Day 1. 17 June 2011.
Home to Southampton
.
Not surprisingly we left late, and despite it being June it was the usual UK 'summer' day. It rained as we left, rained as we hit the Great Southern car park, aka M25 and wasn't much better on the M3. Still we arrived in fair time, having taken the car which needed the most valeting - it's booked for a clean in preparation for finally selling it.
Followed the signs to Gate 4 Ocean Terminal and there she was the QM2. Tina's first impression of the worlds' largest liner? It’s not as big as I thought it would be! There’s no pleasing some, it's at least 100 feet longer than the Mauritania ;)
Security was pretty much like the airport, check in was simple enough, although luging round the dress bag was a bad idea. Finally got on the ship we were pointed to the elevator along with everyone else and then left to our own devices. 6 lifts, 2 working, clearly we are still in the UK! So we scooted over to a glass elevator which sadly went only to deck 7 chucking us out in the midst of a million people getting lunch and no obvious staircase
. Bad plan, we should have waited! So we shuffle round with rucksack, bag of dresses and carry on bag looking for the stairs. Lots of staff were standing around in pairs chatting, but sadly no help, not a good 1st impression. Anyway we got to deck nine and we're starboard side (odd nos) but easier to find than our own street which has even to 70 and odd to 43 with 43 next to 56....
Julien the butler joined us having just checked our room. Nice chap. He showed us the room, sorted the luggage. (One case missing and we had someone else’s). Tina was preparing to abandon ship as all she has is one pair of pants (worn) and 7 ball gowns lol!. So he suggested we went off to lunch as the restaurant closed at 2.30 and when we got back it had arrived. Phew disaster averted. We had asked for a table for 2 in the restaurant but got put on a table for 6 so we Met Maurice and Steph the newlyweds. No pictures though, don't want to be the riff on day one. Give us a few days to lower the tone at least
. Still in jeans at this stage so one black mark at least. After a look around the ship it was back to the cabin to unpack. Meanwhile Julien had stocked our bar. Gin, Martini and a bottle of champers on ice. We'll fall out of the cabin. We watched Southampton disappear with a flotilla of one tiny boat, the Hythe ferry, and a glass or 2 of champagne.
Later on we headed off to dinner, all terribly civilised and grown up. We were joined by another couple which makes up or table. Nigel & Shirley. Turns out Nige was in the middle east same time as me. Small world. Dinner was not bad, good service but no more alcohol. After an after dinner chit chat we headed off to the theatre which was ok but a bit dated, the violinist lady was excellent though. That's about it today. We've left Dover now and are in the 'middle of nowhere'. Time for bed.... can’t wait for tomorrow.
Day 1 - Southampton to somewhere in the North Sea
Friday, June 17, 2011
Southampton, England, United Kingdom
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2025-02-12