Launching the holiday

 After an easy journey to Southampton, TSH and Diva achieved the usual objective of being in La Terrazza with lunch and champagne well before 13:00. Check-in had taken a little longer than usual because Silversea have changed the official start of embarkation to 11:00, instead of 14:00, as before. So there were unfamiliar queues of guests who realised it was possible to embark early! A pleasant aspect of the queue was meeting guests they had sailed with before.  And once onboard they were greeted by crew members, including the Hotel Director, they had met before.

A disappointment in the suite was the change away from Bulgari toiletries. A selection was supplied on request but there is no Bulgari body cream on board and they have no hypoallergenic soap for Diva's face. Fortunately there are several British ports to come and shopping will be possible.

And there is now a kettle in the suite. For guests to make their own hot drinks. TSH and Diva are on holiday and will continue to use the bars when they want tea or coffee.

The food so far is excellent. A seafood buffet for lunch and SALT (the restaurant that serves food inspired by the locality) for dinner. TSH was impressed by his venison wellington but could not resist pointing out to the waiter that sticky toffee pudding has nothing to do with Southampton but was invented in Cumbria. 

Let there be light

In the morning, TSH and Diva were busy with the sudoku and the crossword in the Living Room when the lights were dimmed so that their aging eyes were struggling to read. Diva asked for them to be turned up again. It turns out that the 'system' can only provide a fixed amount of light (a quantum?)  and if the LR is bright, the jewellery shop is not sufficiently bright to sparkle the diamonds. Guest Services assured her that an electrician would be called but there was no apparent action that morning.

Diva has discovered the 'Slow Horses' novels. She is only on the first one but is impressed.

TSH had fish, chips and mushy peas for lunch. Followed by sticky toffee pudding. 

The weather is now grey but the North Sea is very smooth.