Alongside In Hamburg

At Tea

       We spent most of the day with a pilot sailing into Hamburg down the Elbe River. It was a very long transit and a good rate of speed. There was a German air force plane flyover early this morning checking us out!

Along The River

Close Quarters

       The only Zumba today was the morning session. I counted about 75 people there which has been consistent with the morning sessions. Again today everything was jammed into the morning with not much happening in the afternoon. We use to go to the art auctions but since they changed the art auction system a fer cruises ago they are not much fun even if we just sat there. I did go off to the earth science lecture which was on the formation of the earth and how the oceans came to be and he way in which our oxygen atmosphere developed. It was rather interesting. The lecture was quickly followed by the Le Havre port lecture. We decided long ago that we would be going into town. We have been to the area at least 4 times and since we are not going to Paris or the Normandy beaches (we have been there twice) we will take the shuttle into the city. We did research on it before we left so there was not much new. The only thing is that we can shuttle and nonot so good things to say about the way the cab into town.

Greetings!

       A nice lunch in the dining room. We sat with people from Buffalo NY. The conversation was mostly about killing pigs in Texas (the other couples) and Canadian customs. The Buffalo couple had nothing but good things to say about them. They had some harsher words for the way they get treated by US customs. After tea we watch the egg drop challenge. That contest involves dropping a raw egg from deck 7 to 5 without it breaking. We have done it a number of times. A few eggs actually broke but they gave a prize (pens?) to all the participants. Then of course the relaxing afternoon with a glass of wine followed. 

         We skipped the entertainment as it was a singer doing classics from the '30's and '40's. Instead we just sat, had a drink and watch the bank of the river go by. By the time we were close to Hamburg and then docking it was time for dinner. Some people went ashore as soon as we docked but because we are on tour at 7:30 tomorrow morning, we decided to get a good night's sleep. We will be touring Berlin. This tour is the primary reason why we selected this cruise.

Through the English Channel And Beyond

        We have already passed the Cliffs of Dover which we could clearly see early this afternoon. We have steaming along quite quickly all night and are well on our way to Hamburg. There was an announcement earlier today there will be there tomorrow night in the late afternoon. We will overnight there which should make it easier to do our 13 hour tour the next day. By this afternoon the wind died down and the weather sunny but still on the cool side (50F).

       We had to report to German immigration this morning but the officers have been on board since Liverpool so the whole process was quick and well run . Nothing like the Liverpool experience. Zumba followed and the we caught the end of the Earthquake and Archaeology presentation. We simple stayed in the theatre for the next event which was billed as “An Audience with Original Beatle Pete Best”. The cruise director asked a series of questions (probably supplied by Pete). He talked about the early days of the Beatles and the various clubs that they played at in both Liverpool and Hamburg. He filled in many details of what it was like, the name changes the band went through and their first recording sessions. He ended with the day he was let go from the bank and Ringo Starr became the drummer. He hinted that the reason given was he was not good enough although he said he was the best drummer in Liverpool. He suggested that Paul probably knows the reason. However In all a very interesting talk.

Ready for Formal Night

       A quick lunch with tea in the Atrium followed. The dance lesson today was on the Waltz and since we have done waltzes many times in line dancing, it was a lot easier to dance all the steps Theo demonstrated. That was followed by line dance class where we did Caribbean(?) style dances which seemed to be more zumba than dances. Then it was another Zumba class for 45 minutes. It was all a bit tiring. Finally we had a chance to rest.

       We did go to the Elite nibbles before dinner. It was formal night again, the third of the cruise. We have one more to go. We had seen the presentation of Bravo earlier in the cruise so we skipped the show. There was the full evening of trivia and dance bands but nothing extra special. Judy did manage to find some silver items that she liked. It took a bit of time but she finally settled on a necklace and earnings. I said that they were for our anniversary but I don't think she went for it. 

Not Ashore in Holyhead

Sleeping In

      Were were up early this morning as we needed to be ready to get on the tender to get ashore for our castle tour. At breakfast around 7 am (the anchorage time) we realized that we were still steaming merrily along. Soon after the Captain announced that due to weather conditions he was heading straight for Germany. The seas were rough and the visibility low. There would not have been a problem with the anchorage but the operation of the tenders would have been a safety issue. |The seas are a bit rough and it was not as cold as it looked. Weather improved greatly as the day went on.

     It was now 7:15 and no place to go with a limited activity programme. We decided to catch a bit more sleep but then an complete sea day program was announced. That meant Zumba at 9:30 with Theo. There were fewer people there. I think the 2 lecturers have left the ship as there was very little planned for the rest of the morning. Bean bag toss was not exactly a high interest item. The rest of the morning was at leisure.

      We went to the foxtrot dance lesson. It was probably the poorest dance that we have done. The instructor needed to fill in time and did many steps but we never got to put them all together. By the end wee were really ready to leave. We also decide to go to Sabini;s for the special pizza lunch. We were the last people in there and it took a little longer to have the pizzas made. The result was that by the time we were finished it was too late to get to the added afternoon Zumba class. With the quickly put together programme for the day, there was very little other things to do. We decided to just take in a movie.

       By the afternoon, the weather cleared and the “rough” seas conditions improved. By late afternoon we were already in the English Channel. The ship also announced that had requested the Hamburg port authorities to let us dock earlier. We do not know what this will mean in terms of a port visit. They have already refunded the cost of the Holyhead tours. We think that the decision to skip the port was made soon after we left because the forecast was very ify. We also will need to do another face to face immigration inspection before we arrive in |Germany although they will do that at sea tomorrow. It should not be as chaotic as the one for England.

Table cloth

Crab Shack Dessert

  

We had a bit to eat at the afternoon elite party and then went to the early show, a classical guitarist. It was probably one of the better musical performances that we have seen on this trip. After that we went to the Crab Shack dinner. We had no idea what to expect except that it was a seafood “specialty” restaurant although it was held in the buffet area. We met the 2 other couples. It was a great sea food dinner. We both had the king crab legs and shrimp as the main course. For us it was better than going to the specialty steak or Italian restaurant. We had a leisurely 2 hour dinner. We stopped in at the International Crew show and standing room only by the time we arrived. It was half over by the time we got there.

Ashore in Liverpool

      When we got up early this morning and looked out there we tall buildings and we were in Liverpool. Our side of the ship is along side the dock facing the centre of the city. If it had not been for the cool rainy weather which was with us all day, it would have been a perfect way to end the 7 straight sea days. At least they did not have snow which apparently they had last week. We also realized that the cruise has less than a week to go.

       We had to go through the immigration process this morning and from a ship point of view it was poorly organized. When we arrived at the appointed time we encountered 2 long lines. Those on tour were going one way, we needed to go the other. The line snaked around the deck until we arrived at the Explorers Lounge where we were given a number in the 500's to see immigration. Then they started calling out groups of 100's to get in another long line for immigration. By the time our number was called, the lounge held too many people. We did manage to get out of there in about 30 minutes. The rest was easy.

The Tower

The Church

      After breakfast we headed ashore. We walked to the Metropolitan Catholic church which we missed the last time we were here. We had already toured the very large Anglican cathedral. There was a serve at 11. It took about 35 minutes to get there. We arrived just as some of the ship tours were going through the church. We waited for a short period of time before the service started. It was wonderful with a full children's choir that sang both in

The Interior

English and in Latin. There were parts of the service that used the Gregorian chant. In all just a wonderful experience. The church is relatively modern with seating in the round. There is an old crypt below the church but it is not open on Sundays. We think it is next to the underground parking lot. The church itself is in the middle of the city with no free space around it. After the service all were invited for tea and a biscuit (cookie). Of course we went! The tea was not strong and by now the cookie was appreciated. We did talk to the priest who did the service for a few minutes. In all it was a really good experience. By the time we finished there it was nearly 1.

      We wandered back down the centre pedestrian way which was filled with Sunday shoppers. We ended up at the Albert Dock area, a renovated section along the river where the old warehouses have been given over to museums, shops, the Beatles experience, etc. We had explored this area the last time we were here a few years ago so we skipped all of the Beatles things. We did stop at the |Maritime Museum, a place we had visited before. We only stayed a short period of time going through the Battle of the Atlantic floor. The rain moved in again and by late afternoon, we headed back to he Caribbean Princess. A quick soup and salad and a cup of tea was enough to eat and then a rest was in order until we sailed.

Albert Docks

      

Wandering

The evening went quickly with a variety showtime with Doug Funk, the comedian from Toronto and a singer. Dinner provided us a chance to catch up on the experiences of our dinner friends. There was another chocolate journey dessert! They just keep on coming! There was “70's night in the lounge – read disco. With a early cruise tour tomorrow, ( we need to start the tendering at 7:30) it was time to end the evening early...again! We are in Holyhead tomorrow which is only a few miles down the coast. We are looking forward to our tour of a castle.

At Sea Day 7 of 7

Belly Dancing Class

      Big happenings today. As we got up today we saw a bird flying by the ship, the first bird we have seen since leaving Bermuda. Then later in the day we passed 2 oil drilling platform and a small tender craft. Finally as th4e day went on, we started to see land and other ships. We had finally made it to the English channel and we were seeing the Irish coast near Cove (Cobb) which we had been to the last few cruises. Coffee and tea in the Atrium along with a donut and yogurt was breakfast. It is only the 2^nd donut that I have had on the cruise. Zumba for 40 minutes followed. We missed the enrichment lectures today. Judy has been wanting to buy a gold chain and ankle chain which took some time. She received a free gold bracelet with the purchase. We did make it to the port lecture on Holyhead just barely finding seats. Since we had a light breakfast we did go the pub lunch early where they had fish and chips. Maybe we will get some real English fish and chips ashore tomorrow.

In The Lounge

Lounge Drink

     We did go to the Rumba class (no not Little Rumba the line dance. Judy then stayed or belly dancing but she did not have her shawl. Then it was Lexi's turn for another Zumba class, the last one for 2 days as we are in port both tomorrow (Liverpool) and Monday in Holyhead. Actually after today we only have 3 sea days more. After all that it was time for an in room movie, a glass of wine and some rest before we headed out for drinks at the Elite lounge.

Chocolate Cookie!

      The entertainment tonight was a mix between the Irish fiddle players and the singer. We decided against the entertainment and just went down a little later to the lounge for a drink and a bit to eat. We have another time change tonight and then the early (7:45) report to immigration for a face to face with them. I guess with all the recent troubles that British Immigration is looking a little closer at people entering the country. We are trying to track down our laundry that has been missing (at the laundry) for about 5-6 days. I told the front desk that we would be wearing towels soon if they can't find it. When we returned to the room tonight after dinner, our laundry was there. Some of the socks were still damp but at least we don't have to wear towels to the immigration check tomorrow.

At Sea Day 6 of 7

    And on we sail. We can actually see the coastline of Europe on the navigation map that is on one of the ship's channels. We still continue to move along at about 17 knots. We have done many crossings but usually we have a stop in the Azores to break up the sea time. Crossing from Florida to England; across the Atlantic at a 45 degree angle is different. We are starting to be anxious for Liverpool which we will be in early Sunday.

Even with the time change last night we were up early enough to have a coffee and tea in the Atrium along with a muffin and yogurt. Zumba for 40 minutes followed. We both went to the enrichment lecture on cars. This one was on the British car industry through the ages. Today Britain is the number 12 in car producer. The leading producer is Mazda. He did talk about Austin Healys and did mention that they have the Lucas electrical system; so poorly designed even mechanics can't figure out why some of the pieces are inn there. The destination lecture on Liverpool followed. Since we have been before and have a good idea of what we want to do, it only gave a few ideas on what we might do. As usual, the theatre was packed. We also had a chance to put in our future cruise deposit.

    Since we had a light breakfast we decided to eat in the dinning room. It is a nice break from the Atrium or the Horizon Court but it takes a long time to be served and finish. We had nothing going until mid afternoon. I went off to see the Star Wars movie in the theatre and Judy did “Low Impact” Zumba although it was not much different from the regular class. The Elite lounge is closed tonight because there are 4 more parties for Captain Circle passengers. We decided to watch an movie. We do get Fox a and MNBC news channels. They seem to cover the campaign and everything that is said 24 hours a day! It is either that of the BBC!

Our Table

     We decided not to go to the early show tonight. The production is Born To Be Wild a show we have seen many times. Judy was still watching a movie when we were suppose to leave. Dinner with Mike and Marge followed. We wanted to go to the Crab Shack on Saturday but they were full up. We booked for May 2 instead. The roast beef at dinner was excellent as it has been all this cruise. We did pop in on one of the game shows that they hold every night that we can't get to because of the time we have dinner.

   We were informed that we will need to clear British immigration before we go ashore. This will take place after we dock. With 3100 people to go through the process, it should be quite a mess although we have been given a specific time to report.

At Sea Day 5 of 7

Ready For The Party

    Today we had a bit if a break from the routine that we have been following. I think all the things that we have been doing is having an effect as we seem to need a full 8 hours of sleep and then some. In any case breakfast at the buffet was followed by the only Zumba class today which lasted about 45 minutes. I did go the the Navigation at sea lecture when they talk about the ship. It use to be done by a very junior officer who had a hard time communicating. Today they had a short video presentation showing the changes in navigation techniques. That was followed by a series of slides detailing how the bridge actually operates. The navigation has certainly changed plenty from the days of slide rulers and paper charts. Now it is all done electronically although they stiff carry a set of charts for the areas they will sail in. There was plenty of details about the ship and the construction, speeds, foods consumed every day (18 tons) fuel use etc. He took many questions at the end of the talk. He did mention that the person who was next show.medivaced yesterday was a senior employee of Princess. He is the senior procurer for the fleet. He had a small heart attack and then a large one. We were about 200 miles from the Azores when the helicopter met the ship.

       We went to Sabitini's for lunch. They run the restaurant as a pizza place with the same menu that we found on the Regal Princess last fall. They have about 6 pizzas to choose from and you can add things if you want. They did not have the soups and salads as on the Regal. We were about the first in line which was nice for a change. We say with a very nice couple from Northern California and had a wonderful time. We finished early enough to get to the Salsa dance lesson followed quickly by the 45 minute Zumba class followed by line dance class. It was at a higher but not difficult level Same old stuff but by the time we finished those 3 activities we were ready for a rest.

Laura - Cruise Staff

      I went to the improv workshop and the waited to see if our names were drawn for the free package of formal portraits that we had done last night. Luck would have it, no luck. Then at 5:15 it was time for our Captain's circle party. There ship can hold 3700 passengers with all the extra berths in the cabins (we have one) on the ship. There are 3100 passengers on the ship, about 1000 at the Elite level. When you include all Captain's Circle members, they needed 4 parties to host them all.

     

We did attend the show – a singer from London. He did one song from Les Mis which was best. There are still long lines waiting to get into the next show. They did have a late show but since we are advancing an hour again tonight we managed the early one. Dinner as usual was very good. We have a good time with out table mates. After the rather tiring day we decided to leave the rest of the evening to the youngsters!