Miami/FL - Transatlantic NCL - Feb 2025 - Chapter 08

Chapter 08

We arrived at the port of Southampton ahead of schedule at around 06:00.

Since it was going to be a long day, I treated myself to a hearty breakfast at the Garden Café on Deck 15, taking the time to reflect on the Atlantic crossing. It had been 13 exciting days, and such a journey really makes you realize the vast distance you cover. By plane, you’re across the Atlantic in no time. By ship, it takes over a week, giving you plenty of time to slow down and unwind. I really enjoyed it, and I’m now planning to do a trip like this once a year. Let’s see what +1 thinks of the idea. 😊

At around 07:30, I disembarked and headed to the terminal’s waiting area. Since passports had already been checked on board a few days before disembarkation, the process took no more than 10 minutes. We had picked up two UK customs officers in the Azores, who conducted a mandatory passport check on board. I assume there were some concerns that the new ETA process might lead to longer wait times. However, I don’t quite understand the worry, as the ETA for non-European guests had already been verified during embarkation.

At the terminal, I quickly spotted my tour guide holding an “International Friends” sign, as today’s trip was heading to Stonehenge. By 08:30, our small travel group had gathered, and we set off in a half-empty tour bus, heading non-stop through the New Forest and Salisbury towards Stonehenge.

Right on schedule at 10:00, we arrived at the visitor center. The park has its own shuttle bus service, so I switched buses for a short five-minute ride to the actual monument.

This was my first visit to Stonehenge, and I have to say, the place is truly magical. Our tour guide shared all kinds of fascinating details about its history. It’s incredibly impressive to see the monument up close, especially when you consider that it was built over 5,000 years ago.

After the tour, we returned to the visitor center, where I picked up a few souvenirs for +1 and +0.5 before we continued our journey to London at 12:00.

Our next stop was Heathrow. Surprisingly, there was very little traffic around the airport, so I was able to leave the bus at 14:00 and head to Terminal 5 to check in my luggage.

At that point, my gate hadn’t been announced yet, but I still had more than three hours before BA0932 would take me back to DUS. So, I took the train to the B-Gates to escape the hustle and bustle of the A-Gates and relax in the Galleries Club Lounge.

I really liked the lounge—there weren’t many people, the food was great, and overall, I found the atmosphere very pleasant and relaxing.

My flight was scheduled to depart from Gate A06 at 17:20, so I made my way back to the A-Gates in good time. This time, however, I didn’t take the train but walked through the tunnel instead.

The tunnel is quite fascinating. I was completely alone on my way from the B-Gates to the A-Gates, and it was almost unimaginable how much hustle and bustle was happening four floors above me at that very moment.

BA0932 / G-EUYM was operated today with a 13-year-old A320. While in the lounge, I had secured seat 2C, allowing me to board first. Right on time at 17:20, we took off, heading back home. Since I had already eaten well in the lounge, I declined the onboard meal service and was content with just some water.

More than 20 minutes ahead of schedule, we arrived in Düsseldorf, and I headed straight to baggage claim. At that point, I had originally planned to take the train home, so I was relieved when my suitcase arrived quickly. My train was supposed to leave at 20:10, so I hurried to the airport’s Skytrain to reach the station.

Unfortunately, once I got there, I found out that my train was delayed by 50 minutes. Welcome back to Germany. Since I had no interest in waiting that long and didn’t want to deal with transfers while carrying my luggage, I opted for the next available taxi to complete the final leg of my journey comfortably by car.

By 21:00, I was finally home, happy to be reunited with +1 and +0.5.

The end.

Written on February 20th, 2025 by Thorsten Scherf travel miami ncl