Capnpugwash is going to the Caribbean for Christmas 2011 on P&O’s Arcadia.

[FoghornLeghorn]

Merry Christmas!

Really enjoying reading about this adventure.

 

Thanks for taking the time to let us travel along with you.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 17.

 

I sat at a table right at the stern of the ship and the sun was almost too warm through the window, I had porridge and being half blind without my glasses I sprinkled pepper on instead of salt. I did notice the brown powder on the surface and was able to excavate the offending pepper and replace it with salt, that worked pretty well and I followed it up with kippers which were very nice as well. I have just slathered myself in P20 suntan protection which once cured for 15 minutes is supposed to give all day coverage. I think that having breakfasted on kippers I should avoid the gym and do gentler exercises in the pool, that is my story and I am sticking to it.

 

I went up to the pool in the 24/75 degree sunshine to find that it was netted and out of use, I made some enquiries and was told that the filters needed servicing and it would be operational later in the day, it has just gone noon and it is still closed. I think that I would have performed the service overnight rather than inconvenience hundreds of passengers, one thing I have found is that you seldom get a satisfactory answer to any question such as this because it is impossible to actually get to speak to the ultimate decision maker and his subordinates won’t press him for a straight answer in case it upsets or angers him. This could adversely affect their futures as their “superiors” make career changing reports on their juniors, it is not really fair, but it is how the world turns. Instead I went to the aft pool which is much smaller but it wasn’t too bad apart from the stench of the smoking area wafting over the pool in the light airs. I was in the water and by the pool for a little over an hour, I went for a walk around the upper decks which were littered with half naked people and went to the steam room and the spa.

 

Having finished there and cleaned up I went out to hear the noon announcement by the netted pool, very little has changed other than we are now 830 miles from Antigua which at 20 knots we should complete in 42 hours which is 5am on Tuesday, allowing for an additional clock adjustment. There is supposed to be a barbecue on the aft deck at lunch time but I really didn’t fancy it, instead I went to the buffet and there was very little there that grabbed me so I had a little cheese and biscuits and a bowl of trifle. It wasn’t exactly Christmas fare but it was sufficient for me until we get the tea and cake at whist this afternoon and the Christmas dinner this evening.

 

It is 1.30 now and the sea remains calm, the winds remain light and the sun continues to shine, the temperature is a delightful 24/75 degrees and we are still making 20 knots. I am going up to whist shortly. The cards were fairly neutral for me today and I finished in the middle of the field. The tea, mince pies and Christmas cake was a roaring success and everyone wants to do it again every day. Unfortunately that is impractical but we may be able to do it on New Year’s Day. In addition to the normal prize stickers for the gent and lady winners I bought 2 packs of M&Ms as surprise booby prizes. They were well received as well. After that excitement I had time for a quick cup of coffee and then it was time for Spanish. That was good fun as well and we revised some of the things that we have learned since coming on board.

 

I am back in the cabin now at 5pm prior to the 5.30pm quiz, the Neptune pool is still closed, we are making 19 knots on the same course, the sea state is slight with a force 3 easterly breeze, the temperature is 24/75 degrees and it is still a lovely day although the sun is sinking quite quickly and will disappear in a little over 30 minutes. Tonight is a formal evening and we will be offered a traditional turkey dinner as well as 6 other choices and best of all we don’t have to do the washing up.

 

More later

[LibraLass41]

Sounds delightful, although its quite warm here too - 12 c/ 54 f, but no sunshine or blue skies, and yes I have had to do lots of washing up today after coooking 3 courses for lunch for 7 hungry adults and 8 for buffet supper. Its 10pm now and they have all gone home, and I'm cream-crackered! One-day, one-day it will be my turn to cruise at christmas and be pampered... I've cooked for past 25 years both days and it must surely be my turn soon :rolleyes:

 

Enjoy every day - looking forward to hearing about the Islands as you visit them.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 18

 

I was quite close in the quiz but was still 2 away from winning, better knowledge of the Troggs music would help, and dinner wasn’t until 8.45 this evening so I had an extra G&T before going to the restaurant. There was a choir comprising Officers performing for 10 minutes welcoming passengers into the room and it was quite lovely. Prawn cocktail, tomato soup, turkey and all the trimmings followed by plum pudding flamed with brandy was my choice of dishes and they were all fine. I had to rush off to get to the Syndicate Quiz in the Crow’s Nest and we did ok but unfortunately we were 2 off the mark with 17/20. There is a little movement in the ship now at midnight, we are making 20 knots through a slight sea but with swells from the abeam of the ship. There is a force 3 breeze and the temperature is 24/75 degrees.

 

The time is 7.20am and today is December 26th or Boxing Day, it is also St Stephen’s Day. The sun rose 10 minutes ago and will not set for just over 11 hours at 6.19pm. At the moment the sky is overcast with small clear patches. The swells have reduced and we have a northerly force 3 breeze the temperature remains unchanged as does our speed.

 

I went to the buffet and it was fairly empty and whilst I was sat there an almost constant stream of people who were all as red as lobsters walked through to the Aquarius pool, they were all carrying holdalls and towels and seemed determined to bag their favourite sunbed by the pool even before the sun has started to shine. The entire outside wall of the room is glass so I could see almost a 180 degree semi-circle of the port side horizon. Off our stern quarter is a massive black rainstorm with clouds right down to the sea, as I looked further forward the sky was significantly lighter with fluffy white clouds and large open areas of sky. With luck we will outrun the storm and soon find ourselves bathed in sunshine. As I left the restaurant and walked across deck 9, I found that the pool had been re-opened and there were a couple of ladies who I have met doing their morning exercises. Speaking of which I must away to the gym before I totally lose all my limited enthusiasm. We are only 421 miles east north east of Antigua according to the 8.55am bridge announcement and the barometer is rising.

 

More later.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 19.

 

I delayed my visit to the gym and sat on the deck for a while just getting some fresh air, then it was coffee time in the Crow’s Nest followed by an hour of Spanish conversation. I had taken my gym kit with me so I dropped down a deck and performed my usual routine, and then I had a very pleasant steam followed by 45 minutes in the Neptune pool which was bathed in sunshine. At the pool I was talking to a couple from Cornwall in south west England and we were talking about strange things that people say, they told me about two old ladies who they play cards with at home; the first complained that her rigor mortis was playing up and the second told the wife in confidence that she had just come out of hospital having had an ex-directory! It will be time for whist in half an hour so I am sitting in the cabin just drawing breath.

 

We are making 19½ knots and the temperature is 25/76 degrees, we have a calm sea with minimal swell and a force 3 breeze, our course has altered slightly to 254 degrees and we are now close enough to the islands to have seabirds flying around the ship. For the past few days all that I have seen were flying fish on a couple of occasions so it is nice to see some birds.

 

Whist was very good today although I was surprised when I arrived to find that there was only one prize sticker, I usually assist the Ents officer by organising the players to move at the end of each hand as he is always running round doing lots of different things. He arrived after we had been playing for a while and when I told him about the missing sticker he said that he had left 2 there earlier in the day and that someone must have walked through and stolen it, people are always full of surprises aren’t they. Who on earth would steal a prize sticker? Anyway he left a replacement and the winning man had amassed 97 points by winning every hand of the 12 that we played, I was in the mid 80s which was reasonable without being stellar. The winning lady scored 87 and she was very pleased as it was her first sticker.

 

I had a coffee afterwards and a mince pie in the buffet which was just about perfect to my tastes. The individual quiz starts in an hour and I hope for more good fortune this afternoon. There is a performance of the pantomime Aladdin at 7.15 this evening for the passengers on second sitting, I would quite like to see it but getting to a bar after it will mean that it will be difficult to find a seat so I may give it a miss although to miss a couple of G&Ts wouldn’t kill me. It was written and arranged by John Bartram who is the Cruise Director on board and the performance only takes 45 minutes.

 

More later

[capnpugwash]

Update no 20.

 

The quiz was very hard with the questions being set on football, pop music and soap operas; none of these subjects feature highly on my list of interests so I just scraped 12 correct answers, this score was totally insignificant when judged against the winning score of 17. Maybe I will have better luck next time! The Captain has just announced that we are on schedule to arrive in Antigua by 7.30am tomorrow and that the weather should be a sunny 28/82 degrees. I have decided to forgo the pantomime and head to the bar after all old habits die hard. Apparently the show was very funny and most of the lines were delivered well, the costumes looked brand new complete with the creases where they had been folded in the boxes.

 

The meal was pleasant; I had steak and ale pie followed by cheese. One of the couples on the table had gone to celebrate a birthday in the Ocean Grill which left just four of us at the meal, it was quite luxurious to have a massive 8 seat table for just the 4 of us, we each had so much room, and it was great. We tied second in the quiz with 13 points, the winners had 16/20 and it contained some very obscure questions. It is almost midnight but we gain the final hour of this cruise at 2 am so it is quite early really. We must be less than 170 miles from our destination as we are due there in 8 hours, we have a force 3 easterly breeze, slight seas and swells and a very humid 27/81 degrees, that isn’t too bad for Christmas week is it?

 

This morning I woke at 6am and tried for a while to get back to sleep but it was no good so I have just risen 20 minutes later. The sunrise is at 6.37 today, Tuesday December 27th. The sea feels quite calm with low swells and it has cooled a little to 23/73 degrees, we are making 15 knots due south west and there is an easterly force 4 breeze. The sky has some light scattered clouds which look the type to burn off in the heat of the day. On each of the next 4 days the Arcadia will call at a different port, today is Antigua, then St Maarten, then St Kitts followed by St Lucia and finally Barbados. They are all really only a spit apart so the inter-island journey times will be minimal.

 

One thing that I find disappointing on board is the absence of the Captain walking regularly through the public areas and being visible to, and available for a chat, a moan or a question. This certainly happens on most other ships that I know or have travelled on and I miss it. I don’t have anything to moan about or any questions to ask him but his absence totally prevents all of us from doing so. I don’t care how busy he is; he could and should take a couple of 5 minute strolls throughout the day around parts of his ship.

 

More later

[Janey]

Just watched Arcadia's arrival in Antigua on the webcams and looks like you will have a busy day with 3 big ships in port. We were in Antigua 3 weeks ago on Azura and had the worst day weather-wise of the whole cruise. Hope you have a good day and would love to know what you did. Have a rum punch for me at the Big Banana.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 21

 

It is 7.20am and in the distance ahead of us lays Antigua and the port of St John’s which is the capital of the island and also where we will berth. There are already 2 ships berthed the Aida Luna and another called Marina. The Luna was playing tremendously loud music and I am sure that it wasn’t to welcome us alongside so I must assume that it happens most of the time, the ship looks quite nice in the modern sense but the music would drive me mad. There are black clouds over the town and light rain is falling. The quay protrudes from land some 125 yards so in order to be able to accept the modern day monster ships they have constructed 3 mooring islands which are sited in a straight line from the quay further out into the harbour. Each of them has a man sitting there waiting for the lines to be thrown to him to hook over the mooring bollards. Lines went ashore at 8.20am, some 40 minutes ahead of schedule and we are now secured. We seem to be right in the middle of the town which is quite nice. Despite the fact that the island is only 12 miles in diameter it boasts at least 4 major car hire companies, this must show how many tourists descend on it. There will be 6000 more today with the 3 ships being in town and that assumes that no more arrive later. The Luna has been unloading some bicycles and Segways for its passengers to use, P&O could consider offering something similar for the more mobile passengers.

 

We have been cleared to disembark by the local Authorities and the Deputy Captain has announced that the current temperature is 24/75 degrees rising to 27/81 degrees during the day; the forecast is for long sunny periods with a slight chance of some liquid Caribbean sunshine which we know as rain.

 

Today is a public holiday and most places are shut, I am in the Beehive bar just up the main street where there is cold beer and free Wi-Fi. The streets are wet from the rain and it is quite slippy, lots of cabs and tours available but no shops. It is like heaven.

 

More later

[philayl]

Hi Jim, enjoying your posts, especially the bits about the ship. We are on her in October in cabin 101 on 'C' deck, as you can see from my signature we have only done one previous cruise, and that was on the Queen Vic, so that is all we will be able to compare it with. Can't wait to get on board myself and try out the facilities (read food!). Phil

[firsttime cruiser71]

Thank you for your entertaining report. I am going on Azura from Barbados on 6th Jan till 21st Jan. I know it is a different cruise to your but it has given me an insight to cruising so thanks again

[lannp]

Capn, I saw your ship on a port webcam, as well as the other 2 ships. I remember an Aida ship docked beside us in Limon and they unloaded bicycles there for the passengers.

I look forward to checking your posts everyday.

Linda

[capnpugwash]

Update no 22

 

The bar was offering 2 local Wadadli beers for US $5 and add their offer of free Wi-Fi it made sense to spend some time there, a while later I was a little peckish so I had a chicken quesadilla which was recommended and it was great, it did come with about 1lb of chips so was a big meal. It rained a couple of times while I was there and quite a few fellow passengers called in. There were 50 or so cab touts trying to sell tours and rides to the various beaches but they were not pushy or offensive at all and accepted a no without any problem. I imagine that if you were to wait until the afternoon there would be some deals to be done.

 

I got back on board around 12.30 and was quite warm from wandering around so I got changed and jumped into the Neptune pool to cool down, I had a great swim for about an hour and then after a lengthy visit to the spa and steam I came back to the cabin to relax. It has not been easy as the crew are jumping around outside the window raising and lowering the lifeboat and the davits which is a tremendously noisy exercise. It is now 3.30 and they seem to have stopped for the day. The all aboard time for passengers is 5.30pm and we are due to sail a little after that. St Maarten is only 149 miles from Antigua so I don’t know why we are leaving so early but perhaps it has more to do with port charges than anything else.

 

The temperature is 27/77 and we have a cooling easterly force 4 breeze, we are currently in the Leeward Island group which is at the upper part of the eastern chain that comprises this group and below them, the Windward Islands.

 

The Tours desk have just made an announcement over the Public Address touting some excursions tomorrow in St Maarten, times must be hard because I have never known that to happen on P&O before, it seems more appropriate to Royal Caribbean but maybe they are going to start pushing Bingo tickets as well.

 

I should give up quizzes, my result of 13/20 stinks. The winner had 17 which considering the questions was pretty good, we let go our lines at 5.40, backed off the berth and swung through 180 degrees in the harbour pool and have started our 12 knot journey overnight to the next island. It is divided between the Dutch and the French. The Dutch have the best and most prosperous areas while the French have the larger northern region. The island is commonly known by its Dutch name and the French call it Saint Martin. It has two capitals, Philipsburg is Dutch and Marigot is French.

 

The forecast is for slight seas with low swells overnight, I imagine that we shall be moored fairly early as the tours start from 8.15am.

 

More later

[perky spain]

Could please advise your comments on condition of arcadia as following another thread on po forums and seems to be getting a real bashing!!! r any works being completed while in port i wonder?

who better to ask?

[capnpugwash]

Could please advise your comments on condition of arcadia as following another thread on po forums and seems to be getting a real bashing!!! r any works being completed while in port i wonder?

who better to ask?

 

Lots of paint chipping going on, interiors do look a bit tired and chairs in MDR are a bit stained.Might be due a refit perhaps. Trouble is there are no officers walking about to ask.

 

Update no 23.

I had my usual couple of pre-dinner drinks and then went to the restaurant, the menu was quite uninspiring for me and I chose fish and chips which was nice, tiramisu followed which was very light and nicely flavoured. After that the Syndicate Quiz beckoned and we managed to win by 2 points having scored 18/20, that is 2 victories in 10 days which is OK I suppose.

The weather tonight has an easterly wind blowing at force 5; the sea is slight with negligible swells. The temperature is a pleasant 26/79 degrees, our course is slightly north of west at 297 degrees and we are making 12 knots as predicted.

Today is Wednesday December 28th and the time is 6.50am, the sun has just risen 6 minutes ago and the sky is a very pale blue with some wisps of cloud dotted around. The wind strength has increased a little to force 6 but we are now in the lee of the island so it has had the effect of reducing it by sheltering the ship.

It is now 8am and the heat of the day already feels oppressive, I went up on deck to watch us sail into the harbour and was delighted to see that apart from a large motor yacht, the area was deserted. It was at this point that I rounded a corner and saw that there was a crocodile of three other ships following us. The first was the Seven Seas Navigator; the second was Adventure of the Seas; the third was Celebrity Eclipse and the fourth turned out to be the largest cruise ship in the world, the Allure of the Seas. We are berthed nose in right at the closest point to the terminal; Navigator is behind us which fills this side of the quay. Adventure has backed onto the other side of the quay and there is not a lot of room left behind it so Eclipse has berthed on what looks like a brand new quay and Allure has backed onto the opposite side of that quay. Allure is 370 meters long and some 60 meters wide, she weighs 230,000 tons which is 50% more than Queen Mary 2. The most horrifying statistic though is that the maximum passenger numbers are over 6000 plus 2000 crew. Working things out roughly I believe that our presence could add between 17 and 20 thousand to this pinprick of an island; that alone convinces me to stay aboard or only to venture onto the quayside briefly.

I did take a walk around the quay and closest area of town but it was so very hot and sticky that I didn’t venture very far. I went to look at the motor yacht and found that it is an absolutely fabulous vessel; I ignored all the “no entry” signs and walked to the gangway. She is a long low beauty with a dark blue hull which shines like polished glass and there is not a single water mark on it. There were crew on the decks scrubbing the decks, rails, bulkheads and the ceilings with soapy water, mops and squeegees. I spoke to one of them but he wouldn’t tell me who owned it but he did share the fact that there are 24 members of the crew looking after a maximum of 12 passengers. The vessel is called Cakewalk and is registered in George Town C.I. and flies the Red Ensign with a crest on it. The cost on maintaining and running such a yacht must be enormous so it is probably a Russian who owns it!

I met a lady on board as I returned, I vaguely know her but I don’t know her name but she did convince me once again that women are from a different planet. She told me that it was a great pity that all the shops in Antigua were shut yesterday because of the holiday, it seemed reasonable to ask her what exactly it was that she was unable to purchase and without batting an eyelid she told me that she didn’t need anything anyway. I bit back the obvious question of why the shops being closed affected her if she didn’t want anything but instead I smiled sweetly at her and wished her a good day ashore and rushed back to my cabin for some medication.

I spent the rest of the morning between the Neptune pool, the spa and just lazing in a chair on deck, the clouds came and went a few times but thus far there has been no rain, it has been very hot and sticky, much cooler and then just hot; I think that it all depends on the wind direction and cloud cover. I have had my share of the sun for today and will spend the rest of the afternoon in the shade mostly as I have no wish to join the parade of remarkably red people that are on board.

The all aboard time is again 5.30 and then we will sail the 149 miles to St Kitts, so I think we will only be doing 12 knots again. Tonight is Tropical dress code so I imagine that all the gaudy shirts will appear although I must say that there have already been a few being worn, and why not as we are in the right place.

More later

[RJChatsworth]

Cap'n. The Cakewalk, 281' long, is currently the largest privately-owned USA yacht. It is owned by a company that hires out yachts to whomever can afford the charter fees! You'll find it on google.

 

Much enjoying your column, particularly as we have a future booking on Arcadia. If you detect an officer, I should be pleased to learn about any future re-fits.

[Summergee]

Hi Capn. You said that this was a family holiday but you haven't mentioned Mrs P or junior Ps. Are they enjoying the holiday? If they prefer not to be mentioned then I will understand.

[capnpugwash]

Update no24.

 

Being on board and with time on my hands I went to the buffet for lunch, I did exactly what I always criticise people for doing which is taking too much food. I made the same mistake and took a large spoonful of cottage cheese which looked so nice, how could I possibly have forgotten that it looks so much better than it actually tastes. I had some cold ham and salad with it but I could still only force half of it down, it really is dull stuff without having anything else added to it. I won’t make that mistake again.

 

I had a quiet afternoon resting up and listening to some music; it was very non-productive and very pleasant. I tried to have a nap for an hour but I just couldn’t get off. The temperature has reached 27/81 degrees this afternoon and the on-shore force 4 wind does have a cooling effect of a few degrees although the sun remains as strong as ever.

 

The individual quiz was at 5.30 and 2 of us scored 18/20; I won the tie-break and collected my second prize sticker. We sailed at 5.40 for St Kitts where the forecast is even hotter than today reaching 29/84 degrees with a fresh force 4 breeze. Scorchio as they say. It is 6.30 now and I am just having a celebratory glass of Bushmills and water prior to getting dressed for cocktails and dinner.

 

P&O advertise that their Duty Free prices are the cheapest available for duty free cigarettes; well it is a blatant lie. For 400 Silk Cut they charge £35 whereas in the duty free in St Maarten a friend of mine paid US$38 for 400 of exactly the same brand which is £12 or 33% cheaper, It doesn’t affect me at all other than it being a misleading statement which really should be corrected as their price is a great deal more than what was readily available ashore.

 

It is currently dark with the sun having set an hour ago at 5.45pm, the weather very pleasant with the temperature being a balmy 24/75 degrees with a force 4 easterly breeze and a slight sea with low swells, I cannot even feel the ship moving although we are only making 11 knots. Tonight is the 12th night on board and after today there are only 11 nights left. It seemed such a long cruise when it started and here it is racing away, the Latin phrase Carpe Diem is so very true especially as you get a little older.

 

I was just thinking about how long it took us to reach the Caribbean, via Madeira it was almost 4000 miles and a straight line course from Barbados to Southampton is roughly 3700 so averaging a little over 20 knots it is going to take between 7 and 8 days which deducting the port day in Madeira and Ponta Delgada is exactly how long it did and will take, that just makes me feel better as I thought that the trip down was very slow. It has to be an age thing I think!

 

I went to the Piano Bar for cocktails and then into dinner, I had a great beef curry which the head waiter had arranged for and it was very nice even with very flabby naan bread. After dinner I walked along the promenade deck for some air and the 26/79 degree temperature was quite pleasant, we have a force 4/5 easterly wind accompanied by a slight sea with short low easterly swells. There is very little movement and we maintain 12 knots so are due to arrive by 8am. It will be interesting to see how many other ships are joining us.

 

We did quite well in the quiz although we had to lose a point as a handicap for having won last night so we ended up being 3 points adrift and the winners scored 18/20. The ship is rolling a little now possibly due to the slow speed magnifying the effect of the swells; the stabilisers aren’t very effective at this slow pace. It is quite comfortable and I expect that I will be rocked to sleep quite quickly.

 

I woke quite early today; Thursday December 9th in fact it was just before 6am. Try as I might I couldn’t get back to sleep, I probably slept well because of the rocking of the ship, it has now reduced significantly and our progress is now quite smooth at 12 knots. Our course overnight has been 3 times as long as it needed to be, we basically sailed 50 miles west from St Maarten, turned south for a further 50 miles and then headed east for the same distance, the corners were rounded as we sailed but simply put that is what we have done. The sky is lightening as we head towards the rising sun and whilst it is still below the horizon there is a band of growing light ahead of us, sunrise will be in 30 minutes at 6.41am. About 8 miles away are the lights of Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts and our destination for today.

 

I went up on deck 10 to see the sun rise and our sail in to the harbour, we were already flying the Red Ensign, P&O’s multi-coloured house flag and the flag of St Kitts as a matter of courtesy and then we hoisted the “Pilot Requested” yellow flag and fairly soon a Police boat was on its way to us, I think that one boat serves many purposes out here. The pilot duly arrived and boarded and then the “Pilot on Board” red and white flag went aloft. Other than a general cargo ship anchored in the centre of the harbour the berths are empty, we have berthed with our starboard side to the quay, nose in to the shore. I don’t know whether this Captain doesn’t like backing onto a berth but he certainly doesn’t seem keen to demonstrate his prowess at parallel parking. I would have thought that with an empty quay it would be easier to do the work now and then just drive off straightaway when we depart. The sky is clearing as the sun gains some strength and it is very pleasant without being oppressively hot, of course all that may change later in the day. We are due to be joined by one other ship today but there is no sign of her yet and I have no idea which ship it is. Exciting isn’t it! Our lines went ashore at a little before 7.30 and we are now secured, the tours start departing in 20 minutes at 8.15.

 

There are various excursions on offer including an aerial tram through the treetops and a zip-line experience flying through the jungle at high speed hanging off a wire cable, these both sound quite good but there is also the St Kitts Railway which I must advise you not to do. Basically a mini bus takes you to an old railway engine that was used to haul sugar cane from the fields to the processing plant before they gave up growing it commercially. You then board double decked narrow gauge carriages, the top deck is open and has fore and aft benches either side with an awning for the roof while the lower deck is similar to a normal train with padded seats and possibly A/C. There is a girl on each carriage who will serve you a rum based drink or two. The journey starts and fairly soon the train weaves slowly through a sugar cane field and then past a seemingly derelict village, this is then repeated ad nauseam for about 2 hours until you reach your destination where you detrain and are transported back to the ship. Other than a brief view of the coast from the train this was the most interesting part of the trip as we saw some of the island and historical parts of the town. I would advise that you take one of the myriad taxis waiting just off the ship and negotiate a price for him to take you to see a cane field, they all look the same and I doubt that having seen one, you will want to see another. On the way to the field you will have passed through many tumble-down villages so that will have ticked 2 of the boxes. Upon returning to the terminal there will be ample opportunities to get a rum drink if you so desire. Doing it my way would save you 90 minutes and a lot of money. I realise that some people think this train trip is the best thing to do but I really don’t understand why they would think that, my summary is an accurate description of what you get for the large amount of money that P&O charge.

 

We have received clearance from the local authorities that we can disembark so the tours will commence on time. The forecast is for temperatures od 28/82 degrees with a cooling force 4 wind, we have an all aboard time of 5.30 this afternoon which is 1 minute before the sun is due to set. Not wishing to get off too early I went up on decks 10 and 9 to walk around for a while, about 4 miles away was the missing cruise ship and as she approached it became clear that she was the Carnival Valor and she is now berthed parallel to us on the other side of the quay. I think that the maximum number of ships that can berth here is 2 but any others would need to anchor and operate a tendering disembarkation. 2 ships anywhere is plenty to my mind, talking to someone today on this subject he told me of a time recently that he was in Venice when there were a total of 17 cruise ships in the port, how charming.

 

More later.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Are you travelling solo? From reading your posts, I would imagine you are. I suppose that, of the two ships being allowed into any one port at a time, one would be yours:rolleyes:

 

The tram trip on St Kitts might be a bit boring to you, but other people obviously like it. I have been on the tram and it was quite enjoyable with drinks provided and we had a few local singers on board as well. It was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

[capnpugwash]

Are you travelling solo? From reading your posts, I would imagine you are. I suppose that, of the two ships being allowed into any one port at a time, one would be yours:rolleyes:

 

The tram trip on St Kitts might be a bit boring to you, but other people obviously like it. I have been on the tram and it was quite enjoyable with drinks provided and we had a few local singers on board as well. It was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

 

It wasnt that it was boring, just repetitive and you can accomplish everything that the train gives you at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time. I did say that some people enjoy it, I thought that it was overpriced and the drinks didnt really press my buttons. Each to their own as I try to say.

[vannerhawk]

from your first post I thought your family was with you.

[Slow Foxtrot]

......The whole family were travelling today so I arranged a mini-bus from Smiths for Airports to pick us up at 10.30 for the drive to Mayflower Terminal at Southampton. He arrived at around 10.10 so 15 minutes later having loaded all the luggage, we set off and had a very pleasant journey through the sunshine. We arrived at the docks at 11.50 and by 12.15 we were checked in, security scanned and on the ship. We went straight to the cabins despite this being forbidden and dumped our carry-on bags and jackets and went to the Lido for a bite to eat. ........

 

Mr Vannerhawk thought (from the above) that your family was with you.

Has he got this right? It seems that way.

[CateW]

Lots of paint chipping going on, interiors do look a bit tired and chairs in MDR are a bit stained.Might be due a refit perhaps. Trouble is there are no officers walking about to ask.

 

Update no 23.

 

I had my usual couple of pre-dinner drinks and then went to the restaurant, the menu was quite uninspiring for me and I chose fish and chips which was nice, tiramisu followed which was very light and nicely flavoured. After that the Syndicate Quiz beckoned and we managed to win by 2 points having scored 18/20, that is 2 victories in 10 days which is OK I suppose.

 

The weather tonight has an easterly wind blowing at force 5; the sea is slight with negligible swells. The temperature is a pleasant 26/79 degrees, our course is slightly north of west at 297 degrees and we are making 12 knots as predicted.

 

Today is Wednesday December 28th and the time is 6.50am, the sun has just risen 6 minutes ago and the sky is a very pale blue with some wisps of cloud dotted around. The wind strength has increased a little to force 6 but we are now in the lee of the island so it has had the effect of reducing it by sheltering the ship.

 

It is now 8am and the heat of the day already feels oppressive, I went up on deck to watch us sail into the harbour and was delighted to see that apart from a large motor yacht, the area was deserted. It was at this point that I rounded a corner and saw that there was a crocodile of three other ships following us. The first was the Seven Seas Navigator; the second was Adventure of the Seas; the third was Celebrity Eclipse and the fourth turned out to be the largest cruise ship in the world, the Allure of the Seas. We are berthed nose in right at the closest point to the terminal; Navigator is behind us which fills this side of the quay. Adventure has backed onto the other side of the quay and there is not a lot of room left behind it so Eclipse has berthed on what looks like a brand new quay and Allure has backed onto the opposite side of that quay. Allure is 370 meters long and some 60 meters wide, she weighs 230,000 tons which is 50% more than Queen Mary 2. The most horrifying statistic though is that the maximum passenger numbers are over 6000 plus 2000 crew. Working things out roughly I believe that our presence could add between 17 and 20 thousand to this pinprick of an island; that alone convinces me to stay aboard or only to venture onto the quayside briefly.

 

I did take a walk around the quay and closest area of town but it was so very hot and sticky that I didn’t venture very far. I went to look at the motor yacht and found that it is an absolutely fabulous vessel; I ignored all the “no entry” signs and walked to the gangway. She is a long low beauty with a dark blue hull which shines like polished glass and there is not a single water mark on it. There were crew on the decks scrubbing the decks, rails, bulkheads and the ceilings with soapy water, mops and squeegees. I spoke to one of them but he wouldn’t tell me who owned it but he did share the fact that there are 24 members of the crew looking after a maximum of 12 passengers. The vessel is called Cakewalk and is registered in George Town C.I. and flies the Red Ensign with a crest on it. The cost on maintaining and running such a yacht must be enormous so it is probably a Russian who owns it!

 

I met a lady on board as I returned, I vaguely know her but I don’t know her name but she did convince me once again that women are from a different planet. She told me that it was a great pity that all the shops in Antigua were shut yesterday because of the holiday, it seemed reasonable to ask her what exactly it was that she was unable to purchase and without batting an eyelid she told me that she didn’t need anything anyway. I bit back the obvious question of why the shops being closed affected her if she didn’t want anything but instead I smiled sweetly at her and wished her a good day ashore and rushed back to my cabin for some medication.

 

I spent the rest of the morning between the Neptune pool, the spa and just lazing in a chair on deck, the clouds came and went a few times but thus far there has been no rain, it has been very hot and sticky, much cooler and then just hot; I think that it all depends on the wind direction and cloud cover. I have had my share of the sun for today and will spend the rest of the afternoon in the shade mostly as I have no wish to join the parade of remarkably red people that are on board.

 

The all aboard time is again 5.30 and then we will sail the 149 miles to St Kitts, so I think we will only be doing 12 knots again. Tonight is Tropical dress code so I imagine that all the gaudy shirts will appear although I must say that there have already been a few being worn, and why not as we are in the right place.

 

More later

 

Curiosity got the better of me so I googled Cakewalk; it's actually for sale in case you are interested. I wonder if it is chartered for the week?

[moniquet]

Is it really necessary to do that long quote just to mention the catwalk:rolleyes:

[moniquet]

Is it really necessary to do that long quote just to mention the catwalk:rolleyes:

 

Sorry...Cakewalk:D

[capnpugwash]

from your first post I thought your family was with you.

 

They are.