Day 14 - At Sea

Day 14 – 13^th September 2014 – At Sea

It is still carrying on; the effect of a high pressure weather system over the Baltic is giving us another fine, warm sunny day.

I have not been in the gym for the past four days, so really enjoyed it, while the sauna afterwards is the icing on the cake, which really gets me into relax mode.

Today is the big day for the choir and their performance; I eagerly took part in the 12.00 practice, only to find out the choir boys have won.  The dress code is to be full evening wear for ladies and gents, unfortunately for me; I cannot see the point in being dressed up in full bib and tucker for a sing-song on a staircase.  This may be how the gents, who are members of choirs at home, dress, but for someone who is out for a bit of fun, this has become too serious for me.

Not too worry, off to the Golden Lion to wash down the disappointment, with a bucket full of mussels and a plate of chips, certainly done the trick.

Choir

   

Grand Staircase

I went along to the grand staircase at 15.15 to give some morale support to the choir.  They managed to get through their repertoire, but where were the smiles.

The men may have been constrained by their dickie bows, no excuse for the ladies, and there appeared to be nervousness in the performance.  I roundly cheered and clapped at the end, and hope those who attended in the audience, appreciated the work which they had put in.

This evening, went along to the theatre at 19.00, for the farewell variety show.  The Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers were doing their last show on the ship, this group after a four month stint being replaced by another troupe.  Ben Makisi, the wonderful Moari tenor was also saying goodbye, so it was a remarkable show, I wish them all good fortune in their future engagements.

Dinner in the Princess Grill was a wonderful affair; my meal consisted of savoury rolls, lamb chops and coconut cake.  Adriane our marvellous American lady, brought a bottle of champagne to the table, as a toast to each and every one of us, agreeing we all thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company, and our stories will live on.

At 23.00, a look outside, we were passing Dover on a clear, star lit night and entering the English Channel.  The twinkling shore lights, always gives me a reassuring feeling of achievement, making a landfall after crossing a sea.  Although on a cruise liner, this sight and feeling has been the same for sailors over the centuries.