At about 11.45am today the engines started and Yachts of Seabourn's new ship Seabourn Odyssey finally set sail for a 30-minute cruise to Venice. OK, not very far, but the cruise from the port has to be one of the best in the world.
We sailed past St Mark's Square, heaving with people as always, and the Doges Palace and now we are moored a 15-minute walk from St Mark's. Plan Z on this ever changing itinerary is that we'll be heading out to sea at 5pm for a quick spin around the Adriatic, then coming back to the port for the night.
Then tomorrow all the journalists and travel agents get off, making way for the really important people - the paying passengers.
In a major break from tradition, all 450 of them will become the ship's godparents (well it would be embarassing for the men to be godmothers) tomorrow when the ship is officially christened here in Venice. Their names will be engraved on a plaque displayed on board.
A bottle of prosecco - Italian sparkling wine - will be smashed against the bow, which has raised a some daft comments about Carnival Corporation's cost-cutting.
Yeah, well naturally they will be looking to save a few euros here and there given they have committed to spend almost $1 billion on three new ships (there are another two sisters to follow Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn next year, another, as yet unnamed, in 2011).
I think I'll go with president and CEO Pam Conover's explanation - that it is fitting to break a bottle of Italian fizz on a ship that has just been built in Italy.
I just hope they have a smashing time.
Jane Archer
