The Baltic and Atlantic Cruise August 2014 Ms Eurodam

Wed 13 August 2014

The first part of the day was spent doing the final packing, getting a haircut and having lunch with my mate Steve. Steve very kindly offered to drive me to the airport for my departure.

I arrived at the airport and checked in approximately an hour before my departure time at 5 pm, check in process went very quickly and efficiently however the security process was in fine form training security officers to be ready for the G20 finance meetings that will be held in Cairns later this year.

After settling into the departure lounge I realised I have not been given the immigration form I would require for when I went through immigration at Brisbane airport. So I went up to the Qantas club to see if they could give me with the relevant form.

Obtaining a new form was not a problem and while at the Qantas club counter I ran into an old friend who invited me to come in and enjoy the facilities of the club before my departure. This made me feel as if the holiday was off to a great start. I only had time for 1 gin and tonic before I was required to board the aircraft.

The flight to Brisbane went very smoothly and I had time to watch one movie before arriving. After the transfer to the international terminal is where the fun began as the security here was extremely strict and time consuming. In fact they started boarding my aircraft when I was in the x ray machine. So very flustered I arrived at the gate for the Emirates flight from Brisbane to Dubai. I was beside myself and very impressed with the treatment I was given. They gave preferential boarding and assistance with storing my hand luggage. I was very impressed from the moment I boarded the aircraft to the time I got off in Dubai 14 hours later with the excellent service the Emirates flight crew gave.

Thursday 14 august 2014

On arrival at Dubai airport the official immigration procedures went very smoothly. I was lucky that my connecting flight to Copenhagen was leaving from the same terminal. As I had just over 2 hours to fill in before boarding my next flight I just had a quick look at the duty free stores and then found and coffee lounge to relax in and have a snack.

On presenting my boarding pass that was originally issued in Cairns for this flight, the scanner rejected the pass and the officer asked me for my passport.  Oh my God, I had a panic attack as I was wondering what has gone wrong and the thought of being carted off for interrogation sent tingles up my spine. The officer took my passport and boarding pass off to see his superiors and there is much talking and looking at me before he came back and presented me with a new boarding pass as I was being upgraded to Business class for the flight.

 

Of course I had no objections to this change in plans. I had previously said I was impressed with the service of Emirates on the first flight well I was super impressed with the Business class service for the next 6 hour flight to Copenhagen. The meal was excellent and then it was great to rest on the flat bed.

On arrival Copenhagen I was met at the airport after collecting my luggage by a cruise representative and taken to the shuttle bus for the trip to the hotel.

The Palace hotel is situated right in the heart of the city and it is very elegant older type hotel. Boy oh boy it was great to have a hot shower and freshen up. I took advantage of the free wifi the hotel offers and caught up with the e-mails and Facebook postings.

After a beer and a light supper I called it an early night as I was flat out keeping my eyes open and was in  bed before 9 p.m.

Friday 15 august 2014

Well I woke at 2 a.m. and could not get back to sleep, the jet lag seems to have confused my body clock.  I made a hot chocolate and commenced getting this blog started.

Between doing work on my laptop and watching a little bit of television the next thing I knew daylight had broken over the square outside my hotel window. I got some nice photographs from the window with the sun taking over the shadows in the square.

By the time I had a shower it was time to get my suitcase outside for collection and then go down to the dining room the breakfast. The dining room was really an extension of a Holland America cruise with a lot of excitement with some of the folk talking about what cruises they have done in the past. I think everyone was going on the ship today.

This morning I noticed my 4 wheeler suitcase only had 3 wheels on it which made it extremely difficult to roll around as it Is very unstable .After breakfast I spoke to the hotel duty manager to ascertain if my missing wheel has been found. If it is found I don't know how I would get it repaired anyway or if it can be repaired.

After breakfast I had a few messages from some of the guys on the ship telling me that as it is a big change over day today with the large number of passengers boarding they will not be having any shore leave so I won't see them in the city before going to the ship.

The transfer to the ship went very smoothly as well as the check in for the ship so by 1 pm I was unpacking in my cabin. After the boat drill the fun began with meeting up with crew I had met on previous  cruises. I was amazed just how many I knew or remembered me.

I commenced a bar crawl to meet up with all the crew I knew, but in the end they were coming to see me. I think by now just about every other guest thinks my name is 'Papaku'.

I had pizza as a snack for lunch by the Seaview bar. The temp had dropped and I was forced to put on a jacket. I then went on with my exploring of the ship, dropping in at all these new bars to say G'Day to other friends. It was a fantastic feeling to be made so welcome.

I finished the evening about 11 pm and retired to my cabin.

Saturday 16 August 2014

I was surprised to be woken by an announcement on the PA by the Cruise Director and realised it was 10.30 am. I hope now the body clock has adjusted to the local time and got over the jet lag. After a shower it was time to go up to the Lido for brunch. Today is one of the few sea days on this Baltic cruise.

I then went and bought a day trip for St Petersburg as I don’t have a Visa for Russia. After a little exploring of the ship I decided I would have a nap before Happy Hour.  Well that plain failed as I slept for nearly 4 hours and woke up well after Happy Hour.

I went down to the Explorers Lounge Bar where my friend Di is the bar person.

 This bar is in a good position as many of the other staff have to pass by and would come over to say hello. Tonight is a formal night and I did not feel up to getting dressed up so I had a room service dinner.

After a very restful day I went to bed just before 11 pm. I now hope I am over the jet lag.

Sunday 17 August 2014

We arrived at Tallinn on a warm partly cloudy day. After brekkie I caught the Hop ON Hop Off Bus from outside the terminal. I got a good upstairs open air seat. But only after 10 minutes or so black rain clouds came and dropped a torrential downpour. 

This meant all of us upstairs had to scurry down the narrow steps to the covered lower section. The rain was so heavy the bus was leaking and the PA system stopped working. The bus driver called for another bus that had a roof on the top. The transfer went very smoothly and we only got slightly wet going to the new bus.

Wow what a beautiful city and I took advantage of the 3 different bus routes so I saw as much as possible. No wonder everyone I know that has been here before has always been so complementary about this city. I will let the photos do the talking about this visit.

I was back on the ship by early afternoon and had a snack before going for a nap before happy hour in the Crows Nest. I am still catching up with some of the crew and it is fun having the reunions.

I had a great dinner in the dining room with some good company. After a few night caps I had an early night as It will be an early start for the St Petersburg day tour tomorrow.

Monday 18 August 2014

I was up in the Lido having brekkie at 6 am as I had to meet up for the tour at 7.15 am. One of the reasons is that it takes so long to get through the Russian Immigration process. We were queued up  for nearly an hour before we got out of the terminal to get on the bus.

For St Petersburg we were so very lucky to have a fine and sunny day. Our tour guide told us that the city only gets about 45 days a year of sunshine. It was a very good tour and it was good to see the changes that had taken place since my last visit to the city.

We had a few hours free time so I went for a walk around and then found a very nice café to have a snack and enjoy their very good Wifi.

We were back at the Cruise terminal by 1.30pm and by the time it took to go through the Russian security and immigration process I was back on the ship for a Bloody Mary and some pizza. The Pizza guy now makes a special ‘Papaku Pizza’ for me with heaps of anchovies on it.

One of the officers suggested I see the front office to see if my suit case missing 3 wheels could be fixed. The front counter staff were excellent in the way they handled the situation. The outcome was the workshop could not fix the case, so HAL will compensate me with funds to go towards buying a new one most likely in Canada or the USA as Europe is so expensive.

I joined a couple at Happy hour in the Crows nest and then we formed a team for trivia. And may I say we won so I now have another pin for the collection.

I went to the Tamarind restaurant for dinner and what an excellent experience it was. The Pan Asian cuisine evoked the rich culinary traditions of Southeast Asia, China and Japan. This is the first HAL ship that I have been on that has had a Tamarind restaurant. I certainly will be going back a few more times over the next 4 weeks.

I called it a night after a few night caps in the Silk Den about 11 pm.

Tuesday 19 August 2014

I had a good sleep in and went to the Lido for brekkie about 7.45 am and was surprised to find not many folk up there as the bulk of the passengers had early starts for the day tours. I decided I would just have an easy day on board as I have spent time in St Petersburg some years ago.

The weather had come in cold wet and windy, so I was pleased it had been a perfect day yesterday when I went out. Even on the ship this bloke from the tropics had to be well rugged up to keep warm.

I caught up with the emails and then took up position in my Lido office. Many of the crew enjoyed looking at my photos taken on other ships and seeing their colleagues. The Aussie BBQ photos taken at my place were a great hit.

I had a light lunch then a few hours sleep before going Happy Hour. Our Trivia team missed out on winning by one point. The sun had now come out and it was a perfect setting for the sail away.

 I had a late dinner in the dining room followed by a night cap and then it was time to go to the Filipino Crew show. 




As usual Papaku was seated in the front row and enjoyed the show.

I called it a night just before midnight.

Wednesday 20 August 2014

I had a beaut sleep in and had brekkie up in the Lido about 8 am. I was on the shuttle into the city of Helsinki by 9.15 am. The day started off fine but cold and windy.

After a walk around the city I found a nice park that had wifi so I took advantage of sitting in the sunshine to warm up while updating the blog.  I was interrupted after an hour by rain drops so I packed up and made it back to the bus stop to catch the shuttle back to the ship.

I had a late lunch of stir fry in my Lido office. Some crew are still coming up to me that have previously met me on other ships.

I had the usual nana nap before going up to the Crows Nest for Happy Hour and the sail away from Helsinki.

I decided to have room service dinner again and an early night.

Thursday 21 August 2014

The early dawn sail in to Stockholm was fantastic. After a Lido brekkie I left the ship to catch the Red Hop On Hop Off bus to take in the sights of this beaut city. I was chatting with 2 couples from the USA and they invited me to join them.

We had a great day and even had a snack in the historic old town. OMG it was cold and windy and thank goodness when we did the boat sightseeing trip the vessel was covered and warm inside. It was beaut to sea the city also from the waterways.

Everyone remarked what a clean and friendly city Stockholm was. We got back too late for happy hour.  I had a hot shower to warm up before going down to the Explorers bar for a Bloody Mary. I was holding court with some of the folk I have met and missed out on dinner in the lido so I had room service again as I didn't feel like going to the dining room.

Actually I think I caught a bit of a chill from the freezing open air bus so I called it an early night in order to rest up.

Friday 22 August 2014

I was feeling much better when I woke up and was pleased the medication I took before going to bed seemed to be working. It is colder today than it was yesterday so I decided I wouldn't risk going out today in the cold. I had a late brekkie in the Lido.

I had an easy morning catching up with emails and Facebook before going to the Sea View bar for Bloody Marys and my special ‘Papaku Pizza’ for lunch.  My special pizza has heaps of anchovies on it.

I had a nap before going up to Happy Hour in the Crows Nest for the very scenic sail away from Stockholm.

I was joining my new Kiwi friends (Robert and Fiona) for early dinner in the Tamarind at 5.30 pm. We were given a fantastic table with a great view of the islands as we passed by. It was like sailing through a beautiful postcard. As the sunset was not until about 8.30 pm we enjoyed a beaut meal with excellent service and views.

After dinner we adjourned to the Silk Den Bar for a night cap as we passed the twinkling lights of the houses on the remote islands. We finished up the night with special coffees at the Exploration Bar.

I was in bed by 11 pm.

Saturday 23 August 2014

I had a great sleep in as it is a ‘sea day’ and I had a civilised full service breakfast in the dining room. I went to the talk about the German ports we will be visiting over the next few days.

 I called in on the shop specials for Baltic gear being sold from special stalls on the Lido deck, OMG. Anyone would think it was the Boxing day sales back at home. All the old farts were pushing and shoving to grab a bargain. Zimmer frames and walking sticks were being used as weapons of mass destruction on anyone who dared get in the way. No way was Papaku going to stay and endanger my life.

Trivia was at midday today up in the Crows Nest. Our team won again.

I had a small stir-fry for lunch and then time for my nap before Happy Hour.

As tonight is a formal night I had to attend the VIP cocktail party hosted by Captain Henk Keijer, who only took over the ship when we were in Stockholm. It was a very good  function and the officers mixed well and chatted to most.

I called it a night just after 10 pm.

Sunday 24 August 2014

Our arrival at the German port of Warnemunde about 7 am to clear shies and the outside temp of 12C, so it will be another rugged up day to try and keep warm. Many of the folk are catching the train into Berlin for the day, but I just want to have a good look around Warnemunde as I have spent days in Berlin a few years ago.

I walked the short distance into town along the cobbled streets and across little bridges and it was like stepping back in time into a fairy tale setting. I will let the photos do the talking. Bur OMG even though it was mainly sunny the wind was very cold.

As it was a Sunday many locals were in town as well as 2 cruise ships so it was a busy little town. I spent a few hours looking around and then returned to the ship for a toasted sandwich as a late lunch.

It was beaut to curl up in my warm bed  for my nanna nap.

I made it just in time to Happy Hour and we didn’t do too well with Trivia today, but I guess it is nice for some other folk to win occasionally.

After all the walking today I decided to make it an early night so I had room service dinner and was asleep by 9.30 pm.

Monday 25 August 2014

I realised as we were arriving in Kiel it was a month today that I was celebrating my birthday in Malaysia. Kiel was cold and windy with scatted showers. 

My main task today was to buy the new suit case. After walking around for a couple of hours I found a shop that had  a suit case sale and I now own a lime green German four wheel light weight  case. It even has a 2 year warranty. What a bargain and with a 40% discount I only paid 70 euro.

This purchase was a relief as I was as I now have something to put my clothing in before I get to New York. Yes I know I could have tried to purchase one in the other countries but my crew friends advised me Kiel was the place to get the quality best buys.

I was back on the ship in time for Trivia and our team won again and we got some more pins and a bottle of bubbly.

At 4.30 I went to a Q&A session with the Hotel Manager along with about 10 other guests. The biggest concern was the Internet and raised by a Travel agent. I actually said the new provider is doing a better job than the previous provider and I have found it ok and efficient.

Then it was back to Happy Hour for the sail away from Kiel. I had another function to go to at 7.30 pm for folk doing the continuation to New York. After all this socializing and snacking I only had some fruit before going to bed.

Tomorrow we arrive back in Copenhagen for the next two days.

Tuesday 26 August 2014

We arrived late morning in Copenhagen and it was cold and windy. I have worked out as I am getting a cold I seem to be feeling the colder weather more. I just had an easy day and I didn't go ashore as I just wanted to rest the cold.

I joined our team for Trivia and we won again so some folk who take their Trivia very seriously are getting a bit annoyed with us winning so much.

I went to dinner with the Kiwis as they leave the cruise tomorrow.  We had a pleasant meal and then adjourned to the Explorations Bar for a night cap. 

I was pleased to have an early night.

Wednesday 27 August 2014

As over three quarters of the folk were leaving the ship today I decided to go to the dining room for brekkie to avoid the rush of the Lido.

I went ashore to the terminal to use the free wifi for a few hours. When I got back on the ship it was full of all the new folk wandering around and getting lost.

There was no Happy Hour this afternoon as it was an embarkation day. I went up to the bar and met some of the new folk. I went to my new table in the upstairs dining room which will be my table from now to New York.

I called in to the Crows Nest for the late Happy Hour before going to bed. I had an early night as I want to get rid of this cold as soon as possible.

Thursday 28 August 2014

I was feeling much better and went up to the Lido for an early Brekkie. As today is a sea day many slept in so the Lido was not too crowded. Late morning I went to the talks on the ports we will be visiting over the next few days.

It was a sunny day but still a little cool for me so it was nice to sit in the sun for lunch by the aft pool. I had a long nanna nap before going up to trivia. Guess what??? Our team came in 3^rd, so no prizes today, but I must say that the new troops who have joined the ship seem to be more fun loving and not as serious with the trivia.

Tonight was a formal night so I just went up to the Lido for a casual dinner. After I had a few night caps I called it a night about 9.30pm.

Fri 29 August 2014

The ship docked in the port of Bergen just after 8 am and there was the usual mad rush to get off so I had a casual brekkie in a non crowded Lido. I caught up on emails and Facebook, and then went to get rugged up for the day. The max temp predicted is 16C and a good chance of rain. As I had been here before I decided to just get the Hop on Hop off from just outside the port area. It proved a beaut decision and I enjoyed the hour of sight seeing before returning back to the ship just as the rain started. I have attached some photos.

Now for the news, because of the big storm in the Atlantic our trip to the Shetland Islands has been cancelled because of safety reasons as it is a tender port. The Captain is now going to give us an extra day in Reykjavik, Iceland instead.

We won trivia this afternoon with a perfect score and some of the old farts who take the game so seriously are starting to have a go at us as they don’t have much of a chance of wining with us playing. As most of you know I am not the brightest light on the Christmas tree it is good playing with a smart team and I even contribute correct answers now and then.

I had dinner in the dining room and after a night cap I turned in for an early night.

Saturday 30 August 2014

It’s a horrible wet cold and windy day as we head to Torshavn, Foroe Islands. We should arrive at this tender port about midday.

I had a quiet brekkie up in the Lido before the crowds swarmed in so was able to catch up with emails and check bank accounts without interruption.

Trivia was at 10.30 am and we lost badly.

 The sail into mooring area for Torshavn was marred by the fog and the drizzle and of course this was a tender port so I decided to have lunch in the dining room before even going down for the tender. 

After lunch I went up to the aft Lido deck to check out the Temp and take some photos. Well I took some photos of the island and others with crew on the deck. I then decided to go down and have a sleep instead of doing the choppy tender ride.

The skies cleared a little by the time we sailed away and great views were gained from the Crows Nest. I went to dinner with Aussies Paul and Maureen and we had a great time and a very enjoyable meal.

After dinner we went to the Piano Bar but there was standing room only as there was some kind of talent show being held. So I decided to call it a night.

Dr Pat (me) put me on some antibiotics to kill this cold and the congestion once and for all.

Sun 31 August 2014

Today is a sea day and I woke up the best I have felt for about a week. I was so relieved that the cold and its symptoms were easing. After a relaxed brekkie in the Lido I went to the talk on Iceland which was very well presented.

We lost dreadfully at Trivia again so we were disappointed although it seems some teams are pleased to see us loosing. Well it is only a game.

Today Capt. Henk had the pedal to the metal as he wanted to out run the big storm and try to make it to Iceland and shelter in a bay at anchor. The Eurodam rode the conditions very well and I didn't think it was too rough. Many folk were confined to bed because of seasickness.

It was beaut watching the big swell from the Crows Nest at happy hour. All the shelves had to be cleared of bottles, but we made do.

By the time we reached the safety of the sheltered bay the ship was steady but you could hear the wind howling outside. 
Tomorrow we sail from this position to the Port of Reykjavik, Iceland.

I made it to bed about 11.30pm and we had to put the time back an hour for local time.

Monday 1 Sept 2014

I was up in the Lido having brekkie as we sailed into the Port. Wow may I say Iceland is very green, windy and cold so I look forward to going ashore to discover and explore this unique country.

I went out on deck to check the temp before I got off the ship. OMG it was so cold wet and windy so I decided I would wear track suit pants under my jeans and heaps of layers to try and keep warm. I just went into the small terminal and had a look around. 

There was so much confusion with folk changing money and trying to buy shuttle bus tickets, I gave up after an hour and came back to the ship with the plan to have lunch and come back later after the confused folk had sorted themselves out.

I had lunch and a Bloody Mary but as the weather had turned bad I went for a nanna nap and did not venture out for the rest of the day.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

After brekkie I got organised and went ashore and did the shuttle bus into the City and the drop off point was the Opera House. I arrived just in time to do a tour of this very modern opera house. I then went on to have a walk around town for a few hours.

When I got back to the Opera House to catch the shuttle back to the ship I found there were only an old Dutch couple and myself for the ride back. Well what a bonus the young bloke driving had heaps of time to fill in so he took us on a bit of a tour on the way back to the ship. We learnt so much local info and stories about the city and Iceland.

I had a Papaku special pizza for late lunch and then the usual nanna nap.

Dinner was excellent and then I had to stay up for the Indonesian crew show. It was a great show  and as is the practice now I was in the front seat and then had to go up on stage to play in  the orchestra  of bamboo instruments.

It was after midnight by the time I got to bed.

Wednesday 4 September 2014

I was up early to get brekkie in the Lido as I had to be in the theatre by 8.45 am to go on the Blue Lagoon tour. What a fantastic day tour it was and the scenery was so unique. What a variety with lava fields, lakes, The Blue Lagoon and then the Viking World Museum. I will let the photos do the talking.

I didn't have time to have a nap and just had some pizza and it was time for Trivia. We bombed out again.  Happy hour went well and then I was time to go to the Lido bar for the Aussie Kiwi get together.

Well after a big day I called it an early night and was in bed by 9.00pm however I was woken up by my phone just after midnight by an excited barman saying "Papaku! Papaku! come up and see the Northern Lights".

Thursday  5 September 2014

A relaxing day at sea so I had a late brekkie at 9.30 am after a very welcome sleep in. It was a clear day as we headed south south west towards Greenland.

Some of the bar staff were very excited as they had seen the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) from the rear top deck of the ship just after midnight.  It certainly was the talking point of the day.

We lost Trivia today on the tie breaker so we were feeling that maybe our loosing streak is coming to an end.

Tonight is formal so I decided to have room service and went up for late happy hour in the Crows Nest. Everyone was hoping to see a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis but the heavy fog outside dimmed our hopes.

I called it a day just after 10.30pm.

Friday 5 September 2014

Today we spent the day scenic cruising Prince Christian Sund. The breathtaking views of the rugged cliffs and the snow drifts combined with the floating icebergs made it a fantastic day.

It was very cold and the wind chill factor bought the temp down to below zero for the first part of the day. I understand the max temp reached was 6C.

I had a VIP cocktail to go to in the evening which as always was great. Then I joined John from the Trivia team and went to the Tamarind for dinner.

Saturday 6 September 2014

Today John and I went on the tender to visit the little town of Nanortalik, Greenland. It was freezing cold, wet and windy so I even had the gloves on and the hoodie up and that many layers of clothes on I must have looked like the Michelin Man.

Well we spent about 2 hours ashore at this Godforsaken settlement. Nothing was open and walking around we were expecting to hear the duelling banjos at any moment. OMG what a dump and we were pleased to get back on the ship.

We have lost the Trivia magic we has a week or so ago, but its all fun.

I had a beaut meal of pork chops with a avocado and mango salad in the dining room, boy oh boy it was yummy.

I called it an early night after 2 night caps.

Sunday 7 September 2014.

I had a room service brekkie as John and I wanted to get an early tender over to Qaqortoq before the crowd.

It was not as cold as yesterday but still cold. This port was a great place to visit and we walked around without the fear of being in ‘Deliverance’ country like yesterday.

The little town was clean and the buildings were well maintained and the locals we spoke to were very friendly.

After a couple of hours we set off to return to the tender to go back to the ship. We were greeted by the ‘Old Man’ Capt. Henk and he said because we are VIPs he would drive the tender back to the ship. Well it was a fun trip and just on leaving the little port he did a 360 degree so everyone got a good view. The folks on board were cheering and clapping. In all my years of cruising this is the first time I have ever seen a Captain drive the tender. 

Capt. Henk told me later he spent 3 hours driving the tender boat just because likes driving boats of all sizes.

Well at last, our team won Trivia so we were all very happy with that and we stayed on to celebrate our win in the Crows Nest.

At 4.30 pm I went to a VIP cocktail party in the Crows Nest for 5 and 4 star Mariners. It was an open bar and it was so funny to see the ‘Ice water brigade’ getting to the top shelf spirits. So funny how non drinkers can become top shelf drinkers when it is free.

I went to dinner in the dining room and after a very exciting day call it an early night just after 10 pm.

Monday 8 September 2014

Today was a day at sea as we headed towards the east coast of Canada. It was a busy day with the Mariners Brunch and I was selected to sit at the table hosted by the Captain’s wife. It was the usual good meal with these 4 star Mariners trying to outdo each other with their cruise stories. It was funny when they found out I was the only 5 star at the table and I had outdone them all without saying a word. However you would have thought they would have woken up as all the restaurant staff were greeting me as Papaku.

Then it was off to Trivia and guess what??  Yep we won again and may I say the old farts get so mad.

Tonight John and I invited Ivan the Beverage Manager to join us at the Pinnacle Grill for dinner. It was a great meal with beaut service and fantastic company.

After dinner it was down to the theatre for the Filipino Crew show. Yep that’s right we were put in the front seats to watch this excellent show.

I called it a night just after 12.30 am.

Tuesday 9 September 2014

I had a room service brekkie and met up with John to get on the first tender over to St Anthony. The ship was anchored just over a mile away from the port so the tender ride took just over 25 minutes. It was a beaut clear sunny day and the temp was 8C so it was a cool ride over.

There wasn’t much there so we just had a walk around in the sunshine,  it was great to stretch the legs and get some exercise. After 2 hours we came back on the tender and had a bonus ride as there were only four of us on board.

The Captain came up to us as we were having our pre lunch Bloody Mary and bought us another and chatted for a while. Then after the Papaku pizza for lunch it was nanna nap time before Trivia.

Trivia wow what a saga we had the top score but so did three other teams so we had to to a tie breaker. The Cruise Director announced the Bar Flies (Our team) did not win. How cruel some folk can be as everyone else clapped and cheered then he announced the winning team. Oh well tomorrow is another day.

At 5 pm the 4 stars and the 5 stars were invited to join the Captain for photographs. There were only 6 of us 5 stars and there were about 104  5stars.

For dinner I had a fantastic roast chicken dish done with a ginger, mango and peach sauce. Wow it was Yummy so I will be trying to replicate it to serve to my next House Guests when I get home.

I had an early night and was in bed before 10 pm.

Wednesday 10 September 2014.

I went up to the Lido for brekkie and to catch up on emails and Facebook and there was no need to rush as we wouldn't be arriving in St. John until noon.

We bombed out again at the Trivia which was held in the Queens Lounge at 10.00am. The serious old farts are so happy we are not winning and they even let us know.

I went off the ship with John and we walked around this very old beautiful historic town, the sun was shining so I wore shorts of the ship for the first time since the cruise begun. There are many Irish Pubs in the town. It was good to have a Guinness, the first one since leaving home. Wow the Canadians know how to charge with the cost of a pint once the tax was added came to $9 CAD and then they want a tip as well.

The Canadian authorities would only allow the ship to have a few bars open on the ship while in port as I guess they wanted everyone to go ashore to drink and pay their exurbanite prices and taxes. I wonder what small minded bureaucrat dreamt up that rule?

We had Happy Hour in the Crows Nest 4 to 5pm and then we had to go to another bar as the Crows Nest had to close to meet the authority’s stupid rules. Well that nearly caused a riot as many had just got back from the shore and were thirsty, and thought the barmen were having a joke with them. I said to Chris the assistant Bar Manager I would leave and go down to the Lido Bar as folk would see Papaku gone and know it was serious.

John and I went to the Tamarind for dinner which of course was fantastic. We went up to the Crows Nest for night caps. I had an early night and was in bed just after 9.30pm.

Thursday 11 September 2014

Today is a sea day as we head to Halifax, so it was a good opportunity to have a sleep in. I went down to the dining room for brekkie.

I went to the talk on Halifax before lunch (Papaku pizza) and Bloody Marys then I started the packing process. I think you all know by now I Hate Packing.

Trivia, well we won again and all the old farts booed us and one old dim wit came up to us and told us 'to get a life'.  OMG some take it so seriously. So tomorrow we want to win again just to show those serious old dummies a thing or two. The trick with Trivia on ships is to have a mixture of Yanks and Aussies on the team.

Tonight was formal so I decided to go to the Lido and have dinner before going up to the Crows Nest for a night Cap.

Friday 12 September 2014

We arrived at Halifax and docked in the industrial port as the cruise ship docks were undergoing maintenance. The port supplied double decker busses to shuttle us to the cruise terminal.

I had a leisurely brekkie in the dining room to allow all the pushy old farts so shove their way off the ship and get the shuttle.

John and I got off at 9.30 am and were on the shuttle with no dramas at all. We decided to do the River Walk as it was a perfect day. Shorts were the order of the day. It was the first time I had worn shorts ashore since leaving home a month ago. The 3 km walk along the river bank offered many restaurants, bars with live music. They tell me the temp got up to 22C. We dropped into a boutique brewery before getting the shuttle back to the ship.

While having pre-lunch Bloody Marys Ivan the Beverage Manager came up to us for a chat and enquired if I had my Papaku pizza as yet. When I said I still had to go and order it he said he would do that for me. Well who am I to argue and not accept his kind offer. Not only did he order it for me but he waited for it to be made and delivered it to me. Wow that is 6 star services.

I only had a short nanna nap before Trivia. Trivia yes we won again, OMG the Dumbo’s shouted and booed again so we stood up and took a bow. As tomorrow is our last day for Trivia and we want to show them and win again.

I had a nice long hot shower and I heard the phone ring, I thought   well they can leave a message. . Not long after there was loud knocking at the cabin door so out of the shower I got wrapped a towel  around me to see what all the fuss was about.  Yes you guessed it, as the bathroom door was open the steam set of the alarms. So after saying sorry many times after a lecture from the officer I wasn't game to get back in the shower so I got ready for dinner.

I had a fantastic Chicken schnitzel for dinner in the dining room before going up to have a night cap in the Crows Nest.  We got some funny photos in the bar. I called it an early night just after 10 pm as tomorrow is the packing day.

Saturday 13 September 2014

Today is the last day of the cruise and a sea day so I finished packing and had an easy day. Our team lost at Trivia and the cheers from the mob were deafening as they were so pleased to see us loose.

The main core four of our Trivia went to dinner at the Tamarind for the last supper. It was a fun night and meal.

I went up to the Crows Nest for Goodbye drinks and as I hate saying goodbye to folk it was only a short visit and I made it an early night.

Sunday 14 September 2014

The Party was over and I left the ship to continue on the next part of the holiday, starting with 2 days in New York.

I will start a new blog for the next parts of the trip.