Ventura: Embarkation and Sailaway

We are on board P and O Ventura heading through the North Sea towards the Faroe Islands. The sea is very calm, and the Norfolk coast is to our East, though not visible. After a tiring day yesterday, it is great to be surrounded by ocean, with the prospect of two sea days before we reach our first port of call.
With the house sitter installed, and instructions left re watering plants etc, we were in our taxi by 10.30 yesterday morning for an uneventful journey to Southampton. However once in the terminal, we discovered that the air bridge had broken, and we found ourselves held up for over 90 mins before we could board. The atmosphere was humid, and you could feel the growing stress levels of the waiting passengers. It was with relief that we finally entered our beautiful cabin at about 3 pm. The Champagne was waiting.

With the introductions from our cabin steward and the mandatory muster drill at 4.30 pm, we barely had time to empty one of our three cases, before Ventura set sail at about 5.30 pm.
The outside temperature was warm and you could sense the diminishing passenger stress, as we all emerged onto our balconies or the open decks to watch our departure from Southampton.

There were three other ships leaving the port, and we enjoyed listening to the blasts of each ship's horn as they greeted each other in the sailaway.

Explorer of the Seas was the first to set sail followed by Queen Victoria and finally the impressive Queen Mary 2.

I am looking forward to the first meeting of our facebook group today, but before that I still have two cases to unpack!