To Madeira, the Cape Verde & Canary Isles - Porto Novo Page

Monday 24th December 2012.

What does one do during days at sea? Well, we did not notice the hour had gone back, so did a couple of deck circuits before breakfast at 0730 in the Palms. During the day, I variously edited the photos, read, walked the decks again in the 23°C & edited the web site. Avis swam in the pool & had her hair & fingernails done. At lunch, they had some excellent pork in garlic, hot which I ate with salad. Normally, I just eat salad but I had had an abbreviated breakfast. After tea, I did the laundry & finished the Madeira web page. I kept to the fish at dinner in the interest of losing weight. We went to the MIT Band in the Coral & then, the Show Team, who did a Xmas show in one uniform, so it was a bit unrelenting for them. Tea & lounged to the Rosario Trio, who are ok on this cruise.

Things did not go entirely to plan today. The programme proceeded as advertised in the "Daily Times", the ship's newsletter, which we find on our pillow at bed time. Up at 0720, as an early & abbreviated breakfast of just prunes & yoghurt required, lunch being at the remarkable hour of 1130 in sittings, this being Xmas Day. We did some turns round the deck before the nonsense started at 1030 but I had an accident. Egg Nog was handed out & just as mine approached my mouth, the ship, otherwise calm, hit a speed bump & my nog went all over my face & shirt. The show team showed their maternal qualities (Avis having gone down because of the now high wind) & mopped me down with tissues but I retreated to the cabin, washed my shirt & self, returned to the deck, where the Captain, Ricky & some of the officers had been chucked into the swimming pool, then recovered Avis in the Braemar Room for the lunch.

The Captain in the pool

Cruise Director Ricky, soaked, just out of the pool

Dancing on the top deck

However, going down the quarter decks, the ship was obviously going in the wrong direction. It was heading to a point 300 miles South of the Canaries to evacuate a medical emergency. This was a super buffet with what they called lobsters but more resembling giant langoustines & which I called "American Fleas" plus other sea food for starters. Then, I had a small piece of pork with a cannelloni & cake for pud: Sachertorte & Schwarzwaldtorte with chocolate sauce, with a trifle (as Avis had had one) to finish off. I found & had a long chat, talking shop with Dominic John, the classical pianist.

Dave, Maria, Steve & Terry, the MIT Band

Then, the MIT (as in "Made in Thailand") Band had a gig & we had tea before going out on the deck to watch the helicopter come in & take off the sick person. The chopper was accompanied by a 'plane. I left a note for Ricky, offering a show as clearly, we were going to miss a port, having lost 12 hours but he had already shuffled the entertainers, as he had to go to press for the "Daily Times" at 1630 & the rescue had taken place at 1645. They will need me to fill in later.

The chopper edges onto Deck 8.

We returned to the cabin, for me to wash my trousers, on which I had found more egg nog & change for the formal Xmas Dinner, which started at 6 as usual. Consommé, turkey plus trimmings & Xmas pud, all the portions reasonably small. After listening to the Rosario Trio, we went to the variety show, which featured all the floor entertainers: the show team; Dominic; Mark Shortland; Ricky Javez; the funny man; & the show team again, very good.

So, we had an unexpected extra day at sea. One cannot blame people for becoming seriously ill, particularly given the demographic on this cruise. I had set up this web site before coming away &, after a few circuits of the deck, corrected all the links, which were no longer relevant.