Captain's Blog

Arguably the most stunning natural harbour in the Mediterranean (with respect to Mahon and Kotor), Bonifacio is at the southernmost tip of Corsica. We anchored outside the harbour entrance, and well clear of the paths taken by the frequent ferries and prepared for our tendering operation.

The sea was mercifully calm as we lowered our tenders to the water and my Staff Captain and Tours and Travel Manager headed ashore to ensure everything was ready for us. There were two tours on offer today ‘Highlights of Bonifacio’ and ‘Bonifacio Boat Tour’. The former of the two proved so popular that there were four separate departures to cater for everyone. Clive headed ashore with his group of outdoor enthusiasts to indulge in a hike and swim. Neil came up to the Bridge and armed with numerous radios, phones and CCTV cameras he co-ordinated the tender operation to ensure everyone was ashore in good time. I don’t think he actually needs to do this from the Bridge, but the lure of the kettle and selection of biscuits means it’s hard to keep him away!

The sea conditions changed as the day progressed and at times it was a little choppy out there. I came to the Bridge and using the bow thruster created a leeward side so that we could embark and disembark the tenders as smoothly as possible. The last tender left the shore at 3.30pm and shortly afterwards we weighed anchor and set our course for Olbia. We were scheduled to arrive in Olbia, on the northern coast of Sardinia, at 08.00am tomorrow morning. This would have required a speed of just 3.9 knots. I decided therefore that we would be better off heading straight there, and having gained permission from the Sardinian port we did just that.

We were due to arrive into Olbia at 9.00pm, so we had a pleasant afternoon sailing across the Strait of Bonifacio. Neil came up to tell me that the Tri-Nations rugby match between South Africa and Australia was being broadcast live, so being a Wallabies fan I took the opportunity to watch the match whilst my Staff Captain kept an eye on things on the Bridge. A superb game ensued with the South Africans being appalling in the first half, and then Australia being appalling in the second half. However, the last kick of the game saw the result swing in our favour. Great stuff!

At 8.30pm we took the pilot onboard and entered the narrow channel into Olbia. This port is always challenging – it is shallow, narrow and we need to turn in a confined area to put the bow out to over hang the wharf, at the same time minding the gleaming super yachts berthed in our vicinity.  Afterwards, I wandered round the decks to relax and watched the Romanov Trio performing in the Sirocco Lounge and Neil rallying the troops with his excellent Scattergories Quiz up in the Yacht Club. I was applauded by the audience in the Yacht Club for Australia’s victory over South Africa, which was a nice touch, but I doubt I was personally responsible!

Tonight we shall remain here in Olbia. Many passengers and crew have taken a wander ashore to sample the Saturday nightlife of this busy port town. The shore excursions will take place tomorrow and then it’s off to Naples.

We were on a course of due east today as we headed for Bonifacio on the southern tip of Corsica. It is always good to have a first day at sea after a turnaround port as it gives everyone a chance to get used to their new surroundings. Having said that, two-thirds of our passengers on this cruise have sailed with us before, so that shouldn’t take long!

Assistant Cruise Director Angela registered passengers who wished to come up to the Bridge, whilst the lectures began with ‘The Mediterranean: An Historical Survey’, by Dr Richard Crampton. This was followed by ‘The Story of the Mediterranean – A Vast Geological Jigsaw’, by Dr Peter Cattermole.

Elsewhere the deck sports were well attended, as was the salsa workout with cruise staff Lisa and Jilly in the Yacht Club. After lunch, the talks continued with Neil delivering an overview of all the ports of call this cruise before Dr Andrew Oddy rounded off the day’s lectures with ‘The Art of the Conservator’. Sue Edwards started the watercolour workshops up in the Yacht Club, and cocktail pianist Clive hosted a meeting for all those keen to join him on the Outdoor Pursuits programme of activities.

I then hosted my Welcome Cocktail Party in the Sirocco Lounge before an enjoyable dinner. Showtime tonight featured West End Soprano Sarah Ryan performing her favourite songs from the world of musical theatre. It has been a sunny day and the sea flat calm - let’s hope for more of the same tomorrow as we are due to be tendering off the coast of Bonifacio.

We arrived this morning and were berthed directly underneath the cable car station in the heart of Barcelona harbour. We bade farewell to our ‘Rivers and Wines of France and Iberia’ passengers during the morning and then prepared to welcome those joining us on the journey east.

My Senior Officers this cruise remain the same with Staff Captain Vitaliy Goncharov, Chief Engineer Phillip Jeavons, Hotel Director Djamel Benatmane and Cruise Director Neil Horrocks. Djamel was due to go on leave but he has his wife, Farida, onboard with him at the moment and Djamel was keen for them to stay as, he tells me, it keeps her away from the boutiques of Paris!

All aboard was set for 10.00pm so we had plenty of time to embark our passengers and then hold the mandatory lifeboat drill. Everyone then had the option of wandering ashore or coming along to Neil’s opening presentation. This voyage is called the ‘World Heritage Explorer’, and we have four guest lecturers sailing with us to enrich the passengers appreciation of the areas we are sailing. On this voyage we are joined by Peter Clayton (Regional History), Dr Richard Crampton (History and Archaeology), Dr Peter Cattermole (Geology), Dr Andrew Oddy (Former Curator at the British Museum) and Sue Edwards (Watercolours).

This cruise is one of two halves, with a sea day in the middle to separate the two distinct aspects. The first week includes Corsica, Sardinia, mainland Italy, Sicily and Malta, with the second week featuring Montenegro, Croatia, Albania and Greece. We sailed away from Barcelona at 11.00pm to begin this voyage of the ‘World Heritage Explorer’.

Although it was the last day of the cruise, it was arguably the busiest onboard ship. In between packing there was a plethora of activities for the passengers to enjoy. Lectures included, ‘Upstairs/Downstairs – Life Beyond the Green Baize Door’ with Sarah Edington, ‘Fact, Film & Fiction: The Real El Cid’ with Professor Ian Beckett, ‘Diego Velázquez – Spanish Court Painter’, with Dr David Cross, and ‘Sightings and Findings’ with ORCA Wildlife Officer Chris Bielby.

Speaking of the latter, the ORCA team have done a great job this cruise and whenever we’ve been at sea they have been in attendance on the compass deck recording their sightings and helping passengers have a greater understanding of the marine environment.

Elsewhere, there was a Champagne and Sparkling Wine tasting with Ben Howkins, the Book Club looked at “Spanish Steps” by Tim Moore and “The Little Stranger” by Sarah Waters, Julia Adams completed her watercolour workshops and then I hosted the Farewell Cocktail Party in the Sirocco Lounge. This also included the August Employee of the Month ceremony which is always a good opportunity to bring to the fore the unsung heroes from behind the scenes who do such a good job in keeping everything running smoothly.

The evening concluded with the Romanov Trio performing their final recital, ‘Amazing Amadeus’, whilst Neil hosted part two of his Scattergories Quiz up in the Yacht Club. It has been a great cruise with three long river transits and we really have “got you closer”.