Day 2-21st July -At Sea
After the rush and activity of embarkation the ideal way to relax and enjoy all ORIANA has to offer is a day at sea.
Since the previous evening ORIANA had continued on her Northern heading leaving the English channel and continuing into the North Sea.
Known by mariners for being unpredictable at the best of times some even comparing it to the infamous Bay Of Biscay .
Despite not needing to I woke early to take in order to advantage of ORIANA’s decks being mostly empty in order to take some early morning exercise around ORIANA’s open decks and to take a quiet walk around her public spaces to appreciate ORIANA before the spaces began to fill with passengersbefore breakfast.
Venturing down to the Promenade to begin I found the weather outside to be overcast and a moderate temperature, according to the ship information channel the outside air temperature was around 11 degrees with a Northerly wind blowing across the open decks.
As expected there was not many passengers around ORIANA at 7:30am,
Personally I only met one other passenger who was also taking a leisurely walk around the decks.
At this time of the morning a far more regular sight is that of ORIANA’s house keeping crew attending their duties of keeping the ship looking immaculate this particular morning the house keeper assigned to Andersons was ensuring that the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen was in perfect condition as he finished polishing the picture’s frame.
After the rush and activity of embarkation the ideal way to relax and enjoy all ORIANA has to offer is a day at sea.
Since the previous evening ORIANA had continued on her Northern heading leaving the English channel and continuing into the North Sea.
Known by mariners for being unpredictable at the best of times some even comparing it to the infamous Bay Of Biscay .
Despite not needing to I woke early to take in order to advantage of ORIANA’s decks being mostly empty in order to take some early morning exercise around ORIANA’s open decks and to take a quiet walk around her public spaces to appreciate ORIANA before the spaces began to fill with passengersbefore breakfast.
Venturing down to the Promenade to begin I found the weather outside to be overcast and a moderate temperature, according to the ship information channel the outside air temperature was around 11 degrees with a Northerly wind blowing across the open decks.
As expected there was not many passengers around ORIANA at 7:30am,
Personally I only met one other passenger who was also taking a leisurely walk around the decks.
At this time of the morning a far more regular sight is that of ORIANA’s house keeping crew attending their duties of keeping the ship looking immaculate this particular morning the house keeper assigned to Andersons was ensuring that the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen was in perfect condition as he finished polishing the picture’s frame.
A overcast morning in the North Sea as seen from ORIANA’s observation deck.After several laps around the promenade and the Lido deck, it was almost time for breakfast to be served in The Peninsular Restaurant .
Being that the day was spent at sea the Restaurant opening times for breakfast are 8am until 9:30am.
Unlike the set tables for dinner , breakfast is served in one open sitting, allowing for the possibility of meeting many different passengers during the cruise.
On this particular morning we were given a table for 8 and were promptly joined by a another 5 other passengers.
Although I can not say its my preferred way of meeting new people, to be sat with others randomly, I must say that it can be highly effective way of meeting like minded travellers but equally it can sometimes be a annoying when you meet people who are not so pleasant
Fortunately on this occasion we seemed to have been placed with very polite and sociable passengers all of whom were willing to engage in conversation about many varied subjects some associated with cruising and others not.
Like all meals served on ORIANA breakfast has many options ranging from healthy lighter options to a traditional so called Full English Breakfast as well as having a different speciality each day of the week.
Being that the day was spent at sea the Restaurant opening times for breakfast are 8am until 9:30am.
Unlike the set tables for dinner , breakfast is served in one open sitting, allowing for the possibility of meeting many different passengers during the cruise.
On this particular morning we were given a table for 8 and were promptly joined by a another 5 other passengers.
Although I can not say its my preferred way of meeting new people, to be sat with others randomly, I must say that it can be highly effective way of meeting like minded travellers but equally it can sometimes be a annoying when you meet people who are not so pleasant
Fortunately on this occasion we seemed to have been placed with very polite and sociable passengers all of whom were willing to engage in conversation about many varied subjects some associated with cruising and others not.
Like all meals served on ORIANA breakfast has many options ranging from healthy lighter options to a traditional so called Full English Breakfast as well as having a different speciality each day of the week.
For me personally a large breakfast isn’t a very appealing prospect so I decided on having a fresh fruit and apple juice, with a cup of coffee,
At 8:55 daily during days at sea the ships navigator makes a announcement from the bridge talking about ORIANA’s navigational progress since departure from Southampton , including the fact that the wind would become noticeably stronger during the course of the day before ending by wishing all a pleasant day onboard ORIANA.
As breakfast came to its end thoughts turned towards the best way to spend the first day onboard ORIANA.
Unlike on the ocean liners of the past where on board organised events were almost non-existent and passengers made their own entertainment, However for this day onboard ORIANA that certainly was far from the truth beginning from 9am there was a whole host of activities.
For myself I thought that the digital living presentation warranted a closer look so decided to attend the free introduction being held in TheMedina Room on deck 13, the talk was to introduce to interested passengers the various technology courses and workshops that would be on offer during the cruise courtesy of the Digital living presenter.
The Digital living program which is open to all passengers onboard for a fee aims to give passengers of all abilities a introduction to the world of modern digital technology, including using computers, getting to grips with the Microsoft Windows operating system among others, it also offers more advanced courses for those who are already somewhat experienced with technology. The first courses starting proper at 10 am and being aimed at complete computer novices.
At 8:55 daily during days at sea the ships navigator makes a announcement from the bridge talking about ORIANA’s navigational progress since departure from Southampton , including the fact that the wind would become noticeably stronger during the course of the day before ending by wishing all a pleasant day onboard ORIANA.
As breakfast came to its end thoughts turned towards the best way to spend the first day onboard ORIANA.
Unlike on the ocean liners of the past where on board organised events were almost non-existent and passengers made their own entertainment, However for this day onboard ORIANA that certainly was far from the truth beginning from 9am there was a whole host of activities.
For myself I thought that the digital living presentation warranted a closer look so decided to attend the free introduction being held in TheMedina Room on deck 13, the talk was to introduce to interested passengers the various technology courses and workshops that would be on offer during the cruise courtesy of the Digital living presenter.
The Digital living program which is open to all passengers onboard for a fee aims to give passengers of all abilities a introduction to the world of modern digital technology, including using computers, getting to grips with the Microsoft Windows operating system among others, it also offers more advanced courses for those who are already somewhat experienced with technology. The first courses starting proper at 10 am and being aimed at complete computer novices.
A small selection of some of the activities available. Also beginning at the same time was the popular Port Presentations being held in the Theatre Royal , the first being held at 9:45 am about Olden and the second in the early afternoon at 2pm about Eijford , because of only a short time at sea before reaching Norway presentations for the first two ports of Bergen and Geiranger had been pre recorded and being shown on ORIANA’s in cabin television channels throughout the day.
During the course of the morning the weather did as predicted worsen with winds reaching force 8 conditions with speeds of around 66 to 70 km/h and the effects began to be felt onboard with the pitching motion becoming more apparent and slight rolling motion developing.Despite the weather conditions all onboard continued about their business not allowing it to affect their day,
Indeed the only real change to shipboard life was the cancelling of the decks sports planned for the morning and the closing of open decks for safety concerns.
Being a ship with predominately British passengers, it did not take long for passengers to begin that most British of past times- complaining about the weather.
In The Crows Nest quite by accident I managed ,while trying to have a quiet and relaxing coffee with my family , to somehow to get involved with a conversation about modern ships lack of sea keeping abilities, I thought at the time if any first time cruisers were around listing to this conversation there was a high possibility that it would be enough to make this their last cruise as well.
I found it quite amusing to listen as some passengers claimed that the had felt the ship roll 20 degrees at least in the last hour.
Deciding it was best not to get involved we thought that perhaps the promenade deck might offer something less confrontational, after reading the Oriana Today newspaper to look see what else was going on board and headed down to the promenade.
Finding a quiet corner of Lords Tavern where a quiz was being hosted by one of the entertainment officers it seemed a convenient place to spend.
Within the next 30 minutes or so the time reached midday and the quiz came to an end just in time for the midday announcement from the bridge.
As usual the announcement began with the ships bell being rung 12 times, before the officer of the watch began by introducing ORIANA’ s current position as being 55°00N 003° 42E and that since departure from Southampton we had travelled 380 nautical miles (703.76 Km) with 360 nautical miles (666.72Km) remaining until ORIANA reached Bergan, and that as had been predicted earlier in the day the wind speed had picked up reaching force 8 which is classed as gale force winds with the temperature rising slightly to 14 degrees.
As well as pointing out the navigational information the officer noted that ORIANA was now passing on her starboard side DISCOVERY which had served with P&O’s sister company Princess between 1972 and 1999 as ISLAND PRINCESS her twin PACIFIC PRINCESS being made famous as the Love Boat in the series of the same name.
Before concluding he ended by saying that it was predicted that during the early evening the weather was forecasted to improve.
For the first time during this cruise a full lunch was served in The Peninsular Restaurant, every bit as lavish as the evening meals generally the lunch consists of a of 3 courses and beginning with a starter dish which is either a soup or small dish before moving onto the mains and then desserts.
Like breakfast lunch is on the open sitting basis and works in the same way.
It was as lunch continued and the sea conditions continued as they had been for the past hours, that I saw distantly the first of what would become a common sight over the coming hours, Oil Rigs, many of which had been established in the 1970s.
Once lunch had concluded for me it was a back to the Lords Tavern to listen to the music of the guest duo Rebound before heading back to The Crows Nest on to take part in the music quiz being held there by Cruise Director Gary during which Captain Pembridge announced over the public address system that due to the ongoing weather conditions the planned cocktail party for the night had been cancelled and rescheduled for the following evening and that the dress code for the evening had been relaxed from formal to casual wear although the Gala dinner would still be served since the chefs had been preparing for some time.
This had the effect of being a relief for some passengers who found the motion of the ship somewhat distracting while preparing for dinner although for me the motion of the ship was not any worse than it had been in the hours before.
As it was to turn out by 6pm the weather had calmed down significantly with the sea conditions now being little more than Spray over the seas surface.
The Gala dinner for 1st sitting began as normal at 6:30pm and for this special dinner we were welcomed as with every dinner by the head waiters and the Restaurant Manager Janet Bacon , a long time P&O employee she had served on many company vessels including volunteering to travel down to the Falklands onboard CANBERRA in 1982 and was also onboard ORIANA during the delivery voyage to Southampton.
Despite the lack of formal wear the gala dinner had attached to it all the grandeur and had lavished in it all the preparation which such a event rightly deserves.
For me the could be not better main course than one of those on offer, my personal favourite meat dish Lamb
Knowing that many people suffer from medical conditions that prevent them from eating a range of foods P&O’s ever attentive catering staff are able to prepare meals that are for example sugar and fat free to ensure all onboard are able to enjoy their meals while keeping to strict diet requirements
For the first time during this cruise a full lunch was served in The Peninsular Restaurant, every bit as lavish as the evening meals generally the lunch consists of a of 3 courses and beginning with a starter dish which is either a soup or small dish before moving onto the mains and then desserts.
Like breakfast lunch is on the open sitting basis and works in the same way.
It was as lunch continued and the sea conditions continued as they had been for the past hours, that I saw distantly the first of what would become a common sight over the coming hours, Oil Rigs, many of which had been established in the 1970s.
Once lunch had concluded for me it was a back to the Lords Tavern to listen to the music of the guest duo Rebound before heading back to The Crows Nest on to take part in the music quiz being held there by Cruise Director Gary during which Captain Pembridge announced over the public address system that due to the ongoing weather conditions the planned cocktail party for the night had been cancelled and rescheduled for the following evening and that the dress code for the evening had been relaxed from formal to casual wear although the Gala dinner would still be served since the chefs had been preparing for some time.
This had the effect of being a relief for some passengers who found the motion of the ship somewhat distracting while preparing for dinner although for me the motion of the ship was not any worse than it had been in the hours before.
As it was to turn out by 6pm the weather had calmed down significantly with the sea conditions now being little more than Spray over the seas surface.
The Gala dinner for 1st sitting began as normal at 6:30pm and for this special dinner we were welcomed as with every dinner by the head waiters and the Restaurant Manager Janet Bacon , a long time P&O employee she had served on many company vessels including volunteering to travel down to the Falklands onboard CANBERRA in 1982 and was also onboard ORIANA during the delivery voyage to Southampton.
Despite the lack of formal wear the gala dinner had attached to it all the grandeur and had lavished in it all the preparation which such a event rightly deserves.
For me the could be not better main course than one of those on offer, my personal favourite meat dish Lamb
Knowing that many people suffer from medical conditions that prevent them from eating a range of foods P&O’s ever attentive catering staff are able to prepare meals that are for example sugar and fat free to ensure all onboard are able to enjoy their meals while keeping to strict diet requirements
After dinner had finished then ORIANA’s night life began promptly, with a excellent selection of guest performers and after dinner speakers.
On advice of the Cruise Director we decided to head to the Theatre Royal to watch a comedian followed by a excellent singing/dancing duo.
By the time the last rays of daylight had disappeared under the horizon.
The weather was in complete contrast to the day and I decided after the shows to take another walk around ORIANA’s now reopened promenade deck from where the sea now appeared as a flat calm, in fact the night as I still recalled seemed incredibly calm it even possible to see the glows coming from distant ships and oil rigs.
A night walk on ORIANA's promade deck.
Meeting and speaking again with the cruise director it was interesting to listen to him recalling his many years of cruise experience and of the natural wonders that Norway holds.
To complete what had been the perfect evening, it was decided to spend the last hours of the night enjoying some drinks in Andersons, in its elegant and sophisticated surroundings.
And so the clock struck midnight another day onboard ORIANA came to a end yet still the ship was alive with laughter, polite conversation and music.
In about 4 hours ORIANA would reach the entrance to the Hjelte fjord and be ready to embark the pilot ready for the approach to our first destination Bergen.
Photos Copyright: Steve Martin
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário