Day One - Bubbles, buses, and ques!!

The day started out calmly enough – Phil got us to JFK in record time and without a hitch. Virgin Atlantic checked us in with a minimum of hastle, and we boarded “Bubbles” – yes, that was the name of our aircraft – right on time. In the pouring rain we pushed back from the gate and headed for departure only to hear the captain announce that we were being delayed by the fact that there were two large TURTLES on the runway that would have to be removed before we could leave! The “Slowski’s” strike again!

The flight to London was uneventful but the passage through Heathrow airport presented us with the first of several “cues” – that’s “long lines” to you Yanks – and a lot of waiting. British Immigration was orderly, and we were off to find the Royal Caribbean rep who had promised to meet us outside baggage claim. That was after I forgot to close my backpack and dropped my laptop on the marble floor. No permanent damage, and the lovely lady was where she said she’d be. We were in London and about to take a 2 ½ hour bus ride to Harwich on the WRONG side of the road and at speeds that made the airplane seem like, well, a “slowski”!

We could see the ship from a long way off. It is BIG and the British landscape is rather flat, so it just sort of loomed up out of the horizon. It was soooo close, but the inevitable intervened – you guessed it – a CUE! In all honesty, check-in wasn’t too bad, and we were soon on board the “Jewel of the Seas” exploring every nook and cranny. Tomorrow is Paris, and believe it or not, we’re going to “do” the whole thing in 5 ½ hours!!