I have to admit I really didn't want to go. I waffled more times than I-Hop serves breakfast but after a former Navy buddy told me I would not regret it, I gave in and we headed for Jacksonville, FL to catch our ride.
DAY ONE - TRAVEL & ARRIVAL
Leaving after Kendal was out of school and Carol was off work meant a long overnight drive but we usually do our vacations that way. The traffic is usually easier and it is definitely more quiet with no arguements or problems and most times everyone sleeps a large majority of the way. The problem this time was that I wanted to sleep as well. I ended up making a couple of rest area "cat naps" and we made it without incident.
The scary part of this vacation was that we took Carol's Mom along. Now she is a nice lady but isn't in to the let's drive 13 hours straight thing, overnight or not. We ended up stopping for dinner, late snacks, and breakfast after arriving in Jacksonville. What should have been in reality about a 12 hour drive took us almost 15 hours. That was OK as "Mom" sprung for the food and goodies along the way.
We drove down Hecksher Drive in Jacksonville and off in the distance the "Celebration" came into view. 
Those prickly feelings about big boats started up again but I drove on. I was quite surprised by all the security we had to go through including a vehicle inspection. I think we went through 3[p;' checkpoints before finally driving up and onloading our luggage. In a way it irks me that we have to resort to such matters but I guess I had rather be safe than sorry. I'm not sure how thorough those checks really were but we got through and they didn't detect any of our WMD, meaning that 300 pounds of luggage I think my mother-in-law brought along. Don't know what she brought but I had a workout unloading her stuff.
Those prickly feelings about big boats started up again but I drove on. I was quite surprised by all the security we had to go through including a vehicle inspection. I think we went through 3[p;' checkpoints before finally driving up and onloading our luggage. In a way it irks me that we have to resort to such matters but I guess I had rather be safe than sorry. I'm not sure how thorough those checks really were but we got through and they didn't detect any of our WMD, meaning that 300 pounds of luggage I think my mother-in-law brought along. Don't know what she brought but I had a workout unloading her stuff.Check-in was easy and quick. I think we were on the boat in about 20 minutes. All of our reservations were current and we really got a VIP type treatment. Things were looking better than I expected. They were still getting the staterooms ready so we headed for the Lido deck to mingle with the other passengers. I decided I needed to get "in the mood" and ordered a small libation to "soothe my nerves." Note the little umbrella and fruity drink. Yes - I love those ladies drinks. 
As you can see, I was also ready for any caches I might encounter. Everyone else chose a more traditional pre-cruise pose but I wanted to show I was ready to "Par-Tey!"
As you can see, I was also ready for any caches I might encounter. Everyone else chose a more traditional pre-cruise pose but I wanted to show I was ready to "Par-Tey!"
Anchor's Aweigh
Right on schedule at 3:00 PM, we left the dock and headed down the St. John's river to begin our cruise. I was on my 2nd or 3rd Pina Colada and things were quite pleasant. Pleasant until they announced it was time for the life vest and boat drill. Having read in the not-so-distant past about a cruise ship that rolled dramatically "in the harbor," I was a little skeptical. We headed for our staterooms to pick up our life jackets and get a look at our cabin. The cabin was really not bad and Carol kept telling me I wouldn't be spending much time there anyway. 
Kendal immediately claimed the upper bunk, Carol chose a lower, and I got the bed by the window. Colton decided he would share the room with Carol's mom even though we had another bed in our cabin. Guess he wanted a little more privacy. Besides that, his "Nana" spoils him and he probably decided to let her continue. Seriously, he chose to stay with her as she is a bit handicapped and he would be able to help her a lot more.
Kendal immediately claimed the upper bunk, Carol chose a lower, and I got the bed by the window. Colton decided he would share the room with Carol's mom even though we had another bed in our cabin. Guess he wanted a little more privacy. Besides that, his "Nana" spoils him and he probably decided to let her continue. Seriously, he chose to stay with her as she is a bit handicapped and he would be able to help her a lot more. 
We got our lifejackets and headed up to our "muster" point for our lifeboat drill. It all seemed a bit ridiculous but we at least knew where we would "depart" the ship in case of an emergency. Some of us "old salts" found that getting into the life jackets were not as easy as we thought. Naturally I had one with straps that were tangled and I would have ended up carrying it in any emergency. Best part of the drill, I found the buffet on the way to our muster point. It was a minute and straight up two "ladders." Life is good.After our drill, we explored the ship and its' amenities. 
We discovered the duty free shops, the casino, the formal dining room, and a couple of lounges, and then went back to our cabin to get ready for dinner. We had decided to take advantage of the evening sit down dinners and reserve the buffets for breakfast and lunch, and brunch, and mid-afternoon snack, etc. etc. Did I mention I gained 8 pounds on this cruise? No, well forget about it as I am still trying to work it off.
We discovered the duty free shops, the casino, the formal dining room, and a couple of lounges, and then went back to our cabin to get ready for dinner. We had decided to take advantage of the evening sit down dinners and reserve the buffets for breakfast and lunch, and brunch, and mid-afternoon snack, etc. etc. Did I mention I gained 8 pounds on this cruise? No, well forget about it as I am still trying to work it off.We proceeded to dinner and met our two waiters. They were the absolute best. I have never felt so pampered as I did at dinner. Keeping our glasses filled, unfolding my napkin, making sure our dinners were exactly as we wanted them - wow. This was the norm for their service and I was very impressed. 
We discovered that they spend six months straight on the ship and then are off for a couple of months. 
I don't know how much they actually get paid but they deserve every bit of it.
We discovered that they spend six months straight on the ship and then are off for a couple of months. 
I don't know how much they actually get paid but they deserve every bit of it. After dinner, filet-mignon and all the trimmings, we toured the ship a bit more and headed for our cabin. I had been up almost 30 hours and I was ready to call it a night. When we got to the room, we discovered our beds had been turned down, chocolates on the pillows, and the obligatory towel animal awaited us. It had been a great day and I was definitely looking forward to more of this cruise.
