Alaska or Bust!

L to R: Heidi, yours truly, and Linda
Waiting for the shuttle to drive us to the pier.

Arriving at the pier.

Good-bye, Seattle.

Life-jacket drill - mandatory.

On 8/8/08, 20 family and friends left pier 30 in Seattle bound for Alaska. Some had sailed before, but this was a new adventure for me. Once boarding the ship, we found our respective rooms, dropped off our bags, and made it up to deck #9 to watch our ship pull away from shore. Seeing Seattle from this vantage point was really nice. We stood at the railing for quite awhile and then began acquainting ourselves with our new surroundings. At a given time, a mandatory life saving drill was held on deck #5, each room having a designated spot at which to assemble. Once there, we stood in tight rows while a crew member took attendance. I was stuck between several tall people, so I assumed our group was all in attendance. A signal of seven loud tones was given and we told that would be our signal to immediately report to this area should the ship come into any danger. It sure brought memories of Titanic back. A comforting note was that this ship had enough space in the lifeboats for everyone on board, and that each boat was stocked with food and water.

I shared a state room with my cousin Pat. We chose to room together because neither of us is fond of air conditioning. We tend to like our room warm and cozy. All but two of our state rooms were close together on the same deck. Only Heidi & Chad and Sarah's parents, Barb & Ken, had room on another deck. They also had balconies.

After unpacking my bags, I began wandering around the ship. In the back of my mind, I was searching for a spot where we could hold a surprise shower for Heidi on Saturday morning.