VTcruising Is Living On The Edge Again: The LIVE Saga Continues (1/20/19)

[vtcruising]

2 minutes ago, MVPinBoynton said:

Marilyn,

Did you get to try the Snowflake Martini?

Oh shoot! Another reason to go back!! I really shouldn't wait until January. 😉

[Jim_Iain]

16 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Wonder why no caller ID?  That's the standard these days.  A pain not to have it.

Also since no Caller ID no clock showing you the correct time (especially handy when you have numerous Time Zones like a TA).

[vtcruising]

6 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Also since no Caller ID no clock showing you the correct time (especially handy when you have numerous Time Zones like a TA).

That's true - one time I wasn't sure if my phone was correct so checked the TV.

[MVPinBoynton]

40 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

We liked Damien very much. Very visible and personable. At the Cruise Critic meet and greet, he spoke and the Guest Relations Director spoke and then they asked if there was a spokesperson for our roll call who wanted to say a few words. They all pointed to me, but I was taken by surprise and sort of smiled and waved. I felt terrible afterward, as no one from our group thanked them for the party. Anyway, Damien made his way over to me and said "Marilyn" and shook my hand. He thanked me for my work on Cruise Critic and said a few kind words. I then thanked him for having the Cruise Critic party. Whenever he saw me in the hallway or at an event, he said hi after that. He's a nice guy and a great CD. As I said before, the Guest Relations Director, Cameron Robertson, came over and talked for 20 minutes or more. He was very engaged and interested in what I had to say. He turned out to be very visible during this cruise. He was the guy who did the raw/cooked egg game with Damien in the Club during the Live show and ended up with egg all over his head and down his uniform. A very funny, personable guy, with a Scottish brogue.

 

If the theater is full, the tables and chairs down by the stage on either side are usually empty. I enjoyed sitting there. It wasn't crowded and I think we got better bar service there since we were easy to get to. 🙂

 

Can't wait to see your necklace! Enjoy the rest of your day and night!!

 

They did the same thing to me on our CC M&M.  I wasn't prepared for that either.  This was the second time we have cruised with Damien.  I really like him.  So personable and always chatting with the guests.  He is one of my favorite CD's and I was so glad he was on the Edge.

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, alishac said:

I am doing the Eastern itinerary in March and could have sworn that I saw the St. Maarten tour in my cruise planner previously, but I just checked and it's no longer there. Bummer, it sounds like it would have been a great one. 

Someone on our cruise last week and the one this week (B2B), who booked it, only recently received a message that it was canceled.

 

Maybe they will find another agency to do it.

Edited January 29, 2019 by vtcruising

[vtcruising]

 

 

One thing I noticed in the RTG that I didn't notice before is that Mr Edge will keep an eye on you while you relax there (I thought he was too far away, but he is watching....) 😉

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by vtcruising

[vtcruising]

After our second lunch we needed a nap to rest up for dinner. 😉 Henry had a lovely nap on the lounger on the balcony. We woke up ready for more Eden so headed there for music and cocktails with friends. We watched the duo,  Dos Duo, who were fantastic and it is when I had my epiphany about the gorgeous backdrop for the music in Eden. We enjoyed the set and then watched as evening arrived at Eden.

 

The mist arrived and the lights changed and a sitar player played. The Edenists came out and peacefully walked around not forcing anyone to interact. We had Kronos walk by so I waved and asked who he was. We had a nice conversation about his neutrality and how he was misunderstood. He said he was thought to be bad, but he was the one to break the spell placed on the guests during the show. We watched other characters pose - it was pretty cool and less weird after talking to one of them.

 

Kronos:

 

 

 

 

 

Not something we would do every night, but a fun experience to do once (or maybe even twice).

 

We then went to the show, which was a Guest Performer, Marcus Terrell. He, like Ashlie-Amber Harris, was talented, though the best songs were the recognizable ones (I was distracted by the gold suit - hard for me anyway, to take him as seriously). He did an Ed Sheeran song, an Adele song and a few other recognizable ones that were good. The band was amazing, as always, and I mainly enjoyed watching the electric guitarist. He is unbelievable. The lead female singer and other male singer were very good as well.

 

 

 

After the show, we headed to dinner at Luminae to end a great day. It was Chic night and the menu was the best one they have, IMO.

 

I had the seared scallops as an appetizer, as did most of us and had the rack of lamb with a side of lobster. Everything was excellent.

 

 

 

One of our friends, who is very thin, somehow put away scallops and seafood soup as an appetizer and had the lamb, as well as 3 lobster tails. It was a little embarrassing (the waiter looked a little surprised), but the guy knows what he likes, so I just minded my own business. When he asked for the 3rd lobster tail, he asked if he could have another glass of the Opulence Chardonnay at the same time. The waiter and sommelier came to the table together and with a big flourish, poured the wine and placed the lobster tail in front of him simultaneously. It was pretty funny - in the end I think they got a kick out of his voracious appetite.

 

We only had dinner in Luminae 3 times, but they put us at the same table with the same waiter and sommelier. Dusan is excellent - we have met him in the past , as well as our sommelier. It made for a great experience.

Oh, Henry had a $36 glass of dessert wine - I hope he enjoyed it! 😉

 

 

Desserts:

 

 

A great end to the day and we waddled back to the cabin, vowing to have only bread and water the next day....

Edited January 29, 2019 by vtcruising

[SeaPete]

VT, You stated in an earlier post that your husband used his day pass for the thermal spa.  I thought they did away with that perk?  Is it available again?  

Thanks

[MVPinBoynton]

That is so funny that you mentioned that ice wine.  We were sitting next to a couple on the next to last dinner who were drinking that.  They told me that it was extremely good and they get once on every cruise.  So I asked about it and was told that there was a charge for it over the premium package.  Hmm, well if it was that good, I should probably try it, so I asked how much the wine was.  He said $21.  Since that was only $6 over the $15 premium limit, I ordered it.  It was good; but when the bill came, I was charged $21.  I assumed that the sommelier was telling me the total price, not the uncharge.  I will no better next time.  They were small glasses too.  I looked up the price of that wine and it was $47 a bottle.  I liked it, but I wouldn't pay that much for a bottle of it.

[hcat]

Lazy day.. we had lunch at EDEN cafe. Very nice..next time we'll try the fresh carving choice.

Rooftop and Sunset bar were way too sunny and windy. X needs to wirk on gettung  shades,...Sal had his cigar at space above the pool...heard the band ..not sure which one....they are ok.. female has a sweet voice..very pleasant

 

Pool area secret,,. ,,great shaded spot on opp side of smoking area ,.,where band sets up..covered and really com sueded loungers..cab't wait to go back there!

[nednrom]

4 hours ago, vtcruising said:

We liked Damien very much. Very visible and personable. At the Cruise Critic meet and greet, he spoke and the Guest Relations Director spoke and then they asked if there was a spokesperson for our roll call who wanted to say a few words. They all pointed to me, but I was taken by surprise and sort of smiled and waved. I felt terrible afterward, as no one from our group thanked them for the party. Anyway, Damien made his way over to me and said "Marilyn" and shook my hand. He thanked me for my work on Cruise Critic and said a few kind words. I then thanked him for having the Cruise Critic party. Whenever he saw me in the hallway or at an event, he said hi after that. He's a nice guy and a great CD. As I said before, the Guest Relations Director, Cameron Robertson, came over and talked for 20 minutes or more. He was very engaged and interested in what I had to say. He turned out to be very visible during this cruise. He was the guy who did the raw/cooked egg game with Damien in the Club during the Live show and ended up with egg all over his head and down his uniform. A very funny, personable guy, with a Scottish brogue.

 

If the theater is full, the tables and chairs down by the stage on either side are usually empty. I enjoyed sitting there. It wasn't crowded and I think we got better bar service there since we were easy to get to. 🙂

 

Can't wait to see your necklace! Enjoy the rest of your day and night!!

 

I hope more of the CCers do talk to staff and crew - they are all very nice guy.  I talked to Damien, Niyazi , Igor, Tac for a long time.  I found out about Damien's family and thanked him for the party.  He really cares a lot and is trying very hard to make sure that this works out.  For more of the enrichment talks, in addition to the Navigation Presentation, he plans on having the entertainment staff talk about their experiences.  He can be seen all over the place and never forgets a face!  My husband talked to the Digital Manager  Stephanie who is also very nice and explained how the app has more integration coming up like the window controls. I think this ship is one of the best ships in terms of visibility and friendliness of staff and officers.

[beachbunny6]

On 1/26/2019 at 12:25 PM, vtcruising said:

Went to Medical today to bring chocolates and a thank you note to Dr Lever and staff. I was able to see Miguel, the nurse who first saw me the day of my accident and then he went to get Dr Lever to see my scar. She ran her fingers over the area and was very happy that it turned out so well.  They seemed very pleased that I came back to show them their good work. I thanked them profusely!! Such great people!!  Hope you never need to see them, but if you do, you will be in good hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is definitely correct!  Believe me, I know first hand.  Due to injuries sustained on Saturday, I am unable to type with both hands, so have been quiet since I returned home.  Thanks to everyone who has commented so well on our January 20th voyage.  And, thanks to all of you who I met during out trip.  It was really, really fun seeing you all in person, and getting to know you.  Thanks, especially, to Marilyn for all you did for all of us beginning with the sailaway get together, and throughout our CC M&G and the Cabin Crawl.  (I LOVE my diary book!)

 

I hope to see lots of you on future X sailings!

~Barbara~

 

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, SeaPete said:

VT, You stated in an earlier post that your husband used his day pass for the thermal spa.  I thought they did away with that perk?  Is it available again?  

Thanks

Yes, they did do away with it as a CC benefit. I bought it for him as an anniversary gift. 

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, MVPinBoynton said:

That is so funny that you mentioned that ice wine.  We were sitting next to a couple on the next to last dinner who were drinking that.  They told me that it was extremely good and they get once on every cruise.  So I asked about it and was told that there was a charge for it over the premium package.  Hmm, well if it was that good, I should probably try it, so I asked how much the wine was.  He said $21.  Since that was only $6 over the $15 premium limit, I ordered it.  It was good; but when the bill came, I was charged $21.  I assumed that the sommelier was telling me the total price, not the uncharge.  I will no better next time.  They were small glasses too.  I looked up the price of that wine and it was $47 a bottle.  I liked it, but I wouldn't pay that much for a bottle of it.

We did that one time by mistake too - the sommelier talked so fast that we didn't understand. We had quite a bill that night. We have seen that wine around here for about $50 too (we are close to Canada), but Henry likes to get a glass now and again since the night he tried it. If I get a dessert wine, I go with the Tokaji. We have some excellent ice wines in VT. In fact, you can volunteer to help out the local vineyards pick the frozen grapes on an icy cold night, but I can't quite bring myself to do it. 🙂

 

 

[Bo1953]

vt - I cannot find your spread sheet for the RC Cabin Crawl, can you or anyone else point me in the right direction on this?

 

TIA - bon voyage and welcome back home (as freezing as it is, for now)!

[8mma]

24 minutes ago, beachbunny6 said:

 

That is definitely correct!  Believe me, I know first hand.  Due to injuries sustained on Saturday, I am unable to type with both hands, so have been quiet since I returned home.  Thanks to everyone who has commented so well on our January 20th voyage.  And, thanks to all of you who I met during out trip.  It was really, really fun seeing you all in person, and getting to know you.  Thanks, especially, to Marilyn for all you did for all of us beginning with the sailaway get together, and throughout our CC M&G and the Cabin Crawl.  (I LOVE my diary book!)

 

I hope to see lots of you on future X sailings!

~Barbara~

 

Barbara we are all so glad you are recovering so well!  Dr. Lever obviously took very good care of you (Marilyn too) since you are able to type.  Hope you are back up to speed in no time.  Marilyn showed us a picture of where you fell so we will all be extra careful around that stage area when it is our turn to experience the Edge (for us it will be in April).

 

We look forward to your and Marilyn's review of the trip!

 

Mary

[vtcruising]

48 minutes ago, beachbunny6 said:

 

That is definitely correct!  Believe me, I know first hand.  Due to injuries sustained on Saturday, I am unable to type with both hands, so have been quiet since I returned home.  Thanks to everyone who has commented so well on our January 20th voyage.  And, thanks to all of you who I met during out trip.  It was really, really fun seeing you all in person, and getting to know you.  Thanks, especially, to Marilyn for all you did for all of us beginning with the sailaway get together, and throughout our CC M&G and the Cabin Crawl.  (I LOVE my diary book!)

 

I hope to see lots of you on future X sailings!

~Barbara~

 

Hope you are doing okay, Barbara! Did X come through helping you to get to your car? I hope that you will mend quickly and be back sailing soon!

 

Henry and I really enjoyed you and Barbara 2. Thanks for bravely being a group leader on the cabin crawl.  I can still picture you walking away with about 25 people in tow  - you deserved more than an Edge notebook! 😉

 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by vtcruising

[vtcruising]

33 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

vt - I cannot find your spread sheet for the RC Cabin Crawl, can you or anyone else point me in the right direction on this?

 

TIA - bon voyage and welcome back home (as freezing as it is, for now)!

So, if you go to post #985 of the Jan 20 roll call, you will see the original plan. As predicted, it wasn't flawless. I will try to explain the whole thing in another post. 🙂

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2480364-january-20-2019-celebrity-edge-western-caribbean-cruise/?page=43&tab=comments#comment-56670531

 

 

[vtcruising]

I will try to explain the Cabin Crawl plan and the reality of the event. Note that I had never even attended a cabin crawl until December 3rd, when I "led" one by default (luckily a couple of people helped with that one and it went okay). 🙂

 

I started a Google spreadsheet for our roll call many months ago that was editable by all (though some couldn't for some reason, so I would add info for them). It had screen names and people could add whatever info they wanted to, such as first names, where they were from, cabin types, misc info such as B2B's and then they could also add whether they wanted to be a host in a cabin crawl or just attend a cabin crawl.

 

As the cruise got closer, the group got bigger and bigger and I ended up the "leader" by default. I had a hard time putting a limit on it (I don't like to disappoint people), but finally I said that we should limit the number of people and then we started getting more people that said that they really wanted to join.

 

It appeared that there would be about 75 people and I thought that 25 would be the max for a group (the one in December had about 25 people and that was definitely the max that I would want in a group). I recruited Katie to lead the first group of 25, with me leading the second group. Knowing that some people wouldn't show up and additional people would show up, I didn't assign groups, but had everyone except the hosts meet at the Grand Plaza 3 (GP3) at the specified time (non-Martini Bar end), where I would assign the groups.  All of the hosts would remain in their cabins until the two groups went through and then would head to the GP3 where all of the hosts would go through together (about 25 people) as the third group, with each host showing their cabins as we went to each one.

 

We had 14 cabins offered up - some were unique and some were repeats. I scheduled the cabins we had one each of (RS, CS, IV accessible) on opposite ends of the two groups, with the ones with doubles (S1 afts, S1/S2 midships, S3's, IV's/AQ - one bed by bath and one bed by balcony) in the middle of each schedule (total of 8 per group). In other words, one group started at the bottom of the ship with the one of a kinds and worked up and the other group started at the top with the one of a kinds and worked down - the hope was that they wouldn't meet in the middle because the middle cabins were doubles, so each had different cabins in the middle of their cabin crawl order. Sounds brilliant, right? Well, maybe not quite...😉

 

Barbara offered to be a stand-by group leader since more people asked to join after I suggested a cut-off. I devised yet another route, since a couple more people offered their cabins. As the day approached, I was dreading what would happen. I envisioned having an angry mob of 100 people in the GP3, with me trying to get them into groups before Security arrived to break up the mob.

 

The day arrived and people were stopping me earlier in the day and asking if they could bring so and so or saying that their neighbor was showing their cabin so they had said they should join in. I was getting more and more anxious.  The start time was 2 PM - I arrived about 25 minutes before the appointed time and people were already gathering. I had people nearby asking about what was going on and asking to join and others who had heard about it and had come to join in. I told them to take seats and I would send out the first group as soon as I had 20-25 people. One guy was begging me to wait for his wife, who was in the bathroom (I don't think they were on our roll call, but somehow heard about it and wanted to be involved). Others who were signed up seemed anxious that I didn't have a list of groups and were nervous they wouldn't get to go. One asked me if I had cabin evaluation forms to fill out - she thought the ship was doing this as a way for people to evaluate the cabins. It was rather wild at the GP3! 😉

 

Katie and Barbara showed up at 1:45 (bless them for showing up or I think I would have been thrown overboard!). By about 1:55 we had about 40 people so I sent Katie out with about 25 of them. She headed out bravely, armed only with her cabin crawl order list and a map of where all the cabins were located. I wished her luck.  More and more people arrived so I sent Barbara out with a group of about 25 people. She was supposed to be group 3, but I just couldn't leave her alone on GP3, not knowing how many were yet to show up.  Off she went with great confidence, map in hand, another brave leader, at about 2:05 with group #2. I kept about 6 people with me and we waited for more to show up. I had said that the last group would leave at 2:10-2:15. At 2:15, we only had about 10 more people. I knew that I had 4 more joining later for just the suites so off we went at 2:15. I felt guilty about the other groups being so big, but I had no idea how many more would show up when I sent them off. Off I went with group # 3. We had a great cabin crawl - I did hear about the other groups along the way - one had some mutiny and splintered off into other groups and others had groups arrive simultaneously, but I guess everyone made it through okay. I did feel badly for one host couple who waited an hour for any group to show up (a glitch in the scheduling because I went last with my group).

 

Anyway, when I arrived back to the GP3 after seeing our 8 cabins, all of the hosts were there (and Katie and Barbara were alive) and off we went again. When we got to our suite, the butler had put out crackers, cheese, chocolate-covered strawberries and shrimp cocktail and Henry popped the cork of the nice champagne that the Guest Relations Director had had sent to our room when I told him about the cabin crawl during the Cruise Critic Connections party - they also comped all the food (I assumed it was him since he took down our cabin number when I told him about the cabin crawl). Small bottles of maple syrup were given to all the hosts and the group leaders received Edge notebooks (they deserved much more!). The hosts were a great group of people. I estimated that there were about 80 people total who went through the cabins, including the hosts.  I ended up having a lot of fun, but I was also glad when it was over! 🙂

 

Thanks to all who helped and hosted, especially Katie and Barbara!! Thanks should also go to Denisa, the wonderful butler!

 

Those who are organizing these events may be able to glean ideas that worked and those that didn't (and I'm sure people will have other tips). Good luck with your cabin crawl and most of all, have fun with it! 🙂

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by vtcruising

[beachbunny6]

22 hours ago, hcat said:

We are on the EDGE...TOTALLY AMAZING! Love the cabin, love the ship, happy crew and Officers!

 

 Our Roll call Sailaway was  excellent..as was the Cruise Critic Connections party and the Cabin Crawl....

 

best ever big birthday!...great spa day, got an EDGE necklace...amazing show tonight....Kaliedescope..I will try to start some type of review but just so  much fun going on and I feel internet time pressured!

 

Most  of all sincere thanks to you  VT cruiser  for the beautiful birthday card and fabulous gifts you left for me,,.....You are the best...so many  people send their best to you!!! 

hcat -  So sorry I missed wishing you Happy Birthday on your very special day!   I am very glad it was a wonderful one for you!

[beachbunny6]

3 hours ago, 8mma said:

Barbara we are all so glad you are recovering so well!  Dr. Lever obviously took very good care of you (Marilyn too) since you are able to type.  Hope you are back up to speed in no time.  Marilyn showed us a picture of where you fell so we will all be extra careful around that stage area when it is our turn to experience the Edge (for us it will be in April).

 

We look forward to your and Marilyn's review of the trip!

 

Mary

Thank you, Mary, for your kind words.  

 

And, to everyone else who posted caring comments to me after Marilyn's post, Thank You all, too!  I am not able to post a separate message to each of you, and have just gotten more into reading all the posts, since I spent Sunday driving home, Monday at the Orthopedic office, and today at my Primary Care Dr's office.  I have seen WAY too many medical facilities since Saturday, and hope to make it through tomorrow with a safe trip to the grocery store and a quiet day at home.  I am too old for this much of this kind of excitement.  

 

I wish that typing was easier for me, because I have lots of comments to make about Edge.  However, I am unable, lucky for you!    Thanks again, EVERYone!  

 

Bon Voyage to you all onboard this week, or on a future voyage.

~Barbara~

[nednrom]

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

I will try to explain the Cabin Crawl plan and the reality of the event. Note that I had never even attended a cabin crawl until December 3rd, when I "led" one by default (luckily a couple of people helped with that one and it went okay). 🙂

 

 

Anyway, when I arrived back to the GP3 after seeing our 8 cabins, all of the hosts were there (and Katie and Barbara were alive) and off we went again. When we got to our suite, the butler had put out crackers, cheese, chocolate-covered strawberries and shrimp cocktail and Henry popped the cork of the nice champagne that the Guest Relations Director had had sent to our room when I told him about the cabin crawl during the Cruise Critic Connections party - they also comped all the food (I assumed it was him since he took down our cabin number when I told him about the cabin crawl). Small bottles of maple syrup were given to all the hosts and the group leaders received Edge notebooks (they deserved much more!). The hosts were a great group of people. I estimated that there were about 80 people total who went through the cabins, including the hosts.  I ended up having a lot of fun, but I was also glad when it was over! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Marilyn... you organized and led a great cabin crawl for us - it was amazing to see all the cabins and meet you and the others.  The champaign and the goodies along with the maple syrup was an unexpected surprise.  Thank you so much!  We had a great time,  you are one of a kind!

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by nednrom

[Host Jazzbeau]

18 minutes ago, beachbunny6 said:

Thank you, Mary, for your kind words.  

 

And, to everyone else who posted caring comments to me after Marilyn's post, Thank You all, too!  I am not able to post a separate message to each of you, and have just gotten more into reading all the posts, since I spent Sunday driving home, Monday at the Orthopedic office, and today at my Primary Care Dr's office.  I have seen WAY too many medical facilities since Saturday, and hope to make it through tomorrow with a safe trip to the grocery store and a quiet day at home.  I am too old for this much of this kind of excitement.  

 

I wish that typing was easier for me, because I have lots of comments to make about Edge.  However, I am unable, lucky for you!    Thanks again, EVERYone!  

 

Bon Voyage to you all onboard this week, or on a future voyage.

~Barbara~

 

Thank you Barbara for leading us on the cabin crawl.  It's amazing that – despite being down a wing – your post is typo-free!  [There's a prolific poster on the Azamara boards who could take lessons from you!]

[vtcruising]

41 minutes ago, beachbunny6 said:

Thank you, Mary, for your kind words.  

 

And, to everyone else who posted caring comments to me after Marilyn's post, Thank You all, too!  I am not able to post a separate message to each of you, and have just gotten more into reading all the posts, since I spent Sunday driving home, Monday at the Orthopedic office, and today at my Primary Care Dr's office.  I have seen WAY too many medical facilities since Saturday, and hope to make it through tomorrow with a safe trip to the grocery store and a quiet day at home.  I am too old for this much of this kind of excitement.  

 

I wish that typing was easier for me, because I have lots of comments to make about Edge.  However, I am unable, lucky for you!    Thanks again, EVERYone!  

 

Bon Voyage to you all onboard this week, or on a future voyage.

~Barbara~

I hope you get to enjoy a quiet day tomorrow! Put your feet up and relax - you deserve it! 🙂

[beachbunny6]

14 hours ago, vtcruising said:

Hope you are doing okay, Barbara! Did X come through helping you to get to your car? I hope that you will mend quickly and be back sailing soon!

 

Henry and I really enjoyed you and Barbara 2. Thanks for bravely being a group leader on the cabin crawl.  I can still picture you walking away with about 25 people in tow  - you deserved more than an Edge notebook! 😉

 

 

 

Aw, 'twern't nothin' as the saying goes.  Barbara and I really enjoyed meeting you and Henry, too.  Even though we have posted back and forth, we really did not know each other, but you made it feel as if we were long-time friends.  You are such a sweet and caring person.  Thank you, too, for offering to assist B2 and me with the scooter to the car.  X really did a great job, and Rita, the Front Desk Manager, had it all set up for Sunday morning, in spite of such short notice.  A staff member came to our cabin to help with the luggage, which Rita had told us to keep with us, rather than putting it outside our door.  I was able o drive the scooter one-handed, so that was a help.  Thank goodness for the controls that toggle forward and back on both sides!  Now, steering is another thing.   

 

The X staff cannot leave the ship, so they had a wonderful woman from the Port who met us at the gangplank.  She was a supervisor of some sort, but I was unable to get her name.  I am sorry for that, so will have to try to contact PE to get a thank you to her somehow. She whisked us through the terminal, immigration, and customs with barely a stop for the facial recognition!  Probably a good thing, due to my face being many colors not on the original passport photo.  

 

I want to note here that I apologize to all those waiting in the terminal at the elevators, which were being used by almost everyone due to the escalators being out of service.  I know you all were waiting patiently and there were also wheelchairs and walkers in the queue.  It was not at my direction that my group was hustled to the front of the line and into the first available elevator.  I followed my leader's instructions and, honestly was grateful for her assistance and speed. 

 

Then she handed us off to another woman who escorted us to the crosswalk to the garage, where we were again passed off, this time to a gentleman, who went the rest of the way to the car with us.  I need to add here that at the first transfer, at the gangway, there was also a luggage handler with a cart who loaded our bags on it, and made the entire trip to the car.  He and the second man not only put the luggage in the car, but loaded, secured and covered the scooter, all in record time.  Barbara said there was no way she and I could have done it, but I know we could have eventually.  Not nearly as easily or as fast, but we are both pretty good at dealing with challenges.  At any rate, we were out of the garage by 9 AM (they were supposed to come to our cabin at 8, but were late, so that gives you an idea of how fast we were moved around!) and on the way to the airport.  I know B2 had lots of time before her flight, and would have really liked to go out and get breakfast, but she bravely sent me on my way home and dallied at FLL for a loooong time alone.  I thank her and love her for that.  She is the best travel friend ever! 

 

I am very grateful to all who helped us through the disembarkation process and to the car.  As you can imagine, it is very frustrating to first of all be injured, but secondly to be unable to take care of yourself and your belongings as you know you should.  The embarrassment and pain are there, too, but frustration reigns at times such as these.  I had to just sit there and let everyone else handle it.  Now THAT is a challenge for me!  

10 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Thank you Barbara for leading us on the cabin crawl.  It's amazing that – despite being down a wing – your post is typo-free!  [There's a prolific poster on the Azamara boards who could take lessons from you!]

 

Thanks, Jazz!  I am really slow, albeit methodical, in my one-handed typing of late.  The worst problem I have noticed is that the spellcheck wants to correct/change things that are correct or the way I want them.  I have to watch that little gremlin very closely!    

 

My leadership on the cabin crawl was not as great as you are making it sound, but we had a good time (at least I did and hope my group did, too).  It was really fun, regardless. 

10 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I hope you get to enjoy a quiet day tomorrow! Put your feet up and relax - you deserve it! 🙂

 

Thanks, Marilyn!  You  are the best ever!  Your offer of disembarkation and scooter loading was the nicest thing ever, and I cannot tell you how much it meant to me.  I just kept hoping that X would be as good as they were, and that I wouldn't have to ask you to help.  Just knowing that you were available helped me relax enough Saturday night to catch a few short naps and that was truly helpful to me.  

 

I am doing better today, but still looking like an extra in a horror movie.  My face has colors not even seen in the 64-crayon box.  It is interesting to see peoples' reactions when I am out in public, because I forget about it, since I am not looking at me.  Kinda funny, really.  And, every day the size, position, and colors change, so it is interesting.  Yes, interesting is a good word for it.

 

Again, a huge thank you to all.  I could not ask for a better group of friends and fellow travelers.  You are all the best!

 

Bon Voyage!!

~Barbara~

(The broken and bruised Bunny. )