Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor, Montenegro
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010 -- At Sea
I thought today would be busy but it has really been pretty slow and enjoyable. Following is what we have done:
1 Ate breakfast
2 Went to casino
3 Ate lunch
4 Played bingo
5 Went to casino
6 Ate Dinner
7 Went to show
Once again, we have spent most of our day eating. The show was good once again and believe it or not the food was better today.
It is 8:00 pm as I write this and I haven't packed one single thing yet. We are going to be the first ones off the ship in the morning and are carrying our luggage off ourselves. They say we will be off the ship between 7:30am and 8:00 am. I have arranged for Super Shuttle to pick us up at the port and carry us to Hobby Airport in Houston. We have a noon flight on Southwest Airlines so if nothing goes wrong, we should be back in Dallas around 1:00 pm tomorrow. Once home, I get to do all my laundry from the past 14 days and get ready to return to work on Monday.
I hope you all have enjoyed reading our stories and following us along in our travels. Stay tuned because we will be returning to Europe in April. We leave Fort Lauderdale on April 28 and cruise to Rome. This time the cruise will be on Holland America and will last 23 days. At the end of the 23 day cruise we will be spending 3 nights in Rome before flying back home. We have some good friends that will be joining us on this trip.
1 Ate breakfast
2 Went to casino
3 Ate lunch
4 Played bingo
5 Went to casino
6 Ate Dinner
7 Went to show
Once again, we have spent most of our day eating. The show was good once again and believe it or not the food was better today.
It is 8:00 pm as I write this and I haven't packed one single thing yet. We are going to be the first ones off the ship in the morning and are carrying our luggage off ourselves. They say we will be off the ship between 7:30am and 8:00 am. I have arranged for Super Shuttle to pick us up at the port and carry us to Hobby Airport in Houston. We have a noon flight on Southwest Airlines so if nothing goes wrong, we should be back in Dallas around 1:00 pm tomorrow. Once home, I get to do all my laundry from the past 14 days and get ready to return to work on Monday.
I hope you all have enjoyed reading our stories and following us along in our travels. Stay tuned because we will be returning to Europe in April. We leave Fort Lauderdale on April 28 and cruise to Rome. This time the cruise will be on Holland America and will last 23 days. At the end of the 23 day cruise we will be spending 3 nights in Rome before flying back home. We have some good friends that will be joining us on this trip.
Friday, November 19, 2010 -- At Sea
We got up early this morning and decided to once again order room service. I told Mary P that I wanted a toasted bagel if they had one and also would like to have something to put strawberry jelly on. I was going to get a shower and she hadn't ordered yet so I told her to just surprise me. When I got out of the shower breakfast had not arrived yet. Mary P said she would get her shower and I told her I would let the room service people. They arrived shortly after that. I had no idea what she had ordered since I told her to surprise me. When the room service comes, they put a white table cloth on our table and then proceed to unload the tray and set everything up for us showing us what they were bringing to make sure that our order was complete. The first thing I noticed was that there was no butter for my bagel and I had strawberry jelly and nothing to put it on. When Mary P came in I asked her about it and she said she had ordered butter but not strawberry jelly so I said I was going up to the Windjammer Buffet (only one floor up) to get some butter. I still wanted something to put that strawberry jelly on. When I got upstairs I looked around and got the butter. I looked for toast but they didn't have any out and I didn't want to wait. I then saw some sourdough rolls so I got a couple of those, then I saw some other kind of rolls and they looked good too so I got 2 of those. Then right before I was leaving, I saw some biscuits so I stopped to pick one of those up also. I couldn't believe the big plate of rolls that I had. Their bread is about the only thing that is good on this ship. As I was leaving the buffet, the girl at the entrance looked at my plate and said enjoy your bread. She probably thought I was weird. Of course by the time I got back to the room, my bagel was cold but oh well I had my butter and something to put my jelly on.
After breakfast, we went to the casino. I decided to play keno. As soon as I set down I won $100. That was a nice surprise. I played some other games and one of them I played, I put a $20 in and cashed out $50 so it was a pretty good morning.
It was time for bingo. They played 4 games this morning and out of the 4 games, we stood on 3 of them. You stand when you are down to 1 number. Unfortunately, we didn't win anything.
It was time for lunch so we went to the Windjammer Buffet and I got a hamburger once again. I tried a piece of their pizza. I took one bite and put it down. I don't know how it is possible to make bad pizza but they seem to be able to. I had a piece of pizza earlier in the cruise and it was about like eating cardboard.
They had a talent show of the guests that we went to this afternoon. Some of it was pretty hokey and they shouldn't have even been on the stage but some of it was pretty good. There was a young boy from Dallas that played the piano. He was really talented. There were also several people that sang that were good. They had a couple of acts that they said they were dancing but it looked to me all they were doing was jumping around looking stupid. A group of 8 kids got up and sang Amazing Grace and something else. Someone told me that there was another kid (baby) in that family and that the mother was pregnant again. The parents are missionaries and they were on the way home to Tennessee. Mary P and I are planning our act for the talent show the next time we sail on Royal Caribbean (February 2012). We are going to do a conga line so if any of you would like to join us, let us know. If we start practicing now we should be pretty good by then. We told Margie she and Larry need to join us on that cruise.
After the talent show we went to one of the bars with Margie and Larry. They were showing us some tricks that one of the bartenders had shown them. We usually don't go hang out in the bars but everyone was having a good time out there. I am sorry we missed out on all the fun up there on this cruise. The bartender is someone that Larry met on this same cruise last year.
It was already time for dinner and it was formal night. We went and changed clothes and went on down to dinner. Believe it or not, I was hungry again. They had chicken cordon bleu. I had that with potato soup. I think it had to be one of the best meals we have had. We skipped dessert so we could make it to the early show.
They started the show by auctioning off a navigational chart that was going to be signed by Captain Bang (our captain). It was a big color map that showed our course for this cruise. Someone bought it for around $800. The proceeds went to Make a Wish Foundation. They have been raising money for this the whole cruise but auctions, walking, selling t-shirts and they have 2 treadmills set up on the Royal Promenade and someone has been walking on them 24 hours a day since we started the crossing. They said they are close to raising $15,000 (3 wishes).
The entertainment was a group called "The Diamonds" They sang oldies songs and they were so good. I think the shows get better with each one. They said this group was formed in the 50's but of course these guys are not the original members.
We were planning on staying up to go watch Karaoke tonight but it wasn't until 11;00 pm. I called Margie around 9:30pm and told her i didn't think we would make it. We were really tired so we are calling it a night.
Tomorrow will be a busy day because we will have to be packing and getting ready to go home on Sunday. This has been a good cruise but I will definitely be glad to be home.
After breakfast, we went to the casino. I decided to play keno. As soon as I set down I won $100. That was a nice surprise. I played some other games and one of them I played, I put a $20 in and cashed out $50 so it was a pretty good morning.
It was time for bingo. They played 4 games this morning and out of the 4 games, we stood on 3 of them. You stand when you are down to 1 number. Unfortunately, we didn't win anything.
It was time for lunch so we went to the Windjammer Buffet and I got a hamburger once again. I tried a piece of their pizza. I took one bite and put it down. I don't know how it is possible to make bad pizza but they seem to be able to. I had a piece of pizza earlier in the cruise and it was about like eating cardboard.
They had a talent show of the guests that we went to this afternoon. Some of it was pretty hokey and they shouldn't have even been on the stage but some of it was pretty good. There was a young boy from Dallas that played the piano. He was really talented. There were also several people that sang that were good. They had a couple of acts that they said they were dancing but it looked to me all they were doing was jumping around looking stupid. A group of 8 kids got up and sang Amazing Grace and something else. Someone told me that there was another kid (baby) in that family and that the mother was pregnant again. The parents are missionaries and they were on the way home to Tennessee. Mary P and I are planning our act for the talent show the next time we sail on Royal Caribbean (February 2012). We are going to do a conga line so if any of you would like to join us, let us know. If we start practicing now we should be pretty good by then. We told Margie she and Larry need to join us on that cruise.
After the talent show we went to one of the bars with Margie and Larry. They were showing us some tricks that one of the bartenders had shown them. We usually don't go hang out in the bars but everyone was having a good time out there. I am sorry we missed out on all the fun up there on this cruise. The bartender is someone that Larry met on this same cruise last year.
It was already time for dinner and it was formal night. We went and changed clothes and went on down to dinner. Believe it or not, I was hungry again. They had chicken cordon bleu. I had that with potato soup. I think it had to be one of the best meals we have had. We skipped dessert so we could make it to the early show.
They started the show by auctioning off a navigational chart that was going to be signed by Captain Bang (our captain). It was a big color map that showed our course for this cruise. Someone bought it for around $800. The proceeds went to Make a Wish Foundation. They have been raising money for this the whole cruise but auctions, walking, selling t-shirts and they have 2 treadmills set up on the Royal Promenade and someone has been walking on them 24 hours a day since we started the crossing. They said they are close to raising $15,000 (3 wishes).
The entertainment was a group called "The Diamonds" They sang oldies songs and they were so good. I think the shows get better with each one. They said this group was formed in the 50's but of course these guys are not the original members.
We were planning on staying up to go watch Karaoke tonight but it wasn't until 11;00 pm. I called Margie around 9:30pm and told her i didn't think we would make it. We were really tired so we are calling it a night.
Tomorrow will be a busy day because we will have to be packing and getting ready to go home on Sunday. This has been a good cruise but I will definitely be glad to be home.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18 -- Nassau, Bahamas
We pulled into Nassau around 6:45am this morning. We ate a leisurely breakfast and took our time before getting off the ship. We finally got off around 8:30 am. Margie went with us so it was a girl's day out. We took the water taxi for $3 to Paradise Island. That is where Atlantis is. The water taxi was about a 10 minute ride and then they said it was a 3-4 minute walk to the casino with no steps. They were a little bit off on that part. It took us about 10-15 minutes to walk to the casino and we did have to climb some steps but it wasn't bad. I played several games and was down about $80 and then I started hitting on Keno. I ended up cashing out $200 so that wasn't too bad. We then walked back to the water taxi which seemed to be closer going back that going over there.
While riding on the water taxi they did tell us about things we were passing. We saw the hospital where Anna Nicole Smith had her baby, several houses owned by famous people. You wouldn't believe the huge yachts that were parked outside of Atlantis. I don't know where these people get their money.
It was around 2:30 pm and we hadn't had lunch so we went to Senior Frogs for a meal. It was so good. It did cost us $95 for the 3 of us -- not really sure what we got to cost us that much but I think it was the best meal I have had so I should be good to go until I get back to Dallas. I was also able to get Dr. Pepper's so now I am a happy person. Since we ate late I won't have to go to the dining room and eat the stuff they are having tonight. I don't even remember what they are having, but I know it didn't sound too good.
Our ship was the farthest one out on the pier and it was quite a walk going back. When the 3 of us were walking, a man came up on a golf cart and asked if we wanted a ride. He was taking paperwork out to the ship. We hopped on and I waved at people that were walking back as we passed them. I don't think they thought it was too funny, but I did! We had to be back on board by 4:30 pm and I think we made it back around 4:00 pm. If we hadn't gotten the ride, it probably would have been closer to 4:30 pm when we got back.
The entertainment tonight was a comedian. He was hilarious! I don't remember when I had laughed so hard.
We set our clocks back an hour tonight so we will finally be on the same time as home.
While riding on the water taxi they did tell us about things we were passing. We saw the hospital where Anna Nicole Smith had her baby, several houses owned by famous people. You wouldn't believe the huge yachts that were parked outside of Atlantis. I don't know where these people get their money.
It was around 2:30 pm and we hadn't had lunch so we went to Senior Frogs for a meal. It was so good. It did cost us $95 for the 3 of us -- not really sure what we got to cost us that much but I think it was the best meal I have had so I should be good to go until I get back to Dallas. I was also able to get Dr. Pepper's so now I am a happy person. Since we ate late I won't have to go to the dining room and eat the stuff they are having tonight. I don't even remember what they are having, but I know it didn't sound too good.
Our ship was the farthest one out on the pier and it was quite a walk going back. When the 3 of us were walking, a man came up on a golf cart and asked if we wanted a ride. He was taking paperwork out to the ship. We hopped on and I waved at people that were walking back as we passed them. I don't think they thought it was too funny, but I did! We had to be back on board by 4:30 pm and I think we made it back around 4:00 pm. If we hadn't gotten the ride, it probably would have been closer to 4:30 pm when we got back.
The entertainment tonight was a comedian. He was hilarious! I don't remember when I had laughed so hard.
We set our clocks back an hour tonight so we will finally be on the same time as home.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -- At Sea
I woke up around 5:00 am this morning. We were supposed to meet Margie for breakfast this morning. The dining room didn't open until 7:30 am and that couldn't get here fast enough! I went downstairs at 6:30 am to get on the internet and I was amazed at the number of people already out and about on the ship. They must have had trouble sleeping as well.
Once 7:30 am got here we have a very enjoyable breakfast with Margie. Larry was supposed to come also but he didn't feel well this morning. After breakfast Margie went back to check on Larry and Mary P and I came back to the room until our next activity. We made plans to meet Margie at 10:30 am to go listen to a talk that they were doing on Nassau -- our port tomorrow morning. They had the talk in the Aquarium Bar which was much too small for the amount of people there. We were going to have to stand up so we left. Larry was in another location playing Texas Trivia so we decided to go watch that. We formed our own little team with the 3 of us and we did pretty good.
When Texas Trivia was over we stayed to play bingo. Margie had only played once before and didn't like it but we talked her into playing today. Well guess what! Margie won $300! I think she may be hooked. I was really glad she won.
Mary P and I went to the casino and broke even. Margie put $1 into a machine and won $28. I think this may be her day.
It was past lunch time and we went to get something to eat. I couldn't find anything at all to eat. This food is really gross. The desserts didn't even look good. I guess I will just wait until dinner to see if I can find something to stomach there. Did I mention that I would be glad to get home to get some decent food?
Well I finally got something to eat -- Ben & Jerry's. This is an extra that you have to pay for. Whey she gave me the bill it said $10. I told her that I didn't think that was correct. I think she was getting me to pick up the tab for everyone at the counter at that time. She apologized and fixed my bill. Once again, the ice cream was just ok -- nothing special.
This afternoon shortly before dinner the Captain came on the speaker and told us that there was an emergency on board with one of the crew and the U.S. Coast Guard was on the way to airlift them out. He kept us updated regularly on the status of when they were going to be there. They came about 5:35pm so we were late to dinner because we wanted to wait and see them. I took a picture as the helicopter passed by our balcony but it was dark outside so I am not sure how good it is. They had told us not to use a flash with our cameras because it could blind the pilot with the flash. The helicopter couldn't land because of the wind conditions so they dropped a basket down and circled around and came back by to pick them up. The cruise director announced at the show tonight that the crew member was stable. I don't know what happened to them. They did say that it was a woman.
Dinner wasn't so bad tonight. They had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and roasted corn. It was pretty good. Our waiter came over and asked if I liked shrimp and I told him I did. He asked me if I wanted some. I said sure if he had an extra. I didn't even remember seeing it on the menu. It was really good. It had some kind of sauce on it and was served with stir fry vegetables and steamed rice. I guess having 2 dinners made up for not eating lunch.
The show was the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. It was probably one of the better cast shows that i have seen on any ship.
We will be arriving in Nassau, Bahamas tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. Our plans are to ride the water taxi over to Atlantis and go visit their casino. There is also a Senior Frog there that I think we will check out. When I was in Nassau last year I found some Dr. Peppers at the Sheraton. I hope I can find some in town this year so I don't have to go back to the Sheraton. I am in desperate need of another one!
Once 7:30 am got here we have a very enjoyable breakfast with Margie. Larry was supposed to come also but he didn't feel well this morning. After breakfast Margie went back to check on Larry and Mary P and I came back to the room until our next activity. We made plans to meet Margie at 10:30 am to go listen to a talk that they were doing on Nassau -- our port tomorrow morning. They had the talk in the Aquarium Bar which was much too small for the amount of people there. We were going to have to stand up so we left. Larry was in another location playing Texas Trivia so we decided to go watch that. We formed our own little team with the 3 of us and we did pretty good.
When Texas Trivia was over we stayed to play bingo. Margie had only played once before and didn't like it but we talked her into playing today. Well guess what! Margie won $300! I think she may be hooked. I was really glad she won.
Mary P and I went to the casino and broke even. Margie put $1 into a machine and won $28. I think this may be her day.
It was past lunch time and we went to get something to eat. I couldn't find anything at all to eat. This food is really gross. The desserts didn't even look good. I guess I will just wait until dinner to see if I can find something to stomach there. Did I mention that I would be glad to get home to get some decent food?
Well I finally got something to eat -- Ben & Jerry's. This is an extra that you have to pay for. Whey she gave me the bill it said $10. I told her that I didn't think that was correct. I think she was getting me to pick up the tab for everyone at the counter at that time. She apologized and fixed my bill. Once again, the ice cream was just ok -- nothing special.
This afternoon shortly before dinner the Captain came on the speaker and told us that there was an emergency on board with one of the crew and the U.S. Coast Guard was on the way to airlift them out. He kept us updated regularly on the status of when they were going to be there. They came about 5:35pm so we were late to dinner because we wanted to wait and see them. I took a picture as the helicopter passed by our balcony but it was dark outside so I am not sure how good it is. They had told us not to use a flash with our cameras because it could blind the pilot with the flash. The helicopter couldn't land because of the wind conditions so they dropped a basket down and circled around and came back by to pick them up. The cruise director announced at the show tonight that the crew member was stable. I don't know what happened to them. They did say that it was a woman.
Dinner wasn't so bad tonight. They had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and roasted corn. It was pretty good. Our waiter came over and asked if I liked shrimp and I told him I did. He asked me if I wanted some. I said sure if he had an extra. I didn't even remember seeing it on the menu. It was really good. It had some kind of sauce on it and was served with stir fry vegetables and steamed rice. I guess having 2 dinners made up for not eating lunch.
The show was the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. It was probably one of the better cast shows that i have seen on any ship.
We will be arriving in Nassau, Bahamas tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. Our plans are to ride the water taxi over to Atlantis and go visit their casino. There is also a Senior Frog there that I think we will check out. When I was in Nassau last year I found some Dr. Peppers at the Sheraton. I hope I can find some in town this year so I don't have to go back to the Sheraton. I am in desperate need of another one!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 -- At Sea
Our clocks were set back another hour last night. Now there is a 1 hour time difference from home.
This morning we got up and went to the dining room for breakfast. We made sure to get there early so we could be sure and get a table for 2. Have you all noticed yet that we aren't very sociable? We were second in line. The first couple got a table for 2. We told them that there were 2 of us and what did they do but take us to a table for 12! We quickly told them that we wanted a table for 2. I was afraid that they already had people sitting at all the small tables. They did find us one (good thing for them!). As we had never eaten in the dining room before we really didn't know what to think. The waiter mentioned to us that there was something up front and when we got ready to order from the menu to let him know. Neither one of us knew what he said. When he came back to the table to see if we were ready to order I asked him again what was up front and he said cereal so we went ahead and ordered. We got our food quickly and it was just ok. I noticed someone come back from the front with a plate of fruit. By this time we were finished eating and didn't want anything else to eat but fruit is not cereal! As we were leaving the dining room we noticed they had several other things up there -- eggs, juice, milk, etc. I really didn't understand the whole concept. This wasn't a buffet -- that is on a completely different floor. I thanked Mary P for eating in the dining room with me for breakfast and I told her I wouldn't ask her to go there again. Room Service is just as good if not better and we don't have to fight for a table for 2 in our room.
We went and made our daily donation to the casino. In fact we were sitting there at our machine when the casino opened up at 9:00 am. We should have stayed in our room!
They had a question and answer session with the Captain and some of his officers this morning. We went to listen and it was pretty good. I knew the Captain was older but wasn't sure how old. He mentioned that he was 68 years old and his wife traveled with him from time to time and also his kids. While he was on stage his phone rang. He started laughing and said it was his son calling. He then asked where his wife was sitting and gave the phone to her. She looked rather young. I had seen her with him on the ship from time to time and wondered if it was his wife.
You wouldn't believe the number of people that commented on how wonderful the food is on the ship. They must not have any taste buds!
After the Q&A Session we went to see if we could find something to eat. We decided to try the Windjammer Buffet. I looked at all the food and I didn't see anything I wanted, then I saw a different cooking station that I hadn't noticed before and stopped to check it out. They were making Frittatas (Spanish Omelets). I decided to order one of those. It was really pretty good except that it had a little too many jalapeno peppers. Mary P had a piece of good looking banana pie so I decided to go get a piece of that. It was good also. So now we have done what we set out to do -- breakfast in the dining room and a light lunch. I am now ready to go eat dinner, but I have to wait 3.5 more hours.
Mary P is reading her book so she doesn't get checked for explosives at the airport again. She said that she would read it and throw it away. I told her that if she didn't finish reading it to please put it in her checked luggage this time.
Tonight the entertainment is someone called "Journey South". The information we received on them says "as seen on the UK TV Show X Factor" I think that is a show that Simon Cowell is involved with. I am interested to see how they are. I will say that the entertainment has been good on this cruise.
Well we saw Journey South. They were 2 brothers and said they came in 3rd place on X Factor. They also said they had signed a contract with Simon Cowell and their song had gone to number 1 on the charts. This is the first cruise they had performed on and the audience seemed to enjoy their performance -- especially those on board from the UK.
We made plans tonight to meet Margie and Larry for breakfast in the morning. This ship is so big, the only time we run in to them is at the show each night.
This morning we got up and went to the dining room for breakfast. We made sure to get there early so we could be sure and get a table for 2. Have you all noticed yet that we aren't very sociable? We were second in line. The first couple got a table for 2. We told them that there were 2 of us and what did they do but take us to a table for 12! We quickly told them that we wanted a table for 2. I was afraid that they already had people sitting at all the small tables. They did find us one (good thing for them!). As we had never eaten in the dining room before we really didn't know what to think. The waiter mentioned to us that there was something up front and when we got ready to order from the menu to let him know. Neither one of us knew what he said. When he came back to the table to see if we were ready to order I asked him again what was up front and he said cereal so we went ahead and ordered. We got our food quickly and it was just ok. I noticed someone come back from the front with a plate of fruit. By this time we were finished eating and didn't want anything else to eat but fruit is not cereal! As we were leaving the dining room we noticed they had several other things up there -- eggs, juice, milk, etc. I really didn't understand the whole concept. This wasn't a buffet -- that is on a completely different floor. I thanked Mary P for eating in the dining room with me for breakfast and I told her I wouldn't ask her to go there again. Room Service is just as good if not better and we don't have to fight for a table for 2 in our room.
We went and made our daily donation to the casino. In fact we were sitting there at our machine when the casino opened up at 9:00 am. We should have stayed in our room!
They had a question and answer session with the Captain and some of his officers this morning. We went to listen and it was pretty good. I knew the Captain was older but wasn't sure how old. He mentioned that he was 68 years old and his wife traveled with him from time to time and also his kids. While he was on stage his phone rang. He started laughing and said it was his son calling. He then asked where his wife was sitting and gave the phone to her. She looked rather young. I had seen her with him on the ship from time to time and wondered if it was his wife.
You wouldn't believe the number of people that commented on how wonderful the food is on the ship. They must not have any taste buds!
After the Q&A Session we went to see if we could find something to eat. We decided to try the Windjammer Buffet. I looked at all the food and I didn't see anything I wanted, then I saw a different cooking station that I hadn't noticed before and stopped to check it out. They were making Frittatas (Spanish Omelets). I decided to order one of those. It was really pretty good except that it had a little too many jalapeno peppers. Mary P had a piece of good looking banana pie so I decided to go get a piece of that. It was good also. So now we have done what we set out to do -- breakfast in the dining room and a light lunch. I am now ready to go eat dinner, but I have to wait 3.5 more hours.
Mary P is reading her book so she doesn't get checked for explosives at the airport again. She said that she would read it and throw it away. I told her that if she didn't finish reading it to please put it in her checked luggage this time.
Tonight the entertainment is someone called "Journey South". The information we received on them says "as seen on the UK TV Show X Factor" I think that is a show that Simon Cowell is involved with. I am interested to see how they are. I will say that the entertainment has been good on this cruise.
Well we saw Journey South. They were 2 brothers and said they came in 3rd place on X Factor. They also said they had signed a contract with Simon Cowell and their song had gone to number 1 on the charts. This is the first cruise they had performed on and the audience seemed to enjoy their performance -- especially those on board from the UK.
We made plans tonight to meet Margie and Larry for breakfast in the morning. This ship is so big, the only time we run in to them is at the show each night.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010 -- At Sea
Our clocks were set back another hour last night. There is now a 2 hour time difference from home.
We woke up early this morning (about 5:30 am). I really wanted to go to the dining room this morning for breakfast but it didn't open until 7:30 am. There was no way I could wait that long to eat. My dinner wasn't very good last night so I didn't eat much and was hungry this morning. We ordered room service for breakfast shortly after we got up and then decided to watch "Valentines Day" on TV at 6:00 am. After that was over we watched "When In Rome" They were both good movies and when they were over it was time to go see what was going on.
We made our morning trip to the casino to spend our $20 and neither of us won anything. After that it was time for our daily bingo game. They only played one game today with a guaranteed $300 jackpot. There were about 60 or 70 people in there playing and guess who won? Me! When you win bingo you have to go to Guest Relations and get your money. After I did that we were near the dining room so we decided to go over there and eat lunch. When we got to the dining room there wasn't a line which was a nice surprise. However when we asked for a table for 2 they said they didn't have any and there would be a long wait. I told them we would just go call room service. When we got back to the room and looked at the menu we decided to go to Johnny Rocket's instead. There was a line up there but it moved fast.
We tried to go to the internet cafe so Mary P could check her e-mail and all the computers were being used. They really should have more computers for a ship this size. It is often hard to find one available. Have I mentioned lately how bad their wi-fi is? They really should have it all over the ship so you don't have to go hunting for a good connection. When I sail on Holland America I have always been able to get a connection in my cabin.
We watched TV and napped all afternoon. It was a lazy day. When we went to dinner I was still full from lunch and really not hungry. The menu was not very good this evening. Nothing interested me at all. I am beginning to realize that I really don't like the food on this cruise but I am sure I will still gain weight. I tried to have prime rib last night (which I usually love) and it had no taste whatsoever. It wasn't worth the energy it took to chew it so I ate very little of it. We went to a question and answer the other day with the cruise director and someone asked her the breakdown of nationalities on the ship. They majority on board are Americans so I don't understand why they have such strange menus. I might understand it if the majority of passengers were from Europe or somewhere else, but they aren't.
I ordered salad, steak and baked potato. I ate about half of all of it and I was miserable. The waiter wanted to know what was wrong and did I want something else and then the supervisor asked the same thing. He told me I needed to get 2 desserts. I looked at the dessert menu and there were 3 desserts that sounded good but there was no way I would be able to put anything else in my mouth. I told them that I would just order 3 desserts the next night. I told Mary P that tomorrow we need to go to the dining room for breakfast and eat a very light lunch so I could eat dinner. I guess we will see how that plan goes. I might add that Mary P cleaned her plate and said she was miserable too but was afraid if she didn't eat it all they would think we were still eating.
We went to the early show tonight. It was a concert pianist and I really enjoyed the show. He was wearing a pinky ring in the shape of a baby grand piano that he said that Liberace gave to him.
I really miss not being able to get any current news. We get Fox News but hear the same thing all day long. Nothing seems to be current.
We have had rain off and on today and the seas are a little rougher than they had been but not as bad as last week.
The first thing I want to do when I get home is have Mexican food!
We woke up early this morning (about 5:30 am). I really wanted to go to the dining room this morning for breakfast but it didn't open until 7:30 am. There was no way I could wait that long to eat. My dinner wasn't very good last night so I didn't eat much and was hungry this morning. We ordered room service for breakfast shortly after we got up and then decided to watch "Valentines Day" on TV at 6:00 am. After that was over we watched "When In Rome" They were both good movies and when they were over it was time to go see what was going on.
We made our morning trip to the casino to spend our $20 and neither of us won anything. After that it was time for our daily bingo game. They only played one game today with a guaranteed $300 jackpot. There were about 60 or 70 people in there playing and guess who won? Me! When you win bingo you have to go to Guest Relations and get your money. After I did that we were near the dining room so we decided to go over there and eat lunch. When we got to the dining room there wasn't a line which was a nice surprise. However when we asked for a table for 2 they said they didn't have any and there would be a long wait. I told them we would just go call room service. When we got back to the room and looked at the menu we decided to go to Johnny Rocket's instead. There was a line up there but it moved fast.
We tried to go to the internet cafe so Mary P could check her e-mail and all the computers were being used. They really should have more computers for a ship this size. It is often hard to find one available. Have I mentioned lately how bad their wi-fi is? They really should have it all over the ship so you don't have to go hunting for a good connection. When I sail on Holland America I have always been able to get a connection in my cabin.
We watched TV and napped all afternoon. It was a lazy day. When we went to dinner I was still full from lunch and really not hungry. The menu was not very good this evening. Nothing interested me at all. I am beginning to realize that I really don't like the food on this cruise but I am sure I will still gain weight. I tried to have prime rib last night (which I usually love) and it had no taste whatsoever. It wasn't worth the energy it took to chew it so I ate very little of it. We went to a question and answer the other day with the cruise director and someone asked her the breakdown of nationalities on the ship. They majority on board are Americans so I don't understand why they have such strange menus. I might understand it if the majority of passengers were from Europe or somewhere else, but they aren't.
I ordered salad, steak and baked potato. I ate about half of all of it and I was miserable. The waiter wanted to know what was wrong and did I want something else and then the supervisor asked the same thing. He told me I needed to get 2 desserts. I looked at the dessert menu and there were 3 desserts that sounded good but there was no way I would be able to put anything else in my mouth. I told them that I would just order 3 desserts the next night. I told Mary P that tomorrow we need to go to the dining room for breakfast and eat a very light lunch so I could eat dinner. I guess we will see how that plan goes. I might add that Mary P cleaned her plate and said she was miserable too but was afraid if she didn't eat it all they would think we were still eating.
We went to the early show tonight. It was a concert pianist and I really enjoyed the show. He was wearing a pinky ring in the shape of a baby grand piano that he said that Liberace gave to him.
I really miss not being able to get any current news. We get Fox News but hear the same thing all day long. Nothing seems to be current.
We have had rain off and on today and the seas are a little rougher than they had been but not as bad as last week.
The first thing I want to do when I get home is have Mexican food!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010 -- At Sea
We set our clocks back another hour last night. Now there is a 3 hour time difference from home. As our cruise director said -- we booked a 14 day cruise and by the time it is over we will have close to 15 days because of the time changes.
We had another leisurely morning with room service for breakfast. We also watched a movie on TV -- Young Victoria. I had never heard of it and didn't understand half of what was going on but it was good in the end. I will say one thing for Royal Caribbean, they have pretty good movies on TV. They also have a movie theatre on board with good movies but we haven't made it down there yet.
We spent our $20 in the casino but didn't win anything so we headed on to Bingo. They played 4 games. On the second game I only needed 1 number and somebody else won. On the third game Mary P only needed 1 number and somebody else won. On the fourth game Mary P and I both only needed 1 number and guess what. Nobody else won -- we both did! We won $112.88 each. That was pretty nice so we took $20 back to casino to try and make more but no such luck.
We went to the dining room to eat lunch but took one look at the menu and it sounded gross so we went to the Windjammer Buffett and had a hamburger which was pretty good. After that there was a raffle drawing at the spa so we decided to go check it out. When we got there they had a cup full of numbers that we were supposed to take one and then go downstairs and wait for the drawing. I drew number 31. When we got downstairs Mary P whispered to me that she took 2 numbers -- 47 and 48 and said number 47 was in her right pocket and 48 was in her left pocket. Why did that not surprise me! They had several drawings for prizes -- a free body analysis (I don't need anybody to tell me how much fat I have on my body!), 3 different certificates for 30% off treatments, 50% off acupuncture and the grand prize was $250 worth of spa products. When they announced the grand prize Mary P told me she would like to have that one. Well guess what -- she won! When she went to claim her prize they wanted her to book a treatment so someone could tell her what she needed to buy. She already knew what she wanted, they still tried to talk her into a treatment, but for those of you that know Mary P, she was very persistent and got her point across about what she wanted and walked out of the spa with a sack full of $250 of products.
Tonight was formal night again. They don't really dress up that much on this ship so that is good. We went to dinner and the menu really wasn't that good again so I didn't eat much. I did have Cherries Jubilee for dessert and that was good. After dinner we went to the show. It was a woman that was a Celine Dion impersonator. She was pretty good and there were a lot of people there to see her. I even saw the Captain there.
I am going to try and see if I can get wi-fi to go post the past 3 days now. They had told us we would have spotty satellite service so I haven't even tried since we left land.
We had another leisurely morning with room service for breakfast. We also watched a movie on TV -- Young Victoria. I had never heard of it and didn't understand half of what was going on but it was good in the end. I will say one thing for Royal Caribbean, they have pretty good movies on TV. They also have a movie theatre on board with good movies but we haven't made it down there yet.
We spent our $20 in the casino but didn't win anything so we headed on to Bingo. They played 4 games. On the second game I only needed 1 number and somebody else won. On the third game Mary P only needed 1 number and somebody else won. On the fourth game Mary P and I both only needed 1 number and guess what. Nobody else won -- we both did! We won $112.88 each. That was pretty nice so we took $20 back to casino to try and make more but no such luck.
We went to the dining room to eat lunch but took one look at the menu and it sounded gross so we went to the Windjammer Buffett and had a hamburger which was pretty good. After that there was a raffle drawing at the spa so we decided to go check it out. When we got there they had a cup full of numbers that we were supposed to take one and then go downstairs and wait for the drawing. I drew number 31. When we got downstairs Mary P whispered to me that she took 2 numbers -- 47 and 48 and said number 47 was in her right pocket and 48 was in her left pocket. Why did that not surprise me! They had several drawings for prizes -- a free body analysis (I don't need anybody to tell me how much fat I have on my body!), 3 different certificates for 30% off treatments, 50% off acupuncture and the grand prize was $250 worth of spa products. When they announced the grand prize Mary P told me she would like to have that one. Well guess what -- she won! When she went to claim her prize they wanted her to book a treatment so someone could tell her what she needed to buy. She already knew what she wanted, they still tried to talk her into a treatment, but for those of you that know Mary P, she was very persistent and got her point across about what she wanted and walked out of the spa with a sack full of $250 of products.
Tonight was formal night again. They don't really dress up that much on this ship so that is good. We went to dinner and the menu really wasn't that good again so I didn't eat much. I did have Cherries Jubilee for dessert and that was good. After dinner we went to the show. It was a woman that was a Celine Dion impersonator. She was pretty good and there were a lot of people there to see her. I even saw the Captain there.
I am going to try and see if I can get wi-fi to go post the past 3 days now. They had told us we would have spotty satellite service so I haven't even tried since we left land.
Saturday, November 13, 2010 -- At Sea
This was a pretty quiet day. We set our clocks back another hour so there is now a 4 hour time difference. Following is what we did:
1. Ate breakfast
2. Spent $20 in casino
3. Played Bingo
4. Ate Lunch -- they had Octoberfest on the Royal Promenade
5. Took a nap
6. Ate Dinner
7. Went to the show -- a violinist
8. Went to the spa
9. Went to bed
As you can see most of our day was consumed with eating!
1. Ate breakfast
2. Spent $20 in casino
3. Played Bingo
4. Ate Lunch -- they had Octoberfest on the Royal Promenade
5. Took a nap
6. Ate Dinner
7. Went to the show -- a violinist
8. Went to the spa
9. Went to bed
As you can see most of our day was consumed with eating!
Friday, November 12, 2010 -- At Sea
We were late leaving Canary Islands yesterday afternoon. We were scheduled to depart at 4:00 pm. I was out on the balcony working on my pictures on the computer and I heard someone below me talking. I thought it was someone on a lower deck. Finally I decided to get up and look to see what was going on. Everyone was supposed to be back on board by 3:30 pm and it was about that time. The gangway was still out. That was not a good sign -- that meant that everyone was not back yet. I started watching to see what was happening. About that time I saw one of the shuttle buses come and let out an older man who was pulling a suitcase. He was in a rush and I thought that must be who was missing. When he got close to the gangway someone came to help him with his bag and helped him aboard. Well it was obvious that he wasn't the only one late. The security from the ship kept coming up to a man who was on a cell phone. I decided that maybe the man's wife was late. About that time a police vehicle wheeled down there in a hurry and talked to the man and they they rushed off. About 10-15 minutes later the police vehicle came back and I could see someone else riding in the vehicle. As it pulled up to the gangway they opened the door and an elderly lady who was using a cane got out and walked onto the ship. She looked like she wasn't in any shape to be out about the town by herself and was probably lucky they found her. After she was on board the ship pulled away within about 10 minutes. That would have been terrible to leave someone in that condition behind. One of the things that they did when we got on board was take up our passports. I'm not sure what that was about but it sure wouldn't be fun to be stranded somewhere without your passport. I do have a copy of mine that I keep with me though.
This morning we got to go on our tour of the bridge. I really enjoyed it because I had never been given the opportunity to do that before. There were about 10 of us on the tour. After we signed a paper (not sure what we agreed to), we were escorted down a long hall and then a security guard met us and wander all of us and took away knives, etc from some of the men. We then were let in the bridge and one of the officers working in there explained everything to us. It was pretty interesting even though I am sure I don't remember most of what he told us. I do know that the ship was on auto-pilot since we were heading to Nassau, Bahamas and we have a long way to go. We are going full speed ahead to try and get away from the bad weather in Europe. I think he said we were going about 22 knots (whatever that is). They have all this fancy radar equipment but he said they can't rely on that completely because there are some things that radar doesn't pick up -- like sailboats. They use binoculars to be on the watch for things like that.
After the tour we went to the casino. I didn't win today but Mary P won $110. We then went to play bingo where we met up with Margie. This was Margie's first time ever to play bingo and I don't think she was real impressed but we may try to talk her into playing again. None of us won. That may be why she wasn't impressed.
After bingo we went to find Larry. He was in the room resting so Margie, Mary P and I went to lunch in the dining room. There was a really long line and as we got up to the front we broke the news to them that we wanted a table to ourselves. For any of you who haven't cruised before, they always want to seat you with others to fill up larger tables. Well they didn't have a small table so we told them we would wait. They then quickly set up a table for us. I had the most delicious quiche! The service was top notch. All of the dining room service has been the best so far.
After lunch we went to Margie and Larry's room and visited with them for a few hours. Then after that Mary P and I went back to the casino for a while. Our luck wasn't any good that time so we went back to our room to rest up before dinner. I was still full from lunch but didn't want to be rude and not go for my scheduled dinner time at 5:30 pm!
Dinner was good as usual. While we were sitting there the Captain came in and greeted a few passengers. He spoke to the table next to us for quite a while. He came in with 2 men and I had no idea who they were. As the Captain walked off to go to his table, one of the men came up to us and introduced himself. He was the Maitre'd and said he was the one that had a special table set up for us. I told him that we really appreciated it and we both told him they were were enjoying our dining experience. He then asked us if he could get us a glass of wine and we said yes. He then told someone to get us wine and someone immediately brought it to us.
We finished dinner in a hurry and I told Mary P we should go on to the early show at 6:45 pm. We rushed down there and there weren't very many people there which was nice. We saw Margie and Larry sitting there so we joined them. There was an impersonator performing. He was so funny and very talented. The last person he did was Elvis and he was a hoot! He came out into the audience several times during his performance. Each time he came out in the audience he came further back. We felt sure we were safe as far back as we were. Boy were we wrong! The last song Larry kept trying to hold Margie's hand up to get his attention. I saw him looking back there and I thought Margie was a goner. I couldn't have been more wrong. He came back there and looked at Margie, me and Mary P and said "uno, dos, tres". I knew then that we were in trouble. He jumped over the chairs and laid down in our laps. Mary P reached up and rubbed his stomach and belt and he said "watch where you put your hand lady". It was hilarious! Mary P said she was just checking to see if the jewels on his belt were real.
Well I guess that is all we did today. There is another show tonight at 10:30. It is going to be a Mentalist but we are going to skip that show. We have new channels on our TV tonight so I think we will watch them. We lose another hour tonight so tomorrow there will be a 4 hour time difference with home.
This morning we got to go on our tour of the bridge. I really enjoyed it because I had never been given the opportunity to do that before. There were about 10 of us on the tour. After we signed a paper (not sure what we agreed to), we were escorted down a long hall and then a security guard met us and wander all of us and took away knives, etc from some of the men. We then were let in the bridge and one of the officers working in there explained everything to us. It was pretty interesting even though I am sure I don't remember most of what he told us. I do know that the ship was on auto-pilot since we were heading to Nassau, Bahamas and we have a long way to go. We are going full speed ahead to try and get away from the bad weather in Europe. I think he said we were going about 22 knots (whatever that is). They have all this fancy radar equipment but he said they can't rely on that completely because there are some things that radar doesn't pick up -- like sailboats. They use binoculars to be on the watch for things like that.
After the tour we went to the casino. I didn't win today but Mary P won $110. We then went to play bingo where we met up with Margie. This was Margie's first time ever to play bingo and I don't think she was real impressed but we may try to talk her into playing again. None of us won. That may be why she wasn't impressed.
After bingo we went to find Larry. He was in the room resting so Margie, Mary P and I went to lunch in the dining room. There was a really long line and as we got up to the front we broke the news to them that we wanted a table to ourselves. For any of you who haven't cruised before, they always want to seat you with others to fill up larger tables. Well they didn't have a small table so we told them we would wait. They then quickly set up a table for us. I had the most delicious quiche! The service was top notch. All of the dining room service has been the best so far.
After lunch we went to Margie and Larry's room and visited with them for a few hours. Then after that Mary P and I went back to the casino for a while. Our luck wasn't any good that time so we went back to our room to rest up before dinner. I was still full from lunch but didn't want to be rude and not go for my scheduled dinner time at 5:30 pm!
Dinner was good as usual. While we were sitting there the Captain came in and greeted a few passengers. He spoke to the table next to us for quite a while. He came in with 2 men and I had no idea who they were. As the Captain walked off to go to his table, one of the men came up to us and introduced himself. He was the Maitre'd and said he was the one that had a special table set up for us. I told him that we really appreciated it and we both told him they were were enjoying our dining experience. He then asked us if he could get us a glass of wine and we said yes. He then told someone to get us wine and someone immediately brought it to us.
We finished dinner in a hurry and I told Mary P we should go on to the early show at 6:45 pm. We rushed down there and there weren't very many people there which was nice. We saw Margie and Larry sitting there so we joined them. There was an impersonator performing. He was so funny and very talented. The last person he did was Elvis and he was a hoot! He came out into the audience several times during his performance. Each time he came out in the audience he came further back. We felt sure we were safe as far back as we were. Boy were we wrong! The last song Larry kept trying to hold Margie's hand up to get his attention. I saw him looking back there and I thought Margie was a goner. I couldn't have been more wrong. He came back there and looked at Margie, me and Mary P and said "uno, dos, tres". I knew then that we were in trouble. He jumped over the chairs and laid down in our laps. Mary P reached up and rubbed his stomach and belt and he said "watch where you put your hand lady". It was hilarious! Mary P said she was just checking to see if the jewels on his belt were real.
Well I guess that is all we did today. There is another show tonight at 10:30. It is going to be a Mentalist but we are going to skip that show. We have new channels on our TV tonight so I think we will watch them. We lose another hour tonight so tomorrow there will be a 4 hour time difference with home.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Pictures
I have been trying to post more pictures to the blog. This internet is the slowest I have ever seen. I will have to wait until I return home to post the pictures or it will cost me a small fortune. I don't have a hot spot in my room and just roam all over the ship to find a hot spot. Sometimes when I sit down and try to do something then the connection drops. I guess they want me to use their computer but I don't want to do that.
Thursday, November 11 -- Canary Islands
We were able to pull ourselves out of bed early today for breakfast and then an early morning tour. We are in the Canary Islands today and decided to book a ship excursion for this port. We saw a lot but we probably should have just gone into town and walked around instead. We had several photo stops as well as a stop at a rain forest. Our tour description said we had to be able to walk 0.25 miles over uneven, gravel and direct terrain. We figured we would be able to handle that. What they failed to tell us was that when we went to the rain forest we would have to walk 0.25 miles straight up a hill. Once we got up to the top there was a visitor center with nothing written in English and restrooms that you had to walk down stairs to get to. We just turned around and walked back down the hill -- thinking that would be easier than walking up the hill but with my knee it was more difficult.
We did stop in a small village where they served us breakfast. It was bread, goat cheese, potatoes, small banana, and some kind of cake. It was served with a glass of wine. It also had some kind of sauce to put on the bread -- oil and something mixed together that made it kind of spicy. That was a welcome stop! As the tour director said, they knew that on cruise ships we get fed every 2 hours and we had been on the tour for 2 hours at that time so they knew they needed to feed us.
We got back to the ship at 12:30 pm. There is a shuttle bus that we could have taken to go back to town and done some shopping. However, they have siesta from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm each day. By they time we got back I am sure everything would have been shut down. I think we are leaving port around 4:00 pm or so.
Tonight we have tickets to the ice show. I am looking forward to that. They also have ice skating that we can do on the ship but I think I will pass on that. I probably would break something. I also am passing on the rock climbing.
Starting tonight for the next 5 nights we will be setting our clocks back 1 hour so we can start to be closer to the time at home.
That's all for now. If anything exciting happens tonight I will come back at report on that later. I think I will try and get an internet connection before everyone gets back on board. Maybe it will be stronger before everyone else starts to use it.
We did stop in a small village where they served us breakfast. It was bread, goat cheese, potatoes, small banana, and some kind of cake. It was served with a glass of wine. It also had some kind of sauce to put on the bread -- oil and something mixed together that made it kind of spicy. That was a welcome stop! As the tour director said, they knew that on cruise ships we get fed every 2 hours and we had been on the tour for 2 hours at that time so they knew they needed to feed us.
We got back to the ship at 12:30 pm. There is a shuttle bus that we could have taken to go back to town and done some shopping. However, they have siesta from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm each day. By they time we got back I am sure everything would have been shut down. I think we are leaving port around 4:00 pm or so.
Tonight we have tickets to the ice show. I am looking forward to that. They also have ice skating that we can do on the ship but I think I will pass on that. I probably would break something. I also am passing on the rock climbing.
Starting tonight for the next 5 nights we will be setting our clocks back 1 hour so we can start to be closer to the time at home.
That's all for now. If anything exciting happens tonight I will come back at report on that later. I think I will try and get an internet connection before everyone gets back on board. Maybe it will be stronger before everyone else starts to use it.
Wednesday, November 10 -- Funchal, Portugal
Boy was the ship rocking and rolling last night. I think it was the worst it has been the whole trip. The captain did say this morning that we should have smooth sailing ahead. Good thing!
We went to the show last night and it was a group called Bee Gees Magic that did a Bee Gees Tribute Show. They were good and entertaining. After the show we were trying to decide what to do next. About that time the ship took a dive and we almost fell down. We then decided that we needed to just go to the room and stay out of trouble.
Today we were in Funchal, Madeira Portugal. We booked a private excursion with a company that took us on a tour of the island. The tour lasted about 4 hours and we got to see a lot of amazing things. The houses here are built on the side of mountains. Some houses don't have streets in front of them -- only stairs from the street either up or down depending on where the house is located. All supplies have to be carried by stairs -- this includes furniture, appliances, groceries, etc. Sure not a way I would want to live. I would have to have a street in front of my house.
We shared this excursion with Margie and Larry Oliver and we all had a good time. We ended the tour with a toboggan ride down the hill. For those of you that don't know what this is, it is basically where you sit in a sled like basket contraption and you have 2 guys pushing you down a hill in the middle of the road. I forgot to mention that there are also cars on this road that the guys have to make sure don't run into the baskets. It was a blast and I definitely recommend it to anyone making it to this port.
After the toboggan ride our tour guide took us to a local market which really stunk with all of the fresh fish and fresh meat hanging. However we did find something that I got really excited about -- Dr. Pepper! They only had 3 so I bought all 3. They were 1.10 euros each. They charged me 3.50 euros for all 3 so I guess they either charged me tax or took advantage of me. I really didn't care because I had my Dr. Pepper. Our tour guide was surprised we found them. He said he had never seen them on the island.
After we got back to the ship we went straight to dinner. We were ready for this because we didn't get lunch. I was ready to eat everything in sight. After dinner, we went to the casino. I will only take no more than $20 a day to the casino so I don't overdo it and we haven't even been going every day. Tonight I turned that $20 into $80 and Mary P turned her $20 into $50 so we both felt we had a pretty good day.
Tomorrow morning will be an early morning because we have to be ready for our tour at 8:15 am. This will be a tour of the North Shore of La Palma, Canary Islands.
I have tried to put more pictures on the web site but the internet here is slower than slow. I am not sure how many more I will be able to upload but I will keep trying.
We went to the show last night and it was a group called Bee Gees Magic that did a Bee Gees Tribute Show. They were good and entertaining. After the show we were trying to decide what to do next. About that time the ship took a dive and we almost fell down. We then decided that we needed to just go to the room and stay out of trouble.
Today we were in Funchal, Madeira Portugal. We booked a private excursion with a company that took us on a tour of the island. The tour lasted about 4 hours and we got to see a lot of amazing things. The houses here are built on the side of mountains. Some houses don't have streets in front of them -- only stairs from the street either up or down depending on where the house is located. All supplies have to be carried by stairs -- this includes furniture, appliances, groceries, etc. Sure not a way I would want to live. I would have to have a street in front of my house.
We shared this excursion with Margie and Larry Oliver and we all had a good time. We ended the tour with a toboggan ride down the hill. For those of you that don't know what this is, it is basically where you sit in a sled like basket contraption and you have 2 guys pushing you down a hill in the middle of the road. I forgot to mention that there are also cars on this road that the guys have to make sure don't run into the baskets. It was a blast and I definitely recommend it to anyone making it to this port.
After the toboggan ride our tour guide took us to a local market which really stunk with all of the fresh fish and fresh meat hanging. However we did find something that I got really excited about -- Dr. Pepper! They only had 3 so I bought all 3. They were 1.10 euros each. They charged me 3.50 euros for all 3 so I guess they either charged me tax or took advantage of me. I really didn't care because I had my Dr. Pepper. Our tour guide was surprised we found them. He said he had never seen them on the island.
After we got back to the ship we went straight to dinner. We were ready for this because we didn't get lunch. I was ready to eat everything in sight. After dinner, we went to the casino. I will only take no more than $20 a day to the casino so I don't overdo it and we haven't even been going every day. Tonight I turned that $20 into $80 and Mary P turned her $20 into $50 so we both felt we had a pretty good day.
Tomorrow morning will be an early morning because we have to be ready for our tour at 8:15 am. This will be a tour of the North Shore of La Palma, Canary Islands.
I have tried to put more pictures on the web site but the internet here is slower than slow. I am not sure how many more I will be able to upload but I will keep trying.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
It was a very rough night at sea. The boat was rocking and rolling all night long and is still that way today. It is very difficult to walk around the ship and all outside activities have either been cancelled or moved inside.
After our Cabin Steward added more padding to our beds we were able to sleep better last night. We had room service for breakfast which was ok but nothing spectacular. We then went to bingo and didn't win but it was something to do. We went to the internet cafe for me to try and post some of the blog. I brought my computer with me so have to do it wifi and so far I have been unable to get a signal so when these are finally posted, there will be several days at once. I think that since the sea is so rough that the satellite may be down.
We went to the Windjammer Buffet for lunch. Nothing looked too appealing to me so I just got a hamburger. It was very good. One of the nice things about being in a suite is that when we go to the buffet and get our food, there is a special section that we can go and sit and have waiter service to get our drinks. This is a more relaxed atmosphere and so far we haven't had to wait for a seat.
We will be having our first formal night tonight. I have already checked out the menu and know what I am going to order. I am just glad we will finally be allowed to eat in the dining room so we can see how it is.
We are getting more used to the ship but it is very big and anytime there is anything we want to do it is always at the opposite end of the ship! We had planned on walking 3 miles a day around the deck but with the windy weather, this is not possible. Oh well.
We received invitations to go on a galley tour and to go on a tour of the bridge. We have signed up for the bridge tour. We have been on galley tours but never been invited on a bridge tour before. We were told that the tour would be on Day 6 which translates to this coming Friday. Everything is by day number which makes it difficult to keep up with what day it is.
After our Cabin Steward added more padding to our beds we were able to sleep better last night. We had room service for breakfast which was ok but nothing spectacular. We then went to bingo and didn't win but it was something to do. We went to the internet cafe for me to try and post some of the blog. I brought my computer with me so have to do it wifi and so far I have been unable to get a signal so when these are finally posted, there will be several days at once. I think that since the sea is so rough that the satellite may be down.
We went to the Windjammer Buffet for lunch. Nothing looked too appealing to me so I just got a hamburger. It was very good. One of the nice things about being in a suite is that when we go to the buffet and get our food, there is a special section that we can go and sit and have waiter service to get our drinks. This is a more relaxed atmosphere and so far we haven't had to wait for a seat.
We will be having our first formal night tonight. I have already checked out the menu and know what I am going to order. I am just glad we will finally be allowed to eat in the dining room so we can see how it is.
We are getting more used to the ship but it is very big and anytime there is anything we want to do it is always at the opposite end of the ship! We had planned on walking 3 miles a day around the deck but with the windy weather, this is not possible. Oh well.
We received invitations to go on a galley tour and to go on a tour of the bridge. We have signed up for the bridge tour. We have been on galley tours but never been invited on a bridge tour before. We were told that the tour would be on Day 6 which translates to this coming Friday. Everything is by day number which makes it difficult to keep up with what day it is.
Monday, November 8, 2010 -- Cartagena, Spain
We arrived in Cartagena at 10:00 am Monday morning. We didn't have any excursions planned and just planned on getting off the ship and walking into town. When we got off the ship there was an information booth handing out maps so we asked them the directions to the Roman Amphitheatre. It was very close so we went there. We had to purchase tickets to go through a museum which ended up at the Amphitheatre. That made it an easy way to do it, because we went through underground tunnels and they also had escalators so we didn't have to climb a lot of stairs. After we saw this we just walked around town. It was a charming town with a lot of sidewalk cafes. I will try to post pictures of some of the sights. I will be on the ship's internet so I am not sure how fast it will be. After we got back to the ship we both got a massage which felt so good after that terrible night of sleep.
I did talk to our cabin steward and told him how uncomfortable the beds were. He said the beds were brand new and had just been replaced last week. He also had noticed how hard they seemed and that he would put more padding on them to see if that helped.
Mary P decided to find out about where we were supposed to be dining since nobody had ever gotten back with us. She stayed on them and made several calls. By 5:30 we had not gotten an answer (that is when early dining starts) so we just ordered room serves off the dining room menu. They delivered it within about 15 minutes and set it up on the table for us with white table cloth and all. It was very good. While we were eating the Maitre'd called and told us he had a table for 2 for us for late dining. She told him that wouldn't work. He then called back in about 5 minutes with a table for 2 for early dining. That was exactly what we wanted so I guess that is where we will be going tomorrow night.
As we were leaving Cartagena this evening the Captain came on the speaker and told us we were going to be having very high rough seas tonight and for everyone to be careful. He then came back on later and asked everyone that was on the outside decks to go inside so the crew could properly tie down everything. Sounds like we are in for a rocky night and maybe a rocky day tomorrow.
I did talk to our cabin steward and told him how uncomfortable the beds were. He said the beds were brand new and had just been replaced last week. He also had noticed how hard they seemed and that he would put more padding on them to see if that helped.
Mary P decided to find out about where we were supposed to be dining since nobody had ever gotten back with us. She stayed on them and made several calls. By 5:30 we had not gotten an answer (that is when early dining starts) so we just ordered room serves off the dining room menu. They delivered it within about 15 minutes and set it up on the table for us with white table cloth and all. It was very good. While we were eating the Maitre'd called and told us he had a table for 2 for us for late dining. She told him that wouldn't work. He then called back in about 5 minutes with a table for 2 for early dining. That was exactly what we wanted so I guess that is where we will be going tomorrow night.
As we were leaving Cartagena this evening the Captain came on the speaker and told us we were going to be having very high rough seas tonight and for everyone to be careful. He then came back on later and asked everyone that was on the outside decks to go inside so the crew could properly tie down everything. Sounds like we are in for a rocky night and maybe a rocky day tomorrow.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
We arrived to the ship around Noon on Sunday and checked in quickly. However, the cruise that had just ended evidently had an outbreak of the noro-virus so that caused us to be delayed in boarding. We had to wait about an hour and a half until they called our number. Then once we got on board our rooms were still not ready. We looked around the ship for a while and it seemed really nice. We then decided to go check out our dining room table assignment. I sent Mary P inside the dining room to check it out while I waited outside with our carry on luggage. She came back out and told us our table for 2 request had turned in to a table for 12! Well that wasn't going to do. We went to request to have it changed and were told nothing was available and that we could do Anytime Dining. We went to that dining room and requested to be changed to that dining. They were unable to help. We went to our Concierge for help on this. He said he would help -- he didn't. When it came time for dinner we had no place to go. So we went to Johnny Rocket's. Tammie had told me how good it was so we thought we would try it out. Tammie was right -- it was really good and a lot of fun. We tried to do several things on Sunday night but nothing really worked out so we decided to call it a night and go to the room and watch movies on TV. I think we watched 3 of them and finally turned the TV off at 2:00 am. Now the hard part was going to sleep. The beds were the most uncomfortable beds I had ever been on. I am thinking worse than maybe Motel 6 or so. I ended up sleeping on the couch with my feet hanging off the end. It was much more comfortable than the bed.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday Morning
We had a good nights sleep, had a good breakfast and got to see the Pope in Barcelona. I posted pictures. We are now about ready to head towards the ship. I'll try and post again later with more pictures. My computer is running out of power and I forgot my adapter for Europe so will recharge when I get on board.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Barcelona
We finally made it to Barcelona. It has been a long day! The first class flight was very comfortable but was rather warm in the cabin. When we boarded they gave us an amenities kit that included miscellaneous toiletries, a pair of pajamas, a pair of slippers and socks. The men were the only ones that changed into their PJ's. I posted a picture of one of them.
When we landed in Frankfurt they didn't pick us up in a Mercedes like they had told us. First Class was full so they picked the 8 of us up in a huge bus. They took us and dumped us out and we followed the crowd only to find that we really didn't know where we were going. We had to go through passport control which wasn't a big deal. I breezed on through with no questions. They had to chit chat with Mary P and wanted to know where she was going and what she was going to do when she got there. After that we had to go through airport security and be scanned. I breezed through that also and as I was putting things back together Mary P passed by and told me she would be a few minutes because she was being checked for explosives. She asked the man why she was selected. He said it was totally random. I guess this was Mary P's day! After that we finally managed to make it to the First Class Lounge. It was very nice but we were really too tired to enjoy it. They were serving breakfast when we got there and lunch when we left. As you can see from our pictures that we posted so far, all they did was feed us on the plane so we weren't really hungry. After a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt we took a 2 hour flight to Barcelona. They fed us again! I failed to get a picture of that meal but it was very good.
When we landed in Barcelona our bags were the only ones that had come out, so off we went and found the man standing holding a sign with my name. He took our luggage and loaded it in the car and we were at our hotel in about 20 minutes. He did pick us up in a Mercedes and I am not sure he spoke any English but that was ok.
Checking in to the Hilton was a breeze. We did get a complimentary upgrade to the Executive Lounge Floor which includes snacks in the evening and breakfast tomorrow morning. We also get free internet access which is how I am able to be posting this.
There is a mall across the street from the hotel. We went over there briefly to try and purchase a few things. We were glad to be back to our hotel. We won't be going back out tonight. Our plans are to get a good nights rest and go to the ship tomorrow around Noon.
We did have a little hair dryer mis-hap tonight but I won't get in to that. You know what happens in Barcelona stays in Barcelona! I will just mention that we have 3 of them in our room -- and if any of you talk to Mary P ask her about her luggage key that is in the United States!
When we landed in Frankfurt they didn't pick us up in a Mercedes like they had told us. First Class was full so they picked the 8 of us up in a huge bus. They took us and dumped us out and we followed the crowd only to find that we really didn't know where we were going. We had to go through passport control which wasn't a big deal. I breezed on through with no questions. They had to chit chat with Mary P and wanted to know where she was going and what she was going to do when she got there. After that we had to go through airport security and be scanned. I breezed through that also and as I was putting things back together Mary P passed by and told me she would be a few minutes because she was being checked for explosives. She asked the man why she was selected. He said it was totally random. I guess this was Mary P's day! After that we finally managed to make it to the First Class Lounge. It was very nice but we were really too tired to enjoy it. They were serving breakfast when we got there and lunch when we left. As you can see from our pictures that we posted so far, all they did was feed us on the plane so we weren't really hungry. After a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt we took a 2 hour flight to Barcelona. They fed us again! I failed to get a picture of that meal but it was very good.
When we landed in Barcelona our bags were the only ones that had come out, so off we went and found the man standing holding a sign with my name. He took our luggage and loaded it in the car and we were at our hotel in about 20 minutes. He did pick us up in a Mercedes and I am not sure he spoke any English but that was ok.
Checking in to the Hilton was a breeze. We did get a complimentary upgrade to the Executive Lounge Floor which includes snacks in the evening and breakfast tomorrow morning. We also get free internet access which is how I am able to be posting this.
There is a mall across the street from the hotel. We went over there briefly to try and purchase a few things. We were glad to be back to our hotel. We won't be going back out tonight. Our plans are to get a good nights rest and go to the ship tomorrow around Noon.
We did have a little hair dryer mis-hap tonight but I won't get in to that. You know what happens in Barcelona stays in Barcelona! I will just mention that we have 3 of them in our room -- and if any of you talk to Mary P ask her about her luggage key that is in the United States!
Friday, November 5, 2010
DFW Airport
We just checked in for our flight at DFW. We are flying on Lufthansa in FIRST CLASS! Looking forward to see how it is going to be. Our flight leaves in a little over an hour so we are hanging out in the club until boarding time. The flight is 9 hours 50 minutes to Frankfurt. We have about a 3 to 4 hour layover before we continue on to Barcelona tomorrow. I will try and get pictures of first class on the plane and of the Mercedes that will pick us up at the plane to take us to the terminal in Frankfurt. We were able to get these tickets by using air miles.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Barcelona to Galveston -- Voyager of the Seas
I will be flying off to Barcelona on Friday and cruising back to Galveston. I have always wanted to do a transatlantic cruise and am excited to be doing one. I will try to post on a regular basis and include pictures of our adventures. This is my first time on Royal Caribbean so look forward to see how it differs from Holland America.
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