Part 2 - Embarkation in Barcelona
Embarkation in Barcelona
The next morning we indulged in an excellent breakfast at the hotel. Originally, we found the online price of EUR 28.00 per person a little too high. But at reception that morning they offered us a special rate of EUR 16.00 per person, which, in turn, was a really good deal. It included anything from champagne, fresh juices, smoothies, local sausage and cheese specialties to typical breakfast offers and fresh fruit. Everything was there in abundance.
As much as we enjoyed breakfast, I started getting jittery. I wanted to go on board “finally” and see the reaction of my parents-in-law. So at 11.30 am we took a taxi to the port. On the harbor bridge, which offered a nice view of the ships in port, Helmut said to Hildegard with almost child-like joy “Loooooook, there she is, our Liberty of the Seas!”.
Check-in was even faster than usual. We were just about to join the priority line for top-tier members, when a member of staff noticed Hildegard’s “Porsche” and directed us towards desk 45, which was completely empty. After not even 20 minutes, and after the obligatory photo in front of the ship canvas, we heard the familiar “bing” when inserting our sea passes at the security check – music to our ears. On board at last ...
The entrance was on deck 4, aft near the open glass staircase and the Bolero Lounge & Bar.
The sight and the dimensions conjured an expression of astonishment and disbelief on the faces of my in-laws.
Hildegard particularly liked the pieces of glass art on the walls of the Boleros Lounge .
As it was still quite early in the day, we started off with a little tour of the ship. Of course I was very curious to see how our newbies would like the ship.
On our stroll along the Royal Promenade with its cafés, restaurants and shops, Helmut noticed with amusement that Hildegard’s “Porsche” wasn’t the only sports car on board.
I was looking forward to showing them the main dining room of the Liberty, which I like a lot myself for its classic style.
You can imagine the effect of this huge dining room with its chandelier, the central staircase and the balconies on someone who has never been on a cruise ship. Both were almost overwhelmed.
Before we could access our staterooms, we went to the Windjammer Café for a snack. We had warned our guests beforehand that on the day of embarkation it could be a little turbulent, but to our surprise it was ok. We got a table straight away in the front area, which actually belongs to the “Jade”, and bustle and volume were very limited.
Helmut started off with a beer, and the service was very friendly. So we hadn’t promised our newcomers too much with regards to the friendliness of the staff.
Next it was time to check out our cabins. On this trip we had “only” booked two ocean view staterooms. These were on deck 2 in close proximity to the rear lifts, which facilitated Hildegard’s mobility tremendously.
After consultation with RCCL, we had been able to book an accessible cabin for my in-laws. In comparison to our own cabin, theirs was a ballroom. The bathroom alone was as big as the area around our bed. But we were equally happy with our room. The interior was clean, intact and the size was sufficient. Although it seemed less modern in comparison to our Aqua Class stateroom on the Celebrity Constellation, it was still friendly and inviting.
Our Oceanview stateroom:
The accessible stateroom of the in-laws:
After the muster drill, we went to the upper deck and said good bye to Barcelona and the Norwegian Epic, which was anchored behind us at the pier.
Now we really got started – the family on the high seas...
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