Monday 7th
October 2019 – Dover
My shared
chauffeur-driven vehicle was due to collect me at 7.50am but arrived 10 minutes
early. As I was ready to took my luggage down and boarded. The driver gave me a
bottle of water and explained we could stop when required, for any reason. We
drove to a nearby village to pick up another couple – this necessitated a call to them
as we couldn’t find the property, down a narrow long drive. Then we set off for
Dover. It was lovely having all the pressure of getting there taken off. After
a stop at Fleet for coffee and cake, plus another comfort stop, we arrived about
1.15pm. Dover Cruise Terminal 1 opened in 1996 at a cost of over £10 million
pounds and is set in the former Marine Railway Station. As a listed building,
many of the original features are still evident and the effect is charming and compact.
Since I was on a guarantee fare, the porter took my luggage to a lady with a clipboard to get my cabin number – E019. I then went to check in, upstairs via a lift. I had booked assisted check-in so went to the correct area and was asked to sit down. Shortly after another lady came over with an iPhone and paperwork for checking in, and gave me a deck plan, cruise card and boarding no. 16 (all assisted boarding people had an individual number). It was then only a short wait for a wheelchair and I was taken on board on Deck 5 to The Living Room where a pianist was playing. I left the wheelchair and queued for a steward to take my hand luggage and lead me to my cabin. My luggage had all arrived so I asked the steward to lift my case onto the bed and started to unpack. I had booked a standard single cabin on guarantee and ended up with a standard twin on E Deck. This is an all-balcony ship and I was impressed, with a few minor niggles. The beds were set up as a kingsize – it was huge! Bedside tables were good with two drawers, a middle shelf and the top surface. There was a bedside light plus a directable reading light plus a USB port for charging phone set. Being in this position meant you could still use your phone or tablet while it was charging. The wardrobe was reasonable with full length hanging on one side, with a slanted shoe rack at the bottom, and half-length on the other side with two large drawers and the safe. The safe had a light and was huge – easily large enough for a laptop. In the wardrobe were the lifejackets, a lap blanket for use on the balcony, a golf umbrella and a basket with long-handled shoe horn, clothes brush, hair dryer, laundry bags for him and her and a pair of Olympus binoculars. The other furniture consisted of two comfy chairs, a coffee table, standard lamp and dressing table with illuminated mirror and more tissues, kettle, teas and coffees, two shallow drawers and two deep drawers.
A huge TV was at the foot of the bed and offered Freeview channels, some films on demand, port lectures and, best of all, the shows in the theatre were broadcast live to your cabin. The bathroom was a good size with glass-doored shower, good-height toilet and basin. Under the basin were two large cupboards with shelves. The light around the mirror stays alight at a low level to provide a nightlight should you need the bathroom at night. There was also a very narrow fridge with a carton of UHT milk. Three glass railed shelves over the fridge and a full-length mirror opposite, plus two coat hooks. The balcony had two rattan chairs and a small table. One minor niggle – no washing line in the shower but I understand this is being rectified. The cabin steward introduced himself and asked which fresh fruit I would like in the cabin – now the two plates, knives and napkins that were on the coffee table made sense. The apples and red grapes that arrived later were perfect and just ripe enough. Once I had unpacked I went for a walk around the ship, had a snack in The Grill and a tour of the Spa, where I booked a Fire & Ice manicure & pedicure for later. The Verandah looked a nice place to eat outdoors but it was much too cold and windy for that today. Noted a row of jars of sweets for you to help yourself, plus fruit juices available all day, as was ice cream.
Muster drill was at 4.30. We had to take our lifejackets but didn’t need to put them on. My muster station was the front of the Theatre so I had to walk down all the steps and back up again – not happy about that. In fact I thought it a design flaw that there was no public lower entrance to the theatre. The drill was fairly short with a demo of how to put the lifejacket on, then you could do it yourself if you wanted to but didn't have to. I then went to change before my spa appointments so I could go straight to dinner afterwards. As I was a little early I had a martini in The Living Room (with bowls of dry-roasted peanuts, or crisps or rice crackers). I was sitting there alone chatting to the bar steward. Another lady came in and sat down and the steward suggested she join me – a nice touch to encourage people to socialise. By the time I had finished my spa treatments, it was 8pm and the main dining room was full so I was offered a choice of coming back in half an hour and having a glass of free champagne while I waited, going to The Grill (same menu as MDR but self-service) or eating in the steakhouse The Club. I chose the latter, joining a table with a very chatty and very nice couple. Chose crab cakes to start with (made with fresh crab), chicken and a strawberry cheesecake, all washed down with an Australian Shiraz. I had intended to go to a show but the clocks go forward an hour, I had been up since 6am so decided to go to bed.
Since I was on a guarantee fare, the porter took my luggage to a lady with a clipboard to get my cabin number – E019. I then went to check in, upstairs via a lift. I had booked assisted check-in so went to the correct area and was asked to sit down. Shortly after another lady came over with an iPhone and paperwork for checking in, and gave me a deck plan, cruise card and boarding no. 16 (all assisted boarding people had an individual number). It was then only a short wait for a wheelchair and I was taken on board on Deck 5 to The Living Room where a pianist was playing. I left the wheelchair and queued for a steward to take my hand luggage and lead me to my cabin. My luggage had all arrived so I asked the steward to lift my case onto the bed and started to unpack. I had booked a standard single cabin on guarantee and ended up with a standard twin on E Deck. This is an all-balcony ship and I was impressed, with a few minor niggles. The beds were set up as a kingsize – it was huge! Bedside tables were good with two drawers, a middle shelf and the top surface. There was a bedside light plus a directable reading light plus a USB port for charging phone set. Being in this position meant you could still use your phone or tablet while it was charging. The wardrobe was reasonable with full length hanging on one side, with a slanted shoe rack at the bottom, and half-length on the other side with two large drawers and the safe. The safe had a light and was huge – easily large enough for a laptop. In the wardrobe were the lifejackets, a lap blanket for use on the balcony, a golf umbrella and a basket with long-handled shoe horn, clothes brush, hair dryer, laundry bags for him and her and a pair of Olympus binoculars. The other furniture consisted of two comfy chairs, a coffee table, standard lamp and dressing table with illuminated mirror and more tissues, kettle, teas and coffees, two shallow drawers and two deep drawers.
A huge TV was at the foot of the bed and offered Freeview channels, some films on demand, port lectures and, best of all, the shows in the theatre were broadcast live to your cabin. The bathroom was a good size with glass-doored shower, good-height toilet and basin. Under the basin were two large cupboards with shelves. The light around the mirror stays alight at a low level to provide a nightlight should you need the bathroom at night. There was also a very narrow fridge with a carton of UHT milk. Three glass railed shelves over the fridge and a full-length mirror opposite, plus two coat hooks. The balcony had two rattan chairs and a small table. One minor niggle – no washing line in the shower but I understand this is being rectified. The cabin steward introduced himself and asked which fresh fruit I would like in the cabin – now the two plates, knives and napkins that were on the coffee table made sense. The apples and red grapes that arrived later were perfect and just ripe enough. Once I had unpacked I went for a walk around the ship, had a snack in The Grill and a tour of the Spa, where I booked a Fire & Ice manicure & pedicure for later. The Verandah looked a nice place to eat outdoors but it was much too cold and windy for that today. Noted a row of jars of sweets for you to help yourself, plus fruit juices available all day, as was ice cream.
Muster drill was at 4.30. We had to take our lifejackets but didn’t need to put them on. My muster station was the front of the Theatre so I had to walk down all the steps and back up again – not happy about that. In fact I thought it a design flaw that there was no public lower entrance to the theatre. The drill was fairly short with a demo of how to put the lifejacket on, then you could do it yourself if you wanted to but didn't have to. I then went to change before my spa appointments so I could go straight to dinner afterwards. As I was a little early I had a martini in The Living Room (with bowls of dry-roasted peanuts, or crisps or rice crackers). I was sitting there alone chatting to the bar steward. Another lady came in and sat down and the steward suggested she join me – a nice touch to encourage people to socialise. By the time I had finished my spa treatments, it was 8pm and the main dining room was full so I was offered a choice of coming back in half an hour and having a glass of free champagne while I waited, going to The Grill (same menu as MDR but self-service) or eating in the steakhouse The Club. I chose the latter, joining a table with a very chatty and very nice couple. Chose crab cakes to start with (made with fresh crab), chicken and a strawberry cheesecake, all washed down with an Australian Shiraz. I had intended to go to a show but the clocks go forward an hour, I had been up since 6am so decided to go to bed.
Tuesday 8th
October – St Peter Port alias Cherbourg.
Captain’s
blog: With 925 guests having embarked in Dover
yesterday we had hoped to visit St Peter Port in Guernsey, however with 30-35
knots of wind forecast we needed to find an alternative port that had a berth
available and at short notice. So this morning we find ourselves approaching
Cherbourg and pilot embarks at 0645. This morning I decide to keep the con
throughout having just been here 2 days ago and now very familiar with this
port. With a swing off the berth we “back down” to dock portside to the Quai de
France passenger terminal. We are already by 0800 but as it is still dark the
arrival announcement is delayed until 0830 which was our scheduled arrival time.
With the berth booked at the very last minute there are no shore excursions
today but we are running 3 shuttle buses to the city centre and most of our
guests take the opportunity to explore this lovely town.
When I woke up we were already berthed in Cherbourg. It didn’t
get light until around 8.30am so I stayed in bed awhile (it was very comfortable) before getting up and
having breakfast in The Grill. I was shown to a table which was fully laid with
napkins, cutlery, side plate, cups and saucers, jug of milk and pots of jam and
honey. Tea, coffee and hot toast were brought round by waiters. There was also an elaborate coffee machine if you wanted latte, cappuccino etc.
I went to get some fruit and a croissant and chatted with a lovely couple. After breakfast I went to register my credit card at reception. I had also noted in the daily paper that they were offering free bridge tours so booked one for 10am. After a pit stop in the cabin I flipped the switch by the door to indicate my cabin could be made up and at 9.50am went to join the group in The Living Room from where we were taken up to the bridge on Deck 11. There, Third Officer Alex explained all the up-to-the-minute technology on this new ship. I have to say I was surprised to learn they no longer carry backup paper charts as each system carries so much built-in redundancy they feel they will never lose power! We were allowed free rein to take photos – just no video.
After around an hour, I returned to my cabin and had a coffee on my balcony before taking the shuttle ashore. This dropped us off at the entrance to the old town, from where I wandered up and down a few streets taking photos and exploring jewellery and homeware shops but I didn’t buy anything.
After a couple of hours I had had enough of the cobbles and went back to the shuttle drop point. After a short wait two arrived – as they do – and we returned to the ship, via another drop point at the new shopping mall. I decided to have lunch in the Grand Dining Room to see what it was like. The set up was like Fred Olsen in that it was a mixture of buffet and menu items. I asked for the pasta which was self-serve but a waiter kindly got me some. I ended the meal with a delicious garden mint sorbet. My wine today was a Chilean white, freely topped up. The morning activities led to an afternoon nap. About 4.30pm I went up to the sun deck for a look around. I had planned on staying there for sailaway but it was too windy and a bit cold so I went down to the promenade deck. There were traditional steamer chairs and a few modern wooden chairs but no reclining chairs anywhere which is a pity. I stayed out on prom deck until the pilot boat took the pilot and we had passed the West Fort lighthouse.
By then I was quite cold so went to have a hot shower. My cabin steward Roderick is off sick and his temporary replacement, Alvin, had misunderstood my request to only have one bath towel (I had 2 as it was a twin cabin) and had left an extra hand towel and taken all my bath towels! I fetched one from his trolley and explained again, before showering. The toiletries (Prija) are lovely and all very large bottles. I dressed for our smart casual night and went to the South Cape Bar for a cocktail. I enjoyed the pianist/singer but the music was a bit too loud for conversation. When I went down to dinner, I was escorted to a table on the arm of a waiter. There were four other ladies there. I had a chicken and mango starter, salmon main course and lavender and rhubarb panna cotta. The wine was a South African white and I finished the meal with coffee, chocolate truffles and coconut macaroon. On the way out of the restaurant I spotted a cake stand with foil-wrapped mints and crystalised ginger. I returned to my cabin via the Library, picking up a magazine or two to read. When we left port the captain had warned it would get bumpy (up to force 8) as we rounded Ushant into the Bay. The ship was already pitching a little and in my cabin, I noticed the steward had wedged my large glass flasks of water and glasses in a chair with cushions! I decided to stay and watch a film before bed. There is a reasonable choice of both up to the minute and older films on the TV, all free.
I went to get some fruit and a croissant and chatted with a lovely couple. After breakfast I went to register my credit card at reception. I had also noted in the daily paper that they were offering free bridge tours so booked one for 10am. After a pit stop in the cabin I flipped the switch by the door to indicate my cabin could be made up and at 9.50am went to join the group in The Living Room from where we were taken up to the bridge on Deck 11. There, Third Officer Alex explained all the up-to-the-minute technology on this new ship. I have to say I was surprised to learn they no longer carry backup paper charts as each system carries so much built-in redundancy they feel they will never lose power! We were allowed free rein to take photos – just no video.
After around an hour, I returned to my cabin and had a coffee on my balcony before taking the shuttle ashore. This dropped us off at the entrance to the old town, from where I wandered up and down a few streets taking photos and exploring jewellery and homeware shops but I didn’t buy anything.
After a couple of hours I had had enough of the cobbles and went back to the shuttle drop point. After a short wait two arrived – as they do – and we returned to the ship, via another drop point at the new shopping mall. I decided to have lunch in the Grand Dining Room to see what it was like. The set up was like Fred Olsen in that it was a mixture of buffet and menu items. I asked for the pasta which was self-serve but a waiter kindly got me some. I ended the meal with a delicious garden mint sorbet. My wine today was a Chilean white, freely topped up. The morning activities led to an afternoon nap. About 4.30pm I went up to the sun deck for a look around. I had planned on staying there for sailaway but it was too windy and a bit cold so I went down to the promenade deck. There were traditional steamer chairs and a few modern wooden chairs but no reclining chairs anywhere which is a pity. I stayed out on prom deck until the pilot boat took the pilot and we had passed the West Fort lighthouse.
By then I was quite cold so went to have a hot shower. My cabin steward Roderick is off sick and his temporary replacement, Alvin, had misunderstood my request to only have one bath towel (I had 2 as it was a twin cabin) and had left an extra hand towel and taken all my bath towels! I fetched one from his trolley and explained again, before showering. The toiletries (Prija) are lovely and all very large bottles. I dressed for our smart casual night and went to the South Cape Bar for a cocktail. I enjoyed the pianist/singer but the music was a bit too loud for conversation. When I went down to dinner, I was escorted to a table on the arm of a waiter. There were four other ladies there. I had a chicken and mango starter, salmon main course and lavender and rhubarb panna cotta. The wine was a South African white and I finished the meal with coffee, chocolate truffles and coconut macaroon. On the way out of the restaurant I spotted a cake stand with foil-wrapped mints and crystalised ginger. I returned to my cabin via the Library, picking up a magazine or two to read. When we left port the captain had warned it would get bumpy (up to force 8) as we rounded Ushant into the Bay. The ship was already pitching a little and in my cabin, I noticed the steward had wedged my large glass flasks of water and glasses in a chair with cushions! I decided to stay and watch a film before bed. There is a reasonable choice of both up to the minute and older films on the TV, all free.
Wednesday 9th October – at sea
Captain’s blog: After
an excellent Welcome Aboard party in the Britannia Lounge it was room service
and then straight to bed. The great thing about room service is that you can
order from the main menu, so I had to try an appetiser and main course created
by our Celebrity VIP chef Daniel Galmiche.
It was a very rough night so I didn’t rush to get up as it
was a sea day, making the Grand Dining Room for breakfast at 9.15am (it closes at
9.30am). I didn’t want to go up to The Grill as it was still a bit bumpy. After
breakfast I went to Reception to book on the free wine tasting event this
afternoon and then to the jewellery talk in the Chart Room at 10.30am on
Russialite – a type of chrome dioxide and bright green. At noon I went to the
Solos Party in the Britannia Lounge. It was packed. There was plenty of bucks
fizz or champagne and the entertainments crew and hosts went round introducing
themselves. There were also waiters going round taking bookings for the other
restaurants to make up solo tables, which I thought a great idea. After that I went to The Grill for lunch of
salad with rollmops and smoked salmon. All this alcohol led me to the cabin for
a half hour rest before I went to the wine tasting at 2.30pm. Today it was
comparing 6 French wines. It was led by Master of Wine, Conal Gregory and very informative and interesting. I then
chilled for a while on my balcony, where it was sheltered from any wind and
quite hot now. I also explored the ship some more. It was the Captain’s Welcome
Aboard party tonight at 6.15pm in The Britannia Lounge, again with lots of
free-flowing wine. It was a formal night and I had booked to eat in East to
West at the solos meet. I was on a table for 8, although one lady
wasn’t feeling well so there were 6 ladies and one man there. I had sashimi
amuse bouche, followed by scallops, king prawn curry and chocolate & chilli
tart. NB: The dress code was well followed, by the men particularly, but I felt a few women could have made more of an effort.
Thursday 10th October – Bordeaux
Captain’s blog: It certainly was an
early start with the pilot boarding at the entrance to the Garonne River at
0115 – how rude is that!! Anyway after getting over the shock of waking so
early it was actually a very interesting river transit with 71M to cover to
reach our berth for 0700. Enroute we had to pass under a number of power cables
and 2 bridges – the Aquitaine road bridge, and then the incredible vertical
lift bridge - Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas (JCD), which is the longest vertical
lift bridge in Europe. Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a former Prime Minister of
France and Mayor of Bordeaux. Very few guests saw the bridge on the way in, but
they were in for a treat after our departure. We were in port for 2 days and
berthed right in the heart of the city – that is the great thing about this
ship and her shallow draft as many cruise ships can’t dock here – thank you
SAGA!! Many guests chose to explore this great city on foot and we had lots of
tours on offer which were snapped up very quickly. Around 0930 I started to
feel rather weary so some extra rest was in order – not feeling guilty as
having been up since 0030 I felt as though I deserved it!! I had a very busy
couple of days with meetings/inspections so had to settle for a walk ashore in
the evening and a small beverage with some of the Officers – very relaxing and
always good to have a change of scenery.
As I was on a 9am tour, I set the alarm for 7.15am and had a
cabin breakfast. This arrived about 5 mins early but I was up and dressed
anyway. The weather was looking very promising and it was good to be able to pop out on
the balcony to check temperatures. As I did so I spotted a cruise ship berthed
right behind us. This proved to be Amera
of Phoenix Reisen, ex Prisendam and a little beauty. The lovely thing about being on a smaller
ship is we could berth right in the heart of the city. Because I was registered
for assistance I had a letter from the tours office telling me I could go down
earlier for tours so that I didn’t have to rush. All tours mustered ashore
rather than in theatres, again something I prefer and bottles of water could be
picked up for free by the gangway. There only seemed to be one coach per tour on all the
excursions I did so nowhere was flooded with visitors. We drove out through
Bordeaux and vineyards to the Chateau du Taillan Medoc. We were led through both medieval and
modern buildings, explaining how the wine is made using mostly Cabernet
Sauvignon grapes, and how long it is left to age in the barrels. I put my new wine
tasting skills to use as we were given two wines to taste. They were very oaked
and many of the passengers didn’t like them.
Eventually it was time to drive back ending with a short drive around Bordeaux before dropping us at the ship. On the way back our tour escort handed out Werthers Originals sweets. Back on board I went to the Grand Dining Room for a small portion of venison stew and a Coca-Cola to refuel before setting out on my own. I decided to walk up to the Water Mirror installation opposite the 300 year old Place de Bourse, and past Amera, taking photos. The mirror is so simple but so effective. With the sun shining and a bright blue sky, the 2cms of water over granite flagstones creates a magical reflection. The plain water alternates with a water mist creating yet another effect. It gave me a lovely image of Amera reflected in the water too.
I started to wander back when I realised Amera was preparing to sail so sat on a wall and took photos of her departure. I think it may be the first time I have ever watched a ship leave from the dockside. She glided past Spirit of Discovery and under the amazing lifting bridge towards her next port.
We would meet up with her again in Gexto and in Leixoes. I walked back to Spirit and went up to The Verandah where I had a cider and sat in the sun for an hour watching people along the promenade and using the rides on the fairground which had been set up in the Place des Quinconces. I returned to the cabin to shower and change for dinner, going in around 7.15pm. I wanted to eat early so as to make the show at 9.30pm starring a dance group from Bordeaux. After a good meal on a table of 8, I returned to my cabin to get my walker thinking I could sit on that at the back in the theatre as the limited leg room is uncomfortable, but they wouldn’t allow it. Instead they offered to get me a chair from the Chart Room and placed it dead centre at the back next to the videographer so my view could not be bettered. Full marks for a solution. The show was very entertaining and afterwards I went out onto the promenade deck as it was such a lovely balmy evening. Temperatures had reached 26C over the afternoon and I was quite sunburnt. I then went to bed as I planned to walk to the Medieval Gate and possibly the Cathedral tomorrow.
Eventually it was time to drive back ending with a short drive around Bordeaux before dropping us at the ship. On the way back our tour escort handed out Werthers Originals sweets. Back on board I went to the Grand Dining Room for a small portion of venison stew and a Coca-Cola to refuel before setting out on my own. I decided to walk up to the Water Mirror installation opposite the 300 year old Place de Bourse, and past Amera, taking photos. The mirror is so simple but so effective. With the sun shining and a bright blue sky, the 2cms of water over granite flagstones creates a magical reflection. The plain water alternates with a water mist creating yet another effect. It gave me a lovely image of Amera reflected in the water too.
I started to wander back when I realised Amera was preparing to sail so sat on a wall and took photos of her departure. I think it may be the first time I have ever watched a ship leave from the dockside. She glided past Spirit of Discovery and under the amazing lifting bridge towards her next port.
We would meet up with her again in Gexto and in Leixoes. I walked back to Spirit and went up to The Verandah where I had a cider and sat in the sun for an hour watching people along the promenade and using the rides on the fairground which had been set up in the Place des Quinconces. I returned to the cabin to shower and change for dinner, going in around 7.15pm. I wanted to eat early so as to make the show at 9.30pm starring a dance group from Bordeaux. After a good meal on a table of 8, I returned to my cabin to get my walker thinking I could sit on that at the back in the theatre as the limited leg room is uncomfortable, but they wouldn’t allow it. Instead they offered to get me a chair from the Chart Room and placed it dead centre at the back next to the videographer so my view could not be bettered. Full marks for a solution. The show was very entertaining and afterwards I went out onto the promenade deck as it was such a lovely balmy evening. Temperatures had reached 26C over the afternoon and I was quite sunburnt. I then went to bed as I planned to walk to the Medieval Gate and possibly the Cathedral tomorrow.
Friday 11th October – Bordeaux
Captain’s blog: 5:00pm was the all
aboard time and 30 minutes later we were ready to sail. It was just perfect
with warm and sunny conditions as we retraced our tracks from yesterday but
more importantly the sail out was in daylight and the decks were packed as we
passed under the JCD bridge with a 5m clearance. We cleared the river at 2230
and then set a S’ly course towards Bilbao.
Day 2 in Bordeaux and I was doing my own thing. I had a
leisurely breakfast and set off about 10am. It was warm and dry but breezy
today so I was glad I saw the Water Mirror yesterday. I set off towards the Place de
Bourse again but on the town side of the promenade. Thank goodness there were
crossings since there was a wide promenade with cyclists, two dual carriageways,
cycle lanes and in the middle, twin tram tracks! I walked past the funfair and
up towards the Three Graces Fountain. Once I reached the medieval gate I took a
few photos but realised I wasn’t going to make the Cathedral on foot.
I stopped in a cafĂ©, sitting outside, with a coffee and a croissant watching people pass by. My back was beginning to hurt so I crossed over to the river frontage to take photos of the Pelican, a sailing vessel from London. The past the Water Mirror again and along the promenade towards Spirit of Discovery getting some nice photos of her now Amera wasn’t in the way. Back on board I went to The Verandah and sat in the sun with a salad and glass of wine chatting to people.
Stayed out in the sun till sailaway, going up to the Sun Deck as we would be sailing under the two bridges. We were slightly delayed waiting for the pilot and for the lifting bridge to be raised. Finally he arrived and we set off downriver and under the amazing bridge – the longest lifting bridge in the world. The whole centre section rises parallel. Then under the suspension bridge and out to sea.
I stopped in a cafĂ©, sitting outside, with a coffee and a croissant watching people pass by. My back was beginning to hurt so I crossed over to the river frontage to take photos of the Pelican, a sailing vessel from London. The past the Water Mirror again and along the promenade towards Spirit of Discovery getting some nice photos of her now Amera wasn’t in the way. Back on board I went to The Verandah and sat in the sun with a salad and glass of wine chatting to people.
Stayed out in the sun till sailaway, going up to the Sun Deck as we would be sailing under the two bridges. We were slightly delayed waiting for the pilot and for the lifting bridge to be raised. Finally he arrived and we set off downriver and under the amazing bridge – the longest lifting bridge in the world. The whole centre section rises parallel. Then under the suspension bridge and out to sea.
Saturday 12th October – Bilbao
Captain’s blog: Our guests had a lie in this morning as our
arrival time in Bilbao was 1000, this due to a high speed run from Bordeaux
which is also a tidal port. With pilot on board at 0830 we had 6M to run into a
very well-fortified harbour. Today was yet another Maiden call and so a
“plaque” exchange had been arranged. With us all fast alongside by 0930 we had
clearance from the local authorities at 1000 and then our guests were free to
go ashore. Yet another full tours programme including a “Glimpse of Bilbao”,
“Bilbao & Guggenheim Museum”, “Hiking Mount Ermua” and “Exclusive Getaria
& Txacoli Wine”. Bilbao, the largest city in Spain’s Basque Country is home
to the famous Guggenheim Museum, which has always been to assemble a collection
of significant works of art from the mid-20th century to the present day.
Highlights of its permanent collection include paintings by Robert Motherwell,
Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter,
Jean-Michel Basquiat and James Rosenquist. Local Basque sculptors Eduardo
Chillida and Jorge Oteiza are also represented. For me it was another 20km
cycle ride to the north and along a fabulous coastal path towards a town called
Barrika with stunning views out to sea and the seaport of Getxo which is where
we actually dock. Departure was set for 1800 and Staff Captain Simon conducted
the departure in some fairly strong winds, but with the thruster and pod power
available it was executed safely and swiftly. As soon as we cleared the inner
harbour the pilot was disembarked – must have been keen to get home as he
boarded some 5 miles further out in the morning!! With us clear of the outer
harbour we set a W’ly course for our day at sea and arrival Leixoes on Monday.
My third time in Bilbao so I had booked a birdwatching tour which didn’t leave till 11am, so there was plenty of time to get up, have breakfast and take photos of the many lighthouses as we sailed in. Whilst we berthed at the new cruise terminal, Amera was at the dock I was at on QE2 in 2008.
At 10.30am I went down and boarded the coach (with my trolley this time as there was potentially a lot of walking). We set off through Bilbao and the countryside of Galicia to Urdaibai, known as the International Airport for Birds as it is on a main migratory route from northern Europe to South Africa etc and at the pinch point between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees. We split into two groups and half of us watched the video and photographic presentations while the other half went to the bird-watching platform at the end, overlooking the salt marshes.
Then we switched. I had hoped to see the spoonbills for which it is famous but sadly I was out of luck, although we did spot an osprey. We had half an hour
at the end to sit outside and eat the packed lunches we had been offered by the
ship (I hadn’t bothered with one as it was only a 5 hour tour). Then we set off
back toward Bilbao via the coastal roads stopping at a couple of viewpoints –
one a bay and the other to see the island of Gaztelugatxe, made famous now in Game of Thrones! I didn’t get
out of the coach at the first stop, but did at the second. I was just returning
to the coach when a cyclist suddenly stopped dead in his tracks to take a photo
of my trolley. I raised my eyebrows and he said in broken English ‘for my
mother’! Apparently rollators are rare in Spain. I wasn’t expecting to drive
through Guernica, made famous as the site of a massacre in the
Spanish Civil War and the subject of a Picasso painting but it was an interesting short diversion. We got back about 4.30pm, just in
time to get a sandwich in The Grill. Then I had a rest, getting up for
sailaway, which I watched from the balcony. I got changed, had a drink in
The Living Room and was joined by a lady whom I first met at the dinner in
East to West. We went in to dinner together on a table for 10, along with Conal Gregory, his wife and some
others. Went back to the cabin after dinner as I was very tired after three
days of walking.
Sunday 13th
October – at sea
Woke to a grey
day. Had breakfast in The Grill and then went to hand in my excursion tickets.
Tickets are in three parts. Two are torn off when you board, one is kept by the
tour company, the other by cruise staff. On the back of the part you keep are
questions about the tour. Hand this in and you get entered in a draw. While I
was there I handed in my Duty Free order and booked the afternoon wine tasting
of Spanish and Portuguese wines. Had lunch in the Grand Dining Room and shared
a table again with Conal and his wife. We chatted about Txacoli, a wine unique to the Basque region, and other wines
while I ate fish cakes and sticky toffee pudding. I refrained from wine at
lunch, nipping up to the buffet for a glass of apple juice afterwards, as
shortly after it was the wine tasting event. A lovely waiter almost insisted on
getting me something so I had a little cheese and biscuits. Honestly, the
cheese selection is amazing – over 100 cheeses are stocked on board and at
dinner a trolley comes round with about a dozen different varieties every
night. I had never rated Spanish wine much but have to say my eyes were opened
and I loved the Albarino Bernon. That finished at 3.30pm and I just had time to
use my bathroom as at 4pm it was the Chocoholics tea in the Dining Room. I
really didn’t want to eat anything but wanted to see it so went in – very few
people queuing unlike P&O. I sat at a table and, as I was initially on my
own, one of the dancers joined me, followed by another two solos. They do make
an effort on Saga to see no one is left alone. There really didn’t appear to be
much chocolate but it was a very civilised afternoon tea with cakes on a
étagère on the tables while waiters came round with warm scones, sandwiches etc.
Also, as well as tea or coffee, there was complimentary prosecco.
Afterwards a nap was definitely called for until it was time to change for dinner. Had a cosmopolitan in the Living Room before going into dinner on a table of four ladies and one of the dance hosts. It was his first time as a host and he said the people he worked with wanted to know all about it when he got home. Conversation was good and I learned that there was a female chaffinch hitching a ride on one of the aft decks.
Afterwards a nap was definitely called for until it was time to change for dinner. Had a cosmopolitan in the Living Room before going into dinner on a table of four ladies and one of the dance hosts. It was his first time as a host and he said the people he worked with wanted to know all about it when he got home. Conversation was good and I learned that there was a female chaffinch hitching a ride on one of the aft decks.
Monday 14th
October – Porto
Captain’s blog: With two cruise ships arriving at Leixoes we
were advised to allow the other ship in first as she was going to the town
berth and we had been allocated the Cruise Pier. There is often a ground swell
running at the harbour entrance which meant we kept our stabilizer fins out until
very late – previous experience of not doing this was not a good one!! Once
inside the harbour the fins were brought in and then it was a sharp 90’ course
alteration to approach the berth. Alongside at 0800 it was raining sideways,
but this did not deter our guests from heading ashore – Saga brolleys at the
ready. With many Shore Excursions on offer, including Porto Panoramic, Place of
the Dukes at Guimares, Porto Sights & Douro River Cruise, and Wine Lodge
& Tasting there was something for everyone. With Saga Cruises we also
provide complimentary shuttle buses - something you don't see with most other
Cruise lines - and today's buses transported our Guests into the heart of Porto.
I had a busy morning "clearing" my desk so did not get to Porto today,
however I have very fond memories from a previous visit. Porto is Portugal's
2nd largest city and is located on the Douro River. It is of course famous for
its port wine and one of our tours visited the Sandeman vineyard - which was
very evident with the return of the Wine Lodge and tasting Tour!!! Hmmm that
sounds just like my kind of tour! With everyone back promptly we sailed at 5.30
pm and "squeezed" our way out through the inner harbour before
heading back out into the Atlantic Ocean towards La Coruna.
My tour today (Snapshot of Leixoes) wasn’t until 2pm so I could
have a nice leisurely morning – just as well given the torrential driving rain
that greeted me when I looked out first thing and tried to take a photo of the
lighthouse we were just passing! I don’t know where my fascination for
lighthouses came from but I do love them and have even produced a calendar of
some. I should now have enough for a second one. And Amera had joined us again! I had
breakfast in The Grill, then went round the ship taking photos. I had a snack
lunch then went down for my tour at 1.15pm as it was quite a long walk along
the airbridge and out to the coaches. As this was my second time in Porto I had
chosen this tour as an easy one. I was just expecting to see Leixoes but in the
event we also drove through a lot of Porto and over the river to the side with
all the port lodges, crossing over the modern bridge and back across the
twin-level iron bridge, giving us fabulous views of this UNESCO protected city.
We drove back to the ship alongside the river frontage. Aside from a quick shower when we left, the sun was now out and there was blue sky so my tour was well-timed. Back on board I had a shower and changed as it was the Newcomers (to Saga) party tonight. We were late departing, partly because a couple of the coaches were late (the traffic was horrendous) but also because we were refuelling. We left about 5.30pm and I watched it from my balcony before heading up to the Britannia Lounge for the party. I sat with a nice couple while the captain gave a speech about how this was the most important party of the cruise as we were the future for Saga Cruises. Then I went down to Coast to Coast as this was the second of my booked meals at the supplementary restaurants. Again, it was a solos table of four other ladies, two men and myself. This is a seafood restaurant, although there are other options if you don’t like fish or seafood. Had a delicious meal of seared tuna, lobster thermidor and a decidedly deconstructed passion fruit pavlova.
Plenty of wine flowed and I ended with a coffee (must remember to ask for skimmed milk). The clocks go forward tonight and it is getting a little bumpy again as we head north now.
We drove back to the ship alongside the river frontage. Aside from a quick shower when we left, the sun was now out and there was blue sky so my tour was well-timed. Back on board I had a shower and changed as it was the Newcomers (to Saga) party tonight. We were late departing, partly because a couple of the coaches were late (the traffic was horrendous) but also because we were refuelling. We left about 5.30pm and I watched it from my balcony before heading up to the Britannia Lounge for the party. I sat with a nice couple while the captain gave a speech about how this was the most important party of the cruise as we were the future for Saga Cruises. Then I went down to Coast to Coast as this was the second of my booked meals at the supplementary restaurants. Again, it was a solos table of four other ladies, two men and myself. This is a seafood restaurant, although there are other options if you don’t like fish or seafood. Had a delicious meal of seared tuna, lobster thermidor and a decidedly deconstructed passion fruit pavlova.
Plenty of wine flowed and I ended with a coffee (must remember to ask for skimmed milk). The clocks go forward tonight and it is getting a little bumpy again as we head north now.
Tuesday 15th
October – La Coruna
Captain's blog: With sunrise at 0846 we slipped into the port of La Coruna under
the shadow of darkness. Our 2nd Officer “Korby” kept the control of the course
and speed until we were deep inside the harbour, when he handed over to the
Staff Captain to complete the final manoeuvre. We were all fast alongside by
0815 and 10 minutes later we caught the first glimpse of twilight and 30
minutes later it soon became clear we were in for a very mixed day in this
delightful Galician port. La Coruna is the capital of this rugged region and
boasts a rich maritime heritage. It is famous for being the departure point for
Felipe II and his doomed Armada, which was defeated by the English in 1588.
British military enthusiasts also know it as the location of the Battle of
Corunna that took place in 1809. Napoleon’s troops attacked a division of the
British Army led by General Sir John Moore, who lost his life in the battle and
is buried in the city. In keeping with its seafaring tradition, La Coruna is
also famous for the Tower of Hercules, Europe’s oldest functioning lighthouse
which dates back to Roman times and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage
Site. There were 6 shore excursions on offer today with three of these to
Santiago de Compostela, a Scenic Estuaries tour, La Coruna on foot and the one
that stood out for me for a future visit was the trip to Lugo, a UNESCO World
Heritage site. During the morning we had a traditional plaque exchange but on
this occasion there were 9 people from the port with officials from the Police,
Army and Garda Civil (photo attached). Their videographer even got me to walk
down our sweeping staircase with a sign “I love A Coruna”! Well after the
excitement of that I felt the need to head ashore and at 1300 I met up with
some Spanish friends I had not seen for 3 years. As it was raining golf was off
the menu, but lunch was definitely on and wow what a fabulous lunch with the
freshest of seafood – green lip mussels, calamares, and then prawns with wild
mushrooms. If that wasn’t enough a fabulous plate of beef grilled with special
rock salt appeared. Although an outstanding dinner my planning was well off the
mark as I was hosting the Captains table later the same evening!! At 1700 we
slipped our moorings and re-traced our tracks through the harbour with our
Staff Captain having the con. Once clear of the port I made a swift departure
and headed down to our Farewell Cocktail party.
After greeting our Guests at the entrance it was time for my farewell
speech. After a general introduction and a review of the cruise highlights, I
took the opportunity to introduce a number of our staff who were either
nominated, were runners-up or had won the Employee of the Month scheme which we
run on board. The guests love this as the crew of Saga are so highly thought of
and appreciated for their excellent service and attention to detail.
I wasn’t doing a tour so took my time over getting up and
breakfast. Unlike every other port bar Cherbourg, we are the only ship here.
For some unknown reason I hadn’t received my disembarkation letter so after
breakfast, went to reception to find out my tag number and when cases had to be
out by. I was just walking back to my cabin when I spotted the captain on the main stairs, being filmed with a La Coruna plaque. It seemed to take a few goes before they were happy with the result! Then I got ready and set out using my walker, as it is quite a long
walk round out of the dock area and to the lovely old town.
I crossed over the road and walked up into the main square. There was a big fire prevention exhibit there (with lots of firefighters around). After taking some photos I turned left to one of the small shopping streets and wandered there, buying some unusual costume jewellery earrings and a necklace of silk flowers and a dragonfly. After about 2 hours I started to head back towards the ship. I paused for a look around the duty free shop in the port but prices seemed quite high and anyway I had ordered spirits on board. Once on board I went for lunch in the Grand Dining Room. Here I had my first duff meal as I ordered a small gammon and it was very salty so I left most of it. I collected a few sweets from the jars on the Lido deck and then went back to my cabin to do a bit of sorting out prior to packing tomorrow. I also filled in my cruise questionnaire. Tonight is the Farewell cocktail party with yet more free champagne (and it IS champagne, not cheap sparkling wine). After getting ready (formal night) I took my trolley up as the parties are all in the Britannia Lounge and it was getting a little rocky. After dinner I went to the main dining room. It was a fabulous dinner of caviar on blinis, a melt-in-the-mouth roast venison and crepes suzette. It was getting rougher by then so I returned to my cabin and watched the guitarist Stuart Andersen on the cabin TV.
I crossed over the road and walked up into the main square. There was a big fire prevention exhibit there (with lots of firefighters around). After taking some photos I turned left to one of the small shopping streets and wandered there, buying some unusual costume jewellery earrings and a necklace of silk flowers and a dragonfly. After about 2 hours I started to head back towards the ship. I paused for a look around the duty free shop in the port but prices seemed quite high and anyway I had ordered spirits on board. Once on board I went for lunch in the Grand Dining Room. Here I had my first duff meal as I ordered a small gammon and it was very salty so I left most of it. I collected a few sweets from the jars on the Lido deck and then went back to my cabin to do a bit of sorting out prior to packing tomorrow. I also filled in my cruise questionnaire. Tonight is the Farewell cocktail party with yet more free champagne (and it IS champagne, not cheap sparkling wine). After getting ready (formal night) I took my trolley up as the parties are all in the Britannia Lounge and it was getting a little rocky. After dinner I went to the main dining room. It was a fabulous dinner of caviar on blinis, a melt-in-the-mouth roast venison and crepes suzette. It was getting rougher by then so I returned to my cabin and watched the guitarist Stuart Andersen on the cabin TV.
Wednesday 16th
October – at sea
Today we leave
the Bay of Biscay and round Cape Finisterre and into the Western Approaches.
Once my cabin was serviced I got my suitcase out and onto the bed and packed on
and off throughout the day so as not to aggravate my back. I booked the final
wine tasting – Old World v New World wines. This was at 2.30pm again so I had
lunch in The Grill before attending. As always this was informative and interesting
and on this occasion, Old World won although personally I still prefer New
World wines. Finished packing and went for dinner about 7.30pm after a final
drink in The Living Room.
Thursday 17th
October – Southampton
After breakfast
in The Grill, I went back to the cabin to complete checks and packing and then
went to sit in The Living Room to await my assisted disembarkation. I was Tag
no.9 due to go at 9.10am. I was pretty much on time and was wheeled along the
long airbridge, together with a crew member to carry my hand luggage. Once I
got a porter he left and then we met a lady with clipboard outside. She was
looking for my driver as he had just gone to the vehicle with my companions
from the drive down. Once we and our luggage were all stowed,
we set off. I finally got home about 12.15pm – a very quick
drive indeed.
