Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome to this edition of the Sober Cruise podcast. My name's Martin and I'm joined as ever by Mark. How are you, Mark? I'm well, Martin. How are you today? Very good. Very good. So we're recording this just after Christmas. ah Did you have a nice Christmas?
Speaker: I did. Very quiet. and Too much chocolate. But yes, apart that, it was lovely. Well, same for me as well. the only time of the year that you eat top of a lot of chocolate. um So in this episode, when we're going to be speaking about a day in the life. So what you're going be getting up to, whether that's a sea day or whether that's a pulp day. and We're going explain what you'll be getting up to or potentially be getting up to on the Sober Cruise. So I'm going to be explaining a bit more about what I like to do on a sea day. And Mark, You'll also be explaining a little bit about what you like to do on a sea day as well. So um before we sort of start, let's sort of quickly talk about the Virgin Voyages app, because that's where you're going to be able to find all this information, isn't it? So whether you want to have a lazy day or a bit more ah things to do around the ship, the Virgin Voyages app is where it's at really, isn't it?
Speaker: Absolutely, yes. So everyone should have the app installed on their phone before you and before you get on board. That's how you check in and enter your passport details, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker: But every day, all the activities for the day will be on the app. and Now, some of them need to be booked, like the classes, and but a lot of them, it's just turn up. So like the quizzes or the shows, and or maybe there's a special event happening in one of the jewelry shops. And they just, the app tells you where where they're on, when they're on, and then you can just simply go along to them.
Speaker: Yeah. And there's some of them you need to book. As you said, like the um ah exercise classes and things like that, you need to book those, but you don't book them until you get on board anyway. um so that's fine. And then most of them are just sort turned up. So if they're in the red room, you just turn up. So the the app updates itself sort closer to the time with the different um things obviously the the one that most people are looking out for is what night is scarlet night uh so everyone can bring something red and know when to kind of bring things out uh um for that um so yeah we sort of talked a little bit about the app the apps also we use book restaurants and that kind stuff as well but we don't kind of need to go into details about that so uh what is a day at sea so a day at sea is i actually think
Speaker: the days at sea is probably actually my favourite thing about going on Merchant Voyages what about you Mark? Yes I enjoy the days at sea as well and or alternatively the days in port when I've been to the port before and I can treat it like a day at sea and Yeah, and then you basically get the ship to yourself. Yes. So I remember when were in Gran Canaria, you didn't get... you get off the ship then? No, no. I shipped for about an hour to buy some things at the supermarket right next door. But the rest of the time, we were on board. I'm pretty sure we went to the wake that day for lunch.
Speaker: Very probably. that's that' if There's a fair chance that that's what we did, yes. There's a very fair chance to answer that, yes. So a day at sea is basically where the ship is going from one port to the other.
Speaker: ah So for example, ah you know, we leave Barcelona, we have a day at sea and then we dock at the next port. So this is basically a chance to make the most of all the activities that are on board. So the ship will organize more activities on a sea day than there will be on a port day. So a port day, there'll be fewer things to do during the day, but ah just as much to do in the evening. So when everyone's back on board. So...
Speaker: You don't have to. It's not like a butlins or a hidey-hide thing where they're going to come around and drag you along to bingo or this kind of stuff. It is. You can do as much or as little as you like. So, ah Mark, you kind of prefer to do maybe not quite as much, whereas I like to do maybe slightly more.
Speaker: Yes. Yes. So if we kind of just sort of show some of the contrast. So for example, um my morning, what I would probably do is get up, I'd go for a walk, um go and get some breakfast. i really do like having a breakfast on board. But probably, it depends if going to class or not. So sometimes the classes are a bit early in the morning. So sort the the the the morning sunrise class that you did a couple of times, didn't you? ah strategy
Speaker: Those ones are wrong quite early in the morning. So obviously you have breakfast before that. So it depends on what's going on beforehand. But, you know, ah try and have breakfast either before, if there's no activity class want to do, reasonably early. Well, I say early, sort of around 9.30. Which you don't think is early at all to eat, Mark.
Speaker: No, not really. And then... um but If I am going to do a ah ah a class, then ah yeah I'd be looking to do um maybe go to the gym first, if it's a half an hour class, and then do the class.
Speaker: And then will go and get a protein smoothie or go and have some ah some breakfast. Usually in the galley, in the galley is the buffet sort of place. They don't like the B word on Virgin. um but it is the place where you can go and get lots of different breakfast lines there are for other places around the ship you can go for breakfast as well there's razzle dazzle or the wake you can book him for those or if you just want to get a pastry and a coffee then the grounds club um have those so you can go and grab those from there So what would you be doing first week the morning? Yeah, so my morning would be a little bit different. I would like to relax. So I just wake up whenever and get onto the the tablet in the room and order some room service or shipbeats as it's called in Virgin.
Speaker: And usually that comes quite quickly within 30 or 40 minutes. Yeah.
Speaker: Now there's a delivery charge, i think we mentioned this in the last episode, there's a delivery charge with the ship eats, but you can have that waived if you order $10 worth of stuff. So I would normally order maybe a coffee and a juice to bring over the $10 and then maybe order some fruit, an omelette, something like that. and And then use that opportunity also to order a stack of of Diet Cokes. So order about six or eight Diet Cokes And then I would lounge about the cabin in the morning time, enjoy the hammock, enjoy the view.
Speaker: and And then head up to the pool really, just you know lounge around the pool, maybe have ah have a go in one of the jacuzzis. Or maybe if that's wee bit busy, one of the areas that I really like is the perch up on deck 16, right at the front of the ship, and where there tends to be a lot of space. They they have they have a lot of the and like beds and tiles there that you can just send, this that that can be very relaxing.
Speaker: So it would just be an easy morning and and really just preparing for lunch. So i would I prefer not to go to the galley for lunch. What I would normally do, as we did several times on the ship, is I would i would book the wake for 12 o'clock or 12.15. And very specifically because that's when the steak goes on the menu. So before 12, it's all breakfast. So it's a lot of...
Speaker: And a lot of variations of eggs Benedict and variations of of steak and eggs. But at at midday, exactly a little bit, it gets added to the menu where you can have, where you can have the filet mignon. So I'd really just treat that as an early lunch. Yeah.
Speaker: yeah And that would be that that sort of, that would bring me up to about one o'clock. So, so what would you do once you've had your lunch in the galley, how would you spend your afternoon? So in the afternoon, it really kind of depends on what's available on board the ship. So after I've had my lunch, I probably um see, there's usually a quiz on this, you know, a sea day, there's generally, rub it during the day, there's generally a quiz every two hours or so. And I do like a quiz. Although i on the last cruise, we never won. So I'm disappointed at that. But we came close sometimes, didn't we? We did. We did.
Speaker: um so we were i would go and do a a quiz uh there are various different places around the ship would do that um maybe meet up with some people go to the social club i like the little cake pop so i wouldn't necessarily have dessert up in the galley i'd probably go and either have ice cream or go and have of the cake pops because really like those in the social club um and then maybe there's other activities that are going on so for example up on the top deck choose you cut some more sport your sporty things going on uh so things like um like pickleball uh which a a couple of our friends uh got really got into uh on board the ship so that or maybe sort of taking advantage of the jacuzzi because do like going in the jacuzzi and so going into there but Most of the time it's going to be finding some of the activity that's on board the ship and taking part of that. Sometimes in the afternoon as well, you'll get a singer, and maybe in the manor or in the red room. So yeah. and
Speaker: What do you like to do just before dinner? Well, I would i wouldn't tend to have a out sure fairly relaxed afternoon as well. and One of the things about the sea days that I like is that they tend to put a proper show on in the afternoon. and Most days there will be something on in the afternoon in terms of entertainment. and Maybe it's a movie or something like that But on the sea days they tend to put On one of the acts that's also On in the evening So when we were there they had a chap on by the name of Philip Brown who was a West End singer who had actually Appeared in The Lion King and he was absolutely Fantastic but generally It would be but it would be about just Picking and choosing some of the things that were on
Speaker: and One of the things we didn't mention about the app earlier on is that, of course, for for the old school people, and you can get a paper version of the app as well. Now, they don't deliver that to your room, but but it's available all the way through the ship, especially in the grounds clubs, you can pick up a paper.
Speaker: and And so one of the things I did yesterday was I i counted the the number of things that are happening during the day. and And on a sea day, There were 70 different things happening during the day, which struck me as is quite a lot. Now, some of those course aren't terribly interesting. a couple of those might be shopping and looking at jewelry and marches, et cetera, but most of them are interesting things. So there's plenty to to pick and pick and choose as.
Speaker: And then later in the afternoon, maybe have a little bit more time at the pool, but then in the afternoon, I know that we, as the sober cruisers will be, we'll be meeting up about four, four 30 after every afternoon, probably at the dock for some tapas and chat. So I would definitely make an effort to do that.
Speaker: And that's going to bring us up until us are about five o'clock. So, so we're now, now you're talking about the early evening. So how do you like to spend your evenings? Well, evenings are... We usually go for dinner... ah you know it depends on... When we're on board, we're going to have some group dinners, and we're going to have dinners that you obviously have to eat with us as well, but if we're going to have a group dinners, it will be a whatever time Virgin book us in for. um So hopefully it's a nice sort of dining time. not too late. We we don't know until we're closer to the time. ah But like to kind of just have a little wander around the ship, see what's what's going on. You can sort of bump into people whilst you're on there, but...
Speaker: I'm going check out at the back of the ship at the dock, get myself ready for dinner. It depends where we're going for dinner as well. If we go into one of the more lavish places like The Wake or Pinkal Garpa, then you kind of get slightly more dressed up for it. If you go into Gumby, for example, I think it's a more relaxed atmosphere, so you kind of go along in... I think wore flip-flops when I was...
Speaker: um And then ah in the evening once you've had dinner, and dinner, you know, because the food's so good, you don't really want it to end. It's not an in-out, eat it really quickly and get out of there. Unless, obviously, you've got something sort of planned in the evening, but you're generally in there. What...
Speaker: an hour and a half, two hours. so that's kind of quite a good chunk of time. Now, kind of Virgin you know this. They do schedule their entertainment a bit later. So there's stuff going on throughout the evening, but there are things on a bit later. So you can go and eat dinner earlier and still go on to go and watch a show or take part in the entertainment. And there's plenty of things to do. So my preference would be to go and um do a show, um go and see like one of the big sort of spectacular things happening in the Red Room. um Also, what's going on in the manor. So like Lola's library, for example, is really funny or like misbehaving um in the in the Red Room is really, really ah good as well. And then think so to to cap off the evening, um we we did a few times. We went on the back of the ship and we did the stargazing. Yeah.
Speaker: Now, you can either have that where it's obviously um led by one of the Happnings crew, um or it could just be that you're just lying out on the um ah on the bed, and they have blankets out there as well. so if it starts to get a bit chilly, you can get a blanket.
Speaker: And just looking up at the stars, it's really nice. You know, sat there with a Coke Zero looking up at the stars. It's very relaxing way to finish reading, isn't it? It was, so it is, and I think on our last night of the cruise, I think there were like 10 of us up there on the ah ah watching the stars, and that was really, really nice.
Speaker: Yeah, what what I find on the cruises is that one of the nice things is that the day can just take itself. You know, you don't need to do any planning, but the one part of the day really where you do need to plan a little bit is in the evening time.
Speaker: and Now, the way Virgin work is that they tend to have two big shows on every evening, one in the Red Room and one in the Manor. And those shows tend to start at 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock.
Speaker: So really most people and book their dinner around those shows. So either people will, if they want to go to the eight o'clock show, they'll they'll maybe eat about six, 6.30, so that thing, or if they want to go to the later show, they'll they'll eat about eight.
Speaker: Or if people like to eat eight late, what they can do is they'll go to the eight o'clock show and then eat after it. But knowing those two keep key ties of eight o'clock and 10 o'clock means that you can you you can you can have you can eat at leisure and then still have time to get to the show.
Speaker: Or some people, you know, like some people like myself, i I quite like shows. So some people will go to both, you know, go to eight zero o'clock performance of one and 10 o'clock performance of the other. And, but but again, there's lots to do, you know, if there's, um, even as as, I think you mentioned in our last podcast is that if you're, if you walk from the front of the ship to the back of the ship after the show,
Speaker: There will be three or four different things going on just as you walk back past maybe a guitarist in one place, a singer in another place, a quiz in another place. You're not going to get bored. there is but There's plenty to do.
Speaker: Yeah, there's all the other things like the karaoke lounge, which which we need to get you into at some point. Into there. And there's Fiendmites as well. So you've Scarlett and I. ah Usually on the first night, they have pajama party, which at the back of the ship. There's just plot plenty of different things that you can get involved in or don't get involved in. It's entirely up to you. As I said, not dragged to come along and do anything. So how does that kind of differ to a port day? It kind of just depends on which port you're in, doesn't it? Because if you're in a port, for example, um which you've got a late sailing, then that you're obviously going to be maybe in the port for a bit longer. But if we kind of just say like a normal port, you'd probably be off the ship between about
Speaker: 9.30 back on the ship by about 4.30 kind of time, roughly. It depends on where where you are and how far away you are from everything. um But I think that's what most people sort of generally kind of do. Yeah. But in reality, I think what happens is people don't actually spend that much time in port. I think what what happens to people is when they're new to cruising is that is that they read in the app that the ship is docking at 9 and leaving at 5.00.
Speaker: five And they think, all right, well, that gives me eight hours in the port. But actually what ha tends to happen is that people get off, they have a wander around the town, have a cup of coffee, they maybe go on a bus trip or get the hop on, hop off bus. And after three or four hours, they're thinking, actually, you know what, we're going to go back. you know so So a lot of people either spend the morning in the port or the afternoon in the port, but not the entire day.
Speaker: yeah Unless you've got an excursion which takes up the entire time. I said most people will just spend a couple of hours um and that. And also, i think a lot of the time we kept them going, could go back and have steak at the lake.
Speaker: ah So that's a reason to go back to a ah to the ship. But um if you are off the ship, great. Obviously, you've enjoy the port. If you're staying on the ship, because maybe it's somewhere you've been before, um then um it's great because the ship is sort of half full whilst everyone else is ashore. You can then make most of that the sun loungers, for example. I mean, to be fair, I never had a problem trying to get a sun lounger. um But, you know, you got you you don't have to get up as early as you get at the prime position. no
Speaker: ah But I do like being up at the perch, which doesn't really seem to get that busy because if most people to be down by the pool. So perch is kind of fine. Uh, but yeah, you could just be going around the ship and said just having a lunch. It's a lot easier to get into places like the wake and razzle dazzle, uh, for, for brunch, uh, on a port day than it is on the sea day. Um, so it's a good day if you do want to go to the wake or razzle dazzle and, and,
Speaker: and have your brunch there to do it on on a port day. But yeah, probably getting up reasonable kind of time. and Again, it depends on what time you'd be getting into port and docking and what time people were getting off because you're going to have that, you know, the group of people that are getting off to go and on excursions, organized excursions. They need to be off the ship by a certain time.
Speaker: So they're going to be up in the galley having breakfast at, you maybe sort of an hour before they go. So if you're not getting off the ship, I would always kind of say, probably sort of stood head up there about an hour after we've docked or hour and after most people are starting to get off the ship because you're still going have breakfast that's still on there um up until 11 o'clock finishes ten i believe so yes yeah um and then you can you can go up there without having any problems uh without you know
Speaker: Rhino, you can go on there. at Rhino, you can go up to the galley and it's not too busy up in the galley. Whereas if you went up there half an hour, 45 minutes before one of the excursions is about to leave, then you do have you know hundreds of people trying to grab grab a bit of breakfast before heading ashore. Now, you're not allowed say anything off the ship for health and safety reasons. So don't think that you can just go and grab a pastry and walk off the ship with it. You need to eat it before you get off the ship. because ah importation rules and things like that. um
Speaker: And then when when you're back on... In the evening, it's kind of pretty much exactly the same, isn't it? There's no kind of real... It is, yeah. It's more just first thing in the morning with breakfast. And then if you stay on board, then you've got the ship almost to yourself.
Speaker: And if you you go ashore, you know, if you're back... a few hours before all aboard, you're still going to be able to make the most of having fewer people on the ship um compared to your like normal sea day.
Speaker: i said There is less entertainment, there's less sort of organized stuff. I mean, one of the reasons for that is because maybe the crew want to go of ashore. So yeah it's there's fewer crew on board, but also there's fewer people on board the ship. So yeah this less is required.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. And one of the things to mention about the port days is that we will be arranging excursions for the the sober sailors, but we'll talk about that much more in our, and on our next podcast, where we'll be focusing on the itineraries and the, and the different ports. So we've talked about, um, the different activities that the, ah the Virgin Voyages put on, but let's talk about what you're going to be experiencing exclusive to the sober crew. So Mark, you want to explain a little bit about the activities that we'll be doing, uh, as part of our little group?
Speaker: Yes, sure. and So our intention is that there will there will be lots on for people who want to join the activities, but... people aren't obliged to join anything. So if I just run through a typical day of what will be available for people if if they um if they want to join in. So the first thing will probably be the Friends of Build-Up meeting, which is hosted by the ship.
Speaker: Now that's usually on at 8am. So some people for some people that's a bit too early, but but for the people who do go to it, they really find it a really nice way to start the day.
Speaker: And after that, we'll meet up in the Gum Bay probably. And just a little tip for for people is that if the galley is ever very busy, Gum Bay is also open. And a lot of people don't know about that. So you can usually find a seat in Gum Bay if there are no seats available in the galley. But having said that, it it's it's it's relatively rare that you can't get a seat in the galley.
Speaker: So we'll have some breakfast in the in the galley. ah After that, then either on a port day, there'll be some sort of excursion arranged. And if it's not a port day, we will do something like go to the quiz or do karaoke.
Speaker: Then that brings us up to lunchtime. Again, we'll meet in the galley or there will be some people gathering in the galley to have lunch. Then early afternoon, and maybe go to your show.
Speaker: The one thing that we will try and do every single day is have a meetup around about 4, 4.30, probably in the dock. On the sport days, that'll be relatively informal.
Speaker: But on the sea days, the two sea days we've got, we'll probably try to organize something a little bit more special. So or go maybe try and get a b room on the ship if if Virgin allows to do that.
Speaker: and But organize something a little bit a little bit more than on the the port days. And then that brings us to early evening. and where we will meet up, we will try and organise a different restaurant for every every evening for those people who want to join the group.
Speaker: Obviously, people are free to to make their own reservations if they like. And then after the meal, I imagine we'll so we'll kind of split up. and Some people will go either go to different shows or some people will go to the show and some people might go and to go and watch a band or do a quiz or something like that. And then that kind of brings us to the end of the day. So the the idea is that if you're a person who wants to be with the group all the time, that will be available. If you're a person who just wants to dip in and out of the group, that's also an option.
Speaker: Yeah, and of course, we've got the WhatsApp group as well. So that will be started before we go on board. So everyone kind of gets to know each other a little bit better. And if you just think, actually, I want to go to dinner with Jim and Maurice, make up things now uh then um um ah then maybe you'll just go off with them or you think actually i'm going to go to watch the i don't want to go and see the show the whole groups go into we're going to go to the karaoke for example then people will split off naturally and again it means that you already know people that are going to be on board you know they're going to be in the same situations virgin does do things where you can go and meet other people on board um
Speaker: But, you know, you you you don't know who what they like to do. in the you They might be there for ah various different reasons on board the ship. But um you know, obviously, within our group, it's going to be people who are in the same situation, sober and looking to do similar kind of things whilst on the ship as well. So whether you want to be out in ah sort the big group of 25 or prefer to go off in the smaller group, just three or four people, then the choice is yours, really, isn't it
Speaker: Yes, absolutely. And the WhatsApp group, I think, will will prove to be very valuable. And within that, there might even be little subgroups. So there might be a solos group in the WhatsApp group. And one of the other groups is up and maybe a board gamers group for people who like to play board games. So it's just to, whatever you want to do, though though you know you'll be able to put out there, is there anybody else who wants to do this at this time? Yeah, it's worked really well on other cruises, hasn't it? So the reason why it would not be working well for our cruise in August.
Speaker: And speaking of August, on the next episodes, we're going to be talking a little bit more about the itinerary those kind of really great places that we're going to be going to um there are some places um that for example i might stay on the ship cause i've been to a few times before but tuscany for example is somewhere i'm really looking forward uh to visiting going to see all those really colorful houses and the coastline in italy just looks absolutely amazing but we should save that for a future uh episode uh if you want to find out more about coming on the sober cruise then please visit us at thesobercruise.co.uk all the information is in the show notes um if you want to book in a chat with us for example um we are here there's also a calendar you can book on thesobercruise.co.uk you can book in for a chat to find out a little bit more and we can answer some of your questions so we shall see you on the next episode and thanks for joining us Mark yep thanks Martin see in the next episode
