and lo and behold, I wasted about 30 precious minutes driving around several blocks in a small town near the Cape, like a lost Puppy Dog. Our Hotel was the Comfort Inn and Suites by Radisson in Port Canaveral Fl. We were very pleasantly surprised by how very clean the rooms were as well as the spectacular view of all the cruise ships in port. Just 2 blocks down the street, we all met for dinner at a great Italian Restaurant. They kindly found seating for 20 of us at peak dinner time on a Saturday night. “Who could ask for anything more” we all sang.

After a great night’s sleep, we awoke early Sunday morning to a great breakfast that was included in our room cost. We were scheduled to be picked up by our shuttle at 10:30 a.m, so we settled in for some last-minute shopping at a variety store next door to our hotel. Our shuttle and seven nights parking were also included in our hotel reservations. All of our luggage was handled by the shuttle bus driver. The drive to the port was only 15 minutes door to door. Barbara and I had reminded everyone several times about baggage tags and paperwork. We were able to help one client with a paperwork glitch beforehand.

Embarkation to Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas was flawless. Barbara and I have been using Royal Caribbean’s frequent passenger program for years now. As Saphire Level Members were whisked through the process, given VIP embarkation, and even escorted part of the way by Royal Caribbean staff members. I recall it took just about 20 minutes from the TSA line to the entrance to the ship on deck 5. For experienced cruisers like Barbara and I, it was a real pleasure to board so seamlessly. Some of our group were met by Royal Caribbean staff with wheelchairs and wheeled all the way to the elevators onboard ship. Everyone recalled to us that the boarding process was efficient and very quick. The real secret is to follow the cruise line instructions on Pre Boarding information, TSA Regulations and required paperwork.

Next week we will continue with “Where in the world is Phil”