Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

Reports about cruises on Aurora
User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#1

Post by Suekersh »

Just getting the latest through from Sue.

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#2

Post by Suekersh »

Christmas 2019 Aurora Cruise to Canaries

Saturday, 21 December 2019 - Boarding day
We travelled down Yesterday setting off early as all the doom mongers had forecast Frantic Friday on the roads.
Other than the weather being horrendous (what’s new) the motorways were less busy than normal Fridays. The only hold up was on the Motorway getting to the Holiday Inn in Southampton.

The hotel was fine for an overnight stay and we had been pre warned that there would be an Xmas party going on.

The cruise terminal had been changed from Mayflower to the City terminal and they do things slightly different there, our taxi had to drop our luggage off before taking us to the passenger entrance. We had a short wait before we were directed through security first and then into the check in area which all seemed to go very smoothly.
We were directed to the loyalty area but the system had changed whereas in the past the coffee was served in the area now we had to collect our own and show our loyalty card to get it free of charge with a cake or biscuit. I don’t know if it’s just this terminal or it’s going to be the norm now. Okay for us able bodied but there were many passengers who were not as mobile . I did my good deed for the day.

We were onboard just after midday and as there are so many loyal passengers on board both restaurants were being used for the priority boarding lunch. We opted for the rear one so we could check out our table allocation for the evening meal. Before going to the restaurant we went to the cabin to drop off our hand luggage. Zino our cabin steward met us and told us that our cabin was ready. We had a chat with him and he is very friendly and helpful.

Aurora looked stunning dressed for Christmas. A different tree around every corner. The atrium looked amazing with the gingerbread village and little train.

The lunch was still quiet when we got there as most of the early pax had opted for the midships restaurant. This meant that we had excellent service and our glasses were never empty. We decided to eat and run to start the mammoth job of unpacking for our ten weeks onboard Aurora.
Four of our suitcases were already outside the door which along with our four carry on cases kept us busy until the the two large hold all’s arrived.

I went to suss out the gym which is now open 24/7 but the treadmills and weights must not be used before 8.a.m. There are various classes on during the day and I will try to build in a daily visit there but my usual 7 am stretch class and 7:30 a.m. fab Abs or body com classes have been changed. I am not getting up for 7am to go to a meditation class I can do that led in bed.

At 4 p.m. we went to our muster station in Carmens and another first for us as we weren’t required to take life jackets with us. It seemed to flow much better and very much quicker.
Captain Pembridge made a couple of announcements as we were setting sail. One it was raining but the weather was going to get a lot worse with force ten forecast which meant 30 metre swells. This was due to last all night and all day tomorrow and only lessening slightly on Monday, the second announcement was more positive and we were gaining half a day in Madeira arriving on 30 December and overnighting there leaving at 6 p.m. on the 31st to view the fireworks from the bay.

We were all unpacked before it was time to go down to dinner just leaving the Christmas decs to finish off tomorrow.
Our waiters Vinod and Miko and Ruchelle our wine waiter looked after us and all bodes well for another great cruise.
By the time we left the dining room the seas had built up considerably and other than a quick wander around the ship to get our bearings we decided to return to our cabin. There wasn’t a welcome on board show from the headliners and we still have no idea who the entertainment manager or team are.
No doubt all will be revealed tomorrow.

Sunday
The weather was as bad as the Captain had predicted and we both had little sleep as cabin drawers opened and closed of their own accord all night long. Aurora is a great ship in stormy weather but I think this was the worst storm we have experienced and unfortunately there is no sign of it abating.

Breakfast in the dining room was very quiet with many passengers having a cabin day.

There was a Facebook meet up at 10 a.m. in the Uganda Room, probably the worst place to be on the ship when it’s rough. At the very top and forward. It wasn’t well attended but it was good to put a few names to faces.

Our invites for the Ligurian luncheon today had arrived in the cabin yesterday. This has changed format because there are so many loyal passengers on board and so few sea days. The lunch was preceded by a pre lunch cocktail party in Carmens with officers but the lunch itself was not hosted.
The drinks flowed well. John Bartram is the entertainment manager and he did a Christmas recital followed by the Headliner vocalists singing Christmas Carols. They were excellent. Lunch followed in the Alexandria dining room where other than it being non hosted followed exactly same format as usual. The wine waiters were as usual very attentive.

As is normal after these lunches we headed back to the cabin to sleep. The storm was still raging and a particularly vicious one hit just as I was putting my shoes into the wardrobe and that’s where I ended up much to Garrys amusement. The safest place was certainly in bed.

We made it into dinner but neither of us had much enthusiasm for it and went straight back to the cabin after we had eaten. The evening entertainment was Jay McGee comedian and impersonator in the theatre and the game show Pursuit in Carmens.

Hopefully the weather will have improved enough tomorrow for us to enjoy the evening entertainment.

Monday 23 December 2019 - sea day to Lisbon
Another very rough night but after the excesses of yesterday I managed to sleep through most of it. I think the travel sickness tablets aid sleep as well.
We woke well rested and I joined a table in the dining room for Mondays special breakfast of Eggs Benedict.
I had a lazy morning when I should really have gone to the gym but couldn’t be bothered.

During the morning the Captain informed us that we were over the worse of the bad weather. It was still rough and around force 8 to 9 but it had been at hurricane Force 12 and on occasions even stronger with winds of up to 100 knots.

Battle of the Sexes was held in Champions which isn’t a great venue for this quiz. The men are winning easily but there is plenty of time to catch up.

1 st of four formal nights for this cruise and the Captains Welcome Aboard party in Carmens for club diners and the Crows Nest for Freedom diners. Captain Pembridge was in fine form and relieved that we had got through the storm from hell relatively unscathed. He did say as storms go this was only around a 6 out of 10. I don’t think anyone else agreed with him. The forecast for Lisbon was clear and getting warmer as the day progresses and the Canaries is all good with 23 degrees, sunny and clear.

It was Marcos Beef Wellington menu and yes the port marinated Stilton cheese to finish. I really need to make it to that gym tomorrow.

The headliners were in the theatre with their new show ‘On the Horizon.’ I found it very disjointed and need to see it again to make any sense of it. The singing and dancing was excellent but the show just didn’t flow and there were a few sound issues.

We finished the evening in Carmens with the Black Tie Ball hosted by Gill and Jeff and the music played by the Aurora Trio.

Tomorrow we arrive in Lisbon.

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#3

Post by Suekersh »

Tuesday 24 December Christmas Eve in Lisbon
I actually got to the gym for the 07:30 class but I was the only passenger there. The trainer put me through a series of abb exercises but it is no where near as much fun as when the class is busy. Tomorrow it is the body conditioning class but I will probably give that a miss as it is Christmas Day.

The day was bright and sunny with an Atlantic winter chill in the air but certainly not cold and after the weeks of continuous rain at home it was lovely to see the sun. We disembarked around 09:30 and caught the shuttle into the centre. Last year there had been a fabulous Christmas market in the centre but there was no sign of it in Rossi square.
We stopped off for the mandatory coffee and pastel de nata and researched where the market had moved to. It was a hike and as I hadn’t expected to be walking far I had gone for style over comfort and my feet were screaming at me for wearing heeled boots . The pavements of Lisbon are mainly made up of pebbles not the best surface for heels.
About a kilometre on we spied a Christmas market not the one we were looking for but had it been open we would probably have stayed there. We had never ventured into this part of Lisbon before and it is where all of the upmarket stores and hotels are located.
Another kilometre further and we could see the Winterwonderland in Eduardo parque. It was a magnificent sight with the huge wheel and ice skating rink. It was by then very hot in the sun and I had to start peeling layers off. We had seen many pax getting off the ship in shorts and T shirts and thought them mad but it turned out the correct attire as long as you were in the sun.

We roamed around the market sampling the Ginja liquor served in a chocolate shot cup. There were some lovely jewellery stalls along with the speciality Christmas ones. The Portuguese children were so excited to see all of the decorations and the queue to see Santa was growing all the time. In the heat of the sun the local beer went down very well.

We opted for a taxi straight back to the ship rather than face the downhill hike back into the city to catch the shuttle bus.
We made a few purchases in the duty free shop before getting back on board Aurora just in time for lunch in the dining room.

It was the Christmas Sailaway party and even though Aurora is now child free Santa still made an appearance on the funnel. Lots of Christmas jumpers around and I sampled the mulled wine just to get into the spirit of the festivities.

Just before we left our cabin for the evening Zino delivered our Christmas gifts from P & O. We each had a leather luggage tag. Unfortunately I don’t think the style of the P & O luggage labels will fit into our new holders.

A special Christmas Eve menu in the dining room followed by the Headliners Christmas show ‘ Deck the Halls ‘in the theatre and Peter Cutler an all round entertainer in Carmens. It was a mad dash between the theatre finishing at 9:15 and the show starting at 9:30 at the opposite end of the ship, we realised that the Aurora Orchestra had been very busy as they backed 4 shows tonight dashing from front to back.

There was a Christmas party with the entertainments team and the resident band Equinox in Masquerades. Now that the weather had settled down every venue was being used and it certainly feels like Christmas on Aurora.

When we returned to the cabin there was another gift from the loyalty staff. A P & O calendar. As ours had been delivered by post a couple of days before sailing we now have two. Last year we didn’t get any. If anyone wants one let me know but I can’t get it to you until March next year.

Christmas Day On Aurora
I woke with a slight hangover but it wouldn’t be Christmas if I woke completely sober. At least I don’t need to think about cooking or doing anything for the rest of the day.

I skipped the gym class and we were in breakfast for around 08:30. We just timed it right as it was getting busy they opened a new sector. We were welcomed with a glass of bubbles and all of the waiters wishing everyone Happy Christmas. They will be saying that thousands of times today. There was a special of the day which was similar to Eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon and spinach instead of ham. It was delicious and I pigged out by eating two of them.

The Christmas Carol service was held in the theatre which was standing room only .

We spent the rest of the morning on the aft deck. Glorious sunshine, not quite hot enough for me to get in swimwear but certainly t shirts and shorts were fine. Some passengers were swimming but I will leave that until we reach the Caribbean.

At noon the entertainment team were hosting Auroras Christmas Cracker in the Champions bar. This was preceded by the Bingo. We went down early but couldn’t get a seat. We waited to see if the bingo players moved on or went to lunch but they didn’t or we weren’t quick enough. This room is the worst designed of any pub in the fleet. It would have made more sense to use Carmens for this Christmas Day entertainment.

Reasons to be Jolly was the Christmas afternoon entertainment. The entertainment manager John Bartram and Alistair from the headliners vocalists in Carmens Lounge. John read out Christmas poems and Alistair sang his favourite songs. A bit of frivolity as well involving some audience participation.

The 2 nd formal night of the cruise. Christmas Dinner as always on P & O is a feast of many courses and once again it was excellent. We both opted for the prawns, tomato soup, gin and tonic sorbet and then fillet steak as the main course. I ordered a side of sprouts as It just wouldn’t be Christmas without sprouts. Everything was cooked and served to perfection. Garry had ordered the Sherry trifle for desert. This was certainly a variation of ‘trifle as we know it’ and we overheard a few remarks from other tables about it. They had obviously not read the menu as it clearly stated that the trifle would be layers of shortbread. Garry enjoyed his and I think it is good that the chefs get chance to experiment rather than sticking with the tried and tested. Mrs Beetons Christmas pudding was available for traditionalists.
Ruchelle our very attentive wine waiter kept our glasses topped up all night and arrived with the port as our deserts were served. I opted for the artisan cheese board which included my fav the port marinated Stilton. Finally coffee was served with mince pies, stollen, orange, dates, nuts and chocolate. It was certainly a never ending feast and our waiters Mikko and Vinod did themselves and P & O proud. They always work so well together and always with a smile even on the busiest night of the year. As we said goodnight to them they were busy setting up for the second sitting diners who were already queuing at the door.

The Christmas night entertainment was Jimmy James without his vagabonds in the theatre. We have seen his show a few times and always think that it must surely be his last. He is like Peter Pan and once again he didn’t disappoint. The theatre was full and he got a standing ovation at the end.

We finished the night at the Festive Ball in Carmens. A lot of passengers must have retired early as it was very quiet in there and although the dance instructors are competent they just don’t have the ‘pizazz’ to get the evening flowing. There was just no party atmosphere at all. We stuck it out for an hour to see if it improved and managed to dance off some of our dinner.

Tomorrow we arrive in Lanzarote.

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#4

Post by Suekersh »

Boxing Day in Lanzarote.
I made it to the 07:30 Abs, tums and bums class in the gym. Once again I was the only passenger in the class so had my own personal trainer.
A couple of ladies came in to use the machines but it was very quiet in there. Whilst I was working out my butler attended to the laundry. Luckily he is very impressed with Auroras laundry facilities as on A deck there are nine machines. I do like him to be happy when doing his chores!

After breakfast in the dining room and the laundry all finished we caught the shuttle into the town centre. A short walk and we reached a small market area with stalls selling mainly items local to Lanzarote as well as some handbag stalls. We bought a couple of fridge magnets but wasn’t tempted by anything else.
Not quite the temperatures forecast by our Captain but very pleasant in the sun.
We made a few purchases in the supermercado then went to find a bar in the sun by the Marina to sample the local beer. A lovely morning out.

Back on the ship and the sun was heating up the aft deck nicely. We caught up on e mails and contacted family whilst sat in the sun. We haven’t taken the ships wi fi package as we can use our phone package in Europe. I did ponder for a while on how or if Brexit will affect this arrangement within Europe.

After dinner we opted for a quiet night. The headliners were performing the ‘Top of the Billboards’ in Carmens Lounge which we have seen many times. I love the show but will save it for the next cruise. Peter Cutler was in the theatre for his final show. We headed to the Crows Nest for a drink whilst listening to the Aurora Trio and watched the lights of Lanzarote as we slowly sailed around the coastline on to Gran Canaria.

Friday 27 December - Gran Canaria

A warm and sunny morning with the promise of heat from the sun. We sat on the aft deck soaking up the rays until mid morning when we decided to make a move and find the bar Garry had researched for lunch.

We seemed to walk for ages so stopped for coffee in a typical busy Spanish bar. It was packed with Spanish both inside and outside and we were lucky to find a table.
When we checked google maps we realised we had walked too far and the bar we wanted was back towards the ship. The coffee was good as was the atmosphere but although I have been trying to learn Spanish I couldn’t follow any of the conversations going on around us. I could however translate the menu.

We wandered back and found a bar with tables in the sun and stopped for a beer. It was so good I could have stayed there but they weren’t serving food until the evening. On checking google maps again the bar we wanted was only a hundred yards away.

We found the bar we had researched and weren’t disappointed. A very quaint old building that was like a cave inside. The menu wasn’t extensive but everything we sampled was cooked to perfection and typical Canarian food. The ice cold white wine from Northern Spain went nicely with the food but what I don’t understand is how a bottle of white wine disappears quicker than a bottle of red.

We staggered around the shopping centre and the little market stalls on the way back to the ship then dozed off the effects of lunch on the aft deck in the sun.

On the way down to dinner we met a man who had been in a cabin on a lower deck during the storm and the sea blew the window in. His arm is still in a sling. He was very lucky. We had heard that this had happened and that 2 cabins had been affected but hadn’t realised that anyone had been injured. He has been moved onto A deck.

Another excellent dinner and the chefs came out of the galley and went round the tables chatting to passengers. This is the new twist on the Chefs Parade.

The newish show Astonishing was being shown in the theatre. The doors didn’t open until 8 p.m. and by that time the queues were enormous. As we walked in we were handed an envelope which clearly stated ‘Do not open yet’ they were obviously thinking that the passengers on Aurora are literate but the person next to me completely ignored or didn’t understand the instructions and opened his.

The dancing and singing by the headliners was fantastic as usual and I am not going to spoil the show for anyone else by giving details out on here. We enjoyed it and it’s certainly very different.

As it concluded the rush was on to get to the back of the ship for Jimmy James final show in Carmens. We missed the show as Garry’s knee is playing up and we needed to return to the cabin to get ice on it. He has no idea why this has happened as although we have walked a lot he does that at home every day. It could be using the stairs on the ship as we don’t have any at home. He will have to take it easy for a few days.

Tomorrow we are in Tenerife.

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#5

Post by Suekersh »

Saturday 28 December 2019- Tenerife.
The weather continues to be hot and sunny and hard to believe it is actually December.

Our aim today was to find the Señora de Africa market. There was a shuttle to the ferry terminal then it was a 12 minute walk to market. This is on two floors plus outside areas and sells everything for locals and tourists. There was a huge fish area downstairs with bars which were setting up to serve tapas and lunches. Lots of individual craft stalls dotted around and a supermarket.

We headed back into the town area where they were setting up ready for New Years Eve. With six ships in port everywhere was mega busy but we managed to find a bar on the front and shared a table with two passengers from our cruise. The huge beers were most welcome.

Garry’s knee had held out well as we avoided all stairs and used the lifts but we decided to head back to the ship so that he could put ice on it and rest and I could get a bed on the aft deck to make the most of the sun.

The evening entertainment was comedian Adrian Walsh. We have seen him many times before and enjoy his sense of humour but tonight the show was virtually a word for word repeat of the last time we saw him, with a few one liners thrown in.

Tomorrow we dock in La Palma our final Canarian port.


Sunday 29 December 2019- La Palma
Another beautiful day with temperatures expected to reach mid twenties. This is the steepest of all the Canary Islands.

We didn’t rush off as our only plans were a bit of shopping and a few drinks in the sun followed by a tapas lunch. We didn’t know how many shops would be open as it was a Sunday but as the Saga Sapphire was in port as well the shops were open for business.

We caught the shuttle bus because of Garrys knee problem which saved a twenty minute walk to the centre.

Our first stop was the small supermarket where last year we had found the Whitley & Neil Rhubarb & ginger gin, they have an excellent stock of different flavoured gins. We bought the last two litre bottles and they kept them for us until we were returning to the ship. That’s our first lot of duty free sorted and our taxi driver will collect them from us when we get back to Southampton and store them in the boot of our car.

We headed for the front which is under renovation so although a bit like a building site, as it was Sunday there was no work going on. We found our favourite bar and enjoyed a beer in the sun. It was full of locals as it was weekend.

We wanted to get in touch with our youngest granddaughter as it was her 9 th birthday. We left the bar to find somewhere a little quieter but still in the sun. It’s amazing how some bars are so popular and others very quiet for no apparent reason. I now know the reason as the beer instead of being local was Carlsberg why? At least it gave us chance to speak to Elle a very excited little girl. FaceTime is a marvellous invention.

We googled the tapas bar we had found last year but unusually it wasn’t
opening today. We quickly searched through the many options and found another one that looked like it was worth a try but we got there to find it closed. It was still only just noon so we stopped close by at another busy bar and I sampled the Sangria the first of this cruise.

We realised the tapas bar wasn’t going to open and didn’t fancy the offerings of the bar we were in so set off back towards town. We found one in a square busy with locals and managed to get the last table. The only downside was that a busker was playing a trumpet very loudly. I think someone must have paid her to move on as she soon left.

The tapas menu wasn’t extensive but the food was very good. We ordered prawns wrapped in filo pastry served with salad, a plate of local cured ham served with cheese and bread along with a bottle of Albariño wine and the speciality of the restaurant grilled Goats cheese with three different sauces. We were very well fed after that. I really need to diet after New Years Eve until we get back to Madeira next cruise or nothing is going to fit me.

Aurora wasn’t sailing until 10:30 p.m. so our only time restraint was that the shop holding our duty free was closing at 4 p.m.

We collected our gin and got the shuttle back but had to get off just before port buildings. Only disabled passengers could stay on. It was about a ten minute walk through the buildings and past the saga sapphire which after three beers a glass of sangria and the wine seemed a very long way. Back on board I had a siesta before getting ready for the evening.

The entertainment was the Cream of Clapton a guitarist and vocalist tribute act to Eric Clapton. He was fantastic and will be playing again in a couple of nights.

Alistair, one of the very talented headline vocalists had his own show in Carmens. As it was a lovely balmy night in port we decided to ‘save’ Alistair’s show for the next cruise and instead had a coffee and port outside on the aft deck.

Tomorrow we are at sea in the morning and arrive in Madeira for 2 p.m. then staying overnight.

Monday 30 December 2019 - Madeira
Eggs Benedict day in the restaurant. My face must have dropped a mile when two poached eggs were put in front of me instead of Eggs Benedict. The waiter was very apologetic and soon rectified the error. It was delicious as usual.

The sun was on the aft deck and that is where we spent the rest of the morning. According to one lady it was ‘freezing on the prom deck’ but I was certainly anything but that on the aft in the glorious sunshine. My butler brought me coffee and a blueberry muffin mid morning. A perfect sea day morning.

Aurora docked before 2 p.m. but as with any mid afternoon calls the queues to get off were horrendous. We sat on the aft deck in the sun and waited for the announcement from the Deputy Captain.
We caught the shuttle into town and walked through the Christmas market area. I sampled a mojito and watched the locals dancing in their traditional Madeira . It was such a lovely afternoon. The road leading to the market is now mainly pedestrianised with many more cafes and bars around. We stocked up on some cabin essentials in Pingo Doce and found the pink port that we couldn’t get in Lisbon. Garry had walked enough so we got a taxi straight back to the ship rather than walking back to the shuttle bus.

Whilst in the taxi I noticed that another Christmas market had been set up on promenade walk. There seemed to be a lot going on there so we will probably head there tomorrow. We come back here next week on our way to the Caribbean and hopefully Garry will have had chance to rest his knee and be fully fit again by then.

As it was such a lovely evening after dinner instead of heading to the theatre we went to the Crows a Nest for the views overlooking Madeira and to sample the Northern Star gin flight before heading onto the aft deck for coffee and a night cap.

If Garrys knee had been okay we would have got off and spent the evening in Madeira. Lots of crew got off for a night on the town. They will be bleary eyed at breakfast tomorrow.

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#6

Post by Suekersh »

New Years Eve in Madeira
Another sunny day but probably the last of this cruise as after tonight we start heading back towards the UK.
We sat on the aft deck in the sun watching more and more ships arrive. Captain Pembridge had certainly worked his magic by getting us into Madeira a day early and so securing Aurora a berth for our stay. There were four ships berthed and seven outside but only 4 of those appeared to be tendering in. The queues for the tenders were horrendous and if we hadn’t got a berth I doubt I would have got off.

We caught the shuttle into the city and wandered through the peace park and the Christmas market. We headed to the market area and the old town and could see the long queue for the cable car and no doubt the village of Monte made a killing today with the toboggan run.

We found the restaurant recommended by a friend (thanks Chris) for the madeirian special dish of fish wrapped in banana. We didn’t want to eat out today as we had booked a meal for tonight but as we are back here next week we may well do so then.

Madeira was uncomfortably busy and after a couple of hours we headed back along the front back through the Christmas market where a band was now playing and to the Beer-house. Lovely views of the ship and the waiters were all dressed up. We had a couple of beers here before heading back on board.

We left our berth at 6 p.m. and anchored up ready to get the best view of the fireworks which start at midnight.

A full entertainment program with the band Beat 45 a sixties group who performed 2 shows. We went to the first one at 7 p.m. which was for second sitting diners and although not a full house enough passengers had come out early to make it a success. They were brilliant and we will definitely see them again. Music from the Hollies, Stones, Who, Kinks and many more and the audience joined in with both singing in and dancing.

From the theatre we had to get up to deck 12 and then to the aft for our meal in the a Beach House. We had a lovely table outside overlooking the lights of Madeira, and some private firework displays were going off all night. A perfect New Years Eve meal. I opted for my usual Fish hanging kebab full of calamari, lobster and prawns and Garry opted for the lava rock fillet steak.

The headliners performed Killer Queen in Carmens and as we arrived just as the first show had finished we got two front row seats and another excellent performance. We have certainly been spoilt this cruise with the entertainment.

The show finished by 11:30 p.m. which gave us time to get back to the cabin, collect our coats and champagne ready for the New Year and head up to deck 13 to find a great viewing spot for the fireworks.

Just before midnight the Captain announced that at midnight the ships horn would sound and the ships bell would be rung by the oldest member of the ships company the band leader and by the youngest one of the headliners.

This was the first time we had been in Madeira for New Years Eve and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Once again Captain Pembridge worked his magic and Aurora moved very slowly from our anchorage to get the best viewing point for the passengers. They were fabulous and we had a great show for around 15 minutes. After that the private displays started again and once the smoke had cleared Aurora started the three day sail back to Southampton.

The party continued at the Riviera pool into the early hours of the morning, there was ‘a lock in ‘ at the pub and a disco in masquerades for those who didn’t want to be on the open decks.

I think this is the first New Year cruise we have done where there hasn’t been a formal night ball during the evening. The dancing has been pretty dire this cruise so I guess the entertainment team were being proactive rather than trying to ‘flog a dead horse’

New Year’s Day at sea on Aurora.
Well we had certainly said goodbye to the hot sunny weather. It was about 16 degrees and overcast so not sunbathing weather today.

Surprisingly we were awake quite early and in breakfast for just after eight. There was a New Year sale in the shops and a few bargain hunters were around. I think the Best Buy of the day was a Fiorella twin make up and wash bag set priced up at £25 and on the £5 table.

I went back to the Battle of the Sexes and because of the Football programme this event had been promoted to the masquerade lounge. A much better venue for this popular event. I had missed the third session because of my love for the sun so was pleasantly surprised that the ladies had taken the lead off the men. It was another good day as the ladies won 2 challenges which gave us an extra 150 bonus points as well as winning the general knowledge quiz and increased our lead.

After lunch we had a lazy afternoon and caught up on some sleep we missed last night.

Guitarist Paul Ruck - Cream of Clapton played in Carmens. He is certainly a brilliant guitarists but Carmens isn’t the right venue. The orchestra was far too loud and drowned him out. Still a great show but better in the theatre.

Wild Sax performed in the theatre. Another very talented young musician who we have seen on previous cruises.

We finished the evening in Anderson’s bar. When we returned to the cabin there were invites to attend the Ligurian afternoon tea in the Alexandra restaurant tomorrow. This will work in well as we are dining in the Glass a House tomorrow but not until 8:30.

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#7

Post by Suekersh »

Thursday 2 January 2020- 2 nd sea day
Another over cast day but calm seas with no sign yet of the storm which the Captain had forecast. Aurora was making good speed possible to try to keep ahead if the storm.

The Battle of the sexes was back in Champions and the gents won the day and narrowed the gap. The ladies are still ahead and it’s the final day of the battle tomorrow.

The Ligurian afternoon tea with a glass of fizz was a pleasant way to spend an hour on a gloomy sea day. We shared a table with a couple we have met on board and who are also staying on for the next cruise. We tried to be good thinking of the glasshouse meal tonight but it was all so tempting and the hot savoury of cheese onion and potatoes was sublime.

There wasn’t an early show tonight in Carmens as it was the final formal night and the Black & White Ball.
We had a lazy early evening and a couple of G & T s before we met up with our dining companions in the Glass House. We have known Debbie for a while but had never met her husband Alan before. The conversation just flowed and we had a fabulous evening.

We chose 3 starter plates to share followed by the Surf and Turf. It was excellent and we will definitely be eating there again next cruise. The deserts looked fab and Garry enjoyed them but as I don’t have a sweet tooth I opted for the cheese plate to share.

It was after 11 p.m. before we finished so missed the Headliners show ‘Applause’ another one saved for next cruise.

Friday, 3 January 2020 - Final Sea day
The storm arrived during the early hours and cabin drawers started opening and closing of their own accord. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad as on our way out from Southampton and by the time we woke we were over 80% through the Bay of Biscay and turned into the channel just after 11 a.m.
I took a tablet just in case but I find they also help with the over indulgences of the night before.

The Battle of the sexes concluded as a draw. The ladies won the day and ended up over 600 points in front of the men, but to make them feel happier and to give the ladies a good laugh Paige offered the men the same amount of points if one of the men would agree to have his arm epilated by a lady. It took a while for one of them to agree to this but in the end one brave soul put his dignity on the line to save the men’s blushes from being well and truly beaten by the ladies.

The ship was very quiet partly due due to the motion of the Ocean and passengers packing to go home. It was such a good feeling not to be packing and it will be even better tomorrow with no unpacking to do.

We said goodbye to our waiters as Mikko is going on leave and Vinod is moving to freedom dining as is Ruchelle our wine water. We will see them around the ship in breakfast or lunch. Luckily we are keeping Brigash our diet waiter.

Beat 45 were in the theatre again and were even better than on New Years Eve. The theatre was packed out and the band got a standing ovation. I do hope we see them again soon.
Wild Sax was performing music from movies and musicals in Carmens.

We both agree that this has been the best Christmas and New Year cruise we have done. The food, the entertainment, the weather, the ports of call and the happy crew have been superb.

Tomorrow we start our next adventure to the Caribbean and USA with 3 sea days until we reach Madeira. Fingers crossed that the Atlantic is kinder to us than it was 2 weeks ago.


MaureenB
Second Officer
Second Officer
Posts: 234
Joined: January 2013

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#8

Post by MaureenB »

No sooner requested than supplied! Thank you Sue and Lindsey


Whynd1
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1832
Joined: February 2013
Location: Gower, Swansea

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#9

Post by Whynd1 »

You are very welcome.

User avatar

Jan Rosser
Senior First Officer
Senior First Officer
Posts: 2406
Joined: January 2013
Location: South Wales

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#10

Post by Jan Rosser »

Thanks for posting Sue’s review Lindsey - I love to read all about her adventures.

Sue you mentioned Paul Ruck doing his Eric Clapton act - we saw him on Brittannia last Christmas and my son who’s a big Clapton fan thought he was amazing too. He is married to Benne Bennison who used to be an entertainment manager with P&O - I’m sure you would have come across her. She is working with Viking cruises now.
Janis

User avatar

Topic author
Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#11

Post by Suekersh »

Jan Rosser wrote: 09 Jan 2020, 14:17
Thanks for posting Sue’s review Lindsey - I love to read all about her adventures.

Sue you mentioned Paul Ruck doing his Eric Clapton act - we saw him on Brittannia last Christmas and my son who’s a big Clapton fan thought he was amazing too. He is married to Benne Bennison who used to be an entertainment manager with P&O - I’m sure you would have come across her. She is working with Viking cruises now.
Janis, yes we knew Benne and hadn’t realised that she was married to Paul Ruck. He is on again later this cruise.

Sue


MaureenB
Second Officer
Second Officer
Posts: 234
Joined: January 2013

Re: Aurora canaries Christmas cruise 2109

#12

Post by MaureenB »

Ah, that was lovely Sue. It brought back many memories of my Christmas's on board Aurora. Thank you

Return to “Aurora Cruise Reports”