We arrive at Corner Brook on time, and the ship is quickly cleared for passengers to disembark. This is not a popular cruise ship port, only being visited by six to eight ships this year. Four of those visits by The Vision of The Seas.
Our welcome is very warm. Volunteers from the community meet us on the pier, answer questions, offer a taste of locally made candy, make luggage tags for those that wish, and use local school buses to shuttle passengers into town.
I don't think the temperature has reached 40, the skies are overcast, and there is about a 20 knot wind making it very cold for a person that has lived for the past 9 years in Florida. The primary attraction is hiking trails in the nearby hills, a few passengers make a trip to the nearby Walmart to purchase some items they forgot to pack.
I ask several times about the large pipe sections on the pier. No one knows anything, not even a speculation as to where they are going or what they are to be used for. A secret military installation? No one is talking. I take a walk thru town, then return to the ship.
Our bus driver has lived here for 40 years, but since retirement spends his winters in Florida, North East of Tampa, about 40 miles from where I live. He leaves for Florida next week, and will arrive before I do.
This didn't happen on this ship, but on The Explorer of The Seas several years ago according to two passengers involved. Four people booked the cruise in two separate cabins. Shirley #1 and Shirley #2, in cabin A, the names of the others is not important. Upon boarding the ship Shirley #2 quickly realized she was claustrophobic as she walked the relatively narrow hallway to the cabin. She immediately decided she would be uncomfortable and decided to leave the ship before it even sailed.
She consulted with the front desk and disembarked the ship. Luggage was still being processed, but she was told that her luggage would be returned to the pier before the ship left. You probably already have figured it out, They return the suitcase for Shirley #1 instead of Shirley #2.
After the ship left port, and all luggage was delivered, Shirley #1 realized her suitcase was missing. Upon going to guest services, she was told the mix up was all her fault for having two people with the first name of Shirley staying in the cabin. The other couple laugh now, but at the time they were not happy campers.
One tour group is a few minutes late returning to the ship, but we are delayed less than 10 minutes. As we pull away from port, the sun finally comes out.
Tonight's entertainment is "Rookie" a band that plays music from the 50's and 60's. They were on the ship last week as well. The show is good, and the theater packed to capacity.
Tonight we set our clocks back 30 minutes, and will be one hour ahead of the time back home in Florida. Seas are expected to increase to 9 feet tonight, but as I retire for the evening the ride is smooth. Tomorrow is a tender port in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
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