Total Eclipse : A pictorial review of the Tradewinds Transatlantic crossing 2015

[scubacruiserx2]

No worries. Will grab your details and try and get invites organised for when you board.:D

 

Thanks Mic , FROM . :) :D

[dhill]

When I asked my wife which was her favorite cruise , she didn't hesitate . The April , 2009 Transatlantic crossing on the Celebrity Constellation . It was a great cruise with beautiful weather , a calm sea , and a lovely aft facing cabin . Our first and only cruise on Celebrity , it included a nice mixture of port days and relaxing days at sea , on a fairly empty ship , and all at a great price . Our dream vacation .

 

 

So in an effort to recapture that great cruise , we booked the April 21 cruise from Miami to London , that had a similar itinerary on the Celebrity Eclipse . So come with us now as we relive this trip using photos , videos and the printed word . Now I don't pretend to be a professional photographer , but I do enjoy taking photos . And like Rod Stewart , I believe that " every picture tells a story " , and so I'll be using lots of photos - to tell the story . So are you ready ? OK , lets go !

 

 

On April 21 st , we were the only cruise ship at the Port of Miami . We were the first cruise after the Eclipse's dry dock in the Bahamas . Here we are waiting our turn to board .

 

 

 

Our turn ! Having fun with 41 .

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset Veranda # 7364

 

 

 

 

Aft balcony

 

 

 

 

 

The port of Miami

 

 

 

Lets go:)

[scubacruiserx2]

Carlo began sharing about the history , geology and things grown and produced on the island when he stopped and showed us a statue of a dog . It's called the Azorean Cattle Dog and it's been bred and used extensively for herding the many cows found there . I found this photo of one of the dogs on the internet :

 

 

 

 

He asked if we would like a cupcake and so a small factory was our next stop

 

 

 

 

Delicious ! Outside of the factory there was was a small truck with milk cans and one of those dogs in the back guarding it . You can see it in action in this video clip :

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgn8BrrJIoeyp3pD3LqhoRA

 

 

There was also a small harbor with a sign for Scuba

 

 

 

It was kinda cold and rough for our liking but they have dolphins and whales migrating a little later in the year . Carlo wanted to show us some of the volcanic hot springs so we headed out to a park near Furnas . It stayed rainy most of the way . The island reminds us of Hawaii for those who have been there . Here's a clip of the ride through the park :

 

 

 

 

We stopped there and headed out for a walk

 

 

 

 

 

 

The waterfall in the distance was pretty impressive and with the steam coming from the hidden volcanic vents , it reminded us of a Jurassic Park . You can see it here in the video clip :

 

 

 

 

So we walked over toward the vents

 

 

Edited June 27, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

There is a walkway that leads to a caldera , an area filled with boiling water , bubbling mud and the sulfur smell of rotten eggs .

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the 3 mounds on the left

 

 

 

 

There are holes in the ground that use the heat as a natural slow cooker

 

 

 

 

A short clip of Carlo telling us about it :

 

 

 

 

Pots are placed in the ground and covered up with a lid and dirt and the cook returns several hours later to pick up the finished product . Returning to the car , we stopped to take a photo of the lake .

 

 

 

 

It was still raining so the photos were taken under the umbrella . After resuming our drive Carlo stopped in front of this Hotel .

 

 

 

 

He shared a lot about it and it's beautiful garden , which we didn't get to see . However I found an excellent , professionally produced video about the area , the hotel and the making of the famous Furnas Stew served in the area . And as good cruisers who like to eat , I would encourage everybody to spend the 4 minutes it takes to watch it . ;)

 

 

[MicCanberra]

I never knew the Azores would be so interesting, the photos are fantastic despite the inclement weather.:D

[perfect match]

We went back to Qsine a second time when they had a 30% off night just before our cruise ended . There was a lot of other food choices which we had wanted to try . :) :D

 

How brave of you two to face that abundance of food again!

 

Sorry you had inclement weather in the Azores, but it looks like you and your group were able to make the best of it. Nice to see there is a dive shop. I'm sure you knew I would notice that. :cool:

[cruiseclues]

You have very good photos...Thank you so much for your great photo review. :):):):)

[scubacruiserx2]

I never knew the Azores would be so interesting, the photos are fantastic despite the inclement weather.:D

 

Thanks Mic , you do what you can and it helps to have a beautiful subject to shoot .

 

 

You have very good photos...Thank you so much for your great photo review. :):):):)

 

 

Thank you and welcome to the cruise ! Stay tuned as our best ports are yet to come - Portugal , Spain , France and England . ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

How brave of you two to face that abundance of food again!

:cool:

 

You never know when a food fight may break out so we did plenty of forklifts , just to stay in shape ! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Carlo asked our tour group if we were hungry . Fill in your answer here ______ . He wanted to make another stop in the town of Furnas first . It was another volcanic area .

 

 

 

 

There were some other boat people here

 

 

 

 

I loved this map of the area on the grass

 

 

 

 

Carlo called us away from the other group and lit a cigarette . Have you ever considered what happens when you blow smoke in a volcanic vent ? Me neither , but when someone says " watch this" , I shoot video .

 

 

 

Next stop : FOOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you think that they have internet ?

 

 

 

 

Guess what we forgot ?

Edited June 28, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[emcee207]

Not for nuthin..........I think this is the best and most enjoyable review I've ever read on CC!:D

 

also, I thought the Azores were more tropical like. LOL, not sure why if you think of it and where it is.

[MicCanberra]

You never know when a food fight may break out so we did plenty of forklifts , just to stay in shape ! :) :D

 

I think that is my problem as well.:o

[MicCanberra]

LOl, great stunt with the smoke.:D

[Pemcorgimum]

Reliving our lovely but damp day in The Azores. I see my pink umbrella through the mist in a number of shots! Glad we made the effort to go and visit those places and not stay in the van! ;)

[emcee207]

Not for nuthin..........I think this is the best and most enjoyable review I've ever read on CC!:D

 

also, I thought the Azores were more tropical like. LOL, not sure why if you think of it and where it is.

[scubacruiserx2]

Reliving our lovely but damp day in The Azores. I see my pink umbrella through the mist in a number of shots! Glad we made the effort to go and visit those places and not stay in the van! ;)

 

Loved the pink brolly , it really stood out on a grey day . However , we almost lost sight of you when were near the Azaleas . ;)

Edited June 28, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

.....I think this is the best and most enjoyable review I've ever read on CC!:D

 

Wow ! What an incredibly nice thing to say , but are you sure that you are posting on the right thread ? LOL ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

Now this really hit the spot !

 

 

 

 

I tried to order the Furnas Stew from the menu , but it was still in the ground . Plan B was a ham and cheese on a fresh sweet roll . I would to show a photo , but I was too busy inhaling it ! The next stop was our mountain top experience - a scenic overlook of the lake .

 

 

 

 

We felt bad for Carlo as he apologized for the weather , and the others who have not been here before and thus , could't see what they were missing .

 

 

It was a little foggy in this view

 

 

 

 

But totally fogged over the lake

 

 

 

 

 

From our previous trip , this is what we should have seen .

 

 

 

 

 

[richsea]

It's amazing how different everything looks on a clear day. We stopped in the Azores once, just walked around town & really enjoyed it. If there is a next time, we'll certainly try a tour like yours to fully appreciate it. Funny, someone remarked on another thread that the Azores wasn't worth getting off the ship. Little did they know!

 

Loving your photos!

[DKNYC]

It was lovely. Glad I took those damp walks. The flowers were especially beautiful.

Denise

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Gracie115]

It's amazing how different everything looks on a clear day. We stopped in the Azores once, just walked around town & really enjoyed it. If there is a next time, we'll certainly try a tour like yours to fully appreciate it. Funny, someone remarked on another thread that the Azores wasn't worth getting off the ship. Little did they know!

 

Loving your photos!

 

WOW....can't imagine not getting off the ship at the Azores!:eek: Even though we had a rainy/foggy day there it was still a fun day and interesting and our guide, like Joe's did everything he could to make up for the lousy weather..... We had the most wonderful lunch in a local restaurant right on the water....it was a very good day....:)

[scubacruiserx2]

I think that is my problem as well.:o

 

Maybe if they made larger forks , we could do fewer lifts .

 

 

LOl, great stunt with the smoke.:D

 

 

 

Yeah , it was a new one on me . Reminds me of a coworker's bar trick . He would secretly put an Alka Seltzer in his mouth then take a large swig of beer . He would hold it as long as he could until foam exploded from his mouth . :eek:

[scubacruiserx2]

It was lovely. Glad I took those damp walks. The flowers were especially beautiful.

Denise

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

We enjoyed the cool walks and flowers too . Carlo made it sound like there would be loads of flowers in May . :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

It's amazing how different everything looks on a clear day. We stopped in the Azores once, just walked around town & really enjoyed it. If there is a next time, we'll certainly try a tour like yours to fully appreciate it. Funny, someone remarked on another thread that the Azores wasn't worth getting off the ship. Little did they know!

 

Loving your photos!

 

 

Oh well , I guess it's their choice , but I can't imagine skipping it . The tour was very reasonable 110 Euros for 2 including lunch but not including tips .

 

 

WOW....can't imagine not getting off the ship at the Azores!:eek: Even though we had a rainy/foggy day there it was still a fun day and interesting and our guide, like Joe's did everything he could to make up for the lousy weather..... We had the most wonderful lunch in a local restaurant right on the water....it was a very good day....:)

 

 

Us either ! Even just doing a walk around , like in our first visit to Lisbon . But until we did our tour together in Lisbon - we didn't realize how much we had missed ! Thanks Gracie for setting it up :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Our last stop was a tea factory on the North coast . The larger of the 2 tea plantations had a bus there from the cruise ship , so we bypassed it for the smaller of the 2 , Porto Formoso .

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fog on the North side of the island had lifted !

 

 

 

Revealing what we had wanted to see . A stunning vista with the Tea planted in rows below .

 

 

 

 

While most of our group watched a video , I wandered off out back to this terrace - for the view .

 

 

 

 

Afterwards we were invited inside to sample their tea and for me , this photo's lighting conveys the mood .