Day 121 - Friday April 28 Disembarkation

Disembarkation photos
position at 6:30am: FLL where the trip started 4 months and 1 day ago
temperature: 72F, partly cloudy
distance since FLL: 39,114 miles
This morning we found that we were docked at pier 25 in Port Everglades, exactly where we left from 4 months ago. In front of us was HAL's Maasdam and behind us was Costa Magica.
Clay was up early for his last walk on deck. There were no other passengers walking this morning. It was about 6:10am when he returned to the cabin to wake Debbie. After a quick shower, Clay gathered the customs information on our purchases and proceeded to the the Constellation Theater about 6:35am. There were about 25 passengers standing in a line ahead of him, and there were 5 or 6 customs agents sitting at a long table interviewing people and preparing their duty bills. The line moved exceptionally slowly. Only about 10 people had cleared when Debbie showed up around 7:15am looking for Clay. It turns out the early people in the line were the heavy shoppers who had detailed lists and were trying to get every deduction, and this was what was causing the long delays. (The customs agents had about a foot thick book with all the rules, so there was a lot of looking things up!) But, after these initial people got processed, the line started moving much quicker. So, by 7:30am, Clay had made it to an agent, and was quickly processed as we just took the flat 3% fee above the standard deduction of $800 pp. After this interview line, we then waited in another line to actually pay the bill. There was only one agent to handwrite receipts and take the cash or check only. By the time we left around 7:50am, this second line was longer than the first line.
We then walked directly to Compass Rose, which had opened at 7:00am, for our last breakfast. There were chocolate croissants! So, Debbie splurged, having one chocolate croissant, a bowl of raspberries and her double order of Swedish pancakes, no lingonberries with black cherry jam. Clay had an order of blueberry pancakes and an order of toast. As part of the USDA cover, Clay's syrup was served in little jelly-type jars instead of the usual pitcher. The butter on the table was packaged in foil and in no ice instead of the usual butter patties on ice.
It was about 8:25am when we got back to the cabin to collect our 8 pieces of hand-carry luggage and say goodbye to Mishiel for the last time. We hope that Mishiel either gets some rest during the next 7 sea days or gets some medical attention. For the last 4 days or so, she had the respiratory infection that had plagued Voyager and she was sliding downhill fast. She seemed to be barely able to breathe or move and could barely speak. She looked just awful and Debbie especially knows what she was going through and that pushing through was not going to work. So, our best wishes are with Mishiel and that she gets what she needs to recover doing the long return stretch to Funchal. We were out of our cabin by the requested 8:30am time. We then waited through a couple of elevator cycles (as the they were full), and finally took separate elevators down to deck 5 to sit outside the Horizon Lounge until we could disembark. Just after we settled in for the wait, the Blackberry rang. It was Debbie's mother saying she was just outside the port gate waiting to show her passport to pick us up. We told her to find a waiting spot as they were just about to start calling the color groups, but we were in about the 8th group so it would be a while. At 9:30am, people started disembarking. At around 10:30am, they called the group ahead of us, so we stared our trek with our 8 pieces of hand-carry luggage to the Main Atrium. As we only had 4 hands between us, this was quite a sight. (Not to mention that 2 of the pieces were our much-admired collapsible luggage hampers with all the last loose piece and oversized bits like Clay's cane spilling out the tops. We looked like vagabond homeless people, and that might have been just about the most appropriate look we could have affected. But with all the people with their streamlined regulation airline carryons, we looked pretty eccentric. At least we did not leave with 8-24 big cardboard boxes though like some people did!) We took the back elevator down to deck 4, walked through Compass Rose (nodding goodbye to Patrick as we went through) and had just dropped our bags on a chair by the Voyager Lounge when we saw them start to disembark our color, so we walked immediately to the gangway to leave. Jamie, Dionne and Mark Conroy were by the gangway saying goodbye to the passengers. Just as we got to Mark Conroy, out of nowhere, Ricardo (Debbie's favorite sommelier!) came up and took 3 of our bags, making our exit much easier. And when we got through the check-out line, another sommelier relieved Debbie of everything except the backpack she had on. It was a long way through the terminal to where we could collect our other 12 bags. We were really thankful for the crew help in handling the hand-carry bags we had. We quickly rounded up a porter (went to the front area to catch one as they re-entered the building), and he somehow balanced all 12 bags onto a single UPS-type cart. The pile was about 8 feet high as he rolled it out. Getting though immigration was a snap. They saw the pink customs receipt sticking out of Clay's shirt pocket and just waved us through. We did not even break stride. Our porter stacked our bags on the curb as Debbie called her mother. In about 5 minutes, we had filled a van (and it was literally full). We were on our way about 10:50am. So, once we were called, things happened very quickly. There were more sad goodbyes this morning, but in general the mood was more one of anticipation than of regret by this time.
There was a wonderful sunset last night off the beach of Bonita Springs, but there we were without our keycards! More importantly with no camera.
We were late to bed with catching up with family and late to rise and slow to get going. We have decided that we will drive back on Sunday instead of Monday so that means we need to get the lead out of our butts to get some repacking done and spend time with Grandparents, etc and hit the road. Today Debbie celebrated the return of stuffed French Toast to her life! All the ingredients could be found in Margie's kitchen. (See photo. For anyone at RSSC reading this, this is what the desired dish looks like!) Stuffed French Toast for those that may have missed it. Take 2 pieces of the sliced bread you have available. Thin is preferable to thick sliced. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese (any kind) on the bread. Stick the 2 slices together. Use your regular French Toast coating (for us eggs, milk, vanilla, cinammon or however you want it to your taste) Melt butter in a skillet, or spray a frying pan with Pam, whatever; slick up a cooking surface and fry the French Toast to your desired doneness. Some people don't want it browned or crisped, we do. French toast without a crispy outer is a failure to us. It should be warm through the center and crisped outside. If you can make a grilled cheese sandwich and if you can make French Toast, you should be able to to do this.
So, we will spend another day here with Debbie's family and then Margie will drive us back home to Raleigh in her van and spend a few days. Clay is back to work on Tuesday. So, busy days ahead getting caught up and settled in. We do not intend to continue posting here as we return to our daily lives. Sorry, for those that will miss it. On some level, so will we! Bob needs some rest. We have had a mostly wonderful experience doing this for the past year or so and now we need to get back to normal for while. Never fear that if and when we venture back out into the wider world we will probably do another trip journal like this one. Thanks to everyone who contacted us with the positive feedback and we are glad you enjoyed it and hope that your withdrawal from this strange space will be as easy and painless as we hope our own will be. Farewell.
Disembarkation photos