Day 1: Let The Cruise Begin!

JEWEL OF THE SEAS


OUR STATEROOM AND BALCONY

Sunrise: 5:03 a.m. Sunset: 8:39 p.m.
Depart Harwich: 5:00 p.m.

We woke early, checked out of our room by 8:30 a.m. and hit the road. It was very easy to find our way to Harwich, but we wanted to stop off somewhere for breakfast first. We thought it might be a good idea to check out Colchester. It is a large town just before you get to Harwich. It is the oldest recorded city in England and has a castle. Sounded like a good bet. Colchester turned out to be one of the more confusing cities to drive around in with zillions and zillions of roundabouts. We finally found a place to park and walked around the city center a bit. Not very scenic. And not much was open, being early on a Sunday morning. All the quaint little tea rooms were locked up tight so we ended up at what appeared to be the only food establishment open in town -- a greasy cafe. Back on the road we were at Harwich in nothing flat. My mouth dropped open when I caught a glimpse of the gleaming white ship. The thing is HUGE. I'm talkin' monstrous. We drove over to the car park where attendants whisked away our bags. A one-minute ride in a minibus brought us to the cruise terminal. It took us about five minutes to check in and by noon we were on board!!

We had to wait till one p.m. to enter our state room. No worries. There was a bountiful buffet on offer at the Windjammer cafe. So much food to choose from! And everything we tasted was pretty good too. By the time we finished our snack it was one o'clock so we went to check out our state room. This is the very best part indeed. We decided to splurge on this trip and get a junior suite. But Brad had taken a bit of a gamble. He didn't choose a specific state room, giving us a chance at an upgrade. At the very least we would get a jr. suite, but we could get something bigger. Well, let me tell you, we did get a bigger room. I'm talking HUGE!!! This stateroom is bigger than any hotel room we've ever had by far; it can accommodate eight people and there are just the two of us knocking around in here. We have a large living room area with tv, round table with two chairs, sofa and easy chair. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Plus, there is a balcony!!! We are on deck nine in the aft starboard corner. There is room for five deck chairs on our balcony. Brad says this will have to be the last cruise we ever go on. We will be spoilt by this luxury and may not ever be able to afford a stateroom like this again.

The sun was shining this afternoon and it felt so nice and cozy on our private deck. This evening it is cool and we have a lovely view of the moon and stars. It is not so cold out on the deck. I was able to sit out there in my jammies and robe and still feel comfortable.

During the course of the day we did a self-guided tour of the ship. There are so many facilities here it is unbelievable. I don't know where to begin. There are many lounges and cafes, all done up with classy tasteful decor. Two pools -- one outdoor complete with wading pool and jacuzzis, the other indoor in a wonderful glass-roofed solarium full of lush green plants. A fitness center. A rock-climbing wall. A casino. A library. Several internet cafes (50 cents a minute). Miniature golf course...

Since we are suite guests we have access to the private concierge lounge. We went there for complimentary cocktails and snacks. The concierge is a very nice and friendly African with a peculiar first name: Mpho, prounounced something like Mmmmpoe. The lounge is a smallish room and all the tables were filled when we got there. We each had a Jack and Coke (no gingerale) and some nibbles and sat by one of the internet terminals. We'll have to get there early tomorrow so we can get a better seat.

We have the main seating for dinner which begins a 6 p.m. We are seated at a round table with six other guests: a British couple from Cheltenham about our age bracket, an older American couple and two fellows from California, Jerry and Jimmy. They are all quite nice and I actually feel I've more in common with the British couple than the Americans. I can't quite figure Jerry and Jimmy out. At first I thought they were a couple, but then Jerry kept talking about his daughter and grandchildren. He has been on 39 cruises. He treats his family to a cruise every Christmas so they can have a reunion every year. He earns his money as a realtor. As for the food, it was pretty good. I had a melon salad and grilled salmon. Brad had an onion tart and shrimp ravioli. The portions were light which was a good thing as there is so much food available every where you turn on this ship.

We finished dinner just in time for the evening's entertainment: a comedian/juggler named Stephen Rawlings. He is British and very talented with a wicked sense of humour. His juggling acts were very impressive. I felt a bit sorry for him as the audience reacted a bit lukewarmly to his antics.

After the show we strolled around some more, checked out the onboard shops, listened in on a trivia quiz going on in one of the lounges. I came back to the cabin to update my journal while Brad had a go at the casino. Then he went to check out the "midnight" buffets going on on two different decks of the ship. He limited himself to one ham and cheese crepe, though there was plenty more on offer.

Well, I'm gonna go check out the view on the balcony, read our newsletter about activities tomorrow (we're at sea all day) and then hit the hay.

Our room statistics:
30 drawers
3 double closets
2 bathrooms (one with shower stall, the other with a tub/shower combo)
6 double-door cupboards
3 single-door cupboards
1 two-drawer cabinet
1 double bed, 2 twin beds, 2 fold-away bunk twins, 1 sleep sofa
2 vanities
1 round dining table with 2 chairs
1 easy chair
1 sofa
balcony with 5 deck chairs
1 coffee table
2 end tables
1 huge entertainment center