Seabourn Quest World Cruise

Colombo - Sri Lanka

2012-02-23T03:34:00.002Z

Tuesday February 21st - Day 48

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka and is a busy andvibrant city with a mixture of modern and colonial buildings. Due to its largeharbour and its strategic position along the east-west sea trade routes Colombowas known to ancient traders over twothousand years ago.

Originally known asCeylon it became famous for producing the world's finest teas. It is also knownfor its fragrant spices and sparkling sapphires. The interior is a land ofjungles inhabited by leopards and elephants and ruins of the greatcivilisations of the past.

Click Here For More Photos

After three days at sea we decided to go for a long walkalong the coast before turning inland to the main city area. There were somefabulous old building but the thing that struck us most was the terrible pavements- all broken and missing. We learnt later that they are restoring the innerstructure of the city but are starting from the outside areas first.

The other thing that struck us was the number of tuk-tuksand it was only later that we found out that the blue tuk-tuks were governmentcontrolled whilst the red and yellow ones were freelance. One crew member toldus he got in a red tuk-tuk having been told the fare would be $2 to take him tothe market only to be told as they drove off that the fare would now be$20...he quickly got out!!

At 6:30pm there was a show of traditional Srilankan dancingup on deck. The dancers wore richly decorated and colourful costumes and somehad face masks. The energy of the male dancers was amazing with them spinningand performing acrobatics to enthral us guests.

Surf 'n Turf in The Colonnade tonight and it was reallybusy. The chef was really accommodating as I ordered a shrimp and avocadococktail - without the shrimp and heavy on the avocado please! - and then mySurf 'n Turf main course was requested to be without the surf. Seabourn serviceat its best.

The show in the Grand Salon tonight was with SiobhanPhillips, a comedienne and unique vocal artist from Wakefield in Yorkshire, UK.It was also John, our cruise directors birthday and the audience gave him arousing 'Happy Birthday to you....'

After the show Siobhan joined us for drinks in the club andtwo of the ship's other performers, Luis and Taylor, also joined us for a funnyand entertaining hour before we were off to bed because the clocks go forwardanother hour tonight...zzzzzzz

At Sea On Our Way To Sri Lanka

2012-02-22T12:11:00.004Z

Monday February 20th - Day 47

Happy fourth anniversary to us both!! and thank you toeveryone on board and at home for your cards and kind wishes. We will be havinga special anniversary meal tonight but more about that later.

There is a 'Guess The Weight' contest today - no not aperson but some rocks in the onboard jewellers. We have to guess the combinedweight of two rocks containing emeralds in their natural rough form. The drawwill be made on Friday. I can't decide whether to do some research on Google orjust rely on luck. Apparently one rock is valued at $1000 and the second at$2500 and the two people who have guessed the closest weight will win a rockeach...hope it's me.

Click Here For More Photos

Happy anniversary beer at 12 noon (of course)....the barstaff suggested champagne but a ritual is a ritual.

Thought I might get the day off from Kinesis but Vanceinsisted I needed the exercise.

Graeme our exec chef cooked a special dinner just for us in themain restaurant tonight. We had lobster thermidor with pineapple rice bakedinside the pineapple and our friends Cass and Julie from Sydney who we met onthe first leg had kindly given us a bottle of premier Chablis which was perfectwith the meal...thanks Cass and Julie.

Techie bits: At 10:05am we were:
5° northand 75°east
Travelling on a compass course of 066°
Speed = 13 knots
Apparent wind speed = 31 knots off the port bow
Air temperature = 28°c (82°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 13424
Depth = 2530 metres
Humidity 67%
Sunrise = 6:08am Sunset = 6:06pm

Male - The Maldives

2012-02-22T04:22:00.000Z

Sunday February 19th - Day 46

The Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formedby a double chain of twenty six atolls oriented north - south. The atollsencompass a territory spread over about 90,000 square kilometres making it oneof the world's most geographically dispersed countries. Only 200 of the 1192islands are inhabited. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in bothpopulation and land area and with an average ground level of 1.5 metres abovesea level it is the planets lowest country.

There were four tours offered today - a trip in asubmarine...definitely not for me; a trip to a local fishing village...pass; atrip to Paradise Island Resort but as it was a fifty minute water taxi rideaway and we'd just had four days at sea wedecided not to bother; the last tour was a guided walking tour around Male.....butwe decided to do our own walking tour at our pace...and save a few dollars!!

Click Here For More Photos

We spent about one and a half hours on our walk passing thenational museum where Vance found some World War 1 relics keeping himinterested for a few minutes then into the shopping centre which was just astreet with hundreds of shops that all seemed to be just selling shoes - and noI didn't buy any.

We ended up back at the harbour and explored the waterfrontand local fish market. It was fascinating the watch the speed of the localsfilleting the fish especially the large tunas.

Although it was interesting to explore Male we never got tosee a beach so maybe one day we'll come back for a beach holiday.

Twelve noon ritual beer then lunch followed by sunning and swimmingin the pool all afternoon....well someone has to do it!!

Tonight we dined in Restaurant 2 with Justine and Mark. Itwasn't crowded in fact we were the only four in the restaurant - it was suchgood service!! Mark joked he'd booked the whole place just for us...yeh rightbut no complaint as he did treat us to a bottle of St. Emilion (Les Aromes dePavie by Chateau Pavie 2005)....thanks dude.

Back on deck for a 'Rock The Boat Beatles Evening' where wesang and danced to the music of the entertainments team. Definitely ready formy bed after all that exercise!!

At Sea Crossing The Equator - Again

2012-02-21T12:00:00.002Z

Saturday February 18th - Day 45

We are now crossing the equator from south to north towardsthe Maldives. It will only be the new people, both guests and crew, who havenot yet crossed the equator and are therefore pollywogs who will have to gothrough the traditional right of passage ceremony to appease King Neptune.

Click Here For More Photos

Our ceremony took place at 2pm and there were only about tenpollywogs who volunteered to go through the ceremony...although I'm sure therewere many more who were hiding amongst the onlookers...we know who you are!!....

The captain joined in the fun and gave a bottle of aquavitto King Neptune as the fee for The Quest crossing his domain.

The usual gloop was flying around and as there were so fewpollywogs they were well and truly covered. The ceremony ended as usual withthe master of ceremonies and his henchmen being thrown into the pool where thecaptain gleefully joined them.

Tonight we were invited to a Grand Voyager Barbeque Dinnerin The Spa Villa. Initially we were not sure we'd go as it started at 7pm -much too early for us - but we're glad we did attend (at about 8pm) as we dinedwith Vitor, the hotel manager and spent a few hours happily catching up on pasttimes (last year's Sojourn World Cruise)....the food was good as well!!

For once we went to the show which was a Variety Showtime andit was a fun filled night full of singing, comedy and magic. It was really goodand we enjoyed it.

Caviar In The Surf

2012-02-20T05:13:00.000Z

Friday February 17th - Day 44

Caviar In The Surf is a Seabourn tradition in certain portsaround the world but today the event was recreated in the swimming pool withofficers, staff and crew in full uniform serving caviar from a surf boardfloating in the swimming pool and waiters pouring glass upon glass of chilledchampagne to waiting guests. We guests either joined the servers in the pool orsat around the pools edge to be served at our leisure. The weather was perfect,the sea calm and obliging so a good time was had by all.

Click Here For More Photos

The miracle has happened again, as like last year my nailshave grown enough for me to be treated to a manicure in the Spa. What is itabout cruising that allows me to grow my nails...I must be so relaxed that Inever think about biting them...perhaps I should cruise more often Vance!!

Half an hour time forward today at 2pm so we're now fivehours ahead of UK time.

Kinesis class at 4:30pm today and boy was it hard work aswe've done no exercise for four days apart from walking around Mauritius.Perhaps we should have made a trip to the gym's treadmill...too late now!!

Tonight we had a table for eight people dining alfresco atThe Colonnade - it was a set Chinese meal but several of the gentlemen decidedto try all of the starters instead of just picking one. The weather was balmy,the seas were calm, the company excellent and the waiting staff were in goodform...a brilliant end to the day.

Day 2 Of 4 Days At Sea

2012-02-19T04:42:00.000Z

Thursday February 16th - Day 43

Wow...it's so calm today the sea is like a millpond. Todaywas one of those days where we just sat around and chatted with friends andtalked about the cruise days gone by and those still to come - not many leftnow though for us at least!!
Half an hour clocks forward today from 2pm to 2:30pm notsure at the moment where we are time wise!! guess we'll just use ship time andnot worry about it.

Fabulous sunset tonight coupled with the stillness of theocean made for some fabulous shots. Sorry I couldn't resist showing off myartistic flair so there are loads of them.

Click Here For More Photos

Techie bits: At 8:05am we were:
10° southand 64°east
Travelling on a compass course of 032°
Speed = 18 knots
Apparent wind speed = 2 knots off the starboard bow
Air temperature = 29°c (84°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 12142
Depth = 3780 metres
Humidity 68%
Sunrise = 5:44am Sunset = 6:10pm

Day 1 Of 4 Days At Sea

2012-02-18T05:28:00.001Z

Wednesday February 15th - Day 42

Much smoother seas today and very, very hot - low 90's.
Noon beer was definitely welcome. I meant to go to the linedancing class today but didn't make it...also didn't make the golf puttingprize game, the Baggo prize game or the fashion show. In fact all we managed todo - apart from the beer - was sleep ondeck, swim in the pool and then sleep some more.

If you remember back in Cape Town I told you that we sawJohn, our cruise director, carrying back to the ship a large plastic whitedeer...well here's the picture. He's had to put up with quite a bit of ribbinglike...'look out here comes two old dears' - and 'hello dear...no, not you John'. We still don't know why he bought the deer buthe assures us that it's for a future world cruisers event....yeh right!!

Click Here For More Photos

Dinner tonight was French Market in The Colonnade and was sopopular that we couldn't get an outside table so we had our first course insidethen moved outside for the rest of our meal when a table became free andenjoyed a late balmy evening under the stars.

Another open 'mic' joke night tonight and you know who got up totell several raunchy jokes.... but the heat of the day had taken its toll andwe were very soon back to our bed. Goodnight all.

Valentine's Day - Mauritius

2012-02-17T14:11:00.002Z

Tuesday February 14th - Day 41

Happy Valentine's Day. ..I forgot to get Vance a card butluckily so did he...so we're quits.

After such a rough day at sea yesterday we thought we'd havea lie in this morning and just get up at about 8:30am to do the face-to-faceimmigration in Mauritius. John the cruise director thought otherwise and at7:30am gave everyone a wakeup call over the tanoy saying 'could we come to theGrand Salon now' so that people going on tour could get off the ship early aseveryone had to go through the immigration process before the ship could becleared.

At the last minute we decided to go on the 'shopping withthe chef' tour. So about twenty five of us joined Graeme and off we went to thelocal covered market in Port Louis.

Click Here For More Photos

Although it was fascinating to see all the different fruitand veg available - many never seen in the UK - the heat and the humidityinside the market was unbearable and within minutes we were all dripping withsweat. However we persevered and watched Graeme haggling with the traders (invery good French) until he got down to the price he wanted to pay and thenloaded Jackie Chan (his galley assistant) up with boxes of goodies to go backto the ship.

On the way back to the minibus for the return journey Vancespotted a street stall selling watches and as mine had broken over a week agohe said he would buy me a new one for Valentine's Day...lovely watch Vance butsurely I'm worth more than $7.

Got back to the ship at 12:30pm so grabbed our ritual beerin The Colonnade with lunch - a bit late but well received after all that heat.

At 1:30pm we were off again to the Eureka Estate on aSeabourn complimentary shore event. Eureka House is one of the most beautifuland well preserved colonial dwellings in Mauritius dating back to 1812. Afterwandering through the rooms taking photos we thought there would just be horsd' oeuvres and a drink whilst watching the local dancers however the Estate hadlaid on a sumptuous lunch banquet which was a bit embarrassing as we'd all had lunch onboard.

The trip should have lasted three hours but after about anhour and a half in the afternoon heat I'd had enough so Vance asked if one ofthe minibuses could take us back to the ship early...word soon went around andwithin minutes the bus was full of fellow guests.

Back onboard we all fell into the pool to cool down andspent the rest of the afternoon in and out of the pool with a goodly number ofrefreshing drinks ... non alcoholic of course... delivered by the waiters.

Tonight was a formal dinner and we dined with newly madefriends Mark and Justine - she of the backup photographer fame!! - and bothmen's blushes were spared as Seabourn had provided red roses for the men togive to their ladies.

Back to The Club for drinks and dancing before falling intobed...very late and tired. What a day!!

At Sea - It Should Have Been Reunion Island

2012-02-16T06:14:00.000Z

Monday February 13th - Day 40

Oh what a night!! - really roughseas and our suite has creaked and groaned all night as the Quest negotiatedthe bottom of cyclone Giovanna. The pitch and roll of the ship was so noticeablein our suite - almost mid-ship on deck five - so I hate to think what it waslike for those lucky (or unlucky) folk forward on deck ten!!

Click Here For More Photos

The swimming pool had been emptied overnight but due to therocking and rolling of the ship it was deemed too dangerous to refill it and itwas out of action for the day...a real pity as today it was so hot and acooling dip would have been appreciated and also it's great fun to body surfwhen the pool gets really moving...fun but dangerous as it's easy to getslammed against the end of the pool.

Basically we did nothing all day but eat, drink and sunbatheso I've included some pictures of a tour - a very short tour - of ourbathroom...luckily Vance wasn't in the bath at the time. The Protea - South Africa's national flowerwhich appears on their birth certificates, passports and the five rand coinreally brightens up the bathroom....thanks Desi.

Techie bits: At 8:15am we were:23° southand 55°east
Travelling on a compass course of 085°
Speed = 13 knots
Apparent wind speed = 45 knots off the starboard bow
Air temperature = 28°c (82°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 11211
Depth = 4210 metres
Humidity 66%
Sunrise = 6:06am Sunset = 7pm

3 Days At Sea

2012-02-13T06:44:00.002Z

Friday, Saturday & Sunday February 10th, 11th & 12th- Days 37, 38, 39

Friday - woke up this morning with a sore throat (again!!) andsneezing so not feeling 100% today. I spent a lazy day on deck in the shade butI'm sure that I'll feel better tomorrow.

Click Here For More Photos

John, the cruise director had invited us to his hosted tabletonight for a formal dinner but I'm not feeling well enough to makeconversation so it's just a quiet meal for two - Thai dinner at The Colonnade.

One of my blog followers had asked about dress code on formalnights and my reply was - I would say that themajority of men who go to the Main Restaurant wear a Tuxedo but many, includingVance, wear a dark suit with a tie or bow tie. At the other restaurants mostjust wear elegant casual - long trousers, shirt and jacket (no tie necessary).
Two hot toddies andoff to bed for a good night's sleep and hopefully a full recovery,

Techie bits: At 11am we were:
25° southand 37°east
Travelling on a compass course of 093°
Speed = 19 knots
Apparent wind speed = 29 knots off the port bow
Air temperature = 26°c (79°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 10197
Depth = 2320 metres
Humidity 66%
Sunrise = 6:12am Sunset = 7.17pm

Saturday - Woke up feeling much better this morning. I can'tbelieve it's Saturday as the days really drift into each other on sea days butworse than that...there's only sixteen days of the cruise left for us.

Half an hour clocks forward today at 2pm...now 2:30...kinesisthis afternoon and I found it hard today as I think I'm still a bit tired aftermy sore throat...my excuse anyway!!

Tonight we dined at The Patio Grill with Peter and Joanie (ofthe white rhino bottom photo fame) and Nairn and Margery. Most of us had thegarlic and herb roasted suckling pig which was delicious although Margery optedfor the grilled branzino (fish) and Peter just had pizza. We had a fabulousevening laughing and joking under the stars and then it was off to the show tosee the Irish comedian Adrian Walsh...only my opinion but I think the score sofar is Wales 1 (Kenny Smiles) - Ireland 0...

Sunday - this morning the captain gave an announcement thatwe may not be able to go to Reunion Island tomorrow as cyclone Giovanna ishovering just north of the island on its path to Madagascar.
Half an hour clock change forward again today so we're nowfour hours ahead of UK time. Kinesis class again today...hard work out...phew!!

We have sailed at five knots all day and are still well southof Reunion waiting for a decision on whether it would be safe to go there ornot. At 6:30pm the captain confirmed that we will not be going to Reunion butwill be heading straight for Mauritius. We are now sailing due east instead ofnorth east keeping well away from the cyclone but of course it means anotherday at sea tomorrow.

Techie bits: At 8am we were:
23° southand 51°east
Travelling on a compass course of 099°
Speed = 5 knots
Apparent wind speed = 17 knots off the starboard bow
Air temperature = 29°c (84°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 10990
Depth = 4960 metres
Humidity 67%
Sunrise = 5:51am Sunset = 6:47pm

Maputo - Mozambique

2012-02-12T06:21:00.001Z

Thursday February 9th - Day 36

Maputo, originally Lourenco Marques before independence, isthe capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is often called the 'city ofacacias' in reference to the acacia trees found along its avenues.

Click Here For More Photos

With a population in excess of 1,800,000 its chief exportsare cotton, sugar, chromite, sisal, copra and hardwood. It is estimated that80% of the city's population live in slums without running water or electricitybut there are also areas near the beach where the houses are large andluxurious.

Originally we could not decide whether to go ashore here asseveral guests had said there was little or nothing in Maputo worthseeing...glad we didn't listen to them. We decided to take the Maputohighlights tour and are very glad that we did. Our three hour tour started atthe central market which not only sold fish but vegetables, household goods andsouvenirs...even wigs...see photo - but we were told to take care of ourcameras, wallets and purses etc.

We then went on to the catholic cathedral with its beautifulstained glass windows but were disappointed that the steps to the cathedral andoutside areas were littered with rubbish and broken glass.

Lots of the buildings were either in the Portuguese or artdeco style and we also visited the 'House Of Iron' which was a nineteenthcentury colonial house that was built in Europe and then reassembled here usingsteel plates that proved uninhabitable in this tropical climate.

Our guide Rosita took us to a modern catholic church whichis locally known as the Lemon Squeezer due to it unusual design and shape.Normally visitors would only be able to take photos of the outside but Rositaknew one of the Fathers so we were allowed to go inside to view its stainedglass windows and wonderful ceiling apex where the light streamed in creating astar effect.

After a quick stop at the craft market we drove up along thecoast to an area called Costa Do Sol before returning for a quick stop at thebeautiful art nouveau railway station which was built in the early twentiethcentury by Gustave Eiffel.

Unfortunately half way through the tour my new camera ranout of battery power - I will have tosack the technician...you know who you are Vance!! Many thanks to Justine forbeing the backup blog photographer for the rest of the tour.

On returning to the ship anyone who had purchased woodencarvings, tapestries or carpets had to hand the items into the security stationto have them quarantined for forty eight hours in the freezer.

Time change forward one hour tonight so we are now threehours ahead of UK time.

At Sea On Our Way To Mozambique

2012-02-11T06:45:00.002Z

Wednesday February 8th - Day 35

Last night at 6:30pm (well it should have been - they werelate as well as the VAT man!!) before we left Durban there was a local Zuludrum and dance show on the pool deck.

Click Here For More Photos

A troupe of Zulus in their traditional garments showed offtheir acrobatic and dance skills. There was also a very young 'Zulu' who triedto copy the dance moves which everyone thought was cute.. ahh...the wholeexperience was very impressive especially as we hadn't gone into the interiorin Durban to see a Zulu village.

The sunset was a wonderful picture opportunity this evening...hopeyou think my photographic efforts do it justice. Later that evening was another'Rock The Boat' and this time it went ahead without mist, rain or storm.
Today was a lazy day at sea and although there were severallectures, a dance class and a painting class we just stayed on the deck for theday enjoying the sea air and balmy temperatures.

At 3:30pm the first 'Baggo' game finally took place - Ididn't win...it's the end of an era...boo hoo...should I retire now? The Baggoboards that had been built onboard by the ships carpenter look beautiful withthe Seabourn crest on their slopes but they weren't laminated so the bags(filled with rice instead of beans) didn't slide properly ....perhaps that'swhy I lost - well that's what I'm claiming anyway.

Didn't make the show tonight...I still think the 10.00pmstart time is too late ...so we had a quick drink in The Club then off to ourbed...zzzzzzzzz

Durban

2012-02-10T07:57:00.001Z

Tuesday February 7th - Day 34

The pilot came at 6:45am today fooling everybody who settheir alarms for 7am....but Vance heard the helicopter, rushed out in his PJsand managed to take a few pictures as the helicopter was leaving but not the onesof the pilot being lowered onto the aft deck that we'd hoped to get.

Durban is the third largest city in SA and is famous forbeing its busiest port. Nature has contributed to much of Durban's prosperity.A superb harbour sees 18 million tons of cargo pass through each year and theround the year sunshine, magnificent scenery and miles of beaches washed by thewarm waters of the Indian ocean attracts thousands of pleasure seekers.

Click Here For More Photos

Although the ship was offering several tours including oneto the Valley Of A Thousand Hills - where the hills form an inspiring panoramahaunted by the ghosts of the Zulu....we decided to do our own thing and caughtthe 9am shuttle bus to the local (25 mins away!!) shopping mall.

On arrival Vance said that this mall could be anywhere inthe world but for us it was nice to be able to walk around for a few hours andwindow shop although I did succumb and bought another pair of sunglasses.

We are calling today - the day of early and late. The'early' was the pilot who dropped onboard unobserved by most people (not Vancethough) the 'late' was the VAT man - twice!! and the Zulus - once...more aboutthe Zulus tomorrow.

The VAT man saga was very frustrating. We were told he wouldbe onboard between 5pm and 7pm so that guests that had bought any goods in thethree SA ports visited could reclaim the VAT on their purchases. We had onlybought 'the camera' and a few other things but thought we might as well get ourmoney back to spend elsewhere. However some guest had bought beautiful diamondsand other jewellery so their VAT refunds would have been quite large.

People started arriving in The Seabourn Square at 5pm and by6pm there were at least forty people waiting...still no VAT man arrived...at7pm after many phone calls from the ship to the Customs office we were told hewas not coming and I can tell you there were a lot of unhappy guests...one man'sVAT was $2000!!. At 8pm there was an announcement that the VAT man was comingonboard and there was a mad rush from the dining rooms back to the Square toform a not so orderly queue. As we had to bring our purchases as well as thereceipts the Square soon looked like a mini department store....and finally,after filling out numerous forms but not getting the refund there and then (thecheque's in the post!! ...maybe!!) I arrived back at the dining table at 9pm - muchto Vance's disgust as he had just been sitting there on his own for nearly anhour.....but apparently the wine waiter looked after him really well ...themoral of the story is...don't buy anything in South Africa!!

Earlier there had been a Zulu drum and dance show but I'lltell you about that tomorrow.

At Sea On The Way To Durban

2012-02-09T15:06:00.001Z

Monday February 6th - Day 33

1:30am this morning in the Grand Salon -Superbowl XLVI Party - New York Giants v New EnglandPatriots. Apparently the Quest's food and beverage team supplied burgers, hotdogs and nachos as well as the usual drinks and about 40 Americans stayed up towatch - we weren't there ... in our bed by then!! The score the Giants beat thePatriots 21 - 17...sorry Arnold...yourteam were beaten again this year.

Click Here For More Photos

Today the UK papersare full of news about the arctic cold snap that has hit Europe for over a weekand claimed nearly 300 lives, dumping snow as far south as Rome and NorthAfrica. Also there is snow in the UK - Heathrow is closed...again!!. Glad we'rehere with 80°f+ temperatures!!

3:30pm I played my first game of shuffleboard - a knockoutpairs competition - and we won!!...all thanks to Liana who scored all ourpoints...my contribution was 'nil points' but I did have good tactics. Guesswhat the prize was? - you've got it...a Seabourn peak.

The captain gave an announcement that tomorrow morningbetween 7:00am and 7:15am the pilot for Durban would be coming to the ship byhelicopter...hopefully we will be up in time to get some photos...I'll set thealarm.

The temperature was so balmy this evening that we had analfresco dinner on The Patio Grill. Vance had Nigerian Shrimps cooked in garlicbutter. In fact the temperature has been so high today that apart from swimmingin the pool and lazing on our sunbed and eating and drinking we have hardlydone a thing...so sorry not many photos today.

Port Elizabeth - Safari Day

2012-02-08T08:56:00.002Z

Sunday February 5th - Day 32

Port Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in SA and is 468miles east of Cape Town. The city often shortened to PE is often nick-named theFriendly City or the Windy City - surely not as windy as Cape Town!!

Click Here For More Photos

This morning we set off for the Pumba Game Reserve whichcovers more than 14,000 acres and offers the experience of spotting the 'Big 5'in a natural environment. The animals we hoped to encounter are lion, elephant,buffalo, leopard, white rhino (the Big 5), giraffe, zebra, hippo, warthog and others.

After a one and a half hours coach ride to the reserve weset out for a three hour game viewing in an open 4x4 vehicle. As we set off itstarted to rain - how can you have a safari in the rain!! so we put onwaterproof ponchos and blankets were at hand if required but as it turned outthe cooler weather made the whole experience much more pleasing.

The first animals we spotted were warthogs, kudus and nyalabut we were really on the lookout for the big 5. After spotting giraffe andblue wildebeest we came across a sole African elephant wandering through thebush which made for a great photo shoot.

Later we came across the rare white lions - mummy, daddy andbaby sleeping off their late morning meal so the driver was able get us reallyclose - make sure you see the photos.

Unfortunately we never saw the hippo and missed the whiterhinos by minutes but luckily the guests in another 4x4 got really close andJoanie has given me some of her fabulous photos - the one I like the best isher photo of mummy rhino with baby rhino waddling down the road. Thanks Joaniefor letting me use your photo on the blog.

After lunch and a few glasses of red wine at the reserve itwas back on the coach for the return trip...I was soon nodding off and despiteit being a great experience, a seven and a half hour trip was too much...and wemissed our noon beer...!!

Sunset tonight was at 7:15pm and I got some super photos aswe left PE.

Dinner outside on The Colonnade was Polynesian and then wewent to see Kenny Smiles the Welsh comedian who had been on last year's cruiseso we knew to expect a great show - thanks Kenny.

At Sea - On Our Way To Port Elizabeth

2012-02-06T17:30:00.000Z

Saturday February 4th - Day 31

We rounded the Cape Of Good Hope this morning - couldn't seeanything as we were too far from land.

On the daily itinerary in the Seabourn Herald today was prizegame Baggo at 3:30pm. This is the first Baggo game of the cruise as someone -no names - had mislaid the Baggo board and bags. Following last year's successperhaps I can win a new Seabourn peak to replace the one lost yesterday.

Click Here For More Photos

It's ok Seabourn you are off the hook as one of the guestson board read my comment on yesterdays blog and very kindly gave me areplacement peak...thanks Nick and Debbie.
New South African wines arrived on board yesterday - rumourhas it there are 7000 bottles...enough for a few weeks!!

No Baggo...more technical problems as apparently they nowhave the board but not the bags so we played a "hole in one" puttingcompetition instead - which is very difficult on a ship that is rolling andpitching...and I won!! I told Vance I'dbetter join the golf club when I get home...he went very quiet and then changedthe subject.....guess we all know what that means!!

Fabulous late afternoon temperature on the sundeck - with awarm balmy breeze - perfect.

Tonight we dined with the captain and his wife Juvy on theirhosted table and what a coincidence - we met Peter and his wife Andrea who livetwo doors away from our friends Steve and Maggie in Guernsey...small world!!

Techie bits: At 8am we were:
35° southand 20°east
Travelling on a compass course of 098°
Speed = 14 knots
Apparent wind speed = 35 knots off the bow
Air temperature = 21°c (70°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 8896
Depth = 114 metres
Humidity 67%
Sunrise = 6am Sunset = 7.44pm

Cape Town - Day 2

2012-02-06T08:25:00.002Z

Friday February 3rd - Day 30

To the South Africans Cape Town is the 'Mother City'. Lyingon the Atlantic shore of cape peninsula it was the first area to be settled byEuropeans in the seventeenth century. Today it is a major seaport and thelegislative capital of South Africa.

In winter it rains a lot but in summer, now, itis hot and balmy but there can be a south easterly wind (known locally as thecape doctor because it blows the smog from the city out to the sea) that assailsthe city for days at a time. During this time Cape Town experiences itsdistinctive phenomenon the" tablecloth" on the mountain - a strip offluffy white cloud hovering over the summit and slightly draped over the edges.

Click Here For More Photos

This morning as the tablecloth is still on the mountain weare taking the hop-on-hop-off red city open top tour bus which visits many ofthe city and surrounding area tourist attractions before making its way up tothe cableway where you can access the cable car to the top of the mountain. Itthen travels down to Camps Bay and other seaside beaches before returning toits starting point. The tour takes about two hours but there are buses runningevery fifteen minutes so it's not long to wait for the next one if you want toget off to view an attraction.

Disaster - when we arrived at the cable car stop - half wayaround the route- I wanted to take a photo of the city below only to find a'Lens Error' message on the camera screen - my camera had given up the ghost!! We had to complete the route until we got to astop near to the ship, hopped off, had a quick noon beer and lunch, grabbed the credit card and then got back on the nextred bus and got off at Cameraland to buy a new camera.

We then repeated the majority of the bus tour just so that Ihad photos of this beautiful city.

Then another disaster struck - the wind was blowing sostrongly that my black Seabourn peak blew off, never to be seen again - pleasecan I have another one Seabourn - it's good advertising for you!! In fact thewind over the last two days has been so strong that not only has the cable carto Table Mountain been closed - so no-one from the ship has been able to go tothe top - but also at times the sea was too rough for the ferries to get acrossto Robben Island - the notorious formerprison island where Nelson Mandela was held for almost twenty years.

But there is some good news...the Corona beers are back onboard and...the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio whitewine has finally arrived!! Happy days!!

After such a busy day we had an intimate open air dinner onThe Colonnade - seared beef tataki followed by short ribs then cheese, biscuitsand a couple of glasses of good port...of course.

We were watching the sunset as the ship left the harbour onour way to Port Elizabeth. We had only sailed a few hundred feet from the dockand as the ship turned the 'cape doctor' visited us and blew everything -glasses, food, cutlery, tablecloths - offthe tables and we had to quickly make our way inside - guess the doctor wasletting us know he was in charge!!

Cape Town - Day 1

2012-02-04T07:54:00.002Z

Thursday February 2nd - Day 29

Today is changeover day - the end of the first segment - sowe have to say goodbye to old friends that we've met on other cruises andgoodbye to new friends that we've met on this first segment. We will miss youand hope that we meet again on another Seabourn cruise.

The wind is still blowing so hard this morning that thecable car to Table Mountain is closed - but the tablecloth is still on themountain.....hope it clears tomorrow so we can see the flat top properly.

Spent the morning walking around the V&A Waterfront(Victoria and Alfred). This is so named because Prince Alfred the son of QueenVictoria laid the foundation stone here in 1860. It is a fascinating place withhotels, museums, shopping arcades and many restaurants and bars. It is also theplace to book boat trips and helicopter flights...not in this wind though!!

Click Here For More Photos

Back to the ship looking forward to our noon day coldCoronas only to find that this time there really are no Coronas leftonboard...shock horror!! we had to 'make do' with Grolsch...it's not the sameand the ritual has been broken but we have been promised there will be sometomorrow when the new provisions are unpacked and cooled.

Spent the afternoon sunbathing on deck and watching the'newbies' come aboard but also a lovely surprise to see old friends joining thecruise as well...lots of hugs and reunion kisses.

Had an early dinner on The Patio Grill then walked down tothe V&A Waterfront to see it in its evening splendour. The bustlingwaterfront was full of people eating and drinking and the Ferris wheel was lit up in silver lights against the clearnight sky. It was a fabulous sight ...sorry no photos as I forgot to take mycamera.

Really wish I had taken my camera because we met John, thecruise director, on his way back to the ship carrying a large white plasticdeer in his arms...what's all that about John?...we'll find out later and letyou know....and I'll ask around and see if I can get a photo from someone.

Land Ahoy - Sailing Into Cape Town

2012-02-03T15:22:00.002Z

Wednesday February 1st - Day 28

Lazy day onboard today as some guests are packing to departthe ship tomorrow morning.

Lunchtime and it's getting serious now as the last twoCoronas onboard were delivered to our table...thanks Marco but what will we dotomorrow? We've been told that there will be a new supply coming onboardtomorrow...hope it's before twelve noon.

The caviar sail in party was almost a blow away party as thewinds were so strong that the ship had to be assisted into harbour by tugs. Wewent to the Observation deck on deck 10 towatch the approaching views of Cape Town and Table Mountain but we were hardlyable to stand upright let alone hold on to a glass of champers and nibbles.Table Mountain was completely covered in cloud which is known as 'Thetablecloth on the mountain'.

Click Here For More Photos

On arriving in Cape Town we have now travelled a totaldistance of 8758 nautical miles since leaving Fort Lauderdale on January 5thwith our longest stretch being Rio to St. Helena which was 2167 nautical milesand took The Quest five days to cover.

Techie bits: At 8am we were:
32° southand 17°west
Travelling on a compass course of 155°
Speed = 15 knots
Apparent wind speed = 26 knots off the port bow
Air temperature = 19°c (66°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 8632
Sea depth = 241 metres
Humidity = 67%

At Sea

2012-02-02T14:48:00.001Z

Tuesday January 31st - Day 27

Quite chilly this morning only 15°c at 8:30am so it's jumpers onfor breakfast outside at The Colonnade.

This morning there was a watercolours exhibition displayingguest's artwork that had been produced at their classes with Sonia Maherthroughout the cruise and one grand winner whose painting was deemed to be thebest by our ship's captain. Well done everyone.

Twelve noon and it's getting warmer now ....it's 20°c.Big problem here...no one can find our noon Coronas - what are we to do?...panicover...Marco our bar manager has found probably the last two Coronas onboard...phew!!

Our last kinesis class for this first world cruise segment...it's hard work but we're still lovingit...see you after Cape Town Marvin ('The Stritch').

Click Here For More Photos

As lots of our fellow Brits will be leaving the ship in CapeTown we have arranged a 'Brits Table' at the formal dinner in the Main Restaurantthis evening. We all donned our finery and met in The Club for pre-dinnercocktails. We had a table for twelve sitting male / female around the tablethen after every course the gents moved two places to their left giving everybodya new dining partner. It was great fun for us but did cause a few problems forthe waiting staff as none of the men were in the same seats as when theyordered their dining courses.

From there we went to the show where Heather Clancyperformed a series of songs ranging from Broadway hits to Puccini, Verdi andMozart. It was a wonderful performance to end our evening.

Walvis Bay - Namibia

2012-02-01T08:46:00.003Z

Monday January 30th - Day 26

Walvis Bay has always been a haven for sea vessels becauseof its natural deep water harbour and is the only natural harbour of any sizealong the Namibian coast. The waters being rich in plankton and marine lifedrew large numbers of whales and originally the English called it Whale Bay.

Click Here For More Photos

We took the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund tour stopping first atthe highest sand dune - Dune 7 - where we had ten minutes to try and climb tothe top. Impossible...Vance and Alan managed to get just over half way but noone did any better.....I stayed at the bottom and took the photos....wisechoice.

From here we drove on to Swakopmund which is a beautifultown situated at the mouth of the Swakop river and is often described as 'aslice of Germany on the edge of the desert'. It is a seaside resort butresembles a Bavarian village with many buildings dating back to the turn of thecentury.

After driving through the town we stopped at the Swakopmundmuseum which turned out to be really interesting with rooms covering differentaspects and times of the town's life. My favourite was the wildlife sectionwhich displayed many of the animals of Namibia and Africa. As Vance said we'venearly seen the big five now (no lion) so perhaps we should cancel our safariin Port Elizabeth...we won't though!!

Next stop was the Kristal Galeria where we saw the largestquartz crystal in the world. Some of the crystals were amazing in size, colourand shape. The jewellery made from the polished crystals were fabulous...Vancewas glad he'd left his credit card back on the ship...but he did splash out $6to buy me a bag of multi coloured polished stones.

After a stroll around the shopping arcade in the centre ofthe town we drove on to the lagoon and tidal flood plains where magnificentflocks of pink flamingos, pelican and other water birds congregate at certaintimes of the year - unfortunately not today!!

Back to the ship - missed our noon beer - just as well as wehear that there is a shortage of Corona Extra until we reach Cape Town......whatwill we do.

Deck party tonight is 'Rock The Boat' at Neptune's Patio Barplus desserts. The band was setup ready to go but then the sea mist rolled inand everything and everybody was wet within minutes. The crew later told us itwas the quickest breakdown in history as it only took eight minutes to clear thepatio deck and move everything to TheClub including the wonderful desserts made by our pastry chefs.

It was a great opportunity to get on the dance floor andburn off some of those Seabourn calories.

3 Days At Sea

2012-01-31T09:26:00.000Z

Friday, Saturday & Sunday January 27th To January 29th -Days 23, 24 & 25

Friday - Have now left St. Helena and have the next threedays at sea before reaching Namibia. This is just as well as I feel terriblethis morning as I have the sore throat that seems to be sweeping around theship - Vance says I've just been talking too much - not true!! Feeling so bad that I am just having a quietday in the shade feeling sorry for myself.... although I did manage to soldieron and imbibe in our noon day cold beer - good for the throat!!

Have managed to get some photos of the Fashion &Jewellery show from last week...thank you Juvy for the photos.

Click Here For More Photos

It's Saturday now and still not feeling 100% but Graeme ourexecutive chef has invited us to lunch and a catch-up. He has cooked Vance andI a Brit meal so we joined him in the main dining room at 1pm for individualmeat pies with English cut chips and Heinz baked beans with HP brown sauce.....delicious.

Clocks forward another half an hour today at 2pm making itthen 2:30pm...hmm less snooze time...but made up for it by having a really earlynight after a quiet meal for just the two of us.

Sunday - last day at sea. Feeling a lot better today so backout in the sun and had lunch at the Patio Grill after, of course, our noon daybeer. Rumour has it that there are nowonly two Coronas left on board the ship....disaster ...what will we do.....hope they manage to get some more in Namibia tomorrow or we will be onrations (one bottle between two) until Cape Town.

Another half an hour today at 2pm so we are now two hoursahead of British time. Not sure I like this west to east travelling losing timeevery couple of days.... thank goodness next year we'll be cruising east to westagain and getting an extra hours sleep from time to time...although losing acomplete day when we eventually cross the International Date Line.

Kinesis this afternoon and even though the ship was rockingand rolling our instructor Marvin 'The Stritch' - decided that the Kinesis wallexercises would be supplemented with the balance board. Needless to say I felloff a few times.

Went to the show tonight in The Grand Salon with the newcast who joined the ship in Rio. The show was called 'Unforgettable' withtributes to Rosemary Clooney (Vance says 'Who's she...George's wife'), PerryComo and Nat King Cole. It wasn't our cup of tea but their voices werefabulous.

Techie bits: At 8am we were:
21° southand 9°west
Travelling on a compass course of 114°
Speed = 15.5 knots
Apparent wind speed = 26 knots off the starboard bow
Air temperature = 21°c (70°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 7700
Sea depth = 3800 metres
Humidity = 67%

St. Helena - Helen's Island

2012-01-29T09:20:00.003Z

Thursday January 26th - Day 22

After a late but fantastic Beatles music night on deck thecaptain decided to arrive early at St. Helena. The anchor went down at 7:15amwaking me up...thanks captain!!

A little history lesson: St. Helena was discovered by a Portuguesenavigator on May 21st 1502 which is the feast day of St. Helena. It is the second oldest remaining Britishterritory after Bermuda and the capital Jamestown was founded in 1659 by theEnglish East India Company and named after James, Duke Of York, the future KingJames II of England.

Click Here For More Photos

We took the scenic St. Helena tour leaving Jamestown harbourand driving up the narrow, steep and tortuous roads to our first stop - Napoleon'sTomb. Napoleon had been exiled here after his defeat at the battle of Waterloo and died here in 1821 although his remainswere later taken to the Invalides in Paris in 1841.

From here we drove on to Longwood House his home whilst in exile.It is now a museum containing paintings, documents and mementoes of hisimprisonment including his coat and hat and his bathtub. He spent the last six yearsof his life here and apparently he was allowed to go anywhere within a fivemile radius of the house - a nice place to be banged up!!

Next stop was the governor's residence The Plantation Housebut everyone was more interested in meeting the island's oldest resident - Jonathanthe tortoise reputed to be 180 years old.

From here we drove to Ladder Hill which is at the top ofJacob's Ladder where we took photos of our ship in the outer harbour and photosof the town and harbour below us. The ladder built in 1829 consists of 699steps and rises 600 feet. It was originally used to haul manure up and sendgoods down and is now a landmark of St. Helena.

Back down in Jamestown we strolled around the town exploringthe shops and chatting to the locals - they don't get many visitors dropping inhere - and then said hello to the local "bobbies" (policemen) one ofwhom had served two years in the Gloucester police force back in the UK whichis quite close to our home in Bristol - small world!! As we had missed our noon day beer onboard we foundthe local pub where we quenched our thirst with the local brew.

Today is also Australia Day which commemorates the arrivalof the first fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time ofBritish sovereignty. Happy Australia Day to all our Aussie friends both onboardand across the world.

Last Day At Sea Before St. Helena

2012-01-28T09:04:00.001Z

Wednesday January 25th - Day 21

It's blowing a 'hooley' today so have decided not to fightthe towels - Seabourn...we need towel clips or pillow ended towels to fit overthe top of the sunbed on windy days!!

Off for coffee, skinny white latte for me and cappuccino forVance - no Danish though - I am determined to keep the weight off even if Idon't actually lose any on this cruise.....although the waistband of mytrousers is definitely looser so all those "planks" and sit ups inthe Kinesis class are beginning to work.....slowly but surely.

Late morning we sat out by the pool as the sun filteredthrough the clouds and watched the water in the pool get rougher and rougher -not many swimmers today. Despite the wind we persevered in true Brit style tomake our noon beer - well done chaps!!

Kinesis this afternoon and Restaurant Two for our eveningmeal.

Click Here For More Photos

At 10pm The Quest held an open air 'Rock The Boat' Britishstyle Beatles Party and yes the weather was kind to us for once. A fab eveningas everyone knew most of the Beatles songs so we sang along and danced underthe stars until late.

Fourth Day At Sea

2012-01-27T11:57:00.005Z

Tuesday January 24th - Day 20

Getting ever closer to St. Helena but still a long way togo. The temperature is lower than we thought it would be, only 75°f,but the wind has dropped and it's like a beautiful English mid-summer day.

Clocks forward thirty minutes at 2pm today so I think we'renow on UK time.

At 3pm there was the infamous Seabourn event The Tug Of Warwhere teams from the ship's crew challenge each other in a tug of war knock outsystem.

Click Here For More Photos

The teams this year were:
Housekeeping - The Zorras
Dining Room - Caviar
Bar Department - The Rob Roys
Bridge Staff - The Skimmers
Chefs - Caviar Defenders
Dining Room (another team) - The Pancakes
Deck Department - The Bulldozers
Pursers - Zulu Pursers
Engine Room - Boiler Room Boys
Entertainers - High C's
Carpenters - The Screwers
Galley Utilities - The Blue Boys

John Barron our cruise director was the master of ceremoniesand the captain was the starter and referee. It was the best of three pulls foreach challenge and each of the teams were noisily supported by us, the watchingguests and other staff and crew members.

After a close contest the final came down to The Rob Roysagainst The Pancakes. John said 'what a dilemma, who do I support...it'sbetween drinks and food...guess I'm on a drinks only diet tonight' .... aprophesy as The Rob Roys finally won...well done Seabourn Quest teams.
Decided to have room service tonight just pizza and a bottleof Chianti Classico sitting on the bed watching the film Contagion, then earlyto sleep.

Techie bits: At 9:30am we were:
19° southand 17°west
Travelling on a compass course of 078°
Speed = 14.5 knots
Apparent wind speed = 33 knots off the starboard bow
Air temperature = 24°c (75°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 6145 (it seems we're right in the middle of theAtlantic - see photo)
Sea depth = 3730 metres
Humidity = 67%

Third Day At Sea Heading For St. Helena

2012-01-26T18:22:00.000Z

Monday January 23rd - Day 19

Have decided that today will be a slob-out day - the daywhere we haven't done things. We haven't done the bridge tour or theshuffleboard tournament or the enrichment lecture or trivia in fact apart fromlaying by the pool in the sun the first we have done is have our noon day beerand gone to lunch!!

Click Here For More Photos

Another half an hour forward at 2pm today and then more ofthe same...not doing things...chill!!

I don't know if I'm coming or going at the moment, thesetime changes are doing my head in - I lay down to have a snooze after lunch andit's time for the gym (not the wine at lunch of course!!).

Yes it's kinesis day again and it's still not getting mucheasier. While we were at kinesis there was a fashion show in the observationbar featuring the fashion and jewellery items from the boutique. We missed itbecause we were in the gym but I will try and get photos from one of the guestsand post them up here later.

We have decided to have some fun with Dan The Diver - hewill have a fan club with people posing for pictures and he will enjoy somefashionable moments throughout the rest of our cruise - so keep checking backfolks.

Formal night tonight, Murat the guest services manager invitedus to his hosted table which we have accepted. We had a lovely time but Vancehas put his foot down and said 'that's enough of hosted tables - too many people' - but we will join John Barron (CruiseDirector and a brummie boy) on his hosted table at some time before the end ofour quest - we promised!!

Another Day At Sea Crossing The Atlantic

2012-01-25T10:23:00.002Z

Sunday January 22nd - Day 18

Laundry day today - whoopee...Had an early breakfast so thatI could grab a washing machine to do a full load of washing. There are only four machines and four dryers on theship for the guests to use. Luckily theyare all on our deck - deck 5 - so I can run along the corridor and check whenone is available. There are also four ironing boards available ... I don'tusually iron but I've made an exception for Vance's shirts on this cruise...phew,thank goodness that's over for another week.

Click Here For More Photos

Actually Seabourn are now offering a "laundry in a bag"service where they will launder and press all the items you can fit into the laundrybag (no dry cleaning though) at a total charge of $50 per bag. If you couldcram more than ten items in the bag it works out at good value. Vance says"no, you do the washing Helen and I'll have the $50 towards my massage!!"

Another half an hour forward this afternoon so we're nowonly an hour behind UK time.

Disaster thisafternoon...Vance ripped his favourite cut-off pirate pants on the back of thesunbed. Several guests came up with a few ideas on how 'I' could repair thembut those of you who know my needlework skills will know it's a no go area.Instead I gave the pants to Jerry the resident tailor who returned them a fewhours later with a perfect invisible mend...thanks Jerry and Seabourn!!

Those of you who followed our last year's Sojourn blog mayremember a picture of the ship's mascot on deck 5 - the dachshund. The Questhas a different mascot - 'The Diver' by Ola Enstad. Vance has christened him'Dan The Diver'.

Techie bits: At 8am we were:22° southand 31°west
Travelling on a compass course of 081°
Speed = 18 knots
Apparent wind speed = 32 knots off the bow
Air temperature = 25°c (77°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 5310
Sea depth = 4650 metres (when the sea depth first came up on the TV screen itread 9 metres...we thought we were having a Costa moment then we realised thescreen hadn't refreshed properly...luckily for us it was a mistake...phew!!
Humidity = 66%

At Sea Crossing The Atlantic

2012-01-24T18:30:00.000Z

Saturday January 21st - Day -17

We now have five days at sea crossing the Atlantic from Rioto the island of St. Helena. For some people this will be too long a periodwithout stepping on terra firma but Vance and I really enjoy the restful time andthe social buzz around the ship which seems to get greater the longer you areat sea.

Today we received a note from Vitor the hotel manager to saythat there will be four hours worth of time changes between now and Cape Town.With this in mind the captain has decided to soften the blow for both guests andcrew and the clocks will be put forward by thirty minutes at 2pm for the nextfour days and then again between St. Helena and Namibia (2 days) and the finalhour change will be made at night as usual just before we arrive in Cape Town.

Click Here For More Photos

So at 2pm today our clocks read 2:30pm. Vance made our lunchparty laugh when a waiter asked him at about 1:59pm if he would like anotherglass of wine. Vance replied 'no thanks I'll wait until 2:30pm' ....with thatthe ship's intercom announced the time had changed and Vance said 'OK I'll havethat wine now thanks'...you had to be there of course!!

This afternoon Vance finally managed to 'bag' a Massage Moment - a complimentary 10 minutemassage on deck...lovely ...I have pictures!!. The problem is - as Seabourn obviouslyintend - he loved it so much he nowwants to book the full one hour ($140) massage...no chance!!

Thai menu in The Colonnade tonight so we couldn't resistit...it was brilliant especially the green chicken curry. Very romantic as thesun set behind us off the bow of the ship as we dined by candlelight.

Techie bits: At 8am we were:23° southand 39°west
Travelling on a compass course of 084°
Speed = 18 knots
Apparent wind speed = 37 knots off port bow
Air temperature = 25°c (77°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 4876
Sea depth = 3100 metresHumidity = 67%

Christ The Redeemer

2012-01-23T18:37:00.000Z

Friday January 20th - Day -16

Oh what a day. Up at 6:30am for 7am breakfast to leave theship by 7:30 to start our morning tour and despite my moans about getting up soearly - just a few moans - aren't we glad we did.

We were in the first group of people to catch the8am cog railway up the Corcovado mountain travelling through the jungle almost vertically- or so it seemed at the time.

Click Here For More Photos

Already behind usthere were hundreds of people - today is a bank holiday in Rio - waiting to buytickets for the next train - they were every 20 minutes. Corcovado, also knownas the Humpbacked Mountain, is over 2326 feet high and is topped by the statueof Christ the Redeemer which has become the symbol of modern Rio. It is made ofreinforced concrete and was completed in 1931. It weighs over 1000 metric tonsand stand 98 feet tall.

When we reached the top there were only about 30 of us therefrom the first train up so we reallyenjoyed the tranquillity of the views and the almost spiritual feel as we gazedup at the face of Jesus. We took so many photos - it was a beautiful momentthat we'll never forget. Twenty minutes later as the next train arrived wewere swamped by hundreds of people and the peaceful moment was then gone. Theviewing area was soon covered with noisy crowds, pushing and shoving, trying toget the best spots for their photo moments...time to go!!

So it was back down the mountain by the train where werejoined our coach ready for our next stop at the beaches. First stop wasIpanema beach where we just drove along the promenade as the traffic made itdifficult to stop. Then it was onward to Copacabana beach where the driver waslucky enough to find a place to stop for ten minutes. We rushed across the promenadeto get our first sight of this famous beach which due to the bank holiday wasalready crowded by the locals.

Whilst taking photos we were approached by a TV film crewwho were making a documentary on the affect tourists have on Rio. We wereinterviewed and asked about our impressions of Rio and why we had decided tocome there. The TV company was called Global and they do a daily lunchtime programmethat is broadcast to over 28 million viewers in Brazil. The show went out at1:30pm so I guess by now we're famous - in Brazil anyway - unless they editedus out of course...but we'll never know as we couldn't get that station on our ship. By now it was31°c so it was back to the ship in our air conditioned coach in time for ournoon day ritual.

Sail away on deck was at 5:45pm where we enjoyed thedeparting views of Christ The Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain...bye, bye Rioand thank you - we'll be back!!

At Sea On The Way To Rio

2012-01-22T12:04:00.001Z

Thursday January 19th - Day 15

Following the success of Tuesday night's carnival party ondeck the Quest has now run out of fresh limes and lemons. They used over 50kgsof limes!! - we must all have over indulged in caipirinhas.

However my ex boy scout husband is always prepared and hadhis own private supply - delivered daily - for his pre-dinner drink(s)... so wetook our own limes up to the pool bar (much to the amusement of the waiters)for our noon corona with a wedge of lime...of course.

Click Here For More Photos

This afternoon we had our second and final Samba class asour Brazilian Samba troupe will be leaving the ship tonight in Rio when we dockat 6pm. I think we're getting the hang of it a bit more now. Although our footworkis still a bit slow our finishing flourish is magnificent...well so we think!!

We sailed into Rio a little earlier than the planned 6pmarrival and it was light enough for us to have superb views of the Sugar Loaf Mountainstanding sentinel at the harbour entrance and the famous Christ The Redeemer statuestanding high on the Corcovado Mountain. This was a really breathtaking sailin.

A few facts: Rio is Brazil's second largest city and isseparated from the rest of the country by a mountain range. From its beginningsas a Portuguese colonial trading outpost it has spread to fill the spacebetween the mountains and the sea. Addto this the superb white beaches fringed with palms, the fabulous temperaturethat rarely dips below 20°C (68°F) and the Carnival this really is a "CidadeMaravilhosa" - Marvellous City.

This evening half the ship's guests seemed to have goneashore to enjoy their first taste of Rio but we decided to have a quietalfresco meal at the Patio Grill before an early night because of our earlysightseeing tour tomorrow morning. And what a meal...at 8:30pm the heavensopened for a twenty minute torrential downpour and really tested the waitersingenuity in getting our food to us dry. Thank goodness for Seabourn umbrellas- well done Valentina and her staff. I love storms like this so for me it was aperfect welcome to Rio - there was thunder, lightning and rain...by the bucketload!!

After a quick trip to the Samba Carnival Show now moved inside to the Grand Salon it was early to bedfor a 6:30am alarm call.

Techie bits again. At 9:45am this morning we were:
22° southand 41°west
Travelling on a compass course of 229°
Speed = 15 knots
Wind speed = Northerly 3 knots
Air temperature = 25°c (77°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 4544
Sea depth = 55 metres (hope the captain's not got any Italian blood in him!!)
Humidity = 67%

Party Time

2012-01-21T19:45:00.000Z

Wednesday January 18th - Day 14

Last night in The Colonnade there was a Brazilian themeddinner followed by a 'Rock The Banana Boat' show on deck followed by a SambaShow.

Click Here For More Photos

A local Samba troupe joined the ship in Salvador and will staywith us until Rio. They really got the party going with some great music anddance routines.

This afternoon we went to a Samba class run by thedancers for an hour. It was so hard like having an aerobic workout. Vance wasreally good - that's his dance background coming out - but teacher says I must dobetter!!

After returning to our suite after a formal dinner in the MainRestaurant we found our first Seabourn gift of the cruise - two CDs - one ofBrazilian music and one of South African music...now I'll be able to keep upthe Samba moves at home.

Techie bits again. At 8am this morning we were:
16° southand 38°west
Travelling on a compass course of 176°
Speed = 15 knots
Wind speed = 16 knots off the port bow
Air temperature = 28°c (82°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 4119
Sea depth = 2200 metres
Humidity = 69%

Salvador de Bahia

2012-01-21T13:10:00.002Z

Tuesday January 17th - Day 13

Arrived at 8am in Salvador where the temperature was alreadyin the high seventies...just like home!!...not.

Salvador was the first colonial capital of Brazil and one ofthe oldest in the Americas and is now the third most populous Brazilian cityafter Sao Paulo and Rio. A notable feature is the escarpment that divides thetown into the upper town and the lower town. The former being nearly 280 feet above the latter and an elevator knowas the 'Elevador Lacerda' -an Art Nouveau building has connected the twosections since 1928 and is one of the greatest landmarks of Salvador. Theelevator trip only cost 15 cents per person each way....a real bargain.

Click Here For More Photos

We did our own thing again today as opposed to an organisedtour taking the elevator to the upper town where the view to the harbour areabelow was amazing. We strolled through the old cobbled streets viewing thebeautiful baroque buildings on our wayto the main square with its churches and the cathedral which was rather austereon the outside but stunning inside with the walls and ceiling of the sacristyadorned with paintings.....no flash photography was allowed so no photos toshow you how beautiful it is.

Some local women dressed in their national dress asked ifwe'd like a photograph with them...of course after the photo was taken theirhands were soon out for some money...a typical tourist rip off!!....and we gotcaught!!
We bought a few local souvenirs and I bought a panama stylehat that can be folded or rolled up small...saves on the packing. Vancebargained the vendor down from 20 to 10 reais - just under £4. The temperaturewas now in the high eighties so we made our way back down to the harbour andthe ship ready for a cooling noon time ... yes you've guessed it ... beer.

We enjoyed Brazilian cocktails and canapés with live musicon deck for the 5:30pm sail away. Laterthis evening after the Brazilian themed dinner in the Colonnade there will be asamba party out on deck but I'll tell you about that tomorrow.

At Sea On Our Way To Salvador de Bahia

2012-01-19T11:56:00.002Z

Monday January 16th - Day 12

A strange morning, first it's hot and sunny - really hotabout 87f - then out of nowhere there is a sudden downpour. Everyone runs forcover and the pool boys and waiters rush to bring the towels and cushions undercover. Ten minutes later the sun comes out and we start the cycle all overagain. After the third time we gave up and went to The Square for coffee - no danishthough.

There was an obstacle course golf putting competition at TheRetreat on deck 11 but we didn't make it...rained off...Vance should havebrought his wet weather gear - he might have won!!

We also didn't make it to that morning's line dancing class(sorry Michelle) or the cooking demo (sorry Graeme) in fact it seems that oncewe get into The Square and I bury my nose in The Daily Mail time seems to disappear...Vancegets some him only time...ah...

Kinesis this afternoon where the class seems to be gettingsmaller as the exercise become harder - we're still there though. After class Ispent some time on the computer catching up with blog text and emails etc.

We were invited to dine on a hosted table by Michelle oursocial hostess and this time we accepted and really enjoyed meeting the nine otherguests.

No Photo Show Today - but there will be loads of photos tomorrowin Salvador.

Recife - Brazil

2012-01-18T20:08:00.001Z

Sunday January 15th - Day 11

Recife which means reef was named for the coral which liesoff its coast. It is made up of three sections - the mainland, the peninsulaand the Island. Bridges of stone and iron connect the three and it is known forits canals, rivers, bridges and one-way streets making it locally know as theVenice of Brazil.

We decided to take the local shuttle service and do our ownthing rather than do an organised tour.

The shuttle from ship to town dropped us at The Casa daCultura - a former prison turned handicraft market. It was really interestingto walk down the corridors of cells and see how the prison was originally - butnow each cell houses a different craft shop.

Click Here For More Photos

Back to the ship for noon day beer and lunch before leavingagain on a complimentary Seabourn tour to The Carvalheira Distillery whichmakes cachaca the most popular alcoholic drink in Brazil. After a tour of thefacility we enjoyed several caipirinhas and canapés while we watched localBrazilian folkloric dancers.

On the way back to the ship we drove along the local beachcoast and were amazed at the length of the beach and being Sunday it was fullof locals.

A caviar sail-away party tonight - I had a "virgin"caviar canapé i.e. wafer with egg, egg white, onion and sour cream but nocaviar - I learnt my lesson many years ago by over indulging on caviar at abeach party on Prickly Pear Island in the Caribbean on New Year's Eve ...Ihaven't touched it since.

As everyone was back on board early the captain brought thesail-away forward - certainly a first on this cruise .

Clocks forward one hour tonight.

Galley Market Lunch

2012-01-18T12:24:00.001Z

Saturday January 14th - Day 10

Today it was Galley Market Lunch where Executive Chef Graemeand the entire food and beverage department presented a culinary feast. Thecold starters and desserts were laid out in the main restaurant while the hotfoods - starters and mains - were prepared and served throughout the galley.

It's a great chance to see where all of our wonderful foodsare prepared and to meet the individual chefs at each food station.

Click Here For More Photos

The only problem with this of course is it all looks sodelicious you end up with too much food and with the wine flowing freely weneeded to retire to our sunbed for an afternoon snooze in the shade.

Fourth Kinesis class today but after all that food it washard work, Marvin 'The Stritch' pushed us even harder...give us a break Marv!!

Dined in The Colonnade this evening...Chinese .... theappetiser was a choice of roasted duck pancake Shanghai style with spicy cucumber and plum sauce or steamed pork dim sum with asweet chilli sauce. Vance couldn't decide which so guess what...he had both...Idon't know how he stays so slim!!

This was followed by Szechuan Chicken for me and Sweet AndSour Shrimp for Vance. Lucky we had that workout earlier.

Showtime tonight was mezzo soprano Heather Clancy. Her introwas described as 'A tart, effervescent take on the solemn world of opera.....and John the cruise director managed to put a long pause after the word tartwhich of course brought laughs from the audience - he quickly tongue in cheekapologised. Luckily for John she took it all in good fun otherwise she wouldhave had his guts for garters.

Don't forget that you can get an automatic email notifyingyou when I post a new blog...See Follow Me in the right hand column.

At Sea Off The Coast Of South America

2012-01-15T21:46:00.001Z

Friday January 13th - Day 9

Caught the sun yesterday so being careful today - spent themorning in the Square reading the Daily Mail, coffee (no Danish today - beinggood!!) and also had a long chat with Murat the Guest Services Manager.

Click Here For More Photos

Vance is already talking about cruising on The Quest nextJanuary so he went to see Lindsay the future cruise sales manager and has aprice for the first two segments next year which will start in Fort Lauderdaleon January 6th, cruise through the Caribbean to the Pacific ocean via thePanama Canal then visit several islands in the Pacific on route to Sydney. Weare supposed to visit Rarotonga which we should have visited last year but dueto bad weather we never made it. I won't hold my breath in anticipation of everseeing that island.

The ship then sails up the east coast of Oz to Cairns andThursday Island before crossing to several islands in Indonesia finallyarriving in Hong Kong on March 9th. So another possible 61 days cruise for us.

Formal night tonight so we reserved a lovely table for sixguests in the "high ceilings" area which is located in the very centreof the restaurant where we were joined by four friends. Thanks to Andre theMaitre d' for sorting it out for us.

Open mike joke night in The Observation Bar after dinner at11pm. It was advertised with a disclaimer saying 'If you are easily offendedplease avoid this lounge for 45 minutes as we cannot edit what happens heretonight' ......it was definitely good advice. It was such fun I laughed andlaughed. Vance's contribution was two brilliant jokes, well received despitebeing a little risqué.

In bed by just after midnight...bet we are not up at 7:00am...zzzzzzzzz

Techie bits again. At 8am this morning we were:
0° north / south and 43°west
Travelling on a compass course of 119°
Speed = 17 knots
Wind speed = 28 knots from the north east
Air temperature = 27°c (81°f)
Total nautical miles sailed = 2707
Sea depth = 3340 metres

Crossing The Equator

2012-01-14T22:42:00.001Z

Thursday January 12th - Day 8

Crossing the Equator

The "crossing the line" ceremony is a timehonoured tradition to commemorate a sailor's first crossing of the equator. Theceremony is carried out to appease King Neptune, god of the seas.

Click Here For More Photos

Our Pollywogs (those who have never crossed the equator) hadto stand trial for various misdemeanours concocted by the master of ceremoniesand had to plead guilty or not guilty. Not surprisingly whatever they pleadedthey were found guilty by King Neptune and sentenced to be covered in multicoloured gloop and to "kiss the fish" before being pushed into theswimming pool. We Shellbacks having already suffered the ceremony on previouscrossings could just heckle the Pollywogs and enjoy the entertainment.

Although we were only watching, Vance managed to get gloopedas well - Pollywog Marvin The Stritch who was covered head to toe in gloop sawVance and rushed over to give him a big hug.....it was really funny until I hadto spend half an hour trying to get the gloop out of Vance's clothes (luckilyhe had swimming trunks and a t-shirt on) and hair....the hair on his arms andchest that is!!

Dinner outside at the Colonnade againtonight...Polynesian....and the Hawaiian Chic ken was fabulous....I am going toget the recipe....for Vance to cook athome.

Well we finally made it to a show....."Showtime withSinger and Entertainer Paul Fredericks". He's one of those singers who hasa fantastic range and is just as comfortable singing 'up in the gods' as 'downin the basement'. His material ranged from fifties and sixties pop to west end showtunes and even some classical. This was interspersed with a good comedy patterand surprise, surprise it turned out that he has family in Bristol...smallworld!!

In bed by 11:15pm ship time our latest yet zzzzzzzzz.

Devil's Island - French Guiana

2012-01-13T20:42:00.000Z

Wednesday January 11th - Day 7

Arrived at Devil's Island in French Guiana at 9am where it'salready very hot and the humidity is 81%.

Devil's Island is the smallest of the three 'Iles Du Salut'located 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana and was part of theFrench penal colony until 1952. The island was made notorious by the book andthen the Steve McQueen film Papillon which was the nickname of Henri Charrierethe only known convict to escape from the island. Access to Devil's Island isnow forbidden as it hosts a satellite tracking station but we were allowed tovisit the neighbouring island 'Ile Royale' which was also part of the penalcolony.

Click Here For More Photos

Royale was the headquarters of the colony where the administratorsand their families lived including the prison governor, the doctor, guards and soldiers.The governor's residence is now a museum tracing the history of the island. Thebarracks is now a hotel (not 5 star!!) and there is a chapel decoratedwith paintings by a convict of prison life.

We had a leisurely walk around the island and explored thesites and even went inside one the prison areas. Vance tried to leave me therebut I escaped.

A great experience but we were pleased to get back to theluxury of our home away from home and our noon cold beer.

We had dinner by candlelight at The Colonnade tonight in thebalmy open air under the awning at the back of the ship...just the two of us (Imean Vance of course!!) - ah...so romantic.

The curse of the 'Rock The Boat' party out on deck has struckagain - everything was set up for the evening party and then down came therain. The party transferred to The Club but it's not the same.

The previous night we had been kept awake by a shriekingnoise that lasted for about 15 minutes then stopped for 5 minutes then startedall over again so in the middle of the night we were searching our suite tryingto locate the noise but it seemed to be moving around. Vance was convinced itwas coming from somewhere in the ceiling.

The next morning on leaving the suite for breakfast Vancediscovered the noise coming from inside an access panel outside of our door. Aquick call to guest services and a visit from the plumber got it fixed withinhours - thanks Seabourn - if I don't get my 8 hours sleep I get VERY grumpy.

At Sea

2012-01-12T17:29:00.001Z

Tuesday 10th January - Day 6

It was quite rough last night as the captain was pushing ontrying to make up some lost time from our delayed departure from Barbadosyesterday.

Cloudy morning so caught up with friends in The SeabournSquare, read the Daily Mail (sad eh!!) to catch up with events at home, thenjust chilled with coffee and a danish pastry.

At twelve noon as promised by the bridge the skies clearedand we managed to keep our noon cold beer ritual. Lunch at The Colonnade - justsalad - honest...but two glasses of crispy, dry white Gavi (Italian wine)followed by some sunbed time before dragging ourselves away from the rays to goto our 4:30pm kinesis class.

Click Here For More Photos

I'd like to say it was easier today...but that would be afib. Vance has nicknamed our trainer 'Marvin The Stritch' as that's what it soundslike when he tells us to stretch in his South African accent.

We had dinner with Arnie and Ingrid tonight - they hadbagged our favourite table the last few nights as they get to the restaurant alot earlier than us so they suggested we dine together tonight to share "thetable" - a good way to make new friends.

Here's some info forthe techie boys. At 8am this morning we were:
10° north and 57°west
Travelling on a compass course of 140°
Speed = 18 knts
Wind speed = 30 knots off the port bow
Air temperature = 26°c (79°f)
Total miles sailed = 1653
Sea depth = 3760 metres

Barbados

2012-01-11T21:20:00.001Z

Monday 9th January - Day 5

Barbados - A Caribbean Adventure

Seabourn Quest arrived in Bridgetown Barbados at 8am thismorning. We had booked on a 4x4 safari adventure to the heart of the island andthen on to Bathsheba on the Atlantic east coast.

Ten of us boarded the 4x4 open sided jeep . We travelled upto the centre of the island and into the tropical rainforest - we were warned at time of booking that itwould be dusty and bumpy... and weren't they right!! The forest trails weremuddy and deep rutted and without the heavy duty seatbelts I'm sure that someof us would have been tossed out of the jeep.

On route to Bathsheba we stopped at a monkey sanctuary wherewe were allowed to hold the latest arrivals...two four month old baby monkeys -cute!!

Click Here For More Photos

At Bathsheba we stopped for a welcome break and indulged ina rum punch cocktail and nibbles. The shore line here was fantastic and therocks have been worn away by the relentless pummelling of the Atlantic breakersmaking for some spectacular toadstool shaped rock formations.

Leaving the east coast we crossed over to the west coast anddrove through Holetown passing The Sandy Lane hotel and other five star hotelson that St. James's coast.

We didn't quite make it far enough north to Mullins Beach whereVance and I got married four years ago but we did make it back to the ship forour noon cold beer ritual. A great trip but hard on the old bones and bum!!

We spent the afternoon recovering and sunbathing by the poolas by then the temperature had reached 28c (83f). We were noisily roused fromour sunbed slumbers by the Royal Barbados Police Force Band who had set up onthe pool desk for a medley of Caribbean tunes...whoopee .

Sail away should have been at 4:45pm but was delayed until6pm as the ship was waiting for a truck of fresh veg to arrive. Guess we'll bepushing on again tonight to make up the time.

Went to a drinks party in the Observation Bar in the eveningbefore a quiet romantic dinner for two and then as we were feeling the effectsof the bumpy excursion it was another early night for us. We still haven't madeit to any of the shows in the Grand Salon.....perhaps next week.

Clocks forward another hour tonight so we're now only 3hours behind UK time.

At Sea

2012-01-10T19:04:00.001Z

Saturday 7th January - Day 3

Spent the morning on the sunbed, not hot but balmy then at noon we indulged in our midday ritual a Corona Extra beer with a lime wedge!!

Knew it was too good to last as the clouds started to roll in and the rain came down - welcome to the Caribbean. Luckily the outside terrace area of The Colonnade is well covered so we could still lunch out of doors.

Click Here For More Photos

Rain, clouds and sun interchanged all afternoon so it was an early bath, pre-dinner drinks in The Club followed by dinner in the Main Restaurant again and off to bed by 10pm only to find that it's now 11pm as the clocks go forward one hour tonight so we will only be four hours behind UK time in the morning.

Sunday 8th January - Day 4

Another day at sea and the weather is slowly getting better and we spent the day sunbathing around the pool before dashing off at 4:30pm for another Kinesis class..phew!! it must be working because the old muscles are beginning to ache.

We joined some newly made friends Noelle and Len for drinks then dinner in the main restaurant. The company was great but the same couldn't be said of Vance's main course - Duck A L'Orange...tough and dry. Luckily I'd ordered the Filet Mignon which was too large for me so hubby finished it off. We went on to The Club for after dinner drinks so we didn't get to see the show which was a British comedian called Paul Adams - hope he'll be on again later in the cruise.

First Day At Sea

2012-01-08T23:30:00.001Z

Friday 6th January - Day 2

Today is our first full day at sea and the weather is not being too kind to us with cloud and intermittent showers so most people are congregating at Seabourn Square with coffee, newspapers and books.

I took the opportunity to book some excursions so we can now look forward to a 4x4 jeep ride to explore the east coast of Barbados and a tour in Rio De Janeiro to Christ The Redeemer but more about that later.

We both went to our first Kinesis class of the cruise and I found it amazingly hard having not really done any real exercise since leaving the Sojourn last April...Vance of course found it a doddle!!

Our suite this year is on the port side as opposed to last year's starboard position and it's amazing that each time I leave the suite I turn the wrong way for a second or two...old muscle memory kicking in.

It was the first Formal evening tonight so we all put on our glad rags and met up in the Club before going down to a fabulous meal in the Main Restaurant.....the Chateaubriand was delicious. Most people then went off to the Grand Salon to see Marvin Hamilsch, a well known American composer but we are still feeling jet lagged so it's off to bed for us.....sorry Marvin, another time maybe.

Hey, guess what...the ageing whizz kid Vance recovered the deleted images so he's off the hook!!

Florida Sun

2012-01-08T12:22:00.000Z

Thursday 5th January - Day 1

Still on UK body time so awake by 3:30am local time...dark outside so back to bed to try to sleep to 5.30am.

Down to breakfast at 6:30am and surprise, surprise most of the other Brits were there as well.

We had the usual Seabourn check in with passports, documents and photo pass then it was down to the newly swept beach for a long morning sandy stroll in the Florida sun...and I had my first paddle of the year. On our walk back to the hotel Vance managed to find what would have been a great boys night out venue 'Hooters' - sorry Vance our ship awaits.

Click Here For More Photos

Back in the hotel we spent a couple of hours on the 7th floor pool terrace catching the morning rays...UK weather already seems a long way away.

At 12:15pm our chauffeured limo arrived to take us to our Home Away From Home for the next two months - The Seabourn Quest. We arrived in true Seabourn style.

It really felt like coming home as the ship is a duplicate of our last year's ship The Sojourn making it a doddle for us to find our way around. After lunch in The Colonnade and a quick trip to deck 9 to book our first Kinesis class it was off to our suite to wait for our four cases. Three arrived very quickly so it was down to the chore of unpacking. Then we waited...and waited...and waited for our last case.

We were due to sail at 5pm but allowing that 1/2 the guest's luggage...including my case...was still on the quay we eventually set sail at 6:30pm much to the annoyance of the Captain. However the bonus was a very long sail away party!!

After a casual dinner in the main restaurant my bed was calling me again. zzzzzzzzzzz.

London Heathrow To Fort Lauderdale

2012-01-07T12:15:00.001Z

We loved last year's round the world 'Sojourn' so much that we are back but this time on The Seabourn Quest, not an around the world cruise this time...just 1/2 way, what you could call a semi Quest... so here we go.

Wednesday 4th January 2012

Flew from London Heathrow to Miami with Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class. Before the flight we took full advantage of the Virgin Upper facilities in their flagship Clubhouse Lounge. After a goodly breakfast Vance had a head, neck and back massage and I had a mini facial. We also could have had a free haircut... well I could but no point for Vance!!

Onboard the flight we had one of the best in-flight meals ever. I started with chilli carrot and lentil soup while Vance had a giant prawn cocktail then we both had a wonderful Thai chicken curry with egg noodles followed by cheeseboard and of course the obligatory glass or two of port.

Landed in Miami on time, cleared immigration and customs quickly with no hassle and then were chauffeured to The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Fort Lauderdale for our overnight stay. No gala dinner for us this year as we are not doing the whole world cruise so straight to our room on the 10th floor with fabulous views of the beach. After a nice long hot soak in the bath and a bit of telly we were asleep by 9:30pm local time...but 2:30am body time zzzzzzzzz.

Sorry folks - I had some great photos of the hotel but my computer whiz kid husband deleted them by mistake...dummy!!