Grand Africa Cruise - Embarkation Day

Day 1,  Monday, October 10, 2022

The big day has finally arrived and after three years of waiting, we are getting on the Holland America MS Zaandam and sailing away to Africa.

Since the breakfast buffet ended at 9:00 today, we got up a little before 8:00 so we wouldn’t miss it as it would probably be a while before we had a chance to eat again.  There weren’t nearly as many people today so we were able to walk right up to the made to order counter and we both got a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes as well as some fruit and juice.

After breakfast we did our last minute packing and made our way down to the lobby to catch the port shuttle.  Our check-in time at the ship was 11:00 AM so we had made reservations for the 10:30 hotel cruise port shuttle to take us to the ship.  After a short wait, our luggage was loaded and we joined another couple headed for the port.  It’s only about a ten minute drive from the hotel to the ship and we were soon there and ready to start the check-in process.

Checking in has changed a lot since the last time we sailed due to Covid vaccination and testing requirements.  Holland America recommended using the Verifly app and it worked really well.  Before you even start the cruise, you start the check-in process by inputting your cruise information and then downloading your proof of vaccination and negative Covid test directly to the app and then taking a selfie of yourself and after a short wait, the app shows a screen saying you are set to go.  When you get to the cruise terminal, there is a special Verifly line and it is a breeze to check in.  They look at your phone, see the “good to go” page and you’re in. 

There was no waiting in the Verifly line and we breezed through the security check with no waiting.  This cruise required a yellow fever vaccination as some of the African countries require it for anyone visiting, but we had gotten ours several years ago for our Brazil and the Amazon cruise.  So after another quick stop to turn in copies of our yellow fever vaccination card and getting our picture taken for our ship ID we were ready to board.

The process worked really well and I would guess we spent less than ten minutes going through the whole process, much easier than on previous cruises.  They were only allowing a certain number at a time to board so we did have to wait about 20 minutes for our group to be called and there was a bit of a bottle neck as they did a final ID check before we boarded the ship.

Overall, I think the check in process worked very well and we were in our stateroom about 45 minutes after arriving at the port.  Val and I both gave a big sigh of relief; we finally made it and we were actually going to sail this time.

Ever since we have cruised with Holland America, we have treated ourselves to the Neptune Suite class of cabin.  It is more expensive than a regular balcony, but comes with many perks that we have become hooked on.  When we booked this cruise though, the Neptune Suites were just too expensive to justify and we had booked a regular balcony cabin.  After the cancellations and not spending any money traveling the past few years, we decided to splurge on our first Covid era cruise and upgrade to our favorite Neptune Suite.  It felt good to be back on the ship and in our favorite stateroom, life is good.

Our luggage hadn’t been delivered yet, but we did spend some time putting away things from our carry on luggage and then headed to the Neptune Lounge to meet the concierge and have something to eat.  The Neptune Lounge is one of the reasons we love the Neptune Suites.  It is only available to Neptune and Pinnacle suite guests and has a nice lounge area, food is always available and best of all, a concierge to take care of everything you need.  The Concierge will solve any problems you have, answer questions, make reservations and do just about anything else to make your cruise easier.  You can do the same thing at the front desk of the ship, but there is usually a line and you don’t get the fast service.  Our concierge on this cruise is Kristine and she seems very nice.

Just after we got back from our snack, our first piece of luggage arrived and was one of the three pieces of luggage we had shipped.  We put away everything from the bag and then waited thinking the others would come soon, but no such luck.  We finally decided to go for a walk around the ship hoping our luggage would be delivered before we got back.

After our walk, we found one more piece of luggage waiting at our door, this time it was my main piece of luggage (all of my clothes) I had shipped.  I got it unpacked and everything put away and still no more luggage had showed up.  About an hour later the bag I checked on our flight appeared and I got that unpacked and everything put away.  Val was beginning to worry a bit and I didn’t blame her; I have been in that situation and even though it’s more than likely going to show up, it’s very worrisome.

We were supposed to sail away at 4:00 PM, but they were still loading luggage into the ship so the captain said we wouldn’t be leaving until 6:00.  You can imagine the amount of luggage there is for a cruise that is going to last for 71 days so the delays are understandable.  It was nearing 6:00 and Val was becoming more worried and so was I, but just as I was about to go check on what was happening there was a knock on the door and there was Val’s last two pieces of luggage; what a relief!

Just a few of the many pallets of luggage being loaded.

A view from our balcony of the area around Port Everglades.

Sail away had been delayed again until 7:00 so after Val got her things put away, we decided to go up to the rear Lido Deck and watch our sail away from there.  It had been a hot and humid day in Florida (at least for us Californians) and with the sun going down and the breeze blowing, it was very pleasant outside.  We ordered a couple of Unleaded Margaritas (our favorite non-alcoholic drink on board) and relaxed and enjoyed the evening.

Val and I enjoying our drinks as we prepare to sail away to Africa.

The ship’s delayed sail away did happen on time at 7:00, but before we actually got out of port, Val and I had to return to the room and get dressed for dinner.  As is our preference, we had chosen late fixed dining and on this cruise and it starts at 7:30 instead of the usual 8:00.  We met our waiters Tony and Tama and had a wonderful dinner; it was great to be back on board.

During dinner the captain made an announcement that the ship was turning around and heading back to Fort Lauderdale as there was a medical emergency and someone had to be evacuated for treatment on shore as it was something beyond what the ship infirmary could safely handle.  It was very sad to hear as someone just like us who had waited so long for this to happen barely made it out to sea.  Hopefully they can recover and join the ship further into the cruise.

Normally after dinner we head to the casino, but because we went back to the port, the casino wouldn’t open until much later when we were out at sea.  It was about 9:00 when we returned to our room to relax a little before calling it a night.  We sailed away for the second time at around 10:00 and I went out on our balcony and watched the sail away until we had cleared the harbor and out to sea.  By this time, it was 11:00 and it had been a long and somewhat stressful day and I was ready for bed.

We head out to sea from Fort Lauderdale.

I can’t tell you how good it feels for Val and I to finally have this journey start after waiting for three years.  We have met many other people today who have expressed the same sentiments that we have, they have waited so long and it’s finally happening.  The nice thing is that it seems to have created a bit of camaraderie and a common bond.  The next seven days we will be at sea as we cross the Atlantic heading for our first port.