Aurora World Cruise - Southampton to Petra

Journal – Aurora World Cruise 2017

Sunday 8 January 2017

My taxi arrived just before 2pm and the driver loaded all my luggage – four big bags plus cabin case and camera case! We drove my usual route arriving at my friend's around 4.30. This gave us time for a coffee before we went to an Epiphany Carol Service. This was very nice and set me up perfectly for travelling the world.

Monday 9 January 2017

Given the now two lots of luggage, we had booked a wheelchair taxi. However, the driver was horrified and expressed doubt that the luggage now sitting in the hall was going to fit.

It did! Just! We arrived at Mayflower terminal and retrieved our hand luggage before going to check in. This was quick and efficient and we walked straight on board, leaving our cabin cases in the cabin before heading to the Alexandria restaurant for our Baltic Peninsular lunch. By the time we came back down, our cases had not only arrived but been put into our cabin! Hector, our steward, introduced himself and then we tried to make some order in our unpacking.  It was chaos!

At least we had sufficient hangers though as I had brought a lot of plastic ones of my own. Muster drill was at 4.45, after which we went out on deck to witness our big sailaway with fireworks. After the show I came indoors to change for dinner. We are on a solos table of eight with one empty seat. Four of them are only going as far as Dubai.

Tuesday 10 January 2017 at sea

Weather: Showers, good visibility (poor in showers), overcast
Temperature: 11C
Wind: Force 7
Sea state: Rough

A miserable bumpy start to our adventure. Spent much of the day sorting the cabin and finding homes for everything. Went to the Solo travellers meet but not many people there.  I had a room service lunch which arrived an hour late due to them mis-hearing the cabin number. Managed to get to dinner however, and the syndicate quiz afterwards.

Wednesday 11 January at sea

Weather: Dry, good visibility, clear skies
Temperature: 17C
Wind: Force 4
Sea state: Slight

Had a breakfast of croissant and juice before going to the solos meet. There were a lot more people than yesterday and spent an hour chatting to people, including Irene, Heather, Rosemary and John. Heather gave me details of a tour she had done on Orkney, afterwards I went to make a spa appointment for a manicure and get a new card as mine had stopped working. After having my nails done and lunch , I came to the cabin and tried to complete the unpacking, although I seem to be a few coat hangers short – I was sure I had some spare ones left. I then sat on the promenade deck. The weather is so much better than yesterday. We are now heading down the coast of Northern Spain and Portugal. The sea is calmer and the ship is making good speed after our unscheduled stop this morning in Vigo to offload a medical emergency patient. It gave us a nice view of CMV's Astoria though.

 

The North Atlantic is still grey and choppy but patches of blue sky are allowing the sun to make a brief appearance and when it does it is noticeably warmer. I sat on the promenade deck with my eyes shut listening to the sounds of the sea. It always surprises me just how loud the roar of the ocean actually is, discounting the chatter of passengers getting to know each other and walking to and fro behind me.

As Aurora ploughs ever further south towards Gibraltar and then turns eastward into the warmer Mediterranean, we are close on top speed, her bow creating a huge wash of foaming white fluffy spume. 

Tonight is our welcome aboard party and first formal night and as we were getting ready, Hector, our cabin steward, arrived bearing our world cruise gifts – an Aspinall leather notebook, Cross pen and postcards. I decided to wear my blue velvet dress as I think this will become too warm later on in the cruise. We queued up and then entered Carmen’s, being greeted by the Deputy Captain, Patrick Maguire.  Later Captain Andrew Hall made an appearance, introduced this very special 180^th anniversary cruise and also introduced a Royal Navy officer who is travelling with us until the risk of piracy diminishes after Dubai. We went in late for dinner  and then went to the quiz, ending up on separate tables, filling in gaps for teams where people were missing. Bed.

Thursday 12 January at sea

Weather: Dry, good visibility      
Temperature: 17C
Wind: Force 4
Sea state: Slight

Today the weather is lovely, the sky is blue and we are rounding the last little part of Spain before our transit through the Straits of Gibraltar. I got up about 9am and had breakfast of fruit and pancakes before my friend went off to the port talk and I went to the solos meeting.  This was interrupted by a crew drill – a bomb alert, so we had everyone searching Andersons for a planted suspect package. This continued for around one hour. I headed out to the promenade deck to search for the dolphins that are well-known to frequent this area. However, although it is warm and calm, it is windy and the seas are choppy making dolphins hard to spot. The wind deposits salt on your skin, hair and lips – one of the joys of being at sea.  Saw a couple of fishing boats and warships in the narrow Straits.

Dinner was amusing, especially when one of the men asked which of us ladies was going to do his laundry! When he offered any cost, I said I would do it for £100 an hour, and send it to the ship’s laundry! Four of us went to the quiz and were joined by another couple. We still only managed 13/20.

Friday 13 January at sea

Weather: Dry, good visibility, overcast
Temperature: 16C
Wind: Force 6
Sea state: Moderate

I woke up this morning to blue skies and calm seas – proper cruising weather at last. I even managed to eat breakfast outdoors behind the Horizon Buffet, with a view of the wake and warm sun on my skin. It was wonderful, but by 11.30 had, as the captain predicted, clouded over – grey skies and grey seas. Went to solos and then the Aurora Uncovered event. I then went to cabin where I discovered a letter giving notice of a Round the World Cruise luncheon on either the 23 or 24 January.  This is solely for those doing the full voyage.

In the evening before dinner we went to see Byron Roberts, a classical and flamenco guitarist, whom I though excellent. I loved his version of the Rodrigo Concerto d’Aranjuez, one of my favourites. After dinner it was the syndicate quiz where we did a little better with 15/20.

Saturday 14 January – Malta

Weather: Dry, good visibility, overcast
Temperature: 15C
Wind: Force 4

We arrived around midday so I was on deck taking photos of our arrival. Aurora even got a seven-gun salute to mark the 180^th anniversary of P&O. Malta is of course one of the historic ports for P&O.  I had booked a tour to Vittoriosa and Marsakloxx, both parts of the island I had never seen before. It was a lovely sunny day – mostly. We did have a very heavy shower just before we got out of the coach at Vittoriosa but stayed inside until it ceased. We walked inside the fort and old part of the town before leaving the group and going to the Maritime Museum. This was interesting but didn’t have any P&O relics as I had been told.  

Our next stop was at the old fishing village of Marsakloxx. The picturesque harbour looked beautiful in the now sunshine and the light was fabulous.

There was a market along the quayside making browsing for souvenirs easy – although I resisted the temptation! We returned about 4.30 and I downloaded my photos. Then got ready for a casual evening before going off to see the Maltese Folk singers/dancers in Carmens.  After that it was time for dinner. Shirley didn’t appear but as she had been spotted on a tour we weren’t that concerned. I was then going to go to bed but John persuaded me to go to the quiz as, without me, he wasn’t going to go. Amazingly we won!! John came up trumps in the tie-break with the number of days Ronnie Biggs had been free. Then I had a celebratory nightcap in Anderson’s with Caryll & John.

Sunday 15 January at sea

Weather: Showers, good visibility, overcast
Temperature: 16C
Wind: Force 2
Sea state: Slight

Got up about 9am and after breakfast, went to solos where I had a long chat . Then went to diamond talk and then went to listen to Ken Vard talking about liners in art. All in all, a very lazy day but enjoyable.

Monday 16 January – Piraeus

Weather: Dry, good visibility, clear skies
Temperature: 11C
Wind: Light airs

My birthday. Got up about 8.30 to find us already berthed in Piraeus. As we went up for a leisurely breakfast we found Celestyal Olympia on one side of us, and Celestyal Neferli and Aegean Odyssey on the other side, all laid up.

We hadn’t booked a tour so took our time getting off. There was a big crew drill this morning, including “man overboard” and “fire on deck four” with real smoke. All the fire doors were also closed and one silly passenger tried to rush through the one which was closing outside the Crow’s nest until we shouted at her to stop, wait until it had remotely closed and then re-open it. We went ashore about 10.30 and caught the Trolley Train around Piraeus, getting off at the main shopping centre. I have never been to Piraeus before, always getting a bus into Athens or a tour further afield to Sounion or Corinth. Where we got off there were huge building works taking place laying tracks for a new tram system. We first went into a beautiful Greek Orthodox church, filled completely with icons.

Then I took a photo of the theatre before walking the streets down to the harbour. There we stopped at a café and had a Ravani – a type of Greek honey cake with a large dollop of vanilla icecream and raspberry sauce all over it. Together with a cappuccino it was delicious. 

We then started to head back, but got a bit lost, having to ask the way. Then waited on the wrong side of the road so had to rush over when the train approached. We caught it back to Aurora, getting some nice photos of her and the other ships  before climbing the gangway back on board.

Once I had dumped my bag and souvenirs I  grabbed a quick snack of a toasted cheese sandwich.  Despite a rather gloomy weather forecast it had actually been a gloriously sunny day but now it was starting to cloud over and someone said they had seen flashes of lightning in the distance. After a rest we started to go up for sailaway when the captain came over the tannoy to say departure would be delayed due to a medical evacuation. Half an hour later he came on again to say that the ship’s medical staff had had to accompany the passenger to hospital and it would be an hour or so before they returned. A sad end to someone's holiday. We got ready for our casual night and took our two bottles of complimentary champagne (Lanson Black Label) to Andersons to share with our table to celebrate my birthday. My friend and I finished off the champagne with dinner and the waiters duly sang happy birthday to me afterwards! Then to bed and to prepare for tomorrow’s tour to Agios Nikolaos in Crete.

Tuesday 17 January – Heraklion

Weather: Dry, good visibility, clear skies
Temperature: 17C
Wind: Force

I woke up about 7.15 and as I looked out of the window we were already berthing in Heraklion. Went up to the Horizon Buffet  for a quick breakfast and then went back to the cabin to get ready for our tour and joined the coach on the quayside. It was a one-hour journey to the seaside resort of Agios Nikolaos, through the snow-capped mountains and small towns. Unfortunately, as it is January, Crete is closed! When we got to the town we were taken on a short tour before being left to explore on our own. Nothing was open – not even supermarkets. We found one small coffee shop and a few souvenir shops – that was all. We paused for a drink and wandered round the harbour, with me stopping to talk to the cats gazing hopefully at the fishing boats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next we walked the steep shopping streets before returning to the harbour and walked the other way, past the coach park towards a sculpture and viewpoint.

Back on the ship we changed for the evening and went to meet some people who live in Hythe. We met in the Crows Nest and enjoyed some cocktails before changing for dinner. After dinner one went to the show, two went to the bar and the rest of us went to the quiz where we won again – so another bottle of wine!

Wednesday 18 January at sea

Weather: Dry, good visibility 2.8ths cloud
Temperature: 18C
Wind: Light airs
Sea state: Slight

Woke up to a beautiful morning. We are now heading south towards Suez. The sea is clear and calm and the sky is blue, although it soon began to haze over with the heat. Went to the solos meet after breakfast and then down to reception to get a new cruise card as mine has stopped working again. I am hearing stories about shore excursions. Three fell over yesterday on the excursion to the winery. Watched the port talk on Petra – I’m still a bit worried about the walk but am determined to make it so hopefully all will be well!

Had a light lunch on the stern deck in the Pennant Bar, the long straight wake marking our passage ever further east and further away from home.  I skipped tea, and, as it wasn’t very bright outside, decided to do my first load of washing – just underwear this time. There was a queue in the deck 5 launderette so I went up to deck 11. The delicates wash only takes about 35 mins, but as it takes around 40 mins in the tumble dryers, I brought it all back down to the cabin to dry as I needed to be in The Glass House the meet with the Hotel Manager about the book.

Returned to the cabin where I changed for a formal night. It was very confusing as Horizon said it was B/W night and Masquerades was decorated with b/w balloons, but it also said it was the Arabian Ball! After dinner, three of us went to the quiz but my heart wasn’t really in as the next day we have to be up really early for the Canal transit.

Thursday 19 January – Suez Canal

Weather: Dry, moderate visibility, poor at times, 3/8^th cloud
Temperature: 16C
Wind: Light airs
Sea state: Calm canal waters

I set the alarm for 6.30am but was awake from 3am so eventually gave up and got up at 6.15am. Last night in dinner, we made our approach to Port Said and dropped anchor awaiting our slot in the convoy. The Captain announced that he had asked for a position at the back so we could make the transit in daylight. In the event we were the second ship behind a car carrier, with the signal to raise anchor given around 2.30am and we entered the Canal about 4am so by the time we got up we were well on our way through. What no one had reckoned on however, including the captain, was fog – very thick fog; whole banks of fog coming and going and obscuring the banks either side.

It wasn’t until around 9am that it burnt off and the villages and towns lining the banks were finally revealed. The starboard side was the most interesting as the port side was mainly desert with a few industrial complexes. We passed ferries and a lot of guard-houses, soldiers and a very long wall, roughly the whole length of the Canal. We took the opportunity of a quick late breakfast while in the fog bank, and also for a light lunch at the deck barbeque. It was strange passing Ismailia after hearing so much about it from Mum and Dad – seeing the fishermen, fellucas and birds etc.  Some scenes were almost biblical in their appearance until you noticed the fishermen taking photos of Aurora on their mobile phones!

We emerged from the canal about 3.30pm and into the Gulf of Suez. By then it was a beautiful hot and sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. 

Friday 20 January at sea

Weather: Dry, good visibility, 2/8ths cloud
Temperature: 24C
Wind: Force 4
Sea state: Slight

I woke up and feel it hard to believe we haven’t yet been on board for two weeks as it feels forever – in a good way however. Today we have the Baltic and Ligurian Peninsular Lunch so I planned a quiet morning sitting out on deck in the now lovely warm sun. However I got chatting to a nice couple at breakfast on the deck at the back of the Horizon Restaurant and didn’t actually leave till it was time to get ready for the Lunch. We had the Bar Manager hosting the table, along with two couples – one from Poole and one from Kidderminster, plus a rather miserable man on his own. By the time we had partaken of a glass of champagne, three glasses of wine and a delicious three-course meal, I wasn’t good for anything other than an afternoon spent dozing on the Prom deck! The weather had other ideas sadly and clouded over at about 2.30 so I returned to the cabin for a tidy-up, putting away the winter clothes and hanging up sunwear!  Then had a nap, got ready for dinner and afterwards, went to the Syndicate Quiz, telling everyone that it would be the last time for a couple of days as we will be in Petra tomorrow.

Saturday 21 January – Aqaba

Weather: Dry, good visibility, clear skies
Temperature: 20C
Wind: Force 3

Well the day has dawned – the one I have been both looking forward to and dreading so much. We got up at 0630 and I took a good dose of painkillers. We had to muster in Carmen’s at 0830 for our tour leaving at 0900. After a short wait we were taken down to the gangway on Deck 4 and boarded our coach, no.18. The guide was excellent and kept up a non-stop commentary all the way on the 2 hour drive from Aqaba to Petra. The coach was a bit cramped and I was having trouble sitting with my knees straight but the scenery was fabulous, taking my mind off the discomfort.

 The huge mountains, the desert and the railway, built by the Turks, that Lawrence of Arabia blew up. This ran alongside the road for quite a distance. After heading north, we turned westwards and gradually climbed up into the mountains. There were sheep, Bedouin goat herders, tiny encampments and small villages.

We climbed ever higher before starting to descend into Petra. The road was winding but the scenery was stunning – huge boulder-shaped cliffs and the famous rose-red colours of the rock. The guide took us to the visitor centre for our tickets and showed us the hotel where we would be having lunch. There was then a mile to walk along a gravel track in the open air – not too hot thankfully, but again not cold. There had been a lot of debate over temperatures and what to wear, but I had chosen well in the event – thin viscose trousers and top and light cotton jacket with hat. About a mile down this track (along which you could have chosen to ride a horse – a wild, frisky Arabian sort of horse!) there was a kind of way station where we all gathered again for the guide.

I had already decided I would not try and keep up with the group but do it in my own time, setting my own pace and using two walking poles. If I reached the Treasury I would be happy! This plan was fine and I really enjoyed the walk on my own. From this point on we entered the Siq – the famous narrow passage through a river-worn gorge with the original Hessonite water channels running along either side, once lined with ceramic tiles. This track was as beautiful and dramatic as I had hoped and indeed seen in films and documentaries.

 

The sunlight streaming through from high above, created deep shadows and glowing red rocks. There weren’t that many people and by dropping back and setting my own pace I managed to take a lot of photos avoiding crowds – sometimes feeling as if I was the the only person there. Every now and again I had to squeeze to the side to avoid a hurtling horse and carriage, either full of returning people or racing back down to collect more. There were lots of Bedouin men and children hawking postcards and silver jewellery but, aside from one forcing a silver bracelet onto my wrist (saying it was a gift!) and then snatching it away when I insisted I didn’t want it, there was little hassle. The surface changed underfoot every now and again from a nice smooth concrete path to the original large boulder-like flagstones similar to those at Pompeii or Ephesus. As I neared the end of the Siq it became rough stony ground and this was where I really needed the walking poles. It was quite treacherous underfoot with loose rocks and you had to pick your way quite carefully. All the way people had been cheering me on, asking if I was OK or needed any help – it was very touching. At the end I turned that last corner and got that fabled and stunning view of the Rose Red City of Petra’s Treasury building – just like in the Indiana Jones movie! I had made it! In front was a Bedouin with two camels, offering rides to take you further into the ancient site. Donkeys were tied up for the same purpose and in the souvenir shop/café there were three cats running round, including a ginger and a tabby & white who didn’t get on at all! They were all friendly and obviously well-fed however and took a few cuddles from me. I took my time there, taking lots of photos and absorbing the atmosphere, despite the crowds. With patience you could get some shots without too many tourists in. Camels and locals just added to the scene. Having achieved my main aim, and seeing as the ground from then on was loose rocky gravel, I decided to slowly make my way back. By giving myself plenty of time I was able to photograph different vistas and spot some of the archaeology (such as the carving of a man with three camels) without crowds obscuring them. In fact for part of the way I was totally alone and it was magical, wandering along this secret passageway to the once-lost city. As I emerged from the Siq and up the last bit of steep uphill track, a group of P&O passengers sitting on the wall resting, all clapped me!! Just as I thought, ‘great – I’m nearly home!’, the mile-long gravel track that hadn’t seemed that long in the morning, seemed interminable on the way back! By now the sun was up and hot, and the track all the way from the Treasury to the hotel was uphill, the last few feet being particularly steep and hard-going. However, I was buoyed on by my success in doing it at all and by walking both ways (not to mention a marriage proposal from a Bedouin who offered 25 camels for me!). I could have got a carriage part-way back for $20 but it would have spoiled the experience. They also tried to get me to ride a horse and even had mounting blocks at each end!! Never having ridden I declined!

At the hotel I was led to a seat for our delicious Jordanian buffet lunch with couscous, lamb, salads, sesame seeds and sweets of coconut and ices. After eating my fill I sat outside where I was offered coffee and then browsed the souvenir shops, purchasing a blue embroidered pashmina. After a further sit in the sun, chatting to people, I made my way back up to the coach where Caryll joined me shortly. The 2 hour drive back was mostly in the dusk and dark but we stopped at one point to admire a stunning sunset over the mountains, illuminating the rocks that shield Petra. The moon was glowing and stars shone brightly. We finally made our way back through the heavy traffic of Aqaba to Aurora, glittering by the quayside, dressed overall with fairylights. It had been a magical day. We had an hour before dinner so had a shower and change before going into dinner where, ironically, the only people there were the four who had been to Petra! Then it was bed – I was exhausted and my hips had begun to hurt, partly I suspect due to my squished knees as much as the walking. Still a wonderful day though!