Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Embarkation Day (09/08/25)

RQS and I got up a little bit before 9 am today, and we took our time getting showered and dressed before making our way to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.  Both of us were a little forgetful in our packing.  She forgot a sweater she wanted to wear (and would need to wear) in cooler weather, and I forgot my memory stick that I planned to use on this trip in my shirt pocket left at home.

Around 11 am, our ride took us to the cruise terminal.  Traffic was slow (as expected) for a weekday, but we made it to our destination at noon. Unlike our prior experiences in Brooklyn, it took less than 15 minutes from the time we dropped off our bags with the porter to the time we made it to our cabin.  Cruising on a smaller ship has its benefits, as there were hardly any people queued for processing (compared to other cruises) due to our ship's low capacity AND the use of the Princess Medallion.

Once RQS and I were finished with the muster process, we went downstairs to have lunch in the main dining room.  Although the wait staff were polite and professional, I could tell that they wanted lunch service to end, so that they could get a much needed break before dinner service began. (We got to the restaurant 20 minutes before lunch service ended.)  It was an enjoyable lunch, with my salmon prepared the way I like it - grilled, not too dry or moist.

After lunch, both of us took a nap before unpacking our suitcases.  (I usually take out my packing cubes and take clean clothes out as I need them.) Yet, we didn't unpack the way we usually do, as both of us had our own agendas - me to take a nap, and RQS to take her photos.  And then, both of us relaxed until dinner time. 

At 7 pm, we went to the dining room for dinner, and there was a long line to the door.  Someone pointed out that the line we were standing on was for people who didn't have reservations.  So we went to the other line, and were seated at a shared table with 3 other people.  Everyone else at the table were seasoned travelers, so our conversation lasted until well after 9 pm.  Hopefully, we will see these people again on the cruise.

Finally, RQS needed to buy a sweater, so it was off to the ship's store to buy one.  She found something she liked, and wanted to buy two - but only one was available in a color and style she liked.  Then it was back to the cabin for the night. 

 

 

California Vacation 2023 - Embarkation Day

 

Embarkation Day.  This is where I figured that we'd have some problems because I had lost (or misplaced) my Princess Medallion.  And I was right....

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Getting up this morning, I knew that when I arrived at the pier, that I'd have to go through a gauntlet of headaches before we could get to our cabin.  So I made sure to touch base (again) with the Princess personnel at the hotel to confirm what I needed to do to get on the ship.  And then the fun began.

RQS and I refused to pay $50 to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast.  So we got on line for the in-house Starbucks, where we found reasonably priced breakfast beverages and refreshments before getting on the bus to the cruise ship in San Pedro.  While making a Bio-Break, the bus came and RQS went outside for the bus.  She didn't hear me announce that "I had to see a man about a horse," so she went outside looking for me.  I got a little anxious looking for her, but things turned out all right and the bus started making its way to the pier.

Once at the pier, we had our first expected problem.  It took forever for the people at the pier to cut one-time-use cruise cards that we'd use to get on the ship.  And then, we walked onto the ship and into our second headache - the wait at Guest Services.  Normally, a visit to Guest Services shouldn't take too long.  But it was chaos in front of the desk, and the air conditioning was not able to keep up with the heat.  As a result, I was dripping when I approached the counter.  (Thankfully, I had no need to wear a wig on this trip, as I'd be presenting as Mario for the duration of the trip.)  About ten minutes later, I had a functioning medallion, and I was set to go.  One problem.  RQS's medallion no longer worked.  So it was back to Guest Services, and another ten minutes later, RQS had her working medallion.

It was a long day, and we took a much needed rest before dinner.  This would be the first of seven days where we'd enjoy great food, walk around a lot, and feel tired by day's end.  Things finally were starting to look good....