Oriana - Day 7 Malta

We got up just before 9am and put on the cabin TV to check the weather etc and …whoops….the clocks are supposed to go forward tonight – not last night! Oh well – another hour in bed J We don’t arrive until 12 noon so I think a lazy morning is called for. Shuffleboard is on but I won’t play as I want to watch the sail in to the Grand Harbour.

 

It was a beautiful morning with no wind and warm sun as we approached Valetta, past Gozo and other tiny islands. The Grand Harbour looked magnificent in the sun as we sailed in through the outer basin and into the inner one and turned 180 degrees to berth alongside the main passenger terminal. Caryll was off on a HoHo bus so Joyce and I planned to potter around Valetta. We were ashore by 12.30 and walked along to the new elevator lift that takes passengers up from the harbour road to the Saluting Battery. It was free for us but when completed I think will cost 1Euro – well worth it to avoid the long trek up the winding roads. After a few photos of Oriana we wandered up and down the main streets, enjoying the very pretty Xmas decorations and browsing the shops. A diversion into an ancient hall proved very interesting as they had a free exhibition of Maltese Cribs and Christmas Art. Some of these were very beautiful and I took a lot of photos with a view to making some myself one day!

 

By three thirty I had had enough and we walked slowly down, past the cat feeding station, back to the port and the shops and restaurants there. Back on board time was 5.30, but around 4pm there was a major problem with the scanning computers and every passenger from then on had to be recorded manually!  You have to feel for this captain as everything seems to be going wrong for him on this – his first cruise as master!

 

Oriana - Day 6 - at sea

Another warm and mostly sunny day, although not quite as good as yesterday. The biggest joy was being able to eat a quicker breakfast in the buffet!  Now that the buffet is open, the first of two Baltic/Ligurian Lunches was held today (ours is in two days’ time) in the Oriental Restaurant. To allow for extra staff to serve food in the Conservatory, Al Frescoes remains closed.  The Captain was around the ship a lot in the morning for people to ask questions etc. I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that while we were moored alongside in Malaga, we acquired a real Christmas tree tied to the mast  - ready for Father Christmas next week!!

 

Personally, I am finding it doesn’t really feel like Christmas. However, I did get a slice of delicious Christmas cake with my Costa coffee at teatime.

It is formal tonight so after the teatime quiz we went down to have a nap and get ready. Not before I reported a light out in the cabin – wonder how long before it’s fixed (fixed the following day).

Then our usual routine of drinks in Anderson’s and dinner - on our table, one of us had a birthday ) today so we had lots of balloons and singing waiters etc.  I had hoped to go to the dance but as usual – no one to dance with. I mentioned this to an Ent. Officer and he said he had been there earlier – not a lot of help for those of us on second sitting!! So we ended up at the Syndicate Quiz again.  Before going to bed, we put the clocks forward another hour!

Oriana - Day 5 - Malaga

Day 5 Malaga

Finally – landfall. I was up on deck at 7.30 am to watch us arrive at Malaga. Although I have been here twice before, I have always done tours so, as we only have half a day, we are just going to explore. The sun was just rising as I watched us enter port. Costa Deliziosa arrived shortly after us and sped on ahead to berth first – or perhaps we were holding back to see she didn’t hit us !

 

 

There was a free shuttle to the main dock gates which were a very short walk to the Cathedral and centre of the old town. All around us parakeets were gathering twigs and building nests in the palm trees. We wandered through the narrow Spanish streets, going first to the Cathedral. A service was in progress and we were the last allowed in before the main doors were shut. I am not a fan of the Continental style of Cathedral as a rule but have to say this one was stunning. Since we only had a morning here we didn’t get that far but I liked what I saw and would love longer to explore. I left Caryll to find a WiFi café whilst I returned to the ship. Now someone tell me why – when in the UK we are so H&S conscious - someone decided to build a sloping brick path near the pick-up point with tiny 2” steps in it!  Of course I tripped, although fortunately managed to catch hold of the handrail before I fell.

 

It was now a lovely warm and sunny day. In other words – proper cruising weather – although not very Christmassy! After a quick lunch (in the MDR of course) I went and sat on deck and sunbathed and watched the 175 sailaway until shuffleboard at 3pm. Now the decks are drier I found my form and won today’s tournament with partner Alan. A quick visit to the cabin revealed our Peninsular badges on the bed (the champagne arrived last night!). In view of the weather – the prom deck beckoned and with the glassy, calm sea, it was easy to spot several pods of dolphins, some of which were playing in the wake. I

It is casual/60s/70s tonight so it didn’t take that long to get ready and we went to Andersons for a pre-dinner cocktail. I have to admit I miss the usual nibbles (suspended during the Noro precautions), but it is probably doing me a lot of good!  In fact generally, by only being able to eat in the MDR at specific times it is doing wonders for my diet. However I was getting a bit fed up with the lack of flexibility caused by not having the buffet, BUT, as I was having a drink and waiting for the others, the Captain came over the tannoy to say the Conservatory will open from 6.30am tomorrow, albeit with food being served to us. Wonderful! Now we are into warm and sunny weather I love to eat breakfast and lunch outdoors. Dinner was superb again as is becoming usual on this cruise – avocado and feta salad, yellow fin tuna and a tart. After dinner,  I felt like a change and went to the casino. That was a good move since I went with £10 and came out with £55! Let’s hope the weather tomorrow will be as good as today, although I seem to have left all my sleeveless tops in the reject pile back home!

Oriana - Day 2-4 - The dreaded Bay!

Day 2 – The dreaded Bay

We all woke up about 7.30 and made breakfast just before the dining room closed at 9.30. The Conservatory and Al Frescos are staying closed totally for the first 48 hours so it’s room service or the main dining rooms for the present. I must say that the crew are doing absolutely everything they can to stem the outbreak from the last cruise. You cannot even pick up anything in the shops but have to ask. There are no bar menus unless you ask and before new people sit at the restaurant tables, the chair backs etc are wiped down. Salt and pepper is in sachets, no toothpicks and butter is in wrapped packets.

The Bay has certainly lived up to its reputation so far. Yesterday was probably the worst I had even known it and we all spent much of the afternoon in the cabin lying down. Not because any of us were sick, but because it was exhausting walking about. I had my normal first-day lethargy anyway.

We all went to the travelling alone meet in the morning – there were a goodly number there. Unfortunately I managed to sit next to one of the serial moaners!!  I was then hoping to be off playing shuffleboard but the upper decks are closed. So that was followed by a couple of cruise forum meets as well. After that we ran a few errands -I needed to set up a book signing for one thing – then we went in to lunch.  Before that there was an announcement from the captain (Ashley Cook) that we would have to miss Oporto due to the severe weather. It was not entirely unexpected as I know it is a very difficult port to get into. So – an extra sea day to relax – but since our speed has slowed to 14 knots not very relaxing. We’ll have to see what today holds in store.

Day 3

Last night was very bumpy – gusts of force 12 we were told this am, but we all slept very well. We went in to the Peninsular restaurant for breakfast at 9am and only had to queue briefly before getting a table. The Conservatory was supposed to be open tonight for an Indian dinner, but will be remaining closed until further notice – which does give rise to a suspicion that someone is ill again, or not as the case might be. As usual shipboard rumours run rife!!  After breakfast and the Travelling Alone meet, two of us went up to Deck 12. I needed to re-book a manicure as yesterday, although not seasick, I felt I might be that high up on the ship, so cancelled. Then we actually managed to sit out by the Crystal Pool for a while. The sun was coming out between clouds and it is noticeably warmer. After lunch two of us went to watch the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which was showing in the Theatre Royal – I thought it brilliant. I didn’t do too well in the Individual quiz though.

Our cabin steward is excellent and nothing is too much trouble. We arrived to find three of everything – body cream, shower caps etc, and even have a box of tissues each. In fact the service generally has been extremely high and it has been lovely to be greeted by name by so many of the waiters etc.

The seas do seem to be calming down – someone has obviously been out and filled in some of the potholes! The majority of the passengers are very friendly and there is a wider age range than I expected – from about 20 upwards. After pre-dinner drinks in Andersons we went into dinner to find one of our missing persons had turned up. We have a table for 8 in the centre of the Peninsular Restaurant. Food has IMO been excellent with, to my mind, large portions and as usual our waiters seem determined to send us home as cargo!

Day 4

Today – the cruise has truly begun. Calm seas, blue skies – proper cruising weather. The decks are all open so I managed shuffleboard both morning and afternoon, although not doing very well. I need to get my arm back in training! Tonight is our first formal and the Captain’s welcome aboard party so we will have to be very organised in getting ready. Lunch was excellent again. The Peninsular Restaurant was full so we headed for the Oriental where meals are half an hour later. It is likely the Conservatory may be open tomorrow. There are signs of the very high level of precautions easing slightly – crosswords were available to be picked up – not handed out, and there was a dish of sugar and wrapped butter pats on the breakfast table – small signs but encouraging.

Whilst waiting to play shuffleboard a pod of whales swam east off our stern, with many spouts marking their passage. We are just about to turn east towards Gib and the weather is so much better – mid to high 60s and dry.

Oriana - Day 1

I am afraid I have been exceptionally remiss in keeping up to date with this blog - mainly becuase when not travelling or working at the day job, I have another book to finish! As always, this will have to be a retrospective look at the Christmas Cruise and, last week, a short one on CMV Discovery to ports around the Irish Sea.

So, back to when I last posted - I was packing to go on Oriana for Christmas and New year....

Day 1

We had had an email about three days before that boarding would be delayed so the ship could be deep cleaned following a severe outbreak of Norovirus.We arrived at the terminal at 2.30 and immediately were checked in. Then it was an hour wait in the departure lounge before, first Ligurian and then Baltic passengers were invited to board. I just love that moment when you cross the air bridge and step from land to ship. To add to my feeling of being back home – the first officer I saw welcomed me and said how nice it was to see me back on board. Our three-berth cabin is on E deck so we had to go up one deck to find it. A lift was empty and waiting for us. It is a standard inside cabin with two beds and an upper berth. My cases were outside the door so I unpacked first. My two friend's luggage didn’t arrive until much later and we were still unpacking the last things after dinner. In fact Joyce was getting seriously worried she would have no knickers for 23 nights (except what she was wearing) !!  Fortunately (being Oriana), there is reasonable storage and the steward has somewhere to take the cases away and store them for us. The cabin has four wardrobes (with four safes), four drawers each in two bedside cabinets and four larger drawers. Two of us with cases that open out in half, can fit them under the beds as an extra drawer so, with a bit of final adjustment, we were easily able to fit everything in.

Joyce was coming down by Eavesway coach and had not arrived yet so we went in for afternoon tea. This was more like a full buffet lunch, but served to us in the Pensinsular Restaurant – crumpets, scones, asparagus quiches, sausage rolls, cakes etc. Everyone is making a real effort to make sure we are well looked after and have a good time. There are the usual grumbles etc about the change in normal routine and that the Conservatory is closed for two days as a precaution, but I could not complain about a thing (except maybe the lack of a welcome on board glass of champagne at the lunch!)

Muster drill was at 8pm between the two dinner sittings, and Oriana set sail about 8.30pm for Oporto.

Our cruise had begun.