Saga Pearl II Captain's blog

Another eventful day ensued here in Stockholm. The previous evening, we had been informed by our agent that the pilot station at Sandhamn would be closed due to high winds expected and we would have to go a further 45 miles to a more sheltered station. This obviously would impact on our arrival so I called Jaquie, our Shore Excursions Manager, and Tanya, Cruise Director, to my office and a very quick Plan B was put into place.

It was unfortunate we had been told so late about this change but in good Saga fashion, a contingency plan was made. I marvel at the way Jaquie can change operations at a moments notice and she was soon reassuring me that another programme of tours could be put in place.

My plan was to pass by the original pilot station first to see if there was any chance. As we approached, the wind was blowing about 36 knots, a good severe force nine strength. I managed to set the ship up on the approach channel, and the pilots were able to board and we going to give the approach a go. The reason for concern over high winds is in the archipelago, you need to manoeuvre the ship around very tight corners, and steady the ship, to traverses narrow passages. Therefore, it was a concern that due to the high winds, we may not be able to do this, but between myself, the pilot and the bridge officers, we were able to continue.

Sensible and seamanlike precautions were taken for our approach to the narrows. Steve Pittock, chief officer was station forward to standby the anchors, in case we needed to drop them, to reduce the drift. First Officer Graeme Bergh was on the bridge with me and I had stationed him behind the helmsman to be absolutely sure all the helm orders were heard and executed swiftly, and the pilot and myself conned the ship. All went well, and I was pleased we were able to get back on schedule rather than delay our passengers.

At 08.00am we arrived in Stockholm, which is the Baltic’s largest seaport. It is gracefully set on 14 islands and connected by 40 bridges. Surrounded by clear waters and unspoilt countryside, it is one of the most beautiful capitals in the world.

There were three main tours for the passengers to choose from and most elected to the ‘Stockholm Panoramic Tour’. This tour was two hours in duration and enabled passengers to experience the sights of the city by coach. The highlight of this tour was a stop at Fjallgatan Viewpoint, and a stop at the Royal Park of Djugraden, known as the ‘green lungs’ of Stockholm. Another popular tour entitled “Waterways of Stockholm”, gave everyone the chance to experience Stockholm on a two hour boat trip along Lake Marlaren, which is a fresh water lake. It was quite an interesting day as today was the day that the annual Gay Pride Parade was held, in which people had travelled from all over the world to watch and participate.

Before dinner, international entertainer Steve Galler hosted a good old fashioned sing-along “Down at the Old Bull and Bush” and as always it was good fun. After dinner the evening continued with the spectacular Gail Davies Production Company in “Musical Memories”, taking us back through time with some of the most well known hits of musical theatre.

After leaving Dover, on the July 27, where we had once again choreographed a full loading of the ship with stores and disembarked and embarked all our passengers, we were heading off on our Baltic cruise. These are very popular cruises and we had a full ship of guests.

We arrived at the Kiel Canal the next day, and transited through the night, finally disembarking our pilot at Kiel at 03.15am the following morning. We then set course for the Great Belt Seaway and were approaching the pilot station at Korsor midday, on July 29. This was going to be a very unusual approach, one that took me by surprise as the events unfolded....

The wind had reached gale force conditions as we approached, under the shadow of the spectacular Korsor Bridge. Korsor was the port where all the ferries ran back and forth before the bridge was built. I remember sailing past here in 1989, when I was a young 3rd officer on a bulk carrier and they were still building the bridge. I remember vividly the massive towers under construction.

We had called the pilot station an hour before to tell them of our impending arrival, and when we reached the pilot station , as normal we reported in. However to my surprise, the pilot station told me the pilot was on his way out to us, but had fallen seriously ill, and had to go back ashore and be taken to hospital! This has never happened before. No pilot was available for another two hours so I was asked if I wanted to bring the ship in myself. I was happy to do this but needed some more information about the approaches, as we had never been here before.

So, we asked various questions about depths etc, in order that we could make a safe approach. All the while, I was trying to hold position in the high winds. Anyway we agreed to proceed so I called the pilot station to confirm this, they then said a pilot would be with us in 10 minutes. How extraordinary, and it wasn’t the two hours they had initially told me.

We boarded the pilot and off we set. As we sailed in, I was asking the pilot what happened to the other pilot and it turns out he was in fact the original pilot, who suddenly made a remarkable recovery. He had kidney stones, and I am sure you all know how painful they could be.  I asked if he wanted my doctor on standby on the Bridge, but he declined.

The berth has the old railway station building situated on it, where the ferries would land their passengers to the train. These days are long gone but the station is a listed building and has been restored. An enthusiastic welcome was given to the ship from the people of the town – even the local school came out to cheer us on! Looking at these young children cheering and waving the flags, pulled on my heartstrings and I was soon thinking about my new son. Our Staff Captain’s wife, Kelly is also expecting a baby soon, and we both felt homesick at that point. Can you believe it, two burly seafarers, reduced to these emotions by the children!

Korsor is a pleasant old maritime provincial town attractively situated on the Great Belt Coast. With the coaches ready we were able to commence our initial tours of the cruise.

The excursion programme today offered a couple of interesting tours, the most popular being ‘Korsor town and around the cove’. A three-hour tour, this entailed seeing the local sites, including a visit to the old fortress of Korsor, originally built as a castle but since transformed into a naval battery to protect the all – important waterway into the cove. The main highlight of this tour was a stop at Halskov Odde , the peninsula where the Great Belt Bridge from 1998 makes landfall. There was also a chance to visit the Ice Boat Museum displaying the historic iceboats used to cross the Great Belt during severe ice winters.

Another tour on offer today was entitled ‘In the footsteps of Hans Christian Anderson’, and this tour allowed our passengers to get an insight of the private life that Hans Christian Anderson led until his dying day. Both excursions today were enjoyed by all.

Sailing out was a little more eventful. With thunderstorms in the air, we had to carry out many tricks to get the ship away from this confined port.  As the wind was pinning us onto the quay, we could not get off the berth so in the end, had to run a stern line across the harbour to haul the ship away. It was classic seamanship and as the wind was so strong, I couldn’t turn the ship in the harbour so drove the ship out the harbour astern!

A great start to this busy voyage. Our Welcome Cocktail Party was held before dinner and then we were treated to a lively and entertaining performance by ‘The man with the golden banjo’ Steve Galler.

It was a warm and sunny arrival into the port of Stavanger for us at 9am. Stavanger is the oil capital of Norway so there was a lot of interest as we arrived. A vast array of ships littered the bay, including supply vessels, anchor handlers, diving vessels and a very large crane barge, capable of lifting 14,000 tonnes, used to lift and build oil rigs in the North Sea. There were also pleasure craft and other cruise ships in port.

When the ship was cleared by port authorities it was time for the final set of interesting excursions, on this the final port of call this cruise.

Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Stavanger flourished in the early 19th century as a centre for the fishing trade. While other towns and cities in Norway have suffered with the decline of the industry, Stavanger has managed to keep its economy booming by diversifying, first into shipbuilding and now into oil.

Today I saw the sailing vessel of my dreams (pictured). I can just see me selling everything I own, and packing my wife Jenny and son Scott onboard and sail off into the distance to far away shores...

The most popular tour today was the ‘Lysefjord Boat Trip’. This three-hour excursion began with a boat trip to Lysefjord, a beautiful area surrounded by steep mountains and waterfalls. The tour continued onto the Lysefjord Centre which reveals some of the history of the area, and where you could enjoy a cup of coffee and some waffles. On the ‘Introduction to Stavanger’ trip passengers enjoyed a panoramic excursion to see the sights of Stavanger. The final option for those so inclined was to ‘Domkrirken Cathedral & Stavanger Museum’ and to Pulpit Rock which was enjoyed by all who participated and marked a successful day to end the series of ports.

As we were sailing a little later in the evening, I was able to attend my Farewell Cocktail party, then it was straight back to the bridge for sailing.

As we prepared to sail away, the port was coming to life with many tents and Marquees being erected for a food fayre, in which Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey were due to attend. As we sailed away, we gave three long blasts on ours ship's whistle to say farewell to our final port and a beautiful day.

The evening continued with our Farewell Cocktail Party and another fantastic performance from International Flautist Gary Arbuthnot.

At 7am we berthed alongside Floro which is Norway’s most westerly town that has a charming setting surrounded by pretty islands on the scenic Norwegian coast.

Shortly after arrival, the coaches came to take our passengers on yet another interesting and varied series of trips.  The most popular tour was a trip to the Black Friday Museum which documents the biggest dogfight fought out in the skies over Norway during the World War II, and also passengers could have a taste of the local cuisine during a light lunch that was served at the museum.

An excursion to the Island of Kinn stared with a fascinating and scenic boat trip to the lush, green island of Kinn for a walking tour which visited the Romanesque Kinn church, a building that’s been in use since the 12th Century.

Another popular tour as was to the Coastal Museum that depicts life from days gone by, with ancient boats and fishing equipment, the interior of an early 20th – century home and exhibits documenting the Snorre Oil platform in the North Sea.

After a successful day, the evening continued with a variety of entertainment that included a music quiz with our resident cocktail pianist David Taylor, a box office film ‘The Italian Job’ and another outstanding performance with Vocalist Marcus Jefferson who revisited some of the great hits of the motown ere. 

The evening before, as we were leaving Bergen, I had advised the passengers that on embarking the pilots at Alesund, we would be straight into stunning scenery. On embarking the pilots at 4.30am, the weather was georgeous and the scenery breathtaking. We sailed our way through the dramatic fjords and were all anchored at Geiranger at 9am.

Today was a tender port, so it was all hands on deck to commence the tender operation.  Geiranger is situated in the innermost part of the Geirangerfjord and it is one of Norway’s most famous tourist resorts.

It would also get busy today with four ships of various sizes at the anchorage.

As always, a fantastic shore excursion programme offered a variety of tours. The majority of our passengers participated in a 3-hour tour to the Norwegian Fjord Centre. This intriguing excursion began with a drive along the scenic Eagle’s Road before experiencing the traditional Norwegian way of life, which presents interesting aspects of the region’s nature, culture and history. 

Other tours on offer were a trip to Mount Dalsinbba when after negotiating 11 hairpin bends which climbs almost 5,000 feet above sea level to the summit to experience some of Norway’s best mountain and fjordland scenery.  Also a trip to Herdal Summerfarm offered a chance to go to a 300 year old working mountain farm that boats a truly spectacular setting and also a glimpse of the famous Seven Sisters Waterfall.

On sailing, we all (the Ships), left the anchorage one by one, to the resounding cannon fire from ashore, a tradition by the locals for the visiting cruise ships. We all responded to each other and ashore by numerous soundings of our ships whistles.

The day’s events were culminated by the spectacular Gail Davies Production Company in “ Love Sweet Love” which was a fun show full of well known songs and wonderful dancing.

We embarked our pilot at 5.30am, at the entrance to the fjords, on a cold damp morning. However as I always say, like Scotland, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, the scenery is just as dramatic and beautiful.

We weaved our way up the jjord, passing many houses, with the locals just rising from their beds as we slid past. We made our approach at 7.15am and were all fast at 8am. At the moment we have two deck Cadets onboard - Heidi and Liz. They are what we call our Senior Cadets as they are two-thirds of the way through their Cadetships. Part of their training is to take charge under supervision of the mooring stations, so every morning coming into port, they basically run the mooring stations as we tie up. And it always gives me a great sense of pride seeing these two doing their jobs so well and confidently. It reminds me when I was a young enthusiastic trainee.

Bergen is a beautifully picturesque town, surrounded by mountains and sparkling fjords. Upon arrival, the coaches for our shore excursions were ready and waiting to take our guests out to explore this beautiful part of the world. People do say it always rains in Bergen but I remember a pilot telling me once, and forgive me for repeating myself, but he said “When God was making the world, he had a handful of houses left. He found Bergen Harbour and thought it was a beautiful place, so placed the houses there. And as he was so proud of his little houses in this beautiful place, he wanted to keep them clean and tidy - so he washed them every day!”. Telling this story takes a little disappointment out of the day if it is raining.

The excursion programme today offered a wide variety of tours for our guests. ‘Iconic Norway’ a 9-hour tour that goes to the popular winter resort of Voss which is set beside a peaceful lake. The tour continues with one of Europe’s most impressive rail journeys through breathtaking scenery.

However, ‘Bergen City Highlights’ and the ‘Panoramic City’ tour proved the most popular this morning that our guests enjoyed as it gave them a taste of Bergen. A very nice afternoon excursion ‘Images of Grieg’ was also on offer and it allowed passengers to delve into the life of Bergen’s most famous son, the world-renowned composer Edvard Grieg. The 3 ½ hour tour took our guests along the countryside to Troldaugen, which was Grieg’s home. One of the highlights of this tour is to enjoy an exclusive piano recital of Grieg’s music.

We were ready to sail at 6pm, and as per the forecast, the day had cleared up to beautiful sunshine.

We sailed away north, to our next port of call - Geiranger.

An entertaining evening continued with International Flautist Gary Arbuthnot, who as always, put on a fantastic performance.

We arrived in Dover, at 7am, at the pilot station at the Eastern Entrance. It was a beautiful day, with calm winds and the rising sun reflecting off the White Cliffs. I hadn’t been to Dover for quite some time, nearly two years, as last year we ran the Saga Rose out of Liverpool when I was in command. So it was great to see the familiar face of Peter, our pilot for this morning.

Coming through the Eastern Entrance is always tricky as the tide runs across the face of the entrance so you have to come in with a controlled drift, but having done it for the last 10 years, it doesn’t worry me. The pilots are very experienced and I have a great bridge team onboard. We were soon all fast in Dover, saying goodbye to the majority of our guests. I say majority, as some passengers have opted to stay on for the next cruise.

Everyone is busy in Dover with loading luggage, and getting the cabins and ship ready for sailing with our new guests onboard. By 5pm, we had embarked everybody, carried out the obligatory safety drill and we were ready to go. Departure was straightforward and we were soon sailing through the haze of the English Channel, up towards our first port of call on this Norwegian cruise - Bergen.

The first night of the cruise started with a brief introduction to some of the ship's company which was hosted by our Cruise Director, Tanya Whitehurst. There then followed a short talk with our Shore Excursions Manager, Jacquie Forbes-Watson, who detailed the upcoming ports of call and which tours are available for our passengers during the course of the cruise. 

After a lovely dinner, the evening entertainment commenced with the spectacular Gail Davies Production Company, who performed a wonderful, lively show “Sailaway”, that was rather appropriately named and full of dancing and singing, which our passenger’s thoroughly enjoyed.

Today, being a tender port, always causes a bit of concern as you are transporting passengers using smaller boats. I have every confidence in the crews but the weather and the unpredictable nature is the worry. However the forecast was for the weather to remain good, with a little breeze in the afternoon.

Once anchored the swell was quite choppy so it took us a bit of time to get things settled. However with this ship, I was able to manoeuvre around to make a breakwater and shelter the tenders so we could run the operation. Today was the day a lot of passengers had been waiting for, to go and see the Golf Open Championship at St Andrews. The tour there was enjoyed by all, as was the sunny weather. Those wanting to take it a bit easier chose the Loch Tummel and Aberfeldy Distillery whilst others went further afield with the ‘Jewels of Edinburgh’ tour.

In the afternoon, the Anstruther Inshore and All Weather Lifeboat had been launched to attend to a grounded pleasure craft and on the way back to station they came and had a look at the ship, as not many cruise ships anchor here. I was delighted to ask them to come onboard for a look around and a coffee and a chat. And once again they kindly took me for a spin in their Mersey Class Lifeboat. This seems to be getting a bit of a habit as over the last year or so I have been invited onboard Arun Class, New Tamar Class and now Mersey Class. A boy hood dream! As the day wore on, we were visited again by the lifeboat who kindly presented me with an Anstruther Lifeboat jumper.

So all round it has been a great day. As forecast the wind did pick up a little during the day but by the evening, all was calm and all were back onboard safely after a great day ashore.

At the Classical Concert in the evening, the red faces (from the sun) enjoyed pieces by Mozart, Shubert and Weber from Paul Searle-Barnes. Then later some passengers took a trip down memory lane with Cruise Director John’s  Nostalgia Quiz in Shackletons then it was straight into the Discovery Lounge for the main attraction the very talented flautist Gary Arbuthnot.

So all in all a very enjoyable day was had, as we headed down south into the setting sun.

Having left Invergordon at midnight due to very strong winds holding us back, we made a timed arrival for the pilot station at Peterhead for 09.30am.This was familiar territory for me as way back in May 1997, I was in command of a supply vessel in this very port, and was soon to leave to take up a job offer with Saga. I have to say nothing much has changed!

On approach there was a wind and strong tide setting us north, so I basically had to steer the ship at 45 degrees and make a controlled drift into the port. As we were heading for the concrete breakwater, I was sure many passengers wondered what I was doing, but at the last minute, we steered around the lighthouse into the bay. The wind was still fresh from the night before but with Pearl II manoeuvrability, it was easy to put the ship alongside.

Once in, our passengers were free to go ashore and explore the town of Peterhead, or tours took many to the Granite City. Some chose to tour Aberdeen and it’s Winter Gardens, whilst others decided on the ‘Romantic Lighthouse and Smugglers Village tour’. Those looking for a taste of Scottish scenery at it’s best took the excursion to Fyvie Castle and Pitmedden Garden. I asked the tour escort to deliver my compliments to the curator of Fyvie Castle, a Mr Robert Lovie, who I sail with on the National Trust for Scotland Cruises, as he is Entertainment Director, and a lovely chap to go with it.

Un beknown to us, there was a gala fete in Peterhead, and unannounced, the local pipe band arrived and played on the quayside. The three gala queens were at the foot of the gangway so our Cruise Director John Parton, being a gentleman, invited them all onboard. I sat with them in the Discovery Lounge as we had afternoon tea, and one of the gentlemen with them started talking to me about Meteorology. Strange I thought for someone to be so interested in weather, then I recognised him and it suddenly dawned on me that this chap Sean, was the Scottish television weather presenter, and was just up opening the Fete! What a nice man, and he is the housewife heart throb so my Mother was extremely jealous I was in his company!

On sailing, the weather had calmed to a breathless night, and we sailed away from Peterhead and south to Anstruther.

The evening onboard started with the Britannia Club Cocktail Party then after dinner the passengers were entertained by The Gail Davies Production Company with their show ‘Sailaway’ followed by the lovely voice of Fernando Perez singing the night away in Shakleton’s Bar.

We arrived this morning at 08.00am and berthed at the end of a very long pier, again, with the familiar sight of raindrops on the Bridge windows. Invergordon is another very attractive town and a major Highland port for cruise ships. According to our pilot the estuary is also visited by one of just two known populations of bottlenose dolphins in the British Isles and so the area is recognised internationally for its importance with regard to wildlife.

Again this is familiar territory as the Cromarty Firth is basically the “garage” of the North Sea, where oil rigs were built and are brought to be serviced. Sadly there are a few sorry looking rigs, laid up which tells you that the oil industry seems to be on the decline in the North sea. However it was fascinating to sail the ship past derelict oil rigs to show the passengers the sheer size of them.

Again the wind was rather strong and it was wet. There is a low pressure system over the whole of the UK so I am comforted by the fact that it’s not just us getting the weather. We berthed on an extraordinarily long pier, but thankfully our buses were able to park right at the ship. I think this eased the concern of passengers, as I think their first thoughts were they were going to have to walk the mile long pier to the buses!

Talking of wildlife – one of today’s tours was to Loch Ness, famous of course for its monster. Coaches took passengers along the Cromarty Firth to Loch Ness – the deepest freshwater loch in the country. They have a very impressive exhibition centre with a laser presentation and special effects show that chronicles the history of the loch and it’s elusive monster.

Other tours included a morning tour to the beautiful Grand Dunrobin Castle, with 189 rooms and the seat of the Dukes of Sutherland. The brave amongst us embarked on a walking tour of the highlands – taking in, amongst other natural wonders, the Rogie Falls and Silverbridge Forest. Not the ideal day for it, but nonetheless spectacular whatever the weather.

Now to the interesting bit - as you know it doesn’t always go to plan. We were due to depart at 5.30pm however the winds had picked up to 45 knots, pinning us on to the quayside.
It is always better for weather to deteriorate when we are safely alongside – much better than out at sea. As we had a short run around to Peterhead, I felt it prudent to remain where I was and allow the weather to abate. So the evening carried on as normal onboard.

Following dinner, the show lounge was filled to capacity for the second show from the Macdonald Brothers, you may very well have heard of these two young gentlemen as they were X-factor finalists last year. Such a refreshing change and so talented, these two brothers sing, play the piano, the fiddle, accordion, guitar, harmonica and various Celtic instruments. What is even lovelier is the fact that these two young entertainers don’t feel it necessary to blast the audience with loud music – we could hear and enjoy every word of every song. They had a great accolade from the audience and I am sure have a great future. Chatting to them, they have recently signed a record deal with a Japanese label and we wish both Craig and Brian the best of luck!

By 12.30am we were away, and to all intents and purposes I hope to be in Peterhead by 10.30am tomorrow. I promise to keep you posted.

I had to check the calendar this morning – is it really July? It was a calm and comfortable night but the rain was pouring down the windows of our Bridge on arrival.  I do feel for our passengers when the weather is grey and wet, fortunately our guests are made of strong stuff.

On leaving Kirkwall last night, I had decided to take the ship through the Westray Channel, up to the NW and sail down the west side of Orkney, to shelter from the strong NE Winds.

I must say that I am glad that I was driving the Saga Pearl II this morning, as we had the worst-case scenario for berthing. A very narrow entrance, the strong winds right on the beam of the ship and not much room to manoeuvre. However the handling ability of the ship, and the excellent team I have fore and aft, made the job achievable.

The pilot whispered to me on completion that whenever his colleagues hear that a Captain has offshore experience in the North Sea, they can relax as we used to drive ships in some hideous weather. So I felt that was a compliment which I appreciated.

Scrabster is the most northerly port on the Scottish mainland and for many years, the port of choice for the Queen and her family when they disembarked from the Royal Yacht Britannia every August to visit the Queen Mother at her Highland holiday home, the Castle of Mey, just 11 miles from Scrabster. The area has much to offer visitors – with a wealth of historic buildings and heritage centres. It is also the main ferry port for the ferry running to Stromness in Orkney, a vital link.

Our guests took advantage of another splendid selection of excursions organised by our Tour Managers Jacquie and Grazia. On a wet day like today organised coaches are always the best choice, as our guests can opt to stay on the coach at some of the stops, which is always appreciated.

It’s nice to work with Jacquie again, who joined the ship for the first time at the start of this cruise. I have worked with her many times before and over many years and some of you will know her from the Rose and Ruby. Another great Saga character and such an asset, its lovely to sail with her again.

On the tour front, there were three options today, some chose the ‘Best of Caithness’, which took our passengers into the pretty town of Thurso to visit the Old Pulteney Distillery and of course there was a wee dram (or two) before leaving. The tour continued to John O Groats where lunch was enjoyed and after this an afternoon visit to Castle Mey, saved from ruin by the Queen Mother in 1952 and always her favourite holiday home.

Others chose the shorter morning version of this tour, which took passengers directly to John O Groats and to the castle.

The final option was the ‘Dramatic Cliffs, Puffins and Lighthouses’ tour, quite a title, but sadly not as dramatic as anticipated. On a clear day it would have been spectacular, however, even the puffins were too wise to venture out today. By all accounts though it was still a pleasant morning, a leisurely drive, and although the scenery was misty it was still, I have been told, wonderfully atmospheric.

Guests returned to the ship ready for a warm cup of tea and after a brush up were ready for another great dinner prepared by Chef Scott and his team (Scott is another proud Scotsman with myself, Jacquie, Chief Purser Alison, Staff Captain Wesley and Scott, we Scots are taking over!)
 
This evening the entertainment maintained a Celtic feel as the Discovery Lounge played host to Gary Arbuthnot, a warm and talented entertainer. Gary plays the flute and his gift with the instrument is recognised worldwide, he is from Ireland and has a great way with an audience. His show was very much appreciated and if CD sales are a mark of success then Gary ran out tonight!

Until tomorrow, take care.

It is lovely to be back. I have just returned from my vacation with Jenny and Scott and I must say in my 25 years at sea, the night before returning to the ship, when I said goodnight to Scott, knowing I would not see him for two months was the hardest thing I have had to do. But this was the career I chose, and the quality time I have at home makes up for this.

It would be nice to stay at home 12 months and get paid but that’s fantasy land! It was good to catch up with David again, as we have sailed together over the many years we have been with Saga, so it’s always a pleasure to handover to each other.

Well, we are at the beginning of an eight-day cruise to the Scottish Highland’s, very apt for my return to the Pearl II.  After a day at sea yesterday and hosting our welcome cocktail party last night we arrived in Kirkwall this morning and the weather was very favourable. Granted, the sun wasn’t shining but there were blue patches of sky and it has stayed dry for us and up here that should always be viewed as a bonus.

Guests were off on their tours shortly after we docked alongside at 08.00am. Today there were a great selection to choose from. One of the most popular was the ‘Spirit of the South Isles’ tour. This excursion took our passengers to the Highland Park Distillery, founded in 1798 it is the world’s most northerly producer of whisky. Naturally the tour involved a sample of the renowned 12 year old malt before a visit to Scapa Flow to spend a little time at the beautifully hand painted Italian Chapel, built by Italian prisoners interned on the island during World War II.

En-route back to the ship passengers stopped at Kirkwall where they could view the magnificent 12th century red sandstone Cathedral of St. Magnus, all in all a great morning out. We stayed alongside until 9.30pm tonight, so there was plenty of time this afternoon for passengers to head ashore independently on our shuttle bus to wander through the charming town centre.

I had invited the crew and family aboard of the Longhope Lifeboat station in Orkney. It was lovely to meet everyone and we had a wonderful lunch onboard and they were very impressed with the ship.

A one-week cruise is the ideal way to sample the hospitality of the Saga Pearl II, and this cruise is rich in entertainment. Tonight at 6.00pm the Discovery Lounge played host to a superb classical recital from concert pianist Paul Searle-Barnes. It is great to welcome Paul back, a regular on the Saga entertainment programme and deservedly so, his recitals are always filled to capacity and this is undoubtedly a mark of his calibre as a performer.

In addition to the classical recital, our show lounge was later transformed into Broadway as our singers and dancers put on a show worthy of the West End or Vegas,  a dazzling display of show tunes and costumes. If all that weren’t enough, there were the alternatives such as quizzes, films and music from our cocktail pianist in our Shackleton’s Bar until late. Something for everybody.

Tomorrow, all being well we should arrive in Scrabster by 08.00am. The forecast is not looking all that good at the moment but we can always hope that things may change. Hope does spring eternal, so fingers crossed. I’ll write to you again then.

Well – I bet you weren’t expecting to see Cobh in the itinerary – and quite frankly neither were we.

We have been through the mill for the last two days. We almost arrived at Seydisfjordur, however the winds picked up and despite trying time and time again it was not possible for us to come alongside – the rain was driving and the wind gusting up to 40 kts. I had little option but to abandon the port, something I never really like to do.  Our passengers, having looked out of the windows could clearly see why, and many were relieved as one of the planned tours was a hike, and it would not have been pleasant.

We looked at various other possibilities and due to the weather worsening it was decided to head away from Iceland and back towards the UK. A low pressure had developed to the west of Great Britain and we had two slightly bumpy days – I must say that the ship handled superbly and as usual, our crew pulled out the contingency plans.

Alternative entertainments were arranged, extra talks and presentations were kindly given by our speakers and even a keep fit class or two went ahead; Kim – our Cruise Staff and Fitness Instructor gave some “Sit & Be Fit” classes (I had never heard of these) and how clever they are - the Discovery Lounge was filled to capacity as a gentle workout was enjoyed by passengers from the comfort of their seats. Well done Kim.

Having consulted the office it was decided to head for Ireland and to Cobh. At one point I didn’t think we would fit the visit in. In order to avoid the worsening weather front I had to alter our course significantly and, as the crow flies, had we kept going on that course, our next point of contact with land would have been Rio de Janeiro – this caused great amusement on the Bridge.

The thought of heading for such a  warm destination is always very appealing. During the hours we spent on watch we began talking about future cruises, for some months we have been looking ahead to finalising details of our forthcoming Grand Voyage Cruise in January – it looks to be a superb itinerary – the Saga Pearl II will cross the Atlantic for the first time, pausing at Madeira before reaching the Caribbean. It should be a great 77 nights that will include visits to Brazil and the mighty Amazon. Great thoughts and the ideal distraction from the less than ideal weather we have had. I have heard that the weather with you is of Caribbean proportions. As I rang the office describing our conditions so I was told that pavements have been cracking with the hottest temperatures of the year.

The sea calmed by Friday night and on Saturday morning we had made back enough time to arrive in Cobh as hoped – Cobh is a very pretty harbour, even more so in the sun. Sadly it has rained all day, although this did not put our passengers off exploring and catching the train into nearby Cork. Terra firma was very welcome, whether it was wet or not and tonight I will host our Farewell Party – as always it comes around so quickly.

I shall be heading off on my holidays when we reach Dover and will hand over the reins to Captain Alistair. It has been an excellent two months – the Saga Pearl II is a worthy addition to our fleet and whilst I am looking forward to spending time with my family, I shall also look forward to coming back to this fine little lady of a ship. Thank you to my colleagues – it is always a pleasure and this last two months have been no exception.

As we approached Akureyri my mind flashed back to 1997 when I first sailed the Saga Rose to Iceland – 13 years to this month! I shall never forget that day; it was blowing a gale and although I had two anchors down we still skidded around and had to re-anchor several times. Then to cap it all the anchor chains became entangled when we tried  to recover them for sailing!

However, this morning conditions were quite placid but overcast with a light drizzle. Since those early days the port of Akureyri has invested in a passenger berth which can now take some of these floating resorts.

With the Saga Pearl II secured alongside and the gangway rigged on the dot of 8am the passengers were soon filing down to the awaiting tour buses for another exciting day exploring the wonders of Iceland.

This evening there is a terrific buzz about the ship – and this is because of the tours that have taken place today. Akureyri is the capital of Northern Iceland and it offers a wealth of entertainment and cultural attractions including museums, lovely botanical gardens and a magnificent church.

Some guests took a trip to the Myvatn Nature Baths – an intriguing natural phenomenon. Surrounded by sulphur streaked mountains the baths are filled with mineral rich waters that are heated by a deep fissure in the Earth’s surface.

Other guests chose the ‘Jewels of the North’ tour and enjoyed every moment – they visited ‘Godafoss’ – a waterfall that literally translated means ‘Waterfall of the God’s’. From here the coach took our passengers to Lake Myvatn, to see the craters at Skutustadir and onto see the surreal formations at Dimmuborgir – where there are the remains of volcanic eruptions over the centuries. There was more to come – after lunch at a local restaurant the afternoon began with a trip to the geothermal fields at the foot of the Namafjall Mountain. Here they viewed the steam vents and mud pots, sulphur deposits, boiling springs and fumaroles. On the way back to the ship there was sightseeing tour of Akureyri itself. The pictures from some of the passengers digital cameras are most impressive and I am delighted with the wonderful comments – it is always so lovely to hear when passengers have enjoyed themselves.

If the day was filled with sights – then tonight has been filled with choice on the entertainment front. It began earlier this afternoon – our guest classical group, the Mezin Trio – made up of Anthony, Daniel and Richard performed beautifully at our Viennese Afternoon Tea. After dinner the Shackleton’s Bar was filled with passengers for a fun ‘Name That Tune’ quiz, hosted by our Cocktail Pianist David Taylor. Later, the production team gave us another high-kicking extravaganza in the main show lounge and to round it all off there was dancing at our Sundowners’ Bar. We look ahead now to tomorrow – the forecast is not good – heavy rain and gale force winds. We mustn’t grumble though – we have been fortunate with the weather until now and it has after all been dry at all of our ports so far – and quite wonderful when we were at Reykjavik.

We’ll see in the morning what the day has in store – take care.

An atmospheric Monday morning greeted our arrival in Isafjordur. Grey – but still dry – we are holding our own on the weather front. For the moment at least – I am keeping my eye on the charts and the area of low pressure that followed us here is showing little sign of movement. I am hoping it will start to move or dissipate before we start our journey back to the UK in a few days time. I’ll keep you posted.

Another enthusiastic response from the Wildlife Study group today – apparently today’s trip has exceeded all of the brilliant ones that have gone before – the party of 25 visited a tern colony. These terns are very protective of their territory and are prone to diving at interlopers – one such gentleman decided to step off the recommended path and went a little too close for comfort – he was dutifully swooped at and pecked at. I hear that everyone listened to the guide after that and stayed on the path!! Could we say that his unwise decision not to listen was a ‘tern for the worse’? Even my computer just groaned at that!!

Tonight it was time to host another Britannia Club Party – the largest we have yet experienced onboard – 130 of our passengers are members – and it was lovely to greet old friends once more. I mentioned one of my favourite sentiments in the speech tonight – ‘there are no strangers onboard our  ships, only friends we have not yet met’ – this is particularly apt because we are finding with this little new (to us) ship, that many people are coming to sample our Saga hospitality for the first time.

Following my few words I was given another great sentiment which I must remember for another occasion – ‘there may be bigger ships, and there may be smaller ships, but the best ships are always friendships’. I like that very much – one more to add to the repertoire.

Thank you for reading – we will be at Akureyri tomorrow – as always I shall speak with you soon – and hopefully sometime in the not too distant future it will be in person. Take care now.

It has been a lovely day here, in a charming little village where the welcome has been one of the best I have experienced.

We arrived at 8am this morning and everything that this place has to offer is visible from the Bridge of the ship. It is a pretty, yet isolated community – according to the pilot, on average, cars and vehicles have to travel 100 miles to achieve just 10 miles distance as the crow flies. This is because the primitive roads have to negotiate the landscape here. It makes me think about the initial settlers that must have arrived here and decided to establish a community – remarkable.

No sooner than our gangway was safely in place our passengers made their way to the waiting coaches for a number of tours – some went hiking, others chose a more leisurely day and our wildlife group went off in search of more birds and animals under the wonderful guidance of Christoph, their group leader. I must say that the guests that form the wildlife study group are enthused by Christoph’s infectious passion for his subject. Keen amateurs and beginners alike are finding that he is a superb guide on all levels – they have been very keen to pass on to me how much they are enjoying the experience. We must get him back soon.

This afternoon most of the tours returned by lunchtime – and the best was yet to come. By way of welcoming the ship officially, the entire village came out in force for the afternoon. The whole of this tiny community had prepared a little fete for our passengers. There was Viking dancing from the schoolchildren, a breadmaking demonstration, and games and crafts for us all to enjoy – the local people wore traditional costume and we all joined in the fun.

I joined the festivities and was sidetracked by a sight I had not expected. The owner of the village coffee shop had his car parked in the small car park there – how unusual – a mint condition 1940’s Jaguar saloon in two tone cream and burgundy – it attracted many admiring glances – not least of all my own.

It was particularly nice that the weather chose to cooperate with the villagers efforts, staying dry and crisp all day – it certainly wasn’t cold, and if some did feel a little chilly- the hot bread with fresh butter that was prepared and passed around certainly did the trick of warming us all up.

Today’s stop has been a real highlight – one well worth remembering. Thank you Grunderfjordur.

I do believe that in my last blog I mentioned an impending area of low pressure. It did indeed follow us and following communications with the port at Heimaey we deemed it unwise to stop there. Winds were up to a force 8 and the swells were 5-6 metres. The entrance to the port of Heimaey is just 200 metres wide and so I took the decision to forge ahead for Reykjavik. I must say that the ship handles exceptionally well in rough weather – it helped that the weather was behind us – and in actual fact the movement onboard was extremely slight. All of our activities went ahead unimpeded, singles luncheon, armed services re-union and even carpet bowls, which reflects how well the Pearl II fares in rough conditions.

So, it was 2.30pm yesterday afternoon that we picked up our pilot and we were alongside in Reykjavik for an unexpected overnight by 3pm. Cassie and Grazia - our Shore Excursions team - had arranged a tour to the Blue Lagoon for the afternoon. The lagoon is a regional phenomenon, a natural mineral bath that is said to have rejuvenating and healing properties.

Tonight – the sun never set, at this time of year it is daylight around the clock. Cassie was telling me that at midnight she took a walk along the harbour and sat for over an hour – watching whales playing in the bay – quite incredible. Incredible for us – but according to our local friends and the agent par for the course for those that call Reykjavik home. Whilst many passengers took a late night stroll (it was remarkably warm), more than one or two of our crew ventured out too – it is always good for our crew to let their hair down and an unexpected overnight always comes as a welcome surprise. I can report they were all shining examples of sobriety – one would like to think a reflection of diligent discipline and nothing to do with the fact that a pint of beer is £10 here.
 
Talking of unexpected surprises – I must thank my fellow officers for  a very kind gesture last night – at 6pm I was called to the offices behind our Reception Desk – only to be greeted by cheers and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday – I thought I had kept it quiet. Chef had made a superb cake in the shape of a ship. I must admit to you that I had to work on looking surprised as a couple of hours earlier I visited the back offices – which was entirely out of sync of my usual routine. I walked in and saw bunting being hung and balloons being put up – there was some surreptitious fumbling as crew stood in front of trays of sausage rolls and I backed out quietly, pretending I knew nothing. Thank you Officers and Crew – I am very flattered. What a lovely way to celebrate my 40th birthday (remember ‘sea years’ are like ‘nautical miles’ – they are both a little different to the land-based equivalent).

Today the tours began at 8am and if poor weather brought us here, such fine weather has welcomed us and so it has carried on throughout our stay. The sun has shone and the skies have been blue. A host of excursions have taken guests on further visits to the Blue Lagoon, others to the cathedral and sightseeing around the city. Today, being a rather special day, I treated myself to  a relaxing and rejuvenating time at the Blue Lagoon. It certainly is a unique relaxing bathing experience and I feel at least 10 years younger!

Tonight we remain in port until 11pm and so, as I write, we have a local show on board – a show that tells the story of Reykjavik through the ages in a light-hearted way. I think we will all leave Reykjavik with our own story – and I anticipate one with a very happy ending – the weather is so warm and it is still so light that when we sail at 11pm we have dancing on the aft deck – with a bit of good fortune we shall hopefully see some whales too. 

Take care – Grundafjordur tomorrow – I shall keep you posted.