Time to Board... Oddly emotional
Our arrival time was set for 12:30pm but our hotel check out and the drive went quickly. At 11ish, we found ourselves driving into the parking lot. The new check-in process is so efficient, no one waited in line. We breezed through… barely had time to admire the lobby as we walked to the ramps onto the ship. No more waiting to reach the desk… just an agent with an ipad processing passports and confirming our registered credit card. Before we knew it, we were on the ship!
In an attempt to avoid the crowds, I led my friends to the closest elevator and on up to the pool deck. Usually there is a “sail away” party but the weather changed those plans. Thankfully, the pool bar is under cover so we bellied up to enjoy our first cocktail at sea in 33 months…
This being a first cruise for our friends, excitement is definitely in the air!
With every step, memories of past cruises flowed through my mind. Entering the promenade area, I pictured a ceiling of balloons from NYE past, Halloween costumes parading through… dance parties… so much fun in these areas of the ships!
Realizing it was time to teach my friend the finer points of cruising… we headed off to surprise our spouses with decorated doors! My wall is also decorated with my belongings… At home, I have a special box of decorations for every holiday, every season. Decorations for the door and inside the cabin. Family photos are set by my bed…in essence, I make the cabin my home.
Night one… back in the Diamond Lounge for cocktail hour. One of the best perks of Royal Caribbean is that after 80 days of cruising, the member is invited to a nightly cocktail party complete with appetizers. The service is always top notch. We have made many friends over the years.
On the ships, every night is “date night”. During the work season, I save all of my $10 bills for nice wines on the ships. It might not sound like much, but it adds up quickly… as a Blackjack dealer, I get tip money plus a $10 bill for helping to compute the tip money. It takes five minutes to do… but funds my wine. We get dressed up every night, visit a specialty dining venue and enjoy a nice bottle of red. Back in my element…
First night, dinner was enjoyed in Chop’s Grille. All four of us purchased the Unlimited Dining Package so we could visit a specialty restaurant each night.. Appetizers, main course, dessert… black pepper bacon, goat cheese salad, bone-in ribeye with mushrooms. Not one for dessert, I watched the others gobble up theirs. Needless to say, we waddled out!
In case you’re wondering… our dining neighbor was quite the character. Seems we keep running into him around the ship!
After dinner, we headed over to Duck and Dog Pub. Located just off the promenade, it’s a great place to people watch. Most nights there is a guitar player to entertain the patrons. Of course, we had to sing-a-long…
