Jessica and Izzy finished their lunch and headed up to one of the ship's higher decks, anticipating the ship's departure. Precisely at 2pm the ship's horn blasted, signaling it was time to depart. Passengers applauded and waved as the Freedom maneuvered away from the dock and out to sea.
Once the ship was out to sea, Jessica suggested they go to their stateroom. They didn't have far to walk: their balcony stateroom was on the Lido Deck. They walked down the hallway, Izzy slid the card in the reader, and they entered the room. The signature Carnival towel animal - today a swan - was waiting on the bed, along with a full cruise itinerary, and their luggage was set next to the closet. They unpacked their clothes and looked over the itinerary.
"Mandatory muster drill soon," Jessica said. "Then I should think we tour the ship."
"Sounds good to me," Izzy said.
They reported to their assigned evacuation area. A safety officer gave them the half-hour briefing, detailing what to do in case of an emergency. Everyone listened, somewhat impatiently, wanting to get back to their vacation. Izzy and Jessica had purposely stayed toward the back of the group, their backs almost against the hull. Izzy grabbed Jessica's ass and rubbed it; Jessica returned the favor. Finally the meeting ended.
"Oh my god, I thought that meeting would never end!" Izzy said.
"Right!" Jessica agreed. "How many times can you tell people how to evacuate a ship? Let's go take the grand tour."
They worked their way from the top of ship down. They went deck by deck, exploring each area of the ship. They toured the various bars and the walked through the casino, which wouldn't be open until the ship was in international waters. They found the main performance lounge where they would take in the nightly shows. They found their dining room - the Chic Dining Room - located mid-ship on Decks 3 and 4. They walked to the aft lounge, where comedians and nightly karaoke would take place. They finally made their way to the main lobby, the Atrium, where a jazz group was performing.
"Wanna get some drinks?" Izzy asked.
"Sure," Jessica replied.
Izzy walked to the bar and orders two margaritas. She watched as the bartender prepared the drinks. Once the bartender had put on the finishing touches she handed the drinks to Izzy. Izzy thanked her and took the drinks to where Jessica was sitting. They sipped their drinks and talked, discussing what they wanted to do the rest of the day. Izzy suggested some mini-golf; Jessica suggested lounging by the pool.
Seeing that the two pool areas were packed, they headed up to the Sports Deck. The mini-golf course, surprisingly, was relatively clear. They each selected a putter and ball; Izzy chose a sky blue golf ball, Jessica a pink one. The game didn't take long. It was only a nine-hole course. Jessica won by three strokes, her two holes-in-one aiding in her victory.
"Good game," Izzy said. "Although I still think you cheated."
"Whatever," Jessica laughed.
She pulled Izzy to her and kissed her firmly on the mouth. Izzy nearly melted in her wife's embrace as their lips pressed together. Their kissing became more intense. Izzy wanted to lay Jessica down and make love to her right here and now. Then she remembered they were on a ship full of people. She pulled away. Jessica knew exactly what Izzy was thinking.
"Later, my love," she smiled, brushing the hair from Izzy's face.
"I can't wait," Izzy smiled back.
"What should we do now?"
"It is almost dinner time," Jessica replied. "We could go shower and change."
