Visiting the ABC Islands in the Caribbean

         Visiting the ABC Islands in the S.E Caribbean

Part I

Saturday, December 21, 2024- Estero, Florida

        We had started the journey early. We had a two-hour run across Alligator Alley to Forth Lauderdale ahead of us. The traffic was moderate, but it seemed like everyone had the hammer down, in a hurry to cross the state. The everglades were quiet. Gators kept in their watery troughs. The abundant bird life was parked deep in the trees.

       Fort Lauderdale arose in the distance. The elevated highway system is a sign post of the busy area to come. We followed Rte. # 595 South towards the Port of Everglades. As we approached the entrance to the port, traffic slowed to a crawl. Several large cruise ships were docked, all loading passengers and freight, readying for departure. After a bit,  we  cleared the customs gate and were directed to pier # 21 and the Celebrity ship Reflections,

      The luggage drop-off went smoothly. Finding a parking spot proved a challenge. All of the nearby ramps and lots were full. We found space about a mile down the parkway at a “Palm” Ramp. Even there, we got one of the few remaining spaces on the 5^th level. Leaving the chariot, we descended to the first floor and waited for the bus shuttle that would take us back to the Reflection.

     At the pier side hanger, we stood in line, checked in with boarding officials and got our tags for room 9120. The embarkation went smoothly enough. The ship had a full passenger compliment of 3,000 souls and 1,700 crew members. Our cabin was ready but our luggage had not yet arrived. We headed down to our Muster station and checked in as required. We would watch the required video in our cabin. The gangways were crowded with passengers milling about.

Making the best of things we rode the elevator up to Deck 14. There, the huge open, cafeteria-style dining facility, called the Ocean View Terrace Room, was aswarm with new passengers, already feeding at the trough. We indulged in a plate of various vegetables and very good coffee. Many others ate voraciously,  like the cooks would take the food away from them for good.

Back in our cabin, the luggage had arrived. We unpacked and settled in. For a small space, there is plenty of room for everything we had. The “sail away” was scheduled for Three Thirty P.M. We made our way topside to view departure, a ritual with us. The decks were awash with small urchins running hither and yon, excited with their new surroundings. We retreated to our cabin. The sail away had been delayed by an hour. When the ship did blast her air horns an hour later, we were sitting on our balcony enjoying a vodka martini and glass of good Cabernet.

We watched several of the big ships pass through the narrow cut of the harbor and then sail away in a line of sea=borne leviathans, all headed south and east lie we were. Later, we watched the Steelers and Ravens game on television.

Seven P.M found us on Deck #4 at the Main “Opus” dining room. It was crowded to the gills. We snagged a table for two and sat back to relax and enjoy the meal. A glass of Pint Noir, led into a plate of Escargot in oil and garlic sauce. The entrée of seared Salmon was wonderful. The Cherry Truffle for desert was exquisite. It was a good finish to a long day. We retreated to our cabin to read and fall into the arms of Morpheus.