Eclipsing Northern Europe by cruise : Basic black , and Baltic blues

[perfect match]

up close and personal

 

 

 

 

 

I love this picture!

 

Tme changes during a trip always confuse me, especially since my own biological clock is already a bit off from most people. On our upcoming Oasis cruise, we have the time zone change from FL to Mexico and the change from daylight savings time to standard time. I have a feeling I'm not going to know if I'm coming or going! :confused: :eek: I have to make sure I know what time it really is on both in Mexico and on the ship so I don't end up missing the ship! I have planned plenty of extra time at the end of our port days to be sure I'm back on time.

 

Joe and Pat, have a great time diving in Cozumel!

[scubacruiserx2]

I love this picture!

 

Tme changes during a trip always confuse me, especially since my own biological clock is already a bit off from most people. On our upcoming Oasis cruise, we have the time zone change from FL to Mexico and the change from daylight savings time to standard time. I have a feeling I'm not going to know if I'm coming or going! :confused: :eek: I have to make sure I know what time it really is on both in Mexico and on the ship so I don't end up missing the ship! I have planned plenty of extra time at the end of our port days to be sure I'm back on time.

 

Joe and Pat, have a great time diving in Cozumel!

 

Being back on board early , and not pier running , is a good thing !! :) :D

 

And yes the time changes and differing ship/port times can be confusing sometimes , so we keep Pat's watch on ship's time and mine on port time . Today will be a long and busy day but we look forward to seeing some old friends and diving tomorrow - on island time !! We probably sleep better there with a predictable routine than we do here . Our watches come off , and our only timed event is getting to the boat on time and getting back on the boat before running out of air . :eek:

We sleep well because we're tired , eat when we're hungry and I don't have to drive in Florida traffic . In other words , we love the beauty and simplicity we find there , when we stay . :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

I received a package yesterday from across the pond

 

 

 

It's a waterproof case for my small land camera so I can take some decent photos on the wet dive boat .

 

 

 

 

I haven't done a location review for Cozumel yet , so maybe after this trip . :) :D

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Ty like the video Stomp when we showed it to him and his brother and so we thought that he would enjoy it .

 

 

 

 

 

No recording is allowed and we were seated in the third row of a small theatre , so we were down in the middle of the action . It was the same cast as in the video .

 

 

And after the show , as Lucy said , it was raining

 

 

 

 

 

And while the rain didn't dampen our spirits , it limited our ability to walk about . We headed for an early dinner in hopes that the rain would pass while we were dining . We did have some trouble locating our favorite restaurant and so we tried a different one .

 

 

 

 

Crispy duck

 

 

 

let's eat

 

 

 

 

[Gracie115]

A change of 6 hrs +1 for you then, as we also put the clocks back on the last Sunday in October in Europe.

 

That plays havoc with my body clock.

On our recent cruise we put the clocks Forward 1 hr the first night, as we were in France.

Back 1 hr to BST for Guernsey and Cork.

When we left Cork we changed them back x4

Then 1/2 hr when we were sailing for St John's Newfoundland.

Then another 1/2 hr when we were approaching Quebec (EST I think)

 

I just wake an hr earlier every day, OK if you are going out for an early excursion though.

When we did a TA on Infinity in 2013, breakfast was scheduled an hr earlier, as many elderly people were waking too early!

 

I didn't have a problem with the time change on the eastbound TA's but am concerned as we cross the ocean that I will be getting up at 2AM for breakfast with the clock moving back so many days in a row!!! :eek:

 

 

We we hoping that you may have found an early morning , day flight across the pond !! :)

 

We've been to South America from Miami twice , and it's about the same flight time as to London . The first trip was on LAN to Santiago , which which was overnight both times !! :eek:

 

Our round trip to Buenos Aires was on Aerolineas Argentinas , which flew in the day both times !!

 

That was much better !!! :) :D

 

 

 

I would have loved to find a daytime flight....but as you know they just don't seem to be available .... so we will go forward and then back and back and back and back.......it will be interesting...as someone who has fairly serious sleep issues...this should throw an entirely new kind of problem into the mix....but it's all good...after all we're on a ship and there is LOTS of time for naps during those wonderfully long sea days!!:D

Edited October 22, 2016 by Gracie115

[scubacruiserx2]

I didn't have a problem with the time change on the eastbound TA's but am concerned as we cross the ocean that I will be getting up at 2AM for breakfast with the clock moving back so many days in a row!!! :eek:

 

 

 

 

I would have loved to find a daytime flight....but as you know they just don't seem to be available .... so we will go forward and then back and back and back and back.......it will be interesting...as someone who has fairly serious sleep issues...this should throw an entirely new kind of problem into the mix....but it's all good...after all we're on a ship and there is LOTS of time for naps during those wonderfully long sea days!!:D

 

 

Just a flight away - YAY !!! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

We arrived safe and sound and are getting ready to dive in a rainy Cozumel . The island is hosting it's first motorcycle event , so look out IOM tt ! More later :):)

[perfect match]

We arrived safe and sound and are getting ready to dive in a rainy Cozumel . The island is hosting it's first motorcycle event , so look out IOM tt ! More later :):)

 

:D You won't even know it is raining when you are under water! :D You sure will know on the dive boat, though! Guess that waterproof case you just got will come in moe handy than you expected.

[scubacruiserx2]

:D You won't even know it is raining when you are under water! :D You sure will know on the dive boat, though! Guess that waterproof case you just got will come in moe handy than you expected.

 

I won't be using the case underwater , it's just a raincoat for my little Sony ! I did get some good video underwater today and hope to take still photos with my strobe tomorrow :):D

[perfect match]

Joe and Pat, I hope you have been having a great time in Cozumel with your friends. I have been watching the weather there, and it seems like the clouds have moved away, so hopefully your weather has improved and you have been able to dry off while you were on board the dive boat.

 

I like the term "raincoat" for your new camera case. You must have put it to good use during the rain you had this week. I don't think I would trust a good camera in a raincoat on a dive, but it could be a real camera saver on a dive boat where nothing ever seems to stay completely dry.

 

We have had a bit of excitement this week. Barry had a Segway accident and ended up with a broken clavicle. He fell on some debris left over from hurricane Matthew. Just what we needed two weeks before our Oasis cruise. All I could think of when it happened was Pat's fall, and the resulting knee injury that caused the two of you to cancel your cruise. He had surgery Thursday to get the ends of the bone back together, and a plate and screws installed to keep it there. As long as he doesn't have any problems with infection this week, we will still be cruising as planned. I did cancel his Segway tour in Mexico, though. No way was he doing that with a broken clavicle caused by a Segway fall! Oh, I cancelled his zipline and coaster on Labadee, too! Everything else we have planned should be OK, so we should still have a great time.

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe and Pat, I hope you have been having a great time in Cozumel with your friends. I have been watching the weather there, and it seems like the clouds have moved away, so hopefully your weather has improved and you have been able to dry off while you were on board the dive boat.

 

I like the term "raincoat" for your new camera case. You must have put it to good use during the rain you had this week. I don't think I would trust a good camera in a raincoat on a dive, but it could be a real camera saver on a dive boat where nothing ever seems to stay completely dry.

 

We have had a bit of excitement this week. Barry had a Segway accident and ended up with a broken clavicle. He fell on some debris left over from hurricane Matthew. Just what we needed two weeks before our Oasis cruise. All I could think of when it happened was Pat's fall, and the resulting knee injury that caused the two of you to cancel your cruise. He had surgery Thursday to get the ends of the bone back together, and a plate and screws installed to keep it there. As long as he doesn't have any problems with infection this week, we will still be cruising as planned. I did cancel his Segway tour in Mexico, though. No way was he doing that with a broken clavicle caused by a Segway fall! Oh, I cancelled his zipline and coaster on Labadee, too! Everything else we have planned should be OK, so we should still have a great time.

 

OUCH! Good call on the Segway and zip line tours. Now I know what not to get Pat for Christmas. Hope and pray no infection and complete and speedy recovery for Barry. Will you be diving in Cozumel?

Finished our dives for this trip.

Just trying to decide where we are dining tonight and tomorrow?

Got some good pictures and videos, which I hope to share when we get home.

[perfect match]

OUCH! Good call on the Segway and zip line tours. Now I know what not to get Pat for Christmas. Hope and pray no infection and complete and speedy recovery for Barry. Will you be diving in Cozumel?

Finished our dives for this trip.

Just trying to decide where we are dining tonight and tomorrow?

Got some good pictures and videos, which I hope to share when we get home.

 

At one point we were thinking about buying Segways of our own. They really aren't that difficult to ride, just keep your movements small and watch out for lurking hurricane debris. Those downed branches will not get out of your way, you have to watch out for them.

 

I am hoping to still dive in Cozumel, but right now our plans have pretty much been put on hold due to Barry's accident. The big bandage can come off tomorrow, so we will get a look at how the incision is healing. He goes back to the doctor on Friday to get his stitches out and final clearance to travel.

 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures. :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

At one point we were thinking about buying Segways of our own. They really aren't that difficult to ride, just keep your movements small and watch out for lurking hurricane debris. Those downed branches will not get out of your way, you have to watch out for them.

 

I am hoping to still dive in Cozumel, but right now our plans have pretty much been put on hold due to Barry's accident. The big bandage can come off tomorrow, so we will get a look at how the incision is healing. He goes back to the doctor on Friday to get his stitches out and final clearance to travel.

 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures. :cool:

 

I've heard about that hurricane debris ! My mom was telling me yesterday that the wind was blowing the piled leaves back on her lawn and that she had to attack them with her rake . Perhaps she will slow down one of these days !

 

Here's hoping that there will be no infection and that you will be able to cruise this week . We also hope to arrive tomorrow evening ( if the afternoon thunderstorms will let us leave Cancun ) , dressed as sunburned tourists , for Halloween this year . :( :D

[perfect match]

Joe and Pat, I just realized our good friends Cathie and Nick will be on the Regal Princess leg of your cruise in December! They are on CC, so I've sent them a link to this review so they will see who you are. Hopefully, they will decide to introduce themselves. I don't know if either of you are on the roll call.

 

Nick is tall, has dark hair, and walks with a limp, but is fit and can enjoys walking. Cathie is a slim blonde, short hair, is also fit and enjoys walking with Nick. I'm sure the 4 of you would get along great. I wish we were going, too.

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe and Pat, I just realized our good friends Cathie and Nick will be on the Regal Princess leg of your cruise in December! They are on CC, so I've sent them a link to this review so they will see who you are. Hopefully, they will decide to introduce themselves. I don't know if either of you are on the roll call.

 

Nick is tall, has dark hair, and walks with a limp, but is fit and can enjoys walking. Cathie is a slim blonde, short hair, is also fit and enjoys walking with Nick. I'm sure the 4 of you would get along great. I wish we were going, too.

 

We too wish that you and Barry were going on the cruise . It would be nice to meet you face to face , cruise and maybe get a dive in also . We haven't been on either of our roll calls recently , but we did meet some divers on the Caribbean Princess who we are going to dive with in Cozumel and Roatan .

 

We will look for Cathie and Nick ( can you share their screen name ) on the roll call and look forward to changing gears from SCUBA mode into cruiser mode form our next trip . We're hoping and praying for a good report for Barry and you , so you can get on the Oasis . :) :D

 

 

We did see her in port at Cozumel where she towered over the Empress of the Seas . The Empress is less than twice as long as the Oasis , but weighs almost five times as much as the Empress , as seen in our video clip as we passed by them in our speeding dive boat :

[scubacruiserx2]

On our last full day in London , we once again crossed the bridge to board the tour bus .

 

 

 

It was a pretty day for a tour

 

 

 

 

We took a short ride and boarded a boat here for a river cruise which was included , for a different perspective .

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the rear and center of the boat all of the window seats had been taken , so I walked around .

 

 

Here's Christopher Wren's masterpiece , St. Paul's Cathedral .

 

 

 

The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London. Its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominated the skyline for 300 years.[3] At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967. The dome is among the highest in the world. St Paul's is the second largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.

 

Wikipedia

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

I'm not sure what the columns were used for , but I suspect train tracks . Anybody ?

 

 

 

The Tate Modern

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate_Modern

 

 

Several views of the Shard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shard

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by scubacruiserx2

[perfect match]

We too wish that you and Barry were going on the cruise . It would be nice to meet you face to face , cruise and maybe get a dive in also . We haven't been on either of our roll calls recently , but we did meet some divers on the Caribbean Princess who we are going to dive with in Cozumel and Roatan .

 

We will look for Cathie and Nick ( can you share their screen name ) on the roll call and look forward to changing gears from SCUBA mode into cruiser mode form our next trip . We're hoping and praying for a good report for Barry and you , so you can get on the Oasis . :) :D

 

 

We did see her in port at Cozumel where she towered over the Empress of the Seas . The Empress is less than twice as long as the Oasis , but weighs almost five times as much as the Empress , as seen in our video clip as we passed by them in our speeding dive boat :

 

Joe, I would share Nick and Cathie's screen name - if I could remember it! :confused: The only thing I do remember is that I never would have guessed it if they hadn't told me. :eek: I will have to ask again and get back to you.

 

I would love to end up on the same cruise with you and Pat one of these days. It would be fun getting to know both of you in person. :D

 

Tomorrow morning is the doctor to get Barry's stitches out. The surgical wound looks good with no sign of infection, so I think we will be good to go! :D We have all but our last minute packing done, and we are ready to cruise! We are expecting to be on deck 5 aft right above the Oasis name for sailaway with a group of pink boa waving cruisers from our roll call. Hopefully, Oasis will be docked facing out. If not, we will have to find a different spot to wave from or we won't be on the webcam.

 

My internet has been really spotty lately. It usually only goes out briefly, but it was out for hours yesterday. Defnitely not normal. I will check back when I can, maybe even from the ship since we got a great price on the internet package. I'm not planning to spend our whole cruise online, though!

Edited November 4, 2016 by perfect match

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe, I would share Nick and Cathie's screen name - if I could remember it!

The only thing I do remember is that I never would have guessed it if they hadn't told me. :eek: I will have to ask again and get back to you.

 

I would love to end up on the same cruise with you and Pat one of these days. It would be fun getting to know both of you in person. :D

 

Tomorrow morning is the doctor to get Barry's stitches out. The surgical wound looks good with no sign of infection, so I think we will be good to go! :D We have all but our last minute packing done, and we are ready to cruise! We are expecting to be on deck 5 aft right above the Oasis name for sailaway with a group of pink boa waving cruisers from our roll call. Hopefully, Oasis will be docked facing out. If not, we will have to find a different spot to wave from or we won't be on the webcam.

 

My internet has been really spotty lately. It usually only goes out briefly, but it was out for hours yesterday. Defnitely not normal. I will check back when I can, maybe even from the ship since we got a great price on the internet package. I'm not planning to spend our whole cruise online, though!

 

 

 

We hope that all went well at Barry's doctor and that that you are good to go for the cruise !! :) :D

 

Currently Photobucket is down and so none of the photos are showing on the threads . Hopefully it will be restored soon as we hope to finish this photo review and go to work on the next one .

 

Youtube is still working and so here's a couple of underwater video clips from Cozumel .

 

 

This one is a Green Moray swimming over the shallow reefs as we were doing a safety stop .

 

 

 

 

And this one is the elusive Splendid Toadfish , found only in Cozumel , being lured from his den by our friend Phil .

 

 

 

 

P.S. There are NO hooks on the lure !!!

 

On the downside , I did have a stress test yesterday on which I didn't do so well . I have an Cardio angiogram scheduled for next Friday and so I'd better start studying soon , so that I can do better on my next test . :eek:

 

[upwarduk]

Joe,

Your images are back this morning!

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe,

Your images are back this morning!

 

Hi Jackie , I'm thrilled and editing just now , so I'm hoping to post soon - and complete this thread . ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

The magnificent Tower Bridge .

 

 

 

The same photo , cropped for a close up .

 

 

 

 

 

The Tower of London

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London

 

 

And - The Gerkin

 

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe

 

 

We disembarked our river cruise here for some photos .

 

 

 

 

 

[lucyliz]

I'm not sure what the columns were used for , but I suspect train tracks . Anybody ?

 

 

 

You suspect correctly :) It's the old Blackfriars railway bridge that was demolished in the 1980s. I'm not sure why they never took the pillars away when the bridge on top was removed.

[upwarduk]

Another one of Tower Bridge.

London landmarks at sunrise from Air Canada flight.

 

https://goo.gl/photos/7BdgMG5sNumwS5kp6

[scubacruiserx2]

You suspect correctly :) It's the old Blackfriars railway bridge that was demolished in the 1980s. I'm not sure why they never took the pillars away when the bridge on top was removed.

 

Thanks Lucy , inquiring minds want to know ! I see that you will be on a cruise soon , Port Everglades is the closest one to us , about an hour away . :) :D

Edited November 5, 2016 by scubacruiserx2