ottahand7

Casino has finally loosened up towards the end of the cruise and it keeps more patrons playing. We play slots exclusively. I was down a lot and won it all back last evening. If I win on a machine I cash out and move to the next. Probably will be loose tonight to send people home on a happier note, time will tell. I played one machine, can't recall the name of it - it had drop down red, gold and silver balls. I think I know why the machine is never played, I won 8 balls, one mini for $5.12, three $5 and two smaller denominations and they added up to $20. The screen disappeared too fast for a photo. Will play it tonight to get some evidence with my camera ready. Food has been uniformly good. The only things that are losers are baked potatoes which are cooked in advance, dried up and barely warm. From our balcony in Bimini today we saw many fish, a sea turtle and a Kingfisher bird. Can't get them well with cell phone camera.

It looks rainy out in Bimini and looks like not much at the end of the pier so I spent some time providing feedback on our crew through the Navigator. I am caught up so will share some thoughts as we come near the end of this 10 day cruise. HIA beverage package - good thing we don't get near our limit because when we order call high end whiskey and tequila they get the jigger out and give us an exact ounce. Generous pours are a thing of the past. Beverage service in the casino is poor. I start my night going to the Gallery bar and ordering my Patron tequila in a snifter and go to my machine. I flag down a waiter and ask for another shot in the same glass. Patron Anejo is $3 extra. I tip $2 and tell her I need service so check with me if I need more. It has helped with service on subsequent evenings. More to come.

Good morning from near Bimini. It looks to be cloudy. A lazy day for us with some packing as we move to a new suite in Fort Lauderdale. Thanks for the Daily and fleet reports Jacqui and Roy. I may seek out some chicken curry in the Lido today. We have missed lunch in the Lido the last several days. Complimentary PG dinner for us tonight for John getting a free shower on the balcony. Prayers for everyone on our care list, so many in our lovely group going through so much at this time. Prayers for the fighters and people of Ukraine so determined not to fail. Prayers for the hostages still held in Gaza and for some peace in that area. Have a lovely Friday! Nancy

Today's Daily for Bimini. We may or may not go ashore. Depends on if there is a shuttle to the nearby resort.

As I shared earlier we had lunch in the PG today. We were pleasantly surprised by the depth of the menu. Service was efficient and food hot in a very busy restaurant today.

@Cruzin Terri I truly feel for you and your DH. I will pray for you both. Flood then health crisis. @marshhawk and @JazzyV battling health challenges and floods. May God hold you under His wings for all three of you and your DHS and BFF. Roy I Hope you get some rest tonight and all goes well with your busy day tomorrow and your third treatment.

Safe travels to Fort Lauderdale. Please feel free to add to this post with photos or comments as you enjoy your cruise. We hope to meet you onboard! 🛳️🍾

We had a nice dinner in the MDR tonight but somehow we missed it was Gold Gala night. The menu was the usual format in the dark blue folder. We had gold napkin rings. Escargot and shrimp cocktail were special starters, duck and tenderloin for mains. No photos from dinner but some from our premium wine tasting, Pinnacle Grill lunch Cioppino, crab cakes and burger and the cake event in the Lido today.🎂

Good morning from the windy Caribbean. We are on our way to our last port Bimini tomorrow. They are having the cake event in the Lido where I normally eat my first meal of the day at 11:30. Therefore we lucked out getting a reservation for lunch in the Pinnacle Grill at 12:30. Then we have a premium wine tasting at 2. Therefore I am off the gym in a couple of minutes. @marshhawk you are a wonderful person and a great communicator, don't get down about your occupation, use the carrot of cruising as your reward for your efforts. @StLouisCruisers tell Ren Happy birthday! 🎂 Today's sunrise.

Today's Daily Activities. Cake me away and a beautiful sunrise.

@canadarocks I thought some more about accessibility of our Treasure Bay private cabana and there are small stairs down to the dining level. This photo shows them on the right.

@HAL Sailer I appreciate your heart rending message and Melissa I will pray for you and your DH as you bear through this. You know we are all here backing you up. @kochleffel Ditto on your tour. Our 4.5 hour tour left at 9:00 and returned at 2:15. At least we got our money's worth.

Thanks for the details on chocolate from our "resident" expert!

After a long day of in port today we aren't going to see much of the Orange Party but here are a few photos from the Rolling Stone lounge. Officers were in the hall greeting partiers. "Note to self slots are loose on Orange Party Night".

CC or Starlink uncooperative tonight. Our dinner plus a dining room pet peeve. Face Time with grandkids in the MDR while others are trying to have a nice dinner.

We had a lovely dinner in the MDR tonight. John had the cheese plate as a starter and I had the coconut crusted pork meatballs, they were steaming hot, loved that. Our prime rib was exactly as requested mine rare John's MR. No horseradish sauce offered so John asked for horseradish. Our wonderful waiter Jaka brought some for each of us which we mixed with the sour cream for our spuds to make a very nice sauce.

Sorry I beat John to it and recycled it. 🥴

Yes. I missed it. John saves every paper n a drawer. Will post it soon.

It was comfy but it took me a lot of work to unsnarl my hair. The road to the crocs and lighthouse was bumpy, I have a bad back, no problem. Our guide David was top notch and it was long. Made it back to our cabin at 3, taking advantage of the pedi cab pedal for tips. The booze prices and duty free are good in Cozumel and if looking for meds there is a fair priced pharmacy near the getting off point.

They dropped us off about 30 yards from where the VIP seating area was. Good firm sand to walk on. The pier to the private cabanas was about 120 feet long. I do not recall seeing ramps for the elevated restrooms. Probably would need to talk to HA shorex department about that area accessibility. Hope this helps. We truly enjoyed it.

30 minutes. Quite a long ride. We did see some dolphins though.

We did a HIA shore excursion today in Cozumel. Photo tour. Lots to see. David our guide was terrific.

Tonight's MDR menu.

@kazu Jacqui so glad you were able to get your elbow checked out and it wasn't broken! @dfishthanks for the bone in short rib recipes, yummy! Looks like a storm headed your way. Going ashore in Cozumel now.

Arriving in Cozumel right now. Partly cloudy and warm. We are using a HIA shore excursion Photography bus tour. We opted to stay on Cozumel. After 30 years of having a time share in Cancun we have seen all the ruins before. Our pier Puerta Maya is 3 miles from town.