December 4, 2015.

There was the most wonderful harpist playing in the theatre last night,Shirley Dominguez from Uruguay,Montevideo.The choice of songs utter perfection.Funny,witty,a star.There is another evening planned and I cannot wait.Had nice breakfast this morning-porridge,fresh fruit,some lemon water.Do not drink any fruit juices on the ship unless it is s freshly squeezed orange.The lunch itself was a very successful affair,delicious egg and corn soup, fresh crispy roll,crab cakes with some rice and tasty mixed vegetables.Carrot and hazelnut cake followed by black coffee.Had decent neighbours who smiled and said hello.We talked and joked throughout.Their first Cunard cruise.Pity it is on this ship,but as they do not know any better, it may not be as much of a disappointment for them, as it is for me.Even had a decent cup of latte in Carinthia.Hate weak milky coffee.When asked the waiter how many shots goes into a cup, he looked at me surprised.Obviously no-one has ever asked this before.He had to consult with another waiter,then with someone else.After,what seemed like negotiating the world peace,we agreed they would serve me what they would put into a large cup,in a small cup,thus making the coffee strong.The doesn't allow for any variation.The coffee was excellent,they were happy and smiled when I told them so.It is,in fact,very hard to get decent coffee on any ship.Even Silversea Cloud didn't get it right last August.Ah,Silversea Cloud.The expectation,the anticipation,the disappointment.When I saw the very first advertisement of the six star cruise,I knew this was the cruise for me.Scandinavia,Russia,sailing from the heart of London.Yes,please,paid quite a substantial deposit,a part of a very substantial grand total.I do not remember the exact figure, but it was astronomically high,in the region of £13,000.They say fools and their money...Well, the writer is not a fool and the money is her own hard earned.I neither smoke, nor do I drink or squander my money, my needs are modest,true,I love shoes and I love bags,but I am kind to my family and friends, generous. And life is so short.the cruise was advertised about 18 months prior to the 3rd August 2015 sailing date.Taxi took me to the ship,docked by HMS Belfast,by the Tower of London.Full of anticipation I looked for the ship.There was something small and grey perched next to the Belfast.It must be Fata Morgana.But where is my Cloud.I look closer,It IS my Cloud.Are they joined at the hip? Soon it became apparent why.You had to climb up to the Belfast and from there waddle your way across an uncomfortable,raggedy old planks,swinging precariously, onto the Cloud.All done and dusted.At least I was on board!The gloomy,dark,lifeless interior was the second shock to the system.No flowers anywhere.Strange pictures on some walls,identical,in pairs!Is this the famed Italian chic!?Stained threadbare carpet along the corridors to be matched by old fashioned furniture in the staterooms.The only redeeming feature was the shower cubicle with sliding doors and a stone bench to sit on,perfect when shaving legs.Is the food going to make up for the disappointment?One little mousse.two little mousses,three little mousses.Am I not going to get a simple Victoria sponge with real cream and lots of jam?No.Every single day European classics were given the Oriental twist.You mess with my schnitzel at your peril!Maybe the extra stars went into entertainment on board?No.This was practically non-existent.If you are old and want to come on Cloud to sleep or die of boredom,then this is the ship for you.But it wasn't all a disappointment. About the good things I will tell you the next time.