NORWAY
A new adventure
Part One
SATURDAY 28 AUGUST
So, So, a totally new adventure – our first ever cruise, and up to Norway, somewhere we had always dreamed of visiting. Maggie had not had a holiday outside the UK since our last one in Italy in 2002. With her disability, she does not want all the hassle that comes with flying. This year
she retired from the Civil Service and decided she wanted to treat herself to a cruise. So she contacted a company that specialises in helping disabled people, and so here we were on the Ventura, P&O’s biggest ship.
Yesterday we had done most of the packing, which we finished this morning. We were looking to leave for Southampton at midday and it was about 12.20 when we eventually got under way. The journey was pretty good, although the Chichester by-pass was its usual grim self. Once past that point it was straightforward. One thing for sure, getting to Southampton Docks was a lot easier than getting to those in Portsmouth.
Once at the Ocean Terminal, we were met with an incredible efficiency! Indeed we had to stop the man driving the car away as we still needed to offload one or two things. Inside the terminal it was a sort of organised chaos, rather like on busy days at airports. We both felt that there was not sufficient signage to direct people to where they needed to go, and an airy wave together with imprecise advice as to where we should go to check in really did not cut the mustard. Eventually, however, we were able to board the Ventura.
We are on Riviera Deck, or Deck 14 – which is actually the thirteenth deck, but mariners worldwide never use unlucky thirteen. It’s a very nice cabin, or, to use P&O parlance, stateroom, with good facilities, although neither of us are totally convinced it caters totally for Maggie’s needs, despite the company’s best efforts. We spent some time on the balcony as we set sail, which was after we had attended a safety drill. To be honest we both felt that was a total shambles. There were too many people at that particular muster point, which would have made it difficult for many to observe the staff demonstrating the drill. Then, it was everyone for him or herself, with the disabled left to fend for themselves. I could not believe the number of able-bodied people who grabbed the lifts without any thought for the numerous people in wheelchairs that were there. Why is there so much selfishness these days?
Anyway, shortly before 5.00 pm we were away, and we simply sat on the 
balcony, relaxing as the Ventura made its way down Southampton Water to the Solent and past Portsmouth, with the Spinnaker Tower standing so tall and proud. The atmosphere was so quiet and tranquil.
After unpacking – a task that always makes us feel we packed too much! – it was time for dinner. We had chosen Freedom Dining, which means that, although we can use just the one restaurant, the Cinnamon, we get to sit at different tables each evening and will have different people as company for the meal. The meal itself was very nice, although my sirloin steak could have been a tad tenderer, and we washed it down with a bottle of Montepulciano d’Abbruzzo (Sant’Orsola). Then it was back to the cabin and to bed. We were both pretty darn tired.
SUNDAY 29 AUGUST
Whereas yesterday was a lovely day, we awoke to leaden skies and rain, a choppy sea that made the ship shudder a bit, although it was so huge that shudder was all it did. However, things had better improve a lot weather-wise.
We woke up a little before 8.00, but then remembered that the ship’s clock was set an hour later (to continental time). I checked to see where we could still get breakfast – I wanted a cooked one – and we made our way to the Waterside Restaurant, on Deck 15. After eating we got talking to a group of Lancastrians, who were really friendly, so we passed a good three-quarters of an hour with them. Actually Maggie had suggested that I took a photo of them as one of the men had taken one that naturally did not include himself, so it was nice to take photo of the whole group. We were to bump into them almost every day, and they were always full of laughs.
Tonight is one of the formal evenings. This means that we have to dress up – me in a suit that I normally keep for weddings and funerals and Maggie dressed in a matching deep red skirt and top. I hate formal occasions; I hate formal, full stop. I just feel so bloody uncomfortable and hot. Still, there’s the evening meal to look forward to.
As the day went by the weather seemed to be improving, and the Captain did say in his welcome speech that tomorrow was looking promising. We will arrive at Bergen in the morning.
We enjoyed the evening meal with couples from Bournemouth and Bognor. The guy from Bognor had a lovely dry sense of humour and we shared not a few laughs. He had done the London Marathon five times and a number of local ones along the south coast. Her also sailed, and spoke of a journey back from the Scilly Isles (west of Cornwall) on which all on board had been seasick, such was the temper the sea was in. “And of course, the only known cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.” I cracked up! Oh, yes, the food. Maggie had sea bass, of which nothing remained on the plate. Being a little adventurous, I had lobster tail, never having had lobster before. I found it very tasty. We both had a very extravagant crème broulee for desserts.
To be continued
You can view a lot of the photographs that I took at www.flickr.com/photos/sussexshark.
