Iona to the Fjords 21 June

[Jan Rosser]

This time next week I shall be sitting on my balconyenjoying the North Sea on my way to the first port of call Haugesund - here’s hoping for good weather

[Onelife]

Hi Jan, wanting you to have fantastic weather I’ve just been out in the garden and performed this….

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+ ... 39&oq=&gs_

Hope it works

Second clip down

[david63]

I’ve just been out in the garden and performed this….

Sounds painful!!!

[Jan Rosser]

Well I’m sitting on my balcony - the steward has opened the adjoining door between mine and the in-laws balcony. The captain is doing the safety drill at the moment - visited the muster station before going to the cabin.

The coach trip down was uneventful although the air conditioning vent was dripping onto a poor guy opposite me - he just moved seats! Very busy at the docks - a few coaches arrived at the same time but I went through priority boarding and the usual queueing for the lifts began - I took the stairs - three flights - phew !

Just about to put the My Holiday thingy on the phone - can’t call it an app really to book dinner.

So far so good

[Happydays]

Hope you have a lovely cruise and enjoy yourself

[Ray B]

the usual queueing for the lifts began - I took the stairs - three flights - phew !



So far so good

Good exercise Jan, end of the cruise you will be running all the way to the top.

[Stephen]

Have a lovely cruise Jan.

[cruisin_duo]

Have a great cruise.

[oldbluefox]

Wishing you calm seas and a wonderful time Jan.

[Jan Rosser]

Sunday
Day at sea and unexpectedly the sun came out and it was perfect to chill on the balcony. We are on deck 11 starboard side and below on I believe deck 8 are sun beds and jacuzzi’s which filled up rapidly with the warmer weather. Having had a bigger breakfast than usual we opted for a light lunch in the Horizon which was busy but not too crowded. I just had a salad but lots of choice on the menu. We love the food on offer in the Quays but guessed it would be busy on a sea day. There are quite a few children on the ship who are school age and lots of babies and toddlers.

Biggest gripe so far is the flipping My Holiday “app” which consistently shows “queue full” before evening meal times but then opens up just as we are about to give up and leave for the restaurant! Same with the theatre - 8.30 pm shows all full from day 1 - I’ve seen most of them but sometimes a new group will interpret it in a different way. Availability at 6.45 and 10.30 - one too early the other too late. People must book the entertainment the minute they embark so not much hope for latecomers on the coaches. It’s a very staggered embarkation but it is what it is - I wouldn’t drive down on my own anyway.

There were a lot of hangry people this morning at breakfast who had been given buzzers and heaven forbid had been waiting 10 minutes - shocking . We were in the online queue and turned up when called - I don’t think the system is working well and without a smartphone then turning up is the only alternative I suppose. My friends have a smartphone but simply use it for texts/messages/emails - they are not on social media either and in fact they would have great difficulty using the app.

It was Celebration Night and lots of men (and little boys) wore dinner suits or smart suits with a tie and some of the ladies looked stunning but equally there were those who were in shorts/t shorts etc - their choice of course.

The menus are certainly different - I had halibut and it was beautifully cooked. You will remember if you are a P&O regular you had beans with everything well now it seems to be peas! One of the desserts had a cherries jubilee sauce - I’m sure some of you will recall a dessert where they flambed cherries in liqueur at the table - H&S put a stop to that.

Lots of people were queuing to have their photos taken - the fun of looking at photos in the gallery has been taken away now as it’s all digital and viewed after putting in a code - spoilsports.

The North Sea air is very tiring and after a drink and a bit of people watching I was ready for bed.

Monday

Woken by the alarm this morning - I was having a dream about people struggling with money and I was on my high horse ranting on about the government not telling people what they were entitled to - don’t ask me where that came from - glad I woke up .

[Ray B]

Sarah will be happy that the beans are history and replaced with peas, so long as they are cooked and are not Al dente. She would scrape the beans onto my plate as I enjoy beans, but of cause, there does come a time where enough is enough.

[Onelife]

Jan wrote...

Woken by the alarm this morning - I was having a dream about people struggling with money and I was on my high horse ranting on about the government not telling people what they were entitled to - don’t ask me where that came from - glad I woke up .

Nice to know I'm always in your Dreams, Jan