Welcome back to Liverpool – Sunday 9th August 2015
What a change, the big waves have gone and the boat seems back to normal with the usual throbbing of the engines and gentle swaying of the decks. Even the sun is attempting to make an appearance. Then the voice of the captain – the adverse weather experienced during the night will mean a further delay – expected arrival in Liverpool now 5pm.
The journey is now a peaceful relaxed sail towards home, time to walk around the decks and chat to people. Over lunch we meet Inna and Liza, and give them a present, it really was a pleasure to be looked after by them. After lunch we played Shuffle Disc on deck, good fun and fairly skilful when you get the hang of it. Shame it is on the promenade deck so walkers have to navigate around our discs.
Ship now feels really full since everyone has now vacated their cabins and not a seat to be had in the lounges or on the decks. Still a great chance to reminiss on the trip with others, few niggly complaints but overall most people very positive about the cruise.
Liverpool waterfront – ancient and modern
Then Liverpool looms in the distance, the pilot boat comes alongside and we are now on the last leg. We are on deck with lots of other people, our wonderful north west coastline gliding by, looking so attractive in the sunlight, Formby Point, Crosby Iron Men, Hightown estuary, then the Liverpool waterfront, sparkling in the summer sunshine. Suddenly, a roar overhead and the Red Arrows fly above us – what a welcome home. We left to a confetti farewell and return to a red arrows salute – but no more than we deserved after our experiences in the last 24 hours – we came through an Atlantic Force 8 Gale in a small ship, we are all heroes! – thank you Red Arrows.
The Three Graces
We arrive at 5.45 to a packed Cruise terminal – 500 people queuing to board the ship and 500 people queuing to get off. The ships disembarkation procedures are tortuously slow and on the quayside the organisation of vehicles, baggage handlers and other transportation is chaotic. We are finally on dry land again at 7pm.
So there we are, the end of wonderful trip, made even better by Sam and Dave, Liz and Paul, young people full of life and vigour. Kath and I are so proud of them all and the kind of people they are. Thank you gang for helping us to celebrate the big 50, a truly golden and memorable event. We love you so much.
EMBARCATION – THE LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL – Thursday 30th July 2015.
“Just how many cases are you taking” seems to be the question. Instructions say there is no limit but you do have to keep them in your cabin. Now a fellow can get away with a few carrier bags of stuff but not the ladies – 10 days means ten frocks, ten trousers, ten of this, ten of that. I digress, this is August 2015, a milestone time for Kath and myself – a big (very big) number wedding anniversary. So it was decided our girls Samantha and Elizabeth, with their fellas, Dave and Paul, would accompany us on a cruise to Iceland.
It is all excitement in Liverpool – Sam and Dave take our baggage in their car to the cruise terminal, then leave their car at a local Fire Station, whilst Kath and myself take a leisurely train journey from Southport. Meanwhile, Paul and Liz arrive from Basingstoke having booked private parking – well sort of private – a reserved place in the multi-storey behind the waterfront hotels!
The Liverpool cruise terminal is a hive of activity – baggage is efficiently removed from us onto a conveyor belt and disappears into the terminal, a bit too quick for Paul and Liz who need to label their cases but the staff say it does not matter! The terminal is a temporary tent-like structure, with plenty of chairs, a porta-loo and guided pathways zig zagging their way to the Reception Desk. Still, it works OK.
Passports checked in, we are photographed and issued with our plastic cabin door tags and identity cards as we climb some very rickety stairs onto the ship. Not a big ship, M/V Azores run by CMV, gives us a friendly welcome and we are escorted to our cabins. Magically our baggage has beat us to it, well most of it – unsurprisingly, Paul and Liz are two cases missing. These eventually turn up, one of the cases has its main handle bent out of shape, as though it has been used in some sort of throwing game. The ship blame the baggage handlers, I wonder who they will blame. However, the ship offer to attempt a repair.
Our cabin steward is Iryna, a lady from the Ukraine who welcomes us and shows us our cabin. Not spacious but comfortable and well organised and now the amount of baggage becomes critical as we try to stow away all our stuff. Then onto the top deck, a great sense of excitement in the air, we grab our first cocktails of the trip, yet again admire the wonderful Merseyside frontage of Liverpool, (it never disappoints), the ships hooter cuts through the air, “The Leaving of Liverpool” (that old Dublinners classic) blasts out through the ships speakers, the keyside workers sway in tune and wave us off as an explosion of ticker tape fills the air and covers us with a multitude of confetti. What a send off!
Tony, Liz, Sam, Dave, Kath, Paul
We are so lucky to live in the north-west, the Mersey scenery drifts by, the Crosby Iron Men look so different from the river, we can just make out Southport Pier in the distance as we sail into Liverpool Bay, before heading north between Scotland and Ireland.
We are now instructed to put on our life jackets and make our way to designated Muster Points. It is all a bit crowded and confusing since we are unfamiliar with the ship layout. There are some loudspeaker announcements and a quick demonstration of how to put on the lifejackets, then we are shunted to the appropriate disembarcation points near the lifeboats. Hopefully, a real re-enactment will not be necessary, some passengers thought it was a great exercise, I have experienced better.
We are now hitting the cocktails list and trying to work out whether the All Inclusive package is worthwhile – £17 per day per person per couple for selected beverages. Can I put away £17 worth of drink everyday? At ships prices probably yes, but Kath not drinking at moment and she has to be included in deal, so can I put away £34 of drink daily? This is the kind of problem which keeps me awake at night and I have till lunchtime tomorrow to decide.
Time for our first meal – the restaurant is beautifully furnished and as we are shown to our table we meet Inna. A Ukranian lady with a welcoming and attractive personality, we are all at ease immediately as we share a few laughs. We are now her “family” for the week, we are nicknamed the “happy family” and she now calls me “Papa”. The meal of five or six courses was excellent, the wine was good, the time just disappeared as we seamlessly shifted into the Showbar, where the entertainment people showcased their talents and gave us a taster of the shows to come. The cocktails just kept flowing – Marguerita, Planters Punch, Mai Tai, — I am losing count rapidly.
It is now past midnight and somehow we are now in the Disco Lounge – Dancing the Night Awaaaaaay”. The crowds drift away, we are last out (I think).
“So fare thee well, Liverpool, we are bound for ………”
Six Sail to Iceland 