Day 90: Fort Lauderdale (turnaround day)

When was the last time we did something for the first time?  Today, about 6am, when we slept right through the Emerald Princess spinning into position to dock at its berth at Pier 2 in Port Everglades. Unbelievable. We awoke at 6:22am, turned the TV to Channel 40 (the "front of the ship" channel) and saw that we were already docked. As G said, "We gotta find out who parked this boat today". Indeed, whoever it was did it without copious amounts of thruster action, much to the benefit of those in the back of the ship, which lasted only until the slamming of the cabin doors began. But still...that was an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Nice!

While I immediately ran down to the laundry room to start two loads of laundry (and I was trusted with some of G's race T-shirts...make a note of THAT), he traded used towels for fresh ones from Raymond and made the beds. Neither one of us can make them look as smooth and crisp and inviting as Raymond can...but, then, we don't get the practice he does either. We watched the sunrise from the Promenade Deck and were at breakfast in the Botticelli Dining Room just after 7am, and having just a bowl of cereal allowed me to get back to move a few items to a dryer, and hang the rest on our clothesline.

By 8am, the laundry was done, and we were getting passports and new ship cards and our shopping list together before walking off the ship.

Things continued to go smoothly in the terminal; with five ICE agents, immigration was a walk-through, the fastest we've seen this winter.  (Ain't it always the way when we're not on a schedule?) We started on our list of errands, stopping first at Walgreens to check out the ad (home or cruise, we are value shoppers), and then G wanted to stop at each hotel on the south side of 17th Street to get some information about them for the future, mainly, whether their rates include transfers between the hotel and the airport/Port Everglades, and whether they include breakfast. This took a bit of time, but it was a beautiful morning for a walk. Sunny and warm (the east coast chill apparently didn't reach that far south), and with only one cruise ship in port, walking down 17th Street was a different sport today. 

We went as far as CVS and then backtracked to Publix, Office Depot and Walgreens. I found a perfect New Baby Congratulations card for Komang, with the Earth on the front...

...we got an HDMI cable, coffee creamer was on sale at Publix and Mountain Dew was on sale at Walgreens. It was a productive mornng, but we were so laden with liquids that we were anxious to get back to the ship to dump our purchases in our cabin and head to lunch in the DaVinci Dining Room. 

After salmon and frozen yogurt, I grabbed a charging cord and went up to my favorite spot in Adagio to plug in and make some phone calls and do a bit of work. I'm pleased to report that Sally Hansen is mailing me coupons worth $22 for the defective nail strips, that our investments, though down a bit after last week, are still up from when we left home (cruise on!), and that things are fine at home. I'm sorry I ever doubted G's wisdom in installing that Nest thermostat; it's a prize, and hasn't failed us yet.

This is all seeming too easy this year, isn't it?

Before long, the emergency signal was sounded, and things got loud as the muster drill announcement started. That was my signal to head back to the cabin to shower and dress for sailaway and dinner. I left a note for G that I was up in Skywalkers (we miss all our friends!!!!) for sailaway, and it was a beautiful one today. The ocean was flat as we left Fort Lauderdale behind us. Flat!  We are loving this weather!

Thank God we can still count on Dinner with Darko and Komang. It was wonderful to see their familiar faces. I took a photo of G at dinner, wearing a black Diamonds International pullover and a necklace I got him last year on Bonaire with a square-shaped coin.

I  told him for the eleventy-hundredth time that he looked like a priest in that outfit, and he told me I needed to teach him some Catholic "slogans" he could say if anyone said the same thing to him.  "Catholic "slogans?", I asked, confused.   "You know, those things priests say". You mean prayers? "Well, yes, and those things priests say in church, and people say "You too"". Now, by this point, I was pulling myself back up off the floor, I was laughing so hard. It suddenly occurred to me what he was talking about. "You mean, "And also with you", in response to "The Lord be with you"?"  Yep, that's what he was thinking of. Well, that, and prayers. I will NEVER say that again without thinking "you too!" :-)

I miss Jim and Marcia, but dinner with G is never, ever dull.  

I owed him for the laugh, and so accompanied him to the Princess Theater for the Welcome Aboard show. We always enjoy the singers and dancers, and love when they are accompanied by the Emerald Princess orchestra.

Comedian AJ Jamal finished out the show, and, hand to heart, I thought he was funny.  This was also only the second time we saw him this winter, another plus. 

Cruise director JJ told us to expect some hoo-ha on Super Bowl Sunday.  The Super Bowl!  I had forgotten about it for 17 minutes, and as soon as JJ mentioned it, I could feel my stomach clenching.  This will be a tough five days.  I need to start saying some "slogans" each evening, asking for a Broncos win. 

;-)