Today we docked in Oslo for a half-day call. The weather was pretty poor all morning but it got much better in the afternoon.
I assisted one of the 2ETOs with a few things today such as running the emergency generator, testing the boiler safety devices, and replacing a damaged PT100 probe.
There was nothing in the wardroom tonight.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
DAY 28
Today was another busy one right from the get-go. Fitting the new motor controller yesterday turned out to be a bit trickier than I would have hoped. The type we had in stores as a spare was a newer model than the one I was replacing and all of the inputs and outputs did not marry up. I had to delve into manuals for both controllers to figure out how I could keep the same operation with the new controller as it was with the old one. Long story short it was easier said than done and it took half of the day to finally put a stamp on it and say it was done.
Tonight was the welcome aboard cocktail parties. When we sail out of Southampton the WOBs are always the second night of the cruise. When we sailed out of Barbados they were the third night of the cruise, to allow more time to unpack and get the good clothes sorted out.
A few of us went up to the Trattoria after the cocktails and I had the Lasagna again and it was amazing again. We ordered some red wine, Chateneuf du Pap, to have with dinner.
After dinner we ended up in another officer’s cabin where a small contingent of other officers had gathered. There was a lot to drink and a couple of movies - Taxi Driver, and The shining - were played on the 32 inch screen that this particular officer had. All of the standard TV sets in the cabins are only about 17 inches but it is perfectly acceptable to buy your own.
After awhile I stumbled back to my cabin and hit the sack.
Tonight was the welcome aboard cocktail parties. When we sail out of Southampton the WOBs are always the second night of the cruise. When we sailed out of Barbados they were the third night of the cruise, to allow more time to unpack and get the good clothes sorted out.
A few of us went up to the Trattoria after the cocktails and I had the Lasagna again and it was amazing again. We ordered some red wine, Chateneuf du Pap, to have with dinner.
After dinner we ended up in another officer’s cabin where a small contingent of other officers had gathered. There was a lot to drink and a couple of movies - Taxi Driver, and The shining - were played on the 32 inch screen that this particular officer had. All of the standard TV sets in the cabins are only about 17 inches but it is perfectly acceptable to buy your own.
After awhile I stumbled back to my cabin and hit the sack.
DAY 27
Another turnaround day was came and went and it turned out to be a very busy day. All hope of getting off and going into Southampton was dashed when the engine 2ETO asked for my help to fit a new motor controller for the feed pump to the oily water separator, aka COW (centrifugal oil-water separator).
I literally spent all day on it, and I was lucky enough to not get called to fix a crew lift even with all of the baggage and stores operations going on.
Being it a turnaround day you could probably guess where I went for dinner. Up to the pub dinner in the wardroom is the answer and the usual fare of Indian and british food was to be had. A few of the new joiners came up and most of them I knew already from before.
I called it an early night.
I literally spent all day on it, and I was lucky enough to not get called to fix a crew lift even with all of the baggage and stores operations going on.
Being it a turnaround day you could probably guess where I went for dinner. Up to the pub dinner in the wardroom is the answer and the usual fare of Indian and british food was to be had. A few of the new joiners came up and most of them I knew already from before.
I called it an early night.
DAY 26
Last day of the cruise and it was a sea day. It was actually supposed to be St. Peter port, Guernsey, but a storm was heading there so the captain made the executive decision to cancel that in the name of safety.
I helped the engine 2ETO for some of the day. I have been doing that more often since I seem to have a good handle on most of the 3ETO duties. Seeing the types of things that go wrong in the engine room is good for when I eventually step up to the position. Depending on the system it can take a lot of coordination with the 1EO to repair equipment down there; another side of the job that to be prepared for.
After work the whole electrical department went up to the wardroom for a drink to say goodbye to the SETO who is going on leave tomorrow. He bought the first two rounds, which was awesome. Every time I go for a drink straight after work I usually end up buying a couple of bags of cheese and onion chips to munch on. The british say crisps instead of chips among other things, which is always an infuriating topic of conversation.
I just went down to the Officers Mess for dinner and ordered a steak. It was alright. Then it was off to bed.
I helped the engine 2ETO for some of the day. I have been doing that more often since I seem to have a good handle on most of the 3ETO duties. Seeing the types of things that go wrong in the engine room is good for when I eventually step up to the position. Depending on the system it can take a lot of coordination with the 1EO to repair equipment down there; another side of the job that to be prepared for.
After work the whole electrical department went up to the wardroom for a drink to say goodbye to the SETO who is going on leave tomorrow. He bought the first two rounds, which was awesome. Every time I go for a drink straight after work I usually end up buying a couple of bags of cheese and onion chips to munch on. The british say crisps instead of chips among other things, which is always an infuriating topic of conversation.
I just went down to the Officers Mess for dinner and ordered a steak. It was alright. Then it was off to bed.
DAY 25
Today we were in Cobh, the gateway port to Cork, Ireland. This was another addition to the cruise in order to avoid the rough weather that was passing through Guernsey. The tours team had to arrange last minute tours because it was only made known to the public 48 hours ago that we would be calling into Cobh. They managed to come up with some decent ones, like the one to Blarney Castle where you can kiss the fabled Blarney Stone, which is supposed to grant the gift of eloquence.
Tonight we had the customary Portunus Party in the Starlights Lounge to honour our Portunus members. All one needs to do to become a Portunus member is go on a few cruises. It takes at least 50 days of cruising to become a gold-tier member, which at the moment is the highest tier with the most benefits. So eight 7-day cruises, four 14-day cruises, or two 26-day cruises is what it would take to get there. There are the Ruby and Sapphire tiers as well. There is talk of introducing a new tier called the Platinum tier for those well over 50 days. Then I guess from there it would go double then triple platinum. I don’t believe it is only based on days at sea because that would mean someone who books the penthouse suite 7 times would not be gold tier, but someone who books the cheapest cabin 8 times would be.
After Portunus I went up to the conservatory for the Trattoria once again and had an amazing Lasagna al Forno. It was exquisite.
Tonight we had the customary Portunus Party in the Starlights Lounge to honour our Portunus members. All one needs to do to become a Portunus member is go on a few cruises. It takes at least 50 days of cruising to become a gold-tier member, which at the moment is the highest tier with the most benefits. So eight 7-day cruises, four 14-day cruises, or two 26-day cruises is what it would take to get there. There are the Ruby and Sapphire tiers as well. There is talk of introducing a new tier called the Platinum tier for those well over 50 days. Then I guess from there it would go double then triple platinum. I don’t believe it is only based on days at sea because that would mean someone who books the penthouse suite 7 times would not be gold tier, but someone who books the cheapest cabin 8 times would be.
After Portunus I went up to the conservatory for the Trattoria once again and had an amazing Lasagna al Forno. It was exquisite.
DAY 24
Today we were still in Dublin because due to the change in itinerary it was decided to spend overnight here. If I were a passenger I would think that this is even better than a day call into somewhere less vibrant than Dublin, but there are people that will complain about missing Stornoway.
Today was rather quiet on the job. Some fellow colleagues were feeling the effects of a good night out in Dublin last night.
In the Wardroom this evening we had the Pre-Dinner Drinks event again, where we invite passengers that we like up for a cocktail before dinner. I didn’t get a chance to invite anyone this time but other officers had invited several people so I wasn’t without someone to talk to.
After the cocktails a group of us went up to the Conservatory for the Asian/Oriental Buffet. I always enjoy this buffet and I thoroughly stuffed myself. I didn’t want to go to bed on such a full stomach so I stayed up for a while reading a book.
Today was rather quiet on the job. Some fellow colleagues were feeling the effects of a good night out in Dublin last night.
In the Wardroom this evening we had the Pre-Dinner Drinks event again, where we invite passengers that we like up for a cocktail before dinner. I didn’t get a chance to invite anyone this time but other officers had invited several people so I wasn’t without someone to talk to.
After the cocktails a group of us went up to the Conservatory for the Asian/Oriental Buffet. I always enjoy this buffet and I thoroughly stuffed myself. I didn’t want to go to bed on such a full stomach so I stayed up for a while reading a book.
DAY 23
Today we arrived in Dublin at around noon. With the itinerary change we are staying all the way until about 2000 tomorrow evening, which will give everyone a great chance to go out and see Dublin’s day and night life.
I was off the ship by about 1300 with a few other people. We took the shuttle bus into downtown Dublin, which took about 15 minutes. We were dropped off near the center of town on Kildare Street. A short walk and we were on the main street with all the big name shops. The shopping district is split into north and south; each side having a main street. Grafton street is the main street on the south side of the river Liffey and Talbot/Henry/Mary Street is the main street on the north side.
I quickly realized that Dublin was quite an expensive city when it came to merchandise with prices close to twice that I would pay in Vancouver or even Southampton. A passenger on the shuttle bus ride over said since joining the EU Dublin has grown a lot, thus increasing the standard of living and at the same time the cost as well.
All along the river there are small bridges that connect the two sides of the city. The traffic didn’t seem to heavy around the city, but it was only a Monday afternoon.
I walked as far as I could and made it to a lot of nice landmarks such as the Christ Church Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green, the spire, etc. I started at around 1330 and didn’t finish until about 1830 so I walked continuously for over 5 hours. Needless to say my feet were a wee bit sore by the end of it and I felt like sleeping for several hours.
I was planning to get out in the evening to the temple bar area for a few drinks with the others to see the vibrant Dublin night life, but I opted to stay in and cover for a colleague on duty to let them get out and stretch their legs as well.
When I got back to the ship I went for dinner in the officer’s mess where it ended up being just me and the Chief sat across from each other the whole time. He’s a good Chief, originally from England, who now resides somewhere in New Brunswick with his wife.
After dinner it was back to the cabin to write this and then for some Z’s.
I was off the ship by about 1300 with a few other people. We took the shuttle bus into downtown Dublin, which took about 15 minutes. We were dropped off near the center of town on Kildare Street. A short walk and we were on the main street with all the big name shops. The shopping district is split into north and south; each side having a main street. Grafton street is the main street on the south side of the river Liffey and Talbot/Henry/Mary Street is the main street on the north side.
I quickly realized that Dublin was quite an expensive city when it came to merchandise with prices close to twice that I would pay in Vancouver or even Southampton. A passenger on the shuttle bus ride over said since joining the EU Dublin has grown a lot, thus increasing the standard of living and at the same time the cost as well.
All along the river there are small bridges that connect the two sides of the city. The traffic didn’t seem to heavy around the city, but it was only a Monday afternoon.
I walked as far as I could and made it to a lot of nice landmarks such as the Christ Church Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green, the spire, etc. I started at around 1330 and didn’t finish until about 1830 so I walked continuously for over 5 hours. Needless to say my feet were a wee bit sore by the end of it and I felt like sleeping for several hours.
I was planning to get out in the evening to the temple bar area for a few drinks with the others to see the vibrant Dublin night life, but I opted to stay in and cover for a colleague on duty to let them get out and stretch their legs as well.
When I got back to the ship I went for dinner in the officer’s mess where it ended up being just me and the Chief sat across from each other the whole time. He’s a good Chief, originally from England, who now resides somewhere in New Brunswick with his wife.
After dinner it was back to the cabin to write this and then for some Z’s.
DAY 22
Today we were in Douglas, Isle of Mann. Just looking out from the top deck I could tell that this was a nice place what with the beaches, rolling green hills and quaint buildings that seemed all so close by.
My superiors have been in a good mood lately so I took the opportunity to get ashore for a couple of hours after lunch. Since it was a boat port it took a bit more time getting off and on the ship. I got on a tender at around 1330 and was back on the ship just after 1530.
I walked along one of the main streets of Douglas with a woman I met on the tender who was on the Artemis training the bar staff how to mix drinks properly and serve the customers. She was on a mission in Douglas to find a B&B where her father could stay next year during the TT races, which, I am told are quite popular.
When I got back to the ship it was business as usual until we knocked off at 1800.
Later at around 1030 a wardroom “Pirate Party” kicked off. Some people showed up in some really authentic looking costumes as classic pirates with the eye patch, parrot and hook. Others came as Somalian pirates. I just had to be different, so I turned up in regular clothes and brought with me some ‘fake’ pirated movies and music CDs. It was pretty random to have a pirate party on a cruise around Britain but it was a good excuse to have a pour out which meant free booze.
My superiors have been in a good mood lately so I took the opportunity to get ashore for a couple of hours after lunch. Since it was a boat port it took a bit more time getting off and on the ship. I got on a tender at around 1330 and was back on the ship just after 1530.
I walked along one of the main streets of Douglas with a woman I met on the tender who was on the Artemis training the bar staff how to mix drinks properly and serve the customers. She was on a mission in Douglas to find a B&B where her father could stay next year during the TT races, which, I am told are quite popular.
When I got back to the ship it was business as usual until we knocked off at 1800.
Later at around 1030 a wardroom “Pirate Party” kicked off. Some people showed up in some really authentic looking costumes as classic pirates with the eye patch, parrot and hook. Others came as Somalian pirates. I just had to be different, so I turned up in regular clothes and brought with me some ‘fake’ pirated movies and music CDs. It was pretty random to have a pirate party on a cruise around Britain but it was a good excuse to have a pour out which meant free booze.
DAY 21
Today we were at sea, which was not the original plan. Due to rough weather the call in Stornoway was cancelled. Instead, the captain informed everyone that we would sail directly for Douglas tomorrow and then the next day we would go to Dublin, where we would spend a day and a half. I think these changes will improve the cruise to be quite honest because I wasn’t seeing many people excited about going to Stornoway anyway.
Today there was the Artemis Uncovered event in the Atrium where all the departments have a display showing the passengers what they do. Myself and a colleague were the lucky ones from the Electrical Department to stand by our table and answer any questions the passengers had. Luckily it was only an hour…
At noon today there was the traditional Gold-Tier Luncheon in the Coral Dining Room. It was superb as usual and I had a good chat with the three couples that were on my table 88.
I went back to work at 1600 and continued until we all finished at 1800. I went to the gym for a run and after a shitshowerandshave went up to the Senior Officer’s cocktail party. After the party I went for dinner up to the conservatory for the Thai Buffet, which was great. I was joined by the staff captain and a financial officer.
It was the 60’s and 70’s dress up night for the passengers, so there were a few hippies seen on decks. There is usually a shindig up on the open decks but it was inclement weather and it was held in the Starlights Lounge instead. The dancers have a show titled “Swinging 60’s” after which they come out to the party and dance with the passengers. I met up with a couple of people at Starlights for a drink before heading off to bed.
Today there was the Artemis Uncovered event in the Atrium where all the departments have a display showing the passengers what they do. Myself and a colleague were the lucky ones from the Electrical Department to stand by our table and answer any questions the passengers had. Luckily it was only an hour…
At noon today there was the traditional Gold-Tier Luncheon in the Coral Dining Room. It was superb as usual and I had a good chat with the three couples that were on my table 88.
I went back to work at 1600 and continued until we all finished at 1800. I went to the gym for a run and after a shitshowerandshave went up to the Senior Officer’s cocktail party. After the party I went for dinner up to the conservatory for the Thai Buffet, which was great. I was joined by the staff captain and a financial officer.
It was the 60’s and 70’s dress up night for the passengers, so there were a few hippies seen on decks. There is usually a shindig up on the open decks but it was inclement weather and it was held in the Starlights Lounge instead. The dancers have a show titled “Swinging 60’s” after which they come out to the party and dance with the passengers. I met up with a couple of people at Starlights for a drink before heading off to bed.
DAY 20
Today we were in Lerwick. It was a tender port and it didn’t go particularly well because of the times that we arrived and had to depart. We came in a bit late, which made everyone rush about trying to get off of the ship to their tours. We only have 4 tenders that hold about 65 people each so it takes a bit of time to get 1000 passengers off the ship. The sea was quite choppy as well my friends which didn’t help the situation.
From what I could see from the upper decks Lerwick looked like a nice place. But that is as close as I got to it on this occasion. They cancelled the crew shore leave because they didn’t get all of the passengers off of the ship until about noon and they needed to get them all back on by 1600.
In the wardroom tonight was “Casino Night”. The entire casino department came up to host whatever we wanted to play. There ended up being a few blackjack and Texas Hold ‘em tournaments. I sat in for three games of blackjack but couldn’t turn a profit so I cut my losses and called it a night. I watched the rest of the gambling taking place and there were some interesting things that happened during the Hold ‘em tourney.
From what I could see from the upper decks Lerwick looked like a nice place. But that is as close as I got to it on this occasion. They cancelled the crew shore leave because they didn’t get all of the passengers off of the ship until about noon and they needed to get them all back on by 1600.
In the wardroom tonight was “Casino Night”. The entire casino department came up to host whatever we wanted to play. There ended up being a few blackjack and Texas Hold ‘em tournaments. I sat in for three games of blackjack but couldn’t turn a profit so I cut my losses and called it a night. I watched the rest of the gambling taking place and there were some interesting things that happened during the Hold ‘em tourney.
DAY 19
Today we were in Rosyth, the gateway port to Edinburgh, Scotland. I was planning to go on tour today to the Roslynn Chapel, but something came up on the ship and I had to work in the afternoon.
The Roslynn Chapel is the one that is visited by professor Langdon at the end of the Da Vinci Code novel.
There were no parties up in the Wardroom tonight, so a fellow officer and I decided to have a walk around the passenger decks to see what sort of entertainment was available. The passengers must have been tuckered out from the day in Edinburgh because it didn’t seem like many of them were out at about 2300. There was a tropical party in the Starlights Lounge and the dancer show in the International Lounge. We went to go see the dancer show and it turned out to be the one with all of the ABBA songs in it. It is one of the good shows that the headliner theatre company performs.
After a drink in the Tiffany’s bar after the show we decided to call it a night.
The Roslynn Chapel is the one that is visited by professor Langdon at the end of the Da Vinci Code novel.
There were no parties up in the Wardroom tonight, so a fellow officer and I decided to have a walk around the passenger decks to see what sort of entertainment was available. The passengers must have been tuckered out from the day in Edinburgh because it didn’t seem like many of them were out at about 2300. There was a tropical party in the Starlights Lounge and the dancer show in the International Lounge. We went to go see the dancer show and it turned out to be the one with all of the ABBA songs in it. It is one of the good shows that the headliner theatre company performs.
After a drink in the Tiffany’s bar after the show we decided to call it a night.
DAY 18
Today we were in the port of Newcastle, England. I had a quiet day and stayed in. I just wasn’t up for going off the ship for some reason.
Tonight was Indian dinner up in the Wardroom, which is always nice.
Tonight was Indian dinner up in the Wardroom, which is always nice.
DAY 17
Today was a sea day as we make our way to Newcastle. Nothing very exciting seemed to be going on around the ship. Just another day in paradise.
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