Saturday, 25 March 2017
Tucson, Arizona
I am in the final stages of getting ready for the first leg of my trip: the 90-minute drive to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Will and I have been enjoying all week the company of Will's niece Lisa and her husband Mike, from Detroit . And they have been enjoying all week the warm sunshine of Tucson, where it's been in the low 90s for the past few days but has returned to a more normal mid 70s today. So while Will is busy showing them the town, our friend Anita has volunteered to drive me to PHX.
I should be able to get some sleep on the plane. I plan to have breakfast at the airport in Miami and then take the price-fixed taxi ride to the cruiseport. I have early boarding privelegs at 11am and we sail at 6pm.
The cruise begins with two days at sea before our first port--Bermuda. Since I have never been, I am looking forward to that. But don't expect very interesting blogs from the first few days at sea, although I will try to post something every day (free wifi, after all).
Tucson, Arizona
Getting Ready to Depart for Miami
I am in the final stages of getting ready for the first leg of my trip: the 90-minute drive to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Will and I have been enjoying all week the company of Will's niece Lisa and her husband Mike, from Detroit . And they have been enjoying all week the warm sunshine of Tucson, where it's been in the low 90s for the past few days but has returned to a more normal mid 70s today. So while Will is busy showing them the town, our friend Anita has volunteered to drive me to PHX.
One of the best advantages of sailing on Oceania ships is that round-trip airfare is included (it was my choice to leave from PHX rather than from TUS). Flying west to east usually means a red-eye unless you wish to arrive late at night. Since the Riviera sails at 6pm, the red-eye will have to do. The bad part of the schedule is that I fly from Phoenix to Las Vegas and then Las Vegas to Miami, arriving at 6 in the morning (the direct flight from PHX to MIA does not fly any longer). The good part is that I just confirmed a really inexpensive upgrade to first class on both American Airlines flights (I could afford the upgrade since I didn't have to pay for the flights in the first place). The upgrade, of course, requires repacking, since I am no longer bound by luggage limitations.
I should be able to get some sleep on the plane. I plan to have breakfast at the airport in Miami and then take the price-fixed taxi ride to the cruiseport. I have early boarding privelegs at 11am and we sail at 6pm.
The cruise begins with two days at sea before our first port--Bermuda. Since I have never been, I am looking forward to that. But don't expect very interesting blogs from the first few days at sea, although I will try to post something every day (free wifi, after all).
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