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Today is the second of four sea days between Funchal Madeira and Bridgetowm Barbados.  The captain announced an outside air temperature of 22°C, and I don’t intend opting for any of the indoor activities on offer.  Breakfast al fresco, while possible, was not quite warm enough this morning for that sense of arrival into warm…

In January 2020, Cunard’s Queen Victoria set sail from Southampton, first port of call, Hamilton, Bermuda.  Nobody had heard of Covid at the time, when QV commenced its 79 night voyage to much of South America.   I remember a turbulent crossing, the weather never really warming up, and although dry, Bermuda was freezing!  I recall…

I have an abiding memory from Cruise No. 2 of November 1989.  I was on my second QE2 voyage to the Canary Isles in November of that year.  We were docked at Funchal, Madeira, just as today.  I looked across at the backdrop of dramatic hillside and many thousands of buildings reaching almost to the…

The town stretching high into the surrounding dramatic hills looked glorious with the rising sun reflecting back off craggy hillside.  What a splendid view from my stateroom.  Whenever I visit California, visiting the Queen Mary at Longbeach takes priority, despite several previous visits.  Similarly, whenever I visit Madeira, afternoon tea at the Reid’s Palace Hotel…

I attended my first lecture today in a crowded almost full Royal Court Theatre, given by a retired airline captain.  It was then time for a one course lunch in the Lido, a favourite place of mine and seemingly everybody else as well.   Feeling far better than I did yesterday, I had a further attempt…

Yesterday might not have started brilliantly, and most of the day, dogged with the effects of feeling unwell.  Nevertheless, I made the effort in the evening, donning my formal black attire for the first of (I believe) eight gala nights, some “themed.”  Last night was “Black and White.” and the discomforts of the day morphed…

You couldn’t make it up. I was woken up by next-door’s T.V. at the ungodly hour of 06.43 hrs.  Diplomacy is going to have to be exercised here.  The stewards store room separates my cabin from the one next door.  I wouldn’t have thought that the sound of the T.V would have carried enough to…

Closest land on waking up, the coast of N.W. France. I do like my sleeping quarters!  There is masses of wardrobe and drawer space, and from my bed, I can look directly out of my picture window to an ever-changing passing sea and sky-scape. I lay awake for much of the first night, but not…

Please note: Davidscruise.blog takes you to the latest blog, but only the beginning.  To access the whole blog, click on the date, usually at the bottom right hand of the section printed.  This should reveal the whole blog under that Blog number. All those from Blog 166 will be written at sea or various exotic…

Day 1 of 36 At long last, my blog site can actually live up to its name, davidscruise.blog   I am on my way to join Cunard’s Queen Victoria for a thirty five night voyage to Madeira, several Caribbean islands and finally, on the way back, Ponta Del Garda in the Azores where it should still…