First Day Upon the Sea, October 29, 2007

We're here, we're onboard. It's been a long day but a fairly enjoyable one. We headed to the pier just after 11 am, parked, schlepped our luggage to the x-ray machine and checked in. We were on the ship very quickly. We managed to get into our cabins around noon which was a bonus as they weren't technically open until 1 pm. After scoping out our very small sleeping quarters we headed upstairs to the Palm Buffet where we had a very decent and satisfying lunch. This was followed by forays into all the different venues in the ship, trying to memorize where everything was and failing. It's not a huge ship but still large enough with lots of lounges, bars and stuff to see.

Muster drill was a drag at 4:15 until 4:45. They made us stand outside for like 10 minutes! We didn't even have our jackets on. After this we grabbed out outerwear and went topside for the sailaway party. After procuring a tropical drink in a keepsake mug, we listened to the Caribbean music being played whilst the wind was blowing and we sailed out of Seattle. Couldn't take it for more than a half hour so we went back to our cabins for a little downtime and then off to see a comedian in the theatre. He wasn't too bad although I've definitely heard funnier. Our dinner seating was at 8:30 pm so we went to the dining room and had some amazing food. It was all so good. I had Montrachet Goat Cheese with Potato Gratin, an Iceberg & Roquefort Cheese Salad followed by Braised Short Ribs with Polenta, then an Apple Tart with Butter Pecan Ice Cream and Caramel. Yum! All tasted sooooo good.

After dinner we did a trivia type game thingy in the Pavilion Lounge. It was fun but we didn't win. Oh well. Followed that with a $10 loss each in the casino (Gary and I) then to the cabin. It's not even midnight and we're ready for nighty-nights. After all, it's a big day in Nanaimo tomorrow!