5/2 Southampton

Today is turnover day – not so crazy for us since we are back to back – but everyone else is rushing around with their bags and eating breakfast and it is the normal zoo review out on the decks and public areas.  We leisurely go to the gym, then shower and head to the Passport bar to bing bong out of the T-A and bing bong in for our Norwegian cruise.  Really smooth.  Then it is back upstairs to hang out for a while, get our gear together and go walk around Southampton for a bit.

It’s a cold, overcast day – typical British weather. But we brave the wind and walk the 20 minutes or so into town to find the Sea-city Museum which houses the Titanic exhibit.  It’s worthwhile for the hour or so we spend wandering through the different rooms.  It’s a more personal look at the Titanic, with so many people coming from Southampton to work on the ship – there are lots of personal stories and recorded remembrances.  There are also fabulous graphics – designed for the kids, but totally informative – about what was aboard, the layout and where people worked.  Really interesting.

Back outside, the weather hasn’t improved, but it is sort of a nice change from the heat and humidity.  We walk back with a detour through ASDA grocery store. We decide we don’t need anything for the cabin (I’m done with food I’m so stuffed from last night’s dinner) and we hit the ATM, then head back to the ship.

Since we are transfers, our boarding process is simple. Through the metal detector and on we go.  We can even sneak into our cabins!  Just open the fire door and go.  Love it!  The buffet is a total mess – we grab a quick lunch then hide in our cabin until it is time to meet the cruise critic folks upstairs at the sunset bar.  Nice bunch of folks, much smaller from last sailing!  We had 320 coming across, but less than 100 here.  After that we head to the gym, then dinner and the show.  A magician we have seen before who is fantastic with card tricks and slight of hand.  Very nice night. And BONUS! Tomorrow we have coupons again instead of Elite lounge!  Hopefully this will work as well as last cruise!