Our day started out very well. We got up and finished the few last minute things we had to do. I loaded the car with the suitcases that I had carried downstairs Friday night so I would not start out whipped after carrying them in the morning like I usually do. Then I had time for a leisurely breakfast. Just as I finished breakfast Brian arrived.
We visited just a few minutes and then headed out to the airport. Brian was driving and as he pulled in by United to drop us off he rolled down the window and started yelling insults at a nearby cop. Turned out they have known each other a long time. The officer came over to talk to Brian while we sat luggage on the curb. As Brian started to get back in the car the officer asked him which airline we were using. When he said it was United the officer told him to help us carry the luggage in and he stayed with the car while Brian helped drag bags. Nice guy!
Brian then moved the car to a parking lot and joined us and we all had some breakfast. I know, I know. I had already had breakfast. So what? After a nice relaxing time together he walked us as far as he could to the gate and we said our farewells.
Things were slow at the time we went through and we sailed right through security. NO bags were opened including my carry on which was loaded with photo and audio gear. They looked hard at the x-ray screen, but apparently were satisfied.
Our flight left the gate on time, but at the end of the taxiway, before moving on to the runway, we shut down engines. Now days you don't take off for Chicago until they give you a time block. That way rather than circling Chicago waiting for clearance to land, burning fuel all the while, you are sitting at the departure airport only running the APU. We were now scheduled to depart at 11:15. We sat there as a couple other planes taxied by and launched. I wonder if they snubbed their noses at our pilots. I was listening to ground control on the aircraft entertainment system. At 11:13 we started engines and promptly at 11:15 ground control announced "United Flight 646 you are cleared to 14 left..." As soon as she said "cleared" I heard the engines start to spool up. Once we started to roll we did not come to a stop until we were on the ground in Chicago.
 Our view of Omaha as our flight to Chica... |
I am not sure how much they accomplished as we landed almost on the originally scheduled time in Chicago. We did not go into an orbit, but we did several S's which would have killed some time and given us space behind another aircraft. At any rate it was a smooth and, for most of us, comfortable flight.
As the cabin crew was serving drinks they did not use the beverage carts, but served a row at a time using small trays to carry the drinks. Just as one attendant started to hand drinks to the people in one row the guy in the aisle seat, not knowing she was there, threw his arm up to emphasize something he was saying and his row and the row ahead of him received a drink shower. We were about three or four rows back and saw it all go down. As they were cleaning that up Joyce spilled her drink. When she was getting some paper towels from an attendant we found someone else behind us had also spilled theirs. No turbulence, but lots of Coke splashing around.
We arrived at concourse B in Chicago and found our flight to London was to leave from concourse C. This took us through the tunnel under the ramp that has all the neat florescent lights on the ceiling.
 A blurry shot of the tunnel under the ra... |
Joyce went next door to the food court and got a very good salad for me and a Mickey D for herself. Then I did some of this journal and we settled in to wait for departure. Some folks nearby are going on a cruise with Norwegian and I spotted some others with Princess tags like ours so I am sure we will see them aboard the Grand.
About an hour and a half before flight time the gate agents showed up. As they activated the screen behind them it indicated departure time "to be announced." They announced a connector was being changed and they would advise us as they received information from maintenance. Without going through all the details the time kept sliding and later they were "changing a switch." As the schedule departure time of 4:11 PM approached they announce that we should not worry because that flight had been held at the gate for 45 minutes every day for a week to avoid having it arrive at London during the nightly curfew for landing which is lifted at 6 AM.
We finally started loading shortly before 5PM. Joyce and I had been assigned seats in the same row on opposite sides of the plane. We were able to switch with another passenger so we could sit together. He even switched again with someone else to help them out. Then the loaded plane sat. I was again monitoring aircraft comm and heard the cockpit crew call maintenance regarding what had been done on the plane. Apparently they had fixed one problem and deferred another, but they were written up opposite what the crew had been told and we could not legally take off until the paper work was correct. That took until around 6:30.
After we pushed back it took a short time before we could taxi as we were so late, then as we were moving they were trying to figure where we were going and which runway we should be sent to. Then I heard them advise the pilot our flight plan had expired and to have the company resubmit it. Finally, they got everything ironed out and we were on our way.
 Downtown Chicago as we are finally airbo... |
After a long, cramped, tiring, but uneventful flight we let down into London Heathrow.
 After a long, overnight flight we arrive... |
Did I say quickly on our way? We found a Princess agent who directed us to another agent who put a little blue sticky dot on our shirt fronts and told us where to go to wait. It was a lovely (not really), cozy (read crowed) location with just two or three ship's loads of people awaiting transportation along with anyone else who had arrived at Heathrow and who was trying to link up with someone. The seats were all taken and it was hot and stuffy (although it was only 60° outside). Aside from that it was just where I wanted to be after being cooped up on the plane for hours with little or no sleep and already being in a foul mood. After what seem like days, but I am sure was only hours our color sticky was called for us to get on the bus. We dragged all our luggage out front and shortly a truck pulled in to start loading the checked bags for the trip to the ship. After another few hours...okay, minutes a bus pulled in and we boarded. Once everyone was properly sweaty and about to pass out they cranked the engine and got the air conditioner going.
The driver told us we had about an hour and a half drive to the ship. Unlike our Norway cruise which also left from Southampton this time there was no traffic jam. We rolled along nicely
 On the bus headed from London to Southam... |
 Rolling through Southampton on our way t... |
We entered the cruise terminal into another goat rope. We have cruised enough with Princess to qualify for "preferred boarding" which I was foolish enough to think meant we would be expedited. Wrong! There were almost as many in the preferred line as in the regular line. However, there were 18 agents handling the regular line and 7 taking care of the preferred line. I saw one guy come in after we had been in line a bit. When I looked for him later he was already gone from the check-in area. The next time I saw him was on the ship as he was leaving his room while we were still looking for our room.
When we got checked in we moved to the next area for security. That was not bad although it was another bottle neck. Then we went upstairs (escalator) to a waiting area where we got a group designation to wait again until called to board. Again some people did not cooperate and felt even though they were last in they should be first out. Once our group was called we got to go down another escalator and then wait while small sub groups of our group were permitted to cross, when it was safe, a portion of the dock where forklifts were running past with containers of luggage.
Once safely across the dock we climbed a low sloping gangway into the ship where we had our pictures taken for our cruise ID cards. ONE gangway to load some 3,000 passengers! Finally we were aboard. All this seemed pretty bad while it was happening, but after a shower, a nice dinner with Jim and Carol, and a good night's sleep (we woke up at 9:30) none of it seemed quite as awful looking back.
We found our room and relaxed just a bit. Then we headed up to the Horizon Lounge for some food. While we were eating Jim and Carol found us. They had arrived a little later than we did as they came in from Copenhagen following another cruise on a different ship. We were really happy to see them and to know they had arrived in good shape after some travel adventures of their own.
After visiting with Jim and Carol we went back to the room. All our bags had arrived so we started unpacking. We had to go to Muster Station Drill at 4:15. I nodded off 3 times during the drill, but as you can see, Joyce was excited.
 The highpoint of the cruise for Joyce! S... |
We were napping as the ship left the dock to begin our cruise. I would like to have been outside as I recall this being an interesting and pretty area, but the reserves were long gone and it was time give the batteries a slight recharge if I wanted to make it through dinner without falling asleep in my soup.
After our naps we met Jim and Carol for our time before dinner. As it was Elton's birthday we raised a toast to him.
 A birthday toast and greetings to our go... |
