Off to the Baltic!

Captain’s Log, October 18th: A good start to our second cruise, starting from London. This time we’re off to the ports of the Baltic Sea.
Our route  takes in many countries, the highlight being two days in St Petersburg, Russia. The cruise is somewhat unusual in that there have been various offers to over-65 groups, as a result of which nearly all passengers are aged over 70. I’ve nothing against old people, after all my grandmother is old too, but I have a feeling that it may present complications. This evening it took forever to get them all into the dining rooms, so heaven knows what would happen in an emergency. Still, it was Mrs Negibi’s idea to make the offers, and as she is the owner of the vessel, and pays my salary, who am I to criticize?
We were due to sail at five in the afternoon, from our mooring in central London, on the Thames, but boarding took longer than we had planned, meaning a two-hour delay. But still, we are on the way now, down the Thames estuary to the North Sea.

I do have a slight concern about the engines. They took a lot longer than expected to be repaired after the last cruise, and we’re now assured that given their age, they’re as reliable as can be  expected. All the same …