Cruise recap - Day one

So I got up at around 7 AM on Thursday, April 15. Mom and I hit the road by around 7:45. We made a few stops for some necessities and food, and then we got to Mobile and proceeded to wait in one of the longest lines I've ever seen at the terminal. I mean, this line was so long you had to sit and wait until you were called into the line.

Anyway, we finally boarded the Carnival Fantasy at around 1 PM. I called Dav to let him know I'd arrived safely. I wouldn't be able to talk to him again for a while since we'd be at sea (at least, not without spending my entire paycheck). We embark on our journey. I get the first of many umbrella drinks and stand at the front of the ship, as I always like to do when I get to go on a cruise. We relax in the hot tub, check out our stateroom, etc. We eat at the lunch buffet on the lido and watch as Mobile becomes a small dot behind us.

That evening, we get to dine in the classy dining room and I have a steak which is actually cooked correctly (rare). That evening, after my mom retires, I go to a place called Cat's Lounge. This place is really cool. It is decorated with giant boxes of oatmeal, cans of soup, cat food, etc. Great product placement. And there was a giant tea kettle as well. A great, all Asian cover band performs, (The Music Highlights), and I must say, they were too talented to be doing the cruise circuit. I meet a forty something lady named Sandy and strike up a conversation. She is taking her teenage daughter and some friends for their senior trip. She buys me a cocktail. This place quickly becomes my "hangout" on the ship.

There is also a flat panel monitor on the wall in one of the corridors of one of the upper decks. It shows the ship's exact location via satellite, the ship's speed (in knots) and the depth of the water. I am such a nerd that I look at this frequently. Did you know that at one point the depth of the water was like 9460 feet? That's almost two miles!! That didn't seem right to me so I researched it and found out that the water can indeed get to over 10,000 feet deep in certain parts of the Gulf. Wowza.

Anyway, I had a really fun first day. More to come later....