On our way

Sept 26, 2010
it is noon and we are boarding the Statendam, bound for Ft. Lauderdale via the Panama Canal. Joan and I can't wait to get aboard and get going. As we board we are given an invitation for lunch in the main dining room for previous cruisers. Of course the meal is fantastic. After lunch we took ourselves on a tour of the ship. It has been refitted since we were on her last, and lots of things have changed. Some of the lounges are bigger and some are smaller. The casino is smaller, as is the main theatre. Our room is on the 9th floor at the very front, and we were upgraded to a window. It is called a spa room, with our own yoga mat, slippers and a pedometer - yippee!!!! We are out of port a 5pm and under the Lion's Gate Bridge. Once out in the harbour it is time for this ship to have its magnetic clock recalibrated. This entails a special captain who's only job it is to go from ship to ship doing this calibration. We start spinning around slowly in a circle and make about 10 turns before it is done. We have lots of time as we are only going to Victoria. After the safety drill we went to our room for a glass of wine, and change for dinner. We are not in a rush for dinner as we had such a big lunch. At dinner our tablemates were from Victoria and White Rock. Some of the guests are from the Alaska cruise, and some are going all the way to Ft LaUDERDALE AND SOME ARE GETTING OFF IN SAN dIEGO. tHERE WERE LOTS OF DRAWS FOR DIFFERENT THINGS, SO WE RAN FROM ONE TO THE OTHERR AND rUTH WON A CERTIFICATE FOR $50 FOO AN ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT. tHE TREATMENT COSTS $150!!! tHE ENTERTAINMENBT TONIGHT WAS INTRODUCTIONS TO THE CAST, THE BAND AND THE CRUISE DIRECTORS STAFF.