Just another day in Paradise....: Parting is such sweet sorrow

Saturday morning I was up at the crack of dawn once again, not quite sure why...perhaps it had something to do with all the food I'd ingested between 9pm and 12am, or the coffee I ordered with dessert so I would be able to stay awake for the late night comedy show at midnight. Needless to say, my effort was all in vain, we did not leave Qsine until well beyond 12 am.

So there I was at 4am wide awake with the irritating thought of still needing to pack my suitcase before leaving the cabin by 8:30. I had no plans to get off the ship early, Roger was at work and I was in no rush to disembark. I decided to shower and change and go grab a few more pictures before the rest of the passengers were up and about. I'd still not found my way to the relaxation room at the front of the ship, and wanted to compare it to the one I had spent some time in on the Solstice.

I made a trip down to the Aqua Class cabin hallway to scope out the cabin we have booked for our next cruise. I then proceeded all the way forward to see the spa waiting room and the long corridor that houses all the treatment rooms. From there, a spiral staircase leads up to the gym, salon and Persian Gardens area. It was very quiet at that hour of the morning, and I was able to take some decent photos.

The reception area leading into the relaxation room

Complimentary Beverage Service in the Relaxation Room

Coffee offered also

A full array of loungers in this quiet little corner of the ship

I plan on revisiting this comfy looking chair when we return

A hallway of treatment rooms

Another quiet corner below the stairs leading up to the gym area

Beautiful mosaics covered the walls

As you reach the landing, the Persian Gardens is straight ahead

Back up on deck, I strolled past the pool and ended up in the Solarium where I would be spending my last few hours on the ship before disembarkation. As I mentioned previously, I was looking forward to a quiet morning and another healthy breakfast before saying goodbye to this newfound cruise ship, the Eclipse. Similar to my feeling upon embarking, my farewell was also quite bittersweet...we had just met, and after a few short days, I was taking my leave.

I quickly decided I'd better return to my cabin, pack up my belongings and return to the Aqua Spa Cafe while the rest of the passengers were probably still sound asleep. By the time the clock struck 6 am, I was closing my cabin door for the last time and heading down the hallway toting my suitcase behind me. I was surprised so see my cabin steward in the hallway so early, clearly he was getting a head start on the large job ahead of him...the turning over of cabins from one group of passengers to the next week of cruisers. I was pleased to know that I may have contributed to his ease of starting the task at hand. I doubt many folks are completely out of their cabins before the sun even comes up on a morning such as this.

Have I mentioned just how clean and sophisticated looking all the public rest rooms are?

Great attention to detail wherever you look

The cafe was in full service when I arrived back up on deck, so I stowed my suitcase by the lounging bed I had chosen as my little hideaway for the morning, and picked out a couple delicious looking breakfast items. I relaxed in what would become my cozy front row seat and watched the reflection of the sun coming up, as it shown on the downtown skyline of Miami. Since we were in port, I was finally able to access my 3G network and get online to contact Roger and catch up on my mail.

My quiet spot far from the crowds and confusion of the buffet in the Oceanview cafe

The sun starts to creep up and my time on board is coming to an end

Miami is awake and my last few minutes of reclining and watching the city come to life, are about to end

By the time 9am rolled around, I realized it was time to leave the ship and what had become my home away from home for the last 3 days. After a few lines and a quick pass through customs, I was in the car and bailing myself out of the parking garage. It's an unpleasant but necessary evil to parking conveniently close to the ship, what a way to end a perfectly wonderful trip.

I chose to avoid the freeway and instead took the backroads home along the coastal communities beside the ocean. It helped to ease myself back into the landlubber's world of beds and dining tables that didn't appear to be swaying to the beat of rolling ocean wave. Home before 1pm and a nice long nap on the coach rounded out my day. A very good nights sleep, followed by a lazy Sunday before I begin the work week once again.

I have great memories of my short time upon the sea, on a lovely ship christened as Eclipse....I leave you to be enjoyed by thousands of other cruise enthusiasts....until we meet again....a few pictures of some of the things I will miss...