Today is the day.  We will board our ride home.  Can’t believe the trip has gone so fast so far, but it has just sped by.  We are up early and decide to take a quick walk around town for our morning exercise. It’s rainy and cool, but since we are just exercising, we don’t care if we are getting wet.  The circuit we choose takes us down to the ferry docks, then back around through the pedestrian walking street and right past Meat and Salad from last night.  It’s a nice little excursion, too short – but we have things to do today! 

Back in the apartment, we make quick work of packing and getting ready, then it is down the elevator and those wicked steps to wait for Dimitrios, our Welcome Pick Up driver.  Dimitrios (whose picture needs updating badly – he looks like a psycho killer in the email sent to you before he arrives) is right there, waiting for us. He even helps us with the bags – thank you Dimitrios!  And we’re off…into the morning Piraeus traffic, down to the harbor and around to the cruise port, arriving well ahead of our 11:00am check in time.

No worries though – we are met at the car, bags handed over (our names literally checked off the list) and escorted inside to wait for our PCR test.  We are all sat in groups assigned by color, which is called when they are ready for us.  Not too bad – but oh boy, oh boy, culture shock.  Just watching the people, looking around…..this ain’t Azamara no more.

Mix of people, young and old, interesting dress, interesting mask use…..Ok, mind adjustment needed – going from a small, sweet ship to this big one with completely different demographics.  Even at 60% full, it’s a shock to our little spoiled systems.  But, we will persevere.  Its all an adventure….

Our group is called after about 30 minutes, then on to the QR code checker and the passport and Vax check, then the test, then waiting again – this time for our test # to show up on a digital board.  Numbers up, we get the thumbs up (thank heavens!!!) and our red wrist band and are allowed into the check in hall.  Check in is smooth – right up to the window, show our documents, get our key cards and voila! We are walking oto the Getaway.  Yay.

No muster drill (heck, they’ve made us watch that damn safety video about 17 times in order to get our digital boarding passes), we just have to report to our muster station to check in and we are free to go.  Cabins are ready (and it is barely noon), we make a stop at Guest Relations (because we are having a huge issue trying to check Ed in for the b2b – it will NOT let us get through his health and safety step no matter what we do), then to shore excursions because we want to change our Livorno tour to this leg of the cruise….oh…did I mention the itinerary has all changed again?  And we aren’t going to Malta now, so they’ve added Livorno?  Gotta just roll with the punches…..

Then up to the cabin, which is very nice and pretty spacious, awesome bathroom and huge shower – no drawers though, which is bizarre, but jumping ahead, when we unpack, there is enough shelf space for everything – then to the Garden café for lunch.   Everything is still served to you, which we like better anyway – then we’re off to the gym – which is socially distanced with every other machine off limits and lots and lots of sanitizer – then back to the cabin….and well…you know the drill!

We get all settled in, go for our dinner at Cagney’s (only disappointment is they no longer have Orvieto Classico as wine I can get with the Latitudes benefit) then to Syd Norman’s pour house for the Rock Band onboard – who, while a little too choreographed – is excellent.  There are 6 of them, 2 women, 4 men, with a range of voices that allows them to sing just about everything.  Will be a really great place to come and hang out if we can get in. Capacity controlled at 60, so you have to get there early and stand in line – although the first night, nobody  much knows about it, so it is easy to get a seat. 

Then back to the cabin for a night cap and off to bed.  Tomorrow, Santorini, and our last journey begins.