JUST BACK! Explorer to Bermuda 08.09.08

[MrPete]

That was us!

 

I thought it had to be you. I wasn't sure but I thought I recognized your daughter from the pic you put on the Meet & Mingle. And I saw you on your blackberry.

 

And here I thought I was wishing a good cruise to a perfect stranger! :D

[laddcalcagno]

And here I thought I was wishing a good cruise to a perfect stranger! :D

 

Well that just means you're a gracious cruiser!

 

As for me....right now I'm suffering some serious post cruise depression. Although Dave was right about how much bigger your bathroom feels when you get home.

 

I was really sorry we missed the dockyard festival. We didn't get to see it last year because I had a really bad migraine and had to spend the night lying down in the dark. How did you like the 12 foot swells on Sunday? We went back to the room, I couldn't take the dizzy thing. I was ok sitting down, but standing up for the captain's speech killing me. Very glad I had the patch on.

[gjc1111]

Great review and great pictures, you are too funny!

 

We have 1688 booked for our upcoming January 23rd cruise on Explorer. Do you have any interior pictures of the cabin. Should I be concerned about the pole in the middle of the room?

 

 

Here is an inside pic of 1688 on EOS. Sorry . . . it's kinda dark. Also, another balcony pic. (Nevermind the date stamp on the pics!)

 

 

[MrPete]

Well that just means you're a gracious cruiser!

 

As for me....right now I'm suffering some serious post cruise depression. Although Dave was right about how much bigger your bathroom feels when you get home.

 

I was really sorry we missed the dockyard festival. We didn't get to see it last year because I had a really bad migraine and had to spend the night lying down in the dark. How did you like the 12 foot swells on Sunday? We went back to the room, I couldn't take the dizzy thing. I was ok sitting down, but standing up for the captain's speech killing me. Very glad I had the patch on.

 

They were affecting the wife. Me? I go with the flow. But we did run into some that said that was their last cruise.

 

And this years festival was cancelled. Did you see the juggler?

[Tink59]

Thanks for the recap. DH and I head out to Bermuda on the 23rd. I hope the weather holds out and I don't get sea sick. This will be our first cruise. I am planning on getting the non drowsy sea sickness medicine that I have read about on here and take it the night before and that morning.

[Esmerelda]

Oh my gosh Mr. Pete....I so have loved reading about your adventures and seeing your great photos! What a lovely looking family you have. :) (best watch that daughter and pole dancing though..yikes! ;) )

 

We are also sailing next August 6 on the EOS. We have a hump JS and our friends are two doors down and our boys are next door connecting. We are so excited as we have only cruised out of Florida on our last 4 cruises. This will be a whole new experience for us.

 

You bring our level of excitement waay up there :)

[zeza]

Hi MrPete,

Thanks for the review! :D We were on the same cruise and had a great time. My 7 yo daughter esp. liked Dave Chapman(CD) and the production shows. We have a hold on the same cruise for Aug 15, 2009. I wondered if you or any one else could answer the following:

1. How often do the production shows change? Are we likely to see the same in 2009?

2. I noticed on another thread that CD Dave is off the ship starting in Sept. 2008. Any chance he'll be back for Aug 2009? Is there anyway of finding out? He is really important to my daughter.

Thanks. It's so interesting getting someone else's take on a shared experience, esp. looking at the pictures.

Claire

[alwalaska]

Thanks for the review and pictures. I still don't see those 7 dwarfs.:D

[MrPete]

So where was I (damn, that one day of work got in the way).....

 

After that stprm passed and dumped all that rain, the skies were still iffy, and it was getting to be too late for St. George, we decided to hang about the dockyard.

 

So, instead of running to the bus, we took the obligatory bow pictures

 

 

and got my first good look at the building of the new pier

(I have more pix from sailaway)

 

We got to the glassblowing factory, Snorkle Park

 

the clocktower mall, and eventually found the hairbraider on the open lawn.

 

Returning to the ship, we once again went to the Windjammer, where it hit me; they were basically serving the same old leftovers day after day, and swapping out a couple of dishes. Basically, after walking through the line, I had a burger and pasta with bolognese sauce on my plate.

 

I WANTED FOOD.

 

So, I suggested we go down to the DR. The suggestion actually took! We left our plates on the table and left.

 

We got there to find the DR closed (port days, you know).

 

ARGH!

 

So, I figure this is a way to unload my JR coupons. We make it up to JR's after retrieving the coupons from the stateroom.

 

 

"Sorry sir, we don't open till 3"

 

DOUBLE ARGH!

 

Make our way back to the WJ, and the only good news is that my plate with the hamburger and pasta with bolognese sauce is still sitting there, a little cooler than when I left it.

[MrPete]

Reluctantly, we stayed on board after “lunch”. Really not a lot of time to go anywhere, and there’s only so much to do at Dockside, so we found our normal chairs next to the “mistors” at the rear head of the starboard pool, and smiled at the passing bartenders.

I was quickly reminded how God awful the deck band was. The keyboardist hardly knew how to play a melody, and the singer apparently had hearing problems. Either that or there was something better playing on the satellite radio.

They were so bad, there were amateur pax that filled in at times for the vocals and the drums.

We made our way back to our cabin at 5 so we could have our own private sailaway instead of jockeying for rail space.

Always sad to see the props kick up the silt for sailaway

[MrPete]

As we pulled away, we got some good bird's eye views of the new pier:

 

 

 

[MrPete]

 

 

[MrPete]

Unfortunately, we had to wait to get to sea before we finally saw our fiery Bermudian sunset and sky:

 

 

 

[Esmerelda]

Mr. Pete...

 

These last photos of the sunset are just breathtaking. What kind of camera are you using...(if its ok for me to ask)? :)

 

I know...I know..its not the camera...its the photographer...;)

[MrPete]

It's a simple Sony CybershotDSC-T200. From Santa :p

[laddcalcagno]

Pete those pictures are amazing. Haven't unloaded mine off the camera yet. On the to do list for the weekend.

 

We didn't get to see the juggler....or anything else Monday night, much to my disappointment. Brother was VERY tired after dinner. Practically falling asleep at the table. My father and brother went back to their room and chilled. Mom and I went to check out the glassworks factory and pick up a few things to avoid missing it the next day if we were late getting back to the ship. Unfortunately because the dockyard activities had been canceled everything had shut down already. We did go to the glassworks store in St. George's the next day, so we got a few little things while there.

 

We walked around the ship a bit before going back to the room, checked on my father and brother (who was now out like a light). I was ready to chill for a bit on the balcony and head down to the Love and Marriage show then the Midnight buffet, but I got overruled for sleep. I gotta stop vacationing with my family...they're 50 year olds going on 180!

[boop3]

Great Pics! Getting me all psyched for my cruise in February! You and the wife look like models for RC.

Formal night is more special with the underoos! :D

[Shanafan]

Great review and pictures! Those sunset pics are absolutely beautiful! I've been wanting to go to Bermuda. Was this just a fluke with the rainy weather, or is it typical this time of year?

[Merion_Mom]

Great review and great pictures, you are too funny!

 

We have 1688 booked for our upcoming January 23rd cruise on Explorer. Do you have any interior pictures of the cabin. Should I be concerned about the pole in the middle of the room?

 

Surprisingly, it turns out I took none of the stateroom. I was only concerned when my almost 10 year old started pole dancing.

 

Pete, do you mind if I jump in here, and make up for jumping on your earlier joke? (not a New Yorker! not into New York humor, I guess. :D)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Merion_Mom]

This is the sofabed open and made up for the night:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[flagger]

Surprisingly, it turns out I took none of the stateroom. I was only concerned when my almost 10 year old started pole dancing.

Apparently it is a genetic trait she shares with my daughter who at 15 months decided to show off her pole dancing talents. The other guests on Infinity RT Vancouver to Alaska were amused.

[beachbuddy]

Mr. Pete,

 

Great review and outstanding pictures! Thanks for taking the time to share them. Glad you guys had a great time! It's so nice to put a face with a name.

 

Patty

[Seaworthy01]

Very nice pictures MrPete, what camera do you use?

[laurspag]

Mr. Pete,

 

I was going to post a few pictures myself, but I'm having a rough time. They keep telling me they're too big!

[nybumpkin]

Pete - The NCL ship was Norwegian Spirit. This year's winner for hitting the Manhattan pier.;) I took a pic of her in Cozumel in February (below).

 

Did Kristin take that wonderful picture of you and Carol on your balcony? Forget pole dancing - buy that girl a camera!

 

I'm really enjoying your review - are you going to finish before I set sail on Monday?:D