Sunday, July 11 – Embarkation
Well, I get up kind of late, around 8:30 in the morning. Of course it is 5:30am where I live (so maybe it is not that late). I get showered and dressed and then go online to see if anyone is still posting on the roll call thread (there was). Then I play my favorite computer game (Civilization IV) for about one hour, and then it is time to check out and go.
First there is the thrill ride to the port. Now I think I know where thrill ride developers get their ideas for the rides that they create. We spent a lot of time in the fourth lane of a three lane highway. Apparently lane changes are allowed if the vehicle’s front wheels are in front of the other person’s bumper. The classic situation arose when we were in the left lane trying to make a right turn, the person in the right lane was trying to make a left turn, and the people behind us were all making sure that their horns worked.
Somehow we made it to the port in one piece at around 11:00am. To my surprise Princess was already checking people in. I was given boarding number 62. I figured that meant that I was the 62nd person to arrive. No, but more on that later.
There was no line (okay, I waited less than one minute as there was someone in front of me) and the check in process went quite smooth. Then I was directed to the big waiting room with the other steerage class passengers (the ones with less than 50 Princess cruises and not in a suite). There I meet one of the people from our roll call that made up some shirts for us. There were four people sitting together (Mom, Dad and two daughters) with the right color shirt on so I just assumed (correctly in this case) that I found the right person (turns out there is another group on board celebrating an anniversary with the same color shirts and writing – though the message is different). I had sent him a check for $12 two weeks ago, and he gave me my shirt and $2.00 and said $10. At first I thought he was so used to tipping people that he tipped me $2.00 out of habit. But it turns out the shirts were only $10.
The family with the shirts had two numbers. Why two numbers? Apparently there is a limit of two people per numbered card. What are they going to do, split up a family?
Soon they announced that they would call numbers, after the rich and famous had boarded. They start with number fifty. Why fifty? I don’t know, that is the number they started with. Lots of people had fifty. For all I know, I might actually have been the 62nd person there.
At any rate soon it was my turn to board. The security photo is taken as you board the ship. On all my prior cruises the cabins were not ready until about 1:30pm. It was only 11:30am and our cabins were ready. Of the five cruise lines I’ve sailed with, Princess clearly is at the top of the class for embarkation day service.
So, after dropping off my carry-on I headed out on deck to take pictures. Lots of pictures. Over 460 and counting (the sun will set soon and I like to take sunset pictures too). I’m on my balcony right now typing away waiting for dinner (I have late dinner). I’ll provide more details about the cabin later.
After taking a fair amount of pictures I stop off and get a cooked to order cheeseburger. Though I did not eat breakfast, I am not all that hungry. I normally only eat two meals per day (except when I am on a cruise).
Then it is time for more exploring and picture taking. At this point I decide it is hot, and since I put a bathing suit in the carry-on (my luggage had not arrived yet); I decide to take a dip in the pool. The swim was just what I needed. Now it is time to head up to the bar on deck 16 overlooking the mid ship pool to meet up with the people from the roll call. As I mentioned before, this was the first time we would actually met.
After that I head back to the cabin to change. My checked luggage has still not arrived yet. On my way out I see one of the people from the roll call. I thought he had an aft cabin and I’ve got a forward cabin. He was walking with a purpose and told him he was as far forward as you can get. So he had a very long walk back to his cabin. However, at least he brought my luggage with him. It was at the bottom of the luggage cart. No matter, nothing in the luggage that could get hurt.
I decide to change into clean (meaning not covered with sweat) clothes and since it is close to the time for the muster drill, I just hang out in the cabin.
Princess has the muster drill inside, so at least we are not out in the heat (or at least what I thought was the heat). Also, we don’t have to wear our lifejackets. There are some announcements, a demonstration on how to put on a lifejacket and then we have to demonstrate that we can put on our lifejackets, the muster drill is over, and as far as I am concerned, the cruise now officially begins. Princess also gets high marks for the way it handles the muster drill (at least in my opinion).
Back to the cabin to drop off the lifejacket and it looks like the ship’s crew took advantage of the time to hose some things off. It is not until I get back on deck that I realize it had rained while we were at our muster stations.
We are late departing because not all the luggage had been loaded yet. We finally get going about one hour late and of course everyone is on the starboard side of the ship (the side with the Statue of Liberty). But by the time we get to the bridge it is raining again. I don’t mind, it is cool, and I could use a little cool right now.
The raining is falling at an angle from front to back. So I figure I’ll just wait until we pass under the bridge, and then shoot back toward the back the ship. Most people are trying to take the picture with the camera pointing toward the front of the ship and still keep the camera dry. Good idea, however, they are still going to have spots on the lens from where the rain hits it.
Of course when we pass under the bridge there is a big cheer. I decide to head back to the cabin and put away my clothes. The cabin is a good size. Instead of having drawers all over the place and a small closet, like I am used to, there is a large closet and fewer drawers. A better set up in my opinion. The sleeping area feels a little roomier with this setup. Also a nice touch is that there are two outlets over the desk (not counting the one in the bathroom that is for recharging shavers only). However, they are so close together that you will need a short extension cord if you want to use both outlets at the same time. For those that are interested, the safe is a coded safe. You enter a four digit number when you lock the safe, and enter a four digit number again when you want to open the safe. If the two numbers match the safe opens. If not, whatever is in the safe is safe from you. Once I put the empty luggage under the bed I start work on my review (this).
I like to sit out on the balcony and write my review. Right now it is after dinner and there is another ship out in the distance headed toward New York (or at least in that general direction). My balcony is about fifty percent larger than the typical balcony and it is half covered and half not covered. The balconies above me are all covered and the balconies below me are all not covered. So no one can look down into the balconies of the people above me. People can look down and see half my balcony. People can look down and see all of the balconies below me (so if you are in one of those balconies, don’t do something you do not want one million people viewing later on You Tube).
I picked the cabin all the way forward hoping that the space in front of me was public space and I would have easy access to a forward view. But this is not the case. The space in front of me is for the crew only (rats!). Just above me and a little forward of my balcony is the bridge. And, if I lean out I can get a good forward view. There is no chance I would fall in the water, since I would end up in the balcony below me (don’t worry, I’m not going to lean that far out, and if you are reading this, you can be sure I didn’t fall into the balcony below me).
I’ve been in a forward facing balcony cabin (going through the Panama Canal), so I was not concerned about having a cabin near the front of the ship (this is a side facing balcony). For those that don’t know, the front and rear of the ship pitch (up and down movement) more than the middle of the ship does. Even if it does get rough I am not worried – I brought ginger with me (not Maryann’s friend – this is ginger with a little “gâ€).
Well, I had to stop writing this so I could attend dinner (second seating at a table for five next to a window). My table mates are four lovely women from the roll call. I think we are all together because we have the same agent, who I assume linked us. Fine with me, I could not have picked better table mates. Many in our group opted for anytime dining. I prefer having a set time for dinner with the same wait staff.
I had the “five star†prime rib. Don’t know about five stars, but it was very good. I also had the floating islands for dessert, which was also very good. Our wait staff seem to be very good (as is my cabin steward) so this is looking like it is going to be a great cruise.
I ended up with 483 pictures today. We have two days at sea before we get to Grand Turk, so I’ll have plenty of time to edit the pictures later, and to take more of any areas I missed.
The sun set while I was at dinner. To bad, it looked like it would be a good one. But I didn’t want to keep my table mates waiting. As it is, we all arrived at the same time, so I think the waiter thinks we are all one group of five.
Well, that’s it for now. All in all a very good day (meaning that I fully recovered from the taxi ride). Back at you tomorrow.
