Creative Exploration to Canada & New England - Day One

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. 

And a new profile photo is created.

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.

Afterwards we did a lot of swapping....ATCs, pins, charms and more.
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!