Home Again.

We are just home from our lovely holiday, a cruise on the MSC Opera to the Norwegian Fjords.

We drove to Southampton and dropped off the luggage. Tom and Rod parked the cars and we went through to check in. That was painless, we were all photographed and issued with a card, which was our room key and also contained details of our muster station, lifeboat and dining room!!Once on board we unpacked. We managed to get three cabins fairly close together on the Rigoletto Deck. The cabins were fairly cheap because they were at the back but the huge advantage was that we were only a few steps from the rear deck, we made good use of that deck as it turned out to be sheltered and relatively warm.

Before we could leave we had to take part in am emergency muster practice. So when the alarm sounded we donned our life jackets and headed for the muster station.

We all listened to the instructions and hoped we would not need them!!! Our holiday had started and we were off to Ijmuiden in the Netherlands.

Our cabin was very comfortable and considering it was a strange bed I had a very good nights sleep. The next morning we went to the buffet restaurant for breakfast but much like last year it was far too busy and crowded, by the time we found a seat the food was cold. The following day we ate at the restaurant which was far nicer!!

We arrived in Ijmuiden around 10am and took a shuttle bus to the railway station. We then took a train into Amsterdam. It was a stress free journey, to start with we needed coins to buy a train ticket and we didn't have enough, so we got on the train and explained to the guard, he was very laid back about it and told me there were far worse things in the world than travelling without a ticket. He told me to buy one for the return journey!!!

Once in Amsterdam, I went shopping and the rest of the party took a canal cruise. It was a very good day for all of us, I managed to go to my favourite shops, Hema, Xenos and Blokker, they had a whirlwind tour of the city! Perfect. 

More tomorrow!!!