The day has arrived. The pier is about 1 and 1/2 hours away so no air flights needed. I try to make it easy for everyone so I ask my daughter to drive us to the flyaway, and she offers to take us all the way to the airport. About 45 minutes drive to the airport, (thank you dear daughter) and we go to the first terminal for "Arrivals" baggage claim area and see the familiar Princess reps with their blue vests on and clipboards in hand. After we check in we wait about 30 minutes or so for the first motor coach to arrive. Our driver is a one man comedy show all the way down and working hard for his tips. Once we get off we give our bags to the porter to check in and another tip. Let me tell you, it is well worth it. No one else was doing it, and you have to check your big bags in. You can only take your carry on with you.
Seamless check in and off we go to the TSA check (only it's not TSA but similar to it) and meet up with my sister and friends. Lucky us we are Platinum so we get priority embarkation, but only after all the elites go on first. 5 more cruises and we get to be the smug ones!
Our room isn't ready yet so we hoof it up to the Sanctuary, because lesson learned if you read my previous review on Mexico, we didn't get there fast enough and lounge chairs were sold out. When you get there you get a ticket like at BaskinRobbins and wait for your number to be called. While we were waiting, my husband says...."Hey I went to school with that guy over there". And also if you have read my previous posts, you know my husband has this weird facial recognition thing. So he walks over there and yep.....40 years later he says "Mark? I went to high school and grade school with you". Well knock him over with a feather because he remembers him (of course with out the grey hair) and can't believe that he recognizes him. He was on there with his wife and we meet up with them throughout the cruise, and have the best time with them. This was definitely the cruise of friends and family.
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| THE SANCTUARY |
After reserving the lounge chairs for 3 different afternoons for 6 people, we decide to find our room. This one is definitely one my favorite, secret places. We have an oceanview on the Promenade Deck #5. Let me tell you why it is my fave. It's really quiet. You go past the Piazza through the Art Gallery and through a side door opening to get to your cabin. There is a wall between the hallway and everything else. The international cafe is literally 20 cabins away, great for waking up and walking over to the IC for coffee and possibly breakfast. The Good Spirits Bar is right next to that, and a few more steps to the dining room for dinner. Everything is close by. When you need to get off on port day you just go down one flight of stairs, and that really makes a difference when you are getting back on board and everyone is taking the elevator. We just go up 1 flight of stairs and we are home. Also the Theatre is up one flight of stairs. So after the late show when you are tired, you just go down one flight and bam, you are home. Big secret, don't tell anyone.
We check out the room, head out to lunch, meet all our friends and wait for the sailaway party. We have a great group on this cruise. My sister and her good friend, my other sister and her husband, my brother in laws friend (couple whose wife happens to be a mutual friend from many years ago), another traveling friend of ours and 2 new friends from the Sanctuary. Cruises are a lot more fun with friends and family.
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| Me and My Sis |
We all meet up in the dining room. Sometimes we make reservations, sometimes we don't. It's never a problem getting a table.
We go to the late show in the theatre for the Showtime with Comedian. Just let me say ...... I usually am super happy with all the shows and appreciate all the great performers. This one....not so much. He wasn't so much of a comedian that we usually see, but more his experiences where he went performing shows. People were falling asleep, leaving, not laughing. It was bad. I didn't want to leave all though I really wanted to. One friend sneakily left, then my sister started scooting out one chair at a time, and then snuck out, and when she did the people that she had to pass thanked her because it was their out too. We were pretty tired after that so went straight to bed.
Tomorrow is sea day and I'm ready for a relaxing day.
#cruiselife #Cruising #Vacaylife #travelingtheWorld
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