The Journey Home
The Journey Home
This was the first time I've flown home from the ship, and so a new experience. My flight from St. Maarten was at 1720, so I was somewhat unimpressed to be told by the crew office that I needed to leave the ship at noon. Apparenbtly the port agent had said that due to the number of ships in he was worried about teh traffic. This seemed rather over-the-top considdering that, by the look of the map, the airport was about 5 miles away. The entire island is only about 15 miles across!
The reason for this soon emerged - the port agent was saving a few pennies, as there was a crew member from another ship sharing our taxi, who had a flight at 1510. The result was that rather than having a relaxing day looking around the island I spent 3.5 hours sitting at a small[1] airport in the middle of nowhere reading a book.
Although I've had my arm out of it's tubigrip for the last week or so I put it back on for arriving at the airport in the hope of getting a free upgrade. The Air France lady looked sympathetically at my arm, announced that the flight was quite full (automatic response, methinks, considering that in the end about 25% of teh seats were occupied), and went off to the back office for fifteen minutes to work out whether I was entitled. God knows what she did for all that time - perhaps phoning Paris?! - but when she came back she said that certainly, she could upgrade me, and that would be US$165 please. It seems that P&O didn't pay enough for the ticket for me to be upgraded for free. So I turned this down.
As it happened there was no great discomfort, as the plane was 3/4 empty and so I could spread out over two seats. Not quite business-class legroom, given the interruptions of armrests, etc., but not too bad as 8-hr flights go. Especially as the seat-back screen in front of me had a game of Solitare built into it :-).
We arrived in Paris on time, and I'm now sitting in Charles De Gaulle airport writing this while waiting for my flight on to London to board. This is a very modern terminal, and rather spoils the description of various college bars, etc., as being "like an airport departure lounge" by having an architecturally rather pleasant departure lounge. Having said this, while the roof structure looks nice, it is a large empty space and while nice and airy at seven o'clock in the morning it might be ratehr busy and crowded if all the gates were in use.
This will be the shortest flight I've ever been on, hopping over the Channel to london. It's a shame it's cloudy.
[1] Small in that there was probably an average of one or two jet aircraft per hour[2]
[2] Yes, I know that a turbo-prop is a jet engine, but you know what I mean.....
----
Later:
Home now. Which is very nice. The flight from Paris to London involved 20 min taxiing around Charles De Gaulle, about 30 mins in the air going somewhere, and another 20 mins going round in circles over outer London. This is an activity which will be familiar to anyone who flies into Heathrow, but is more irritating when it doubles the length of the flight!
I haven't decided on the future of this diary. Now that I'm not cruising there won't be the same material on destinations that featured so heavily until I found out how boring carribean cruising is, and there probably won't be the same degree of whinging when I have real people to whinge at instead. But I have liked being able to record random observations, etc.. So maybe I'll keep it going in some form. Watch this space.
-Simon.
posted by Simon Thursday, January 22, 2004
One of the disadvantages of watching CNN as your source of news: everything at present is about preliminary phases of the US Presidential Election. That's fair enough, it is an American station (though I do have to wonder whether BBC World is quite so much of a one-topic news station when UK elections happen? Maybe.). It just bores me as, since I have no influence in this election, I don't really care about much except the final result.
It would be a nice bonus if the winner could actually be the person that the most people have voted for, but given that the UK can't manage that at present I can't complain too much about other countries...
posted by Simon Monday, January 19, 2004
An update to my post from Grenada - apparently the US Peace Corps is roughly a US equivalent of teh UK's VSO. So a worthy organisation that just has a sinister-sounding name.
posted by Simon Sunday, January 18, 2004
Port of Spain, Trinidad
A city that I'm finding it hard to get a handle on. Walking down the main street today, it was almost deserted and those I did meet were very friendly - some weren't even trying to get money out of me. Yet every shop has barred windows and security guards. Maybe it's because it's sunday, and everything's shut except the churches.
A lot of people have said that they find this port threatening, and that they don't like going ashore here. I didn't find it any more so than some European cities (actually considerably less so than some, but it is Sunday). I guess the differences that may cause this feeling may be:
1. It's the only city of any size that we visit in the carribean. If people have only cruised in this area and are used to little towns with palm trees and beaches, it may feel scary.
2. The people hassling you, rather than being white faces speaking strange languages, are black faces with optional dreadlocks speaking english. And unlike Europe, some of them do genuinely seem to be trying to be friendly.
There was actually less hassling here than in most of the carribean ports we visit. This may be because it was Sunday, or it may be that as this is a real city, most of the inhabitants have better things to do than try to hassle dollars out of cruise ship pax.
Having said all this, it's still not a terribly interesting city. Near to the ship are lots of big banks. All the shops are closed on Sunday. A long walk or a moderate taxi ride away are supposed to be some nice parks, etc., but I wasn't in the mood. And, naturally, there's a gorgeous-looking island to explore - the forest-covered mountains start within sight of the city. But this is also a large island by Lesser Antilles standards, at a guess around 50-60 miles across the diagonal, and most of the interesting stuff (including one of only three known pitch lakes in the world) seems to be out of affordable half-day-trip range[1].
So, having had a look around, I'm back on board for lunch and I guess I should start packing......
[1] For those scratching their heads that this point, remember that there aren't any motorways.
posted by Simon Sunday, January 18, 2004
Grenada
Went for a walk today and visited the national museum here. Part of it is the same information about Carib and Arwark Indiands and about slavery and sugar plantations as most of the rest of the Lesser Antilles. There was also a certain amount about the active undersea volcano a few miles off the coast, and what to do if it erupts. Most interestingly, the relatively recent history.
Greneda, like most Carribean islands, changed hands a number of times, in this case between the British and the French. More than most it also suffered a number of revolutions, first from the slaves and continuting into modern times with a general strike while under UK rule. After gaining independance from the UK in the 1970s a Marxist-Leninist governemnt emerged. This led to the island becoming a cold war hot spot in the early 80s, and the Americans invading. I had vague recollections of a US invasion of somewhere called Grenada, but I hadn't actually connected it to this island...
In the town there is an office belonging to the "US Peace Corps". I've no idea what this is but, to me at least, it has a sinister ring to it...
posted by Simon Saturday, January 17, 2004
Barbados
We're berthed today next to a gorgeous-looking ship called "Sea Cloud II". She's a three-masted barque, and looks as though she's a sailing cruise ship on a smaller and lower-tech basis than Windstar - it looks as though crew actually have to climb the rigging to set sails. The whole superstructure is varnished wood. Very nice.
At the other end of the harbour, beyond us and the Princess ship that is in, is one of the largest private yachts that I've seen. She's called "Octopus", and appears larger than some of the ultra-luxury cruise ships around. Counting decks, she's actually as high as some of the smaller Carnival ships. She has tenders that come out of a door which folds out of the side of the hull, and even appears to have a helicopter hanger!
I'm now into handover. This means that pax drills are going on at present, and I don't have to do anything (my relief is doing my duties), so after wandering around the ship feeling a bit lost, I came back to my cabin to write this!
posted by Simon Friday, January 16, 2004
St. Lucia
Scary fact for the day about St. Lucia: The flightpath into the airport here goes over the entrance to the harbour at a height considerably lower than the top of a modern cruise ship. We followed Norwegian Sky out of the port today and a plane landed inbetween us. From above the bridge, I was looking down on it. Ulp...
Scary fact for the day about passengers: Getting into an overcrowded lift today, I heard a female passenger saying "Well there'll be room for the ladies at least". She presumably expected all the men to walk down the stairs that she wasn't prepared to use. I can't believe there are still women around who expect this kind of treatment... (and to anybody who says "well perhaps she was wearing silly shoes", I say that that's her fault. Nobody's forcing her to adopt impractical footwear)
posted by Simon Thursday, January 15, 2004
St. Kitts
This is an island of beautiful cloud-wreathed, tree-covered mountains. It's also the location of Brimstone Hill fortress, build by the British in 1690 (I think), described by my guidebook as the "Gibralter of the Carribean", and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had half a day free (it would have been the whole day if I hadn't stayed in bed until noon), but nobody to go with - the few people on board who might want to spend a few hours in my company are people who'd want to spend yet another afternoon on the beach, not look around an old restored fortress.
So, not prepared to spend US$40 on a taxi by myself, I wandered briefly around Just Another Carribean Tourist Port (despite not wanting to buy anything) and headed back to my cabin to play computer games. How depressing.
---
Later:
Just been to the doctor. He's said that I should now be trying to move my arm rather than keep it still. This is good.
Just finished reading Chocolat. I recommend it.
posted by Simon Tuesday, January 13, 2004
13/01, 0145
What a day. Both of tonight's shows went quite badly wrong - some of the audience may have noticed. One was my fault, the other.... well, I don't think so, but it nags. Maybe it was. I felt really bad about those shows. And then I had to do a crew show, the organisation of which had been something of a fiasco (*NOT* my fault). I'd vaguely got some lighting for it sorted out in the 10 mins that I'd had available. It would have been embarassing, but it would have been something.
But then I came to load the disk, and it was corrupted. Back to square one, with audience sitting in there waiting for a show. In the end I used the disk for an old show totally unrelated to this one and managed some lighting which, while I wouldn't have used it for a passenger event, worked quite well for a drunken crew show - most assumed it was preprogrammed, even though I busked it during the show.
This made me realise a certain irony - I'm still convinced that I need to get out of the entertainment industry, but apart from occasional lapses in self-confidence, I've actually become rather good at my job.
To bed almost straight away though, as the few friends I have on this ship are not interested in talking to a dull teetotaller when there's a busy crew bar........
posted by Simon Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Why am I getting so easily stressed at present? I got the times of crew cash wrong today and missed it, and when told this I went off on one, being sarcastic and swearing at them under my breath. I normally look at people who do that with slightly bewlidered pitying amusement. It's an insane overreaection. At some level I'm still feeling angry at the people down there, while most of the rest of me is busy despairing at this fact.
There is also the issue of why they give us only two days notice to pay our onboard accounts and then make it difficult to do so by only accepting payment, even cheques, for about four hours a day at times which alwways seem to be when I'm asleep or working. But that's another question...
---
Later:
The Powerpuff Girls chase a fortune teller. "Oh no, we've not just got a criminal, but a tarotist!" (say it out loud)
I wonder how many complaints they got about that one...
The same fortune teller later escaped at the end of the episode by flying away in her astral plane.
posted by Simon Saturday, January 10, 2004
Yesterday morning, for the first time since P&O took over this ship from Princess, all of the moving lights in the theatre were working. And there was much rejoicing.
That situation lasted fpr a few hours, and then by yesterday evening's show two of them had died.....
posted by Simon Friday, January 09, 2004
Ochos Rios
Dunns River Falls. Where everybody goes when berthed in Ochos Rios (Jamacia), to climb up the waterfall. I've not been before, so despite not being able to climb at present I went along for a look. It looks very commercial, quite dangerous, and great fun! There's a fairly grotty beach at the bottom where we sat for a few mins.
I thought I was unfit... well, I am at present, but I'm certainly not the only one. When you get off the ship the taxi drivers inform you that it's a long way to the falls, while standing in front of a roadsign that says "Dunns River Falls - 2km". I find this amusing. Anyway, having seen this sign I suggested we walk, and the two crew members with me agreed. After about 20min walking (we were going fairly slowly) one of them started asking how far we'd come and saying we'd been walking a long time (answers: "how on earth should I know?" and "about 20mins actually"). We got there about 10 mins later, after quite a pleasant half hour walk along the coast.
In the end the other two decided we should get a taxi back again. Oh well...!
Two weeks from today until I fly home!
posted by Simon Wednesday, January 07, 2004
I seem to have ended up using somebody else's diary's comments facilities in lieu of having any of my own in the last few days. So, in an attempt to avoid this, allow me to reiterate that anyone reading is quite welcome to email me, on swaldman@firecloud.org.uk
Grand Cayman again tomorrow, any suggestions for just a couple of houtrs ashore?
posted by Simon Monday, January 05, 2004
Bonaire
0330 wake-up call this morning from the bow thrusters - it seems we'd arrived early to land a medical emergency.
Ashore in Bonaire for an hour - there's really very little here unless you're a diver, but it is notable in that you can walk along the waterfront and see brightly-coloured fish up to a foot or so long swimmin right up to the quay. I presume they don't allow fishing here!
posted by Simon Sunday, January 04, 2004
How gormless can someone get, while still remembering how to do things like breathe, or walk?
During drills yesterday a (elderlyish, female) passenger came up to me, tapped on my bandaged arm, and said "Aww, does that arm cause you problems dear?". I replied, somewhat abrupty, that it would cause a lot less problems if she didn't tap it. She went away looking offended, and surprised that a crew member had spoken to her like that.
Then today at lunchtime I walked through a door with one hand in a sling and the other carrying a heavy plate of food. The pax going the other way glared and made sarcastic remarks about the fact that I hadn't held the door for them............ More than anything else I found this quite amusing. I'm not entirely sure whether they were out of earshot before I started laughing...
I have a cold. I am now thus one-armed and snotty! Oh well....
posted by Simon Saturday, January 03, 2004
The time is now 0215. Since I last posted I have:
- Gone 'wohoo' and hugged people a lot
- Cleared a band away
- Met two colleagues looking in similar moods to me (well, one in tears and the other looking resigned like me), and where at home I'd have ended up in a deep and meaningful converesation, here we bid each other goodnight in guarded fashion because nobody here really knows me well enough for that kind of conversation
- Tried to go to the crew bar, but:
- Got halted en route by a panicy call from the nightclub explaining that somebody had spilt champagne into the sound desk. Which begs the question of why there was champagne anywhere near the sound desk - there's a reason we don't allow drinks in control rooms, people, and that still applies to DJs at New Year. We get annoyed when you ignore the rules, pour drinks into equipment, and then expect us to fix it in 5 mins at two o'clock in the morning so you can have a microphone for use in your busiest-disco-of-the-year.
- Got to the crew bar. Saw how crowded it was and how slippery the floor was with drinks. Decided that I stood a minimal chance of getting through there without further damage to my arm. Left.
- Went to the crew mess, where pax dinner leftovers had arrived, and had two puddings and a slice of pizza.
Now to bed I think.
BTW the hand-shaking youthie from yesterday did find me today and apologise. Which was nice.
posted by Simon Thursday, January 01, 2004
Happy new year.
I was sitting on deck looking at a thousand drunk people below me singing Auld Lang Sine and celebrating, and wondering what they're celebrating. Is it the achievements of the past year? Becasuse, worldwide, that's probably been one of the most violent recently[1]. Or are they celebrating the fact that that year is over and done with?
Maybe. Or maybe they're just celebrating because they're drunk and an arbitary date seems like a good excuse for a party. In which case, fair enough. Although I wish they'd be honest about it.
Yes, I'm thinking too much here. But New Year is not a time to spend alone. WYWH, Mel. Or, preferably, WIWT, as Oriana does better deck parties.
On the plus side, there's a new series of Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network. That should tide me through until the time comes to take the band apart on deck.
[1] Well, so I have been led to believe by CNN. I get my information from the same sources as most of the popoulation, though I have, perhaps, less faith in it than many. In reality 2003 probably wasn't any worse than any others of the last few years, but even so it's hardly been a shining example of all that's best about Mankind...
posted by Simon Thursday, January 01, 2004