Open Seas

After another solid Embassy Suites breakfast we hit the road towards Galveston for our 1pm embarkment appointment onto our cruise ship.  On the road we started to get messages alerting us that due to fog in Galveston our ship has not been able to get into the port and our boarding would be delayed.   It became a bit confusing as we rolled into Galveston to sunny skies but it gave us sometime to walk through Galveston and experience the town.

We ended up boarding the ship (Carnival Valor) a few hours later than planned but everything was pretty smooth getting on the ship.  The original departure time from Galveston was 4pm but due to the delayed entry and the fact that the fog had rolled back in - we did not end up steaming out of Galveston until 4am.  

Our first day at sea allowed us to explore all the things on the ship.  It was a bit overcast most of the day - so it was not a good day to sit out and soak up the rays.  So we focused on the three B's of causing, Buffets, Bingo and Bathrobes.  Our Cruise Director was a young chap from England named Lee and Karen enjoyed entertaining us by imitating Lee with her British accent.  

One of the concerns going into the cruise was the reputation of Carnival attracting a 'less refined' crowd.  We were pleasantly surprised that our shipmates were fun loving group of 'normal' folk.  We played a round of Bingo and came close to winging the final hand.  It was fun outside of the caller (Z from the Entertainment Squad) insisting on using the same group of catch phrases after each number was called ("show me the money !").  One of the great things about he cruise is the ability to dine together and have a nice meal without having to worry about the bill.  It also allows the kids to try different things that they may not try.  Jake was especially adventurous by selecting entrees such as duck.

We convinced Kelsey and Brett to check out the teen club (02) on the ship.  They did not interact much with the other teens but enjoyed soaking in the mayhem. We capped off the first evening at sea watching a Dive-In movie up on the deck (Star Trek).