Raina's Blogging again - Navigator, Harmony Anthem

[AussieVisi2r]

A Coruña or La Coruña, 12th Oct

 

This is the work of Spalax work. A blind subterranean mole rat. Little dirt piles everywhere. Didn’t see any of the ugly beasts though. Little dirt piles everywhere. But no hole in the grass. They just force the dirt up.

 

 

Not going in that maze. I’ve seen too many movies and know that nothing good happens in a maze.

 

 

 

Train Station. Our driver dropped someone there last week to catch a train to Lisbon. TO CATCH UP WITH THE SHIP!

 

 

 

[AussieVisi2r]

A Coruña or La Coruña, 12th Oct

 

They didn’t sell Blanco Sangria by the glass Only by the litre. So “life is good with one litre of Blanco Sangria. Could be tricky walking back to the ship”.

 

 

 

 

And as I got onto the ship the skies opened up again and it poured.

Fun Day.

That night I went to Sabor. The Mexican restaurant. Amazing. They come and make the guacamole at your table and it was sensationally delicious.

 

 

Yum.

And now another Sea day! YAY

[ebk2795]

Raina,

 

I'm loving your review. Your pictures are amazing!

 

Eileen

[jonj]

Nice review would love to see some photos of the ship and menus if you have time

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[AussieVisi2r]

Nice review would love to see some photos of the ship and menus if you have time

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Hi Jonj

Sorry, As mentioned I have only made it to the main dinning room on one occasion. LOL.

But the menus appear to be the standard saffron etc. that are on evry ship worldwide. If I do go I will take photos.

 

Raina

[AussieVisi2r]

13th Oct – At SEA

And what a busy day it was.

Started with the final of Progressive Trivia. And we won a medal! Yay.

Then a back stage tour. Good fun.

 

 

 

Dance practice for our ‘Flash Mob’.

C&A Lunch with an Officer. That was good. Sat with the head of staff – who started 15 years ago as a ‘dish pig’ washing the dishes.

 

Then the final of the Karaoke. Opening act was our Flash Mob up on the main stage in the theatre. Was very interesting that earlier that day I had heard them talking about how it works putting on a show…then there I was being queued in and being shown out markers. No photos as i was in it. But apparently we looked good.

 

Then some time on the Diamond deck. It is a really nice space

 

 

Didn’t go to dinner again. I have been to the main dinning room once and two specialties. Have been eating local food off the ship so no need for dinner.

The show tonight was the Zoots – 60’s music and was fantastic.

 

 

They encouraged singing and dancing. And by the end...the crowd went off like I have never seen on a cruise ship. It was fantastic. Watch out for them.

 

 

Then the Rule Britannia night. British music. Fantastic as always. Stones, Beatles, Robbie Williams.etc. Great fun.

Tonight would not have been good if you didn't like British 60's music. but I loved it.

 

 

Tomorrow I’m off to Omaha beach and D Day things. Yay. ANOTHER 7 am departure and 10 hours on a bus!

[AussieVisi2r]

Le Harve, France. 14th October.

Awesome day.

I went on a tour to Normandy and the D Day beaches. I did the ships tour as it was tight on time. $109

A ten hour tour. It was great.

 

(and here I apologise to the history buffs - for my simplistic explanations. I shall do more research later. So if I have a mistake sorry - So much respect for these men I didn't want to not mention their feats.)

 

World War 11. Germany had occupied France. On Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (known as D Day) the western allies (US, Britain, Canada and Free French forces, Polish, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece and the Netherlands participated in the ground campaign; most also provided air and naval support alongside Australian, NZ and Norwegians - carried out a very planned attack to try to recapture the area - and thus allow a better foothold for future campaigns. A year of planning. Then terrible weather - seas, tides, fog and winds.

It was an amphibious attack with the ships coming in under cover of darkness. The tide was very low and the soldiers had to wade through a huge distance of shallow water. The beach was heavily mined, barbed wired and iron crosses and the Germans had excellent gun positions on cliff tops. A strong wind blew them slightly off the landing positions that had bee bombarded.

 

Our tour headed off at 7.30am. It was still dark. Light at 8.30. They are on the edge of a time zone. It must be terrible in winter.

We crossed a great bridge over the Seine River…but in the dark. I love bridges!

 

 

When it was finally light we could see that we were driving through some great country. Intensive farming with amazing buildings. Mainly small dairy and small meat cattle places, and horse studs. Warmbloods and thoroughbreds.

 

And so many amazing stone walls and houses. Twisting narrow roads between. The walls of most of the houses are flat up against the roads. It must have been terrifying living there in 1944. Tanks rumbling past your bed. Then bombs and battles.

 

 

 

 

 

This trip was already worth if for the stunning towns we went through.

 

Then we saw the hedge rows. Paddocks were fenced with incredibly thick hedge rows. A few meters thick and virtually impenetrable. And not bush hedges – great thick trunks of ancient plants, standing five metres high. They included pear and apple trees. You could not see through them let along get through them. After the Allies had taken Normandy, they then were into the “Hedgerow Wars”, also known as the Battle of Bocage, which again were devastating, as the soldiers were stuck. Tanks were eventually modified to cut through them.

 

[AussieVisi2r]

Le Harve, France. 14th October.

Our fist stop was at the headland between Utah Beach and Omaha beach. Not their original names. the names given them in the planning of D Day. As a sign of respect the French renamed them all.

 

 

 

 

It was a huge headland with sweeping views over the two beaches. The beaches had 30meter sheer cliffs after the beach. The Germans were well set up with huge guns that coved both beaches. The Ranger teams were tasked with the objective of securing an eight kilometres beachhead. Not much went as planned. There were heavy casualties. 90%.

 

 

Generals on the ships were confused as to why the beaches were green. Dead and injured soldiers! Yes - hearing that was horrific. The eyes did leak a lot on this day.

 

 

The crater holes from shells were huge. Some would hold a small house. Movies give no impression of the size of the impact.

 

[AussieVisi2r]

Le Harve, France. 14th October.

The German bunkers etc were so well built and if not shelled are all still amazingly sound today. You got to go into them all.

 

 

 

 

From the inside.

 

 

[AussieVisi2r]

Le Harve, France. 14th October.

Then a stop at Mulberry “A”. Were one set of the temporary portable harbours were. The one built by the British – “A” is still there – in parts. The US one Mulberry “B”at Gold Beach, only lasted a week then was destroyed by a storm. After the Allies successfully held the beachheads, the two harbours were towed across the English Channel and set up off Omaha Beach and Gold Beach. People in factories in Britain spent months building them with no idea what they were. Then they were set up.

 

 

And I was lucky enough to be there as a jet was doing circuit work!

 

 

 

 

They did run into problems as much of Normandy was on reclaimed swamp land. The Germans smashed the weirs and canals and much of the land turned back to swamp – taking man vehicles including tanks with it.

This tank was pulled form the swamp in the 1970’s. The soldiers were reunited with their personal effects.

 

 

Yet another engineering marvel.

 

[ellie1145]

I'm really enjoying your wonderful photos. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this account of your travels.

[jonj]

Hi Jonj

Sorry, As mentioned I have only made it to the main dinning room on one occasion. LOL.

But the menus appear to be the standard saffron etc. that are on evry ship worldwide. If I do go I will take photos.

 

Raina

 

Thank you - if you have time during your cruise you can always take photos of the menus from outside the restaurants or on the room TV if they list them there. Really enjoying your photos of the ports. Are you taking any around the ship? It would be great to see some current photos since there aren't many of this ship that are from 2016.

 

Enjoy the rest of your sailings!

[jonj]

There is not a lot of current information on the Navigator and anything you can share with us would be truly welcomed.

[ebk2795]

 

 

 

 

 

I love this picture! It would make a killer jigsaw puzzle!

 

Eileen

[Coralc]

 

I love this picture! It would make a killer jigsaw puzzle!

 

Eileen

 

It sure would! Great photo! :D:):D

[AussieVisi2r]

Thanks Guys. I'm glad you are enjoying as at time i feel a bit gratuitous - posting all my photos.

Promise I will post more about the ship.

 

I'll just finish Normandy and get on to it. LOL

 

Raina

[AussieVisi2r]

Le Harve, France. 14th October.

 

Next - Pegasus Bridge – "Operation Deadstick" happened on the same day. The Allies needed control of the bridge over the River Oren. They couldn’t afford to have the Germans destroy it. British troops came, in six Gliders to take the bridge. Huge casualty rate but the goal was achieved and the bridge was saved and taken. Apart form the history its a really interesting bridge - canter levered.

 

 

One of the gliders was saved and is there. Pretty hairy trip. Being towed from England at a great hight then cut loose to sneak into a heavily occupied area.

 

 

Lots of amazing building dod survive the war.

 

 

 

Many towns had these tributes.

 

 

Some were absolutely beautiful - but I wasn't quick enough to get a clear image through the bus window. LOL

 

[AussieVisi2r]

Le Harve, France. 14th October.

 

Ranville War Cemetery – The British Cemetery.

2235 British graves.

 

 

 

 

And then more beauty.

 

 

Great day. Sad but great. So many emotions. Obviously deep sadness. I hate war but believe it is so important to remember that people like the ones buried here allowed me to have the life style I live, and the accent I speak with. And to see the conditions they fought in. The Hedgerows - photos do not show how they really are. Imaging being shot at and having no where to go - but seeing trees. It was like a brick wall. If we do not keep remembering the horror - war will become a bit like a block buster movie. So much gratitude.

And so much amazement at the beauty that survived. The place really is like a movie set.

 

Every time the bus driver started the bus he had to do a breath analysis. Turn key, blow into the machine and if 0% alcohol, the bus would start.

 

 

A great tour. Highly recommend it.

[KatieK391]

Really enjoying being able to share your trip with you Raina.

 

Thank you,

 

Vicki

[AussieVisi2r]

Southampton – Turn Around day – 15th Sept

 

End of cruise one and start of number two. Turnaround day in Southampton. The Back to back people had to meet in a lounge at 9.30. We got our new cards then walked to the machine to check out, then check back in on the new cards. We were then free to go or stay. We were given nothing as b2b ers. No lunch - nothing.

 

I decided on a quick trip down to Portsmouth as we sail past it on the way out. And you cannot come to England without a trip on a train.

Always maintenance going on on a ship. Every single stop they are painting a section.

 

 

Portsmouth is a sleeping looking place with really high end shopping. All the big names were there - Michael Kors, Hugo Boss etc. Very pretty place to wander around. Lots of harbour boat trips etc.

 

 

 

 

I didn't go up the tower. Two of the three decks were closed for a private function but it was still 10 Pounds to go up.

 

 

 

I saw an archeological exhibition. Free at that! And I was on the Jurassic Coast. Better go and have a looked. But it looked really strange. With strange signs. Then I realised it was a creationist exhibition.

[AussieVisi2r]

Southampton – Turn Around day – 15th Sept

 

 

Huge queues to board. But I had my “In Transit” card for back to back cruisers. It was really calm last week. Maybe as this was at 3pm for a 5pm departure.

 

 

Before I moved out of my old room I found a message on the phone offering me a $75 (plus 18%) 5o minute massage. So I rang them. It was for the last day but they said they would honour it. So off I went. And it was the best ship massage I have every had. Would have rated anywhere. Yay. Now I feel lovely.

My new room is like a palace Especially after my inside closet room.

 

 

This would be the best room I have ever had - of any class. So nice. And the bed is SOOOOO good. And so lovely to have a great room steward. The last one was a bit.....off. Was like I was asking for a huge favour with each request. Can I please have my C&A shampoos etc". "No, we don't do that anymore". "Yes you do"> and then it appeared ...but I had to ask for it to be replaces.

 

Sail Away was pretty again.

 

 

They are having a “fill the restaurants” first day special. $30 for 2 specialty dinners on the first two nights. Even Cheaper then our 2 for 1 deal. So I went to dinner at Chops. The lovely waiter said “Hello. I remember you. Sorry I forgot your name. From Giovanies on Rhapsody….last Christmas…you were with your…your Dad. How is he?” They are amazing.

The moon was rising and slight streamed across the ocean.

Then a huge full moon.

 

[cathyinperth]

Raina, thanks for your review so far. I'm on the Navigator for the 28th October departure to the Canaries, similar to your itinerary (same same, but different :)). Really looking forward to it even more so now.

[cinnamon]

Raina, the high end shops in Portsmouth at Gunwharf Quays are Outlet shops. Lots of bargains to be had if you want Designer label stuff. [emoji6]

 

 

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[AussieVisi2r]

Raina, the high end shops in Portsmouth at Gunwharf Quays are Outlet shops. Lots of bargains to be had if you want Designer label stuff. [emoji6]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

That makes sense. Thought it as weird having such a high end shopping centre there.

 

Thanks

 

Raina

[cincicruisers]

Enjoying your trip report. Lovely pictures.