First X Cruise:SILHOUETTE JAN 17 2016

[Bimmer09]

Norris, since you are so knowledgeable, we booked a Princess land cruise of Macchu Pichu and a cruise around the cape on the Crown Princess. Do you have any suggestions or worries for that itinerary? Thanks for your help. Annette

 

Suggestions for any trip around the bottom of S America would be read this amazing review by Miaminice (German guy Oliver) one of my favorite writers.

 

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/South-America-01/south-america-01.html

 

My only advice re Macchu Pichu (bucket list item) is-take the escalator!

 

I loved the Crown Princess and I envy you. We will get to follow Oliver on his trip at some point. That itinerary really appeals to me.

 

Norris

[DMCruiser]

Welcome back Norris! Can't wait to read your review and see all of your fabulous pictures. I just happened to look at the Celebrity board today, and yahoo, I found you. We took one Celebrity cruise, way back, and we were not impressed, so have never returned. It will be interesting to see what you have to say! You are a wonderful writer and excellent photographer!!!:D

 

Thanks for taking your time! Diana

[Bimmer09]

Welcome back Norris! Can't wait to read your review and see all of your fabulous pictures. I just happened to look at the Celebrity board today, and yahoo, I found you. We took one Celebrity cruise, way back, and we were not impressed, so have never returned. It will be interesting to see what you have to say! You are a wonderful writer and excellent photographer!!!:D

 

Thanks for taking your time! Diana

 

Thanks Diana for all the kind words and I hope you'll stick around to see how my X experience was. You may be surprised.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Before it gets dark here are some more Marriott Harbor Beach pics that may help show why we like it so much.

 

 

 

 

 

The hotel has recently remodeled the interior but as we will be staying here after the cruise I'll show you those photos later.

 

Norris

[morning13]

Suggestions for any trip around the bottom of S America would be read this amazing review by Miaminice (German guy Oliver) one of my favorite writers.

 

 

 

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/South-America-01/south-america-01.html

 

 

 

My only advice re Macchu Pichu (bucket list item) is-take the escalator!

 

 

 

I loved the Crown Princess and I envy you. We will get to follow Oliver on his trip at some point. That itinerary really appeals to me.

 

 

 

Norris

 

 

Thank you, Norris for your excellent feedback. You are generous with your insight and I thank you. I will follow your blog on this site and I will also book that Celebrity transatlantic based on your recommendation. Annette

Ps: maybe one day I will learn how to say something on Cruise Critic!!!

[dibati2]

Dear Bimmer09

 

What a joy to find your witty and interesting review.

 

I board this ship and this same route on Sunday. I might be reading your review in real time! That will be fun for me - assuming the Internet connection cooperates of course

 

Just imagine sitting in Murano looking at the menu, can't decided which lovely entree to choose, I shall whip out my phone and see what the entree looks like. TA Da .... Decision made. Easy easy .... Thank you!

[Bimmer09]

When the sun goes down around 5.30 on a January evening the hotel lights up.

 

 

 

Seen from our room

 

 

They have maybe 6 fire pits lit with couches around. Inside the bars are busy, music is playing,some of it live (singer/guitarist). The 3 restaurants are busy too serving locals and guests, many of whom are waiting, like us, to join a ship in the morning.

 

 

They show movies in the pool

 

Norris

[jzad]

Oh your back with a new review!! Fantastic!!

[Bimmer09]

Dear Bimmer09

 

What a joy to find your witty and interesting review.

 

I board this ship and this same route on Sunday. I might be reading your review in real time! That will be fun for me - assuming the Internet connection cooperates of course

 

Just imagine sitting in Murano looking at the menu, can't decided which lovely entree to choose, I shall whip out my phone and see what the entree looks like. TA Da .... Decision made. Easy easy .... Thank you!

 

Hi, dibati and thanks for the comments.

 

Our dinner in Murano should be up before Sunday-photos and video! It was my choice for our first dinner on board -but something went wrong...

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Oh your back with a new review!! Fantastic!!

 

Well jzad-of course I am and thanks for finding me!

 

I take it you have read some of my Princess ones?

 

Stick around as I have lots to show and tell.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Sea Level is a really cool spot to dine-day or night

 

 

 

We have a dinner reservation for 9 p.m in the hotel's Fine Dining restaurant. It's called 3030 Ocean and I wrote a review of it on TripAdvisor I think last March.

I'm a "Senior Contributor" and "Restaurant and Hotel Expert" on TA so you'd better be nice to me. LOL! My screen name on TA is Bavarian Chicago USA.

 

We love dining out, whether it be a BBQ rib joint or a Michelin Star restaurant.

We both cook at home and Carol is a skilled cook who uses recipes and things called techniques. I am the meat and potato line cook and grill master.

 

Let's eat!!

 

We got the quietest table in the room (the bar is noisy) and were served by a pro called Riccardo.

 

MENU- use the magnifying glass on your computer to read it

 

 

My shrimp cocktail- each shrimp is $6 but they are huge tasty beasts!

 

 

Carol's Caesar salad with white anchovies

 

 

My Swordfish with broccolini and olives

 

[JahHaus]

My question...where did you get that countdown for your phone?

[Bimmer09]

Carol's STONE CRAB (Crab of the Gods!)

 

 

I had my favorite dessert -Sambuca Romana and a double espresso while Carol had a small Key Lime pie that jumped off the plate and smacked her silly with flavor. Served with ice cream and toasted coconut flakes, which I got to eat.

 

 

Splendid meal which with 20% tip cost $172. Pricey but good cooking in that kitchen.

 

A walk outside in the warm night air, the lights from the many anchored cargo ships reflecting on the water. A great first day of our vacation!

 

And so to sleep. I set an alarm for 4 as I had a half mile walk in the dark, along the beach, waiting for me. The ships would be in at 5 a.m as usual...or so I thought.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

My question...where did you get that countdown for your phone?

 

JaHaus, it's on an app called Shipmate which also has the cruise cams from the ships.

 

Norris

[JahHaus]

Thx...on Silhouette in 11 days!

[deladane]

For those of you wondering "when do we see the ship?" here is what stands between you and it.

 

Dinner in the hotel

Sleep (not photographed)

Ships arriving at 4 a.m....an hour early due to storm warnings

Breakfast

 

Embarkation.

 

Hang in there or relax and enjoy the ride.

 

My thanks to some of the great photo reviewers who have helped whet my appetite for the Silhouette/S Class over the years;

 

Scubacruiser2x (Tom)

FRMPEI (Kevin Reid the Gopro master)

GAMBEE (Oscar for best cocktail photos)

Miaminice (Oliver)

 

and really anyone who picks up a camera while on board any ship-with a special shout out to Deladane and Little Miss Magic, plus Jim Zimmerlin-great photographers all . Thanks!

 

Norris

 

 

Thanks for the shout out Norris!! :D So happy I stumbled upon your review as you went to some of my favorite islands, and I know you will do an amazing job of highlighting them through your photos and well-written review! I still have 7 weeks until my upcoming Equinox cruise, so I look forward to reading your review to keep me going while I wait hehe The timing should work out well that you will finish writing your review in time to start reading my review when I post it in April ;)

[Bimmer09]

I woke at 4 a.m and took a look outside as rain had been forecast. Yikes!! There's a bunch of ships on the Horizon and even closer. Coming in early??

 

Yes they were as there was a tornado watch and thunderstorms in the offing.

 

I dressed as fast as I could without turning the bedroom lights on but when I checked myself in the mirror I had put my jeans on over my head and stretched the arms of my sweater by putting my legs through them. Quick change and I was out the door, cameras on my shoulder.

 

When I felt the wind at 30 mph I nixed my idea of walking half a mile on the beach doing an impression of French mime marcel Marceau walking against the wind and instead set up my light portable tripod near the beach, resting on a flat trashcan cover. I had to use my zoom (55 to 250mm Canon) as the nearest approach was still half a mile away. I had to switch the camera to manual mode and use a faster speed to combat the shakes from the howling wind.

 

I'd already missed the Nieuw Amsterdam but I caught CARNIVAL CONQUEST

 

 

Followed by one of my favorite ship designs-NAVIGATOR OF THE SEAS!

 

 

Next up was REGAL PRINCESS

 

 

Close up of the Regal's big ass-I'm all about that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble

 

 

Here comes the EURODAM

 

 

Followed by the....GUESS

 

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

Not my first time seeing the Silhouette up close as I have photographed her a couple of times leaving Port Everglades-but in daylight.

 

I usually have a half mile walk back from the rocks at this time: in the dark, trudging through the sand, gasping for coffee but it was now almost 6 a.m and that meant that the Hotel's Starbucks would be opening by the time I packed up my gear. It is an expensive Starbucks- a coffee that usually costs $1.89 is $3 here but-it's convenient and I don't have a rental car.

 

Once I had my cup 'o Jo I headed back outside to await the sunrise, knowing that in 5 or so hours I would be ON THE SILHOUETTE. That felt GOOD!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for the shout out Norris!! :D So happy I stumbled upon your review as you went to some of my favorite islands, and I know you will do an amazing job of highlighting them through your photos and well-written review! I still have 7 weeks until my upcoming Equinox cruise, so I look forward to reading your review to keep me going while I wait hehe The timing should work out well that you will finish writing your review in time to start reading my review when I post it in April ;)

 

Celebrity Board Members- keep an eye out for Deladane's review of the Equinox!

 

Hi and welcome aboard! Did you ever make it to my Emerald review? I know you were getting married but let's get our priorities straight here! LOL.

 

Hope you are in for the long haul on this one.

 

Great to see you.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

It hadn't rained yet but look at these morning clouds...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would rain eventually and rain hard. For now I was just enjoying the drama in the skies and hoping for a dry sailaway at 4.30 p.m.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, another.

 

 

What cabin were you in? We were starboard corner aft deck 12. Perhaps my wife has a picture of you. This are just my IPad pictures.

 

By the way how do you get more than one attachment on a single post?

 

Jim

 

Jim, sorry I didn't answer this earlier but I just cut and paste the parts I wanted to respond to by having two "windows" open to toggle between ( I use a MacBook).

 

There is another way but I haven't searched CC for the instructions. If I can remember I'll find out in the morning. It's called Multi Quote.

 

Norris

[deladane]

Celebrity Board Members- keep an eye out for Deladane's review of the Equinox!

 

Hi and welcome aboard! Did you ever make it to my Emerald review? I know you were getting married but let's get our priorities straight here! LOL.

 

Hope you are in for the long haul on this one.

 

Great to see you.

 

Norris

 

Oh yes, I am definitely in it for the long haul!

 

The wedding isn't until September, so I'm not married yet! I think I got a bit distracted with wedding planning while you were writing the Emerald review and I just realized I never finished it, so I went back to pick up to where I left off (while I'm waiting for new posts in this review haha)

 

and haha Thanks again for the enforcement for my upcoming review!

[perfect match]

Norris, beautiful sunrise pictures! I am totally NOT a morning person, but seeing those pictures, well, that view would make it worth getting up early even for a confirmed night owl like me!

[ROWSE]

Norris,

We were on the Eclipse from January 10 to 24, and sorry to say I did not lay eyes on you in the ports we shared this voyage. I am rather a groupie on your reviews, so it may be well that I did not see you as you were probably too busy with your camera to allow time to give me an autograph. :)

 

I am getting ready to do a review of my own from our amazing journey on the Eclipse; and I know it will not be an epic review like yours, especially comparing your amazing pictures to my product from cheap cameras, but I will do my best.

 

If your cruise was even a fraction as enjoyable as ours, I know the rest of this review is going to be incredible. Thank you ahead of time for entertaining us all.

[Bimmer09]

January 17th and I've been up since 4 and now it's 8 and we are going down to breakfast in Riva Restaurant. It's raining steadily.

 

Riva has a buffet for $28 but we order a la carte. Table service is top-notch and we see the same people working there year after year. We have been staying there since our first time in January 2012 for our Crown Princess cruise.

 

My plate

 

 

And Carol's

 

 

 

After breakfast we return to our room to pack and once done we attach these...

 

It's always exciting to finally see our next address being a ship and all we now have to do is check out and get in a cab.

 

The pulse rate quickens as the taxi passes over the 17th Street Bridge which is now dry as the rain stopped while we were eating and the 76 degree F temperature is doing mop-up.

 

There's the Regal Princess! Oh boy! This is exciting!

 

 

We have always sailed from the Regal's berth #2 but today we were going to #25 and I really got a better understanding of just how huge this port is driving way back there. We pass the Allure and the Conquest . Container parks to our right, stacked 4 or 5 high. There's the Eurodam up ahead and behind her the unmistakeable X funnels.

 

It was a $14 cab ride and soon we were in the melee of luggage cases. As always I tip the baggage handler $5 to ensure our luggage doesn't take an unexpected dive into the harbor and we walk to the Celebrity Check-In hall. It's about 10.45.

 

There's no line for check in so we hand our passports, credit card and Xpress Pass to a smiling young lady who gives us our Ship's Pass card and takes our photos for security. Painless, friendly and efficient. I look around and see maybe 40 clerks waiting for a future wave of passengers to come. All is calm at this hour.

 

On to security and we fly through that. Next we get our boarding photo taken in front of a Silhouette Backdrop. Bantered with the photographers. They were light hearted and fun.

 

On to find seats to wait for boarding. Showed my card to an usher and she said "Suites? You can go up that escalator over there" which we did and found ourselves in a much smaller waiting room. Outside the window was our aft corner cabin-Port side 7309, two decks above Tuscan Grille.

 

Twenty five minutes after leaving the taxi we were walking up a steep gangway to enter the ship on deck 5 aft.

 

We were scanned on board by security. A waiter offered Mimosas from a tray but we declined as we already were toting bags and mine were heavy and loaded with cameras and tripods etc.

 

We stepped into a panoramic elevator and hit the highest button-deck 15 as I couldn't wait to see the Lawn....

 

** All photos this page using an iPhone 5

 

Norris