Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013

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Traveler Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013
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- May 7, 2013
- ☀️ 24 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Spain Catalonia Barcelona Bogatell Beach Sant Beltrà 41.363709, 2.17863941°21’49” N 2°10’43” E
Day 1
Barcelona Port
May 7, 2013 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
How many times have I said that? I've lost count lol.
Last night I fell asleep at the dinner table!!
In my defence I had been up since 2.30am and was very tired.
I don't think it had much to do with the 2 bottles of wine I drank LMAO!!!!!
But that's my excuse anyway lol.
The ship is nice, very like the Independence ots.
I've already seen a few people I'd met on other cruises (small world this cruising fraternity)
But that is one of the main things I love about cruising often, you do get to see the same people and quite often they become friends.
I've just thought of another reason for my falling asleep at the table last night, I was forced to have a drink in the afternoon!!!
Which is something I can't handle nowadays lol.
This afternoon session, which if I'm honest was only one bottle of Heinekin.
Anyway on a more interesting note, just before we sailed Ken and I saw the Greenpeace boat leaving Barcelona harbour.Read more
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Traveler Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013
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- May 8, 2013
- ☀️ 24 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Iberian Sea 41.001621, 3.46205841°0’6” N 3°27’43” E
Day 2
I've said it before
May 8, 2013, Iberian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
I know I've said it before, but the cruising community is relatively small.
Besides Ken and Denise and Maz and Sue who we're travelling with.
There's also Liz and Mike from Huddersfield, who we knew were coming on.
But also Nigel and Freda (Fred) from Cleckheaton who had booked this trip as soon as they found out we'd booked it, and didn't say anything about it to us because they wanted it to be a surprise.
But I spotted Nigel at the airport, I mean he's a big six foot something Yorkshire man, so not very easy to hide
As I walked across to him I saw Fred hiding behind a post.
It was brilliant to see them and I honestly had no idea they were coming.
As well as all that lot I've spoken to at least ten others from previous cruises, as I might have said before small world this cruising world lolRead more
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Traveler Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013
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- May 8, 2013
- ☀️ 24 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Iberian Sea 41.001621, 3.46205841°0’6” N 3°27’43” E
Day 2
Nice ship
May 8, 2013, Iberian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
All things considered I think the Mariner is a lovely ship.
It's very similar to the Independence ots, but somehow nicer.
The diamond lounge is really nice and well laid out.
Same with the concierge lounge similar to the Independence but better laid out.
Don't know if I've mentioned it, but instead of our usual inside cabin we've splashed out on a balcony cabin because of the Suez canal it was great last time to be able to sit on the balcony and watch the transit.
The cabin is nice and spacious although the balcony is rather small.Read more
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Traveler Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013
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- May 9, 2013 UTC
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Western Mediterranean 39.644779, 5.65932439°38’41” N 5°39’34” E
Day 3
Progressive Quiz
May 9, 2013, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Five of us have started to play the progressive quiz of a morning, our first day wasn't brilliant we only scored five points out of twenty.
The saving grace was that the top team only scored ten points, so we're not completely out of it, and we've got an American lady joining us so that will help as most of the questions are American biased.
I mean how would we Brits know when the university of South Florid was founded.??
Anyway it's still good fun.
The rest of the day was spent doing nothing just chilling and eating.
Oh yes there was one bit of interest when a Us navy plane flew past us, Egbert a German friend said it was a submarine hunter and it looked like it was flying practice search patterns.
He knows this kind of thing as he is ex German military his hobby is all things military especially WWI & WWII.
Later we went to see the comedian on the theatre he was good, I've seen him before he's a Scouser name of John Martin.
Up to now it's been a good cruise with just a few minor hiccups, none worth mentioning.Read more
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- May 10, 2013
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 13 ft
- Egypt Alexandria Azarita District Mamoura Beach 31.201643, 29.89894931°12’6” N 29°53’56” E
Day 4
Oh oh, Complaints
May 10, 2013 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
What is it with Royal Caribbean nowadays?
Their entertainment standards seem to be slipping.
Last night the act was advised as Soul Sisters and Kings of Pop, but instead of Aretha Franklin or Michael Jackson, tributes or the like.
We got two girls and two guys from Spain who tried to sing soul in very heavy Spanish accents.
They were actually better when they sang song's in Spanish, even though we couldn't understand the words.
Seems like RCCL are cutting costs wherever they can.
One saving grace is that Karl Lornie is boarding today with the Beatles Celebration tribute band and they are brilliant.
Anyway we're in Alexandria today, which is a bit of a shit-hole, so probably won't be getting off, unless Ken wants to have a look around, as he's not been before, then I'll go with him.
Btw, the weather has been brilliant and today we're expecting 27°so I'll be hammering the P20 sun screen.
We got the Wigan vs Swansea result yesterday, what a disappointment, it looks like they'll be relegated which is a big shame after 9 years in the top flight.
It's really disappointed Ken, and doubly cheesed him off as it looks like we'll not get to see the FA cup final either, because of the lack of satellite coverage or so they say.
In my cynical opinion I think RCCL will not pay for the coverage.Read more
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Traveler Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013
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- May 11, 2013
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Eastern Mediterranean 31.825724, 30.46230531°49’33” N 30°27’44” E
Day 5
Lazy Day
May 11, 2013, Eastern Mediterranean ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Not a lot happened today, we stayed on board ship and caught some sun by the pool in the solarium.
Well I say not a lot happened, that is until Sheila and Denise went to the gym and while sheila was entering her weight on the treadmill she somehow set the speed to 7.8 kmh.
Well apparently she took off like the roadrunner being chased by Wile e Coyote and couldn't keep her feet and spun off the machine and ended in a heap on the floor.
Being the good friend she is Denise cracked off laughing and couldn't help lol.
So with a twisted ankle and a bruised shoulder and knee she rejoined me by the pool to sunbathe.
That is until the heavens opened lol, for about 20 minutes it poured down and the wind got up so we transferred to the diamond lounge for a coffee and watched it through the widow.
Later seven of us did the quiz in the schooner bar, we split into two teams to improve our chances but still bombed out lol.
Evening time Sheila and I first went upstairs for a drink with Maz & Sue and Egbert & Chris.
Then after dinner we went down stairs for a drink with Ken & Denise and Nigel & Fred, later Maz & Sue joined us and we finished the evening off there
Well I say evening, Sheila and I turned in about 9pm, we're getting to be old fogies lol.
But in Sheilas defence her ankle was still hurting from her fall, I had no such excuse, I'm just an old fogie lol.Read more
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- May 12, 2013, 12:00am
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Eastern Mediterranean 31.835058, 31.22036231°50’6” N 31°13’13” E
Day 6
Night in the cabin
May 12, 2013, Eastern Mediterranean ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Sheila was still very shook up after her fall the other day and she ended up not coming out for drinks last night.
Hopefully she will be okay today.
We are a bit disappointed that no one from the ship has been sent to see how she is.
I mentioned this to Eric, the diamond concierge last night and it will be interesting to see if anyone gets in touch today.Read more
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- May 12, 2013, 1:00am
- 🌬 19 °C
- Altitude: 174 ft
- Egypt Ismailia Markaz al Qanţarah Sharq 30.510583, 32.44530930°30’38” N 32°26’43” E
Day 6
Suez Canal Transit
May 12, 2013 in Egypt ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
At about 1am this morning we started our transit of the Suez canal we are in convoy with at least five other ships and travelling very slowly, I'd guess that we're not doing more than ten knots.
We've just gone under a new road bridge that I don't remember from last year.
Being in a starboard cabin is definitely a better than port side as there is a lot more to see.
The port side is mainly just the Sinai desert, on starboard you do get to see towns a lot of military outposts, plus some desert.
When we get to the Great Bitter Lake, which is about half way through the canal we will stop to let the south/north convoy through then we will continue our north /south transit past the town of Suez and onto Safaga.Read more
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- May 13, 2013, 5:00am
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 174 ft
- Egypt Ismailia Markaz al Qanţarah Sharq 30.510583, 32.44530930°30’38” N 32°26’43” E
Day 7
A night spoiled
May 13, 2013 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
How come I always seem to find the obnoxious people who spoil your night?
Last night in the diamond lounge, I went to the bar to get served and all the bar stools where occupied, so I stood between two and asked the barman for my order.
He put two of the drinks on the bar and a woman in one of the chairs glared at me and as I reached over to pick them up she deliberately turned her stool to try and stop me reaching my drinks.
As I moved away from the bar her stool spun back and she started shouting about whiplash then she said that I should go to the end of the bar to get served.
When I said that this was a bar and that service was available anywhere along it, she called me an asshole, (which I may be) but she had no right calling me one.
Then her husband started shouting about not treating her like a lady, to which I replied, if she acted like one I would treat her like one.
Then just like the song in the musical Chicago 'He said' would I treat my wife like that, and 'I said' my wife would not act like his wife did.
Then some fat American woman in their company came up shouting something at me. What she had to do with it I don't know.
Anyway Eric the diamond concierge stepped in to calm things down, he had heard her call me an asshole and this being against the guest conduct policy, he called security and both the woman and I gave stop separate statements, both very different I'm sure.
Then after that unwanted excitement I went to bed.

Posted by Rulocal at 06:23Read more
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Traveler Mariner Barca, Dubai May 2013
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- May 13, 2013, 8:00am
- ☀️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 33 ft
- Egypt Red Sea Qadd el-Barûd Wâdi Abu Shallâti 26.776283, 33.93678426°46’35” N 33°56’12” E
Day 7
Safaga, Egypt
May 13, 2013 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Today we are docked in the port of Safaga in Egypt.
Don't think I'll be bothering to get off as there is nothing here to see.
We only dock here so the ship can run it's tours, and as we're not doing a tour there's no reason to get off.
Also the other reason is the weather we've just been informed that the temperature will reach 94°f which is approx 30°c, so plenty of sunblock and a lay by the pool is the order of the day.
Also the incident with that stupid woman last night has put me on a bit of a downer at the moment, so maybe I'll change my mind about going off the ship later... We'll see :-)Read more
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