On the Ship

We stayed the night just outside of Charleston, and made an early trip to the port.  My anxiety was high over all the preparation, but the moment we stepped on board that weight was lifted.

Oh, the drinks may have helped a bit, too.
We spend time getting familiar with the ship.  The casino does not open until we are at sea.  We did the mandatory safety drill and waited for our luggage to get to the room.
Our room steward, Marvin, was a great help.  He greeted us all by name and really made it clear he was there to make our stay as pleasant as it could be.
The towel animals were awesome (more on these later).
We visited the various food venues, did some window shopping and tried not to look like country bumpkins in the city for the first time.  But I think I stared gape-jawed at the central atrium with all it's neon lights.  :)

A walk on the ship to see out first sunset.  It was just a bit chilly, being March and all.  The rest of the trip was in the mid 80's though, so starting out cool was not a problem.
Next up, the Islands.