Day 2 Cruise

Following dinner we found our way to the Mix bar as Gary, a sole acoustic guitarist was playing 70’s songs.  We got a table right at the front but it was a bit too loud for mum; strange as she has the tv on so loud you cant think.  We moved to the back with our drinks just as he finished playing so off we went again in search of new entertainment.  At the piano bar they had an unlikely looking trio; a giant African decent guy playing a cello, an English guy playing piano and a Philippine’o on drums and vocals.  Strangely they were very good.  Claire got up to dance with an old guy that turned out to be Harold who is 87 and has Parkinson's.  His wife is 82.  This started other couples off and things got moving until they stopped as well.  The proper entertainment didn't start until 9.30pm so we decided on an early evening to read and sleep as we had an early start in the morning.

It was actually earlier than we thought as they put the clocks forward to match European time.  Our bed is very comfy and I slept like a log until 2am when Claire turned over and pulled the covers off me.  That was it, things were going around my mind and I couldn't sleep any more.  It wasn't long until 6.30am when my alarm went off.  They don't have very many tv channels in your room so they offer a dvd service for free.  You have a booklet that lists hundreds of dvd’s so you choose one, phone 90 and they bring it to your room.  you keep it until you have watched it then ring them for another one and they change it for you.  They are very generous with complimentary soft drinks, milk and coffee but alcoholic drinks are expensive.  The cheapest wine at your table is $29 and a beer is about $7 and don't forget the obligatory 15% service charge that is added onto everything.  They offer a drinks package which is $45.50 per person per day.  You have to have it for all in your stateroom for all days traveling and the maximum amount of drinks you can order a day is 15.  With the obligatory 15% that comes to well over $100 a day for Claire and I which is just not worth it.  We brought a box of wine and a bottle of vodka in our suitcase so we can have a couple before we go out and just order a bottle every night for dinner.  This will be far cheaper than the package for us; especially as mum doesn't drink.

I dropped Claire and mum off at the spa following a light breakfast at about 8am while I had a walk around the ship to explore.  I am very impressed with most things on this boat.  I do not, however like the internet package that they have on offer.  I am not paying $250 for 1000 minutes or even $55 for 100 minutes; especially as it is supposed to be really slow and impossible to put a photo on.  These blog entries will just have to wait until we get home I’m afraid.  I will prepare them while on board with words and photo’s then enter the whole lot in one go when we get back so you need to scroll down to read them in order.  I will put a note on the first and last entry to make it a little easier.

Regarding Daphne’s estate.  While we were traveling to Mum’s house on Friday I had a phone call from the Financial Ombudsman to say that they couldn't pursue my case.  The reason being, that they need both executors to complain about Daphne’s personal finances and that they need both Trustees to complain about the Trust.  As the FA’s wife is the other Trustee and following Daphne’s death, they made the other executor a Trustee of the new house Trust with the FA’s wife, they have it stitched up between them.  I said to our investigator that this means that the company Throgmorton, that the FA works for can now do anything they like without repercussions.  Why should they send me anything when they know that I can do nothing at all about it?  What a crazy system.  Anyway, while we were driving to the port at Dover on Saturday I had a call whilst driving.  When I listened to the message, it was a police sergeant from MK saying that he wanted to meet up with me so he could start an investigation into the fraudulent signatures.  I have arranged to ring him on the saturday of our return and meet him on the Sunday.  What can possibly go wrong this time?