2011 Oriana Caribbean TA

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Trip start
February 16, 2011
2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Southampton Port
February 16, 2011 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
First impressions of the ship are good, seems a nice classy ship, people had told me it was a bit tired and needed a refit, but I disagree, its lovely.
Theatre is nice, if a bit on the small side.
The bars are good and varied in style.
Went to the restaurant last night and the food and service could not be faulted.
Got up early again this morning, to see the storm...lol.
The ship is rocking quite a bit, and some very big waves are hitting the side.
Just been for breakfast in the buffet, lt's called the Conservatory on this ship.
It was quite empty, very easy to get a seat...so the rough seas have a good side in this case...lol.
Going to have a quiet read somewhere, then there's a "meet & mingle" type thing I'm going to later.
Btw, the average passenger age on board is quite old, so I'm expecting quite a sedate cruise....lol.
Woo hoo just won my first on board quiz all on my own.Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Day Two
February 17, 2011, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Up early again, just having a coffee in the conservatory, the seating area runs down both sides of the ship with the service area across the middle.
I suppose it could seat about 500 people there is more seating outside, but to cold to use it at the min.
Roll on the Caribbean...lol.
The stop at the Azores has been cancelled due to bad weather, sailing further south to avoid the worst of it.
Went to see the talk with Duncan McKenzie this afternoon, seen him before but he's interesting and very entertaining.
Evening entertainment is a bit samey at the min, after the comedian in the theatre, who was Mick Miller, it just seems to be ballroom dancing in the caberet lounges.
We'll see how it goes as the trip goes on. :-)Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Day Three
February 18, 2011, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Weather better today, sun shining and the sea a lot calmer.
Been for breakfast and then went to see Duncan McKenzie in his one man talk, again very funny and interesting.
Going for a quiet chill and read in the Thackeray room, which is a lovely quiet room with big comfortable seats, just off the library on deck 7.
That is a good thing about the ship, there are lots of quiet places to sit.
Great female singer on in the theatre tonight Tracy Quinn, if you see her about she's well worth a look.
Off to do a couple of quizzes this evening...Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Day Four
February 19, 2011, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Lovely calm seas again this morning.
I've even been for a walk around the deck outside.
Plenty of afternoon stuff to do, ie deck games, line dancing, bridge lessons, a couple of speakers, one on films the other on women in mortor racing, didn't go to either...
There is a decent cinema on board prob holds 100 or so, has a different film each day and they're quite modern movies.....anyway off to lunch.......this compulsory eating is going to kill me.....lol .
Played the battle of the sexes this afternoon, great laugh, very chauvinistic.
The men won, needless to say...lol
Evening much the same as last few, quizzes etc..
Magician on theatre but didn't bother going.Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Day Five
February 20, 2011, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Nothing very eventful today, just the usual Transatlantic chill out.
Been to a talk and a couple of quizzes, (you may have guessed that I like my quizzes)...
I'm now just having a quiet minute on the promenade deck, enjoying the sunshine and the calm deep blue sea....and it is a beautiful dark blue.
Went to the singers and dancers production show last night, it was excellent.
Maybe not as big and bold as on the bigger ships but very entertaining and professional.
You could tell at a lot of work went in to it.
Also went to a couple of quizzes again, with people we've met on board.
It's different people for different quizzes, and its all a good laugh.
Although as usual there are some stern and miserable faces around the room.
Maybe i'm a tad to loud and to forward for them, then again i'm not the only old bugger enjoying himself and having a laugh.
There's another Dave who's from Scarborough who's determined to enjoy the cruise too, we'll probably be chucked off at the first port....LOL.Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Day Six
February 21, 2011, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Up early again 6.30, glad I did though, the sunrise was beautiful.
The weather is lovely, but looking to the south ( all my cruise training enabled me to suss the direction out).
There are some very black clouds, but hopefully they'll go, fingers crossed anyway.
This is ten minutes later and the sun has turned those grey clouds white as the song almost says.
I know it should be grey skies blue but that didn't fit as it was only the clouds that were grey not the sky.....ok, I'll shut up and just say that it looks like its going to be a lovely day, lovely day, as the song does say....lol.
This is what we signed up for, beautiful sunshine.
Sheila's sunning herself while reading her magazine.
I'm as usual sitting in the shade I'm not really a sun sitter.
I'll get my sun when we get to the islands and I can have a walk.
Just come inside for the Battle of the Sexes, another half hour of chauvinistic mayhem.
We, the men, won again...4 games to 2 the men are winning.
We've all agreed that the women should stick to cooking cleaning and ironing...he he.
Off for lunch now...god more food !!
Brian Connolly was the theatre act tonight, very funny.
I think hes a latter day Tommy Cooper.
Came second in the syndicate quiz, I think I really need to get a life.Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
St Thomas ( Charlotte Amalie)
February 22, 2011 on the U.S. Virgin Islands ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Tortola (Road Town)
February 23, 2011 in British Virgin Islands ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
St Johns, Antigua
February 26, 2011 in Antigua and Barbuda ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Early up again and watched the ship pull into Antigua still amazes me how the drive these huge ships into these tiny ports.
The weather isn't brilliant at the minute, we've got the Caribbean Liquid Sunshine... we know it as rain...
But it is warm and going to rise to around 80° according to the weather forecast.
Anyway I believe the weather at home is rubbish at the moment....so that helps....LOL.
Boy has the weather changed its 10am ish and its topping at least 80°.
Just going to have a walk around the town, which is normally all we do at these ports, unless there's something we really want to see.
The ship and the getting there is the best part..in my humble opinion anyway
..... First impressions of St Johns, which is where we are in Antigua, are good, people seem really friendly as normally is the case in the Caribbean.
Even the taxi and minibus drivers are very polite when you refuse them.
The reply from them is always "have a good day sir".
Had a look around the old cricket ground which I must have seen on tv 70s or 80s, right across the road is the fire station with its two immaculate fire engines
Then just around the corner is the prison, which was built in 1735 and is still in use and has 300 inmates.
After about an hour or so I took Sheila back to the ship and I went exploring, looking for a local bar.
I don't like the tourist type bars they have by the ship in any port you go to.
They are not really authentic.
Anyway I found what I was looking for...it was called "Vics Place" and I was the only white face.
I had a brilliant hour or so watching cricket on tv with the locals.
The evening consisted of a quiz (again)... a brilliant singers and dancers Broadway show. And chatting with some great company we've met.Read more
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
St Kitts & Nevis
February 27, 2011 in Saint Kitts and Nevis ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Nevis Island
February 27, 2011 in Saint Kitts and Nevis ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Antigua & Barbuda (St John's)
February 28, 2011 in Antigua and Barbuda ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
St Lucia (Castries)
February 28, 2011 in Saint Lucia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Barbados (Bridgetown)
February 28, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Grenada (St Georges)
March 2, 2011 in Grenada ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Curacao
March 3, 2011 in Curacao ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Panama Canal
March 4, 2011 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
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2011 Oriana Caribbean TA Rulocal
Costa Rica (Limon)
March 6, 2011 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
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Trip end
March 22, 2011