Oriana TA & Back 2013

January - March 2013
A 73-day adventure by Rulocal
  • 30footprints
  • 9countries
  • 73days
  • 53photos
  • 0videos
  • 13.2kmiles
  • 3.6kmiles
  • Day 1

    And so things progress

    January 9, 2013 in England ⋅ 🌫 3 °C

    Well the E-Tickets are printed off, car park sorted, hotel sorted and estas printed that's everything methinks.
    On with the planning of the trip now.
    This is mainly going to be the US stops as we've done most of the others before.
    New Orleans is going to be a day of sightseeing and an evening of celebrating Jennifer's birthday, when we will all partake in a bit of NOLA southern hospitality...hic!
    John is sorting the Port Canaveral stop where he is arranging a visit to the Kennedy Space Center.
    I've been before, about ten or twelve years ago and it's well worth a visit.
    I'm sorting Charleston, where I've planned a short walking tour taking in some of the main sights.
    Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale and Key West have yet to be arranged.
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  • Day 9

    Voodoo Chile

    January 17, 2013 in England ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C

    I have been in email contact with the New Orleans voodoo museum, and have arranged for Sheila to have a psychic reading with a voodoo priest called Dr John.
    She likes that kind of stuff, so out should be quite interesting.Read more

  • Day 17

    Well done John

    January 25, 2013 in England ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

    John has done a brilliant job sorting out some excursions for our cruise, much cheaper than the ship's tours, and no doubt much better.
    We've got in Charleston, a carriage ride for an hour around the city and then a 90 min harbor cruise all four $36 each, which is brilliant.
    In Cape Kennedy we've got return transport and entrance to the space museum for $75 each another brill price.
    Can't wait......
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  • Day 32

    One more sleep

    February 9, 2013 in England ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    Jennifer has just texted me saying 2 more sleeps before we go.
    But I told her it's only one as I count the Sunday as the start of the holiday, because we're spending the night before the cruise in the hotel in Eastleigh.
    Not looking forward to the drive down there though as it's forecast heavy snow :-(
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  • Day 38

    Beautiful downtown Eastleigh

    February 15, 2013 in England ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Spent yesterday afternoon in a working man's club in Eastleigh with Sheila, Jennifer and John, watching the match, (we won't talk about the game if you don't mind) suffice to say it wasn't the result I wanted.
    The place was nice and the members made us feel very welcome and the beer was a reasonable price.....
    We had originally gone to a local pub where I was told they had the football on sky.
    This turned out to be wrong, we were given directions to the club by one of the locals, who even phoned the club for us to make sure we could get in.
    He was a star, and as I've said the club was good and we had a bit of banter with the locals, who at one time after united had scored and I wasn't happy all started doing impressions of Harry Enfields curly haired Scousers and all saying " calm down, calm down" in the worst Liverpool accents I've ever heard.
    But out was great fun and it's definitely a place I'd visit again.
    Except for the result of the match it was a great start to the holiday.
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  • Day 39

    First night on board

    February 16, 2013 in England ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    With it being the first night Sheila and I went to the restaurant for dinner, instead of the buffet which we normally use, mainly so we could see our other friends who are on this trip.
    We had a lovely meal and a good catch up.
    Pauline passed Jennifer and John and Sheila and I a card each which it turned out was from Hazel and "posh" Peter two other friends who were booked on this cruise but due to illness, couldn't make it.
    The card was apologising for not being here and wishing us all bon voyage and hoping we all had a great cruise.
    It was a really nice thing for them to have done.
    So if you happen to read this blog guys, thank you both very much and we wish you were here.
    Oh btw "Posh" Peter get well soon mate x
    I've been looking at some of the other passengers on board and I don't think the ships disco will be very busy on this trip.
    I'd say our company is among the youngest, and we're in our 50s and 60s lol.
    I passed Anderson's bar last night and I'm even more certain that you have to be certified dead to be allowed in there, I've never seen a more miserable place.
    It's now 6am and the weather isn't to bad, it's cold and the ship is rolling a bit, but no strong wind, rain or snow.
    That's all for now I'm going for another coffee.....
    Btw, Sheila had her picture taken with a famous film star (see pic)
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  • Day 39

    Ladies and gentlemen... Mr Neil Diamond

    February 16, 2013, English Channel ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Well last night's entertainment was very good, well most of it.
    They act in the theatre was a Neil Diamond tribute by the name of Gary Ryan, he had apparently won Starts in their eyes a few years ago.
    He was very good and at times sounded more like Neil Diamond than Neil himself.
    After the show Sheila and I decided to have one more drink then turn in.
    So we went to the cabaret lounge but the group was very mediocre, so we proceeded to the Lords Tavener pub, and the act in there was superb, they were called the Intermission Duo, he played keyboards and guitar and did a bit of singing, but his wife was the main singer and she was fantastic, she was a very bluesy type singer with a bit of rock and jazz thrown in.
    They didn't just do covers they did their own arrangements of them, and the good news for us is that they're on for the full cruise.
    Today is Wednesday it's 6.45am sand the weather is cold, a few more days and I'll be pissing you off with reports of 80 degree sunshine lol.
    8.30am and we've just finished breakfast with Jennifer and John, Jen's gone to the gym and John has gone for a walk around the deck.
    Sheila and I have come to Anderson's bar for a quiet read and a knit, the knit is for Sheila obviously.
    Anderson's bar of an evening is so quiet and miserable, that I'm sure you have to be certified dead to get in lol.
    Anyway back to my book........
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  • Day 40

    Jimmy James

    February 17, 2013, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Yesterday was another mostly uneventful sea day, we did a couple of quizzes that was the progressive quiz, in which we don't know our position yet, as James, the quiz master insists on building the anticipation, by only giving the positions every five days.... God the tension is almost unbearable :-P
    The other was the daily music quiz in which we came second to our great rivals, we are now even with two wins each....not sure if I'll be able to manage this continual pressure for the next four weeks....lmao.
    One thing I must say is that the entertainment staff on the ship are a 100% improvement on the staff from the last time we traveled on this ship.
    It was formal night last night so for a change Sheila and I went to the restaurant for dinner, which was nice but we do still prefer going to the conservatory buffet and eating there.
    The headline act last night was the one and only Jimmy James, but without his Vagabonds, who he split from years back.
    The guy is now 73 years old and still going strong.
    We have seen him numerous times over the years and he never ever disappoints, his 50 minute spot seemed to last for 5 and even after his obligatory encore he left everyone wanting more, fantastic entertainment well worth seeing.
    After one last drink we turned in at about 12.15pm, only to be back down at the reception desk at 12.25 reporting an accident!!
    Sheila opened the wardrobe to put her dress in when a large bottle of water rolled from off the top shelf and hit her right on the corner of her eye, it was a full bottle and quite heavy, it gave her quite a shock and actually drew blood.
    Who the water belonged to or why it was up on the top shelf of the wardrobe we don't know?
    I can only guess that the previous occupant of the cabin had put it there and forgotten it, and when the ship was pitching and rolling it has become dislodged and when Sheila has opened the wardrobe door it's fallen out and hit her.
    She's ok now but it did shake her up a bit....
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  • Day 40

    The Captains talk

    February 17, 2013, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    Normally we don't bother going to the welcome aboard party, as they can be a bit boring, the only saving grace usually is you get a free glass of wine (or two) ;-)
    So as we don't have any free drinks on this trip we thought we'd go to the party, and as we were first in we had our picture taken with the captain.
    I don't normally bother with the captain's photo as sometimes the captain can be a bit pompous and full of himself, but this guy Captain David Pembridge is his name, was lovely.
    A nicer and more down to earth captain I've yet to meet, his short talk was interesting and informative and he came across as a really nice guy.
    After dinner which we had in the restaurant and was very nice, we went to the show which was a comedian from the black country, by the name of Lee Wilson.
    He was excellent, very clean with no fowl language or smut, with an old fashioned style but extremely funny.
    I'd go and watch him again.
    Oh yes I forgot to mention that the four of us that is Jennifer, Sheila, John and myself won the afternoon music quiz, and me having had a couple of drinks proceeded to show our winning prize which consisted of a couple of stickers (which you accumulate and cash in four prizes, such as plastic key chains at the end of the cruise,) around the room thus making us a target for future quizzes....lol.....bring it on.
    Anyway it's 9.15am and the weather is overcast and the temperature is about 14 degrees Centigrade....but it's better than being at home freezing our rocks off....
    The hardy walkers are out on deck all wrapped up taking the sea air, I ventured out just long enough to take the picture below, then I was straight back inside to the nice warm Anderson's bar with the rest of the dead people........
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  • Day 44

    Land ho!

    February 21, 2013 in Saint Lucia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today is Thursday 21st February and today we dock at our first Caribbean island the island of St Lucia.
    The last time we were here was two years ago and I'm afraid the overall impression of the town we landed at, the name of which escapes me, was not a good one it appeared to be a mixture of the worst places in Wigan and Bradford, but with sun.....
    We were twice warned about the dangers of walking in certain areas, once by the police and once by a local barber.
    It sort of ruined all the brochure pictures and romantic island blurb....Lol
    Anyway, yesterday was nice the weather was once again fantastic, and I did another 4 hour marathon sunbathing session with Sheila, John and Jennifer, but with a slight difference, they were in the sunshine and I was in the shade and even in the shade with the ship doing about 17 knots it was still hot hot hot.
    In the afternoon we bombed out of the music quiz only finishing third and there's a new champion team so now we're gunning for two teams...Lol.
    In the evening we first of all watched the duo, who were once again fantastic, we asked Kandy to sing "Babooshka" by Kate Bush which she did brilliantly well.
    Then later we went to the show which was great we first of all had the classical pianist do three numbers, then Gary Ryan the Neil Diamond tribute act did about four numbers and finally Mr Jimmy James finished the show of with another fantastic set, not only is he still a cracking singer who can belt them out with the best of them but he can still do the moves on stage which for a 73 year old is amazing........
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