When we arose at eight o’clock this morning and stepped out onto the balcony to check on the weather (much warmer than yesterday!), we had no way of knowing that we’d spent our last night in suite 7055. ☹
Today, we could expect the temperature in Port Canaveral, Florida to reach a very pleasant 21°C, with a gentle sea breeze. We didn’t have any excursions booked today, preferring to explore on our own. I therefore dressed appropriately in white linen cropped trousers, flip-flops and a pink tropical t-shirt.
We breakfasted as usual in The View, and wandered around outside on deck afterwards, looking over the rooftops of the large cruise terminal. As we sat there, the cheery voice of Simon the cruise director came over the tannoy to welcome us to Florida. He had some exciting news – at 4.49pm today there was going to be a space shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral! Apparently, it should have happened yesterday, but the weather wouldn’t permit it. All being well today, however, we could expect the Spacex, “Falcon 9” rocket to launch with its private crew to the International Space Station. How completely exciting was that?
We had to wait until the tour group numbers were called to let them have priority disembarkation, then we had to collect a shuttle bus ticket from the Ocean Bar to await our turn. It was around 10.30am before we could proceed ashore.
It seemed a long, convoluted route out of the terminal building before we reached the row of shuttle buses, then it was about a 30-minute drive before we were dropped off in a large car park, a painted sign pointing the way to “Ron Jon’s Surf Shop”. The bus driver showed us where the shops were, as well as how to get to Coco Beach.
The last time we had been to Port Canaveral was on our honeymoon in October 1988, so we had fond memories of going to the Kennedy Space Centre back then.
We made our way to the beach and, once we stepped onto the pale sand, interspersed here and there with white cockle shells, I kicked off my flip-flops and walked barefoot along the edge of the water, just beyond the reach of the lapping waves. The beach was not too crowded, and there were areas where swimmers and sunbathers could hire a sunlounger and parasol. Several families had small children with them, taking that never-ending delight in paddling in the surf, digging in the sand with their spades and filling their colourful plastic buckets.
Listening to that wonderfully relaxing sound of the waves washing onto the shore, the cries of the sea birds and the laughter of the children, I breathed in a huge lungful of salty air and felt the sun warm on my back. Ahhhh…. This is the life. 😊
Soon we left the life-guarded area of the beach which meant that the sunloungers soon thinned out and gave way to anglers, each sitting on fold-up stools, their fishing rods sticking out of the sand as they cast their lines and waited for a bite.
Trevor and I stood and watched some wading birds with some amusement. Each time the surf receded from the shore, leaving wet sand in which we could see (worm?) holes, the birds would peck around in the sand for whatever tasty bird titbits they could find. They only had a matter of seconds though, before the sea would roll back onto the sand and, as it advanced, the birds’ long legs allowed them to run up the shore, just out of the reach of the water, before it receded again, and they went down for another try. 😊
We decided to take a slow stroll along to Coco Beach Pier, and I rolled up the legs of my white linen crops to enjoy a paddle in the surf. As I did so, Trevor pointed out a cluster of seven red bites on the back of my right leg; I couldn’t remember having been bitten there.
Soon we arrived at the pier and climbed up the wooden steps to an area typical of those found by the seaside. Colourful shops selling beachwear, inflatables, sunglasses and the usual holiday tat. Other shops were selling candyfloss and toffee apples and frozen chocolate-covered bananas.
We spotted a bar/café selling burgers, snacks, soft drinks, coffees and cold beer. We certainly felt that a chilled pint would go down very well, so we each sat of a bar stool and enjoyed a pint of Miller Lite served in a plastic glass. We enjoyed the beer a lot.
Afterwards, we browsed around the shops before decided to return to the surf shop car park and wait for the shuttle bus back to the Borealis. It was very warm and, as we arrived back, we decided to go into a nearby 7-11 and get an ice lolly each.
As we hadn’t had any lunch, as well as the ices we bought a bag of red hot chilli flavoured crisps which we ate on the shuttle bus. They certainly were very spicy, and were enough to stave off any hunger; we would last until our dinner tonight.
When we arrived back at 7055 we were in for a shock! Our bed had been stripped and all our bedlinen, duvet and pillows removed. A note was placed prominently on the bed asking us to call Alex Figueres, the Hotel Manager, as soon as we returned.
We did so, and he came to visit us straight away in our cabin. He informed us that our cabin stewardess and found “an insect” when she was cleaning our room; he didn’t specify what kind of insect it was, but he said that our suite, as well as those immediately either side of us, would need to be vacated immediately so they could be deep cleaned and chemically treated. As such, we were being moved to another suite!
He asked if either of us had been bitten, and I showed him the clusters of red spots on my hands, neck, chest and those on the back of my leg. He advised me to go to the ship’s doctor and get some cream, and said that no charge would be levied. Oh dear!
In the meantime, we were asked to pack up all our clothes into two suitcases, which would also be taken away to be steam-cleaned. It left us with only the clothes we were standing up in, but he assured us our cases would only be gone about an hour, and everything would be returned.
We did as he asked, then called guest services for them to come and collect the suitcases and issue us with a new cruise card for suite 7063, just a few doors down and at right-angles to 7055. I hoped that this meant we would have one of those fantastic aft-facing suites with the large balconies, and indeed this was the case. Every cloud… 😊
Some of the housekeeping team helped us to move our stuff along the corridor and into 7063, which was an identical suite apart from the bigger and better balcony. As we put everything in the place it had been in the original cabin, I pondered over the “insect” and how long it had been in the cabin. I had certainly not noticed any bites until yesterday (and Trevor hadn’t been bitten at all), so it was unlikely that the nasty little bug(s) had been there from day one, but the hotel manager had certainly been concerned enough about it for us to have to move.
In the meantime, I decided to have an afternoon nap for half an hour or so; we wanted to be able to get a great vantage point at the bow of the ship to watch the rocket launch from Cape Canaveral at 4.49pm, as advertised on the RocketLaunch.Live web site. This would surely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! 😊
Around 4.15pm, then, we made our way up to Deck 9. The sides and front of the vessel were already lined with people waiting, some of whom had brought out chairs. Overall-clad members of the crew were even positioned on the outside of some of the railings, held in place with their safety harnesses; they were determined to get a good view. Cruise director Simon’s voice came over the PA to say that they had opened up the ship’s fo’c’sle (access to which is usually out of bounds to passengers) so people could get a good view, which was slightly starboard of the bow.
I opened up the RocketLaunch.Live app so that I could see the live countdown and commentary of the launch. We couldn’t see where the rocket would be launched from on the horizon as the sky was cloudy and we weren’t sure exactly where we were supposed to be looking, and I couldn’t get a clue from the app.
The app showed the rocket on its launch pad, white smoke (or was it steam?) billowing from around its base. Another screen showed the three astronauts in their seats, wearing their spacesuits, boots, gloves and helmets. The excitement in the air was palpable.
As the seconds counted down towards lift-off, we suddenly saw a bright glow ahead of us, and a tremendous cloud of smoke. This was accompanied by what sounded like the roar of a jet engine. The rocket slowly rose into the sky; we couldn’t really see the vehicle itself because it was a white rocket against white clouds, but we could certainly see the bright flame as it blasted into space, on its way to the International Space Station. This was awesome!
We watched until the rocket disappeared into the clouds; we could still hear it long after we could no longer see it. Everyone was talking excitedly and showing each other video footage we’d managed to take with our phones; it was phenomenal.
After around six minutes, another bright flare falling rapidly to earth showed us that the booster unit or launcher had dropped away. A couple of minutes later there occurred the almighty bang of a sonic boom, which made everyone jump as it rumbled and echoed across the sky. An amazing and fitting end to a great experience. 😊
By now, the medical centre was open, so we went down to Deck 1 and I explained to the receptionist that the hotel manager Alex Figueres should have been in touch regarding some cream for my insect bites; I let her know that we’d been told any charges would be waived. As no-one else was waiting, we were able to see the doctor straight away, and he prescribed some hydrocortisone cream to rub on twice a day, as well as four days’ worth of antihistamine tablets to reduce the itching and irritation.
I now had exactly half an hour to get washed and changed before making our way to dinner, but when we returned to 7063 we found that our cases weren’t back yet! In fact, a peek through the door of 7055, which was ajar, showed that the cases, which were tightly wrapped in plastic, where still awaiting collection! We had no clothes to wear to dinner!
I called hotel services only to be told, apologetically, that it would be about 8.30pm before our clothes were returned. “But we’re on first sitting and I have no clothes to wear to dinner!” I complained. The woman could only “apologise for the inconvenience” but it didn’t help that I would have to go to dinner in what I was standing up in, which was the clothes I’d worn to the beach earlier on, namely t-shirt, cropped trousers and flip-flops. I’d feel a right scruff! ☹
It was just as well I had my toiletries and cosmetics (and my two wigs) because I could at least get freshened up and put some makeup on, and wear one of my wigs. We pondered whether or not to go to The View self-service buffet instead of the main dining room, then decided that it was not actually our fault that our clothes had been taken away, so we’d go in the restaurant anyway, and see if anyone would say anything.
As it happened, Trevor and I were more self-conscious about out attire rather that anyone else being bothered about it. We enjoyed our dinner, but I started to feel as if I was going down with something; I was a little shivery and headachy. I hoped I wasn’t getting a cold, but I also wondered if it was anything to do with the insect bites.
After dinner, therefore, I told Trevor I’d go back to our cabin and take a couple of paracetamol and lie down. I hoped to be improved for the quiz at 10 o’clock, after which I could always go into the later performance in the Neptune Lounge. I took the tablets with a glass of water and lay down, closing my eyes.
It was around 8.45pm when a gentle knock on the stateroom door heralded the arrival of our suitcases and rucksacks, which both felt very warm after their recent steam-clean. Great! I would be able to get changed before going down to the Morning Light pub! 😊
By 9.45pm the paracetamol seemed to have kicked in, and I felt much better. I got up, changed into a cotton floral maxi-dress with a little bolero, and made my way to the pub, where Trevor and Lesley were waiting; no sign once again of Alan.
We didn’t win the quiz.
Afterwards, Trevor asked if I wanted to go to the Neptune Lounge to see the comedy performance by Welshman Lloyd Davies. We had seen Lloyd on previous cruises; on the Braemar and the Boudicca, and I knew he was very funny, as well as being a talented musician.
There didn’t seem to be as many people in the second-sitting performance as there usually are in the earlier ones; I didn’t know whether that was usual or it was because they didn’t like the comedian. While his act was laugh-out-loud funny in parts, a lot of his material was very dated, and he made a sexist joke which elicited boos and hisses from the audience – not good. Lloyd is a very likeable guy but he really needs to bring his act up to date!
It was about 11.15pm when we left the Neptune Lounge and we didn’t really fancy going up to the Observatory, so we just decided to call it a night and return to 7063. We emptied some things out of the suitcases and hung them in the wardrobe, but decided the rest could wait until tomorrow at some time. As the weather was much warmer now and the sea much calmer, we propped open the doors to our massive balcony to let in the fresh air and the gorgeous sounds of the ocean, and we slept extremely well.