News from Newcastle

The second visit to Newcastle took place on a warm sunny day. TSH and Diva were pleased to welcome a family member onboard for lunch. Fortunately she arrived after the crew drill, when there were several announcements about fires and assembling at the lifeboat stations. They were surprised that she managed to eat only two desserts!

There is an art curator on the Silver Spirit. He organises guided tours of the art onboard so that he can then sell them to the unwary. There is a current emphasis on photographs of Marilyn Monroe, as it is her birthday month. (For our younger readers: she was an American film star who reputedly had affairs with many influential men and died of a drugs overdose in 1962)

TSH was disturbed when a fellow guest assumed from his accent that he was from Newcastle rather than Cumbria. However, he was pleased that his comments to the cruise director about inadequate and contradictory information about shuttle bus arrangements on the previous visit resulted in a much better level of information this time.

Diva was pleased to return to the port where port security, as well as a fellow guest, admired her dress on the first visit, even though she was dressed differently this time. She has also been repeating her regular role of washing machine consultant. She is entitled to complimentary laundry service but occasionally visits the guest launderette, where she gives advice to those who cannot operate unfamiliar machines.

Although there will not be much requirement for clock changes on the current Silver Spirit cruise, some guests are confused. A woman was observed outside the theatre shouting loudly about why there was no lecture starting. A crew member explained politely that her watch was wrong, that she was an hour early and that such mistakes were easily made.

On all the days TSH and Diva have spent on Silversea ships, there have been very few children on board. They are not banned but, unlike on large ships, there is no provision for their entertainment. On this cruise, there are several young children and the presence of high chairs, push chairs and feeding bottles seems very unusual, whilst not being unwelcome.

The new butler is doing well but has supplied Chardonnay instead of Merlot as requested!!

First leg finale

From Edinburgh, TSH and Diva went on an excursion to Rosslyn Chapel, whose historical significance is eclipsed by its appearance in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Visitors to the Chapel were typically 40,000 per year. Following the book’s publication and banning by the Pope, the visitor numbers increased to 200,000. There was money for further renovation and a smart new visitor centre. The bus driver practised his bagpipes whilst waiting for the guests to return.

In Newcastle, TSH and Diva travelled on a private (they were the only people to turn up!) shuttle bus to Tynemouth for a pleasant walk along the promenade. The first outdoor lunch was burger for TSH and BBQ chicken wrap for Diva. The weather is becoming warmer and the hope is that summer has arrived.

Diva has already had her ship card replaced once and she feared that the second was also useless. This was a false alarm and she is trying hard to keep the card away from her phone, which seems to upset it.

The first leg of the voyage will end on June 22^nd and TSH and Diva are looking forward to being two of the six people staying on for the next leg.