Embarkation

Tuesday 22nd November

Introduction
This was a last-minute booking. I had intended to go on a cruise before Christmas but lost sight of the dates because of health issues (mine and a friend's) and by the time I got organised, there was only one cruise I could manage around various appointments. I booked it 4 days before it left. Unfortunately the price was not as good as it had been earlier.

With friends staying during those days, and a visit to the cinema the day I was packing, I did not put enough thought into what I took. I had plenty of evening clothes but I had to keep wearing the same few outfits during the day. In fact I ended up with one skirt but not the top to go with it, so that was a waste of suitcase space. I found that it really did not matter what I wore and a reduced wardrobe did not concern me once I adjusted.

After booking, I found that two friends from previous cruises, Frances and Jenny, would be on board too.

Events of the day

Jonathan and David had offered to drive me to Southampton so we had a leisurely morning. We did not need to leave until 11.30. The drive down was uneventful and took about 70 minutes. They stopped by the cruise terminal and the porter rushed to get my cases. I said goodbye and walked off. I stepped into the building and could not see where to go. When I asked someone I discovered I was in the Arrivals section; I should have walked in the opposite direction!

I must have been on the ship and in my room within 10 minutes. The room seemed small! I think the rooms on Celebrity (my last two cruises) must be bigger, and of course two out of my last three cruises have been in ‘accessible staterooms’ (wheelchair friendly) that are larger than usual. I walked to my balcony and discovered that a huge orange lifeboat was on the deck below, obscuring my view of the sea. I was puzzled as I thought that only happened in the lowest standard of balcony, not the second-highest, to which I had been upgraded (from the third-highest – all that was left when I booked). I checked with the Purser’s desk and with my cruise agent and they all said that this is correct. It surprised me. I assume it is the midship location that makes this room desirable.

My main suitcase arrived almost immediately and my carry-on suitcase was not much later. I decided to have lunch before unpacking. I tried to contact Jenny to meet with her for lunch but we did not find each other until we had finished eating. It turns out we were sitting very close by but I was reading a book and she had her back turned to me and did not see me before sitting down. (The same sort of thing happened later in the ballroom, when she found a seat while I was up dancing and we did not see each other at first. Not a pattern we want to continue!)

The first afternoon is a bit tiring with unpacking and the muster drill. Jenny and I also had to visit the dining room to find our dinner seating. The only availability was for second seating but we put our name down on a list to change to first seating. (Confirmation of a change came through the next day.)

I was not prepared to wait until 8.30 to eat, so I went to the Lido buffet for dinner, while Jenny decided to try out our late table. I chatted to a couple of friendly people at an adjoining table.

The evening dancing session started at 7.45 and ended at 8.30. I arrived at 7.30 to save seats near the front. On some cruises the Dance Hosts don’t ask anyone from the back rows. Frances and Jenny joined me later. One of the Dance Hosts started dancing with me almost straight away. This is such a change from other cruises where some Hosts do as little as possible.

There are four Hosts. Australian Dennis is a reasonable dancer and tells me he is trying out steps with me that he’s never danced before, as he has confidence that I can follow him. That’s good to hear as my private dance lessons for the past few years have focused on me following my teacher’s lead. (I later discovered that this was part of the patter that he used with many of the ladies!) Laconic Louis does very basic steps and seems to follow a pattern of the same couple of figures repeated over and over. He did not know his limitations and was prepared to try anything; during the cruise he would get up and attempt complicated sequence dancers with a partner who did not know the steps either, just trying to copy the people on either side of him. German Joachim has good posture but does not keep to strict tempo with his steps but suddenly rushes one. Dashing David dances gently and basically, no effort, never breaking into a sweat, while chatting and smiling down into the lady’s eyes the whole time. I don't know how he steers around the floor as he never seems to be looking. He is a delight. He told me he is an Introvert and being a Host has taught him how to chat to people instead of locking himself away in his room.

I managed a Viennese Waltz with Dennis but decided not to do it regularly as it is a very tiring dance and we did not dance brilliantly together. It was hard work as his rotation could have been better.

During the interval I stayed in the ballroom reading rather than going to the show. My brain needed to relax. The 9.15 session was quite crowded at first but people left early, tired from the journey. Frances left at 10 while Jenny and I stayed until 11.

First sea day (clocks forward)

Wednesday 23rd November

I did not sleep well. This is quite typical for my first night on a ship. I think I’m in a corridor of people who love the night-life. Doors seemed to be continually banging shut! At 3.30 (which was 2.30 by my body) I took the second half of my sleeping tablet as one half had not worked well enough. It was a disturbed sleep. I also realised that the bed was not as soft as usual as it did not have a mattress topper. It turns out you have to ask for those specifically now, so I have done so and it arrived that night.

I finally got up about 10.40, which is early for me at sea! This meant I was in time for my usual cruise breakfast of pineapple, watermelon and banana bread. (I’m not sure the banana bread is worth it anymore; they have changed the recipe.) I chatted to the people in the seats next to me and stayed until the Captain’s midday announcement.

The dance lesson started at 12.15. I got there about 12.20 and sat reading my book. I’d arranged to meet Jenny at the end of the lesson but could not see her anywhere. She was there dancing the cha-cha in the crowd and had seen me but I had missed spotting her. We went to lunch together and chatted.

After lunch I went to my room to write up my diary and sort out the internet. I had held off buying my internet package waiting for the special embarkation package, but that has been stopped now.

All too soon it was time to get ready for dinner and the ball. I wore my black sequinned cocktail dress. Jenny and I were assigned to a table with two other couples. We were not impressed as everything was negative. One woman complained about her dinner, and it turns out her husband had made a real fuss about his dinner the night before. The other couple were Scottish and had different opinions from ours about people in need. We were seriously wondering about asking to change tables, but for the rest of the cruise we were alone with the Scottish couple and found that they had a good sense of humour, so meal times became fun.

The first dance session was sequence dancing. It’s been so long since I did any that I was not even sure of some of the names. Do I know the Cindy Swing? The Melody Foxtrot? As soon as I saw them, I realised I did know them. I managed a couple of dances. The 9.15 ball was packed, as usual. In fact, they added extra seating for those who just wanted to watch Dan and Alyona’s demonstration. I managed quite a few dances. I felt that Dennis asked me to dance a few too many times considering the number of women around, but that others did not ask me often enough. It’s difficult to get a good balance.

La Coruna

Thursday 24th November

I did not hear as many banging doors during the night! I set my alarm for 9.30, ready to meet Jenny for breakfast and then a wander.

It was a wet and miserable day so we did not go far afield. 

La Coruna is famous for its glassed-in balconies, as shown in this photo. I can imagine they would be lovely spaces to enjoy the view in Winter.

The ship was berthed right next to a shopping centre. Unfortunately most of the shops were empty. It was a short walk into town. We wandered through pedestrian streets and looked in shops. 

We found a lovely coffee shop and sat down for a drink and a croissant/biscuit and accessed the internet. It seemed strange being back in coffee shops after spending my shore time in bars with David on previous cruises! It really was a lovely shop and we enjoyed our time there. 

Just before leaving I went to the toilet and bent over slightly to reach the toilet paper and felt a twanging in my back! I’m not sure what I did but I ended up in pain for a few days. At first I could hardly walk.

We went back to the ship and I asked about hot water bottles. One of the Receptionists showed me a map of where I could buy one in town, so I hobbled back. I could not find the shop he mentioned, and no one seemed to know where it was, so I bought a packet of 4 self-adhesive hot packs for my back. Each one lasted 8 hours. I don’t know if they helped but I enjoyed the sensation of warmth. In a second shop I managed to buy a hot water bottle. Back on the ship a few people suggested Voltarol, and one woman gave me a half-used tube the next day.

I found that sitting down hurt. I sent an email to Sarah, my sports therapist, who said to lie down or stand up but not to sit for the next few days. I decided I had better not dance that night. I went to the first dance session to keep Jenny company, leaning against the wall, but left at 9.30.

I went to bed with painkillers and my hot water bottle and had a good night’s sleep.

A sea day

Friday 25th November

I was in no hurry to get up. It was comfortable lying down. I finally surfaced about 11.15 and headed off for a light brunch. I had arranged to meet Jenny at the dance lesson so I leant against a pillar (having been warned not to sit too much until my back recovered) and watched the Waltz lesson until it ended.

We sat in the Lido and chatted over a drink, but talked for too long and too intensely. Over-concentration is bad for my M.E. I ended up exhausted and had to go to my room and lie down with a book for the rest of the afternoon. In fact I was still not right by the next day – just verging on a concentration headache.

I wasted a bit of time on the internet. The connection was not good and dropped out completely. That meant I could not even log out! You have to be connected to log out. Meanwhile the system thought I was logged in and was taking that time off my free package (I have 480 minutes because I am at the Diamond Tier from taking so many voyages on Cunard). I found that I could log out down at Reception. I then chased around from floor 1 to floor 3 then floor 2 and finally back to floor 1 to find the internet manager, who credited me with 21 minutes of internet time back. She also closed down some of my open internet pages, saying that would speed things up in future. Some of them I had been keeping on purpose, as it was my only record of the site names! It would have been more helpful if she had closed down programmes like my games instead.

It was the Britannia cocktail party at 5.15 so I had to rush to be ready. I wore my grey pants suit. Jenny and I met up with Frances. I introduced Jenny to strawberry daiquiris. I managed to drink one during the party and get a second one to take in to dinner. I much prefer the daiquiris on Queen Elizabeth to those on the Celebrity ships. I suspect there is far less alcohol in them, which suits me better.

After dinner I went back to my room. I was in bed reading by 8.30. I could not keep my eyes open so dozed from about 9 until 10, at which point I was wide awake. I took a sleeping tablet but still did not sleep again until after midnight. It was rather a disturbed night.

Jenny told me the next day that I did not miss much. She had danced quite a bit in the early session up in the Yacht Club but only had one dance in the main session in the evening. Frances was just as unlucky. The Hosts spent a lot of time dancing with the same ladies.