3rd January Saturday Embarkation 

We left home smartly on time – 8.30.  The lovely Dave and Sarah – the Borrowers who live downstairs – came up to help with the luggage which I was feeling very embarrassed about! Three cases each, plus rucksack plus (in my case) my ukulele as there is a rumour that there are ukulele lessons on Board…… I fear we have far too much baggage!

Our driver was a very silent chap (monosyllabic would not be an exaggeration!) who caused me some alarm when he announced that he had driven up from LONDON!?!  My fears were further tested when he seemed to have no water in his windscreen washer bottle and we were driving into the sun on a first snowy and then salty road.  By Ashbourne we were all peering through a thick mist……

Luckily the correct windscreen washer button was eventually found and we arrived in Southampton via a rather circuitous route but we were there, only to be held up by the number of cruise goers trying to get to their ships!  It eventually took nearly an hour to get to the Dock.  However, having avoided the queue to the ship Iona which is also apparently due to leave today, we arrived at the reception for the Aurora.  It seemed that within minutes we were checked in, our luggage was wrested from us and we were left with the rucksacks and my ukulele and we were on board!  Hurrah!  It was impressively streamlined – you definitely got the impression that they had done it before!  Incidentally I needn’t have worried about our luggage mountain, everyone had one!

Our cabin was actually better than we anticipated, definitely bijou but workable and, as our luggage had not arrived and it was a lovely day, we went off on a voyage (!) of discovery of what is to be our home for the next 75 days. Suffice it to say that I think it may take us some time to familiarise ourselves with the layout, but we did learn that 3.2 times around the deck equates to 1 mile and we certainly circled it and went up and down a number of staircases more than once before we found our way back to our cabin!  

We have opted for the early meal sitting of the elderly so, after meeting our cabin steward Arun who had been instrumental in getting our luggage to us in time to change for dinner, we headed for the dining room where we found the usual ‘twirlys’ (the ‘too earlier’) in a restive but orderly queue outside the closed doors of the dining room!

I briefly attended the firework display which has I think superseded the band playing that was historically a ship’s departure essential.  It was too cold to spend too long outside!  Nevertheless I felt I had met the protocol and it was enough given that we hadn’t eaten all day and I was starving! With little more ado, we were under way.

Our dining companions were a nice couple called Gareth and Sian from Newport in South Wales.  We have a very acceptable table by the window, but we have yet to meet the final two companions for our table of six as they did not materialise….Gareth and Sian are obviously quite seasoned cruise goers with 6 cruises under their belts.  They seem astounded that we have chosen a cruise of 75 days for our first venture –  I guess it could be seen as a bit odd although not totally unusual for us to jump in the deep end!!

Anyway the meal was nice and we were both able to avoid too much carbohydrate, so all well there.  Our companions were heading off to watch what was billed as a ‘humourous pianist’ in the theatre, so we decided to give it a try too.  The theatre was very comfortable and nearly full.  As we all know, I am not good with humour but I enjoyed the piano playing!  After all the excitements of the day it was ‘so to bed’ after that.  We were both quite amazed that we could not feel we were moving.  We have survived our first day!!  Bring on tomorrow!

Sun Setting over the docks