Wednesday, January 24, 2018

LOTS OF BAGGAGE, LOTS OF BALLOONS


January 24,  2018

Our bags were packed....three for him and two for me. Who would have known I was married to a closet fashion plate? An uneventful trip to Los Angeles, a paid-for airport driver who didn't show up, and a kamikaze drive to our Beverley Hills hotel in a handicapped van. Yup....the Hawrishoks were travelling once again.

A four month cruise requires lots of baggage...right?


Our Rodeo Drive hotel in Beverley Hills was very expensive and while it was fun to be in the middle of this mecca of consumerism, it was difficult to find the value. Mind you, the hors d'oeuvres and unlimited bar service from 5:00 to 10:00 nightly sort of made up for it....sort of.

Beverley Hills is not a place you go if you don't want to be seen. There are busloads of people who drive by with video cameras going full tilt. In general, there was no lack of luxury cars, glamorous women and older men, usually all together.

On Tuesday we arrived in San Pedro where our cruise ship, the Crystal Serenity, was ready for boarding. We saw many familiar faces among the crew and the guests. We are five days at sea before our first stop, Hawaii, which is perfect for us as Steve will be able to rest and relax and hopefully get in shape for the rest of the trip. Hard to believe we will be on this ship for the next 112 days.

Lots of fun at the Embarkation Party with hundreds of balloons, magnums of champagne, great jazz and a chance to shake the Captain's hand. The challenge will be to eat and drink in moderation so we don't gain a ton and lose a liver!

Hundreds of balloons and confetti set the stage for our 2018 World Cruise Send Off. Pity the housekeeping staff to clean up after. I was looking for a broom to help out, but couldn't find one.



2 comments:

  1. Wow - that is a lot of balloons! Looks like a great welcome on board! Hope the Captain was in 'ship-shape' during the evening and a good time was had by all. I just know you must have been itching for the broom!

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  2. Hi Steve and Laurie. 3 month’s at sea? Lynn and I might relate to that...sort of, certainly not to the luxury. Our sailings are 1-2 months with land usually in view. 😊
    This may be a coincidence, but we’re on Oahu until Tuesday! Just perhaps, our Hawaii times will overlap by a day. If you get a chance when you get here, pls dial my phone 250-878-5502. We could have a chat, perhaps a look at your ship if that’s possible.
    ...regards, Mark & Lynn

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