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Published: June 26th 2017
Just to add a different dimension to this blog, German has its fair share of comical sounding words so from time to time I'll share my favourite ones with you.
Today's German comedy word:
Knoblauch = garlic 30.08.2015. The day of embarkation. It is also our wedding anniversary. It was grey, overcast with that threat of a down pour. Can I just clarify that that last statement has nothing to do with it being our anniversary. I was just providing an update on the day's weather!! It is also our good friends Donny and Marie's Ruby wedding anniversary so congratulation to you both where ever you are in the world!
Our train to Warnemunde was at 09:44. The street to the train station which yesterday had been a hive of activity and business was strangely quiet.
Warnemunde is 198km from Hamburg. The train is a two hour journey to Rostock where we change to a local train and from there a further 20 minutes. We had bought the train tickets last night to avoid any last minute hitch should we have chosen to purchase them this morning. We arrived at the station one hour before the train
was due so it gave us time to grab some breakfast. The platform started to fill up rather fast. Most passengers had a suitcase of some description in tow. The chances were these people were also heading for Warnemunde to pick up a cruise ship. Everyone seemed to want to congregate around us. Invading our space. We kept moving further down the platform. This was a blessing as we managed to board the final carriage, store our luggage and take our seats without any pushing and shoving.
The journey seemed to pass more quickly than anticipated. The platform change in Rostock was seamless as a receipt is issued with each ticket that shows the itinerary, times of trains and platform numbers so no trying to find the departures board and trying to figure out the platform number. The train from Rostock was a little busier as there were fewer carriages. These local trains are not designed for people with luggage bigger than a rucksack as, although the step on to the train is flush with the edge of the platform, there are several steps up to the seats situated either side of a rather narrow aisle. We were happy
to stand for the 20 minutes it took to travel the short distance.
As the train slowed on its approach to Warnemunde station, The MSC Sinfonia shot in to view. Its sheer size cast a shadow as we passed by. The rail lines run parallel to the cruise terminal which lay no more than a five minute walk from the train station, through an underpass that opens out on to the quay.
Two other ships were tied up in front of the MSC Sinfonia;
The Empress, a Pullmanturs ship (never heard of 'em!!) and a hundred metres further on, the
AidaDiva. Most people who had been on our train were turning in to this cruise terminal. The queue was starting to snake its way out of the terminal and down the side of the building. This was a purpose built cruise terminal for all Aida ships, a German based company who may well have the centre of its operations in Warnemunde!
We dropped our bags off at a small gazebo and entered the ‘tent' building after following the arrow that said ‘All MSC passengers this way'!!
Roisin flashed her ‘black' membership card, the highest loyalty level
enjoyed by MSC club members and we were shown immediately to a check in desk. MSC have changed their loyalty scheme and one of these changes is for the cruise card, the piece of plastic that is your cabin key, your pass to enter and leave the ship as well as your means of payment for extras whilst on board, now reflects your loyalty status. Previously the MSC cruise card was identical regardless of your loyalty status. We were handed our MSC cards that now sport a black strip with gold writing. From a society where everyone appeared equal to this, what probably sounds elitist, as you now know how experienced your neighbour is? This is not as elitist as some cruise ships. Princess for example have your name outside your cabin printed on coloured paper equivalent to your loyalty status! Not only can you see everyone's loyalty status but it's a great past time to speculate on your fellow traveller
. Mr Smith and Miss Jones. But she must be 40 years younger than him. I bet you she's more than his wet nurse!! On leaving the check-in we walked toward the security gate. En route there were several
desks advertising various on board services. One assistant stepped out in front of us to explain the drinks package. He took my ‘black' card and started with the phrase; ‘
All the food on board is free….' My immediate reaction was to check his name badge to see if his name was
Sherlock!!! He continued to explain that drinks on board are extra and the benefits of ordering a drinks package. As neither of us drink very much whilst on board, the drinks package would not be of benefit. We tend to buy drinks on an
as you go basis.
The MSC Sinfonia is one of three ships in the fleet that have been elongated. They've been cut in half and a mid-section inserted. The result is a ship 152m longer and an increased passenger capacity of 600. That's OK as long as our cabin is not over the join!!
Showing our passport and cruise card at the bottom of the gangway and then again at the top of the gangway where our cruse card was scanned, we entered the new look Sinfonia, as already mentioned one of three ships, all referred to as Lirica class ships, that have
now taken on a new look. The other three ships in this class are the
Lirica, Opera and
Armonia. This is our first time aboard the Sinfonia but having sailed on the Lirica on several occasions we were familiar with the layout.
Our first impression of the new layout was one of disorientation. There is no central staircase or atrium. Deck 7 has always been the promenade deck. This is the main deck whereby you can walk outside around the ship. This is now deck 6. We headed aft and took the lift to deck 8, Bach deck. Cabin 8197, an outside cabin meaning it has a port hole as opposed to an inside cabin which has no natural light source.
Our cabin is in the new section of the ship. It is quite snug and consists of a king size bed underneath the port hole with about 18 inches either side. At the foot of one side of the bed is a small desk with mirror that opens up to reveal the wall safe and some shelving area. On the other side is a compact corner unit with flat screen TV and mini bar. The en suite
is also fairly compressed with shower, basin and toilet squeezed into a 4ft x 4ft cubicle. The wardrobe and drawer unit, however, was ample for a week's cruise as we found enough hangers and space to suit our needs.
The time was just approaching 1pm. The sail away was scheduled for 7pm with the ‘
all aboard by' notice stating 6:30pm, always a ½ hour before departure. We had time for some lunch in the buffet La Terreza before disembarking to explore the delights of Warnemunde on a Sunday afternoon. It had started to rain….exploring the delights of Warnemunde on a WET Sunday afternoon!!
Warnemunde is surprisingly a very pleasant sea side town. As with many similar settlements the town revolves around a small square, usually with a church as its centre piece. Warnemunde was no exception. The streets leading off the square were well signposted. We headed down a small street that was signposted ‘Strand' or beach. This was very much a residential street with well-maintained wooden houses, some with balcony terraces but all were ornately designed facades and if in the UK would certainly be a contender for the ‘Britain's best kept street' award!
We arrived
at the start of a wide promenade that seemed to stretch for a few kilometres. At the nearside where we entered stood a single light house that was open to the public judging by the number of people milling around the top observation deck!
We stopped at an ice-cream parlour to bask in what had now become 28 degree heat. The rain had since dissipated, all evidence wiped clean by the searing rays. Rain? What Rain?
After our pit stop of ice cream and coffee (or ginger ale, in Roisin's case!) we strolled back toward the cruise terminal via the quay side. This was another pleasant surprise as along the quayside lay wall to wall cafes and bars with a few ‘bucket and spade' shops in between. A pontoon stretched the length of the quay with a number of fish restaurants selling everything from Shark to Spider crab. A number of operators offered one hour round trips of the harbour which seemed to be proving popular today.
We had to be back on board by 5pm as this was the time of the compulsory muster drill when everyone (except those who embarked yesterday in Copenhagen) have to
take their life vest and assemble at the muster station shown on their cruise card and stamped on the life vest. The crew are assembled every few yards to assist you in any way. The muster starts after seven shot blasts and one long blast on the ship's horn. This is carried out in accordance with international maritime regulations and failure to take part could result in a hefty fine. We have never heard of anyone being fined for non-attendance and we weren't prepared to test this theory out just yet!!
With the capacity of the ship increasing by 600 certain amenities have increased relative to the maximum passengers such as the lounges. However, one thing to remain the same is the theatre. This had capacity for 553 before the ‘surgery' and still has capacity for 553. For this reason, there are now three shows per night. Furthermore, each show, whilst still free to attend, has to be booked in advance to avoid disappointment. This is done via a number of touch screen devices dotted around the ship. Tonight's production ‘Fabulous' is the only show on this voyage that is on a first come, first served basis. This turned
out to be an extravaganza of singing and dancing their way through the 50s and 60s. The lead singer had a marvellous voice with his renditions of ‘My Way', ‘Maria' and ‘Singing in the Rain' would have made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge if I hadn't had my neck shaved prior to this trip!! His modulation was faultless if not a little nasal. With his uncanny resemblance to Kenneth Williams and his facial mannerisms I was waiting for him to finish one of his numbers with: ‘Ooh Matron, stop muckin' about!!'
There are not many British speakers on board. We overheard one elderly couple speaking to a theatre attendant as they entered the auditorium. In saying an innocent throwaway line such as: ‘
You're the first English we've heard spoken since we embarked' we were ambushed as the spritely octogenarians proceeded to give us their life story. Currently living in Dublin, Ireland she (Pat) is originally from Coventry (that was bombed heavily during the war and had to be evacuated, don't you know!!) In trying to make conversation, Roisin mentioned that her grandparents were from the Emerald Isle. Once he found out the family
name was Malley well that was it!! For the next five minutes we learned all about an unscrupulous family of cowboy builders called O'Malley! All this and without introducing themselves. After fifteen minutes our two Dubliners were on their way as were we, right down to the front, three steps at a time leaving a subtle Irish brogue fading in the distance as he (Laurie) had already engaged an unsuspecting Australian couple:
‘Coventry…bombed….evacuated…!!!'
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Marie
non-member comment
Love your blogs and thanks for the mention. Now get on with the trivia, and enjoy your trip.