Solar Eclipse : A pictorial review of the Exotic Southern Caribbean

[perfect match]

Time and moisture make them change and so it does vary . But at a $1 each they are very affordable . The red O ring is silicone and comes with the new cameras and you are not suppose to lubricate it as that will void the warranty . The black ones are rubber and you are suppose to lubricate it lightly with silicone grease or spray .

I'm not sure if the red O rings will work with the older cameras and so I would check with Sealife before using one in your camera .

 

Joe, the black O ring arrived today. Thank you. Thank you also for the info about the O rings and mm's. My Olympus does not use a housing so I have no experience at all with using either. Of course, that is also why the Olympus can only go down to about 50 ft deep. I will take your advice about checking with SeaLife about the red O ring.

 

I think we would love both of the shows you have seen so far on this cruise. I am leaning very much towards booking our next cruise on a Celebrity ship in part because I think we would really like their entertainment. only problem is that I don't know yet when I will have room in our schedule for the next cruise. Sometimes I wonder how we ever had time to work! :confused: :D

 

Your balcony lunch looked wonderful! We frequently do snacks on our balcony, but we've never done a full meal there. That may have to change! :cool:

[Gracie115]

This Beatle's show DOES look much better than the one we saw on Equinox last fall........hopefully we'll see it on Eclipse next April.....

[scubacruiserx2]

This Beatle's show DOES look much better than the one we saw on Equinox last fall........hopefully we'll see it on Eclipse next April.....

 

We really did enjoy the show and wished that it was longer . We also hope that the same group will be on the TA and the cruises which leave from Dublin . We also saw a video on the Celebrity Productions Studio FB page . It showed about 6 minute clip of a singer and Irish step dancers in a show called Celebrate the World that looked very good . Hopefully it will also be on the cruises from Dublin . :) :D

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe, the black O ring arrived today. Thank you. Thank you also for the info about the O rings and mm's. My Olympus does not use a housing so I have no experience at all with using either. Of course, that is also why the Olympus can only go down to about 50 ft deep. I will take your advice about checking with SeaLife about the red O ring.

 

I think we would love both of the shows you have seen so far on this cruise. I am leaning very much towards booking our next cruise on a Celebrity ship in part because I think we would really like their entertainment. only problem is that I don't know yet when I will have room in our schedule for the next cruise. Sometimes I wonder how we ever had time to work! :confused: :D

 

Your balcony lunch looked wonderful! We frequently do snacks on our balcony, but we've never done a full meal there. That may have to change! :cool:

 

Super , were glad that it arrived . I don't remember when we last replaced the current one and so it may be due for a change . We're glad that you enjoyed the entertainment so far and it nice to try other lines . We did cancel our Equinox cruise when we got home and the next one scheduled is on the Harmony , a line that we haven't been on since Hawaii in 2001 !

[Gracie115]

Super , were glad that it arrived . I don't remember when we last replaced the current one and so it may be due for a change . We're glad that you enjoyed the entertainment so far and it nice to try other lines . We did cancel our Equinox cruise when we got home and the next one scheduled is on the Harmony , a line that we haven't been on since Hawaii in 2001 !

 

 

If you haven't been on the Oasis class, which is what Harmony is I imagine the technology on it will amaze you! We tried Oasis a few years ago "just to see" and enjoyed our cruise. The ship is huge, but the options you have for entertainment and food are amazing. We did a "Chef's Dinner" on Oasis, which was OUTSTANDING, the best we have ever had and far superior to the one we did on Reflection last year, at half the price. I am sure Harmony will have even more innovations than Oasis since it's brand new. I don't know that we will cruise on that class again, the itineraries are very limited but it's worth going and seeing and experiencing.........

[scubacruiserx2]

If you haven't been on the Oasis class, which is what Harmony is I imagine the technology on it will amaze you! We tried Oasis a few years ago "just to see" and enjoyed our cruise. The ship is huge, but the options you have for entertainment and food are amazing. We did a "Chef's Dinner" on Oasis, which was OUTSTANDING, the best we have ever had and far superior to the one we did on Reflection last year, at half the price. I am sure Harmony will have even more innovations than Oasis since it's brand new. I don't know that we will cruise on that class again, the itineraries are very limited but it's worth going and seeing and experiencing.........

 

 

We are looking forward to it and thanks for the tip . Any and all tips are appreciated ! This cruise for us will be about family , friends and the ship . And we always love diving in Cozumel ! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Near to our first port , Bonaire

the sunrise

don't forget your sunscreen and sunglasses !

Full speed ahead

and ready to go ashore and dive !

[Gracie115]

We are looking forward to it and thanks for the tip . Any and all tips are appreciated ! This cruise for us will be about family , friends and the ship . And we always love diving in Cozumel ! :) :D

 

 

It will be a great ship for family, especially if grandchildren are involved......ALWAYS so much to do.....don't forget to "zipline" across the top of the ship!!!!! I caught it on an afternoon when it wasn't busy and did it a couple of time...fun!!!!

[scubacruiserx2]

It will be a great ship for family, especially if grandchildren are involved......ALWAYS so much to do.....don't forget to "zipline" across the top of the ship!!!!! I caught it on an afternoon when it wasn't busy and did it a couple of time...fun!!!!

 

 

Wow , that sounds like amazing fun !!! And yes our oldest grandson and his best friend will be going . :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

We were thrilled to be in Bonaire for our first time and their auto tags confirmed all that we had heard about Bonaire - Diver's Paradise .

We met our guide , driver and Master Diver , Micheal across from where we were docked

We piled our gear and bodies into his pick up truck for a quick ride back to the shop

There was another couple from the cruise ship that we would be diving with Joslin and Sean .

 

 

Micheal showed us where we would be diving

And so after signing waivers , and picking up gear and tanks we were ready to go . They don't lock their vehicles here and so theft could be a problem which meant that I would be leaving my camera here in a locker instead of the truck .

[mustafabalcony]

Oh wow... thanks very much. Our bags are packed. It's nearly 10pm here and we leave home tomorrow morning at 9am. Miami here we come :-)

You're welcome . We hope that a great cruise ! And if we can answer any questions ask away .

You are today's lucky winner , the prize , a copy of the Celebrity Today Bonaire edition, will be awarded later . :) :D

[Walt fan]

Cannot wait to see your update on diving in Bonaire; do you usually go with private excursions for your dives? The food description in your daily for Bonaire looks so interesting.

 

Loved the pics of your Balcony dinner; everything looked so delicious and the presentation was amazing.

 

We have only seen a Beatles tribute band at Epcot, many years ago. They were excellent. Good for Celebrity for booking such talent. Thank you for sharing!

[scubacruiserx2]

Oh wow... thanks very much. Our bags are packed. It's nearly 10pm here and we leave home tomorrow morning at 9am. Miami here we come :-)

 

 

The weather looks great here for Sunday 81 - 60 f ( 26.6 -15.5 C ) , sunny and pleasant ! Have a great flight and trip !!! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Cannot wait to see your update on diving in Bonaire; do you usually go with private excursions for your dives? The food description in your daily for Bonaire looks so interesting.

 

Loved the pics of your Balcony dinner; everything looked so delicious and the presentation was amazing.

 

We have only seen a Beatles tribute band at Epcot, many years ago. They were excellent. Good for Celebrity for booking such talent. Thank you for sharing!

 

We usually go private and when we booked the cruise at the end of November the cut off age for diving was 65 with Celebrity's shore excursions ( I turned 66 in October) . But I noticed that it is now 70 . So when we booked our dives in November I too old for Celebrity , but now I'm not . :cool:

We do wish that Celebrity offered that dining option like Princess !

[perfect match]

Super , were glad that it arrived . I don't remember when we last replaced the current one and so it may be due for a change . We're glad that you enjoyed the entertainment so far and it nice to try other lines . We did cancel our Equinox cruise when we got home and the next one scheduled is on the Harmony , a line that we haven't been on since Hawaii in 2001 !

 

I looked at the O ring currently in the housung and didn't see any nicks or anything anywhere. Overall, it looked to be in good shape to me.

 

We are looking forward to trying HAL this fall. It will be a new line for us. :D

 

Be sure that RCI knows about your cruise history on Celebrity. There is reciprocity between the two lines. While you can't combine your status between the two lines, you are entitled to the benefits of the program where you have the highest loyalty program status level. I assume for you that would be Celebrity.

 

I totally second doing the zipline, and I do not mean just the kids! I'm only slightly younger than you are, Joe, and I loved it! Barry did not do it, but only because of his broken collar bone 2 weeks earlier, and he is 6 years older than either of us. The zipline on Labadee was awesome, too, even in the torrential rain! It was a bit pricey, but definitely fun! I am planning a re-do next time we are on Labadee so Barry can play, too! Oh, I have a picture request! :D Surfer Joe on the Flowrider! :eek: No, you don't really have to do it if you don't want to. ;p I wanted to try boogieboarding, but I wasn't sure how my replacement knees and hips would handle bouncing around on the Flowrider surface when I fell off the board! :eek:

 

I need to go find my list of Oasis tips, probably in my Oasis cruise folder......

[upwarduk]

 

 

The water is the clearest that I have seen at any dock, so must be amazing at the dive sites on Bonaire!

 

 

 

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[scubacruiserx2]

 

 

The water is the clearest that I have seen at any dock, so must be amazing at the dive sites on Bonaire!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Thank you for sharing your memories and photos , especially of the ship ! Yes it is very clear and calm there - perfect for diving . So are you ready to take the plunge with us ? :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Bonaire is widely known to divers as a place where you can shore dive . Many places need a boat but here most people will rent a truck and some tanks and DIY . In this photo you can see the snorkel , shore or boat diving locations .

The next 2 photos are not mine but we will include their authors name and say thank you to them .

At each of the dive sites is marked with a yellow rock with it's name . This would be our 2nd dive later in the day .

Shore divers put on their gear at the truck and waddle like penguins to the sea . It is rocky and there is broken coral that leads sand and then ironstone at the water which may be slippery .

Photo by Avery Stonich

The gear weights about 50 - 60 pounds (25kg) and after a through check by Micheal we each entered the water and waited for the others . Additionally I had a new camera to carry for all of the underwater photos and videos .

But the waddle would be worth it ! Here's Pat and a sea fan as large as her !

Diving is an active sport and is best experienced live or in a video like this one . We started in the shallow water before descending into the deeper water on the right hand side of the video . And there are a lot of small fish here as seen in the video below !

Video :

Edited March 18, 2017 by scubacruiserx2

[nursedibdob]

Just beautiful. I could watch on a loop for hours...

 

 

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[CruiserRob]

Joe, I'm glad too see the new camera so you can combine your love of photography with your love of diving:)

 

 

Robert

[scubacruiserx2]

I looked at the O ring currently in the housung and didn't see any nicks or anything anywhere. Overall, it looked to be in good shape to me.

 

We are looking forward to trying HAL this fall. It will be a new line for us.

 

Be sure that RCI knows about your cruise history on Celebrity. There is reciprocity between the two lines. While you can't combine your status between the two lines, you are entitled to the benefits of the program where you have the highest loyalty program status level. I assume for you that would be Celebrity.

 

I totally second doing the zipline, and I do not mean just the kids! I'm only slightly younger than you are, Joe, and I loved it! Barry did not do it, but only because of his broken collar bone 2 weeks earlier, and he is 6 years older than either of us. The zipline on Labadee was awesome, too, even in the torrential rain! It was a bit pricey, but definitely fun! I am planning a re-do next time we are on Labadee so Barry can play, too! Oh, I have a picture request! :D Surfer Joe on the Flowrider! :eek: No, you don't really have to do it if you don't want to. ;p I wanted to try boogieboarding, but I wasn't sure how my replacement knees and hips would handle bouncing around on the Flowrider surface when I fell off the board! :eek:

 

I need to go find my list of Oasis tips, probably in my Oasis cruise folder......

 

Super , it's always nice to have a spare O ring if yours looks good !

We love HAL , it may be our favorite . :) :D

 

Thank you for the great tip on RCI we will try to see if our Select Member status on Celebrity works on RCI , we sure hope so !

It sounds like there may be a zip line in our future but I'm not so sure about the Flowrider . It's softer to fall in water when surfing than on a hard surface like Flowrider . Would you settle for a video of an old man surfing Typhoon Lagoon :

 

Edited March 18, 2017 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe, I'm glad too see the new camera so you can combine your love of photography with your love of diving:)

 

 

Robert

 

 

Thanks Robert , I hope I can figure out how to work it !! :confused:

[scubacruiserx2]

Just beautiful. I could watch on a loop for hours...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

We do love diving and find drift diving to be very relaxing ! :) :D

[perfect match]

Super , it's always nice to have a spare O ring if yours looks good !

We love HAL , it may be our favorite . :) :D

 

Thank you for the great tip on RCI we will try to see if our Select Member status on Celebrity works on RCI , we sure hope so !

It sounds like there may be a zip line in our future but I'm not so sure about the Flowrider . It's softer to fall in water when surfing than on a hard surface like Flowrider . Would you settle for a video of an old man surfing Typhoon Lagoon :

 

 

Exactly why I didn't try the Flowrider - although I really wanted to! Besides, Barry, a.k.a. Mr Common Sense, wouldn't let me! :eek: He said that one of us with a major injury at a time was quite enough, and he already had his broken collarbone? I had to agree. He was completely right on this one! I was not allowed to do the rock wall or ice skating either for the same reason. Maybe next time......

 

I loved the Typhoon Lagoon video! Better than a Flowrider any day! Thanks for sharing it.

 

I have been wanting to dive in Bonaire since I was first certified to dive in 1975! Can you say "bucket list"? I am finally going to get there on Koningsdam! I can't believe I'm really going there!

 

Your new SeaLife looks nice. I'm taking mine to a Mets spring training game on Monday, where I will be sure it is set on LAND mode! If that goes well, I think it will be about time to get it into it's housing and into some water.

 

You shouldn't have a problem with the recriprocal status between RCI and Celebrity, but I would call RCI Crown & Anchor to be sure they have your info correct. Celebrity already has us set up even though we don't have a cruise booked with them yet.

[scubacruiserx2]

Exactly why I didn't try the Flowrider - although I really wanted to! Besides, Barry, a.k.a. Mr Common Sense, wouldn't let me! :eek: He said that one of us with a major injury at a time was quite enough, and he already had his broken collarbone? I had to agree. He was completely right on this one! I was not allowed to do the rock wall or ice skating either for the same reason. Maybe next time......

 

I loved the Typhoon Lagoon video! Better than a Flowrider any day! Thanks for sharing it.

 

I have been wanting to dive in Bonaire since I was first certified to dive in 1975! Can you say "bucket list"? I am finally going to get there on Koningsdam! I can't believe I'm really going there!

 

Your new SeaLife looks nice. I'm taking mine to a Mets spring training game on Monday, where I will be sure it is set on LAND mode! If that goes well, I think it will be about time to get it into it's housing and into some water.

 

You shouldn't have a problem with the recriprocal status between RCI and Celebrity, but I would call RCI Crown & Anchor to be sure they have your info correct. Celebrity already has us set up even though we don't have a cruise booked with them yet.

 

 

Ah the spirit is willing , but the flesh is weak ! In our minds we're young , but the body says no . Thank Heaven for Barry and Pat to keep us safe . :)

 

We too have wanted to dive Bonaire but the price has held us back and we love Cozumel and drift diving so much , the ultimate flowrider , that we always end up there ! We told Micheal about Pat's knee and he helped her to the water before suiting up . But she still had a small fall on her good knee leaving a skinned knee and bruise that popped up later . Please consider a boat instead of shore diving !!!

The land setting and ideally , the Sports setting with the running man icon , would be the best for the baseball game . I would encourage you to use the still photos and video and practice switching back and forth between the two . :cool:

 

And thank you for the tips on RCI we will call about the Crown & Anchor today . :) :D