Days 18 to 19 - at Sea

Monday 27th January 2020

The hors d’oeuvres over now, it’s off into the real part of the trip.  Heading southeastward off (way off) the coasts of Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana, not in sight.  940nm from Barbados to the start of the Amazon, and another 900nm to Manaus, our next stop in the middle of Brazil.

Getting hot and humid, lots of flying fish escaping the ship’s wake in the afternoon.

Dinner this evening at the alternative dining option, tonight it’s the Aztec menu, that’s basically Mexican to you and I.

Tuesday 28th January 2020

Continuing down the coast, into Brazilian waters this afternoon.  Still mainly overcast, hot and humid.

From this evening the outside lights on the ship will be turned off, this along with no balcony lights and closed curtains are precautions against attracting insects to the ship.  About midnight entering the Amazon.

This evening to the theatre to watch Bruce Morrison presenting 30 years of Les Miserables.  Update of how he was tomorrow.

Day 17 - Bridgetown, Barbados

Sunday 26th Jan 2020

Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, is a port city on the island’s southwest coast. It's known for its British colonial architecture, 17th-century Garrison and horse racing track.  It is part of the British Commonwealth and is named after the Bearded Fig Tree, which was once found in abundance.

Barbados is an island where relaxation and adventure go hand in hand. White sandy beaches stretch for miles while snorkelling and sailing are some of the world-class water sports on offer.

Early (very) start and it’s off to join our tour group going to Carlisle Bay for time on the beach.  Only a quite short run to the beach just the other side of town.  “Harbour Lights” providing the facilities for us today, loungers, umbrella (for the sun - not the rain!), changing facilities and restroom.  Of course the universal complimentary Rum Punch to start off, 9am seems a bit early, but as the sign at the bar says “you can’t expect tom drink all day unless you start now”.

A great spot this, soft silver sand, warm blue and turquoise sea and wall to wall sunshine, what’s not to love?

Only a short stay till noon before the return bus ride.  Actually plenty of time for swimming, paddling and sunning, probably enough for the first day acclimatising to proper weather.

Back to port for a look round the souvenir shops and time for a really delicious banana milkshake before reboarding our ship for the afternoon.  Being a Sunday no point in going into town, mostly shut, everyone either at church or on the beach.

Usual shipboard pursuits while we rehydrate!

Day16 - at Sea

Saturday 25th Jan 2020

Chinese New Year - Year of the Rat

Today an early morning stop for fuel bunkering just off St Ignatius, very near St Kitts, but attempt aborted due to swell, seemed negligible to us but Captain knows best.  Try again in Barbados.

Remainder of the day spent sailing down the line of Caribbean Islands, notable among them Monserrat, deserted since the volcanic eruptions of many years ago, still active.

Pretty much perfect weather today, few clouds, light winds, mid 20’s C and a pleasant freshness in the air.

Burns Night tonight, we didn’t go to the dining room for the haggis option, we preferred the Oriental theme in the buffet!

Day 15 - San Juan, Puerto Rica

Friday 24th Jan 2020

The walled city of San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital and largest city founded in 1521, sits on the island's Atlantic coast. Cobblestoned Old San Juan features 400 colourful restored buildings from the 16th and 17th-century Spanish colonial period.  A flurry of forts around its shores were built to ward off interest from other European powers. among them are Fort San Cristobal, the immense defensive fortification completed in 1783, and San Felipe del Morro, a 16th-century citadel with well-preserved barracks, tunnels and dungeons.

The perfect berth for today, just a few minutes walk from Old San Juan.  So once the breakfast time drizzle cleared up it’s ashore for a leisurely stroll through the narrow streets.  Certainly they seem to like their colours here.

Quite a few signs of the recent earthquakes, mostly minor.  Very hot and rather humid but an easy pace kept us going.  Much graffiti on many buildings, not quite sure but got the impression that the police and the US authorities were not loved, maybe in reference to a recently found  warehouse full of aid for the hurricane of 3 years ago had been found to be  untouched and had been liberated by the population!

A welcome aboard Queen Victoria and back into the air conditioning and a chance for a cold drink.  Time for a few more minutes out in the sun for some more acclimatisation.  An opportunity today while the ship’s still quiet for formal afternoon tea in the Queens Room, to be served by the white gloved and jacketed waiters on the best crockery and the best silverware.

Sailaway at dusk with views of the Morro Fort which protects the harbour mouth.

Days 13 to 14 - at Sea

Wednesday 22nd

Todays sail through the Old Bahama Channel along the north coast of Cuba.  A narrow navigable channel between Cuba and the treacherous shallows of the Bahama Banks.

First proper warm day, temperature in mid twenties, following wind at pretty much the speed of the ship so negligible.

Back to the normal time fillers.  Our new morning trivia team now includes a lady we met last year on Queen Mary.  We also have a new music trivia team and managed to win with a score of 39 out of 40, we do seem to manage to collect the best new members to gain us wins.  The afternoon allowed us time for sunbathing, bit of a sudden shock, no time to acclimatise from cool to hot with a strong sun, slap on the suncream and don’t stay out too long.

American theme in the buffet, delicious.

Tonight “the Piano Brothers” in the theatre.  Amazing flying fingers on the keyboards, very few tunes we recognised, but one seven minute performance of 22 classical pieces most entertaining. 

Thursday 23rd 

Passing the island of Hispaniola today (that’s Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

Clocks forward one hour.

Proper sea day, back to trivia and music quiz (another good win 40 out of 40).  Weather quite benign, slight sea, light wind and nice and warm, though pretty  cloudy.

Evening entertainment by the RCTC, “Hollywood Rocks”, a movie themed show.

Day 12 - Port Everglades for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Tuesday 21st Jan 2020

Fort Lauderdale is a city on Florida's southeastern coast, world famous for its magnificent beaches, water-sports, retail, and its canals and marina.  The Strip is a promenade running along oceanside highway A1A lined with upscale outdoor restaurants, bars, boutiques and luxury hotels.

Itinerary for Sector 2

Day 12 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Days 13 to 14 - at sea

Day 15  - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Day 16 - at sea

Day 17 - Bridgetown, Barbados

Day 18 to 19 - at sea

Day 20 - Start of Amazon River

Day 21 - Amazon River

Day 22 - Manaus, Brazil

Day 23 - Amazon River

Day 24 - Santarem. Brazil

Day 25 - Cruise by Macapa exiting the Amazon River

Day 26 to 28 - at sea

Day 29 - Salvador, Brazil

Day 30 - at sea

Day 31 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Only a short run from Port Canaveral to Port Everglades, all tied up early.

Nothing near the berth here, again.  So, it’s on the shuttle for a nice drive over the bridge, no hold up here today as the bridge wasn’t required to open for tall  boat masts to pass, and up the A1A with great views of South Beach, a very enticing beach, on our way to the Galleria Mall, very quick look around, all a bit too designer for us, then over the road to the Publix supermarket for more essential supplies to keep us going for the next couple of months.

Back on the shuttle to return to the ship.  Easy afternoon, a chance to sit out in the sun, but still too cool to stay out long.  Sailaway a little muted this time, usually much more noise form the locals and occupants of apartments overlooking the harbour exit.

This evenings entertainment in the Royal Court theatre “West on Sunset”, an acoustic guitar foursome playing and singing west coast numbers, Eagles, Crosby Nash and Young, etc.  An interesting show of some well known and some new (to us) songs.

Day 11 - Port Canaveral, Florida, USA

Monday 20th Jan 2020

Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo, and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with 4.5 million cruise passengers passing through during 2016. Over 6,000,000 short tons of bulk cargo moves through each year.

Port Canaveral is your grand gateway to some fantastic Florida highlights, including the world-famous, and enormous, Kennedy Space Centre. NASA's primary launch centre of human spaceflight since 1968.

Clocks back one hour.

Engine trouble overnight slowed the ship, arrival now planned for one pm.  

During the sail-in we were accompanied by flights of Pelicans, Ospreys and Vultures, almost the first and only birds seen so far all voyage, also our first Dolphins just off the port’s breakwater.  Good views of the NASA site just north of the port, no rockets today, one going up just yesterday, nearly  our first space launch.

Berthed about noon but no-one ashore till one.  We left it a while but still took ages to get ashore and go through the US immigration process.  (The US require everyone to clear immigration irrespective of whether going ashore or not, the last of the crew cleared at about a quarter past six!)

Nothing near the berth so took the shuttle bus to Cocoa Beach.

Took a stroll over to the beach for a walk on the sand and a paddle in the sea, lovely sunny day, sea a most pleasant temperature but the wind quite chilly, is this really Florida?

Popped into the 7eleven for supplies, then back to the shuttle for the return to the ship.  Had to wait again as ship was still not cleared for boarding.  Eventually back on board.

Buffet dinner followed by the 4D’s “party” performance in the Queen’s Room, then a geography trivia, lost on the tiebreak, close again.  Then the second set of the 4D’s, a proper late night tonight for us.

Day 10 - at Sea

Sunday 19th Jan 2020

Fast run 20k plus, still quite windy, slight sea, mostly sunny, would be warm if not so windy.  Hoping to catch, two days journey in one day!

Not much going on today, just the usual pastimes, German theme dinner tonight, Kaisersmarren for desert - one of our favourites.

Day 9 - Hamilton, Bermuda

18th Jan 2020

The islands, shaped like a fishhook, became a key strategic outpost from American independence to the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609.

At the tip of their ‘barb,’ the Royal Naval Dockyard was a powerful symbol of seafaring might. This huge complex officially closed as a military institution in 1951, and the restored Commissioner’s House is now filled with various nautical exhibits, while many of the old barracks and warehouse buildings now house local potters and ceramicists. It’s well worth a look around.

Hamilton is the capital city of Bermuda. Along the harbour, Front Street features pastel-coloured colonial buildings and high-end shops. The stone Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity has a tower with city views. The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute offers ocean discovery exhibits. Northeast is the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, home to sharks and turtles.

Land Ho!

At  long last we awoke this morning to a view of land, trees and one of the forts at the tip of Bermuda.  The passage into our berth being rather circuitous due to reefs and shallows.

The Commissioners House

Many passengers in a great rush to get ashore to catch the ferry to Hamilton.  No such rush for us, a delightful leisurely start on a much quieter ship.  Then ashore for a walk round the dockyard area looking in at the shops, the glassworks and the old Naval warehouse buildings.  The day remained sunny with a fresh slightly cool breeze and the sea a fantastic turquoise and blue though nowhere to test the water temperature, all a bit dockish and the only beach fenced off!

Back on board to sit in the sun, in a sheltered area, very pleasant.

Sailaway to start our 860 nm to Port Canaveral, catching up hopefully most of the lost time, just one sea day instead of two.

This evening cocktails for the passengers “doing the whole thing”, with a really nice buffet of nibbly bits, no need for dinner tonight.  Full voyage passengers currently 880, with 440 more joining in Fort Lauderdale, I’m not sure how it counts as a full voyage if you don’t do the Atlantic!

Then to the theatre for “The 4 D’s”, a male quartet singing harmony numbers, all the old favourites plus a couple of more unusual choices.

Days 2 to 8 - at Sea

Saturday 11th

Out of the English Channel and into the Atlantic.  Weather quite windy (40 knot winds) and a lively sea overnight, continuing similarly today, though improving steadily.

Captain Tomas Connery in charge of picking the best course for Hamilton, Bermuda, the first stop on our itinerary.

Our sea days have fallen back into a trusted routine, breakfast, 10.15 morning trivia, 1.30 music trivia, 4.15 afternoon trivia.  In between trivia we sometimes have lunch or afternoon tea followed by dinner in the evening.

Sunday 12th

Clock back one hour.

Atlantic/Biscay weather clearing nicely.  Cool, partial sun, odd passing shower.  Sea still a bit on the rough side.

This evening World Club Cocktails, nice of the Captain to buy us all a drink.  Not too long a speech of welcome, this included a couple of facts, 1836 guests on board from 33 countries, by far the largest number from the UK at 1295, also 972 crew from 45 countries.

Our first dinner in the main dining room, well we dressed in our best clothes so might as well  make the most of it.

Monday 13th

Clock back one hour.

Sea a bit rougher overnight again.  Still very windy.  The morning brought an easing of the weather and bright skies.  No prospect of “good” weather for a couple of days.  Passing by the Azores today, no stop this time.

Tuesday 14th

Weather again still roughish, no sign of a consistent improvement yet.  The Captain seems more of an optimist than a weather forecaster.  

Music trivia today our first win this trip.  Wine tasting this afternoon and   cocktails with the Captain tonight, then to main dining room for dinner, again!

Wednesday 15th

Clock back one hour

Sea easing, but still windy.  Off to the theatre tonight for “One way or Another” by the ship’s production company, the Royal Court Theatre Company.  Not sure this troupe are up to standard, yet?

Thursday 16th

Sea much easier and wind much reduced today.  Actually sat out on deck for a while.  Pub lunch, fish and chips, had to fit it in sometime, the days just disappear.

Senior Officers Cocktail party tonight.

Latest plan to arrive in Bermuda 2pm tomorrow, then stay overnight. 

Friday 17th

Clocks back one hour.

Wind and sea back up again today, should have been improving but the wind is back up to 60 or 70 knots and waves 5 or 6 metres, not going to make Hamilton, new plan for arrival tomorrow.  Noon announcement put us only 50nm from Bermuda but it’s just too windy today for the Captain to take the ship in through the narrow channel to our berth.

Day 1 - Southampton

Friday 10th Jan 2020

Southampton is a port city on England’s south coast. It is home to the SeaCity Museum, with an interactive model of the Titanic, which departed from Southampton in 1912. Nearby, Southampton City Art Gallery specialises in modern British art. Solent Sky Museum features vintage aircraft like the iconic Spitfire. Tudor House & Garden displays artefacts covering over 800 years of history, including a penny-farthing bike.

All set up for our cruise - hopefully not forgotten anything.

Arrived at the cruise terminal dropped our cases and sorted the car then to booking in, quite quickly through without much delay, despite all the extra checks needed for US visa and of course for Yellow Fever vaccination (sounds nasty, well worth avoiding that one).  Straight on board and to our stateroom, our cases had already arrived, not sure how they got there so quickly, miraculous.

Before and after luggage, then a spot of bubbly

Time for a little lunch, always a good start.  Followed by the traditional pre-voyage (just the long ones) performance by the Imperial Military Band to send us on our way.  

Managed to fit in lifeboat drill (they don’t call it that anymore, wouldn’t want to worry the guests!) before up to top deck for spectacular fireworks display prior to sailaway.  And we’re off.  Just over 3000nm to Hamilton Bermuda.

Bit of unpacking a light dinner and an early night, we always seem to be zonked the first day.