Musicals Afternoon Tea

I do enjoy the sea days as much as visiting new places. I also enjoy making an effort for dinner, not dress to impress evening wear but the chance to be less casual than when being a tourist on land.

The middle Sunday, a sea day, of our cruise gave an opportunity to 'go posh' in the afternoon. Once on every cruise there is Musicals Afternoon Tea in The Dining Club, there was an additional charge for this but it was worth every penny.

Each table was immaculately laid, even with opera glasses. The menu was themed on various musical songs and George, the ship's Musical Director, played the piano in our exclusive dining room for about 30 people.

Our Kir cocktail was served with the most amazing popcorn, each piece seemed to have a different flavour, not just sweet or salty. 

Our first course just confused me. A cold strawberry and Cointreau soup that my brain said 'no' to but which delighted my tastebuds. I would never have served a cold sweet soup as a starter but it was superb and a perfect light start to our afternoon tea experience.

George played a variety of songs from various musicals and after a while gave a welcome to us all announcing 'be our guest' and striking up the said song from Beauty and the Beast. Upon which all the waiters paraded round the room carrying the three tiered afternoon teas, it was quite a moment. 

The Afternoon Tea was amazing, I have enjoyed quite a few of these in some very expensive hotels and this was by far one of the best. Delicious sandwiches, warm scones and a selection of small cakes each with a theatrical style. 

When the waiters had been parading round I recognised two of the show cast. They appeared a little later carrying, then dropping a tray of cutlery and bursting into 'Anything you can do I can do better'.

What a treat to have George playing and two of the show cast singing live, they performed a few show songs which had everyone smiling ... it was an amazing experience.

I absolutely loved The Musicals Afternoon Tea, a real treat midway through our travels from west to east. 
 

Spain and Mallorca

Our cruise on Marella Explorer at the end of April into May was a repositioning cruise. We began in the Canary Islands, had a great stop in Maderia and then cruised to Gibraltar.

Our next day was in port at Motril in Spain. This was a stop I was looking forward to as Motril is the nearest port to Granada where the Alhambra Palace is. We were very keen to do an excursion to see this ancient palace and fortress but unfortunately there were no tickets available so no excursion.

We decided to take the shuttle bus into the town of Motril. It was a fair distance away from where we docked, we discovered later there was also a beach which some of our fellow passengers visited. 

Directly in front of us as we got off the bus was a beautiful church. It was on quite a steep slope and unfortunately closed but it did reveal perfect views back to the port and Marella Explorer. 

We wandered around the town which was quite hilly. It wasn't a particularly exciting town but we did find a pleasant square with plenty of outdoor cafe seating. Having a sweet tooth I selected a cream cake, delicious, as was the coffee: Hubby went savoury with an open tomato and ham bread.

And that was Motril, returning to the ship we had a leisurely afternoon on our balcony with a glass or two of Prosecco.

A day at sea followed which we filled by having a late breakfast, a stroll around before going to one of the talks in the Squid and Anchor (the ship's pub) followed by another chilled time enjoying our private balcony space. Our evenings were for me the best bits; pre dinner drinks, dining in Latitude 53 (waiter service), watching a show ending with drinks in the Lounge singing along to the band with our fellow cruisers.

Our next port was Palma Mallorca, another place I was looking forward to as our daughter was an au pair here over a summer mid university.

We had booked an excursion which we thought included seeing Palma Cathedral and then travelling inland to Valdermossa, a place our daughter often visited.

Having to be dockside by 8.30 it was an early start. Our guide was quite chatty as we travelled through Palma but we didn't stop at the Cathedral, luckily we were the right side of the bus to catch a glimpse, it looked stunning.

We were soon travelling out of the city, our guide telling us there was a cycle race and we had to get through before they closed the road. It was quite a misty morning being so early but the views were beautiful, especially as Valdermossa came into view.

Valdermossa is a small ancient village, very picturesque with a lovely main street. Arriving at 9am had the downside of no where being open, our guide informed us the shops would open at 10am. Expecting a guided tour we were surprised when the guide gave us brief directions to see the best view and the gardens and then said to meet back at the coach at 11.15, a long time in a small village not yet open.

We wandered around, I'm sure the building were significant but we didn't know why. We enjoyed a coffee and croissant before browsing the eventually open shops full of souvenirs.

Returning to the coach our guide said he hoped we'd get back through before the road closed again and that we were visiting Belver Castle. I had never heard of this and wasn't sure it was on our itinerary.

The castle overlooks Palma giving spectacular views, our reason for the 10 minute visit ... not into the castle itself.

Back at the ship we decided to have a wander around the local area as we a while before departure. There was a shopping centre nearby where we enjoyed a refreshing beer.

Our excursion had not really been as we expected and whilst our day was ok we were a little disappointed. We did discuss the excursion with the ship's destination team (as did other passengers) and they did refund part of the excursion cost. I think if we visit Palma again we will stroll along the marina to the Cathedral and the city.

Keeping up with my sunset and time tracker I've added on Motril and Palma, it's so interesting to see how it changes as we travel eastwards.

Maderia 20.42 UK time

Gibraltar 21.03 UK time plus 1 hour

Motril  20.57 UK time plus 1 hour

Palma  20.39 UK time plus 1 hour

Gibraltar

Our second port of call was Gibraltar, a bit of Britain. It's quite a small place in area every inch is built on, the port has been expanded out to sea. A few of our fellow passengers had visited many times and all said how it has changed and is so much bigger.

It was super to arrive early morning with a view of the Rock from our balcony. Docked next to us was Spirit of Discovery, a Saga cruise ship. 

Although a visit up to the Rock or through the underground tunnels are popular excursions we decided to explore the town. 

Gibraltar is attached to mainland Spain and is a strategic location in controlling access to the Mediterranean Sea. It is the closest point to Africa and has been occupied by the Moors, Spanish and British.

In the mid 18th century the British built the Line Curtain Wall to protect the town. They also built the Grand Casement, a barracks using the location of the Moor's Watergate giving access to the sea.

The Grand Casement is now a bustling area full of bars with outdoor seating, a great atmosphere. The walls are two storey with a variety of shops above including Gibraltar Distillery.

Their range includes Spanking Roger gin, named after Major General Roger Aytoun of the 72nd Regiment of Foot Royal Manchester Volunteers whose very successful recruitment methods in the Great Siege of 1779 including challenging men to out drink him or sign up.

Trafalgar 1805, a dark rum, is named after the success of Admiral Horatio Nelson who fought Napoleon in the Battle of Trafalgar. 

Gibraltar was an important trading post but ships relied on the wind being in the right direction to navigate the Straits. Sailors to unload contraband at Blackstrap Cove, the name given to Gibraltar Distillery's whisky matured in sherry casks.

The duty on wine, spirits and tobacco is very low in Gibraltar making even these bespoke spirits considerably cheaper than in the UK. It was very tempting but the downside of holidays is luggage weight, glass is quite heavy, there's certainly a sales opportunity for alternative lighter packaging. It was disappointing that the distillery did not sell miniatures as that would have been ideal to bring home.

After exploring the Grand Casement we wandered along Gibraltar's main shopping street, full of UK shops and so many wine and spirit stores. It was surprising to see clothes, shoes and accessories on par with home prices in comparison to the much lower drinks prices.

It was like being at home wandering along the shopping street. The GR red post box even had a knitted topper, a popular craft activity in the UK.

At the far end of the street is the Southport Gate with many emblems. It stands next to Trafalgar Cemetery where some of the casualties from the battle are buried. Although closed some of the graves could be seen.

Our return walk took us past Morrisons, it was very surreal to be abroad yet at home. We popped in for a couple of items we'd forgotten to pack and took the opportunity to have a coffee with a fresh cream scone.

Returning to the ship we enjoyed time on our balcony with a drink from the upstairs bar. A little bit of our own space with a fantastic view of the rock.

We sailed away as the sun set, the colours on the Rock, the buildings and the sea were amazing. The sunset was beautiful, added to by a surprise proposal on the deck above us, the perfect end to our day in Gibraltar.

The sunset was at 21.03 with our time 1 hour ahead of UK time, here's a track of how it changed, I'll add to it each blog. 

Maderia    20.42    UK time

Gibraltar   21.03     UK time plus 1 hour

Maderia

The first day on our Olives and Old Towns cruise was a day at sea which was a great way to familiarise ourselves with Marella Explorer, our second day was in Maderia. 

Funchal is the capital of this Atlantic island and a beautiful location to dock. Our balcony cabin was shore side, one of my loves is being able to see ashore from our own room.

We previously visited Funchal on our Canary Island cruise. I'm not a cable car person so last time we wandered the town and visited Blandy's. This visit we decided to take one of the organised excursions inland to the Valley of the Nuns followed by a visit to the small fishing village Camara de Lobos.

The guide on the coach was brilliant, she told us all about the island and Funchal as we drove through the city. It's quite a steep place and doon got steeper with so many hairpin bends I do not know how our driver got round them. 

The view was stunning, high peaks surround a valley where nestled Curral das Freiras, the village of the nuns.

There was a steep walkway up to the highest peak, too many steps for me but Hubby walked up, I caught him coming down.

Our tour returned back down the twisty steep road, I would not have liked to drive it, before going through a tunnel to reach the village. It really was hidden in the valley with high peaks all around, it was amazing how high up we had been.

In 1462 João Ferreira and his wife Branca Dias settled here and records show the land passed to their granddaughter Branca. A few years later the land was sold to Captain-Donatorio who donated it to the Convent of Santa Clara and the area became known as the Valley of the Nuns. In the mid 1500s the nuns travelled from Funchal along the river bed to escape the French pirates who were attacking the island.

The church of Santa Clara was beautiful, quite small but highly decorated with amazing painted ceilings. Even with tourists wandering around it had a calming peaceful air, a lovely place.

Our tour's final stop was the small fishing village of Camara de Lobos. This was a favourite retreat of Winston Churchill, there's a statue of him painting the pretty harbour outside the Pestana Churchill Bay.

Everyone on our tour had a glass of Poncha, a Maderian traditional alcoholic drink. It's made from aguardente de cana (made from fermented sugarcane juice), honey, sugar and orange juice. 

It was a very unusual flavour, quite a mix of sweet and sour. It is always good to try local food and drink but I don't think I'll try this again.

We had a super day exploring more of Maderia, it's a beautiful island. The day we visited it was 18°C  with some cloud but it felt quite warm. 

One interesting fact as we cruised east from the Canary Islands to Greece was the change in sunset times ... especially as we changed our clocks twice too. 

In Maderia the sunset was 20.42 and we were still on uk summer time.

Olives and Old Town Cruise 2024

After enjoying our Canary Island cruise last year we decided to venue further. Our favourite Tui cruise ship, Marella Explorer, sails around the Canary Islands during our winter months then moves to the Eastern Mediterranean for the summer. We wanted to do a longer cruise but not being quite ready to travel across the Atlantic Ocean, we chose the Olives and Old Town repositioning cruise, perfect for us to try a few more sea days.

We joined this great ship in Gran Canaria although some of our fellow 'Explorers' had joined the previous day in Tenerife. Captain Voytek and his crew are amazing, working so hard to look after everyone on board, guests and crew. He's a lovely chap, very funny and very proud of his team who we met the second night before one of the Broadway Shows.

It was so lovely to be back on board and quite reassuring as we knew where everywhere was ... or so we thought.

The cabins are located along the sides of the ship, lowest number at the front (forward) increasing as you move towards the back (aft). The left side (port) are the odd numbers and starboard (right) are the even numbers. Easy... yet we still went down the wrong side looking for our cabin, long before any partying!

It was with relief and delight to finally finding our aft odd deck 9 home for the next 13 nights. A balcony cabin is a must for us, it is an added expense but we love having our own outside space and having fresh air. The cabin was very spacious with plenty of wardrobe space, an en-suite bathroom with walk in shower, a sofa and dressing table. The tea and coffee facilities were replenished everyday and although we had a mini fridge we didn't use it. The balcony had plenty of room for the two chairs and table, perfect for a quite coffee, or wine from the bar upstairs, when back from a day on shore. 

The cabin crew were brilliant, our room was always clean and tidy with our bed made each day and turned down each night. During the cruise a few towel animals hitched a ride, plenty of Marella chocolates waited for our evening return and, to our delight, Cruise News was also waiting each evening with our following days' information. Marella were going to be digital only with this much loved part of cruising but due to passenger pressure the paper Cruise News survives. 

Cabin location sorted (we still got lost now and then) the other important locations to find and remember were the bars and restaurants which are mainly aft or in the centre of the ship. There is plenty of choice of restaurants: 

Market Place - buffet style restaurant open from breakfast until the early hours (included)

Snack Shack - grab and go pool side (included)

Latitude 53 - waiter service breakfast, lunch and dinner (included) 

Vista - Italian waiter service dinner only (included)

Italian in the Mediterranean - lunch and dinner (included, book for dinner)

Tapas in the Mediterranean - lunch and dinner (included, book for dinner)

The Dining Club - fine dining (additional charge, book for dinner)

Umi Sushi - traditional sushi (additional charge, book for dinner)

Kora-La - pan-Asian cuisine (additional charge, book for dinner)

Surf and Turf - steakhouse (additional charge, book for dinner)

Most evenings we ate in Latitude 53, a beautiful balconied dining room with double height aft windows. The food is amazing with great wines including Prosecco and port with our cheese and biscuits. We had so many lovely starters, mains and desserts, I don't think there was any meal we didn't clear our plates. 

We enjoyed the company and service of our waiters so much on our first evening that we requested their area each visit, they were a big part of our holiday and have our huge thanks and appreciation.

We did dine in two other restaurants, Vista and Tapas in the Mediterranean. Vista is a Italian style restaurant where they prepare carbonara at your table in the whole parmesan cheese; our reason for dining here, I was looking forward to this non-tomato dish. It was  absolutely delicious, as was my trio of tiramisu dessert.

Tapas was a great meal too, I'm always surprised that eating small dishes can make you feel fuller than a large meal. We had a sharing platter, although I'm not sure why everything was in threes. There was a good selection of tapas including garlic prawns and chicken in white wine.

Olives and Old Towns was an all inclusive cruise but as with the variety of dining options you can add on extras. There is a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available on the All Inclusive package but it is possible to upgrade to Premium Inclusive which includes the Coffee Port and Whisky & Gin bar with its speciality malts and gins. There are many bars to choose from it really depends on the time of day all serving AI and PI drinks.. The Marella Explorer bars are:

Mediterranean including outer deck - open 8am until midnight

The Lounge - from 5pm to midnight with a variety of live music

Bar 53 - a quiet bar perfect for pre-dinner drinks, open from 5 until 11pm

Aperitif - serving drinks mainly for the speciality restaurants from 5 until midnight

Squid and Anchor - the pub, always plenty happening from quizzes to silent discos, 11am until late

Pool bar - including waiter service 10am through until 11pm 

Indigo Bar and Casino - opens 3pm until late

The Shack - a small bar above the pool deck open from 11am until 6pm 

On our first cruise we did upgrade to PI but last year and this cruise we chose not to. I think the only difference we noticed was canned mixers are on Premuim Inclusive but our gin and Jim Beam with pump mixers was fine. To upgrade or not is always a big discussion with fellow cruisers; some say it's a must, some don't and some just pay the extra per drink as and when.

The variety of dining and bar choices, including AI or PI, is why I feel Marella have cruising just right, everyone can choose what they want, be that upgraded cabins, upgraded drinks, speciality restaurants and even to dress up or not. Everyone can enjoy their holiday in their own way with everyone having fun together especially in The Lounge with the entertaining bar staff.

There is always something happening on board; quizzes, talks, learning new skills and the 'must have' bingo! We did play a couple of times and definitely played the last night ... usually in the Squid and Anchor there were so many players on the last day it was in the Broadway Show Lounge. The reason for the popularity... a £4400 jackpot! well done to the lucky winner, it wasn't us. 

Every evening the Broadway Show Lounge comes alive, the show cast are amazing and perform a different show every night with such variety there is something for everyone. During our cruise there were also two shows by The man they call G. He was superb and very funny, especially the late night show; a brilliant vocal impressionist with an amazing singing voice.

The show part of our evening is something we look forward to every night. After diner it was a pleasure to stroll along to forward of the ship where on entering the theatre we were always greeted with a choice of drinks, so nice to watch a show with a glass of bubbly. Every show was amazing, we especially enjoyed Revive and Le Caberet. Thank you cast and backstage crew, you were superb every night. 

Sadly there was a need for an emergency medical evacuation on one of our sea days. This happened on our previous cruise too. The Captain and Bridge manoeuvre our ship to be in the correct direction for the helicopter and from our balcony we watched in awe and admiration as the Italian Navy flew along side in very windy weather. After a few loops round the pilot held the helicopter steady whilst the casualties (two) were winched off the ship. It must be so worrying for their families and friends, we hope they are well. The skills shown by the Italian seals and Marella crew were outstanding 👏 

We have had a superb cruise on board Marella Explorer as she changed her location ready for the summer season, every day was full of fun be that on board or ashore. Thank you Captain Voytek and all the crew on Marella Explorer. Thank you too to all our fellow 'Explorers' we certainly know how to  party - we had an amazing time and will be on board again sometime soon for more cruising adventures.