Fellow or future cruisers may well have given up reading by now, but just in case you haven’t, you’ll be as pleased as we were for this day to arrive. We may have had our fair share of hiccups to date, but fortunately, no real disasters and plenty to look back on with fondness.
The music didn’t in fact finish until 1am, but the noise outside continued for at least another hour. Not long after we had finally managed get to sleep, a couple headed back to their room jabbering away at full volume at 3am… Don’t you just love inconsiderate people?
Having had a substantial meal last night, I couldn’t manage the full English, so limited myself to poached eggs and bacon. I realise that may not resonate with some of you as it is still somewhat more substantial than a bowl of some sugar laden, chemically altered, ricey bangs. As those who know me too well will know, my normal NZ routine is nothing first thing, then a decent brunch about 11am. Holidaying tends to throw the normal routines out somewhat. An ever expanding waistline is testament to that.
We loaded the car and between leaving NZ and departing the hotel, we seem to have expanded the luggage from two suitcases, to two suitcases and a sports bag. Hidden in the sports bag and my case were three bottles of Rekordalig pear cider flavoured with peach and apricot and the remaining two cans of cider from the ‘3 for £3’ or whatever offer sucked me into the purchase.
Our first stop was a petrol station where we filled the Seat to the brim with diesel before the short hop to Southampton. I think we’d clocked just over 1,000 miles from pick up to drop off. Fortunately, the heavy traffic was flowing the other way so we had an easy run to the QEII terminal, where the luggage handlers were efficiently unloading the cars of checked in luggage as they pulled in and I left Paula and our carry-on’s whilst I returned the car to Enterprise, not really knowing how I’d get back - or when.
At the depot, I then found out why the Enterprise on line booking system wouldn’t let me pick up a car July 1st and drop off at Heathrow July 4th. I’d tried three or four times to book and had eventually booked with Firefly, from Southampton airport. The Southampton docks Enterprise branch is closing down July 1st, as the port authority want their site for extra car parking… Quite why the website couldn’t have this information published, is typical of this age of instant communications. Many companies have employees or webmasters who are not kept up to date. Princess were no better, as there was nothing on their website regarding the terminal change either.
Fortunately, another couple from the cruise were also returning a car and the depot shuttled us over to the QEII terminal.
I’m not sure what time we then elected to check in, but less than 15 minutes later, we were aboard the Crown Princess and our two large cases were already at the cabin door.
No sign of the sports bag containing dirty washing, some compressed clothing, an M&S cool bag (which leaks by the way) and a few toiletries – and some cider.
As is usual when embarking, the first call was of course the buffet for lunch. Afterwards, a walk around the ship, outside and in, but the sun was too warm for Paula as she didn’t have a hat with her. The Crown Princess is a sister ship to the Emerald, which we did on this cruise, a few years ago. There were a few changes, but mainly to the Princess push to screw an extra dollar or two out of the passengers and offer slightly less. More of that later when it has all sunk in.
Although these ships are larger and more modern than the Sun class, we find them oppressively dark inside. The atrium is darker; the centre Explorer’s lounge has virtually no natural light at all; Club Fusion at the rear, not much more. The décor is generally brown and doesn’t reflect the light.
After the compulsory muster (lifeboat drill) where we had to stand, we headed back to the cabin on deck 12 – which is one higher than what we are used to. Not long after, our very pleasant cabin steward delivered the totally intact sports bag, complete with its liquid cargo, so it was time to unpack. The dinner jacket which had been at the bottom of the suitcase case for three weeks along with my white shirt, seemed none the worse for it and it was good to get clothes on hangers again and an opportunity to find stuff we’d forgotten we’d packed.
We headed up to the 18th level to Skywalkers (nightclub) at the rear of the ship, but with the wings giving a view forwards, where we followed the ‘Independence of the Seas’ out. It looked a little unstable and looked to have a lean to port! Coming in, as the Cunard ‘Queen Victoria’. This seemed an odd time for a liner to be entering port, about 5:30pm on a Saturday. As it closed in, there was a distinct lack of bodies on deck and a couple next to us told us that it was coming in for a refit. That made sense.
As usual, we rang room service and arranged for our free mini-bar (free for Elite passengers) to be replaced with two coffee cards. A little trick that some may not be aware of. We shift cabins after two weeks, so we’ll be doing the same thing again. However, we gather from some experienced recent cruisers, that they are no longer replacing the mini-bar at each sector port, on longer cruises. We’ll have to wait for the World Cruisers to return later in the year to see if that is still the case. If so, another example of the penny pinching creeping in.
We’d asked for a dining table of 8 for second sitting, (8pm) but were on a table of just six, in the Botticelli dining room at the rear of the ship on deck 6. One other dining room appears to be any time dining, another, non-fixed seating, but two sittings. The only access to ours is from the staircase just outside Club Fusion on deck 7. The queue to get into the dining room was huge, and slow moving, as each passenger had to be shown to their table. Two of our dining companions were not so young Israelis and both ex-army. He, I believe, was a general and their English was better than my grasp of their language, but they weren’t exactly a barrel of laughs. (Understatement.) Fortunately, the other couple from just up the road from Southampton, Alan and Sheila were just fine. They have a farm and grow wheat, rapeseed etc., and both are good to chat to. The meal was the usual first night red meat option of prime rib roast. Some things don’t seem to change.
The Israeli couple left before dessert and we headed for the theatre for the 10pm opening show. This followed the usual Princess format with an opening by the Cruise Director, Duke Christopher, followed by one dance/song from the Princess team, an introduction to the entertainment staff, then an entertainer doing a half show. Just to explain, Princess now have an Entertainment Director, who oversees but isn’t seen; then a Cruise Director and the entertainment staff. It used to be a Cruise Director and a Deputy and the staff.
The entertainment staff included Paul, who was on the Diamond in 2011 (teaching ballroom and line dance) and also the Royal in 2014 and Lydia who was introduced as from Nottingham. A subsequent chat after the show found that not only is she from Mapperley, but lived on the next road up to my last house in the UK and even went to the same (now demolished) junior school. Small world. The entertainer was one we’d seen before, the aptly named Jo Little, purporting to be a comedienne. I don’t think most of the audience found her to be funny and we agreed. Her singing is OK, but there wasn’t enough of it for the time slot. As usual, I keep my ranking sheet of all entertainers - and she didn’t rate more than a 6.5 this time, which is a bit lower than last time.
As it was the 10pm show and the clocks move on an hour, bed time was half past midnight, but at least the Princess beds are wide; the pillows excellent; air con than works - and there are no bands playing below until 1am nor people outside smoking.
We arrive in Zeebrugge (Belgium) tomorrow and we have a Princess tour of the Ghent canals to look forward to. We expect a decent night’s sleep.
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