I am awake and up long before the 7:00 AM set on my alarm. A quick shower and pack the last few things in my carry on suitcase. I am scheduled to leave in the first group, but I decide to wait until after 4 or 5 groups have been called to allow time for those that are in a hurry to leave the ship. When the next group is called, about 25 minutes into disembarkation I head to the gangway.
No wait for the elevator. As the door opens on deck 4 there is a sea of passengers in front of me. There has been a malfunction of the gangway, and no one has left the ship yet. Why did they keep calling for more groups to disembark? The new procedure of waiting in your cabin is designed to eliminate the jam of people in public spaces.
After about 30 minutes the line begins to slowly move. Passengers never fail to boggle my mind. One lady about 20 feet in front of me is trying to manipulate 3 large suitcases. You just want to tell here that is why they give you luggage tags and have you gather your luggage in the terminal where a ported can assist if needed. the line meanders to the terminal and into the baggage holding room.
Facial recognition works flawlessly for CBP. 10 seconds max. A long walk to the waiting shuttle bus.
The shuttle driver is to make 2 stops before reaching the main lot. She forgets both of them. I guess it is too early in the day for her.
On the drive home I talk to my children. Most of them still have a lingering cough and upper respiratory infection. Everyone around me has caught this bug, but so far I have managed to avoid it. It is so common and widespread, the thought has gone through my mind that I might be an asymptomatic typhoid mary.
Arrive home, turn the water and water heater on, unpack, wash all my clothes, and I am ready for another trip shortly after lunch time. In reality it will be about a month and then the first time for me on The Odyssey of The Seas to Curacao, my favorite port.
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