Back in March 2007, Rowan and I were looking at a longer cruise on the QE2, having thoroughly enjoyed our short one five months before. Originally she wanted to do this, mainly for the price, until she was talked into going to the Fjords. Neither of us were really keen of the ports and we would have gone crackers on the ship for five days. So Norwegian Wonders was intended to be possibly our last ever cruise, since we knew she would be gone by 2010. However, as soon as it was announced Lizzie had been sold on the 18th June that year, I just had to go one more time. The revised itineraries of Round Britain and tandem transatlantics were way out of my price range, since I'd be going alone, so that left the Autumn Getaway from the 22nd-27th October 2008. It would also be the last day Lizzie would be in any port, especially her home, with QM2. I noticed how the prices for the Mediterranean Odyssey, now the penultimate cruise on the 27th October-11th November, shot up within days so I had to book this quickly. It was a good £800 less than the eastbound transatlantic for the same grade and this was before the phone lines opened for the new cruises when those prices became legalised extortion. So I booked MO cabin 2020 and looked forward to my five days on Lizzie. Not long afterwards, the prices did begin to creep up. I still wasn't keen on the itinerary of Bilbao, La Rochelle and Guernsey but the send offs should be good. For a chance I opted for late sitting rather than early so I didn't miss anything despite hating to eat late. As Guernsey had been the very first port I'd been to on Lizzie back in October 2006, it was apt it would be the last so I hoped I wouldn't become too emotional as we sailed away and headed back home. I was a little nervous of telling Rowan in case she got angry at my change of mind but I needn't have worried. She said she didn't want to do one of the last cruises because it would be too sad. I paid it off on the 8th July and sat back waiting for the ticket to arrive. Between the Fjords cruise and this, I had been lucky enough to visit the ship thanks to my partner, Patrick Patton, who I met on that trip. I got to see places normal passengers don't, including standing on the bow, so she was being really good to me in my final year.
I was up early on the 22nd October to see Mary arrive first, an hour earlier than Lizzie because she was getting ready to sail to refit. She docked at Mayflower while Lizzie arrived for 7am in the usual QEII. Both were starboard. I was shocked. Could it be, after all these months of hoping, they were planning to reverse my girl into the Itchen to turn as they've done with others since Boudicca in June instead of going up to Ocean Dock? I think, after successfully turning Mary twice in August, they had the confidence to do any ship. Although they had her listed as S since the 20th on the movements, I wasn't getting my hopes up. I had once before on the 28th September when they had her as that on the 30th only to change it to port later that day. As I chatted to Amy online, it was said on the radio she would be docking that way an hour before she did. I was so excited. Having been down as the cruise got nearer, with it being my last, this cheered me up enormously. We watched her webcam as she did indeed dock the wrong way round. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
|
| My dad and I had booked a Blue Funnel harbour tour for 11am-12pm, of which pictures can be found in a link at the end. The website said it was from Town Quay, which was the lure, only later it was changed to Ocean Village. It didn't matter. This was the last time Lizzie and her huge successor would be together which was all that did and exactly six months since the Three Queens Day. I was able to leave my case in the office which was a big help. Later we went to Town Quay for Mary's sailing and it was already quite built up. Several people were going to Lizzie afterwards. Once Mary had gone it was time to head to the terminal. As Mary is too expensive and I have no interest in the Holland America/Carnival hybrid Queen Victoria, this would probably also be the last time I went from there to board a Cunard ship. Usually there's a massive queue, as I'm there around noon, so fill in the norovirus form as I wait. This time I went straight to a check in desk which disorientated me a little. When I went up to departures they were calling H and my letter was P so there was still some time. It was hard to believe it was two years and nine days since I was first there waiting to do a cruise called Autumn Getaway. Back then I was with Rowan, embarking on the first cruise for both of us. Now I was a single traveller. I remember Pam texting, telling me to go to the old public viewing gallery. The weather this day was as good as then. Here I was gazing upon Lizzie, thinking how twenty days later she would be leaving Southampton and this terminal forever. It's sad to think how, when I turn the same age in December she will no longer be sailing. I'd planned to spend my 40th on her in 2009, since we'd both be the same age, only that was never going to happen. She may be in Dubai but I doubt I'll ever go and see what they've done. I don't want my memories ruined. La Rochelle had been changed to Le Verdon for the August equivalent cruise due to the strikes by French fishermen but that didn't bother me. I still wasn't interested in the port. I just wanted to be on that ship, creating more memored to add to the extra ones she'd given me since my cruise in December. So I was determined to enjoy this trip and try to not think about the penultimate voyage when we returned. |
|
