Our status as repeat cruisers with Holland America allowed us to board at noon instead of mid afternoon like the first timers. Who wouldn't take advantage of a free lunch! We were in our taxi heading for the pier shortly after twelve. "This is working out great!" I said as Joan checked her watch. "We'll be onboard in perfect time for lunch."
The taxi slowed to a crawl and stopped in a traffic jam as we approached the ship. Oops! Here we go I thought. The scene in front of the terminal building was crowded and busy with cars and buses. We waited patiently in the cab until a traffic person called us for unloading. Inside forms for filling were placed in our hands. Next a zig zag line to the long counter for registration. We were quickly photographed and handed our boarding card. "Looking good!" Joan said.
We were asked to follow a parade of passengers out of the building, along a narrow sidewalk path to a second building already almost filled with people sitting and waiting. Everyone carried a numbered card, ours was 22. We waited and waited and waited some more as groups were called to board. It was revealed that the ship was undergoing a deep cleaning. Twenty-five cases of Norwalk had emerged on the previous cruise. Our final boarding time was near 2 oclock. Several people complained as we retraced the long walk back to the gangway. Two ladies who sat near us discovered their husbands had boarded earlier simply because they'd gone off to park the car.
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