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On a clear day in June, as the band played a tune,
Oriana left Southampton's quay.
With the Captain and crew, and the passengers too,
(Including my husband and me.)
In the Conservatory, had afternoon tea,
With sandwiches, pastries and scone.
Then back to "A" deck, in order to check
If the rest of our luggage had come.
The horn sounded shrill, for sea safety drill,
That's seven short blasts, then one long.
Instructions they gave, our lives that would save,
If all of the engines went wrong.
How, wearing warm clothes, we'd cover our nose,
Then step out - straight into the sea.
This filled me with dread, for as I then said,
The last one to jump would be me!
We listened with care, then practising there,
Tried putting our lifejackets on.
(We'd done this before, at least once, or more,
So managed, not getting much wrong.)
Then tucked them away, in the wardrobe to stay,
So we hoped, for the rest of the trip.
(Later on in the cruise, one engine did lose -
But there's five engines more to this ship!)
Then to the Crows Nest - we needed a rest
After all this activity.
With a drink in our hand, waved farewell to the land
As we headed out into the sea.
Later on in the day, we all made our way
To the Restaurant, in plenty of time,
There dining in State, at a little past eight,
Five courses and bottle of wine.
Oriana's cuisine - just has to be seen
Or tasted - it's simply first rate.
And believe me I know, I've the menus to show,
And we gained ½ a stone each in weight!
Each evening we'd go, to the Theatre, each show
Reflected the "Seventies" theme.
A rock and roll band, Grease, Fame, Elvis and
Half a Sixpence, which we'd never seen.
If you wanted to dance, you had plenty of chance
To do so all night, but I said
"At our age, oh dear - it would kill us I fear!"
So we settled for Horlicks and bed!
Vigo, Spain
On Tuesday we came, via Vigo in Spain
To Santiago de Compostela.
This great Cathedral, cannot fail to enthral,
With its grand architectural splendour.
The limit of time, and the crowds at the shrine,
I admit, that for me, somewhat mars
The solemnity, where rests peacefully
St James of the Field of Stars.
The Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela
Lanzarote
At Arrecife, on a bus that was free,
Heard a tune guaranteed to cause panic -
As our bus drew away, they started to play
The theme music from the Titanic!
At a bar we drank beer, as the traffic roared near
And wished we were elsewhere, but we
Though due to drop anchor, just off Playa Blanca,
Were "re-ported" to Arrecife.
Tenerife
From Santa Cruz we, took a coach trip to see
The beautiful countryside, where
From some distance away, saw our ship in the bay
Serenely awaiting us there.
And on the way back, sampled wine and a snack
At a Lodge, where they'd bottles to sell.
As most climbed on the bus, heavy laden like us,
I guess that they'd done rather well.
Madeira
And lastly we came, as it drizzled with rain,
To Madeira, the Island of Flowers.
From our Hotel afloat, took a small local boat
To Funchal, for a couple of hours.
More sampling, this time, of Madeira the wine
Was partaken by some, but we two
Having tried this before, spent our free time ashore
Just browsing, and watching the view.
(Not that we don't think it's an excellent drink
But as we discovered last time
That the tiniest taste, when it's swallowed in haste,
Proves it's quite a bit stronger than wine!)
The sea, mainly calm, caused us little alarm,
A bit choppy, the next to last day.
But a tall glass of gin, with a lemon slice in,
Calms the nerves in a wondrous way.
On a cruise you can do just what you want to do -
As little or much as you like.
You can prop up a bar, treat yourself at the spa,
Or get "slim-in-the-gym" on a bike.
If you've never been told how a napkin should fold,
Then a cruise is the best place to learn.
They've got Bingo by day, a Casino to play
Every night, if you've money to burn.
You can laze by the pool, take yourself back to school
At the lectures they give on each port.
Drink "Orchard Dream Fizz" at the Syndicate Quiz,
Be athletic and join in the sport.
There's lots that I've missed, but I thought that my list
Was beginning to get a bit long.
(There's announcements to say what is happening each day
And a news-sheet to tell you what's on).
So give it a try - just like John and I,
You'll discover that cruising is fun.
Leave your diet on shore, take a week off, or more
And sail away into the sun!
JANET JOHNSON
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