Live: Geoherb's Solo Cruise on the Caribbean Princess, Dec. 10-20, 2019 (Partial Panama Canal)

[jujuyu211]

Thanks so much taking us on your adventure and for posting all the information on patters and menus, geoherb!! Following along :)

[geoherb]

It’s Wednesday night and the internet is down. Of course by the time I post this, it will be back up. I called guest services to confirm it was not just my laptop but rather the entire network.

 

I took the afternoon nap I needed but am still feeling some effects of the cold I started with. Tonight was the first formal night. I saw lots of people make more of an effort than I did to adhere to the suggested dress code. I wore dress pants, dress shirts, and necktie. Many men forewent the ties but had on jackets. A few went without either but still were dressed well enough to make it into one of the dining rooms. I noticed one man in shorts in line for the Island Dining Room when I exited. I doubt he made it in unless he's missing his luggage. I overheard the head waiters tell men the first night that shorts were not permitted on the remaining nights of the cruise.

 

I made it to afternoon trivia and joined the couple from this morning and a new couple. We were one point away from tying the winning team. I showered and changed for formal night in time for the champagne waterfall. The ship is nicely decorated for Christmas, not as over the top as I’ve seen on some past cruises. Here are a few of the decorations.

 

I switched to anytime dining even though I never heard back. The wait was very short, under five minutes, but it's because I timed it before the officers' remarks at the champagne waterfall. There was quite the lines when I left. I sat with two couples traveling together, another couple, and a young woman whose mother missed the ship due to losing her passport. She is supposed to catch up in Grand Turk. Here is the menu from the choices side. The always available side had the usual suspects and a Mexican burger.  I excused myself before dessert. I had the salad and shrimp. The latter was way too salty, but I was not hungry enough to order something else. I made it to the theater during the opening number of Bravo. The singers, guest soprano, and dancers were very good. I stood for the first half and took the seat of a couple who left early for the second half. If I had been a few minutes earlier, I could have sat in one of the empty seats on the front row. But I did not want to walk in front of people to get there. There were several other seats scattered throughout the theater, and several other people standing as well.

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by geoherb

[geoherb]

Here are today's activity pages from the Patter. Just a few things going on this morning as we're in Grand Turk. I may or may not get off the ship later this morning. I've been here before twice. The first time we did a great snorkeling excursion. The second time we went swimming in the ocean. I did not bring my water shoes this time, and I remember it being very rocky. The all-aboard time is 3:30. 

 

 

 

 

[CPASam]

I hope you have a restful day in Grand Turk. 

[jimbri]

Enjoying your review.  Have a great time!

[CruzinNoony]

I'm enjoying your "live from".  Thanks for taking the time to do it.

[metairiegal]

Thanks for the update and pictures.  It is fun following along on your adventure.

[geoherb]

I'm still fighting off my cold. I did get off the ship after morning trivia. My team of three won. There were only two other teams there. I gave my notepad away to a woman who said she'd been trying to win one of them. I walked around the port area and enjoyed seeing the NASA exhibits again about the Mercury 7 astronauts. 

 

I had lunch in the International Café and dinner in the buffet. In the meantime, I took a nice three-hour nap before sailaway. The Carnival Breeze docked while I was on land, and they held people in the shop at the end of the pier while they were doing so. I made it to afternoon trivia with my Philly teammates. We missed too many and were four points behind the winners. I watched Hampstead with Diane Keaton on demand in my cabin before dinner. I'm not sure I'll stay up to watch tonight's hockey game. It starts at 10 EST.

 

[hllwdcruiser]

Following Along. I am enjoying your commentary and photos. 

[mgoldst1]

Goeherb, Thanks for your posts and pictures. We are on this cruise in Jan and I always enjoy reading the posts of people currently on the cruises.

[geoherb]

Today's activity pages from the Patter and an early morning rainbow. 

 

 

[geoherb]

Here are the menus from lunch and dinner yesterday.

[geoherb]

Here are the activity pages from today's Patter. I'll be in my cabin under quarantine. I visited the ship's doctor yesterday afternoon. He has me under the flu protocol even though the nasal swab test was negative. My fever needs to be under 101.1 degrees F twice when checked in the medical center for them to let me back out. Here's the room service menu I'll be ordering from for today. I had the caprese sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, and fruit cup yesterday afternoon and evening. Both of the sandwiches are on the small size, which was fine since I'm not very hungry. 

 

I sent out one batch of laundry on Wednesday evening. It came back last night.

 

[metairiegal]

Oh no!  Hope you are feeling better real soon!

[geoherb]

Thanks. The medical center sent me a box of Godiva chocolates for my birthday. I think I need just two more acceptable temps to be released from quarantine. It's a good thing I splurged on the unlimited internet. I've been watching YouTube videos this morning. They're much better than watching the news channels on the TV. I watched Yesterday yesterday. It was a good movie. 

 

I took a photo of tonight's menu on the way back to my cabin from the medical center this morning and also a photo of Cartagena from the promenade. We will sail away before I'm allowed back out to go back to the medical center for my afternoon temperature reading.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by geoherb

[Mittens101]

Love the menus lots of rum

[geoherb]

I've been working my way through the room service menu. Today I had the "chicken breast burger," which is just a grilled chicken breast on a bun and, thank goodness, not a chopped up chicken patty of questionable origin. It was good. I wanted a few chips. Here's what they gave me: enough for a family of four. The key lime pie verrine was terrific. Apparently verrine is the French word for jar. Key lime pie verrine is simply a pie made in a jar. I should have taken a photo of it as well. I guess I'll have to order another.

 

[geoherb]

Another good temp at my afternoon visit to the medical center. If it stays down, I'll be cleared from quarantine in the morning. I can watch us sail through the new locks on the ship's camera if we make it there before the medical center opens and on the open decks in the afternoon.

 

The bad news is that the internet is too slow to stream hockey right now. Passenger services said it's because of the ship's position and should improve soon. I'll call back in a few minutes when the second period starts if it doesn't. The score was tied 0-0 at the end of the first.

 

 

[CPASam]

Canes beat Flames 4-0.  I watched.  Fogle had two goals including an empty net at the end.  Dougie Hamilton had a 3 on 4 power play goal.  Sorry the internet was slow.  I hope your temp is down tomorrow so you can enjoy the new locks from the outside!  Happy Birthday Geoherb!  Enjoy the chocolates!

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by CPASam

[sunsetbeachgal]

Happy birthday! 

[geoherb]

Thanks. I managed to listen to the third period of the game. Still couldn't get video to stream. Photos are taking a very long time to upload as well--over 3 minutes per photo. Here's my dinner from room service. I had the fruit cup (which has bits of cantaloupe and honeydew under the oranges and grapes), cut up the chicken fingers from the kids' menu to put on the Caesar salad, and ate flan for dessert. The key lime pie is much better. I ate less than half the flan.

 

 

[geoherb]

Here are the pages from today's Patter. I'm including the whole thing because of the nice info it has on the procedures for the day in the Panama Canal. The dining room will be open for lunch like a sea day.

 

The internet just got faster within the past 30 minutes. It took less than a minute to upload these four pages. My earlier speed test this morning had a 0.58 Mbps download speed. It's up to 12.05 Mbps--fast enough to stream video again.

 

My fever is down still, thankfully, so I'm off to the medical center in a few minutes and will hopefully be released from quarantine.

 

[cruisenfreak]

Happy birthday, Geoherb.  Hope your temp is down and you get “sprung” from quarantine.

[metairiegal]

Happy birthday!  Thanks for posting the patters. 

[geoherb]

Thanks. I'm feeling better, especially after being released by the medical center this morning in time to view going through the locks. I missed sailing under the bridge. It was under construction when we sailed under it on a HAL ship in January 2017.

 

It's a beautiful day. I spent most of the time at the front of the ship on Deck 8 but later moved up to the Lido Deck forward viewing area. We spotted a crocodile in the water, but my photos don't show it very well. It just looks like a log in the fourth photo.

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by geoherb