Gibraltar ...

                                9th October ...  Day 4 of our cruise.

This is the Rock of Gibraltar coming into view through the morning mist as we sailed into Port.

It was a beautiful morning and although still early it was very warm.

We planned to go and look around and as the town was not far from the port we walked in and did our own thing.

But the highlight on our sail in was a huge school of Dolphins all following the ship.

I needed to be quick to get the camera and see what I could capture.

Click to Enlarge

They look like little dots ...  but if you click the photo you can see clearly what they are and they were beautiful.

There were literally hundreds of them all swimming past us and we had the same delightful display later in the day as we sailed away from the Rock.

It was truly magical to see them and even though the picture is not very good it is a reminder of that wonderful sight.

Our Captain did a fantastic job of maneuvering  such a large ship into it's place in the dockside and it was quite something to see.

Then once in the town the first stop was to enjoy the sunshine with a  Latte and do a little people watching.

And one of the first things I spotted was this ....

... Arts and Crafts right in the square.

The stature was a real man and when he moved some passing people really jumped in surprise.

He was covered in chain mail and he looked very good sat on his horse.

We had a lovely day here but we had to be bake on board ship by 3.30 pm for the sail away.

This is the view as we sailed away from Gibraltar and the tiny runway strip of the airport can just be seen in the distance.

So the next day was spent at sea as we made our way to Cannes where we planned to take a trip into Monaco to visit the Palace and the Cathedral.

Hugs xx

Dining at Sea ...

This was the Dining Room that was one of many on board, and you can see the three levels to this room.

The bottom part was called the Romeo and Juliette and the middle area was Macbeth.   In these you had a regular table and dining was in two sittings. Either 6 pm or 8.30 pm.

But the top floor was "My time dining" and this was what we chose to do as in here you could go any time between 6 pm and 9.30 pm.

This floor was the King Lear and it was a much paler decor than the lower floor.  We had a table overlooking the sea and it was lovely.

The service is superb and nothing is too much trouble for these hard working and very pleasant waiters.

And after the first meeting they remember your name,  what wine you like to drink, and how you like your fillet Steak cooked.

Most of the dining was casual but  there where three Formal Nights and then it was Dinner Jackets and Evening Dresses and it was a real treat to get dressed up.

Here all the waiters are singing a song to welcome us on board this fabulous cruise ship... click the photo to hear them in full voice.

At the top of the ship there was a self service Restaurant  that had an amazing choice,  every day,  of food from around the world.... and masses of it to fill the largest appetite.

It was open from 7 am until 9.30 pm and this also had huge windows overlooking  the sea.

In my next post I will show you some of the places that we visited on the  Independence of the Seas ...starting with our first Port of Call .... Gibraltar.

Hugs xx 

.

More from the Ship

This is the running track on the top deck and all I did was walk around it.

The blue sky was wonderful and of course this became very busy with energetic people running around it several times.

All the sunbeds are stacked neatly every night and then laid out each morning after the deck had been cleaned.

The cleanliness on this ship is second to none.... it was spotless both inside and out.

Here are some more photos of the facilities available on board but some of the photos are a little blurred.

This was the Schooner Bar and in the corner was a large Grand Piano.

Live music was in here and also quizzes that were very popular with a  cash prize to the winner at the end of the two weeks.

This was the Pyramid Lounge and in here there was a rock band, dancing, quizzes and classes.

We had a few nights dancing in here ... well you have to work all that food off somewhere!!

One of our favorite places ... which I don't have a photo of ... was the bar right at the top of the ship called Olive or Twist.

It had large windows overlooking the sea and the lower decks and Dinner Jazz music played by a trio most nights.

The atmosphere in here was very relaxed and it was lovely to sit on the big comfy sofas near a window ... even during the day ... and watch the world float by.

This is the Art Gallery and there were several auctions for some of the beautiful paintings.

The photo is a little blurred but the paintings were not.

There was also a Casino on board but we didn't visit that either.

These cycles in the Gym were looking out to sea and this was the closest I got to them.

There was a piece of equipment for any exercise that you cared to do and lots of it.

Then if you wanted to you could visit the Spa for a massage, Acupuncture  or a beauty treatment ... you could even get your teeth whitened if you wanted to.

 And here is the Boxing ring I told you about.

I am sure that some of the younger men would be in here practising  their Pugilistic Skills.

I preferred to spend my time relaxing and enjoying the scenery outside around the pool.

And on the deck there was the Mini Golf course.

These are just some of the facilities that are available and I think you would be hard pushed to be bored on there.

There was something going on all the time to cater for every kind of interest... and for the first two days we were at sea sailing away from the UK and into some sunshine.

In my next post I will show you some more photos of my adventure at sea.

Hugs xx

Water Pools

Here is the family area and it has two pools on either side of the centre deck.

This was also the place were we  "Danced Under the Stars" to the Rock Band that was on board.

The pool bar is in the background for soft drinks as well as Cocktails, wine and beers... and above that was the Sky Bar.

But this is the H20 area  especially for the younger children and it has water coming in sprays from all the objects around it

You can also see the upper decks running along side the pools.

I know these people have their coats on but these photos are taken while we are still in the UK.

So not that warm to be in swimwear .... well not yet any way.

More to follow as we sailed into some warmer climes.

Hugs xx

.

Outside on Deck ...

Solarium

The outside of this enormous ship had a complete running track that many people used everyday.

But this was a very pleasant spot to sit in.

It was the Solarium and although there were children on board this area was child free.

The sunbeds in here were more comfortable too and it was very sheltered.

Solarium Pool

Waiters  wandered around all day  serving drinks and delicious fruit Cocktails,  and there was an Ice Cream bar where you could serve yourself  to soft and tasty ice cream.

This is the pool area attached to the Solarium  and it was such a pleasant place to be in.

One of the other attractions was the  two Jacuzzis' on either side of the ship that were cantilevered outside the decks.

You could sit in them and watch the waves going past beneath you... and they were open 24 hours a day.

You can see the handrail of the upper decks in the photo.

Remember these are well above the sea about 10 decks up and the view was fabulous and as you can see they are quite large.

Imagine sipping Cocktails while enjoy the bubbles in one of these as you cruise along under blue skies.

Here is a photo of the climbing wall ... which needless to say I did not attempt.

It was quite big and of course tuition was given before you could use it.

It was very popular with the younger generation especially the lads.

In fact all tastes and sports  were catered for,  what ever the age group or level of expertise.

There was even a class for Cardmaking and another for Scrap booking.... which I missed!! 

More from the ship in my next post.

Hugs xx