3:45 alarm and 5:00 departure for airport. Travelling is sleepless work!!
The only good part about Manchester Airport Terminal 2 were the exceptionally helpful and cheerful staff, both at the check-in booth (of which more below) and at security. The cafes were all crowded and grubby and Diva was baffled by not being able to order food without a table number when their table, and many others, had no number. The approach to the Gate was down a scaffold staircase and the journey to the plane was by bus. And then the heavens opened. Not friendly Manchester all-day drizzle but a real cloud burst, complete with thunder and lightening. So by the time anyone made it to the plane, they were soaked. Including inside Diva's open silver sandals. The plane almost ran out of paper towels.
The Jet2 departure was one hour late and the experience gave a whole new meaning to 'cattle class'. Diva sympathised with the cabin steward, who had great difficulty in persuading one passenger to close his device for take-off and landing. He had to tell him the rules a great number of times.
On arrival at the cruise terminal, TSH and Diva quickly entered the luxury world of Silver Spirit. They didn't make the target 'lunch at 1' but by 14:00 were in La Terazza eating excellent salads, including a particularly good one with pineapple. No events at the drill, as Diva decided not to test the torch or the whistle. In an excellent example of nominative determinism, the butler, from Ghana, is called Bright.
New York strip-steak (Diva) and sea-bass (TSH) for dinner, after 'my little allotment' starters on the special Silver Spirit plates.
On arrival at the cruise terminal, TSH and Diva quickly entered the luxury world of Silver Spirit. They didn't make the target 'lunch at 1' but by 14:00 were in La Terazza eating excellent salads, including a particularly good one with pineapple. No events at the drill, as Diva decided not to test the torch or the whistle. In an excellent example of nominative determinism, the butler, from Ghana, is called Bright.
New York strip-steak (Diva) and sea-bass (TSH) for dinner, after 'my little allotment' starters on the special Silver Spirit plates.
TSH, who, in fairness, has a cold, excelled all day. He put the boarding cards for the return flight (for almost a month's time!!) into the folder for 'outward travel' so that a long delay was caused at the check-in booth whilst he searched for the 'inward travel' file. On arrival in Barcelona, the automatic password reader proved challenging and there was another hold-op for a while.
Commiserations to all at Thomas Cook who helped to arrange this holiday and many others.
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