Carnival Paradise Embarkation

            Saturday, 26 Oct 2019 – In the Tampa motel, we used food that we had brought along for breakfast – granola, milk, etc. – and checked out of the hotel at 11:00 AM.  In the lobby, we greeted everyone awaiting shuttles.  (We were the only ones who had driven to Tampa.)  Since we could not find the cruise terminal on our GPS, we opted to follow the hotel shuttles, which was a successful venture.  After arriving at the terminal and learning that the parking garage was about 2 blocks away, we decided to check our carryon bags, along with our two large suitcases.  That way, we would only need to walk the two blocks back to the terminal with our two laptop computer bags.

We started the boarding process at about 11:30 AM.  Since cabins were not ready, we went to the buffet on the Lido Deck for a light lunch.  At about 1:30 PM, we were finally allowed to move into our cabin.  Since our two large suitcases and one of the carryon bags had been delivered, we began our unpacking.   Finally, the second carryon bag was delivered with a note.  It turned out to be a mistake to check both of our carryon bags because security confiscated our bottled water, as well as the two bottles of wine that we were allowed to bring onboard.   When we called security and explained our situation, the person we talked to promised to see what she could do for us.

We had managed to finish our unpacking by the time the mandatory lifeboat drill was announced for 3:15 PM.  During the security presentation, we were allowed to sit comfortably.  We noticed several people looking at their mobile phones during the drill, even though security kept repeating that it was not allowed.  After the drill, we returned to our cabin where Sally napped.

The tables and seating had been prearranged, but there was a lot of confusion.  We were to be seated at the table with Jesse’s sister and brother-in-law, Verna & Earl; two of Earl’s nieces; Earl’s nephew and his wife; and the cruise consultant, Dorothy, and her husband Brook.  Jesse’s kids and their families were to be seated with Jesse’s sister-in-law, Julia; his niece, Camille; and his niece Catherine and her husband Mario.  Jesse’s niece and nephew, Dolores & Wilbur, were to be seated at a table with their family and friends.  Jesse’s sister’s choir members and church friends were to be seated together.  Finally, Jesse’s niece, Nubian (Missy), and her friends were to be seated together.  Nubian was very unhappy that first night because her friends didn’t know the others in the group and were a little uncomfortable with the seating arrangement.

Since we were too tired for dancing, after dinner we returned to our cabin for the night.  Jesse watched old movies on the cabin TV, while Sally worked on her “Henry” book.  We turned out the lights at about 11:50 PM.