We then had a taxi take us to the port. Before really being able to see our ship, the Carnival Victory, we saw Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas and a Princess ship. They look so much bigger in person, like giant floating buildings. Our ship was huge too, very grand and sort of elegant.
I really enjoyed the whole boarding process, probably because I was just so excited to be trying something new. We arrived a little bit early, so there was a short wait before we could board, but once we got on the ship we ate lunch on the Lido deck, and walked around a bit before settling into some lounge chairs to wait for our room to be cleaned.
The room was honestly smaller than I expected. It would be very difficult to fit 4 people into one of those rooms, but doable I guess. The balcony was so worth it though. It’s not that you’ll spend a whole lot of time in your room or on the balcony, but to wake up and be able to see the dock or port as you’re pulling in, or to look out at the dark sea as the waves break from the ship, well it’s very impressive and relaxing.
Once we were able to drop off our carryons in our room, we decided to head out and explore Old San Juan a bit. Narrow streets are lined with tall houses all painted in eccentric and playful colors.
Flowers hang from the balconies,
and each door is unique and so sturdy looking. You can shop for the kitschy tourist stuff, and there are even a few designer stores for those who are interested. 
That night was an open seating dinner, and then the dreadful muster drill. I know, it’s for our safety and required, but I felt it was poorly executed. The cruise line crams everyone into two areas, and the people who arrive on time to the drill are forced to the back of the line which gets very hot, and claustrophobic. On top of that, you can’t hear a word of what is being said, so in an emergency situation, I would not have known which life boat was mine any way, only what deck it was on. Past guests did say it took an unusual amount of time to complete the drill, so I take comfort in the fact that my next cruise drill should be a little less tedious.
After returning our life jackets to the room, despite battling fatigue, we decided to head to the deck for the sail away party, because really, how can you miss the ship pulling away from the dock for the first time? We didn’t stay very long, but we decided to try the pizza. We weren’t too impressed with it, but it worked for a quick snack. Plus by getting in that line we ended up meeting a couple who would become our "Show” friends. They were from Oklahoma and had just barely boarded the ship before the muster drill, missing dinner. I think it was Wednesday before we learned their names. (Dan and Kristy)
It’s funny like that on a cruise ship. You talk to the same people over and over again, but they all get nicknames. Like this couple got that name since we ended up sitting with them for almost all of the shows we attended in the theater. They said the same thing about us. They had called me “Candy Girl” as I had a bag of candy with me for most of the shows.
After that it was off to bed, where the gentle rocking of the ship quickly lulled us to sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment