We got up early and hit the road, fueled the car and ourselves with a Wawa breakfast. Years of visiting my aunt made me a fan, and it didn’t disappoint.
After about two hours on the road, we crossed the bridge past Port Canaveral and caught our first glimpse of the ship. That moment—seeing your ship for the first time—is always a rush.
Of course, that’s also when we reality hit that we had to keep driving past the terminal to our off-site parking lot. So we admired the ship from afar, crossed the bridge, and promptly backtracked to meet the others.
This is where my first learning moment of the trip came in. I had received an email from Celebrity offering a Black Friday discount on port parking—about 25% off the regular rate. Thinking I was being smart and efficient, I signed up, assuming Park Port Canaveral meant the parking lot at the terminal.
It did not.
It meant a parking lot about ten minutes away that required a shuttle – oops. Not the end of the world, but lesson learned.
We made it to the parking shuttle by 10:45 and were on the bus by 11:25. The upside? Once we handed our luggage to the shuttle staff, that was the last we saw of it until it magically appeared at our cabin later. From that moment on, everything was handled, and I fully embraced that part of the experience.
By the time we boarded the shuttle and made the short ride to the ship, the excitement finally hit.
Meanwhile, the Meiers and the Miers were already onboard and waiting for us at the Magic Carpet.
We are wandering our way through the terminal port check in, it seemed like miles and miles.
We were so excited to check this Magic Carpet out. It’s one of Celebrity’s signature spaces—an open-air bar that moves up and down the side of the ship depending on the time of day, with incredible ocean views and lots of hype. Unfortunately, the service was slow.
It was time to find lunch, we had already staked out the Mast Grill, which had gotten great reviews. Barb grabbed a burger and came back unimpressed. We had been trying very hard to avoid the buffet, but at that point, we had no choice. I ended up finding roast beef and some veggies that were actually pretty decent, so all things considered, it wasn’t terrible.
After lunch, we checked on our rooms to drop off backpacks, and our luggage was already there. I quickly changed because I was hot, unpacked just enough to feel settled, and then we all got organized.
Once we were ready, we met at the Sunset Bar for sail-away. Day one, drinks in hand, the ship finally on the move—that was the moment it finally felt official.
Once the ship was fully underway and the sun was high, we set out to explore. The guys were anxious to find football on TV. The girls wanted to see Eden, which was super cool. After that, we all headed back to the room to get organized and dressed for dinner.
Later, back in our room we got more organized and I grabbed a quick video of ur cabin.
One thing we really loved was the Infinite Veranda. Instead of a traditional balcony, the veranda is built into the room with floor-to-ceiling windows that fully open at the push of a button. When it’s closed, the room feels bigger and climate-controlled. When it’s open, you get the ocean breeze and views without losing space. We were big fans.
It was time to get ready for dinner, but first the sunset put on a show. We grabbed this photo, and it perfectly captured how we were feeling—relaxed, happy, and fully in cruise mode.
Next up, we met everyone for dinner at the steakhouse. The service with Christian was awesome, and since the restaurant was practically empty, they seated us at the chef’s table.
After dinner, we went to the show, which turned out to be comedy, so we very carefully did not sit in the front row. The show was okay but we were exhausted!
Day one complete.
Tomorrow: Key West.
Happiness is Possible 