Homeward Bound

The morning for disembarkation at Southampton started with heavy rain and a strong wind but this quickly turned to blue sky and calmer weather.

Diva and TSH were very impressed with the Southampton arrangements to transfer them to where they had left the car at the departure terminal. At 08:38 they were on their way home.

The first thing they encountered was a huge queue for petrol and signs saying no petrol on the M27 and M3. TSH had planned on an easy departure from Southampton and had filled the petrol tank up before departing on the cruise.

They had both enjoyed the cruise and TSH’s thoughts moved to planning the trips on the next cruise which is booked for the spring of 2022.

TSH asked his daughter, who works for the RSPB, to identify the birds seen at Dundee and on the voyage back to Southampton. The birds at Dundee turned out to be guillemots (same family as the auks he had diagnosed himself) and the little birds on the ship were meadow pipits wisely moving south for the winter.

Gannets, Auks and a free loading goose

TSH was interested in the little auks that were swimming around the ship at Dundee. They were clearly visible as they swam and dived and chased fish underwater, using very rapid wing beats.

The ship had an escort on the way to Southampton. Gannets glided alongside the ship, whilst a group of small birds and a goose chose to sit it out on deck rather than fly.

Diva and TSH avoided the pub lunch in the bar on the last day. They have experienced the Silversea view of a British pub on earlier cruises. They have never heard songs like ‘Knees up Mother Brown’ in any actual British pub.

The remaining onboard credit was spent, although the prices onboard are high and VAT has to be paid because the ship has never left Britain on the voyage.

Packing to go home is arguably easier than before travelling but dirty washing is sorted so that it is already batched up ready for washing machine loads. The butler did offer to pack but Diva and TSH like to know where things are when they get home.

The wild penguins of Dundee

 After many hours sitting in the Firth of Forth outside Leith, the Silver Spirit eventually wound its way slowly to Dundee, arriving a day early. On the bonus day, TSH and Diva joined the complementary bus to Edinburgh and were able to go ahead with their planned walk around the Old Town. Dinner was their final (for this cruise) pizza in the open air in Spaccanapoli.

They visited Glamis Castle and were greeted yet again by a lone piper. It was a good tour, bur a little disappointing for Diva, who had expected to see more of the rooms connected with the Royal Family and less of the old kitchens converted into showrooms for the animal heads, bearskins and suits of armour. Not to mention the stone spiral staircases.

The penguins were brought to Dundee by Scott of the Antarctic and released into the river when the local zoo could no longer accommodate them. They moved along the river to Broughty Ferry (the upmarket part of the area) and established a successful colony. Google does not know about this event, so it was lucky that TSH and Diva had an informative local guide.

No port in a storm

 The arrival in Leith dock was scheduled for 4:30 am. In TSH’s words, there was ‘banging and crashing’ all night, so they assumed that the Silver Spirit had passed through the lock and entered the small port of Leith. Turned out the entry to the lock had failed because of high winds and swell, the lock was closed by the port authority and the ship was at anchor in the Firth. Eventually, Captain Arma decided that it would not be possible to call at Leith and hence Edinburgh on either of the two scheduled days and he was looking for an alternative. By then, TSH and Diva had got up especially early to be ready to take the first shuttle bus to Edinburgh and Diva had eaten her sightseeing breakfast of bacon rolls.

The cruise director (who invited TSH and Diva to dine with him on Venetian night) decided to organise a ‘country fair’ to entertain guests who would be experiencing an extra (maybe 2 extra) day(s) at sea. The main attraction is the towel and napkin folding (attended by 3 guests last time) and they are promised golf. There is much bunting.

TSH had experienced a personal crisis earlier when he was searching throughout the suite for his ship card – which he never loses, as that is Diva’s department. There was a card on the worktop, but that was Diva’s. The search eventually reached her handbag, where she had carefully stored his card instead of her own.

There is still no information about what is to happen next or where Silver Spirit is going. Food and service still excellent.

Culture wars

 The sea became very rough during the enforced day at sea and TSH and Diva had lunch on Deck 4 instead of the usual Deck 7, so as to stay in the more stable part of the ship. They took some of the stugeron they always carry with them and kept themselves healthy. They enjoyed the time-killing circular tour around the Orkneys in spite of the weather, as some of the scenery is very dramatic.

In St Magnus’ cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney, TSH and Dive were asked to leave contact details for Covid purposes, so Diva offered the QR code to her NHS app. She was reminded very firmly that she was now in Scotland, a devolved nation with its own Parliament and that her English customs were not welcome.

As there are so few guests on board, a number of travel agents have joined the Silver Spirit for promotional purposes. They are largely younger than the other guests and are determined to have a good time. Complaints have been made by some guests, alleging that ‘they are noisy’, ‘they drink alcohol at 9:30 in the morning’ and – the ultimate taboo – ‘cheated at trivia’.

Is it a sign of the ultimate culture war of civilisations that Diva found a picture of ET on a tombstone the cathedral?

Stormin’ away from Stornoway – again

 The call at Oban was a success – a white-knuckle (for Diva) tender ride followed by a walk along the seafront for air and exercise and bird spotting.

For the second time on this voyage, the weather conditions at Stornoway were not favourable for tender operations and the call was cancelled. TSH had been following the weather forecast and had been predicting this for several days. The sea is a little rougher – TSH and Diva are not venturing outside or onto the higher decks. But they have travelled through far worse in the past and they are well and have plenty to do including booking food deliveries for when they are back at home. They will not need to attend the cappuccino art lesson or the napkin or towel folding demonstrations.

The cancellation of the tour at Stornoway has left Diva with the problem of how to spend the remaining onboard credit. No doubt she will find a solution to this problem before reaching Southampton.

 

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