Day 2 …. we Cruise!
The free hotel wifi last night was great, but it also allowed a nasty virus in, and I was up very late getting it off the computer. Grrrrrrrrr….
Up around 8, and a nice breakfast by the pool. I could get used to that! We weren’t on a tight schedule, which was nice, since the transfer bus was not due until noon. Nice trip to Miami (about a 45 min ride) and then we pulled into the Port of Miami, and there it was… looming over us… the Carnival Glory. Its sister ship, the Valor, was also in port. Security and check in for the thousands of people (about 1500 for each ship) was surprisingly quick and smooth. Preparing all the paperwork at home and printing it off is a HUGE time saver. A walk up the glass enclosed gangway, and we were on board! And wow … it’s massive! So high up, and so long. We were told that our bags would be taken to our rooms, and we were directed to the Lido Deck (Deck 9) for lunch. What a spread! Took a little bit of everything, and it was delicious. My nephew (another pro cruiser) took off and found the grill, and came back with a burger and fries. There’s food everywhere!! And, with only a couple of exceptions, it’s all included! OMG- this is a dangerous place!
Then off to check the rooms. We are down on Deck 2, along the very back of the ship. Nice windows (don’t open of course) with lots of light. My room seems to be the largest, with a sitting area (nice couch, armchair, table, etc.). I’ve stayed in smaller hotel rooms. You can really feel the engines here … but it makes it feel more like a plane than a ship, so my tummy is doing fine. There was a mandatory lifeboat drill, which is just fine with me. I could feel the engines start up, and I could feel us moving out from the pier, but no one else could. But then again, my sense of motion is extremely fine (hence my predisposition to motion sickness). Went out on deck to watch us leave, and take pics of the gorgeous Miami waterfront (some of those place cost more money per month than I make in a year!). We were escorted out of the harbour by armed coast guard boats- who were having a lot of fun, zooming around in figure 8s and using the megaphone to get us to wave.
Leslie’s wedding planner came over during our meal and introduced herself (Agata) and the photographer (Kerry). They finalized a few things and arranged to meet us in the morning at 9:15am. Leslie has a hair appointment at 7:30 am, and the wedding is on the island (Half Moon Cay) at 10:00. It’s the only port that we don’t dock at, so we have to “tender” (take a boat from the ship to shore).
It started to rain, and got quite windy, so no evening strolls on the deck. We did go to a show at the “Amber Palace” - a welcome cabaret-style show. We sat in the balcony. I thought it was to get good seats. I realized later that it was to put us outside the victim… I mean, “volunteer” range for some of the acts. Whew!!
Browsed some of the shops, drooled over some Charles Winston jewelry, etc. Bought a nice cream coloured pashmina. Might be nice for evenings on deck. Then I picked up what’s called a “fountain pass”. Alcoholic and soft drinks are not covered by the cruise cost, and I was told you could get a pass for soft drinks for about $12, which saves a fair bit on my diet colas…. Well, I should have confirmed that price before buying … was horrified to see that it was $48!! Gack! I will have to drink a lot of soft drinks to cover THAT cost!
Busy day tomorrow, so back to my room around midnight to write this, and head to bed and watch some TV. (They actually get TV here- didn’t expect that. Thought it might just be movies, old shows, ship programming, etc. )
Will post this whenever I get ‘Net access. Means no Astrophe update today, but she did have the day off from the vet, so I know she is OK.
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