I Left My Laptop at the Cruise Port – Here’s What Happened

A few years ago, when I was quite new to YouTube, I was invited on a trip onboard P&O’s Britannia.

I sailed to the Norwegian Fjords from Southampton, and I had a wonderful week away with my mum.

I always tell people to double-check their bags before boarding a cruise…and yet somehow, I managed to forget my laptop at security.

I was sailing from Southampton on my first-ever press trip. P&O had invited me onto Britannia to see the first performance of a new show called “Astonishing.”

This magic show, produced by Stephen Mulhern and Jonathan Wilkes, was very entertaining and was enjoyed by everyone onboard.

After the performance, I stayed onboard in a balcony cabin for a week. We enjoyed a wonderful – if slightly damp and foggy – first trip to the Norwegian Fjords.

I was already feeling a bit stressed when I arrived at the terminal in Southampton.

I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. I also wanted to make sure I made some good content.

I brought my laptop along in my handbag, so that I could work whilst I was away.

At security, I put my laptop and bag in a tray together, but the staff moved the laptop to another tray to be screened separately.

I picked up my bag on the other side, completely forgot the laptop was no longer in there – and carried on my merry way.

I was really looking forward to seeing the “Astonishing” show. I knew there would be plenty of well-known British celebrities onboard and we had a great time spotting the famous faces.

I was blissfully unaware I’d just left behind the one thing I actually needed to work.

It wasn’t until I got to my cabin after watching the Ashtonishing show, and having drunk a few glasses of champagne, that I realised it was missing. My heart sank.

I called the port straight away, as we were still docked alongside.

They confirmed they had the laptop, but because the ship was already boarded and I’d officially checked in, I wasn’t allowed to leave to go and get it.

I spent the entire cruise hoping my poor laptop was safe, locked away somewhere in Southampton port.

I took lots of videos and photos on my phone, but I couldn’t get on with any of the other work I had intended to do.

Luckily, the port security team handed it over to the ship when she docked back in Southampton. On the morning of disembarkation, I was able to collect it at reception. I was SO relieved!

Let’s just say I definitely won’t be doing that again.

Now, when I go through security, I never leave without making sure I have my phone and my laptop with me. I need both of them for working while I am on a cruise.

This was back in the day when I used to make diary-type cruise blogs.

I never liked getting up early to film while the ship was empty or documenting my every move, every day. That is why I moved on to the story-type videos I now make.

Have a look at my early video here:

Before You Go

Find out how much a Norwegian fjords cruise might actually cost you here:

How Much Does a Norwegian Fjord Cruise ACTUALLY Cost? (16 Examples)

Find out how P&O differ from Royal Caribbean here:

7 HUGE Differences Between P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean