X cruiser sails Azamara to Cuba Jan 15 to 24 2019

[morbihan]

I am still here. Just hanging on until the last to see if Snowy is speaking to you! Very enjoyable trip. I like the look of Cuba. I am going with Cunard in 2020 but looking to fit a Hurtigruten roundtrip in before. This year I am land based in Italy.

[pd7277]

9 hours ago, deladane said:

We are going on the Carnival Dream, leaving from New Orleans, and with ports of call at Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel 🙂  Look out for my review in the Carnival forum around March 18ish!!

 

Dana  - Please copy and paste your first installment over here on Celebrity so we can bookmark it.  Have fun.  What are your plans in Belize?  We snorkeled off of Geoff's Caye. 

[georgiacat]

I really have enjoyed your review and wonderful pictures.  Can't wait until we can visit Cuba.  I am glad to hear of no illness, had not thought of that.

 

That was one fat cat!  Must be good food around.

[Bimmer09]

Journey has sailed without us, which she always does, except for once.

We turn and walk away. Rain is threatening. Carol has a small umbrella. I just have one of those tiki umbrellas I took from a cocktail glass at Smith and Wollensky.

 

it's a pleasant walk. We will always stay in South Beach

 

A Lyft gets us to the restaurant. In the rain. Luckily they have outdoor seating as the temperature is fine and the tables have some cover if not a lot of light

 

their specialty is fried chicken

 

our specialty is eating fried chicken but there is a lot of it, plus sides, plus biscuits

 

and Carol has a deviled egg to try. Her side was grits.

 

the rain dried up and it was a pleasant, if noisy spot. They do good business on a Thursday night

had me some fries. Excellent taters!

 

top-notch chicken 

 

we shared a skillet of Nutella-filled beignets. Now we are stuffed!

 

Service was stellar thanks to our waiter Ryan. Personable and efficient.

The bill saved us maybe $200 over Joes Stone Crab but of course the food wasn't in the same league and price range. It was good for a change. Clientele was young- 25 to 35 in the main and the cocktail guy at the bar kept busy. No kids.

 

 

 

A Lyft back to the hotel. We sit outside for a while enjoying the warm night air now that the rain is over

 

 

[Bimmer09]

3 hours ago, pd7277 said:

 

Dana  - Please copy and paste your first installment over here on Celebrity so we can bookmark it.  Have fun.  What are your plans in Belize?  We snorkeled off of Geoff's Caye. 

 

Agreed re alerting us to your review Dana. I am hitting 3 of your ports in January.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

10 hours ago, morbihan said:

I am still here. Just hanging on until the last to see if Snowy is speaking to you! Very enjoyable trip. I like the look of Cuba. I am going with Cunard in 2020 but looking to fit a Hurtigruten roundtrip in before. This year I am land based in Italy.

 

I am so glad you stayed the course! Cunard in 2020 huh? All 3 ports?

Land based in Italy sounds good to me.

Enjoy!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Back to the Hotel

 

I spent a little time on the balcony enjoying the sound of the surf and the warm breezes

 

 

 

 

 

It's 9 p.m and we are heading to the airport at 7 a.m. Sleepy time, time. Bed.

 

Up at 5.30 a.m refreshed. Starbucks for breakfast at 6.15 after packing. A well-drilled traveling machine. Check-out. Lyft. Airport 76 degrees F. Enjoy that warmth! 3 hour pleasant flight.

Off plane Chicago. Temperature  minus 4F. A swing of 80 deg F. Brrrrrr.

Taxi home (to save time waiting for Lyft). Cat ecstatic. Purr machine. No mess, no mischief.

Drop luggage. We have an opera tonight at 7 p.m so allow some time for a nap.

Begin this review within an hour of being indoors. Ending it now.

 

Thanks for reading along!!

Up next....Celebrity Silhouette Norwegian Fjords September 1-8. Review September 10.

[Bimmer09]

 P.S I will come back with the links to my other reviews early tomorrow morning.

Norris

[morbihan]

Yes indeed. Southampton , New York, Southampton!

 

I did get off in St.Petersburg twice!

 

Slaps wrist.

[lola2013]

Calendar marked for 9/10 to begin the next amazing review.

Thanks again.

Susan

[beckntom]

I'm as sad as if it were MY cruise that just ended.  We will miss you and Carol, Norris.  Thanks for taking us along.

[Groovybusybee]

I’m so sorry that your review has ended Norris, I enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you.

 

Any chance of a final photo of Snowy?

 

Hope you enjoyed the opera.

 

Debbie

[Jasperdo]

Another excellent review, Norris. It's always a treat to follow along with you and Carol. Cuba is a place I've wanted to visit for many years. You descriptions and photos brought it to life for me. Thank you! I've already put your next cruise on my calendar. Can't wait for that one.

John

Edited March 5, 2019 by Jasperdo

[cruise47]

Excellent reviews and Outstanding Photos. Thanks you for sharing your reviews and cruise.

[shipshape sam]

It has been a fun and rewarding cruise to share with us.  Now that the thread has disembarked, I will plan to go back to work till another cruise comes on line. 

 

I had a great time and I know you and Carol did!  

[QueenP]

I am looking forward to your links to other reviews you have done, especially Mediterranean ones. Thanks for the morning's entertainment every day for ages! 

[josumello]

Thanks again Norris for an awesome review. We have decided to do a short 5 day cruise to Cuba on the Majesty. It will be different than an Azamara cruise which we have enjoyed. Your report helped us to make the decision. Thanks. Look forward to your next review. 

 

Sue

[Silkroad]

Thanks for another fascinating review, Norris. Loved your beautiful sunrises and sunsets, as always, but have also fallen in love with Funsterlandia😊 It is definitely my kind of place. 

 

Now that you’ve added Azamara to your favorite lines, is there any chance you’ll do a new review comparing Azamara, Celebrity & Princess? Your comparison between Celebrity and Princess was extremely illuminating and helpful.

 

I look forward to tagging along with you and Carol on your Norwegian adventure😎

 

Cheers,

 

Michelle

[mchell810]

Norris,

I need to add my thanks for this amazing description of your wonderful journey.  Your photos are amazing!  I've back read a few of your prior reviews and am looking forward to future entries in the Gentleman's Seafaring Journal.

[Bimmer09]

On 3/4/2019 at 7:30 PM, DebbieMacG said:

Thank you both for a fantastic review, it’s made me even more excited for our 14 night cruise on Journey in May.

14 nights on the Journey? I can only dream of a day when I retire and have time that is my own.

9 days is our longest and we heave a sigh at people setting off to Japan, Panama Canal and most bitter for me, South America where the steaks and the Malbec come from.

Have an Azamazing cruise!

Thanks for reading this.

Hope to see you in my Silhouette one (my favorite big ship to date)

Norris

[Bimmer09]

15 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks for another fascinating review, Norris. Loved your beautiful sunrises and sunsets, as always, but have also fallen in love with Funsterlandia😊 It is definitely my kind of place. 

 

Now that you’ve added Azamara to your favorite lines, is there any chance you’ll do a new review comparing Azamara, Celebrity & Princess? Your comparison between Celebrity and Princess was extremely illuminating and helpful.

 

I look forward to tagging along with you and Carol on your Norwegian adventure😎

 

Cheers,

 

Michelle

Michelle, no plans for a comparison as the ships and lines are so disparate in scale.

Az would win on itineraries, food and service and special events (Azamazing Evening/White Night) . Each is a pleasure to sail on.

See you in Norway! We are picking out our excursions this weekend.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

11 hours ago, mchell810 said:

Norris,

I need to add my thanks for this amazing description of your wonderful journey.  Your photos are amazing!  I've back read a few of your prior reviews and am looking forward to future entries in the Gentleman's Seafaring Journal.

Thanks for reading the whole thing-something I hope to do on a day off.

I'll be posting links to my "Back catalog" soon.

Norway review September 10th unless our flight from London is delayed.

Cheers!

Norris

[Silkroad]

7 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

Michelle, no plans for a comparison as the ships and lines are so disparate in scale.

Az would win on itineraries, food and service and special events (Azamazing Evening/White Night) . Each is a pleasure to sail on.

See you in Norway! We are picking out our excursions this weekend.

Norris

Norris, thanks for the summary about Azamara’s strengths. Sorry, I should have said we’d be tagging along with you and Carol in spirit. Unfortunately, our corporeal selves must work while you’re in Norway. Someday....

 

Cheers!

Michelle 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Silkroad

[Bimmer09]

15 hours ago, josumello said:

Thanks again Norris for an awesome review. We have decided to do a short 5 day cruise to Cuba on the Majesty. It will be different than an Azamara cruise which we have enjoyed. Your report helped us to make the decision. Thanks. Look forward to your next review. 

 

Sue

 

Thanks Sue, enjoy your visit to Cuba, however brief!

Cheers!

Norris

[stcroixguy]

Norris, thank you for the great review.  It warmed me up as I am reading from western Wisconsin, that received record breaking snowfall in February and is forecasted to receive an additional 12-15 inches of snow on Saturday.😢