Selbourne ‘Live’ from Aurora’s 2024 Grand Tour

[Selbourne]

Todays MDR menus. 

[Selbourne]

Day 37 - Thursday 8th February - Sea Day

 

Late the previous day, two technicians came to have another look at the air con in our cabin. At the time they came the cabin was much cooler than at other times, but they still measured it at 22 degrees. The outflow from the vents is 16 degrees at the lowest setting, but the combination of it having very little ‘puff’ and it being a large cabin seems to mean that it can’t cool the cabin to that temperature. Anyway, they had a fiddle and reset a few things and it was a bit better last night. 

 

It still hadn’t been a great nights sleep though, partly due to my sore throat and cough, but also because there was a small amount of movement and the balcony door was making a squeaking noise all night. If it’s not one thing …….

 

As it was a sea day we didn’t rush to get up and, as a result, we missed both breakfast and the 0930 Roatan port talk. Our first encounter with humanity was the 1030 talk on the history of the Panama Canal by John Laverick, which was very interesting. Our partial transit, which looms on Monday, was certainly the thing that swung it for me when deciding to book this cruise. It seems that we will be going through the original canal rather than the new enlarged one, which I’m pleased about. I also believe that, being on the Port side, we may well be facing the ships that are descending whilst we are ascending, and vice versa. We intend to watch most of the transit from our balcony, so that will be good. 

 

The MDR lunch menu was dire, so we opted for a burger at the Lido Grill. I quite like them, but it’s about the only area of the ship where service is poor. The staff working there, and the waiters that patrol the area, seem to be very disengaged. None the less it filled a gap. We then went to the more civilised (and cooler) Raffles for a drink. 

 

Back to the cabin for a few hours reading - my wife on the balcony and me in the cabin before we made a second visit to Raffles.  I’m trying to keep hydrated! We were 50/50 about attending harpist / singer Eloise Irving’s 5pm performance but decided to go. We weren’t terribly impressed. Lots of tuning issues again - apparently the harp doesn’t like air conditioning or movement! With all the tuning issues and the fact that she was in an all black outfit, I couldn’t help my childish sense of humour taking over as I created a nick-name for her. Anyway, Widow Twang-key leaves the ship tomorrow 😂

 

We hadn’t been too enamoured with the dinner menu either but in reality it wasn’t too bad. We both had the deep fried Brie starter and cottage pie main and the latter had quite a home made feel to it that we liked. The desert was very poor though and, as is sometimes the case in the MDR, was missing one of the stated components. 

 

The theatre show was ‘Power of 2’, a Cirque de Soleil style performance that we have seen similar versions of previously and makes a welcome change from the endless cruise ship singers and comedians that do nothing for us. Tomorrow Cartagena in Colombia, our only stop in South America. Clocks go back an hour as we do our time change hokey-cokey whilst we ‘lap’ the Caribbean. 

Edited February 9 by Selbourne

[galeforce9]

Far too many vegan and vegetarian dishes proportionately on that lunchtime menu 

[pete14]

1 hour ago, galeforce9 said:

Far too many vegan and vegetarian dishes proportionately on that lunchtime menu 

I agree with you but I guess they are working on the basis of the fact that meat eaters can eat vegetarian and vegan dishes, which they have to provide, but vegetarians and vegans can’t eat meat dishes. In a galley with restricted space and thousands of mouths to feed, where different preparation ares are needed to prevent ‘contamination’, choice is inevitably going to be restricted. Add to that the area for special diets….

[jh1809]

10 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Todays MDR menus. 

Roast hare? That's different! I would have to try that out of curiosity.

[jh1809]

"The desert was very poor though..." Too much sand in it?

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, pete14 said:

I agree with you but I guess they are working on the basis of the fact that meat eaters can eat vegetarian and vegan dishes, which they have to provide, but vegetarians and vegans can’t eat meat dishes. In a galley with restricted space and thousands of mouths to feed, where different preparation ares are needed to prevent ‘contamination’, choice is inevitably going to be restricted. Add to that the area for special diets….

Maybe the cruise lines could offer a proportion of their cruises, probably 15% would be very generous, as veggie and vegan only, and then everyone could enjoy a fuller menu choice. Just a thought!!

 

[Selbourne]

Just now, jh1809 said:

Roast hare? That's different! I would have to try that out of curiosity.

So would I, but it was roast ham 😂

[FatBoy20]

12 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Todays MDR menus. 

The Evening Menu is more like a Canteen one. Cottage Pie & Ham & Mash Potatoes!

[brian1]

The green bean chef must be very versatile.

[Eddie99]

Difficult, isn’t it, pleasing all of the people all of the time?

 

Longer cruises pose a conundrum.  Do we really want to eat for 9 week, or even 3 months for a worldie, like we eat for 2 or 3 weeks on a regular length holiday?  So maybe that’s where the plainer, more homely, menus or choices would work?  Cottage pie sounds fine to me, and I might well go for it after, say, 25 days of elaborate or off-piste sauces and accompaniments.  I think they offer fish & chips and steak and chips.  Assorted pies pop up.  What else is missing from the *home cooking* repertoire?  Stews and casseroles?  They appear.  Roasts?  They appear. Fish? Always on the menu, isn’t it?  Pasta dishes?  Maybe they could expand these?

 

I’m sounding like a P&O apologist, which wasn’t my intent.  I’m just thinking it’s hard to please everyone.  I’m also thinking I’m not sure I could ever fully enjoy a world cruise.  I’d hate to return from all that time, and all that money, saying ‘Meh’, or, worse, ‘Never again’

[lincslady]

To be a bit cynical, veggie dishes are pretty certain to cost less than those with meat, poultry or fish.

[galeforce9]

51 minutes ago, lincslady said:

To be a bit cynical, veggie dishes are pretty certain to cost less than those with meat, poultry or fish.

We had this thought too. I like vegetarian dishes. Less so vegan.  

[Bill Y]

4 hours ago, jh1809 said:

Roast hare? That's different! I would have to try that out of curiosity.

 

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

So would I, but it was roast ham 😂

Don't be too disappointed as I've often found that game (served in dinning room) on P&O  to be a disappointment  IMHO.

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Bill Y said:

 

Don't be too disappointed as I've often found that game (served in dinning room) on P&O  to be a disappointment  IMHO.

Hares are vegan.

[Selbourne]

Today’s MDR menus. Not getting any better 😔

[Dobbers]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Today’s MDR menus. Not getting any better 😔

Not very appealing, but the honey and ginger sponge sounds comforting.

For me I would probably be craving home made egg and chips by now 🤣

[jh1809]

10 hours ago, Selbourne said:

So would I, but it was roast ham 😂

How disappointing! My poor eyesight is to blame.

[jh1809]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Today’s MDR menus. Not getting any better 😔

I would be happy with the lamb jalfrezi for lunch and the haddock for dinner, but apart from that I agree it's slim pickings.

[terrierjohn]

45 minutes ago, jh1809 said:

I would be happy with the lamb jalfrezi for lunch and the haddock for dinner, but apart from that I agree it's slim pickings.

I thought he was a 50s film star?

[Selbourne]

Day 38 - Friday 9th February - Cartagena, Colombia

 

One advantage of my persistent sore throat is that I’m always awake to watch our arrivals into port. Today was no exception and I was glad to see the city scape and skyscrapers of Cartagena (population 1.3m) as we approached. 

 

I had booked a tour (Colombian Coffee Experience) primarily because it included time in the old city, which is 6km from the port. Transport was a small coach which we completely filled, so it was a bit cosy. 

 

First (very brief) stop was a 16th Century fort where we were swamped by vendors selling Panama hats, cigars, bags, jewelry etc. All very persistent. Then we stopped on the edge of the old city and followed our guide to the coffee shop where we had our lesson on coffee and 3 small tastings, all of which I thought were vile (but I’m more a tea person). This dragged on a bit, but at least they had a loo and it was something different. 

 

Next we had 30 minutes free time in Plaza de Bolivar (the main square) which was very picturesque but overrun with persistent street vendors who frankly were a complete pain in the proverbial. Over the 30 minutes I must have been harangued by around 50 of them, even though I avoided eye contact or conversation, and frankly it put me off the place. They really need to clamp down on it. I managed to take a lot of photos from around the square and was interested to discover that the large birds that I could see perched on the cathedral spire and flying around it were vultures! 

 

One thing that has slightly irritated me with all the ships excursions that I’ve done so far is that they don’t adhere to the timings, and every tour I have been on, even when we have left early, has been late back. Some may feel that this gives them even better value for money, but I am doing the tours on my own (because they can’t accommodate wheelchair users), we are skipping breakfast and I am telling my wife that I’m due back at X time and we will go straight to lunch in the MDR, yet a delayed return of as much as half an hour seems to be the norm and has made this difficult or, at times, impossible. It’s not just down to heavy traffic (which, in most places, is predictable and should be factored in), but too long being given in some places and stops that sometimes seem a bit pointless. 

 

On return (late) to the port we were dropped at the port entrance, which meant a walk in 33 degrees heat back to the ship or a ‘free’ car service. I opted for the latter but tipped the guy $5 as it was only me in the car and it enabled me to get back in time to take my wife for lunch as promised. 

 

During the afternoon we both went off the ship and visited the free aviary / zoo that forms the entrance to the port. What a fantastic place. Many dozens of free flying parrots, peacocks, flamingos and all sorts of other wildlife. Having thought that we’d seen it all we stumbled across a gate and a chap opened it for us and as we went through a little monkey came up and jumped up on to my wife’s lap. I think it was as much shock as anything as she didn’t sqwawk or panic, even when it climbed around her neck and proceeded to cuddle her. I could have done the chivalrous thing and removed it, but it was far more entertaining to take photographs 😂. 

 

It was all on board for 5.30pm with a scheduled departure at 6pm. The captain announced that we still had two tenders in the water (it wasn’t a tender port) and as soon as they were hoisted up he’d be back on with a departure announcement. In the end we didn’t leave until 9pm. This is a classic example of where a bit more communication from the Captain would be appreciated. We are all invested in this voyage for nine and a half weeks of our lives and it would surely just be common courtesy to say WHY we were 3 hours late leaving, as everyone was wondering. 

 

Neither of us could muster up much enthusiasm for the MDR dinner but we went anyway and mine was OK but my wife wasn’t enamoured with hers. We were equally unenthusiastic about the comedian / singing impressionist, so we went back to the cabin to watch the remainder of the sail out from our very warm balcony. Sea day tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10 by Selbourne

[lincslady]

I love the expression on the monkey's face - it looks as though it thought it had found its mummy!

 

Cartagena looks very attractive in your photos, but probably less lovely to be in it and being bombarded by hawkers.  All very interesting reading Selbourne, thank you for taking the time.

[Beckett]

Wonderful photos Selbourne - especially the colourful parrots and that dear little monkey. 

 

You made me laugh aloud in your description of the coffee experience when you said "still at least they had a loo" as if that was the best part of the tour! Very funny.

 

With all the things that have not been good on this cruise I wonder how you'll view it in years to come. Fond memories or the 'sore throat' cruise? It will be interesting to see.

 

Sorry to hear you are still suffering with your throat by the way. I do hope it improves without a costly visit to the medical centre.

 

Once again, thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into your daily updates. As you can tell from all the comments everyone is still very much enjoying our daily fix with morning coffee.

 

Best wishes. Jane xx

[lindyloo22]

Great photos loved the monkey hope your feeling a bit better and the sore throat and cough disappears soon. Looking forward to reading more of your adventure.

[Angel57]

Superb report again and your photos are excellent. Thank you. 
On another site, a poster reported that the delayed departure was due to “mandatory lifeboat checks”.