Feb 26 - Mar 3 On our way!

On our Way!

Finally! After months of planning and waiting we are on our way to Asia via New Zealand and Australia.

Nov 8 - 15 At sea

 Nov 8 - 15  At sea

Last night we set sail from Tenerife to begin our 8 day crossing back to North America.  We are hoping the weather will cooperate and give us calm seas!

Today it is overcast, 23°C with some ‘swells’, but the captain announced that as we continue westward it should be smooth sailing!

I woke up with an upset stomach so just stayed in the cabin for the morning.  I ordered toast and a banana from Room Service for breakfast and I felt better after a couple more hours of sleep.  Mary is bringing me something for lunch.  

I got dressed around 12:30 and went to one of the presentations this afternoon.  The magician from last night, Davey McCauley, was putting on a show called The World of Pickpocketing!!  His talk was focussed on how to recognize and prevent people from becoming victims of scams. It was very interesting!

We came back to the cabin to shower and get ready for  ‘formal’ night!  This has become such a misnomer as there are twice as many people dressed in shorts and tshirts as those dressed for fine dining!  Mary and I have never gone to the extreme of what I would call ‘formal’ wear, but we do try and put a little extra effort into what we wear on these nights.

Princess always had a special menu for such dinners; gone are the days of Surf & Turf, and even the special cuts of beef have disappeared from the menu.  It was just a regular menu tonight.

For starters we each had Spring Rolls followed by Carrot and Ginger Soup for Mary and Caesar Salad for me.  The main course was Beef Brisket in a wine reduction for Mary and Weiner Schnitzel for me. Desserts were a Chocolate Raspberry Pie and Passion Fruit Torte.  The meal was very nice, but not what used to be served on ‘formal night’!  I’ll get off my soapbox now!

The entertainer in the Arena was Lisa Marie Holmes, who has an incredible voice!

It’s the end of our first day crossing the Atlantic.  I will continue to post on this page for the remaining days, so check back tomorrow for Day 2!!

💤

Nov 9

Temperature 75°F / 24°C under clear skies.

We are now in a new time zone - 4 hours head of home.  Seas are fairly calm with just a slight rolling as we sail along!  If you want to see where we are Sea Scanner will show you!

This morning at 9:00 Mary went to a presentation on the Treasures of the Spanish Fleets while I went to breakfast in the dining room.  I feel better today so am trying to avoid some of the food in the Eatery to help figure out what might be causing me to have these ‘off’ feelings in the morning.  We met up at 10:00 for Kez’ talk on Coffee ☕️.  Did you know it is the second largest traded commodity in the world after oil??  At 11:00 it was nap time for Dorothy and Mary stayed for the presentation on the Conquest of the Incas.

This afternoon we went to hear one of the officers talk about the  Navigation of this huge vessel.  It was a bit difficult to catch all of the information because of his strong Italian accent, but fortunately he had lots of pictures and diagrams!  In the picture below I have indicated where our cabin is!

Dinner time again!  This is the view from our dining table…

French Onion Soup, Crab Cake were the appetizers.  Mary had Garlic Chicken Breast and Dorothy had Salmon as the main course.  Mary had a Chocolate Tart for dessert! Talk about chocolate!!!!

Tonight’s show is Fiera.   We were supposed to have seen it on the first leg of the cruise, but there was an issue with the mechanics of the stage and it had to be cancelled.  It was excellent - one of the best we’ve seen on Princess!  the handicapped seats are in the front row so we have a totally different view of the stage than we are used to!

Clocks go back again tonight!  Now only three hours behind Ontario!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post!

Nov 10

77°F / 25°C, partly cloudy skies; I am surprised at how warm it is!  The waves have flattened out considerably - just as the Captain said they would!  Here is our view from the balcony…

We had breakfast in the American Diner this morning. It was less crowded and as a result, quieter.  Then we made our way to the Arena for Kez’ talk on the Real Pirates of the Caribbean, followed by the other Enrichment speaker, Jacob Marvin’s presentation on The History of Sugar. That was a lot of sitting!!  

So we welcomed the walk to the opposite end of the ship for lunch!  Mary wanted to go to Jacob’s next presentation on Hispania: Rome’s Iberian Frontier while Dorothy went for a nap!!  I had intended to watch an aerial show but didn’t wake up in time so Mary went solo!  

A different menu for dinner tonight!  Mary had Citrus Tomato Soup and a Caesar Salad and Dorothy had the Date, Goat Cheese and Baby Spinach Salad.  The main course was Filet Mignon with Green Peppercorn Sauce which we both enjoyed.  To top it all off Mary had Sacher Torte, and I had the warm Apple Crumble Pie.

Off to the show - Livin’ the Dream with the Womack’s, a husband and wife duo.

Clocks stay the same tonight so that gives us a day to adjust!  

Come back tomorrow for the next post!

Nite! Nite!

Nov 11

Remembrance Day

75°F / 24°C, partly cloudy skies

Day four of our crossing!  We almost missed it!  A rainbow!

After breakfast in the American Diner we headed to the Arena for the Remembrance Day Service.   

This was a solemn ceremony honouring the fallen and those left behind.

Nov 12

BLOG ON STRIKE!

I spent three hours composing today’s post and it disappeared! !  So I will try again tomorrow!! 

😡

 

Nov 13 

77°F / 25°C a bit overcast with a few swells!

It’s a new day on the high seas!   The good weather continues, making this a very pleasant crossing.  We have enjoyed the calmest seas I have ever seen!

                A little afternoon refreshment while taking in the view!

We took our time getting started this morning and after breakfast in The Eatery we went to a couple of presentations - Caribbean Rum Running with Kez, and The Age of Whaling with Jacob.  I particularly enjoyed  Jacob’s talk; it made me so much more grateful that I have seen so many whales in my travels after the exploitation of these magnificent mammals that took place a few hundred years ago.  

In the afternoon we had intended to go to Cole’s Session -  Coffee with Cole and Friends.  We expected it to be an interview with some of the officers or something similar, but turned out to be just an informal collection of ship personnel mingling and answering questions, so we left.  After a stop at the  🍨 gelato 🍨shop, Mary went to a second performance by Lisa- Marie Holmes and I gave in to an afternoon nap!

Yesterday ended up being the most frustrating day so far!  I spent a lot of time doing a write up on the Sun Princess and making comparisons with other ships in the fleet.  Sadly it did not post and it simply vanished!!!  No doubt it was the author’s fault, but I would rather blame the blog program I use!!

So rather than try to recreate the whole post I will suggest you check out this Sun Princess link; it is the most comprehensive review of our home for the last month that I have seen.  Her photos and descriptions are great!

Last Night’s performance of Stage Struck was great!   The entertainment on this cruise has been very good - fewer magicians, ventriloquists, and comedians and more entertaining acts and shows.   Tonight’s show promises to be amazing so we will enjoy that after dinner.

The days are flying by now!😢

See you here tomorrow! 

PS. Tonight’s entertainer, Janice Martin was amazing!  awesome!  sensational!  Did I say she was really, really good?!?!   She’s a soprano, a pianist, a guitarist, a violinist and an aerialist!!  Incredible!!

Nov 14

Temp 73°F / 22°C

Day 7 of the crossing! Fairly calm seas, a bit overcast, but the great weather has continued.

After breakfast Mary went off to Cole’s show about Life at Sea.  I ended up chatting with a couple from NY who eat in our little dining room, sharing cruise stories among other things   I recognized the Brooklyn accent! and immediately thought of my friend, Linda!  

Mary and I met up at 1:00 for Janice Martin’s talk, How I Learned to Fly; it was about how she has overcome obstacles and challenges in her life to become the successful performer she is.  When that ended it was time for my nap!  Mary stayed out and checked out some of the areas of the ship that she hadn’t seen yet.

Dinner tonight was very nice!  Shrimp Cocktail to start, followed by a delicious salad of Boston lettuce and other surprises! -  feta, dried cherries, walnuts and green beans.  We both had the Short Ribs as our main course.  It was Tiramisu for dessert for Mary!

We hurried to the Arena to get a seat for the show White Magic!  It was a husband (Michael White) and wife (Hulan) team who combined his sleight of hand acts and she is a contortionist!  All I could think of when I watched her was ‘Ouch!’

An early night for us…. Back to the room, hoping our laundry comes back so we can pack tomorrow!  😢

Last Sea Day tomorrow as we inch closer to Florida!

Nov 15

Our final day! We didn ‘t do much, just enjoyed a relaxing time.  After breakfast we went to Meet the Captain, an interview with Captain Arrigo.  As always, it was interesting to hear about his family connections with Princess and how he became interested in becoming a cruiseship Captain. Both the Captain and the Cruise Director said they had never had such a smooth crossing!!

Mary stayed on in the theatre for the last of Jacob Marvin’s presentation and I came up to our cabin to get started on the packing!  We went for lunch up in the Lido - burgers and drinks!  Wine for Mary and a Bloody Shame for me (Bloody Mary without the alcohol!) It was another beautiful day to sit outside with bright sunshine, warm temperatures and calm seas!

Back to the packing before dinner!  We said our goodbyes to Jaydeep and David and thanked them for looking after us!

So now we must set our clocks back for that last hour!  We are finally on Eastern Time!!

All good things must come to an end.  We are all checked in with Air Canada and will have an early night to get us ready for a long day tomorrow. We have to be downstairs by 6:45 AM to go through disembarkation and board a bus to the airport!

Ciao for now!

💤 💤

Nov 7 - Santa Cruz de Tenerife

 Nov 7 - Santa Cruz de Tenerife

This is our last stop in Europe!  The Canary Islands are a popular tourist destination for Brits and Europeans.  

75° and sunny!

We are docked on a very busy harbour…

It was a very disappointing day for me. 😢 After breakfast I began to have that ‘off’ feeling and decided I should not go out.  I had been looking forward to finally getting off the ship, especially in the Canary Islands as I had not been here before.  But….  

Here is the tour description of the tour Mary took…

Board your motorcoach and travel north, ascending foothills cloaked with pine forests to El Portillo, the entrance to Las Canadas National Park. The road travels along the mountain crest and offers extensive views to the north and south. Arrive at Las Canadas National Park, resting over a mile above sea level. Declared a national park in 1954, Las Canadas is dominated by an enormous volcanic crater. Dormant since 1909, the crater is over 29 miles in circumference. Mt Teide, Spain's highest peak, rises some 12,300 feet from the crater floor. The volcanic rocks found here are surprisingly colorful: black lava, red magna and white pumice stone. The park road often cuts through banks of bright green rock. Your visit includes several photo stops to savor the dramatic scenery. Of particular note are the State Inn and the rock formations at Ucanca.

I spent most of the day sleeping!  I ordered a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup for lunch and after another nap, by late afternoon I felt quite a bit better.  The frustrating thing is that I cannot pinpoint anything specific that is causing these episodes??  is it the new medication?  Something I ate?  Very puzzling.

We went to dinner and it was very quiet in our little dining room.  There were only about 6 other people there!  It was not a dinner I really enjoy, but it was tasty nevertheless! - and I didn’t have to cook it - or clean up afterwards!

For starters, Mary had Seafood Devilled Eggs, followed by Cobb Salad, and I had Pickled Beets with Feta Cheese. 

For the main course we had Chicken Kiev.

And for dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding and a Chocolate Mousse creation!

 

Tonight’s show was a magician, David McCauley.  Always interesting! 

Then off to bed for an early night!

Nov 6 - at sea

 Nov 6 - at sea

A sea day to catch our breath before we reach the Canary Islands and our last port before setting out across the Atlantic!

We had a quite a bit of movement last night, but thankfully we slept through it.  It was a bit tricky getting to the washroom in the dark on a rocking ship, but no casualties!!  LOL

After breakfast we went to the Arena - and ended up staying for four presentations!!  First, Jez was a talking about Spain with a focus on three big cities - Barcelona, Madrid and Seville.  Following her talk was Meet the Captain, an interview by Cole, the Cruise Director. 

These interviews are always interesting; this Captain came on in Barcelona and will leave tomorrow in the Canary Islands when we will have our third Captain of this voyage!!  Someone asked about the weather for the crossing and the Captain replied, ‘I don’t really care because I’m getting off in Tenerife!’  Ha ha  And then quickly added that the forecast shows a high pressure area over the Atlantic so it should be pretty good - and improving the farther west we go!

Mary and I were going to leave after that and come back for the Destination Expert, but there was another presentation that looked intriguing called Helen’s Top Ten!  She showed her top ten picks of places around the world - from wildlife, beaches, castles, movie sets etc.  We realized how focussed our travel has been  and we haven’t seen as much of the world as we thought!

After that marathon, Mary went in search of lunch and I wanted to have my first gelato of the trip!  We met up in the cabin in the afternoon.

It was Italian night tonight for dinner.  Mary had Beef Carpaccio and I     had Minestrone Soup to start, followed by NY Steak for Mary, and I chose the Chicken Parmesan with a small serving of Fettuccine Alfredo.  For dessert it was Tiramisu and Lemon Sorbet ( you can guess who had each of those!!)

We watched the MOBO group in the Piazza with people dancing, and then a really stupid game show called Piazza Pandemonium.  We left before it was over!

Tonight is the first of six time changes!! We set the clocks back one hour to prepare for our arrival in Florida.  So now we will only be 5 hours ahead of home. 

Last port tomorrow with our tour scheduled to go out at 9:15 AM

Stay tuned!

Nov 5 - Cadiz (Seville)

 Nov 5 - Cadiz (Seville)

Back to Spain today! Our port in Seville is Cadiz.

More interesting architecture….some views from the ship.

When we woke up this morning it was raining and not looking very promising.  Has our luck run out with the weather?   But by 9 AM the sun had come out, the temp was up to 68°F (20°C), and the forecast had changed from rain to clear skies!! Why would I ever doubt our good fortune? 

After breakfast in the Eatery we came back to the cabin to get ready for today’s tour.  I started to feel ‘off’ and decided the best thing was to stay in and not take a chance that I would need ‘one of those little bags’ on the bus!! 🤢

Once again, Mary went off on her own to do the tour.  I feel like I have not been a great companion on this trip!  😢  Here is her agenda for the day…

After boarding your air-conditioned motor coach travel through the historic and bustling streets of Cadiz while your friendly guide points out the many fascinating attractions along the way including Cadiz Cathedral, one of the city's most iconic landmarks. Then, you'll travel through the verdant hills that surround the picturesque town of Jerez. Some of the sights you'll see as you make your way to the bodega include Domecq Palace and Convent Church of Santo Domingo. You'll then continue on to Bodega Gonzalez Byass.This bodega produces some of Jerez's finest sherry including the ones that you'll be sampling - Fino, which is very dry with a light body, Cream and Oloroso, which is richer in both flavor and body. Your visit also includes time to shop before boarding your motorcoach and heading back to your ship in Cadiz.

I spent the morning napping and going through my photos.  Rather than wait for Mary to return at 2:00 I decided to have lunch on my own at noon - a slice of fresh roasted chicken breast and cooked veggies appealed to me! 

While waiting for Mary’s return, all of a sudden an aerial act was being performed in the Piazza!  You never know what you’ll see!

Here comes the rain! We had a brief thunderstorm this afternoon!  Now it’s time for a nice warm shower before dinner!

Tonight’s show was a Motown performance by MOBO, an energetic group and quite entertaining!

The captain has warned of some movement tonight as we head towards the Canary Islands!  So I guess we’ll get rocked to sleep!  🤣

Nov 4 - Gibraltar

 Nov 4 - Gibraltar

We awoke to see the Prudential Insurance Logo - large as life!  Yes, they have used the Rock of Gibraltar for over a century.  Gibraltar isnot a sovereign state but a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, with its formal international relations managed by the UK Government. 

                                      View from our balcony

Today is the first day without  bright sunshine!  It says 19° and a slight chance of a shower later on, but by then Mary will have returned from her tour.

Once again, I could not go on the tour as none of the buses in Gibraltar will accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.  🥲  When Mary left it was still dark!!  But within a half hour or so it had brightened up.  Phew!

Here is her agenda… and as usual watch for Mary’s photos on FaceBook!

Set off on a fun-filled 2-hour adventure around "The Rock" when you board a comfortable, six-seater taxi en route to some of Gibraltar's most popular attractions. Take in the views from Europa Point and admire the striped lighthouse that dominates the horizon. Sharing the grounds is the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe and the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque. At St. Michael's Cave, set off to explore this extraordinary, natural phenomenon. Within the cave, you will see illuminated stalagmites and stalactites, subterranean passageways and an unexpected amphitheater. No visit to Gibraltar would be complete without seeing the Barbary apes, the only free-roaming monkeys in Europe. These tailless creatures have been entertaining visitors with their playful antics for years. Caution: the apes roam freely and have been known to snatch bags or cameras! At the conclusion of the tour, you may return directly to port or disembark at lively Main Street for independent sightseeing. 

You will be getting bored reading the blog as my days are not very exciting!  I went out for breakfast before 9:00 and decided to try a breakfast sandwich in the International Cafe. I can get coffee there as well and avoid the lines and noise of the Eatery.  There is lots of seating so I will find a spot and wait for Mary to return.  She’ll locate me using the App when she gets back!  It’s a great little tool for finding one another on the ship.

There’s always someone to chat with!  A lady named Linda, recently widowed, from St Petersburg, Florida joined me and I asked her what it was like living in Florida, knowing that every year the threat of hurricanes loomed. She told me she has lived there 39 years and never left her home when the evacuation orders are announced!!!  Linda said it is too difficult to gather up all her ‘documents’, her valuables, her precious things, and enough water for several days.  Although there are shelters, she would rather stay in her condo and take her chances as she nd her husband had do e all those years!!  She said one of the worst things about leaving one’s home is that squatters come in and take over, and the only way to get them out is through the courts and that takes so long!!   I can’t imagine!

Another huge ship, AIDA blu, is just pulling in to the dock across from us!   AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line founded in the early 1960s and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Costa Crociere S.p.A., which in turn belongs to Carnival Corporation.  

                                    

Lots of ‘rail birds’ watching the docking process! 

Off to lunch in the Eatery!  We had a window seat for two and could enjoy people watching while we ate!  Following that it was nap time!

Dinner tonight was English Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding!  How appropriate for a port call to Gibraltar!! As we left the dining room and headed for the show we could see Africa across the strait!  

We went to the Arena for the show - a very lively performance of Viva La Musica!  (You can see a few minutes of it by clicking the title) What a workout!  I don’t know where they get their stamina!!  I was exhausted just watching.

We stopped by the Piazza to watch Cole and Liberty’s Latin Dance Party in progress!  He has boundless energy, and Liberty seemed to be able to keep up with him!

💤. Bedtime!  💤

 

Nov 3 - Malaga, Spain

 Nov 3 - Málaga

Today brings us to Malaga, Spain birthplace of Pablo Picasso.  

Sunny and 74° - again!😀

Because I couldn’t take my walker on the Tuk Tuk I stayed onboard and Mary went off on her own!  I had a nap! And watched Jez’ presentation on Málaga on TV.  It looks like a beautiful city with lots of attractions. The one that impressed me most from the talk was the cathedral.  Beautiful stained glass windows, wood carvings of the apostles and saints, and a huge pipe organ.

Here’s the description of Mary’s tour…

Discover the city of Malaga from a different perspective-from inside a fun and comfortable Tuk-Tuk, an electric-powered, eco-friendly motorized vehicle. Have your camera ready as you travel past some of the city's most famous sites: Centre Pompidou, one of the best art museums in southern Spain; La Farola, a 19th century lighthouse turned museum; La Malagueta, Malaga's bullring that seats over 15,000 aficionados; Larios Street, Malaga's premier pedestrian and shopping destination; and Atarazanas Market famed for its fresh produce, fish and meat, restaurants and massive stained glass window perched above the entrance. No tour would be complete without seeing Plaza de la Merced, Picasso's birthplace and the magnificent Castillo de Gibralfaro, a Moorish fortress with breathtaking views, the Town Hall and the baths of Carmen. 

She said the driver was a university student studying Tourism - so a perfect job for him, and a great guide for the tour!   When Mary returned we went out on the promenade deck for a bite of lunch!

Then we headed up to the Dome to relax out on Deck 17!  A bit windy   - so we moved inside!   I have had a scratchy throat for a few days so am doing the salt water gargle trick!  Hopefully that, and lots of throat lozenges will keep it under control.  I am still trying to figure out if it’s my new medication that causes me to feel ‘crappy’ about a half hour after breakfast???  I am thinking it might be the milk I have with cereal?  Still experimenting on this!!

We had dinner at our usual window table.  We love watching sailaway from this spot, although tonight the sun was so bright we had to close the drapes!!  ( I know, poor us!)  We both chose to have a Caesar Salad, the Parmesan Crusted Baked Haddock as our main course, and a decadent dessert!

Tonight’s show was a rock concert so instead we watched people dancing in the Piazza for a while and then called it a day!