Last day

It's Wednesday and another sea day and my final day.  Yesterday was another typically great sea day with the exception that we traversed the straights of Gibraltar.  Interesting having morocco on one side and Spain on the other.  Unfortunately it was a bit hazy so photos of the rock of Gibraltar are poor.  But  there were whales and dolphins swimming around so that was fun.

The previous night they did another outdoor party with the band playing by the pool.  They had the heaters on as it got a bit cool but still a good turnout.

Tonight is the last formal night and I've been invited to a table of 10 or so.  People have been amazing, very friendly and lots of fun.

I can't believe the weather.  Someone mentioned the forecast is for rain in Barcelona but this morning is perfect again on board.  Except for some reason we seems to have been infested with bees.  They are everywhere.  We were a few miles from shore yesterday, could they fly that far or did they come on in Madeira?  I don't know.  They seem pretty mellow.

Last day of trivia.  We did ok today but overall finished 10th out of 12.  But luckily everyone got a nice prize of an umbrella and visor.

Back at sea

It's Monday and we are back at sea.  It was a really nice sailaway from Funchal.  It's a pretty island with the homes lining the steep hills, and there are lots of other islands, mostly uninhabited that we sailed by,  it started to cool off last night as a few of us sat out.  

I have to say that I've joined the smoking crowd!  Smokers get to know each other well because there are so few places they can smoke.  The group here are quite fun and so sometimes I get coffee or a drink and hang out with them.  It's a hilarious group and it's outside so it never really seems smokey.  

Back at trivia today I'm upset with my team.  I gave them one of the answers for the 200 point bonus question but they didnt believe me.  What two countries that are landlocked by other countries that are landlocked, thus being doubly landlocked?  I suggested Lichtenstein but mr know- it-all said it bordered Belgium.  We had the other one, Uzbekistan, and we really could have used those points.

It is cooler today but didn't stop having another nice afternoon on deck.  They did a big lobster BBQ lunch which people went nuts over.  It looked really good and another example of something you won't see on most ships.  Then there was some music on deck, wouldn't have minded if they played longer.  

Closet land is now morocco, that's pretty cool!  Tomorrow afternoon we will pass the rock of Gibralter, close enough to see it apparently.

Booze cruise

It's Sunday and we are in Madeira.  Yesterday had a booze theme,  the whiskey tasting was followed by tequila cocktails pre dinner.  There was also cognac and cigars under the stars late at night.  I didn't try the cigars but did try some cognac.  So I was a little slow to get going today.

It's a very nice day in Madeira, around 23 degrees.  I was going to do an organized walk but it left at 830 so I knew i wouldn't be able to make it that early.  So I walked into town around 11 and took the cable car to the top of one of the mountains.  There is a really nice botanical garden there.  Strange because it is in a Japanese theme...just seems out of place but I still enjoyed it.

More awesome music

The mix of people on this cruise has been really good.  Yes there are some elderly but there really all different ages from all over the world.  Two South African couples that I've gotten to know stopped me yesterday morning saying that they were talking to the musicians about doing a special party before the guest musicians roger and Ollie get off the ship in Madeira.  And they did in fact convince the cruise director to make it happen.  So at 11 last night the amazing house band along with these two played an hour and a half of unrehearsed jams.  It was one of the best musical experiences.  They were doing their own thing, having a blast, doing everything from micheal jackson to some funk.  And the word got around to the guests so it was packed in a small room. It was fantastic...all started by the guests!

Continuing the party theme, tonight pre dinner the mixologist is hosting a tequila tasting.  This will follow his talk and tasting on whiskey this afternoon!  Omg!

On the negative side, the captain announced that there have been cases of noro virus on board so they are busy disinfecting the ship and serving at the Buffett.  

I went back to trivia and actually helped answer one questoin but the Mason Dixons ar pretty much at the bottom of the standings!

Wine tastings and more nice weather

There is a guest onboard who runs a small winery in California.   She hosted a wine tasting out on one of the back decks.  Seabourn did a complete setup and spread including cheese, fruit, appetizers and tables and table cloths.  With the sea as the background it was a stunning setting. The weather has been really nice.  As we moved quite far north everyone was expecting it to be cool by now but it was 26 and sunny today.  Seas are calm today with just a gentle rolling...it's very pleasant.

I was at another hosted table last night, this time it was Ollie, the guest sax player.  He was great and the table was nicer then some of the others I've been to.  I've met a lot of people that way though. After that it was name that tune! The team i joined finished third out of about ten.  I was surprised by the attendance.  I would say the crowd is younger and more out going than other ships.  

We lost another hour last night so we are now 4 hours ahead of eastern time.  I think we will loose one more tomorrow night before Madeira.  

Music

I didn't have high expectations for entertainment on board but it has been very good.  For starters they house band is excellent and play a variety of music from jazz to pop.  Afternoons by the pool they sometime have music, two days ago the guitarist and singer played and were excellent,  last night they had the band playing at night for a deck party which was very well attended.  So nice to have warm nights when they can do this.

They also brought on good talent,  one singer was one of the original leads in the lion king in londons west end.  He did some broadway numbers but also some Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye etc.  They also have a young Brit who plays the sax who is also great.  It makes a big difference when there is really enjoyable music on board.

They had a fun and games event on deck yesterday afternoon.  Pretty corny but still fun and a change of pace they do try hard.

I went to trivia again today but so far have still been no help at all.   It didnt help that we lost another hour lsat night, and another tonight,  time for a nap!

Mixology

I went to dinner with the bridge instructor.  Yeah it's crazy here!  She was nice and has her husband on on board.  Second marriage for both, as they were both widowed but met on match.com...in their 70s, 12 years ago!  There were people of equal age to her on my other side at the table and no one could hear. So I spent most of the evening telling one about what the other said.  It was a bit tiring!

After dinner A woman at the bar was not impressed with a drink.  She ordered a Hemingway daiquiri which , when she got it, was not like the one she had previously had.  I saw her again today, Wednesday and she told this to there head mixologist, who also works for Thomas Keller at Per Se in NYC.  When she described how he made it he was not impressed.  I think Juan the bartender might get a scolding...or worse!  This mixologist is on board to train the bartenders...they take it seroiusly here.  He is also on the food network...Brian van Flandern in case anyone knows him. He gave a talk and tasting on rum today.  He was quite good.

Also at my table last night were a couple from Atlanta.  They invited me to join their trivia team today.  I've never done trivia but did go today to join their team, the Mason Dixons! Unfortunately I didn't help them at all so not sure if they want me back.

Seas had moderated today but the captain says we will have some swells all the way to Funchal.

Rolling rolling...

I had a few naps on Monday, only one of which was on purpose.  Sitting in the heated ceramic chairs or in a lounge chair on deck, add in the gentle rocking and it is a recipe for dozing  off.  By late afternoon the swells that we were warned about appeared.  The ship was really moving both rolling and pitching.  Everyone was having a tough time walking around the ship.  It continues today Tuesday.  Looking out to sea now it appears calm, no white caps but looking more closely there are huge swells that seem like they could swallow this little ship.  I had a lot of trouble sleeping due to the movement.  I felt like I was rolling off the bed, just like the bottles of water rolled off the counter on one such roll.  My things in the bathroom were also thrown around.

But it is warm, around 27, and the wind is down so it is actually very nice on deck.  I have moved between sun and shade to make sure I don't burn.

This morning was an emergency drill by the crew.  They broadcast all the announcements as they would in an emergency.  I know they need to practice so glad to have them do it.  But it made me wonder why I've never heard crews do this on any other crossing.

The captain just gave his noon update and said the swells peaked at 5 meters and will moderate over the next couple of days.  He is quite hilarious.  He is Scottish and finishes his updates by reading some poetry, usually about the sea. Today it was Robbie burns. 

I was invited to another dinner last night, this time hosted by Kitty the Arts and Crafts instructor.  I kid you not.  She is a recently retired teacher who seems to have found a pretty good way to travel the world, doing painting glasses on high end cruise ships.  (And wouldn't it be better if they called it painting classes instead of arts and crafts?). But kitty was a lot of fun, I will give her that.

First day at sea

The weather ended up being quite nice Sunday with a high of 80.  Seas were smooth so decks were busy with everyone enjoying it.  I have a cold I'm trying to get rid of so decided to use the spa area and try to sweat it out in the steam room.  They also have the heated ceramic chairs where I read and may have dozed off for a bit.  Not sure if it helped the cold but it was definitely relaxing.

Before dinner I was chatting with two couples from Phoenix.  Turns out the men were partners in the narcotics division in the NYPD for many years.  They had some great stories.  Bill also just walked the entire Camino de Santiago so we had lots to talk about.  So much that we all went for dinner to their table.  It's not typical to have your own table here, nor is it typical for the wait staff to pour some of their better wines.  But they sure did for these folks.  Peter told me, in his new York accent, "they say you don't need to tip on Seabourn but I tip them before and I tip them after.  What's a few hundred dollars when they treat you like this !"  It was a hilarious evening.

Seabourn has an association with Thomas Keller, the famous chef.  Last night they had his items on the menu.  The hand rolled agnolotti were amazing but the mushroom dish wasn't impressive.  Glad I didn't pay any more for it.

Back in the cabin there were some Easter treats.

It's Monday morning now and I was woken by the ship loudly shuddering as it hit a swell.  Seas are getting a bit choppy and could be rough tomorrow.  I tried walking for half an hour to try to clear my head.  The head cold isn't getting any better but at least no worse.  

Embarking on Seabourn Odyssey

After a couple hours on the beach I packed up and got a taxi to the port.  The ship is very small by today's standards but is large next to the ship we were docked next to: seadream.  It too is sailing the Atlantic. After seeing it, I can't imagine how confined it would be for 10 days. Wow!

Within 10 minutes I was on board and sitting outside for lunch.  The staff greeted me with a offer for Perrier and or wine.  I took both to which I was offered a selection of wine which is all included. The only other all inclusive line i sailed was crystal 4 years ago.  It makes a huge difference when there is no pressure to sell you drinks.  You might think the service would suffer but quite the opposite.  Service was fantastic which meant drinks were flowing.  As I was unpacking in the afternoon doesn't the stewardess knock offering a glass of champagne....just before I was to crack the bottle that was sitting on ice in my room when I arrived!

It continued through the beautiful sail away from Barbados.  A couple of glasses of wine and I thought I better slow down and drink some water if I want to make it through dinner!  For dinner I was invited to a hosted table where two of the singers hosted 9 guests. Apparently seabourn does this every night and invites a variety of guests.  It could be regulars or those who are travelling solo such as myself. It was a fun dinner.  Besides Ryan and Beth, the two singers, there were two couples from the Uk, a Canadian, German, Dutch and an American travelling solo.  Food was fantastic.  The highlight for me was the homemade porcini ravioli, as good as I could imagine anywhere.

Unfortunately we pushed the clocks forward and hour last night.  As I went to bed the ship was really moving.  My cabin is near the front so that is part of the reason.  But I really didn't think the seas were rough.  The ship is not an ocean liner in any sense so I fear there could be motion for the entire trip,  especially when we hit the low pressure system in a couple of days that the captain warned us about. Could be interesting. 

It's Sunday: Happy Easter !  It was overcast when I got up but the sun is breaking through now.  It's nice and warm and the chairs around the pool are starting to fill up.  Still it doesn't fell crowded.  I think the space to passenger ratio is quite high.  This afternoon there is an Easter egg hunt!

Another crossing?

It's been a couple of years so some thought I had got it out of my system after 5 transatlantic crossings. but after a busy and nasty winter in Ottawa I got the itch. In the past I thought I booked last minute but this time I think I pretty much literally did just that. It was a mere 14 days ago that I took the plunge and booked a crossing from Barbados to Barcelona. Today I flew to Bridgetown and checked in to the Hilton hotel.  It's quite a mix of poeople here, from families to surfers to those that I'm sure are cruising tomorrow on one of two cruise to Europe tomorrow, the small Seadream ship or, the Seabourn odyssey that I'm taking.

As I had a glass of wine before dinner, 3 of my predictions were confirmed as I overheard a gentleman and a couple talk about boarding the two ships tomorrow.  A German couple sat next to me at dinner and I suspect I will see them on board tomorrow.  They weren't terribly impressed with the service at dinner. I'm starting to conclude that if the country produces rum, then expect to have "relaxed" service.  Everything I've experienced so far in Barbados has been very slow. But hey, it's 30 degrees and surrounded by white sand and turquoise water so what's the rush? I will try to take it slow Saturday by spending some time at the beach before heading to the ship.

videos!

Well the last thing to do was to edit the video I took and create a couple of short compilations of the trip.  The first was the stunning sail out of New York.  I've been lucky enough to do it twice now and been very lucky with the weather both times.

Sail out of New York on Queen Victoria

To get the view from someone not on the ship, there is a really good video taken from across the river.  I subscribe to his/her channel on youtube and love the backdrop of the New York skyline as ships sail in and out of port.

Queen Victoria departing Manhattan

Finally, here is the video of the crossing.  Hope you like watching the ocean!  Also a bit of a ship tour.

Crossing Video

Enjoy.  Until the next crossing!

Rob

Pictures

Uploaded my pictures from the trip.  The sail out of new york was as amazing as it looks.  The rest of the pictures give a pretty good sense of the ship and the different weather through the journey.

Queen Victoria Transatlantic photos

Saturday - nearly there

It ended up being a mainly cloudy day, but was still able to spend time outside enjoying the sea air. I also went to Terry Waite's second lecture.  We talked more about his time in captivity and some of the different challenges he faced.  Now he spends much of his time lecturing and writing.  He just finished a novel that he was signing on board.

It was the final formal night last night.  I met up with the usual crowd at the commodore club bar before dinner. Funny how you get to know a group of people during a voyage like this.  But most likely, will never see them again. Many people go to this bar because or the piano player I mentioned earlier.  He's a young man named Carlo Nuschi and is a seriously talented musician and singer.  He goes from Sinatra to billy Joel to Gershwin.  After dinner i went to the show but didn't stay as I realized I would much rather go listen to Carlo.

It's Saturday morning and as we get close to our destination, the weather is providing a preview of what we can expect .  Cooler and rain.

We have just moved clocks forward for the last time.  In the noon update, the commodore took the time to announce the new royal baby and say he had sent a note of congratulations to the royal family.  I was in the lobby and there were sounds of delight around this news.  I guess it is good news these days with all the bad news we are hearing and seeing on TV.

It is packing day.  Hoping it isn't too somber around the ship tonight. I bumped into one lady from our table who said she wouldn't be coming to dinner be as she thought it was too late for the last night.  Personally I think it's better to stretch out the day as much as possible.

Here is the busy coffee shop.  A great place to get a good cup of coffee and watch the seas.

Friday -sea day 6

It was a great day At sea yesterday.  I went to two lectures, the first was about hostage taking given by the special operations inspector which included a description of one incident at Stansted airport.  Th next talk was really a q&a with the commodore. There were good questions from the audience too.  He did let us know what the issue was that caused us to stop a few days ago.  It was a burst hose for coolant.  We definitely wouldn't want to overheat!

Most of the afternoon was spent out poolside.  It was warm and sunny for the most part.

There was a magician who performed before dinner.  He did mainly slight of hand tricks that were ok but nothing too dazzling.  Then I went to the Verandah for dinner as I had a free dinner there as part of the promotion when I booked. The food was very good.  I had a gnocchi dish that rivalled the gnocchi I had in nyc.  In fact, it was probably better as it wasn't over salted. The strangest thing was that the staff kept telling me how slow the service was because everything was made to order, yet I was out in one hour 15 mins.  Odd.

It's Friday morning, 15 degrees with a bit of sun.  Seas are calmest they have been for a few days.  It is a really nice day at sea.  I was able to east breakfast outside with views of the ocean. So relaxing.

I'm thinking of this as my extra day.  On qm2, the crossings have all been 7 nights but this one is 8. So on qm2 I would have to start thinking about packing today, but I can relax at least for another 24 hours.

Thursday. Still at sea

Had a pub lunch yesterday in this golden lion pub.  Ploughman's lunch and a pint of British ale.  It was warm but cloudy so went to my balcony to read.  I was there for about 15 minutes before the sun came out. I got up to look ahead and what do I see but clear skies.  I put my swimsuit on, got the suntan lotion and went to the rear pool and sun deck. It was awesome.  Everything seems to change when the sun is out and it is warm.  The sea looks blue and the atmosphere on board lightens up completely. It was beautiful...for exactly 42 minutes before the heavy cloud came back.  It was nice while it lasted.

It was still warm so went for a jog up on the 10th deck.  I thought there would be less people and for the most part there was.  To aid in the workout there are some steps to climb going forward as the deck doesn't completely wrap around.  So every lap I could run up and down a set up strairs.  Burn a few more calories that way.

The sun came out again in the early evening. It was beautiful and made for some nice photo ops.  The seas were up a lot too. Lots of whitecaps and the ships moving in all directions.  I would have called it rough.  It makes the photos more interesting.

At 745 pm it was time for the world club party.  Not surprisingly it was packed .  I think the majority of the people on board are frequent Cunard travellers.  The also recognize the individuals with the most nights on Cunard.  There were 4 or 5 people with over 1000 nights on board.  I like being on board but cannot imagine spending that much of my life on these ships.

I chatted with one of the hotel managers, the fellow who called to invite me to dinner.  I asked him why I was chosen and he said they try to get a mix but it also depends on the type of people those hosting will want.  Seems these folks wanted a younger table!  I don't get called that too often anymore but on this ship I guess I am!

I the proceeded to dinner.  We were hosted by two young members of the staff, the communications manager and a manager for hotel and client facing staff, Rebecca and George. Both were very nice and they bought the wines for dinner.  (Much better than I had been buying!). There were 7 guests in total, and a nice mix of backgrounds.  It was a fun evening and nice to meet other guests.

I went to have a nightcap and a couple I had met earlier were there and invited me to join them and another couple.  It was James Bond theme night so all the wait staff were dressed in tuxedos and the piano player mixed in some bond music.

This morning it is still warm and the sun is poking through.  Hope to spend as much time as possible on deck in the sun.

Wednesday update - sea day 4

The guest speaker yesterday was terry Waite who was a hostage negotiator who himself was captured in Lebanon and held captive for 5 years.  I couldn't get in to the theatre, there wasn't a seat available .  I watched it on tv later instead.  Quite a story. Most of his time was spent in solitary confinement chained up.  He talked about how he survived mentally in such conditions. Really amazing.

The weather was cold but wind was down. I was able to run/walk for 5 Kms and later took a dip in the hot tub in the rear of the ship. In fact I don't think it had been used since we departed!

The food was much improved yesterday for some reason .  I had lunch in the main dining room and enjoyed it, especially a parsnip soup.  That night I had a great mushroom pasta that was served nice and hot.  We had a woman from Ireland join our table.  She had some trouble finding a good table. First she was seated at a table for ten...by herself.  And then she sat with some people that enjoyed complaining the entire time.  I think she had a better time at our table.

There was a comedian on board who performed last night.  He wasn't great, seemed to be struggling.  It was a bit awkward.

This morning we had to get passports stamped by a UK immigration officer.  It should speed up disembarkation but it wasted an hour standing in line today.  It was a little annoying.

It's warmer today, 15 degrees but still a bit foggy. I really don't think I needed to bring sun tan lotion but who knows.  The sun seems to be trying to cut through.  The warmer weather is nice but the wind is up and parts of the deck are closed off and the occasional show keep the decks wet.  We just lost another hour and are three hours ahead of EDT.

I received an invitation to join a table for dinner hosted by some of the ships staff.  It won't be officers, it is the Customer services manager and communication manager.  Not sure why I as invited but it's a first for me and will go.  It follows a Cunard world club party which I was invited to for the first time.  The few benefits of reaching gold status!  One of the other benefits is two hours of Internet time.  Too bad it runs so slowly, I wasn't able to accomplish much in two hours.

Deck, wet and cold.

Shops and casino

Tuesday update

It was a mixed bag of weather Monday.  Grey skies, some showers with a rare sun break.  I times one of the sunny periods for lunch, having it outside on the rear deck. I also managed to walk 6 Kms.  It wasn't too cold and after a couple of laps I started to warm up.  The sea become moderate around mid day with some large swells.  It is dark grey and quite ominous...typical North Atlantic seas.

We altered our course in the morning and are now on the circle routed heading north east.

There was the commodore's welcome cocktail party last night.  Drinks were flowing and I bumped into several other guests I have met on board.  Then the first formal dinner of the trip. There were just five of us for a table for eight.  Meals have been quite good though it would be nice if the food came warmer.

The ship continued to roll overnight.  As I opened the curtains this morning we are in fog.  No fog horn is sounding though, I'm not sure why not.  Temperature is 7 degrees but it seems warmer. Must be the direction of the wind that is helping.

It feels like it is sunny behind the fog. If we can burn it off it could be a nice day.

Unfortunately we will set the clocks forward another hour at noon today. Talking to a person two days ago that has been sailing on ships for years.  I can't remember the ship but he said that on this particular ship years ago, the would set the clocks forward 20 minutes three times a day. At least we aren't on that program!

Just had a very interesting experience.  I was reading in the forward bar around 1030 waiting to go to the lecture at 11.  The ship was moving quite a bit and then it started to shake/vibrate every couple minutes as if it was pitching forward and hitting the water.  It wasn't severe and I just thought normal Atlantic seas.  Just after 11 the commodore came on the PA to say that he has stopped the propulsion systems to deal with an urgent issue.  This means the ship was slowing to a stop , which is causing the swells to hit the ship on the stern and therefore causing the vibrations.  He said while uncomfortable, it is not unsafe.

So we were effectively drifting in moderate seas! The vibrations didn't last more than 30 mins and by the time I looked outside it sure seemed we were moving. The TV in my room said we were doing 8 knots and increasing speed. At noon we were told the issue had been fixed and back on our way doing 19 knots and have a smoother ride! Nothing like a little excitement!

A couple of photos of the grand lobby.  It's a very nice ship.

Monday -sea day 2

Cunard does a great job of its enrichment program.  The bring in lecturers who are really interesting.  Yesterday was a retired Special Investigations Officer from Essex who investigated over 30 murders in his career.  The title was "how to catch a killer".  He told the story of one investigation where he did catch the murderer.  Fascinating stuff, and the theatre was packed.

Yesterday we moved the clocks forward at noon.  I've done this on Azamara a few years ago...it is quite strange.  All of a sudden it's 1pm and I'm not hungry.  I went to the gym and worked our for 45 mins.  At two I went to a meeting for cruise critic and met a bunch of people there.  Several people are taking the QueenMary 2 back on the same day we arrive in Southampton.  It's a different breed of people on these crossings...many are addicted to crossing the ocean!

I have found it to be a very friendly crowd, more so than on qm2 last year.  Not sure if it is because many are on from the world cruise or if the ship is just more intimate.

I tried to sit out in the sun but when it went behind a cloud it was too cold.  I tried walking the deck but by then it was cloudy and blustery.  One lap was enough, my glasses covered in salt.  I had a nap instead!

sunny morning :

Cloudy afternoon:

Pre and post dinner drink was in the commodore club in the front of the ship.  There is piano player there who is seriously good.

Monday morning and I didn't wake up until 10.  It is cloudy, a few degrees warmer but not very nice out. Seas are slight and the ship is moving somewhat.  Probably a day to stay indoors and read.

Sail away

I went for a walk in Central Park Saturday morning.  It was cool but very busy.  People are ready for spring after the cold winter.  I had lunch at Bricioala, a small Italian place near the hotel. I wanted to try it on a recommendation from a coworker.  Fresh pasta, it was excellent.  New York really does have great restaurants.

I went to the pier around 1 and checked in and walked on board, no waiting.  The ship, I have to say, is very nice.  Classic Cunard styling with some of the nice cruise ship features, a couple of nice pool areas and the bar at the front of the ship with 180 degree views.

When my bags arrived at my stateroom, the weather was warm so was able to sit out and get some sun for an hour.

But the highlight of the day was the sail away.  Weather didn't disappoint, sunny and 14, though is was cold as we left the harbour.  There was a speaker giving us the tour guide talk as we sailed.  We were also escorted by nypd helicopter and armed coast guard!

Despite being frozen by the end, the sail out lived up to my expectations.  It is a real highlight of sailing this direction.

I'm at a table for 8 for dinner, though there were only 6 of us there last night.  2 of us are from Ottawa.  We had a nice meal as we got to know each other.  I had ordered a wine package and had a bottle of Chilean Cabernet waiting for me.

This morning is sunny and calm seas. Just beautiful but cold...7 degrees.