Tinbergs on Tour

March 3, 2026 – Tampa, Fl – Embarkation Day – Party Cloudy – 80F

The room was very quiet with the exception of the CTAC unit which could not be turned off.  So we used earplugs to handle the white noise.  My other issue was the softness of the bed. So soft for me that I felt like I was sinking into the mattress.  The pillows were supersoft as well.

Breakfast is served from 6-9 AM.  This morning, there is also a “sunrise lunar eclipse” from around 6:30 AM.  I went outside and could not find the moon anywhere.  Perhaps, the moon was low on the horizon and the area around the hotel had a lot of trees. 

The breakfast area was not crowded.  

I had some Special K, a waffle, and a couple of buttermilk biscuits, along with coffee.  I also had something that looked like an egg but I’m not sure.  It was an OK breakfast.

I was able to get a late checkout at 11:30AM.

I called an Uber and Alexis picked us up in about five minutes. The ride from the hotel to Terminal 2 in the Cruise Terminal (Downtown Tampa) cost $20.95.  There were very few people in the area – a porter grabbed our bags and we headed for check-in.  We passed through security and an agent at the desk took our pictures and had our World Cards ready for us (I checked in on line so no credit card info needed to be added).  In a few minutes, we were on the ship and up in the Terrace Café for lunch.  Pizza and salad (the usual – there was no tuna which is part of our usual embarkation lunch – we were told it would be available later in the cruise).  We couldn't find a set out on the Veranda but I did get a picture of Tampa from there.

We spent most of the afternoon up in the Horizon Lounge (Deck 10 forward) until we got the word that the staterooms were open.

Our bags arrived in Cabin 4000 before we did.  Cabin 4000 is the last cabin on Port Forward.  It is a very nice cabin – bright – big window – with nice furniture and fittings.  

The bathroom is very nice with a handheld shower head and glass doors (not the curtains like on Azamara). One of the best things about the bathroom is that it has a night light emitting a soft blue glow. 

Not too many ships have night lights. And yes, the water pressure in both the sink and shower are great.  The ship had a 10 Million refurb in 2019 and it looks brand new.  The Cabin is theoretically quiet with the exception that it is just under the Insignia Theater.  That may not be an issue as the shows start at 9:15 PM and are over at 10PM.  We will see.

I took the following photo of Tampa from the cabin to demonstrate how clean the windows were (not always the case for all ships).

We unpacked.  I got a phone call from Cruise Director Peter Tredgett indicating that my first talk would be tomorrow at 11AM and that the full schedule would be sent over. NOTE:  We have sailed with Peter Tredgett before – the Island Princess in 2010.  Really.

Our first attempt at Dinner was the Terrace Café but a look at the offerings said there was nothing we could eat.  While we didn't eat there, we watched the sail away from there, including passing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  The ship did not clear the bridge by very much.

We then went down to the Main Dining Room and encountered a queue that stretched from the restaurant all the way to the Martini Bar.  It took about 30 minutes to get to the hostess but we were able to get a nice table for two.  I had the Tamarind Grouper with Stir Fried Veggies and Steamed Rice – pretty good – it’s been a while since I had grouper.  A salad with a good ranch dressing finished the meal.  We had chocolate brownies with ice cream for dessert along with Chamomile Tea and Decaf.  We spoke to the Host about Kosher Meals and after a little back and forth, he said they had a limited menu and he would send forms to our cabin.

We went to the Welcome Aboard Show in the Insignia Lounge.  There were performances by the vocalists – “Jealous” from a “Star is Born” (Pedro Nasser and Faye Kimberlin) 

and “Suddenly Seymour” from “Little Shop of Horrors” (Owen Layton and Lilly Dorton).  

The singers were great.  The two dancers, Jamie Hollway and Olivia Oldfield) are also terrific. Jamie is also the Assistant CD.  The Lounge Duo, "Over the Moon" and the Piano Guy, Robin Rose, also performed.  It was a short show.

Here is the itinerary for this cruise - lots of sea days and some serious island hopping.

We went back to the room to find that it is quiet. We shall see whether it will be quiet if we are in the room during a show.

Lights out at 10:30 PM.