Embarkation Day on Harmony of the Seas

 Today’s the first day of our 16-day transatlantic cruise from Galveston to Barcelona.  We managed to pack our stuff into two suitcases and two small duffels. (The striped tote held two bottles of champagne and snacks.) Half of my suitcase held clothes, and the other half was for toiletries, chargers, hats, and shoes. By mid-April, we will be heartily sick of the few outfits we brought, I’m sure!

A strong cold front arrived in Houston overnight, so it was in the mid-40s, with 29 mph winds! Yesterday’s high was 84. Our favorite driver Rafee drove us to the port and dropped us off at the door, where baggage handlers took all our bags. We rode an escalator to the suites and Pinnacles check-in, which was already crowded. We’ve heard that there are a LOT of Pinnacles on this cruise. We arrived at 10:00, and got checked in quickly, but it was 11:00 before we got to board, because the staff’s tablets weren’t working for that process.

After checking in at our muster station, we reactivated our Wow bands, then headed up to the suites lounge on deck 17. It was packed, but we found two seats in a corner and were soon sipping some Prosecco. We had a nice lunch at Jamie’s Italian: arancini and garlic buns, rocket salads, and some pasta. Our cabin is on deck 8, midship, the same level as Central Park and most of the specialty restaurants, as well as Dazzles, where the crafting group will be meeting on sea days. Very convenient!

Our cabin was ready a little after 1:00. We’re in a grand suite, as Royal Caribbean calls it. Here are a few pics:



Bedroom desk and storage 

Our balcony 

Nice big bathroom!

Due to the strong winds and the government shutdown, lots of people have had trouble getting to Galveston. Some in the Facebook group plan to fly to the Bahamas and board there instead, since they won’t make it to the ship today. 

Tonight’s dinner will be at 150 Central Park, so we will try to get some pictures of the food for my foodie followers. That’s it for now!


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