As soon as we stepped on board Aurora we felt comfortable and very much at home.
She is a lovely warm ship, just big enough to get a sense of opulence but small enough not to get lost at every turn, which is quite easy to do on other larger ships.
We set sail for the Canary Islands from Southampton on 5th November and sailed into fairly variable seas.
After three days at sea, our first port of call was Madeira where we decided to take a shore excursion.
We were driven up into the mountains where we stopped for tea and cake (madeira cake obviously).
Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and a very funny man and he really knew how to play the English! We had a great time and saw some absolutely stunning sights.
Well worth the trip.
Back to the ship and then on to La Palma, then Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and then one more day at sea until we berthed in Lisbon.
All of these stops were well worth getting off the ship for, especially if you haven’t been to the Canaries before.
We had been to Lisbon before but had really bad weather so didn’t really see it in all its glory.
It really is a truly beautiful City and not one you should miss on your travels.
When we departed each port, our Cruise Director organised ‘Sailaway Parties’ up on the pool deck with music, dancing and a wonderful atmosphere.
The best ‘Sailaway’ was our last one when we left Lisbon.
We were berthed alongside the Queen Victoria (who by the way, had been shadowing us throughout the trip and we them) and also another well known ship which we won’t name as they didn’t seem to be having a good time at all.
Suffice it to say, our Cruise Director completely involved them with our party and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Even the crew on the dockside were dancing and having a really good time.
All was well with the world! On a more sombre note, on 11th November, Captain Neil Turnbull held a Remembrance Service on the pool deck.
All 6 outside decks were packed with passengers all joining in with the ceremony.
The crew looked absolutely stunning in their white uniforms as they lined the pool and it was a service which will always remain with us as being tasteful and extremely British.
Well done.
Finally, we would like to say something about the crew members who looked after us so well.
Nothing was too much trouble and we felt very special indeed.
The food was second to none and each restaurant brought its own kind of magic.
We must also bear in mind that many of the crew were from the Philippines and were eagerly awaiting news of their loved ones who were caught up in the typhoon at that time.
Despite their stress, they still looked after us as if nothing else mattered.
This was very humbling and I am glad to say that every crew member’s families were later accounted for.
If you don’t do anything else in 2014, make sure you catch this cruise, you will never forget it and you will come away having made some wonderful new friends, as we did.
WELL DONE TO ALL AT P&O CRUISES
