Gigging In The Caribbean

Saturday 14 February 2015. We are aboard the Thomson Dream which is moored off Roatan, an island about 30 miles off Honduras in the Caribbean.

Towards the end of the afternoon just before we sail we go up onto the rear of Deck 10 where Tomas and Maris are playing.

Now it's not often that this happens, but I had gone prepared with a memory stick with some of my backing tracks from the keyboard so I was happy to be invited up and played a couple of songs, Concrete and Clay and Gerry and the Pacemakers' I Like It. They went down well and Tomas and Maris said they enjoyed how my guitar solos sounded part of the backing (they weren't - I hasten to add...!)

Then it was time to sail away. Tomorrow would be a full day at sea as we crossed the Caribbean from Honduras back to Jamaica. Mahogany Beach, now that all passengers were back on the ship, was deserted and just a few staff could be seen closing the bars and shops.

The tide was in again and the wrecks in the harbour mouth were less in evidence as the water rose. We left Roatan behind and sailed off into the seeming vastness of the Caribbean. Once the ship is moving and at sea there is always a strong wind blowing from in front. In reality those two larking about on the front of Titanic would have been plastered against the superstructure... There's no way Kate Winslet could have dragged herself to the pointy bit with a full skirt acting like a sail...

The following night in the restaurant was the Parade of the Baked Alaska and the chefs traditionally come out of the galley to enjoy their one night a week in the limelight. I have the utmost admiration for any member of ships' crew - they work tremendously hard, all of these people.

And then the waiter brought round the baked alaska, flaming erm... flames... coming from them! This is ice cream baked into a sponge and covered in meringue. The bake is such that the ice cream remains frozen - have a go and watch the liquid ice cream ooze out...

Kahia shows me how to rid myself of unwanted nasal hair!

And then the feats of derring do - one of the waiters balances two bottles together at the neck.

As if this wasn't amazing enough, he prepares to do the same whilst blindfolded!

Success! Cue huge applause which he acknowledges by giving the game away... Cue laughter and more applause!

We make our way to the Tides Bar where Tomas and Maris are starting their first set of the night. Four sets, each 45 minutes every night, seven nights a week which take them to 1:00am.

As their first set finished this trio - Tunesmith - came in. They are an acoustic trio and moved from table to table asking for requests. When they came to our table I said "Let It Be Me" and as the second verse started I joined in with a high third part to the harmony, causing heads nearby to whiz round and the trio's grins got a lot wider! When it came to the middle8, they gestured for me to sing it and we finished with a final flourish to a warm applause!

Tomas and Maris came back for their next set and Tomas whispered that I could do another couple of songs if I wanted.

Unfortunately I left the flash down on the camera and Miss Franny wasn't sure how to turn it on. Someone had asked previously for some rock and roll and whilst I had no rock and roll backing tracks on my memory stick, I played Cliff Richard's Move It whilst accompanying myself on Tomas's guitar - which has a much wider neck than my Fender and caught me out a couple of times with strings being further apart than I was expecting! I also played Joe Brown's Picture of You and came off to a roar of applause and shouts for more! I should do this more often ha ha!

Mexican Medley Cruise Index

Last Night on the Thomson Dream

Friday 24 May 2013 was our last night on board the Thomson Dream cruise ship. We had had a week on the cruise which was called Highlights of the Mediterranean.

It was the night of the parade of the baked alaska in the restaurant. We've seen and enjoyed this bit of fun on a number of cruises but it was David and Jeannie's first experience of it.

The chef (he has the burns to prove it on his arm!) decided he should have his photo taken as well as the head waiters who carried the flaming meringue and cake-encased ice cream!

Our Head Waiter, Manny, brings his baked alaska for a closer look. Miss Jeannie is wondering just how close it's going to get...!

The Argo Lounge, where we spent some time every evening.

The largest lounge was the Medusa Lounge which had a stage for cabaret at the far end.

The party band, Strum Jam, a cheerful, fun band who played a string of medium and fast beat hits. I can't say I was keen on the colour of the Stratocaster guitar but... And someone seems to be missing...

Aha! She spies us from the side of the stage and comes out for a photo call and a hug for David and I! We'll come again...!

The bar staff are kept busy at all times and are not averse to tossing bottles in the air as cocktails get mixed together!

We head back to the Argo Lounge and the slightly more mellow classical sounds from the Boros Art Duo.

Cecille brings another round of cocktails and we are settled for a while, to listen to the music and talk over the events of the week, which by now have all appeared on the blog!

Highlights of The Mediterranean Cruise Index

Split the Night!

Wednesday, 17 August 2011. Once again we are given time and opportunity to view our port of call at night.

Once again it makes a beautiful scene. We are in Split, Croatia. The last entry dealt with our day in this rapidly recognised tourist destination and we are now standing on the Promenade Deck (Deck 6) of our cruise ship, the Thomson Spirit.

To our left there is still a little colour in the sky although the sun, a while since, dipped beneath the horizon. As we stand looking over the peaceful scene, a number of ferries enter and leave the port.

This doesn't detract from the peace or the aesthetic beauty of the place - the ferries are quiet and at the first or final few metres of their journey they are gliding slowly past. They all bear their company name Jadrolinija in bold letters on their side. There are lots of islands around this area and many are tourist destinations.

We stood out on deck until the pangs of hunger assailed us - that doesn't normally take too long with me to be honest, but I stave them off tonight. This was, after all, the last port that we would be in at night on the cruise. In fact we only have one port of call left! Dubrovnik will be our port tomorrow.

Tonight in the Compass Rose restaurant it is the night for a traditional event on cruise ships - the Parade of the Baked Alaska! It is a feature of every cruise and, seeing as this will be the twelfth time we have clapped along and enjoyed the beaming faces of a line of waiters holding aloft a flaming pudding, I thought it was time to research what it was all about...

The pudding is ice cream on a cake bed and then encased in a baked meringue. A frozen middle that has to remain frozen whilst the meringue is cooked. Still a feat now, but imagine when there were no refrigerators! Apparently Baked Alaska was first created by Delmonico's restaurant in New York following the acquisition of Alaska by America from Russia on March 30, 1867. How they baked the meringue without the ice cream melting and without the aid of little gas aerosol flame throwers I don't know. They must have called in all the local plumbers with their paraffin burners...

Anyway whether you like the dessert or not makes no difference. This is an event that livens up the waiters' week. That much is obvious from their faces. And these guys and girls work some serious hours on your behalf. And it's a bit of fun and you've got to be a cynical old meanie not to enjoy it!

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