Gone to sea

As there is a bottleneck-a narrow channel- after you leave the Bayport pier we had help getting out to the Houston Ship Channel. A tug lashed onto our stern, below our cabin, so that he could act as a brake should we lose power to the  electric engines and drift to shore. Tugs would also be used if it was windy as there is not much side clearance for a ship this wide (118 feet).

We had been looking forward to leaving at 4 pm, as advertised, as we hoped to see the massive docks at Houston, the second busiest port in the USA, after Long Beach, California, but that was not to be thanks to the fog and Norovirus (1% of Norovirus cases in the USA happens on cruise ships).

So we consoled ourselves with a champagne toast- we were now at sea! As it was now 9.25pm we had to go to dinner in Sabatini's where we would meet our friends from Chicago.

Alice and Carol

Daniel and his mom, Cindy

They had arrived at the ship a couple of hours after we did. Daniel had got separated from the others and when he got to the port he had to wait in a large tent as there was no more room in the terminal building. All that was now behind us and so we settled in to enjoy or first meal onboard the ship, amid an excited babble of conversation. This was their first cruise and everything was new to them (they got hooked on the first day-as will you).

I ordered a bottle of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio ($41) and this appetizer- Vitello di Tornato- veal
carpaccio with olives.

Followed by Branzino (sea bass) -a whole fish which Carol and I shared. It was carved table side after it was released from the salt crust it was baked in.

Followed by a semi-freddo dessert with fresh raspberries

A splendid meal and a great beginning to our week onboard the Caribbean Princess. The meal lasted for 90 minutes after which we went to the Princess Theater, up in the bow of the ship to see the usual "Welcome Aboard Show" where the Cruise Director Brett Siborne introduced some of the acts we would be seeing that week.

Next day, after a good night's sleep we would be sailing on the Caribbean Sea and I would be up early, as is my custom, to take photos while the ship is quiet.

Here is the camera gear I would be using this week....

Main camera with an 18 to 55mm Canon lens

Left to right- Canon SD780 point and shoot camera, Canon Vixia HD camcorder, Apple iPhone 5 and a Canon 55-250mm zoom lens.

Together they took 900 photos and about 3 hours of 1080p video, some of which will appear in this blog.

Next up- lazy days at sea