We woke up to foggy skies in the LA area but it didn’t damper our excitement for the day. Marshall was up early to go gas up the rental car, and Sharon hustled the luggage to the lobby with the help of the bellman. We followed Lisa and Ron to the port to drop off the luggage where the ladies stayed behind, while the guys returned the rental car, and then parked Ron’s truck in the lot next to the ship. We all got in line to start the embarkation process and it went about as smooth as it can go for a thousand people joining a ship, with their four months of stuff. The line stopped moving for a while because it got backed up at security, but soon we were on our way up the gang plank.

Our cabins were ready when we arrived and we dropped our backpacks to go have a quick lunch in the dining room. Afterwards, we headed up to the Lido deck to listen to the music and we saw dozens of folks that we recognized from the 2024 World Cruise. Soon the Sail Away Party commenced and we heard the Love Boat theme played over the ships horn. We knew we were on our way.

All of our luggage had been delivered to the room by the time we returned. We were able to reserve a table in the traditional Provence dining room, which means we will have a set time for dinner every night. At 7:30pm, we found our table and met our wait-staff for the next 115 nights. They were gregarious and efficient and we were delighted.

Today was a great start to our journey.

Tomorrow: Sea Day and Unpacking