May 30, 2024
Ship Update
When we arrived in Belfast the night of the 28th, there was a residents meeting with owners. That afternoon they had just had the DCN inspection on board and we did not pass the inspection in the water processing system of the ship, due to corrosion beyond the limits in a small, but tough area to gain access. This repair is going to cost us 4 days more in dry dock to get cut out and reinstalled. The hope is that work will be completed and we with have our occupancy certificate for a June 4th boarding. Then they hope to set sail somewhere between the 5 to 7th once everything and one is aboard and approved. We will then join the itinerary wherever it falls, most likely Paris first. Sadly, for Edel this means no sailing vacation! She has been a great sport enjoying our day trips around Ireland and it has been great having the time to catch up with her. She will definitely be picking a future port to get on.
Photo above show shipyard of Harland & Wolff and you can see our ship to left of high rise in the back - all white - she is a beauty!
So new plan in this adventure has us driving out of Belfast this morning and we are headed to Bray in Wicklow County, below Dublin, to explore the area and try some new thrills! Stay tuned.
ACAJUTLA, EL SALVADOR
Angie & Gian's Wedding - Part 2
On April 30th, Angie and Gian , a shipboard sweet couple that meet during the dry dock delays in Belfast , seven months ago, got married with just 28 close family and friends, at sunset in the Observatory Lounge. They then did another " Tying the knot ceremony" for the entire ship on May 1st on the pool deck, officiated by Captain Val . After each service was a special dinner one in the Thistle Dining room and the other at the Outdoor deck of Palms Restaurant. The above video done by VVR Marketing shows the highlights. I ended up being the Wedding Resident Coordinator for the couple and I have a ton of the behind the scene photos of how it all came about. It was a lot of work, but I got to interact with so many great people and really enjoyed the challenge, logistics and organization of the whole thing! It brought so many residents together, in a common bond, it was really something special to have played such a major role.