Britannia B017 Fantasy Blog

[Britboys]

Pizza sans fromage? Sacré bleu mon ami 😮😂.

[grapau27]

6 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

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...

Never put your age on a CV.

Get an interview then impress at the interview.

[DamianG]

Saturday 25^th July 2020

 

Cannes

 

No sail in today as this is a tender port so I didn’t follow our usual routine once I was awake and instead, I just made myself a coffee (much to Kyle’s annoyance as this woke him up). I sat on the balcony for a while admiring the yachts in the bay before getting ready for breakfast. It seemed quieter than usual in the Epicurean which was maybe a sign that passengers weren’t rushing to get off the ship today, and I made up for yesterday’s no meat day with a full breakfast.

 

After breakfast we had a leisurely hour or so in the cabin then packed up and went all the way down to deck 4 to get on a tender. As we have a suite, we had priority tender embarkation which was a blessing as we’d heard several announcements about the ticket and waiting arrangements. We bypassed the queue which clearly didn’t go down well with some but we just ignored them and carried on. The tender was soon loaded and we had a reasonably smooth sail in to the port.

 

We’ve been to Cannes twice previously and always head East from the port area so today we decided it was time for a change and we headed West instead to the beach Plage du Midi. Aside from anything else this appeared to be the nearest beach to the port and on arrival we found that the only way to hire sun loungers was through a beach club. There were plenty to choose from and eventually we settled on Maema http://www.maemaplage.com/ which looked lovely but was ringing alarm bells in my wallet.

 

We were quickly allocated 2 sun loungers with an umbrella and I was soon in the cool, calm water of the bay with Kyle. After a very long dip we returned to the sun loungers and found Michelle sipping a fancy looking cocktail which turned out to be a (typically expensive choice) Mojito Royal. She hadn’t ordered me anything so as it was her turn in the water I perused the menu http://www.maemaplage.com/CARTE_MAEMA_BEACH.pdf and eventually settled on a modest choice of a Carlsberg biere pression (draft beer) at an eye watering €9. Never mind though, being sat on a sun lounger on the French Riviera in warm sunshine with a cold beer in hand and not a care in the world (not in that moment anyway) made it worth every cent.

 

We were all happy and settled so we decided to have lunch there as well. We’d been under our daily budget at previous ports which was a good thing as Michelle continued with her expensive choices picking out Salade de Langouste Maema at €28. Kyle chose Penne à la Napolitaine (no change there then) and I chose Tartare de Boeuf Traditionnel just to try it. We all enjoyed our lunches especially Michelle and then spent a pleasant afternoon alternating between the sun beds and the sea, with one of us even enjoying a mini nap (no prizes for guessing who). We had another round of drinks which took the total bill (including sunbed hire) to €154 which was way more than we usually spend on a day out ashore but had probably just about been worth it. Kyle wasn’t bothered about making a long trek to the toy shop so we stopped there until 3:30pm before heading back to the tender point. On arrival there was a huge queue but the port operated their own, extra-large tenders which meant that we got on the first one to arrive. Getting off was another matter entirely as we were a good 15 minutes alongside Britannia before the 3 of us were finally onboard (no priority for coming back!).

 

We eventually got back to the cabin around 5pm just as Sunil arrived with the canapés. Today we had Spicy Prawn Skewers which reminds me I forgot to report Stuffed Prosciutto Balls on Thursday and Curried Chicken Poppadums on Friday. There wasn’t much interesting about the sail away as we simply pulled up the anchor and set-off so we all just stayed in the cabin and made sure we were well dressed for dinner. It’s a black and white evening so we insisted that Kyle wore collared shirt and long trousers for only the 2^nd time but he did so without too much fuss and we were ready for our usual dinner appointment.

 

Meridean Restaurant manager Mohammad allocated us our favourite table. Sachin and Verat were soon on hand to take our orders and I chose Salad of Roast Chicken, then Mignons of Pork followed by Blackcurrant Delice for dessert. Michelle chose Smooth Brussels Pate, Seafood Grill and Pistachio Ice Cream. Kyle was pasta’d out so chose Chicken Nuggets and Chips. Grandad chose the same which gave everyone a laugh as the waiters readily accommodated his unusual choice. Unlike Kyle he didn’t need a vat of ketchup to go with it. To accompany our meal, I asked for a bottle of Bourgogne Pinot Noir which Virender delivered very quickly indeed.

 

Our dinner service was slick but not rushed and we were out in good time to get to the Headliners Theatre to see “The Beatles Celebration”. This was a show played by tribute band The Pretend Beatles and it was one of the most amazing live performances we’ve seen on all our cruises. They were fantastic musicians, authentically dressed, had all the right mannerisms and played for almost an hour which was pretty good as they were scheduled to play 2 shows in the same evening. Most passengers were stood dancing for the last few songs, it was that good.

We left the theatre around 9:45pm and decided to have a quick nightcap in the Glass House before retiring to our cabin for 10:30pm. Kyle insisted on a bit of TV time as usual before lights out.

[Harry Peterson]

This may sound a bit odd, Damian, but it’s a serious comment - have you ever considered some form of writing as a career alternative?

 

As you say, time on your hands at the moment........a book.......some other way to monetise it?

[Eddie99]

Freelance copywriting?

 

There are websites with people offering and people needing that sort of work.  Sorry I cannot remember any names but GIYF as they say

[DamianG]

Thanks Harry & Eddie, I'll look into it.

[DamianG]

Forgot the extra photo of Britannia in the Bay of Cannes:

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by DamianG

[Selbourne]

16 hours ago, DamianG said:

Thanks Harry & Eddie, I'll look into it.

Hi Damian. Many thanks for the excellent fantasy blog, which is a welcome distraction! May I add my very best wishes for your job hunt. Just a few tips based on my experience as an employer but also when I changed jobs myself and, in one case, changed career;

 

Firstly, around 80% of job vacancies are never advertised and the figure gets even higher for the more senior roles. The majority come through contacts, word of mouth and networking. Whilst I detest the latter, it was how I managed a career change after almost 30 years in one sector. 
 

The second thing, especially if you are in the latter stages of your career, is to take this time to reflect on what you would really like to do for the remainder of your working life and what you wouldn’t like to do and, if finances allow, stick to it until the right thing comes up. Things that you took in your stride earlier in your career can become turgid, or even stressful, as you get older and I always think it’s sad when people end their working lives on a low. Sometimes, doing something completely different can give you a real boost and enable you to spend the last part of your career really enjoying the change. I speak from personal experience. 

 

Employers, recruiters and head hunters are almost always looking for round pegs to fill round holes because it’s the easiest thing to do, but if you want to do something different for the rest of your working life, the trick is to make your CV skills based rather than job based. You obviously need to list all the jobs you’ve done, but a focus on transferable skills really helps employers think that someone might be worth a look as a ‘wild card’. I used to always interview a few wild cards and often ended up employing them! Unfortunately, your core CV needs altering with every job application, switching emphasis and highlighting the skills most relevant to each role, but it’s worth it if an employer thinks ‘I wonder?’.
 

Try as you might, you can’t hide your age. Anyone looking at a CV can guess within a few years based on dates of education and first jobs. Although age discrimination is illegal, we are in the real world and employers or recruiters are likely to have an ‘ideal candidate profile’ in their mind, which could well include an age range. If you are fighting against that a skills based CV can really help. 

 

Whilst your literary skills are superb, I do have some knowledge of that area and can tell you that the vast and overwhelming majority of even published writers don’t make enough to live on. Personally, I would consider that as a potential hobby that might generate some beer money, rather than a likely source of a career. Where you can turn it in to a real advantage though is in your cover letters and opening ‘candidate profile’ statements on your CV. If a candidate either bored me or didn’t grab my attention with both of these, I didn’t bother to read the rest of the CV. You have a real skill in this area and it will certainly get you over the first hurdle. 
 

I’m sure that you knew most of this already, but hope that there might be the odd nugget in there for you and, once again, good luck. 

[AndyMichelle]

4 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Hi Damian. Many thanks for the excellent fantasy blog, which is a welcome distraction! May I add my very best wishes for your job hunt. Just a few tips based on my experience as an employer but also when I changed jobs myself and, in one case, changed career;

 

Firstly, around 80% of job vacancies are never advertised and the figure gets even higher for the more senior roles. The majority come through contacts, word of mouth and networking. Whilst I detest the latter, it was how I managed a career change after almost 30 years in one sector. 
 

The second thing, especially if you are in the latter stages of your career, is to take this time to reflect on what you would really like to do for the remainder of your working life and what you wouldn’t like to do and, if finances allow, stick to it until the right thing comes up. Things that you took in your stride earlier in your career can become turgid, or even stressful, as you get older and I always think it’s sad when people end their working lives on a low. Sometimes, doing something completely different can give you a real boost and enable you to spend the last part of your career really enjoying the change. I speak from personal experience. 

 

Employers, recruiters and head hunters are almost always looking for round pegs to fill round holes because it’s the easiest thing to do, but if you want to do something different for the rest of your working life, the trick is to make your CV skills based rather than job based. You obviously need to list all the jobs you’ve done, but a focus on transferable skills really helps employers think that someone might be worth a look as a ‘wild card’. I used to always interview a few wild cards and often ended up employing them! Unfortunately, your core CV needs altering with every job application, switching emphasis and highlighting the skills most relevant to each role, but it’s worth it if an employer thinks ‘I wonder?’.
 

Try as you might, you can’t hide your age. Anyone looking at a CV can guess within a few years based on dates of education and first jobs. Although age discrimination is illegal, we are in the real world and employers or recruiters are likely to have an ‘ideal candidate profile’ in their mind, which could well include an age range. If you are fighting against that a skills based CV can really help. 

 

Whilst your literary skills are superb, I do have some knowledge of that area and can tell you that the vast and overwhelming majority of even published writers don’t make enough to live on. Personally, I would consider that as a potential hobby that might generate some beer money, rather than a likely source of a career. Where you can turn it in to a real advantage though is in your cover letters and opening ‘candidate profile’ statements on your CV. If a candidate either bored me or didn’t grab my attention with both of these, I didn’t bother to read the rest of the CV. You have a real skill in this area and it will certainly get you over the first hurdle. 
 

I’m sure that you knew most of this already, but hope that there might be the odd nugget in there for you and, once again, good luck. 

Great Post Selborne and bang on the money. 

Targeted applications are the only thing that works in my world. 

I often don't realise I need someone until they present themselves. Not sure how it works in the public sector though, but a vacancy often only arises when you are confident you have an alternative or solution. 

Make yourself the solution. 

Andy 

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Hi Damian. Many thanks for the excellent fantasy blog, which is a welcome distraction! May I add my very best wishes for your job hunt. Just a few tips based on my experience as an employer but also when I changed jobs myself and, in one case, changed career;

 

Firstly, around 80% of job vacancies are never advertised and the figure gets even higher for the more senior roles. The majority come through contacts, word of mouth and networking. Whilst I detest the latter, it was how I managed a career change after almost 30 years in one sector. 
 

The second thing, especially if you are in the latter stages of your career, is to take this time to reflect on what you would really like to do for the remainder of your working life and what you wouldn’t like to do and, if finances allow, stick to it until the right thing comes up. Things that you took in your stride earlier in your career can become turgid, or even stressful, as you get older and I always think it’s sad when people end their working lives on a low. Sometimes, doing something completely different can give you a real boost and enable you to spend the last part of your career really enjoying the change. I speak from personal experience. 

 

Employers, recruiters and head hunters are almost always looking for round pegs to fill round holes because it’s the easiest thing to do, but if you want to do something different for the rest of your working life, the trick is to make your CV skills based rather than job based. You obviously need to list all the jobs you’ve done, but a focus on transferable skills really helps employers think that someone might be worth a look as a ‘wild card’. I used to always interview a few wild cards and often ended up employing them! Unfortunately, your core CV needs altering with every job application, switching emphasis and highlighting the skills most relevant to each role, but it’s worth it if an employer thinks ‘I wonder?’.
 

Try as you might, you can’t hide your age. Anyone looking at a CV can guess within a few years based on dates of education and first jobs. Although age discrimination is illegal, we are in the real world and employers or recruiters are likely to have an ‘ideal candidate profile’ in their mind, which could well include an age range. If you are fighting against that a skills based CV can really help. 

 

Whilst your literary skills are superb, I do have some knowledge of that area and can tell you that the vast and overwhelming majority of even published writers don’t make enough to live on. Personally, I would consider that as a potential hobby that might generate some beer money, rather than a likely source of a career. Where you can turn it in to a real advantage though is in your cover letters and opening ‘candidate profile’ statements on your CV. If a candidate either bored me or didn’t grab my attention with both of these, I didn’t bother to read the rest of the CV. You have a real skill in this area and it will certainly get you over the first hurdle. 
 

I’m sure that you knew most of this already, but hope that there might be the odd nugget in there for you and, once again, good luck. 

Great advice.

I always had a cover letter with my CV which I could tweak to fit the job advertised plus my CV was never more than 2 pages long as you don't want to bore the person sifting applications.

[DamianG]

Sunday 26^th July

 

Barcelona

 

We’re past halfway now and we continued our cruise at home themes last evening with a selection of tapas prepared by Michelle. I thought she did very well. Today we are having Lamb for our Sunday roast in honour of the numerous Lamb dishes which have been on the P&O menus every day.

 

We’ve been to Barcelona many times and it is a port that we never tire of. I was awake early, did the curtain thing but couldn’t stay in bed as I was eager to get on the balcony and watch us dock. Britannia had reversed into Quai Addossat Terminal B which is the biggest available, and our port side cabin meant that I had a view of us mooring up but not of the city.

 

After the docking excitement we woke Kyle up and made our way to the Epicurean for breakfast. Unusually, it’s taken me all week to learn their names but I can now advise that we’ve been regularly looked after by either Mahendra or Zaheer and they have both made us feel welcome every single day. They take a different order from us each day but when it comes to Kyle’s turn, they just say “Your usual?” and then spoil him with 2 chocolate muffins to follow his daily Rice Krispies.

 

I didn’t hang about after breakfast and was shoreside by 10am aiming to get to mass. I was soon on a shuttle bus to Moll 18 and from there I had a 10-minute walk to get to Església de Sant Josep i Santa Mònica where I arrived just in time for the 10:30am service. I couldn’t translate everything but have been often enough to understand what was going on and it seemed to be a reverent service.

 

After mass I messaged Michelle (no roaming charges, for now anyway) then headed back to Moll 18 to meet them. On my way down La Rambla I couldn’t resist calling in to Mercado de la Boqueria for a quick photo. We’d timed our plans well and after meeting at Moll 18 we made our way up Ronda Litoral then Moll d'Espanya on our way to L'Aquarium Barcelona. Admission wasn’t cheap at €21 per adult but at least Kyle made the 10-year old and under cut-off for a child ticket at €16. We’ve been to so many aquariums over the years that they all get a bit “samey” for me but we all enjoyed it and our favourite part was the Oceanarium section with various species of eels, sunfish, rays and sharks.

 

We spent a good couple of hours there then we made our way out and up La Rambla heading towards Plaça de Catalunya. From there we headed straight towards our favourite department store El Corte Inglés and once in we soon identified level 6 as the place to be for juguetes (toys). Kyle has been here twice before and remembered it well so he was very comfortable exploring all that they had to offer. As ever he soon found the collectables and got another good haul to take back to the ship.

 

Shopping done we went up to the top floor and into the Cafetería which has good quality food at very fair prices and seating with panoramic views of Plaça de Catalunya and the city. It’s always very busy and everyone seems to be in a hurry so it can seem a little daunting but having been here previously we were reasonably confident of getting in the right queues and ordering what we wanted. The only tricky part is finding food to suit Kyle so we ensured that we ordered extra calamari and patatas. Best of all a bottle of Torres Viña Sol only costs €4.50 which seems incredibly cheap to us. We got a fine selection of tapas, the wine and a coca cola for €18.50.

 

After lunch Kyle wanted to return to the ship which seemed a bit of a shame since we were not due back on board until 7pm. However, from experience we knew not to drag him around so we took a long, slow walk back down La Rambla and onto Moll 18 for the shuttle bus. We were soon onboard and back in the cabin just after 3pm when Michelle noticed the telephone light flashing. There was a message from the in-laws saying that they were on the Lido deck if we wanted to join them or, if not, they’d just see us for dinner. Kyle was keen for a dip so we got changed and went up to meet them. Kyle went straight in the pool, alone for a change, and we sat down with the in-laws who asked why we were back onboard so early. On hearing that it was due to Kyle they suggested that he stayed with them for the afternoon while we went back out. We didn’t need asking twice and after checking that Kyle was okay with the plan, we raced back to the cabin to get changed again then returned to the Lido deck to check he was sure and to leave his cabin key card with the in-laws. Once that was done it was down to deck 4 to disembark which was straightforward as not many passengers were leaving the ship at that time.

 

We decided not to stray too far from the port and I didn’t want to walk up La Rambla for a third time so instead we strolled to the Gothic Quarter and made our first stop at Sor Rita. It describes itself as a “kitsch bar” and it was certainly unusual to say the least. Still, the cava was good and there was a pleasant atmosphere as we chatted and people watched for a while. From there we went North West to L’Ascensor which had a more traditional style with a twist as it has an elevator cabin for an entrance door (hence the bar’s name). After another couple of glasses of cava, we headed further North West and by chance ended up in Els 4Gats which, as luck would have it, has a fantastic tapas menu. We ordered 2 more glasses of cava and couldn’t resist trying some tapas: a daring one with octopus, scallop and potato and a safer choice of Iberian ham croquette.

 

By now it was after 5pm so we cut across back to La Rambla (as that would reduce our chances of getting lost) then walked back to Moll 18 for the shuttle bus again. We got back into the cabin at 5:45pm to find the in-laws sharing a club sandwich and Kyle eating the fries. They had intended on going to afternoon tea but got their timings wrong and instead used our free room service facility again. They’d also had some of our Scotch Egg canapés but that was fine by us after our afternoon tapas tour. We all agreed that it made sense to go to dinner later than usual so we set a time of 8pm and they eventually left the suite about 6:45pm.

 

We arrived at the Meridean at 8pm and Mohammed said that our usual table was occupied but if we wanted to wait it would be ready in about 15 minutes. We decided to take a pager and wait in the Blue Bar next to the Atrium. After our unplanned bar crawl Michelle and I decided against a bottle of wine with dinner so we just got a large glass each of Rioja Crianza, Castillo de Clavijo. We had hardly touched it when the pager went off so we grabbed the drinks and went back to the Meridean where Mohammed already had a waiter lined up to escort us to our table even though we knew the route very well by now.

 

Verat was on hand to take our order but there was no sign of Sachin. Virender came round but, as we all had drinks, he didn’t make any sales and looked disappointed. Virat eventually arrived and apologised for his absence though we assured him that it wasn’t necessary. For dinner I had Thick, Chunky Vegetable Soup, Slow Roasted Irish Rib of Beef then Vanilla Ice Cream. Michelle chose the same but had Flambé Cherries Jubilee for dessert. Kyle went back to pasta with tomato sauce as he didn’t want fries again.

 

We finished dinner at 9:30pm so we were too late for any shows. We just decided to have a nightcap in the Crow’s Nest and Kyle and I took the stairs to get there while everyone else used the lift. When I finally arrived at the Crow’s Nest, some time after Kyle, my legs had just about given up for the day. I checked my mobile phone and it showed that with all the toing and froing I had recorded over 14,000 steps (9+ km). Michelle and I had a Baileys to finish what had been a bit of a boozy day. We eventually retired to the cabin around 10:30pm and I was out like a light in no time.

 

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by DamianG

[DamianG]

Forgot the dinner menu (must be all that wine!):

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by DamianG

[Harry Peterson]

Thanks Damian.  As good as ever.

 

I get the impression you’re very much a detail man.  I admire that - very much not my forte. 

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, DamianG said:

Sunday 26^th July

 

Barcelona

 

We’re past halfway now and we continued our cruise at home themes last evening with a selection of tapas prepared by Michelle. I thought she did very well. Today we are having Lamb for our Sunday roast in honour of the numerous Lamb dishes which have been on the P&O menus every day.

 

We’ve been to Barcelona many times and it is a port that we never tire of. I was awake early, did the curtain thing but couldn’t stay in bed as I was eager to get on the balcony and watch us dock. Britannia had reversed into Quai Addossat Terminal B which is the biggest available, and our port side cabin meant that I had a view of us mooring up but not of the city.

 

After the docking excitement we woke Kyle up and made our way to the Epicurean for breakfast. Unusually, it’s taken me all week to learn their names but I can now advise that we’ve been regularly looked after by either Mahendra or Zaheer and they have both made us feel welcome every single day. They take a different order from us each day but when it comes to Kyle’s turn, they just say “Your usual?” and then spoil him with 2 chocolate muffins to follow his daily Rice Krispies.

 

I didn’t hang about after breakfast and was shoreside by 10am aiming to get to mass. I was soon on a shuttle bus to Moll 18 and from there I had a 10-minute walk to get to Església de Sant Josep i Santa Mònica where I arrived just in time for the 10:30am service. I couldn’t translate everything but have been often enough to understand what was going on and it seemed to be a reverent service.

 

After mass I messaged Michelle (no roaming charges, for now anyway) then headed back to Moll 18 to meet them. On my way down La Rambla I couldn’t resist calling in to Mercado de la Boqueria for a quick photo. We’d timed our plans well and after meeting at Moll 18 we made our way up Ronda Litoral then Moll d'Espanya on our way to L'Aquarium Barcelona. Admission wasn’t cheap at €21 per adult but at least Kyle made the 10-year old and under cut-off for a child ticket at €16. We’ve been to so many aquariums over the years that they all get a bit “samey” for me but we all enjoyed it and our favourite part was the Oceanarium section with various species of eels, sunfish, rays and sharks.

 

We spent a good couple of hours there then we made our way out and up La Rambla heading towards Plaça de Catalunya. From there we headed straight towards our favourite department store El Corte Inglés and once in we soon identified level 6 as the place to be for juguetes (toys). Kyle has been here twice before and remembered it well so he was very comfortable exploring all that they had to offer. As ever he soon found the collectables and got another good haul to take back to the ship.

 

Shopping done we went up to the top floor and into the Cafetería which has good quality food at very fair prices and seating with panoramic views of Plaça de Catalunya and the city. It’s always very busy and everyone seems to be in a hurry so it can seem a little daunting but having been here previously we were reasonably confident of getting in the right queues and ordering what we wanted. The only tricky part is finding food to suit Kyle so we ensured that we ordered extra calamari and patatas. Best of all a bottle of Torres Viña Sol only costs €4.50 which seems incredibly cheap to us. We got a fine selection of tapas, the wine and a coca cola for €18.50.

 

After lunch Kyle wanted to return to the ship which seemed a bit of a shame since we were not due back on board until 7pm. However, from experience we knew not to drag him around so we took a long, slow walk back down La Rambla and onto Moll 18 for the shuttle bus. We were soon onboard and back in the cabin just after 3pm when Michelle noticed the telephone light flashing. There was a message from the in-laws saying that they were on the Lido deck if we wanted to join them or, if not, they’d just see us for dinner. Kyle was keen for a dip so we got changed and went up to meet them. Kyle went straight in the pool, alone for a change, and we sat down with the in-laws who asked why we were back onboard so early. On hearing that it was due to Kyle they suggested that he stayed with them for the afternoon while we went back out. We didn’t need asking twice and after checking that Kyle was okay with the plan, we raced back to the cabin to get changed again then returned to the Lido deck to check he was sure and to leave his cabin key card with the in-laws. Once that was done it was down to deck 4 to disembark which was straightforward as not many passengers were leaving the ship at that time.

 

We decided not to stray too far from the port and I didn’t want to walk up La Rambla for a third time so instead we strolled to the Gothic Quarter and made our first stop at Sor Rita. It describes itself as a “kitsch bar” and it was certainly unusual to say the least. Still, the cava was good and there was a pleasant atmosphere as we chatted and people watched for a while. From there we went North West to L’Ascensor which had a more traditional style with a twist as it has an elevator cabin for an entrance door (hence the bar’s name). After another couple of glasses of cava, we headed further North West and by chance ended up in Els 4Gats which, as luck would have it, has a fantastic tapas menu. We ordered 2 more glasses of cava and couldn’t resist trying some tapas: a daring one with octopus, scallop and potato and a safer choice of Iberian ham croquette.

 

By now it was after 5pm so we cut across back to La Rambla (as that would reduce our chances of getting lost) then walked back to Moll 18 for the shuttle bus again. We got back into the cabin at 5:45pm to find the in-laws sharing a club sandwich and Kyle eating the fries. They had intended on going to afternoon tea but got their timings wrong and instead used our free room service facility again. They’d also had some of our Scotch Egg canapés but that was fine by us after our afternoon tapas tour. We all agreed that it made sense to go to dinner later than usual so we set a time of 8pm and they eventually left the suite about 6:45pm.

 

We arrived at the Meridean at 8pm and Mohammed said that our usual table was occupied but if we wanted to wait it would be ready in about 15 minutes. We decided to take a pager and wait in the Blue Bar next to the Atrium. After our unplanned bar crawl Michelle and I decided against a bottle of wine with dinner so we just got a large glass each of Rioja Crianza, Castillo de Clavijo. We had hardly touched it when the pager went off so we grabbed the drinks and went back to the Meridean where Mohammed already had a waiter lined up to escort us to our table even though we knew the route very well by now.

 

Verat was on hand to take our order but there was no sign of Sachin. Virender came round but, as we all had drinks, he didn’t make any sales and looked disappointed. Virat eventually arrived and apologised for his absence though we assured him that it wasn’t necessary. For dinner I had Thick, Chunky Vegetable Soup, Slow Roasted Irish Rib of Beef then Vanilla Ice Cream. Michelle chose the same but had Flambé Cherries Jubilee for dessert. Kyle went back to pasta with tomato sauce as he didn’t want fries again.

 

We finished dinner at 9:30pm so we were too late for any shows. We just decided to have a nightcap in the Crow’s Nest and Kyle and I took the stairs to get there while everyone else used the lift. When I finally arrived at the Crow’s Nest, some time after Kyle, my legs had just about given up for the day. I checked my mobile phone and it showed that with all the toing and froing I had recorded over 14,000 steps (9+ km). Michelle and I had a Baileys to finish what had been a bit of a boozy day. We eventually retired to the cabin around 10:30pm and I was out like a light in no time.

 

 

Great photos and review.

[Purdey16]

Brilliant , really enjoying this Damian and looking forward to next port of call 😎

[DamianG]

Monday 27^th July 2020

 

Palma de Mallorca

 

I slept in for once and was woken just after 8:30am as Britannia’s azipods gently pushed us sideways towards our berth. I opened the curtains to find a view of the sea so I knew immediately that we had reversed into the port. Being used to aft cabins and the propeller rumblings when reversing, I was amazed at the quiet contrast of a forward cabin and the fact that I didn’t wake up earlier. I got dressed and headed out on to the balcony with camera in hand ready for the obligatory long-distance photo of the Cathedral.

 

Once everyone was up, we went to the Epicurean for breakfast as usual and midway through our meal the calm was interrupted by Cruise Entertainment Manager Neil Oliver making an announcement over the PA system. He said that Limelight Club performer Darren Day had left the ship in Barcelona but that his replacement, Chesney Hawkes, had failed to get on board. Apparently, the one and only flight that he could have caught to Barcelona was cancelled so he was still stuck in the UK. However, Katherine Jenkins had just finished a series of performances at The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and luckily, they’d managed to contact her and got her to agree to replace Chesney. Now that’s what you call an upgrade!

 

After yesterday’s exertions there was no military plan for today. We lazed around the cabin for an hour or so eventually disembarking just after 11:30am. We strolled along Avenida de Gabriel Roca then made our first stop in the Marina at The Boat House for a coffee, tea and coca cola. Suitably refreshed, we continued our stroll, stopping just short of the Cathedral to turn left along Avenida d’Antoni Maura, then continuing thorough a maze of streets in our quest to find Juguetería La Industrial “La juguetería más antigua de Palma” (the oldest toy shop in Palma). It was impressive as toy shops go but unfortunately didn’t have anything that Kyle wanted so we soon moved on.

 

We set off heading North-West towards El Corte Inglés as we knew that would be a safe bet for Kyle’s taste in toys. On route we lucked into a fabulous “Chacuteria y Bomboneria” (deli and sweet shop) La Pajarita which looked too good to bypass without going inside. Once in, the friendly staff offered us free samples and Kyle in particular loved trying the different chocolates. We ended up spending €18 on sweets, chocolates and pastries but I didn’t mind as it made up for the disappointment of La Industrial.

 

Now that we had all had a sugar rush the next leg of our journey seemed to pass quickly. Palma’s version of El Corte Inglés was not quite like the flagship store in Barcelona, but it was fairly large and had the all-important Juguete department. Kyle quickly worked out which floor we needed and directed us to the elevator. They had a decent range of products and he picked up some more collectables at a reasonable price. We were tempted to go up to the top floor Cafetería but instead decided to gamble on getting something to eat in our final destination.

 

Shopping done we left the store and took the short, easy walk to Parc de Sa Feixina. It has a pretty good kid’s playground and Kyle played a while using the climbing frames and slides. We know its not as much fun for him when he is on his own so I tried to join him on a few of the climbing activities but found myself to be too big for most of the narrow access points. We stayed about 15 minutes before he’d had enough then we continued South through the park hoping that the food market would be open. Our noses soon confirmed that our gamble was going to pay off as we could smell the barbeque before we could see it. We got some ribs and chorizo accompanied by Albariño in plastic beakers and a coca cola for Kyle. He didn’t like the smell of the meat so I returned to the counter to get him some bread rolls but when I returned, I found him tucking into the ribs and chorizo with gusto. Michelle had persuaded him to just give them a try and he ended up taking both plates from her, so I found myself returning to the counter for a third time to get us some more. We all enjoyed the food and the total cost including drink refills was just €26.

 

Suitably refuelled, we made the long walk back to Britannia and were back onboard just before 3pm, well inside the all-aboard time an hour later. We dropped our purchases off in the cabin and after a quick change went up to the Sun Deck to use the Terrace Pool aft. I was happy to take a dip in the plunge pool with Kyle as it was still red hot (the park thermometer displayed 32°C when we were there). It wasn’t long before we were tracked down by the in-laws who had just returned from their day out using the hop-on hop-off bus. Kyle excitedly told them his version of the day’s events, especially going into great detail about the sweet shop.

 

We watched the sail away from the Terrace Pool area and this gave us an extended, last view of Palma that we wouldn’t have got had we been on our port side balcony. Once we were out to sea, we returned to the cabin to find today’s canapés which, by chance, were Baby Beef Burgers in Brioche rolls thus continuing today’s barbeque theme.

 

We went to the Meridean at our usual time of 7pm and Mohammed said that he had held “our” table back for us. Maybe it makes his task of allocating tables easier but even so, I cannot state enough how much we appreciate this. We seem to see the same passengers in our corner every evening so I guess we are not the only ones who like a regular table choice despite being on freedom dining.

 

Sachin and Virat were on hand to greet us and they encouraged Kyle to tell his version of the day’s activities. I went all-in for dinner with a choice of Bury Black Pudding with Duck Egg, Smoked Ham and Lentil Soup, and continued the barbeque theme of the day with Grilled Grass Fed Sirloin Steak. I could just about manage to eat some Vanilla Ice cream to finish. Michelle chose Oven Roasted Mixed Pepper Soup, the Steak then Cheese and Biscuits. We decided to visit Portugal for our wine choice, Vinha Grande, Casa Ferreirinha, Douro which we’d tried at the wine tasting. Kyle had some carrots and beans for a starter then pasta with tomato sauce.

 

After dinner we went to the Live Lounge to see soul singer Jaz Ellington supported by the Britannia Orchestra. Apparently, he was a semi-finalist in the first series of “The Voice” on TV (no, I didn’t know him either). Anyway, he put on a good show which I enjoyed but the rest of our party seemed less bothered about. He was joined on stage by his wife for the second set but as good a singer as she was, I preferred it when he sang solo. We stayed right to the end before setting off back to the cabin at 10:30pm. We were at the completely wrong end of the ship so we had a long walk home, especially for Kyle and I as we used the staircases. Once we were back in the cabin, I checked my phone and found that I’d banked another 10,000+ steps so I told Kyle how well he’d done with all the walking today. We let him stay up a while to watch TV but I have no idea what time he switched it off as I was spark out in seconds.

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by DamianG

[Ilovemygarden]

What a wonderful cruise Damian. I just love those Spanish ports. Katherine Jenkins in the Limelight Club and a bottle of wine every night for £12 - heaven!  

Edited July 27, 2020 by Ilovemygarden
Spelling mistake

[DamianG]

Tuesday 28^th July 2020

 

Kyle’s birthday so in the real world we’ve been to Bridlington where it was sunny but far too windy for a beach day with the sand blowing everywhere. I bought a 5-hour parking ticket at South Beach but we only lasted just over 90 minutes.

 

For the first time on this cruise Kyle was awake first as he jumped out of his sofa bed just before 8am then jumped onto our bed to excitedly wake us up. We gave him his birthday cards and the handful of small presents that we’d managed to stowaway in our suitcases. He enjoyed opening everything and it was soon over so we found ourselves in the Epicurean for breakfast earlier than usual at 8:30am. We told Mahendra that it was Kyle’s birthday so he called over Zaheer and they both wished him Happy Birthday before spending some time chatting to him and asking what presents he had got.

 

After breakfast we returned to the suite and were soon joined by in-laws bearing gifts. Lord knows how they’d got their presents into their suitcases so I turned to Michelle and said (in my best Roy Scheider / Jaws film voice) “We’re gonna need a bigger car!” Kyle didn’t want to leave the cabin so we stayed in while he checked out his presents and played some of his new Nintendo Switch games. The in-laws hung around for a couple of hours too so that extra cabin space really came into its own.

 

Kyle wanted pizza for lunch so we went to the Lido Grill and spent part of the afternoon on the Lido deck so that he could use the pool whenever he wanted. I didn’t want pizza or anything from the grill so after perusing the Grab and Go offerings I decided to venture into the Horizon Restaurant which was pretty busy so I just got a portion of Beef Rendang curry and rice then made a swift exit. It was well made but a fraction too spicy for my palate so I ordered a pint of draught Peroni to wash it down (how’s that for an excuse Andy?) and Michelle had a Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime cider. It’s a shame they don’t do slushy dinks for kids onboard as Kyle would love it (and I’m sure plenty of other kids would too) but he made do with a large coca cola.

 

We were back in the suite just after 3:30pm where we took turns to play games with Kyle, caught up with news on social media, read, watched TV, and basically just happily passed away the time as you do onboard when everything else is taken care of. At 5pm Kapil and Sunil arrived together bringing the canapés (Pickled Beetroot Tacos with Goat’s Cheese) and a Birthday card and balloons for Kyle. Once they’d gone, we just had enough time to watch a film together before getting ready for dinner.

 

We met the in-laws at the Meridean at 7pm and Michelle advised Mohammed that we had ordered a birthday cake for dinner. Mohammed allocated us the usual table and told the waiters about the special birthday. Sachin and Virat made a fuss of Kyle, asking him his age and what presents he had got, then Virender arrived and joined in as well. They also attached some balloons to the ceiling above where he was seated. I had the Cream of Broccoli Soup and followed up my Indonesian lunch with a main of Tandoori Marinated Chicken Breast. Limoncello flavoured Panna Cotta was too good to resist for dessert. Michelle chose the same starter and dessert with the P&O Grill in between. Virender recommended the Bon Viveur Red Grenache/Syrah, IGP Pays d’Oc, France “Enjoy with meat dishes and mild spicy flavours” as it said in the wine menu. Kyle just stuck to his usual pasta dish.

 

After the desserts were cleared away Mohammed brought out the birthday cake, complete with the number 10 candles we had given him. The candles were lit, Sachin, Virat, Virender and 4 other waiters from nearby tables gathered round and we all sang “Happy Birthday” in true P&O style (including a staccato second verse interspersed with handclaps) then the balloons were popped. A photographer also came over to take some photos and every waiter shook our son’s hand. It really was a lovely occasion.

 

It was almost 9pm when we left the Meridean so we just decided to go to the Blue Bar for some quiet drinks. We hadn’t realised that The Waves were playing in The Atrium (honestly, I didn’t know) so I got to enjoy some live music to finish the evening. We called it a night at 10:30pm and on returning to the suite there was one last surprise as Kapil had made the towels into a Birthday Cake shape and left it on Kyle’s sofa bed.

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by DamianG

[Vampiress88]

Just found this and gonna read it tomorrow. 
 

I thought about doing the same but I unfortunately got bored after writing a days worth so I deleted it 😂 

yours looks much better. I wouldn’t have enough photos to fill it

 

im just hoping that we can get to go on a cruise soon then I can do a blog like last years

 

would love to read a fjords one but not a lot of people blog

 

should start a petition to get everyone to do one of their first cruise post corona

[SeaJane]

Welcome back Vamps -we’ve missed you! Hope all is OK with you and your family.

[grapau27]

59 minutes ago, DamianG said:

Tuesday 28^th July 2020

 

Kyle’s birthday so in the real world we’ve been to Bridlington where it was sunny but far too windy for a beach day with the sand blowing everywhere. I bought a 5-hour parking ticket at South Beach but we only lasted just over 90 minutes.

 

For the first time on this cruise Kyle was awake first as he jumped out of his sofa bed just before 8am then jumped onto our bed to excitedly wake us up. We gave him his birthday cards and the handful of small presents that we’d managed to stowaway in our suitcases. He enjoyed opening everything and it was soon over so we found ourselves in the Epicurean for breakfast earlier than usual at 8:30am. We told Mahendra that it was Kyle’s birthday so he called over Zaheer and they both wished him Happy Birthday before spending some time chatting to him and asking what presents he had got.

 

After breakfast we returned to the suite and were soon joined by in-laws bearing gifts. Lord knows how they’d got their presents into their suitcases so I turned to Michelle and said (in my best Roy Scheider / Jaws film voice) “We’re gonna need a bigger car!” Kyle didn’t want to leave the cabin so we stayed in while he checked out his presents and played some of his new Nintendo Switch games. The in-laws hung around for a couple of hours too so that extra cabin space really came into its own.

 

Kyle wanted pizza for lunch so we went to the Lido Grill and spent part of the afternoon on the Lido deck so that he could use the pool whenever he wanted. I didn’t want pizza or anything from the grill so after perusing the Grab and Go offerings I decided to venture into the Horizon Restaurant which was pretty busy so I just got a portion of Beef Rendang curry and rice then made a swift exit. It was well made but a fraction too spicy for my palate so I ordered a pint of draught Peroni to wash it down (how’s that for an excuse Andy?) and Michelle had a Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime cider. It’s a shame they don’t do slushy dinks for kids onboard as Kyle would love it (and I’m sure plenty of other kids would too) but he made do with a large coca cola.

 

We were back in the suite just after 3:30pm where we took turns to play games with Kyle, caught up with news on social media, read, watched TV, and basically just happily passed away the time as you do onboard when everything else is taken care of. At 5pm Kapil and Sunil arrived together bringing the canapés (Pickled Beetroot Tacos with Goat’s Cheese) and a Birthday card and balloons for Kyle. Once they’d gone, we just had enough time to watch a film together before getting ready for dinner.

 

We met the in-laws at the Meridean at 7pm and Michelle advised Mohammed that we had ordered a birthday cake for dinner. Mohammed allocated us the usual table and told the waiters about the special birthday. Sachin and Virat made a fuss of Kyle, asking him his age and what presents he had got, then Virender arrived and joined in as well. They also attached some balloons to the ceiling above where he was seated. I had the Cream of Broccoli Soup and followed up my Indonesian lunch with a main of Tandoori Marinated Chicken Breast. Limoncello flavoured Panna Cotta was too good to resist for dessert. Michelle chose the same starter and dessert with the P&O Grill in between. Virender recommended the Bon Viveur Red Grenache/Syrah, IGP Pays d’Oc, France “Enjoy with meat dishes and mild spicy flavours” as it said in the wine menu. Kyle just stuck to his usual pasta dish.

 

After the desserts were cleared away Mohammed brought out the birthday cake, complete with the number 10 candles we had given him. The candles were lit, Sachin, Virat, Virender and 4 other waiters from nearby tables gathered round and we all sang “Happy Birthday” in true P&O style (including a staccato second verse interspersed with handclaps) then the balloons were popped. A photographer also came over to take some photos and every waiter shook our son’s hand. It really was a lovely occasion.

 

It was almost 9pm when we left the Meridean so we just decided to go to the Blue Bar for some quiet drinks. We hadn’t realised that The Waves were playing in The Atrium (honestly, I didn’t know) so I got to enjoy some live music to finish the evening. We called it a night at 10:30pm and on returning to the suite there was one last surprise as Kapil had made the towels into a Birthday Cake shape and left it on Kyle’s sofa bed.

 

Happy birthday Kyle.

[P&O SUE]

Happy birthday to Kyle xx

[AndyMichelle]

8 hours ago, DamianG said:

Tuesday 28^th July 2020

 

Kyle’s birthday so in the real world we’ve been to Bridlington where it was sunny but far too windy for a beach day with the sand blowing everywhere. I bought a 5-hour parking ticket at South Beach but we only lasted just over 90 minutes.

 

For the first time on this cruise Kyle was awake first as he jumped out of his sofa bed just before 8am then jumped onto our bed to excitedly wake us up. We gave him his birthday cards and the handful of small presents that we’d managed to stowaway in our suitcases. He enjoyed opening everything and it was soon over so we found ourselves in the Epicurean for breakfast earlier than usual at 8:30am. We told Mahendra that it was Kyle’s birthday so he called over Zaheer and they both wished him Happy Birthday before spending some time chatting to him and asking what presents he had got.

 

After breakfast we returned to the suite and were soon joined by in-laws bearing gifts. Lord knows how they’d got their presents into their suitcases so I turned to Michelle and said (in my best Roy Scheider / Jaws film voice) “We’re gonna need a bigger car!” Kyle didn’t want to leave the cabin so we stayed in while he checked out his presents and played some of his new Nintendo Switch games. The in-laws hung around for a couple of hours too so that extra cabin space really came into its own.

 

Kyle wanted pizza for lunch so we went to the Lido Grill and spent part of the afternoon on the Lido deck so that he could use the pool whenever he wanted. I didn’t want pizza or anything from the grill so after perusing the Grab and Go offerings I decided to venture into the Horizon Restaurant which was pretty busy so I just got a portion of Beef Rendang curry and rice then made a swift exit. It was well made but a fraction too spicy for my palate so I ordered a pint of draught Peroni to wash it down (how’s that for an excuse Andy?) and Michelle had a Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime cider. It’s a shame they don’t do slushy dinks for kids onboard as Kyle would love it (and I’m sure plenty of other kids would too) but he made do with a large coca cola.

 

We were back in the suite just after 3:30pm where we took turns to play games with Kyle, caught up with news on social media, read, watched TV, and basically just happily passed away the time as you do onboard when everything else is taken care of. At 5pm Kapil and Sunil arrived together bringing the canapés (Pickled Beetroot Tacos with Goat’s Cheese) and a Birthday card and balloons for Kyle. Once they’d gone, we just had enough time to watch a film together before getting ready for dinner.

 

We met the in-laws at the Meridean at 7pm and Michelle advised Mohammed that we had ordered a birthday cake for dinner. Mohammed allocated us the usual table and told the waiters about the special birthday. Sachin and Virat made a fuss of Kyle, asking him his age and what presents he had got, then Virender arrived and joined in as well. They also attached some balloons to the ceiling above where he was seated. I had the Cream of Broccoli Soup and followed up my Indonesian lunch with a main of Tandoori Marinated Chicken Breast. Limoncello flavoured Panna Cotta was too good to resist for dessert. Michelle chose the same starter and dessert with the P&O Grill in between. Virender recommended the Bon Viveur Red Grenache/Syrah, IGP Pays d’Oc, France “Enjoy with meat dishes and mild spicy flavours” as it said in the wine menu. Kyle just stuck to his usual pasta dish.

 

After the desserts were cleared away Mohammed brought out the birthday cake, complete with the number 10 candles we had given him. The candles were lit, Sachin, Virat, Virender and 4 other waiters from nearby tables gathered round and we all sang “Happy Birthday” in true P&O style (including a staccato second verse interspersed with handclaps) then the balloons were popped. A photographer also came over to take some photos and every waiter shook our son’s hand. It really was a lovely occasion.

 

It was almost 9pm when we left the Meridean so we just decided to go to the Blue Bar for some quiet drinks. We hadn’t realised that The Waves were playing in The Atrium (honestly, I didn’t know) so I got to enjoy some live music to finish the evening. We called it a night at 10:30pm and on returning to the suite there was one last surprise as Kapil had made the towels into a Birthday Cake shape and left it on Kyle’s sofa bed.

 

No excuse needed for Peroni Damian😊

Another great instalment, thank you. 

Andy 

[SarahHben]

Belated Happy Birthday to Kyle! Does he know he's the star of your brilliant blogs, he might start charging royalties 😂

[DamianG]

4 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Belated Happy Birthday to Kyle! Does he know he's the star of your brilliant blogs, he might start charging royalties 😂

 

He is well rewarded, believe me. We used to do touristy stuff ashore BK as we say ("Before Kyle"). These days it's rightly all about him and you must have noted the multiple toy shops included in the port plans!