A Very British Ship

The ship was British so many ways we almost felt like we were back in Cambridge. 

The Guests: Guests are at a minimum 80% British.  This isn't only because of Fred. Olsen's marketing profile, it's by fiat.  According to Marketing Director Nigel Lingard, they cap the number of non-Brits at 15-20%.

The Pub: Ah, a "true" British pub. With Bass Pale Ale on tap!  And even a British band -- no Filipino cover artists for this vessel.

The Currency: All prices are quoted in pounds sterling. But this actually isn't as bad as you might think.  A 330ml can of Becks is just GBP 2, or around US$4.  A little more than on a US ship, but less than I paid for a small glass of orange juice the last time I was in London.

The Food: No, I'm not taking a dig here.  The food in the lido looked quite all right, if somewhat plainly presented.  (And what they served us at the press party was very fine....) But I was very amused to see that the condiment tray included to ketchup, but did have HP Sauce and something called "gravy glug".

(And yes, there were mixer taps.  Thank goodness.)

So, if you're a Brit, or an Anglophile, you will feel right at home.