2. Embarkation day

We had an uneventful flight down to Athens although it did seem for a time that we were making the journey by road as we were taxi-ing for a good thirty minutes before take off. However we made good time and all our bags were delivered directly from aircraft to ship, the airport and embarkation formalities were very quickly accomplished and we were on board in double quick time.
I was surprised at how big a sprawl the Athens and Pireaus area is. Most of the suburban area looked tidy and well kept, but some areas of downtown Athens looked very run down, derelict even. Testament to the tough economic times the country is now living through. The one highlight of the coach journey to the ship was the sight of the Acropolis still proudly overlooking the city after so many years. Thus another landmark on my "1,000 places to see before you die "App has been ticked off.
Now on board, The obligatory safety drill has been completed and the prearranged CC meeting very well attended and our first conversations with our fellow American passengers passed very amicably.