After a month away, today was the final stop of the cruise in Cherbourg, Normandy in France. When we booked the cruise there were no French ports of call but two more in North America, for various reasons the itinerary was changed which caused much discontent on the various forums. Some people even cancelled their holiday in protest but in my opinion they are the real losers as both French ports have been very enjoyable.
The weather this morning was very pleasant with a clear blue sky, although the forecast predicted a cloudier afternoon. On this basis we decided to venture off the ship soon after breakfast and make our way into the town.
In addition to being a major seaport for both cruise ships and cross channel ferries Cherbourg harbour is home to a myriad of different craft.
The Titanic called into Cherbourg on her fateful maiden voyage and the departure hall is still intact and we passed through it as we left the ship.
In keeping with all places associated with the Titanic, there is of course a museum here. As we have already visited the ones in Belfast, Southampton and Cobh and indeed the graveyard in Nova Scotia of many of the victims, we decided to give this one a miss.
Much of the older parts of the town survive despite the heavy fighting that must have taken place during WW2 and the narrow streets contained many colourful shops.
Including of course the famous “Umbrellas of Cherbourg”.
Standing opposite the statue of Napoleon I is the magnificent Basilique Sainte Trinite an Eleventh century church.
The interior of the church was quite different to any that you would find in England as all the columns and arches were decorated.
As we continued our walk around we really began to soak in the French atmosphere as on one corner a busker played an accordion….
…..while the delicious smells of freshly baked breads and pastries wafted across the road. This was too much for Sylvia who gave in to the temptation and bought a “Tigre”, a coconut cake with a gooey chocolate centre. We shared it sitting in a nearby square.
Returning to the ship we passed through part of the city’s marine museum which had on show a number of submersible craft including Deep Sea Challenger, which James Cameron explored the depths of the Pacific in.
All in all another very enjoyable day discovering an assortment of different things to see. We both remarked that we could certainly have a short break here and travel around Normandy quite easily.
Back in our cabin the cases are almost packed and the coloured tabs have arrived ready for disembarkation tomorrow. It therefore seems a good time to reflect on the holiday as a whole.
Firstly the weather, considering that it’s Autumn and we have sailed both ways across the North Atlantic, it has been superb. On the outward journey the decks were often full of passengers topping up their summer bronzes and we passed through no storms at all. The sun shone at all our ports of call with the exception of the second day in Quebec when there was a little drizzle.
All the ports of call have been first class with my stand-out ones being Quebec and of course New York. We were so pleased when we found the ship would dock in Manhattan as Brooklyn is its usual stop, The Manhattan berth is so much more convenient for everything in the city.
The food on the ship has been excellent with the quality and choice being exceptional. Many people choose to eat in the buffet on an evening because the choice was so good, every evening there were at least three roast meats to pick from with numerous other dishes to sample. Every night was a different theme and there was even a section where dishes were stir-fried especially to your tastes. Obviously if you preferred to be waited on the main dining rooms were available and once again the meals were first class. My one criticism of the dining rooms was that sometimes the service was a little slow especially if you wanted to get to see some of the onboard entertainment.
For a small additional charge you could dine in one of the speciality restaurants on board. I have already talked about how much we enjoyed our visits to Rudi’s and the Crown Grill, in fact we visited Rudi’s for a second time after the first meal was so delicious. On this occasion I had a starter of smoked salmon, delivered to the table under a cloche…..
…..followed by a surf and turf of steak and lobster tail. Beautifully presented and a treat to eat.
The entertainment on board has been very good with a lovely balance in the entertainment staff, with an American, Canadian, Argentinian and several Brits. The quizzes have been particularly enjoyable as we teamed up with a retired GP and his wife from Northern Ireland who provided us with many laughs on the way. We even won a smattering of Princess prizes.
All in all it’s been an excellent holiday and is up there with one of the best. We look forward to taking you with us on our next adventure in the not too distant future.
