Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
thought I was done with this blog but....
So ok, we went on a cruise in February 2010, and that was that.
or so I thought.
after all, the next vacation we took was to Niagara Falls. and the one coming up this summer is to Disneyworld. and then I was thinking "Europe"...
the pirate king just got an email offer from Carnival.Mediterranean cruises, sailings during the summer of 2012.
we are so on it....
or so I thought.
after all, the next vacation we took was to Niagara Falls. and the one coming up this summer is to Disneyworld. and then I was thinking "Europe"...
the pirate king just got an email offer from Carnival.Mediterranean cruises, sailings during the summer of 2012.
we are so on it....
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
here are the photos
photos
a few of my favorites -- click to see the whole photo
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a few of my favorites -- click to see the whole photo
329/cruise%202010/Picture024.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
To continue the review....
Day 5. Belize.
Music of the Day: "Birthday" by Paul McCartney from the Tripping the Live Fantastic album.
Gee, is someone having a birthday today?
I wake to Sir Paul singing about my special day. Room service for breakfast, then to the Ivanhoe to get our tender tickets.
Musical background: "Boat in Belize" by Kelly McGuire.
We tendered to the port area for our River Wallace/Altun Ha excursion. Our tour was set up to cruise the river first, then visit the ruins after lunch. Other groups see the ruins first, then cruise the river back to port. It's a small boat, and we had to wear life jackets while on the bay -- but not on the river.
the manatees was camera shy, we saw the tips of their noses but that was about it. Once on the river, though, we saw crocodiles, iguanas, even howler monkeys -- one actually howled at us. We also saw lots of people practicing for the national canoe race, which takes place in March.
Lunch was at a rustic resort called the Black Orchid resort. Black orchids are the national flower of Belize. We dined on baked chicken, rice and red beans. the only other alternative would have been hamburgers.
Then it was on to Altun Ha. this was the best, and worst, part of the excursion. Our shipped arrived late, and then we had a very long wait for the bus while at the Black Orchid. So by the time we got to the archeological site, our tour guide kept telling us "we don't have a lot of time!" We got a thorough and well-informed tour, but it felt rushed. And we didn't have time to explore the site on our own.
We learned that the Mayans got their name when Columbus asked who they were. They said “maya”, which meant “we don’t understand”, but the "name" stuck.
It was amazing to stand among ruins that date back to 600 AD . I didn't climb any of the structures, however, it just looked a bit too scary.
Musical cue: "Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.
Appropriate song choice for two reasons. the first, of course, is because it's my birthday and I am having a wonderful time.
But also...
It's our second formal night. Everyone dress up for my birthday, you hear?
The show tonight is a salute to the 80’s. We loved the dancing and singing – Madonna, "Thriller", Flashdance…break dancers ... the memories.
On to dinner. I ordered a pasta dish and prosecco. The pirate king ordered a birthday cake --- yellow cake white frosting and strawberry filling. sophisticated, not overly sweet. the waiters sang "Happy Birthday" to me. And for a few minutes, i really really really missed my daughters.
Our late night entertainment included a show in the Eagle Lounge, "Liar's club" starring Big Tex and two other members of his staff. Very funny.
Day 6. "Mexico" by Jimmy Buffett
We arrived in Cozemel looking for the sun, but found only a cloudy day.
the port area has a lovely shopping plaza, we browsed for awhile before meeting up with our tour. The pirate king made the mistake of calling home on his cell – we heard all about the s-n-o-w.
Our tour today is Isla Pasion by Twister. The Twister is a speed boat – you must wear a life jacket and you must be strapped in. It’s a 20 minute ride to the lagoon at Isla Pasion, when you get to the lagoon you do the twists and spins. You WILL get wet.
Song:"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles" " Ain’t No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
Isla Pasion is a lovely beach... but there’s no sun! The weather has not cooperated all week. The white sands, the blue waters, it’s very inviting and I did go for a short swim. Then we ate lunch, drank some rum punch and did some serious shopping – silver bracelets for the kids and a tanzanite and opal ring for me. Don’t be afraid to bargain with the sellers, they will give you a much better price. Then back on the boats, more spins in the lagoon before returning to the pier.
We did A LOT of shopping at the pier in Cozumel. Bought a ton of souvenirs.
Tonight's entertainment is a comedian. Dinner is seafood Newberg and champagne. I was so tired by that point, I decided to make it an early evening. the pirate king decided to go exploring, however, and went to the deck party for the Mexican buffett. He tells me he was not impressed with the food...first time either of us were disappointed with food on the ship.
Day 7.
Background music: "Sea Cruise" by Frankie Ford.
Our day started with breakfast on the Lido deck. I am really getting used to this. It’s our last sea day.
Next up is the Behind the Fun Tour. It involves lots of walking and several sets of steep stairs, but it's a great tour – back stage at the theater, crew quarters, galleys, garbage disposal facilities, engine control room, laundry room, bridge. Security accompanies us to the secure areas of the ship, such as the engine control room and the bridge, Do you know that the bridge is on deck 8, right near passenger cabins? We picked up a stowaway as we walked through the deck, someone followed us onto the bridge. security quickly escorted him out.
the captain told us that the previous week the Valor had a real-live rescue at sea! One night one of the officers spotted a flash of light in the dark that turned out to be a man in a small sailboat.the boat was taking on water. the man was pleased to see the Valor, but upset that they could not save his boat.
We got refreshments along the way – coffee in the library, water and juice in officer’s mess, cookies in the Lincoln dining rom, champagne in Scarlett’s, and cookies and chocolate covered strawberries in our room. We also got photos, lanyards, pom bags and caps, all bearing the Carnival "Behind the Fun" logo.
After the tour we stopped at the gift shop to buy a few last-minute souvenirs. then it was back to the room to pack.
Then up to the Prometheus pool (because it has retractable roof) for some swim time. There’d been sun in the AM but by the time we were ready to swim it was cool and cloudy. The water in the pool was cold but the swim felt good. Hot tub felt even better.
We went up to the deck to watch the sun set. We could see the Florida Keys in the distance. I turned to the pirate king and said "welcome back to Florida", and he replied "Why must you say such evil and horrible things?"
It was actually very lovely on the deck, a bit breezy, but we could see the moon and stars in the night sky.
Our last dinner aboard ship ---prime rib. Our last show from the waiters –singing "Leavin’ on a Jet Plane." It was nice, but not nearly as good as their dance to "Low" earlier in the week ("apple bottom jeans...boots with the fur...")
We went to the Ivanhoe for the raffle drawing, hoping to win a cruise. No such luck. We had no interest is watching the "Legends" show, so we headed back to our cabin and went to bed -- we had an early departure from the ship because of the time of our flight home.
Day 8. Debarkation day.
Song interlude: "Good riddance:Time of Your Life" by Green Day
The weather is gorgeous! too bad we have to go home today. We had breakfast in the room. Getting off the ship easy, we collected our luggage in the terminal -- and got on the line for customs. Now I knew we were home.
It was a picture perfect day, I almost wanted to cry. We had an easy bus ride to Fort Lauderdale airport (I prefer it to Miami, much better layout.) and an uneventful flight home.
Next I will post some photos from the cruise.
Day 5. Belize.
Music of the Day: "Birthday" by Paul McCartney from the Tripping the Live Fantastic album.
Gee, is someone having a birthday today?
I wake to Sir Paul singing about my special day. Room service for breakfast, then to the Ivanhoe to get our tender tickets.
Musical background: "Boat in Belize" by Kelly McGuire.
We tendered to the port area for our River Wallace/Altun Ha excursion. Our tour was set up to cruise the river first, then visit the ruins after lunch. Other groups see the ruins first, then cruise the river back to port. It's a small boat, and we had to wear life jackets while on the bay -- but not on the river.
the manatees was camera shy, we saw the tips of their noses but that was about it. Once on the river, though, we saw crocodiles, iguanas, even howler monkeys -- one actually howled at us. We also saw lots of people practicing for the national canoe race, which takes place in March.
Lunch was at a rustic resort called the Black Orchid resort. Black orchids are the national flower of Belize. We dined on baked chicken, rice and red beans. the only other alternative would have been hamburgers.
Then it was on to Altun Ha. this was the best, and worst, part of the excursion. Our shipped arrived late, and then we had a very long wait for the bus while at the Black Orchid. So by the time we got to the archeological site, our tour guide kept telling us "we don't have a lot of time!" We got a thorough and well-informed tour, but it felt rushed. And we didn't have time to explore the site on our own.
We learned that the Mayans got their name when Columbus asked who they were. They said “maya”, which meant “we don’t understand”, but the "name" stuck.
It was amazing to stand among ruins that date back to 600 AD . I didn't climb any of the structures, however, it just looked a bit too scary.
Musical cue: "Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.
Appropriate song choice for two reasons. the first, of course, is because it's my birthday and I am having a wonderful time.
But also...
It's our second formal night. Everyone dress up for my birthday, you hear?
The show tonight is a salute to the 80’s. We loved the dancing and singing – Madonna, "Thriller", Flashdance…break dancers ... the memories.
On to dinner. I ordered a pasta dish and prosecco. The pirate king ordered a birthday cake --- yellow cake white frosting and strawberry filling. sophisticated, not overly sweet. the waiters sang "Happy Birthday" to me. And for a few minutes, i really really really missed my daughters.
Our late night entertainment included a show in the Eagle Lounge, "Liar's club" starring Big Tex and two other members of his staff. Very funny.
Day 6. "Mexico" by Jimmy Buffett
We arrived in Cozemel looking for the sun, but found only a cloudy day.
the port area has a lovely shopping plaza, we browsed for awhile before meeting up with our tour. The pirate king made the mistake of calling home on his cell – we heard all about the s-n-o-w.
Our tour today is Isla Pasion by Twister. The Twister is a speed boat – you must wear a life jacket and you must be strapped in. It’s a 20 minute ride to the lagoon at Isla Pasion, when you get to the lagoon you do the twists and spins. You WILL get wet.
Song:
Isla Pasion is a lovely beach... but there’s no sun! The weather has not cooperated all week. The white sands, the blue waters, it’s very inviting and I did go for a short swim. Then we ate lunch, drank some rum punch and did some serious shopping – silver bracelets for the kids and a tanzanite and opal ring for me. Don’t be afraid to bargain with the sellers, they will give you a much better price. Then back on the boats, more spins in the lagoon before returning to the pier.
We did A LOT of shopping at the pier in Cozumel. Bought a ton of souvenirs.
Tonight's entertainment is a comedian. Dinner is seafood Newberg and champagne. I was so tired by that point, I decided to make it an early evening. the pirate king decided to go exploring, however, and went to the deck party for the Mexican buffett. He tells me he was not impressed with the food...first time either of us were disappointed with food on the ship.
Day 7.
Background music: "Sea Cruise" by Frankie Ford.
Our day started with breakfast on the Lido deck. I am really getting used to this. It’s our last sea day.
Next up is the Behind the Fun Tour. It involves lots of walking and several sets of steep stairs, but it's a great tour – back stage at the theater, crew quarters, galleys, garbage disposal facilities, engine control room, laundry room, bridge. Security accompanies us to the secure areas of the ship, such as the engine control room and the bridge, Do you know that the bridge is on deck 8, right near passenger cabins? We picked up a stowaway as we walked through the deck, someone followed us onto the bridge. security quickly escorted him out.
the captain told us that the previous week the Valor had a real-live rescue at sea! One night one of the officers spotted a flash of light in the dark that turned out to be a man in a small sailboat.the boat was taking on water. the man was pleased to see the Valor, but upset that they could not save his boat.
We got refreshments along the way – coffee in the library, water and juice in officer’s mess, cookies in the Lincoln dining rom, champagne in Scarlett’s, and cookies and chocolate covered strawberries in our room. We also got photos, lanyards, pom bags and caps, all bearing the Carnival "Behind the Fun" logo.
After the tour we stopped at the gift shop to buy a few last-minute souvenirs. then it was back to the room to pack.
Then up to the Prometheus pool (because it has retractable roof) for some swim time. There’d been sun in the AM but by the time we were ready to swim it was cool and cloudy. The water in the pool was cold but the swim felt good. Hot tub felt even better.
We went up to the deck to watch the sun set. We could see the Florida Keys in the distance. I turned to the pirate king and said "welcome back to Florida", and he replied "Why must you say such evil and horrible things?"
It was actually very lovely on the deck, a bit breezy, but we could see the moon and stars in the night sky.
Our last dinner aboard ship ---prime rib. Our last show from the waiters –singing "Leavin’ on a Jet Plane." It was nice, but not nearly as good as their dance to "Low" earlier in the week ("apple bottom jeans...boots with the fur...")
We went to the Ivanhoe for the raffle drawing, hoping to win a cruise. No such luck. We had no interest is watching the "Legends" show, so we headed back to our cabin and went to bed -- we had an early departure from the ship because of the time of our flight home.
Day 8. Debarkation day.
Song interlude: "Good riddance:Time of Your Life" by Green Day
The weather is gorgeous! too bad we have to go home today. We had breakfast in the room. Getting off the ship easy, we collected our luggage in the terminal -- and got on the line for customs. Now I knew we were home.
It was a picture perfect day, I almost wanted to cry. We had an easy bus ride to Fort Lauderdale airport (I prefer it to Miami, much better layout.) and an uneventful flight home.
Next I will post some photos from the cruise.
day 4 Roatan
By now I've stopped counting days according to the calendar. It's day 4 of the cruise, who cares what the calendar says?
We arrived in the late morning, watched the coastline for awhile before docking at Mahogany Bay. From our ship we can see two wrecks…both look very rusty.
We opted for breakfast in the main dining room. The king had eggs benedict and I had a cheese omelet. Asked for a ham and cheese omelet, but ...anyhow, the food was delicious..
Then it was time to walk down the gangway and meet our tour – Discover Roatan. The first part of the tour is a ride in a dinghy out to the wrecks – it rained a little, but it wasn’t too bad. The wrecks can’t be moved -- tthe coral reef might be harmed. We got to see one of the wrecks up close, took lots of photos of the rust.
Then we boarded the bus. the tour guide talked quite a bit about how poor the island is and how tourism is their only industry. Every stop on the tour involves shopping and I felt I have to contribute to the local economy. We saw scenic bluffs, a performance by the Garifuna people –Africans who came to Honduras and Belize to get away from the English –as well as a park honoring the local Garifuna heroes, and we got to taste local foods including yucca bread and some sort of fish stew. then it was back to the pier and shopping. (gee, do you sense a theme here?)
Back on the ship, we ordered room service. He had pastrami and I had shrimp salad. We spent some time reading and relaxing, then dressed for dinner.
We ate at Scarlett’s. It was truly an amazing experience. He had lobster bisque, iceberg salad, surf n turf with Yukon gold mashies with wasabi. I had shrimp cocktail, casear salad and surf n turf w/ Yukon (no wasabi), and then we had dessert – vanilla ice cream for him, cheesecake for me. While we ate we watched the rain fall on deck and felt the movement of the ship on choppy seas. No trip outside this evening.
By now I've stopped counting days according to the calendar. It's day 4 of the cruise, who cares what the calendar says?
We arrived in the late morning, watched the coastline for awhile before docking at Mahogany Bay. From our ship we can see two wrecks…both look very rusty.
We opted for breakfast in the main dining room. The king had eggs benedict and I had a cheese omelet. Asked for a ham and cheese omelet, but ...anyhow, the food was delicious..
Then it was time to walk down the gangway and meet our tour – Discover Roatan. The first part of the tour is a ride in a dinghy out to the wrecks – it rained a little, but it wasn’t too bad. The wrecks can’t be moved -- tthe coral reef might be harmed. We got to see one of the wrecks up close, took lots of photos of the rust.
Then we boarded the bus. the tour guide talked quite a bit about how poor the island is and how tourism is their only industry. Every stop on the tour involves shopping and I felt I have to contribute to the local economy. We saw scenic bluffs, a performance by the Garifuna people –Africans who came to Honduras and Belize to get away from the English –as well as a park honoring the local Garifuna heroes, and we got to taste local foods including yucca bread and some sort of fish stew. then it was back to the pier and shopping. (gee, do you sense a theme here?)
Back on the ship, we ordered room service. He had pastrami and I had shrimp salad. We spent some time reading and relaxing, then dressed for dinner.
We ate at Scarlett’s. It was truly an amazing experience. He had lobster bisque, iceberg salad, surf n turf with Yukon gold mashies with wasabi. I had shrimp cocktail, casear salad and surf n turf w/ Yukon (no wasabi), and then we had dessert – vanilla ice cream for him, cheesecake for me. While we ate we watched the rain fall on deck and felt the movement of the ship on choppy seas. No trip outside this evening.
2/16.
Our first port of call, the Cayman Islands.
We awoke to the sound of room service bringing our breakfast. In the pre-dawn distance I could see the lights of George Town, Grand Cayman. By 7:30 we were dressed and on our way to the tender. The water was a bit choppy, but that couldcn’t stop us.
Background music: anything Paul McCartney. The pirate king and I were fortunate to see Sir Paul in concert at Citifield last july. Today the king wore his concert t shirt, a real conv ersation starter, everyone asked us if we’d seen the concert. Apparently Sir Paul is revered in the British West Indies.
Background music: a medley of "Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles and "Under the Sea" from Disney's Little Mermaid. We arrived in port and found our shore excursion quickly --- a group of six headed for the Atlantis Submarine. We walked over to the Atlantis offices, and there was a yhellopw submarine on display outside! Usually there are about 40 people on the sub, but we were a v ery small group and it felt like a private tour. Lots of interaction with our tour guide as we tendered out to the sub.
The worst part of the trip wasn’t the choppy waters at the surface, it was climbing the ladder down into the sub (going up after the tour was better). We saw coral reefs, we saw fish, we saw a shipwreck and we even saw a mermaid…well, a statue of one. No stingrays or turtles, alas. but we saw a moray eel!
After the sub ride we walked around the downtown area for awhile. We spotted a small area with a few old cannons and a stone wall. We discoverd that it's the last remnants of Fort George.It's so sad that Fort George was torn down to make way for development, history should be preserved. We also found our way over to the courthouse and a few national monuments. The pirate king teaches high school social studies, and he was interested in the island's history -- slavery was abolished in the Cayman Islands over 30 years before the American Civil War!
Next up: a tour of the best of Grand Cayman. The bus ride was borning—past condos and hotels in various stages of repair --- yes, I realize Hurricane Ivan tore apart the island, and I am glad the island is recovering.
The first stop was a small beach area where we posed for photos. and shopped, of course.
Next was the turtle farm, where we got to hold real live turtles. Guess who turned out to be a turtle whisperer? The turtle I was holding was flapping about and trying to get away from me….until the pirate king rubbed the turtle under its chin. Then it got quiet and allowed me to hold it.
Afterwards we walked across the street to the dolphin swim area – our tour didn’t include a swim, but we got to watch the dolphins for a few minutes before heading ovef to the Tortuga Rum outlet for free samples of rum and rum cake -- I really liked vanilla rum and didn’t like banana rum. A friend of ours makes better rum cake than what’s for sale, but the cakes were good…and we came away with bottles of hot sauce.
Background music: "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf.
The last stop was the town of Hell. Saw the rocks, posed with the devil, bought a few souvenirs and mailed a few post cards. Now I can say I've been to Hell and back.
On the way back to the port area the tour guide toldus thath 7 ships wereexpected tomorrow, but the weather has changed and the ships have to dock on the other side of the island – and the Carnival ship has therefore cancelled. it's visit to the island.
Back at port, we did a little more shopping. The pirate king bought one last souvenir -- a cross bow (the pirate king likes decorative, non-functioning "antique" weapons), and then it was time to tender back to the ship.
Musical accompanymnet: "Let’s Twist Again" by Chubby Checker
Tired from our day on the island, we headed back to the c abin for awhile, then we grabbed a bite to eat on the Lido deck before tonight’s show – a juggler and a comedian. I had a taste of the islands -- jerk pork loin for dinner. Later we danced to 50’s tunes in the casino lounge -- the pirate king can still do the twist….
Background music: "Southern Cross" by CSN. We ended the evening on the deck. It wasn't as windy tonight, and we could actually see stars. Found myself singing the second verse of the CSN song...."When you see the Southern Cross for the first time..." No, I couldn't see that particular constellation...but I'd never been that far south before...and I have always been something of a stargazer.
Next up: Roatan
Our first port of call, the Cayman Islands.
We awoke to the sound of room service bringing our breakfast. In the pre-dawn distance I could see the lights of George Town, Grand Cayman. By 7:30 we were dressed and on our way to the tender. The water was a bit choppy, but that couldcn’t stop us.
Background music: anything Paul McCartney. The pirate king and I were fortunate to see Sir Paul in concert at Citifield last july. Today the king wore his concert t shirt, a real conv ersation starter, everyone asked us if we’d seen the concert. Apparently Sir Paul is revered in the British West Indies.
Background music: a medley of "Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles and "Under the Sea" from Disney's Little Mermaid. We arrived in port and found our shore excursion quickly --- a group of six headed for the Atlantis Submarine. We walked over to the Atlantis offices, and there was a yhellopw submarine on display outside! Usually there are about 40 people on the sub, but we were a v ery small group and it felt like a private tour. Lots of interaction with our tour guide as we tendered out to the sub.
The worst part of the trip wasn’t the choppy waters at the surface, it was climbing the ladder down into the sub (going up after the tour was better). We saw coral reefs, we saw fish, we saw a shipwreck and we even saw a mermaid…well, a statue of one. No stingrays or turtles, alas. but we saw a moray eel!
After the sub ride we walked around the downtown area for awhile. We spotted a small area with a few old cannons and a stone wall. We discoverd that it's the last remnants of Fort George.It's so sad that Fort George was torn down to make way for development, history should be preserved. We also found our way over to the courthouse and a few national monuments. The pirate king teaches high school social studies, and he was interested in the island's history -- slavery was abolished in the Cayman Islands over 30 years before the American Civil War!
Next up: a tour of the best of Grand Cayman. The bus ride was borning—past condos and hotels in various stages of repair --- yes, I realize Hurricane Ivan tore apart the island, and I am glad the island is recovering.
The first stop was a small beach area where we posed for photos. and shopped, of course.
Next was the turtle farm, where we got to hold real live turtles. Guess who turned out to be a turtle whisperer? The turtle I was holding was flapping about and trying to get away from me….until the pirate king rubbed the turtle under its chin. Then it got quiet and allowed me to hold it.
Afterwards we walked across the street to the dolphin swim area – our tour didn’t include a swim, but we got to watch the dolphins for a few minutes before heading ovef to the Tortuga Rum outlet for free samples of rum and rum cake -- I really liked vanilla rum and didn’t like banana rum. A friend of ours makes better rum cake than what’s for sale, but the cakes were good…and we came away with bottles of hot sauce.
Background music: "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf.
The last stop was the town of Hell. Saw the rocks, posed with the devil, bought a few souvenirs and mailed a few post cards. Now I can say I've been to Hell and back.
On the way back to the port area the tour guide toldus thath 7 ships wereexpected tomorrow, but the weather has changed and the ships have to dock on the other side of the island – and the Carnival ship has therefore cancelled. it's visit to the island.
Back at port, we did a little more shopping. The pirate king bought one last souvenir -- a cross bow (the pirate king likes decorative, non-functioning "antique" weapons), and then it was time to tender back to the ship.
Musical accompanymnet: "Let’s Twist Again" by Chubby Checker
Tired from our day on the island, we headed back to the c abin for awhile, then we grabbed a bite to eat on the Lido deck before tonight’s show – a juggler and a comedian. I had a taste of the islands -- jerk pork loin for dinner. Later we danced to 50’s tunes in the casino lounge -- the pirate king can still do the twist….
Background music: "Southern Cross" by CSN. We ended the evening on the deck. It wasn't as windy tonight, and we could actually see stars. Found myself singing the second verse of the CSN song...."When you see the Southern Cross for the first time..." No, I couldn't see that particular constellation...but I'd never been that far south before...and I have always been something of a stargazer.
Next up: Roatan
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