3rd

On the sail away from Killybegs, TSH and Diva saw a large group of dolphins around the Silver Spirit. Perhaps not quite as spectacular as seeing orcas.

At the Venetian night on the 4^th and final leg of their cruise, TSH and Diva dropped down the league to 3^rd place. There are about 380 guests on board Silver Spirit, including 204 Venetians, which is a much lower proportion than on most voyages in the past. Dinner was with the Guest Relations Manager and the Reception Manager.

On the way into the cocktail party, Diva reassured Captain Ivo, who greeted her by name and was concerned about her welfare in the light of her failure to take a poncho and an umbrella.

In Galway, they cancelled the planned excursion and walked around the city on their own. The tender journey was a little rough at the end and they were pleased that it was driven by an experienced seaman and it was not an Officer Training Day (as has occasionally happened before).

Morning Music

Going ashore in Killybegs, there was a line-up of Captain, Hotel Director, Cruise Director etc wishing them a good day out. Captain Ivo tried hard to make Diva take a poncho or an umbrella but she insisted that her waterproof coat and hood was more than capable of dealing with Irish weather.

The excursion was to Leo’s Tavern, a pub owned by a musical family which produced Clannad and Enya. TSH and Diva enjoyed the music but refused the Irish Coffee. Caffeine and alcohol. In the morning!

Mars in the Mist

The weather in Djupivogur was cold and misty and TSH and Diva stayed on the Silver Spirit. The Panorama lounge was only a few degrees warmer than outside and it stayed that way despite several guests (including Diva) and crew reporting the situation. They were told that it was equally cold on the Bridge. If the senior officers cannot keep themselves warm there is not much hope for anyone else.

Concerned about the North Atlantic crossing to Ireland, Diva consulted the Met Office shipping forecast. She has no experience with this information and does not really understand it but 2 large deep red rectangles right in the path of the Silver Spirit did not seem good. She considered informing Captain Ivo, just in case he was not aware of the dangers ahead but TSH advised against this, as he was sure that Captain Ivo would have his own sources. When the Captain spoke to the guests he indicated that the sea would be ‘moderate to rough’, so Diva issued Stugeron and they hoped for the best. The necklace that Diva chose for the evening was likened by one of the crew to one that was found on Titanic – not a good omen on a cruise ship!!  At the time of writing, nothing too bad has been experienced.

Here is a picture of Viking Mars – anchored quite close to Silver Spirit in Djupivogur. This is not a bad photograph, this is exactly how it was. 

Concerned Captain

Captain Ivo is very concerned that TSH and Diva are happy and comfortable. In Atlantide one night he asked why they were not watching the football match. Diva assured him that they were saving themselves for the victory parade but alas that was not to be. When they went ashore in Akureyri, he said that Diva would be cold. She should be wearing a jacket, despite bright sunshine and relatively warm weather. She assured him that her wool cardigan would be adequate and this turned out to be the case.

Captain Ivo occasionally announces the presence of whales around the Silver Spirit but so far TSH and Diva have failed to spot them.

The excursion was excellent – the Godfoss waterfall followed by the Botanic Gardens. All in warm weather.

Diva and the Director

On the first night of the final leg of their cruise, TSH and Diva had dinner in Atlantide. Captain Ivo and the Hotel Director were at the next table. The wine service was below standard – TSH was served with alcohol-free red when he had asked for white. The refill he requested did not appear and Diva’s glass was empty. They did not complain (except to each other) but the Portuguese Hotel Director is an observant man. Suddenly two glasses of port appeared with his compliments. Diva waved a ‘Salute’ at him before drinking hers.

When TSH goes to the La Terrazza buffet, he leaves his small blue glasses case in a prominent place on the table to act as a marker for his return. The crew have observed and remarked on this and one waiter requested a demo of the folding glasses fitting into it.

There was disappointment at finally leaving the Reykjavik area without any sight of volcanic activity.

Westman weather woes

TSH and Diva were looking forward to the Westman Islands. They were to have sight of Surtsey, the island which was created by volcanic activity in the early 1960s and of the remains of a town destroyed by volcanic activity – ‘Pompeii of the North’. But Diva was concerned about the low mist and the high swell as they ate their minimal breakfast before the early tour departure. So she was conflicted when the Captain used the PA system to inform everybody that it was not safe to operate the tenders and the port would be missed. The Silver Spirit would spend the day at sea before arriving as scheduled in Reykjavik.

A Code Alpha (medical emergency) alert was followed by another announcement from Captain Ivo. It was necessary to reach Reykjavik as soon as possible and arrival would be in the afternoon. Eventually the arrival time was changed again to ‘after dinner’.

The rough sea was such that the serving dishes on the lunchtime buffet were placed on clingfilm, increasing the coefficient of friction and preventing sliding and spilling. TSH would have liked such an arrangement for his chair, which slid around as he ate his lunch.

Perfect Peaches

On the third Venetian night of the cruise, TSH and Diva again came second. On this occasion, their name was, for the first time, pronounced correctly and reference was made to their diligent use of hand sanitisers throughout the ship. They are shocked that this precaution appears to be noteworthy.

Statistics: 478 guests on board. 209 Venetians – a much lower proportion than TSH and Diva are used to.

Whilst waiting for the announcements to begin, Diva received a tap on the shoulder from Captain Ivo. He was checking that all was well with her and assuring her that the seas would be calm overnight. They were also approached by the Food and Beverage manager, who told them that grilled peaches would be available for them at any time they went to Atlantide for breakfast. And this turned out to be true. Perfectly grilled and presented as in the past. Full marks to him and the restaurant staff.