Our Cruise begins

Friday February 26, 2010 Sydney, Australia
We arrived at the cruise terminal at 11 am by taxi and it would have been much quicker walking but with four pieces of luggage we opted for the taxi. There was a long line up and everyone seemed to be confused. If only they would read the signs. We got priority boarding status because of our number of cruises with Royal Caribbean and we were on board within an hour. There was more paper work this time because of the Visa’s required for Papua New Guinea and the health statements for Swine Flu. By noon we were having lunch at the Windjammer Buffet and as always there was more than plenty to choose from and as we are not fussy eaters it all tasted wonderful. After lunch, I went to the wine desk to purchase my wine package for the cruise. It is the first time for me doing this, but when priced out, it is much cheaper than purchasing at the table and you can bring the bottle back to your room which I will enjoy while sitting on our balcony at sunset looking out over the water. Yeah, I know romantic thoughts. The rooms opened up at 1 pm and we got to see our suite. Love it, love it. Deck 8, Aft. Suite # 8580. We have bathrobes in the suite and a big bathroom. Our Platinum Coupon Books are in our room. We are having a passing shower outside but I don’t really care. We are on the ship that I booked over 1 ½ years ago. I think I need to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. Luggage arrived an hour later and I began the task of unpacking. I’m tired of dealing with clothes. This is the 2nd time today. After the first suitcase, I sort of had a mild meltdown. Dun was stretched out on the couch resting (he needed it because he hauled the luggage from the taxi to the porters). I asked him to store the suitcase under the bed & he thought he’d do it after a rest. I lost it & stomped out to the balcony & told him in no uncertain terms he could finish the unpacking and not to leave a mess. After a smoke, I relaxed, went back in and sure enough the suitcase was under the bed so I finished the unpacking. We’re friends again! Muster Drill was at 5 pm and sail away at 6:30. Sailing out Sydney Harbour was nostalgic. I fell in love with this city . All the sail boats in the harbour were so scenic. It took an hour to get to open water. We are now on our way. We wandered around the ship a bit but spent most of the evening sitting on our balcony. There is nothing like the sound of the ocean and the quietness. We are late seating for dinner (8:30) so by the time we were through eating it was 10 pm. Our tablemates are 2 ladies from Melburne and one of them looks exactly like my cousin Sandra Cook. The other couple are oldies from Sydney and the first impression was that they were very stuffy but the gentleman actually ended up being a case. We came back to the room shortly after and sit on the balcony for a while before heading to bed. The couples on each side of us are Canadians...one couple from Vancouver and the other couple from Burlington Ontario.