Port Canaveral, FL

Another beautiful but chilly morning, LJ headed out morning for photos and shopping. I got up around 9 and finished up our packing. We had an 11:30 AM shuttle to the ship but since we were a bit ahead of schedule, we decided to go ahead and call for a taxi and head over at 11AM to try to get onboard a little sooner. We arrived and heard the call for the first zone to actually board the ship. We got through security and up to the check-in and made it through the line in fairly quick order and then waited for our zone (14) to be called. One of the gentlemen in line that we talked to that was working there in the port said it was a part-time position on Sunday, Thursday and Saturday. We noticed that almost all of the employees there seemed to be of retirement age or thereabout and thought it was probably a great job to supplement a retirement income. After the obligatory photos as we entered the ship, we headed to the Lido deck for lunch. This is our first Carnival cruise together. I’ve done two weekend cruises with girlfriends and the last five years we’ve done Royal Caribbean cruises together.
The ship, Dream, is Carnival’s largest ship and also newest, having just started sailing in the fall. There are over 4,000 passengers on board, not including crew members. It’s impressive to see, especially beside another cruise ship which gives you more of a comparison to truly realize her size We found a table and I stayed there while LJ went to find some lunch, while he was gone I met a nice lady from Charleston, SC, a retired school-teacher sailing with her sister and their eighty-one year old mother. LJ returned with a nice sampling of food and off I went and I found a great grilled deli sandwich and bowl of fruit. For dessert – two delicious mini chocolate chip cookies. Yummy.

We went to the see our dinner restaurants and then… you guessed it, it was time for our rooms to be ready so we headed to our stateroom and took another nap. We had to go to the safety briefing at 3:30 PM, different on this ship because you don’t actually wear your life vest to the drill and we were also in the theatre,

not out on deck in front of the lifeboats. After the safety briefing we went back to get the camera and headed to the top decks for sail-away. I talked to mom who finally has sunshine in Bluefield and the snow is beginning to melt. LJ’s parents are spending a week in Miami and after a missed flight yesterday, are enjoying their first day there in the sun and looking forward to a wonderful week in the Southern Sun. This will be our first cruise in a couple years that we won’t have any US ports while we are away so we won’t be talking to anyone from home for an entire week.
We toured the ship about and saw the water-slides, mini-golf, basketball court, casino, shops and then went back to the room. Our suitcases had arrived and we decided to go ahead and unpack and get our room organized, during which time our cabin steward stopped by to introduce himself, so as I opened to door to meet Jhoe, I simultaneously went into the worst coughing fit I believe I’ve had in my life. I couldn’t talk, he was shocked, LJ didn’t know what to do and finally I had to motion to LJ to tell him now wasn’t the best time and I proceeded to cough my head off. I went into the bathroom and got in the shower, hoping to cool off and cease coughing, LJ finally asked if it was okay for Jhoe to come back in and talk to him and I managed to say that was fine and by the time they finished I could apologize to Jhoe through the door for my ‘fit’. Looking back now it’s kind of funny, although it definitely wasn’t at the time. LJ just said I had to make sure not to have the same reaction next time I see Jhoe or he will really start to have a complex or think I have a phobia of Indian men that cause incessant coughing fits. I am very glad now that we went ahead and got a couple extra gifts for him to start the week off and maybe we both can put the first impression behind us.

LJ headed off to the gym for a pre-dinner workout and I finished up organizing the room and laid down for a few minutes before showering for dinner. LJ came back and go ready and off we went to the Crimson Dining Room for our first dinner. We were seated at a four-person table but our tablemates didn’t come to the dining room, there were actually several vacant seats in the dining room, which often happens on the first night as people are tired from their day of travel / boarding the ship and often eat in the casual dining room on the Lido deck. We had a delicious dinner, topped off by the most wonderful, decadent chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream. Fabulous. We headed to the theatre for the Welcome Aboard Show and made it in time to play a quick game of bingo, which we haven’t done since our honeymoon cruise five years ago. And no, we didn’t win. The Welcome Aboard show was one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen, we were physically in pain from laughing so hard for so long. We made a final stop at the casino after the show and spent $10 in slots and called it a night. It was a good day.