Britannia B017 Fantasy Blog

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

With your communication skills, empathy & creativity Damian, the right position won't be far away. 

Difficult times though, there are a lot of very talented people struggling to find work at the moment. 

Keep positive and we wish you the very best of luck. 

Andy & Michelle 

Absolutely agree.

Wishing you all the best in finding a new job Damian.

Graham

[DamianG]

Thanks Andy & Graham

[groovechick]

On 7/20/2020 at 4:14 PM, DamianG said:

 

Apart from the Captain I'm making up the staff names as I go along (with a theme linking them all) but it is nice to know that there is a real Senior Waiter called Sachin who is excellent at his job!

 

On Britannia I remember a Sachin who manned the omelette station. I had a cricketing conversation with him because of Sachin Tendulkar. I know sod all about cricket really, but can bluff my way as DH and FIL (father-in-law) are big cricket fans. I think I got away with it. If I didn't Sachin was too polite to say! 

[DamianG]

Wednesday 22^nd July 2020

 

Malaga

 

Another natural early awakening for me and a forced one for Michelle as I opened the “Crow’s Nest” bedroom curtains for our approach into Malaga. We’ve had a half day and one full day here previously but it doesn’t feel like a port that we’ve really got to know yet and still feels fairly new to us.

 

We had to wake Kyle again and just made the cut for breakfast at the Epicurean. We felt a little guilty about that until 2 other families arrived 10 minutes after us and the kind manager still let them in. I had yet another cooked breakfast and resolved to get myself to the gym one of these days.

 

As we returned to the suite Kapil was just finishing up and must have apologised at least 3 times for not having it ready before we returned. In turn we reassured him at least 3 times that there was no need for an apology and we understand how busy it must be for him this time in the morning. We didn’t have a rigid military plan for today so we lazed around the cabin with our various gadgets, all connected to the internet simultaneously thanks to my travel router acting as an internet hotspot (even though P&O will tell you that only one device at a time can be connected to your internet package).

 

At 10:30am the in-laws telephoned asking if they could join us ashore and advising that they were ready to go straight away. We didn’t want to be rushed but advised them that we would meet them quayside at 11am. We prefer to meet ashore as it is more interesting to be quayside than hanging around in the Atrium. We therefore packed our things for the day then I lugged the heavy rucksack on to my back. “How can it be this heavy?” I wondered to myself as usual. (The answer of course is the combined weight of swimwear, spare clothes (son), towels, water, sun cream, camera and 2 iPads). It was easy disembarking and as always there were a few early bird passengers getting back on. “Been there, seen it, done it” or maybe they’re doubling up doing their own thing in the morning and an excursion in the afternoon?

 

We strolled through the cruise terminal and down Paseo de Levante. When we visited in 2008 it was a building site and we had to catch a shuttle to get out of the port. Thankfully the promenade style walkway is now stunning and it made the walk seem shorter as headed towards Playa de la Malagueta. On our most recent visit here in 2013 we felt that the sand had a gritty texture underfoot. I’m glad to say that we didn’t feel that this time as we were greeted with beautiful soft golden sand as soon as we stepped onto the beach.

 

We easily secured 4 sunbeds with umbrellas (€12 each, and I thought they were a bit pricey in Cadiz!) and Kyle was in the water in seconds. The sea was calm and even I felt confident enough to go in up to my neck. The water was clear and at one point we were joined by a shoal of fish which spooked us a bit but was fascinating. I spent quite a long time in the sea before being substituted by Michelle who took over so that I could have a break. My luck was in as a beach vendor came by at that moment with all sorts of drinks in his cool box. I got a couple of beers for myself and father-in-law and coca colas for the ladies and Kyle (their choice before anyone comments!). I don’t drink beer that often these days but being on a beach on holiday it truly was amber nectar. Right drink, right place, right time and all for what I thought was a very reasonable €11.

 

As I said we’d no military plan for today so we let Kyle decide when to move on once he’d had enough of the beach. That turned out to be around 2pm so at least we’d had a little more value from our sunbed hire. He and I separated from the group to go in search of a Turby while the others took a very slow walk back towards the bars and restaurants near the terminal. We accomplished our mission then caught everyone up at Godoy Marisqueria where there were drinks already waiting for us. Unfortunately we’d slipped up stopping here as everyone wanted tapas (big clue in the name “Marisqueria”) so we drank up and moved on to Restaurante Toro - Muelle Uno https://www.toromuelleuno.com/  We enjoyed a fine selection of tapas and though I wouldn’t usually drink beer with food I decided to stick with same Mahou beer that I’d enjoyed on the beach and at Godoy (once I’m on it, I’m on it!). As good as everything was, I think that the memory that will stick with us the most was the huge portion of Viennetta ice cream that they brought out for Kyle at the end. 

 

We headed back to the ship around 3:30pm and as we strolled through the bar and restaurant area it was apparent that some passengers hadn’t made it any further than that and were a bit worse for wear having presumably been sat drinking all day. Not that we saw any trouble or misbehaviour and, in any case, it’s their holiday for them to enjoy in whatever way they choose. Embarkation was straightforward and we were soon back in the suite. This time Britannia had sailed straight into its berth so from our port side cabin I had a fine view of the city from our balcony and I spent some time looking for landmarks such as Castillo de Gibralfaro and the Cathedral.

 

At 4:30pm after the usual bout of missing passenger calls Captain Gray announced that everyone was onboard and we were ready to go. He advised that Mr. and Mrs. Tarde had managed to catch us up in Malaga and were now back with us, and as he said this there was an audible cheer from the port side balconies. I briefly considered going out to the starboard side to watch us let go of the ropes but eventually decided I’d prefer to watch us reverse away from the berth then swing round to face East. In other words, I couldn’t be bothered moving from the balcony and up a few floors to get out on deck. Once we’d manoeuvred away from our berth, I remained on the balcony to enjoy the view of the coastline whilst munching on today’s canapés (mini Yorkshire Pudding and Beef, right up my street!).

 

The early mornings and afternoon beers caught up with me and I briefly dozed off on the balcony. I must have napped for 30 minutes or so before being woken so that I could get ready in time for dinner. At this point I felt lousy (you know that dry mouth feeling after being woken from a nap?) but I soon recovered after a shave and shower. Because of me were a little late for our regular 7pm appointment with the in-laws outside the Meridean restaurant. Unfortunately, that meant we missed out on our favourite table and the restaurant manager was really apologetic but we told him that we didn’t have any expectations and not to worry. As it was, the replacement wasn’t too bad being near a window and we were ably served by Anil and Yuvraj. I went all-in again with Moules Mariniere, Cream of Mushroom Soup and Leg of Lamb finished with another favourite Baileys Irish Cheesecake. I’d better not have lamb again tomorrow or I’ll start “baaing”. Michelle chose the same apart from having Vegetable Biryani as her main. As were having a starter and soup Kyle decided to have some fries (as his starter) then pasta as usual. We forgot to ask for ketchup for his fries but Yuvraj quickly came to the rescue. In the wine menu Podere Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was described as “a perfect accompaniment for pork, lamb and spicy vegetarian cuisine such as biryani” so for once it was an easy choice and I didn’t deliberate too much.

 

After dinner we went to the Crow’s Nest where resident band The Waves were playing. Their first set was mostly 60’s numbers so though I knew the songs it was more to my in-laws’ taste. Their second set was a series of 70’s and 80’s numbers which I enjoyed far more and before I knew it Kyle was calling time at 11pm. We were at the right end of the ship for our suite so we were soon back ready to retire after another good day.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by DamianG

[groovechick]

23 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

34 years in financial services, Brexit preparations (reducing UK costs to free up funding for an EU based office) did for me.

 

Cheers

So sorry to hear this Damian. Over the years DH has been made redundant 3 times from different sectors (financial services software, telecomms software and retail), most recently just over a year ago. I'll keep everything crossed for you but I'm sure you'll be snapped up before too long.

[DamianG]

3 minutes ago, groovechick said:

So sorry to hear this Damian. Over the years DH has been made redundant 3 times from different sectors (financial services software, telecomms software and retail), most recently just over a year ago. I'll keep everything crossed for you but I'm sure you'll be snapped up before too long.

 

Thank you!

[SeaJane]

Really enjoying reading your blog Damian. Thanks so much for taking the time to make it so interesting and help us all relive our cruising experiences.

[DamianG]

Michelle has just reminded me to post the fish shoal picture:

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by DamianG

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

Wednesday 22^nd July 2020

 

Malaga

 

Another natural early awakening for me and a forced one for Michelle as I opened the “Crow’s Nest” bedroom curtains for our approach into Malaga. We’ve had a half day and one full day here previously but it doesn’t feel like a port that we’ve really got to know yet and still feels fairly new to us.

 

We had to wake Kyle again and just made the cut for breakfast at the Epicurean. We felt a little guilty about that until 2 other families arrived 10 minutes after us and the kind manager still let them in. I had yet another cooked breakfast and resolved to get myself to the gym one of these days.

 

As we returned to the suite Kapil was just finishing up and must have apologised at least 3 times for not having it ready before we returned. In turn we reassured him at least 3 times that there was no need for an apology and we understand how busy it must be for him this time in the morning. We didn’t have a rigid military plan for today so we lazed around the cabin with our various gadgets, all connected to the internet simultaneously thanks to my travel router acting as an internet hotspot (even though P&O will tell you that only one device at a time can be connected to your internet package).

 

At 10:30am the in-laws telephoned asking if they could join us ashore and advising that they were ready to go straight away. We didn’t want to be rushed but advised them that we would meet them quayside at 11am. We prefer to meet ashore as it is more interesting to be quayside than hanging around in the Atrium. We therefore packed our things for the day then I lugged the heavy rucksack on to my back. “How can it be this heavy?” I wondered to myself as usual. (The answer of course is the combined weight of swimwear, spare clothes (son), towels, water, sun cream, camera and 2 iPads). It was easy disembarking and as always there were a few early bird passengers getting back on. “Been there, seen it, done it” or maybe they’re doubling up doing their own thing in the morning and an excursion in the afternoon?

 

We strolled through the cruise terminal and down Paseo de Levante. When we visited in 2008 it was a building site and we had to catch a shuttle to get out of the port. Thankfully the promenade style walkway is now stunning and it made the walk seem shorter as headed towards Playa de la Malagueta. On our most recent visit here in 2013 we felt that the sand had a gritty texture underfoot. I’m glad to say that we didn’t feel that this time as we were greeted with beautiful soft golden sand as soon as we stepped onto the beach.

 

We easily secured 4 sunbeds with umbrellas (€12 each, and I thought they were a bit pricey in Cadiz!) and Kyle was in the water in seconds. The sea was calm and even I felt confident enough to go in up to my neck. The water was clear and at one point we were joined by a shoal of fish which spooked us a bit but was fascinating. I spent quite a long time in the sea before being substituted by Michelle who took over so that I could have a break. My luck was in as a beach vendor came by at that moment with all sorts of drinks in his cool box. I got a couple of beers for myself and father-in-law and coca colas for the ladies and Kyle (their choice before anyone comments!). I don’t drink beer that often these days but being on a beach on holiday it truly was amber nectar. Right drink, right place, right time and all for what I thought was a very reasonable €11.

 

As I said we’d no military plan for today so we let Kyle decide when to move on once he’d had enough of the beach. That turned out to be around 2pm so at least we’d had a little more value from our sunbed hire. He and I separated from the group to go in search of a Turby while the others took a very slow walk back towards the bars and restaurants near the terminal. We accomplished our mission then caught everyone up at Godoy Marisqueria where there were drinks already waiting for us. Unfortunately we’d slipped up stopping here as everyone wanted tapas (big clue in the name “Marisqueria”) so we drank up and moved on to Restaurante Toro - Muelle Uno https://www.toromuelleuno.com/  We enjoyed a fine selection of tapas and though I wouldn’t usually drink beer with food I decided to stick with same Mahou beer that I’d enjoyed on the beach and at Godoy (once I’m on it, I’m on it!). As good as everything was, I think that the memory that will stick with us the most was the huge portion of Viennetta ice cream that they brought out for Kyle at the end. 

 

We headed back to the ship around 3:30pm and as we strolled through the bar and restaurant area it was apparent that some passengers hadn’t made it any further than that and were a bit worse for wear having presumably been sat drinking all day. Not that we saw any trouble or misbehaviour and, in any case, it’s their holiday for them to enjoy in whatever way they choose. Embarkation was straightforward and we were soon back in the suite. This time Britannia had sailed straight into its berth so from our port side cabin I had a fine view of the city from our balcony and I spent some time looking for landmarks such as Castillo de Gibralfaro and the Cathedral.

 

At 4:30pm after the usual bout of missing passenger calls Captain Gray announced that everyone was onboard and we were ready to go. He advised that Mr. and Mrs. Tarde had managed to catch us up in Malaga and were now back with us, and as he said this there was an audible cheer from the port side balconies. I briefly considered going out to the starboard side to watch us let go of the ropes but eventually decided I’d prefer to watch us reverse away from the berth then swing round to face East. In other words, I couldn’t be bothered moving from the balcony and up a few floors to get out on deck. Once we’d manoeuvred away from our berth, I remained on the balcony to enjoy the view of the coastline whilst munching on today’s canapés (mini Yorkshire Pudding and Beef, right up my street!).

 

The early mornings and afternoon beers caught up with me and I briefly dozed off on the balcony. I must have napped for 30 minutes or so before being woken so that I could get ready in time for dinner. At this point I felt lousy (you know that dry mouth feeling after being woken from a nap?) but I soon recovered after a shave and shower. Because of me were a little late for our regular 7pm appointment with the in-laws outside the Meridean restaurant. Unfortunately, that meant we missed out on our favourite table and the restaurant manager was really apologetic but we told him that we didn’t have any expectations and not to worry. As it was, the replacement wasn’t too bad being near a window and we were ably served by Anil and Yuvraj. I went all-in again with Moules Mariniere, Cream of Mushroom Soup and Leg of Lamb finished with another favourite Baileys Irish Cheesecake. I’d better not have lamb again tomorrow or I’ll start “baaing”. Michelle chose the same apart from having Vegetable Biryani as her main. As were having a starter and soup Kyle decided to have some fries (as his starter) then pasta as usual. We forgot to ask for ketchup for his fries but Yuvraj quickly came to the rescue. In the wine menu Podere Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was described as “a perfect accompaniment for pork, lamb and spicy vegetarian cuisine such as biryani” so for once it was an easy choice and I didn’t deliberate too much.

 

After dinner we went to the Crow’s Nest where resident band The Waves were playing. Their first set was mostly 60’s numbers so though I knew the songs it was more to my in-laws’ taste. Their second set was a series of 70’s and 80’s numbers which I enjoyed far more and before I knew it Kyle was calling time at 11pm. We were at the right end of the ship for our suite so we were soon back ready to retire after another good day.

 

 

Fantastic cruise 

[grapau27]

21 hours ago, DamianG said:

Thanks Andy & Graham

DWP and HMRC are looking for staff.

Register on Civil Service jobs website.

Good luck Damian.

Graham

[DamianG]

28 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

DWP and HMRC are looking for staff.

Register on Civil Service jobs website.

Good luck Damian.

Graham

 

Already registered, been rejected for 1 job & have another application still under consideration 🤞

Thanks again Graham

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, DamianG said:

 

Already registered, been rejected for 1 job & have another application still under consideration 🤞

Thanks again Graham

Good luck Damian.

[DamianG]

Thursday 23^rd July 2020

 

Sea Day

 

For the first time on this cruise I slept until just after 8am but was still awake before Michelle and Kyle. I decided that it was time to do some washing so I quietly got dressed (I thought I was being quiet anyway), grabbed our used clothes and crept out of our cabin. The launderette on our deck is aft so it was a long trek down the corridor dodging the steward’s trolleys but I was happy to stretch my legs. Once inside the launderette I quickly found a free washing machine and after I’d got it running, I noted the time (8:15am) so that I could return promptly at the end of the cycle.

 

From the launderette I decided to go down to reception to grab a crossword which I’d forgotten about on the other sea days. I’m not a big crossword fan but enjoy doing one occasionally when onboard. As it was still relatively early, I enjoyed the quietness of the public areas as I wandered around decks 5,6 and 7. I looked in the shop windows (with absolutely no intention of buying anything later), had a stroll through the Glass House and looked for our embarkation and port side photos in the Photo Gallery. After all that it was still only 8:30am so I decided to get some fresh air which meant having to go up 8 decks to the Lido deck. I briefly considered taking the lift then I imagined Kyle wagging his finger at me insisting that we use the stairs so I started the hike up the aft staircase, eventually reaching the Lido deck panting for breath despite taking it steady. I really wish Britannia had a promenade deck lower down!

 

Arriving aft on the Lido deck meant that my only way of moving forward on the ship was to cut through the Horizon Restaurant. I don’t like having to do this but although it was busy it wasn’t heaving so it was easy enough. Midships there were already kids in the pool and a handful of early bird dedicated sun worshippers laid out. From the pool area I headed forward past the Epicurean where the smells emanating made me feel hungry, and onwards into the Crows Nest. I spent a brief moment looking at the forward view out to sea then looped round starboard side into the Library. As usual I was immediately attracted to the Sport section and I perused the selection even though I’ve never borrowed a book onboard on any of our cruises. Maybe one day we’ll be on a World Cruise and I’ll save suitcase space by not bringing my own books.

 

It was now 8:55am so time to go empty the washing machine. I made the journey back to the launderette and our wash cycle had already finished. Luckily there was a free dryer so I loaded that and headed back to the cabin. I crept in to find Michelle and Kyle awake and dressed. “When did you get up?” I asked. “About 5 minutes after you closed the cabin door!” came the answer. I guess I’m not so quiet getting up after all. At least this meant that we were all ready to go to the Epicurean and it was nice to be there a little earlier when it is less busy. Yet again I had a cooked breakfast and I might as well stop kidding myself that one of these days I’ll choose a lighter option.

 

After breakfast Kyle just wanted to go back to our suite which was fine by us. I left them to it to go collect our washing and to my relief it had all dried nicely. We spent an hour or so in the cabin then I decided that it was time for me to try the gym. I made my way up 5 flights of stairs to the Sun deck and worked my way aft past the deck games area. There was some kind of team shuffle board match going on and it seemed to be extremely competitive. There was no let-up to allow me past but I timed my run well and didn’t disturb anyone’s knock off attempts. The gym was busy but I quickly commandeered a treadmill and set-off at a steady pace. Unfortunately, all those stairs had taken their toll and I immediately felt the lactic acid burning my calves. I managed to keep going though, and was pleased enough with my time of 21 minutes for 2 miles. As ever I was surrounded by some real athletes running twice as fast and they have my full admiration. With the agony of the treadmill out of the way I moved on to the various weight machines which is more my kind of thing. I like to do a quick circuit, 3 sets of 10 repetitions on a machine then move on. Sometimes this is disrupted by waiting for someone else to finish on a machine but not today as I bombed around, finishing up with some free weights and stretches. I was finished in around 45 minutes and my only slight disappointment was not seeing any celebrity passengers in there.

 

I returned to the suite and got myself ready just in time before the in-laws arrived at 11:50am. They were going to look after Kyle while Michelle and I went to a wine tasting class in the Glass House. Much as we love Kyle it gives us a little time to ourselves and also gives him a break from us telling him what to do all the time. We were soon in the Glass House where manager Ravi greeted us and checked us against his list. Once everyone had arrived, he started his presentation and was very entertaining.

 

Unlike some previous wine tastings we’ve attended, the room was laid out with wine stations and no seats. This meant that we toured round the room, starting with a Moldovan Pinot Grigio, moving on to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, then an Argentinian Malbec, then the “mystery wine”. The tour finished off with an Australian Shiraz, Portuguese Douro and finally a Spanish Moscato. Each wine was accompanied by canapes aiming to match the wine flavour. There was a competition to guess the mystery wine with a prize of a free dinner for 2 in the Glass House. It was a red wine, quite leathery and sort of medium dry. I didn’t like it so guessed it was a Merlot which doesn’t usually agree with me. However, it turned out that this was a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon and somehow a chap in the group correctly guessed “Cabernet Sauvignon, USA” so very well done to him. The canapes were a mixture of meats and cheeses and seemed to disappear quickly. Canape of the day was some beautifully cooked beef paired with the Shiraz and fortunately the kitchen kept replenishing the stocks so everyone got a second helping of that. You could also get a refill of your favourite wine at the end of the presentation. Overall, it was a good group of passengers who were all courteous to each other and all seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, as did we. The cover charge was £20 each and well worth it (and before anyone even thinks about it, we didn’t get sloshed as each pouring was carefully measured and there was water available as well).

 

On returning to the cabin we found the in-laws had ordered room service for themselves which at first, I thought was a bit cheeky but as Michelle pointed out costs nothing (in a suite) so why not? However, there was nothing suitable for Kyle so I ended up going to the Horizon Restaurant on his behalf to find something suitable. We really dislike the buffet onboard. The food is great, it’s just the “tray-in-your-back queuing while stuck behind someone who wants something out of every receptacle” that we don’t enjoy. Anyway, I endured the queue and got him some fries, ketchup and a bread roll, then carefully made my way back down to the cabin. At this point the in-laws steak baguettes were delivered and I wished that we’d ordered the same. So, we did!

 

Michelle and I didn’t want to do much in the afternoon and Kyle didn’t want to go out of the cabin (again) so we just stayed in. The extra size of the suite makes such a big difference when we are stuck inside so much and we really appreciate it. Michelle and Kyle watched a film then played a few Nintendo Switch games together. I read, did the crossword, browsed the internet and generally pottered about passing the time. No dozing off today.

 

I ensured that we were all ready in time for dinner (especially me) and we arrived at the Meridean Restaurant just before 7pm. The restaurant manager Mohammad surprised us by saying that “our” table was ready and waiting as he remembered us from previous evenings. What a pleasant touch from a lovely fella. Sachin and Verat were waiting for us and seemed genuinely pleased to see us again. Virender was also quickly on hand to take my wine order and was keen to hear about our wine tasting experience which was nice. For dinner I chose Avocado Chicken Mayo Salad, Duo of Roast Meats (I really couldn’t face lamb again – baa!) then cheese and biscuits. Michelle had Melon and Pineapple Cocktail, Seafood Grill and Baked Rice Pudding Brûlée. Kyle didn’t diverge from his usual pasta with tomato sauce. To match our food choices, I chose a bottle of Beaujolais Petits Fruits Rouge, Mommessin (wine tasting lesson paying off already).

 

After dinner we went to the Live Lounge to watch Tasha Leaper “as Madonna” and I thought she was brilliant though no one else in our party was as enthusiastic. Her costumes, mannerisms and not least singing were superb and she put on a really good show. Even better, she played with a live band who were supremely talented to boot. They played 2 sets which took us through to 10:30pm when it was time for us to say goodnight and return to our suite. Though he was clearly tired Kyle still insisted on a bit of TV time so lights out ended up at 11pm.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by DamianG

[Harry Peterson]

Thanks Damian, as always.  Good luck with the applications.  ☘️
 

Harry

Edited July 23, 2020 by Harry Peterson

[SarahHben]

Brilliant Damian! I often find myself forgetting that it's a fantasy cruise while reading it😂

[DamianG]

47 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Thanks Damian, as always.  Good luck with the applications.  ☘️
 

Harry

 

Cheers Harry

[DamianG]

43 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

Brilliant Damian! I often find myself forgetting that it's a fantasy cruise while reading it😂

 

Thank you! A lot of it is past experience and I enjoy sharing the memories (with just a little embellishment).

[grapau27]

22 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

Thank you! A lot of it is past experience and I enjoy sharing the memories (with just a little embellishment).

Excellent review and very interesting.

 

[Britboys]

Glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Málaga Damian - it is an underrated city. They have spent a lot upgrading it over a lot of years - just recently one of the main roads into the city was free of construction for the first time in 10 years! Also pleased to hear you avoided the San Miguel in favour of Mahou 😄. It's also worth trying Victoria, the local Málaga brew.

[P&O SUE]

On 7/23/2020 at 1:26 PM, SarahHben said:

Brilliant Damian! I often find myself forgetting that it's a fantasy cruise while reading it😂

I was going to say the same thing 😁

[P&O SUE]

Good luck with the applications Damian, sure you’ll find something soon. 
Probably teaching grandma to suck eggs but have you changed your CV lately? We had people do workshops last year when I was made redundant and just a couple of word changes here and there can make a difference apparently.

Edited July 24, 2020 by P&O SUE

[DamianG]

27 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Good luck with the applications Damian, sure you’ll find something soon. 
Probably teaching grandma to suck eggs but have you changed your CV lately? We had people do workshops last year when I was made redundant and just a couple of word changes here and there can make a difference apparently.

 

Thanks Sue.

I've had my CV professionally rewritten twice as well as my LinkedIn profile, have registered with any number of agencies and paid more than the cost of a cruise for two for career consultations and help finding a job. I wasn't too worried when I was made redundant late in 2018 and really thought I'd be back in employment in no time but for all the applications I've put in I've only had one interview. 

Things have changed so much and having been at the same group all my working life I'm clearly out of touch with how recruitment works these days. As for the jobs, in 1996 I was on £23k a year working as an assistant manager in Operations for a bank. Yesterday I looked at a job with a huge list of responsibilities requiring a graduate with various qualifications to work a 40 hour week. The salary was £20k!!! It's an employers market and I really don't know how young people are going to progress in life, get on the housing ladder etc.

[P&O SUE]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

Thanks Sue.

I've had my CV professionally rewritten twice as well as my LinkedIn profile, have registered with any number of agencies and paid more than the cost of a cruise for two for career consultations and help finding a job. I wasn't too worried when I was made redundant late in 2018 and really thought I'd be back in employment in no time but for all the applications I've put in I've only had one interview. 

Things have changed so much and having been at the same group all my working life I'm clearly out of touch with how recruitment works these days. As for the jobs, in 1996 I was on £23k a year working as an assistant manager in Operations for a bank. Yesterday I looked at a job with a huge list of responsibilities requiring a graduate with various qualifications to work a 40 hour week. The salary was £20k!!! It's an employers market and I really don't know how young people are going to progress in life, get on the housing ladder etc.

Don’t want to take the thread off topic too much but I completely agree with your last sentence. 
I was at my last job for 17 years and it was so scary looking at jobs again. After spending ages on a CV the job I’ve now got didn’t want CVs 🙄 It was a long online application form but I did use phrases from my CV in it!

Its annoying as you know you could do the job, it’s getting past the computers that check the applications! 

[DamianG]

25 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Its annoying as you know you could do the job, it’s getting past the computers that check the applications! 

 

You've hit the nail on the head there. I've been told (off the record) that to get round the Equality Act 2010 (age discrimination etc.) some unscrupulous companies send CV's offshore for the elimination of things that they don't like (e.g. too old) so that they are left with a handful of what they consider "suitable" candidates.

 

Anyway, as you said let's get back on topic with today's belated instalment...

[DamianG]

Friday 24^th July 2020

 

Ajaccio

 

New port alert! I was awake before 8am again and soon had the curtains open to watch our approach into Ajaccio. This is a new port for us and having got dressed and out on to the balcony I watched with interest as Britannia somehow squeezed in alongside a narrow jetty port side which was not long enough to cover the full length of the ship. Because of this we appeared to only have one gangway but that’s still better than having to tender ashore which I understand is a regular occurrence here.

 

Once the docking excitement was over, we got ready and went to the Epicurean for breakfast. It’s no meat / fish Friday for me so I had a somewhat healthier breakfast of Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs which was superb as you’d expect. We had a loose plan for today so from there it was back to the cabin to prepare to meet the in-laws shore side at 10:30am.

 

Despite the single gangway we easily got ashore and as always there were a handful of passengers waiting their turn to get back onboard. It was absolutely roasting, 30 degrees Celsius according to a temperature gauge on a pharmacy, and we were facing a 300-metre walk but on the plus side we were going extra slowly to allow for mother-in-law using a walker. We eventually made it to our destination, The Little Train stop, and I easily bought tickets for us all with the help of a friendly sales assistant whose English was excellent. There was a small queue but we had no trouble getting onboard together. We chose the city circuit (45 minutes) as we thought that Kyle would get bored with anything longer. As it was, he lasted okay and it was an interesting tour for the grown-ups.  

 

After the tour we split up as Michelle and her parents set-off on the slow walk back to the port and Kyle and I went to Rue Cardinal Fesch in search of 3 toy shops. We found them all easily enough and he picked up a few collectables but unsurprisingly there were no Subbuteo teams or Scalextric cars for me so I missed out. We soon caught up everyone else and we all strolled on to Le Lodge for lunch.

 

It was quite upmarket and probably certainly not the cheapest in the port but the food was fantastic and the staff were extra friendly, especially with Kyle. They were surprised at Kyle’s request for a pizza with just tomato and asked him several times “No cheese? You sure?” When it was delivered the waiter made a bit of a grand entrance with it announcing “Pizza aux tomates, SANS FROMAGE!”

 

Michelle won the prize for order of the day with her seafood salad made up of high-quality ingredients and presented with style. I continued fish Friday with salade niçoise which I’m sure you can translate for yourself. To accompany our lunch Michelle and I shared a bottle of Chablis which was chilled to perfection and very fairly priced.

 

It seemed to be getting even hotter so after lunch we just headed straight back to the ship. The pharmacy thermometer now showed 34°C so our suspicions were correct and the walk back seemed slower than ever. Once we were back onboard, we changed and went straight to the Lido area for a swim. We easily got some seats in the shade and even I appreciated a dip in the pool, albeit that I was gripping the side for dear life as usual. We then had a pleasant couple of hours or so taking turns to go in the pool with Kyle and although it was busy it wasn’t overbearing.

 

As Britannia’s departure time got nearer entertainment staff started setting up for a mini sail away party and once it kicked-off we lasted just one song as it was far too loud for us and quite overcrowded. We moved aft to the Terrace pool which was a whole lot calmer and gave us a great view of the port (once Britannia had turned around that is). We weren’t going to get any drinks but a waiter twisted our arm with a Pims and Lemonade sail away special and Kyle decided to try a Strawberry Daiquiri mocktail which he really enjoyed (though he did keep claiming “Brain freeze!”). Thankfully it had clouded over a little so we were able to sit without shade for a change as we all enjoyed our drinks.

 

We were back in the suite for 6pm for a bit of down time before going out for our usual dinner appointment at 7pm. At the Meridean Restaurant, manager Mohammad greeted us with a big smile and again said that “our” table was ready. Sachin and Verat were ready and waiting as usual and we had a brief chat about the day’s activities. They’d both had a bit of shore leave today but said that it wasn’t one of the better ports for them in terms of shopping and stocking up on essentials which made a lot of sense. However, they were both looking forward to Barcelona in 2 days-time.

 

For dinner I chose Avocado with Prawns Marie Rose, Grilled Darne of Salmon and finished off with White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake. Although I like smoked Salmon, I am not a huge fan of (Salmon) fillet but found this to be just fine. Michelle chose Deep-fried Spring Roll and Cream of Mushroom Soup then the same main course and dessert as myself. To accompany our meal Virender helped me choose Santa Florentina Pinot Gris, Famatina Valley, Argentina: "A perfect accompaniment for fish including salmon..." Kyle broke with tradition and had fish fingers and chips and we remembered to order the all-important ketchup.

 

After dinner I was keen to see Rob Lewis as “Phil Collins” in the Live Lounge but after a couple of songs we decided that he didn’t sound too great and looked more like Omid Djalili. Maybe we were just sat in the wrong place for the acoustics but anyway we moved on to the Crow’s Nest and enjoyed the Spanish guitar music by Amigo. It had been a long, hot day so we didn’t stay too late and not long after we got back to the suite Kyle was shouting at me for snoring and keeping him awake.

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by DamianG