First a bit about our ship, from what I learned on Wikipedia. The MV Hebridean Princess is a cruise ship which is operated by Hebridean Island Cruises. She started life in 1964 as the MacBrayne car ferry and Royal Mail Ship, initially RMS then MV Columba, based in Oban for the first 25 years of her life, carrying up to 600 passengers, and 50 cars, between the Scottish islands.

She underwent a major refit at George Prior Engineering in Great Yarmouth in 1989, emerging as the cruise ship, MV Hebridean Princess. She began operating on 26 May 1989 and provides cruises around the Western Isles of Scotland. More recently, itineraries have been extended to include Ireland, the Orkney and Shetland islands, the Norwegian Fjords and the Isles of Scilly.

Initially, she retained a car-carrying capability, giving the option of leaving at intermediate ports. However, within two years the car-carrying capacity was removed, and additional cabins constructed. She now has a crew of 37 and 50 passengers.

The Queen apparently likes the Hebridean Princess. From July 21^st to July 29^th, 2006, she chartered the ship for a holiday around the Scottish Islands to mark her 80th birthday. Then in 2010 the Queen chartered her for another holiday around the Scottish Islands, sailing from Stornoway on July 23^rd for two weeks.

If it’s good enough for the Queen, I was sure it would be more than good enough for us

I tried to make the booking many months ago, but it was sold out, and we were placed on the waiting list. Luckily a cabin became available, and the sailing date coincided well with a Queen Mary 2 crossing, so the bookings were made. I was interested in the comparison between the 2,600-passenger liner and this little 50 passenger cruise ship.

We flew to Glasgow from Southampton after disembarking from Queen Mary 2. After much too short a visit with a school friend and a husband in their lovely cottage on Loch Fyne, they drove us to Oban to embark on the Hebridean Princess

We were told that embarkation would be between 3:30 and 4:30, but when we arrived at the harbour at 4:00, we were asked to go away and come back in 20 minutes. So, we had a bit of a wander around Oban with our friends.

Finally, the moment arrived, and rolling our large suitcase and 2 carry on bags down the hill to the ship, we were ready to board. Well not quite. This is still COVID time.

The pre sailing information said that we were required to show proof that we were fully vaccinated and complete a health questionnaire. We also had to show proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours, thus the test we took at Southampton airport. They also said that we would have another COVID test done before we could board. We felt comfortable with all of this, and on arrival we were expecting to show all of our documentation. All they asked for was our names, and we were referred to the hut where the COVID testing was done. We each did our own nasal exploration test, and sure enough a couple of minutes later we were declared negative and permitted to board. This was certainly an improvement on boarding in Brooklyn, but interesting that they obviously trusted that we had complied with their preboarding instructions!

You don’t get that wow feeling you get when you board a Cunard ship, but you get that warm feeling that you are entering a piece of history. The ship is smaller than the ships I used to go on with my parents in the 50s and 60s, but it has exactly the same feeling. I love it!

The cabins are named after local Scottish islands and castles and the like. We are in the rather ignominiously named Isle of Muck, very conveniently located right next door to the restaurant. The cabin is small, but has 3 large windows, plenty of storage space, a comfy bed, a fridge filled with drinks, and a desk and chair.  Oh, and a small decanter of whisky and 2 glasses. The adjoining bathroom is of a very good size, with plenty of storage space, a heated towel rail, glass shower doors (Cunard, are you listening????), and a shower head with fantastic water pressure. I could stay here for way more than a week!

We unpacked and then explored the ship. It is very tartany and tweedy – but I love that. The main lounge is at the front of the ship and has a great view of everything around us, and a fireplace which I am sure makes it the best place to be on cold Scottish nights. All of the public rooms are decorated in the same sort of Scottish country club style, which works very well, and I love the wood paneling in the dining room. There is plenty of outdoor space on the rear and upper deck, and proper teak decking. Everything about the ship is perfection!

While we sipped champagne, the chief purser, Lyndsey, gave us a welcome on board talk, and introduced us to Malcolm our guide, and Dave Saxon and Roger Morgan Grenville the speakers on board for the week. Then the captain announced that we had had a change in itinerary due to bad weather, and we would make our first stop on the Isle of Eigg. Sounded good enough to me. Then we all went outside for lifeboat drill and learned how to put on our lifejackets. It was just like the old days. As it turned out, so are the lifeboats.

Then it was time to get ready for dinner. They have assigned seating in the dining room which I love, anytime dining just doesn’t work for me. The singles on board sit at large tables hosted by the speakers, and the couples sit at tables for 2. Works for me.

I was disappointed that we would only be cruising for a few hours, and then would anchor overnight. One of the things I love most about being on a ship is letting the motion rock me to sleep, so I was upset that we would not be on the move. They started the engines, and I could quite see why they do not sail at night. The ship was shuddering, bells were ringing, everything was shaking, and it was very noisy. No one could sleep through that. I think the captain had made a good choice.