The day after Zeebrugge was a sea day. And our first black tie event where tuxedo and evening gown are the required attire. I decided to wear a tux as my evening gown was still at the dry cleaners!!

Dining usually comes in two sittings: early - from 6:30pm and late - from 8:45pm. We however, have decided to go with Freedom dining. This is a third option and means 'any time' dining. Just turn up any time and you will be shown to a table. In reality, anytime dining is only available if you are willing to share a table. You can, however, request a table for two. In the event of no tables being available, a pager is provided. This will beep, buzz and flash when your table is ready and the wait can be from anywhere between 10-50 minutes depending on the time of the evening. Christmas Day, the next black tie dinner, is the exception when there is NO freedom dining only the two fixing dining sittings. It was advertised that the guests can book their table for Christmas dinner on Sunday 20th between 8pm – 9pm and then on Monday 21st between 8am -10am. At 9:45 on Monday I let out an almighty ‘s***!!’ (verbally, I may add!) We rushed down to the Meridian restaurant. Our preference was an early sitting (6:30) for a table for 2. After putting my negotiation skills to the test, we are now booked in at 8:45 on a table for 6!! All I can say is that these assistant waiters are tough negotiators!! OK! The fact that we left it to the last minute may have been a decisive factor!

At mid-day, the officer of the watch sounded the eight bells and proceeded to tell us some interesting facts about the ship. For example, the fuel tanks hold over 3,000 tonnes of fuel and burn over 1,200t per day. To put this in to perspective, the average car travels 30 miles to the gallon. The Arcadia does 58 FEET to the gallon!!

I have noticed that the Arcadia seems to have a distinct lack of lounges compared to other ships we have travelled on. The main swimming pool, though, has a retractable roof so as to utilise this facility all year round. The roof has been closed since we left Southampton leaving guests to enjoy the facilities in the relative warmth. Now, due to the lack of lounges and a large undercover pool area, it made sense (according to P & O) to host the Captain’s welcome cocktail party pool side. This was a first. I didn’t know whether to dress in my tuxedo or turn up in swimwear!!

Later that evening, Roisin got talking to a lady and it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to entertainment and events on board. Apparently she had attended the session on how to improve your IPad skills. This was a popular event, by all accounts. Well, that was until the tutor asked for £65 from everyone to connect to the internet!! Needless to say, most people walked out as this ‘catch’ wasn’t mentioned in the daily programme. Not sure if there will be a follow up lesson!

The local house band of Amethyst Duo performed in the Crows Next opening with Jolene and then straight in to Another Brick in the Wall. They’re nothing if not versatile playing a range of music to suit all tastes. 2 songs were enough for us though as we headed back through the ship leaving the band to sing about not needing any thought control!!

BREAKING NEWS: Peter Howarth, lead singer with the Hollies has joined the ship. Peter replaced Carl Wayne, who died earlier in the year. The band's original singer of over 35 years, however, was Allan Clarke, who retired in 1999. I understand he’ll be performing later on in the week. OK, he’s not an original Holly but, hey, it’s Christmas so if you can’t have Holly at Christmas, when can you have it?? (that gag would have worked better if we had secured the services of the lead singer of Frankie Goes to Hollywood!!)

Throughout the night, the ship headed North East along the Dutch coast then veered North following the Jutland coastline; the main expanse of Danish landmass, before turning into Skagerrak, the body of water between Norway and Denmark then south in to the Katergat and on through the narrow straight known as Øresund before docking in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. We arrived just before 9am.

Shuttles were made available to transport guests in to the middle of Copenhagen, about a 20 minute drive. There was a cost attached but for ‘select fare’ passengers, the shuttle was free. As we were ‘select fare’, we took advantage of this service.

We were dropped off outside Holmens church. I had identified ‘free walking tours’ whilst doing my research prior to this vacation. These tours lasted 3 hours and as the next one started at 11am by the steps of the City Hall, we had 10 minutes to find our way there.

Nearly a thousand years old, Copenhagen began as a simple fishing village and a commerce centre. Copenhagen carries its history in its name. The original Danish name meant "merchants' harbour," and through German translations, became the popular name Copenhagen.

‘C’mon Chris,’ snapped Roisin. ‘Stop talking in to an imaginary camera holding an imaginary microphone spouting made up facts about Copenhagen. We have a walking tour to attend!!

The guide, Daniel, originally from Australia, brought over to this small nation by the power of love, was very informative as we weaved our way through the narrow thoroughfares that opened out in to larger thoroughfares!!

According to the World Happiness Report in 2013 (yes, someone actually invested good money to commission this!!), Copenhagen is the happiest city in the world. It also regularly tops the charts of the best place to live. However, Denmark is a modest 41 in the highest suicide rate in the world with 16 in every 100,000 men and 6 in every 100,000 women ending their own life in 2013. There’s no pleasing some people!!!

Standing adjacent to Tivoli Gardens, the 2nd oldest theme park in the world, in City Hall Square, Daniel gave us a potted history of Denmark and Copenhagen. The city has had 5 catastrophes in its history and all have inevitably ended up in half the city burning down!! Incidentally the oldest amusement park in the world is also in Denmark, in a town called Bakken. This was opened in 1583 as a place to get good quality clear water and pet a few deer. Today Bakken is home to 6 roller coaster and a host of other rides.

Despite the average tax in Denmark being 49%, the welfare system really knows how to look after its citizens. When Daniel, our tour guide broke his ankle and was off work, the state paid for 85% of his salary. As no tax is paid on this income, he was actually better off than working. However, this doesn’t encourage scroungers and shirkers like some other countries I could name. Students also get a £520 grant each month (not repayable) also funded by the welfare state. No wonder the Danes are a happy bunch!!

We stopped at an innocuous building that it would have been easy to pass by. This is where Carl Jacobsen was born for whom the brand Carlsberg beer was named. JC Jacobsen, the founder of the brewery named the brand after his son: Carl & Berg meaning little mountain. His idea of humour as the highest mountain in Denmark is about 135ft!! If you look closely at the plaque (see photo) the original symbol of the brewery was the swastika. Probably NOT the best marketing idea in the world!! (see what I did there? Mickey Zaney, take note!!)

If a car costs 100,000 Danish kroner in the UK, the same car would cost 300,000 in Denmark. This is because of 200% tax on motor vehicles. That is part the reason where there are 5 bicycles for every car in Denmark. Whilst walking around Copenhagen, one has to be very vigilant of cyclists. Although the inhabitants of Copenhagen are the happiest in the world, put a saddle under their bum and they turn in to Jekyll and Hyde!! There are cycle lanes on every highway and byway so looking both ways is not an option.

Walking in to the grounds of Christianborg, the Danish seat of Parliament, we walked past the stables where a lone liveryman was exercising a pair of horses, and strolled in through the back door of this grandiose building and out of the front door. There was no security present to challenge us. Someone suggested that they’d all phoned in sick to claim their 85% salary (tax free!!)

We stopped for refreshments in front of one of the most remarkable Christmas displays I have ever seen. The scene was erected by the staff and owners of The Hotel d’Angleterre, and I am told it depicts a scene from the Nutcracker.

Suitably watered (in and out!!) we headed down Denmark’s picturesque ‘Nyhavn’ meaning new harbour. At the Nytorv end of the canal stands a giant anchor, a memorial to all those Danish sailors who perished in World War II. The colourfully painted facades of the buildings that run along side Nyhavn give this quarter of Copenhagen a characteristic quality of days gone by and of the fishing village it once was. A character and quality that could be considered lacking in other parts of this busy metropolis. I couldn’t help noticing at regular intervals down Nyhavn lay bales of hay then a naked flame, then more hay, then more flames. These were dispersed in between the various establishments. Haven’t the residents of Copenhagen learned anything from the previous 5 catastrophes??!

Our final stop was Amelienborg Palace, the official residence of the Royal Family. We were lucky enough to witness the changing of the guard. Looking at the age of some of these soldiers, the changing of the nappy would be more apt!!

We finished our tour at Frederick V’s Marble Church. This was modelled on St Peters Basilica in Rome and is the 4th largest domed church in Europe. Work was started in 1749 using Norwegian marble. However this became prohibitively expensive so work was halted until someone had the bright idea of using their own ‘Danish’ marble so work was finally completed and the church was consecrated in 1894!

Back on board the Arcadia we were treated to the Tivoli marching band who stood in a line on the quay side and played a few festive ditties on their flutes and banged out a rhythm of the accompanying drums. I couldn’t help noticing a distinct lack of marching!! Perhaps it was something to do with the dark or the cold (or both!)

I have just been informed that Santa’s sat-nav is on the blink (that being a diplomatic way of saying Rudolph has been at the Sherry again!!) and he needs some assistance in getting to the ship. Tomorrow (Christmas Eve) at 3pm we are invited, with assistance from the Arcadia choir to help him find his way……Christmas starts from here!!!