Live Emerald b2b Jan 17 and Jan 27

[cwayne]

Hi Vickie,

Wayne and I really enjoyed meeting and talking with you and Bernie. We drove all the way through and got home about 11 last night. I am having SERIOUS cruise withdrawl. Have a wonderful 2nd leg and please have a drink, or 2 or 3, for us. Our weather is actually quite pleasant today and so that is helping......very little.:(

Monika

[cruiseron36]

Thanks, Ginger, and I hope you and Wes have a safe journey south and a wonderful cruise.

 

As anticipated, the Noro issue is delaying our reboarding the ship a bit. Cabins are being sprayed with an anti-viral spray in between cruises (although not ours, since we obviously don't have the illness). We will eventually be ensconced in Club Fusion until we can return to our cabins. Of course, we can also head out and explore Fort Lauderdale too.

 

We are booked B2B on Mar 8 and 18 in one of the special cabins on R, perhaps yours? Anway make sure the Noro is gone before you disembark.

[PotatoBug]

Trust me if someone is not following the rules they will be warned only once.

 

They are forced to walk the plank? Keelhauled? :eek: :D

[Solara]

One issue we have with our cabin is the cabin across the hall from us (an inside A745) smokes cigars in his cabin. The smell drifts into the hallway and thru the vent in our door and into our cabin, our cabin stinks of cigar smoke! We mention it to the purser’s desk and they will look into it. According to the Patters and the notice sent to each cabin cigar smoking is not permitted outside of the Speakeasy. But it looks like the Purser’s desk doesn’t want to deal with as the manager called this morning saying “well there is nothing we can do if they smoke in their cabins” I quoted the policy but he hummed and hawed…. So we thankfully brought duck tape and we have taped over our vent in our door. Too bad that someone can ruin it for so many and no one seems to really care. This so far has been our only beef, not bad and we will not let it ruin our cruise.

Yet another reason to bring the duck tape!;)

[pablo222]

We have used duck tape (which we always pack) to cover the vents.

 

Won't that be hard for the steward to cleanly remove?

 

I certainly wouldn't put duct tape on the walls of my own house.

[blueridge20]

Enjoying your live thread! You mentioned that you went to the Total Wine store on turn around day, did you walk to the store from the ship? You said you walked back, just wondering how far a walk it is. Others have posted they thought it was too far to walk. We will be on the Crown in April and are wondering if we should have the cab driver stop there on our way to the ship from the airport or if we should walk off before sailing after checking in?

[cdnguy]

You mentioned that you went to the Total Wine store on turn around day, did you walk to the store from the ship? You said you walked back, just wondering how far a walk it is.

It's exactly 1 mile each way, about 15 mins. if the ship docks at pier 1 or 2, closest to the bridge. We'd walk that. In fact we plan to between our btob's in Feb.

[cruiseron36]

A little closer and across the street from Total Wine there is a Win Dixie and a Liquor store. Their wine selections may not be as extensive as total wine but it will save a walk to the back of the shopping mall where Total Wine is located.

[PotatoBug]

52 degrees in Fort Lauderdale this morning! Is Florida ever going to warm up this winter? This is our 6th turnaround day in Fort Lauderdale this winter, and almost all of them have been chilly.

 

Holy crap! *6* turnarounds?

Just for that I'll let you know that at home it was nearly 70 today (upper 60s, anyway) and blindingly sunny. :p

[1 HappyCruiser]

Won't that be hard for the steward to cleanly remove?

 

Probably so. I hope he has some solvent to cut the glue residue.

 

I certainly wouldn't put duct tape on the walls of my own house.

 

Neither would most people but then again how many people have cigar smoke coming through their door vent? Since they allow the situation to occur, let them clean it up.

[pablo222]

Neither would most people but then again how many people have cigar smoke coming through their door vent? Since they allow the situation to occur, let them clean it up.

 

I usually bring blue painters tape with me. It removes easily

and leaves no residue.

 

Why punish the steward over smoking?

 

I did hear of one couple who did want to punish the steward. On

the last morning, they took a cup of coffee, and threw it in the room.

ceiling, walls, carpet, etc.

 

How nice some people are.

[Off2China]

I usually bring blue painters tape with me. It removes easily

and leaves no residue.

 

Why punish the steward over smoking?

 

I did hear of one couple who did want to punish the steward. On

the last morning, they took a cup of coffee, and threw it in the room.

ceiling, walls, carpet, etc.

 

How nice some people are.

 

Geez . . . I wonder what the steward did to provoke them to do something like that :eek::confused:

[Tweedy]

Can't wait to read more of your adventures. Been loving it so far and checked out the few pictures you've posted on your blog as well. :D

[1 HappyCruiser]

I usually bring blue painters tape with me. It removes easily

and leaves no residue.

 

Why punish the steward over smoking?

I did hear of one couple who did want to punish the steward. On

the last morning, they took a cup of coffee, and threw it in the room.

ceiling, walls, carpet, etc.

 

How nice some people are.

 

That's true but if I had no other choice I would do so. It's only trying to correct an intolerable situation.

The rooms always have positive air pressure so I don't understand how the fumes got in the cabin to begin with. Unless it was being recirculated through the air ducts. :confused:

[cruiselifers]

Vickie,

Miss you guys already! Hope you guys are having a blast on your second leg. "Seriously" it is cold here in Chicago! Please tell Bernie Hi and we miss him!

Sue

[vickie_bernie]

cabin steward is amazing and she suggested covering the vent. The doors and walls are like at home, the duck tape comes off cleanly from both. Plus like others have said what is more important the walls or the cigar smoke in the cabin for the entire 10 days.

 

Actually Princess has dealt with the issue. I received a call yesterday to say they have spoken to the gentleman and he is aware now and will smoke in speak easy. The couple beside (as we chatted on our balcony) also commented today about the issue and their frustrations as they woke up at midnight the first night to the smell of cigar in the cabin. Thankfully the smoke doesn't go thru the venting system.

[vickie_bernie]

Vickie,

Miss you guys already! Hope you guys are having a blast on your second leg. "Seriously" it is cold here in Chicago! Please tell Bernie Hi and we miss him!

Sue

 

we miss you both too... seriously... I am finding i am saying it all the time now and really you miss Bernie! He misses you too

[vickie_bernie]

Sea days, ahhhh

What it is 8:30 am, man did I sleep in, and I head out to the balcony to read and Bernie sleeps until almost 9 am. I am heading up to our Cruise Critic meet and greet and Bernie is off to trivia.

We meet up in the International Café later for coffee and are soon joined by Colin/Gwenda and we catch the martini demonstration, and have to say I’ve seen a lot of these demonstrations but this has to be the best one I have ever seen, the three bartenders are amazing. And I answered one of their questions right and got a cosmo, pretty sad looking drinking a martini at 11:00 am, but heck someone has to do it.

We head to the pub lunch for 1:00 pm in the Wheelhouse and enjoy some fish and chips and then I decide I want to finally buy something on board. I pick up a lovely pull over made by Tommy Bahamas that is on sale for 10% off and then with our elite and coupon it is another 20% off. I also buy a nice rainbow Swatch Watch, and now can wear it with “Pride”.

I am back in the cabin relaxing before heading up to Skywalkers. Tonight is another formal night but we are opting out. We will dine in the Horizon Court and will catch a movie under the stars.

Muts is showing Switch and we grab a lounge chair and an ice cream cone and settle in for the movie, about a half hour in they come by to say it is going to rain in 15 minutes, so we take cover, well I take cover Bernie gives up and heads to the room. And sure enough the sky opens up and it pours, but it is still very warm I am okay as I am under the a roof but others run to not get wet. After the movie it is back to the cabin and guess what I watch another movie! Flipped is the movie this time and it is very cute.

We don’t sleep in as late this time, 7:30 we are up and we meet up with Brian/Christine and Paul/Yvonne for breakfast in Da Vinci… Brian says today is poached eggs on toast so I listen to him J. After breakfast I do five laps on the Promenade deck and decide time to get some sun where once again we meet up with B/C and Y/P, we catch some rays and Paul and Brian head off to get us all Gyros from the grill at lunch. We hang around the pool area until 2:00 pm and we relax in the cabin until I go to Zumba class at 3:15… now that is fun and it was packed in there. This poor woman next to me took the space for three people with arms flying legs every which way and no rhythm to speak of but she was having fun.

Tonight we will head up to Skywalkers and enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset, tonight we are having dinner in the dining room, can’t remember the menu but I am sure it will be great and Francesco promises us we will love it. We are in Antigua tomorrow and we are very excited.

[AliceS]

Hi Vickie and Bernie,

 

Please thank Paul and Yvonne for the scale. I returned it, but never had a chance to thank them. I will bring mine next time, they come in handy.

 

I wanted to tell you that I actually priced out the SA trip. Maybe??? We'll see.

 

I had to change my flight for next week to LA, for my Panama cruise, so that I didn't miss the Super Bowl. I know you don't understand my passion for that sport.

 

Enjoy Antigua. I love that island. Have fun. Alice

[cwayne]

I am SOOO living vicariously through these posts right now! Vickie, if you and Bernie have not done the Segways in Antiqua you have got to try it. It was LOADS of fun and it ends at a wonderful beach where they are cooking a buffet and for a nominal fee, you can eat all the wonderful food. We stayed at the beach for the afternoon, and the segway people even came back and got those who had stayed and took us back to the ship! :)

[cruiselifers]

Vickie,

I will work our Skype issues soon hopefully so that when Bernie and you return we can chat. I will miss the kisses, seriously. I hope you all love Antigua as much as we did!

Sue

[Contessa30]

Sea days, ahhhh

 

What it is 8:30 am, man did I sleep in, and I head out to the balcony to read and Bernie sleeps until almost 9 am. I am heading up to our Cruise Critic meet and greet and Bernie is off to trivia.

 

We meet up in the International Café later for coffee and are soon joined by Colin/Gwenda and we catch the martini demonstration, and have to say I’ve seen a lot of these demonstrations but this has to be the best one I have ever seen, the three bartenders are amazing. And I answered one of their questions right and got a cosmo, pretty sad looking drinking a martini at 11:00 am, but heck someone has to do it.

 

We head to the pub lunch for 1:00 pm in the Wheelhouse and enjoy some fish and chips and then I decide I want to finally buy something on board. I pick up a lovely pull over made by Tommy Bahamas that is on sale for 10% off and then with our elite and coupon it is another 20% off. I also buy a nice rainbow Swatch Watch, and now can wear it with “Pride”.

 

I am back in the cabin relaxing before heading up to Skywalkers. Tonight is another formal night but we are opting out. We will dine in the Horizon Court and will catch a movie under the stars.

 

Muts is showing Switch and we grab a lounge chair and an ice cream cone and settle in for the movie, about a half hour in they come by to say it is going to rain in 15 minutes, so we take cover, well I take cover Bernie gives up and heads to the room. And sure enough the sky opens up and it pours, but it is still very warm I am okay as I am under the a roof but others run to not get wet. After the movie it is back to the cabin and guess what I watch another movie! Flipped is the movie this time and it is very cute.

 

We don’t sleep in as late this time, 7:30 we are up and we meet up with Brian/Christine and Paul/Yvonne for breakfast in Da Vinci… Brian says today is poached eggs on toast so I listen to him J. After breakfast I do five laps on the Promenade deck and decide time to get some sun where once again we meet up with B/C and Y/P, we catch some rays and Paul and Brian head off to get us all Gyros from the grill at lunch. We hang around the pool area until 2:00 pm and we relax in the cabin until I go to Zumba class at 3:15… now that is fun and it was packed in there. This poor woman next to me took the space for three people with arms flying legs every which way and no rhythm to speak of but she was having fun.

 

Tonight we will head up to Skywalkers and enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset, tonight we are having dinner in the dining room, can’t remember the menu but I am sure it will be great and Francesco promises us we will love it. We are in Antigua tomorrow and we are very excited.

 

 

It sounds like a wonderful time you are having. We leave for our cruise in a month. I am curious about the Zumba classes. Do you wear work out clothes for this class?

 

I am really enjoying your adventures!

[vickie_bernie]

Alice yup don't understand football but I understand your passion for a sport as we are with hockey. They are showing the game tonight. Hope you join us in SA.

 

Wayne, it does sound fun but we are doing eli eco tour

 

Susan, we love antigua and are so happy to be here again, would love to chat on skype

 

Zumba, I wore yoga pants and t shirt, but you can manage in anything that you would dance dance dance the night away

 

okay off to rub in the sunscreen

[u2cruiser]

I'm enjoying your thread vickie_bernie.

Very good of you to rid them of the Martinis at 11am lol! Like you said, someone has to :D

Zumba sounds fun, as does everything else you do, even film watching in the rain. ;)

[Bettyboop66]

I just spent a few minutes reading this post and have loved every minute of it. We are going on the Emerald in December and can't wait. I saw in your last post you mentioned Gyros.... I love them. Were they good, and where and when can you them. This will be our first time going to Antigua and we can't wait. Can't wait to read more.