Scheduled Sabotage

 In Zeebrugge, TSH went ashore on an excursion which included a canal ride in Ghent. This was made easy for him because the guide wore bright pink (easy to pick out), the meeting place was the Marriott hotel (prominent location) and everybody was supplied with a card containing an emergency phone number. 

Meanwhile, Diva was sitting in Panorama lounge when a group of armed Belgian Custom officials appeared and carried out a detailed inspection of bar stocks. There was a discussion about discrepancies between the declared stocks and the actual stocks. A total recount was proposed but the matter must have been settled in some way because Silver Spirit was allowed to depart on time. 

Scheduled TV maintenance was carried out, meaning there was no TV for a few hours. During the night. During the England World Cup game against Mexico. Despite this, England won.

Amazing Antwerp

 Silver Spirit is in Antwerp for 2 days. A bus ride round the city one day and a walk into the main square the next. The buildings are magnificent and the mooring near the city centre is ideal. Special mention should be made of the main square, the spectacular new law courts and the port building designed by Zaha Hadid. The bus ride made a stop at the main railway station, where the guide made a few factual errors which TSH was too polite to point out. Security into the port is strict, insisting on all metal objects be placed in trays, as at an airport. TSH set the alarms off several times. Each time finding something in his pockets which should have gone into the trays. 

On 4th July, lunch at La Terrazza was USA themed with burgers, hot dogs and Budweiser, as well as the usual range of buffet food. TSH and Diva are not sure if it was as inauthentic as the British pub lunch, with its flags, average fish and chips and sing-alongs. The Cruise Director, realising that they did not attend, said 'I expect you get this all the time at home'!!!

A waiter made a napkin into a rose and presented it to Diva. Inexplicable but charming. 

Gull's Gulp

 When the Silver Spirit made a call to Dover, UK, TSH and Diva went on an excursion to nearby Deal. It was described as having one photostop and freetime in Deal. Instead, there was a walking tour of Deal, a few minutes of free time and then a long stop at Dover Castle. Which is very impressive but impossible for anyone with mobility problems. Silversea had totally changed the tour without informing anyone who was already booked. TSH and Diva were not the only guests to be furious.

When anything goes wrong on the Silver Spirit, there are well rehearsed recovery procedures. A waiter broke a number of glasses, which spread widely across the floor of busy La Terrazza. He immediately placed a chair over the worst of the debris, obtained a warning sign, moved any guests who may have been affected and alerted a number of other waiters to bring brushes.  The whole scene was impressively cleared in just a few minutes. For greater problems, there are regular general emergency drills for the whole crew.

On the pool deck - now branded 'Riviera' - a gull boarded the ship and made a spectacular dive onto a guest's lunch. Which was, of course, rapidly replaced by a waiter. The bird did not leave the ship for some minutes afterwards, as it had identified a large number of potential food sources.

10 spare wooden coat hangers.

Overheard from Silversea guests

 Ashore - to bus driver: 'Which is the best side for the view?'

                                        'What are 'attractions'?'

In the restaurant, grumpily, to dining companion: 'This is just like MacDonalds'. TSH and Diva have had their complaints about Silversea over the years but it is NOTHING like MacDonalds.              

In the restaurant when there was a squeaky door: 'Have you any WD40?'  Waiter (who seemed to think this was a drink) 'I will try to get it for you, sir'.

Diva takes instruction

 In Skagen for the second time on this cruise, TSH and Diva once again took the shuttle bus and walked around the pleasant town. TSH was eager to take a picture of the church but when they reached it, most of the building was wrapped in plastic as repairs were undertaken. 

There are coincidences onboard - two sets of unrelated guests from Wisconsin USA and another set of guests who live only about 5 miles from TSH and Diva's home.

When Diva uses the guest laundry, she is accustomed to providing technical advice to people who cannot operate unfamiliar washing machines (any washing machines?). On this occasion, another guest advised her on setting a suitable program and clearing the lint from the tumble dryer. She enquired if he was an engineer but he replied that he was an Australian banker.

Drama at Helsingborg

  Sailing away from Stockholm, guests were invited to a sunset sail away party at 3:45 pm. '....soft lighting of the amazing sunset...'. At 3:45 pm it is bright daylight in Sweden in June!!

Entering the impressive and showy brunch buffet for the third time on this cruise, TSH and Diva were advised by a ship's officer to 'act like you have not seen it before. Just say 'Wow''.

Approaching Helsingborg (Hamlet's castle), the Captain of the Silver Spirit declared a Code Alpha - the signal for medically trained crew to attend an incident. Later that evening, a helicopter appeared and a medical evacuation took place - the first time TSH and Diva have witnessed such an occurrence. They have no information about what happened or whether the two events were connected but they send best wishes to all involved. 

For you I will make an exception*

In Stockholm, the Silver Spirit was not berthed near the old town, as has been the case in the past, but was berthed a good way out. With limited shuttle buses. So when TSH and Diva went out in good time for the 9:00 shuttle it was already full and they stayed onboard. 

They were in Stockholm for two days and were able to take an organised tour to the ABBA museum. The building, in any case too small for the exhibits, was over-crowded with cruise ship passengers (the irony!!) from the Silver Spirit and a number of others so this was not a great experience.

Diva is very independent in spite of her current mobility problems. She always refuses a helping hand from crew members and bus drivers. She reluctantly accepts help from TSH. But when she was walking along a tricky bit of gangway and the Captain of the Silver Spirit leaped forward to help her she accepted - 'since you are the Captain'.

* Leonard Cohen    Chelsea Hotel