Our ride in a hired car from Winhester to Southampton's cruise terminal was a pleasure. It was about a half hour and mostly because of traffic. Our driver was very pleasant and deposited us at the terminal where luggage was whisked away to be delivered to our room and we seamlessly checked in for our cruise.
Aboard ship quickly, we found our way to the Terrace Cafe and a cup of coffee while we waited for our room to be ready. We lunched and lingered and finally moved to a more comfortable lounge just before it was announced that we could get into our stateroom.
We'd been aboard the Oceania Marina once before and noted some of the changes in decor that had been made in two years. It's a beautiful ship and our room was found to be comfortable with plenty of storage. Luggage arrived ahead of us and we found it waiting in the hallway. Our routine is to unpack and then explore the ship which we did. By evening and dinner, we were all settled and ready to enjoy a wonderful meal. It did not disappoint.
Dover was our first port of call and we woke to find a sunny day and the white cliffs beaming. The white cliffs are composed of chalk, a type of limestone composed of microscopic calcium carbonate skeletal remains of tiny marine algae. They are quite impressive.
It wasn't long before our captain announced that there would be a delay in going ashore as there seemed to be a group of protestors baring access to the port area. The protest was centered around a building where immigrants coming into the country were being processed. Most of them are from Afghanistan and are smuggled in on inflatable boats that come from France. Dover is the closest point across the English Channel from France and the choice spot for the crossing.
As the morning went on, we were informed that the captain had received word that the group of protestors had grown in size and for our own safety, we would not be going ashore and instead would be enjoying an extra day at sea (our second day of cruising was to be at sea). For us it wasn't as much of a disappointment as for others. We have been to Dover and seen the WWII tunnels and other interesting sites.
The captain in his own special good humor said that we would cruise slowly past the major part of the white cliffs and enjoya scenic excursion. Meanwhile, the entertainment staff scurried to organize all sorts of activities and we did enjoy the two days at sea.
Next up: Edinburgh, Scotland
