Happy New Year to all!!
Well, here we go again, on another Grand World Voyage. It seems like we just got back from a long sailing, and yes, we did. In September, we took three back-to-back cruises to Alaska and stayed onboard the Zaandam for the Tales of the South Pacific. We had a mere 5 weeks to squeeze in several doctor and dentist appointments, getting the house and garden in shape, and factor in Thanksgiving and Christmas. The time flew by as we enjoyed visits with the kids and grandkids, as well as good friends.
The luggage service that Hal uses picked up our eight pieces of luggage on December 12th. That seems like a lot of stuff, but these days the bags have to be airline size and weight. What fun we had weighing each piece over and over until we got it right. One piece of advice to those folks that are considering a grand voyage…..don't wait until the last minute to pack. With lists compiled over the years, we have it down pretty good. And it still is stressful. At this point in time, if we forgot anything….it's too bad. And there is always the chance to pick up things along the way. A nice touch, thanks to our travel agency, is the fact they offer a shopping service through Walgreens where we can order online, pay for it, then pick it up at our hotel before we board the ship. Good idea for those who are afraid to pack liquids.
As always, we like to be in Ft. Lauderdale a few days early, so we left today, on New Year's Day at 4am. Good timing because there was little traffic on the freeways as well as at the airport. The drive only took a little over an hour. Check-in was easy since we only checked one bag. Going through the TSA check was different. This time, we were advised by a very happy and loud airport agent that said to leave everything in the carry on luggage, computer bags, and purses. Only kids over 12 years old and adults up to 75 had to remove their shoes. It was disappointing not to be asked why we did not remove our shoes, assuming we looked over 75. Drats!
We had time for a leisurely breakfast before boarding the plane at 8am. And this is a story in itself. After booking this flight and the return one home in May, we attempted to upgrade our seats to first class by using frequent flyer miles. Sounds simple, right? Well, not so easy. We were put on a wait list to use those miles, and were not informed until 24 hours prior to flying if we were successful. Good friends who are in United's top echelon said this approach seldom works…even for them. Despite being # 2 and 3 on that list, we did not get it. The flight was totally booked. So we learned that United will sell those first class seats before letting folks use their rewards. Sure doesn't seem fair to us. However, second best was booking Premium Plus, which was located near to first class with lots of leg space. Passing the time by watching two movies and some old TV shows, we landed early in Ft. Lauderdale.
Taxis were waiting outside the baggage area, and we were at the Renaissance Hotel near the cruise port within minutes. Even at 5:30pm Eastern time, there was no line at the desk, and we were in our spacious room on the 10th floor by 6pm. Having shared a soda and two tiny bags of snacks on the plane, we were ready for dinner. Salads and burgers were our treat tonight. And two 22 ounce draft beers….something we have not enjoyed since our last cruise in the fall. Back at the hotel, we stashed our things for a three day stay and hopefully, a good night's sleep.
And the adventure begins…….
Bill & Mary Ann
