Following an uneventful drive, we arrived at Port Everglades a little after 11:30. The check-in queue was rather long, but Pop saved the day for us as we were able to use the special assistance line. Thus, we zipped aboard the ship with minimal fuss and muss in a mere matter of moments.
Hungry, we headed for lunch in the Da Vinci dining room. In the interest of time, I won’t recount everything we ate, but I’ll say the food was very good, especially my mother’s fettuccine alfredo in a crisp parmesan basket. After lunch, we headed to our cabins to unpack and get settled in.
Sail away was scheduled for four o’clock, but we departed closer to five.
With the entire family aboard, we opted for traditional fixed seating dining at 5:30. It’s a little early, but it works well for our schedule. We met up with Libby’s parents (who arrived at the port an hour or so later than us) for the first time just before dinner.
Our meal was enjoyable and ran very smoothly. The menus (both for adults and kids) are nicely varied with a good number of selections. Too many selections to talk about, but I’ll note the creme brûlée was especially a hit with those who tried it (though mine is better).
We retired fairly early given the early morning drive down from Tampa.
It’s good to be back aboard Princess. We enjoyed our cruise on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan in 2011. Ruby Princess, our current ship, is very similar — so, Libby and I feel right at home.
Here’s a view of the Ruby Princess’s atrium:
