This is just one of those cruise days that shouldn't be. I need to set our alarm at 6:00 am, and have breakfast in the cabin so that I can make our 8:30 departure time for our shore excursion. Setting an alarm on vacation just shouldn't happen.
Room service is prompt. I have my usual corn flakes and cranberry juice.
We head to the theater about 8:00 and get our stickers for the tour. Bus # 3. In addition to several tours from the ship today, many pasengers are disembarking in Southampton, the end for thier vacation.
The shore excursion staff advise me and several other passengers that need extra time that it is time for us to leave, well ahead of the majority of passengers. Having an excursion sticker lets us in line right at the gangway ahead of many others.
I don't think it is possible to make the walk to the busses any longer. The pathway goes back and forth from one end of the terminal to the other, but after being misdirected several times we are among the first to be seated on bus # 3.
As we leave the terminal area, we pass a P&O cruise ship and one from NCL. Southampton has space for as many as 6 or 8 cruise ships in addition to being a very large commercial port.
The weather today is perfect, and exceptional for the UK. Low 70's, sunny, light breeze and scattered clouds. On the way to Stonehenge we pass thru several small villages and drive thru a protected forest where there are lots af ponies, donkeys, sheep and other animals roaming free.
Stonehenge is packed. The line for the bus from the parking and visitor's center to the stone circle is almost an hour. Not that there weren't busses, it is just that there were so many visitors.
Not having enough time we cut our walk around the circle short and return to the visitor's center. A bottle of water and a diet coke and it is back to the bus. We are about 15 minutes late departing, but there is plenty of time to get to the port before the ship departs.
The tour guide apologizes for the delays caused by long lines. Knowing of this, they tried to get Cunard to give them more time for the tour, but Cunard refused.
Once back at the terminal it is through security and back on the ship. I always endure a patdown at every security check as I can not pass through most metal detectors with my pacemaker. All I will say it was the roughest patdown I have ever endured. I was hit, slapped, and yanked at. A man that definitely was angry with his job. I can easily see where a short tempered person would have struck back at him.
Overall the tour was good, but definitely 1 or 2 more hours were needed. Shame on Cunard.
We have taken on many new passengers today in Southampton. Many will only be here two nights, disembarking in Hamburg. I acknowledge I have a problem with 3 and 4 day cruises, but a two day cruise would be like a bad airplane flight.
This makes the passenger dynamics much different. The ship is in much more of a party atmosphere. Dress in the dining room is much more casual. The overall noise level has risen substantially.
The show tonight is "Beat 45", four young musicians. The lead singer acknowledges his voice is weak. Overall the show is unremarkable. No, actually pretty bad as they exhibited no personality, zero enthusiasim, and no energy.
The english channnel is fairly calm. There are many commercial vessels anchored, awaiting either a contract or dock space. We cruise towards Hamburg at about 8 or 9 knots.