The key saga...ah yes.  So there I was, around 11 PM,  having limped back on blistered feet to my cabin, with a newly recharged key card in my hand... and again it would not work. The light kept flashing red. I checked carefully that I was on the correct deck - because I have been known to try to get into a cabin with almost the same number - just on the wrong deck , but I was definitely outside my own cabin. I was tired and annoyed by now.

So I hobbled back to the purser who looked at me sceptically and issued yet another card. I have lost count of how many card replacements we have had for this cabin. I tottered back to my cabin, having taken off the high heeled dance shoes once I hit the carpeted corridor that led to my room.  By the way - do you know how many synonyms there are for hobble? I counted at least twenty including teeter, shamble, shuffle, dodder ... but I digress.

This time the purser arranged to send  someone to meet me outside the cabin door.  I arrived first. The light turned orange not red. I thought this was an improvement but the door still would not unlock. When the duty steward arrived, he said that someone must have locked the door from the inside. I thought Karen must have arrived back but she normally would not lock the door. Anyway I banged on the door, and she opened it.

We checked the key- light turned green. Hopefully that concludes the key saga.

Next morning we got up early. No room service on disembarkation day, so we had a quick breakfast at the Lido buffet. I was scheduled to meet up with Raoul, Nancy, Deane, Connie and Dean as we all were sharing a van back to the Heathrow area. Nancy and I was staying overnight at the Heathrow Sheraton, and had booked a Thames Cruise. The others were all flying out the same day.

The night before  when I attached the label to my case I looked it and though how flimsy they were, and wondered how many of them get lost when the porters take the cases off. Why oh why did I even think that? because that's exactly what happened to me.

Once we disembarked from the ship and entered the cavernous  shed where the luggage was stacked, it took no time for all in our group to find their cases in the right section.  Mine turned up twenty minutes later in the "unlabelled" area. I think the others were ready to go without me but fortunately they stuck it out and I joined them in the van.

The ride out to Heathrow was relatively quick, and we said good bye to the travellers and headed off to settle in at our hotel.

So my summary of this cruise: I really loved the Queen Victoria - great ballroom, nice Club Hemispheres dance floor and I like the Host program. Excellent restaurant service and good food. The shows that I saw were terrific and the Royal Court Theatre is impressive. I did not post a picture of that earlier so there are two views shown above. Actually it is fitting to end this Travelblogue with  pictures of a theatre since on my return to Vancouver I have six shows to review for Theatre Seen at reviewfromthehouse.com in the first two weeks that I am home.

One thing though: On my upcoming cruise on the Queen Mary 2 I definitely plan to check out at least one meal in the Todd English Restaurant, and try to get to some of the many non-dance events such as the lectures. Oh- and keep up to date with my posts. Guess I just won't sleep.