Day 4 - Copenhagen - Embarkation Day

15 degrees going to 24

The day started early for me as I wanted to spend some time recording our days on the road. It was already sunny as the dawn comes early at this time of year. But the task at hand is the dreaded packing exercise where one squeezes all the new stuff into the already full suitcases. Freddi finished up her struggle before I started mine. It all seemed to go well until we picked up our bags. Somehow they are heavier. Perhaps it has something to do with the small amount of shopping and the three bottles of wine in the suitcase. Once discouraged by that activity we went downstairs for breakfast. Most of our team were there. The usual breakfast (funny how quickly it becomes “the usual”) was consumed with the same interest as previous days. I enjoy breakfast but do not really enjoy the luxury when we are at home. Fluffy eggs accompanied by a soft-boiled egg with bacon, cheese, pate, sausages and some fruit. It was all good but all too much at the same time. I am looking forward to what I call “usual” while on board the cruise ship. The lobby of the hotel was a mess as there were early arrivals from the Emerald Princess seeking a room for the night along with people checking out to join the Emerald Princess for the upcoming 11 days. Discussions with the returning folks gave us valuable insights about what t expect on the cruise. Tips on shore activities, ship activities and on making the experience as good as it can be were shared openly. A nice couple from TO talked with Lucy for some time and gave her lots of insights.

Freddi, Lucy and I took off to see Christiantown. We bussed there and found our way to the main area of the town that is not part of the EU. It has been populated by squatters for the last 60 years or so and people just live there and go about their business outside of the normal controls of society. We walked about and were joined by a local who gave us lots of insights into their peaceful lives in the commune like environment. He reminded us that no photography was allowed on Pusher Street as they openly trade hash and marijuana on this street. The Police were there but they only observe (by filming activities on the streets) the activities and show a presence. The “tagging” is overwhelming as everything is tagged in the neighbourhood because they can! We walked with the man for a while and he regaled us with stories of his life and times in Christiantown. He arrived at the barracks area to find his brother some 38 years before. He now has 5 children and still lives in the area. As our time was limited we wandered for a short time and started back to the hotel. We walked back and it took 30 minutes in the warm sun to get back to our hotel. We had to check-out by noon and our taxi was to be there at 1 PM.

The gang on the Gangplank May 23, 2012

Once back in the hotel we finalized the packing thing and checked out of our rooms. We sat about in the over-crowded lobby until our taxis arrived. We piled into 4 taxis and set off for the Emerald Princess at the pier. The taxi was 160 DKK for the three of us. The large white ship was very imposing against the blue sky and the sunny afternoon. Once in the queue for check-in, we meandered through security and the check-in process. All of that took about 30 minutes as we spent some time waiting in line. It is a pretty efficient process as the Princess folks process 3200 people over a couple of hours. Everyone is anxious to get on board for different reasons. For some it is to get settled and familiar with the ship, for others it is to get to the buffet and for still others it is to get past being herded like sheep into the pen. Funny, I seem to fit into all of those categories. We settled pretty quickly so we went for a walk to scout out the restaurants and to make reservations for specialty dinners. The ship’s size became a factor as walking from one area to the next is a hike. We eventually made it to our staterooms after a snack at the buffet (lunch) and we discovered that our bags had been delivered. That allowed us to unpack and get settled in the room. Once that was complete a small party convened in our room as Poitr (pronounced Peter) dropped of some champagne and glasses to enjoy with our canapés that Paul had provided to each of us. Nice gathering as we shared our experiences f the day. Then we participated in the Muster station drill where we undertook the mandatory life vest education. It was chaos but controlled chaos as the staff did a great job herding folks in and out of the session. We then assembled on the deck to watch the departure from Copenhagen. It was a beautiful evening with lots of sunshine, music and beer. Prizes were distributed for the faithful of the boarding Treasure Hunt and the activity folks demonstrated their enthusiasm to please the assembled group. It was suddenly time to prepare for sinner at the Crown Grill.

Dinner was an experience for sure. The food, staff and the environment were all great. The restaurant is on the 7th deck and is tucked away from the maddening crowd. The meat presented were all huge but looking great. We had appies, salads and soup and a main with a number of veggies in the centre for all to try. My dinner, for an example, started with thinly sliced pork cheeks, shrimp bisque, filet mignon with baked potato, asparagus, mashed red skin potato, corn casserole, spinach and cream, mushrooms followed by an array of small deserts including, chocolate fudge cake, lemon soufflé, a light lemon cake, 7 layer chocolate cookie and a apple/berry crumble with ice cream. This is a meal to be enjoyed over a few hours for sure. We staggered out of dinner feeling very content after we thanked the staff and warned Marian that we would be back. It was the end of a very busy but nice day.

First Night at Sea  11:00 PM