The Stella Solaris: Millennium Series 6
Primavera Cruise - March 23-April 14, 2000
Early afternoon we embark on the Stella Solaris. This is not a new ship, but unlike most cruise ships these days, she looks like a boat, not a floating hotel. Although she is not luxurious, her décor is attractive and there is a nice ambiance, a feeling of friendliness and welcome as we board her. We will learn during our 22 days as her guest, that she is a comfortable ship, with an excellent crew and many amenities. My mother and I settle in and after unpacking, we set out to explore the ship.
Length: 44 ft (166 m) Breadth: 72 feet (22m) Tonnage: 18,000 tons Maximum speed: 22 knots Passenger Capacity: 610 Number of Crew: 320
The Stella has 2 swimming pools, stabilizers and air conditioning, a 550 seat lounge, 340 seat dining room, a 63 seat grill bar, 94 seat disco, 274 seat cinema and 329 staterooms. She also has open decks for jogging, walking and or just catching a few rays, relaxing or reading on a comfortable deck chair.
Soon after we are warned that a lifeboat drill will be called. I figure we better be prepared, so I carefully read aloud the instructions to my mother. One of these important directives breaks both of us up. It reads like this:
"In case of evacuation, please do not jump in the sea unless you are advised to do so."
Soon the alarm is rung and with the above directive in mind, we set off to our mustering station.
Relieved after this safety exercise, we gather on the Lido deck for a traditional sail-away party. Cool drinks are served as we pull out of port and to the sounds of beautiful music we say "Farewell" to Fort Lauderdale. My mother and I will not see this continent again for 3 1/2 months.
Our first evening starts with a wonderful dinner .We are greeted warmly by the white-coated dining room hosts and our waiter George, a handsome Greek with a friendly smile. He introduces us to our tablemates for the cruise:
Clara is from Aldergrove, a small town close to Vancouver, B.C. She tells us that she is traveling alone and as the evening progresses we learn she is a keen bridge player. The Stella Solaris has a resident bridge expert and there are scheduled games every day. As we get to know her better we find Clara is not only a caring and interesting person, but also she has a wonderful sense of humor.
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