LIVE FROM the flagship Rotterdam on the 21-day Eastern Caribbean and 150th Anniversary Transatlantic

[albingirl]

Following and all best wishes for safe and happy travels!

[bennybear]

Bon Voyage!  Safe travels!

[cruzn single]

I never got to join the roll call.  Life got in the way.  But I am packed and ready to leave tomorrow morning.  Hope to meet others on the ship.   This trip is the culmination of a long held dream.  Finally will get to go to Kuekenhof.  My deceased DH always talked about taking his kids to see this special place when he was in Germany on his 2nd time in Germany.  My step-kids always reminisce about this also.

 

See you Wednesday!  Finally get to step aboard a Pinnacle class BHB.  Had 2 cruises canceled on the Nieuw Statendam.  I will make 4* after the first short Caribbean!

[jayhawk66]

Peggy and I are packing and getting excited to join you all a week from today for the 21 day version. We’re riding the red bus down from Tallahasse to Ft Lauderdale and overnighting at the Hampton Inn Suites. With this cruise we will have been on all three pinnacle class ships. For the first time we booked Club Orange so are looking forward to this new experience. 

[Vict0riann]

Just as well we booked two nights in Fort Lauderdale.  We made it to Calgary safely, but what’s with all that white stuff?!  We saw planes being deiced, and all kinds of heavy equipment we do not have in Victoria.  We made it to our gate just in time to board, but then waited over an hour to get deiced (which took an while) and missed our flight to FLL.  Flying over the “frozen tundra” was very impressive, but I had forgotten it is still winter there.   Our airline has been good to us, though, hotel and transfer vouchers, plus a whole lot of meal vouchers.  And a flight out tomorrow morning at 11.  It gets to Fort Lauderdale at 2:30, though, and a day later All Aboard is 2:30,  we would be missing our cruise! 
 

Leaving Victoria we could see Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier and even Mt. St. Helens.  And a beautiful sunrise. 

 

we watched the deicing as we arrived - like going through the car wash!

 

We were able to track our bags using our AirTags and they came through in good order. There’s no snow in Toronto, so we hope things go smoothly tomorrow and Fort Lauderdale, here we come!

[Florida_gal_50]

That sucks.  Yup, it takes forever to deice.  It always seems like it runs out half way through.  Fill the darn thing up.  Good luck tomorrow. 

[Crusin-Suzan]

We will join on the 3rd!  Looking forward to it!

 

 

 

[olson99]

Wew are leaving tomorrow on the 6:30 AM flight from Toronto

[Vict0riann]

I am awake, but Pat is still asleep and I’ll wake him soon.  I’m not sure how much time we’re going to need to get to the airport at this time of day. It took 20 minutes to get to the hotel, but may take longer in rush hour. 
 

Every cloud has a silver lining, we called friends (ours and Jacqui’s), and they immediately came over to the hotel and insisted on taking us to dinner, so we had a lovely evening.  
 

now, on to Fort Lauderdale.  😀

[NCTribeFan]

Hope you have a safe and uneventful flight.

 

My DD has been in Ottawa since Friday and is flying home from Toronto later today.  At least, the plan is to pick her up when she arrives at Raleigh-Durham some time around 8 pm.

 

We *should* have nice weather here next Sunday, but when flying out later in the day, and not knowing where that equipment is flying earlier in the day, you just never know!

 

Edit:  and I just discovered that President Biden is flying in to Durham today.  That should make things interesting at the airport.  At least, he should be done and gone by the time her flight arrives.

Edited March 28, 2023 by NCTribeFan

[kazu]

2 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

I am awake, but Pat is still asleep and I’ll wake him soon.  I’m not sure how much time we’re going to need to get to the airport at this time of day. It took 20 minutes to get to the hotel, but may take longer in rush hour. 
 

Every cloud has a silver lining, we called friends (ours and Jacqui’s), and they immediately came over to the hotel and insisted on taking us to dinner, so we had a lovely evening.  
 

now, on to Fort Lauderdale.  😀

 

Glad you found the silver lining in your delay and I’m sure you had a great time with J & J. 🙂 

[Dismomx5]

That was fortuitous in booking an extra two days. I thought of that in January (we drove from Ontario to FLL) that in the winter, two days is best. But who'd have thought that March is still heavy winter weather? Smooth transfers today. 

[sailingdutchy]

We made it out of TO safely yesterday and we’re waiting for you in Fort Lauderdale , too bad you missed your flight , see you tomorrow on board ship ! 

 

T and  M 

Edited March 28, 2023 by sailingdutchy

[Vict0riann]

Yes, we’re here!  Such beautiful weather, Pat has headed straight out to Total Wine!  This hotel seems very nice, Tony, thanks for the recommendation, we’ll see how breakfast is in the morning.  We have already booked a shuttle to the ship for 10 tomorrow morning, I think we’ll be waiting around for a while, but the next one is 11:30, and we want to board pdq…

 

We flew over Port Everglades, this is not very clear, but we could see it.   It’s real!

 

[NavArch64]

3 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Yes, we’re here!  Such beautiful weather, Pat has headed straight out to Total Wine!  This hotel seems very nice, Tony, thanks for the recommendation, we’ll see how breakfast is in the morning.  We have already booked a shuttle to the ship for 10 tomorrow morning, I think we’ll be waiting around for a while, but the next one is 11:30, and we want to board pdq…

 

We flew over Port Everglades, this is not very clear, but we could see it.   It’s real!

 

 

[NavArch64]

Total Wine is good.

Edited March 28, 2023 by NavArch64

[woodworker&knitter]

35 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Yes, we’re here!  Such beautiful weather, Pat has headed straight out to Total Wine!  This hotel seems very nice, Tony, thanks for the recommendation, we’ll see how breakfast is in the morning.  We have already booked a shuttle to the ship for 10 tomorrow morning, I think we’ll be waiting around for a while, but the next one is 11:30, and we want to board pdq…

 

We flew over Port Everglades, this is not very clear, but we could see it.   It’s real!

 

What hotel are you in?

[Vict0riann]

1 minute ago, woodworker&knitter said:

What hotel are you in?

We are in the Holiday Inn Express on 17th.  It’s a little further away from the Outback than other places we’ve stayed, but I think we will try to make the trek this evening.  It’s usually our “go to” the first night we’re here, and then the second night we go somewhere else, but although this is our second night of the hotel booking, it’s really our first night!

[NavArch64]

Boatyard restaurant is lovely ... just across 17th ... but expensive. Also, could be very crowded.

[Florida_gal_50]

58 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

We are in the Holiday Inn Express on 17th.  It’s a little further away from the Outback than other places we’ve stayed, but I think we will try to make the trek this evening.  It’s usually our “go to” the first night we’re here, and then the second night we go somewhere else, but although this is our second night of the hotel booking, it’s really our first night!

Are there any drug stores near by for last minute things?  Thanks.

[ger_77]

58 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

We are in the Holiday Inn Express on 17th.  It’s a little further away from the Outback than other places we’ve stayed, but I think we will try to make the trek this evening.  It’s usually our “go to” the first night we’re here, and then the second night we go somewhere else, but although this is our second night of the hotel booking, it’s really our first night!

And you're right across the street from Ross, Dollar Tree and Panera.  Of course, there's also TJ Maxx a few doors down from Total Wine, too.  We either stay at the Hilton Ft Lauderdale Marina or the Hyatt just down the street from Outback.  So glad you made it; we'll watch for you at sail away tomorrow!

 

[ger_77]

Just now, Florida_gal_50 said:

Are there any drug stores near by for last minute things?  Thanks.

Walgreens is about a block away from the Holiday Inn Express.  CVS is about 6 blocks in the other direction.  You could probably get most everything you need at Publix which is in the same strip mall as Total Wine.

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

Walgreens is about a block away from the Holiday Inn Express.  CVS is about 6 blocks in the other direction.  You could probably get most everything you need at Publix which is in the same strip mall as Total Wine.

Definitely.  Is it close to that publix?  That's actually where I'd like to go.  Thanks so much.

[ger_77]

4 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Definitely.  Is it close to that publix?  That's actually where I'd like to go.  Thanks so much.

Total Wine, Publix, TJ Maxx, Ace Hardware and a few other places like a fitness centre, and a nail salon are all in the same strip mall just a block or two from Holiday Inn Express on 17th.  There are also restaurants and bars there.  The place is called "Harbor Shops".

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by ger_77

[Vict0riann]

32 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Are there any drug stores near by for last minute things?  Thanks.

There’s a CVS down the road, past the Embassy Suites, and a Walgreens nearby , too, in the other direction., according to my Maps.me app.  It’s a useful app, because it doesn’t need internet, but you have to download the maps you think you will need ahead of time, when you do have internet.  There’s a shopping center with the Total Wine, a Publix, TJMaxx, etc., too.  
 

sorry, Gerry, I posted before reading your much better responses!

Edited March 28, 2023 by Vict0riann