Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

Reports about cruises on Oriana
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Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

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Monday May 7 2018

Drive down to Southampton.

I was dreading the journey down on a Bank Holiday Monday especially as the the weather wasTropical.

After agreeing an 08:30 set off I started to feel under pressure at 08:00 when Garry started rattling his car keys and pacing.
We finally left the house at 08:20.

The roads were relatively quiet and any road rage was going North not South although we did pass one nasty accident on the A34. There was nearly another one when I realised that my butler was actually turning off the air con when I wasn’t looking. The heat was unbearable but the smell was worse. He blamed it on the air con not being used for so long.

Ben from Cruise Park Southampton phoned to let us know that he will be taking us to the port tomorrow in his huge van. He knows I don’t travel light and sometimes getting a taxi big enough is a challenge.

We had a couple of comfort breaks on the way down and arrived at the Holiday Inn just after 1 p.m. our room was ready which was a bonus.

The Rose wine had travelled well in the freezer bag and was most welcome. A lazy afternoon watching the snooker and drinking wine.

We couldn’t be bothered going out for dinner and the hotel food is basic but acceptable. We met some fellow Oriana cruisers in the dining room and chatted to them before returning to our room to watch more snooker and drink more wine.

It was very hot overnight but there was a fan in the room and the window opened to let the night air in.

Tuesday 8th May - boarding Oriana

Another hot sunny day and and we were at the port for 11:30 a.m.
Straight through check in and we were shown to the Priority boarding area until the ship was ready to board. It didn’t take long and just after noon we were enjoying the bubbles and buffet lunch in the Oriental restaurant.

Even when the announcement came that the cabins were ready no one was in any hurry to move but eventually the unpacking had to be done.
As usual I had probably brought too much but we are on board for almost 7 weeks and the final cruise is around the UK which may mean cold weather cruise clothes. That’s my excuse anyway.

The cabin was all sorted and ship shape by the time we had to go to Harlequins for the muster drill. The venue is far too small for the number of passengers allocated this muster station. I always find it odd that passengers are unable to follow simple instructions. Which part of ‘Do not put your life jacket on until instructed to do so’ is so difficult to understand?

The captain is Sarah Breton and she certainly put foot down to get us away from the port. I went outside to see if I could spot Caryll waving Bon voyage with her huge hand but realised we already passing the Isle White.

We had dinner in the freedom dining restaurant which unusually for the first night was very quiet. We bought the wine package and Raymond the wine waiter warned us that the stock of our favourite Sauvignon Blanc was critically low. We spoke to Donna the Head Wine waiter and she arranged for 6 bottles to be delivered to our cabin. They are hoping to restock from another ship in Madeira. The stock levels of our other favourite the Billy Billy Shiraz is fine.

Hughie Taylor the entertainment manager introduced his entertainment team at the after dinner show and the headlines performed some numbers to introduce themselves.

When we returned to the cabin the invite to the Ligurian lunch on Thursday had been delivered. Unfortunately this is also our first formal night and the Captains welcome aboard party. I am sure we will cope.

We now have three sea days before we reach Madeira.

Wednesday 9 May 2018 - 1st Sea Day to Madeira

I started the day at the 7 am Exercise class which was an Ab work out. Normally the gym area doesn’t open for general use until 8 a.m. but it was quite busy at 7:30 with many of the machines in use.

The sun was out but it was very cool on deck and the ship was moving around. On our way to meet Facebook friends we passed the duty free shop which had litre bottles of various liquors for £20 or buy 2 for £30 and get an extra 15% off. Together with our 10% discount it brought it down to £11.50 a bottle for Drambuie.
We found out a bit of info here about the shops changing on P &O. Apparently this ship is not changing but Arcadia is.

We had arranged to meet fellow passengers in the Crows Nest for a chat in person. It was great to put faces to names on the cruise sites although we were a small but select group. The Crows Nest being right at the front of the ship and high up was moving around a little but Oriana is a stable ship. I had taken tablets and was fine.

Garry left early to go to the theatre to listen to the guest speaker Michael Kushner giving a lecture on World War ll code breaking, spies and signals intelligence. There will be six lectures over the course of the cruise but he will miss tomorrow’s due to the priority lunch. It will probably be shown on the cabin TV.

The plan had been to go from there to The Battle of the Sexes Quiz but this was thwarted as there wasn’t one advertised. We have been promised that it will be on tomorrow. Instead we had an early lunch in the main dining room.

One of the ents team Alejandro was teaching basic Spanish. He is from Mexico so a slight difference in pronunciation of some words but he made the lesson very interesting. About 20 passengers attended.

By the time I returned to the cabin the ship was really rocking and rolling. I needed another tablet and a lie down. Next thing I knew I had slept the afternoon away and it was time to get ready for dinner.

First thing we noticed when the Horizon arrived for tomorrow was that there was no formal night and another evening casual night. This does not bode well for the weather tomorrow.

Fogwell Flax was in the theatre and as we had only seen him quite recently we decided it wasn’t worth being at the front of the ship to see him again. Instead we went to the Payhouse to see the film ‘Going in Style ‘ with Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. It was easy watching and unusually for me I didn’t fall asleep but that could be more to do with my nana nap this afternoon rather than the gripping storyline of the film.

The seas and wind had indeed worsened and we had an early night as it was difficult staying upright.

All for now

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#2

Post by Kenmo1 »

Hi Sue - you got on board Oriana as we got off after a wonderful 18 night cruise. The weather was superb for most of the cruise. The only problem I had was being seasick one day when we couldn't into Cagliari because of a force 10 storm. That is the second time in the last 2 cruises that I have suffered seasickness but we were on deck A near the front. I must learn to do what you appear to do and take a tablet early, not wait until I am actually feeling ill. Funnily enough, I have always assumed that you must have good sea legs after all the cruises you have done but obviously that isn't necessary the case.

I hope you have a wonderful time and I would be interested in what you think of the Headliners. We thought they were excellent, especially the bald headed chap who can do the most amazing jumps.

Maureen

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#3

Post by Meg 50 »

prefdavid wrote: 10 May 2018, 17:29
.......

We found out a bit of info here about the shops changing on P &O. Apparently this ship is not changing but Arcadia is.

.....
What's happening to Arcadia?
Meg
x

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

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Post by Suekersh »

Meg 50 wrote: 10 May 2018, 18:24
prefdavid wrote: 10 May 2018, 17:29
.......

We found out a bit of info here about the shops changing on P &O. Apparently this ship is not changing but Arcadia is.

.....
What's happening to Arcadia?
We had heard from Aurora that Hardings were no longer running the shops and that the people who run the duty free shops in the airports were taking over. I think they are called Duffry or something like that. I can only surmise that the same firm will be on Arcadia as well.

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

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Post by GillD46 »

Looking forward to your reports. Have fun x
Gill


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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#6

Post by Ranchi »

Which part of ‘Do not put your life jacket on until instructed to do so’ is so difficult to understand?

I don’t think it’s a problem of understanding more a problem with listening. The current trend seems to be to have the tv on and do other things. The result of this ( treating the symptom) is that tv programmes now reiterate points many times throughout the show. Chanel 5 documentaries/reality shows are the worst where I estimate the a 60 minute programme will have about 20 minutes of new footage the remaining time being allocated to adverts and reviewing what has been just been show a few minutes before.
Drives me mad!
Last edited by Ranchi on 11 May 2018, 07:30, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#7

Post by Whynd1 »

Looking forward to the reports Sue, especially the around Britain as we have booked this on Oriana for next year.
We were on Oriana a few weeks ago to the Canaries and we experienced 14 m swells, not good !!!

Have a lovely time.

Thanks Pref David for the tendering duties.

Lindsey

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

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Will Sarah Breton be Captain for the British Isles cruise
Last edited by johnds on 12 May 2018, 08:19, edited 1 time in total.
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Sea Days to Madeira

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Thursday 10th May 2018 - 2nd Sea Day to Madeira

It was very bumpy over night and Oriana shook rattled and rolled. I woke up numerous times during the night and decided to give the early exercise class a miss as being high up at the front of the ship in the gym was not the best place to be.

After a light breakfast I went to look around the shops as it was Ladies day on board. The shop assistants were doing mini makeovers and launching their summer clothes collection. There was nothing that appealed to me at all other than a summery handbag but although tempted I walked away from it. I did spot that tonight there is a gin tasting event at the booze shop which may well tempt me.

We had an enjoyable lunch hosted by Collum the Staff techno Electrical engineer (hope I got that title right Collum). The wine flowed well and the service was exemplary as usual. The Captain went around every table to have her photo took with the office hosting the table and every passenger. She was obviously in a hurry as she didn’t speak to anyone other than the photographers. I wonder if this is to promote the sale of of the photographs. Are regular cruisers really more likely to buy one just because the Captain is on it. Somehow I doubt it.

We didn’t return to the cabin until after 2 p.m. so I missed the Ladies Pamper Party, Battle of the Sexes and the Spanish Class. The sea did appear to have calmed down considerably and the sun was trying hard to burn the clouds off. It was still not warm enough for me to venture outside although some brave souls were out there.

The evening entertainment was Jimmy Jermaine a Cliff Richard lookalike/Singalike in the Pacific Lounge and the film Churchill was being shown in the Theatre Royal. By the time we finished dinner it was standing room only in the Pacific Lounge which only holds about 15% of the passengers on board. The theatre on the other hand was only 1/4 full but having seen a film last night I didn’t want to see another. I went to the Gin tasting event and sampled a Tanquerry Gin with dry ginger. A first for everything but not something I would repeat. The ginger killed the Gin. I had to sample another with tonic just get the rid of the ginger taste.

Our final stop was the Crows Nest for a drink whilst we enjoyed watching the sun setting. This is a lovely room when the sea is calm.

Tomorrow is our final sea day before we dock in Madeira for an overnight stay.

Friday 11 May 2018 - final sea day to Madeira

Yeah the sun has got his hat on. The sea is calm. The decks are heaving with passengers in various states of undress, the smell of factor 50 is in the air and it finally feels like we are on a cruise holiday.

I did a gym session early this morning whilst my butler saw to the laundry as we now have six busy port days in a row before the next sea day to Cadiz.

I sat in the sun for an hour whilst Garry went to listen to the lecture in the theatre before we went for an early lunch.

Battle of the Sexes on this ship is at 1pm so not only does it clash with Alejandro’s Spanish clash but it means that it would be a rush to get to the MDR for lunch before it closes at 2pm. The ladies had taken the lead yesterday and managed to keep it today but the men did manage to gain some points and decrease the Ladies lead.

We went to the 8pm Captains Welcome on board cocktail Party in the Crows Nest. We got there bang on 8pm but the doors hadn’t opened and there was a huge queue which soon went down when both doors were opened. As usual not many were interested in having their photo took with the Captain and instead made a bee line for the free booze. The Captains speech could have been written by the tours team. Perhaps they haven’t sold enough tours for this cruise. The drinks flowed well and as the majority of passengers had opted for the 6pm party there was room to move around and mingle.

Dinner was Marcos Beef Wellington menu and there was the port marinated Stilton to end the meal. All washed down with a bottle of Billy Billy Shiraz. No idea how many calories I consumed and I really don’t care but maybe I will tomorrow when we are in port and I get on the scales in the gym.

Fogwell Flax was performing his final show of the cruise in the theatre but we gave him a miss in favour of burning off some of the calories on the dance floor.

Tomorrow we are in Madeira.

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#10

Post by Suekersh »

johnds wrote: 12 May 2018, 08:18
Will Sarah Breton be Captain for the British Isles cruise
Derek Grey is due to return to Captain Oriana for the British Isles Cruise.

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#11

Post by johnds »

Thanks Sue
John

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2 days in Madeira

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Saturday 12 May 2018 - Madeira

It was pitch black as we sailed towards Madeira but island was lit up with many lights.

I did a double exercise session with stretch and release followed by an Ab workout. There were only 2 of us there so the other regulars must have had early trips booked.

We were in no rush to disembark as we wanted the sun to get higher as our plan was to head to Monte a village high up in the hills where the toboggan ride sets off from. It can be cooler up there than in the town of Funchal.

We caught the Shuttle bus into town and walked through to the cable car station, passing many flower displays and dancers in traditional dress as it was the time of the Flower festival. The streets are carpeted with flowers and there are different displays everywhere. The craft market was situated in the gardens and we had a quick look around there.

There were no queues at the cable car and for 16 euros we bought return tickets. The gardens at Monte are worth a look and we wandered around following pathways that led to the different areas before finally finding a traditional bar where we sampled the local beer and of course the local speciality the custard tart.

The hills behind Monte had been keeping the threatening clouds at bay but we decided to head back down to the town as the clouds were creeping ever closer.

Before we came away we had seen a program on Madeira where the presenter had found a street where all of the doors had been painted by different artists. We had never seen this after many visits here but whilst taking a different route from the cable car we found it. It was very busy with people taking photographs and as it was also a restaurant street with tables and chairs outside it had lots of atmosphere. There was one picture of a rear view of a naked lady. Very tastefully done but her rear had been blacked out by the paint wearing away. I wonder if this had been caused by the thousands of visitors that couldn’t resist a pat of this perfectly formed rear.

We called at the Supermarket and stocked up on cabin supplies and took a taxi back to the port.

We had booked the Beach house for dinner as we are docked overnight it was a perfect night to eat outside. The evening sun was still very warm and there was virtually no wind. As usual the food was excellent as was the service. The lava rock steak is well worth the small extra charge.

The Horizon advertised a Headliners show called Stage Door. In the write up it was described as Motown hits and music from the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately this was completely wrong. We were in the middle of a row and couldn’t escape. The music was from shows as old as my granny. The Headliners were excellent but just not my type of show.

There was a Tropical party on deck but as the clouds had come down and the wind had got up we gave it a miss.

When we returned to the cabin we were delighted to find invites for a private sailaway party in the Captains lounge and balcony from Madeira tomorrow.

Sunday 13th May - 2nd day in Madeira

Once again there was no rush to get off the ship so I did another double exercise class and today I was the only one there so I had an hours private class and a really thorough work out.

I felt I had worked hard enough to deserve the Sunday breakfast in the MDR of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

We finally disembarked around 9:30 a.m. and the sun was already high and very hot. We took the shuttle in and then walked down to the marina. I talked to a tuk tuk driver called Andrea who was very interesting and informative about her island. We booked her services and set off to the West Coast to Camara de Lobos. This is where Sir Winston Churchill visited and painted various scenes of Madeira and the local people. His paintings can be found in the Reid’s Hotel in the Churchill suite but at 2000 Euros per night I doubt that we will ever see them.

Andrea pointed out the places of interest along the way and took us to a look out point for the most Westerly views before heading back down into the small fishing village. The tuk tuk coped well with the very steep narrow roads and we felt completely safe.
We had some free time here to sample the local delicacies and the very potent drink called ponche. This is made from sugarcane and mixed with fruit. Andrea had recommended the passion fruit one and it was a good shout. It looked very innocuous but after one taste I realised it was as potent as she had warned.

On the way back to Funchal she stopped at the sea water pool which had been developed as there are no sandy beaches on Madeira. The water was crystal clear and lots of people were using it.

The tour ended where we started and for 45 Euros it was a bargain. There was a tuk tuk tour from the ship but the price was £44 per person for a 60 minute ride around Funchal.

We finished our stay in Madeira with a drink overlooking the Port where Oriana was waiting for us.

Sailaway was at 4:30 and we had to meet in reception at 4:15 to be escorted to the Captains private area. Sarah Breton wasn’t there as she was driving the ship but many officers were there to greet and mingle with the passengers. We were met with a glass of champagne and the never ending cocktails followed shortly afterwards. There were various canapés and waitresses were walking around serving the 20 ish guests.

We went onto the balcony as we sailed away and were horrified to see a young lad on a sail board far too close and right in the path of the ship. The pilot boat sped over and threw him a rope. He was being very brave or foolish and waving to the ship shouting that he was okay. No doubt the pilots gave him a good talking to after we had left.

We weren’t on the balcony long before the wind really got up and we all dived back into the comfortable lounge area for more food and cocktails.

The show in the theatre was the Cliff Richard tribute act, Jimmy Jemain. We got in there early to ensure we got a seat and the theatre soon filled up. It was once again a full house and standing room only. The show was excellent and certainly an act I would like to see again.

There was dancing in Harlequins but as we left the theatre the ship had started rocking and rolling again which put paid to that plan.

Tomorrow we are in Tenerife.


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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

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Enjoying the reports very much. Thank you for posting.

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Tenerife

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Monday 14 May 2018- Tenerife

It was a very fast overnight sail from Madeira to Tenerife and the Oriana was moving around quite a lot but we docked on time and by the time I had finished the Eggs Benedict for breakfast the deputy captain had made the announcement that passengers could go ashore.

We had booked the coach to Playa Las Americas and arrived to hot sunshine with a cooling sea breeze. We know the area quite well and after making a few purchases we headed to the promenade and the bars and shops along there. The surf was up and we sat in the sun watching the youngsters surfing the waves whilst sampling the local beer.

Lunch was a typical Spanish dish of Paella washed down with a couple glasses of sangria. All too soon it was time to make our way back to the coach pickup point. The pickup time was 3:30 which seemed far too early as the ship wasn’t leaving until after 10p.m. so the trip could have been extended by a couple of hours but it wasn’t to be. The trip to Puerta de la Cruz on the other side of the island was even shorter.

The Headliners performed Night of a 1000 stars in the theatre and a saxophonist was in the Pacific Lounge.

The film Dunkirk was being shown in the Playhouse so Garry went to watch that and I returned to the cabin to watch the Battle of the Sexes film. This had been shown in the playhouse yesterday but I didn’t get chance to see it.

Tomorrow we are in La Gomera which is a new port of call for us.

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#15

Post by GillD46 »

Just caught up with these reports, having been in Hungary for a few days. Sounds like a great trip so far.
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La Gomera

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Tuesday 15 May 2018 - La Gomera

La Gomera is only 15 Miles West of Tenerife so it was an easy sail overnight.

The sail in was very scenic with the mountains and hills of the virtually circular island and the volcanic Mount Teide to our aft.

We were a little later docking than planned and Captain Sarah announced that this was due to various ferry manoeuvres and that Oriana had been told to wait until these were completed. It was another very sunny but very breezy day with temperatures due to reach 23 degrees.

As we were in no hurry to disembark so I attended both exercise classes before going to the MDR for a leisurely breakfast whilst Garry visited the spa.

Once off the ship it was very breezy on the port side and it was like a wind tunnel with no sun to warm the wind up. Garry had to chase his hat which gave him his exercise for the day. We caught the shuttle into the small town and it was degrees warmer but still breezy and cool out of the sun.

We wandered around this very quaint small town for a while looking at the local shops and trying to identify somewhere for a tapas lunch. This was not as easy as it should have been as for a small town there were many bars and restaurants but many were discarded as too plasticy, others were closed even though their signs said that they were open. One in particular that had been recommended had changed its day for closing from a Monday to Tuesday. We stopped for a beer in the sun before walking through a different area. We came across the local church and there were lots of locals there and a car covered in floral tributes. It was obviously a funeral of a local which probably explained why many of the tapas bars and restaurants were closed.

In the square there were a group of school children practising their whistling skills. To keep the old whistling language alive the children are taught it from an early age.

We stopped again and this time I sampled the Sangria. The glass was huge and the waitress told me that her father grew the wines locally and that it was a mix of his red and white wine with lots of fruit and various liquors. It was excellent but I couldn’t have drunk two and found my way back to the ship. I also found out why whistling was very popular here when I visited the ladies and although there was a door it neither locked or closed and there was only one cubicle.

We set off once again to the tapas bar we had identified with the help of Mr Google. It was supposed to open at 11:30 but when we arrived hungry at 1 p.m. it was still closed with no signs of it opening any time soon. We gave up and returned to the ship for lunch.

The wind was just as strong and Garry once again had to chase his hat along the dockside.

The sun was on the aft deck which was sheltered from the wind. I could see Mount Teide in the distance although today it was shrouded in cloud.

Captain Sarah made an announcement just before we sailed away to let everyone know that due to the wind it was going to be a long and complicated manoeuvre to leave the port and once we were clear then Oriana would stop for a while for the thrusters to be tested.

She wasn’t wrong and certainly earned her salary getting Oriana away from the dockside safely. It took about half an hour and there were times when it seemed that we may well have to stay overnight.

The 2nd formal night of the cruise and as we weren’t that bothered about any of the entertainment that was advertised and decided to have a later leisurely dinner. I do prefer the freedom dining restaurant on Oriana but the queues for a table for 2 for dinner are horrendous. We are normally happy to share a table but occasionally enjoy a relaxed meal especially on formal night. We went down after the queues had disappeared and took a pager. Many passengers just sit and wait outside the restaurant but we went to Anderson’s for a pre dinner drink. It was around 7:20 when our pager went off. Perfect timing for dinner as long as you don’t want to see the show or are happy to see the later show.

Once again the wind had got up which meant that we didn’t go to the formal night ball. The wind and choppy seas have certainly been a feature of this cruise.

The group were playing easy listening country music in the Pacific lounge and there were various quiz’s going on around the ship.

Tomorrow we will be in Gran Canaria.

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Gran Canaria

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Post by prefdavid »

Sorry for the delay today, not having any problems with the rowlocks unlike DTM used to :lol: but instead been out on the motorbike all day.

Wednesday 16th May 2018 - Gran Canaria

It was another rock and roll night and the morning was very cloudy and overcast. Rain was forecast so I went the the exercise classes whilst my butler did the washing and then went to the spa.

We finally disembarked about 10:30 to glorious sunshine, no rain but a cool breeze by the port.
We soon discarded our jackets and the sun was hot.
It was a fair walk into town and we located the tapas bar we had decided to visit later for lunch then found a bar in the sun by the beach to sample the local brew.

The beach area was very quiet but a few brave souls were tempted into the Atlantic Ocean. I hasten to add that I was not one of them. I was a bit concerned that a later than middle aged very bronzed man wearing the tiniest thong imaginable and still no white bits showing went into the sea and didn’t reappear whilst we were there. A couple of Spanish ladies were looking after his belongings and didn’t appear worried.

Lunch at the Tasca de Galileo was amazing. I had a local beer whilst perusing the extensive tapas menu. The waitress was Latvian and spoke perfect English but gave me chance to practice my bar Spanish. We followed her recommendations and started with the local mountain ham with hot freshly baked bread, chorizo cooked in cava which was delicious and a Spanish tortilla with cod all washed down with a bottle of Albariño wine.
The bar was tiny and at night the locals queue to get a table. The kitchen was like a matchbox and no idea how the chef has room to prepare and cook the amazing tasty food they serve here. The seating was not the comfiest on high wooden stools and they did not serve coffee which obviously deters anyone from lingering there so their table turnover is relatively quick.
I certainly recommend this place and will visit again when in Gran Canaria.

The walk back to the ship was around 20 minutes and after a short nana nap I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the sun on the aft deck. It seems such a waste to depart a port at 4:30p.m. When it is such a short distance to the next one.

One difference I have noticed on Oriana is that they no longer use the tiered aft deck for the sailaway parties but now use the Riviera pool.

We shared a table for dinner to give us chance get into the Headliners show ‘stop in the name of love’. This was the Motown music show that had been advertised for last week and was worth waiting for. This Headliners group are certainly one of the best we have seen for a long time.

The saxophonist was performing his last show in the Pacific lounge and the way the theatre was emptying as the Headliners finished it must have been another full house. We went to Harlequins for the dance music played by the resident group Symetrix. It was the first time for them in Harlequins and they kept strict tempo throughout. The sequence threw them a bit but once the dance instructors gave them the timing they were perfect.

Tomorrow we are in Fuerteventura our last Canaries port of the cruise.

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#18

Post by barney »

Thanks for the review Sue

The Canary Islands are a great opportunity to replenish your 'cabin supplies'

Can you let us know how diligently the so called ban is being enforced !

i've heard everything from the Stazi to couldn't really care less from P&O staff
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Fuerteventura and sea day to Cadiz

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Thursday 17th May 2018 - Fuerteventura

We have only been here once before a few years ago and it was closed. It is the Canary Island closest to Africa and is in the main extremely undeveloped with barren sandy landscapes.

The day started overcast and once again the winds were very strong.

We had booked a trip to see a different part of the island Corralejo but I still had time for the 2 exercise classes and then had room service breakfast.

By the time we disembarked the sun was up and it was very hot. Thankfully the coach was air conditioned. The journey to Corralejo was indeed very barren. The trip was two stops the first being at the sand dunes for the beach. The tours must have had complaints from previous calls here as we had been advised not to disembark the bus here as there are no facilities. Only one person ignored the advice and the rest of us continued to the town.

I can only surmise that coaches were not allowed into the town as we were dropped off at the top of a steep road which after half an hours walk led to the marina and town beach. We passed many touristy shops on the way and it very much reminded me of Blackpool but with the sun.
There were more Brits than Spanish and the smell of burgers and chips was everywhere.

By the marina it was peaceful with nice bars and a beach walk but we didn’t have long enough to enjoy the culinary delights and just had a couple of beers served with crisps and olives before we had to start the long trek back up again. We looked in a couple of duty free shops on the way up but once again they were more expensive than the ship.

Our meet time at the coach was 1p.m. and we just had time for another drink and a panini. I couldn’t leave the island without sampling the Sangria. The service was dreadfully slow and I have never waited so long just for a sandwich.

We made it back to the pick up point with a few minutes to spare and amazingly everyone was on time but complaining that we just didn’t have long enough there. For me other than not being able to have a traditional Spanish tapas lunch the 3 hours we had there was 3 hours too long.

Back at the ship the sun was on the aft deck and it was already full. There had been so little to see in the town that many passengers were already back on board. If we do ever come here again I would stay on board.

It was the Peninsular cocktail party in the Pacific Lounge and we attended the later one. Captain Sarah spoke a few words and gave the facts and figures for the cruise. Still no mention of the name of the new ship but apparently it will be announced very soon.

Whilst we were chatting to Gemma the Hotel General Manager about the extreme and challenging winds in La Gomera, Captain Sarah joined in the conversation. It really was touch and go if we were going to get out of the berth or would have to stay until the winds dropped.
Mmmm after experiencing Fuerteventura that may have been a bonus.

After six successive port days we have a relaxing sea day tomorrow en route to Cadiz.

Friday 18th May - Sea Day to Cadiz

A very gloomy overcast start to the day. Only one exercise class today which was circuits. We had put the hour forward during the night to Spanish time which could be the reason why I was the only passenger there for the 7a.m. circuits.

I had ordered room service breakfast for when I returned as I had been expecting a sunny day on deck. This was not to be although when I went out to test the temperature the sun worshippers were on the deck wrapped up well in fleeces and covered in towels.

The shops had a Royal Wedding event on and the duty free had 20% off tobacco and bargains on the liquors and spirits. I sampled a few of the liquors as it was nearly midday. I had also received a £10 off voucher for cosmetics and perfume so used the chance to stock up on some Clarins products I use. This is what happens on a cloudy day at sea I spend more money. Garry had gone to a lecture on how the Enigma code had been broken.

Battle of the sexes was at 1p.m. and now in The Lords Tavern instead of Harlequins. The men caught up the ladies in the first round but then the ladies romped ahead again in the 2nd round. Still not much in it.

The sun did manage to burn off the clouds later in the afternoon.

Black & White Formal night and as the Headliners show was in the Pacific Lounge at 7:30 and 9:30 we chose to take a bleeper for a table for 2 and have a relaxed dinner.

The show was Top of The Billboards which is new to Oriana but we had already seen it on Aurora earlier in the year. The Headliners had already done a Matinee performance so they certainly worked hard today.

A magician / comedian Mark Shortland was in the Theatre.

Tomorrow we are in Cadiz

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prefdavid
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Cadiz & Jerez

#20

Post by prefdavid »

Saturday 19th May 2018 - Cadiz

Once again I had one to one tuition in the gym. Stretch Class to start followed by Circuit training. Another great session. I much prefer the Oriana gym to the dingy Aurora one.

A quick room service breakfast before setting off to get the coach to Jerez for a spot of Sherry tasting.

It was a 30 minute journey and the coach dropped us close to the Alcazar and a Bodega. We headed off in search of the market and followed the blue line on the map through the historic centre.

1st stop was a square with a sherry tasting bar. The sun was extremely hot and I started with a beer to quench my thirst. The sherry tasting was three different glasses of fino, semi dry and cream. My favourite was the fino and Garry who only wanted to taste the fino then decided he preferred the semi dry and drank half of mine.

Next stop was a traditional tapas bar which was crowded with locals. We managed to get a table outside and ordered food and drink. I had sampled the Sangria in all of the ports and did so again.

The Carrefour supermarket wasn’t far from the market and we stocked up on cabin supplies before heading to our final pit stop for ice cream.

It was a lovely 3 1/2 hours in Jerez where I felt like I had eaten and drunk my way around. We call at Cadiz again in a weeks time and will probably eat and drink our way around there.

Back at the port we realised that we were docked at a different berth than normal and the duty free shop was tiny and looked like a hoard of locusts had been through it.

When we got back to our cabin there had been a problem with water as there was a blower in the corridor. A card had been left outside the door asking us to contact the deck supervisor. Only when we opened the door to find towels in place of a carpet did we realise what had happened .
The deck supervisor offered to move us temporarily into a different cabin but as nothing was wet other than the carpet which had been taken away for drying so we decided staying put was less hassle. They will relay the carpet tomorrow whilst we are in Lisbon. The strange thing is that this is exactly the same cabin we were in a couple of years ago when we had a similar problem with water pipes leaking. It must be jinxed.

The Royal Wedding footage was being shown in the Theatre, The Pacific lounge and The Lords Tavern but nowhere was the FA cup final being televised.

A nice touch at dinner was that a glass of bubbles was served to everyone with the compliments of Captain Sarah to toast the Royal couple.

Adrian Walsh a very funny man was in the theatre. We have seen him before but the majority of his act was very new. We hadn’t realised but three years ago he had a massive stroke on stage on Oriana and was told he might never walk or talk again. He has done brilliantly well and is as funny as ever.

The Royal Wedding 60s and 70s party night was held in the Pacific Lounge . The entertainment team on here are very pro active. The girls were dressed up on the door playing air guitar and singing Elvis songs. So funny and they were enjoying themselves as well as entertaining the passengers. Such a difference in attitude compared to our last cruise on Aurora.

Tonight we gain back the hour we lost a couple of nights ago in readiness for our arrival tomorrow in Lisbon which is our final port of call on this cruise.

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Final 3 days of cruise

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Sunday 20 May 2018 - Lisbon

I had a day off the gym today as it was smoked salmon and scrambled egg for breakfast and we wanted an early start to the day.

We docked by 9a.m, a bit further down than usual and Mein Schiff was in the prime spot by the duty free. Lisbon Port has changed so much since we were last here and everything is huge. It was hard to find our way out as everything but the road was caged in. We didn’t want to catch the shuttle or board a tour bus or do a taxi tour. We just wanted to cross the road and get a local cab to the train station. Eventually a tour guide who spoke English gave us the directions. I guess when the port work is finished there will be better directional signs.

We were at the train station by 10a.m. and a very kind local helped us sort out the ticket machine. We couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t work for us but he explained that our tickets which can be reloaded with money had expired. They were just 2 weeks out of date. They only cost 50 cents for new ones and the 45 minute train journey was only 4.50€ return. The trains are clean and run bang on time.

We mooched around Cascais which is a small fishing village with individual shops and many bars and restaurants. I sat in the sun and enjoyed some eye candy playing Head ball on the beach volley ball court. It was hard to tear myself away but my stomach was telling me that it was Sardine time.

We found a table in the sun at 0 Batel restaurant which has become our favourite spot in Cascais. The owner recognised us immediately and welcomed us back. I started with a local beer whilst lunch was cooking then ordered a jug of paella to have with the fresh grilled sardines.

The train journey back was amusing as the local team Lisbon were playing in the cup final and the train was packed with noisy but well behaved Lisbon supporters.

It was the Great British sailaway from Lisbon with flag waving and singing. Such a shame that it has been moved from the aft deck where the tiered stern made a perfect venue for the sailaway. The Rivera pool does have a stage but somehow the atmosphere is just not the same. I used my free champagne voucher and as Garry hadn’t used his I had his as well.

We missed Marc Shortlands 1st show last week as I am not into comedy magicians, but having been assured that he was very entertaining we decided to sit at the back to see his 2nd show in the Pacific Lounge.
I lasted about 10 minutes after nearly falling asleep when he was trying to guess a word out of a book, he then got a balloon out of his pocket and started blowing it up. At that point I walked out. Thank goodness we were right by the exit. We made our way to the theatre to see the show there where the Headliners performed a fantastic show Reel to Reel. This is an old show that has been re-vamped with new costumes and choreography.

Monday 21 May 2018 - 1st Sea Day to Southampton


Having missed the exercise class yesterday I went back this morning and again attendance was low as only two of us turned up for the early class.

The weather was overcast and quite cool on deck although some passengers were out there living in hope that it would improve.

It was the designated day to collect our duty free liquor purchases from the shop and I was expecting a huge queue but there was no one else there. Ben the owner of the company where our car is parked had sent me a text offering to come and meet us at the port and he will put the duty free in the boot of our car.

The ladies increased the lead in the Battle of Sexes but it is still quite close with only 150 points in it. The two entertainment officers Yasmin and Maxine are hilarious and should be on stage as a comedy duo.

The sun had finally made an appearance and out of the wind it was hot on deck.

We had requested a dining change from freedom dining to fixed sitting on a table for 2 for our next cruise and the restaurant manager phoned to confirm that this had been sorted.

The ship entered the very calm Bay of Biscay just before dinner. So different and much more pleasant than when we entered it nearly 2 weeks ago.

The last formal night of this cruise and Adrian Walsh kept us in stitches with laughter once again before we finished the night in Harlequins for the formal night ball.

Tuesday 22 May 2018 - Final Sea Day to Southampton


The numbers in the exercise class had grown to three and we had a good final workout of the cruise. I will find out tomorrow when I get weighed in port how much damage the wonderful food has done on this cruise.

Once again the weather was overcast and cold and very few were outside but there were still some determined to make the most of the last day. The sun did keep trying and it brightened up as the morning went on. No packing to do for us.

As predicted the ladies won the Battle of the sexes and increased the lead. Another hour of fun and hilarity with Maxine and Yasmin laying bare some of their antics as they were growing up or as in Yasmin’s case more recently.

The sun was out and once again it was hot on deck as long as you were in the sun and out of the wind.

Lots of cases appeared in the passageways which made us feel quite smug and looking forward to our next adventure.

Our final dinner was in Sindhu which was arranged by our deck manager for the inconvenience of the water issue in our cabin. Fabulous meal but as usual in there I ate far too much.

The Headliners performed We Will Meet Again which we didn’t go to see and the Orchestra were playing in the Pacific Lounge.

Great Cruise and looking forward to the next one.

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david63
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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#22

Post by david63 »

prefdavid wrote: 23 May 2018, 11:40
... ordered a jug of paella to have with the fresh grilled sardines
Personally I would have gone for a jug of Sangria to have with the paella :o :crazy:

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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#23

Post by Manoverboard »

david63 wrote: 23 May 2018, 12:45
prefdavid wrote: 23 May 2018, 11:40
... ordered a jug of paella to have with the fresh grilled sardines
Personally I would have gone for a jug of Sangria to have with the paella :o :crazy:
On the other hand we would have had a bottle of Rioja with the paella … as indeed we do at home :wave:
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Re: Oriana X807 - Tales from Sue and the Butler

#24

Post by rita17 »

Thanks you for your reports Sue, have enjoyed reading them.

We were on the 2nd of April cruise to the Azores and Canaries which we really enjoyed apart from the first four days when we had bad weather. Your day in Lisbon gave me food for thought for our next visit there. Our visit there was marred by me getting my camera stolen at Belem.

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