Kokomo_Man

Go PEANUT!!!

I'm luvin' it.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

As I understand it... the form is only for those that booked "Early Saver". Other stuff isn't eligible.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I like mine with lettuce and tomato... Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes... Big kosher pickle and a cold draught beer. Well, good god almighty which way do I steer.

No wait... that's Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger in Paradise".

In the infamous words of Emily Litella (Gilda Radner)... "That's very different. Never Mind".

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

My PVP has always helped me out every time there was a price reduction or other kind of promotion. In fact, she has been the best travel agent of any kind that I have ever had. I know that I have a very good one.

I wish I could tell you who she is, but that's against "CC Law". So I will just recommend that you politely find a different PVP by just calling the 800 number and don't enter your "previous" PVP extension. (I've never tried this so let us know if it works.)

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I'm a chicken too. There would be nothing worse than missing a flight just after you got off the ship. I booked a 11:30 flight out of FLL for my daughter once and she barely made it.

You should allow for some kind of delay. That has happened to me a couple of times... however, not in Miami. Once in Port Canaveral no one was able to get off the ship (NCL) till 11:30. And a few weeks ago people were delayed in getting off the ship (Imagination) in Long Beach. (US customs was given as the excuse both times I mention.)

And a minor traffic accident can snarl-up the freeways in the Miami & FLL area.

Another thing to consider is that the later flights out of Miami & FLL are usually cheaper.

So I say, just plan on enjoying a leisurely morning. After all, as long as you are on the ship, you are still on vacation. You may not be having another "Drink of the Day", but it's a lot better than stressing out over making it to the airport.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

Guy Ferengie burgers are very bad for you. They have way too much cholesterol, calories and all kinds of bad stuff for you... I eat at least two a day. Mmmmmm - Mmmmmm good! :D

Now I won't book a Carnival ship that doesn't have Ferengie burgers. Does that make me an addict?

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I too can't snorkel or dive without a prescription mask, but don't worry... getting a prescription mask is easy and probably cheaper than a pair of prescription glasses.

Most dive of the larger dive shops will have masks that take prescription lenses. The lenses are an "in stock" item you just select the lens to match your prescription. Then replace the plain lens with the prescription lens. The shop or even online places will change out the lenses for you. The lenses will cost $25-$30 each. You should be able to find the mask itself for under $50. Once you buy it, the mask & lenses will last many years depending on how much you use it.

There are two places I've done business with that I can recommend. The first is scuba.com... I have bought a ton of stuff online from them. I have also bought a bunch of stuff from Divers Direct. Divers Direct has several stores in south Florida you can go into and they have always been very helpful. You can also order online from Divers Direct.

Have fun...

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

My suggestion is to get a refresher before your cruise starts. Most of the dive tours that you can take on a cruise ship are not set-up to do any kind of a refresher. If you are sailing out of South Florida my recommendation is to go to Key Largo a couple of days before you sail. This works out really well if you sail on Sunday.

(I always recommend that folks couple of days in "The Keys" before a cruise any way... a nice way to extend the vacation a little bit. For the cost of a rental car you can see a little of the Keys. Spend night before the cruise in Key Largo and drive back to the airport to drop off the rental car in the morning... several of the rental car companies will then take you to the port for free. The free transport to the port will offset the cost of the rental car.)

Rainbow Reef in Key Largo is the place I recommend for the refresher. I have been diving with them for a few years now and I really trust them. As far as their dive training & safety goes, I trusted them to teach and certify two of my kids.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I've been to Buck Island for both snorkeling and SCUBA diving. Buck Island is the place most of the cruise ship tours take you. Every time I've been to the spot, there have been several boats in the cove... some with divers and some with snorkelers.

It's really a nice place for both divers and snorkelers. There are lots of marine life and the remains of a ship-wreck. The ship-wreck is a little deep for most snorkelers but still interesting. It is probably my favorite dive place on an "Eastern" cruise. (Haven't been diving in Grand Turk yet... to busy with Margaritaville and Jack's Shack.)

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

These stories show that being left behind can happen... even to those that are conservative on their time.

One of the things I always tell folks is to take your passport with you when you get off the ship. If something does happen, then you will likely just have a great adventure to tell folks about... if you have your passport with you. If you do get left behind without a passport you will only have a horror story to tell.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

The Sunshine is only a wannabe Breeze, but is still the Destiny with some extra doo-dads. All of the venues added on the "Sunshine" were "make-do" since the ship was never designed to have them. As a result, there wasn't enough room to properly do things like the Piano Bar, Red Frog Pub, Mini-golf, or Water Works. I could go on but you get the idea.

I sailed the ship as the Destiny and as the Sunshine... to me it's still more Destiny than it is Sunshine. If the circumstances were perfect, then I would sail the Sunshine again, but I don't think that will happen. (The worst cruise I ever had was wonderful.)

If I were choosing between the Breeze and Sunshine, then there is no comparison... I would choose the Breeze.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I had an aft balcony on the Destiny (before it became the Sunshine) and just as we were leaving the dock in Ocho Rios I saw a family of three... mom, dad and little kid appear at the head of the dock. The ship may have been 20 or 30 yards from the dock and turning toward the sea.

The dad began shouting and waving... the ship kept leaving. The dad began running down the dock toward the ship, waving and shouting, "STOP THE BOAT"... the ship kept it's course. By the time "dad" reached the end of the dock, still shouting and waving... we were completely turned with the stern to the dock and picking up speed.

When I first saw the family appear, I called the guest services desk and told them of the family back on the dock. They said, "thank you for letting us know".

It wasn't long till I could no longer hear dad, but I could tell he was still waving and shouting. A little while after that he quit waving and we disappeared into the sunset.

I sure hope "dad" and his family had their passports and plenty of funds with them. I like Jamaica a lot, but I don't think it would be fun with no money and no passports... YEOOOOWWWWWWW!

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

Thank you all again for your kind comments. -- 2Ports...I sure hope you enjoy the book.

I am writing to you today as I’m winging my way back to the Frozen Tundra. (My friend Heidie that really lives in the Frozen Tundra is scoffing at me right now.) It’s been a good cruise. But then all cruises are good. I made new friends and met up with old friends. I had a few new adventures and revisited a few old ones. And of course this time of year being in the warm Caribbean is always good.

The Sunshine is truly a new ship. Gone are almost all vestiges of the old Destiny. Although the ship was theoretically “packed” I never felt crowded. If I wanted to I could always find some little hide-away to be alone and contemplate my navel. Or I could join in with the hoards having a party on deck. And I have to say again what a good job the ship’s designers did figuring out how to feed the hoards without long lines. Even during the usual “rush hours” I never had to stand in line anywhere… or at most a couple of minutes for a Ferengie burger at “all-aboard” time.

No matter what I wanted from a cruise it was there. From too much good food to a good gym to work it all off… from Caribbean adventures to “sleeping in” in the morning. And I was happy with the ship. Yes there are a few niggly problems on the ship, but so minor I can’t think of them right now.

I figured that since this was a new ship there would be refrigerators in all the cabins like the other Carnival newer ships. But there was not one on my “Oceanview” cabin. Also, the cabins all have new flat screen TVs. However there was no interactive connection for checking your bill or the day’s food menus.

Across the board the crew on this ship was exceptional. I can’t think of a single crew person I interacted with that didn’t have a pleasant hello and a smile on their face. The wait staff was very good and the room steward always took care of things.

In the end they did well with the upgrades and massive changes to the ship. It has all of the “2.0” stuff I’ve come to like. Although the Valor and Breeze are still my favorites, I would certainly sail on the Sunshine again. I would not have sailed on the Destiny again.

Usually I’m a bit melancholy as a cruise comes to an end… especially this time of the year back in the Frozen Tundra. In the past, the end of a cruise in January meant that I would have to go into hibernation until late spring when it warms up again… or ‘till I can’t stand it and jump on another Caribbean cruise. But not this year…

My next great adventure is coming up in about a month. This time I’m going to Thailand and Laos of an off-road motorcycle adventure through the jungles of Southeast Asia. I’ll be there during February and March. I’ll be returning to the scene of my earlier crimes. Ummmm… the statute of limitations has expired so at least I won’t end up in jail for past “indiscretions”. So… as soon as I get back I have to start preparing for that.

Since the next adventure isn’t about cruisin’ I won’t say more about it here ‘cept that you can follow my next adventure on kokomoman dot com. And on kokomomantoo.

I hope you enjoyed my postings about this cruise. I enjoyed bringing it to you. I always like writing about cruises and making friends with those of you that read my foolishness. I hope I entertained, put a few smiles on your faces, and gave some useful cruisin’ information.

It will probably be a while before I do another “live from…” during a cruise so until then…

I bid you all fair winds and following seas… and long may your big jib draw.

Bob

Return to Naked Fanny

The Next Adventure Begins

This will be my last post ‘till I get back to the land of good internet. I am out of internet time and I’m not going to buy any more.

For the first time ever, I’m looking forward to getting off the ship. WHAT!!!!... BLASTPHEMY!!! Yes… I hear the screams all over Cruise Lover land. But wait… I’ll explain just a bit.

First, it has nothing to do with the cruise, the ship or anything like that. I still like cruisin’ as much as ever and this cruise has been a good one… hummmm, all cruises are good ones. But as soon as I get off this ship I start getting ready for my next adventure right away. And for this one it starts with a host of immunizations against most of the bad things of the world. I won’t say anything more about it here since it’s not cruise stuff, but go check out kokomomam.com.

As I write this, there is still one more afternoon and night. Things have picked up a little since this morning. I suspect it’s a lot because it has warmed up a tad and it’s now mostly sunny. And as usual, people are trying to get that one more day of cruisin’ in before they have to get back to the “real world”… and the “real” frozen tundra.

Since it is a bit cool outside it seems like most of the action has moved inside. As I write this it’s the afternoon and I’m sitting in the Havana bar. There are no particular activities going on, but the place is “buzzing”. A few “drinks” are being served, but mostly it’s just folks having a good time on the last sea day. Some people are playing cards, some just reading… one guy pounding away on his lap-top, but most are just chatting and enjoying the friendships they have made on the cruise.

Perhaps it’s the friendships people make on cruises that are as important as the cruise itself. Over the years I have made new friends on every cruise. Way back on my second cruise I made friends with Mickie & Jim and they are still my friends today. (Hi Mickie & Jim… miss you guys.) More recently it has been the Funatics… a group of people I met a bit over a year ago that put the fun back in cruising for me when I needed it most. Since then I have been on two cruises and a land adventure with some of the Funatics including the ones on this cruise. Sure… I would have fun on about any cruise but most recently it’s the people that have made the cruises extra special. Thanks ya’ll.

The Western Caribbean is still my favorite. I would go back to Grand Cayman any time. I would especially like to explore more of the “West End” on my own some more. I still need to make it to Rum Point too. Cozumel is a favorite too and any cruise that goes there would be high on my list.

I would go back to Ocho Rios too. The “Cool Runnings” trip to Dunn’s River Falls is one of the best excursions I have ever been on. I would certainly do it again. But… I don’t think Mo-Bay holds much to attract me. So if I go there again I will likely stay on the boat and treat it like another sea day. Sea days are good.

I’ll close for now. It’s time for me to get one more of Guy’s ferengie burgers. And they are having a special today. If you get two ferengie burgers, you get a free defibrillator to go with it.

Bob

Return to Naked Fanny

More Questions:

 cruse2loose asked about the Promenade deck. Yes, the Red Frog Pub and Ocean Plaza are on the Promenade. The front part of the Promenade is quite similar to the Magic (and Breeze). The front part has the theater… then the shops, casino/casino bar, and then the place to get coffee, shakes, and sweet stuff. Aft of that is the Ocean Plaza and Red Frog Pub. Both the Ocean Plaza and Red Frog Pub are much smaller than the ones on the Magic (Breeze). Also, the Red Frog Pub does not have an “outside” area like the Magic & Breeze. This ship is much shorter and it’s amazing what they squeezed in.

On the Magic & Breeze the Piano Bar and Comedy club are in the aft area of the Prominade. On this ship those places are on deck four and much smaller.

 hlb76 was kinda wondering what to do in Mo-Bay. Since you have e been to Ocho Rios a couple of times I have only one suggestion (other than stay on the boat). That is to go to the Appleton Rum Factory. It’s a long trip there and back, but worth it if you have never been there before. You will see some interesting stuff and some of the country not usually seen during the bus trip.

One word of caution for the bus trip… the narrow roads to get there go through mountainous regions. They wind back and forth… up and down… back and forth… up and down. You get the idea. I recommend everyone take the motion sickness pill of choice when you go to bed the night before and at breakfast before the tour. When I went on this tour, everyone on the bus was green… even those that never get “green”.

Oh… and since this is such a long tour, only book it through the cruise ship. I’ve seen more than one group of people running down the pier yelling “WAIT… WAIT!!!”… as the ship sailed off into the sunset.

 MISSSNOOPYGIRL thank you for the very kind compliment. Stuff like that will keep me going for another three posts… and of course increase my hat size by two.

 lottsomom asked about luggage express early on. I have not seen a word about it, I could have missed it, but I don’t think so.

That’s all for today… at least until I get back to good internet.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

Time to catch up on the questions:

seguincruiser asked about what teens do and where they hang out. I am cruising with two kids… a boy 16 and a girl 12. They are having a blast on the ship.

The sixteen-year old told me that he really hasn’t been doing much of anything with the “kids club”. The first night he went there and kinda met up with everyone, but that was about it. The places they have been hanging out are the arcade, the hot tub (girls in skimpy bikinis) and all over the ship. He usually disappears in the morning and doesn’t return until late night. He ate with us on the two formal nights, but that’s about it. I see him from time to time during the day and the kids he is with always seem to be having fun.

The twelve-year old is right at that “tween” age. She has just turned twelve. She has been having fun. She went to a few of the kids-club activities, but she was the youngest in the 12-14 year old group. She said the staff didn’t do a lot to get everyone involved. Just the same, she is having fun and wants to go on another cruise. (This is her fourth cruise… two Holland and two Carnival.)

sports addict asked about the cruise director. For this cruise, Jamie Dee is the CD. She has been pretty good. When she is doing the entertaining part she has been entertaining. She has lots of energy and seems to truly have fun during the Lido deck activities. Here “commercial announcements” are about what I have come to expect on cruise ships… doing her job and not too intrusive into your day. All in all, my personal opinion is that she is in the top three or four I have sailed with. She is scheduled to be on the ship for a few more weeks but a new CD will be here by Bloggers Cruise 7.

2Ports asked who the Cap-i-tan of the ship is. His name is Carmelo Marino. Of course he is Italian as are all Carnival ship Cap-i-tans. I was told that this is “his ship” and except for vacations he is always here. (I’m not sure if that’s absolutely true, but that’s what I was told.)

Regestd asked about any “secret spots”. I really didn’t find any of those kind of things on the ship. They really used every inch of space during the re-model. One place that little was known about in the beginning of the cruise is the Havana Bar on deck 9 (Lido), Aft. I would call this a secret place, but after a few days into the cruise, everyone had discovered it. At night the area is also the Cucina del Capitano restaurant (pay extra Italian food… very good by the way). The rest of the time it is a bar and lounge. In the back of the lounge there’s a humoungous picture window looking out of the back of the boat. (OK… the window doesn’t look out, but you know what I mean.)

Anyway it is a good place to spend some time. (I’m writing from there right now.) If any of you are thinking about a Meet & Greet early in the cruise, this would be a very good place. Eat dinner there one night too. It’s only twelve bucks per person to eat there. They also have a free pasta lunch and by the end of the cruise it has become hugely popular.

Topo Gigio asked what the platinum gift is. Well, you get a few coupons for drinks and such; a ships pin, and a tote bag. The tote bag has a soft-sided cooler compartment as the bottom section that would hold a few sodas… or other beverages… and the top part is a mesh bag. I haven’t used it and I’m not sure how sturdy it is. It would probably be good for a beach day and stuff like that.

I’m going to stop here for now and get this posted. I’ve got some cruisin’ stuff to go do. I’ll get to more questions in a bit.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

NEWS FLASH – Carnival Sunshine sails into the Frozen Tundra.

Di-dit-di-dit-di-dit… Today passengers expecting to be basking in warm tropical sun were greeted by an artic blast as they entered the Northern Most Caribbean (AKA the Gulf of Mexico). Out came the parkas, hoodies, and “long johns”. Accompaniment the frigid temperature was icicles falling from the sly. Throughout yesterday afternoon and into the evening the cold rain cleared the Lido deck several times. Yes… members of the “Polar Bear Club” were still out on the Lido deck…. Burrrrrrr. This reporter for one retreated to his cabin and got under the covers. Burrrrrrr.

The day and especially the evening was brought to us by the color GREEN. It seemed that the farther we sailed north, the rougher the seas got. By now you know my penchant for a tad of exaggeration. (Nawwww…. Never!) But this time I’m not exaggerating. We were in for rockin-n-rollin’. The winds were about 40 MPH from the east. A lot of activities were canceled for the safety of the passengers and crew. The show in the main theatre was canceled for safety.

OK… kidding aside, I know those of you in the North East of the U.S. have really been clobbered with cold white stuff, so I really do wish you were here.

I’m writing from the Lido deck this morning. Today the seas have calmed down. It’s still a bit chilly by Northern Most Caribbean standards and it’s mostly cloudy. Everyone on deck are a bit covered up and wishing we were sailing the other direction. I haven’t done a full walk-about yet, but so far I haven’t seen a single skimpy bikini. And thank goodness no speedos have been on board at all during the cruise. Even though I’m moaning about it being chilly, by the real Frozen Tundra standards this is a warm, balmy, summer day.

The atmosphere on the ship has changed. It usually does on the last sea day. The electric atmosphere we started out with as we left New Orleans nearly a week ago seems to have gone. Perhaps all the partying that has been going on has caught up with most people… perhaps it’s that they are still a little green… or perhaps by this afternoon they will be sufficiently recovered to get in one last hurrah before getting off the ship tomorrow morning. Whatever it is, the mood has definitely changed.

That’s all for this morning. I’m retreating to warmer haunts inside the ship. (Yes… I’m a wimp when it comes to being cold.) This afternoon I’ll post the answers to any lingering questions ya’ll have posted. I’ve only got 11 minutes of internet time left, so some may have to wait until we are back in the Mississippi River for my “phone internet” to kick in, but I will answer all I can.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

Good morning everyone. As you can tell, I’ve lost track of which day it is. And isn’t that what cruisin’ is about?... leaving everything else behind and gettong off any schedule. Other than knowing it’s our second sea day, I really don’t know what day it is. Sure, I could check the calendar, but I don’t wanna.

I’m usually a little sad when the ship heads north. On most cruises the second sea day means that we are headed back to the frozen tundra. The temperature starts to fall and we are getting nearer places where the temp is below 70 degrees. You know… the frozen tundra. Well this cruise it’s a little different. It takes two days to get back to New Orleans from Mo-Bay, so it is still nice and warm out on the Lido deck. So I suspect we have at least a full day before the shorts, t-shirts, flip flops and ummmm. skimpy bikinis get traded in for long pants and cover-ups.

Yeah… Yeah… I hear you. I should not be ogling the skimpy bikinis, but hey… I’m just a guy and I make no excuses for that. (I learned a long time ago that those excuses don’t work any way. So thanks to the very funny Bill Engval, I just use the “I’m just a guy” answer”… mostly because it’s true.)

After the first sea day I thought the Hog family was not on board this ship. You know… Mr and Mrs Chair Hog… along with their pack of Leprechauns that travel with them. I know they must be Leprechauns because they magically pop up out of nowhere, deposit towels, flip-flops, used up crossword puzzle books and hair clips on the loungers in the best spots of the ship.

I have never seen the Leprechauns… I would have their pot of gold if I could catch one. But I know they must exist. Some time just before sunrise, the magically pop up, deposit their goodies on the chairs in a flash and then disappear back down through the cracks in the wooden decks.

At first I thought the Hog family was not on this cruise. But after this morning’s walk-about I discovered they had just moved. They used to take up all the premium spots on the Lido deck near the pool. And although there were a few lonely towels by the pool, most of the loungers were completely empty. Then I walked up to the Serenity area.

Shizam!!!! The Leprechauns had been out in force. I saw as series of four loungers each occupied by a single flip-flop. The much sought after “clam shells” were mostly occupied… one with a bowl of yet unopened packets of crackers. Other than me, the towels, flip-flops and crackers, there were very few human beings in the area. There were still a variety of un-occupied chairs and loungers, so I suspect the 30 minute rule was not being enforced yet.

I’ve finished my morning coffee, so as your dutiful reporter, it’s time for me to go on an inspection tour to see if any leprechauns have popped out wearing skimpy bikinis. Hey, like I told you… I’m just a guy.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

P.S. I have not forgotten all your questions. I'll try and get caught up on answering them.

P.P.S Hi Lee... I'll tell all the Funatics to watch out for bananas... especially the head banana.

Jamaica is one of those places that most people love or hate. I, for one, love it. It has character. Never mind that from the time I clear the gang plank to the time I almost leave the terminal, I am offered twenty-six different taxi tours… four-million sets of beads just because they are my friend… women that are promised to keep me happy for the rest of my life… and of course to braid my hair (of which I don’t have a lot to braid).

And it isn’t much further along that I’m offered all that again and add to the list “Vitamin G”. You know… the biggest cash crop of Jamaica… Ganja… marijuana and cannabis… promised to keep me happy for the rest of my life. It’s all these aggressive merchants that turns off a lot of people to Jamaica. But I found a long time ago that a simple no thank-you suffices and I can move on.

The people here are always happy and friendly. Everything is “no problem mon”… and irie mon”. They always have a smile on their face and a happy word for every one. And I don’t think it is just a “face” they put on for the tourists. I think that these people are genuinely happy. I suppose it may be the Vitamin G that keeps a lot of ‘em happy.

And as far as the aggressive street merchants, I think that it’s mostly just folks trying to feed their families… and buy their vitamins.

If all cruises through all time came to Mo-Bay, then I would go here on every cruise… and probably not get off the boat. There’s a reason lots of the tours go long distance to other places… mostly Ocho Rios. One of the best tours is to the Appleton Estate Rum factory but the bus ride each way is 2.5 to 3 hours. There’s just very little in Montego Bay and it’s not really my “cup of tea”.

There is one “main drag” that is really just a big tourist trap with seventeen zillion t-shirts and likenesses of Bob Marley and the Jamaican color scheme. oh yea… and the Jamaican bobsled team paraphernalia.

I always feel a little guilty in Jamaica. On one of my visits I went to a Sandals “all inclusive” for the day. The Sandals grounds had massive, well manicured lawns with marble statues, and well landscaped “jungle”. There were tennis courts, huge swimming pools with waterfalls. The facility was right on a manicured beach with every kind of water toy imaginable.

Just outside the Sandals there was abject poverty. The houses… if you can call them that… had little more than four walls… no screens, no windows, and strings of laundry hung across the front of the house. I doubt there was electricity or indoor plumbing.

So there we were partaking in the all inclusive… free flowing booze… free flowing fun while just across a fence there was all that poverty. So yeah… I do feel a bit guilty.

So whenever my new “best friend” tries to sell me some beads, I buy a few strings. I don’t really feel much less guilty, but I know I did some teeny bit. Now I would feel really bad if I knew I was helping them buy their brand new Jaguar. (I saw several brand new Jaguars in Mo-Bay today.)

Both times I’ve been to Mo-Bay I have gotten on the “Jump-On – Jump Off” bus. It takes you from the port area to town and a couple of other shopping compounds. It’s too far to walk… and I’m not sure I would even if it were doable. This time the bus was up to $19 per person. The first place it takes you to is a shopping compound about six or seven miles from the port. Along the way the driver points out some marginally interesting sights.

Then you have to get off the bus and walk through to the other end of the compound to get on another bus to continue on to the other stops. They should pay us to take this bus… grrrrrrrr! After getting on the next bus you are taken back into the main town area where you can get on/off at a couple of places. If you only wanted to go to town and back, I think a taxi would have been cheaper.

The one saving grace to Mo-Bay is that there is a Margaritaville there. I guess that isn’t a saving grace for a lot of you since there’s been a Margaritaville everywhere this cruise has been. Still for a true Parrothead, it’s a saving grace. The free internet is good and they have the best water slide of any the Margaritavilles I’ve been to. It starts off about two stories high and at the end shoots you out into the ocean. YAAAAHOOOOOO.

I had a frozen concoction to help me hang on (only one this time)… got some high speed internet to post pics… jumped on the bus that stops right at Margaritaville and went back to the ship. All in all a nice day, but I suspect that if I come here again, I’ll stay on the ship.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

This cruise is a Parrotheads delight. Including New Orleans, four ports and four Margaritavilles. I've just stopped in for the high speed internet... and of course a frozen concoction to help me hang on.

I just posted a pile-o-pics from yesterday's walk-about in Grand Cayman on http://www.facebook.com/kokomomantoo. The album is "Grand Cayman... wasting away some more"... I hope you enjoy them.

I'll write about the adventure here in "Mo Bay" tonight.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I don’t know what it is that makes me love Grand Cayman. Some people like an island because it has great beaches… they have that here. Some people like an island because of the crystal clear blue & turquoise water that is great for SCUBA and snorkeling… they have that here. Or people love an island because of the wide and varied stuff they can do… they have that here. And of course people love an island because of great parties… yeah, you got it… they have those here too.

For me it’s all of those and none of those. I guess it’s like some people like chocolate or vanilla… lobster or shrimp… pina coladas or margaritas. If you ask them why they like something they can’t tell you the specific reasons… they just do. For me, that’s the way it is with Grand Cayman.

My plan today was to rent a scooter and go exploring the island. I’ve rented from a place in town that you can see from the ships anchored off shore. As I had a 16 year old with me, I was also thinking about a bicycle. The place I was going to rents scooters, bicycles and cars, so I had all the bases covered… or so I thought. ‘Cept when I got there they were closed. It was kinda like going to Wally-World and having the moose say “Sorry folks, we’re closed”.

Well… undeterred, this turned into a walk-about day. In a lot of ways walk-abouts are better than zipping along and missing the details along the way. So off to 7 mile beach we went. Now this is not a walk for the meek… and I was carrying my trusty back pack… ummmm my heavy back pack. I always take my laptop with me and of course two big bottles of water. I also have my camera and a lens or two… my Go-Pro… sun glasses, my passport (never go ashore without it.) This time I was carrying shoes and long pants for the scooter or bicycle… a gallon of sunscreen and a partridge in a pear tree.

Temperature was in the high 80s and humidity equally as high. I didn’t know exactly how far it was to Seven Mile Beach, but off we went. Since we were going to be here in Grand Caymen about eight hours there was plenty of time and didn’t have to rush. Along the way, we stopped and looked at a lot of stuff. I took a lot of pictures too.

I discovered that if you want to go snorkeling, you don’t need to go on any of the excursions. Just a little off the bows of where the ships usually anchor there is a ship wreck… the “Cali”. It’s in about 20 feet of water. Just right for snorkeling. And you can easily swim to it from the shore. There’s even a swim platform there. It’s about 50 yards off shore and about 20 yards from the wreck. Just bring your own snorkel gear or there’s a “watering hole” there that will rent you the gear for $12. (That’s probably Cayman dollars so it is “x 1.25” to convert to US… or $15 US)

I talked to a family that was snorkeling at the wreck. They had come from another part of the island just to snorkel there. They all said it was great. To get to the place just turn left when you go out of the Royal Walter terminal (the place where the tenders drop you off) and walk down about 1/3 mile along the shoreline.

As we walked on toward seven-mile beach we came along a big bush filled with green, long tailed, insurance sales men with a British accent. In Southeast Asia (SEA) we had a name for these, but it isn’t fit for “family entertainment” here, so ask someone that has been to “SEA” what these are. Hummmm, my attempt at humor may not work here… so what I’m talking about is geckos. This big lush green bush had at least six or seven geckos crawling around in it… maybe more. It was hard to tell because the were so perfectly camouflaged. I took a bunch of pics and I’ll post them when I can get to good internet again.

Then only about ten feet farther we saw this huge iguana. I guess I don’t know if it is huge by iguana standards… its body was at least three feet long and its tail another three feet. Ok… maybe not that big, but it was big. Anyway, I got some pics and I’ll post those too.

About another mile down the road we ran into another terrifying creature. At first I thought it might be a “hot chick” in an orange bikini walking along the road in front of us. So I picked up the pace a little bit to catch up. As we got a little closer I realized that if it was a hot chick, she wasn’t wearing a top… I picked up the pace a little more. When I got a bit closer, I realized that this was a guy in an orange speedo. Now, I understand a young, athletic competitive swimmer in a speedo. But there is a law that says speedos are against the law for guys after their twenty’s… and this guy was about 45 over the speedo limit. If you dare, I got pics of that too… EEEEEWWWWWW.

Along the way we saw a lot of stuff closed because of New Years Day. Finally we made it to Seven-Mile Beach. It's called Seven-Mile Beach because it is seven miles long… ‘cept it isn’t seven miles long. It’s really closer to “five and change” but the tour and hotel operators use “license” to stretch it to seven miles. In any case, it really is a nice beach. A lot of people take tours there and I would say it’s worth it. Most of the areas have a lot of beach activities such “Hobie Cat” sail boats, paddle boards, parasailing and the like. I only had time to put my toes in the water and it was time to head back… I had things to do in Georgetown. Of course I did get pics and I’ll be poisting them too.

I had three priorities for Georgetown; go to Margaritaville (or course)… buy a Cuban cigar in Churchills (a cigar store under Margaritaville) and to find out what it costs to hire a “taxi” for a day.

The first of the three was easy. By the time I got back to Margaritaville I was really hot and tired from the walk-about. That frozen concoction to help me hang on went down really well. They had a live “one man band” guy with a guitar there so I had to have more than one frozen concoction to help me hang on. I ended up spending about two hours wasting away again in Margaritaville.

The Cuban cigar was easy too. Even though I don’t smoke, every time I’m in Grand Cayman I buy a Cuban cigar as my silent protest with my dollars against the inane US policy toward Cuba. I won’t get on my soap box too high here, but the US is about the last country that has economic sanctions against Cuba. And it’s about time we started cruising to Cuba. Cruise fans… rise up.

Finding out about hiring a taxi for the day turned out to be the hard part. There is a “taxi dispatch” stand just outside the “Royal Walter Port” compound, but it never seemed to be manned… either in the morning or afternoon. So I asked a couple of the Toyota Mini-Van type taxi drivers. One said it was $55 US for three people. When I asked about five people or how long, I didn’t get a straight answer… I was given a business card and a number to call. Another driver told me $20 per hour – per person. His “taxi” would hold about 20 people… you do the math. I tried to ask a couple more but they both referred me to a non-existent “taxi office around the corner”. By this time, I was really tired and I gave up.

There’s one other place that I always go when I’m in Grand Cayman. It’s called “Artifacts”. It’s really an antiques store right there along the waterfront on Church street. But I go in there because of the ship wreck coins they have in there. They have coins from the most famous ship wrecks in the world including El Cazador (the wreck that changed the course of the world), the “1715 fleet (the massive Spanish armada that was caught in a hurricane off the coast of Florida in 1715), and the Atocha found off Key West. And you see… ship wreck coins are my Kyptronite… I can’t resist them. So today I spent some more of my kids inheritance. I just had to have that “piece-of-eight… arrrrgggghhhh… from El Cazador.

By the way… high end wrist watches are the Kyptronite for my son in law. So while were in Grand Cayman he found some really good deals on two. So he spent some of his kids inheritance. It’s a good thing we only spent eight hours in Grand Cayman or we would be leaving without the shirts on our backs.

As I am finishing this we are just sailing away from Grand Cayman. Since we arrived late it was planned to sail away late so it’s abut 6 PM ships time. It’s dark here and just as we started moving there was a fireworks display at waters edge down toward the east end of the island. I guess they are celebrating a banner day… there were seven ships here today… five at George Towne and two at Spotts Landing. (OK… I’m sure it was for New Year’s, but it certainly was a banner day for Grand Cayman.)

Tomorrow it’s on to Jamaica… ya mon… no problem mon… and everything is airy.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

Good morning and Happy New Year to you all. By the time you are reading this, you are probably sick of the “Happy New Year” mantra, but I truly do wish all of my cruisin’ friends a happy and prosperous 2014.

I’m up early… at least early for me; especially considering it’s New Year’s Day. I guess it’s probably because today is our Grand Cayman stop. Even after many visits here, it is still my favorite island. So my internal alarm clock always gets me up early so I can get up on one of the top decks as we sail into the island.

But today we have been delayed by a late departure from Cozumel yesterday and “unfavorable winds” that have slowed our progress. I think that’s just an excuse… they probably parked the ship last night so that the crew could party with the rest of us.

I’m writing you this morning from the Lido deck. Although it’s one of my favorite places to write from, it’s the first time this cruise. As I write it’s about 8:30 and the deck is mostly deserted. That’s understandable since about eight hours ago this place was packed with thousands… literally thousands of people celebrating.

I have to hand it to the crew. The deck and the whole area are spick & span. You would never know that there had been such a party here last night. And quite a party it was. For the first time this cruise there was a live “rock-n-roll” band playing out on deck. I don’t think they have been on the ship all along… maybe they were here for just the New Years Eve party. Whatever the case, they were good and the place was jumpin’ to their music.

Starting about 11:00 PM the deck staff started coming around with free Champaign. And they weren’t stingy. There was always some close by with more. This wasn’t only on the Lido deck… it was all over deck five (The promenade, Red Frog Pub and casino area), and on decks three & five of the Atrium. There was a big balloon drop in the atrium but I wasn’t there for that. I don’t know how late the party went on. I “gave up” early… about 12:30 because I wanted to be ready for the first tenders into Grand Cayman.

And just as if on cue.. I see Grand Cayman coming up on the horizon. So it’s time for me to go up on the top deck and marvel at the island.

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

As I sit down to write this in the Red Frog pub, the Beach Boys’ song Kokomo just came on. I don’t know if I believe in karma but… I think the Woman to Blame may be saying hello to me on this New Years Eve.

As you can probably tell we had a nice time in Cozumel today. We really didn’t do anything special. I usually go SCUBA diving here since it is one of the premier diving spots in the world. That was my original plan but since my motocross bike (off road motorcycle) jumped up and down on me seventy-three times a couple of weeks ago, I’m not in any condition to go diving.

But it was still a good day. We wandered around the compound at the dock area and the “downtown” area… bought the appropriate amount of t-shirts, ball caps, and other necessary trinkets. We even went to the “Mega” store across from the Margaritaville. It’s kinda like a “Super Walmart” but even bigger. They have everything from furniture to veggies. A long standing family tradition is to eat poor on New Years Day for good luck and riches the rest of the year. In particular, we needed some black-eyed peas for tomorrow. Try finding that in Cozumel. Well… we found a close approximation in “Mega” store but will have to look some more in Grand Cayman tomorrow to see if we can come up with the real thing.

There were five ships in port today. Everything was busy, but the town seemed to handle it all very well. I guess when you are in the business of “cruise ships” then five ships doesn’t “phase” you. Carnival ships usually all park at “Puerto Amaya” (Hi Peanut)… make that Puerto Maya. This is a made for cruise ship docking area complete with the shopping compound.

In order to get off the dock you are forced to go through one of those long stores. I hate that… especially during “rush hour”. I refuse to buy anything in one of these “traps”, but invariably people want to stop and block the passage of everyone while they look at the stuff in the store. I don’t blame the people for looking… I blame the stores for making those “choke points” and the cruise lines for forcing us to go through them. Oh well… back to the fun stuff.

My favorite coffee shop in the compound is under re-construction. So, as you know, I had to get my internet “fix” at a little “Smoothie” stand. It’s kinda down near the end of the compound along the water’s edge. They have some tables & chairs, a few “corner section couch” areas, and some beach recliners along the water. It’s a pretty nice place and they have 16 different flavors of smoothies. The one I drank had orange, apple, ginger, and some other stuff… it was really good. Most importantly the internet was really good and after that first purchase they didn’t seem to mind how long you stayed on the internet.

After that we went “downtown”. I really like downtown a lot better. I know the area as Puerto Langosta… the other area where cruise ships dock. That’s where I was the first time I came to Cozumel. It’s the area where Margaritaville and Senior Frogs is located. But I like it mostly because as you walk along the “main drag” there are a bunch of interesting places rather than the “cookie cutter” stuff you find in the “made for cruise ship compounds”.

As you walk along the shore line you can find little vendors selling tacos with the beef still being roasted as you walk up. They just carve off some for your portion. I’m sure they don’t meet US standards, but I’ve never had any ill effects from eating in any of those spots in Cozumel. And the food is really good.

We ate a late lunch at Margaritaville. It was a chance for the kids to go flog themselves in the ocean and play on the giant water-toys they have there. The service at Margaritaville was great, but that’s where the good part ends. I’ve eaten a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” at Margaritaville restaurants all over the US and the Caribbean. I’ve eaten here before too. But this time the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” was just a processed grey meat patty. Paaaatoooooie! And the same goes for the Margarita. It was marginal at best. I’ll be sending a nasty-gram to Jimmy.

We sailed away a little early… all-aboard at 2:30 (14:30). So as a result there was a long, long line to get back on board. It was about a 45 minute wait. They must have known this was going to happen because they even had some of the entertainment staff out there trying to make the wait more acceptable. It didn’t work No one thought it was a party. There should never be lines this long to get back on a ship. Carnival should have this figured out by now.

Just the same, all considered it was a very good day. I’m not sure why, but I love it in Cozumel. Maybe it’s I get to practice my Spanish and everyone there pretends to understand it perfectly. At least they don’t laugh. Anyway, it’s still one of my favorites in the Caribbean. I think next time I may do a few days here.

It’s New Year’s Eve, so it’s time for me to get ready for some serious partying… there’s stuff going on all over the ship tonight.

Happy New Years everyone!

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I'll answer your questions in a bit. For now, I've posted a few more pics... wasting away in Margaritaville.

https://www.facebook.com/KokomoManToo

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

I'm on board the sunshine for the New Years Cruise. Gary is in the piano bar (I missed his last name.) He's new to carnival and comes from a dueling piano bar background so really engages the audience . The place has been "rockin" both nights so far. Lots of fun.

You can read about my the whole cruise in my "live from... ". Here's the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1961668

Bob

Searching for Kokomo