After weeks of planning, we began our next adventure this morning by renting a car in San Diego bound for the Westin Los Angeles International Airport Hotel. There we met up with a group of folks who had booked their Holland America Grand Asia and the Pacific Cruise with a travel company called Cruise Specialists based out of Seattle. Cruise Specialists had arranged for us to join our fellow travelers for a bon voyage cocktail party and dinner at the hotel.

Cruise Specialists had about six representatives from the company to make sure we had a good time and that we all got onboard the ship with no issues.
There were about sixty fellow travelers staying at the Westin for the night who participated in the cocktail party and dinner event. At the cocktail party we exchanged pleasantries with other travelers while enjoying an open bar and a spread of grilled vegetables, cheeses and assorted thinly sliced meats like salami and prosciutto. For dinner we were served a wonderful mixed greens salad topped with fresh berries and walnuts. The main course was an enormous chicken breast breaded and baked accompanied by broccolini, carrots and a mushroom risotto. An apple strudel with raisins and whipped cream completed the meal. After dinner we went straight to bed to prepare for our voyage.