Technically we depart Glasgow around 3am. This is for those who took the evening excursion to Edinburgh for the Tattoo. We were scheduled to sail at 2am, with all expected on board by 1:30am.
One bus back from the Tattoo was late — probably because it was waiting for misplaced people. Apparently those folks ended up returning to the ship via taxi, having at last missed the bus which needed to get the rest of the tour back. We sailed once we had them on board.
It pays to be on the ship excursion, folks. They wait for you if they even remotely can. And if they can’t wait the ship, they help you get to the next port of call. I mean I don’t know what happens if you purposely miss the return to the ship (because sometimes it seems like there are people willfully choosing to be late to things) but still. Better safe than sorry.
Basically, it’s an At Sea day. Slow pace, and no early wake-up required.
Early wake up happens anyway, but I dilly-dally until 8:30 and then go pull myself together. I can see from the buffet windows that it’s extra gray, and I can feel that the sea is not as smooth as it has been. (I’m in my seabands and it doesn’t bother me, I’m just aware.)
When I leave breakfast out onto the open decks I realize it’s not just gray. It’s raining. And the outdoor pools are sloshing about, as they do. It can’t be that warm but still there are kids in it, happily taking advantage of the seas turning it into a wave pool, cheering whenever the waves are more pronounced.
Onward and inward I go. There’s a “meet the captain” event at 10am but I still have enough time to swing through the casino and win a bit in the slots. Not a lot, but I went in planning to play the $50 I saved on my Princess gift card through AARP (yes old enough to join, but no, not old enough – or well off enough – to be a Retired Person just yet) and to make that $50 last as long as I can, while being an active presence in the casino so hopefully the cruise line gives me the player deals in the future.
We see the port session for France and visit the casino again to slowly lose a tiny bit of money.
We grab lunch (I am unimpressed and eat just a sandwich. S has a proper lunch and skips tea and dinner. We’re both cold from the weather and tired from all the early days. We head to our respective rooms for naps…
Since S didn’t make it to dinner I’m on my own. The asparagus starter: phenomenal. The salad course: excellent. Once again the meat course is tough. It’s delicious today, but way too hard to try to carve off a bite. I’m not sure who is sourcing the beef and veal on this ship but either the stock choices are terrible coming out of these ports, or the person in charge does not know what they are doing. The cherries jubilee for dessert is nice and light though.
All is forgiven.
I’m a bit at loose ends after dinner. There’s live music at pretty much every possible venue, and a DJ scheduled for the nightclub later. The casino is busy and smoky so no interest there. I walk the ship, checking it all out…
The forecast tomorrow is for cold and rain. So, the full experience.
Well I guess I’d best decide what I want to bop around to tonight. Off I go!
aka gringita 