As planned the ship approaches the port of Civitavecchia in the dark at 4:00 AM. Today is the end port of the transatlantic voyage. Lots of special events today.
The captain and cruise director will be leaving the ship. A few crew members will be leaving, but most that are at the end of thier contracts won't leave the ship until we reach Turkey, as the cost of flying home is so much less there.
We end a cruise, and start a new one. Changing cabins, closing accounts, all the stuff that is done at the end of a cruise and at the beginning of another. Part of the process is dictated by local authorities, not the cruise line.
Luggage is packed with small items, hanging items are left in the closet, our cabin steward will move everything to our new cabin.
Passengers begin disembarking before 6:00 AM. There has been lots of news circulating that Italian train and bus and taxi transportation workers are going on strike this weekend. Many passengers are nervous about getting to thier next destination.
This time we are to gather in the sports complex on deck 15 between 8:00 and 9:30. We are scanned out of the system, our old cards collected. We are then given new cards and "in transit" cards. Our passports are checked by royal security, we are then logged back in using our new cards. All in all, a 5 minute process.
If we wish to get off the ship, the "in transit" cards will allow for expedited reboarding. Initially we were going to get off, but with the very long day yesterday, we elect to stay on board.
The consecutive cruisers lunch was as disorganized as the previous one. I have no idea of the numbers, but estimate there probably are 200 to 300 cruisers staying on for the Greek Isles.
Our new cabin is on deck 13, port side. Just to add to the opportunity for confusion, the cabin layout is reversed from the previous cabins on this voyage.
Our excursion tickets are in the cabin as expected. Fortunately I take a close look at them. At least four are totally misprinted with the wrong dates and wrong ports listed on the ticket. The best one was two tickets for Pompeii. Two different dates, two different ports, but both for the same tour.
I take them to the shore excursions desk. Initially the gal is very defensive and tries to claim they are correct. Eventually she understood the problem, reprinted my tickets and tried to send me on my way. A quick glance revealed these were still being printed incorrectly.
Off to find her supervisor, she eventually promises to have it fixed and will have new tickets sent to our cabin before morning.
As I requested we have been assigned the same table in the dining room. I expect we will have a different staff as they are usually assigned to different work areas each cruise.
Beverage service was close to non existant. the protocol here has been for the waiter or assistant waiter to take our order, and a beverage server to bring it. somewhere that chain was broken.
Dinner was good, but the environment changed substantially from the last cruise. Primarily the result of a very loud demanding group of 20+ passengers that all insisted at being seated at one table. An arrangement that wasn't made at booking time. Of course this resulted in total disruption of the small dining room.
As always the blinds were drawn when the sun was shining brightly in everyone's eye's as the ship turned south. They requested the blinds be put up again as they were in the middle of the room and wanted to see out. I silently objected with a polite motion to the staff to lower them. They did. End of subject. Sometimes there is value to being a regular customer.
Now that the ship is in Europe for the summer there are some fundamental changes from what was normal in the Caribbean. Dining times in the main dining rooms have all been moved an hour later. The only welcome aboard show the first night is at 10:30. The amount of entertainment scheduled for the next 12 days is less than the amount normally schedued on a 7 day cruise. All announcements are made in at least 3 languages.
Some stability in routine is provided by "The Dukes" still playing in Boleros most evenings. Our choice for after dinner.
The seas remain very comfortable with under 3 foot waves. There are a few clouds and temperatures are expected to be in the upper 60's for the next day or so.
Tomorrow, a sea day, we will pass around the toe of Italy as we head for Chania, crete, Greece.
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