We ran into some other folks from the DIS boards sporting tees with our thread logo. I’m proud to see my artwork displayed throughout the ship on doors and buttons. It definitely stands out. Maybe DCL will hired me to create more artwork. Yeah, right! As you might expect, the collection of luggage and passengers took longer than expected. We finally boarded our bus around 1pm. After a short drive down Barcelona’s coastal highway we entered the port. Everyone cheered as we got our first glimpse of the Magic docked next to a much larger Royal Carribean ship. Because of the port arrangement we were snaked through a lower-deck terminal that DCL has obviously rented and decorated in Disney style. Local dancers entertained guests as they made their way through the terminal and check in. We were then greeted with red-carpet treatment as we made our way up to the gangplank—as I recall the same one used to depart the ship at Castaway Cay.
It was now 2pm and our room was ready so we took what bags we had with us to the room and settled in before heading to Parrot Cay for lunch. The spread was good, but not spectacular. Afterwards Meg headed for the teens club on the top deck to check it out. We checked Maddie into the Oceaneer’s Lab where she immediately began making friends. Angie and myself fixed a few excursions we had issues with online and then went back to the room to unpack the few bags that were now starting to trickle in. We both wanted some sea air, so we headed up to Signals to grab a drink and sit by the adults-only pool whilst we perused the Personal Navigators. Among other things, we decided to participate in the wine tasting seminar scheduled for Sunday. It was now approaching 5pm—time to collect the girls and head for the mandatory safety drill in the Walt Disney theater. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was real emergency would hundreds of passengers be so content to sit in an inside contained venue while the boat was sinking. I tried to take pictures, but no lady in our group wanted to sport the ubercool lifevest for the camera. Having met our duties of safety training we headed back to the room to finish unpacking. We returned to the WD theater for tonight’s show—Rember the Magic. Nice, but more or less a gimmicky way to introduce passengers to the ship’s executive staff and provide teasers for upcoming shows. Returning to the room, the girls had a quick rest break while we watched videos about excursions on the television. We then got dressed and headed to Lumiere’s on Deck 3 for our first evening meal. We didn’t request any special seating for dinner, so our tablemates would be a mystery. Turns out they are a family of four from Belgium. They know nothing of Oklahoma and we nothing of Belgium sans chocolate. But their English is good and we had a good time getting to know one another. Turns out their 12-year-old daughter and Maddie had already become best buds in the Oceaneer’s Lab. Tonight’s dinner was themed around the sailaway and featured some local flavors. I had a Maytag blue cheese soup followed by lobster tail. Angie and Meg had braised tenderloin and sirloin steaks. Service ran long and the meat was a little overcooked. Neither of them ate much. The sailaway party on Deck 9 was gearing up and we could see from our table that we were pulling away from the dock. Meg made a b-line to meet up with some other teens and we finished our meal with a couple of very good desserts. Afterwards, Angie and I went with Maddie to catch the last portion of the party and walk the deck.
The bright rays of the full moon illuminated the Mediterranean sea and a light breeze blew across the deck. It was a beautiful night. Maddie and Angie returned to the room for some much-needed rest. Meg is still out burning the Midnight oil with friends. For now, all is quiet in the Promenade Lounge. But tomorrow is a day at sea as we head for our first stop in Palermo, Sicily. But with so many things to do our itinerary is already full. So far, it’s been a great ride.
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