As great as it is to be in port and see new cities and places for the first time, it is equally nice to have a day in between to sleep in a bit, with no place to be.

However, I should point out that my husband and I have very different ideas about sea days. I like to lounge around in my jammies and order breakfast in the room. He likes to be up at the crack of dawn, get some exercise, and stop at the buffet for breakfast. I like to find a quiet place to read, write or just watch the world go by. He likes to be entertained non-stop, 24/7. I simply don’t need all that distraction. We both do agree, however, on the pool, sun deck and promenade deck. A refreshing dip, a lounge chair on deck, an umbrella drink in hand, and a walk around the promenade deck are perfect ways to spend a sea day. Unfortunately, this ship on this particular itinerary did not provide any of that – except for the drinks – they were in abundance. There is no promenade deck on the Ocean Princess, and it was too cold in the British Isles for serious sunning and swimming.

When standing outside by the pool among all those empty lounge chairs, Ocean Princess looked like a ghost ship. Ordinarily, when all else fails, there is always the casino – except when sailing around the British Isles. British maritime law prohibits ship gambling when in close proximity to shore, so the casino remained closed throughout most of the cruise. While there were production shows, comedians and music to find around the ship in the evening, entertainment during the day was in short supply. Even for me, it was a struggle to find something to do on the two sea days. There is only so much reading and writing I can do, and trivia and line dancing just wasn’t doing it for us. Fortunately, the art auction provided some distraction for David, and loads of free champagne as well!

Today was the first day of this cruise without a raindrop, and partly sunny skies prevailed, making it possible to actually sit out on the balcony. As we continued our journey from Greenock, rounding the northern coast of Scotland to the next port of Edinburgh, we could step out and admire the majestic rocky cliffs and the most beautiful sights we’ve ever seen. I had no idea the Scotland coastline would be so magnificent, and I could have sit on the balcony and stared at this beautiful scene all day. Who needs trivia and line dancing when beautiful Mother Nature beckons just a glance away!

By the way, today was my husband’s birthday. More balloon, cake and singing waiters!

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