Embarkation Day and first sea day

Seeing as embarkation of the MS Spitsbergen was taking place on the west coast of Scotland, our morning was taken up with more railway journeys. We had to get the train from Edinburgh, change in Glasgow and then travel on to Largs, from where an HX shuttle bus would take us along the coast to where the ship was docked, in Fairlie. Thankfully all the connections went like a dream and three hours after leaving Edinburgh we were checking in for our trip.

Quite why HX use Fairlie as an embarkation and disembarkation port I don’t really know. It’s a small port/ fishing village in the middle of nowhere with no facilities whatsoever. Having said that, I suppose it’s a convenient stop for their Scottish Isles cruises, especially when the next itinerary is heading northwards. Anyway, Southampton cruise port it is not!

Formalities over, we were soon on board and trying our best to familiarise ourselves with the layout of the ship. Thankfully with only 5 decks usable by guests, it didn’t take too long. We had the mandatory safety drill (which included the correct usage of arctic survival suits and emergency pack), whilst in our cabins we had the HX standard gifts of waterproof jacket, baseball cap, plus chocolates.

Dinner is buffet style and drinks are included in the package. We then sailed away just after 8 pm once the pilot could be found, but in waiting we, plus the other 119 guests, were treated (if that is the right word) to the local pipe band serenading all with an assortment of the usual Scottish tunes.

We now have a couple of sea days before we reach the south coast of Iceland. Although the sea cannot really be called “rough”, the movement of the ship is very noticeable and great care needs to be taken when moving around. I’ve witnessed a number of plates and glasses ending up on the floor already. The larger cruise ships which we have often sailed on before are certainly a lot smoother than our little vessel.

The expedition team on board are well organised and definitely very enthusiastic about everything! Their life revolves around the land based excursions, giving talks and lectures, photography, sampling, data collection of flora and fauna, birdwatching, whale watching, atmospheric observations, citizen science projects and beach cleaning. All guests are known as “ explorers “and it’s hard not to get caught up in their enthusiasm and encouragement. However, I would envisage that all guests on board have at least some kind of amateur interest in one or more of the above mentioned topics so it’s all quite fascinating!