Family B2B Cruise - Caribbean Princess - June 17 - 18 - Travel and Embarkation Day

Doesn't it seem like the last days of work before a vacation are the longest days of history?  Well, we had tested negative for COVID on Wednesday and finally made it through the long work days.   The day had arrived to start our journey to the cruise port. 

My family takes a three generation trip (all cruises so far) every four years (or so) as a way to enjoy some time together in a relaxing way.  We originally were booked to cruise in June of 2021 but that was the very, very start of the cruising re-start after the pandemic shutdown and I don't think any cruises actually left US ports until July of that year.  So we rescheduled our trip to this June.

So back to our travel day, it was an early start as we had about 11 hours of travel time plus lost an hour with the time zone change.  The alarm went off at 3:45 a.m. and we were loading our vehicle by about 4:15 a.m.  Temperatures were already around 80*F that early in the morning and the dew point was almost as high so it was sticky.  All three of our suitcases fit in the trunk, which was amazing - I know I pack too much but where else do I get to wear all my nice gowns and outfits?

A couple hours later, we were in awe as watched the colors change as the sun rose.  This video doesn't do it justice.

Gas prices have been going up significantly lately so we weren't sure what we would find but were pleasantly surprised.  Our first fill-up in Georgia was at $4.35 a gallon, although there was a bit chaos as there were more cars than pumps at both gas stations we tried so we ended up having to wait a few minutes.  Traffic was a bit heavy, especially in Florida but we made good time and filled up one last time in Ft. Pierce near our hotel for $4.64 a gallon.

We had booked the Fairfield Inn in Ft. Pierce and this was a great choice.  We checked in on the app and an hour or more before the check-in time we had selected, we received notification that our room was ready and a mobile key had been activated - love this feature!  So when we arrived at the hotel, we walked right past the reception desk, snagged an elevator and opened our fourth floor room with a few clicks on my cell phone.  Our room was a Studio King which was clean and comfortable.  

The hotel provided breakfast which was really good with turkey sausages, scrambled eggs, French toast, Belgium waffles, and all the usual continental breakfast items.  This hotel was definitely a great choice.

The day had finally come to board our home for the next two weeks.  The drive only took about an hour and forty-five minutes and we were dropping off luggage at about 9:45 a.m. and checking out the view from the top deck of the parking garage by 10:00 a.m.  There was a very tall concrete wall between us and the Caribbean Princess and so my new mini tripod really came in handy as it allowed me to extend the reach of my phone to get a first glimpse.  

The check in process went quite smoothly and we were soon seated and waiting for the ship to clear and start boarding. 

By 11:30 a.m., we were seated in Vines enjoying our first glasses of wine or Prosecco.  

Our room is on the lido deck which is a new location for us.  It is on one of the highest decks of the ship, fairly far forward, just steps from the pool, pool grill, pool bar, pizza place, etc.  We are also just steps from a special area above the bridge that has incredible forward views.

I call this our "private" balcony.  My niece isn't convinced it is actually our balcony.  :)

We watched sail away from this forward area.  The Celebrity Equinox left directly before us.  

We were scheduled for dinner every night at 6:00 p.m. in the Palm Dining room so met our servers this evening.  As someone with a dairy allergy, a head waiter always works with me to pick items I can eat the first night and then to pre-order my meals for the next day so they can be modified as necessary.  I was quite surprised when Sergiu came over to talk to me.  He was the head waiter I worked with on our Panama Canal cruise on the Emerald Princess.  Food and service have been quite good so far.

That evening we spent some time in Good Spirits where we could hear The NoName String Duo playing in the atrium.  So far the Good Spirits drinks have not been as good as I remember on the Emerald.  We may have to try more of the lounges.

After a long day of a lot of excitement, we finally made it back to our room with plans (at least for me) to catch the sunrise the next morning.

Here is a tour of our room.