I have been to … Gibraltar, Spain, and Portugal

Sunday 9th December: Southampton
Despite the alarm clock going off fifteen minutes late, Sue and I left home by 8.45am, and an hour later we had reached the junction of the M25 and M3 and were well on our way towards Southampton. We were able to stop for a coffee and a comfort break at Winchester Services, and had joined the queue for the valet parking at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal in Southampton by 11.15am.

We had to wait for the car to be unloaded and booked in – something that we rarely have to do – and it took nearly an hour for us to book in, pass through security, and board our ship, MV Ventura. Once aboard we were shown to the Cinnamon Restaurant (Deck 5 Midships), where we sat eating a snack and drinking until our suite was ready.

Our luggage had arrived at our suite by 2.00pm, and it took us about an hour to unpack. We then had a break and went for a late lunch in the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant (Deck 15 Midships). We had returned to our suite by 3.45pm, and over the next thirty minutes our cabin steward and butler separately visited us and introduced themselves.

At 4.15pm we went to the Havana Show Lounge (Deck 7 Aft) for our statutory safety briefing, after which Sue and I went out onto the Promenade Deck (Deck 7) for a breath of fresh air before returning to our suite. We tidied up and put away the last of our unpacked clothes and rested until it was time to go for a pre-dinner drink.

Just before 8.00pm Sue and I went up to the Metropolis Bar (Deck 18 Aft) which was far emptier than we had expected it would be. We had no difficulty finding a table by the windows, and although it was dark outside, we were able to see another cruise ship about a mile away, sailing in the same direction as Ventura. Our drink arrived very quickly, and we drank them whilst listening to live music performed by one of the ship's entertainment staff.

At 8.30pm we made our way down to the Bay Tree Restaurant (Deck 6 Aft), where we joined the queue to be seated at our table. We were joined by two other couples, one from Wales and the other from Australia. After introduction had been made, we ate dinner and shared some of our experiences of cruising. The time seemed to pass very quickly, and we did not leave the restaurant until just after 10.00pm.

Sue and I went up to the open deck area near the Terrace Bar on Deck 15, but the wind was quite strong, and we only stayed there for about ten minutes before returning to our suite to go to bed.

Monday 10th December: At sea
Overnight the sea was quite rough, and Ventura was pitching quite violently at times. It woke me up at 8.10am ... unlike the alarm clock which yet again failed to go off at the time that had been set. After getting dressed and making Sue a cup of tea, I looked at the on-screen navigation information and discovered that Ventura was just rounding the island of Ushant and passing from the English Channel and into the Bay of Biscay.

Sue and I ate breakfast in the Epicurean Restaurant (Deck 17 Aft) before spending some time looking around the ship's Atrium (Decks 5 to 7 Midships). This is where the ship's shops, the Loyalty and Future Cruise Desk, the Excursions Desk (Explorers), the Reception Desk, and the ship's library are located. We then went out onto the Promenade Deck for a short time before going back to our suite to read for a time.

At 11.30am our reverie was broken by the sound of a fast jet 'buzzing' Ventura. I just about managed to see it as it did a fast climbing turn astern of the ship (it was too far away to photograph) and it looked like a French Navy Dassault Rafale fighter, as operated by the French aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle.

By 12.30pm Sue and I were feeling thirsty, and went up to the Metropolis Bar for a drink. We then made our way down to the open deck area near the Terrace Bar, and from there to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for lunch.

After eating, Sue and I went for a walk around the facilities on Deck 15. The area around the undercover pool was quite pleasant, but the open deck area was cold, and we did not stay there. Instead we took the lift down to Deck 8 and walked back to our suite.

During the afternoon we read and rested, although we did spend some time watching TV in order to follow events in the UK. During the early part of the evening we got ready for the first formal dinner of the cruise, which was preceded by the 'Welcome Aboard' Cocktail Party in the Ship's Atrium.

At the party Sue and I had an interesting conversation with the Head of the Ship's Security team, who had previously been a police officer in the Hampshire and Isle of White Police. We then went out onto the Promenade Deck for a short time before joining our table companions in the Bay Tree Restaurant. The menu had been devised by Marco Pierre White, and included one of our favourite main courses, Beef Wellington.

Sue and I had hoped to return to the Promenade Deck after dinner, but due to high winds and spray it was shut, and we had to go up to the open deck area near the Terrace Bar for some fresh air before we returned to our suite to sleep.

Tuesday 11th December: At sea
Overnight the ship's clocks were advanced by an hour to Spanish time. As the night had progressed the weather had become calmer than it had been when we went to sleep, especially after the ship had turn south after rounding Cape Finisterre, Galicia, north-western Spain.

By the time we awoke – slightly late due to ongoing problems with our alarm clock – Ventura was east of Oporto, Portugal.

After breakfast in the Epicurean Restaurant, Sue and I went to the Loyalty and Future Cruise Desk (Desk 5 Midships) to book a cruise to the Atlantic Islands (Madeira and the Canary Islands) that we will go on in late 2019. This took some time, and after a spell on the Promenade Deck, we went back to our suite to get ready of the Peninsular Club Lunch.

Just after midday we made our way to the Cinnamon Restaurant, where we were directed to a table for eight people. Our host was a member of the ship's nursing staff, and our table companions were all experienced cruisers. The menu was outstanding, and comprised:

Starters
Poached and Smoked Salmon, with Brown Shrimp Butter, Cucumber and Horseradish
Salad of Watermelon, Feta Cheese and Basil, with Toasted Seeds
Roasted Sweetcorn Soup, with Sour Cream, Smoked Paprika and Popcorn
Sorbet
Raspberry Sorbet
Main Courses
Roast Cod with Crayfish Butter, with Herb and Spelt Risotto and a Poached Duck Egg
Roasted Fillet and Braised Short Rib of Beef, with Truffled Potato Mousseline and a Carrot and Yuzu Puree
Spiced Cauliflower Pithivier, with Light Curry Cream and Parsnip Crisps
Desserts
Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake, with Marzipan Ice Cream
Baked Ricotta Cheesecake, with Blackberry Jam
Rhubarb and Custard Tart, with Honey and Ginger Ice Cream
Cheeseboard: A selection of Regional, British and Continental Cheese with Biscuits
Petit Four
Marzipan Fruits
The lunch lasted until after 2.00pm, and after a short break on the Promenade Deck, Sue and I went back to our suite to read and rest. We stayed there until it was time to get ready for dinner, which was preceded by a drink in the Metropolis Bar.

After dinner we returned to the Promenade Deck for a chance to get away from the air-conditioning that seems to dry out the air inside the ship. (Sue and I think that this is one reason why we both seem to end a cruise with a cough and/or cold.) It was quite pleasant outside, and the air temperature was high enough for neither of us to need a coat whilst on deck.

Suitably relaxed, we returned to our suite to get ready for bed and what we hoped would be a sound night’s sleep.

Wednesday 12th December: Gibraltar
During the night Ventura sailed down the coast of Portugal and south-western Spain and as we woke up, she was well on her way towards the Straits of Gibraltar.

After breakfast, Sue and I spent our time wandering around the ship's Promenade Deck (we were strolling rather than power walking like many of our fellow passengers!) before going back to our suite to get ready to go ashore.

As Ventura made her way into harbour ...

... a local police launch sped past on its way out to sea.

Moored some distance away – but clearly visible – was a Royal Navy submarine.

Ventura was moored alongside the dock by 11.45am, and passengers could go ashore soon afterwards. We waited until the rush had died down somewhat, and then disembarked. After a quick visit to the Duty-Free Shop in the cruise terminal, we began a leisurely stroll into the centre of town. It took us about twenty minutes to reach Casemates Square, and then we made our way slowly up Main Street to the Governor's Residence and the 'Angry Friar' pub.

We had a much-needed dink in the pub (it was 24°C, which is more like the temperature we would expect to encounter in the Summer and not early December!) and then walked back down Main Street. During our journey back, we visited several shops that sold electronic devices and managed to buy two new alarm clocks to replace our existing and rather inaccurate ones.

By the time we returned to Casemates Square, it was 2.00pm. Sue and I decided to eat lunch in one of the numerous outdoor restaurants, and after a swift look at the competing menus, we chose 'The Tunnel' Restaurant.

Sue ate traditional Fish and Chips and I ate Spaghetti Carbonara.

We had finished eating by 3.00pm, and after walking through the gateway leading from the square towards the harbour, we took one of the shuttle-taxis back to Ventura. We had to queue to get back aboard, but by 4.00pm we had dropped our stuff off in our suite and were sitting in the Terrace Bar having a drink.

We saw the SAGA Sapphire leave on her way back to Southampton (she had also been moored alongside Gibraltar's cruise terminal) ...

... and an unusual coaster – the Fehn Pollux – that had moored astern of Ventura.

The coaster was equipped with a Flettner Rotor, which is a device invented before the Second World War. It is a kind of rotating powered sail, and its use has recently been revived due to its potential to power vessels for less expenditure of fossil fuel.

After resting in our suite until it was time to get ready for dinner, Sue and I went up to the Metropolis Bar for a pre-dinner drink. Once that was over, we went down to Deck 7, and whilst Sue went outside onto the Promenade Deck, I paid a visit to the newly-installed Dixon's retail counter. During the afternoon I had discovered that I had forgotten the power cable for my laptop, and I hoped that they might be able to help me. Although they did not have an exact match for the power cable I needed, they were able to supply me with a Type C USB cable that I could use to charge my laptop using a standard USB power plug. This worked, and meant that I was able to continue to draft my blog every day of the cruise and to back up all the photographs we had taken onto the laptop's hard drive.

After we had eaten dinner in the Bay Tree Restaurant, Sue and I went out onto the Promenade Deck for some fresh air before returning to our suite. I then used my new cable to re-charge the laptop's battery whilst we got ready for bed.

Thursday 13th December: Cartagena
Overnight the weather had changed for the worse, and it was raining when Ventura moored alongside in Cartagena.

Just astern of Ventura was another cruise ship, the AIDA Mar.

Thanks to our new alarm clocks, Sue and I were able to arrive at the Epicurean Restaurant for breakfast before 9.15am. We then paid a quick visit to the Loyalty and Future Cruise Desk to check some details about a cruise we had booked before returning to our suite to get ready to go ashore.

Sue and I had disembarked by 10.15am, and it took less than thirty minutes for us to walk through the main shopping area to Cartagena's Military Museum.

We had visited the museum on a previous cruise, but had been unable to see the exhibits on the upper floor. We did spend some time looking at the exhibits on the ground floor ...

... before making our way upstairs. The upper floors we mainly filled with cases of uniforms and exhibits that told the story of the military in Cartagena, but – in my opinion – the most important area was the Guinness World Record collection of more than two thousand model vehicles that was on display.

(This museum has so much that is of interest, that I will have to devote several future blog entries to coverage of its displays.)

Sue and I left the museum just after 1.00pm, and on our way back towards the ship we had a couple of much-needed drinks in one of the numerous cafés. By the time we had reached the seafront it was nearly 2.00pm ... and it began to rain. At that point we decided to stop at a restaurant we had eaten in before, the 'Mare Nostrum'.

Sue ate baked Sea Bass and I chose lamb cutlets, followed by a creme caramel, which is known in Spain as 'flan'. By the time we had finished our lunch, the rain had eased, and we were back aboard Ventura by just after 3.45pm.

We stayed in our suite reading and resting for a short time before going up to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for a drink. As the rain had stopped, Sue and I were able to go out onto the open deck area near the Terrace Bar for a time before returning to our suite. I wrote up my blog and downloaded the photographs we had taken whilst Sue read. This took us until about 5.30pm, when the butler arrived to deliver our daily canapes.

After he had left, Sue and I began to get ready for that evening's dinner in the Bay Tree Restaurant. These preparations were interspersed with occasional breaks to watch the twenty-four-hour news coverage on Sky TV.

We had our usual pre-dinner drink in the Metropolis Bar, and whilst Sue went out onto the Promenade Deck, I went to thank the staff of the Dixon's concession for their help in solving my laptop power cable problem. That done, we went down to the restaurant for dinner.

After dinner we went back to the Promenade Deck for some fresh air, but the wind had picked up and we only stayed there a few minutes before returning to our suite to get ready for bed.

Friday 14th December: Ibiza
Overnight the weather got worse, and at about 5.00am Sue and I were woken up by the sound of the balcony furniture and some of the lose stuff in our cabin moving about. It was obvious that the ship was leaning over at an angle, and the sound of the wind outside indicated that high winds were affecting Ventura.

We awoke at 7.30am, thirty minutes before the ship was due to be moored alongside in Ibiza ... but it was very clear from the navigational maps on the ship's TV system that Ventura was still some distance offshore.

At 8.00am the captain – Captain Andy Willard – made an announcement that due to the high wind that was hitting the ship abeam, he had been advised by the local pilot and the harbour authorities to wait offshore until the wind abated. He told us that during the night the wind speed had reached over 60 knots, which had also delayed Ventura’s arrival.

Ventura circled offshore until about 9.30am, when she was finally given clearance to enter the harbour. She required the assistance of a tug to moor alongside the cruise terminal, and this manoeuvre was completed, and the ship's lines had been passed ashore by 10.00am ... two hours later than expected.

From our suite balcony, we had an excellent view of the old, fortified part of Ibiza.

Sue and I waited until 10.45am before making our way ashore so as to avoid the initial rush of passengers disembarking to go on organised tours. We managed to get on a shuttle-bus almost straight away ... but whist it was making its way from the port area to the centre of the town, it began to rain very heavily.

In fact, the rain was so heavy that when the shuttle-bus reached its drop-off point, the majority of those aboard – including us – decided to stay aboard and return to the ship. We re-embarked just before, and after leaving our coats and bags in our suite, we went up to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant to eat an early lunch.

After lunch we sat for a while on the Promenade Deck, watching the rainclouds gradually moving away. The weather improved as we sat there, and at 12.50pm we returned to our suite to get ready to go ashore ... again! The shuttle-bus took us back to the centre of town, and by 1.50pm Sue and I were walking along the seafront ...

... where almost every shop was either closed or about to close. We wandered around the almost deserted streets until we found a Christmas market.

Many of the stalls were closed, and after looking at those that were open, we walked through an area where quite a few bars and restaurants were sited ... and not all of them were shut!

Had we not already eaten, we might have stopped in one for lunch. Instead we chose to walk along some of the streets leading to the oldest part of the town ...

... before returning to the shuttle-bus pick-up point, we did not have to wait long before we were able to board a shuttle-bus, and by 3.00pm Sue and I were back in our suite. Once we had divested ourselves of our coats, bags, and cameras, Sue and I went up to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for a drink and a cake. This was followed by a short spell on the open deck area near the Terrace Bar.

We spent the rest of the afternoon reading and resting in our suite before getting ready for dinner in the Epicurean Restaurant. We had a pre-dinner drink in the Metropolis Bar, and at 8.00pm we walked down one deck to the restaurant to eat.

The meal and service were excellent ... as usual. The menu included:

Starter
Duo of Smoked Salmon (Aged 21-year-old Malt Whisky Loch Fyne and H. Forman & Son's Famous London Cure Oak Smoked Salmon) [Sue and I ate this]
Main Courses
Whole Dover Sole a la Meuniere with Maître D’hôtel Butter Sauce [Sue's choice]
Redman Limousin Irish Beef Fillet and Ox Cheek, with Smoked Potato Croquettes, Cabernet Sauvignon Glazed Grelot Onions and Salt Baked Heirloom Carrots [My choice]
Desserts
Elements of Summer Trifle, comprising Blackberry Jelly, Tarragon Meringue, Raspberry Roulade, Clotted cream, and Fried Custard [Sue's choice]
Banana and Peanut Butter Cannelloni, with Muscovado Sugar Ice Cream, Rum Jelly, and Key Lime Gel [My choice]
We had finished eating and had left the restaurant by 10.15am, and after a much-needed breath of fresh air on the open deck area near the Terrace Bar, we returned to our cabin to read before it was time to get ready for bed.

Saturday 15th December: Valencia
Ventura experienced a bit of unexpected movement due to a sudden change in the weather during her crossing from Ibiza to Valencia, and Sue and I were both woken by it just before 5.30am. We eventually managed to get back to sleep, and woke up just as the ship came alongside the dock at 7.30am.

As usual, Sue and I ate breakfast in the Epicurean Restaurant and then took a stroll along the Promenade Deck before returning to our suite to get ready to go ashore. Because there were going to be a series of crew drills at 10.00am, we made sure that we were off the ship before they started. The trip by shuttle-bus into the centre of Valencia took about twenty minutes, and by 10.30am we were walking across the Pont dels Serrans (Serrans Bridge).

The bridge took us over the Jardi del Turia (Turia Gardens) ...

... towards the Torres de Serrans (Serrans Towers), ...

... the entrance to the oldest part of the city.

From the towers we walked towards the centre of the city ...

... stopping along the way at the 'Maria Mandiles' café for a drink.

Across the street from the café was the building occupied by the Generalitat (the Regional Council for Valencia).

The entrance to the building was in the next street ...

... and we were delighted to discover that it was open to the public. We went in and were amazed by the interior.

The interior included two state rooms used by the Regional Council ...

... as well as statues and examples of stone decorations that had adorned local buildings.

After leaving the Generalitat, Sue and I walked the very short distance to the Plaça de la Mare Dieu (The Mother of God Square), where a small 'fair trade' market was taking place.

At one end of the square was a large fountain ...

... and in one corner was the entrance to the local cathedral.

A few hundred yards further on we came to the Plaça de la Reine (Queen's Square), ...

... where a small Christmas market had been set up ...

... as well as a full-size Nativity scene.

Hidden amongst the market stalls was a model of the cathedral.

Sue and I then wandered along a series of streets until we reached the Mercat Central (Central Market). This was very crowded, and we decided to leave visiting it until another time.

It took us less than ten minutes to walk back to the 'Maria Mandiles' café, where we had another much-needed drink before we returned to the shuttle-bus pick-up point via the Torres de Serrans and the Pont dels Serrans.

We were able to board a shuttle-bus almost immediately, and by 2.20pm it had deposited us alongside Ventura. Sue and I were back in our suite by 2.30pm, and after a short break to freshen up, we went up to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for lunch, followed by a drink outside in the Terrace Bar.

We stayed outside enjoying the sun until 3.30pm, when we returned to our suite to sort out the souvenirs we had bought and to have a rest. Sue and I went up to the Metropolis Bar for a pre-dinner drink at 7.45pm, and then out onto the Promenade Deck for ten minutes before going to the Bay Tree Restaurant for dinner.

During dinner the conversation ranged over a wide range of topics, and by the time seemed to speed by, and it was 10.00pm before we realised it. One of the couples had to leave to go to a show, but the other couple – who were Australian – stayed talking with us for another thirty minutes.

After dinner Sue and I paid another visit to the Promenade Deck, where we chatted with other passengers before we returned to our suite to go to sleep.

Sunday 16th December: At sea
During the night Ventura sailed slowly towards our next port-of-call, Cadiz. The sea was reasonably calm, and Sue and I enjoyed an uninterrupted night of sleep. When we awoke at 8.00am, the sun was already up, and the ship was some distance off the coast of Spain.

After a leisurely breakfast in the Epicurean Restaurant, Sue and I went down to the Promenade Deck, where we sat for a time. We then went inside, and whilst Sue wandered around the Christmas Fair in the Atrium (an excuse for the ship's shops to sell more goods!), I sat in Fortunes, the ship's casino (Deck 6 midships).

Once Sue had finished, we returned to our cabin to read and – in my case – to watch a film (SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD) on the ship's in-cabin entertainment system and to write up the draft of this blog entry.

During the morning we took a break and went up to the Terrace Bar for a drink, and at lunchtime we ate a snack lunch in the Beachcomber Self-Service Restaurant (Deck 15 Aft). The afternoon followed a similar pattern to the morning except that we took our break in the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant so that we could eat a cake and have afternoon tea.

The second formal dinner of the cruise took place during the evening, and Sue and I had our customary drink in the Metropolis Bar beforehand. Unlike the previous formal dinner, the food was good rather than excellent, but the chat around the table more than made up for it.

After dinner Sue and I went for a walk along the Promenade Deck before returning to our suite. As the ship was going to be passing through the Straits of Gibraltar before midnight, we stayed up until it did, hoping to be able to take some photographs of the Rock at night.

If the limestone cliffs above Catalan Bay had not been illuminated, we might have missed seeing anything, but I managed to take a couple of photographs of Gibraltar as Ventura sailed past.

Monday 17th December: Cadiz
Ventura sailed at relatively slow speed overnight on her way towards Cadiz, and arrived outside the harbour just after 7.00am. As a result, she was moored alongside somewhat ahead of schedule, and some passengers were already disembarking as Sue and I went up to the Epicurean Restaurant for breakfast at 8.35am.

As it was raining quite heavily when we returned to our suite after eating, we took our time getting ready to go ashore. The rained had stopped by 10.00am, and Sue and I were going down the gangway by 10.20am. We decided to follow a route that would take us to one of Cadiz's games shops. We walked through the Plaza de España, which is dominated by a monument to the 1812 Constitution.

Our route took us through narrow streets to the Plaza de Mina ...

... and thence on to the Plaza San Antonio ...

... where preparations for Christmas were well underway. From the Plaza San Antonio, we made our way down Ancha to José de Toro, where we found a branch of a game shop named Tierra Media (Middle Earth).

Amongst the shop's extensive stock of games, I found a copy of SANTORINI, which is a strategy game that uses a square gridded board and numerous white plastic buildings ... both of which have wargaming potential.

Sue and I then made our way towards the local cathedral via the Plaza Candelaria.

When we had reached the Plaza de la Catedral ...

... we looked for somewhere to have a café con leche. We found a suitable café almost opposite the main doors of the cathedral ...

... that was appropriately named 'La Catedral'.

It was midday as we were served, and we stayed there until almost 12.30pm. Sue and I then walked the short distance to the Plaza San Juan de Dios ...

... where a small tourist market had opened outside the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento)

After a quick look around the market, we made our way back to Ventura via a small park that is situated between the Avenida 4 de diciembre de 1977 and the Avenida del Puerto.

Ten minutes later, having passed through the shoreside security checks, Sue and I were back aboard the ship and on the way to our suite. We stayed long enough to drop off our coats and bags before going up to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for lunch. For once it was relatively empty, and we were able to sit there for some time eating our food and enjoying the sun.

We had returned to our suite by 2.30pm ... and spent the next few hours reading, resting, ... and watching Sky News coverage of Parliament. I also watched the first thirty minutes of DUNKIRK on the ship's in-cabin entertainment system whilst Sue was getting ready for dinner.

For the second time during the cruise, Sue and I ate in the Epicurean Restaurant. We had a pre-dinner drink in the Metropolis Bar, and at 8.00pm walked down one deck to the restaurant. The menu included:

Starters
Alaskan Snow Crab, Langoustine and Salmon Caviar Cocktail, with Pea and Chervil Custard, Parchment Bread and a Cucumber Mojito [Sue's choice]
Jamón Pata Negra Ibérico de Bellota, with Aged Manchego Cheese, Fine Spanish Olives, Country Bread and Freshly Pressed Almond Oil [My choice]
Main Course
Olney Grounds 14oz Beef Rib Eye Steak for two, with Madeira and Béarnaise Sauce, Green Beans, and Thick Cut Chips [Sue and I ate this]
Dessert
Crepes Suzette, with Vanilla Pod Ice Cream [Sue and I ate this]
We had finished eating by 10.10pm, but did not leave the restaurant until 10.30pm as we were talking to the staff. After a short break on the Promenade Deck to get some fresh air, Sue and I returned to our cabin to read, watch Sky News, and get our bags and cameras ready for our visit to Lisbon on the following day.

Tuesday 18th December: Lisbon
Overnight Ventura sailed into a different time zone, and before going to sleep our clocks and watches had to be turned an hour back to Greenwich Mean Time.

Sue and I awoke at 7.30am, just as Ventura turned into the estuary of the River Tagus.

Ventura eventually moored alongside the new cruise terminal, having passed under the Ponte 25 de Abril (the 25th of April Bridge) and by the giant statue of Christ.

Across the River Tagus is the Portuguese Naval Base ...

... and it was just possible to see three frigates ...

... and several smaller vessels moored alongside.

P&O's MV Oriana was moored just behind Ventura, and I was able to photograph her ... probably for the last time before she is withdrawn from service and sold.

After breakfast in the Epicurean Restaurant, Sue and I went for a short walk along the Promenade Deck to see what the weather was like. It was cold and windy, and we decided to go ashore as early as we could as we suspected that the weather was going to get worse as the day went on.

We passed through the cruise terminal just after 10.30am, and were able to board a shuttle-bus almost straight away. It took us on a somewhat roundabout route to the Praça dos Restauradores, where it drooped us off. Sue and I walked from there to the Praça Rossio/Praça Dom Pedro IV, where a Christmas market was taking place.

We spent a few minutes wandering around the market, and then crossed the road to visit Sue's favourite shop in Lisbon, Feira de Tecidos.

It sells a huge range of material and haberdashery, and she always manages to find something to buy.

We were both beginning to feel cold, and so we began to walk back towards the River Tagus down the Rua Aurea. As we walked along the road, we passed the Elevador de Santa Justa.

On reaching Black Horse Square (officially it is the Praça de Comercio) we stopped for a café latte and a custard tart in the 'Café Aura'.

The tart is a Portuguese national dish, and is an absolute 'must eat' for anyone visiting Portugal.
The café is situated on one corner of Black Horse Square ...

... the centre of which is dominated by a huge monument with a statue of Dom José 1 atop it.

As it was only a short distance back to the quay where the Ventura was moored ...

... Sue and I decided to walk. As we did, the first spots of rain began to fall, and by the time we were back aboard the ship, it was obvious that the weather was changing for the worse. Luckily, we managed to avoid getting wet, unlike many of our fellow passengers.

We ate a late lunch in the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant, and spent most of the afternoon in our suite reading and resting. I also managed to finish watching DUNKIRK, a film that I enjoyed more than I had expected.

Oriana was due to sail at 5.30pm, and we went out onto our balcony to watch her get ready to go ... but she didn't set sail on time. In fact, her mooring lines were all in place, as was one of the gangways, and it soon became apparent that she was waiting for several passengers to get back to her. At 5.20pm a couple slowly made their way from the cruise terminal to Oriana and went aboard ... but still the gangway and mooring lines remained untouched. Finally, just after 5.30pm, two more people appeared from the cruise terminal, and sauntered along the quayside.

One – a woman – boarded immediately, but the other – a man – seemed to have lost his cruise card, which acts as his onboard identity document, cabin key, and means of paying for things on the ship. After considerable pocket patting, he found it, and almost as soon as he had mounted the gangway, the ship's security staff went aboard, and the gangway was whisked away. The ship's mooring lines were then taken in, and some fifty minutes late, Oriana set sail.

Because the Oriana was late sailing, Ventura's departure was also slightly delayed. We should have left Lisbon at 6.00pm ... but did not actually leave until almost 7.00pm. This was due to both the need for the Oriana to be well clear before Ventura began to move and the last-minute medical evacuation of a passenger who had become unwell.

Sue and I had our regular per-dinner drink in the Metropolis Bar, followed by a short spell on the Promenade Deck. It was already becoming apparent that the weather was likely to get worse, as the degree of movement the ship was experiencing due to the effect of the wind and the waves was quite pronounced. The situation worsened during dinner, and by the time we had all finished eating, walking in a straight line was proving difficult.

We returned to the Promenade Deck after dinner, but the wind was such that staying out there for long was uncomfortable. Sue and I therefore went back to our suite, where we read for a while before getting ready for bed.

Wednesday 19th December: At sea
I was woken up several times during the night because of the effect of the poor weather conditions, the last being due to the sound of the suite's cutlery container falling over and depositing its contents onto the floor.

When we got up at 8.00pm, Ventura was off the coast of Portugal, not far from Oporto.

The sea conditions did not look that bad, but the wind and the swell was causing the ship to pitch and roll very jerkily. This made walking around difficult as you could not predict which way the ship would move from one step to the next.

Sue and I went down to the Promenade Deck after breakfast and were pleasantly surprised to find that the sun was shining, and the wind speed was not so high as to make it too uncomfortable to sit there. Furthermore, because the Promenade Deck was lower down, the movement was less pronounced.

After our spell on the open deck, we went inside to look at the special sale being held in the Cinnamon Restaurant by the ship's shops. We found nothing to buy in the sale, although we did manage to buy some large bags of chocolates for the staff who had served us in the Epicurean Restaurant from one of the ship's shops as well as a new, cheap compact camera from the onboard Dixon's concession.

By this time Sue and I were both feeling thirsty, and we took our Kindles up to the Metropolis Bar so that we could have a drink and sit and read. We stayed there until 12.30pm, when we returned to our suite. We remained in our suite until just before 2.00pm, when we went up to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for a snack lunch.

On our returned to our suite, we began doing some of the preparation needed to be done before we could begin packing our luggage on our last day at sea. Sue and I took a break during the afternoon to go back to the Waterside Self-Service Restaurant for tea and a cake.

At 7.30pm we joined other members of the Peninsular Club in the Tamarind Bar (Deck 7 Midships) for a special cocktail party. The captain told everyone about recent and planned changes to P&O Cruises – including the sale of Oriana in 2019 and the introduction of Iona into service in 2020 – and drew the winning raffle tickets in a prize draw. Needless to say, we didn't win either the bottle of champagne or the photograph album.

After the party had ended, Sue and I went out onto the Promenade Deck for some fresh air before going down to the Bay Tree Restaurant for the third and last formal dinner of the cruise. After dinner Sue and I returned to the Promenade Deck for a stroll before going to our suite to go to bed.

Thursday 20th December: At sea
Overnight the weather in the Bay of Biscay lived up to its reputation for producing rather uncomfortable conditions for ships. The wind and the swell caused Ventura to have a corkscrew movement, which is a combination of unpredictable rolling and pitching. As a result, both Sue and I were woken up several times during the night.

We finally got up at 8.00am, by which time Ventura was well on her way across the Bay of Biscay towards Ushant and the entrance to the English Channel.

Sue and I had breakfast in the Epicurean Restaurant before paying a visit to the ship's shops to spend some of our remaining on-board credit. Whilst walking around the ship's Atrium, we saw several Christmas displays created by the ship's pastry chefs.

Our progress around the ship, and particularly to and from our suite, was hampered by the activities of carpet layers, who were replacing the carpet in the foyer of the nearest lifts. They had to shut the stairs as well, and if Sue and I wanted to go anywhere, we had to walk to the centre of the ship to use the stairs or lifts. This re-carpeting started at 8.00am, and went on for most of the day.

We spent some time in our suite before making our tortuous way up to the Metropolis Bar at 11.15am to read and to have a drink. We stayed there for about an hour, and then returned to our suite to begin packing our bags.

We had managed to pack three suitcases by 1.30pm, by which time we needed a rest and a drink. Thanks to the ongoing re-carpeting of the lift lobby, Sue and I had to walk to the middle of the ship to take the lift to Deck 15. As a result, we came out near the Poolside Grill ... which was empty. There was a variety of fast food available, and in the end we each chose to have a cheeseburger and chips for lunch, washed down with a refreshing drink.

We had returned to our suite by 2.30pm, and began packing the two of the three large holdalls we use for luggage. This task was completed at a leisurely pace, and was finished by 3.30pm. Sue and I then placed our luggage outside so that members of the crew could collect it. (The remaining holdall was not packed until later in the evening and put out for collection before midnight.)

Sue and I spent the rest of the afternoon in our suite reading and resting until it was time to get ready for the last dinner of the cruise. At 5.30pm our butler delivered some canapes – something he had done every day at about the same time – and we were able to thank him for the excellent service he had provided for use during the cruise.

On our way to have a pre-dinner drink in the Metropolis Bar, we stopped for a chat with our cabin steward, and this gave us the opportunity to thank him for everything that he had done for us. After dinner – during which the ship's galley brigade paraded through the Bay Tree Restaurant – and saying goodbye to our table companions, Sue and I were able to thank our restaurant waiters and our wine waiter. We then took one last walk along the Promenade Deck and spent the last of our on-board credit in the ship's shop before going to our suite to sleep.

Friday 21st December: Southampton
We were awoken by the sound of Ventura manoeuvring alongside the Mayflower Cruise Terminal at 5.40am, and by 6.00am Sue and I were beginning to get ready to disembark.

After our last breakfast of the cruise in the Epicurean Restaurant, we collected our coats and hand luggage from our suite and made our way to the Cinnamon Restaurant. This was the disembarkation gathering point for Priority Passengers (i.e. suite passengers and members of the Ligurian and Baltic tiers of the Peninsular Club). We arrived just as the announcement was made that we could disembark, and by 8.45am Sue and I had found all our luggage in the reclaim hall, had passed through Customs, and were on our way to pick up our car from the valet parking service.

We were driving out of the port entrance by just after 9.00am, and after stopping at the Winchester Services branch of M&S 'Simply Food' to buy enough food to tide us over until we could go shopping on Saturday, we made good progress along the M3 and M25 and had parked our car outside our house by 11.35am.