We’re about to embark on another cruise (our 150th!), and it’s only fitting that we’ll be on one of our favorite ships. We’ve already spent over 15 months on the Emerald Princess, and it will always hold a special place in our hearts…not to mention that we watched the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 on the Emerald Princess MUTS screen, one of my all time favorite cruising memories.
When I last left you, less than eight weeks ago, we had a decision to make about some Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale beginning in November. After some serious contemplation and compromise, we canceled them and, with nearly perfect timing, Princess then announced the first Emerald Princess cruise since the shutdown. With direct flights each way, no Florida turnarounds AND on our beloved Emerald Princess, it was hard to turn this one down. It’s also allowing us to use up the last of the bonus FCCs we had from- how many was it? Eleven, I think.- cancelled Pacific Princess cruises, which made the fare…well, basically free. Sign us up!
While booking this cruise made it much easier for me to cancel the two months of cruising we had planned on the Regal, for G, cancelling any cruise is anathema. I’ll admit, it’s not the way we usually do things around here, but this year is different, and not just because of COVID. We still haven’t changed our minds that, at least for the time being, we are not interested in extended cruising (but are most thankful for the ten years we enjoyed it so much). Besides, travel right now is challenging. Well, let’s face it, life is challenging, but travel is even more so. We’re more comfortable with shorter, last minute trips.
It’s also a good time to be leaving home. I love autumn, but our weather, which has been glorious of late, is beginning to change. We’re lucky to live in an area where the fall colors last about a month, depending on where we go, so while the color is just hitting its peak at our house, it’s been beautiful somewhere for weeks. We know we won’t see views like this on the cruise, but right now, an occasional beach and a pool lounger on an uncrowded cruise ship sound pretty darn good too.
It’s also easier to leave knowing that I finally made it back to Ohio to visit my mom in September. So many of you have asked about her, and thank you for that! Honestly, hugging each other, our cheeks pressed together with tears streaming down our faces was every bit as sweet as I imagined it would be. I moved right into the apartment next to hers for a week and ate all my meals with her in the dining room to limit my coming and going from the building. It was heaven, and, as I always tell her, not unlike being on a cruise, albeit one with slightly pared down menus and activities. I miss her already.
Finally! 💕
Even with this simple trip, we had a change of plans this week…but for once, we weren’t the instigators. We awoke Sunday morning to the unwelcome news of Southwest Airline’s many cancelled flights. That didn’t bode well at all. Our original plan was to fly to LAX tomorrow morning on a very early Southwest flight (it was Seattle all over again). I really didn’t want to stay in a hotel, but there was no way we could now be comfortable flying in the day the cruise begins. I immediately booked a flight for today, which gave us several backup alternatives if things went awry, but had to also cancel Friday’s flight, reschedule an appointment, book a hotel near the port and contact our driver, hoping she’d be available a day earlier (she was). Never a dull moment, but we’ve both slept better all week knowing it was less of a worry.
Thankfully, one thing we didn’t have to worry about (too much) was the requisite pre-cruise COVID testing. In fact, we have both been tested multiple times over the past year at a hospital just two miles from us, and the test I took before I visited Mom returned results about 12 hours later. We had appointments for the drive through testing at 8:30am yesterday, and received the results last night before 7pm. Yay! Still, we had a backup plan there, too. Our state is mailing out four Binex at home kits for free to anyone who requests them…so I did. Fortunately, they don’t expire until next April, and I’m sure they’ll get used before then. I’ve heard we’re going to be tested during the cruise, too, and that’s fine by me. I feel safer on a ship than anywhere except our home.
While G was busy this morning closing up the house and turning off the water, I went AWOL to watch McGee race in the cross country league championship (the reason we were originally not flying out until Friday). It was an odd one, scheduled on a school day, but thankfully was held in the morning at a nearby high school and not in the afternoon an hour’s drive away. He ran in the first group (even better); I looked at this mass of 100ish runners and wondered how he’d ever navigate the start. I needn’t have worried. McGee is a star, and finished a very close 2nd behind his teammate. Oh, and their school ended up winning the championship. I’m so glad I didn’t miss that! I rushed home to change out of my high school logo sweatshirt, and we were on our way to the airport just minutes later.
The three of us had dinner last Sunday night at the
best steakhouse in town to celebrate their 18th birthday.
The college offers are rolling in; memories like this will hopefully last a lifetime.
We found a new driver for airport runs, a lady a few years younger than me who charges what Uber used to charge but no longer does. We’ve already got her booked for five more transfers. We checked our large baggage at the Southwest counter, walked around the corner to security and were met with a mass of people. Even the TSA Pre-check line wound around and into baggage claim. What is going on these days? Luckily, it moved very fast; regular security must have taken at least an hour. By the time we reached our gate, we were already tired.
A delay in loading luggage forced ours to join the ranks of late Southwest flights this week. As a result, we were about 30 minutes late landing at LAX, waited quite a while for luggage, exited Southwest’s Terminal A and walked next door to the LAX-it Uber and Lyft lot. For about $55, we got a Lyft to the Crown Plaza LA Harbor Hotel near the port. In fact, we drove past the Emerald Princess when we got off the freeway.
Our first glimpse of the Emerald Princess at Pier 92
Looks like home!
We had just enough energy to store wallets and passports and vaccination cards and COVID test results in the room safe, and walked around the corner to the Subway we’ve used often in the past for a quick, healthy meal. We inhaled the sandwiches in our room (we were starved) and will be asleep in minutes.
The hard part is over, and was well worth what lies ahead.
I am so thankful for today.