Casting off

Around four o’clock I go to get clean – in the two-shower-head walk-in stall again. I take my time and savor the experience, knowing I probably won’t use the Suite’s shower again. (The tub, however? We’ll see.)

When I’m out and dressed, we begin packing in earnest. We normally leave packing for after the show, but that always seems to end up as a rushed effort to have the bags out the door by 11:00, when the crew picks them up. This time, I really want Becky to experience the “’Til We Meet Again” character goodbye in the Atrium at ten, and I know she won’t think about coming unless the packing is mostly done.

We’re departing from Castaway Cay at 5:00, so at five minutes till most of us go out on the balcony to watch the departure. Since we’re right over the dock, we have a front row (if elevated) view of the well-rehearsed interplay of activity that accompanies the ship’s exit.

The Wonder is attached to the dock with several big heavy ropes both at the fore and aft of the ship. Workers on the dock at each location are already casting off some, but not all, of those ropes, even though a couple of gangways still attached.

When we look to the right, we can see that Captain Henry and his first officer are overseeing the departure on the port wing of the bridge, which is on the same deck as us. The cover is open on the outdoor-grill-shaped console they use to control the engines and side thrusters.

The main task needing to be completed before departure on the dock below is apparently the final gathering of all of the towels. A tractor has pulled a trailer loaded with bags of used towels near the base of one of the ramps, and crew members are quickly transfer the towels into tall wheeled carts. When the bags are empty, the carts are pushed up the ramps and onto the ship.

Once that is completed, forklifts remove both gangways from the ship and set them on the dock. The final ropes are cast off fore and aft, and when we look straight down we can see that the ship is moving sideways away from the dock, pushed by the Wonder’s side thrusters. It’s an amazing thing to watch.

We start to detect some forward motion as the ship slowly begins to accelerate out of its slip – and then the “When You Wish Upon a Star” horn sounds. We’re on our way!

On the dock, six of the island cast members, their work done, stand side by side waving goodbye to us – with Mickey-gloved hands. I love Disney!

Once the ship clears the outer marker buoy, the officers retreat from the wing. It’s fascinating to watch so massive a ship depart so gracefully, but it’s also a bit sad. It means we’ve started the last leg of our cruise.