{"id":3068,"date":"2017-10-22T22:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-10-22T22:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.karenandjon.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3068"},"modified":"2025-10-31T18:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T18:45:14","slug":"aurora-day-3-day-1-southampton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hweb.uk\/?p=3068","title":{"rendered":"Aurora: Day 3 \/ Day 1 – Southampton"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>9 Minute, 52 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

Sunday 22nd October 2017<\/h2>\n

Weather: Overcast but rain coming in for sailaway
\nSeas: Gentle Sway<\/h3>\n
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Overnight, the ship hit Force 10 Winds but in spite of this, Aurora was not really rocking and rolling much to Jon’s disappointment (he won’t be happy unless the waves are breaking over the bow!). A very gentle side to side rocking to help rock everyone to sleep.<\/p>\n

We arrived into Southampton a little later than planned – we didn’t dock until 6.30am but being a two nighter, there wasn’t too much luggage to offload.\u00a0 It didn’t bother us – we were staying onboard for the next cruise!<\/p>\n

We headed down to breakfast at 8am and joined the queue, which moved pretty quickly. Afterwards, we swung by reception but the queues were snaking around the atrium. We needed to collect our cruise cards for the next leg. We headed down 15 minutes later and there was still a queue with everyone querying bills. The cabins next to Mum and Callum were being turned around for David, Nicky and co … and we left a few bits and pieces in for the kids (and big kids!)<\/p>\n

Back down to reception and we joined the queue – not as long. A lot of people still querying their accounts and wanting to know why they had incurred a service charge. Another couple were seemingly querying every item on their bill.<\/p>\n

Mum headed up to the Crows Nest whilst I headed around the ship taking advantage of a lack of passengers and taking photos (see bottom of this post for a whistle stop photo tour). Jon and Callum headed to play table tennis and let Callum loose in an empty swimming pool.<\/p>\n

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Mum was going to the Caribbean welcome aboard reception with canapes and free drink. I had a nail appointment booked for 12.30 then the plan was to meet Jon and Callum in The Glass House for lunch.<\/p>\n

Time for the spa and my nails were done by a lovely lady Merry Joy who was from the Phillipines but loved exploring the world. It was her first time onboard P&O and she was really looking forward to the cruises to Norway.<\/p>\n

After nails, I headed down to the Glass House where we had another set of tasting plates accompanied by a glass of FMC and Planeta. Mum joined us after the Caribbean reception which was much quieter than the previous one. She had a coffee and decided to go down to the foyer to greet David & family as she’d spotted their car arriving in Southampton.<\/p>\n

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We headed back to our cabin where we found David, Nicky & kids already onboard, trying to get into their cabins and the kids deciding who was sleeping where! Tom had nabbed the bed settee … he’d found out within 2 seconds that the cabin TV had Sky Sports News and he could watch this in bed!! Jess was kicked out onto the bed settee in David & Nicky’s cabin.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>We went to register all the kids into Kids Club – the youngest three all needed to be signed in and the older two could come and go as they pleased as long as they had their cruise card. The boys found the pool table so they kept themselves entertained. All of them received a messenger bag as a thank you for cruising.<\/p>\n

Muster Drill was starting at 4pm so we all headed along to Carmens for the safety briefing and obligatory trying on the life jackets.<\/p>\n

After muster, the newbies were going for a little explore and the plan was to meet us at Pennant Bar on the aft of Deck 12. We got out the back and ordered drinks … freezing cold and a little rainy so we aborted that and went back to the cabin balcony. Alas Navigator of the Seas<\/strong> had left before us so we wouldn’t get to sail passed them. David, Nicky and kids all joined us on the balcony with the grown-ups having a glass of prosecco.<\/p>\n

We were on first sitting so it would be a mad scatter to get ready for 6.30pm dining. No time for pre-dinner drinks so straight down three floors and into Alexandria.<\/p>\n

We were towards the back of the restaurant and David, Nicky & co were on one table; we were on the table next door. For starters, Callum had the hot smoked trout, Jon and I the crab pasties and mum the prawn cocktail. Jon Callum and myself went for the Cullen Skink soup then for mains, Mum and Callum went for lamb and Jon and myself went for swordfish. Puddings, Jon had the Molten Chocolate Cake, Callum ice cream and sorbet and mum her usual fruit salad with ice cream. I had cheese & biscuits.<\/p>\n

After dinner, the boys decided they wanted to play on the Wii Gaming Stations near kids club so they went with strict instructions to meet us in the Crows Nest at 9pm. Ollie was adamant that he could find it. David, Nicky and Jess were going for a walk so Mum, Jon and I headed to the Crows Nest for a quiet drink. Bang on time (well, impressively two minutes early!), the boys turned up through one door of the Crows Nest, whilst David Nicky and Jess arrived through the other.<\/p>\n

Callum had forgotten the playing cards but luckily I still had Callum’s Top Trumps in my handbag so the boys & Jess kept themselves entertained. David discovered they served Doombar, Nicky discovered the Estrella-Damm was gluten-free … but the Crows Nest didn’t have any so had to resort to Tennants Gluten Free Beer … and we all discovered that a round of drinks including Kids was expensive!!<\/p>\n

You could feel you were onboard a ship as there was a gentle swaying so we would all get rocked to sleep tonight!<\/p>\n

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Callum’s Bingo Check list: <\/strong><\/p>\n