Celebrity Constellation
Since Rowan and I were going on Vision of the Seas on the 3rd May 2009 from Harwich, we travelled up the day before.  My friend Robin Prichard picked us up from Victoria then drove us to Harwich.  It was the beginning of their cruise season, with Celebrity Constellation being the first ship.  I hadn't seen her since my cruise ended on the 30th April 2007 when she went from Southampton to refit and tranferred power from gas turbine to diesel-electric.  They'd also added the annoying Celebrity prefix, which makes their ships' names right mouthfuls.  2009 was her second season doing Baltic cruises from Harwich and her last from the UK.  In 2010 she would be moved to Amsterdam while the new Celebrity Eclipse would have a handful of Baltic runs from Southampton.  Rowan had never seen a Celebrity before.
Connie was due to sail at 5pm so Robin drove us to the Harwich Foot Ferry, where Pam had told me to watch the ships from.  It was miles away from the Premier Inn and no signs until you were practically on top of it!  It's a wooden jetty and a bit like Town Quay, including its own irritating fishermen getting in the way!  It was pretty crowded as well but still some good places to stand.  She left late.  I got chatting to a bloke who worked for the port after I'd told Rowan and Robin this was her last season.  He had no idea.
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			(C) Copyright Patricia Dempsey 2nd & 16th May 2009 Not to be reproduced without permission