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Embarkation
Sea: Calm
Weather: Sunny
We initially had booked a Baltic Cruise for August 2020 on Azura – Callum’s choice as this was the very first cruise we did. Mum & Dad had treated the kids and grandkids to a cruise to celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary.
As Callum was only 20 months old, he couldn’t remember a thing about it although there are plenty of photos as evidence!
Alas, due to COVID, this cruise was cancelled and we received 125% FCC against a future cruise. Britannia was heading on a Baltic cruise in August 2022, so we rebooked then – and were lucky enough to get one of the aft facing cabins with a view over the wake of the ship.
We had booked a 2 day excursion in St Petersburg in advance to see the main sights – ensuring that one did include a trip on the metro! It was expensive and full on, but we were looking forward to the visit.
However, St Petersburg was dropped off the itinerary a couple of months prior to the cruise due to Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine. Itinerary rejigged and we would be stopping in Skagen (right at the tip of Denmark) and also spending overnight in Copenhagen.
As a result of St Petersburg being dropped from the schedule, it appeared quite a few people had cancelled this cruise and passengers sticking with this cruise were offered an additional amount of Onboard Credit.
The day before the cruise, we had to take a COVID tests and our fingers were firmly crossed they all came back negative!
Our suitcases were packed and loaded into the car, ready to get back cruising. We left home around 12.30pm hoping to make it down to Southampton in time for our check-in time of 13.45pm. If the roads were clear, we would just about time it right.
Thankfully a straightforward run down to Southampton – arrived for CPS check-in at 13.30. Nice view of our Britannia from dockside – we could even see our cabin! The CPS staff quickly checked over the car and took the obligatory photos then we unloaded the luggage onto a cart and took it to the deck 12 loading conveyor belt.
We hit the escalators up to the check-in lounge at 13.43. Staff checked that we had completed the health check and were fully vaccinated including boosters and we were waved through to check-in. There had been a problem with the airbridge so plenty of people sat in seats, but all very well organised as everyone was told where to sit. Air bridge was back up and running as we took our seats and staff were sending people row-by-row through security so the queues didn’t build up.
Within 1/2 hour, it was our turn to head through security. Phones, coins and watches placed in bags to hopefully speed up going through. All very efficient although our bag with all the camera, phone and computer cables did take a couple of scans before it went through!
We were through and quickly onboard. Our cabin was ready – C734, right at the back of the ship with a view overlooking the wake. En route to cabin we needed to check-in at The Live Lounge which would be our muster station (H). Boarding passes scanned so we wouldn’t be put on the naughty step for skipping this stage. Then up the lift to Deck 12. Suitcases had arrived already and our cruise cards were in the letterbox by the cabin door – home for the next two weeks.
Our cabin steward popped by to introduce himself – Mario. He would come by in the morning to sort the cabin out and asked us to put the “Please Make Up My Cabin” whenever we went for breakfast and for dinner. The morning visit would be to make the beds up and empty the bins – the evening visit would just be to set Callum’s sofa bed up.
By now Callum was hungry so we popped up to the buffet for a quick bite to eat before having a little explore. I’d seen on Facebook that one of my scrapbooking friends, Jane, and hubby were on the ship as well – it didn’t take long before we bumped into them on the open decks and said a quick hello.
Jon had found out the SS Shieldhall was due to be sailing back to her dock for 6pm so we worked out when it would pass Britannia about 5.15pm. Perfect timing as we managed to catch a glimpse. A shame we couldn’t get right to the front of the ship as this was the “adult only” retreat, but we did hear her distinctive whistle and the music from the band, Soulcatcher, playing on board. This was the same band playing when we were on Shieldhall with Ray a couple of weeks back.
Sailaways were back around the lido pool and as it was now 5.30, we grabbed a Pimms/Cider/Diet Coke and bumped into some more people we knew from back home who had gone to pre-school with Callum and also go to the same secondary school – Erin (year above Callum), Harrison (two years below Callum) and Mum, Rachel. We last bumped into them on a cruise 10 years ago!!
The Entertainment’s Director had just boarded this cruise – Abi and DJ Phil was in charge of the music. Not much had changed music-wise over the years. It wasn’t long before Britannia was pushing off the dock and heading down the Solent towards Denmark.
We hadn’t started unpacking so I quickly threw things out of the suitcase into the wardrobe to find clothes to wear that evening. Note to self: pack all these clothes in one suitcase so only need to unpack this one case initially. Once clothes found, everything else was left in the cases until later.
We’d chosen Freedom Dining for this cruise and our allocated dining room was Meridian Restaurant – middle dining room on Deck 5. No problem with getting a table and it all seemed fairly quiet. The menu had been cut back since we were last on the cruise. No longer a separate soup course (although am sure you could have one as well as a starter if you wanted) and the cheese board was also part of the desserts section.
For dinner this evening, I had a Chicken Croquette, Jon the Prawn Cocktail and Callum the Tomato Soup (fingers crossed this didn’t end up down his shirt!). For main course, I had the Sirloin Steak with green beans (actually really nice and plenty of crunch)! Jon had the chicken and Callum the pork For puddings, we were very predictable. Callum chose the sticky toffee pudding and Jon and I the cheese platter. All now pre-plated rather than choosing what you wanted – COVID measure that was still in place – understandably. Staff all very friendly though.
Callum wanted to go to the Pub Quiz in Brodies that night. No Syndicate Quiz tonight. Whilst the rest of the ship was fairly quiet, Brodies was pretty busy. We found a seat and did OK in the Quiz – didn’t win but not too far off. It was only after we left that Callum mentioned he thought the lad sat at the table next to us with his family was a lad from his science class at school! He didn’t say anything as he wasn’t sure!
We got back to the cabin and finished unpacking (or rather chucking everything on hangers in the wardrobe!) and called it a night.
