Getting up at 2am, we realized that it was going to be one very long day. Our limo arrived at 3:30am sharp, and we were off for a traffic-free ride to the San Francisco airport. Since it was Saturday, there was little traffic.
We wondered how busy the airport would be at this hour. To our surprise, it was quite busy. Our first stop was checking our luggage, after we did the painless kiosk. Remember the days when the agent at the counter did all the work? Now you print your own luggage tags, pay for them, and gather your boarding passes. Now all the agent has to do is weigh the bags, and point you to the security checkpoint.
This time we did not luck out and get the TSA approved passes. So the shoes, jackets, and belts had to come off (how rude), and not only the computers out of the case, but the big camera had to be double checked outside of the bag. At least we had time to spare.
A shared breakfast was perfect at the nearest restaurant. The coffee sure tasted good by now. And the gate was right next to this café. We boarded around 6:30am, and were flying after 7am. In a couple of hours, we were landing in Seattle after a smooth flight with cookies and coffee.
Since we have done this trip several times, we knew how to access the waiting area for the bus transfer to the ship. Besides the Eurodam, the Ruby Princess, and the NCL Bliss were in port. We understand that the Ruby was headed for a dry docking, but we cannot confirm that. One of the freeways was closed down, so the alternate route took us longer to get to the pier. Almost an hour’s ride, it was OK, because we had arrived early, and the ship may not be ready to let us board.
Even though there were many people, we never waited long in a line to get checked in. Of course, there is a priority line for suites and 4 & 5 star Mariner members, which was moving quickly. By the way, we did not have to fill out the health questionnaire this time. Truthfully, how many people will admit that they are ill when boarding anyway?
So we got the wonderful welcome with an escort to bring us onboard. She delivered us to the cruise director, Towanna Stone, a former Miss Tennessee USA, no less. She gave us a proper welcome, then turned us over to Tatania from Guest Relations. Finally, she escorted us to our room, which was ready and waiting for us. We certainly appreciated this perk, since no one else was allowed to enter their rooms yet. Maybe the suite folks, but that was all.
The head of housekeeping followed up with a visit, along with our room stewards Erik and Henky. Every single request we had made prior to the cruise was complete. All we needed to do was relieve them of the “towel animal” duty, since we have seen them all. We figure this would give them some extra time to do other things.
Time to go in search of food before an invitation to the Mariner Society welcome gathering. Pizza, of course, was on our minds as a light lunch option. The Lido, as expected, was getting quite busy by noontime anyway. On our Eurodam trip last year, we remembered the pizza to be excellent, but today was a bit of a disappointment. First we had Caprese salads, then shared a Margherita pizza at New York Pizza at the Seaview Pool. The crust was paper thin, almost resembling a wafer-like consistency. Pre-made? We’re not sure, but it was not the same as they had last year……more bready-like we are used to. Perhaps this is a good thing, because we are trying hard to keep the calories within reason this time.
We did check out the sandwich section in the Lido to find that the array of sandwiches were displayed open-face, so we knew what we were getting. Again, we shared a torpedo sliced beef roll. Very good and fresh as well.
Back in the room, some of our luggage arrived, and we took the time to stash our stuff. We headed up to the Crow’s Nest, but realized we were in the wrong place for the Mariner party. It was held in the Billboard Onboard instead. Truthfully, with all of the cards and invites we had piled in our room upon arrival, it’s no wonder we got it wrong. Anyway, we were in for a big surprise………two friends from previous cruises were sitting right there beyond the receiving line with the Hotel Director, Glenn Cowley. By the way, Captain Eric Barhorst, is the master of the vessel, but was not present by the time we arrived. So our unexpected meeting with Johnny and Yvonne, both Dutch, was really like homecoming. They have been on back-to-back Alaska cruises, and will be on this one we are doing. Always fun to catch up on our travels the last few years.
Muster was at 3:15pm, with a warning: be there, or you don’t sail! It was well organized and as brief and precise as we remembered. Moving about 2100 passengers with this drill is a feat in itself, as we understand this sailing is fully booked.
Back in our room, the last of our luggage had been delivered, so we stashed it all with room to spare. We could not have gotten by with less than three pieces of luggage, although we did spot some folks boarding with eight bags. That would have been us 20 years ago, we have to admit.
Dinnertime came for us at 8pm. One of us was soooo tired, it could have been skipped. Heaven forbid we miss a meal. Snacking on the trays of lovely food that was gifted, along with room service cheese plate, we polished off the bottle of champagne while enjoying the sailaway from our veranda.
A fellow named Dede was our waiter, even though the sign said we had another waiter. Many times, these guys are switched around between sailings. Soup and salad would have been sufficient, but we added a pasta and chicken entrée. Proud of ourselves, we skipped the bread and even dessert. Hope we can keep this up for another 24 days. During the meal, we had several visitors, including the dining room manager, head waiters, and a familiar beverage assistant from the Amsterdam. All of these fellows knew our names, and greeted us properly. We swear there is a photo of us posted in their quarters so we can be identified personally. You know, like a wanted poster.
Sure was nice to climb between those fresh, crisp sheets while experiencing the rolling of the ship as we sail north to Juneau. We have a list of questions for the guest relations people, but tomorrow will be soon enough to figure it all out……especially the internet, which has changed since we last sailed. Be back tomorrow with more info…..
Bill & Mary Ann
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