On September 30 I awoke to some severe weather. After an early breakfast at the Hampton Inn, we had the great adventure of trying to get our suitcases from our room to the lobby. Very tiny elevator, lots of people with the same goal, and many very large suitcases. At last our luggage joined the growing crowd in the lobby.
I still don't know what happened, but we boarded our bus before 11 and it was well over an hour before we so much as moved from the curb. I tried to remain cheerful.
My Lady Liberty sunglasses helped in that regard. Thanks Gina and Marita!
FINALLY, we began to move and reached Port Liberty, NJ and The Explorer of the Seas.
I think we all needed something to drink by then.
Yep, trading in the cosmo pic for this one of me and my mojito, taken at the pool bar on Deck 11.
We had an early dinner, right after the muster drill. Here are Pat and Lori contemplating the menu.
We also ate with Maurene and Wendy (who are from Toronto, and were also on the Mexico cruise last year).
Elena and Bernie were also at our table, but we didn't see that much of them....I think the 5:30 dinner time was a bit early for them.
After dinner, the welcoming reception at the Maharaja Lounge, where Sir Tim greeted us.
We met his wonderful team....Mario, Michelle, Karen, and Joy....heard from Jim of Scrapmap, and received our cruise totebags, aprons, and name cards, as well as any bags, t-shirts or hoodies we'd preordered.
The ship was really rocking and rolling and lots of people were feeling queasy. Fortunately, I don't get seasick, but I was a little dizzy.
Here are most of the swaps I received.....I say most, because I'm still finding ATCs tucked in various odd places. I was giving out and receiving them right up until the very last day, and I know I missed photographing some of them.
I was also in an organized charm swap, and here is the necklace I put together:
Pretty cool haul, huh?
Tomorrow.....our first day at sea and our first class with Tim!
32 comments:
I love your new profile photo - and look at all those fab ATC's. This is going to be such fun following your journey!
Love it. The new pic is awesome.
Now just for fun, todays word verification word is: flogin
ummmmmm......
Love the new profile pic. So jealous that I didn't get a call to take a canceled room. Keep the photos and the updates coming.
Love your posts! Living vicariously this trip through them.
Going to the next one though!!!!
So great that you are narrating your journey -- I can hear you talking when I read this. Those ATCs are pretty amazing. Every one of them is a real work of art.
Looks likes lots of fun!
The new pic is awesome! Great atcs and love all those charms!
Oh wow thank you so much for taking us on the journey with you.... Sounds like you had tons of fun....Great pictures....
love your blog!!!! u put a lot of love into it!!! love your mojito pic--its official cosmos are so out....mojito's the new in drink
& u r right at the forefront of the movement!!!
Well done! Love the pics, love the comment about the bus, I decided to steer clear of that, wouldn't have been pretty. lol.
Hi Eileen -
Love all the ATCs. What a haul, they are gorgeous. And the swap necklace, is just beautiful. Looking forward to the rest of your adventure.
Elaine Allen
What an experience for all of you! Maybe one day...
Great recap and I also admire your restraint when it comes to commenting on the 3-hour wait on the bus at the Cape Liberty terminal. Lucky for us we were able to board the ship within the last 20 minutes of lunch service.
Wow! You got a lot of ATCs!!
Cool pic of you and your new beverage of choice.
Here we go again ... Love, love, LOVE reading your blog about our adventures! Although, I do dread starting mine ... lol. I did download my pics already (quite unusual for me to be so prompt), so you never know when my recap will be bein! Stay tuned ...
Eileen It looks like you had a fabulous time and received some gorgeous ATC's to remember the times! *Hugs*
Love it all - the descriptions, the photos and your new pic ;-) Just great!
Vicki B in OP NY
Great new profile photo! So much better than the old one. Love all the ATC's that you traded for. Thanks so much for sharing them all. The charms were beautiful too! Too bad I can't take being on a ship, looks like a lot of fun otherwise.
Aloha, Kate
I think you chose the wrong profile picture!!! I like the one with the glasses best! Bernie and I are Cuban sugar! Its almost sacriligious to eat dinner before 9!! LOL!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm LOVING this adventure!!!!! So much FUN!!! Love all your swaps!!!
Great pics! You are so much fun!
Oh Eileen - thanks for doing the posting. It is so nice to be able to relive some many memories.
Eileen - thanks for the journey of your cruise! Looks like great fun was had by all! ATC's are super, charm was gorgeous! Can't wait for more!
That is a way cool necklace and lots of wonderful trades!!!! Can't wait to read tomorrows post!!
I am SO vicariously enjoying this,Eileen!!!Wow!Tons of ATCs!!!!!Thanks for sharing all of this! Sue
IS that a shrink plastic bird cage and bird on your necklace? How cool!
What gorgeous ATCs and charms you got. Very inspiring.
Such wonderful charms. That necklace is so unique. Love so many of the aTCs too. Can't wait to hear more
One word . . . WOW!!!!!
Well, maybe a FEW more words. LOVE the t-shirt for the cruise this year - really cool. And that mojito? Oh yes, that's really cool as well *hee hee*. Keep the photos coming. I'm loving the cruise review!! xoxo
What a fantastic lot of artful souvenirs.
You're very lucky not to get sea-sick: I'm hopeless. Thanks for sharing the experiences and pics.
Very cool. Great Pix too.
Friends
Stephen
http://bearcrazyman.blogspot.com/
Hello,
really nice profile photo of you . You look very nice in black and orange !
so many ATC's ! A resource for inspiration !
greetings from Belgium
Inge
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