Live: Oct 22 2022 Constellation Mediterranean Passage Transatlantic

[mahdnc]

[Ipeeinthepools]

3 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

111:04 am. We are lining up to board. 

 

 

Thanks for a great review.  You're cutting a lot closer than I would.  10:48 getting through security and boarding 16 minutes later.

[Jim_Iain]

Thanks for a fantastic Live post.   Been enjoying the cruise from your eyes (and photos). 

 

Safe flight home.

[mahdnc]

34 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

Safe travels.  Thanks for all you did for us.  And thanks for all your photos.

 

Thank you as well, Ruth. It was good that we got to meet. May you enjoy all your future Celebrity cruises!! Stay healthy. 

[mahdnc]

8 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Thanks for a great review.  You're cutting a lot closer than I would.  10:48 getting through security and boarding 16 minutes later.

 

We didn't plan it that way. We didn't expect it to take this long getting through customs and immigration.  Many people in our disembarkation group (20) had later flights than us so I think our group assignment was a problem too. 

 

In retrospect, my wife and I agree that we should do the self walk off next time in Tampa.  It would have saved us  over an hour, I estimate. 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by mahdnc

[GonzoWCS]

Thanks for all of this folks!  Safe travels

 

Cheers

[vickykay]

So enjoyed following along with you.  Thanks David!

[Barwick Cruiser]

Great live review, thanks so much for all the detail and the beautiful pictures. Very much enjoyed following along. 

[mahdnc]

 

[mahdnc]

Looking forward to coming home to see Daisy!

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

[mchell810]

I really enjoyed your trip report & the photos. Thank you.
Safe journey home. 

[hrhdhd]

4 hours ago, mahdnc said:

Good looks and charm get you a long way in this world!!

I don't know about that.  😄 Frankly, they are usually so surprised that someone is being honest, they wave me by.

[hrhdhd]

3 hours ago, mahdnc said:

There is no signage for the taxi stand. Jonathan, a Celebrity crew member stationed at the terminal exit door did not know either. There are buses parked directly outside the exit advertising $10 pp to the airport. 

 

We found the taxi line. It is to the right when you exit the front door, right around the corner, out of sight. 

 

We got in our taxi at 10:04 am. Our fare for the taxi minivan is $45 to get to TPA

 

 

$45?! I did the $10 thing and it was great, in case anyone is interested. Of course, I just picked up a rental car (I didn't need to catch a flight), so waiting for the van to fill wasn't an issue.

[mahdnc]

 

We just landed and have pulled up to the gate

 

It's cooler here. For the first time in three weeks, I'm underdressed!

Edited November 6, 2022 by mahdnc

[Ipeeinthepools]

22 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

We just landed and have pulled up to the gate

 

It's cooler here. For the first time in three weeks, I'm underdressed!

 

Is Daisy picking you up at the airport?

[vickykay]

What kind of dog is Daisy? She looks somewhat like our Cavachon.

[mahdnc]

 

Daisy is a Poodle crossed with an Old English Springer.Spaniel. Springer Doodle or Sproodle. She is smart and very energetic. 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

We made it home about 30 minutes ago. Time to unpack. I have to go to work tomorrow!

 

I hope everyone else is getting home safely.

 

I still have some stuff to post about the cabin and the Albergo del Senato that I may do here or on a separate thread. 

 

We also have to fill out the survey. 

 

[Alwayshome]

Thank you so much for the posts and photos. My DH and I are sailing first time on Celebrity on the Constellation in February. We haven't sailed in five years, and just seeing those aft balcony wake photos brought tears to my eyes.

I sincerely appreciate the info about taxis/vans to the airport once back in Tampa. We have an 11:04 a.m. flight and I know we are pushing it.  Glad you proved it can be done!

Thanks again to everyone!

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, Alwayshome said:

Thank you so much for the posts and photos. My DH and I are sailing first time on Celebrity on the Constellation in February. We haven't sailed in five years, and just seeing those aft balcony wake photos brought tears to my eyes.

I sincerely appreciate the info about taxis/vans to the airport once back in Tampa. We have an 11:04 a.m. flight and I know we are pushing it.  Glad you proved it can be done!

Thanks again to everyone!

 

Thank you for the nice things you said in your post. Your time to see the waves and experience cruising is coming soon enough. Constellation is a very nice ship and an excellent crew. 

 

My flight had an 11:43 am departure. Your flight is leaving earlier. You definitely will want to do the self walk off to ensure you make it to TPA on time. It will also keep you ahead of the crowd and the lines that go with it. 

 

[mahdnc]

On 11/4/2022 at 6:37 PM, WeBcruisingMN said:

Excellent review, David, and a nice sailaway pic from Nassau! That is one of our fav sailaways. I’ll attach my two recent pics from November (Reflection) and January (Silhouette).
 

So glad that you’ve had a successful return to cruising and a wonderful crossing of the Atlantic. All the best to you and your wife, Marcia 😊

Sharon (& John)

 

On the plane ride back home today, I was going through my DSLR camera roll. It turns out that I did snap a couple of photos of the lighthouse with the high rise buildings in the background. The image doesn't have quite the sense of height that your photos do. 

 

[choochella]

Thanks so much for your posts and pic’s. It was great following along with you on your endeavors. I hope our exact cruise in November goes along just as smoothly. And, thanks for answering my questions as well. 

[mahdnc]

On 11/5/2022 at 4:45 PM, mahdnc said:

Our own @Bob29321, bravely  participated in this morning's Egg Drop contest.

 

Bob was about one of six or seven contestants who dropped their egg holding contraption from the fifth deck of the Grand Foyer atrium onto the marble floor of the Grand Foyer below. Points were given for the number of eggs that survived. Bonus points were awarded for drop accuracy (there was a target area marked on the floor) and design. 

 

Unfortunately Bob's novel design involving a parachute drifted slightly when it was dropped and it got hung up on the hand rail of the 4th deck robbing him of all performance and drop accuracy points. 

 

Bob gets an "A" for effort and I'm sure Rev 2.0 will be better. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a slow motion video of the winner's egg drop:

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by mahdnc

[WeBcruisingMN]

16 hours ago, mahdnc said:

I did snap a couple of photos of the lighthouse with the high rise buildings in the background.

@mahdncDavid, Your photo is really nice, too! Was it from your veranda?

 

You’re correct that my photos were taken from a higher perspective. Both were taken on the rail near the Sunset Bar, so deck 15 (or is it 14?). The one with the pinkish sky was from January 25 @ 5:33pm, so likely the ‘golden hour’ before sunset. The other was November 7 @4:53pm, so 40 minutes earlier in the day, but a different sun angle since it was November.

 

 I hope to take another photo of the Nassau sailaway and lighthouse on our coming Beyond cruise in early December. Maybe I will add it onto this thread for yet another comparison. 🤷🏻‍♀️
 

Hope your settling-in at home has gone well. 😊