2 Ship Ahoy!

We sailed from Charleston on Saturday and had a very chilly sailaway. Jackets and sweaters were needed outside on deck, but there is nothing quite like the thrill of seeing the ship push away from the pier, and glide smoothly out into the open water. This time, in order to get to open water, the ship had to make its way down the ship channel past some beautiful old waterfront homes, so the scenery was spectacular and new for us, since we have never sailed from this port before. Thanks, Ruth for driving us to the ship.
Sunday was a Sea Day, so there was plenty of time to explore the ship and get acquainted with the location of the variety of restaurants, stores, pools, waterpark, showrooms and lounges that seem to run non-stop all hours of the day and night. Our cabin is located on a lower deck, so we are far away from all the entertainment activity.
The afternoon sun warmed up the outside air enough to relax by the pool. I joined the few hearty souls who braved cool water for a brief swim. Some of them must have been from Canada, since they stayed longer in the water than I did. We were heading south, so most of the day the shoreline of Florida was on the distant horizon, and by late in the day, it had warmed up considerably. The sunset was beautiful, as it almost always is, dropping ever so slowly over the horizon.
The variety show of the evening featured and an energetic troupe of young singers and dancers who walked (and danced) us through several decades of music from the Copacabana, the Cotton Club, the Tropicana, and others we were not as familiar with. The lounge was situated near the front of the ship and stretched the full width of the ship, with huge picture windows on both sides. Of course, at night, there is nothing to see outside anyway.
As we left the dining room, a small group of passengers approached us, and one of the group spoke to me and I recognized her as a person who has been attending our church in Chase City. Carrie Lee Spence and some relatives and friends are traveling together on the cruise, so we had a mini-Chase City Reunion, and, of course, had to capture the moment with some photographs. What a surprise!
We are beginning our Monday with a view of Key West from the upper deck of the ship. We’ll walk ashore and look for the Key Lime Pie Factory, and some of the other local attractions, too. Stay tuned!