Let’s call this one: The First Impression!
This is my first cruise that I’ve been on where I had the privilege of going through the normal check-in and ticketing process. Every other cruise that I’ve ever been on has been for “work” so we get on the ship at about 8 am so we can begin setting up. I prepared myself for a horrible experience. I was worried about how long we’d be sitting in lines. I mean this ship can have 5,000 people on it. That sounds crazy.
Now there are LOTS of suggestions that I’ll tell you about when I write up a full review and create an FAQ based on my families “inspection” cruise. Little example – your cruise documents will tell you that check-in is between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. Welllllll… I’ll tell you that you can check in starting at 10:30 am. We got to the ship terminal in Ft. Lauderdale at 11:00 am and there were already people checking in. The entire check-in process took 5 minutes. With 3 of those minutes being them inspecting my backpack (I have a few hundred chargers with me. It’s amazing how many wires I have so I can live wirelessly (that makes NO sense).
So now we’re on the ship and my initial impression is WOW, in every sense. They have amazing spaces for EVERYONE. Have kids? Go to the Boardwalk. Want somewhere quiet? Go pull up a chair in Central Park. Looking for a great place to do a devotion with your wife/husband? Go to the Solarium Lounge. Want to feel the energy of the ship? Go to the Royal Promenade. There are so many amazing places on this ship, I’m trying to figure out what space I want to hang out during my quiet time (pssst… Solarium is going to be the SPOT on a casabella staring out at the ocean – full 180 degree view from the front of the ship). THE ONLY MOMENT where I felt the number of people on the ship was during the safety drills right before we left port, obviously it’s required and after it’s done you have everyone spreading back out all over the ship all at one time. Complete honesty – On the other ships that we’ve been on I’ve felt more “crowded” than on this ship so far. Hard to believe that, but it’s true.
So, as I crawl into bed at the end of our “embarkation” day – I’m already sitting here thinking about different ways and spaces that we can have special “moments” on this ship unlike anything we’ve ever done before. More meaningful. More intentional. Just MORE.
Looking forward to the rest of the week. And I’ll write each night – working on focusing on different topics each night. Not just “what we did” today. If you want that… you can follow my posts on the social networks and links mentioned below.
BLESSINGS AND GOOD NIGHT FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN (heading over to Nassau for a port day tomorrow).
DLS
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Do YOU have any questions about the MWS & Friends 2016 Cruise? Ask them here and I’ll answer them throughout the cruise: https://michaelwsmith.com/caribbean-cruise-questions/
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