Our last full day at sea

Controlled chaos as we packed

As we pulled away from the quayside in Vigo, Gabrielle tearfully declared that she wanted me to promise that we would do this again. It’s been a surprise to both of us how much we have enjoyed being on this ship and the excitement and exhilaration of the exotic places we have visited. As it comes to an end we can only reflect on a great time with so many highlights it’s almost impossible to remember them all. And that’s why we wrote this blog. 

Final landfall before Southampton

Statuary on the waterfront in Vigo

After our day in the sun yesterday, we decided that exercise was the order of the afternoon. Pretty much everyone had turned in for the day as the sun had grown weaker in its intensity. There were only a few folk doing the prom walk.  We started off at a fairly gentle pace as it was pretty hard going with the large swell still. As we got used to the roll, our pace improved and we did our 7 laps. 

Big seas, great show and annoying music

The Headliners make a splash on stage on Aurora

Another feature of our wonderful internet is that, if the bathroom door is open, it doesn’t work. Seriously! Many’s the time either of us has shouted “Sorry,” as we went into the bathroom and interrupted a vital online transaction. And being online had been important as we hammered across the watery wastes at 20 knots with Vigo at 299 nautical miles away. The sea was rolling big style with lolloping great peaks and troughs making the ship sway from side to side and up and down. The south-westerly wind was blowing us north-eastwards and helping to create a following swell - apparently the only type of sea that Aurora doesn’t cope with very well. 

First of six days at sea

Sunset  as we left St Maarten

It was lovely once the other two cruise ships had left St Maarten last night, leaving us the last to leave. If the truth be told, I wasn’t fussed about going out last night. We had been informed slightly late in the day that there was a change of schedule for our departure from St Maarten and we would be leaving 3 hours later than published. This was due to the issues with docking and re-berthing that the ship had to do and quite a lot of people had been stranded on the ship and were therefore late getting off. I thought it might be nice to simply reflect on an amazing day and get a simple room service in. Nope, Nick wanted to be entertained. So recognising that the key to a successful marriage is compromise, we did as Nick wanted! We’d checked out the dinner menu on our way back from our trip and felt it looked ok. And ok it was. This is now the fourth decent meal on the trot in the restaurant. What’s going on? Long may it last.

The end of the world

Gabrielle and Nick at the End of the World

Once in our finery, we minced off to The Glass House. We were ooooohhhhhhed and arrrrrrrrrhhhhhed over with lots of questions from Janice if all had been ok on our last visit as she had not seen us since our renewal of vows evening and had everything been ok? We had to assure her that all had been more than ok, it was simply that we were desperately trying to keep the alcohol intake to a reasonable level. And failing fairly spectacularly, it has to be said.

On board Aurora: its crew and its entertainment

Phew! Managed to grab a morsel of Internet. It's in short supply down here as there's not much demand among the penguins. Gabrielle has decided she likes being called ma’am, as in ham (not marm as in farm). The unfailing politeness and friendliness of the staff is testament to great training and quality recruitment. They seem largely to be drawn from the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia and Philippines.