After several days of uncertainty due to the strike of Pilot Boat drivers in Norway, we learnt on Saturday night that the strike was off and that the planned motorcycle travel bags itinerary for our cruise to Ireland, Iceland, Norway, motorcycle travel bags and Belgium motorcycle travel bags was going to go ahead unchanged.
The rainy and overcast weather did not deter us from feeling motorcycle travel bags very upbeat about our latest cruise. We left home at 9.00am and just after 10.35am we reached Winchester Services, where we stopped for breakfast. We joined the queue to board our ship MV Ventura at 12.15pm and by 12.45pm we were sitting in one of the ship's restaurants eating motorcycle travel bags a buffet motorcycle travel bags lunch. By 2.00pm we were in our cabin waiting for our luggage to be delivered. It usually arrives in dribs and drabs during the afternoon ... which always amazes me as all the separate items of luggage were loaded at the same time! Luckily Luis (our cabin steward) turned out to be an excellent chap, and he found our entire luggage and delivered it to our cabin by just after 3.00pm, which gave us time to unpack before the SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) briefing took place.
At 4.00pm we went to the obligatory safety briefing at our muster station, which was in the Havana Show Lounge motorcycle travel bags on the Promenade Deck at the stern of the ship. After returning to our cabin to drop off our lifejackets, we went on deck for the traditional champagne sail-out from Southampton.
After a drink in the Red Bar we had dinner in the Saffron Restaurant. We were sharing a table for eight, but only four other people were there on the first evening. We all introduced ourselves and then settled down to eat what turned out to be a very good meal.
Once dinner was over we went for an after-dinner drink in the Metropolis Bar before we turned in for the night. Before going to sleep I began reading THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson. I first read this book (and the other two in the MILLENNIUM trilogy) last year, and having seen a DVD of the recent film starring Daniel Craig I decided to read all three books again.
Despite a short spell of rough weather during the night Ventura made her way down the English Channel, and by breakfast time she was off the coast of south-western Cornwall. She then turned around Land's motorcycle travel bags End and sailed motorcycle travel bags northward into the Celtic Sea and began to make her way towards Dublin.
The weather was overcast when we went to breakfast motorcycle travel bags in the Saffron Restaurant, and it remained like that for most of the morning. By lunchtime the clouds started to disappear and the sun began to shine.
During the morning we visited the P O Future Cruise desk ... and booked another cruise that will take us across the Atlantic motorcycle travel bags to the USA and Canada! We then visited the ship's 'Jubilee street party', which was held in the Atrium. This was extremely crowded, and after fighting our way around the various stands we made our way to the Ramblas Tapas Bar for a snack lunch.
After lunch we went to the main theatre to watch a film. THE IRON LADY starred Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher and Jim Broadbent as her husband Denis Thatcher. The film told of her rise to become leader of the Conservative Party (and her subsequent ousting by her erstwhile colleagues) in a series of flash-backs. motorcycle travel bags Meryl Streep rightly deserved the praise that was heaped upon her for the performance she gave in the film, and her supporting actors were all very convincing.
motorcycle travel bags The film finished in time for us to indulge ourselves with afternoon tea, which we took on the Terrace area near the stern of the ship. The sun was shining, and though there was a rather stiff cooling breeze motorcycle travel bags blowing motorcycle travel bags across the deck, we spent a very pleasant time there before returning to our cabin to get ready for the first formal dinner of the cruise.
Traditionally the second night of a cruise is also when the Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party takes place, but because motorcycle travel bags it is expected that Ventura will be mooring alongside motorcycle travel bags in Dublin at 3.15am, it was felt that the event should be postponed until later in the cruise.
We had a pre-dinner drink in the Ramblas Tapas Bar, and at 8.35pm we went to the Saffron Restaurant, where we ate an excellent meal. Our 'missing' table companions arrived just as we sat down, and introductions were made and experiences of cruising were exchanged. As it was the day of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, after we had eaten the main course we all drank the Loyal Toast and stood to attention for the National Anthem.
We finished eating just after 10.30pm and went up to the Promenade Deck for a breath of fresh air. We ended the evening with a drink in the Metropolis Bar, where we were entertained by a duo who played a range of 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s music.
We were woken up when the ship moored alongside early in the morning (about 3.30am), but managed to get back to sleep quite quickly. When we actually motorcycle travel bags awoke at 7.00am the weather was wet and the sky overcast, and it remained so for the rest of the day.
Because we had an early start (we had to be ashore by 8.30am) we opted for a room service breakfast. This turned out to be better motorcycle travel bags than we expected, and more that prepared motorcycle travel bags us for our sightseeing motorcycle travel bags trip and riverboat ride through Dublin.
The tour lasted over three hours, and the coach returned us to the ship in time for us to have a snack lunch in the Waterside Restaurant. Having been suitable fed and rested we decided to go back into the centre motorcycle travel bags of Dublin on the shuttle-bus to do some sightseeing on our own.
We were dropped off in Kildare motorcycle travel bags Street, and made our way north, crossing the River Liffey by the O'Connell Bridge. Walking up O'Connell Street, we arrived motorcycle travel bags outside the famous General Post Office, which was at the centre of the Easter Rising motorcycle travel bags of 1916 and on whose steps the existence of the Irish Republic was proclaimed.
We did a bit of shopping in some of the larger stores in O'Connell Street, motorcycle travel bags and had just left one of them when I heard my name being called. By sheer coincidence, Conrad Kinch happened to be passing the shop as we left, and introduced himself.
My wife and I were amazed at this coincidence, and all three of us repaired to a local food court where we drank excellent coffee whilst we had a long and interesting chat. Conrad Kinch then very kindly took time to show us how to get back to the River Liffey, which we crossed via the Ha'penny Bridge. He took us through Temple Bar and on to the George's Street Arcade and Covered Market, where we reluctantly parted company. This was a part of Dublin that we would probably never have visited ... and it turned out to be a gem of a place. Likewise the Powerscourt Centre, which he also recommended ... and which my wife has indicated that she would like to re-visit the next time we are in Dublin!
We relaxed over a drink in the Red Bar before dinner, and after we had eaten our meal in the Saffron Restaurant we spent an hour in the Metropolis Bar drinking and talking to some of the staff whom we had met on previous cruises. It was interesting to listen to their experiences of working aboard ship for nine-month-long contracts, and how each cruise brought very different combinations of passengers, each of whom had their specific requirements and expectations.
When we awoke the sea was calm and the sun was trying to break through the light cloud cover. According to the in-cabin information system the ship was halfway between Northern Ireland and the Hebrides, and would be moving out into the North Atlantic later in the day.
By the middle of the morning the weather had begun to deteriorate, and it began to rain quite heavily. motorcycle travel bags At midday we attended our first Peninsular Club lunch. The Peninsular Club is part of the new loyalty reward system used by P O, and replaced the old Portunus Club. Due to the growth in popularity of cruising, P O s former three-tier loyalty reward system had become top heavy and they have now introduced an extra two tiers at the top end. They have also renamed all the tiers ... and we are now in the Baltic tier, which is the second from highest. This entitles us to a number of special rewards, including priority embarkation and disembarkation as well as an annual free gift, a special lunch that is hosted by the ship's officers, and discounts on certain services such as the laundry. We also get 10% off the price of everything that we buy aboard ship.
After lunch we returned to our cabin and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. I read another motorcycle travel bags couple of chapters of my book and ensured that my blog entry was up to date. We then prepared for the Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party and the formal dinner that was held that evening.
The Party was held in the ship's atrium area. This consists of a series of large walkway balconies around a central open space, with each balcony connected by stairs and glass-fronted lifts. Drinks were served to everyone who attended, motorcycle travel bags and then the Cruise Director introduced the Captain. The Captain stood on the lowest level of the atrium and made an amusing speech of welcome, during which he introduced each of the senior members of the ship's staff. Once he had finished we all went into dinner.
This was yet another excellent meal, and the conversation that accompanied it was very lively and interesting. We finished motorcycle travel bags the evening with a drink in the Metropolis Bar, listening to the same musical duo that had entertained us earlier in the cruise.
When we awoke the sun was actually shining through breaks in the light cloud over. Furthermore the horizon was very distinct, which is always an indicator that the weather for the next few hours should be good. Despite motorcycle travel bags the best efforts of the sun, the air temperature was cold at 8 C at 8.30am. This was hardly surprising as we were at latitude 60N in the middle of the North Atlantic!
After breakfast in the Saffron Restaurant and a short time on the Promenade Deck we spent most of the morning motorcycle travel bags in the Metropolis Bar. This was open so that passengers motorcycle travel bags could use it as a lounge, and we were lucky enough to get seats so that we could see a large expanse of sea to the port forw
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