Embarkation Day - January 3, 2024

 Needless to say excitement is in the air today, so much so that the female side of the family was the first one up this morning. Sometime she makes me smile as she acts like the little girl she was, the one I can only imagine.

Here is the progress of our luggage this morning:

It looks like our luggage is ready to be placed aboard the ship.

Our scheduled ride to the cruise port was right on time and it turned out we were the only passengers on this trip going on the Zuiderdam.

We weren't sure how the driver knew exactly which bags were ours, but somehow he did.

What are the odds that wondering around the huge departure hall we would come across our neighbors who we were traveling with?

Hard to believe it is actually happening, but it is.

Walking up the gangplank? Jetway? Shipway? this was the view towards where our room were.

Joy is where you are walking down the hall towards your room and you see the home depot box near your door.

All those hours Linda spent online have resulted in some interesting things. Some powerful hook magnets and a $9 dollar pocketed door hanging thing. It doesn't look like much, but does it ever hold a lot of items that we know where they are.

Linda was concerned they wouldn't have her favorite vegetable. Was she ever gland to see this pallet being loading on board.

Taking a break from putting things away in the room in places where we immediately forgot where they were, we did a walkabout of the ship.

While we were doing our shipboard walking, down on the pier, a drug sniffing dog was doing his own walkabout.

Obligatory food photo. I hate to say it but all self talk and support of each other about not over indulging of food and drink before the cruise, went right out the window the moment we first saw the buffet line and later when our table waiter asked if we would like another glass of sparkling wine, sigh.

Vowing not to have a repeat of our gluttonous noontime behavior at dinner, we decided that today was a lost cause and we would wait until tomorrow to practice moderation.

With the knowledge I would be on short rations tomorrow, I doubled down on dessert. Smart Bob.

An introduction of some of the activities leaders.

A very loud group that played songs we didn't know.

One of the music venues - two pianos and singers - interesting.

Only a small part of what she who tried to bring along everything we might possibly need during our 4 months plus at sea had packed. It is all put away, but exactly what is where may takes weeks to discover. The most common words heard in our room are "Do you know where the ______ is?"

Lastly, it has been a real struggle to get this posted, but better late than never.