Monday November 16,2015 At Sea Between Los Angeles and Avalon, CA

We started our day at the Doubletree making coffee in our room.  We caught upon computer chores and then started getting ready for the shuttle to the ship.  The shuttle runs on the hour.  We chose the 11 o'clock, since boarding time was noon.  We met a couple from Prescott, AZ in the waiting area, Jan and Kathleen.  Starting with our next cruise we will board from the Elite area with the first groups of passengers.

As it was we were in the 4th group called and were in our room before 12:30PM.  This is our first booking on the Lido Deck,14.  We beat our luggage to the room so we decided to have lunch in the Horizon Court.  Already being on the Lido deck we only had to walk aft.  At lunch we sat with a couple from Los Angeles, Bobbie and Ivan.  When we got to the buffet there was no line, by the time we finished eating the line was out the doors.  Back at our cabin our luggage had arrived and we got everything put away and in a semblance of order.  The first picture is looking forward from our balcony, the other is the movie area by the ship's main pool.

At 3:30 we went to our muster station in the Crown Grill. This was our first inkling of the disadvantage of being on deck 14.  The Crown Grill was on deck 7.  After the muster drill it was very difficult to get an elevator back to the Lido deck.

Today's hors d'oeuvres featured guacamole and chips.  Their guacamole has never been our favorite, but we went anyway. We sat with two ladies from the Palm Springs area, and had an interesting chat.  We always enjoy these chance meetings and sometimes they become lasting friendships.  The Hor d'oeuvres were served in the Skywalker Lounge and is limited to loyalty levels Platinum and Elite and those passengers in Suites.  The Skywalker is on deck 18 at the rear of the ship.  Another strike against a forward cabin.

After hors d'oeuvres we visited the Piazza.  Gerri went to the room to freshen up for dinner.  I made my way to the Amalfi Dining room, on deck six all the way aft.  We chose the second seating, 7:45. We were seated at a table for six, but only one other couple was seated with us.   Supper was very good,  I had prime rib and Gerri had a fish plate.  After dinner we went to listen to the piano player at Crooners.  He played a few songs and then it was his time to take a break, so we went back to our cabin.

Back at the cabin we read for a while before calling it a night.  Catalina (Avalon) is our next stop.