Everything went smoothly. They arrived at Orlando the night before sailing and took pre-booked transportation from the airport to the Radisson Resort hotel in Cape Canaveral – the closest hotel to Port Canaveral. From there they were able to grab a free shuttle to the cruise ship pier for an early boarding on Sunday Morning.
This Sunday 'early' was around noon, a little later than normal, and the cabins were not available until about 3:00 pm. We crew had to sanitize the ship again this week before taking on new passengers because we're still operating under an OPP (Outbreak Prevention Plan) code red.
(By the way, the OPP appears to be working. The number of cases of gastro-intestinal disease is way down from last week. We're still in a code red alert condition, however. I think code red will remain in effect until the problem has been eliminated completely.)
Checking in was a breeze. Guests of crew check in at a special desk, thereby avoiding the long lines at the regular check-in desks. Paul and Meta were onboard quickly, within about fifteen minutes of arriving at the pier. So, not only do they get special prices, they get special treatment as well. The guys at the check-in were very friendly and welcoming.
Paul and Meta have a regular guest cabin, but it's not of the premium variety. They're buried near the centre of the ship on deck six in a small inside cabin with no porthole (it's bigger than my cabin, however!). I was hoping for one of the suites with a large balcony overlooking the sea. Just kidding.
With regard to cabins, size really doesn't matter. You're not likely to spend much time in there anyway.
I'll be interested to hear their first impressions of the ship (any comments, you two?). I was, as they say, blown away when I first boarded this ship last year. But from what I could tell, Meta and Paul were not so impressed. Oh yeah, big theatre. Oh, there's a skating rink. Nice gym. Ho hum.
I had to submit a form in order to get permission to dine in public (that is, non-crew) areas, to visit Meta and Paul in their cabin, and for them to be able to visit crew areas (only if accompanied by me). This is a typical example of the red tape you have to put up with when you work on a ship.
I'll give them a little tour of the crew decks, and perhaps take them to this week's crew party, a Caribbean Night, back on deck three on Thursday. I am told that they can take advantage of the free food and bar that these crew parties offer, but only if I'm with them. It should give them a good idea of how the crew lives and parties on the ship.
Meanwhile, it's great for me to have them aboard. And I know they'll have a good time being cones for a week!
Meta and Paul in Jamaica
