Holiday Enchantment of the Seas - Live 12/23/2022 to 12/30/2022

[Rubyfisch]

Hey everyone! I'm super excited to be going on my first Cruise in move than four years. I really enjoy doing live threads and am going to try to keep up with this this week. If anyone has questions, let me know, I'll try to answer them.

 

Normally I would have started this a couple of days ago, but with the weather and everything else, I didn't want to jinx it. But I've made it to Baltimore, checked into my hotel, and am waiting for lunch, so this seemed like a good time to start.

[Yorkvillain]

First important question - where are you having lunch? Pappas? Boxhill?

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

A little bit about this trip. It's the first time I've cruised solo, so that's both new and exciting. I booked in April and had only had a few goals. Find a cruise where I could relax and disconnect a bit that didn't leave out of Florida and left on December 22 or 23. As I sure comes as no surprise, that didn't leave a ton of options ... But Enchantment worked, and here I am. I know she is old and small and without bells and whistles, but I'm not so into bells or whistles, so it'll be okay.

[Rubyfisch]

3 minutes ago, Yorkvillain said:

First important question - where are you having lunch? Pappas? Boxhill?

 

 

I'm staying by the cruise port and it's pouring, so I went to the Iron Rooster by my hotel. Currently enjoying this ...

 

 

 

It's eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes. And the first cup of coffee I've managed to have today ....

[Stealthdog]

So jealous! You are leaving right before the temps get in the teens.  Hope you have a great time!

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

5 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

So jealous! You are leaving right before the temps get in the teens.  Hope you have a great time!

 

 

Thank you! Although I think it's going to be a really chilly cruise ...

[Rubyfisch]

This morning the alarm went off at 5:10 to start my adventure. I had an 8:30 flight and my partner had an 8:00 am one (she's visiting her mother, I'm going on a cruise, and then we'll meet back up in DC for New Year's before heading home and back to reality, so everyone wins). She was originally supposed to go on Saturday morning, but American offered free changes because of the storm, so she took that and ran.

 

We got to Logan around 6:05. I went to check my bag, while she headed to security (I have pre check, she doesn't). My bag was at 46.5 lbs, so it flew for free (as did I, using Southwest points). She was on American, so we were both in the B terminal. The pre check line was a little slow, but we were both through security by 6:20. The few open options for food or coffee were mobbed, so I attempted to grab a fruit and cheese thing from Hudson News. Well ... When I opened it, it was moldy ...

 

We watched the sunrise and waited for her flight. I was starting to get nervous as my plane was still on the ground in Baltimore.  By the time she boarded, my plane was in the air headed to Boston and the lines had died down. I grabbed some egg bites from Starbucks, but passed on the coffee, because "I'll just get some on the plane." Famous last words ...

Edited December 22, 2022 by Rubyfisch
Typo

[Rubyfisch]

So, my flight ends up boarding only a few minutes late, but we sit there for awhile as they took on more fuel because of the storm. We take off and it's a little bumpy, but it didn't seem that bad. But the combination of the bumps and the short flight meant no drink service, and therefore, no coffee.

 

But good news - we made it to Baltimore

 

 

But less good news - my suitcase was soaked. And my soaked, I mean dripping water, soaked. My first thought was, I need to get this unpacked and laid out ASAP.

 

I was going to take a Lyft, but wasn't really sure where the pickup point would be. I stepped outside and saw a massive line of taxies. So, I said to myself, I just want to get to the hotel, so I sucked up my general disinclination to take taxies and dragged my dripping suitcase to the head of the line.

 

Did the taxi reek of cigarettes - yes. Did the meter swirl up incredibly fast - yes. Did it get me to my hotel - yes. All in, it was $50 including tip. A Lyft/Uber with then current pricing would have around $40. The extra was worth it in my exhausted, coffee deprived, dripping state.

 

[VTSKIandCRUISEGUY]

Are you staying at the Courtyard by Marriot?

[Rubyfisch]

Just now, VTSKIandCRUISEGUY said:

Are you staying at the Courtyard by Marriot?

 

I am - I'll post some pictures in a bit.

[Rubyfisch]

So I arrived at the Courtyard on McHenry Row with my sodden suitcase around 11 am. I asked if I could check in early and was told there were no rooms available, but when the desk clerk pulled up my reservation, miraculously one appeared. 

 

The hotel is new and the rooms is totally fine for the purpose of being across the road from the cruiseport. Also, having a room meant I could survey the damage of my soaking wet suitcase. I had been so clever to back everything for tomorrow in a shoulder back so I wouldn't have to dig into my suitcase, but clearly that wasn't an option anymore. I had visions is soaked clothes, but things stayed pretty dry. Of course my nice, neat room turned into a disaster area within five minutes of entering, but that's okay ....

 

 

There is an odd couch thing that per the internet folds out into a bed. The back is angled back in kind of a odd way.

 

 

 

There is also a normal looking hotel bed:

 

 

And bathroom:

 

 

And I think our the window is the cruiseport (or the buildings near the cruiseport ...):

 

[Rubyfisch]

After throwing my possessions around like a mad woman, I decided food and coffee were an imperative. As mentioned above, I went to the Iron Rooster for coffee and Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict. The coffee was kind of okay and sort of luke warm, but the food was really good and the waiter was super attentive.

 

They make homemade pop tarts. It's kind of their things as far as I can tell. If I get up early enough tomorrow, I may get one before heading to the ship ....

[Rubyfisch]

After lunch, I headed to the Harris Teeter conveniently located next to the hotel for a bunch of odds and ends I didn't have a chance to pick up before heading here. It's a nice, larger store with a pharmacy upstairs. I've never been seasick on a cruise, but the storm is kicking up a lot of surf, so I grabbed some Dramamine. I didn't get sick sailing between Bermuda and Boston on the edge of a hurricane with five to six meter seas on Serenade, so hopefully I'll be okay.

 

I'm now just tidying up some work calls in my room and listening to the rain.

[Rubyfisch]

Well ... Looks like we are going to spend a lot more time in Baltimore ....

 

[zaylyn2590]

I just posted this in the roll call. How did your suitcase get soaked? 

[Rubyfisch]

2 minutes ago, zaylyn2590 said:

I just posted this in the roll call. How did your suitcase get soaked?

My checked bag arrived on the carousel in Baltimore dripping wet, as did everyone else's. My guess is they sat in the rain on the tarmac at BWI for 10 or 15 minutes. Like the carousel had pools of water level wet.

 

It's drying remarkably quickly so I think I should be good for tomorrow.

[Rubyfisch]

It looks like Enchantment is making it's way back with all deliberate speed.  If I'm reading this right, it will arrive at 2:00 am back into Baltimore:

 

[Biker19]

20 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

If I'm reading this right, it will arrive at 2:00 am back into Baltimore:

Cruisemapper usually reports the ETA in GMT not local.

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, Rubyfisch said:

After lunch, I headed to the Harris Teeter conveniently located next to the hotel for a bunch of odds and ends I didn't have a chance to pick up before heading here. It's a nice, larger store with a pharmacy upstairs. I've never been seasick on a cruise, but the storm is kicking up a lot of surf, so I grabbed some Dramamine. I didn't get sick sailing between Bermuda and Boston on the edge of a hurricane with five to six meter seas on Serenade, so hopefully I'll be okay.

 

I'm now just tidying up some work calls in my room and listening to the rain.

 

I wasn't sure where this Marriott is, until you said that.  🙂 

 

[Rubyfisch]

5 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Cruisemapper usually reports the ETA in GMT not local.

Oh ... That makes a lot more sense. Oops.

[Rubyfisch]

8 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Cruisemapper usually reports the ETA in GMT not local.

Wait ... Wouldn't that be 2:00 am GMT then? Which is 9:00 pm tonight. As I assume it's military time.

[Rubyfisch]

6 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

I wasn't sure where this Marriott is, until you said that.  🙂 

 

I think it's on the newer end. Also - very helpful for the current weather - it has a covered car port for loading and unloading.

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

Wait ... Wouldn't that be 2:00 am GMT then? Which is 9:00 pm tonight. As I assume it's military time.

I didn't say it's accurate, just how it's usually displayed.

[Rubyfisch]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I didn't say it's accurate, just how it's usually displayed.

Fair point ... 😆.

 

Marine Traffic says 9:00 pm ... So, maybe they are getting here in four hours.

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

So, maybe they are getting here in four hours.

That's not happening - it's usually 6-8 hours in the Bay (Norfolk to Baltimore) and they have a way to go to just get there.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Biker19