Day 1 - Embarkation Day

We woke up fairly early after a great night’s sleep in a very comfortable bed. It was a pretty early evening as I didn’t even make it through a whole episode of The Crown. We went for a walk along the water and saw our home for the week across the water. After the walk, we popped back into Whole Foods. I thought we’d grab a quick pastry but after seeing the salad bar already set and so fresh looking, we both made a salad for breakfast.

Chris’ parents met us in the lobby at 11 for the short Uber ride to the pier. We were boarding group 2 and didn’t have to wait long for a quick check-in. I thought it was pretty neat that I could use my photo from my last cruise.
We entered the ship and were wowed by the decorations. They really put a lot of effort into decorating the ship. We each grabbed a champagne and I gave them a tour of the ship. It felt good to be home!

We decided to have another drink in the Cove before lunch which was in Waterside. Everyone started with the seafood plate and enjoyed the starter. For lunch, Chris and his mom chose the Prime Rib which was cooked perfectly. Chris’ dad ordered the salmon and loved it. I went with the butternut squash ravioli which was good as well. For dessert, Chris and I ordered fruit while his mom chose cheesecake which she said was just how she likes it. Chris’ dad ordered cheese and fruit. I think he was a bit taken back by the pungent cheese so we had a laugh over that.

After lunch, we went up to the bar outside of Silk to get another drink. Chris grabbed his dad a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to try. We tried two of the gin and tonics (London Spritz and Grapefruit) which were both tasty. Chris’ mom enjoyed a rose wine and Dad ordered Tommy’s margarita. All excellent choices.

Around three, our cabin was ready. We took them to the cabin and we watched the Eagles game while we unpacked. We are on deck 7 with an unobstructed view. It was almost time for our guest to depart so we went to the Cove for a goodbye drink. I think they were sad to go and might have gotten “crystallized” after a few short hours!

The muster drill was relatively painless. We didn’t not need to bring life jackets and your room key is quickly scanned to take roll. At the very end of the drill, we looked out on the water to see dolphins playing. What a great send off!

We returned to our cabin to change for the evening. As we left the cabin, we could hear Louis singing so we stepped out on the promenade to hear it better. Sail away is always a special time, it never gets old.

We had dinner reservations at Umi Uma at 7. It was a little early so we popped into the Avenue Saloon for a cocktail. We decided to try a new Manhattan. Chris ordered the Fig which I chose the Make the Mark. Both were lovely drinks. His was on the sweet side while mine had a more alcohol taste since it also has Bristol Cream in it.

We made the short walk to Umi Uma. I have dined here on the first night of all my cruises so it is now tradition. It was a spectacular dinner. Chris let me do all the ordering and he said I did a great job. I ordered chef’s choice of sushi/sashimi, lobster tacos and lobster tempura to share. We each got mushroom salad and the Wagyu beef. We washed it down with the delightful Nobu Chardonnay. A phenomenal evening of food made even more enjoyable by the gentlemen sitting next to us who were fun to talk with and taught Chris about the fresh wasabi.

After dinner, we went to Crystal in Motion with was entertaining. We powered though the evening by going to Palm Court to dance. We met the dance hosts who seem great! I shared a few dances with them and Chris. We went back to the cabin around midnight. What a wonderful first day!