British Isles Cruise 2026 - Cork / Cobh (08/28/26)

 

Like yesterday, we had no pre-purchased shore excursions.  However, we wanted to step off the ship and put our feet on Irish soil for the first time.  Instead of getting up at the break of dawn, we decided to sleep "late" (to 8:30 am), and have breakfast at the ship's buffet.  This is when we would make our plans for the day.

Again, I didn't sleep that well.  But I did find that I could put a small pillow under my back, and that would ease the pain I'd feel when getting up in the morning.  (It didn't eliminate the pain, it just made things easier to bear.)  We got up around 8:30 am, and were in the buffet by 10:00 am.  We figured that we'd get off the ship sometime after 11:00 am, and see "The Titanic Experience", one of the historical venues that had some meaning to me.  (Neither of us wanted to walk far today.) 

We ended up at the Cobh Heritage Center, less than 100 yards away from the ship, and spent an hour exploring the exhibition of Cobh's maritime history (Criminal Transports and Voluntary Migration to North America and Australia, as well as being a stopping point for Transatlantic Crossings).  My legs started to give out after this, so it was back to the ship for the day.

- - - - - -

This would be a night where we'd dress up for dinner.  (Don't look for any photographs of me in Mario Mode in this blog)  Dinner was OK, but we were both glad to get back to the cabin and get comfortable after dinner. 

 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Falmouth / Cornwall (08/27/26)

 

Yesterday, I felt comfortable walking around much of the day.  By the time I started my morning ritual today, I could barely walk to the bathroom without the support of my cane.  And taking a shower, well, don't get me started about the pain I endured to do that.

But first....

I've been noticing that the pain in my lower body tends to ease off the later in the day it gets.  Laying down on the bed may set my spine off kilter, and cause the problems I've been having as of late.  So, when I got up, I needed to lean on things to move anywhere.  Getting dressed has been difficult for me lately, as I don't have the leg flexibility to put on a pair of trousers the way I'm accustomed to doing.  

Walking to the back of the ship for a served breakfast was a little painful.  When I sat down at the table, I accidentally pulled the table cloth and pulled my plate and flatware off the table.  And this was the least of issues.  Even though we got to the restaurant 30 minutes before closing, they should have been ready to serve us throughout the meal.  Instead, it felt like they forgot about us until I used my "New York Voice" that always commands attention (by surprise).  Then, a few minutes later, our main breakfast course arrived.

Once done with breakfast, it was off to the stern of the ship for a few pictures, and then to our cabin to rest again.  On the way back, we found the laundromat we'd be using several times during the cruise.  And this made our morning complete.

- - - - - -

After a long nap, we found ourselves strangely not hungry.  Although we missed the chance to explore this port, we both were grateful not to have attempted to walk far when our legs (for different reasons) were bothering us.  Yet, we made it upstairs to the buffet for a small snack before going to the steakhouse for dinner.

One thing I can say about the ship's specialty restaurants is that the food is both plentiful and good.  And tonight's steakhouse dinner was no exception.  We both ordered rib-eye steaks and were unable to finish them!  (The appetizers were just as good and just as plentiful.) 

When we were done with dinner, we went to see a comedian perform.  Although most of the audience was laughing, I found his act to be dull and predictable.  There was no magic that would make me go out of my way to see him again.  Yet, it was a serviceable 1/2 hour of entertainment. 

 

 

 

 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Embarkation Day (08/26/26)

 

We got up at an ungodly hour for us (6 am) and prepared for the bus ride to the Southampton terminal to board the Majestic Princess (pictured above).  We knew to leave our "checked" luggage at the door, as the next time we'd see our bags would be on the ship, outside our cabin door.

- - - - - -

Neither of us had much sleep the night before, and started to get ready to leave the hotel around 5:45 am. For a change, I showered first, and started to repack my carry-on with too much stuff.  It was bursting at the seams!  After a quick breakfast, we made one last pass in our room, placed our checked bags outside our door, and went downstairs to await the bus that would take us to the cruise port.

Once on the bus, it took 2 1/2 hours to reach Southampton and the Cruise Terminal.  Unlike most cruise terminals, this one had me remove all metal from my person (including my belt), take my computer out for separate screening, and surrender my cane while I passed through the scanner.  TSA screening at JFK airport was much less of a hassle.  At least, we skipped much of the line due to our needs to use canes for walking and for support.

After boarding the ship, we made it to our cabin while the cabin attendant was finishing up his work.  He noted that we would need to surrender our passports, so that Irish authorities could stamp them.  In the almost 30 years I've had a passport, I've never had a stamp - this would be my first.  (And it could be my last, given the second passport that I hope will be coming soon.) 

- - - - - -

Both of us were tired, so we took a nap around 3:00 pm. At 5:45 pm, the cabin attendant appeared, and took our passports for processing.   A couple of hours later, we were off to the specialty seafood restaurant for the first of our dinners.  The dishes were all expertly prepared, but the service was slightly too leisurely for my taste.

Shortly after dinner, we were back in our cabin for the evening.  Our cabin attendant visited us 3 times in succession: (1) to tape down the extension cord that I had to use to keep my CPAP unit by my side of the bed, (2) to deliver a pair of bathrobes we could use on the cruise, and (3) to deliver a pair of shore excursion tickets not originally left in the room when we arrived.

It was a busy day, and I'm glad I can finally get some sleep. 

 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - London Day #2 (08/25/26)

I couldn't get much sleep the night we arrived, as my body was still trying to live on New York time.  Although I had a couple of naps after arriving, I was up early for New York, but late for London.  And that's the time zone I'd be in for the next two weeks....

- - - - - -

We went downstairs to have breakfast around 8 am, and the restaurant was crowded with people - many of whom were going on our cruise.  Luckily, a breakfast was included with the hotel stay, and we had a filling meal that should last us until snack time.  Once done there, we went to the Princess Cruises representative, and got ourselves front seats on the bus that would take us to the cruise terminal.  This would make things much easier for us when arriving at the terminal, as we'd not have to walk far in the bus before getting our bags and walking into the terminal.

And then, we took a nap for a little bit....

- - - - - -

Instead of going to the Jack the Ripper Museum (a .3 mi. walk), we decided to stay in our room and rest a bit.  Sadly, we didn't think of buying tickets at the door, but the rest was worth more than the experience of going to the museum.

Around 7:00, we started getting to meet my niece for dinner.  We told her to find a place within my walking tolerance, and she made reservations for 8:00.  We met my niece and her hubby at 8, then walked about 1/3 mi. to get to a nearby Chinese restaurant.  Conversation flowed like water, and I had more beer in one night than I usually have in a couple of months.  (Please, don't tell my doctor about this.)  We closed down the restaurant around 10:30, and walked back to the hotel, tripping on a curb along the way.  I was glad that I had the help of my niece's hubby to get up and back to the hotel.

Sadly, at 11:00, we had to break up - my niece and hubby to their home, and us to our hotel room.  It was an extended day, and one I was glad to stay off my feet when I could do so.  I dreaded the next morning a little bit, as I expected to be walking quite a bit again.  

But as Scarlett O'Hara once said: Tomorrow is another day. 

 

 

 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - London Day #1 (08/24/26)

 

This is going to be a short entry, as there's not much to say other than we ate and slept, allowing our bodies to catch up and get in sync with a reset circadian sleep cycle.

- - - - - -

 

Continuing from the entry I posted yesterday, We arrived at the hotel at 3 pm.  Everything was paid for in advance, and no one asked for our credit cards.  But I always worry - what will happen if I use a credit card and it gets rejected while overseas?

Around 8 pm, we took the lift to the ground floor and walk to the hotel's restaurant.  The food was good, although it was pricey by New York standards.  Instead of my usual Diet Cokes, I ordered a beer, as it was cheaper to slowly sip my beer than to guzzle Diet Cokes served in 6 oz. bottles. Fish and Chips was the order of my day, and I even tried the Mushy Peas served with the meal.  As much as I might try, I doubt that I'll ever like this side dish.

Once done it was back to the room, and a night where we could fall to sleep with the BBC on the telly.  

 

 

 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Flying to London (08/23/26)

l

The flight to London, I hope, would be the most troublesome thing to happen on this trip.  Not only were we exhausted by the time we got to the hotel, but we were both at the end of tolerance for the little things that can plague a traveler on a trip to Europe.

 

But first...

 

Our flight was scheduled to leave New York at 11:55 pm.  I chose this late departure knowing that the London hotel would be hesitant to release rooms to new check-ins until 3 pm local time.  (See: Norwegian Fjord Cruise Vacation - 06/13/24 (Flying into London before the cruise) to reference our prior experience at the Leonardo Royal Tower Hotel.  And I'm glad we did so, given the minor headaches (for young, able bodied people) we'd have to endure.

 

We left for the airport at 7:00 pm, and arrived shortly before 8:00 pm.  I figured that being 3 hours early for being loaded onto the plane would be prudent, and boy was I right!  RQS had forgotten where she put her cell phone/wallet, and had only her passport to identify her to authorities before the flight.  So, I told her that I could handle all of the credit charges and balance things out later on.  She was happy with me, but not with the situation.

 

Next, we had to go through TSA security, and that was our second speed bump.  I sailed through the Pre-Check process easily, while RQS ended up going through the "Untrusted Traveler" lanes. And that's when her cell phone/wallet was discovered - it was in her trouser pocket all the time, and she didn't even notice it.  

 

Now that we both felt some relief, we walked over to the gates serving Virgin Atlantic (a Delta Airlines code share partner), and took a seat.  After an hour, we got text messages: Our plane went from departing from gate A3 to departing from gate B30 - a 20 minute walk for young people, but not for 2 people whose average age was over 70.  Luckily I found a Delta airlines cart that would bring us to our gate. And that's where we sat for the next 45 minutes.  But then we received another text - our departure gate had changed back to A3.  So we had to ask a nearby Delta airlines gate agent for help - and just in the nick of time, as the cart stops running at 11:00 pm.

 

Returning to gate A3, we could now rest - if we could find an empty seat. We asked the gate agent if we could get on the plane early (they could see we both used canes) and it wasn't a problem.  So, when the plane was ready to be boarded, we were among the first 10 people to get in our seats.

 

 

 

The flight wasn't much to talk about, save that the seat wasn't that comfortable to sit on, but I did have adequate leg room.  By the time we arrived in London, my knees were telling me that they didn't want to be friends, but that eased off a bit when I started walking.  And I was grateful for that, as we had a lot of walking ahead of us.

 

I don't know how many of my readers have flown into Heathrow airport, but it is a long way from where the plane discharges passengers to where passport control and baggage claim is.  Luckily, unlike many American airports, they have long moving sidewalks along this path - a blessing for the two of us.  And then we hit our next speed bump - passport control.

 

We were selected to lanes where we slide our passports into a scanner, have our faces photographed and compared with the passport.  If all goes right, "Welcome to the UK!"  In both of our cases, we had trouble with the scanning process.  I was able to go through after several tries, where RQS needed help for this process.  And from there, we went to baggage claim, and out of the controlled area to meet the person who'd be driving us to our hotel,

 

It would have been a nice thing if I could remember the name of the driver who took us to the hotel, but other things were on my mind.  For the next 60-90 minutes, we had a nice chat, followed by hotel check-in.  After 30 hours of being awake, I finally was able to connect my CPAP machine and get several hours of needed nap time.    

My upcoming cruise - will I survive it? (a short post)

 

 

This is a port intensive cruise which will either strengthen my legs or ruin them.  Either way, I'll be away from home, and I'm not looking forward to it.

- - - - - -

Normally, I am a little apprehensive about overseas travel, and I'm more so regarding this trip.  I had to struggle to get my bags to RQS's place, and still not be sure if I packed everything for the trip.  My doctor has advised me NOT to drink alcohol, and I may have a single glass of wine with dinner, and stick with "Near Beers" for the rest of the time.  

When we get to London, our plans are to rest on the day we arrive, and on the next day, visit the Jack The Ripper museum a short walk away, then see my niece for dinner.  It's not exactly what we want to do.  But with my legs, playing it safe may be the wisest thing we can do. 

Once on the ship, I'll try to stay as active as possible, knowing that inactivity may make things worse on my legs.  And then, I'll have to deal with the headaches of previously planned and paid for shore excursions.  At least, I know we'll have good food for the better part of two weeks, as we have unlimited meals in the ship's specialty restaurants.

- - - - - -

I'll write more once I'm underway.  Hopefully, you'll enjoy my upcoming posts.