We’d bundled the pooch off to “Aunties” for his holidays on Thursday, so our alarm clock wasn’t around to get us up this morning, but no problems, I couldn’t sleep because of the pain in my mending pelvis, so I was up nice and early and ready for the drive down to Southampton as a passenger this time with Jane doing the driving duties. The journey was uneventful and we were at the testing centre at Mayflower well ahead of schedule. This part of the cruise is unchanged with the LFT testing going smoothly and us heading out and onto Dock gate 4 and Ocean terminal. The trek from dropping the car off to sitting in the waiting area, post check in was the furthest I’d walked since my accident in December so I was glad of the wait for security to open. It wasn’t long before we were in stateroom 7064 with our bags piled up outside waiting for us.This room is a standard P1 and very nice but not a patch on room 5001 for size and layout, but hopefully it won’t have the incessant crashing from the bow hitting waves in rough seas.
First things first, dinner time, ooops sorry I forgot we are in the Grills, lunch time. We got the lift, no stairs for me yet, up to the PG restaurant on deck 11 for sustenance. Pasta at lunch is always excellent, no matter which restaurant on Cunard and the Italian Sausage Papadrelle was delicious. It’s good to have lunch on embarkation as you get to meet the waiters while things are more relaxed. After lunch it was a quick pit-stop in the Grills lounge for a cappuccino as I fancied a nice coffee before unpacking all those cases back in the state room.
We attended muster on the way back to the room, but when we got to our allotted station there was no one to scan our cards, we had to go down to deck 2 for that. Then it was all go suits, shirts and trousers all unpacked and hung up, all sorted which exhausted me again so I had a lie down while Jane finished up hers bolstered by a glass of the dreaded “Pol Acker”
Commodore O’Clock was calling, and who are we not to hear. It’s only three flights to deck 10 but we got the lift for obvious reasons and grabbed a seat away from the windows and near the band, yep a full on jazz band which is a first for me in the Commodore Club. It’s like putting on a comfy pair of slippers, sitting down with a Doombar and a Cosmopolitan just feels right. We are going to be late getting away as a lady has been taken unwell and we are waiting for an ambulance to pick her up. After a second drink and the rarely sighted Canapes we had an announcement from the Captain to say the lady was in safe hands and we would shortly be on our way.
