Well here we are. Its Wednesday morning, the sun’s shining and everything’s good.

Yesterday was hard going though. I managed to find the car park ok, with a spot right outside the attendant’s office. He suggested I drove out and to take my luggage around the corner to where some vans were parked. Outside the wind was very strong and bitterly cold. A guy very obligingly took my cases out of my car and put them in a van. That’s the last I’ll see of them I thought but I was just glad to get back in the car out of that wind.

After that I was processed through a series of document checks and a covid test. Had to wait over an hour for the result. Sat wondering how they would tell us we failed. Would they just call your name out and ask you to report to the office or something. We were sat in coachload groups and eventually our group was ushered outside into the wind again. Presumably we all passed.

The coach was parked about 300 yards away and as soon as we got outside the hailstorm started. We were pelted with large hailstones. What a relief to get in the coach.

The final ordeal was an airport style security hand baggage check and metal detector. “You’ll have to take your belt off” the guy said. Would my trousers fall down I thought, but by this time I just didn’t care.

Eventually there I was walking up the gangplank (trousers now secure). I took my time to savour the moment.

The ship is great also the cabin and the food – everything. Also my cases were in the cabin - How could I distrust a Liverpudlian?.

There seem to be a lot more staff than passengers. A lot of the passengers are doing a mini cruise from Liverpool to Southampton.
During the night I received an ‘O2 Roaming’ message on my phone: “Welcome to Ireland”. This morning I could see land in the distance. The TV in the cabin can display your location. We were heading up the Bristol Channel. No wonder it's taking so long to get to Southampton. They don't really know the way. The land is now Cornwall not Ireland.

I've walked four times around the deck, which they tell us is just over a mile. Very pleasant. Sunny and not too cold.

Off for a coffee now.

Later: Captain just announced that weather was too bad to drop the pilot off at Birkenhead so we are going to Bristol to drop him off!