ROTTERDAM was secure at the dock in San Diego before 7:00 AM.
No time was wasted bringing a barge to begin replacing the nearly $1 million in fuel the ship had consumed since Tahiti. We learned during our tour of the engine room two days ago that ROTTERDAM needed to change from a very crude oil (bunker C) to diesel fuel for the next leg of the trip because of environmental regulations. (Any unused 'old' fuel is not offloaded. The diesel fuel is carried in different tanks.)
We had been told that once docked it would be about two hours before immigration procedures were completed so that passengers could begin disembarking. The weather on deck was delightful, so after having our breakfast it was a good place to pass the time.
Although luxurious in their heyday, thankfully ships for long distance sea voyages have come a long way since then.
As we were disembarking I had to step out of line to get a picture of a hitchhiker on the bow bulb.
Given the normal passage of water over the bulb and how much the ship pitched during the past two days, it is safe to assume that the gull had only recently found this unusual perch. [NOTE: The bow bulb helps lessen resistance as the ship passes through the water thus making the hull more efficient and reducing fuel consumption.]
I took a picture from ROTTERDAM towards the airport at 7:00 AM and the reciprocal view as we taxied to the active runway about 2:00 PM.
Less than an hour later we were at 29,000 feet skirting the US/Mexico border and looking south at the desert extending off into the distance.
The flight to Atlanta was uneventful other than being a bit bumpy in places. The flight attendants were attentive and the meal adequate. Several of our fellow passengers from ROTTERDAM were seated around us so there was a bit of post-cruise banter.
As we approached Atlanta a number of thunderheads (cumulonimbus) were developing. we descended into Atlanta through so rain and distant lightning. The pilot was presumably not proud of his landing.
The disembarkation from the ship, collecting the bags, clearing customs, the transfer to the airport and checking in for the flight all went smoothly. We were relaxed because of having changed to a later flight. The time waiting for the flight flew by as we reveled in having high speed, free wi-fi for the first time in over a month.
The plane change in Atlanta was neither smooth nor relaxing. Our flight from San Diego got in 30+ minutes late leaving us 20 minutes to make our connecting flight. Unlike our passage through Atlanta when our arrival and departure gates were almost contiguous, this time 22 gates, a main corridor and a lot of people and assorted obstacles separated us. We made it, albeit huffing and puffing. It is doubtful the same can be said for our bags.
Since we arrive in Boston after midnight, I am going to close this entry for today. If you are sitting on the edge of your chair wanting to learn what happened to our luggage you will have to wait until tomorrow's entry. Frankly, since they are full of clothes we won't need for a while the bags aren't much of a concern. There is, however, the unpleasant prospect upon arriving in Boston of having to wait until the baggage carousel stops before we can submit our lost bags claim, all of which will delay getting home and crawling into bed.
