April 5, 2025

9:49 am

The family got a late start today after a night of karaoke. I woke up early to view the sunrise, but the time printed in the daily program turned out to be a little late. I did get some great photos from over the bow as the clouds filtered the sun behind them. I viewed these from the Atlantic Room on Deck 11 as the outer decks were closed due to high winds. Oh—I saw a bird!

Norovirus precautions are heightened. In addition to pax being served at all food and beverage stations, we are now being directed to the sinks outside of the entrance to wash our hands. While it was an option before (sanitizers the alternative), it is now mandated.

I have no issue with that. I saw on Reddit that pax who are embarking tomorrow in Southampton received an email instructing them to arrive one hour after their stated time due to the “stepping up of our already robust disinfection measures.

10:58 am

Just had a nice chai latte in Sir Samuel’s. This is one venue we didn’t visit on our last crossing, so I wanted to make an appearance. It’s cozy yet illuminated during daytime via 3 large windows, port side. Our beverages came with biscotti and there are also large pastries available.

The chai latte was good—not too sweet and only slightly filling. It could have had a more of a kick. Then again, I’m accustomed to Dunkin’s version that might have a little too much.

We had to wait for seats to free up, which is typical of the drink venues on board. This is the reason we have not yet had an evening in the Commodore Lounge (martini bar). It’s difficult to find 3 seats together. Many are tables for 4 where 2 are already seared. People are amenable to joining with others yet we must respect their space by not crowding them.

We disembark tomorrow. I will get the packing done before lunchtime so we can fully enjoy our magnificent shop for the rest of the day.

10:40 pm

It’s the final night of the crossing and we are about to sleep in this comfortable bed one last time. I’m going to miss Mary.

On our way back to the cabin tonight, I stopped to view (and photograph myself with) Stephen Card’s portraits of Olympic, Carpathia, and Lusitania. They are in Stairtower C from Decks 7 through 9.

I made a breakfast reservation for the Britannia restaurant at 7:15 am. Our estimated debarkation time is 9:40 am. Alarm is set for 6:15 although we really have very little to prepare. I even have our receipts ready and totaled if we need them. I’m going to miss Mary.