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

[capnpugwash]

Update no 25.

 

I went ashore and walked through the various arcades of shops, they were all different but all selling the same rubbish. They all seem to be owned by Indians although the working staff members are locals. There was no free Wi-Fi available anywhere and the best deal that I could find was in a computer store up a flight of stairs on the left by the bar in the middle of the crossroads. They charged US$5 per day which was fine and the speed was good as well. The town was packed with people from both ships and the shops were doing a roaring trade, well they would as they were offering 75% discount on diamonds, hell of a deal. The shopkeepers were all very excited about the scheduled arrival of the Allure of the Seas on a maiden call tomorrow, the thought of 6000 dollar rich American passengers is temptation beyond endurance and they are expecting a lot of people from outside town to come in just to see the ship.

 

I came back on board around noon and took a cooling dip in the Neptune pool, and then I had a sit in the sun followed by a steam. I returned to the pool to cool off again and within 20 minutes the sky had clouded over and the rain started to pour down. It was so heavy that it seemed to be bouncing up about 4 inches from the surface of the pool. There is something very pleasant about being in a warm rain shower standing in a swimming pool. After it stopped I took a regular shower and am back in the cabin and relaxing. The temperature and wind speed are unchanged but the cloud looks as though it will be here for the afternoon.

 

The Carnival Valor has been having some work done since she arrived this morning, it sounds as though they are using grinding wheels clearing rust somewhere on the hull, there is less than 10 yards separating us and the noise is tremendously loud reverberating along this narrow corridor. It is so loud that the security staff members who are working on the gangways are all wearing ear-defenders. I have no idea what the purpose of the grinding is but it stopped around 4pm and is a blessed relief. It sailed away a little after 5pm and we followed some 40 minutes later, we backed off the berth and swung through 180 degrees. The Captain announced that our speed overnight will be 17 knots which after 216 miles should put us comfortably in Castries, St Lucia by 8am tomorrow morning.

 

The individual quiz passed without any success at all, I was 4 short of the winning total which is quite frustrating as I thought that I had done better than that. Tonight is a casual dress code again so it won’t take me long to get ready.

 

It is 7.15pm and our speed is 17 knots, our course is south south east bearing 154 degrees through slight seas with a low easterly swell. There is an easterly force 5 wind and the temperature is 27/81 degrees. I went for a cocktail or two in the Piano Bar, whilst seated there by the port side window the skies suddenly opened and a torrent of rain poured down as if a bucket of water had been upturned. This didn’t adversely affect me but it did drench the 10 or so passengers who had chosen to congregate there for a cigarette, they were like drowned rats and would have needed to change their clothes. There was a “Lourdes” moment though, one of the men who ran the 20 yards to the doorway had neglected to take his walking stick from the smoking area with him and it made me wonder if I had just witnessed a remarkable biblical incident. I didn’t feel any holier or blessed so it may just have been that he didn’t need the walking aid quite as much as he thought he did.

 

I then went into dinner which was good fun and the food was fine as well; I did finish with apple crumble and custard which was truly outstanding. After that was the Syndicate Quiz in which we tied with 2 other teams for second place but there was an outright winner who beat us by 1 point. It was great fun and a very hard fought competition. It is midnight and our course and speed are unchanged but the ship is rolling a little in the force 7 easterly wind and short low swell, the temperature has dropped to 25/80 degrees.

 

Today is Friday December 30th and it is 6.15am, the rolling has continued throughout the night and it is far from unpleasant. The short low easterly swells are combining with a moderate sea and a force 6 easterly wind to rock us to St Lucia. The air temperature is 25/77 degrees and the sun is due to rise in 14 minutes so there is a half-light at the moment with an overcast sky. The cloud cover is dissipating fairly quickly as the sun gains strength and about 5 miles away a low but hilly band of land is now visible, I assume that this is St Lucia.

 

I went up onto deck 10 to see us sail in but it was so very windy with traces of rain in the air as to be unpleasant, we are just outside the jaws of the natural harbour at Castries and there is already the Crystal Serenity and a smaller ship called Astor berthed. We have swung around through 180 degrees and moved onto the very short berth called Pointe Serpahine, this quay only looks about 80 yards long so whilst our middle and some of the stern is accommodated our bow is sticking out a great deal into the harbour. We have been cleared by the Authorities to disembark and the passengers heading on tours are all rushing down the gangways to board their various transportations. I am planning on going ashore later on this morning but it is a fairly uninspiring town so my plans may well change.

 

I went off as planned and took a cab into town for US$6, I have found some free Wi-Fi at a mini mall near the market, there are no bard with it on the island so I am reduced to a coffee, the sacrifices that one has to make.

 

More later.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 26

 

Of course I meant bars, Castries like St Lucia is riddled with poverty and there are far too many people on the island to be sustained by the tiny economy. I got a cab back to the ship and found a bar which sold the local beer which is called Piton; at 5% proof it is quite strong and was only US$3 for 2 bottles which is a bargain. They also had a demi-john of spiced rum on top of the bar which at $2 per shot was fantastic value and was actually drinkable. I met a couple of friends from the ship and it turned into quite a party there with alternating orders of beer and rum and I was sorry to leave it but I had to go whilst I was still able to walk a relatively straight line. It is just 2pm and I quite fancy some cheese rolls prior to the spa and a swim. And who said that holidays were easy, certainly not me.

 

Having had all those drinks and returned to the ship unscathed, it was time for the hot bits in the spa followed by the cold bits in the pool. What a great life it is. I am now back in the cabin and I think that I am in need of some sleep. Unfortunately I couldn’t get to sleep this afternoon so at 5.30 I went to the individual quiz and managed to score 19/20 and so got my third prize sticker. Educators should learn that copious amounts of rum aid study and increase a person’s knowledge. We sailed from Castries at just before 6pm and are heading due west through slight seas with a low easterly swell we are taking yet another circuitous route to Barbados and will cover 141 miles overnight at about 12 knots. The temperature is currently a sticky 30/86 degrees with a force 6 easterly wind.

 

I had a cocktail before dinner and then went into the restaurant, the food was OK and the company was fine, we had finished by just after 10pm and I had a walk along the promenade deck, the easterly wind was quite strong at force 7 and it was whipping some spray up from the sea like a very fine shower, it wasn’t unpleasant but just felt a little odd but it was quite cooling. The temperature is 26/79 with slight to moderate seas and low easterly swells. Our speed is 12 knots and we are now heading slightly south of east towards Bridgetown in Barbados.

 

We came second in the quiz this evening by the narrowest of margins which allowed the victory to go to last night’s winners, two nights back to back is quite a feat.

 

Today is Saturday December 31st and is the last day of 2011, I find it almost unbelievable that it is 11 years since the Millennium came and went with a whimper after all the fears and worries about how computers would all stop working at midnight. It is 6.35am and the sun rose 13 minutes ago into a milky pale blue sky, we are heading due east at 12 knots, there is an easterly force 6/7 wind and low swell. The sea is moderate and the temperature is only 25/77 degrees. Barbados is about 6 miles further east and we should be picking up the pilot within 30 minutes. The island has the Atlantic Ocean on its east side and the Caribbean Sea on the west and south. There is light rain falling at the moment but it is better falling now rather than later.

 

At 6.55 the pilot is approaching us in his launch and I think that we should be in the harbour by 7.30 as it is now less than a mile distant. I went up to the foredeck in front of the gym and arrived there just as we were 50 yards from the harbour walls, we sailed in past a waiting tug which may have been an additional safeguard in case the current took us too close to the end of the mole, in the event he wasn’t needed and we berthed astern of the Ventura, nose in again and with our port side to the quay. Ventura is based here for the winter and P&O operates fly cruises using her in this region, she normally arrives one day and then after an overnight in port she sails the following evening. This effectively allows 2 days to embark and disembark the new and old passengers. Also berthed near her was a small cruise ship bearing the name Freewinds but I think that is the name of the Company rather than the ship, behind that was a 4 masted cruising yacht called Wind Spirit, it will sail and motor from port to port and is supposed to be reminiscent of travel in the old days when the ships were totally reliant on the wind blowing.

 

I have just had breakfast and as a last breakfast of 2011 treat I had pancakes, there was no maple syrup so I had to have Tate & Lyle’s pouring syrup which is ok but doesn’t have the same taste or consistency as the real stuff. They were nice though and made a change from my normal Weetabix. We put our lines ashore a little before 7.30 and winched the ship tight to the quayside, the gangways have been deployed on deck A. There is supposed to be a mini-bus shuttle operating today as the port is so big and we are basically docked in the commercial area, these buses take about 20 people so I really hope that they have a couple of them on duty or it could take all day to get anywhere. No cabs are allowed to the dock side so it is either walk or wait I suppose. It is just 8am and we have received the necessary clearances from the Authorities so we are free to go ashore. The Deputy Captain has just reminded me that for some unknown reason it is illegal to wear any camouflage clothing in Barbados, but surely if you had such clothing on they wouldn’t be able to see you!

 

I have just seen that we are to be joined in port by another ship; it is a little late arriving as it is almost 9am. The ship is NCL’s Norwegian Dawn, it sailed into the harbour missing our stern by about 20 feet and then gently backed onto the narrow outer mole opposite us.

 

I will head off to town once the initial mad rush has reduced. I am tempted to go the Boatyard which is a local beach but I don’t think that I can handle the hassle of the towel, creams and clothing necessary for such an adventure, there is never a Sherpa around when you need one. The forecast is for a mostly sunny day with a chance of showers and a temperature of 27/81 degrees.

 

The shuttle bus turned out to coaches so there was no delay at all, I was dropped at the cruise terminal and walked through, got a $2 mini bus to town and whilst in the bus it poured for no more than 3 minutes. It is now lovely and sunny and warm. I am seeking a cold beer though.

 

Happy New Year to you all from the Caribbean.

 

More next year.

[Summergee]

Happy new year to you too.

[L & S]

A Happy New Year to you too Cap'n.......and I look forward to reading more of your journey and all subsequent ones that you are going on. :D

[rolfecms]

Happy New Year, Capn!

[tartanexile81]

Happy New Year to you too. Three hours to go up here where we're all having a great Hogmanay then in a week we're doing a similar cruise to the Caribbean on Oceana. It's been just great reading your daily instalments, especially the temperatures!!

[capnpugwash]

Update no 27

 

As I got out of the taxi at the cruise terminal there was a couple on a rental motor scooter, they looked so desperately unstable as they circled the car park wobbling and kangarooing I was forced to wonder why someone would rent such a dangerous machine in a town where there is so much traffic, massive potholes and sunken drains. I don’t think that I would want to drive a car here let alone ride a bike.

It is very warm and quite humid here, I think that it is at least 32/90 degrees but the wind does offer some relief. I was warm when I got back and so I went in the Neptune pool for a long cool soak, after that I went over to the outdoor Grill by the rear of the pool area, they do hot dogs, fish and chips, hamburgers and similar dishes. I opted for a chicken fajita because I really like Mexican food and it was very tasty albeit quite westernised. After that I went to the spa and steam room returning for another 30 minutes in the outside pool and was by then perfectly cool so I had a warm shower and now at 2pm am in the cabin to relax.

 

When we leave here this evening we will have 4 complete sea days and about 18 hours to complete our 2348 mile journey to Ponta Delgada, I have just realised that we are actually only there for the afternoon of January 5th, leaving later in the day for our 3 day 1321 mile trip to Southampton.

 

There are stories circulating on board that a reasonable number of disgruntled passengers have chosen to leave the ship today and fly home. They are not happy with the entertainment, the food and the daily schedule of lectures etc. This isn’t a laundrette rumour but is something that has been related to me by several others. I know this doesn’t make it true but it does lend it some credibility. I can only imagine that these departing passengers must be first time cruisers as whilst the food has been a little bit hit or miss, and some of the entertainers leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion it is hardly good enough reason to leave the ship early.

 

I finished 2011 on the individual quiz front with a strong start and a poor finish, 9/10 and 4/10 so a low total of 13/20. 16 won it so I really wasn’t too far off the mark but it was disappointing none the less. I mustn’t dwell on it. It is 5.30pm and we are about to sail away from the Caribbean, the Captain has announced that as 2012 is P&O’s 175th anniversary 2 lucky passengers will get to hoist the commemorative pennant at the stern in a couple of minutes, some people get all the luck! This little ceremony took place as announced, it was a little disappointing as at the time that they were pulling the halyard the wind dropped totally so the pennant hung there like a limp rag until an enterprising member of the crew jumped up on the rail to extend it so that all could see what it was and what it said. He also told us to expect 10 foot swells and fairly strong headwinds on the first couple of days of our north easterly track to the Azores, we will need to maintain a speed of 21.5 knots to arrive on time. It is almost a straight line from here to the Azores and then to Land’s End in Cornwall.

 

The time is 5.55 and we have let go our lines and having exchanged salutes by whistle with the other ships in the harbour we are backing off our berth and heading into the main part of the harbour, we are swinging 90 degrees to starboard and then we will sail out from the harbour to the open seas. We will head north up the west side of the island and then as we leave it in our wake we will enter the Atlantic Ocean altering course by about 45 degrees to starboard. By the time we reach the Azores we will have travelled 6940 miles in 18 days. The ship is really bumping around so it seems that the Captain was correct about both the winds and the swells, we are pitching and rolling slightly, I don’t mind it but the vomit bags have strategically placed and will probably be used tonight.

 

I had a cocktail in my normal haunt and then we went to dinner in the Ocean Grill which is the signature restaurant for Marco Pierre White on this ship, there was a £20 per person supplement tonight as there was a special menu and they served a Bellini cocktail. The restaurant was half empty when we arrived and only 4 people arrived after us. There was very little atmosphere but 2½ of my courses were good, it is a shame that I had 4. I chose a Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva from Perez Cruz and a Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch and they were both fantastic wines and great value. We ate in the same location when Gary Rhodes had the deal with P&O and to be honest the food and service were better then. The staff tried really hard but they weren’t up to scratch. The formal dress code wasn’t enforced there tonight and I did speak to the Head Waiter but he gave me some excuse as to why he wouldn’t speak to an older man who had chosen not to wear a tie. It was quite funny because he and his wife shared a table for two and didn’t say a word to each other; she left half way through the main course and didn’t return. He fell asleep for 30 minutes until woken by a waiter, he ordered dessert and when it was delivered he moaned about the taste of the ice cream. I had the same dessert and it was one of the successful courses especially the ice cream. There was really no atmosphere in the room and I don’t believe that I would go again even at the more usual £12.95 supplement.

 

The weather is quite boisterous with an easterly force 8 wind blowing with a long low easterly swell and a moderate sea. We are in for a fun night overnight.

 

After dinner we went up to the Aquarius pool at the aft of deck 9 for the Seeing in the New Year Party but it was so windy that the timber decking on the port side was being lifted in waves that felt like they were six inches but were more probably 3 inches and just standing there was quite uncomfortable. Nonetheless it shouldn’t happen and I couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would stay out there. We retired to the Piano Bar where we saw in the New Year and I headed off to bed a little after 1am. This phenomenon is not a new thing apparently so quite how P&O can ignore it is beyond me.

 

Today is Sunday January 1st 2012 and it is7 am, the sun has risen and it is a slightly misty start to the year. We have easterly force 6 winds together with a moderate sea but with a short and heavy swell, overnight the ship has been bumped around quite a lot with lots of strange creaking and banging noises from surrounding areas. It continues this morning although the reduced wind strength has had a slight calming effect, there are still moments when we hit a particularly large swell or trough and it feels a little like running into a wall, there is a loud bang and doors slam nearby. I understand it happening of course but once a door slams shut I would expect it to remain shut, but maybe it is a series of doors. It is well known that as one door shuts another opens! The current temperature is a pleasant 27/81 degrees. The mist has lifted within 90 minutes of sunrise and the size of the swells becomes easier to assess, they look to me to be about 12 feet and coming from almost dead ahead. Pretty much every swell that we encounter hits us like a big hammer, it is great and the ship is pitching 8 to 10 feet fore and aft as each swell comes along. The stabilisers seem to be doing an adequate job as rolling is minimal considering the set of the sea. We are making a swift 21 knots which is only 2 knots shy of Arcadia’s maximum speed. All this speed for a few hours in Ponta Delgado!

 

As today is a sea day things are getting back to normal with my Spanish class re-commencing and guest lecturers presenting their subjects. One such lecturer is a supposed fingerprint expert from the Metropolitan Police in London, some friends on board have worked with him and tell me impartially that to call him an expert is seriously stretching the truth but he gets a free holiday as a result and may fool those passengers who have no experience in that field. We commence the re-adjustment of clocks today as we give back the time that we gained on our journey from England. Unlike Cunard, P&O make their forward adjustments at noon rather than 2am which to me makes so much more sense and has far less effect compared with losing an hour of sleep. There may be logistical reasons why Cunard don’t do it but I can’t really think what they might be. Anyway we lose an hour today and a further hour tomorrow.

 

More later

[LibraLass41]

What a shame the ocean grill, in your opinion, doesn't seem to be as popular or serve as good food as Rhodes, I too really liked Rhodes on Arcadia and Oriana...a pity that Garys restaurant and menu was replaced with MPW. I'll be trying Orianas MPW restaurant in May to see for myself, but after experiencing MPW on Oceana am not holding out much hope it will be better. Perhaps it was quiet in there because of the swells you talk of? Not everyone is as good a sailor as you ;)

[CateW]

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

 

Why on earth would that bother you, haven't you got anything else to comment on?:eek:

[capnpugwash]

Update no 28.

 

I went to the buffet for breakfast and walked on the open deck to get there, it wasn’t unpleasant as the sun was warm but it was very windy, and due to the winds it was difficult for me to haul open the doors, I am not sure how a frail old person will manage it, maybe there will be hordes of them stuck on the outside of deck 10 later on. Seated on the table next to me was Tom O’Connor, I almost didn’t recognise him as he wasn’t wearing his trademark shiny suit. He ignored me so I returned the compliment. Walking back I came past the Neptune pool which was swishing back and forth and didn’t appear to be particularly safe. It was hot and sticky walking through as they have had the roof closed overnight and they have yet to open it today.

 

What losing the hour at noon does is to truncate the available time for daytime activities, for example this morning I wanted to spend some time studying the Spanish course that I started in November so I tried the open deck 10 but it was too blustery so instead I went to the Crow’s Nest where I spent a couple of hours. Suddenly the noon announcement was being made and it was 1pm. In an hour I have whist followed by Spanish by which time it will be 5pm and almost time for the quiz which takes it to almost 6pm which is very nearly cocktail time. My problem is that I want to fit swimming, the gym and the spa in and unless I went at 8am today it is impossible and on any day that is tricky but on New Year’s Day it is impossible. When there is no adjustment it seems easier for some reason. I must try harder tomorrow.

 

The motion on board continues although the sea state has reduced a little but is still classified as moderate with short heavy swells. We are maintaining 21 knots and the temperature is unchanged. I am going to skip lunch today as I didn’t get to the gym this morning.

 

I did skip lunch and after a terrible game of whist I managed to have a cup of tea without eating anything so I was feeling quite self-satisfied when I went to the Spanish class, immediately after it I took a shower up in the spa and am just heading down for the quiz. The sea state has quietened down to be moderate with short moderate swells; the ship is still rocking quite a lot though and as I got into the lift, the cars were banging against the sides of the lift tower. The wind is an easterly force 7 and the temperature is 26/79 degrees. I managed a paltry 14/20 in the quiz which was won with 17. It is now 6pm and I am back in the cabin to put my feet up for a while before the gin & tonics start. Tonight is Country and Western dress code which I don’t possess, I don’t suppose that it really matters and is basically casual but with big hair and sad songs.

 

The roof on the Neptune pool has remained firmly closed since yesterday evening for some reason, this has had two effects. The first is that the temperature and humidity within the area and on most of the nearby parts of the ship has risen to a very unpleasant level and the second is that there are very few passengers sitting there. Of course no-one has bothered to make any announcements explaining this decision as that would involve some interaction between the officers and the passengers. It may be that the winds are too strong but it is a very popular facility that is really under-utilised. Even if they only opened it a crack it would allow some of the fetid air to escape.

 

After a couple of cocktails it was time for dinner, I opted for a mixed grill which was OK but again the dessert of Eccles Pie was excellent. It was basically a puff pastry mince pie with a lid and the whole thing was covered with custard. That is my kind of dessert. After all of that food we tied second in the quiz, just 1 point behind the winners, so that wasn’t a bad result. The weather and sea state are unchanged, we are still bumping along at 21 knots with quite a lot of rock and roll. It is 11.55pm and I should have no trouble getting to sleep tonight.

 

Today is Monday January 2nd and I woke at7am having slept well throughout the night, the sea is so much quieter now and there is only slight movement or creaking on the ship. Of course the same can’t be said about the passengers. The current weather is a temperature of 25/77 degrees, the sea state is classified as moderate with low short moderate swells and we continue to have an easterly force 6 wind blowing. Our speed is 21 knots. We lose a further hour today at noon but worse than that, Tom O’Connor’s first show is tonight, as the curtain goes up he will emerge to a sizeable audience but most of them will be towards the rear of the theatre and on the ends of the rows. These seats are not more comfortable but are handy for an early exit once they have ascertained that he is wearing his trademark suit and that there are no new jokes in his repertoire.

 

P&O have come up with a new way to make some money, the Horizon programme advises that for mere £8.95 passengers can purchase a “crossing the Atlantic” certificate. This will contain a soft focus photograph and some blurb that will attest to their achievement and act as a lasting souvenir of their Caribbean cruise.

 

More later.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 29

 

I went up for breakfast just after my last post and then a little after 8am I went to the gym, it is truly an ungodly hour to be doing such things. Having said that there were about 6 of us there, I rowed for a while and then went onto do some cycling. Once I got bored with that, which didn’t take too long in all honesty, I went and had a steam. To cool off I went out to the Neptune pool where the roof was still shut and got into the water. There were a couple of people already there and the water was swirling like a washing machine, nonetheless in I went and it was similar to a fairground ride. The water was roaring forward and back in a two foot wave, but provided you stayed a little away from the edges it was quite safe, I think.

 

There were a couple of officers having their breakfast in the pool area so I took the opportunity and asked them about the roof, they both said in unison that it was too windy to open it. They weren’t exactly communicative so I cut my losses and left them to their own company. There were other things that I wanted to discuss but by then I had lost the will to live, I know that all comparisons are odious but all of the other lines on which I have travelled have officers that are very available, approachable and will often stop to speak to the passengers. I can’t exactly recall but I think that in the past they have been like that on previous trips that I have taken with P&O; so I have to wonder why this crew isn’t the same.

 

Thinking about the roof I believe that a contributing factor is the combination of our speedy north-easterly 21 knot passage added to the force 6 wind hitting the ship from the starboard quarter at between 25 and 31 mph.

 

Having finished my exercises and showered I am heading for some coffee and a little more work on my Spanish studies. I did a little over an hour of work and after the noon announcement I went to the buffet for a cheese roll which was very nice, I left before I was tempted by the various desserts on show. Strolling back along deck 10 in the strong breeze I noticed that the roof of the pool had been opened by a little over a foot to let fresh air in. the weather and sea state has not altered at all since earlier. I am back in the cabin for 20 minutes prior to whist at 2pm.

 

More later.

[lannp]

I thought it was mandatory on a ship that you should be eating every two hours.:rolleyes:

[capnpugwash]

Update no 30

 

You might be interested in knowing what the actual speed of the wind is when talking of strengths, this is the Beaufort scale:

 

Force Speed in MPH Description

0 0-1 Calm

1 1-3 Light airs

2 4-7 Light breeze

3 8-12 Gentle breeze

4 13-18 Moderate

5 19-24 Fresh

6 25-31 Strong

7 32-38 Near gale

8 39-46 Gale

9 47-54 Strong gale

10 55-63 Storm

11 64-72 Violent storm

12 73+ Hurricane

 

Whist was unfortunately unremarkable and I didn’t manage a decent score, I had many good hands but 3 out of the 12 were very low scoring which ruins any chance of a high score overall. The wind speed has reduced to a force 5 breeze. Spanish was very interesting this afternoon but the class is only for 45 minutes and it really flies by. It is now 5pm and almost time for the afternoon quiz.

 

Tonight’s dress code is smart so I must dig out a jacket to wear. I managed 17/20 which wasn’t too shabby but the winner scored a perfect 20/20 so once again I was 3 off the pace. Still it is no shame to lose to a 100% score.

 

After cocktails I went to dinner and all 3 courses were excellent, I followed up with cheese and that was as well-kept as usual, all in all a good meal. The quiz was disappointing as we came second again by only one point, had we known that Chris Martin was the lead something in Coldplay we would have tied the leaders, but we didn’t and they did so they have a bottle of wine. The weather is unchanged apart from a slightly increased wind speed which is now a force 6. There is slight pitching on the ship currently but nothing really noticeable, the vomit bags are now called Motion Discomfort Bags and they are still displayed throughout the ship. 2 members of the quiz team went to see Tom O’Connor earlier this evening and were delighted to report that he seems to have acquired a green blazer which he wore in preference to his normal attire of a blue suit but sadly his jokes and act were unchanged; they said that he seemed past it. I didn’t go but I do trust their judgement although it could be questioned as they actually went voluntarily to see him. Having said this and to be fair he is a funny comedian the first time that you see him, but as long as he churns out the same act time after time he doesn’t get my vote. Apparently he received cheers and loud applause from a lot of the audience who may not have seen him before so doubtless we will encounter him again.

 

Today is Tuesday January 3rd and we have continued our slightly bumpy journey overnight, it is now 6.20am and I have been awake for 20 minutes. The ship is still rocking gently in moderate seas with a short low easterly swell, we have a force 5 wind and the temperatures are reduced to 23/73 degrees. Our speed is a little over 22 knots. The clocks will be adjusted forwards again today at noon for the third time this week so we will be 1 hour behind UK time.

 

The sun doesn’t rise until 7.41am today so our days will become shorter and shorter again as we return north to the cold and grey of the UK.

 

More later

[Dorset Cruiser]

Well according to Beaufort, we have had hurricanes today all over the UK:eek:

[capnpugwash]

Update no 31

 

I had an early breakfast and then had to wait for 10 minutes for the gym to open at 8; this is becoming a very bad habit of mine. I sat by the Neptune pool while I was waiting and it was washing back and forth much more severely than it had been recently. As the gym opened I went and did my bit and then I ventured into the maelstrom of the pool, it was cold but great fun being swept back and forth. It was quite difficult to swim against the flow and even to stand but I did for half an hour or so and then to warm up I went to the steam room. I have picked up a cold from somewhere and spent much longer in the steam to try to sweat it out, having reached what in culinary terms is medium rare I went back to the cool pool and reduced my body temperature substantially.

 

The pool surround is being set up for what is termed a Ship’s Fair, this entails stalls and games being run by each of the departments on board just like an English funfair and it starts at 10am. I am not sure how it will all work but I may well head up there to see. As it transpired I didn’t actually make it there but preferred to do some studying to try to catch up on my course work.

 

The noon announcement told us that we have covered over 500 miles since the same time yesterday and that we have about 900 to go to reach Ponta Delgado, we should accomplish that by noon in two days’ time which will give us the afternoon on the island of São Miguel which is the largest of the 9 islands that make up the archipelago of the Azores. This archipelago is the visible evidence of the existence of the Mid Atlantic Ridge as it is the highest points of the volcanic upheaval that took place when it was formed. Apparently the ridge runs from Iceland all the way to South Africa.

 

I did skip lunch and then went to whist where I came second which doesn’t get me anything, not even sympathy but I played a little better and got some better cards. After that it was time for a quick cup of tea in the buffet and then on to Spanish class. The group there is much more cohesive and relaxed with each other and we are all getting on well. Now I am in the cabin for 30 minutes prior to the individual quiz.

 

The weather is a cool 19/66 degrees, it has been raining earlier but stopped 20 minutes ago and the sun is shining quite weakly. The wind is an easterly force 5, the sea is slight and the swells are low. We are making 22 knots.

 

Tonight is a formal night but I am going to the Asian evening in the buffet so I don’t need to dress up apparently.

 

More later

[LibraLass41]

Its been horrible here all day , heavy rain non-stop, dark skies and windy, hope your journey home is good.

[capnpugwash]

Update no 32

 

I skipped my usual cocktail hour and went up for some Asian food which was very nice, not too heavy and quite flavoursome; they also had some very nice desserts which I was almost able to ignore but not quite. Having gone to eat at around 7.15 I was finished within 30 minutes, I always forget how quickly one gets through a meal in a buffet. I was in plenty of time for the show which was a singer named Paul Baker, like most performers on cruise ships he was billed as a star vocalist. He kept insisting upon putting his own arrangements and unnecessary musical twiddles to perfectly good songs and was extremely loud. Midway through the second number I saw a few people from the audience voting with their feet. I remained until the end of the song which was when he started his heart to heart with the half full theatre telling us how good he was in various West End productions. As I passed through the door to the foyer he was dripping on about how he started his life as a flautist which in truth is not what he was there for. I bumped one of the ents who I know fairly well and was telling him about the singer, he told me that singers are rather like Marmite; you either love them or hate them. It is very true and I walked away with a smile on my face. Being normally on second sitting I have no real idea how to fill in the 90 minutes between now and the syndicate quiz, I think that I might just put my feet up and listen to a book.

 

We currently have slight seas with a low swell, 21/70 degrees and an easterly force 5 wind. Our speed is still a little over 22 knots. We had a terrible time in the quiz; we had a really slow start but managed to finish with only 3 points separating us from the eventual winners, so not too bad really. One funny moment was when the answers were read to the question “what do you call a laughing *****”? The ent read out one answer which was “Tom O’Connor”. This was received around the room with an enormous amount of hilarity so it’s not just me!

 

It is now 11.55pm and tomorrow there is no hour change, it is also the Portunus Gold level lunch at noon. It is a bit of a bun fight but they give you free wine, I am undecided whether to attend at the moment as I am not really big on lunches on board. If I do go I will have to have worked very hard in the gym tomorrow morning.

 

Today is Wednesday January 4th and the time is 7am, there is a real impression of speed on the ship this morning or perhaps it is just in my mind but we seem to be roaring along across the Atlantic. It’s probably just my imagination linking the return to the UK and the holiday and cruise together. Having said that we are moving fairly smoothly through the water at 22 knots. There is little movement on board as the breeze is now only an easterly force 4. The temperature continues to drop and is now 19/66 degrees which is a stark reminder that we will be facing a UK winter upon our return. The sun doesn’t rise until 8.37 this morning. The sea state is slight and the swells are low. It must be almost time to put the shorts away and get a sweater out or maybe tomorrow.

 

More later

[capnpugwash]

Update no 33

 

Having woken fairly early I had an early breakfast of Weetabix and coffee ant hen sat watching the Neptune pool swirling around and shipping water all over the deck. It is quite bizarre because there is much less movement yet it has a greater influence on the water, it is probably physics or mechanics or something equally clever and mysterious. At 8 the spa opened so I went and did some cycling and then ventured onto the treadmill to walk, it is very odd but it seems a lot easier to walk on a treadmill than it does to walk on the ground. Maybe it is that because you grip the frame or the handles that it gives greater support, whatever it is it certainly makes things easier. After that I went to steam for a while but it doesn’t seem to have any effect on my cold, I followed that with a swim in the very splashy pool. There was a lady there who was also having a lot of fun being washed from one end of the pool to the other. I did 4 lengths and hadn’t moved a muscle!

 

I have been on here for 19 days yet I still see hordes of people passing by who I have never seen before, this happened last night in the buffet which I attributed to them living in a parallel universe and only ever eating up there. It also happened again this morning as I was in the pool, about 10 people came by who I had never encountered before, there are only a couple of thousand people on board and the ship is not that big so where have they been hiding? The engineers opened the roof this morning and although it was a little chilly it was lovely to see the sky, having raised my hopes they were dashed when after sliding it back and forth accompanied by the obligatory warning siren it was finally closed tight. While I was swimming the sun rose and it has lost its golden glow that it had in the Caribbean and is now a pale and watery substitute, don’t get me wrong, it is still delightful to see it hanging in the sky however weak and low it is above the horizon.

 

Even though I did my gym work today I have decided not to go to the Gold Tier lunch, I normally try to skip lunch as you may recall so it seems quite pointless to eat it today just because they are supplying free wine. I did about two hours catching up on my Spanish studies and am now about up to date with where I should be, which is fantastic. At noon the 3rd Officer made his announcement as usual, nothing has changed but we are only 480 nautical miles south west of Punta Delgado, we have steamed 508 miles since noon yesterday so we should be arriving as planned or perhaps a little early. The sky is partly cloudy but there is still quite a lot of blue visible, it does feel cool though with a force 5 still blowing.

 

I have decided that it is time to put the shorts away and to return to wearing trousers as the temperature is just that little bit chilly, trouble is that I am baking hot now as the ship’s heating seems to have been turned up. Life can be so difficult, can’t it? Whist was well attended with 38 players and once more I managed second place, losing by 3 tricks.

 

More later

[RJChatsworth]

Hi Cap'n. Still enjoying reading about your adventures on Arcadia. They must be fairly time consuming for you to produce, but a real treat for us to read whilst suffering a wet and windy beginning to 2012. Jealousy comes to mind - regularly! Your internet charges must be almost as much as your bar bills!

 

Did the rumour and bravado talk, you reflected in Barbados, result in anyone quitting the ship for a flight home?

[LibraLass41]

Aurora has just returned to Southampton, Noro was rife onboard with hundreds ill over Christmas and New year, it seems Arcadia has escaped this? I do hope so?

[capnpugwash]

Hi Cap'n. Still enjoying reading about your adventures on Arcadia. They must be fairly time consuming for you to produce, but a real treat for us to read whilst suffering a wet and windy beginning to 2012. Jealousy comes to mind - regularly! Your internet charges must be almost as much as your bar bills!

 

Did the rumour and bravado talk, you reflected in Barbados, result in anyone quitting the ship for a flight home?

 

Not quite that much !!

Suitcases were on the quayside and I believe that someleft but I don't have any firm evidence.

 

Update no 34

I tied in first place with 18/20 for the quiz but was too low in my estimate of how long is the River Thames. I said 125 miles and the winner who was still 60 miles short said 158. Close but no cigar for me this time. It is now 6pm and I am in the cabin prior to getting ready for the evening, the dress code is smart so I must dust off that blazer. The ship seems be bumping around a little which is more to do with the angle of the swells than the slight sea. The wind is now a north-easterly force 4 and the temperature is a touch lower at 17/63 degrees.

Hold the front page! There are no more limes on board this ship it seems, as I am rather partial to having lime pieces muddled or squashed in my Bombay and Tonic it is more than a disaster. I will have to rethink my whole evening now, seriously how can a ship run out of such a basic provision? I got through the cocktail hour and then had a very pleasant dinner of soup, steak and cheeses. Then it was time for the quiz, our nemesis has been team 7 since we boarded and they have won 8 times to our 2. We have been second to them numerous times but tonight we both achieved a perfect score of 20/20 which is unheard of. The usual routine would be to settle the matter with a tie break question but by popular clamour and demand we were both given a bottle of undrinkable wine. It is 11.55pm and the sea continues to have little lumpy bits as we sail along at 22 knots. The sea state is officially slight with moderate swells and the temperature is 18/64 degrees. We currently have a south-easterly force 6 wind which might be adding to the rocking about.

Today is Thursday January 5th and the time is 7.35am, the ship continues towards today’s destination at 18 knots. Geographically we are slightly north of the south-west corner of Portugal and about 760 miles to its west. The weather this morning is overcast with a temperature of 18/64 degrees, the sea state is slight with moderate swells and we have a south-easterly near gale of force 7. It seems that we are not due to arrive until 1pm which accounts for our reduced speed, it is difficult to get to the truth in these matters but I can only imagine that the berthing charges are the major reason that we don’t arrive an hour or so earlier.

I went to breakfast just before 8am and the buffet was almost empty with only around 60 people eating their meals, I had Weetabix and coffee and am back in the cabin. I can’t face the gym this morning but I may go there this afternoon when I get back from the town, this is of course quite dependent upon what happens if I have lunch ashore.

For a change and because today’s afternoon class won’t take place, I went to the beginners class for Spanish which is held at 10 in the morning. It was quite basic but good revision time. We over-ran a little but no-one needed the room after us so it didn’t matter. It is 11am and we are only 9 miles from the island of São Miguel, the port is notoriously difficult to enter if it is windy and we currently have winds of 40 knots or force 7. The Captain has just made an announcement informing us that the Harbourmaster has advised him that at the harbour itself they are only 15 to 20 knots, I have a horrible suspicion that he is telling us this so that we are prepared for the disappointment of not being able to go ashore, otherwise the message serves no purpose. It is not as if he is a chatty person but rather he only gets on the public address perhaps once a day and then only when we have been leaving a port, otherwise he is almost non-existent. Only time will tell!

We have just had a “photographic” announcement which is a new one on me, the reason for the message is that the DVD of the cruise is now available and the price is reduced from £14.95 to £9.95, they must be really jumping off the shelves. I am going up onto the deck to see the arrival. As we approached the island and got into its lee the wind did reduce, we sailed past the entrance to the harbour and then backed onto our berth. The temperature is 18/64 degrees and it is a little breezy. I am heading ashore to explore.

More later.

[capnpugwash]

Aurora has just returned to Southampton, Noro was rife onboard with hundreds ill over Christmas and New year, it seems Arcadia has escaped this? I do hope so?

 

So far so good, thanks.

[moniquet]

Southampton Hospital has 7 wards closed due to the virus!

[capnpugwash]

Update no 36.

 

My lunch consisted of a coffee followed by a toasted ham and cheese triple decked sandwich and some chips accompanied by three small beers followed by three espresso coffees and ports, it seemed a shame not to have them as this was the last port on the cruise and it is part of Portugal. The total cost was €15.05 which seems pretty good value to me, especially taking the 2 hours of free Wi-Fi into account; on board that would be £60 on the PAYG scale. I really know how to live!

 

I am ignoring the gym for today in deference to the lunch but am going to the steam room for a while to get rid of some of the badness that it may have contained. I had a very pleasant interlude in the heat although getting there as I walked through the warm ceramic bed room I thought that I had wandered into God’s waiting room, there were 4 very elderly people occupying the working beds and each of them was asleep, mouths open and snoring loudly. The tranquillity of the spa was somewhat marred by this noise although they would all have woken with a start when I slammed the door a while later as I left. It was for the best I thought; otherwise they wouldn’t be able to sleep later.

 

There is not a great deal at this port but the Segways are rentable for only €5 euros for 15 minutes and cigarettes are only €3.20 for 20 which judging by the excitement of the fellow passengers who flocked to the vending machine just shows that they have forgotten that they are only ££35 for 400 on board which is roughly half the price. Some bargain! It seems that smoking is allowed in cafés and bars on the island and from what I saw it is very popular with the young girls, shame really.

 

The exterior of the Arcadia is noticeably dowdier than any other P&O ships that I have seen recently, the paintwork looks old and tired and there are rust marks visible in lots of places, I can’t believe that the maintenance programme has been cut back but I can think of no other explanation. Normally there is a smell of freshly applied paint and varnish pervading the ship but the only work that I have seen in 3 weeks is some paint chipping in a deck 9 locker and some varnishing on the promenade deck. There is a whole section of handrail missing towards the front of the starboard side, it is about 30 feet in length and has been absent for at least a week. The area is cordoned off with chairs and tape and it all looks very dangerous.

 

I am going to try the individual quiz again now and I hope that I have a little better luck tonight than yesterday. I had no better luck but I managed 18/20 but the winner beat me by 1 point again, it is the same person every time and she is very bright but I do have to wonder quite how many prize stickers she needs. She works as a VAT collector for what used to be called the Customs and Excise and is part of the UK Government which may explain everything! VAT inspectors have been called a number of things in the past and not many of them are complimentary.

 

The time is 6.30pm and the Captain has just announced that we are ready to depart on time, we will drop the pilot off once clear of the harbour and we will then continue our north east track to the English Channel. He made no mention of any upcoming bad weather and we are too far west in the Atlantic to be concerned with the Bay of Biscay, we will have 3 sea days or more precisely 84 hours to cover the 1321 miles until we arrive in Southampton on Monday. That requires a speed of around 16 knots which is quite pedestrian really. At our most recently sustained 22 knots we would arrive 24 hours earlier at 6.30am on Sunday. We have let go our lines and pushed off the berth and are sailing in a straight line out of the harbour into the ocean. Considering the simplicity of this port I don’t think that the pilot will be too stretched in saying “go straight and mind that wall”!

 

I have just come across a note which I made of the wine that I had in the Ocean Grill on New Year’s Eve, I know that I mentioned it before but it bears repetition and there is more detail now, it was a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Perez Cruz in Chile’s Maipo Valley, it was delicious and even on here is only £13.75 for a bottle, it is full bodied but I would unreservedly recommend it especially as you should be able to source it significantly cheaper than the on board price demanded here. That is an Olly Smith success story as it is one his recommendations.

 

I have a decision to make in a few moments and that is to choose what to drink in the absence of limes, I think that it will be a single piece of lemon in the G&T or perhaps a glass of wine. I remain undecided but will have to choose in 5 minutes when I go to the bar and then on to dinner. The dress code tonight is casual 60s and 70s, I don’t know if that refers to the clothes or to the ages of the passengers. I decided on the lemon and it worked very well, after that I went to dinner which was a Christmas dinner with turkey and all the trimmings and it was lovely. After that was the syndicate quiz in which we scored badly. Table 7 with the VAT collector made and won the tie-break yet again, it is becoming quite painful as they seem to win so regularly that most of the other teams are not too happy with their apparent domination. It is not sour grapes but I don’t think that it would hurt if they gave up trying quite so hard.

 

It is 12.25am and I am just off to bed, the temperature is 17/63 degrees, the sea state is moderate with short and low swells, the wind is a south-easterly force 6 and we are making 19 knots on our course of 51 degrees.

 

More later

[L & S]

Oh Cap'n, your posts always cheer me up. Not only are they interesting and informative, but I also love the humour and 'tongue in cheek' statements etc. Whatever will we do when this cruise has finished.!! It would appear from your signature that at the moment there are no more cruises booked until July :eek:, but I am hoping that there are more to come sooner than that. :D