Good morning! It’s only 4:15 on my first morning in California. I’m used to it being 6:15 now so it feels like an acceptable time for me to be awake despite the clock indicating otherwise.

I have the TV on and it’s a show I’m used to seeing at 6am but it’s only 4am. It’s very strange this pacific time zone.

One thing I learned about the Queen Mary very early in the morning is I should have better familiarized myself with the bathroom light switch prior to going to bed. It’s in the proper spot but it’s a bit lower lower than I’m used to and it’s a button not a switch. I was struggling at about 1am.

I have a thing about watching cruise ships come in–especially early in the morning. I check cruise mapper and see Panorama hasn’t arrived yet but it’s getting close. I’m going to find a good spot to watch her come in.

I don’t know my way around this place yet. I know I’m on a lower deck towards the back of the ship so I’m just going to find the aft stairs and go as high as I can. Hopefully I can go outside.

I step out of the room, look left, and spot an exit sign.

That leads me to the stairwell. So far, so good.

I make it up a few decks and…

I’m going to hit the hallway and head towards the midship steps.

It seems like I’m the only one up right now. They say this place is haunted. I think they had one of those things where you talk to ghosts here last night. It’s a bit creepy walking down this hallway right now.

These stairs are unblocked.

It looks like I can go out here or up to the Sun Deck. The Sun Deck sounds promising.

I don’t know if this gazebo is permanent or not. I do know they had a wedding rehearsal here last night.

I think this is always here. It seems pretty permanent.

That’s the former home of the “Spruce Goose” and current Carnival port.

A look over at Long Beach.

I want to move all the way to the back so I don’t have this in my shot.

The floor down here is made of old plywood and I don’t think it likes being walked on.

That’s a better view.

I’m glad I brought my jacket. It’s 50’s and windy out here.

I feel pretty good standing here just no so much on the wood.

Coffee sounds good right about now. It looks like I’m going to have to wait a half hour.

It’s probably just as cold in my room as it is out here. I cranked that AC up all the way. 

When I leave I’ll try to avoid that general area.

We have action! She kind of snuck up on me from behind the dome.

I’ll get this shot in before the ship blocks it.

It looks like we’re going for the back in. At least there are no other ships around to hit.

I found the coffee.

A little history on the current coffee shop.

It looks like there’s some sort of emergency on the ship. I hope everyone is okay.

I will post a full tour of the Queen Mary at a later date. For now I’ll post a couple of highlights.

I’m stepping it up a notch. No more scotch tape and black and white for me. I don’t want them to mistake my bag for one of those low priority bags.

I’m checking out.

I can see quite a line at the port already.

There are actually three lines. Early arrivals are on the left. Priority is in the middle. On time arrivals are on the right. Right now unless you’re priority you’re an early arrival because we haven’t made it to the first arrival time.

In the past I would check my bag with a porter but since I have a smaller suitcase and as a platinum guest I now have immediate access to my room upon embarkation, I’m just going to carry it on.

As a platinum cruiser I now have priority embarkation. I’m able to walk past this line and go right inside.

I was able to get right to a check in agent but the non-priority people have a good line inside as well.

At this point security stops me and makes me delete a picture I took that had their machines in it.

Apart from that I zoomed through security.

This is the “Spruce Goose.” It was only flown once…in 2004 by Leonardo DiCaprio. I really thought it was bigger than that.

They told me go all the way down to the captains lounge.

There’s not much going on in here they have tables and chairs and couches and water. That’s about it. There is an arcade style video game kids are playing.

I arrived in the lounge at 10:35 and found a seat in the back. I would later move to one of those bar stools that has a power outlet.

This is my first time at this port. From what I’ve heard this is a late boarding. I also expected them to call us in an orderly fashion. Diamonds, Platiums, Faster to the Fun. That didn’t happen. Around 11:45 it was just a free for all at the door.

I didn’t make it out of the lounge until noon. I would recommend finding a seat closer to the door if possible.

After you clear the lounge you must make it up a series of pretty steep ramps.

This is the area where you can take your pre-cruise pictures.

I’m used to boarding in the atrium which would be deck 3 forward. We boarded near the casino which is deck 4 mid.

As a platinum guest my room was ready immediately. Otherwise I would’ve had to wait until 1pm.

Upon arrival I immediately began to disinfect my room using the Clorox Heathcare wipes I brought.

I have been using the same lanyard since my first cruise. I’m switching to a new one. This used to be a diamond/platinum gift. I bought this one on ebay last summer.

I have an inside cabin so these are my windows. This is one of the things I really like about the Vista class. The size and quality of the TVs and Ship cams are a huge upgrade.

I’ll use this to keep the lights on.

Here is the schedule of events for today.

Here is the entertainment schedule for the week.

Let’s check out lido deck.

I’m going upstairs above the buffet for JiJi’s Asian restaurant which has a mongolian wok lunch which is included. Dinner is $15 and I’ll definitely be doing that later in the cruise.

Cucina Del Capitano has a pasta lunch which is also included. I’ll likely try that at some point as well.

On the way out I took a couple shots of the buffet lunch menu.

One thing I was excited about on this ship is they have a gelato station which has different flavors each day.

Today is coffee and mango.

I went with coffee.

Cakes

This ship has smart elevators. When used properly they operate more efficiently than regular elevators.

The way they work is you walk up and press the floor you are going to. The system will tell you which elevator to get on. If you are a family of five you should hit the button five times so the system knows five people are getting on the elevator.

The problem is people are hitting the button once and filling the elevator. The elevator doesn’t know it’s full so it continues to stop at other floors. I also noticed people walking up and looking at the board that shows which floors each of the elevators is going to and just hop in an elevator without pressing a floor button at all.

Usually I would expect the atrium bar to be full or near full by now. I think since people are boarding on deck 4 instead of down here people aren’t finding it as easily.

My first funship of the cruise. They have totally eliminated plastic straws. I brought my own but left them in the room.

I’m going to head back up to the room to grab some straws.

I’m waiting for an elevator to take me up to my room. Of course people aren’t using them correctly. 20 people are in line to get in my elevator. I continue to hit the button until it gives me a different elevator.

All of the people who couldn’t fit on the other elevator pile in mine. It was so full a guy had to suck in his stomach for the door to close. I educated my temporary elevatormates on how the system works. They had no idea.

All of my valuables are in the safe.

Back to the atrium bar. There’s still plenty of real estate available. It looks like there’s a group taking shots.

I ordered a second fun ship.

I had read a rumor that you couldn’t get plastic bottles of water at the bar on ships out of California. That isn’t the case.

I’m going for a third fun ship.

Our muster drill is in ten minutes. They’re going to shut down the bar. I’m going to grab another funship for the briefing.

I like it when my muster station is right by the bar so I can sit here until the line to get in dies down. In this case I have to go up two floors for my muster station. I sat at the bar for a few more minutes before heading up there.

I was one of the first out of the theater and was able to secure one of the last two spots at the Alchemy bar. This bar is not large enough for such a big ship.

I asked Zoran for a sweet rum drink. First he made me this with gin which looks sour. 

He realized his mistake and made me this one with rum which is also sour.

This is Anna Maria. She is one of the most popular Alchemists in the fleet. She is going home after this cruise.

Maybe Zoran thought I said sour.

Here is what they’re having in the Main Dining Room tonight.

I’m at the Teppanyaki which is a $32 specialty restaurant. This venue is only on two Carnival ships so I wanted to make sure I got to try it.

When I walk in I scan the available seating. There are two seats together in the front, two seats together on one side and one seat on the other side. I preferred a front seat so I would be able to photo and video the chef without getting people on the other side of the table in it.

I sit in one of the front seats and I’m told I need to move to a side seat because they have a couple coming. I don’t understand why the couple couldn’t have sat in the two seats on the side. Do we have reserved seats or something?

Pork Belly

Kirin Beer

Fried rice

Shrimp

Veggies

I got the filet and the flavor is outstanding.

This is the dessert box.

According to my table mates I missed some drama during sail away while I was at the Alchemy bar. Apparently Long Beach police sped up to us, we slowed down, the pilot boat hooked up and 10 minutes later they took someone off. It would’ve made great video if I were filming sail away.

I loved the Teppanyaki. I will probably try to secure another reservation later in the week.

  After dinner I headed back to the Alchemy bar but the main bar was full.

I thought about going to the Steakhouse bar for a watermelon martini. I never changed out of the T-shirt I boarded with. I’d normally be in a polo shirt now. I decided against it. I decided to try my luck at the Pig & Anchor smoke house-brew house.

They have one spot available at the end of the bar.

That is probably the best seat because it’s down by the TV and the beer taps.

I went with the darkest beer they brew here, the porter.

I’m right next to the server station. It looks like some flights are going out.

The brewmaster makes an appearance.

I decide to give the alchemy another shot. It is fully full now.

We are 30 minutes from the first comedy show of the cruise. I’m going to stop by the club and see what the crowd looks like. They have a smaller comedy club on this ship.

It looks like I’m good to leave and come back. The Hero’s bar next door has a basketball game on that has gone into overtime so I’m going to check that out.

They were out of the stout I wanted to try here so I went with a Coney Island Pilsner I haven’t had.

They have a cricket game on the other TV.

The Rockets beat the Celtics 111-110. 15 minutes until the first adult comedy show of the cruise.

There is still seating available.

Merl Hobbs did the first show. It was good. I’ve seen him before. I think on Vista last year. Still good.

I’m back for the second adult comedy show. When I came out of the first comedy show there was a line to get into the next one. I think that causes a misconception that you have to line up that early. I left the club and went on a deck 14 excursion. When I came back it was 20 minutes before the next show. No line. And this…

I have plenty of time so I’m going back to the Hero’s bar for another beer.

There was still plenty of space available when I returned.

Percy Crews did the second show and was killing it. Then in the middle of the show he did a tribute to his deceased parents. Which is great. But normally things like that go at the end of a show. He did it in the middle.

And after his salute to his dad who was a veteran this couple starts walking out. He says “where are you going? I’m not done.” The guy says “she’s disrespecting the military and I’m not going to stand for it!” And he storms out.

Percy calms things down and gets the significant other to sit back down but the guy was gone. It turns out he was upset because a woman was talking during the tribute…and the woman was from Czechoslovakia. I felt like the outburst disrupted the whole show. By the time I got back into the show mentally, it was over.

After comedy I was getting a little hungry so I grabbed a meatball sandwich in the deli. I didn’t ask for fries but I got them anyway.

Decisions, decisions, decisions….

They have the big 11:15 comedy showcase in the main theater. I’m going to head over there. It’s like 1am back home so that’ll be it. I was up at 4am pacific time.

Eight minutes until showtime.

I like the end seats with the table.

I noticed the seats have cup holders. If I recall correctly these seats on Vista had horrible little tables on the arm rests which made it very easy to knock a drink over with your arm.

Let me check my Vista archives.

And we’re getting strarted.

I missed the welcome aboard show earlier. Had I been there this is probably what it woud’ve looked like.

I left the comedy show 5 minutes early. Percy started doing some of the same jokes I heard an hour earlier and I’ve been up 20 hours. I’m not staying up for that. 

They are still doing the glow in the dark sign in the rooms I hated on Vista.

I had to fix it with duct tape again.

I am off to bed. Tomorrow is a sea day.

• Carnival
• Long Beach
• Panorama
• Queen Mary