Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #51 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Thank you @Gettingwarmer for the details of the Mayflower sailing. I'm so happy you're following along ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #52 Share Posted August 13, 2023 (edited) (3) Aug 12, 2023. -Saturday. EMBARKATION DAY ! Taxied from hotel to port. As we exited the taxi, I was looking around for porters to take our tagged luggage. There were none so we had haul luggage around for the next couple of hours. You arrive into a huge covered hall with maybe 6 lanes of traffic. There was a lounge in the very back for arriving passengers to wait until checkin is ready. So inside of this great hall, 4000 passengers are getting off of the ship with trollies of luggage and 4000 more passengers are wanting to get on the ship with all of their luggage. It was chaos. Finally, the departing persons are pretty much gone so the excited soon-to-be cruisers head for the check-in doors , awaiting the opening. The doors open and two sweet British ladies direct anyone with luggage to check (which is pretty much everyone) to go the other side of the "great hall" to get their bags on the loading belt. So the entire line swarms the luggage loading area. (Meanwhile, there are a good number of people still getting off of Sky Princess, the two lines intersect. I don't know if anyone was injured in the collision of the two currents of people, but it certainly was a possibility.) Ok, luggage finally out of our care, custody and control - back to the check in line. Went very smoothly from there. We were on the ship by 11:15. Sky Princess is just as beautiful as she was 3 years ago when I cruised on her. Priorities: Key Lime Edited August 13, 2023 by TenneSea 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #53 Share Posted August 13, 2023 (edited) First aft cabin ever. Love it ! Edited August 13, 2023 by TenneSea 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare villauk Posted August 13, 2023 #54 Share Posted August 13, 2023 May I ask what you thought of the Holiday Inn in Southampton? Great photos btw 👍. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #55 Share Posted August 13, 2023 From our hotel room earlier, we watched Regal Princess and and MSC ship arrive. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gah_cruise Posted August 13, 2023 #56 Share Posted August 13, 2023 10 minutes ago, TenneSea said: (3) Aug 12, 2023. -Saturday. EMBARKATION DAY ! Taxied from hotel to port. As we exited the taxi, I was looking around for porters to take our tagged luggage. There were none so we had haul luggage around for the next couple of hours. What time did you arrive at the port? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #57 Share Posted August 13, 2023 @villauk We very much enjoyed the Holiday Inn. It was a good location to walk to restaurants. There aren't many stores in this area (at least that we found). Taxis were easy to get. Rooms were clean and comfortable. The breakfast there was very good. It wasn't glamorous but it was more than satisfactory Elevators were the only thing we could find that we were not happy with. They're small and slow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milolii Posted August 13, 2023 #58 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Thanks for your thread. I am following. We are cruising in the Sky, 8 days Norwegian Fjords in May, 2024. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #59 Share Posted August 13, 2023 4 hours ago, gah_cruise said: Did the Mayflower sail from Southampton ? The Mayflower attempted to depart England on three occasions, once from Southampton on 5 August 1620; once from Dartmouth on 21 August 1620; and finally from Plymouth, England, on 6 September 1620. so says Google 🙂 Oh, I thought you were referring to Plymouth, MA. Yes, I guess they had a pretty rough start to their journey. I believe Southampton is the place credited with the beginning of the voyage, hence the memorial. Are there memorials as well, in Plymouth, England? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gah_cruise Posted August 13, 2023 #60 Share Posted August 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, TenneSea said: There aren't many stores in this area (at least that we found).. did you not go to West Quay? ... just across the road from The Holiday Inn (Herbert Walker Ave)https://www.west-quay.co.uk/visit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #61 Share Posted August 13, 2023 5 minutes ago, gah_cruise said: What time did you arrive at the port? I think 10:00. There were hundreds there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gah_cruise Posted August 13, 2023 #62 Share Posted August 13, 2023 1 minute ago, TenneSea said: Oh, I thought you were referring to Plymouth, MA. Yes, I guess they had a pretty rough start to their journey. I believe Southampton is the place credited with the beginning of the voyage, hence the memorial. Are there memorials as well, in Plymouth, England? https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/the-mayflower-steps-p1398993 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #63 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Just now, gah_cruise said: did you not go to West Quay? ... just across the road from The Holiday Inn (Herbert Walker Ave)https://www.west-quay.co.uk/visit Saw it once. Didn't know it was a shopping area. I should have asked and maybe we'll go there when the ship returns to check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glad Bailey Posted August 13, 2023 #64 Share Posted August 13, 2023 On this cruise with you,and agree completely that embarkation was chaotic. Could it be because Princess cancelled allocated arrival times? We had reserved some time ago,the 11.30 to 12,00 slot but this was cancelled a few days before the cruise. We decided to stick to our original booked times but seems that half the ships complement decided to join us. Entered the dock gates at 11.15 and then took 90 minute to board. Queues to park the car then queues to deposit luggage. Once in arrivals hall everything went smoothly and fast. Any way must put such frustrations in the past. Excellent attention from the crew and yummy food since boarding 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gah_cruise Posted August 13, 2023 #65 Share Posted August 13, 2023 16 minutes ago, Glad Bailey said: On this cruise with you,and agree completely that embarkation was chaotic. Could it be because Princess cancelled allocated arrival times? We had reserved some time ago,the 11.30 to 12,00 slot but this was cancelled a few days before the cruise. We decided to stick to our original booked times but seems that half the ships complement decided to join us. Entered the dock gates at 11.15 and then took 90 minute to board. Queues to park the car then queues to deposit luggage. That does not sound good....and I think you may be correct about the removal of allocated arrival times. In June we arrived at Southampton dock 10.30 (in our car) queued for 15 mins to park the car... dropped our luggage (no queue)...straight to the embarkation desk and on board in 20 mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milolii Posted August 13, 2023 #66 Share Posted August 13, 2023 (edited) Some cruising from Southampton this summer reported being informed by staff(at the terminal) that arrival times were eliminated at the Mayflower terminal. We met these folks onboard our cruise which was the second leg of a b2b for them. We embarked in Copenhagen. No arrival times here either. Edited August 13, 2023 by milolii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Wreck Cruiser Posted August 13, 2023 #67 Share Posted August 13, 2023 I so happy to see this live trip report! We will be on the Sky next summer for a cruise to the Norwegian fjords and Iceland. We are so excited to sail on this beautiful ship, since our 2020 cruise on her was cancelled. I also love that you have an aft balcony cabin, as we do too! I believe we are on the Dolphin deck. Please let us know how you like your cabin location. Safe travels and have a wonderful time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #68 Share Posted August 13, 2023 @Ramblin Wreck Cruiser Oh, the sunsets up in the North Sea from the aft cabin. Stunning. I'll be posting them as soon as I get time to transfer from camera to laptop. We really like the aft, I'll try to book for any future cruises I might take. Thanks for following my journey report. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #69 Share Posted August 13, 2023 @Glad Bailey I agree. The food in the MDR has been excellent.! Can't wait for Haugesund tomorrow ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Rick&Jeannie Posted August 13, 2023 #70 Share Posted August 13, 2023 @TenneSea...very impressed with the quality of your pictures...ESPECIALLY the food pictures! So many cameras just butcher food shots with terrible color quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwaff85 Posted August 13, 2023 #71 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Hope you have a wonderful cruise, do you have any of the Princess Packages? Cannot wait to read your review of the ship and ports! we are due to sail on her for the TA in November, it will be out first Princess cruise, although done many other cruises with other lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gah_cruise Posted August 13, 2023 #72 Share Posted August 13, 2023 4 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said: @TenneSea...very impressed with the quality of your pictures...ESPECIALLY the food pictures! So many cameras just butcher food shots with terrible color quality. looking at the price of the Sony RX10 iv....I would expect them to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #73 Share Posted August 13, 2023 @Dwaff85 I have the Princess Plus (under the old system). I get it mostly for the internet, the gratuity, and specialty coffees. An occasional key lime martini too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #74 Share Posted August 13, 2023 @gah_cruise I call it an "investment" !😉 (or at least that's what I tell my husband !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TenneSea Posted August 13, 2023 Author #75 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Big excursion tomorrow in Haugesund. "Akrafjord, Eljarvik Farm and Langfoss Waterfall. Hope to get caught up here after that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now