Arrival on Ship

(Having trouble uploading pictures since we are on open waters, will try later).

Getting our luggage to the ship was as simple as calling the bellman and he picked up our bags and took them away. Getting to the cruise terminal was as simple as taking an elevator down from our guest room to the “CS” level. We went through customs and then boarded them ship. As opposed to our trips on the QM2 and Oceania, check-in was actually handled at the reception desk on the ship as opposed to the mass arrivals in the terminal. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and escorted to the Panorama Lounge where we enjoyed the view of Vancouver and awaited our suite being ready. Within 20 minutes someone came down and brought us our keys and escorted us to our cabin. Our suite is gorgeous complete with 1 ½ baths and separate living and sleeping areas. We did all of our “oohing and ahhing” over it, but it was then time for lunch. We joined a small number of guests in the dining room who also decided to board early. They have wonderful wines paired with each meal and you can have champagne at every turn – what more can you ask for! We had a lovely lunch – Mom and Dad started with the seafood medley, while I had the smoked duck. For entrees, Dad and I both had the halibut while Mom went with the Oriental stir fry. The food was excellent. We returned to our suite and Dad promptly took a nap while Mom enjoyed the verandah. I took care of a few items including getting some CDs for our stereo and setting up some spa appointments. Our butler Joaqui stopped by and introduced himself a little later in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, Dad woke up from his nap and was quite sick to his stomach. The rest of the afternoon was spent taking care of him. He ended up staying in bed the rest of the days and missed the departure and dinner. I did go out by the pool for the bon voyage party to see all that was happening. They had live music, all types of hors d’oeuvres including shrimp, chicken satay, antipasti and of course anything you would want to drink. I didn’t stay long and came back to join Mom. Since Dad had lost all he had eaten, we did get him some crackers and ginger ale that seemed to help. He was resting, so Mom and I went down to the dining room about 7:15. We were definitely on the early side for dinner. Mom opted for the grouper while I went for the beef. We had an amazing white chocolate mousse dessert with praline crunch. We finished our dinner and returned to the room about 9 pm. Dad was doing better and we sat up and talked a while. We were cruising along very smooth seas which rocked us to sleep. Here’s hoping for a better day tomorrow!