MAGICAL GETAWAY!

MAGICAL GETAWAY!

At Sea / Miami, Florida to NCL Getaway

Sunday, January 31, 2016

High 70s, sunny

We were up early for our 7:20 a.m. disembarkation off the Regal Princess and were easily through customs after 8 a.m., on our way to our truck at the Hampton Inn Airport North.  The drive to the Miami port took about 25 minutes after a stop at Walgreen’s for more cold medicine for our pesky colds. We boarded our new ship, Norwegian Cruise Lines Getaway about 12:30 p.m. We think there was some sort of issue because that part of the process took longer than usual.

The Getaway is large and beautiful. My first impression as we boarded was how spacious the ship seemed. We spent some time in the main Atrium area near Guest Services. Imagine almost 4000 people checking into a hotel at the same time! The amount of people in that area was overwhelming. I felt like I was at a concert on State Street during “We Love Erie Days.” This is a huge and busy ship!

We had a good lunch at O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill—fish and chips for me and meat loaf for TK.

After lunch when we made our way to our stateroom, #14623, shock set in. As the cruise lines build bigger ships, they try to create more and more staterooms. Our stateroom is smaller than our laundry and bath combined on the first floor of our house in Erie. Really! On the bright side, the bathroom is probably bigger than the one we had on the Regal.

Muster drill was easy, although not as organized as usual. At least we did not have to carry our life jackets.  After the drill the ship sailed away and we quickly learned that we would not be able to upgrade our room as the ship is full.

On the really good side, TK made 5:30 p.m. reservations for dinner at the Illusionarium. Advertised as a place of joy and wonder, with world class magicians, illusionists, and mentalists, the Illusionarium did not disappoint. Dinner is served in a dark and mystical atmosphere while an interesting story is told through magic and illusion. We had front row seats and this magic show was like no other! How can people disappear and reappear in seconds? How can someone get into a box and have swords and spears thrust through it and then the person appears from somewhere else. How can a woman put the magician in chains, drape him with a cloth, whirl around, and then she is in chains and he is free????????????? TK says they practice and practice and are contortionists. No matter how much I practice (over 50…ah hmmm years), I cannot contort myself into disappearing even though TK might want that. I’m glad we went to the Illusionarium. It was sure entertaining!

Entrance to the Illusionarium

After dinner we returned to our stateroom and it did not magically get bigger, sad to say. While I signed up for Internet on Deck 6, TK organized his stuff. When I returned he was upset, but went off to check out the pool deck while I put my stuff away. To make matters even more interesting we discovered that families with boys the age of middle school students are on either side of our room. TK said he would never go on another cruise. That is not a good way to begin, so stay tuned for future developments. I’m sure we are tired and tomorrow will be a better day!

Stateroom 14623--home 

14633--opposite from the bed. Black lined door to hallway.

One of our many towel animals!

Facts about NCL Getaway:

·         Overall Length: 1,068 ft.

·         Beam: 170 ft.

·         Draft: 27 ft.

·         Cruise Speed: 22.5 knots

·         Guests: 3,969

·         Crew: 1,640

·         27 dining options

·         22 bars and lounges, including an ice bar

·         Aqua Park, 3 story sports complex, water slides, bungees, trampoline, miniature golf, ropes course, video arcade, jogging and walking track

·         Comedy Club

·         Shops, spas, beauty salon

·         Library, Art Gallery, Gift Shops, Photo Shop

·         Medical Center and more

TK's Takes: Fastest disembarkation ever. We were off the ship by 8 a.m. and on the road for Miami after a quick stop at Walgreen's for more cold medicine.  The room is tiny with not much storage space.

We miss our friends very much.
And I miss my family too! TK  does too!

SUNNY DAYS AT SEA—SAD GOODBYES

At Sea

Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30, 2016

80s F, sunny

Written to the classical sounds of Polonia String Quartet

We have really had some relaxing days we wish we could share with our family and friends back home.  We spent yesterday (Thursday) by the pool (in the shade) finishing Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman.  TK wandered around and sometimes sat with me. There is a singles group of about 200 people on the ship this week. The men and women seem to range from about 40 to 65.  Interesting dynamics. They were doing a scavenger hunt and one of the requirements was a video of a conga line. They asked me to help as the group sitting near me needed more people. Sure, why not!?

Thursday was the 2^nd formal night at dinner—requirement for men was long sleeved shirt or any shirt with tie, and/or jacket. One of our group did not qualify, so he was sent “home.” We were not sure he would return to dinner. Gwenda told me a joke he had told her earlier—

“A man was going to a fancy restaurant and was refused admittance without a jacket. He went back to his car and rumbled around and found his crumpled jacket. He went back to the restaurant and the manager refused him again, telling the man he needed a tie. He returned to the car and searched and searched but could not find a tie. Finally he opened the hood of the car, removed the battery cables, and tied them the best he could around his neck. He went back to the restaurant and they agreed to let him in. ‘But,’ the restaurant manager said, ‘don’t start anything.’”

What was really funny as our dear friend who was sent “home” was the same one who told this joke earlier. Anyway, all twelve of us enjoyed dinner—and many of us had lobster and prawns again. I have to say the lobster was exquisite and the prawns were almost as large as the lobster tail.

After dinner four of the ladies including me went back to our cabins, put our swimsuits and bathrobes on, and then went to the Deck 17 for the hot tub. What a great way to relax under the stars. We joked that now we are “those people who wander around the ship in the ship’s large white robes.”  New friend Denise (who fixed my computer) is into genealogy and I love that we share that. Nancy is so very sweet (one of her hobbies is making quilts) and shares California experiences with us. Donna is my Wisconsin twin—we find so many ways we are alike. [Note to MJ—Donna loves stollen bread too!] I’m proud of her recent achievement attaining certification to manage a Walgreen’s, which required deep knowledge of running a pharmacy). Gwenda and Bobbi did not join us at the hot tub, but I am so glad we have been able to spend so much time with her and Colin. Bobbi loves dogs and is now helping rescue dogs in their area in California. She was the first to notice stray dogs wherever we went.  Brian K did come by, but he kindly and thoughtfully brought us drinks with no camera in sight!

We stayed in the hot tub for at least an hour all by ourselves on this deck. But! At that point more and more people started trickling onto our private deck—turned out there was an astronomy talk. We reluctantly left our private tub to put our robes back on. That is when Donna discovered her room card was missing. I graciously told her I would go with her to Guest Services. That meant that Donna, who looked like a model at the time, and I, who looked like a drowned rat, had to traipse down 12 decks on formal night in swimsuits and robes so she could get a new card. We did get strange looks from tuxedos and long gowns, but who would expect something different!

View of the Atrium -- Polonia String Quartet in center

Today is Saturday, our last night on the Regal Princess. We are packed and ready for tomorrow. I ran into Brian K and he let me copy all his Nikon photos onto my computer. I will try to insert photos today. I still have extra minutes and we shall see how that goes.

In just an hour we will meet for dinner. Our head waiter, Jeff,  has been doing “parlor tricks” each night. Last night he sprinkled pepper on a saucer of water and told Rick to take a toothpick and move all the pepper to a circle in the outer edge. Rick could not do it, but of course Jeff could.  He then told us he put a little soap on the end of his toothpick. We will have to try this at home with B1 and B2!

It will be sad to leave our friends, six of whom we have known for 7 years.  Our new friends are fun too! Until we meet again!

Our gang:

Seated from left, going clockwise starting with Bobbi in the blue jacket:

Bobbi and Mark R, Lawrence and Donna B, Nancy K, Colin and Gwenda W, Janie and TK, Denise and Mike G.

Standing:

Waiters Armil and Jeffrey, and Brian K.

TK's Take: He is so pleased that we are finishing the cruise with $.79 credit for the two of us. Because of all the bonuses he got-military, other on board credit, we are ending up with more than we started with, .79 more!  That even includes the purchase of two coke cards,  $20 slot pull, $45 for photos, a coffee card, dinner at the Crowne Grille, and $12.95 per day per person for gratuities!

FUN ON TWO SIDES OF THE ISLAND OF ST. MARTIN (FRENCH) AND SINT MAARTEN (DUTCH)

ST. MAARTEN / AT SEA

Thursday, January 28, 2016

82 F, many bursts of rain with intermittent sun

I awoke this morning before we docked in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, the Dutch side of this island.  From our balcony I could see the Stad Amsterdam docking across from us—a beautiful large tall ship with three masts. I will have to research her for more information.

We met our group in the Vines Café at 8:45 a.m., for a tour organized by Colin. We walked to Dock Maarten in Philipsburg, about 20 minutes, to meet Captain Bob Cass with Soualiga Destinations, our tour for the day. (www.soualigadestinations.com).

A school we passed on our way out of the channel--I vote for a 2nd career here!

We were told this was the Victoria Secret yacht--not sure if this means owner, management, or what

(photo taken by Brian K)

We met Captain Ken, a 29 year old from the French side of the island, who would be our guide on a 33 ft. boat. Captain Ken said that we faced 7ft. waves, but in retrospect, the boat took the waves well and only two people were sick—not me or TK.  At our first stop only a few got off the boat as the water was deep and some people were not water people. Two of our group decided to abandon the tour at this point (not the ones who felt sick though)

As we were passing by the Dutch side of the island we saw yachts of unbelievable size. Ken pointed out one that belonged to Victoria Secret. What exactly that means I don’t know.  

Our next stop was for lunch at Caribbean Creole Food, a restaurant right on the shore in Grand Case, St. Martin French West Indies. First we had to get off the boat and into the sea without benefit of a dock. That was not so bad except for the fact that the water was over my head and most everyone else’s and there was a sort of drop off just before one could get to the beach. I don’t feel secure in water over my head, but fortunately TK and Ken assisted me. My motivation was using the bathroom—not ordinarily information I would include in the blog. The water was warm and we were all soaked by now anyway, both by rain and waves coming over the boat.

Caribbean Creole Food Restaurant where we had lunch in St. Martin (French side)

Our lunch choices were barbecue ribs, chicken, or mahi mahi. I chose the rice and beans and salad—absolutely delicious. Everyone enjoyed lunch and the beach, but because of regulations there were no lounge chairs.  Ken or Bob told us that Grand Case, a little fishing village on the French side of the island, is considered the “Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean.”

Literature from the ship states, “Ingeniously blending French, Dutch, and West Indian cuisines, Grand Case boasts over 30 restaurants, many situated on the coastline, setting the stage for world class dining.”

We returned to the boat to head for the St. Maarten (Dutch side) airport to see small planes and especially large planes fly directly over us onto the runway.  On the way we experienced more rain, but we saw the 2^nd largest yacht in the world, owned by a wealthy Russian. It looked like a small cruise ship to me with at least 8 decks. Ken said it was formerly the largest yacht but a wealthy Arab built one larger. Ken also showed us a huge estate owned by Donald Trump on the French side. Trump bought the estate two years ago for $43 million and has not visited it yet. Nine people work there full time year round.

Ken positioned the boat in front of the beach by the airport and we watched several large and small planes land—they swooped right over us. Rick said that he and Bobbi have been at the St. Maarten airport beach before and the planes are about 20-30 feet overhead as they land. Next time we may go to that beach.

A difficult shot without my DSLR

We returned to Dock Maarten about 3 p.m. and TK and I returned to the Regal. Showers removed all the salt water!  If I had read the literature sooner, I would have looked for St. Maarten’s newly designed flag, with the national flower, yellow sage, and the national bird, the pelican, silhouetted in flight against the sun. The blue and white of the flag are reminiscent of the crystal sea and the white sands!

It surely was an interesting day.

TK’s Takes: It was very changeable weather today—we went from sun to rain to cool and back to hot again. Not good for colds. The ship is receiving ESPN today but no other channels on TV.

FOOTBALL AND SEA DAYS AND SHOPPING

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands / Regal Princess

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

84 F/ sunny

I have some catching up to do! I forgot to mention a little anecdote from Sunday after the football game. No one in our group watched the first football game on Sunday, so I was asking everyone I could who won the game. Finally, in the Internet Café I asked a man at a computer, “Do you know who won the Broncos/Patriots game?” I figured if he was on the Internet, he would surely know.

He turned around and said, “Broncos.” I immediately smiled and said, “That’s great!” I knew our son and granddaughter would be happy.

It was then I noticed the scowl on his face. I said, “Oops, I’m sorry. Where are you from?” He answered, “Cape Cod.”  To myself I said, “Now you’ve done it!” Oh well….

Again on Sunday, when we were painfully waiting in the Princess Theater for about 10 very late people to show up, a lady volunteered to tell a joke. Everyone sort of groaned, but she forged ahead.

She asked, “Are you all familiar with the Three Little Bears? Did you know that Mama and Papa Bear were getting a divorce?  Sadly, they were. The family went before a judge to determine who would get custody of Baby Bear.  The judge said to Baby Bear, ‘You probably want to live with your Mama.’

Baby Bear replied, ‘No, please! She beats me.’ So the judge said, ‘OK. Then you can live with your Papa.’  Baby Bear said, ‘No! He beats be me too!’

So the judge said, ‘Well, Baby Bear, you can live with the Chicago Bears. They don’t beat anybody!'”  Everyone groaned again, but the lady said she was from Chicago and she could say that! American football. Binding us together!

Monday was a sea day so first on the agenda was Brian K’s Meet and Greet. Regal Princess Captain Paul Chandler-Burns popped in. He told us this was a very windy cruise. On the open deck it is certainly windy, but the ship is not rocky. He also told us that only 38 people missed the cruise because of the snow storm from NYC/DC and beyond. [Note: we do think more missed the ship, but that Princess was able to fill in the staterooms with Florida residents able to leave on a moment’s notice.].

Lots to talk about, sitting listening to live music, first the Beatles songs, then a  fabulous pianist/vocalist who did a fab job on Adele’s Hello, BUT we have an early morning in St. Maarten, so I better get some sleep!  Friend H, we paved the way for you in St. Thomas big time. The shops will be looking for you!  

Not finished! And thank you, MJ, for commenting!!

Tuesday was a sea day so first on the agenda was Brian K’s Meet and Greet. Regal Princess Captain Paul Chandler-Burns popped in. He told us this was a very windy cruise. On the open deck it is certainly windy, but the ship is not rocky. He also told us that only 38 people missed the cruise because of the snow storm from NYC/DC and beyond. [Note: we do think more people missed the ship but Princess was able to fill in the staterooms with Florida residents able to leave on a moment’s notice.].

Tuesday night all twelve of us had reservations in the Crown Grille steakhouse, arranged by Colin. The selection included filet mignon, porterhouse, sirloin, ribeye, and lobster. We enjoyed being together an even fancier setting.

TKs Take: The Cruise Critic slot pull had to be cancelled today because a woman was using the machine that the casino uses for group slot pulls. She would not get off of it and everyone waited around for almost an hour.[i] She ended up losing all her money while spiting our group, but by then it was too late for the game.

St. Thomas

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

81 F /sunny

Donna is not allowed to shop with me again. I didn’t do anything. I know Gwenda will attest to that. Anway, at 9:30ish, TK and Lawrence accompanied Donna, Gwenda, and me into downtown Charlotte Amalie on our shopping trip. In fact Lawrence made the first jewelry purchase, a titanium ring at Cardow’s. Then TK bought a bamboo t-shirt at Cariloha.  We also stopped at Diamonds International, Effy, and Mr. Tablecloth (where I bought my beautiful crocheted table cloth over  25 years ago), diamonds, wooden watches, rings, pendants, beachwear, an AMAZING selection of everything.

Colin met us for lunch at the Green House and we made some serious decisions about possible purchases. Colin, Lawrence, and TK decided to walk back to the ship after lunch and let us shop alone. Big big mistake.

Diamond thumb rings, Marahlago larimar pendant (blue stone found only in the Caribbean), diamonds, earrings, we all got into trouble! Gwenda tried to keep track of us, to no avail, and then she caved too. We finally shared a taxi with another couple and returned to the ship about 5:30 p.m.

We were ready for the Bavarian dinner in Horizon Court by 7:00. We missed the Bavarian buffet last week and it was a must tonight—bountiful spaetzle, veal schnitzel, turkey schnitzel, pork schnitzel, all kinds of German sausages, red cabbage, sauerkraut, German potato salad, bread pretzels, cheese strudel, Black Forest cake, a glorious feast.  While dining, Nancy’s hot tub incident came to light. On Tuesday afternoon she thought Lawrence was getting into the hot tub with her. She motioned for him to sit on her lap. Problem was, the guy wasn’t Lawrence. The guy asked her if Lawrence was her husband. “No,” she said, “my husband is over there.” That only sounded worse, of course. Now she keeps running into the guy. We all determined he was quite good looking!

After dinner, I sat in the Atrium to write the blog while listening to live music, first the Beatles songs, then a pianist/vocalist, Tatiana Alekseeva, who did a fabulous job on Adele’s Hello, BUT we have an early tour tomorrow in St. Maarten, so I better get some sleep! 

Note to Friend H: We paved the way for you in St. Thomas big time. The shops will be looking for you! 

Thanks, MJ, for the comment!!

DENVER WON AND ANOTHER STOP AT THE PRINCESS LINE'S PRIVATE ISLAND!

DENVER WON AND ANOTHER STOP AT THE PRINCESS LINE’S PRIVATE ISLAND

Princess Cays / At Sea

Monday, January 25, 2016

High 70s F—sunny

TK and I opted to stay onboard the ship this time. The lounge chairs are not comfortable on the island, for one thing.  So we took the opportunity to spend the day near the main pool, reading and observing.  This cruise has more children, mostly preschool age. There is a Seeing Eye dog on board. Many people did stay on the ship but it was not too crowded on the deck where we were.  

Other choices today on the ship were a talk about non-surgical facelifts, bridge, a jenga challenge, ring toss, lawn bowls, Zumba, or talks about losing 1-8 inches today with “lonithermie” and the ancient art of reflexology. With no google I cannot tell you what those talks were about!

People vie for the best position on deck, whether they want lots of sun or shade. Near my lounge there was a book and a towel on another lounge chair. No one appeared to claim the seat for 3 ½ hours. That is very impolite. When she did appear, the lady took her book and left the towel—that means she did not want to totally commit to leaving. She never returned. Other people move the chairs to different locations completely, but no one seems to mind.

I had a bowl of fruit and an apricot Danish for breakfast at the pool. Later we shared nacho chips, guacamole, salsa, and cheese sauce for lunch.  Occasionally a pool side server will come around and ask if one wants a drink. For the most part servers are polite when one wants a Diet Coke with a “Coke Card,” but we usually go the nearby bar for it. There is always a bar nearby! We get unlimited soda for $4.95 per day each.  TK also bought a “Coffee Card,” so he gets a punch when he has a coffee or latte or something else like a gelato.

People by the pool drink Mimosas, Bloody Marys, Pina Coladas, beer, water and soda, and anything else in between.  Many read, others nap, and nearby conversations can be interesting. Sometimes we hear arguments—the wife wants to go one way and the husband the other. I love the chance to read.

So far I have read Jeff Archer’s False Impression (about the theft of a Van Gogh and the subsequent murders), Greg Iles’ 24 Hours (a kidnapping—a story worthy of a movie), and Clive Cussler’s The Chase (story about a string of brutal bank robberies from Colorado to California in 1906). I’m half done with Jonathan Kellerman’s Therapy (another murder mystery with a little bit of psychology thrown in). All fiction, of course, I’m leaving my serious reading for home! A book and a beach/pool and I’m happy.

Our group met for dinner and tales of the day. I think the dinner choices are better than the past although I will always prefer simpler food. Some had eggplant, bass, shrimp, and most had Veal Milanese, an excellent choice. We talked of years married (Mike and Denise—38, the longest; Rick and Bobbi—20, the shortest), daughters’ weddings, shopping, Daylight Savings Time, and English Blackpool Rock candy—a gift to all from Colin and Gwenda.

After dinner Donna, Gwenda, and I went to the jewelry shop, Effy’s, for a drawing. We did not win the tanzanite pendant, but I won the Effy Diversa diamond earrings last week and Donna won two entries in the slot pull this afternoon.

At 11 p.m. some of us are going to the comedy show.

And, one more thing! Denver won the football game yesterday and will be in the Super Bowl. I know that Brian and B1 are happy!

ON THE SEA AGAIN!

Fort Lauderdale / Regal Princess

Sunday, January 24, 2016

45-52 F / sunny

This morning we awoke in Fort Lauderdale. We had breakfast in Horizon Court with friends, omelets made to order, lovely croissants and other pastries, so many choices from oatmeal and grits to English bacon (I think that is a kind of ham) and lox. A huge variety just for breakfast. Many sad passengers were leaving the ship.

Our job today was to go to the Princess Theater to go through customs as passengers “in transit.” The process was a bit touchy as there were 704 passengers staying on the ship for the 2^nd or 3^rd week. The requirement was that NO ONE could go through customs until all 704 people were in the theater. Apparently two weeks ago a fight almost broke out on the Regal because someone held up the process and did not show up for an hour.  When the last few people came in about 35 minutes late today others starting booing. I do think Princess Cruise Lines needs to revisit this process.

Because the weather seemed so cold today so we could not really enjoy the ship like we planned. It was great to talk with R and B and text B2. It is not easy to be offline without communication for a week! Internet circumstances prevented leisurely reading of emails until today. I cannot even access my Gmail account during cruises because it interferes with my blog and uses up so much time. I cannot imagine the ship’s crew and how little they can communicate with families far away. We see crew members in the ports looking for free Wi-Fi. The crew has to pay for their Internet usage onboard minute by minute just like we do. We think nothing of “googling” information anytime, any day—not an option for anyone on board a cruise ship.

Anyway, after an examination of the blog I realized that I have no trouble putting people to sleep and I better start spicing things up or I will have no readers! After dinner (prime rib) we went to the “Welcome Aboard Showtime,” a show we did not see last week. This week’s comedian was quite funny, mostly joking about plenty of old people on the ship—ha ha!  The cruise director said there were about 3500 passengers onboard this week. That means 20% are repeating from last week.  The top five countries of origin are the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, and China.

I hope this week is a little more exciting. Weather and cancelled tours made a difference last trip. W still had fun though. We have a tour planned in St. Maarten with the gang---a beach near the airport with planes swooping in. Shopping is planned in St. Thomas.

TK’s Takes: Today we saw the most passengers ever staying on a cruise ship for a second week. 

DENISE G FIXED MY COMPUTER!

Regal Princess at Sea
Saturday, January 23, 2016
70s, cloudy

Our new friend Denise was able to fix my computer!!! What a sweetie! This was a lazy day at sea. We spent a lot of it thinking about the weather situation in so many U.S. states. I hope that Erie wasn't too bad and our family was able to ski and snowboard all they wanted to at the Peak! It looked like the PA Turnpike was miserable, as well as NYC, Philly, and DC and all parts in between.

As I read my blog, it sounds like family and friends are having more excitement than we are. Sure wish we could share the sunshine and warmth with you.

NO GO--PASSION ISLAND

Cozumel / Regal Princess

Friday, January 22, 2016

80 F—partly sunny

We planned on a Princess shore excursion, “Passion Island Beach Break,” with our friends today. There would be a scenic ferry ride around the island north of Cozumel with a couple hours on a white sand beach. A Mexican buffet was also featured. But! Rough weather conditions prevented smaller boats from doing anything and our tour was cancelled. TK and I walked around the nearby port area built by Carnival Cruise Lines with small shops representative of the shops in the downtown area.

We returned to the ship and I found an excellent shady spot near the pool and read a book. Tim rested in the room as he is getting a cold. We were scheduled to leave Cozumel about 4 p.m. but because of the wind and rough seas it was more like 6 p.m.

Tonight was the 2^nd formal evening and the highlight was lobster for dinner. I love having a server who opens the tail and makes it easier to eat. Delicious!

Early night because of our colds and the ship’s movement on the rough seas. 

TK’s Takes: He was relieved the tour was cancelled because of his cold. And he commented on how long it took for the ship to pull away from the pier because of the wind.

COSTA MAYA--BEACH DAY!

Costa Maya / Regal Princess
Thursday, January 21, 2016
80s F, rainy

Eleven of us trooped ashore today in Costa Maya to go to the beach. We threaded our way through the port area to a place where we could hail  taxis. The Norwegian Star and a Silver Seas ship were in port with us.

Colin, heading the group, and Gwenda and two others  stowed away in a small taxi.  Nancy and Brian, TK and I got into a taxi behind them. Not knowing exactly where we were going, we told the driver to follow Taxi #102. The rest of the group got into another taxi. Before we knew it, we were speeding past #102. The driver did not speak English and we did not speak Spanish. Fortunately it was a short way to the beach, and the area was small and soon all 11 of us were together at the Tropicante Beach and Bar, the same place we visited last year!

TK and Janie in front of the Regal on Costa Maya

Our reserved lounge chairs on the water awaited us, but soon there was a downpour. We all ran to the bar (owned by an American, Steve). We stayed there till a break in the rain and then  returned to our chairs. We repeated this process several times. The beach vendors were relentless. Cigars, jewelry, bags, kites, chimes. Dear Donna bought shell chimes for her grandson and that increased the vendor visits, but they moved on as soon as we said no thanks. Most of the artwork is beautiful, skillfully rendered. I think about how these artists would fare in a different world. They seem to be content--I will say that.

Donna pulled her lounge chair into the shallow water and stayed there a long time. TK said the water temperature was 80 F. About three hours of beach and most were ready to return to the port area.  One of the open shops had tanks of fish (something like ruffes--I was not clear on the species or the spelling), but one could pay $30 to get a pedicure from the fish. I had heard about this, but we had never seen it.

A man and his son getting a "fish pedicure"

For dinner, everyone was "on their own." TK and I dined in the Horizon Court. Then we went to the Vista Lounge to see Trainwreck with Amy Schumer, probably rated "R." There were slow moments, but there were some very funny scenes too.

There is certainly concern about the snow storm  headed toward DC and other areas. That will affect flights for many on Sunday, we presume. We think the Erie area will dodge this one. Thinking of our family and friends there!

OH NO! COMPUTER MALFUNCTION...

Grand Cayman / At Sea
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
80s F / hot, humid, and sunny

First, I have not commented on the Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game. Let's say I am very disappointed in the Steelers, but at least I now that Brian and B2 are very very happy!

Even though today was supposed to rainy, it turned out to be sunny!  Because Grand Cayman is an island sensitive to habitat, ships must anchor quite a distance from the shore. Since there were 7 ships in "port" today, we were the furthest from shore and could not use an anchor. Tender boats took passengers to shore, but one had to be very careful crossing from the ship tot he boat. Without an anchor the ship and boat did not always meet.

Georgetown is very familiar to us, but we did not linger in shops. I'm saving my shopping till next week in St. Thomas [see that, h!]. Except a dash to Guy Harvey, that is.

Because I wanted to take advantage of free WiFi, we headed for the Hard Rock Cafe and a very delicious cheeseburger.  When I pushed the on button on the laptop, it did seem to come on, but I could not open one function/icon. Not Word, not Chroem, nothing. I am quite sad about this. TK and I each have 150 minutes of free WiFi for each week on Princess, but that is not enough time to type directly into the blog [as opposed to writing it in Word then pasting it in]. I spent 10  minutes on Tuesday just trying to download one photo into blog--an example of how slow the Internet is onboard. So, we shall see what transpires.

Before dinner we met Colin and Gwenda in the club Six lounge. I am very interested in hearing about their recent November 2015 trip to China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Dubai, much of the trip on a Princess shisp.  Their favorite experience was the Terra Cotta Warriors, built in the 3rd century for a Qin Dynasty emperor. (7000 life size clay warriors grouped by rank in battle order). Colin and Gwenda said that off-ship basically the same food was served for breakfast and dinner, but they always found something to eat.

We did not get far with China when it was time to go to dinner at 7:15 p.m. My order of fried chicken was quite average. New friend Denise G. is a "Techie" and she will look at my computer. She is always smiling with mischief in her eyes. Her sweet husband Mike is very quiet.

We left dinner before dessert for the comedy show with Troy Thirdgill. We have seen him before and our group enjoyed his humor. He said he has been divorced several times. Now that he is older and more mature (40s) he is reflecting on how if  you only like each other 80%, stay together anyway! It's easier and cheaper. "When I date, I actually have to listen to her. When I was married all I had to do was say, 'Yeah. Uh huh,' every so often."

He also said that when people know he is a comedian they ask him to tell them a joke, He said, "Seriously, if you're a firefighter, does someone start a fire and say, 'Put this fire out for me?'" That is funny to me! (and the audience liked that too!)

On the way back to the stateroom we all stopped at the Cafe. I had a tiny coconut pie tart and a tiny cherry cheese cake tart. TK had an "oreo" tart.

TK's Takes: He had the best guacamole and nachos on a ship ever when we were at the pool this afternoon.  He also said he is very happy not to be driving in the snow in the north--we are hearing about the impending snow storm in the north.  Many people on the ship are worried about returning home on Sunday.

CALM DAY AT SEA

At Sea, aboard the Regal Princess

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

81 F—overcast

Our Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, organized by our friend Brian K, was at 10 a.m. in Club 6 on Deck 6. About 30 people were there, from California, Canada, many other U.S. states, and even UK and Turkey. The affable Paul Chandler (UK), the cruise director, and his assistant Simone (Australia) greeted us with a warm welcome. Other members of the staff were from Australia, South Africa, and Illinois. It is always nice to make the acquaintance of other Cruise Critic passengers with whom we have corresponded since last January. [Cruise Critic is a message board we have been using since 2002—we have arranged tours, asked questions, and made good friends though CC. It is an invaluable tool for cruising]

Later today I went to the Effy (designer jewelry store) drawing and actually won the Diversa diamond earrings. I chose the drawing over the CC slot pull in the Casino where TK won $10.

A STOP AT THE PRINCESS LINE’S PRIVATE ISLAND

Princess Cays / At Sea

Monday, January 18, 2016

79 F—partly sunny

Today we took tender boats to a relaxing tropical island in the Bahamas.  I always look for a palm tree with a little shade to read, a perfect setting. We were near the sea with a view of the ship and near the picnic pavilion. Princess personnel carefully carry the assortment of picnic food to the island, burgers, hotdogs, all the fixings like tomatoes, lettuce, and onion, chicken, ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, corn salad, potato salad, fruit salad, brownies, and cookies. Some cooking is done on the island as well. This year I noticed wraps and pork, beef, chicken, or vegetable tacos in another area.  As I write I am thinking of our friends and family in the cold north and I feel a little guilty enjoying such warmth. TK and I are so fortunate and blessed that we are able to travel like we do. I promise that I will bring some warmth home in February!!

Tonight our gang of twelve dined in the Symphony dining room at two tables for six. We have a great group, three firefighters and two heavy equipment operators. Brian K. gave each of the ladies a bag of Lake County diamonds tonight. I will be very excited to show them to Brother Bill and B2. Brian K said the “diamonds” can be found in vineyards when they plow, after rains, and even on the side of the road. They are clear silicon dioxide (quartz) and they are only found near the volcanic Mt. Konocti in Lake County, California, north of Napa and east of Mendocino County (Northern California) in the Pomo Indian area. They remind me of the diamonds Son Randy and family found at the Herkimer Diamond Mine in New York State. We will all examine them soon!!  TK and I shared the maple syrup candy drops we got at the PA Farm Show. Brian K wanted to melt them tomorrow for his pancakes at breakfast.

Our dinners (most ordered veal scaloppini) were tasty, but we enjoyed the company more. 

Some Regal Princess facts:

·         The ship, built in Italy, was launched in May 2014—I think it is the newest ship we have ever been on.

·         About 1000 feet in length

·         About 120 feet in “breadth”

·         About 24 feet draft—below the water line

·         22-23 knots

·         Total number of passengers on board—3560 plus 1345 crew members (about 1000 more people than the population of the town I was raised in)

·         Five tenders each with a capacity of 220 persons.

·         20 Decks

·         10 bars, clubs, and lounges

·         3 main dining rooms

·         2 restaurants which charge an extra fee (steak house and Italian)

·         Seafood Bar, Pizzeria, Gelato, BBQ grill smokehouse, Ice Cream Bar, Cafes, and of course, the Horizon Court for the buffet

·         Other locations include a library, art gallery, boutiques, an Internet Center, spa and beauty salon, a fitness center, photo and video gallery, shore excursion desk, casino, and a reception/purser’s desk open 24 hours a day.

·         Princess Theater and multiple lounges with multiple kinds of music and  other shows

·         We did find another pool today so I’m not sure how many there are now.

This is a busy ship!!
[Note: I tried to upload one photo. After 7 minutes I gave up--since we are "Platinum" we have 150 minutes free internet, but it is deadly slow. -- can't fix that]

TK is at the movie (Bridge of Spies) so I will have to wait for his “Take.” Lawrence was unfettered today (also unfiltered), and entertained many. I will need to ask him for back up takes, 

Regal Princess from Princess Cays

ABOARD THE REGAL PRINCESS, A REGAL SHIP!

At Sea

Sunday, January 17, 2016

80s F—some sun, some overcast

Without too much stress, we boarded our new home for two weeks. Key cards in hand, we headed to the Horizon Court by 11:30 a.m. for lunch. Great fried scallops, fresh watermelon and honeydew for me. We were in our stateroom (C611—mid ship starboard side) quickly and even unpacked and organized before the mandatory muster drill. A man at our muster station argued with one of the crew about the length of time this took—he was very rude and the lady was doing her job. Personally I think muster drill is important.  Safety instructions are mandatory on every single ship we have ever been on (even the U.S. Brig Niagara, in fact especially the Niagara—there were many drills over the ten days I sailed as crew on the Atlantic) and truly today as always some people really did not know how to put their life jacket on.

After the muster drill, the Regal sailed smartly, 2^nd out of 7 cruise ships departing Ft. Lauderdale today. It was a little windy, but there was no rain. When we win the lottery we will most certainly purchase one of the exquisite mansions along the channel!  The sea is not rough.

Our gang of 12 decided to eat on our own tonight, so TK and I went to the Horizon Court buffet.  I can’t stay away from the fruit and the veal Milanese was excellent. TK liked the roast pork, the steam ship prime rib carving station. Peach cobbler for me and brownies for TK. So far the food has been very good. I don’t care for fancy food, but I sure won’t starve!

As I write, we are listening to the Polonia String Quartet in the atrium. I wish I could translate this harmonic music to the written page!

More details about the ship will have to wait. I am figuring out the Internet connection. Apparently we can only get Internet access in the public areas. I guess I figured it out with  just a little pain! 

TK’s Takes: The ship is not as big as he thought. The public spaces do not seem as big as one would expect on the largest ship in the Princess fleet.  There is only the main pool, and a small one at the aft. He’s already lost a pair of reading glasses.

DECK 10,  STATEROOM C611

OLD AND NEW FRIENDS, MALLS, AND UBER!

Hampton Inn – Fort Lauderdale Airport North

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Saturday, January 16, 2016

80 F

I’m writing this while our family in Erie/Jamestown is snow skiing and snowboarding at Peek n Peak! Quite a contrast!

What a fun day!  We were on the highway before 8 a.m. and the drive from Titusville to Sawgrass Mills Mall took about 3 hours on a perfectly sunny day!  First we hit the Tommy Bahamas Outlet, but there weren’t any deals there that we hadn’t already bought—ha ha!  This mall is huge with 350 stores!  It is the eighth largest mall in the United States, the largest single story mall in the U.S., and the second largest mall in Florida. The upscale stores include Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg, TB, Versace, Prada, and at least 25 more. There are many other shops from Chico’s to Ron Jon’s to Target, and everything in between, except Sephora.  That said, what did we buy? Another suitcase.  Anyone who has seen our basement knows that is ridiculous, but I needed a carry on that would fit my 10 inch laptop, the iPad, and my stuff for my hair, face, and dental stuff. What can I say?

And, if you are anywhere near a Cheesecake Factory, STOP NOW, and try their Lemon Meringue Cheesecake! Oh my gosh, heavenly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheesecake Factory, Sawgrass Mills Mall, Fort Lauderdale

After the mall, we headed for our Hampton Inn to get ready for dinner with our friends at Coconuts on the waterfront. As I was organizing my new suitcase, TK said, “I’m ready, are you?” Well, sort of. He had taken it upon himself to try out Uber and had already ordered it. Quickly we dashed for the lobby. In a very short time a very clean Toyota Prius drove up and Andrew drove us to Coconuts. He was so very friendly and told us that he is a software designer but does Uber in his spare time.  Because of the traffic the drive took ½ hour, but the ride was very pleasant and I sure am glad that TK did not have to drive. Turns out one’s first Uber ride is free!

We were so happy to see Nancy and Brian from Ukiah, CA again (I think this is our 4^th or 5^th trip together). We met their friends, Denise and Mike and Bobbi and Rick, also from California. I sure enjoyed talking with them. It wasn’t long before Colin and Gwenda (England) and Donna and Lawrence (Wisconsin) arrived---what fun to see our friends!!  It’s going to be one heck of a cruise.

Coconuts at the Waterfront, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

http://coconutsfortlauderdale.com/

Image from Coconuts' website

After dinner we walked with Lawrence and Donna and Colin and Gwenda to their hotel where TK ordered our Uber back to the Hampton Inn. He no sooner typed in the information on the Uber app on his phone and a Nissan Sentra drove up for us. I couldn’t believe it! What was even harder to believe was the ride back to the hotel only cost $8.11. Can you believe that? TK sure knows what he is doing!

TK’s Takes: “I haven’t been in an elevator since the trip started.” In reference to the fact that we have been staying on the first floor of our hotels. The mall is too big and it is confusing. [jk note: no, it isn’t]. Finally, “Uber is the best!”

Note to Friend H: Thanks for trying out Uber first! We love it too!

Note to Friend M: I love love love my blue, green, teal fiber necklace!!!

Note to Friend Mj: A comment on my blog! Thank you!