Day 1: Setting off from the UK
Firstly, a big thank-you to my Mum and Dad for preparing us boys a massive roast dinner feast before we set off. Having ate like Kings, it was now time to say our goodbye’s to everyone back at the house and head off down to south to the ferry port. The four of us strap up and slowly begin to familiarise ourselves in what will be our homes for hours at a time in the not so distant future. (That’d be the cars in case you were wondering…).
The journey down was uneventful which wasn’t a bad thing. The only priority we had is to reach the ferry port on time. The rain hammers down outside, we can’t wait to escape this poor excuse for British summertime weather!
Here are Alex and Ben. Note the un-impressed look on Alex’s face. We later discover this isn’t because of the rain, rather Ben’s right hand has got a little close to Al’s gearstick if you catch my drift. (Cleverly positioned out of the all-seeing eye of the camera). Time and place Kennedy!
I’m happy to say we arrive into Plymouth on time and having reached the port, this beauty awaits us!
This is the flagship model with swimming pools, a cinema and pretty much everything else! Not that I got to enjoy any of these amenities as you’ll soon see why… We park-up the cars on the ship and dispose of our baggage back in our 4-berth cabin. Don’t be fooled, it might be 4-berth but it’s tighter than Alex’s dust-covered wallet.
Still, we were happy we booked a cabin as the journey isn’t for the faint-hearted – it’s 24 hours long!!!
Immediately dumping our stuff we get to explore the ship and its not before long that we’ve made it out onto the deck and seize a photo opportunity of the next Westlife 🙂
A few of hours into the journey and we’re officially in the Bay a Biscay territory (sea). Dad warned this would be rough and it really was. Not that it seemed to effect the rest of the gang but it certainly did me……..and in a bad way! I was about to discover that I do really do suffer with sea sickness as you’ll see from my drained, pale face……..oh and a sick bag!
Despite it being blatantly obvious that I look ill, some of those panheads (I later discover) think I’m putting it on !??? It’s only when I start wondering off on my own all over the ship (mainly in search of fresh air on deck) do their simple minds start to think maybe he is in a bad way. The guys go to the front desk and ask for some sickness pills for me. I neck em and continue to wonder aimlessly around the ship looking like death’s door as I’m still in a bad way…Come on pills please kick in!!!
I find the guys a couple of hours later (at the bar of course) and tell them I have no other choice than to retire to our dorm despite it being only 8pm. I visit the front desk on my way back for more pills. The lady asks:
“Sir, have you taken any of these pills in the last few hours because if you have we can’t give you any more due to the potency of them”.
I can report that for once I had no problem bending the truth and saying “No, these would be my first so don’t be shy, hand em over”.
As the other three gentlemen gambled the world away at the bar and talk about the wonders of the solar system, I proceeded to spew THREE times within about an hour when I got back to the cabin. Bad times 🙁
Thankfully though those pills must have worked a treat as I remember very little from the night before. This morning I woke feeling fine. As for knowing that we were literally a couple of hours away from docking in Spain. Well, it felt fantastic.
Below Kennedy sneakily captures a “recovering” Sami.
Anyway, hopefully things are now on the up…Europe here we come!