DAY 108 - ROME, ITALY - MAY 15, 2010

WE WERE UP AT 5:00 AND IN THE BUFFET BY 5:30. FOR SOMETHING TO EAT. WE HAD A LONG DAY AHEAD OF US. WHEN WE FINISHED WE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE LOUNGE AND WAITED FOR THE WORD THE SHIP HAD CLEARED IMMIGRATION. ONCE CLEARED THE DISEMBARKING PROCESS COULD BEGIN. WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST GROUP SINCE OUR PLANE DEPARTED ROME INTERNATIONAL BEFORE 10:30.

AS WE LEFT THE SHIP WE SWIPED OUR KEYCARDS FOR THE LAST TIME AND HEADED FOR THE TERMINAL AND OUR LUGGAGE. SURPRISINGLY ALL FIVE PEICES WERE TOGETHER. WITH LUGGAGE AND PASSENGERS ON THE BUSES OUR NEXT STOP WAS THE AIRPORT.

THE WORST PART OF CRUISING IS THE RETURN TRIP HOME, ESPECIALLY THE AIRPORT HASSLES. THIS PROVED TO BE NO DIFFERENT. RECOVERING OUR LUGGAGE FROM THE BUS WENT SMOOTHLY HOWEVER THE CROWDS OF PEOPLE HAD TO BE FUNNELED THROUGH SIX TINY PATHS FOR THAT FINAL IMMIGRATION PROCESS. SOME PEOPLE GOT VERY TESTY. THE PROBLEM WAS COMPOUNDED AS THE LUGGAGE CARTS HAVE TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE. THE CROWDS WERE NOT HAPPY CAMPERS BY ANY MEAN. IT TOOK US ALMOST FORTY-FIVE MINUTES TO NEGOTIATE OUR LINE ONLY TO BE USHERED THROUGH A DOOR TO THE TERMINAL AND ANOTHER LONG LINE FOR THE CHECK-IN PROCEDURE, LUGGAGE STILL AT OUR SIDE.

AFTER ASKING ABOUT THE LINES I VENTURED FORWARD TO READ THE TWO SIGNS WHERE THE LINE BEGAN TO BEND TO THE RIGHT. ONE OF THE SIGNS INDICATED ATLANTA AND THE OTHER NEW YORK. OUR FLIGHT WAS TO NEW YORK AND WE MADE A BEELINE FOR IT. ALTHOUGH THE SITUATION IMPROVED, THE “Q” WAS PACKED AND SNAKED AROUND SEVERAL TIMES. I MUST ADMIT, WE WERE HAPPY THAT OUR LINE WAS MUCH SHORTER THAN THE ATLANTA LINE.

TIME WAS TICKING AWAY AS WE APPROACHED THE CHECK-IN DESK. SOMEDAY IT MIGHT BE CHEAPER TO GO ON VACATION AND RENT CLOTHES AS OPPOSED TO PACKING YOUR OWN. THE AIRLINES CHARGE FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING NOW DAYS AND DELTA IS NO EXCEPTION. WE WERE ALLOWED ONE BAG FREE, FOR EACH OF US, WITH OUR SECOND BAGS CHARGED AT ONE PRICE AND THE THIRD BAG AT A HIGHER RATE. WHAT A RIP!

WITH THE BAGS CHECKED AND CREDIT CARD CHARGED WE WERE USHERED TO YET ANOTHER LONG LINE FOR THE SECURITY SCREENING. AT THIS POINT I COULD SEE OURSELVES WAVING GOODBYE TO THE PLANE IF THE PROCESS DIDN’T START TO MOVE MORE QUICKLY.

WE DID FEEL JUST AS IF WE WERE IN AMERICA THROUGH THE PROCESS, HOWEVER. THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS AND ONLY ONE LINE FOR SCREENING. HAVING CLEARED THE METAL DETECTORS WE MADE OUR WAY TO THE GATE AND ANOTHER SCREENING PROCESS. AS WE FINALLY REACHED THE GATE, BOARDING HAD BEGUN AND WE TOOK OUR PLACE IN LINE AND FOUND OUR SEATS.

THE FLIGHT WAS LONG, SMOOTH AND WE PASSED OUR TIME WATCHING MOIVES AND LISTENING TO MUSIC ON THE IN HOUSE SYSTEM. THE NEXT HURTLE WAS JFK. SURPRISINGLY, THE PROCESS CLEARING CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION WENT QUITE WELL. THE HARD PART WAS THE FIVE HOUR LAYOVER.

I’M NOT A NEW YORK FAN AND JFK, BEING IN NEW YORK, IS HIGH ON THE LIST OF THINGS TO HATE ABOUT NEW YORK. I SUPPOSE THE FIVE HOURS MOVED QUICK ENOUGH BUT WE WERE SURE GLAD WHEN WE BOARDED THE PLANE FOR FORT LAUDERDALE. HOWEVER, NO EXIT FROM NEW YORK COMES EASY.

THE FLIGHT IS NORMALLY TWO AND A HALF HOURS BUT THE SCHEDULED CALLED FOR AND EXTRA HOUR. IT TURNS OUT THERE IS CONSTRUCTION AT JFK AND TAXIING TO THE PROPER RUNWAY TAKES FOR EVER. NEW YORK WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE YOUR STAY PLEASANT...I GUESS.

WE WERE EXPECTING COLETTE AND SCOTT AT THE AIRPORT BUT WERE SURPRISED TO SEE CHRIS ALSO. HE FLEW IN FROM KENTUCKY FOR THE WEEKEND AND HE WAS A VERY WELCOME ADDITION. WE ALL WENT TO DENNY’S FOR SOME DESSERT BEFORE SETTLING IN AT COLETTE’S.

REALITY IS BEGINNING TO SET IN, WE HAD TO PAY FOR A MEAL.