We slept in a bit and didn't vacate our cabin until almost 9am. The yin for the yang that our cabins weren't available until 1pm the day we embarked is that they aren't pushing us out of our cabin at 8am either. Somehow, we either didn't get (not likely) or lost (very likely) our disembarkation information. We had our luggage tags (group number 59) but I couldn't find anything else in the cabin that gave us the schedule for breakfast. We rolled our carry ons up to the Solarium Bistro but (no surprise) it was closed. The Windjammer buffet was a long way to go without knowing for certain it was open, and the digital displays around the ship that typically showed dining options were focused solely on disembarkation groups. So G settled me in a lounger in the Solarium and went off in search of food (which has been a common theme this week). He came back with pastries and muffins and (God bless him!) decaf coffee with cream. Breakfast was served!
The Allure was docked opposite of last week, and our view from the Solarium was of the Port Everglades entrance channel and the condos of Harbour Isles. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, and by 11am we were walking into the terminal. And then the fun began.
We found our luggage easily. What we couldn't find was the end of the immigration and customs line. Honestly, an area the size of a football field was filled with people pushing their luggage around in an indiscernable order. We decided that G would stay with the luggage and I would wander around in search of the end of the line, and then he would join me when I got close to him. I got close to him in about 20 minutes; 40 minutes later we were finally through the process and walking out of the terminal.
A police officer tried to argue with me that four people didn't need a minivan taxi and we could hold our luggage in our laps...until G walked up pushing the same amount I had, and we were ushered into the minivan line. A few minutes later we were dropped off at our next destination, the Embassy Suites on 17th Street.
It was only around noon at that point, and we were asked if we wanted the first available room or a room on the east side of the hotel overlooking Port Everglades and the cruise ships. For a one night stay, it would have been easy to take the first available and be settled in it sooner rather than later, but we're here longer than that and were a bit fussier. Although we were told it might take until 4pm, we decided to wait.
After we checked five of our bags with the bell hop, and we settled G with the remaining bags containing the laptop, our valuables and our dirty clothes, I headed over to Publix supermarket just behind the Embassy Suites in search of laundry detergent, salty snacks and Reese's peanut butter cups for G, and fuzzy water, sugar free hard candy and popcorn for me. Fuzzy water. I was desperate for fuzzy water.
While I was gone, G checked out the laundry room situation. We knew the Embassy Suites had one...I had phoned to confirm months ago, as that was the most important criterion. We knew we'd be disembarking today with lots of dirties. I returned, carrying double bagged detergent in one hand and a double bagged 2 liter bottle of fuzzy water and the snacks in the other, and passing all the crew members with the same thing in mind, I felt on totally familiar ground. G led me up to the 10th floor laundry room, his choice of the three available ones, only because it had a large conference table next to it which would be good for folding clothes.
So there we went, even more laden. Now, this was a laundry "room" in name only; in reality they had shoved a washer and dryer into the ice machine room, and while a sticker on the washer and dryer stated they were emptied twice daily and not worth breaking into, I'm pretty sure they weren't cleaned nearly that often. But beggars...
It was quite a thrill to squeeze past the ice machine to get to the washer. Every time I passed through, my center of gravity would activate the ice machine and I'd get cubes shot down my backside. The only outlet in the area was on the other side of the washer, so I plugged in my iPhone and- really, this is my life- leaned against the concrete wall as I texted and emailed. The twins' mom informed me that they needed to build medieval castles for a school project, and she needed ideas please, so there I was, standing in this hot little ugly room, Googling "medieval castle design" and sending her some ideas about fire throwing catapults and holes in the castle floor over a moat for a toilet. I was two miles and a world away from the cruise ships I'd been on for 19 days.
Note the wet clothing draped over the carry on. Luxury living!
At 3pm, we received a call that our room was ready. G went down to get the luggage and keys, and I rounded up everything else, including wet laundry I didn't want to put in the dryer, and met him at our room. We could have kissed the floor (yuck! but you get my drift), we were so glad to get all of our "stuff" in one place. G immediately tuned both TVs to the NASCAR Championship race, we noted we could see the Royal Princess directly from our room and the Allure and a Seaborn ship if we looked to the right, and talked ourselves out of walking down to the drawbridge to watch sail away, and into viewing it from our cool, comfy room with one eye on the race.
The Royal Princess as seen from our room
The Allure OTS and a Seaborn ship (much smaller)
We only received 30 minutes of Internet each on the Allure, and that didn't last long. I'll spend some time over the next couple of days uploading some of the photos and videos I have from the Allure of the Seas and St. Martin, and to publish some final thoughts about our week on the world's largest cruise ship.
Our next stop, as some of you have probably guessed, is the Emerald Princess on Tuesday, November 19th. I'll try not to embarrass myself and kiss the Piazza floor as we board, but, wow, we are ready to "go home"!!!
Life is good!