ALL ABOARD!!!

At Sea/Grand Princess
January 17, 2009

Yesterday, we boarded the Grand Princess about 1:00 p.m. Our cabin and balcony seem huge compared to other ships we have been on—plenty of lighting, storage closets (separate from our sleeping area), mirrors, a refrigerator, hair dryer, a nice desk, and safe, etc. Right away we teamed up with a couple that writes on Cruise Critic (a web site/bulletin board devoted to cruising). Brian is a firefighter from Ukiah, California with lots in common with Tim. Our “Cruise Critic” Sail Away party was held on deck amid raindrops and 62 F weather. Good-bye Fort Lauderdale! We toasted friends and family who we wish could be with us.

We explored the ship somewhat—Tim bought the coffee card and I got the Coke card—unlimited! We switched to anytime dining. We signed up at the Internet Café, checked out the Casino (very very big), 13 different bars/lounges, 3 large dining rooms, 2 restaurants, the Lido Deck buffet, a pizzeria, a grill, and of course, room service, the boutiques (3), the show lounge (where every single seat is a good one).

For dinner we met our new CC friends, Brian and Nancy (CA) Donna and Lawrence (WI), Vickie and Bernie (Vancouver), in the Michelangelo dining room—we did have a bit of a wait for a table because passengers are getting used to a new routine. Our new friends are a humorous bunch who have cruised together before.

After dinner, we went to the short show, an introduction to the Princess singers/dancers and the crew. It was evident travelers were weary.

We retired about 11:30 p.m., ready to rest!

Gourmet delight of the day: super shrimp cocktail, crisp and perfect Vietnamese spring rolls, prime rib cooked just right, the New York cheesecake was sooo good.

TK’s Takes: Boarding was very efficient and painless—very little wait time. He enjoyed the mushroom soup, flourless chocolate cake, and the prime rib.

January 17, 2009
Cloudy, near gale winds, supposedly 70s F, but I am cool...

We got up about 7:30 to the knock of room service with my coffee and fruit. By 2 p.m. TK already has played in the slots tournament and I have purchased the boarding photos-we are easing into our regular pattern!

Our Cruise Critic Meet and Greet included about 50 people-from CA, KS, MI, WI, TX, MA, NY, FL, England, UT, every Canadian province, and others! A great moment was when I met Ken, a World War II Tuskegee Airman who gave up a personal invitation to the Presidential inauguration to be on this cruise. I hope to talk to him more. Almost 15 ship's officers attended, including the captain, cruise director, hotel manager, purser, engineers, and others. They were very friendly and stayed for many photos.

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