What a day it turned out to be. Exciting, but exhausting for sure. The weather was in our favor with cooler temps but clear skies. Going out for breakfast at our favorite Joe's Café, it was a bit nippy. Boy, the coffee tasted better than ever. The restaurant was really full by 8am, and it was then we remembered there were seven ships in Port Everglades today. Two of them were Celebrity, two more were Princess, and two more again were Holland America. The odd one left was a Disney ship….one of their newest ones.
The plan for today was to bring our one suitcase down to the lobby by 9:30am. We stuffed it with as much as we could, making our hand-carries a bit lighter. A bus was waiting for our group by 10:30am, and we were off to Pier 26 at Port Everglades. This hotel is a great location since it is close to the port and full of stores and eateries. We highly recommend staying here before or after a cruise.
Once at the entrance to the terminal, we all pointed out our suitcases, then the porters took them away. We would see them later. Unless for some reason, they did not pass the xray scan. Sometimes that happens with all of the baggage if you happened to pack some things that are not allowed. Rules change all of the time, so it is best to read the details before hand.
We entered the door marked for priority boarding, although our boarding passes were not checked. No one had to fill out a health form like we used to. The first step was passing through the xray station. One of us with a new knee most always gets stopped for closer scanning. Today was no different. It took one minute, and by then all of our things were through the scan.
The next stop was at a camera station for facial recognition, passport check, and boarding pass scan. We had been asked to have copies of our passport pages, and yes, we did, but they were in a folder in another bag. So they made copies right there, and kept them. And that was it. We did not have to go to the desk for anything else. The room keys would be in our mail slot. And if we were lucky, both of the key cards would work (sometimes they do not). Boarding began at 11:30am sharp and the top groups were called. That would be President's Club members and Neptune folks. Our official greeters were Kimberly, the cruise director, Henk, our hotel director, and Captain Friso, who will be our driver for half of this cruise. We were into our room before noontime. Easy.
We are in a Signature Suite once again this year, but not quite as spacious as the one we had last year. That room was one that had an angle window with a smaller veranda, but a little more space in the room. We were still able to fit three sets of portable drawers in the room, which will work out quite well. We met our room steward, Nana, who seemed pleased to have us. He took care of most all of the details and requests we had made previously. The room was filled with gifts of sparkling wine, sodas, trays of canapies, and flyers with our perks that are tied to this suite and our Mariner status. One nice perk this year was getting complimentary internet (Surf package). We instantly signed up and paid a bit extra for the Premium plan.
We were able to stash most of the things we had in our hand-carries, but had to wait until the rest of the luggage arrived. Upon arrival, we had a "Today's to do list", which laid out the time for the emergency muster station drill starting at 2:30 to 3:30pm. Not everyone complies with this order, because we always hear repeated pleas for all to attend. Then we had to watch the safety video on our TV from beginning to end. Then regular programming would resume.
There were instructions on etiquette and dress for a Grand World Voyage, and how to install the Navigator app on your phone. Except for us….we don't own one. There was a place for internet questions and one for dining options. But first and foremost, there was the strong warning about hand washing stations and sanitizers around the ship. In other words, use them often. And report any illnesses to the medical staff.
We had no time for any activities with the exception of enjoying almost bottomless flutes of sparkling wine in the Lido pool area while having a nice conversation with one of our travel agency's owner. We only had time for a quick hello last night at dinner, so this was perfect to catch up on news. Then we went off to the Lido for a refreshing salad and one slice of pizza. By the time we got back to the room, all of our luggage had been delivered.
The rest of the day was used to unpack to the point we could see the bed again. The other ships left one after the other, leaving us behind. It is not often that we leave on time, but today we did…..right after 7pm. We watched the sail away from or veranda. For a change, passing by the highrise apartments, there was not a cheer or a horn to be heard. The ship headed out to sea, and we headed for dinner.
There was no problem with getting our table at the railing at the late seating. We ran right into Asep, the Assistant Maitre'd, who we have known for years. The last time we sailed together was in 2020, when the cruises were halted due to Covid and we were all sent home. It has been five years already. Anyway, we met our new waiters and enjoyed a dinner of Caesar salad, shrimp cocktails, and pork tenderloins…..all served in a timely manner. Usually we don't have dessert, but there was room for a scoop of ice cream and a lemon tart. No coffee, since we want to sleep really good tonight.
The show tonight in the World Stage was a preview of the voyage presented by Kimberly. She does a great job with these presentations, and it will be repeated tomorrow at 11am for those who miss it tonight.
So much for day one……
Bill & Mary Ann
