Vista / Live / Solo - May 27-June 2 2018...

My booking hand went into "auto-pilot" a few minutes ago, and I'm now booked for the Carnival Magic exactly 100 days from now!!!... Join me then, for another solo adventure to the sunny Caribbean!

Gosh darn that Auto pilot! So glad you'll be here for us to follow along!

You lucky dawg. My next cruise is not until March 2018. Have a great time. :cool:

Mine isn't until February 2020!

For me, auto-pilot booking-hand is a real thing... No way could I wait till 2020.

Gosh darn that Auto pilot! So glad you'll be here for us to follow along!

 

 

 

Mine isn't until February 2020!

Sid...if you ever get a chance, book a Halloween Cruise. They are so much fun! The Carnival guests really get into it. I have never seen so many creative costumes.

Sid...if you ever get a chance, book a Halloween Cruise. They are so much fun! The Carnival guests really get into it. I have never seen so many creative costumes.

Sent from my Space Phone 9169...

For me, auto-pilot booking-hand is a real thing... No way could I wait till 2020.

I wish I didn't have to.. But with two teenaged boys who eat us out of house and home, we just can't cruise every year. And besides, 2020 will be our 20th wedding anniversary so we're going big.. a 14 day Journeys cruise out of NOLA, down to the Panama canal, with 4 days after to finish our vacation off at Mardi Gras!

Actually, I took a Halloween cruise last year on the NCL Escape... My very first live review. It turned out to be my "worst cruise ever" *No fault of NCL. I ended up coming down with a terrible gastrointestinal sickness, and wished I was dead... On top of that, it was a "hosted singles cruise" that turned out to be a sausage party, so then there's that... I was considering the Halloween sailing on the magic, but those terrible memories came back to haunt me...

 

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Oh Sid! That's horrible!

I can relate. Had a "14"day cruise from Baltimore that I missed due to food poisoning the morning of embarkation. I spent 16 hours in the ER and I thought I had died. I've had food poisoning before, but nothing like that. I can't bring myself to go back to Baltimore for a cruise or anything else. I have wondered what it would have been like if it hadn't showed symptoms before I got on the ship. I'm positive they would have quarantined me and the way I felt, it wouldn't have made any difference. I had to spend 2 additional nights in Baltimore before I was able to fly back home.

Hello! I found your review beacause we are sailing on Horizon next month and I wanted to read some reviews for a similar ship. I am so happy i found this... you are a talented writer and it makes me want to go back and read more from you!

Escape is also my favorite ship. We have been diehard NCL cruisers, but Horizon will be our second Carnival cruise. Alchemy is what flipped the switch for me; it’s a great experience!

Thank you so much for the complements... Here are the links to my Live Escape reviews if you would like to check them out...

Halloween 2017. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2557961

And 4 weeks later, in December 2017. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2569547

Hello! I found your review beacause we are sailing on Horizon next month and I wanted to read some reviews for a similar ship. I am so happy i found this... you are a talented writer and it makes me want to go back and read more from you!

 

Escape is also my favorite ship. We have been diehard NCL cruisers, but Horizon will be our second Carnival cruise. Alchemy is what flipped the switch for me; it’s a great experience!

Thank you so much for the complements... Here are the links to my Live Escape reviews if you would like to check them out...

 

Halloween 2017. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2557961

 

And 4 weeks later, in December 2017. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2569547

Do I want to read the Halloween one? From what you've mentioned, it sounded horrific LOL :)

Thank you!

It puts the second review in December into context...

Do I want to read the Halloween one? From what you've mentioned, it sounded horrific LOL :)

Thank you!

The capsule on my necklace is a little bit of her, that goes wherever I go. On the beach, in the ocean, on the high seas to strange and far away places...

 

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And now I'm crying...wish I could give you a hug:(:( :(

I'm quite late to your party, but wanted to thank you, nonetheless, for a very enjoyable review! You made me laugh enough that I persisted for 41 pages of posts! For what it's worth, you didn't miss anything when the RIU resort in Jamaica wasn't interested in your solo self. My friend and I stayed there one night before traveling to Jamaica's south shore for the rest of our vacation and just hated it there. The food was good. The atmosphere sucked. We couldn't wait to get out of there and our vacation became amazing the minute we left.

I'm so sorry you lost your friend so young. It's lovely that you hold her so close to your heart.

Thank you for reading... For the remainder of my cruising career, Jamaica is a "stay on the ship day" for me... Join me again in 68 days for a Magic cruise to the sunny Western Caribbean!...

I'm quite late to your party, but wanted to thank you, nonetheless, for a very enjoyable review! You made me laugh enough that I persisted for 41 pages of posts! For what it's worth, you didn't miss anything when the RIU resort in Jamaica wasn't interested in your solo self. My friend and I stayed there one night before traveling to Jamaica's south shore for the rest of our vacation and just hated it there. The food was good. The atmosphere sucked. We couldn't wait to get out of there and our vacation became amazing the minute we left.

 

I'm so sorry you lost your friend so young. It's lovely that you hold her so close to your heart.

On 5/31/2018 at 8:47 AM, grandmarnnurse said:

On the subject of your T-shirt, I say “go for it”. We are big Trump supporters, and sailed during the inauguration, and were disappointed that it wasn’t shown on any big screen on our ship (NCL Getaway), and we had to watch it in our cabin. There were many people onboard that were furious it wasn’t being shown, and lined up to complain at Guest Services.

I was also sailing on Inauguration Day. Acapulco. As we neared port, all of a sudden, inexplicably, the tv goes out. Hmmmmm

On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 8:48 AM, sid_9169 said:

The sad part has officially begun... Packing... I guess while I'm at it, I'll share one of my patented secrets of cruising lore.

 

Pile of your dirty clothes on a large heavy duty garbage bag that has been cut as to lay out like a flat sheet. Place said dirty laundry in layers, thusly.

 

 

Now, fold all four sides in, and secure with packing tape, making sure that the dimensions are about the size of the inside of your suitcase.

 

 

You may use my patented method, but you must send me a royalty payment upon your return...

 

Sent from my Space Phone 9169...

That is a great idea, will you accept 10% of my dirty laundry as a royalty? Just kidding this is an AWESOME trip thanks for the ride!!

Sid  --   Following your current trip on the Breakaway & have now binge read 2 of your other reviews... 

This one for the Vista & NCL Bliss.  I have enjoyed the ride...  Thanks for sharing!

On 5/26/2018 at 10:59 AM, sid_9169 said:

Well, when nature calls, and you're ocd like me, you have to have a plan... Traveling solo means there's no one to watch my bag while I'm in the restroom, so I bring several 13 gallon garbage bags, so as to not get urine or who knows what else on my stuff... I go to therapy for this, but it's not working out too well...

 

 

Sent from my Space Phone 9169...

This is an amazing idea that I'm stealing! But I also have diagnosed OCD so....

On 5/25/2018 at 10:00 AM, sid_9169 said:

Thanks for following along!... I was beginning to think I was doing a Live Review to myself 😮.. Yes, this will be my 14th Solo cruise (6 on Carnival and 8 on Norwegian)

Hi Sid, I am also following along because you had me at “solo” ... sailing on Panorama for my 45th with my 26 year old Single son so basically it will be a solo cruise for me! 

5 hours ago, mama_2_boys said:

This is an amazing idea that I'm stealing! But I also have diagnosed OCD so....

So this is actually a thing🧐with pee and garbage bag and stuff... 

On 5/25/2018 at 5:08 PM, sid_9169 said:

Switching it up now to spicy margarita with jalapeno and fresh lime...

 

 

Sent from my Space Phone 9169...

A man of good taste... is hard to find 

On 5/25/2018 at 6:13 PM, sid_9169 said:

Packing is complete and the Uber is arranged for 08:30 tomorrow morning... Next stop, Miami, including happy hour, as well as a tour of culinary delights...

 

 

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Oh snap! an Uber man to top it off... I’m never getting through this review.

On 5/26/2018 at 12:12 PM, sid_9169 said:

After debarking the metro rail, I took a short trip on the metro mover, arriving at the ME Meleia Miami... No exterior photos yet, it was raining a bit...

 

 

And a few pics of my room for the night...

 

 

 

 

 

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Which hotel is this? Thank you

On 5/26/2018 at 1:43 PM, sid_9169 said:

Most places in Miami don't have happy hour on the weekends, but I have a couple mapped out that do... * Yes, that's a hand drawn map...*

 

 

A few more from my walk about in Brickell...

 

 

 

 

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OMFG the hand drawn map of happy hour places... I’m so done searching for my soulmate... you’re the man Sid!!! 😭🤯

On 5/26/2018 at 4:00 PM, sid_9169 said:

The spicy Paloma at the Arketekt is totally winning the night in Miami...

 

 

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My thoughts exactly ... thanks for the heads up

On 5/27/2018 at 5:46 AM, sid_9169 said:

I'm going to have to pack my patience today. I'm predicting a total madhouse at the cruise terminal. The ship is normally tied off at around 6:30-7:00, and it's nearly 9:00 now. They are just now slowly approaching the pier.

 

Sent from my Space Phone 9169...

You mean a clusterf*uck of a situation.