#BensCaribbeanAdventure Day 11 Blog
Tuesday January 28
I was up and ready by 07:00 and standing on the observation deck to watch the Ventura arrive into Kingstown; the capital of St. Vincent. It was a sunny morning and we were secured alongside by 08:00. I was planning on going on an organised shore excursion; however since I did not make up my mind in time I ended up missing out on the chance to cruise along the rugged-coastline and visit one of the filming locations for “Pirates of the Caribbean”, which was a shame.
I ended up wandering into the town centre for a little while; however it seemed more like an industrial estate to me. It was very hot and walking for just ten minutes or so tired me out. I had a look in one of the supermarkets out of curiosity to see how much things cost; you could get a sack of rice for about EC$30 (that’s Eastern Caribbean Dollars), or a box of Ghiradelli’s famous Peppermint Bark for EC$20; however I didn’t buy anything. Within the cruise terminal itself there were a couple of shops and bars, so I stopped for a drink there and chatted to some fellow cruise passengers for a while before heading back to the ship.
Back on board I headed straight to the Lido deck and found myself a partly-shaded spot by the Beachcomber Pool which is where I sat and did a little bit of work amongst other things for a couple of hours or so.
Afterwards, I luckily managed to find a spot by the Laguna Pool and decided to stay in the same spot for a few hours so I had a great view for the Great British Sail-Away. If you haven’t sailed with P&O Cruises before; then this party is not-to-be-missed. Picture thousands of people singing and dancing on deck to classic party-tunes in the sunshine waving Union Jack flags and having a good time. It really is a highlight of the cruise and this party was one of the best I have experienced, although I think the Entertainment Team could do with a large jug of Pimms after their energetic singing and dancing! Even Captain Paul Brown made an appearance and was dancing along to “I’ve Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas; that’s something you don’t see everyday. As we sailed away from St. Vincent I headed back to my room to get ready for another what I am sure would be interesting evening on board.
I was ready by 18:30 so I went for a little walk around the ship and had a drink in one of the bars before going to the Exchange for Snowball Jackpot Bingo. Unfortunately I did not win anything, yet the jackpot to be won at the end of the cruise is now over £700. I dined in the Saffron Restaurant and ordered the Sirloin Steak with French Fries and Seasonal Vegetables from the “Classics Menu”; which did not disappoint. After dinner I headed down to the Arena Theatre for “Reel to Reel”; a Headliners show which celebrates the best of British movies including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and James Bond. The 45 minute show was very good and the finale was very clever. If you happen to sail on board the Ventura in the future I would highly recommend arriving early to ensure you get a seat for the show.
One of the things I like aboard cruising aboard the Ventura is that there is always a lot going on and if you do a little bit of planning you’ll be able to catch most things. For example; you could watch the 22:30 show in the Arena Theatre and then easily make it to Havana, the ships comedy/nightclub venue by 23:30 for a tribute act or something.
After the show I went to the Casino for a little while before retiring for the evening.
Click here to read Day Twelve.
