Embarkation:
Our trip started late on Thursday evening. Since limo transfers are generally costly and a pain from where we live, I went looking for a Park & Ride package near OHare airport. I was able to luck into a nice package at the Courtyard OHare which included one nights lodging and long-term parking for $100.00 plus tax. We had a $100 Marriott reward certificate, so our total price for lodging and parking for the cruise was a cool $12.11!!! Yay!
Check in at the Courtyard was quick and efficient, and soon we were settled in our room, which was your basic business chain-hotel type of roomclean, set up for working, but with the most comfortable beds! I flipped channels for a little while and lucked into an episode of Big Love since the hotel had HBO. Ive been wanting to see the show forever and we dont buy premium channels at home, so DH was nice enough to indulge me while I watched. I really liked the showIm almost tempted to get HBO just to keep watching it, but I know it will come out on DVD soon enough and in the meantime I can follow it on Television Without Pity.
After my show was over, we headed up the road a little bit into Des Plaines and a restaurant called Leonas. It was amazing!!! The prices were really reasonable and I had some of the best garlic bread and fettuccine alfredo Ive ever tasted! Once we were stuffed from dinner (I know, great plan before heading out on a cruise!) we made our way back to the hotel and turned in.
We had a very early wake up call the next morning, but we got on the hotels airport shuttle and were at OHare quickly and with no fuss. I was surprised to see that the airlines are now charging $2 per bag for curbside check-in ON TOP of the gratuity normally expected. I was not surprised to see the curbside check in deserted.
We were flying American and ran into a little snag with the self check-in. DH and I are both pretty large people, so when we fly we either make arrangements to fly in airplanes that have 3-2 seat configuration so we can have 2 seats to ourselves, or we pay for a 3rd ticket and just book the whole row. When I was originally shopping for these flights, I found a sweetheart deal and booked 2 seats since the planes were MD-80s with 3-2 configuration. About 2 months before our trip I got an email from American saying they had changed our flight. The outbound was now in a 757 (and they bumped our return flight from 1:00pm to 6:30pm, but oh well
) so I went back and booked another seat on that flight so we would have a full row of 3 to ourselves.
Apparently this caused the entire American Airlines reservation system to melt down. They both called us trying to figure out what we were doing (which we explained) and then when we got to the airport, the system couldnt find the extra ticket anywhere. They lady manning the self-check in was no help at all and just kept yelling at me to get into the main check in line. Nice. Luckily, a lady at the counter waved us over and was able to figure everything out. A quick trip though security later, and we were at our gate munching on our obligatory pre-flight meal of Egg McMuffins.
The flight was smooth and we actually landed a little early. I got a cart and went to wrangle our luggage and DH went off to get the rental car from Budget. Wed booked one way rentals to and from the port, and it worked out pretty darn well. Of course, I wound up spending about twice as much planned each way because I tried to be frugal (read: cheap) and book us an economy car, never thinking that DH and I and our cruise luggage werent going to be very comfortable crammed into a Kia! We wound up paying to upgrade the car on both legs of the trip.
We got done at about the same time and headed into the garage to pick up our car. We got the somewhat rude surprise in the garage that you had to wait in another line there to pick up your keys. With Alamo and National you just pick up a car in the garage, do a quick checkout at the gate and youre on your way. I definitely like that model better!
We finally got our car and got on to 528. Luckily there were no closures due to the firesjust some smoke. About an hour and $57 in tolls later, we were in Cocoa Beach. We had traded in some Marriott Rewards points for a night at the Courtyard Cocoa Beach and found it to also be clean and pleasant.
After checking in at the Courtyard, we found a little restaurant called Mangroves for lunch. The place was attached to a natural-foods co-op and was decorated in a calming, beachy theme. I had jerk chicken and DH had a chicken salad pitaboth were tasty. We then stopped at Publix for soda and water and made the obligatory stop at Ron Jons, where I was happy to find a couple of T-shirts for DH and I and disappointed to find there were no cute, small, reasonably priced souvenirs for the 5 neighbor kids I was buying for. Aside from some pencils, I couldnt find anything decent for under $5!
Shopping complete, we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap, then ventured back out around dinner time. We had a gift card from the Olive Garden, so we stopped there. It was quite underwhelming. There seemed to be no seasoning on any of the food and our waitress was pretty spacey. We didnt care too much, because we knew we were gearing up for a cruise filled with overindulgence.
Our plan after dinner was to head to the planetarium at Brevard Community College. On the way there, we passed by one of the famed Appliance Direct stores. I LOVE appliances! I begged DH to stop inI was hoping I could get a T-shirt or a bumper sticker or something. Instead I just found a warehouse full of appliances. Oh well. At least I can now say Ive been to Appliance Direct!
We continued on to the BCC planetarium, getting a little turned around on the college campus, but eventually finding the right building. We got tickets for the planetarium show and one of their large-format movies, Mysteries of Egypt. While we waited though their shows, we went through their exhibit hall and hands-on astronomy lab. There was a high school group there that was a lot of fun. The planetarium show was very wonkyit was pretty hard-core at the beginning, which was fine for me but may not interest everyone. We were sitting behind the cutest little 2 year old boy who kept asking what that is? and chattering throughout the show. I didnt have the heart to get annoyed, though. He was just too cute, plus it does the heart good to see a parent take their kid to a planetarium instead of spending another Friday night glaze-eyed in front of the TV.
Once the show and movie were over we went back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. We got up about 9:00am the next morning and were on the road by 9:30. With a quick stop to refuel, we were at the port by 9:50. We were directed to wait across the street until the port opened, and joined the other half dozen cars waiting there. After about 15 minutes they waved us across and we got in line to show ID. It took quite a bit longer than it should have, but Ill also freely admit I was wound a little tight at that point and ready to kill whoever got between me and a group 2 boarding card.
Once we cleared the ID check, DH dropped me and the luggage off by the porter and went to return the car. The porter took my luggage and in a matter of seconds I was entering the terminal building. I passed through security, got my group 2 boarding card, and went to the check in line. I was first in line, and once they began checking passengers in, and since I filled out all my paperwork in line it was only a matter of minutes until I had my KTTW card.
I had some time to wander around the port and to check out the paperwork they had handed me. I was very surprised to see DH and I assigned to the APL rotation at 8:00pm. I thought that would conflict with the cabaret shows, so I decided to have it changed to LAP at 8:30 which I had figured on getting as a party of 2 adults. As it turned out changing the time was pretty much unnecessary, the shows let out in time for all second seating dining, but it still worked out for the best.
DH returned from the rental office unscathed. It took a while for him to get a shuttle to the port because the Budget van didnt hold much luggage and filled up quickly. Since he was only carrying his laptop case, the driver eventually took pity on him and let him ride up front. Once he got back, it was time to head over to the ships model to try and meet up with some DISers from our cruise meet thread. We actually had a great turnout and got to meet lots of fun, friendly people. We werent able to catch up with everyone over the week, but Im really glad for the people we did get to meet.
After lots of chat and comparing travel stories, the terminal staff announced that boarding would begin. They called group 2 so DH and I fought our way up to the boarding queue and were just able to step in when the cast member working the line said they were going to evacuate the building. We assumed he was just a little frustrated with the crush of people trying to board and was making a little joke, but alas, no. We were directed out the side doors and herded back across the street to the parking lot.
I have some pictures, which Ill try to post later, but I cant even begin to describe how much this experience sucked. There was one small tent for shade at the front of the parking lot, and of course people were trying to stay in there, but naturally there wasnt room for 2,000+ people. They kept herding people back farther and farther. It was noon on a sunny day in Florida and there was no water, no seating, and very little shade. It took over an hour to get water out to the crowds, and no real information was given to the crowd.
I know no one blames
DCLthese things happen. We never got the full story, but wed heard there was an unattended package, but then we also heard that a bag got picked by a dog, probably due to traces of lawn fertilizer that someone had gotten on their bags. Still, I dont think the Florida sun and heat come as a surprise to anyone, and I really think DCL and the Port Authority could have handled this a lot better. There could have been much better crowd management, and I also think it wouldnt be unreasonable for the Port Authority to keep portable shade tents and water for these situations. We saw quite a few people go down from the heat. They really could stand to have a better plan in place.
DCL eventually pulled some busses in and were offering to transport people over to the parking garage in order to get them out of the sun. I decided that this would be our best option, because it would be less crowded and shaded. I had spayed us both liberally with sunscreen, but were both fair and dont need any more exposure than necessary. It was very nice to take a seat on an air conditioned bus! Our timing was a little off, though, because by the time we arrived at the garage, we got word that the terminal was cleared. The bus driver, to whom I now owe my firstborn, was able to drive us over to the terminal entrance and drop us right at the scanning point, saving us from the long, hot, crowded walk and line. It was such a miracle!
We ran into the terminal and were able to walk right on the ship. We declined the onboard photo, neither of us need a photographic record of us tired, sweaty, and covered in sunblock. I made a quick stop at Rockin Bar D to change our dining rotation, and within a few minutes we were happily filling our plate at Parrot Cay. Our cruise had begun!!!
I hope to get my trip report posted soon and I'll include pictures of the Key West sunset. It was really a pleasure meeting and chatting with you and your DH.
The cookie mystery is solved. 
I have read bad reports about the cookies, but they were great on my last cruise. I had ordered all of my cookies from room service 
