Friday, August 25, 2023

The Allure of Royal Caribbean- Debarkation

From the Ship to the Horseshoe
July 9, 2023 
Debarkation in Galveston

From complete rest and relaxation to non-stop professional development...
 BRING IT ON! 

Morning
We woke up to an actual alarm as per typical for the debarkation day. We got ready and then went to eat breakfast in the Main Dining Room. The lines to get a table were not actually too long but it seemed like so since so many people were carrying off their own luggage. We were seated fairly quickly and the service was much better than the previous day. 

Once we finished breakfast, they were still calling off self-assist passengers so we went back to the room to gather our stuff and start to head to our holding location until our Group #7 was called. By the time we got back to our room, they were calling our group so we used the stairs and got in line to debark the ship. There was a very long line to get off the ship and we had to wander through that line for about 25 minutes before we actually got off the ship. Once in the terminal, it was a breeze with the new state of the art facial recognition software. TIP- You a passport when cruising if you can as it really helps speed up the process to board and debark. You can use a birth certificate if sailing a "closed loop" and returning to the same port (essentially a round trip cruise). But we have seen the past 3-4 cruises post-Covid that the birth certificate line is about 10x longer than the passport line. 

We got all of our luggage and made our way back to our parking spot in the Port of Galveston North Parking Lot. TIP- This is easily the best parking lot and location of any cruise we have ever sailed. It is a little pricey but WELL WORTH IT. Check it out HERE!

I was attending a String Teacher Workshop in Columbus, Ohio the following week and my flight left Houston in the afternoon. The original plan was to just hangout in Galveston or south Houston and get to the airport VERY early for my 4PM flight. But during the week we realized that I left a few items at the house so we opted to hurry and get off the ship and drive 80 minutes back to our home in The Woodlands and then drive an hour back south to Hobby airport for my flight. This was a LOT of driving but it was the right thing to do. 

Afternoon
Chris dropped me off at Hobby Airport around 2PM for my flight and I enjoyed a Starbucks treat while I waited for my flight. The flight was easy an uneventful. I touched down in Columbus at 7:30PM EST and made my way to Ohio State University for my workshop. It was SUCH a great week and you can read all about that week HERE!


I have arrived and I am ready to learn! 


THE Ohio State University!

The Allure of the Seas was our first MEGA-SHIP experience. We really enjoyed the ship but there were a few things we missed. I think overall, we would like to try Harmony of the Seas when it comes to Galveston in November 2023 but deep down I think we like the Voyager and Freedom class ships much better. In addition, I LOVE Royal Caribbean and consider myself to be "Loyal to Royal" but in all actuality, I will cruise anywhere and anytime. We just go with the best DEALS or VALUE! However, this was EXACTLY the cruise we needed in our lives as we approach our busy season. The down time, rest, relaxation and mental retreat were just what the Doctor Ordered!

What's Next?
This year I will be transitioning from teaching Middle School Orchestra to High School Orchestra within NCISD. All while Natalie will be a freshman in high school and Luke a 6th grader starting Middle School. We are entering what will easily be our busiest times of our lives and there, unfortunately, will not be as much time to travel as years past. BUT... That will NOT stop us from cruising or vacationing. We are planning to take the kids on a cruise over our February "Winter Break". We are planning a SURPRISE (SHHHH) cruise out of CALIFORNIA! Stay tuned for that! 

Once again, we GREATLY appreciate your continued support of our blog. Even just clicking on the blog post links and sharing our posts with friends and family members who may be cruising helps our business! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! 

Up Next... SURPRISE Baja Cruise out of California! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Adventure of the Seas- February 2023




 


Carnival Conquest- 2006 


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