LIVE: Salt Lifer hitting the high seas! Ascent, April 7-14, 2024

[Salt Lifer]

Got an impromptu start to my step total this morning. About a half hour before check-out I realized I forgot to pack eye liner, so I ran (literally) to a nearby Walgreens to pick some up.  There and back was around 3/4th of a mile.  I consider it a down payment on the calories on my first chocolate torte from Al Bacio!  

 

In our Uber pulling into Port now!

[Salt Lifer]

Arrived at the pier (25) at 10:30 and through security and seated by 10:40.  They are saying they will start letting us on the ship at 11, which is a half hour early (we'll see!).  Lots of people here already.  We lucked out and were not seated in the awful hard round wood seats in the waiting area, but instead in some nice cushioned chairs that are off to the side.  Much more comfortable!  With this kind of luck, maybe I should visit the casino today!

[hcat]

Great photos of Las Olas area.

Won't be long now!

Hope you have a great Sailaway!

Edited April 7 by hcat

[Salt Lifer]

On the ship by 11:08. The guys who work in the pier waiting area in the teal shirts did a phenomenal job.  This was literally the smoothest process of getting on the ship I have experienced at this pier.

 

First stop our room, then to the muster station, then to Cafe Al Bacio for a pre-lunch snack!  I got the chocolate tartlette and the salmon sandwich.  Both were delicious.  

 

Next stop is our Concierge lunch....

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Happy Embarkation Day!  Hope you have smooth sailing!

[jam19872016]

4 hours ago, Salt Lifer said:

Good morning! Today is the day!  

 

Our check-out is at 10am and our boarding time on Ascent is 11:30am, so we are taking a gamble and heading straight to the pier and hoping we can at least get through security and into the lobby to wait.  With luggage and no car we really don't see any other practical option.  See you on board!

 

I've recently lost some weight and, while I intend to eat ALL THE FOOD this week, I still want to be held accountable for keeping my step count up in an attempt to burn some extra calories.  So I think this trip I'll do as @jam19872016 did in the last live and post my daily step count.  This is from yesterday.  

DId you bring a scale also? Mine was pretty mean to me. Two weeks back and I've still got 3 lbs to go before I get it back off. Terrible. Totally worth it though 😄

 

[jam19872016]

1 hour ago, Salt Lifer said:

On the ship by 11:08. The guys who work in the pier waiting area in the teal shirts did a phenomenal job.  This was literally the smoothest process of getting on the ship I have experienced at this pier.

 

First stop our room, then to the muster station, then to Cafe Al Bacio for a pre-lunch snack!  I got the chocolate tartlette and the salmon sandwich.  Both were delicious.  

 

Next stop is our Concierge lunch....

 

 

So they do have sandwiches now! That is awesome to see. I hope they continue to be delicious, I could see myself making a lunch out of it as I just don't usually find much I care for at the buffet.

[cruisinsusin]

22 hours ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

Where are you staying?  Cruising out of Fort Lauderdale next year and will likely use Hyatt Points…one option is in Las Olas…

Hope @Salt Lifer doesn’t mind if I jump in - we have stayed at the Hyatt Centric before several cruises out of Ft Lauderdale and have really

liked it. Not very far from the port or airport

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Fair winds and following seas!

[Salt Lifer]

54 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

DId you bring a scale also? Mine was pretty mean to me. Two weeks back and I've still got 3 lbs to go before I get it back off. Terrible. Totally worth it though 😄

 

Noooooooooooo... I don't go on vacation to be insulted! Lol.  I did get a weight reading before leaving home so will compare when I get back.

[Salt Lifer]

53 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

So they do have sandwiches now! That is awesome to see. I hope they continue to be delicious, I could see myself making a lunch out of it as I just don't usually find much I care for at the buffet.

They did today. Three kinds: a turkey sandwich, a brie sandwich, and the salmon sandwich that I had.  They are more like mini sandwiches, but a nice size for pairing with the chocolate tort for a snack or to mix and match for a larger meal.

 

I'll keep you posted if this is a daily thing.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

2 hours ago, Salt Lifer said:

 

First stop our room, then to the muster station, then to Cafe Al Bacio for a pre-lunch snack!  I got the chocolate tartlette and the salmon sandwich.  Both were delicious.  

 

 

 

Small sandwiches are back in Bacio?  Hooray!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

5 minutes ago, Salt Lifer said:

Noooooooooooo... I don't go on vacation to be insulted! Lol.  I did get a weight reading before leaving home so will compare when I get back.

This is exactly what I do. Yes, I'm on WW but that is a program for living, not dieting. I will do stairs as much as possible and use the walking track, and I'll be aware of what I'm eating and do some things like ask that my servers not bother with heating up gluten-free bread for me at dinner (easy since I'm usually solo...or with my parents who are gluten-eating, so they can have their bread and I'm not tempted), but I don't deny myself.

 

One week (or 8 days in the case of my last and next cruises) is not going to make or break me. I know how to get back on track.

[jam19872016]

5 minutes ago, Salt Lifer said:

They did today. Three kinds: a turkey sandwich, a brie sandwich, and the salmon sandwich that I had.  They are more like mini sandwiches, but a nice size for pairing with the chocolate tort for a snack or to mix and match for a larger meal.

 

I'll keep you posted if this is a daily thing.

Yummy. I would try all three and then go back for seconds of any real standouts along with some dessert. That and a salad upstairs, I think I would be set. Then head back for tea time at 3 so I can make sure my scale insults me consistently 😅

[jam19872016]

2 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

This is exactly what I do. Yes, I'm on WW but that is a program for living, not dieting. I will do stairs as much as possible and use the walking track, and I'll be aware of what I'm eating and do some things like ask that my servers not bother with heating up gluten-free bread for me at dinner (easy since I'm usually solo...or with my parents who are gluten-eating, so they can have their bread and I'm not tempted), but I don't deny myself.

 

One week (or 8 days in the case of my last and next cruises) is not going to make or break me. I know how to get back on track.

Yea I don't bother behaving either on vacation but I still track it so I don't get too bad of a shock when it's all over. I gained 18 pounds last cruise, which sounds so much worse than 1-2 pounds every day for twelve days.

[cruisetonowhere10]

30 minutes ago, cruisinsusin said:

Hope @Salt Lifer doesn’t mind if I jump in - we have stayed at the Hyatt Centric before several cruises out of Ft Lauderdale and have really

liked it. Not very far from the port or airport

That’s the one I’m looking at!

[Salt Lifer]

This cruise is our first time in concierge class.  A guaranteed concierge cabin was only $75 more than a standard IV when we booked, so we decided to do it in order to get a higher floor.  One of the perks with the concierge class cabin is a special embarkation day lunch.  This was well worth the extra $75, in my opinion.  It was nice not to deal with the buffet which, while I am a fan of on E-Class ships, tends to be very busy on day one.

 

I chose the Caesar salad, salmon, and apple pie a la mode for my choices.  The lettuce on the salad was a little wilty, likely due to the dressing sitting too long on the lettuce, but the taste was good.  The salmon and pie were both delicious.  My husband got the spare ribs and they were amazing and practically melted in your mouth.  

 

I was shocked to see several people try to force their way into to this lunch, feeling entitled because they had friends who were in concierge class and they wanted to eat with them.  The staff dealt with them all with such restraint and politeness, but the entitlement of some never ceases to amaze me.

 

When we got back to the room our suitcase was already waiting for us, so I unpacked and am taking a short rest before heading back up on deck for sail away.

 

 

[jam19872016]

It's getting hot in here

 

[mac_tlc]

I'll be watching you depart on the webcam ! msRotterdam just left, Caribbean Princess next then you, I believe!!!

 

mac_tlc

[Salt Lifer]

11 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

I'll be watching you depart on the webcam ! msRotterdam just left, Caribbean Princess next then you, I believe!!!

 

mac_tlc

Yep, we are right behind them both.  See first picture.

 

I will be the person in the green hat and red shirt holding a mudslide! See second picture. 🙂

 

 

[mac_tlc]

Have a great trip!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7 by mac_tlc

[RK-NC]

Bon Voyage! Love your storytelling! We sail Beyond next Friday, leaving Tuesday for the drive to the port. My head is exploding right now as I am in the throes of packing. What a great reading break! I'm ready to tackle the last of the packing. Have a great cruise!

[Salt Lifer]

Made a quick stop in Eden to listen to the live music.  From what I heard it was a nice set - very relaxing.  

 

Then it was time to get ready for the show and a late dinner.

 

Tonight's show is comic Steve Caouette.  I have been to his show before and he is phenomenal.  We are excited he is on our ship this week.

[kabmab]

3 hours ago, RK-NC said:

Bon Voyage! Love your storytelling! We sail Beyond next Friday, leaving Tuesday for the drive to the port. My head is exploding right now as I am in the throes of packing. What a great reading break! I'm ready to tackle the last of the packing. Have a great cruise!

Love "my head is exploding" 😆.  Mine too, packing for the Ascent TA next Sunday.  More challenging being our first TA.  Good luck!

[RK-NC]

17 minutes ago, kabmab said:

Love "my head is exploding" 😆.  Mine too, packing for the Ascent TA next Sunday.  More challenging being our first TA.  Good luck!

 

Good luck with your packing and enjoy the TA!! We sail Queen Mary 2 in August for 30 nights and my head probably will explode with that packing 😳 Have a fabulous crossing!

Edited April 8 by RK-NC