Our first cruise of the new year is on the Oasis of the Seas. 8 days to Curacao, Aruba and Coco Cay, Royal's private island.
The drive to Ft Lauderdale is uneventful. Adrienne and Steve are driving separately and will pick up Pann and Terry at the Ft. Lauderdale airport.
We all get together on the shuttle bus from Park-N-Go to the terminal. It wasn't planned that we would meet there, it just happened. Once the bus was full we head to the ship. The many times I have used Park-N-Go while sailing from here, this is the first time the shuttle did not take the main entrance but instead a back entrance through the industrial area of the port. Interesting to say the least. But definitely no traffic. Probably a concession by the port to expedite the thousands of passengers passing through the port each week.
The luggage is unloaded and handed over to the dock porters. We head to checkin.
Unlike our last cruise the process is quick and easy. Probably less than 15 minutes from stepping off the bus to being on the ship
Cabins wont be open for about an hour so we find seats at the Solarium bar and settle in for 8 days of R&R.
Several hours later I head to our cabin. The luggage is found and stowed away. I try to be consistant from ship to ship, but that is not always possible. At the time she was built The Oasis had some of best designed cabins, by today's standards she is outdated and not nearly as well thought out as more modern vessels. But don't get the wrong idea. She will be fine. It may just take me a little longer to find my toothbrush.
About a year ago I started bringing vacuum hand grips for the shower. To no avail here. The shower walls are textured and will not support a vacuum. At least there is a factory installed grab bar, a nicety missing on many ships.
One of the benefits of having spent literally years on Royal Caribbean ships is my loyalty level. As we approach the dining room, along with hundreds of other passengers, I am picked out by a staff member and whisked to the front of the line. No waiting for us. We are directed to our table in a secluded section at the back of the dining room.
The southern fried chicken and key lime pie for dessert was good. Service was a little slow, but that is normal on the first night as the crew gets to know thousands of new passengers.
After dinner we find Canilo a crew member that Steve Adrienne and I met about 6 years ago. They have kept in touch via Face Book, a medium I seldom use. We quickly find him in one of the jewelry and watch shops. Probably a step up from the liquor shop that he was woking in when we first met.
It has been a long day and a good night's rest is next on the agenda.
Seas are about 6 feet and skies clear as we head south to Curacao.