This cruise started and ended at the Port of Long Beach, just a few miles from our home. To travel to the port we shared a van with shipmates that we know from our Cruise Critic social network. There was a wait for the boarding process to begin because the previous cruise's luggage did not clear the ship as quickly as expected, but once our boarding process began we were on board in just a few minutes.
After enjoying some lunch in the Lido we went out on the Lower Prom deck and watched the loading of the luggage and provisions. We could see our luggage in the very last bin in the lineup (one bag's handle is distinctive thanks to a repair done by HAL in its upholstery shop when it was accidentally damaged three years ago) but our luggage was in our room in time to unpack before the Muster Drill. Sailaway was quite delayed; we were in the Dining Room at about 8 pm when we finally left the port. We heard later that there had been considerable delays over the local port workers' loading the luggage and supplies.
Once back at the port when the cruise concluded our departure was easy and fast; we were called to disembark at the time we'd requested and our luggage was ready for us in the terminal.
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Blog Content & Website Design: Marney Wilde • Photographs by George Wilde
