Riviera January 3 - It's the (Old) Girls Gone "Wild" cruise!

[GeezerCouple]

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREAT Photos - and oh how I wished we could do scuba ourselves (we can't, for medical reasons, but your photos help a lot! Thanks!)

 

Could you share the booking/contact information for that catamaran on St. Barths?

We were there on our holiday cruise, but had a land tour.

 

Next time, we'd like to do something on the water.

 

We've had some terrific recommendations in the past on CruiseCritic!

 

If I missed the specific info earlier, sorry... and please just give a pointer.

 

Your photos of the ship, and your posts, are bringing back such wonderful memories.

 

Many thanks!

[harryw]

We've been blessed with perfect beach weather yesterday and today....sunny skies around 80 degrees...spent yesterday at Orient Bay, today at Cane Garden Bay...gentle breezes and lapping waves.,,despite several ships in port sumultaneously, the beaches were uncrowded and traffic minimal...the food and general O service has been up to snuff. My favorite dessert so far has been a delicious Linzer tart....

 

Harry and Carol

[Leejnd4]

Thanks for the information, I did Google and was truly amazed!

 

You thread is now not only entertaining....but also educational.:)

 

By the way, as for the Catamaran...Eric would have been all the scenery/entertainment I would need for a great day.:D

 

Looking forward to the Tortola pics.

 

Oh trust me, we gals enjoyed that part of the scenery quite a lot! ;)

 

GREAT Photos - and oh how I wished we could do scuba ourselves (we can't, for medical reasons, but your photos help a lot! Thanks!)

 

Could you share the booking/contact information for that catamaran on St. Barths?

We were there on our holiday cruise, but had a land tour.

 

Next time, we'd like to do something on the water.

 

We've had some terrific recommendations in the past on CruiseCritic!

 

If I missed the specific info earlier, sorry... and please just give a pointer.

 

Your photos of the ship, and your posts, are bringing back such wonderful memories.

 

Many thanks!

 

I will find the info later and post it, I promised. I'm in my robe on the balcony right now watching the islands go by...to nice to get up!

 

Harry is right...perfect weather last couple of days. Will post a full report and many more pics tomorrow. Tonight is La Reserve...I don't think I'll be in any shape to write or post later!

[Leejnd4]

Just got back from the Salto El Limon horseback ride to a waterfall excursion. LOVED it! I didn't even see Cayo Levantado, so I can't comment on it. But excursion was fantastic. I Wil give more details when I have a chance to sit down and write it all up. Eating a surf n turf without the turf right now :)

[Lane412000]

 

You have now swallowed the Oceania hook as they have you in their database as being a lover of the surf n turf without the turf :D

 

Enjoying your posts, continue enjoying the cruise

[harryw]

We had a delightful few hours at the beach here. A 5 minute tender ride, then a 5 minute walk to the public beach with free plentiful lounge chairs. No umbrellas, but palm trees for shade. No need to take the O beach escape. Tranquil water on the beautiful bay...no blaring music...and we were the sole ship there!!....drinks and food wait service on the beach. Interesting local craft huts...Nice larimore (sic) necklaces...a true paradise...Red Ginger tonight...Life is Good!

 

Harry and Carol

[buggins0402]

We had a delightful few hours at the beach here. A 5 minute tender ride, then a 5 minute walk to the public beach with free plentiful lounge chairs. No umbrellas, but palm trees for shade. No need to take the O beach escape. Tranquil water on the beautiful bay...no blaring music...and we were the sole ship there!!....drinks and food wait service on the beach. Interesting local craft huts...Nice larimore (sic) necklaces...a true paradise...Red Ginger tonight...Life is Good!

 

Harry and Carol

 

Just to let you know...winter has finally arrived in the northern US!! Beaches and tranquil water sound really good right about now. Your day sounds wonderful!

[TheDarkestBlue]

Hey LeeAnn! Thank you so much for sharing all this with us! :D The pics are awesome, and I bet that water is warm :) It was 7 F degrees the other morning here in PA, I think I need some warm sun ;) Glad things are going well on the ship - she is a beauty and it sounds like you are having so much fun! I really loved my cruise with O and hoped your first time would go well, too

[Leejnd4]

Hi everyone! Well I had great intentions of spending some time today getting caught up with my cruise journal...but the pool was calling my name, then socializing, then a nap, then Red Ginger...well you know how it goes. I have all my notes so I'll get it all written up and posted eventually.

 

In the meantime, here are some pics from my dives in St Martin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hypercafe]

Your pictures are really great!! After all the pre cruise time you put in I am really happy you are having such a great time.

[Lane412000]

I believe that I read in a previous post you are visiting Tortola during the cruise. As you love diving, attempt to find an excursion that will bring you to Cooper Island, site of the ss Rhone shipwreck. It is the location that the movie "The Deep" was filmed. We spent two weeks on Cooper Island when it was not as developed as it is today. I am using the term as developed very loosely as I still believe everything is run via generator power on the island.

[Leejnd4]

I believe that I read in a previous post you are visiting Tortola during the cruise. As you love diving, attempt to find an excursion that will bring you to Cooper Island, site of the ss Rhone shipwreck. It is the location that the movie "The Deep" was filmed. We spent two weeks on Cooper Island when it was not as developed as it is today. I am using the term as developed very loosely as I still believe everything is run via generator power on the island.

 

Yup! We were there three days ago, and I drove the Rhone. Wait till you see them!

 

Getting ready to dive in Nassau...back on later. Tomorrow it's over. Nooooooo!!!!

 

I will post all my write ups, plus a full review of the ship,when I can.

[scubacruiserx2]

Yup! We were there three days ago, and I drove the Rhone. Wait till you see them!

 

Getting ready to dive in Nassau...back on later. Tomorrow it's over. Nooooooo!!!!

 

I will post all my write ups, plus a full review of the ship,when I can.

 

Great photos LeeAnne ! Which camera and strobe are you using ?

[Leejnd4]

Great photos LeeAnne ! Which camera and strobe are you using ?

 

I use an Olympus E-PM1 and dual Sea & Sea YS-O1 strobes, as well as a Light & Motion SolaPhoto 800 focus light. It's all about the light! :D

[Leejnd4]

Home. Bummer. I still have my journal to finish up and post, and I will do that, I promise! But in the meantime here are the best pictures from my dives on Tortola. They were at the wreck of the Rhone, which had abundant life on it. And my best drumfish shot ever.

 

I still have to process my shots from Nassau. The dive sites were not the most picturesque I've ever seen, and have clearly been dived a lot! But there was some very interesting sea life there and a couple of really fabulous eels...one of which looked so old I don't think he even had any teeth left. Stay tuned for those!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Leejnd4]

 

One of my best eel shots ever!

 

 

 

 

I love this shot:

 

 

[buggins0402]

Absolutely beautiful picture LeeAnn. Thank you so much for sharing them.

 

You really are the "eel whisperer"!

[LHT28]

Beautiful photos

 

BTW how is your shoulder??

 

Lyn

[harryw]

LeeAnn, your thread has received 10,000 plus views. Not bad for "old" girls! Meryl Streep would be impressed. You may not be the Riviera's godmother, but are the trending photographer!

 

Harry

[Leejnd4]

Absolutely beautiful picture LeeAnn. Thank you so much for sharing them.

 

You really are the "eel whisperer"!

 

Aww...thanks! I do love eels. And I have a reputation to uphold now. :D

 

Beautiful photos

 

BTW how is your shoulder??

 

Lyn

 

WAY better! Especially after Siddhu worked his magic on me at the spa. Seriously...that was amazing.

 

LeeAnn, your thread has received 10,000 plus views. Not bad for "old" girls! Meryl Streep would be impressed. You may not be the Riviera's godmother, but are the trending photographer!

 

Harry

 

Thanks Harry! I am enjoying sharing them with everyone. I realize they are not the "usual" stuff you see in this forum, but people seem to be liking them. I'll post more of the "usual" stuff soon, once I get my journal and overall review typed up.

[harryw]

Honestly, I enjoyed your photos more than Jean-Michel Cousteau's Secret Oceans IMAX film I recently saw at the NY Museum of Natural History (I was dozing off). I tend to prefer nature photos to that on film or video.

 

Harry

[Iamthesea]

This last photo of the eel gave me nightmares. How close are you actually to the water life when photographing? I think had that thing "grinned" at me, I would surely blow a lung trying to get out of the water!

Edited January 15, 2016 by Iamthesea

[smoothsailors]

LeeAnne-

 

Thanks SO much for taking the time to share all your experiences so generously! To be honest, I've been following your posts mainly to find out your impressions of Oceania, as we are newbies too...but finally started clicking on some of your underwater photos and they are fabulous!!! Seriously, you should exhibit some of them (and serve your wine at the opening!).

 

After all the agitating, isn't it wonderful that the penthouse worked out so comfortably for the three of you! Welcome home and we look forward to reading the rest of your journal.

[Leejnd4]

This last photo of the eel gave me nightmares. How close are you actually to the water life when photographing? I think had that thing "grinned" at me, I would surely blow a lung trying to get out of the water!

 

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Thanks for the morning laugh! :)

 

Sooo...yes, I get right up close to critters when I shoot them. I have to - otherwise there's too much particulate in the water between me and the critter, and it will look like it's snowing. You can see that in some of my more faraway shots, like the sharks - lots of "backscatter", which is what we call particulates in the water which reflect the light from the strobes.

 

But eels - truth be told, they ain't that scary. They actually made excellent photo subjects - they usually just sit there in their holes looking menacing. Not that you want to go sticking your body parts in their mouths or anything...a thumbless diver once told me that he learned the hard way NOT to stick his thumb in an eel's mouth. Notice they have THREE sets of teeth??

 

All that being said -- on my last day of diving in Nassau, one of these spotted eels DID come shooting out of his hole, right in my face. THAT was a heart-stopping moment - I almost spit out my regulator! But I managed to keep my composure, and keep shooting my camera, and both I and the eel survived. And I got some AWESOME shots, which I haven't had a chance to post yet - stay tuned!

 

LeeAnne-

 

Thanks SO much for taking the time to share all your experiences so generously! To be honest, I've been following your posts mainly to find out your impressions of Oceania, as we are newbies too...but finally started clicking on some of your underwater photos and they are fabulous!!! Seriously, you should exhibit some of them (and serve your wine at the opening!).

 

After all the agitating, isn't it wonderful that the penthouse worked out so comfortably for the three of you! Welcome home and we look forward to reading the rest of your journal.

 

Thank you! I have so much more to say...but I'm still trying to wade through the massive email onslaught sitting in my inbox at work. Which is what I SHOULD be doing instead of chatting on here. Back to it!

 

As for showing my photos - really I'm just an amateur. Honestly, if you saw some of the amazing shots of the professional underwater photographers that I know, you might not be so impressed. :) But I love the positive comments, and I'm supremely flattered!

[CintiPam]

Eating a surf n turf without the turf right now :)

 

My favorite Riviera lunch is double surf, no turf, no bread. And I will be eating that once again in less than a month now! You certainly have made our Sands & Shores itinerary even more appealing to me.

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences and fabulous photos with us. Riviera is my spouse's favorite ship, and we are sailing on her for our fourth time in just over two years.