Last day of the cruise and Southampton - 15 March 2013

Well today is the last day of the cruise and I can't believe it's gone so quickly.

It has been really good and I thoroughly recommend it.  Especially if you are in a wheelchair and never been on a cruise, it's a great way to travel.

Me at the start of the cruise in Ocean Terminal

That said, I think visits to ports need sorting out.  It isn't necessarily P&O's fault that wheelchair accessible transport isn't available as it is down to the individual country's port authority.  But maybe P&O could put more pressure on these ports to provide the transport.  After all they are getting fares from disabled passengers and it isn't fare not to cater for them as equally as they do for able bodied passengers.

Also the gangplank situation is hair raising if you are in a wheelchair.  Seriously, if the able bodied passengers had to put up with that every time they had to get off the ship, there probably wouldn't be any port stops at all.  What's the answer?  Hmm, I don't know but I'm sure it will involve money and therefore it won't get done anytime soon.  If anyone at P&O would like to experience it for themselves and then work out a solution, that would be my first suggestion.

Today was spent reading (cakes galore!) and eating and last minute packing.

This afternoon Andy and I went to the Footlights Theatre for Andy to listen to a piano player playing classical music.  I read my kindle as it's not really my thing, but it was good from a technical point of view.

No photos of our last meal as I didn't take any.  Be assured, it was delish!!

Southampton - 16 March 2013

The next day we arrived in Southampton.  Andy opened the curtain and we had arrived.  The sky was grey and cloudy ..... no mistaking we had arrived in the United Kingdom.

We got up super early and was up in the Plaza buffet for our last delicious breakfast.  Everyone else was up early too and it was the busiest we'd seen it up there.

Then we went back to the cabin to pick our hand luggage and we had to be out of the cabin before 8am.  So we were out by 7.45am and had to go to Le Club on the 7th deck where all the other disabled passengers were congregated.

There was quite a queue for the lifts what with everyone needing to use them.  Did everyone NEED to use the lifts?  Yes if they were elderly with lots of suitcases but NO if they were fit and younger.  But, of course me and a lot of older people seemed to be left waiting while the younger and fitter squeezed into the available lifts .......

We went there incase we might need assistance getting off the ship.  We didn't so luckily didn't have to wait too long and disembarked by around 9.15am.

We went down with the rest of the passengers back into Ocean Terminal to find the rest of our luggage.

We were so lucky because we didn't have to wait long before Drew, our taxi driver, arrived to take us back home.

I will be back for more tales to tell soon but that is my cruise diary finished with.

Until the next time.  Thanks for stopping by.