Sometimes the anticipation of a very busy day ahead causes problems with sleeping. That was the case last night, as both of us did not sleep as soundly as we should have. However, the buffet breakfast provided at the Hampton Inn was more than sufficient to get us going at 9am. The dining area was far less crowded today, as all of the Disney folks had left yesterday. Today, the crowd was looking more like the HAL variety with far fewer kids.
The best thing was that the weather had improved, the sun was out, and it was promising to be a fine day to be outside. So we headed out for a short walk to the pier, where the Amsterdam had docked sometime very early this morning. Which was probably about the time we finally fell asleep. At the entrance to the terminal, we inquired as to when we could check in, and we were told by 10:30am give or take a few minutes. The ship may not be ready to allow the incoming passengers to board until somewhat later, but we were assured we could wait comfortably in the terminal until that time came.
As we were strolling the waterfront, we ran into friends Denise and Howie, doing much the same as we were. Always great to see them, we shared news about home with the power outages, fires, and extreme winds. They confirmed what a mess we had all left. At least the fires were doused, the winds were subsiding, and the power would surely come back soon. No homes had burned in our area, thank goodness. Another wind event was predicted for Tuesday, but hopefully not as intense. All of our lives have been dealing with mostly earthquakes, so these conditions that have happened recently are pretty new to us. Bottom line: Mother Nature has a mind of her own.
Back in our room, we packed our luggage, and headed slowly back down to the pier. Yes, we could have gotten a complimentary shuttle from the hotel, but they did not leave until after 11am. The route they would have taken went to the airport first, then back to the pier. So we figured by the time we did the round trip ride, we could have walked there in a quarter of the time. Worked just fine, since we only had three suitcases and hand carries.
At the gate entrance, we were directed to pull our luggage to the parking lot, where porters collected them. Glad to be free of those, the next time we will see them will be in our room. The xray check had a long line, but arriving this early, we had plenty of time. The ship was scheduled to leave at 11pm, giving ample time to enjoy the day in the city again. As expected, the new leg brace set off the beeper, but with a quick wand and pat down, I was free to go. Next were the two lines for check-in. One was for 4 & 5 star Mariners, and the other was for the remainder of the guests. With this cruise not a Grand voyage, there was no line for suites and President Club members. Since the 4 & 5 star line was longer than the regular line, it was suggested by the shore team to go with the shorter regular line, which we did. Mistake, since the priority line was taken ahead of us. Oh well, live and learn. And we still had plenty of time, we kept reminding ourselves. The check-in process was swift, and they did have the updated info with the room change.
The size of the crowd had grown significantly by now, so we were seated in the front row for the supervisor to escort us and another President Club couple onto the ship. That happened in about ½ hour, getting us boarded by 11:30am. From there, it was like a homecoming. Our first greeter was Philip, the chief of the dining operations, and a good buddy. He even double-checked to make sure our new room assignments were complete, before we all headed up in the elevator. Good to go, we locate our room on deck six, which will be enjoyed for the next 7 weeks. In the past, we have done a few world cruises in this type of room, but we did notice that the layout is different from the outside cabins. Noticeably narrower, we remembered that the actual size of the veranda room seems slightly more compact that the outside category. The desk is longer with more drawers, but the shower-only bathroom is smaller as well. Very nicely remodeled however, with glass door shower, new sink and counter with a three-tiered glass shelf, and a shelf under the sink. The space for toiletries seems to be ample enough. Missing is the extra-large closet that is near the desk in the outside cabins. Since we brought far less stuff for this trip, we still have ample space to stash it all. We were happy campers to find two trays of fresh fruit and chocolates left on the coffee table, as well as a bottle of champagne on ice, and two bottles of alcohol, compliments of Orlando Ashford and the Mariner Society.
We had an invite to the Crow's Nest for a 45 minute 4 & 5 star Mariner reception at 1pm, but we decided to pass on it. Too early to indulge with champagne for us, we would save that for later in our room.
The luggage had not arrived yet, as it all had to go through security xray. Already, we had noticed that some folks had gotten messages in their mail slots to go to the front desk since prohibited items had been found in their luggage. In fact, we even received a note in our room with that same general message. This was a first. Other messages were that we would receive an English language newspaper daily, and the bad news was that the dry cleaning facilities were out of service for the duration of this cruise. Thank goodness, the regular laundry service was still intact.
With nothing more we could do to organize the room, we took off to enjoy a walk and lunch in town. The weather was just too nice to stay on the ship. Muster was scheduled for 4:15pm, giving us about 4 hours to explore. So we headed for The Cheesecake Factory near Seaport Village. Since we never had wandered out of the village, we never knew that restaurant was located there. For a Monday afternoon, it was surprisingly busy at 1pm. If we wanted a booth, there was a ½ hour wait, but there was seating at the high top tables in the bar, and that was perfect for us. The food and service were excellent as always, and even though the ample servings of cheesecake looked tempting, we decided on small scoops of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in the village. Following the waterline, we passed the Fish Market and the Bob Hope dedication.
Slowly walking back, we made our way to the offices on deck three to search out the housekeeping chief, Shiv, who we owed many thanks for outfitting our room as requested. He is the best. Jacques, the head wine sommelier, was next, and we would search for the hotel director, Henk, later, as he was not in his spot. It felt like we never left here, since the time from May has flown by all too fast.
Back in our room, we discovered all of the luggage had arrived. We also met our room steward, Gede, who could not have been nicer. He took out a few items we did not need, and offered to do whatever he could to make us comfortable. What a crew they have here. On our end, we do try to keep things orderly, and seldom bother them for much. There was a little time to unpack before the drill.
At the muster drill, we did recognize many folks, even if we did not recall their names. Our guess is that the long-traveled guests that usually sail the grand Asia, have substituted this cruise instead. Captain Jeroen Schuchmann, along with the cruise director conducted a speedy muster drill, while we kept watch for seals in the harbor. Only saw a few seagulls.
Unpacking took the rest of the afternoon, followed by sharing that ice cold bottle of champagne while testing out the veranda chairs. We were well relaxed by 7:30pm, the fixed dinner seating time. That came as a surprise, since traditionally, the time has always been 8pm. Suits us fine. Our table was 81 on the railing, a four top set for two. The menu had many selections, but not as extensive as on the world cruise. One of us had chicken Caesar salad, and the other smoked mozzarella chicken…..both very tasty. Portions sizes were just right for us. Dessert was tempting, but we passed, knowing we still had a platter of fresh fruit in our room.
There was one show time featuring Amsterdam's Entertainers in the Mainstage at 9:30pm, a better time for most guests. No Happy Hour tonight, although most folks were happy to turn in early for the night including us. The ship left the pier sometime around 10:40pm, slipping away quietly into the mighty Pacific. It had been one long day, but it has started off and ended quite well.
Bill & Mary Ann
