By Bill Peckham
Everyone seems to have made it to the ship along with our NxStage machines and several hundred boxes of dialysate. The logistics of this are a bit daunting. In order to get from the hotel to the ship, with our eight machines, their accoutrements and 18 people with luggage (some people came in over night or stayed at another hotel), it took two large vans making two trips. Luckily the Valor is a large ship.
The Valor has something like 3,000 passengers served by over 2,000 crew - it's huge. It will take a couple days just to get the lay of the ship - so far all I've seen is my cabin, the entry lobby and our muster station.
They're casting off the lines now. Tomorrow we are at sea all day and then on Tuesday we visit our first port: Grand Cayman Island.
(Checkout my Flickr account to view the complete set of cruise photos as I am able to upload them)
Bon Voyage NxStagers!
Posted by: Erich | January 03, 2010 at 04:39 PM
Glad to see everyone and their equipment made it in once piece!!! Here is to a New Freedom with NxStage!! Have a Great Trip
///M3Riddler
www.nxstageusers.com
Posted by: ///M3Riddler | January 03, 2010 at 06:50 PM
Hope you all have a WONDERFUL time.. ENJOY
roberta mikles
Posted by: roberta mikles | January 03, 2010 at 07:48 PM
Congratulations to the organizers and all those pioneering this trip. Have a wonderful time.
Cheers
Posted by: Melissa Darnley | January 03, 2010 at 08:56 PM
Bill - So happy you're out there doing this. As someone who has traveled a bit with a NxStage machine, I know how daunting it is for one person to go anywhere, let alone 8. Congrats on yet another leap forward in patient advocation. You do a great service to us all just by being you.
Thanks again!
Posted by: JonathanFinger | January 04, 2010 at 08:42 AM
Can't wait to hear about all your adventures. Bon Voyage.
Posted by: Lori | January 04, 2010 at 04:37 PM