June 21 – Southampton UK

the view out our window this morning

Boarding the Seven Seas Splendor!!

Weather – 22º and sunny

Steps – 10,510…more than a usual ‘getting to the boat’ day

Boarding the Seven Seas Splendor!!

so close!

It’s another beautiful day in southern England – good for sitting at the pool with our first glass of bubbly. We need to take advantage of pool sitting… today will probably be the last warm day for a while. Not sure what tomorrow at sea will be like, could be warm, but sailing is never as warm as on land. The next day, we’ll be in northern Scotland. The forecast is dry, but only about 14º - I’ll take dry and anything really and 14º will be a bonus.

closer

Our boarding time was scheduled for 12:30. These times aren’t hard and fast – Regent didn’t assign boarding times before covid. Boarding usually starts at 11, so anytime after that would work, but we decide on a leisurely breakfast, and some time relaxing in the room with a ‘spot of tea’ before lugging our bags to the port.

We definitely could have made a more luxurious hotel choice, but none better for proximity to the port. Southampton isn’t too big generally - an Uber ride from anywhere would be about £10, this way we are independent. We are so close to the port we can hear the bing-bang-bong of the ship’s PS system. It’s

delicious!

probably good no one really seems to live close to the port…that bing-bang-bonging would be annoying!

Walking to the port took us a total of 10 minutes! Super easy. After that we dropped our bags, breezed through security and had a glass of champagne in our hands 22 minutes after leaving the hotel!

Our room wasn’t ready until 2PM, so we hung at the pool for a bit, and had lunch on the back deck of the ship (our fav places of all time on ships)

while we waited. We always search for staff we know from pervious cruises and today we found Abigale! Actually she found us while we were wandering. Abigale worked the front desk of the main dining room on our past few cruises and we’ve gotten to know her…and her us “table for 2 by the window”. I think Anabel was the one who hollered ‘Good bye table for 2 by the window’
when Covid made us all get off in Australia. She also was able to get me ground flax seed. By the time I went to bed a the biggest bowl of ground flax seed had been delivered to our room!

on my hand for scale!

Abigale has recently been promoted to restaurant manager…of course she has! So we didn’t check in with her tonight, but when she saw us on the list she seated us herself although it’s no longer her job…she’s great!

After lunch we unpacked, took a little nap and checked out the not too exciting sail away party where I leaned against a FRESHLY PAINTED RAILING! The laundry is supposed to be taking care of my outfit, so we will see how they come back.

After dinner we checked out the “here’s what’s to come as far as entertainment goes” show – it was fine. The it was the casino for Chris and bed for me.

We passed Ryde on the Isle of Wight - my great grandfather was born there! cool!