Monday, 8 April 2024

The Final Sea Day on ms Sirena

As we head toward the Canary Islands and the end of Act I of our adventure, we have arranged a major change in our itinerary. This cruise is scheduled to end on Wednesday in Tenerife. But our next cruise, on Seabourn, begins in Las Palmas, Grand Canary. If we stay on Sirena until Tenerife we will have to fly back to Las Palmas on a very uncomfortable small plane to await that cruise. Normally cruise lines don't like passengers debarking before the official end of the cruise, but Oceania personnel have very kindly arranged for us to leave the ship in Las Palmas tomorrow at 3pm. This involved getting permission from Spanish immigration authorities and they will meet us in the cruise terminal when we leave the ship. 

Before leaving Sirena, we will have breakfast and then enjoy our four-hour final shore excursion. The tour ends at 12:15pm, so we will have plenty of time for lunch and gathering our luggage for our 3pm exit. We are pretty much fully packed tonight.

So the next blog will be from our hotel in Las Palmas, from where I will recount our final day on/and off Sirena.  For now, I journey back to yesterday.

Sunday, 7 April 2024

At Sea Again

After exploring Sao Vincente on Saturday, today begins as another pleasant day at sea. The winds and the waves will pick up toward evening, but for now everything is smooth and sunny. Besides the usual eating and drinking events, today's special activity is the "Crew vs Passengers" festivities on the pool deck. At the stroke of 11am, members of the crew and entertainment team raise the Oceania flag and parade around the track above the pool. On their second pass they descend the stairs to the pool deck itself, where games of skill and luck are set up. Passengers have the opportunity to win prizes; crew members play along for fun.

A Game Called Baggo--Get the Bag in the Hole
(above and below)

One Entertainment Team Member Waits in the Pool . . . 

. . . While Other Team Members Watch Passengers Toss Balls into the Ring

An Entertainment Team Dancer, from the Ukraine,  
Keeps an Eye on (and Two Feet in) the Pool

Pillowcase-Stuffing Contest

Crew Member Tries His Luck at Golf Putting

Birds-Eye View of Games in the Pool