Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Our Bags Are Packed - We're Ready to go!



Since booking the Queen Elizabeth there has been 18 months of excitement, hesitation, trepidation, planning, planning, planning not to mention shopping, shopping, shopping.  Shopping for that little black dress, evening gowns for formal night not to mention shoes, handbags, mal-de-mer remedies and all things in between for 74 days of sailing, wining and dining and new experiences.  We have no doubt bored our friends to tears talking about this cruise and now it is time to bore them with our travels.  

We've said our fond farewells to family and friends, over indulged on many occasions, had BIG hugs and kisses from our beautiful granddaughter, Georgia.  Although I'm feeling quite sad at saying bye bye to our gorgeous, although small, family to be known as CJG (Chelsea Jon Georgia) there is rising excitement about things to come.  This is the adventure of a life time.  Hopefully it will be repeated but one never knows what is waiting around the next corner but I think there will be many more sailing adventures to be had - maybe not for quite as long though.   Although 3 months now seems like an eternity I'm sure at the end of this adventure we'll be asking where the time went.

After a farewell dinner with friends in Sydney it was time tfir BC to get those cases across the road to the airport.  Boarded our flight, strapped in and ready for take off when our Captain announced there'd been an altercation between 2 passengers over seating.  We were upstairs in the A380 so could not see what was happening.  Finally the passenger, and  baggage, was removed from the aircraft and we set to go just over an hour late.

An uneventful flight to Hong Kong with no turbulence at all, a few hours wait and onwards we go arriving Heathrow 4.45am.  First plane is so no queues at the immigration hall and no one on duty at the customs hall.  Time for a decent coffee before meeting our driver and journey down to Southampton.  Arriving at the Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton at 7.30am we expected to be lolling around the foyer for a good few hours but thankfully the receptionist took pity on us and gave us a room straight away.  Thank you Grand Harbour Hotel.

Being all geared up to board our Queen at 12.30 Saturday we were informed by Cunard, that, due to the high winds off the Scottish/English coast, and the QE sailing from her journey to Hamburg,  she would be docking around 6 hours late which is now going to delay our departure.  But, hey, what's 6 hours when you have 74 days ahead of you??!!!

Here it is Saturday morning. Embarkation Day, and we've been awake since 3.30am!  Is it excitement or us it jet lag?  We met a few of our travelling companions last night, and no doubt will meet a few more as today, Saturday progresses.  Two bottles of Veuve Cliquot are ready to be chilled once we board, along with the Whiskey and Brandy for occasional, or nightly, night caps.  I guess it will all seem real once we first set sight on that beautiful red funnel at a Southampton dock later today.

For those of you who are new to our travels, the little fellow on the bag below is our travel companion-mascot, Bazza. He was given to us by close friends a few years ago and now accompanies us on our adventures.  Bazza has a habit of photo bombing many of our pics.

So, our next adventure is only hours away.  Hopefully we will sail at 10pm tonight but we are in the hands of the weather Gods and it is all about safety.





No comments:

Post a Comment