I had been upgraded to an ocean view cabin, on deck seven.  The state room was larger than the inside PR category and balcony cabins I have had before.  It provides a bit more space to walk about.  The cabin featured the standard array of details you find in modern RCI cabins.  There is a dividing curtain that can allow for the couch to serve as a second bed.  The new bedding, which has received a great deal of praise was installed on Navigator months ago.  The cabin had a four foot window which allowed for generous sunlight during the day.

On the coffee table, atop the guide to ships services, was a letter from Captain Bang.  It welcomed passengers aboard, and advised people to wash their hands before every meal.  It was a reference to the need to avoid doing things which help spread the Norwalk Virus.  This would not be the last mention or sign of the line’s concern about the nasty bug.

In the past, RCI had supplied shampoo and such in each cabin.  These items are available now by request with no charge.  The small refrigerator each cabin is equipped with, was intended originally to report the use of drinks and candy as you removed them from the shelves.  That system did not work as well as planned, and now you have a loose array of brand name candy and soft drinks.  As the week progressed, the candy selection changed, which was a nice touch.  Longer lasting ice buckets were in each room, and refilled daily without fail.  The durable, stainless steel buckets were a marked improvement over those I have seen on other ships, and gave a tiny bit of class to the room.

Navigator is still too new to have been refit with flat screen TVs, but the unit in my cabin was perfectly fine.  The evolution of RCI’s on board TV offerings has continued since my last voyage.  RCI has forged a relationship with CBS, and rather than seeing a single affiliates broadcast feed, you now see a specially produced series of highlights from the networks shows and such.  A passenger can see the highlights from that previous nights Letterman, or the top rated shows, at times which tend not to run counter to most ship activities.  For sports programming a hybrid of ESPN Deportes and ESPN Europe are seen most often.  Even with events shown on Fox, the feed comes through ESPN in some shape or form.  The CNN feed remains the international version of the network.

The ship-board programming is much more refined than in the past.  Higher quality production values and evidently more fleet-wide effort has made the normal informational videos more effective and nearly entertaining.
It seems that the longshoremen still stick firmly to their official start times.  As such, even though Navigator had arrived in port earlier than normal, she was unable to gain any time by unloading baggage sooner.  The union wouldn’t start work any sooner than the standard 8 a.m. So by the time the boat drill began, the baggage was still being loaded at a frantic pace.

The boat drill itself held true to the typical form.  It lasted much longer however, in part because of the concern over hygiene on the ship.  The Norwalk virus had not been on Navigator of the Seas, but RCI seems to be taking many pro-active steps to prevent occurrences, as much as is possible.  So it was, that during the boat drill, the second warning about keeping one’s hands clean was made.  It consisted of a long speech about washing hands, if a person feels ill, etc.

I packed my bags with a mind towards not having to spend much time unloading them.  And since they hadn’t arrived yet, I made my way from the cabin to the Windjammer Cafe for lunch.

More on lunch next time.

Having enjoyed a breakfast snack, the warm weather, and some casual conversation, I moved to get my baggage checked. I hauled my bagged to the porters. I was struck by how there were so few people were mulling around the bus’. I asked the young porter if it was alright to check my baggage yet. He didn’t seem to know, and pointed to his supervisor, whom was walking towards us. This was my first cruise out of Miami in five years. The last time I check baggage, an old salt with more years at the port than I have of life did the work. Five years later, the exact same fellow was at the same pier. I joked with him about having managed to have used the same person that far apart, and he checked the bags.

I kept my computer bad and briefcase with me, since I didn’t trust the Department of Homeland Security or anybody else with searching them. I noted a sign which said boarding wouldn’t be until 2 p.m. I dismissed it, since the lines have always said they start later than is ever the case. In the past, I had arrived around 9:30, been first to arrive, and on the ship by 11:30. I eventually found I could wait inside the entrance lobby, and used my company computer to check email, and otherwise post to the message boards I read. Another fella was waiting, but he had just gotten off the Navigator of the Seas, and his girlfriend had forgotten something. They were still checking the cabin to see if they could locate it. They didn’t. But the man admitted it could have been anyplace.

Around 10:00 a.m., the few people that had gathered in the lobby were allowed to proceed upstairs to the x-ray machines. It was now that I noticed the first signs the embarkation would not follow precedent. The area before the x-ray machines is on the second floor of the pier, and is where the ship photographers take the welcome-aboard photos. They try to get people to finish their paperwork there if it hasn’t been done already. It affords a view of the gangway exiting the ship as well. The gangway was stuffed with passengers from the previous cruise, and they were not moving either fast, or even noticeably. The slow arrival of RCI staffers and security also seemed to hint at a longer wait.

On RCI ships, as it is with other ships and lines, people often get married on the ship prior to departure. These people are brought to the front of the line where they meet with wedding coordinators from the line. When boarding starts, the wedding party, guests included, are allowed on first. It was the same this time, only I’ve not seen so many different parties at the same time. At least four, and possibly five groups were having weddings on this cruise. All were moderately confused about what was going on.

Chatting with the security staff, I learned the Navigator of the Seas was debarking a full load of 3200 passengers, 80% of whom were not U.S. Citizens. Nobody seemed to think they would clear the ship quickly. I pondered what that meant to the port in general. The Voyager of the Seas was also in port, along with two Carnival ships and a Celebrity vessel. As in the past, around 11:00 a.m. They began to run people through the x-ray machines. Once you proceed through the x-ray machines, you enter into an amusement park-style maze of lines. The idea is to cram as many of the passengers into them, as to then flush them through the check-in lines. The check-in process amounts to confirming cabin assignment and printing your Seapass card with your information. Most everything else is done in advance by logging onto the RCI website weeks before.

Moving into the main lobby, I realized how long things were really going to take. The gangway, which was viewable from the previous room, stretched across the third floor above us. It was utterly jammed with passengers. As slow as the line moved, it was clear it would take hours to clear it. And that proved the case. I would be told later by somebody affiliated with the line, that only four customes agents were there to help with the debarkation. RCI isn’t allowed to pay for extra agents because it is somehow deemed to be bribery. Thus, I had my first experience with how poorly the department of homeland security is run. I could rant for hours about how pathetic it is that the DHS can’t figure out that 20,000 cruise passengers might require more than 12 agents to clear customs. But then that is a topic for another blog.

By 1:00 p.m. I was now at the head of the line, ready to board, save for customs finishing its job. The wedding parties were getting visibly nervous and their coordinators were as well. The guests have to leave the ship before it leaves port of course. The weddings also have to have their receptions done before that. With less than three and a half hours before all were supposed to leave, time was growing very limited. Ordinarily they would have been on board and done with the wedding by now. By 1:50 they had finally cleared the ship to board, and people began to drag themselves up to the third floor.

From the third floor, boarding proceeding quickly. A quick stop at a security kiosk to have a digital photo entered into the ships passenger database, I was on my way to the cabin. Despite not being in my cabin until about 2:20 p.m., and the painful wait in line, it was still worth being as early as I was. There is nothing on this earth that is more agonizing than being at the end or in the middle of one of these lines. This is a truth brought home later as I sipped a drink and saw the boarding line snake all the way outside of the pier and along the bus parking.

Getting to the port remains as wise as it ever has. Nothing sets you up for more stress during this process, than a hectic departure from a hotel and a hurried ride in a cab or bus. Those that fly into a port city the day of a cruise are even more nuts. Life doesn’t always give us a choice, but if it does, one should still try to get to the port early.

What would I do different, if anything? I plan on buying a small foldable chair. That tiny bit of equipment would have improved my entire cruise. I would bring a bit more food with me, to buffer the long wait. Finally, I’d bring a bit more electronic entertainment. Nothing about the experience would dissuade me from arriving early. It might seem odd to want to wait a long time, to be in the front of another line you have to wait in. However, those few hours spent in advance, still give you hours on board before departure.

Next entry, Unpacking and Departure.

I chose to drive again this year, which proved wise as always.  After a two days on the road, I arrived in Miami the evening before the cruise.  I staid in an Extended Stay America, which appeared to be a converted low-income apartment building.  Clearly there were a few residential living there.  Still, the hotel was clean if plain looking.  The hotel was about two miles from the Port of Miami.  My Tomtom Go 300 managed to get me there with no issues.

Saturday mornings in downtown Miami are quite.  Since my last trip there, a staggering amount of construction has taken place.  The horizon is filling rapidly with huge new high-rise apartments and condos.  The only traffic issue I encountered was actually construction workers that were working on the weekend.

The Port of Miami has improved the signage significantly over the last few years.  And much like a modern airport, you see signs indicating which turn to take.  Electronic signs in particular, indicate which ships are in which pier.  Those that are not wise as to the layout of the port, or the differences in ship design, will appreciate that signifigantly.
The parking garage for the RCI piers has been expanded, if you knew where the old entrance was, you’ll be pleased to find it is still there.  However it now is in the middle of the west side of the structure.  You no longer pay when you arrive, but will get a ticket which is used to determine your cost when you leave.  The cost is up to $15 per day.  If that sounds steep, it isn’t.  The port parking is secure as any you will find, and if you might save a few dollars leaving a car at a hotel, you’ll lose that advantage by having to get a cab to and from the port.

I arrived very early this year.  It is my habit to arrive at 9:30, but having awoken earlier than normal, I decided to check-out, and take a more relaxed drive to the port itself.  At 7:50 a.m. I was pulling into my spot on the first floor of the garage.  The bus and cab traffic was non-existent, but passengers were already disembarking from Navigator of the Seas, and her older sister and class namesake, Voyager of the Seas.
I took the time scout out the pier and buy a breakfast sandwich and drink from one of the lunch trucks.  If you really want to know, it was an egg, cheese, and bacon croissant.  It was tasty, but the eggs were not scrambled as I though, and I got egg goo all over my hand.  I ate on a bench across from the bus stables and entrance.  A nice lady chatted about friends she was there to pick up.

Breakfast completed, I enjoyed taking my time about unpacking the car, stowing my battery of electronic devices, and heading to the baggage check.
Next Entry, The Embarkation.
The porters were still few and far between at this time of the day.  They were present, just not yet highly motivated.