Weds., 2/2/2005
Afternoon traffic was a nightmare, plus the bridge to Condado is under renovation, so even worse than normal probably. It takes us about an hour to go get the bags and return to the pier.
Embarkation is a breeze. We literally just walk right on. We checked our bags with them, exchanged our passports and cruise ticket for a little vinyl wallet with our boarding card and cabin keycard. The guy who took our bags walked us over to security screening where they x-rayed the rest of what we were carrying and through a metal detector. Then up the gangway. I felt like I was being deloused at the top of the gangway at the hand sanitizer. But, Debbie told me not to take it personally and that it was to keep away Norwalk virus and standard procedure. OK. Anyway, before my hands had dried at the top of the stairs we were greated with the offer of champagne and a security photo then, an escort to our cabin. Lovely. The ship is really beautiful inside even if it appears a little odd from the outside. We wait for one of the glass elevators and then go up only 1 floor and our cabin is just off the atrium. Very convenient. It is a very attractive cabin, if small, but the trade off is the very private balcony and I will spend many hours here enjoying the views. Excellent.
I took pictures while Debbie got us unpacked, the bags stowed under the bed and the bed mat put away. It is a tight space but has lots of drawers and she gets our little bit of stuff put away without trouble. It is only a 4-night cruise so we have packed exceedingly lightly. This would not be a fantastic cabin for a long cruise though. Debbie usually brings her own toiletries but since this is a short trip and she has read rave reviews of RSSC's toiletries she left her own at home. Unfortunately, the "refreshing body wash" is made with aloe. She is allergic and does not read the bottle until after she feels it burning. She rinsed off quickly, got out of the shower for her glasses and read all the labels carefully now. Strangely, the body wash is the only product with aloe, usually you find it in lotion. She had brought several Olay daily facial clothes, so she uses those to bathe now and hereafter, but the hives do not abate for 24 hours.
After we have showered, we change to our after 6PM clothes and take a tour of the ship. We had to go to the reception desk to get a deck plan. But, the receptionist there was very courteous and highlighted the main things, like our cabin and the restaurants for us. I asked him how many people were aboard and he did not know for sure. I asked him how many laps around the track for a mile and he said good question, he did not know. OK. After our tour, we came back and told him 13 laps and he told us just over 200 people between 200 and 300 and that we were nowhere near capacity of 350. OK.
I was extremely disappointed to find no treadmill in the fitness center. I admit I am an addict and now I have no laptop and no treadmill. I am denied my 2 extreme vices on vacation!!
We went back to our balcony to have a private sailaway. Good thing! Rough water. Debbie has been taking meclizine continuously since before she left home and now she is also cranking up the voltage on her Relief Band. But this ship has a weird motion. I think that the twin-hull design that has it sitting on such a wide stance so high above the surface of the water may make it worse riding in big swells like this than an ordinary ship with stabilizers below the water's surface. It is a disturbing motion, not a regular rocking and rolling ship motion and I don't get sick but I don't like it.
Debbie is green and sweaty. Rut-roh.
