Live from the Land of Princess

YVRteacher · August 5

Just now, Muckyduckway said:

I can't remember whether you've been I'm France before, but if not, a word of warning re French restaurants etc. They may have a different definition of "no meat" - more than once we've been told bacon is not meat. It could have changed as its been a long time since we've been there but would hate for your day to be impacted by a misunderstanding. We found it best when ordering something like a crepe to list what you want in it, or what you want removed, rather than simply saying "no meat" or "vegetarian".

I’ve been to France before. I think tomorrow I will enjoy some patisserie so meat likely won’t be involved, although I don’t want to miss out on fromage!

YVRteacher · August 5

We were treated to a special send off from the ukulele players of Portland, England wearing traditional outfits (sarcasm)

We couldn’t really hear them over the hubbub of port activity but they were enthusiastic wavers.

A three blast canon salute almost made me drop my phone in the ocean

A local pilot was onboard for the sole purpose of guiding us through the narrow space in the breakwater and I was picturing him saying to the captain, “mind the gap!”

Bye, Portland.

Sugar Magnolia · August 5

5 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Do you have a shop that imports or did you order online?

Yes, the local shops import.

Muckyduckway · August 5

I think from fromage and patisserie would be fine bedfellows.

I have to say you had tremendously bad misfortune with that breakfast. I am not a fan of the English habit of adding canned tomatoes and baked beans to their full English, but they usually do everything else well and that did not look tasty at all.

If you are not going straight to the airport in Southamptton, check out Bill's, they have some tasty veggie breakfast options, but the portion might also be too big. We got one brekkie between us and it was more than enough.

YVRteacher · August 5

I’m doing a Princess transfer from the ship to Heathrow.

YVRteacher · August 5

This better not impact my bonbon time in France

DUCHESSRN · August 5

46 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I’m doing a Princess transfer from the ship to Heathrow.

You can get a great English Breakfast in Heathrow airport ...

Samkitty1 · August 6

Regarding LeHavre, I don't know if this will be helpful at this point, but I will post it just in case We took the Bee Bus tour to Honfluer and walked around the beautiful little town and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. There is a shuttle bus available for those who book the tour on line ahead of time on thier website. Here is a link https://beelehavre.com/en/how-to-visit-discover-and-travel-easily-between-le-havre-honfleur/

Muckyduckway · August 6

7 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

I’m doing a Princess transfer from the ship to Heathrow.

I'm an idiot 🙃, I knew that from your "wrong tags" post. Funny how the brain sometimes just does not connect the dots!

schmoopie17 · August 6

15 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

I don’t know what I’m going to do when I wake up at home on July 8 and there is no honey lavender latte.

If you wake up at home on July 8, that means the Regal must be a time machine. 😛

YVRteacher · August 6

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

If you wake up at home on July 8, that means the Regal must be a time machine. 😛

I must have travel brain!

cruisinsince75 · August 6

46 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I must have travel brain!

It happens! What time do you leave Le Havre today! I have the ports webcam pulled up.

arizonaperson · August 6

@YVRteacher thanks again for a great Live from the Island and the Regal Princess .Outstanding. I am definitely going to miss hearing/ reading about your adventures and safe travels home and hope you enjoy your next cruise( NCL) to Alaska with your dad.

YVRteacher · August 6

6 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

It happens! What time do you leave Le Havre today! I have the ports webcam pulled up.

Any moment now. Guest Services just paged a family of 4…

Eleanor Rigby 14 · August 6

Thank you, Yvonne, for one of the most enjoyable threads I have ever read on Cruise Critic. Have a great time with your dad on the next cruise!

cruisinsince75 · August 6

39 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Any moment now. Guest Services just paged a family of 4…

Watched your sail-away from Le Havre. Looks like they are showing Olympics Track and Field on MUTS. Nice! We will be on the Regal in November. Did they play the Love Boat ships blasts at sail-away from Southamton?

YVRteacher · August 6

23 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Watched your sail-away from Le Havre. Looks like they are showing Olympics Track and Field on MUTS. Nice! We will be on the Regal in November. Did they play the Love Boat ships blasts at sail-away from Southamton?

The Love Boat theme just makes me smile! It was played when we left Southampton. That was a terrific sailaway party!

The two ports where they did a farewell for us (bagpiper in Inverness, ukulele group and canon blasts in Portland) had a counter-farewell from us in the form of the Love Boat theme song.

YVRteacher · August 6

55 minutes ago, Eleanor Rigby 14 said:

Thank you, Yvonne, for one of the most enjoyable threads I have ever read on Cruise Critic. Have a great time with your dad on the next cruise!

Thank you for reading and for being a voice of encouragement and kindness!

YVRteacher · August 6

1 hour ago, arizonaperson said:

@YVRteacher thanks again for a great Live from the Island and the Regal Princess .Outstanding. I am definitely going to miss hearing/ reading about your adventures and safe travels home and hope you enjoy your next cruise( NCL) to Alaska with your dad.

Thank you for being here and for sharing so much knowledge about Princess.

I feel like we will have a wonderful time in Alaska. My plan is to have quite a few lunches and dinners (and beers for dad) off the ship since I am less than impressed with NCL’s current food offerings.

Fishwife2016 · August 6

Why does this feel like a sad breakup?! I've enjoyed everyone's comments and now wonder what or who's journey I can now follow. Safe travels to all and thank you for sharing every part of your trip.

YVRteacher · August 6

How could Honfleur possibly compare to all the quaint towns I have been so enamoured with in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, I wondered.

Should I stay on the ship and have a ship day, I wondered.

What would Honfleur have to offer, I wondered.

With no research and no agenda I stepped off the shuttle and was transported into the most magical place in time.

At every turn I expected the Three Musketeers to appear, brandishing swords and baguettes, wielding wheels of Camembert and applying copious amounts of moustache wax.

Edited August 6 by YVRteacher

YVRteacher · August 6

I had a hard time finding a way in with today’s writing. Everything was so beautiful! The flowers, iron railings, the streets, the dogs, the caramels, the pub signs. Everything.

I decided to start with doors and windows since they let us in, invite the light in, welcome visitors and are the gateway to home.

Putting the map away, I wandered. With streets and alleys as beckoning as these, every turn invited my eyes and heart in.

Do you know what Honfleur is? I have decided it is a Mecca for orthopaedic surgeons.

It is hard to watch your step on these cobblestones when this is what you see when you look up!

But looking up must be done! See?

YVRteacher · August 6

I went to an art showing in a church and was so taken by the juxtaposition of fine art and crappy particle board. Maybe I should have collaged these images but I thought it would be more like winding through the makeshift displays, stopping to admire and take in the detail and colour in each painting if I kept them separate.