“Live From” the Grandeur or Z and TB Live the High Life in the Caribbean!

[Zqueeze1]

Good Morning and welcome to our latest cruise thread!  We are Roberto (Z or Zqueeze) and Pamela (TB or The Boss):

 

We are from Port St Lucie, Florida.  We  and are retired and loving la dolce vita of being bums and racing golf carts. We are sailing on Monday aboard the beautiful Grandeur for sixteen days from Miami through the southern and eastern Caribbean and debarking in New York City.  In between we will squeeze in visit with friends in San Juan and in the Holy City (Charleston) where we will also roam around the hallowed halls of my Alma Mater. Please see our itinerary below and map. 

 

 

 

We were originally scheduled to cruise on a very similar itinerary onboard the Mariner in May.  Unfortunately, this cruise was cancelled by Regent and we gratefully switched to this itinerary. We are in a lovely Cat F1 cabin after getting a two category upgrade offer.  We love this category due to the orientation of the bed and large bathroom.  

 

Packing is completed and, as always, I have one beautifully packed suitcase, while The Boss has her essentials:

 

 

We are scheduled to be picked up by private vehicle at 0900 on Monday morning for the two hour plus drive to Miami Cruise Port.  Needless to say, I will be my normal impatient self as  anxious as a toddler until I get onboard and chill.  

 

We are more than happy to share this thread with anyone to include my heckling friends.  Feel free to add to my corny commentary if you are also on this cruise.  This includes our good friends, TNR, who are also onboard.  Also, say hello if you see us.  I am usually hanging at the pool bar in the afternoons supervising  TB’s workouts.  Look for the chubby guy wearing a Yankees or Citadel baseball cap. By the way, I may be chubby, but I identify as skinny. I’m trans-slender. 

 

Z and TB

Edited March 24 by Zqueeze1
Added Pics

[GMIAC]

You're going to have a great time. I'll look forward to reading along.

 

We weren't back three days last December before we booked our next sailing.

 

Don't be trashin' the ship. We board on 4/10 for the NYC-Barcelona trip. 

[Vandyv]

Z and TB, bon voyage, have a wonderful sail!  Crisi and I will be following your travels and always wish you two the best!  Vandy

[irishwitchy]

I love to read your reports, always fun.   You should have added a couple of extra days in NYC -  rather nice in the spring!  I hope you clear your wait list excursions.  

[Johnthesailor]

Z,

Looking forward to this cruise.  Our flight to Miami got cancelled this morning so we rebooked for tomorrow AM - hoping all goes well.  Otherwise, we will be a few days late.

 

John

[Zqueeze1]

21 minutes ago, irishwitchy said:

I love to read your reports, always fun.   You should have added a couple of extra days in NYC -  rather nice in the spring!  I hope you clear your wait list excursions.  

Having been born in Manhattan and lived in the lower east side, I would have loved to stay in NYC for a while to sightsee and visit family.  But, we have two cats at home that cost an arm and a leg to baby sit.  Regardless, I plan to take The Boss to Katz Deli (as if we need more food).

 

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

14 minutes ago, Johnthesailor said:

Z,

Looking forward to this cruise.  Our flight to Miami got cancelled this morning so we rebooked for tomorrow AM - hoping all goes well.  Otherwise, we will be a few days late.

 

John

 

I hope you make it in time tomorrow for check-in.  We will save you a seat at the pool bar.  Where are you flying from?

 

Z and TB

[cruisevirgin24]

 

Did you choose to live in Port St Lucie for the NY Mets Spring training? We have vacationed on the Treasure Coast with our children, every year for the past 20 years (Jensen Beach, Vero Beach and Indian River Shores) and we never miss a trip to Clover Park. You are very lucky to live there!

Have a wonderful trip, I will be following this thread.

[tnr]

We are on our way.  Up at 2:30 this morning to make a 6:00 flight and now sitting in DFW awaiting the other half trip to Fort Lauderdale.  Will be staying there and being picked up by private driver in the a.m.  We can’t wait, and will be sure to check out the pool bar when we get on board.

[GMIAC]

Just now, tnr said:

We are on our way.  Up at 2:30 this morning to make a 6:00 flight and now sitting in DFW awaiting the other half trip to Fort Lauderdale.  Will be staying there and being picked up by private driver in the a.m.  We can’t wait, and will be sure to check out the pool bar when we get on board.

Regent booked us on a 6AM flight from Chicago for our 4/10 NYC Grandeur sailing. That's gonna hurt, but we'll be going in the day before, on the 9th, so we'll have a day in the city (and an afternoon nap!)

 

Have a safe trip. You're going to love the ship!

[Zqueeze1]

29 minutes ago, cruisevirgin24 said:

 

Did you choose to live in Port St Lucie for the NY Mets Spring training? We have vacationed on the Treasure Coast with our children, every year for the past 20 years (Jensen Beach, Vero Beach and Indian River Shores) and we never miss a trip to Clover Park. You are very lucky to live there!

Have a wonderful trip, I will be following this thread.

We absolutely love living here.  Unfortunately, I am not a Mets fan. We are a Yankees family. We chose to live here because we loved the amenities offered in our over fifty five community as well as being centrally located between Miami and Orlando.  
 

Z and TB

Edited March 24 by Zqueeze1

[kjbacon]

Have a great cruise! I’m anxious to hear your impressions of the ship to see how it compares to ours. We live right up the street from you on Hutchinson island and we shop at your Sprouts. Maybe our paths have crossed?

[liptastic]

Looking forward to your live blog, it’s always a great read each day . Safe travels to the ship. Jean .

[Johnthesailor]

4 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

 

I hope you make it in time tomorrow for check-in.  We will save you a seat at the pool bar.  Where are you flying from?

 

Z and TB

 

[maggie.1008]

I have four friends on your cruise so I will enjoy following your journey 

[Johnthesailor]

We are flying from Austin, TX.  Not a very long flight and should not be problematic.  The weather was OK in both cities this morning as well as in the location the flight was coming from so not sure what happened but the rebooking agent said that the plane was being used elsewhere to fly folks that were cancelled yesterday because of east coast weather.  Does not make a lot of sense to me as a reason to cancel additional flights but I’m not an airline logistics expert so who knows what the reason was.  Ironically, tomorrow AM flight time has a forecast in Austin of thunderstorms and rain.

[forgap]

YEAH! Love your humor.   “Trans-slender”…….epic!  

[shanau]

Flight from DC cancelled. Best they could do is fly Pittsburg at 10 tonight, sleep in airport and hopefully get flight to Miami in morning. So glad I paid for Regent air and hotel. Regent air no help, will not even answer phone on emergency line. 

[CruiserFromMaine]

15 minutes ago, shanau said:

Flight from DC cancelled. Best they could do is fly Pittsburg at 10 tonight, sleep in airport and hopefully get flight to Miami in morning

Best wishes to you! 

[CruiserFromMaine]

We’re in Fort Lauderdale now. We arrived yesterday and just dodged a storm back home with 5-6” of snow but worse was freezing rain and ice combined with winds that knocked down tees and took our power lines. Power was off for 12 hours but back on now. 
 

We’re looking forward to this cruise. Our first Regent cruise was about a year ago on the Splendor and we loved it! 
 

I’m calling this our “Crockett and Tubbs” cruise from the two Miami Vice detectives; Crockett from Miami and Tubbs from New York. 
 

@Zqueeze1, I’ll chime in too once in awhile if you don’t mind! 

[Zqueeze1]

1 hour ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

We’re in Fort Lauderdale now. We arrived yesterday and just dodged a storm back home with 5-6” of snow but worse was freezing rain and ice combined with winds that knocked down tees and took our power lines. Power was off for 12 hours but back on now. 
 

We’re looking forward to this cruise. Our first Regent cruise was about a year ago on the Splendor and we loved it! 
 

I’m calling this our “Crockett and Tubbs” cruise from the two Miami Vice detectives; Crockett from Miami and Tubbs from New York. 
 

@Zqueeze1, I’ll chime in too once in awhile if you don’t mind! 

Not a problem.  I welcome folks to collaborate on this thread.  Glad you beat the weather. 
 

Z and TB

[GMIAC]

7 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

By the way, I may be chubby, but I identify as skinny. I’m trans-slender. 

 

Ha! That beats me. I was born male, I identify as male, but Stouffer's thinks I'm a family of four.

 

🤔

[Zqueeze1]

Just now, GMIAC said:

Ha! That beats me. I was born male, I identify as male, but Stouffer's thinks I'm a family of four.

 

🤔

I am going to steal this line from you!

 

Z and TB

[bebop bonnie]

Z, you haven’t even boarded yet and we’re already laughing at your posts!!

Love to The (beautiful) Boss and you xoxo. B and K

[Gpilon]

7 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Having been born in Manhattan and lived in the lower east side, I would have loved to stay in NYC for a while to sightsee and visit family.  But, we have two cats at home that cost an arm and a leg to baby sit.  Regardless, I plan to take The Boss to Katz Deli (as if we need more food).

 

Z and TB

Originally from Montreal and every time back head to Schwartz for best smoked meat anywhere. Although, have to admit we frequently order from Katz's as it is always terrific and shipped with care. We are on Grandeur in July…..3rd seat from the left at bar pool is mine.