Day 1: How many times can you say Wow!

Monday was a lot of activity, peppered with numerous wow moments. After loading up an SUV with all out stuff - and don't foget our coats since Miami was setting records for cold temperatures - we made our way across the causeway to the Port of Miami, Terminal J where the Crystal Serenity was docked. For a while, there were 5 or 6 ships docked, but Serenity was easy to spot from quite a distance - my first wow moment. The onboarding process was so well planned and executed it was almost effortless for the passengers.

In my stateroom, the first thing I did was open the sliding door to my verandah - that's right, verandah - and look out over the Miami skyline and port. Wow.

There were dophins sufacing every few seconds, a rare sight I understand. I saw 3 surface at one time, so I know there were at least 3 in the pod. Wow. I was asked years ago if I could be any animal, what would it be. I answered I'd be a dolphin, and after watching them play in the water, so natural and clearly enjoying every moment, if I were asked again, I'd give the same answer.

Jesse and I had dinner in the dining room. Very elegant room. I had flounder. We were seated at a window table, and midway through our appetizer, I noticed we were moving. Once we were away from the dock, a pilot boat pulled up alongside, right under our window. It tracked us for several minutes, then turned away and we were on our own, into the night, at sea. Wow.

Back in my room, I went out onto the verandah, and marveled at the dark water maybe 6 or 7 stories below me. Wow.

The boat rocks every so gently, and I slept like a baby.