We booked this Caribbean and Amason cruise (X701) over a year ago, but it never looked as though we were going to get there. In November I had my right hip replaced. We had originally hoped that both would have been done by August and that I would be fully mobile. Instead I am recovering from one and still in a lot of pain.
Preparations began a long time ago too. There have been several weeks of inventories, online bookings, excursion shopping, packing, visa application, visits to the travel clinic, malaria prophylaxis and so many expectations but finally we're here!
It's exactly 2 months since my right hip op, so I think this is going to be the best way to recover and get ready for op 2 when I get home.
The 6 a.m. alarm on 3/1/2017 and by 7 a.m. on the road to meet our coach at Knutsford Services and by 9.45 we were in the coach heading for the Mayflower Cruise Terminal in Southampton, with a new and unfamiliar coach driver, a very nice man. We only had one comfort and snack stop at Warwick services and arrived in the port at Southampton at 3.15 p.m. The only mishap was that one of our 3 suitcases had broken on both handles, so we thought it would have to be replaced. We have had it examined and taken away to be repaired, hope that's possible. This is one of the set we got in Hong Kong when one of the airlines damaged our cases, so it's about three years old and has done some mileage, had a lot of throwing about, so it's probably time.
So here we are on MS Oriana, the first ship we sailed on in 2009 and so we could say the cause of our return to cruising in 2011 MS Nordkapp, 2014 MS Pacifica, 2015 MS Arcadia, 2016 MS Aurora and now!
The temperature is 1 degree Celsius outside, but inside the A/C and heating system is keeping us warm. Our cabin D231 like the whole of Oriana looks beautiful! spacious, newly refurbished, right at the end of the corridor next to the deck at the rear and on deck 8, and next to the only hot tub in the vicinity. We are 4 decks directly below the self service restaurant known as the Conservatory and directly above one of the entertainment venues, the Pacific Lounge. And only a short walk from the lifts to the evening restaurant, the Peninsular. Our very kind cabin steward is Sidesh, our neighbours we notice are very quiet and already have their "Do not disturb sign" in the door. Hope they don't think we're the neighbours from Hell, what with all the singing and and football supporter's noise.
The whole ship did the required safety drill, complete with mustering stations, life jackets and as there were many people in the same place were able to spot people we'd met elsewhere too, like Graham and Carol whom we met last year on Aurora. Graham did art and knew Khachik's friend Easa, and Graham's wife Carol we remember was in the choir.
So we've set sail and will have covered a bit of ocean overnight by the time we wake up! We learned from the Captain's log that a pilot was on board until we left the Solent at 9:32 p.m and entered the English Channel.
Our Freedom Dining (random table mates every day instead of Club Dining with the same group) experience began on a table of 8, which although pleasant, and food (the familiar 5 courser) fantastic, the number and layout of table mates weren't the best choice for communication - it seems you can only really hear the person next to you. So we just about managed introductions and a bit of small talk. The most interesting thing was to find that one of the table was a jazz musician (Chris Walker) who was also doing a lot of talks about the great musicians of 20th century. We hope to hear some of those over the next few days.
We were promised noise in our cabin, as the location is just above the ship's engines, but it's not bad, not that much more than usual, I mean what you would expect from a moving vehicle with engines. In fact we both slept incredibly well on our first night. This sleep quality may actually be because of the noise :) Or possibly because we are both hard of hearing and both need hearing aids to hear normal speech these days ;) Or because I am taking regular Cocodamol. Anyway, the noise is not a problem
Our Captain is Captain Box, and he sounds like a very nice man as he has already spoken to us from the Bridge..
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