Hotel lobby was a virtual madhouse with many ships boarding around the same time and an early check out of 11 AM. If you stayed past 11 AM they started charging you 25 pounds an hour. Odd policy for five star hotel. no late checkout. 

Hotel provided shuttle to the boat. Of course Pre-booked.

Very easy check-in, fabulous room (shout out to Kathy). Nothing like a Regant Cruise in that this place seems to nickel and dime everything. Even use of the spa you had to buy day passes or trip passes as well as Internet. coffee in some places, not even a glass of wine at dinner. I’m not sure what else yet. However, none of this comes as a surprise as the fabulous Kathy explained this in advance. Just not my view of good marketing.

Gave me a menu for no salt dinner; time will tell but room service has been outstanding.

Dinner: sort of French service; one waitperson comes out changes the plates and gives me fresh silverware, two minutes later another waitperson comes out and takes away that fresh silverware and takes away the plates leaves me nothing and then soon they bring me more stuff.

Knives and forks keep coming and going

Cruise notes on people met to date:

Wheelchair bound, NHS project manager, mid-twenties, off on cruise to stay in staff quarters, sneaking in with girl friend on staff, testing if they can be together and become a couple rather than occasional “friends”

Artist recently departed from St Ives after 12 years of a good art community just wanting to show us her art as she is clearly displaced. He, 50 plus years as partner, Norwegian ?, Merck viral scientist, trying to kill virus’ inside cells, called halt to my questions as I was getting too close to his intelectual property.

Couple from Melbourne. Races horses, makes a living betting on horses. Carol and Harold.

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