Cruise Day 1: Departure from Barcelona

Today we started off with breakfast at the hotel in Barcelona. Immediately after that we hit up the ATM for some more money. It's funny when you don't need one, you can find them everywhere, but when you do, they are not to be found. We ended up taking a long walk to find one but made it back in time to the hotel.

After packing and checking out of the hotel, we got in our minibus to the port. It is just a brief 15 minute drive, even in traffic. We were all very excited to start this trip. Katherine and I have never been on a cruise ship and had no idea what to expect. We are going to try and sample a bit of everything on the cruise ship in attempt to get a feel for this form of travel.

Soon enough, we were at the port. The ship is huge and the workers were still doing some finishing touches as we arrived. This ship is clean, shiny, and beautiful.

We handed our bags to the bag dudes and would hope to see them a little later in the state room. All bags were put on giant pallet containers and pushed onto the ship.

This is looking to the front of the ship with Barcelona in the background. I am impressed with how many ropes it takes to secure a cruise ship of this size to the port dock points. The ropes are about 6 inches in diameter!

After we dropped off the bags it was time for the check in process. This was a smooth operation and we were given our "Key to the World" cards that we will use for the rest of the time on the ship. The ship operates as a moneyless economy, with all purchases being charged to your stateroom via your card. Just don't lose it. My parents were so excited at this point!

Once we got on, we went right for lunch. Everything on the ship revolves around eating, we would soon find out. This picture was taken in the Cabanas buffet. You can eat here almost whenever you want, especially when the other places are closed. The food was very nice for a buffet. Katherine and I mostly piled our plates with crab claws and shrimp.

Since we could not get into our state rooms yet, we took a walk around the ship and did a little exploring. That's still Barcelona in the background.

We also found MANY places for refreshing beverages. One thing that I think is important to mention is that Disney allows you to bring your own alcohol on to the ship. You are not allowed to drink your alcohol in the public areas, only your stateroom. Anyone with a little imagination will not let this hold you back, however. You can also restock in ports, which means awesome duty free deals! My friends who sail on other cruise lines tell me that bringing on alcohol is usually forbidden. Bonus for Disney! This policy can save you quite a bit of money.

After a little relaxing, we met up with my parents in the Keys piano bar and lounge. A Canadian named Tim played really nice arrangements on the piano. The lounge has hip decor, and with a lookout over the ocean, things were going pretty smoothly.

We ate dinner at Carioca's and were introduced to our dinner servers. Our head server is Agus from Indonesia, and his helper is Valentina from Serbia. Disney cruise ships put you into a dinner rotation of the three main dining rooms. As you rotate to the different restaurants evening after evening your wait staff follows you. This is nice, as it allows your staff to know any of your special preferences, and you can build a nice rapport with them. For dinner Katherine had clam chowder and pan-seared halibut with peas and a potato pancake. At first I only ordered a main course: grilled grain fed sirloin steak with vegetables and rice. Our head server, Agus was persistant that I order an appetizer. Even though I was not feeling very hungry, I told him I would have the fried calamari which he was recommending. The food was prepared well and tasty. Then it was time for dessert. Katherine and I said we did not care for any, and once again Agus began to pressure us. We held firm this time. I guess they are accustomed to Americans gorging themselves.

The night ended with a short walk on the deck. We eat dinner during the second seating of the evening, which means we begin the meal at 8:45 pm. Since our meal did not end until about 11:00 pm, we decided to turn in to get rested for the first port. Tomorrow we will be in Villefranche, France and will tour Monaco and Monte Carlo. It's going to be a big day.

 

 

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