Day 119 - Southampton

Day 119 – Friday 9^th May 2014 – Southampton

At day break this morning as Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria take a bow-to-bow position just 30 metres apart by the QEII terminal.  The birthday girl, Queen Mary 2 slowly sailed by with ‘Happy Birthday’ in ships’ whistles sounding out, as a 10^th Birthday Salute.

Alongside

After this, all three ships moved to their respective berths for disembarkation.  The same as on joining day on 10^th January, there are five cruise ships in Southampton, changing passengers and some of the crews.

We left Queen Elizabeth at 10.00 and into the shed to find our luggage, made our way with others in the custom’s queue and jumped into our pre-booked taxi at 10.45.  Leaving the port via Dock Gate 4 was the same, as when we arrived four months previously, traffic chaos as the road modernisation scheme is still going on.

We picked up the hire car at Southampton airport and were on our way north at noon, and I arrive home at 19.00.

So ends a remarkable adventure of circumnavigating the globe on an ocean liner.  The Queen Elizabeth is a wonderful ship with a superb crew of professionals.  I met a lot of kind, caring and sincere people on the way.  I achieved what I had set out to do, re-visit the countries I had previously sailed to, and see how they had changed.  My daily experiences were above my expectations, as I saw and achieved things, I did not think were possible.

For those who are wondering if this for them, my advice is to go for it, and you will not be disappointed. 

For myself, I did ask nearing Southampton, if I could go round again.

This is not the end of the story, when all of the facts and figures have been brought together, they will be published.