the Crows Nest chatting to Edith as the drink from the party was still flowing well.

There was no Black Tie Ball as Amy Kelly, one of the entertainment staff, was singing in Carmens. There was only pre dinner dancing at 7 :45 for 1/2 hour when most passengers are either in dinner or getting ready for dinner. Once again this really wasn’t formal night entertainment and especially as it was the last formal night. But as the CSQs are now completed they don’t have to try to please the passengers anymore, not that they have for the last 9 weeks anyway.

Thursday 8 March. Final Sea Day
We finished the packing after breakfast and once again it was a sunny day. Quite cold and fresh outside but bright and some passengers were sat out in the sun.

After lunch I went to listen to the choir as David and Tina were singing. I am not sure how many passengers were involved but the stage was full and I would guesstimate around 120. David & Tina were easy to spot on the front row. They were all fantastic and had worked really hard to learn so many songs.

We had our last dinner in the Beach House with the compliments of the ship due to our water being contaminated. A very nice way to spend our last evening on board. We were too late finishing to go to the 8:30 show and felt the 10:30 one was too late as we have a long drive tomorrow. We have seen the act before when they were called the Johnson Brothers, and no doubt we will see them again on a future cruise.

Friday 9 March Disembarkation

The ship docked at the Ocean Terminal before 6 a.m and we could see the lovely Oriana docked at the Mayflower terminal.

We had a very organised disembarkation, one of the best yet despite the amount of luggage that had to be unloaded.

I went to breakfast in the Main Dining room and Garry had organised with Darwen, our cabin steward, that we could stay there until 08:30. Well before that we noticed that passengers were disembarking so made our way to the gangway and straight off the ship. We used a porter to help with the luggage and were in the taxi before 08:30 and on our way to collect the car. We were on the road home before 9 a.m.

It has been a brilliant cruise with so many amazing ports of call. The crew have been friendly and professional and we have met lots of fellow passengers who have become friends.

The downside has been the complete lack of decent entertainment apart from the last few nights. The organisation and scheduling of events has been the worst that I have ever come across, but at least it gave everyone something to laugh about and was certainly the talking point of the ship. Aurora is the only ship I have been on that has ever cancelled the Battle of the Sexes and, despite many passengers asking for it to be reinstated, it wasn’t. It felt as though the entertainment team and the Headliners had a fabulous holiday at our expense. The Headliners did around 10 shows in 65 nights 4 of which were repeated. They did teach the line dancing, salsa, and dancercise and the singers helped organise the choir. They did have a lot of spare time and were often seen sunbathing on the decks and on the beaches at the ports of call.

I really don’t like the buffet area on Aurora and the food in there was definitely a lot worse than we have had on Arcadia and Oriana. I am not a fan of the buffet anyway and prefer the main dining room. Room service is now chargeable except for breakfast but I did use that occasionally. The Grab & Go was okay but the selection of salads and sandwiches were very repetitive.

The Main Dining Room food was exceptionally good most nights. On a long cruise the menu does get repeated but there is so much choice that I never found it a problem. There were rare occasions when the food wasn’t cooked to my liking but this was changed immediately.

We would certainly book on Aurora in the future if the itinerary appealed but still prefer Arcadia and Oriana.

We now have 8 weeks at home to lose the excess weight before we set off again back to Southampton to join the lovely Oriana.

[Meg 50]

did you put your thoughts on the entertainment on the CSQ?

I'd be tempted to send what you wrote in your last post to HQ - so you are sure it gets to the correct ears

[Gill W]

Thank you Sue for your reports and to Dennis for doing the honours.

Aurora was the first ship I sailed on, and remains a favourite. We were on Aurora for two legs of the world cruise last year, and thought the entertainment was not so good for the first part. Too many female singers for my liking. However, I felt the entertainment picked up for the second half of the cruise. I think it was just co-incidence that this was at the time Leon de Ste Croix took over as cruise director, as the CD has no choice over the acts that are booked - but everything was more to my taste, and things seemed 'better'.

Will be back on Aurora in September for the USA and Canada cruise. Tomorrow we embark on Fred Olsen's Balmoral for the Northern Lights cruise. I believe we'll be in Alta on 16th March at the same time as Aurora, so looking forward to seeing her then

[Finker]

I should like to add my thanks for your wonderful informative reports. I will never be able to take such a long cruise so this was the next best thing.

Wishing you a good rest before your next trip!!

Thank you for keeping us entertained.

Best wishes.

[david63]

As I understand it on P&O ships these days the entertainment on board is dictated by "Operations" in Southampton and the Cruise Director (or whatever they are called these days) has virtually no say in what goes on - why somebody sat in an office several thousand miles away knows better than the "feet on the ground" is beyond me.

Interestingly I was watching the series about Princess Cruises going to Alaska last night and the head of entertainment is still known as the Cruise Director!!

[rita17]

Thank you for your reports Sue. Have really enjoyed reading them. Was looking forward to hearing about Praia Vitoria as we will be there in April on Oriana. Shame about the rain.

Rita

[KaiRose]

I have so enjoyed following your wonderful cruise. You have a lovely way with words Sue and in my mind's eye I felt like I was right there too Thank you for posting. Best Wishes.

Rose

[Suekersh]

did you put your thoughts on the entertainment on the CSQ?

I'd be tempted to send what you wrote in your last post to HQ - so you are sure it gets to the correct ears

Yes Meg we certainly did and we are following it up with a letter to head office. They are aware of the problems regarding the entertainment generally as they read the Facebook blogs.

[gilly88]

really enjoyed your cruise reports thank you for taking the time to post. thanks also to Dennis.