After a rough nights sailing we awoke at 8am, just as we were approaching the port of Rosyth. The ship docked bang on time at 0830 and so we ventured up to the Lido buffet for breakfast. We planned on getting off the ship at 9:30am, so that we would have plenty of time to get into Edinburgh and ultimately tour HMY Britannia at Leith.
The ship's daily newsletter informed us that coaches would shuttle us from the ship to the terminal building, as passengers were not permitted to walk around the port. The distance to the terminal was not far at all and the time it took for passengers to board the coach and disembark again, wasted a lot of time. The newsletter also stated that there would be a free shuttle to North Queensferry and Dunfermline. When we arrived at the terminal, we were greeted by large queues of guests all waiting for the free service. Shuttles ran every 45 minutes and volunteers informed us it would be quicker to take a taxi, as the next bus would already be full up. With this in mind, we joined the taxi queue where we waited for over 30 minutes. Eventually we hopped in a taxi to Inverkeithing railway station and caught the first train to Edinburgh. By the time we boarded the train it was already 10 past 11. The journey took us over the impressive Forth Bridge and offered a glimpse at our ship in the distance.
Arriving in Edinburgh, we walked along Princes Street and caught the bus service to Ocean Terminal where the Royal Yacht is berthed. By the time we arrived, the time was coming up to 1245. With the long delays we had coming stuck in our mind, we decided that touring Britannia would not be a safe idea, if we were to get back to Rosyth in time for 4:30pm. With a quick change of plan, we grabbed a sandwich at Ocean Terminal and caught the next bus back into Edinburgh to where we had just come from! It would have been great to tour Britannia, but it would not be worth missing the cruise ship. By this point, the sky grew darker and the rain started to fall. We alighted the bus outside St James shopping centre and stocked up on snacks and drinks for the cabin. For £2, we had 4 litres of Coke, which on the ship would cost £2.05 just for a can! It seemed other guests, as well as crew had had the same idea as us, as they were returning with carrier bags full of food and drinks.
We arrived back on board just before 3:30pm and although we still had time before we sailed, we certainly would not have had time to visit Britannia. We departed as scheduled at 5pm and set sail along the Firth of Forth passing under the spectacular Forth Bridge. A passing train sounded its horn as we passed under it. By this time it was five to 6 and we had a quick dash to get ready for evening meal. One of the couples who had been on our table the previous night were eating in the Yacht Club, so we had two new people join our table, who boarded the ship in Hull, but wanted to change to the 6pm sitting.
Tomorrow, we arrive in Lerwick at 1330 and depart at 1930.
The ship's daily newsletter informed us that coaches would shuttle us from the ship to the terminal building, as passengers were not permitted to walk around the port. The distance to the terminal was not far at all and the time it took for passengers to board the coach and disembark again, wasted a lot of time. The newsletter also stated that there would be a free shuttle to North Queensferry and Dunfermline. When we arrived at the terminal, we were greeted by large queues of guests all waiting for the free service. Shuttles ran every 45 minutes and volunteers informed us it would be quicker to take a taxi, as the next bus would already be full up. With this in mind, we joined the taxi queue where we waited for over 30 minutes. Eventually we hopped in a taxi to Inverkeithing railway station and caught the first train to Edinburgh. By the time we boarded the train it was already 10 past 11. The journey took us over the impressive Forth Bridge and offered a glimpse at our ship in the distance.
Arriving in Edinburgh, we walked along Princes Street and caught the bus service to Ocean Terminal where the Royal Yacht is berthed. By the time we arrived, the time was coming up to 1245. With the long delays we had coming stuck in our mind, we decided that touring Britannia would not be a safe idea, if we were to get back to Rosyth in time for 4:30pm. With a quick change of plan, we grabbed a sandwich at Ocean Terminal and caught the next bus back into Edinburgh to where we had just come from! It would have been great to tour Britannia, but it would not be worth missing the cruise ship. By this point, the sky grew darker and the rain started to fall. We alighted the bus outside St James shopping centre and stocked up on snacks and drinks for the cabin. For £2, we had 4 litres of Coke, which on the ship would cost £2.05 just for a can! It seemed other guests, as well as crew had had the same idea as us, as they were returning with carrier bags full of food and drinks.
We arrived back on board just before 3:30pm and although we still had time before we sailed, we certainly would not have had time to visit Britannia. We departed as scheduled at 5pm and set sail along the Firth of Forth passing under the spectacular Forth Bridge. A passing train sounded its horn as we passed under it. By this time it was five to 6 and we had a quick dash to get ready for evening meal. One of the couples who had been on our table the previous night were eating in the Yacht Club, so we had two new people join our table, who boarded the ship in Hull, but wanted to change to the 6pm sitting.
Tomorrow, we arrive in Lerwick at 1330 and depart at 1930.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an archived blog series written in March 2014, originally appearing on our sister site, rcifans.com. Some content and references may be outdated.