Vista: Embarkation Day
Good morning. It’s 7am here. My alarms don’t start going off for another hour but I’ve been awake for a half hour. I guess I’m up. I don’t know if I’m nervous or excited. I think I’m nervited.
A little breakfast. They have sausages and eggs and pastries and yogurt and all of that down there as well. But the waffle is an underrated breakfast. Perfectly designed with little cups to hold your syrup. This is a cinnamon maple waffle.
You know what? I had a difficult time carrying all of that stuff up here. The plate in one hand. The juice in the other. Figuring out how I’m going to unlock my room. I had that banana in the pocket of my jogging shorts. I wonder if that’s why that couple was looking at me weird on the elevator.
I realized I forgot to pickup a bottle of wine for the cruise. Fortunately I was able to find a place around here that carries my brand.
I’m heading south at 10:07am.
That was a 30 minute drive. I had to stop for gas a long the way. This is amazing. I’m parked at the Falstaff parking facility and there are only 10 cars in this lot. The shuttle pulls up to my car and driver loads my luggage.
Good drop off spot.
30 people are waiting for that porter. I remember from my Freedom cruise where to drop my own suitcase off at.
I always get harassed by security. They thought I was trying to sneak alcohol on the ship. They pulled me over to the side and went through my entire backpack. They looked at my cologne, sanitizer, hand soap, Clorox wipes.
I’m like “I’m not a crook! I’m just a guy who likes to smell good and have everything clean.”
My first stop is the shore excursions desk to book my Dunn’s River Falls excursion. I had to wait until I boarded to use my on board credit for it.
This is my first time using the Shore Excursions desk. What I don’t like is the people who don’t know what they want to book are waiting until they get to the front of the line where the catalogs are before they even look at the excursions. We have to wait for them to look and book.
JiJi’s Restaurant
After booking my tour I headed to the deck 11 aft for the Mongolian Wok at JiJi’s.
This is an Asian Spring Salad and Wontons.
Sky Box Sports Bar
The TV quality is much better here than in the Sky Box on other ships I’ve been on.
Comedy Club
When I realized my mistake I tried to ignore it, but I just couldn’t.
What are you doing there?
The lot is just as empty as it was when I left.
Now I have experienced what it’s like to leave the ship, go back to my car, and re-board the ship.
I wanted to avoid security delays so I stopped by guest services to ask if there was a place I could put my backpack since my room wasn’t ready yet. The guest services representative was great. She told me I could put the bag in my room. My steward’s assistant wasn’t too happy about it, but I was able to leave my bag in the room and lock my cash in the safe.
Walking down the ramp while everyone else was walking up it was interesting. I had a little fun with it and kept saying “the ship is this way, right?”
I had a short wait for the shuttle. The shuttle stopped briefly at the Royal Caribbean terminal. I was the only one on the shuttle heading back to the terminal from the parking garage.
Getting back on the ship was easy. They let me in the priority line. I just showed everyone my sail and sign card and I breezed through.
Atrium Bar
First drink: The Fun Ship
Cabin
I have some stateroom first impressions on my Lido inside room. The TV is a nice upgrade. The camera resolution is awesome on the camera channels. There’s a door I’m afraid to open. I think it may be an adjoining room situation but this room doesn’t adjoin on other classes. The desk is smaller. There’s only one drawer on the desk. There are only two closets. The bathroom door is heavy but I can open it halfway and it’ll stay open. Hat hooks are on the inside of the bathroom door and I wonder if it affects over the door shoe organizing people.
This cabinet door opened out in the middle of the room on previous ships I’ve been on. I know some people like to keep that cabinet door open because they say the refrigerator stays colder. Opening along the wall like this is an upgrade.
Atrium Bar
Back to the Atrium Bar for another Fun Ship.
or two.
I think Andy Reid is on this ship.
Main Lounge
I try to get into the muster drill last or close to last. I once got sandwiched between a couple of rotund strangers and ever since then I try to get in when those seats are full so I can hit the bar seats in the back. In this case they were filling some aisle singles so I was good.
Dave working at the door said if it’s an emergency, don’t bring a drink. I think not having a drink would be the emergency.
I’m in the last row and there is bar seating behind me. Sounds like the couple back there has been making out. I hope I didn’t get any saliva on me.
Cabin
I like to see my luggage here this quickly. Of course on the Dream my Steward put it in my cabin for me.
This is mr. upgraded internet. We’ll see if it lasts but I am streaming YouTube tv in my room right now. On other ships I may not get a signal in my cabin and I wouldn’t be able to stream video anywhere using the ship’s WiFi.
Yes you can watch sail away from an inside room and not be watching that grainy stuff on a small TV.
Sail Away
Cabin
TV Channels
Dinner
I’m eating in the steakhouse tonight but here is the MDR menu.
Steakhouse
If you book the steakhouse the first night you have a choice of a free bottle of house wine or 50% off of another bottle. I tried to order a bottle of Dom Deluise but they didn’t have any. I went with this bottle of house wine.
Compliments of the chef.
Risotto
Surf n Turf
Cheesecake
Cabin
They seem to have forgotten the wine glasses that are usually in the cabin.
I came up with a workaround.
Can they charge a corkage fee for a bottle of wine that never had a cork in it?
Havana Bar
Havana Pool
Main Lounge
Caught the end of the introduction to the Clue murder mystery game.
The weekly entertainment schedule.
Today’s schedule of events.
Menus
Bar Menu
Sky Box Sports Bar
Red Frog Pub
Cabin
I have been using this lanyard since my first cruise–nine cruises. The clip is so I have to put a piece of tape on it or lose my card. I lost my card and just had to get another. The duct tape goes on.
Main Lounge
Welcome Aboard show.
Atrium
After the show the dancers danced with guests in the atrium.
Casino
The way they have the table games pushed up against the wall is terrible. To get to half of the tables you have to squeeze through one of these two areas.
I played blackjack for an hour until all but one tablemate left. I went in with $100 and left with $119. I’ll take it. I got as low as $30 and came back in the end.
Cabin
This thing is on the wall is glowing with the lights out. It says life jackets under bed. Got it. Don’t need to see it all night in that space alien green.
Fortunately I have my duct tape.
Problem solved.
