First Day on Board

Too much excitement mixed with a little exhaustion and struggles with transitioning from my desktop PC to David's laptop MAC prevented me from writing last night.  The most important announcement is that we are on the Viking Sun at last!  It's been well over a year and a half that we have planned and dreamed, read and studied in preparation for this trip.  We got within 7 days of going in December, then had at least the first 21 days of the dream taken away when David needed surgery.  I was a little wary from that point on that this opportunity might slip away altogether.  But, "Mackrels never cease!", we are on board our lovely stateroom and now sailing the Pacific headed to the Marquesas Islands.  And as a bonus, the two bags that were picked up on our doorstep by Luggage Forward on Dec. 5 were waiting for us in our cabin.  Hooray--we have clothes to wear for the next 4 months!

                                                                            On my first lap around the "jogging" track circumnavigating Deck 2 (1/4 mile in length), I looked down on the dock to see several pallets of culinary supplies.  I watched as three small Bob-cats took turns picking up a pallets and placing them where this rig could spear one with its fork, then the telescoping arm minded the gap and pushed the cargo into the galley storage area.  (Note the "don't let it fall into the drink" net below.)

On the other side of the ship I caught this shot of a Los Angeles City Fire Boat and the LA Harbor Lighthouse.  The ship was docked at Berth 46 on the Outer Harbor in San Pedro.                                 

    Even though many on the ship had been aboard since the original embarkation in Miami, the official Bon Voyage by Viking Chairman, Torstein Hagen and his daughter, Karina, had been reserved until the rest of the travelers on this Inaugural World Cruise had boarded in LA.  His welcome was followed by a special fireworks display which we watched from our veranda.  And this is just the beginning!