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Our friends Craig and Liz have been extraordinary hosts during our short stay in San Diego. As a last amazing act, Craig loaded his car with our 10 suitcases and drove us two hours north to San Pedro, where we would (finally) board the Viking Neptune.
Parking, unloading, registration and embarkation were all a breeze. We could not have asked for a smoother process. Best of all, Craig was able to come aboard as a day visitor. He got to see some old friends, including the Cruise Director, and join us for lunch.
After Craig departed, we spent the afternoon unloading our 10 suitcases and fitting them into our cabin. We are on deck 3 in a standard veranda cabin on the port side near the front.
At the 5:15 pm welcome cocktail party, we were thrilled to see both Torstein Hagen (Viking founder and chairman) and his daughter Karine (Viking executive vice president). We also saw Richard Rivera (architect of Viking’s ships) and several other officers we know.
We were amazed at the number of guests and crew who remember us from previous cruises. There were many hugs and tears of reunion. Honestly, it feels like we never left ship. We are already comfortable and feel like we are home again.
We met several of the other lecturers and had dinner with Stephen Marsh, the naturalist. (He is the only other lecturer who will be on board for the entire cruise until London.) We are spending a quiet and early evening in our cabin. At midnight tonight, we will set sail!
