The night went alright, even though the AC unit turned on and off all night, and some construction work started at 07. I had the pool just outside my window, and I was on the ground floor, so the curtains had to stay closed. Jumped into the shower, which took minutes to get hot water. So long that I had to check the tap at the handbasin to see if there was any warm water at all. It got through in the end, but the pressure was so low, so I took off the nozzle and just poured over me instead. Just one night, luckily enough.
Packed up the rest of my stuff and watched the first half of Örgryte IS – IFK Norrköping before checking out and asked the receptionist to call me a cab. He got there pretty quickly, and after loading my bag in the back, we took off. My googling skills last night told me to expect a fare of $12-$14, so when I asked how much and he said $30, I got a bit surprised. I told him about my searches, and he said that it was Uber prices, which wasn’t what my searches told me. We negotiated and ended up at $25, still twice what I expected. I’ll have better material for the return trip, or I’ll just use Uber.
During the ride, it becomes clear that he didn’t know where Royal Caribbean docks, something I thought every cab driver in this town would know. And since I didn’t have cellular data, I couldn’t Google it either. He tried to phone a friend but wasn’t successful. I finally found the address in the cruise line app in a part that didn’t require an internet connection. Arrived at the pier just before 11 o’clock and got instructed to stand in a line (yay).
There, I met Bob and his wife, who seemed to be experienced cruisers. We spoke while waiting to get on board, and I asked for any tips and tricks. They were from Chicago, so when we touched on the subject of weather (as you eventually do), they knew what we currently had in Sweden.
When I got into the terminal and to the check-in, the woman asked me if I had my ESTA with me. Since I’ve never shown any such paper when entering the USA before, and still didn’t have cellular data (wifi didn’t work yet), I didn’t know what to present or how to get it. She took my passport to a desk and a few minutes later, she came back and said everything was in order. Next up was security, which didn’t have a line and moment of truth, power strip, yay or nay? The only thing that happened was that the bin with my personal items, like a watch, phone, passport, and wallet, got stuck in the X-ray machine. I guess it was too light. So all worries for nothing.
I got on board, and there was a guy holding a sign with “The Key,” whom I said hello to, and he then escorted me through to the dining hall, where I could drop off my carry-on bag if I liked, but I kept it since it had my laptop and stuff. Next up was the “Voom”-guys who helped set up the wifi. Didn’t really understand what he did, except for the static MAC address (again), and frankly, I don’t think he knows either. Suddenly, it worked. However, it didn’t seem like they allow VPN.
I went to find my Muster station, where I’m supposed to go to if there is an emergency. It’s a part of a mandatory safety briefing. The guy scanned my boarding card and told me what to do in case of an emergency. With all that done, it was time for lunch. Also part of “The Key” program. I sat beside Scott and Lora, and we started talking. They live in the Bay Area, so when I said I’m going to San Francisco, they came up with a couple of suggestions on what to do there. Very lovely couple and a nice lunch.
At 13:00, the rooms were available, so I headed to the front of deck 7, where I’m staying for a week. A double bed and a window facing the helipad. It could be worse. Hopefully, I won’t spend that much time in the room. There is a sign beside the curtains asking to keep them closed during the night so the light won’t interfere with navigation. My bag hadn’t arrived yet, when I looked out in the corridor, I saw the staff in the process of bringing bags up, so it would just be a matter of time.
In my room, on the table, I found tickets to the two activities I’ve booked; however, I also had a note that said that, because of operational reasons, Scuba diving tomorrow was cancelled. Someone said that it is a translation for “too few have booked this”. Too bad, I was looking forward to it.
I tried to go online on my laptop, but it wouldn’t let me switch devices, so another trip to the “Voom”-guys who set up the login that didn’t work earlier, and now it’s quite smooth to swap between devices. To my happy surprise, VPN seems to work on the laptop, so I might be able to watch some Swedish sports (and NFL)!
I unpacked my stuff, using the closet. If I’m staying here for a week, I don’t have to live out of the suitcase, and there is no good space to have it open either. Went out to find a place to sit down and read some, and ended up in the Solarium, which is an adult pool with some surrounding chairs and tables. Had a nice, relatively quiet hour, going through the book. At 18:30, they tested the Emergency signal. Let’s just say, I will probably wake up if this goes on…
Walked around for a bit and discovered a mini golf course, nine holes at the top of the ship. Since I don’t have a standing reservation for my dining, I can get in anytime after 18:45 (pending availability, the restaurant opens at 17:00). So I got there just after 18:45, and there was a line. Went pretty quickly though, and soon enough I sat down at a table, and my server Allan poured me a glass of water and gave me the menu. I went for the Menu Highlight; I assume someone thought it would be good. The starter came very fast, and when I was done, Allan just swapped plates and went on to the main course. Finally, dessert and I finished that, just as the table next to me got their starters, and they sat down shortly after me. Probably the quickest three-course meal I’ve ever eaten (about 35 minutes). It was good though, and I should just take my time next meal, instead of rushing through. And the staff was very friendly.
Took a troll around the ship again, bumped into Bob and his wife, and we watched the departure. The pilot boat dropped off the pilot, escorted us out, and then picked him up again. Cool to witness! Afterward I bought myself a lanyard to keep the room key (SeaPass), which is what you need around the ship. The app said it would be a 20% discount after 20:00; however, the cashier said that “Miami changed that yesterday, and now it’s buy one, get one for free”. I don’t need a second one, but got it anyway, and no discount 🙁 They should update the app if they make such changes…
