It's our last full day on the cruise and already we're making arrangements to get home. Suitcases need to be packed and left outside the cabin door by 2030 tonight. These will be whisked away by our cabin steward later this evening and will unloaded onto the quayside in Southampton tomorrow, ready for us to reclaim when we get off the ship. We need to vacate the cabin by 0800 tomorrow and have arranged to disembark at 0900.
Like many of our fellow passengers however, we've been squeezing every last minute out of the holiday, and we spent some time out on deck this afternoon enjoying the last of the sunshine. It's still pleasant in the sun, but the temperatures have dropped now and it's a rather chilly 15 degrees. This morning, we also visited the Oasis Spa on Deck 5 and for the first time ever, took advantage of the relaxation therapies offered on the cruise. I opted for the 50 minute full body massage and Christine chose the 50 minute facial treatment - this will make us suitable relaxed for the long road home! There is a great selection of treatments available including acupuncture, body scrubs, manicures and pedicures, and a hydrotherapy pool. The staff are very friendly, professional and knowledgeable and put you at ease instantly, especially if you're first timers like us!
At 1500, Britannia was approaching the Brest peninsula with the French island of Ouessant on the starboard side. There are less than 300 miles to run before reaching Southampton. We'll enter the English Channel this evening and reduce our ship in the busy shipping lanes before picking up the Solent pilots on the eastern end of the Isle of Wight. Arrival in Southampton is expected to be around 0630 on Friday morning.
Britannia is a fantastic addition to the P&O fleet and we've enjoyed every minute of our time on board. This was our first time with P&O, and we perhaps didn't quite appreciate how much the cruise and the ship itself were aimed at the British cruise market. In the past, we've been accustomed to sharing our cruise ship with many more international guests! P&O's 'family friendly' ships, of which Britannia is one, are ideal however for families and those with small children, and the ability to depart from Southampton is a very convenient and appealing option. P&O is certainly a consideration for the future, although we would probably not repeat this particular type of itinerary, preferring instead to explore new places.
As we start to get our belongings packed away, this will be our last blog post and we hope you have enjoyed reading about the holiday, the ship and the many destinations we've visited. In the meantime, thanks for reading.
Andrew & Christine
Scotland
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