Dec 2
We slept in at the Hyatt Place this morning. I awoke early enough (10AM) to head down to find coffee. Both pots were empty :-( But the wonderful desk clerk checked “in the back” and found another pot. So Scotty and I got our coffee!
Called George and read for a while. Scotty showered … there's a story. The mat that we placed in the tub had suction cups on the bottom and they were deep enough that they made standing on them squishy. Squishy enough that we felt like we were already on the ship in heavy seas. Quite disconcerting.
We took the noon shuttle to the port and handed over our luggage then went to stand in line. The line moved relatively quickly and, when we made it inside the building, we were directed to the shortest line. Yea for taking the upgrade to a suite!! You will hear this refrain often.
Check in was quick and smooth and we headed up the gangplank to the ship. We were finally officially on vacation!
Our first stop was the Vista dining room. As Mariners (at least one previous sailing on Holland America) we could eat in the dining room, served by waiters, rather than struggling to find a seat in the Lido buffet area. I think there must have been significantly more Mariners than they anticipated because lunch was VERY slow arriving. Luckily, we are on vacation … no rush. Very nice people at lunch and at dinner as table mates.
Left the dining room to head to our cabin. We are, indeed, at the very aft of the ship, in a HUGE cabin with a wrap-around deck. We have plenty of room between the beds and the couch, a desk for my computer next to the TV. The entrance is a little funky because we are in a corner cabin. We have two full closets with both hanging room and shelves. One of the closets is in a dressing room, with a vanity seat and makeup mirror. This leads into the bathroom, with double sinks, a Jacuzzi tub, and a separate shower. I could get used to this!
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| Dressing area |
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| Separate Shower |
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| View from entryway |
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| Balcony looking forward |
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| Balcony looking to port |
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| Double sinks |
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| View toward entry |
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| Couch and sitting area |
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| Bedroom |
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| Jacuzzi tub |
We did the lifeboat drill that is required on every sailing. At least they no longer require us to take our life jackets with us on the drill. So we didn't have to head back to the cabin when we were dismissed. And it's much more comfortable standing around without having to wear the life jackets.
We then headed for the spa, because we had to purchase our trip-long pass to the hydrotherapy pool and thermal suite … ahhhh. Oh, of course we had to enter the drawing for free spa treatments. Bummer, won nothing :-(
Went back to the cabin to take advantage of the view as we sailed away. Gift for suite occupants … a bottle of champagne! As we started to unpack we decided it was wonderful to have so much room for hanging clothes and drawers and shelves for miscellaneous stuff!
Spent some time chatting with Jack the techspert. He teaches the Microsoft classes. I noticed he had a Kindle Keyboard so we chatted a while about Kindles and I promised I'd bring him my Kindle Fire to play with. Techies are everywhere!
Purchased a 250 minute Internet package and got two casino coupons and a spa discount voucher. Woo hoo!
We separated to browse the ship for a little while prior to dinner. I visited the Neptune lounge … another perk for suite passengers (I could get used to this!) Then I made my first visit to the casino. I won't post how much I have spent there so far, but let's just say I have had my fun for today.
Dinner was wonderful. We sat with two interesting couples and chatted the entire meal. Mine was a wonderful antipasti, French onion soup, prime rib with vegetables and potatoes, and banana crisp for dessert. YUM! No wonder the spa guy says people gain an average of 1 lb. Per day.
A short visit to the casino after dinner and now back to the room to write this. Tomorrow I will spend on the beach in Half Moon Cay
Now for cruising tip # 3 (with thanks once again to Budget Travel Magazine):
3. For fire safety reasons, cabins don't have their own irons. Don't wait until the last minute to tackle your evening wardrobe. You can find shared irons down the hall in the laundry room, but lines often form before mealtimes. Opt for off-hours (like mornings)
My addition: DON'T try to sneak your own iron on board. Cruise lines take fire safety VERY seriously! Even a little travel iron will be confiscated and returned to you at the end of the cruise.
Now off to bed ... more tomorrow with pics of the beach and tip # 4
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