Summit Review - 9164 AQ aft facing Accessible - Part 1 Bayonne-Boarding

[Donut23]

 

 

We are back from our sailing to Bermuda.  It was worth most (maybe not all) the melodrama a few months ago.

 

Celebrity reservations gave away our Accessible cabin booked for 4 months.  Had a General AQ cabin and our friend ... well he had NO cabin.  (We had made our final payment).

 

Going up the Celebrity food chain we finally found Mirai who realized Celebrity’s mistake and fixed things.

 

we had a $400 shipboard credit

Gratuities paid

Classic beverage package

 

Our friend was given an inside cabin for himself across from us and AQ privileges.

 

...and our file must have been flagged because every time we asked for something they fell over themselves to make it happen.

 

nOTE:

 

im in a wheelchair.  I can walk but not far - freakish accident 10 years ago.  I’m also on a new medication for another problem that makes me sleepy.  I mean SLEEPY.  So, to me our drive from Annapolis, MD, to Newark Airport took about 15 minutes.  I slept and Jim listened to a book on CD.

 

 

We have a Rule.  We NEVER want to see the back end of our ship leaving port so we always spend the night before near the ship.

 

Bayonne....sigh

 

Somehow we accumulated many Holiday Inn points so we got 2 rooms at the Crown Plaza near Newark airport.  I was not impressed.  Facility was old and as hard as they tried, it wasn’t a terrific part of town so it just wasn’t frosty new.

 

We met our friend when we arrived, had a bite, took a shower and I pretty much face-planted onto the bed.

 

Following morning -

 

We Are Going Cruising!!!

 

This is our first cruise from Bayonne in many years (new terminal was under construction when we were there last.). I’m sorry if I’m repeating what you already know.

 

Royal Caribbean has built a reasonably large boarding facility.  It’s sparkling clean, very friendly staff, parking garage gives protection from snow.

 

Drove to the ship.  LOTS of construction so Jeepers (GPS) was very confused.  Once we saw the ship we were OK.

 

Arrived about 11:00 (glanced at my watch). Lou had RAVED about how they treated his Mom in her wheelchair when they cruised in Alaska in May.  I sat down in my wheelchair and waited to launch!

 

No one came.  Lou tried pushing me but everyone said someone would be right there.  About 20 minutes later (Jim has parked the car and was now back) a very nice management type pushed me through to the handicapped area.  He said someone would be right there.

 

DO YOUR CHECKIN PAPERWORK AHEAD.  Wonderfully cheerful ladies showed up with tablets and if it took 2 minutes to actually checkin, I would be surprised.

 

My lovely ladies rolled me over to some chairs where the 3 of us sat ...... until 2:50 pm.

 

Finally.  We were boarding.

 

Oops.  Shoreside pusher cannot Board the ship and I was stopped dead in my tracks trying to board.  Waited a while - in the way of others - while they found a crewman to help.

 

We arrived in our glorious cabin as they announced the Drill will begin in 15 minutes.

 

no leisurely lunch in the dining room, no time to checkout our cabin,  we had to leave RIGHT AWAY otherwise elevators would be filled and they rarely move for a scooter (waiting in our cabin) during an emergency drill.

 

We successfully drilled and went outside to enjoy the little gift the Captain gave us.

 

As many of you know, Bayonne is Below NY Harbor so we don’t actually pass Miss Liberty.

 

It was a Chamber Of Commerce - Perfect afternoon and the Captain turned port went up and did a 180 beside Miss Liberty.  She looked so grand in the afternoon sun.  I can imagine my Grandparents looking up to see her as they arrived from Poland, this statue so welcoming.

 

Off to pass under the bridge - horn blasting as we went under.

 

We were off to Bermuda and suddenly all The Whoo-Haa Of boarding was forgotten.

 

end of part 1

[tompeter]

Enjoying your report!

[calicakes]

We considered this cruise for next year, but booked something else instead.  Following along. 

[Donut23]

49 minutes ago, calicakes said:

We considered this cruise for next year, but booked something else instead.  Following along. 

 

 

Keep it in mind for the future.  Everyone should see Bermuda at least once in their lives.  Problem is ..... if you see it once, you will want to return.

 

Comparing it to its southern cousins in the Caribbean the first thing you notice is how CLEAN it is.  No litter along the side of the road.

 

Locals know a big part of their economy comes from the tourist business.  They are sooooo friendly.

 

If there is poverty, I never found it (in the 80’s and 90’s I was a yacht Captain and stopped here in the spring and fall).

 

Ferries and busses run all the time and are an economical way to get around.

 

[PhoenixCruiser]

Enjoyed part one!