Aurora R314 3 night short break

[MicheleW]

Short break to Guernsey and Brugges

Travelling with my mum, Uncle and Aunt

Day one

Left home just after 8 and even though we got caught in a tailback on the M3, we still arrived at the Mayflower terminal by 11.45am. It was a nice surprise to find that it was valet parking, as I had expected to have to go and park the car myself after dropping the others off. So luggage unloaded, we headed to check-in. Thanks to Auntie Valerie breaking her ankle and being in a wheelchair, we went through priority boarding – though I have to say, it was a bit of an extreme, just to get on and be eating lunch in the Orangery by 12.30! After a nice healthy salad (followed by a couple of not so healthy puds!), we took a tour round the promenade deck and just happened to be near the aft lifts when they announced the cabins were ready, so we went straight up to our cabins on C deck to find our bags waiting outside. We unpacked and sat on the balcony playing ‘spot our car’, but unfortunately nobody got the prize! When the steward (Daniel) arrived, we asked him if we could have the door between the balconies unlocked and he said he would get the key from his supervisor. We left early for muster (in the Playhouse), to give us plenty of time to get Auntie Valerie there in the wheelchair. Then afterwards, I ran back to the cabins with the lifejackets and met them on the promenade deck for some champagne & sailaway. We were following QEII and Celebrity Eclipse down the Solent with Azura bringing up the rear. We sat enjoying the sun on the prom deck for some time and then headed off to get ready for dinner – a smart casual night. We enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks in Andersons before heading down for the 2nd sitting in the Alexandria Restaurant on a table for 4. I’d already popped down earlier to check where our table was, just to make sure that it would be fairly easy to get the wheelchair there, but we were very close to the doors so it was fine. We had a very good meal and then headed to the theatre to watch the Headliners show My Generation which was very enjoyable. I stopped off in the casino on the way back and managed to lose £25.00 at the blackjack table before calling it a night. Shoe count 3 (travelling pair, flip-flops, black heels.

More to come....

[Wina G]

Looking forward to hearing more Michele

[Manoverboard]

... Shoe count 3 (travelling pair, flip-flops, black heels ...

That for me was the weirdest part of this short cruise, twas our first shorty.

Three nights only yet I needed three pairs of shoes, ditto trousers plus two jackets and five shirts

[oldbluefox]

Thanks for the report Michele. Looking forward to Days 2 and 3.

[MicheleW]

Day 2

I was rudely awakened at 6.45am by a dreadful noise and looking over the balcony, discovered that they had decided to use the lifeboat directly under our cabin for one of the tenders into Guernsey which they were currently lowering! Decided I might as well get dressed and go a do a few laps of the prom deck, but found it closed off as they were lowering the lifeboats, so sat on the balcony with a coffee and enjoyed the view of St Peter Port until the Celebrity Serenity pulled up and parked between us and the Island! I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a good day!! Had breakfast in the Medina Restaurant and once everyone was ready, went to collect tender tickets for the ride to St Peter Port. When our numbers were called, we proceeded down to the tender platform to be told that this boat couldn’t take a wheelchair and we would have to wait at reception and they would come to collect us. Well, another 2 boats went and we thought they’d forgotten us, so I went to check and were told it would be another 15-20 minutes. Eventually we got across and arrived on Guernsey. The mobility assistance guys we absolutely brilliant in helping my aunt getting on to the tender and also up the steep ramp from the harbour – she can walk a short way using the crutches, but needs the wheelchair for longer distances. We were planning to do a circular ride round the island on the public bus – but everyone else had the same idea and the queue was massive and there were only 2 buses running, so in the end we just hopped on the next bus and had a mystery tour! We headed out of St Peter Port saw a nice bay and brief view of the sea and then ended up back to town again, but at least we saw a bit of the island! We then enjoyed a stroll back along the front which was all closed off, due to a food festival, so of course we had to sample some of the local Guernsey ice cream! Delicious. Headed back to the ship and enjoyed a late lunch in Café Bordeaux before relaxing on the balcony in the sun and watching Guernsey disappear from view before getting ready for our second night. This was the formal night and we went for drinks in Andersons again. The dress code was very well adhered to and everyone looked very smart. There was no Headliners show tonight and a comedian appearing in the theatre which didn’t appeal to the others, so after dinner we headed to Vanderbilts to take part in the syndicate quiz. We didn’t win, but didn’t disgrace ourselves either, getting 14 out of 20 with the winners getting 17 and then winning on a tie-break. Another quick visit to the casino, but only stayed an hour as the clocks went forward an hour. Managed not to lose any more – so still just the £25.00 down. Added another 3 pairs to shoe count: - plimsolls, white flats, black sandals. Total: 6

[MicheleW]

Day 3 & disembarkation

Woke up as we arrived in Zeebrugge at 8.00am (or 7.00 in real time) and headed down to Medina for breakfast. My aunt decided she didn’t want to go to Bruges after all. (She is feeling very frustrated at having to rely on everyone to go anywhere and finding that the simplest of things takes twice as long), so we took the shuttle bus into Blankenberg. We had to be off the ship before 10.45 as they were testing some of the evacuation equipment and would also be turning the ship around (the captain made an announcement saying not to be worried if you arrived back at the port to see the ship untied and moving away – it was purely for an exercise, but I wonder if any passengers missed the announcement and panicked!!) Once in Blankenberg we found a ramp up onto the esplanade and had a pleasant meander along the front, stopping at a café where we had hot chocolate. Then after purchasing some chocolate for my nephew and some Belgian beer for my husband (home looking after the dogs!), we headed back to the ship for another great lunch in Café Bordeaux. Another relaxing afternoon on the balconies followed, interspersed with some packing, and watching the containers being moved around. We were an hour late leaving Zeebrugge due to a technical fault, but eventually got under way. The others went to the Headliners show ‘Blame it on the Boogie’ at 7.15pm, which I have seen before, so I went to the casino and as it was so quiet, wasted some time playing the slots. I managed to turn £5 into £10, (which I then managed to give back to them later at the blackjack table!), before heading to meet the others at dinner. We then went to Vanderbilts, where we didn’t win another quiz – a not quite so respectable score of 12 out of 20 this time! And then back to the cabin to get the bags out before midnight. Whizzed back down to the casino for a last flutter and ended up £40 down over the 3 nights.
Shoes: Gold sandals; pink sandals – up to 8 and still counting!
Disembarkation day
Previously, we’d been told that our late departure from Zeebrugge would impact on our arrival time in Southampton, but when I pulled back the curtains at 6.50am on Tuesday, I could see the terminal outside the window. So we went down to the Medina for breakfast, collected our hand luggage from the cabin and headed to Andersons which was the meeting point for people with wheelchairs requiring assistance. From here we were taken to the forward lifts – reserved for wheelchair users – and straight down and off the ship. Collected our bags and made our way to the car park, where the car was situated in a bay right next to the office – again thanks to Auntie Valerie & her broken ankle!
Wore my beige flats bringing final shoe count to 9

A very pleasant warm-up for the main event in just over 6 weeks time. Should be just enough time to decide which shoes I need to take.

[Romig1]

Thanks for the report Michele. I enjoyed reading it.

Can't believe the low shoe count though!

Best wishes to you both

R
xx

[cruisin_duo]

Enjoyed reading your report. Thank you.

[MicheleW]

I know R - pretty restrained for me.

Just wait til October though - 17 nights - I think I might need one bag just for my shoes

Love to both,

Michele

[sunseeker16]

Lovely review. Thank you Michelle - and best wishes for Auntie's speedy recovery

[Wina G]

Great review Michele, looking forward to the shoe count in October

[emjay45]

Enjoyed your report. I can't believe how many shoes you took