I was so anxious to eat healthily today, to make up for the sins for the past two (three, really, with the Crown Grill) nights. I had just fresh fruit and my usual egg white veggie omelet and tried not to drool too much, nor steal a forkful of G's blueberry pancakes. Weep! I also had decaf tea with honey and lemon. I am hoarse and raspy and have been for a week now, but don't feel sick. Screaming during the football games doesn't help (I don't do silent spectatorship), but that's not the root cause. Fingers crossed that I stay well.
We returned to the cabin to get our influx of paperwork straightened out, and move last cruise's paperwork to my 'cordian folder. It will not go home with us, but we do hold on to it all until the end. It's sometimes helpful to jog our memories about which comedians we liked and which we didn't in the event we see them again. We updated our calendar for the Most Traveled Passengers (MTP) cocktail party (Princess Cays night) and the Captains Circle Party (CCP, on Grand Turk night), and formal night (the sea day between Princess Cays and Grand Turk) and the wine tasting (the last sea day). These events come fast and furiously on these cruises.
Speaking of fast and furious, Room Service delivered the minibar for this cruise while we were in the cabin after breakfast. We are going to have to trade either this minibar or the next for two coffee cards (so I can continue to make my way through the new coffee menu), and we asked that our minibar be left on the tray it's delivered on sealed with the plastic wrap that Room Service puts on it. It isn't like we have an imminent need for any of it (thank you Jackie and Denise!). I'm glad we were in the cabin when it was delivered. There isn't a bit of space on the vanity for anything else, and so we just took it from the waiter and stuck the tray in the closet.
Disembarkation was ahead of schedule, and the in transit passengers staying on for another cruise were originally supposed to meet in the DaVinci Dining Room at 10:15am to go through immigration. When we heard it was being moved forward to 10am, we instead walked off the ship about 9:50am. We had our completed customs form ready to hand in, but were told by the agent we didn't need it. I wish they'd get straight on that! We will simply save the form for next turnaround. Who knows, it might be required then, as it was last cruise. Or not.
We walked down to Chase Bank intending to cash a check that had arrived in our last mail delivery at home, but then realized once we were there that it was closed today for MLK Day. Luckily, I was able to use the ATM to get some cash to tide us over. We stopped into Publix and I purchased just a couple of items I hadn't picked up last turnaround (mouthwash and makeup remover pads) because we had been carrying the two bottles of Barefoot Bubbly and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew.
We split up then, and I crossed 17th Street to go to Starbucks to try to download Downton Abbey. Three episodes are now available, and I had yet to watch the very first one. I had reasonable success with the first episode, and simultaneously downloaded some magazines onto my iPad, but had promised G that I'd meet him in the DaVinci Dining Room for lunch at noon, and so had to wrap things up early. We both saw Suzan and Greg running their errands (G at Walgreens and me at Starbucks). Turnaround days in Fort Lauderdale are much the same for many cruisers.
I continued my healthy eating at lunch, having just the salmon (soooooo good. I do miss the everyday salmon on the menu!) and a salad, and no dessert, unless you count the several spoonfuls I had of the citrus cream for G's orange soufflé (so let's don't). Without even stopping in our cabin, I headed back off the ship to try my luck at using the wifi in the terminal. I was able to get on it this time, and moved into the (now empty) Elite waiting area, where I could plug in my iPhone to recharge its battery and attempt to download the remaining two episodes of Downton Abbey.
It was painfully slow, and I was pushing the 3:30pm all on board time pretty closely. I kept hoping that the wifi would speed up when most of the crew had to reboard the ship, and it did, a little. I would have loved a bathroom break, but didn't dare show my face outside the Elite area, where I was sitting. I knew I would be urged to reboard the ship, and I didn't want to until my episodes were downloaded. Or 3:30pm. Whichever came first.
3:26...3:27...3:28... I was dying as I sat there and willed that little download dial to finish up. It was a race to the very end; I reboarded the ship at exactly 3:30pm. And lived up to our reputation of being 'seldom early, never late'. It was stressful, but I don't care. I'm gonna watch some Abbey this cruise!! Plus, I was able to take an elevator up to Deck 14 while everyone was still at muster drill. Sweet!
I returned to the cabin for the first time since before 10am. G was in the shower, but I simply changed into dinner clothes. We grabbed our chilled bottle of Barefoot Bubbly and met Suzan and Greg on the Terrace Deck for sailaway. We were thrilled when friend Martha spotted us and our flag on the Port Everglades webcam (and texted us about it), and had a final phone conversation with Mom as we left the Port Everglades entrance channel. Cruise friends Bob and Candy boarded today for four cruises, and knew where to look for us at sailaway. It was great to see them again; we've cruised together at least twice in the past.
Of course, we have to leave in the midst of these fun times, to get to early dinner in the Michelangelo Dining Room. On the way. I stopped by Vines wine bar. They've been storing my bottle of merlot for me to enjoy while sitting in there, but I needed it tonight to have with the pasta at dinner. It was wonderful to see Victor and Darko (not that one) again. It seemed like ages since we'd seen them; we had spent three evenings dining elsewhere, or not at all. We told Victor we were back for good, or at least until the football games next weekend. Assuming we even choose to watch them.
I crack me up sometimes. ;-)
Feeling full and happy after Barefoot Bubbly, a four course dinner and merlot, we are crashing early tonight. G just wants to sleep, and I just want to watch Downton Abbey. A welcome aboard show with comedian Al Katz can't even begin to compete with that.
And, finally, I want to talk about how much we are enjoying these shorter cruises. We love being in Fort Lauderdale so frequently. The itineraries are, as promised, just one beach day after another. Inevitable repeats, such as entertainment and menus, don't bother us in the least. If we like them, we repeat them. And if not, we do or eat something different. The Emerald Princess crew has not disappointed us at all. Somehow, they seem to handle the frequent turnarounds without letting them impact service levels. Our room steward, Awesome Ambrish, and waiters Victor and Darko, provide flawless service. Interestingly, the only issue we've seen with a fellow passenger was on the first night of the 10-night cruise (too much alcohol, causing Security to intervene). The 4-day cruise passengers were mostly, but not entirely from Florida. Some were from further afield (I heard there were 800 in transit passengers), staying on for this 5-night cruise too. We've enjoyed people watching a great deal; our fellow passengers seem to be a much less homogenous group than on longer cruises, and that's not a bad thing.
For years we were long cruise snobs. Even 10-night cruises were only done as back to backs; we considered short cruisers to be too intense. We were wrong.
And now we know. :-)
