Day 1, all aboard

On the Sunday we arrived at Southampton in the driving rain and bitter cold. Needless to say the car park was "miles" from the place where we had to do all the paperwork in order to get on board, and we were glad to get inside. However, outr mail luggage was taken away by the efficient staff, and all we had were small carry-on bags, with overnight essentials, in case our other bags got mislaid somewhere. As always the boarding proceedure was simple and smooth, and we were soon on board the "Independence of the Seas", a huge cruise ship, taking 3,500 passengers and about 1,500 crew of various ranks.

Pictured in dock at Lanzarote last year.

Some of our fellow passengers felt the boat was over large, but we love it, and are able to find quiet places to sit. You don't have to be friendly if you don't want to be - we generally don't, but more of that later.

The first day is a bit strange. We boarded rather earlier than requested, and were able to get an early lunch before our cabin was ready - the turnaround is extraordinary - she arrived at about 5.00 a.m., and we were in our cabin by 1.30.p.m.

A corner of our cabin, with a bow window to the interior of the boat, overlooking a shoppping mall!! Really.

The cabin was an interior, with a queen size bed, corner bathroom, TV - the works. The bow window, with the seat, made it feel bigger, and we enjoyed overlooking the mall, and watching the world go by. The window did not open, and was pretty much sound proof, although not entirely.

There are rough rules about dress on board - suggestions might be a better word. There are three definitions - casual, when you wear what you felt like, but no bare feet in the dining rooms, or swimming gear anywhere but the swimming areas. Smart casual meant a bit dressier, although some ladies took the opportunity to put on their glad rags, and formal - tuxedos for the men, and evening dress for the ladies. This meant packing a very odd mix of clothes, especially as the weather was, and is, bitterly cold in England, and while warm weather was expected in some of the places we were to visit, some were not going to be warm. So as you can imagine, we felt it necessary - well, "he" did, to pack lots, and lots of clothes - me, I had my usual capsule wardrobe of mix and match, in black, grey, black and white, and red, with one or two exceptions. Dinner that night was to be casual dress, so we didn't even bother to change, but pottered aboput, checking out that thingsa hadn't changed from our previous trip, until 8.30 that evening. There were seaveral dining options, but we had chosen the dining room, with waiter service - there were several self service areas as well, but we like the whole "sit back and let others do the work" thing on our holidays!