Monday 7th December:

I wake to find our toilet full with brown effluent/excrement, and that after yellow/murky water in both sink and bath yesterday. The bathroom stank, but cleared after flushing, second report coming soon. Same again this afternoon, and I report again via telephone and then we both pay a visit. I'm not sure why, but every time we visit the Reception, we come away feeling we're being patronised, that they don't really listen to you, and there is a complete lack of communication. I found an engineer on return to the room and the best I got from him was two or three grunts, from which I interpreted it had been fixed. He did come back later to check again.

Our first of four sea days and perfect sunbathing weather; I finish my book about the life of Father Dmitry, a fascinating insight into the way that the Soviet Union and the KGB in particular handled the dissidents, and the network of gulags and the towns and villages that surrounded them, that are now dying out. Bridge of Spies next I think, more Cold War stuff and of course a new film starring Tom Hanks.

Our impression of Oceania is that it is not quite as special as it was when we first sailed with them in 2009, the food does not wow quite as it used to, and the extra costs seem excessive. They are now owned by NCL, Norwegian Cruise Lines, so maybe things are changing, or maybe of course we are getting more demanding. Having said all that we certainly got a great deal this time via Readers Offers, and we are still well in credit on our shipboard account, which Lorna wants to transfer to Sue & Dennis's to reduce what they will have to pay.

Day finished with a visit to the lounge to hear Vincenzo, the guitar virtuoso who is brilliant. Not sure we would go out of our way to listen to such a performance at home, but this man is undoubtedly a top act, which is more than can be said of Stevie Jo, who has the stage again tomorrow evening.