SKIing with the Peelings

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

Day 7 Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Ajaccio is our sort of place, dock in the town with no tender or shuttle bus: just get off the ship and walk around.

Nice late arrival so plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and watch the arrival in daylight.

So off the boat as soon as we were allowed and after a quick look at the town we walked around the waterfront to see the beach front area. This beach looked nice but the sand was very coarse.

But these two were better sand.

So back to Ventura for lunch and an afternoon of sleeping, drinking, eating, swimming (even IG went in today as it was well warm!) and just looking around the ship!

Nice early departure so as with the sail in we had good light to see the views. We have a starboard cabin and so far this has been perfect for all the ports, so we watched Corsica sail by as we sipped our complimentary champagne: perfect!

As we sail up the western coast of Corsica we see how mountainous the island is with stunning scenery.

This is the end of the first week so we say goodbye to one of the three couple we have had as dinner companions and we start the long task of interviewing replacements! This will be difficult as we have all got along really well and had some great discussions. We are often the last to leave and the waiters are getting restless as they have to get the table relaid for the second sitting!

Monday, 13 October 2014

Day 6 Civitaveccia

Civitaveccia is the Southampton of Italy, a major starting point for cruises and the nearest port for visits to the capital city.
As we have been to Rome on the last two visits we decided to stay more local this time. So we took the port shuttle bus into Civitaveccia and walked

slowly through the shops to the railway station where we caught a train to Santa Marinella, a journey of only 6 minutes and E1.10! S. Marinella is a beach resort popular with Romans and we had a good look around this town and seafront. We were surprised as it was more Seaton (Dorset, home of FBB!) than Brighton!

So, S. Marinella done, back on the train ( took 10 minutes as it cannot speed into the terminus platform!)

and returned along the impressive seafront

and along the Medieval walls past the Fort Michaelangelo

to the shuttle bus station and then back to the ship.
Just in time for a later lunch and our normal lazy afternoon: well earned as we walked a fair few miles ( or should we say kilometres) in the morning.

The weather was a but dull today with rain close but we missed it. However the temperature was still in the low to mid twenties.

Yesterday P.S.

Really enjoyed the 'Stage Door' Headliners show last night: so much better than their first show.

Sunday, 12 October 2014

Day 4 Corfu and Day 5 at Sea

Day 4 Corfu

As usual up early to see us sail down the coast of the island of Corfu into Corfu Town Harbour. This time we were prepared and got the first shuttle bus into town. A good look around the narrow old streets,

a look at the waterfront and Old Fort which we have been around on a previous visit.

We found places we had not seen on previous visits like the open air food market,

and the New Fort which gave great views over the town. The New Fort was built in the 16^th century so is not that new!

So back to the ship by shuttle bus in time for our normal mix of eating, drinking, lazing, exploring and swimming.

Nice sail out past Corfu Town and then we were followed out by a helicopter which circled the ship for around half an hour: we suspect it was part of the filming for the advert.

New Fort

And as the sun set on a great day we went to another show from the Irish comic which we enjoyed more than the show the night before.

Day 5 At Sea

We quite like days at sea as we can just relax around the ship. An added attraction was passing between mainland Italy and Sicily and then past the volcanic island of Stromboli.

We have been on this class of ship four times before and always thought the observation deck above the bridge was crew only but it seems this is now public and gave us a great view going through the Straights of Messina.

We could have bought some tack at the 'everything for £7.99' stall, bur decided against!

We did have a look at the ice sculpture,

interrupting our usual sea day routine of swimming, walking, relaxing, eating and drinking.

Another show from the Headliners tonight which we hope will be better than the last one! We are now going into a run of five ports in a row with no sea days!

Friday, 10 October 2014

Kotor – Montenegro

Kotor is an old walled city at the end of what looks just like a Fjord and we moor just off the city and had a 20 minute tender ride. So as is our norm we timed breakfast so we could be on the first tender ashore. Mistimed it as the ship moored 15 minutes early so we were on the second tender!

Ventura moored - in the glorious warm sun!

We have already been to Kotor so we explored the city trying to find the bits we had not done last time, when we spent most of our time climbing up to the fort overlooking the city.

Main Square of Kotor

After a couple of hours we got a tender back to the ship and as there was only one other couple on the tender we were able to have great views of Ventura and Kotor on the short passage back to the ship.

Time for elevenses, swim, lunch, swim, siesta, afternoon tea, explore the ship and then dinner and the first big production number called Destination Dance. This we think we may have seen before on a previous cruise and was a little disappointing.

We like our down to earth Captain. He told us that a junior officer was 'driving' the ship back down the Fjord to the Adriatic so that is why he was speaking from a lifeboat!

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Ventura at Sea

In the last blog we mentioned that we saw Rob Brydon on the bus going to our 'plane Well it turns out that P and O are shooting a TV commercial during our cruise and he is the celebrity star of this ad. Here is a pic of him 'acting' having a drink at one of the bars!

This is the first cruise that we have booked with the new rules for cheap cabins, no choice of cabin and no guarantee of dinner sitting. We did all right for our cabin, not what we would have chosen but it turns out to be in a super location very near the eating places and pools. Not so lucky with dinner as against our stated preference we were given late (8.30pm) dinner: far too late for us. We have however managed to change this and are now early (6.30pm) sitting and are on a table of eight with a couple from Macclesfield and a group of four Australians. Early indications are that we have struck lucky.

Today we have had a nice lazy day reacquainting ourselves with Ventura ( this is our third Cruise on Ventura) and relaxing in and by the pool. It has been sunny and warm and very pleasant. IB went to a very interesting talk about Concorde while IG had a snooze after lunch! There are plenty of loungers around the pools and this is our favourite spot away from the crowds!

Although it is an at sea day we do sometimes see land: this is the island of Vis!

Our first formal dinner tonight then we intend to see an Irish comic in the theatre if we don't fall asleep before then.

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Venice

Our official check in time was 04 20 but we decided that was far too early, and settled on 05 00 for a 07 20 fight. We got through check in and security very quickly and were in the departure lounge by 05 50. Flight arrived on time and we were having lunch on board Ventura by 11 30 local time! We were however bussed to the 'plane which by the lenght of time it took must have been to Heathrow. Jack told me that someone called Rob Brydon was standing behind me on the bus! She said he looked shorter than she expected!

The minute passengers arrive in Venice the Cruise Lines try to sell their overpriced water bus (Vaporetto) tickets to take you to St Marks Square. In P and O's case it was £15 each. We spend 1.30 euro each on a people mover ticket which takes you to the edge of the main tourist area of Venice. Quick, easy, and cheap!