Last Thoughts

Now I have had a chance to do some tidying up and adding a few photos which I hope you approve of and enjoy. I have found a few photo's I forgot I took, like my Rab C Nesbitt look a like in the Belvedere. What was that 6ft mirror egg about on deck 1 outside the Palladium? An update on the my cat Loulabella and her trip to the vets, she weighs 2.6 kgs a dot of a cat, yet it took three people to eventually get the worm tablet down her throat, and she managed to draw blood from one of the practice nurses with her teeth. Her booster jab, pedicure and worm tablet cost £55, I paid up and looked big and thought that was cheap and I was well out of that one. So once again I hope you enjoyed reading the rubbish I produce, and look forward to doing it all again in the near futre, if I have offended anyone, I did not write this, my account has been hijacked by Russian Hackers. May our paths cross in the future, and please no more Broccoli or beans!!

New York Selfie to be used on Crimewatch

6 ft Egg ?

Rab C ?

That rough they emptied the pool.

Southampton Ho!

We are nearing the end of the voyage as we enter the Western Approaches aiming for Southampton, left hand down a bit. The sea has calmed down and the sun has come out and the panic tanning has begun. Questionnaires are being filled and extra pages are being added for additional comments, in some cases it looks like being War and Peace. My only complaint has been eight key cards and please no more green beans and broccoli on the plate in the evening please. I promised Janet that any incidents that occurred to her during the cruise would remain secret, what happens on the cruise stays on the cruise, my lips are sealed-ish. We have had some great laughs on board and during our shore trips which in most cases did become shopping expeditions. We were very lucky to have a great dinner table, with much laughter, good humour and a sense of fun, so thanks to Rosey, Bunny, Liz, Roger, Rosemary, Dennis and Janet, may our paths cross again on a cruise in the future. Thanks to all the wonderful staff who help to make our holidays such a memorable event, those that we see and all those behind the scenes, my thanks and admiration for the great job you do for us. When I get home and have a decent internet connection, I will do some tidying up and add some pictures. I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings and hopefully you will join me again on my future adventures, onward to Southampton, right hand down a bit.

The A Team. Paul, Rosemary, Janet, Dennis

Bunny, Liz, Roger & Rosey

Last night. My social secretary and friend Janet, smiling as always.

Going Home

Overnight we have entered the depression that is associated with another severe storm and high winds that seem to have dogged us throughout our Atlantic crossings, it's running ahead of us and we can expect high swells, much rock and rolling, up around storm force 9 or 10 for the next three days, deep joy. The sick bags are out again and the Arcadia two step is much in evidence, two forward three backward, making it very difficult to get around if you have any mobility issues. Last nights show in the Palladium Theatre "Killer Queen" had to be modified as it was to dangerous for the dancers, with a high risk of injury to the dancers, it became just a vocal show, but in the best theatre traditions, the show must go on. We noticed that we had gained a different cabin person, we assumed that "Poly" our happy, smiling, helpful cabin attendant had a day off or was under the weather. We have since discovered that he had to leave the ship at our last port of call to return to India, were his father had been taken very seriously ill. We have subsequently learnt that very sadly his father has passed away whilst he was in transit. Our thoughts are with Poly and his family at this sad time, it puts our small problems of a choppy sea and a bit of wind into context. Travel safely Poly.

Even the pool got choppy

Sugar Sugar

Yesterday was a strange day in the extreme, when I tested my blood sugars I had to do a second test to verify it, to say it was high would be an understatement, I think the culprit was Mr P&O's free G&Ts, which we stockpiled during the course of the event, along with copious amounts of champagne & white wine for my social secretary Janet, we had enough left over to take to dinner. This was topped off with a couple more as a night cap, hence the horrendous blood sugar results, completely self inflicted, the Wagon for me to get on again is approaching with thunderous hooves, ding, ding all aboard. In this state I have to attend a Caribbean lunch given to people who have done a certain amount of days at sea with P&O. I attend in body but not in soul, our table host is a young lady called Brooke, who is of Antipodean extraction, who introduces us to her parents, also guests on the table, the next two hours is spent in tales of families, siblings, family trips to Japan, when that topic of conversation is finished it becomes a name dropping competition, diving with Buzz Aldrin, upon meeting Princess Anne, by this time I was losing the will to live, I had spent two hours moving food about on plates , refusing wine, drinking loads of water and wanting to be somewhere else. After  the Aussie Barbie had broken up I had a quick chat with Janet and asked her to give my apologies to our dinning companions that evening for being indisposed, and retreated to my cabin to drink water, medicate and sleep it off. Glad to say everything back to normal, blood sugars under control, sea still rough, as I lookout of the window of Costa with my skinny latte, at dark inky seas and a matching sky, white horses on all the waves I spot a chink of sunlight and a rainbow, I will have to consult my Francis Chichester Almanac of seafaring folks myths and signs to unravel the meaning.

Run for Home

The crossing of the Atlantic is going well, 24 hours in and not one sighting of an iceberg or periscope, only thing to report is the sighting of another ship, we were able to stand down fairly quickly as it was identified as one of ours. I must say seeing the Captain walking around the deck in a life jacket does not instil one with a lot of confidence, when asked about this unusual habit, he sites H&S or Staff Training (For exercise, For Exercise) does he know something we don't? It is a pretty breezy day although the sun is out but the wind chill factor is very high. Given these circumstances the Brits are determined to squeeze every last ounce of suntanning that they can. I think a brief description of the attire of our intrepid sunbathers is appropriate, starting of with hat or headscarf, followed by a Regatta or Northface fleece, full length trousers or slacks made of a sensible material that is wind proof, socks and stout shoes. This ensemble offers the maximum protection against skin cancer as the only parts directly receiving the Suns Ray's are the chin and backs of the hands. Instead of cooling breezers of various types, mugs of coffee and tea are the order of the day and I am sure in one case a cup of Bovril was going down the hatch. After the lecture this morning on famous cases that the poison arsenic was used in, I have made all my own hot drinks, having witnessed one or two couples having some humdingers of arguments, there could be a few that might be experimenting in the near future. I apologise to any Scottish readers of the blog, in some case when some of the Glaswegian, cruisers get going at full throttle, it always sounds like a falling out to my untutored ear, when in all probability it's a compliment, being given or a term of endearment hen. Black tie evening and a cocktail party for Caribbean Tier cruisers which includes yours truly, I go to these on the principle that the booze is free and you get very few freebies from P&O, most of the cruise I am on the wagon, but tonight is different. There has been a promotion for future cruises from the new catalogue while on board (2017-18) besides the usual £50 deposit scheme on certain cruises an extra discount and extra onboard credit is being given. I have succumbed to temptation and booked to go back to the USA and Canada in September 2018 on the excellent ship Aurora. The Social Secretary, Janet, always with an keen eye for a bargain started it all off when she spotted it and immediately booked it, we now only have to see if the third Amigo, Sir Malcolm (Scoop) might be interested in joining us. Just had the nudge it's my turn back up in the Crows Nest for periscope watch.  Now we're did I put my thermal moleskin lined, inflatable dinner jacket? 

Panic Tanning