tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36025623433630886782024-03-13T16:18:49.117-07:00Tinbergs on TourHal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.comBlogger1302125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-45658487080272633932024-03-13T16:17:00.000-07:002024-03-13T16:17:58.687-07:00March 3, 2024 – Tampa, FL – Cloudy, Rainy, and Stormy – 70s<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I
slept so-so last night but was awaked early by lightning and thunder.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Hoping that passes by quickly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Waited
over an hour until the breakfast was open – it was not yet crowded and I had
some raisin bran and frosted flakes (always good) and a waffle (very good) and
buttermilk biscuit (tad underdone – if you drown it in gray (which I don’t)
then it’s probably OK).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The breakfast
was pretty good overall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I
went down again with Ellen for her breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">At 11
AM, we vacated our room – a nice big room with a lot of repair and maintenance
issues – Ellen grabbed the bar near the shower and it came out of the wall –
she is not that strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She reported that - along with photographic evidence - to the front desk.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Too
early to to the airport – no bag check in for four hours before departure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We warmed up yesterday’s pizza in the hotel
microwave and had it for lunch along with another Mexican Coke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pizza travelled well and the lunch was
very good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">A
little after 12 PM, I called for an Uber to TPA. The ride is only 5.28 miles
and took only 10 minutes – the total fare including the $2 tip came to
$16.92.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure that’s a better deal
than the hotel would offer (usually $10 pp).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alberto dropped us off at the Blue Terminal – United.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">In
TPA, the Kiosks are right at the bag drop area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I checked us both in and the bags were tagged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went up one flight to TSA Precheck – the
line was long but it moved very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We both had our picture taken while the agent checked out our passports
(a new thing for us).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was going to
the magnetometer, the bell went off. The TSA said it was a random double check
– I went through the full body scan and then a brief pat down – the second time
on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
got our carry-on bags and then hopped the train from the Terminal to the Gates – a five
minute ride. We are flying UAL2289 (737-800) today and it was parked at Gate
C9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV0PRso7a_AhGXeKwEee3vsHAFSufbNHKsMfsnO48YjcQ2AroT4yfipxoeOih01ntqypJpjWrMmCgSWo6I_FExBIWzepdrbyQJbDkLpieltSAVx34GXDBrs-AU-0BvwQrnUh8QzHMj6VbgA9K8T-Oluxwampu-Jv5-DuRhd5zGRoUWtCBLnV8eop8LJA/s1024/IMG_20240303_UAL2289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV0PRso7a_AhGXeKwEee3vsHAFSufbNHKsMfsnO48YjcQ2AroT4yfipxoeOih01ntqypJpjWrMmCgSWo6I_FExBIWzepdrbyQJbDkLpieltSAVx34GXDBrs-AU-0BvwQrnUh8QzHMj6VbgA9K8T-Oluxwampu-Jv5-DuRhd5zGRoUWtCBLnV8eop8LJA/w400-h180/IMG_20240303_UAL2289.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The TPA airport is really nice with
lots of places to eat and very comfortable seats (just like the ones in the
United Club, which TPA does not have).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have chargers and a console to put your stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
flight boarded on time at 2:05 PM for a 2:50 departure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in Economy Plus Seats (11A and 11B –
middle and window – I really like the window) and Ellen is small enough to fit
in the middle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legroom may have been
a little better on this plane than on other United Jets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
didn’t push on time as two standby passengers were trying to find seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight attendants were all helpful and
friendly and communicated very well over the PA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pilot, who referred to the cockpit as the
“front office” could not be understood at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spoke softly and mumbled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
pushed and started our taxiing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a few
minutes, the pilot said (and the flight attendant translated) that because of
the storms in the area, the planes were being spaced out every five minutes – I
think normally, they are 90 seconds apart – and that we were 20<sup>th</sup> in
line. An hour and 40 minute delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that delay
turned into a two hour delay with several passengers destined to miss their
connections in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We moved up
slowly every five minutes – the captain idled the engines between inching
along - trying to save fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">At
the 2 hour mark, the captain said that the winds had shifted and he was
directed to another runway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As we made out way to the other runway, I could see the planes queued up for takeoff.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKB5O5qfm7g-FvD7wzk0bMue03v62wWUzAXivqUMh7XOAJvRv-pdknKokWs3gc6dwlMmsMDLe-zGzbA-6WqcM6AHYAiDrwef5MqY7lgfI2M038LuP6c4yH1wgmRd7wiMiXeYUbZbGwIE_mcmsA-NFt4Du_9Xc9Tk41oCEXhE6PgA833fIDnJnW4udkf4/s1024/IMG_20240303_takeoff%20queue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKB5O5qfm7g-FvD7wzk0bMue03v62wWUzAXivqUMh7XOAJvRv-pdknKokWs3gc6dwlMmsMDLe-zGzbA-6WqcM6AHYAiDrwef5MqY7lgfI2M038LuP6c4yH1wgmRd7wiMiXeYUbZbGwIE_mcmsA-NFt4Du_9Xc9Tk41oCEXhE6PgA833fIDnJnW4udkf4/w400-h180/IMG_20240303_takeoff%20queue.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There were
only three planes ahead of us at that runway and finally after two plus hours
of waiting on the tarmac (with only one quick bathroom break allowed) we were
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> Finally, takeoff. The flight attendants were told to sit in their seats until the air was smooth. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyxV-wQlBtoWww8tWnSo3F-933BNvS12lTFejuzJyebGRrV9Rlc8I9j5ooSYVGGSgIi1lgMx5p4Z83s9GnDtrJg5tmkOWTQEPvpui58IYg0end2gs6gT5Gc8CuL5SszcK7Fo85_QdUM1IyIEqW_MTIY19WA61s3VK4A-WO4phGewLaKxXxyzFzFfP40M/s1024/IMG_20240303_TPA%20climb%20out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyxV-wQlBtoWww8tWnSo3F-933BNvS12lTFejuzJyebGRrV9Rlc8I9j5ooSYVGGSgIi1lgMx5p4Z83s9GnDtrJg5tmkOWTQEPvpui58IYg0end2gs6gT5Gc8CuL5SszcK7Fo85_QdUM1IyIEqW_MTIY19WA61s3VK4A-WO4phGewLaKxXxyzFzFfP40M/w400-h180/IMG_20240303_TPA%20climb%20out.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">On the plus side, which we were waiting to leave, the storms had passed through Tampa and there was a smooth corridor to the West.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Our pilot used that vector to bypass a lot of the turbulence which made for a smoother ride. And indeed, t</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">he
ride was pretty smooth all the way to Chicago – the head Flight Attendant spent
a lot of time working out how to deal with missed connections.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The sun was setting giving me a great shot from 36000 feet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj162Jk4kJZ84DDQahQ41ZAoPrpFBw22WQLK7pCmqsygRGuRbA5rsSsR_kWo0eW_vjWZGknTlwZlWaSHU7hH5MG4ezTPH4qAJtJ9EFqZpzWNkOz8O_Gm5KZ23aSBg_dZGV8yja45f3zvh3X_Y1I3nfp3f-d-DeBx5htwq2uDkzVTBUxDCKTOEz4C163Lys/s1024/IMG_20240303_sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj162Jk4kJZ84DDQahQ41ZAoPrpFBw22WQLK7pCmqsygRGuRbA5rsSsR_kWo0eW_vjWZGknTlwZlWaSHU7hH5MG4ezTPH4qAJtJ9EFqZpzWNkOz8O_Gm5KZ23aSBg_dZGV8yja45f3zvh3X_Y1I3nfp3f-d-DeBx5htwq2uDkzVTBUxDCKTOEz4C163Lys/w400-h180/IMG_20240303_sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The flight attendants sat down early as we came
over the lake – the plane was vectored straight into ORD (from the East) maybe
due to the need to make those connections.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6norKIWZZJ_3LP-jqupgw13SWKOJAh8H7_Y_3jy2xj5064p39d64P3y-tZenWyIPiu5rpwUxIQWdCKzJaVLSyhCf7p4SDoIIvssIqPf7321thTemmJYzt5cSV82Cp5oOX7jObCTLN9B0Iw_64gVz_-THxN3V1Uo6B5b47T6TQiGdA62szpPegsNlJLQ/s1024/IMG_20240303_indiana%20lake%20and%20sunset%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6norKIWZZJ_3LP-jqupgw13SWKOJAh8H7_Y_3jy2xj5064p39d64P3y-tZenWyIPiu5rpwUxIQWdCKzJaVLSyhCf7p4SDoIIvssIqPf7321thTemmJYzt5cSV82Cp5oOX7jObCTLN9B0Iw_64gVz_-THxN3V1Uo6B5b47T6TQiGdA62szpPegsNlJLQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240303_indiana%20lake%20and%20sunset%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz2ihHGdAliVqiDkxIi4SglI7ZyBABIYhzq7QI6LLmHhWvARebUC30SstYEUKQ4-r_sQFHuXS4uU0KF1DHzgUysw13a0aXYqdV9R3rt9m89H3NVUcE5OK0HAQqx_vC57y_e_dBQg16tTN9g-y0-DauXf_e2HslIzUiaKg6oRFw3snTf_9o0ivibjzSM8/s1024/IMG_20240303_ORD%20approach%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz2ihHGdAliVqiDkxIi4SglI7ZyBABIYhzq7QI6LLmHhWvARebUC30SstYEUKQ4-r_sQFHuXS4uU0KF1DHzgUysw13a0aXYqdV9R3rt9m89H3NVUcE5OK0HAQqx_vC57y_e_dBQg16tTN9g-y0-DauXf_e2HslIzUiaKg6oRFw3snTf_9o0ivibjzSM8/w400-h180/IMG_20240303_ORD%20approach%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The ride was bumpy on approach with the plane moving side to side and
wings rotating a bit – the pilot did a good job of dealing with the winds until
touchdown (we came in hot but the thrust reversers slowed the plane). The taxi
to Gate C10 took about 10 – 15 minutes probably chewing up the time buffer with
our direct landing. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We arrived at our gate at near 7 PM; we waited until the
connecting passengers exited the plane.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We crossed under the tarmac to get to the baggage claim area and found
our bags (after a while).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I called our
pre-arranged American Taxi Cab.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">He
arrived in about 10 minutes in an unmarked car – Ellen asked him if this was a
real cab. It turned out to be one and he got us home quickly and safely. FYI –
there is a $6 evening surcharge, which is annoying but another way businesses
can jack up prices.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">This surcharge did
not show up when I set up this ride.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">So it
was a tradeoff at TPA – a takeoff on time through a sky of thunderstorms or a
delay that avoided that and gave us a smooth flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may have become a nightmare for connecting
passengers but for us, while annoying, it made for a smoother flight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
cruises themselves were fantastic – perhaps, the food was inconsistent but the
rest of the trip, the lectures, the time outside, the entertainment was very
good. </span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-44428434916335227632024-03-13T15:55:00.000-07:002024-03-13T15:55:54.222-07:00March 2, 2024 – Tampa, FL – Cloudy and Rain – 60sF<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Constellation
arrived pre-dawn in Tampa.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBinuYXWjUHvMA5PctbTpqkwYYbnT4upesEPk0Tz3zdszSQbNmbvJ7m_nD3-rmgmFGJPagMowUhg_lxQM96w5helFOoahi2Kn9_iuZHkQ9d4_ix0zteGU_Ptb8DM3UAwP3ghKoRmHlHxwwos7KigS0spvSn6YpCcmEnLbkzBDHlw2TLHqNwTaJYtzyWU/s1024/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240222061633_Tampa%20predawn%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBinuYXWjUHvMA5PctbTpqkwYYbnT4upesEPk0Tz3zdszSQbNmbvJ7m_nD3-rmgmFGJPagMowUhg_lxQM96w5helFOoahi2Kn9_iuZHkQ9d4_ix0zteGU_Ptb8DM3UAwP3ghKoRmHlHxwwos7KigS0spvSn6YpCcmEnLbkzBDHlw2TLHqNwTaJYtzyWU/w400-h180/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240222061633_Tampa%20predawn%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was up in
the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Oceanview Café</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> at 6:00 AM and
had my usual pancakes plus cottage cheese (no sour cream today, my choice) and
jams.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Cereal and scrambled eggs (mini
portions) completed the breakfast. The place was crowded but I did get a window
table right at the entrance so I was close to all of the food.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I didn’t stay up there very long.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I put together breakfast including hot tea
for Ellen (no room service today).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We
were both ready by 8:00 AM and we headed for the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Concierge Departure Lounge</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> in the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">San Marco Dining Room</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> (Deck 5). Tampa was waking up.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ97nwiqG_TwOzKep0T-KbTLD0sER7c3GDPcbvS-zkzJ5ct-wIAe7gHE4gj5lrMOkUFkfZ90HPVVhccCrjDj71YgPEtYsE11Zz1XutGWPZToi1y5HFHEwqT37-GkgtCm2VjuvQNdCOR2eOtWMinCQumYzOb6IiO9epqxIIiRhweXjLYqKOgzicmwzWVmY/s1024/IMG_20240302_Tampa%20early%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ97nwiqG_TwOzKep0T-KbTLD0sER7c3GDPcbvS-zkzJ5ct-wIAe7gHE4gj5lrMOkUFkfZ90HPVVhccCrjDj71YgPEtYsE11Zz1XutGWPZToi1y5HFHEwqT37-GkgtCm2VjuvQNdCOR2eOtWMinCQumYzOb6IiO9epqxIIiRhweXjLYqKOgzicmwzWVmY/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_Tampa%20early%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
are in the last group (#28) scheduled to disembark at 9:15 AM – while we
waited, we were treated to coffee and sweet rolls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going to do this on the next Celebrity cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also like the gold Sea Pass cards that go
with Concierge Class.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
were finally the last people in the room and were told that all numbers were
called. We said goodbye to Sue (I wasn’t sure she remembered me) as we scanned
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found our bags and Facial
Recognition made immigration a snap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
headed outside to call an Uber.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
were given conflicting information on where Ubers pick up so we did a lot of
extra walking to get to the eventual correct location (our first driver gave up the ride).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our second driver, Felix, met
us at the end of Terminal 3 at the numbered poles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride to our hotel was only 7 miles and
took 19 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a $6.81 discount
for using Uber “Comfort” (bigger cars) and the total fare including at $5.44
tip came to $26.44.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
are staying at the <b>Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Tampa RJ Stadium</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> RJ Stadium is the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. </span>The room rate was $182.86 including taxes –
about $60 less than he hotel we stayed at coming into Tampa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hotel is down the street from Bucs
Stadium and George Steinbrenner Stadium (Yankees Spring Training Stadium).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from that, there is not much near the
hotel (there’s a Potbelly Sandwich shop a few hundred feet away) – there are
also a lot of adult businesses near the hotel so maybe not the best
neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hotel itself looks OK
and the front desk staff was incredibly friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There
is a nice pond adjacent to the Hotel (separated by a fence from the pool area) with all sorts of waterfowl – Ibises, Muscovy Ducks, and an
occasional Herron along with a lot other bird, inhabit the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeHCUp0adQCNXK9ju7IEtwBgHDRE41Mot4ab5UlzOqkLMW7WLpgOoEzxlw1cxmcXN1abhswOKGEu0b4dr9lUai85t1cE7GRV4YIcxjPlJYyAhds2v3mXFhO3CRK8_zvpfJV9q6Pk4lpGeO6H7U8F2OPIENxUlnBYx3iKJ9JF9Gj0Cc-zc-c7D9dt5GfA/s1024/IMG_20240302_great%20blue%20heron%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeHCUp0adQCNXK9ju7IEtwBgHDRE41Mot4ab5UlzOqkLMW7WLpgOoEzxlw1cxmcXN1abhswOKGEu0b4dr9lUai85t1cE7GRV4YIcxjPlJYyAhds2v3mXFhO3CRK8_zvpfJV9q6Pk4lpGeO6H7U8F2OPIENxUlnBYx3iKJ9JF9Gj0Cc-zc-c7D9dt5GfA/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_great%20blue%20heron%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY3haR8bYXIJ9-YxT6xu3amhK7O4YCLkaCjlwXtgXqqEsETTHCPlTwW_uIcoYMOAtcOGRA65WVSxsaC_fHToxTGtRUuXz25IM04LN0krP4oSeAFzUyz0Svpll8DLTf5bkGuaU3yh1EUPzkE7ei_W3yFZ1He14ti4_s_OAtvNYsMSJ0N_BrL9LDrSbRGc/s1024/IMG_20240302_ibis%20convention%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisY3haR8bYXIJ9-YxT6xu3amhK7O4YCLkaCjlwXtgXqqEsETTHCPlTwW_uIcoYMOAtcOGRA65WVSxsaC_fHToxTGtRUuXz25IM04LN0krP4oSeAFzUyz0Svpll8DLTf5bkGuaU3yh1EUPzkE7ei_W3yFZ1He14ti4_s_OAtvNYsMSJ0N_BrL9LDrSbRGc/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_ibis%20convention%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CMz7pbSK4b9NQoLCRniTKsxZ4dr0NcYxDxWaulEZbT9Yb6Ml_9p9WrJE8FI-pJj36VU0FZcXwOqIl2Tx8RIxo16DlwRLYJA_l_aRkq078FJcGFRTtKuCdWHmfptZFdgU4J1D1FznsjnhNn1EpDLGf1MOq_WbjTKO2N8YwKSpr2Zz0SRoibBRB4S6PQg/s1024/IMG_20240302_ibises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CMz7pbSK4b9NQoLCRniTKsxZ4dr0NcYxDxWaulEZbT9Yb6Ml_9p9WrJE8FI-pJj36VU0FZcXwOqIl2Tx8RIxo16DlwRLYJA_l_aRkq078FJcGFRTtKuCdWHmfptZFdgU4J1D1FznsjnhNn1EpDLGf1MOq_WbjTKO2N8YwKSpr2Zz0SRoibBRB4S6PQg/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_ibises.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf9LhUDNOlB34WDYpdvkEgO3l7jZOr5u3B18fiOZap8-Dv0FT3NlfhNnM5nBDeUgx2DylZsjEEWSHreE8CeTX7D5MR569YEMFLiX4BFKsklgHSb06BBH5ndM7MbxGeOzJR3HHf7O72SNrIPHcsnSC9kG3k4d9-11c3C9igPIAAzBy7yBxdfw4gfaC3oY/s1024/IMG_20240302_muscovy%20duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf9LhUDNOlB34WDYpdvkEgO3l7jZOr5u3B18fiOZap8-Dv0FT3NlfhNnM5nBDeUgx2DylZsjEEWSHreE8CeTX7D5MR569YEMFLiX4BFKsklgHSb06BBH5ndM7MbxGeOzJR3HHf7O72SNrIPHcsnSC9kG3k4d9-11c3C9igPIAAzBy7yBxdfw4gfaC3oY/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_muscovy%20duck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqEnEpeC053I_GgB3dOHWFcXjvUxN_ULBgI7dcdEbXiCXs_mZSSd0Da5xH7bx0IOPNfWNJCDlitH-5YKPNdLtuHt8gK9pr1N_C7DeadLlKdJgrjBIYhklOlhgqjKpZyCsUCLG-EPhgqqcsUsHV5p1fNGIcawmSK1MfWWE94ErHj1sKFRuetHriVjuWY4/s1024/IMG_20240302_muscovy%20ducks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqEnEpeC053I_GgB3dOHWFcXjvUxN_ULBgI7dcdEbXiCXs_mZSSd0Da5xH7bx0IOPNfWNJCDlitH-5YKPNdLtuHt8gK9pr1N_C7DeadLlKdJgrjBIYhklOlhgqjKpZyCsUCLG-EPhgqqcsUsHV5p1fNGIcawmSK1MfWWE94ErHj1sKFRuetHriVjuWY4/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_muscovy%20ducks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3FwbhTRFZGba2r5sgLPolR1Rfo5wYRyqtuBFlvTGQcjDkdmQhLIG96yoZpdGvGoTUGVdYLljQocO43nLDj1L1sJWEji7t2AnD6PwCewo1ZoyJXWbkGMZ67mflnoGKkcbv4YQ2Xx4vKjHZ9P_QqqkGVc2qs_iIjjOVvvKyI0xbFRLq5FVxxvUSpEGsfw/s1024/IMG_20240302_pond%20and%20heron%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3FwbhTRFZGba2r5sgLPolR1Rfo5wYRyqtuBFlvTGQcjDkdmQhLIG96yoZpdGvGoTUGVdYLljQocO43nLDj1L1sJWEji7t2AnD6PwCewo1ZoyJXWbkGMZ67mflnoGKkcbv4YQ2Xx4vKjHZ9P_QqqkGVc2qs_iIjjOVvvKyI0xbFRLq5FVxxvUSpEGsfw/w400-h180/IMG_20240302_pond%20and%20heron%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Our room wasn’t ready so we stayed out in the
pool area until we could get into our room, which was sooner than the 3 PM time
quoted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room on the highest (fourth)
floor – Room 435 – is huge, maybe the biggest room in a hotel we’ve ever
seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
had sweets from the ship for lunch and stayed either outside (Ellen) or inside
(me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The couch had a lounger section,
which was very comfortable for my back issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Dinner
was, as might have predicted, problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The hotel told us that there were no real pizza deliveries coming to
this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our options were limited as
we needed to take Ubers to anyplace we were going to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We settled on <b>Applebee’s </b>because it was close
and it offered fish and chips along with a free appetizer (if you sign into
their e-club).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hired an Uber to take
us to the Applebee’s and took the strangest route to the restaurant (favoring alleys
to streets).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant was in a
shopping center without a market and only a couple of other restaurants –
Mexican and Chinese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant
itself was pretty uninviting and the hostess told us that they were short on
servers and it might take a while to get our orders in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we waited and watched, it became clear
that this restaurant was not our type of place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We walked out and also decided that the other two restaurants were also
not desirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our final option was
<b>Pizza Hut</b>, at the other end of the mall, for takeout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
ordered a hand tossed pizza with extra sauce ($13 approximately) and waited 10
minutes for it to be baked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then
called an Uber to get us home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uber
costs: $9.82 going and $9.92 coming home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Turns out that the pizza was excellent – better than I remember Pizza
Hut being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had one of the
Mexican Diet Cokes and that made for a perfect meal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
watched “Titanic” on HBO until the iceberg hit and then it got to be too
intense to watch. The movie has stood the test of time since it was launched in
1997.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone looked so young and watching after researching my own Titanic saga also verified that the movie was
accurate about almost everything about the disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Earlier
in the day, I had checked us both in and paid for a checked bag ($30 – a $10
discount for early purchase).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were on
different reservations so I couldn’t take advantage of Ellen’s credit card
purchase which allows two bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
are all set for tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">As we
sat in the room, we started to hear music and party sounds coming from the
Event Room at the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen
immediately called the front desk and told them that the noise was too
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She convinced them to change our
room to one on the other side of the hotel (still top floor).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We moved all of our stuff to Room 402, which
was quieter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did have a noise coming
from the pipes but earplugs would take of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It
was a tense evening overall but eventually, things worked out.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-76696153006277235692024-03-13T10:21:00.000-07:002024-03-13T10:21:51.711-07:00March 1, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Warm Hazy – 75F<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Constellation
is making her way back to Tampa (it took two days to get back on the first
cruise and she is doing in one day this time).</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I was
up early (took my Cabin View Photo)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyslY7Q8QZ5nXrezZ06dTXXYzKJtTnBWmj0AIflRf4dxePG-ZSb-m1VmvrUFssJRr8gPxJRrUtyrbG6rJBHUiZbOe_kUYoMXzNAJBxVwDOH9Rl8RHvj4PQcLz2i12-VWIvMEBDyC-pkU4z9dxZ5PrQpwbSopt1WPU4nW9JCmxgYgpFktqFsp4JFTk5dPY/s1024/IMG_20240301_predawn%20cabin%20w%20ship.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyslY7Q8QZ5nXrezZ06dTXXYzKJtTnBWmj0AIflRf4dxePG-ZSb-m1VmvrUFssJRr8gPxJRrUtyrbG6rJBHUiZbOe_kUYoMXzNAJBxVwDOH9Rl8RHvj4PQcLz2i12-VWIvMEBDyC-pkU4z9dxZ5PrQpwbSopt1WPU4nW9JCmxgYgpFktqFsp4JFTk5dPY/w400-h180/IMG_20240301_predawn%20cabin%20w%20ship.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjoz5rH4_s_Zq58fc6kvcjvlq18NCwJeeJvQbuwqKOn4OjVBEbx8pjQrcialZ5QfFcIc5jz0hBujGjZne31NERkEwF7H0_aJIynpTHiKIngSI_D5JyKuiBkKR-J8SeyDQN52SA6TWnV2HTgzh7CyJotMgForVWPihTOPm884MlGe040olXOC8-qXY3_4/s1024/IMG_20240301_predawn%20cabin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjoz5rH4_s_Zq58fc6kvcjvlq18NCwJeeJvQbuwqKOn4OjVBEbx8pjQrcialZ5QfFcIc5jz0hBujGjZne31NERkEwF7H0_aJIynpTHiKIngSI_D5JyKuiBkKR-J8SeyDQN52SA6TWnV2HTgzh7CyJotMgForVWPihTOPm884MlGe040olXOC8-qXY3_4/w400-h180/IMG_20240301_predawn%20cabin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">and got to the Café at 6:45 AM, and got a nice seat outside - It is still warm.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2U6x49Fk9PjW8cXuepJT2eU7A53f0mrG5WFBys4k31BcRhyG1Cy4sHsBuvM6OCrTlzfg19NtVV0v8FMIYbcDrlxt_XrZk5VILGU1Vxx1_R9IVxDXW4FGA3Gs2Bqp9LG9yWnLv7CGMQP66N9hq4qVvKq1NZuWtf5gKc0oiklCvqHXBYd0RRqVN4tBIi5U/s1024/IMG_20240301_breakfast%20view%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2U6x49Fk9PjW8cXuepJT2eU7A53f0mrG5WFBys4k31BcRhyG1Cy4sHsBuvM6OCrTlzfg19NtVV0v8FMIYbcDrlxt_XrZk5VILGU1Vxx1_R9IVxDXW4FGA3Gs2Bqp9LG9yWnLv7CGMQP66N9hq4qVvKq1NZuWtf5gKc0oiklCvqHXBYd0RRqVN4tBIi5U/w400-h180/IMG_20240301_breakfast%20view%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30IxINOK0Al5YouRkqw5_P6NrZ2mN8Nc5Yd8rExgDVoOqJYwLINS5iKGeYTQazwY77AoIvVAbP51Vp1FOG68E60mNTUqu6wICJz9q5UCCyH0hNKQa-5jzYRbsgyOHDVYS247pQM-rt0YOm48B2eHAoRv8_zKMQdvYIQK3wzaYWRltxEkY8pTJHjUEC5s/s1024/IMG_20240301_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30IxINOK0Al5YouRkqw5_P6NrZ2mN8Nc5Yd8rExgDVoOqJYwLINS5iKGeYTQazwY77AoIvVAbP51Vp1FOG68E60mNTUqu6wICJz9q5UCCyH0hNKQa-5jzYRbsgyOHDVYS247pQM-rt0YOm48B2eHAoRv8_zKMQdvYIQK3wzaYWRltxEkY8pTJHjUEC5s/w400-h180/IMG_20240301_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">– I started off with a bowl of mixed
cereals.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I went over to the pancake and
waffle area a few minutes after it was supposed to open and it was not yet
ready for business.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">The guy behind the
counter noticed me and without saying a word put two pancakes on a plate and
handed it to me over the strap they use to keep people away before they
open.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I guess I’m known here and at the
cottage cheese and sour cream area.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I got
a seat outside on the patio and put together my usual breakfast of pancakes
plus along with some scrambled eggs (I shook things up a bit by putting some
cheddar cheese on my eggs). The coffee was hot and the sunrise sky was amazing.
I brought Ellen her usual Lox plate along with the banana bagel from the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spa Café</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">My
final talk, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Forensics and History: The
Search for Jack the Ripper”,</b> was once again scheduled at 10 AM in the
Theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got there, there were
quite a few people already there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
to modify my talk a bit because the Captain is once again following me and I
need to be done in 45 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent
some time chatting with guests before getting up on stage to start. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">When I got
up there, the entire audience started applauding – I was totally taken aback because that has never happened to me in
17 years of being on ships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
simply incredible. I thanked Christian and Jaime, my AV guys, as well as Sue
and Bradley. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">There were a lot of perfect attendees in this series as well. By the way, Lizzie and Aaron both got a lot of votes. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The
talk ran 46 minutes and I got another nice round of applause when I
finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got off the stage fast so
the Captain could set up.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgip0-N7IB9TSndylCIFP51JSqm5OoE22NfycEq84wlHDfHe8gAls3tMkGltYsvSZDUi8rRvQ-4_jLIm9zbbiS4uz2E7GV5UJnX5COlvKTIH2HhzQpH1853_fIPC55147-sDKoDLJOnv-FdsZ52Adt-VefZ3lwn_-di9qotYvO1x3OQS6kCqKmaOnfUn08/s1024/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgip0-N7IB9TSndylCIFP51JSqm5OoE22NfycEq84wlHDfHe8gAls3tMkGltYsvSZDUi8rRvQ-4_jLIm9zbbiS4uz2E7GV5UJnX5COlvKTIH2HhzQpH1853_fIPC55147-sDKoDLJOnv-FdsZ52Adt-VefZ3lwn_-di9qotYvO1x3OQS6kCqKmaOnfUn08/w400-h225/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGo7-ekQ4w2ZjTRPFgZI8lDA0OtTnDvOdKqODH9WpsV_6TdiJR4gCjw7Y_NvmUyhCalJ57igYcwSYuUkNE8nqXXIHBhPaSgiKgtRs3U11AY0ehgwGkB3QrNPQsvGuZq6dkeNhXujO2_Yof41z3itt4Ewi9hL7oDdoRC6hvvKR4PgmhZQDmkFb0pCo2Cc/s1024/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGo7-ekQ4w2ZjTRPFgZI8lDA0OtTnDvOdKqODH9WpsV_6TdiJR4gCjw7Y_NvmUyhCalJ57igYcwSYuUkNE8nqXXIHBhPaSgiKgtRs3U11AY0ehgwGkB3QrNPQsvGuZq6dkeNhXujO2_Yof41z3itt4Ewi9hL7oDdoRC6hvvKR4PgmhZQDmkFb0pCo2Cc/w400-h225/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5pw-ulxBRVwcqqktqmBnUQSkO9kFGYotVWfAKwwv8QEcwHh0kF5xVUXG7_GFH2FBsK_d54EF9oyRn7BxaT-vOZzKBG_Xsqv8XiPnv-lwJYbNtd7FDd0Jn_6HEgL90aZMJI6Y_PFzo5Uzv_ONKz7lxBudgwOQU-airwP_06ydC3bZlr5Ysh68aQuXnh0/s1024/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5pw-ulxBRVwcqqktqmBnUQSkO9kFGYotVWfAKwwv8QEcwHh0kF5xVUXG7_GFH2FBsK_d54EF9oyRn7BxaT-vOZzKBG_Xsqv8XiPnv-lwJYbNtd7FDd0Jn_6HEgL90aZMJI6Y_PFzo5Uzv_ONKz7lxBudgwOQU-airwP_06ydC3bZlr5Ysh68aQuXnh0/w400-h225/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmGXXQANIlll6KdqXffpQUoZDqB9Wmsd_tHLJS53WH7jaIRplmxr7pocsUZsCFpgrApR3wJp_sEFXfhEkGQr8xiYHDO-W0dD47dzCR-2EPToB6k0qFJLXW6Lpzwm6qSOn2AjeFEyFDAHnK_P295qgIFmNHDTAjbXazUQ1rklzsV_oJWjp0FJh4vrJto0/s1024/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmGXXQANIlll6KdqXffpQUoZDqB9Wmsd_tHLJS53WH7jaIRplmxr7pocsUZsCFpgrApR3wJp_sEFXfhEkGQr8xiYHDO-W0dD47dzCR-2EPToB6k0qFJLXW6Lpzwm6qSOn2AjeFEyFDAHnK_P295qgIFmNHDTAjbXazUQ1rklzsV_oJWjp0FJh4vrJto0/w400-h225/IMG_20240301_Final%20Talk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">As I
was leaving the theater after this final talk, one passenger said something to
me that I did not understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told
me that since I was half Polish, she was saying “thank you” in Polish (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dziekuje</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her that I don’t speak Polish but what
an interesting gesture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was that kind
of audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">On
this cruise (and on the last one), I spent a lot of time speaking with guests
before the talk. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would venture up the
stage right aisle greeting people and chatting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the next twin isle Celebrity cruise, I will also greet folks on the other aisle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also met people as they came into the
theater.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Also,
based on Ellen feedback, I moved from Stage Left to Stage Right during these talks so I would see the whole audience and they would see me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I talked as I changed position so that added
a new wrinkle to the delivery.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
had lunch outside in the Café – along with a Mexican Coke, we were surprised
when they offered Fish and Chips (not sure of the fish but it was good – I had
it with Ranch Dressing). They also had pretzels on the buffet and I had a
couple of those with Ranch Dressing also (they were really good).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stayed out there after finishing until it got a bit noisy and then we
went inside to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
also did not stay there long since the<b> Symphony Duo</b> was playing there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
finished most of our packing before getting ready for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our final dinner was at the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> outside.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCttk5clvYKUpKIfFSrIubgTKbcgH7fzsuxwvLhY0PJLbqHtnU0jyktCU2droIGwG8_r5SMn290AruxfhPA7-iQBtB6qJ73I6FHiRi4ifPidym5eci8aykgh376CshDdAzCtmoHMysTnpdj_l-vrfprOZl1PcmB539wmLdwWgMyOpX_6gA6N-c3qiOu8/s1024/IMG_20240301_last%20dinner%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCttk5clvYKUpKIfFSrIubgTKbcgH7fzsuxwvLhY0PJLbqHtnU0jyktCU2droIGwG8_r5SMn290AruxfhPA7-iQBtB6qJ73I6FHiRi4ifPidym5eci8aykgh376CshDdAzCtmoHMysTnpdj_l-vrfprOZl1PcmB539wmLdwWgMyOpX_6gA6N-c3qiOu8/w400-h180/IMG_20240301_last%20dinner%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It was a little chilly out there but we were
dressed for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final dinner was
Pasta Pesto again, a green salad (the only real lettuce left on board in
romaine so I got mine from the Cesar Salad station).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the usual stuff on there and topped it
with all three of my favorite dressings, Ranch, Bleu Cheese, and Balsamic
Vinaigrette.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">As is
our usual custom, we passed on the show, which we would have anyhow since it
was <b>“Rock City”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
went back to the room and finished packing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I put the suitcases outside and we were settling down when we discovered
that the toilet was not flushing – the flush button had no response. This, of
course, would cause a problem in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I called <b>Guest Relations</b> and they said they would send a plumber out
right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one showed for about a
half hour – I called Guest Relations back and told them not to call us with a
status update.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before lights went out I
checked outside our room and I could see a hose coming down from the ceiling
and some noise a little further away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">While
I was trying to get to sleep, I heard our toilet flush twice on its own. I tested it and it was working. Crisis averted.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-15095513511405254982024-03-13T08:47:00.000-07:002024-03-13T08:47:13.719-07:00February 29, 2024 – Cozumel, Mexico – Sunny – Warm – 80F<p><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Happy Leap Year</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There
are several ships here today at the three cruise terminals (according to the online pier information).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL Joy, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee,
Enchantment OTS, Carnival Breeze, and Radiance OTS. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Might
have slept a little better last night. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> is open early again
today which is strange since the ship doesn’t officially dock at Cozumel until
9 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was up there opening time and I
was shocked to find that there were only two people up there including me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to order two eggs OM in a clean
skillet. Even though it was supposed to be open the pancake area was not open –
I managed to get a couple of pancakes from the server.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I got
a nice seat outside – it was simply beautiful out on the deck and I got a
pre-dawn photo which was postcard quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zBqTxo_iFI8_6AGrpfoG42OZ8yu5rMG_rR_Nh-zqXSETd4eS6y2bt_J0oi5dXE9fyE77AvdAPGs-8N5c9QvnR2eEAUMkJcfEkSI3Hh2g8c8whFQG1iunV611Xzn2lkdhYW8PCbW9eYYWe-uFVLrftIz8hJBxQ_kPoM943Q_UI9elh5J5puRxlb063Ps/s1024/IMG_20240229_breakfast%20view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zBqTxo_iFI8_6AGrpfoG42OZ8yu5rMG_rR_Nh-zqXSETd4eS6y2bt_J0oi5dXE9fyE77AvdAPGs-8N5c9QvnR2eEAUMkJcfEkSI3Hh2g8c8whFQG1iunV611Xzn2lkdhYW8PCbW9eYYWe-uFVLrftIz8hJBxQ_kPoM943Q_UI9elh5J5puRxlb063Ps/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_breakfast%20view.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;">My food was good and the coffee was hot once I found a coffee station
open and ready. I brought Ellen her lox,
cream cheese, challah roll, fruits, hard boiled egg, and banana bread to go
along with the tea from room service.</p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;">Caught some of the sail in from the Cabin window.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcP-TzH6nztmJsdynErHinApmD_91dUPsRGWKF0NXxYIveQ1iDplyG72dzVTDuOOy7_Sw92wChmHclHOqaGcNv_hs_6NWGsONKzA5Z2TVPOT0JXY_ovuxXo1C30DiiuNncwpCGaD-KuXNY_T6jAJHkAY7UMTEgY3PaHSIGZJvArtCd4U3yWCDavVrmCQ/s1024/IMG_20240229_Cozumel%20sail%20in%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcP-TzH6nztmJsdynErHinApmD_91dUPsRGWKF0NXxYIveQ1iDplyG72dzVTDuOOy7_Sw92wChmHclHOqaGcNv_hs_6NWGsONKzA5Z2TVPOT0JXY_ovuxXo1C30DiiuNncwpCGaD-KuXNY_T6jAJHkAY7UMTEgY3PaHSIGZJvArtCd4U3yWCDavVrmCQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Cozumel%20sail%20in%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;">Constellation is once again docked at the <b>International Pier</b> next to the Enchantment OTS.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzkQ8cUZ_dCikKKmxIrKVWQZ5ziLLDNW7Pjt6YkD96E9ioD4a2hiPlAohPtirUF2cCPC9l8mTIkfXpi0lyTUkeNUqUUnQLK8iFL-voDocyCKFdWVd7nswUhmN8lXXZ3zHPHT2K_mrBL7wkIf-x-vm6HRYQK6tMG8vQjJ2_EVlE5LerEU9XpA-AX0C0N8/s1024/IMG_20240229_view%20from%20Deck%204%20Port%20side%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzkQ8cUZ_dCikKKmxIrKVWQZ5ziLLDNW7Pjt6YkD96E9ioD4a2hiPlAohPtirUF2cCPC9l8mTIkfXpi0lyTUkeNUqUUnQLK8iFL-voDocyCKFdWVd7nswUhmN8lXXZ3zHPHT2K_mrBL7wkIf-x-vm6HRYQK6tMG8vQjJ2_EVlE5LerEU9XpA-AX0C0N8/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_view%20from%20Deck%204%20Port%20side%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Ellen
might be fighting a sinus infection (NOTE: she’s going to start Augmentin with dinner
tonight - as it turned out she discontinued it after a few days - maybe not a sinus issue). Because she is not quite well, she is not going ashore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still going to the spa in <b>Mayan Plaza</b>
(about two blocks from the port). I disembarked about 10 AM and after going
through the maze again, I got to the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found the spa easily and once again negotiated the price with the
ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spa has one room and I told
them that I was hoping that it would be private.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said it would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greta, my therapist, was terrific – she
didn’t speak a lot of English but when I need to tell her something, I was able
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The massage bed is a little narrow
for me but I managed not to fall off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The session went a full hour and it costs $60 plus a $10 <i>propino
</i>(tip).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are all very nice at this
spa – we will probably see them again the next time we're here and docked at this pier.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I
asked the ladies where the nearest Mercado was (I was searching for whole bean
coffee) and they said there were none nearby and the closest one was
downtown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then asked about Cokes and
they said the pharmacy across the plaza has soft drinks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The large 600 mL Cokes in a bottle cost $2
instead of the $6 (for the smaller bottle) on the ship (without the package).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked up four diet Cokes but could not
find Coffee Beans – one store in the shopping area adjacent to the pier was
selling 200g of ground coffee for $11 (454 g in a pound).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So no coffee on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">On my way away and from the pier, I got some nice shots of the other ships here today.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgx9BMvRBiDMjB1_cB2pu93D6GviuXXOj0tKm32TEDiCOEVGd-nXUsihqZPFkduBy0JOUx3nqxqaXvMWR0yO8-uCuzsyOVXg9aFm0tKgFkA1DyJSI-S-qO1O90bPikZyx-kKEq6y3M4GSUng6n-7u8LzgSxkyE5RZPIPXGfsyQBe7sNxr12fymZPBifQ/s1024/IMG_20240229_carnival%20breeze%20and%20horizon%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgx9BMvRBiDMjB1_cB2pu93D6GviuXXOj0tKm32TEDiCOEVGd-nXUsihqZPFkduBy0JOUx3nqxqaXvMWR0yO8-uCuzsyOVXg9aFm0tKgFkA1DyJSI-S-qO1O90bPikZyx-kKEq6y3M4GSUng6n-7u8LzgSxkyE5RZPIPXGfsyQBe7sNxr12fymZPBifQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_carnival%20breeze%20and%20horizon%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO9-UY8Asjpf9X2bJX7J32TtuYpfw21dc9svzub1C6tVaHeVYELeUL_wh1QQ-rJSfmJiozPDZQKOXF6_7W0NIz4VLH-WaqjOiOwBN2sVxZpfJABtpcgKvC0OKKe3e0pztLTWopwoXlmUI8HMpbs-m5znbBbEgsZQ9yl84NMKcK0JeXHiA8i6VT65CwKk/s1024/IMG_20240229_Constellation%20Enchantment%20OTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO9-UY8Asjpf9X2bJX7J32TtuYpfw21dc9svzub1C6tVaHeVYELeUL_wh1QQ-rJSfmJiozPDZQKOXF6_7W0NIz4VLH-WaqjOiOwBN2sVxZpfJABtpcgKvC0OKKe3e0pztLTWopwoXlmUI8HMpbs-m5znbBbEgsZQ9yl84NMKcK0JeXHiA8i6VT65CwKk/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Constellation%20Enchantment%20OTS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I
went back to the ship and met Ellen in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview
Café</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salad and pizza for lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
afternoon was spent on Deck 4 aft – we were shaded by the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enchantment OTS</b> and there was an excellent breeze moving between
the ships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdkikQ7g-3GSv1bKC_zHAuJaVOm6Y8zVRTQpwNA3IeutviMKhrl9Vck1zlv5RAO6UWMLgJy3DKRh-XF2lkbrYqcBCLQ7y-RY5pyI00bqpjQCvI-ZGnuA9WjvRa8gpHn-43a1jyuXE-b5DtNokvaR9QtZqUq0_HWaWjYJhlz1TfIZO_l6yFSwN2tVk7jY/s1024/IMG_20240229_big%20ship%20little%20person%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdkikQ7g-3GSv1bKC_zHAuJaVOm6Y8zVRTQpwNA3IeutviMKhrl9Vck1zlv5RAO6UWMLgJy3DKRh-XF2lkbrYqcBCLQ7y-RY5pyI00bqpjQCvI-ZGnuA9WjvRa8gpHn-43a1jyuXE-b5DtNokvaR9QtZqUq0_HWaWjYJhlz1TfIZO_l6yFSwN2tVk7jY/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_big%20ship%20little%20person%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTModqdBqsdf6NMv7kngB4K-FF5UA5IZ8aSf5bdqDNW97PzlaB7XbiHBhw9-tZ_NXBICjHtnNlOUjvxAJvVFpfJgAE8TWXA7HUgJKD10Z71UmsGPOvLIQoB1FG7E8pKqWNJhtFEpapGlVH5oXrvhpuuqR3FpaKN1MpUn-NXph1Gmoi_Uk4BClR0xhLImQ/s768/IMG_20240229_Deck%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTModqdBqsdf6NMv7kngB4K-FF5UA5IZ8aSf5bdqDNW97PzlaB7XbiHBhw9-tZ_NXBICjHtnNlOUjvxAJvVFpfJgAE8TWXA7HUgJKD10Z71UmsGPOvLIQoB1FG7E8pKqWNJhtFEpapGlVH5oXrvhpuuqR3FpaKN1MpUn-NXph1Gmoi_Uk4BClR0xhLImQ/s320/IMG_20240229_Deck%204.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We stayed there until almost
dinner time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided that we would
not go to the Dining Room tonight (the special meal I ordered I guess was not to be). And instead
we had very good pizza and salad (me) and Pesto Pasta (Ellen – not as good as
yesterday). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSvnnLAVMFTAg0AOWDUL1yBlqG5sZdo5HtVMKCiRxKvSebYrUut1oeDIYXqx6nvzx3RVmo6tmPyYZShtG5l8jr3rfEf3pVXoEvJb-FjC98HED6hspxbPA02wmy6zcis_l1cjpZAaK_pcTIQvuhFPKwu6g1hBGHad_SezRvzNG9hXb4NhWs6VsvnwtO-I/s1024/IMG_20240229_Emchantment%20OTS%20leaving%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSvnnLAVMFTAg0AOWDUL1yBlqG5sZdo5HtVMKCiRxKvSebYrUut1oeDIYXqx6nvzx3RVmo6tmPyYZShtG5l8jr3rfEf3pVXoEvJb-FjC98HED6hspxbPA02wmy6zcis_l1cjpZAaK_pcTIQvuhFPKwu6g1hBGHad_SezRvzNG9hXb4NhWs6VsvnwtO-I/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Emchantment%20OTS%20leaving%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_92oGuCzpApH_e-rmMFQCroa22WNqz0LTmzCMEFbJ3wWILXEYg6q56Xn3auOTjlYfUmoqt-IcU1G9X3BIdV9smn4Oc4MwNyhFTR95HyMd4cjJYRe2rZUKnZhkeZ7Xnb2h4peHngGAdeyAn8zpKkguFokiACjddj9aqPd6Yr8nq-RlvuXBpaTPZm_PARc/s1024/IMG_20240229_Enchantment%20OTS%20leaving%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_92oGuCzpApH_e-rmMFQCroa22WNqz0LTmzCMEFbJ3wWILXEYg6q56Xn3auOTjlYfUmoqt-IcU1G9X3BIdV9smn4Oc4MwNyhFTR95HyMd4cjJYRe2rZUKnZhkeZ7Xnb2h4peHngGAdeyAn8zpKkguFokiACjddj9aqPd6Yr8nq-RlvuXBpaTPZm_PARc/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Enchantment%20OTS%20leaving%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">During dinner, we watched the Enchantment OTS depart Cozumel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We passed on dessert and headed for the Theater.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
have seen the Headliner, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Anne Martinez</b>,
before – four years ago on a Princess Ship.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-su2KTqJ5NZ6C99v0Its7PXEiIIM5aMEI7RlLkyzbTPP5m9_vR4dHNPnCns3PiwPqYyy4NPOOxt28lXLUlB_BOQwtwxhm5gdoXsHLxe0-jbqu_hsy8Jqd1czh7u6KEhyB8P-qja87f6RX0Dd094vBvZzuVn4azXTyUKSuTPgoma8URTlga9f5irYPFuA/s1024/IMG_20240229_Anne%20Martinez%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-su2KTqJ5NZ6C99v0Its7PXEiIIM5aMEI7RlLkyzbTPP5m9_vR4dHNPnCns3PiwPqYyy4NPOOxt28lXLUlB_BOQwtwxhm5gdoXsHLxe0-jbqu_hsy8Jqd1czh7u6KEhyB8P-qja87f6RX0Dd094vBvZzuVn4azXTyUKSuTPgoma8URTlga9f5irYPFuA/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Anne%20Martinez%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zFodriKqV_VOSu9-xIpzPetwlPGcdFkEVfNAhNminttlFVvG5BRDOSKQq0doWGr7-7PgrMk1n1g6347Iv0ccsyOCvdF4M_R33OcojzUNRBmRU1KmOJmSeJOSYKlMnstaLd-JKfBDez7P16RUD64bLaYz87V3oEAdCGVNOIeIzakWSwLY8xdnzNVPp_M/s1024/IMG_20240229_Anne%20Martinez%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zFodriKqV_VOSu9-xIpzPetwlPGcdFkEVfNAhNminttlFVvG5BRDOSKQq0doWGr7-7PgrMk1n1g6347Iv0ccsyOCvdF4M_R33OcojzUNRBmRU1KmOJmSeJOSYKlMnstaLd-JKfBDez7P16RUD64bLaYz87V3oEAdCGVNOIeIzakWSwLY8xdnzNVPp_M/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Anne%20Martinez%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">She is a Las Vegas performer and has done numerous plays over the
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is great on stage – terrific
voice and excellent stage presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
also has a BFA and a MFA degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did
almost the same song list she did four years ago: “Under the Sea”, “Bring on
the Men” (probably, the least likable song from “Jekyll and Hyde”), “The Power
of Love” (her mother’s favorite love song – she sang a different favorite song
the last time – this song is perfect for her big voice), “Tennesee Whiskey”,
and some other songs that I could not identify because she changes the pace and
arrangement in such a way that makes it difficult to tell what the song
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any event, she is immensely
entertaining and likeable (even though he stories are a bit too long and she
does mumble a little).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
new acoustic duo<b>, “Bright Avenue”,</b>
was in the <b>Grand Foyer</b> tonight and
we got great seats. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnja3FtA1ChdXhv23Z6FlG9IrXbzwJ0H14i9ZNkKpkOyQ4KgCeqn_TVVSEzcSsABJRXbQjiJuFVyEAKeTSF89RfuIsXNjn-H-lkgqdV2Pjs2MObPJKedbHXcZ5ZvZE6HH9WZcMqeqCOvWgM8-d2Co4sqGGXR2EvoJ3Za_rzAoPR0sO_uwngEE5i5wkw3I/s1024/IMG_20240229_Bright%20Avenue%20Grand%20Foyer%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnja3FtA1ChdXhv23Z6FlG9IrXbzwJ0H14i9ZNkKpkOyQ4KgCeqn_TVVSEzcSsABJRXbQjiJuFVyEAKeTSF89RfuIsXNjn-H-lkgqdV2Pjs2MObPJKedbHXcZ5ZvZE6HH9WZcMqeqCOvWgM8-d2Co4sqGGXR2EvoJ3Za_rzAoPR0sO_uwngEE5i5wkw3I/w400-h180/IMG_20240229_Bright%20Avenue%20Grand%20Foyer%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">They did a nice set
including a very different version of “Hallelujah”. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglflb3UC9t6CyvvBq5EmFe0QK49U570qx1Cf0nNsKBc0Af4j9oHT6gEq0nYA6bqzfHABZPu1yRyL_yZn3v-nQ2I0l_DEWa93cD7cuRIyLHoDM07Qe969aO1BDqqnfCE0lbmTD3nCpC6c-7oE6nygQx3SqfRnp-0lHTbWXrylAwBBShqheIxFllTkdr3Xk/s1024/IMG_20240229_Hallelujah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="1024" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglflb3UC9t6CyvvBq5EmFe0QK49U570qx1Cf0nNsKBc0Af4j9oHT6gEq0nYA6bqzfHABZPu1yRyL_yZn3v-nQ2I0l_DEWa93cD7cuRIyLHoDM07Qe969aO1BDqqnfCE0lbmTD3nCpC6c-7oE6nygQx3SqfRnp-0lHTbWXrylAwBBShqheIxFllTkdr3Xk/w400-h161/IMG_20240229_Hallelujah.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">They are very entertaining and when they did
“Hallelujah”, all the people in the bar stopped talking and listened to the
song. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Back to the Cabin.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-71269707780689111042024-03-13T07:58:00.000-07:002024-03-13T07:58:31.839-07:00February 28, 2024 – Belize City, Belize – Sunny – Warm – 80F<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">As
always, we are at anchor off the coast of <b>Belize City</b> and the ship will be running
local tenders back and forth all day.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Beautiful day here - seas are calm (the view from the Cabin) - not like the rainy breezy stuff we had last cruise.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZGXtIWYeTzJ8y-z7XdOI25Q4GM76qXM1GHPNiyiyTaIeq5nIRsroKJ2oUtTcSVQ8aixw4BG52uCPia6PuwOpkifgKNSQSbjFYjybdChHRhEvnlNz3a0jF3leuWawO5_ckSjhXaVITnlAT9bLEOVDkBkxqp8KedwIqINKyQoM6IrN82xF913zeNVlwpE/s1024/IMG_20240228_view%20from%20cabin%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZGXtIWYeTzJ8y-z7XdOI25Q4GM76qXM1GHPNiyiyTaIeq5nIRsroKJ2oUtTcSVQ8aixw4BG52uCPia6PuwOpkifgKNSQSbjFYjybdChHRhEvnlNz3a0jF3leuWawO5_ckSjhXaVITnlAT9bLEOVDkBkxqp8KedwIqINKyQoM6IrN82xF913zeNVlwpE/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_view%20from%20cabin%20.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">(the Captain told us later that he held off dropping the noisy anchor to avoid getting people up early.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview</b> Café opened 30 minutes early
today so people would be able to go on their excursions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was up there at 6:30 AM and there were lots
of people there already.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did manage to
score an outside table so I got some nice views.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycfSGWqWScvZFyZ-J02_4jZEmw_yAoVJck7PL2pIiYBgHZWhsmgGxqtYmW608bciG7SRH7V_8c0GkE3evhZGw2bHpyCNvZp9rbUr7m2_aGgUAILwEpaxZ8V4QwitoULZN9-bU35gRAzDcnujmDUpclgIfPN-8JWQSrCmiRoMGQWy-w3ecIGx47hwXCJY/s1024/IMG_20240228_breakfast%20view%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycfSGWqWScvZFyZ-J02_4jZEmw_yAoVJck7PL2pIiYBgHZWhsmgGxqtYmW608bciG7SRH7V_8c0GkE3evhZGw2bHpyCNvZp9rbUr7m2_aGgUAILwEpaxZ8V4QwitoULZN9-bU35gRAzDcnujmDUpclgIfPN-8JWQSrCmiRoMGQWy-w3ecIGx47hwXCJY/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_breakfast%20view%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TKQyGU28ooi8boNXuKwxzEIQg4FFQGrxXXS9tjHUkFAZppSoE6mtbhLrl_Ysu2g8qZuWrcePffNu7lnSruekpEgKQYuqt6bhu-Cn8Rs056OySRLVBmd9TCF6d78sA68qSDb-7ijy8MT47SAkdfWUXgEZNDKij88D78ljdAXiPXr2wQ4navk45rdY-sI/s1024/IMG_20240228_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TKQyGU28ooi8boNXuKwxzEIQg4FFQGrxXXS9tjHUkFAZppSoE6mtbhLrl_Ysu2g8qZuWrcePffNu7lnSruekpEgKQYuqt6bhu-Cn8Rs056OySRLVBmd9TCF6d78sA68qSDb-7ijy8MT47SAkdfWUXgEZNDKij88D78ljdAXiPXr2wQ4navk45rdY-sI/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;">I started off
with a waffle with the fixings but the waffle was not cooked all the way
through so I transferred the fixings to some pancakes and that was
breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked up an avocado
bruschetta and banana bagel for Ellen from the <b>Spa Café t</b>o go along with her
room service hot tea.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Here with us today are the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Carnival Spirit</b><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">, </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Enchantment OTS</b><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">, and the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">MSC Divina</b><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> (although I did not see her).</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x6xaXSik_bwhndiqRcsOrgHxjSA65RM5VpGPAHiwZdvTUDlaYSsu97LFFTWTxcWV_Z0HG8XdrWiPI55uykdaQZh1MPudfFKB_YCa9yrcm-h0_eq4iauSw31Xs6eUcbXJZ9ULcRhwsqxz30phC1r8J5bUCLga2YW3LOk8pRsLt2VJ6Rhmny4R9uhuLPc/s1024/IMG_20240228_carnival%20spirit%20enchantment%20OTS%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x6xaXSik_bwhndiqRcsOrgHxjSA65RM5VpGPAHiwZdvTUDlaYSsu97LFFTWTxcWV_Z0HG8XdrWiPI55uykdaQZh1MPudfFKB_YCa9yrcm-h0_eq4iauSw31Xs6eUcbXJZ9ULcRhwsqxz30phC1r8J5bUCLga2YW3LOk8pRsLt2VJ6Rhmny4R9uhuLPc/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_carnival%20spirit%20enchantment%20OTS%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZRaBRdEjTLDqkxNEy3SK8HoxSFihfxUQ1adLYdTcRcc3DNrECoTUQnDkXGAflLmgXIb4Cafj-1BE2e7Xbz-aqS-IMBgQ8krDguArJDR92In_wTe3qgwkiP2pcFLqeLEKUxDmLPeXBqOgOnQGzPUXXaDVbkGoBebarvrr6WjwIfeODaiFxrNgLufQwnQ/s1024/IMG_20240228_carnval%20spirit%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZRaBRdEjTLDqkxNEy3SK8HoxSFihfxUQ1adLYdTcRcc3DNrECoTUQnDkXGAflLmgXIb4Cafj-1BE2e7Xbz-aqS-IMBgQ8krDguArJDR92In_wTe3qgwkiP2pcFLqeLEKUxDmLPeXBqOgOnQGzPUXXaDVbkGoBebarvrr6WjwIfeODaiFxrNgLufQwnQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_carnval%20spirit%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I
went to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Solarium</b> to look for
loungers and found the last two open loungers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just before the Café closed for late breakfast, one of the servers went
to the tombs and brought me some herring (mini second breakfast). The Constellation has really been good wrt customer service.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
stayed on these loungers with a break for lunch (salad and pizza today – I also
gave the four cheese calzone another chance – reheated and served with marinara
dip made it a very good option). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
went back to the loungers until the new age music and the need to change
positions took us to our cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I had
ordered a special meal for tonight at the San Marco Dining Room but Ellen was
not feeling so good so I called the restaurant and asked them to have that meal
ready tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said they would take
care of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Instead,
we went to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> and sat
outside – it was quite warm and we had to move inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Turkish Night and I tried the <b>Mirza</b>,
something like <b>Shakshuka</b>, with eggplant, tomatoes, and little bitty eggs (I
didn’t want to know where they came from).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was OK but the
tomato sauce was a minor ingredient and the spices were odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also
had a very nice order of Pasta Pesto (this time with a little more sauce),
which was very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen had them
grill some Tilapia that looked really good. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We watched the scenic sail away from the back deck.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKWdWkPNejAnq3y0I5DLisW6V-FfrQJC9L23ojwIGcdzXHYmyx6KOWQSSkRB8oAYm37kAL35DZWXnjAvg55hxGJiSqSBOty7E6jUoPEYORtllaPXJngDYy_mpH59LMRgEz35XVUC82vS5HExV25Tly5x8LXilGO8PF95wRhkgx65KF3u3Kt-VaPJC3L0/s1024/IMG_20240228_Belize%20sail%20away%20.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKWdWkPNejAnq3y0I5DLisW6V-FfrQJC9L23ojwIGcdzXHYmyx6KOWQSSkRB8oAYm37kAL35DZWXnjAvg55hxGJiSqSBOty7E6jUoPEYORtllaPXJngDYy_mpH59LMRgEz35XVUC82vS5HExV25Tly5x8LXilGO8PF95wRhkgx65KF3u3Kt-VaPJC3L0/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_Belize%20sail%20away%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The
headliner tonight is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lenny Schmidt</b>,
a comedian that we were really looking forward to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1y9X8VxFTo9JGJcNL5LQVQDBGkKDXsMCz9S4XrDnjj5v6sh1GY3vZbK6BQZbLAVVnHLMosPDwzBMgFf2vkCKa1dVCxP-KvtBhLM9zo_aAU7WBdf5N6vrglYzFUem2RY_Gpl_MoFNIU7jkyjrow7U4Y_wEegQYMwPXSjo19ZhnVsIT6BGpdLbWUqbmnEM/s1024/IMG_20240228_Lenny%20Schmidt%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1y9X8VxFTo9JGJcNL5LQVQDBGkKDXsMCz9S4XrDnjj5v6sh1GY3vZbK6BQZbLAVVnHLMosPDwzBMgFf2vkCKa1dVCxP-KvtBhLM9zo_aAU7WBdf5N6vrglYzFUem2RY_Gpl_MoFNIU7jkyjrow7U4Y_wEegQYMwPXSjo19ZhnVsIT6BGpdLbWUqbmnEM/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_Lenny%20Schmidt%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">His background also lists him as a actor and
he looked familiar to me (maybe because he has been on many of the TV shows
that I watch).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was lukewarm funny
with few original jokes and mostly interacting with the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t find those kind of comics that funny.
He was very loud and at times difficult to understand. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">After
the show, we went to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cellar Masters</b>
for some quiet but the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Classical Duo</b>
(strings) were in there so we didn’t stay long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had no choice but to go to the room for peace and quiet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The
clocks move forward tonight to put us on EST or Tampa Time.</span> </p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-5991708302912962982024-03-13T06:51:00.000-07:002024-03-13T06:51:27.067-07:00February 27, 2024 – Roatan, Honduras, CA – Mostly Sunny – 79F<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Another beautiful sunrise from Cabin 3118.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsBlapK_shqAyNQ6-mp8_eI_tGQP8vI5A54IpOHkqYJoUgUNwNA8ft7TJpLTvhO4z-2JBuqGUPxJtK4coNcK6DXnTcjxGV6xaXBxPbsO6zllB4rlRMsBX8FmNFGpzdUH9nCYrxxguoS7V0_9Il4fyQtOWO4-AOjKGznqNmuTLMYcBcBgGDttRrrk6jd8/s1024/IMG_20240227_predawn%20from%20cabin%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsBlapK_shqAyNQ6-mp8_eI_tGQP8vI5A54IpOHkqYJoUgUNwNA8ft7TJpLTvhO4z-2JBuqGUPxJtK4coNcK6DXnTcjxGV6xaXBxPbsO6zllB4rlRMsBX8FmNFGpzdUH9nCYrxxguoS7V0_9Il4fyQtOWO4-AOjKGznqNmuTLMYcBcBgGDttRrrk6jd8/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_predawn%20from%20cabin%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Oceanview Café</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> opened a half hour
earlier this morning and even though I was up there at 6:30 AM, I couldn’t get
a table outside.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I did get a nice table
on the side opposite most of the food and still got a good view.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYmkLerJo-bAHFUgo8rp-TXDDwaNpB-FYdJhMYjfUustB_BIhV88D2SwEVRJJW8tdLRplKUEF0SHhQDn8eO2w71ZnstNUoJFrPsDozk6huU6_21ERWqOhETqCMB-jqiQylVkByJPteXnab-6H5Cq2S_Txlh5y-bhLzSefhlpMQjcc25J9IcSquJ2Z2TQ/s1024/IMG_20240227_Breakfast%20view%20NCL%20Prima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYmkLerJo-bAHFUgo8rp-TXDDwaNpB-FYdJhMYjfUustB_BIhV88D2SwEVRJJW8tdLRplKUEF0SHhQDn8eO2w71ZnstNUoJFrPsDozk6huU6_21ERWqOhETqCMB-jqiQylVkByJPteXnab-6H5Cq2S_Txlh5y-bhLzSefhlpMQjcc25J9IcSquJ2Z2TQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_Breakfast%20view%20NCL%20Prima.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A couple of pancakes plus the usual dairy
products plus some scrambled egg (and a starter of corn flakes and Rice
Krispies) constituted my consistently good breakfast.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The coffee was nice and hot today and the
coffee lady brought me an additional hot cup.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Ellen had her breakfast delivered by her personal attendant.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLjoMP-BZuGhyphenhyphen4VxHOquAzSM9rqnp5yFV7rhNZitIrajv9_HpDXsYV3BSJg_ycY5Fw0JbtraFjlzOZo5oPT3swRx0Jurzgyau_TWuPhC6YMWnUn_qeKDTGAq0UK2MNDe-0xMGJDaCoRMYSXj3OC1rSnFsG01L5SlfUIQ4gsk1yYe7B81S5seQ7EjRlGs/s1024/IMG_20240227_ET%20breakfast%20in%20room%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLjoMP-BZuGhyphenhyphen4VxHOquAzSM9rqnp5yFV7rhNZitIrajv9_HpDXsYV3BSJg_ycY5Fw0JbtraFjlzOZo5oPT3swRx0Jurzgyau_TWuPhC6YMWnUn_qeKDTGAq0UK2MNDe-0xMGJDaCoRMYSXj3OC1rSnFsG01L5SlfUIQ4gsk1yYe7B81S5seQ7EjRlGs/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_ET%20breakfast%20in%20room%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There
are three other ships here today - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carnival
Jubilee</b> (5700 passengers) is docked at Mahogany Bay in the distance; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NCL Prima</b> – 3500 passengers – is along
side of us and a bit offset and the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enchantment
of the Seas</b> is anchored offshore (very close) and the tenders are dropping
passengers at a port next to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhCAgfmQbJohTKnuYLenC0Fn7AyqHEGV_2tD0kn-VqXvrrrVb2ARJiKESPVDij6TShMukNFt1O9RmSs1voDSQo7cXzhMCSpW8pPk7WNzKpj7leRIleiYnOQfkZtFQ-5hgp4N8silB5d-HNji4Mh35jetjYl4OTNiFtxBNahfZs5JXVhkGFm61UXupNiE/s1024/IMG_20240227_prima%20constellation%20Enchantment%20tende.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhCAgfmQbJohTKnuYLenC0Fn7AyqHEGV_2tD0kn-VqXvrrrVb2ARJiKESPVDij6TShMukNFt1O9RmSs1voDSQo7cXzhMCSpW8pPk7WNzKpj7leRIleiYnOQfkZtFQ-5hgp4N8silB5d-HNji4Mh35jetjYl4OTNiFtxBNahfZs5JXVhkGFm61UXupNiE/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_prima%20constellation%20Enchantment%20tende.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4zCZAfkELK83gy1GEhHBk8BfTGg7MXKkwmQLeZMiekX9MijI393ovJksxh8lLb7jAcHCCrRznMjvnBIdk0_BBzxZIdnh8d6qziHhytqOfzwsPRkL-Lnb1-w9qZxJQ5cziQuxq70LKUkf5CjuyAZDLTzPuPk6owxekNXteRUVo6cybxHTuJsHwBSOlfA/s1024/IMG_20240227_Enchantment%20OTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4zCZAfkELK83gy1GEhHBk8BfTGg7MXKkwmQLeZMiekX9MijI393ovJksxh8lLb7jAcHCCrRznMjvnBIdk0_BBzxZIdnh8d6qziHhytqOfzwsPRkL-Lnb1-w9qZxJQ5cziQuxq70LKUkf5CjuyAZDLTzPuPk6owxekNXteRUVo6cybxHTuJsHwBSOlfA/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_Enchantment%20OTS.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><b>Coxen
Hole, Roatan</b>, which has 5000 inhabitants will be pick up a few thousand
additional folks today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Around
10 AM, we got off and wandered around the Shopping Complex – we were just here
so the only thing that changed was progress on the construction we saw earlier.
There were hundreds of workers dressed in orange jumpsuits working on a new
area which looks like it will be a “Margaritaville” type entertainment
facility.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmQTSEO5vwjpqiUEWSRAy7Ew8Z_V4IEgE3ICtAtAkMHv6BAnalndgJBtg5jN8xxN1tLWb19dqiFCaDas6RroNHYExJ871k2T7ua5uJNAt79h_Qqk9SLWObWP6OjZsUygGgeReo3jZookdwZxLzGnsuTt-HMyN2TINfEAWsXxM0EbxeQjeOH-MtLMhqKI/s1024/IMG_20240227_shopping%20complex%20from%20ship%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmQTSEO5vwjpqiUEWSRAy7Ew8Z_V4IEgE3ICtAtAkMHv6BAnalndgJBtg5jN8xxN1tLWb19dqiFCaDas6RroNHYExJ871k2T7ua5uJNAt79h_Qqk9SLWObWP6OjZsUygGgeReo3jZookdwZxLzGnsuTt-HMyN2TINfEAWsXxM0EbxeQjeOH-MtLMhqKI/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_shopping%20complex%20from%20ship%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
went through the gate into <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Coxen Hole</b>
and we didn’t get very far until we decided to turn around and go back to the
ship. The smell of cooking meat as well as other interesting smells was all it
took to change our plans. The only photo on shore was at the Duty Free Shop where I had to get a picture of a giant Oreo.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfKsvpK_CqmUhyphenhyphenhtLRdnJZR-IwoEhOiLlosEmJgADqDd2j_5UgyKQCI1DgYyHepERztXGNX3MnYUGh22wuZkXMPwcWwgoeTO6m6zooHlvcxmCcOobI3dJRgx39k2fJKiTL3TjGca3XpRJvmbGdbQYEjpmuW6pWHQWUsamIMOVg5LQR07dWyt_MvXPo3w/s768/IMG_20240227_giant%20Oreo%20duty%20free%20shop%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfKsvpK_CqmUhyphenhyphenhtLRdnJZR-IwoEhOiLlosEmJgADqDd2j_5UgyKQCI1DgYyHepERztXGNX3MnYUGh22wuZkXMPwcWwgoeTO6m6zooHlvcxmCcOobI3dJRgx39k2fJKiTL3TjGca3XpRJvmbGdbQYEjpmuW6pWHQWUsamIMOVg5LQR07dWyt_MvXPo3w/w180-h400/IMG_20240227_giant%20Oreo%20duty%20free%20shop%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We cut through the parking lot for the Complex to get to the ship - a lot shorter way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpAfghq8qRv1fWVnEwKGVYQb-QhQeVEWONyYaDtS98epahtsg_6g-qpvfyO-xldcGIbbJhIx6mTNnlygnATw0SpFzBalFF2Rb-DH5j3XM4vPw8s5ht39-mqwOCOwqXcjAG2UKWZAtoeSpc14L4O5j0hC-s-_P_9wVNfYMYH_FbrA8_zA2D8-aRXo677g/s1024/IMG_20240227_Constellation%20from%20bus%20parking%20lot%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpAfghq8qRv1fWVnEwKGVYQb-QhQeVEWONyYaDtS98epahtsg_6g-qpvfyO-xldcGIbbJhIx6mTNnlygnATw0SpFzBalFF2Rb-DH5j3XM4vPw8s5ht39-mqwOCOwqXcjAG2UKWZAtoeSpc14L4O5j0hC-s-_P_9wVNfYMYH_FbrA8_zA2D8-aRXo677g/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_Constellation%20from%20bus%20parking%20lot%20.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Once back on the ship, I found out that if you take a
cab a little further down the main street you will come to a more pleasant part
of town complete with restaurants, salons, and a shopping mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might check that out next time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Even
though we got up there early, there were no seats on the back deck so we had
lunch in the back section of the Café. I had a nice salad (blue cheese dressing
may be the best of the dressings) and a tuna sandwich plus some egg salad. Ice
cream did the job for dessert. That kind of eating will stop when we get home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
spent some time up in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reflections
Lounge</b> but the ship was cleaning the windows and the machinery screeched so
bad, we had to leave for the quiet bliss of our cabin. Before we left, I got a picture of the <b>Carnival Jubilee</b> docked at <b>Mahogany Bay</b> in the distance, as well as picture of a jet landing at <o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><b>Juan Manuel Gálvez</b> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5f6368; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">International Airport.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdDidnJFmbM2ucsOU0PhntBBt5_6usd4epHYhEMnnAVWdz_Wzp-exr0CCnBtvxd9Q5WaCojbU9_ZLFd559F61K5OhK2-NBCg2cM_2f2v_xTgYrcWmbVNR0CvbmYQGN7FLOELThtN0GJ9Drt0tboV74ZnleH2Vub7kV8XeqPX9oBkJ1adCQZFZ5T65e-I/s1024/IMG_20240227_Carnival%20Jubilee%20Mahogany%20Bay%20termina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdDidnJFmbM2ucsOU0PhntBBt5_6usd4epHYhEMnnAVWdz_Wzp-exr0CCnBtvxd9Q5WaCojbU9_ZLFd559F61K5OhK2-NBCg2cM_2f2v_xTgYrcWmbVNR0CvbmYQGN7FLOELThtN0GJ9Drt0tboV74ZnleH2Vub7kV8XeqPX9oBkJ1adCQZFZ5T65e-I/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_Carnival%20Jubilee%20Mahogany%20Bay%20termina.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
were going to eat in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco
Dining Room</b> tonight and got there early so we could eat and still see the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited about 15 minutes until the doors
opened at about 5:50 PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the Chop
Chop Deconstructed Salad (from the Veggie Menu) and the Sauteed Tilapia (<i>Putanesca </i>[olives and stuff] style) off the regular menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The salad
was so so (not really a chopped salad) even with the Blue Cheese Dressing but the Tilapia was really good –
perfectly grilled in a tasty sauce with pasta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ellen had the Butternut Farrotto (off the Veggie Menu with no
duck).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She liked it but I thought it was
overly sweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner still took a while
and we passed on dessert and headed to the theater. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">On our way there, I captured the Sunset.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJCSodwCtTzEhiha3-TxUm2NJgGze4JwdQUsIKfWdFJ7rQTpcbO-haapIUTCf3Vc3V3qV3UHn2T0-RRo8Jcr9Mdv2o5W5CvnAcYrQQwfYqxvUbQHjsnFuWBldimf4OzR1htSZXl0pqUAoXNHwTjupTEUOW_IXyfHOz65WI1OedOSPbI7GB-HTXHVkRME/s1024/IMG_20240227_roatan%20sunset%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJCSodwCtTzEhiha3-TxUm2NJgGze4JwdQUsIKfWdFJ7rQTpcbO-haapIUTCf3Vc3V3qV3UHn2T0-RRo8Jcr9Mdv2o5W5CvnAcYrQQwfYqxvUbQHjsnFuWBldimf4OzR1htSZXl0pqUAoXNHwTjupTEUOW_IXyfHOz65WI1OedOSPbI7GB-HTXHVkRME/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_roatan%20sunset%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Tonight,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Josh Christina</b>, Rock and Roll
Pianist is putting on his second show of the cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOF113xpOnmqNEpo2oarPle_TbGOiwY1VR-_NVBjSg3yE7ivusXqCNkihEtJ9w2QKbpK7lvxIo8cjuNE9Ukt4cOTbzfe0XR0C_O6MYfhOZTbil_DL-0Ytk2Timb2I4BqELxAYU-gfgHBC0hnv4mgPMeBIRqr_sf2W9o3Jtf_ryi7-ts0ZHLGnn2s2ChA/s1024/IMG_20240227_josh%20Christina%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOF113xpOnmqNEpo2oarPle_TbGOiwY1VR-_NVBjSg3yE7ivusXqCNkihEtJ9w2QKbpK7lvxIo8cjuNE9Ukt4cOTbzfe0XR0C_O6MYfhOZTbil_DL-0Ytk2Timb2I4BqELxAYU-gfgHBC0hnv4mgPMeBIRqr_sf2W9o3Jtf_ryi7-ts0ZHLGnn2s2ChA/w400-h180/IMG_20240227_josh%20Christina%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The songs were similar to those in his first
show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stayed for about three songs
and then went to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cellar Masters</b> to
hear Acoustic Guitarist, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gaston</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was our first time taking in his show
and his stuff is pretty mellow – he sang one song in Spanish and only one song
I recognized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should mention that
Bradley was the host tonight. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
stayed put for a while and then went to the room.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Legs
are hurting a bit probably due to the <b>9338 steps </b>taken today. No pain no gain. And sometimes, just pain.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-66148939434767228662024-03-12T19:40:00.000-07:002024-03-12T19:40:50.409-07:00February 26, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Sunny Warm – 70s<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Up early enough (that is unusual - NOT) to get a nice shot from our cabin window.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJEJTAO87FR5SDkOwWEMdrJtbTC8wFB2hrZ5qjkqv6E1R7Q4tOWydz8vzofZZFXrAtqAforjuiB-D3_Gd68pJH0tMN9C2Wjv_PmTuK3ctwkMQdnj2L0blc8751OH57xTDsquXkv8ksSFPawlaRcSHNHKQAM4zrFCEYMd9iWE1MzGC3CqDI3TUPlsY4yk/s1024/IMG_20240226_early%20morning%20cabin%20view%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJEJTAO87FR5SDkOwWEMdrJtbTC8wFB2hrZ5qjkqv6E1R7Q4tOWydz8vzofZZFXrAtqAforjuiB-D3_Gd68pJH0tMN9C2Wjv_PmTuK3ctwkMQdnj2L0blc8751OH57xTDsquXkv8ksSFPawlaRcSHNHKQAM4zrFCEYMd9iWE1MzGC3CqDI3TUPlsY4yk/w400-h180/IMG_20240226_early%20morning%20cabin%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">It
was warm enough that I had breakfast outside on the back deck.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">A truly beautiful morning.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItrE_PbtMVnmawPOlT8qHUrotIhGHPWnjz62zsGKBMf3L5W0bnz0OaLR3DOu2fekGMBIfbHNldMsYSXIx9KLrSuioOuXvyNlqv14U55WJrACgNqCvbTyqoF83oxFnhqp279Sjb4PTU4li3Pd-7c1XgZ6IiTalmU5c6FOx_JyXBUC2EyK23Tsa69XudXs/s1024/IMG_20240226_breakfast%20view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItrE_PbtMVnmawPOlT8qHUrotIhGHPWnjz62zsGKBMf3L5W0bnz0OaLR3DOu2fekGMBIfbHNldMsYSXIx9KLrSuioOuXvyNlqv14U55WJrACgNqCvbTyqoF83oxFnhqp279Sjb4PTU4li3Pd-7c1XgZ6IiTalmU5c6FOx_JyXBUC2EyK23Tsa69XudXs/w400-h180/IMG_20240226_breakfast%20view.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> I got my cottage
cheese and sour cream from my usual sources over at the yoghurt area. It was
not quite 7 AM and the waffle and pancake area was not yet open – I asked a
crew member for a waffle and he got it for me.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">
</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Another nice breakfast – never gets old for me.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Ellen had her usual wonderful special room
service meal delivered to her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I
went to the theater at 9:30 AM and entered by opening the fire doors. When I
got down to the fourth floor, I spent a few minutes talking to a crew member
who was cleaning the railings and seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He said he watched the talks on TV and sometimes he peaks in an sees
them in person. He said he was particularly interested in the Titanic
Child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I
spent a lot of time talking to passengers before the actual talk this
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really like doing that and,
while it may be harder in the theater, I still wander up and down the aisle to
chat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">My
third talk<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, “Forensics and History: The
Search for the Unknown Titanic Child”,</b> pulled a great audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would estimate that about 90 percent of the
theater was occupied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFTOREGJf_mpOcOz6P5kC_oECF9Eu3_FvuNeV4ALbzMxbNnEly_NYeQRxSul2aLDiALeTGv1RnxHjSzHmwCUBLGGQY4Fq94fcsDJsOojoF-QOlTVaLmDx6jBjoXYU9fH76BFIC8HnumQLqln0LiyX73jEAbH_GfaZxjEqxpjoXhei9DzmOQjl9PHbebY/s1024/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFTOREGJf_mpOcOz6P5kC_oECF9Eu3_FvuNeV4ALbzMxbNnEly_NYeQRxSul2aLDiALeTGv1RnxHjSzHmwCUBLGGQY4Fq94fcsDJsOojoF-QOlTVaLmDx6jBjoXYU9fH76BFIC8HnumQLqln0LiyX73jEAbH_GfaZxjEqxpjoXhei9DzmOQjl9PHbebY/w400-h225/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIoheElwWasym0nvR0qXX6sadohnUH6eYyKBJ4Sq8R8AmKInqT4pppO-oEnKeMubH92Ev1DAQgsTwRRkbn1TvAiGLnC8EdaXeXRD5dDJ_uBR8S5NSb4wsJlWp7SAAYgrl_KvH9Ph3ueJuF5ARZjvYN2AUzOxjHL40Fh6iSkmTEtPa4GE7MalThz08L5s/s1024/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIoheElwWasym0nvR0qXX6sadohnUH6eYyKBJ4Sq8R8AmKInqT4pppO-oEnKeMubH92Ev1DAQgsTwRRkbn1TvAiGLnC8EdaXeXRD5dDJ_uBR8S5NSb4wsJlWp7SAAYgrl_KvH9Ph3ueJuF5ARZjvYN2AUzOxjHL40Fh6iSkmTEtPa4GE7MalThz08L5s/w400-h225/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2XoYTMvjdYmDh8_PZU27wFKXcQKff8ZirIvR-L7_HRqd_alELXWxzBhmZ171nRZtkbPT2HQFtehcyvMut0TIl-gCXBkqp7ZVnwoENI1ddV_j5Vlum1DHY8vmASoI0K6L_og5IwRnNw9xRxFgIm0gz5kXYoR9ZoTPtcUSWhSP_PKG0tXJyFgkAPcfbyw/s1024/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2XoYTMvjdYmDh8_PZU27wFKXcQKff8ZirIvR-L7_HRqd_alELXWxzBhmZ171nRZtkbPT2HQFtehcyvMut0TIl-gCXBkqp7ZVnwoENI1ddV_j5Vlum1DHY8vmASoI0K6L_og5IwRnNw9xRxFgIm0gz5kXYoR9ZoTPtcUSWhSP_PKG0tXJyFgkAPcfbyw/w400-h225/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKoThIOw6ppyJ22QHuKmsXViAlYQANfEkjlpKPciWrhNMyPQulpxAfT6ScfP1epU10FWIMNzh0s70R_ZAazTdPjE7oQG0RZDY-UikJKfUDkl10ExRWwAZA6g25KeYtJ_vqg-tMibyJXz_UjoaeywLMzWNrzqoO8w8j8LqwSFSu29douOenpPSiPMmMeU/s1024/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKoThIOw6ppyJ22QHuKmsXViAlYQANfEkjlpKPciWrhNMyPQulpxAfT6ScfP1epU10FWIMNzh0s70R_ZAazTdPjE7oQG0RZDY-UikJKfUDkl10ExRWwAZA6g25KeYtJ_vqg-tMibyJXz_UjoaeywLMzWNrzqoO8w8j8LqwSFSu29douOenpPSiPMmMeU/w400-h225/IMG_20240226_Titanic%20Child%204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">It’s a long talk
and it ran about 55 minutes.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">I also met
with several passengers afterwards including a woman whose son had been killed
in the Swissair crash near Peggy’s Harbor.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
had lunch in the <b>San Marco Dining Room</b> because they had “Crispy Mushrooms” and
“Cold Potato Leek Soup” as well as an Egg Panini (that Ellen likes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually had two orders of the mushrooms
and soup </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDo3MpLf1IhpmWDCzCMs1D8lHyu2smW4da_uVSTei8X9TAMuDuv6PdhNdknbTddbFAbpkTO4eUBaio1eHtat28SsRSpgzY_vgkudgEnDzdZPtT0QE8Xh5vTSfvGcOSKeOXt9SoZqchj0EEfTHgjVr2_xiiFqmNGxF2UGj7JCpJgrRHUiLrd0RVACn2iUk/s1024/IMG_20240226_two%20soup%20night%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDo3MpLf1IhpmWDCzCMs1D8lHyu2smW4da_uVSTei8X9TAMuDuv6PdhNdknbTddbFAbpkTO4eUBaio1eHtat28SsRSpgzY_vgkudgEnDzdZPtT0QE8Xh5vTSfvGcOSKeOXt9SoZqchj0EEfTHgjVr2_xiiFqmNGxF2UGj7JCpJgrRHUiLrd0RVACn2iUk/w400-h225/IMG_20240226_two%20soup%20night%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and a veggie burger for lunch – the soup was not chilled which changed
the taste. We passed on dessert. The place was people dense - the tables for two near the window are simply too close together. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The
ship is very crowded but we actually found a couch in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Solarium</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stayed for a
while until the air became very perfume-heavy and we decided to leave. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The
interior of the ship continues to be cold so we spent a lot of the afternoon
staying warm in our cabin – it’s warmer outside but not warm enough on the open
deck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Again, with our large window, it does feel like we are outside. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I finished “Dead Mountain” – not
the best Preston and Child novel and I could tell it was based on a real
incident involving a nuclear bomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was OK.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
had spaghetti with pesto sauce again tonight in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> – less pesto than yesterday – trying to save the
company some money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did find a table
outside so that was a definite plus. Also a plus was the magnificent Sunset over the Gulf.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5OOKt8LFtbpvjoPlmBDXyu8kqVjhw527yysoESLnuRehu6BO30vGfb9zN81bNK3Wm2ekrTMJEaT28k6NrMnRx9k-XUwjZg8HC9a0UZ83wTir6bZSIp6OI1ym4dAyaBTCfFW5300PAZByvRJlrjJ-a34Vqm7Xz-K6isDfVDFsoKniY6QpzgiejVxd7Sg/s1024/IMG_20240226_sunset%20from%20room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5OOKt8LFtbpvjoPlmBDXyu8kqVjhw527yysoESLnuRehu6BO30vGfb9zN81bNK3Wm2ekrTMJEaT28k6NrMnRx9k-XUwjZg8HC9a0UZ83wTir6bZSIp6OI1ym4dAyaBTCfFW5300PAZByvRJlrjJ-a34Vqm7Xz-K6isDfVDFsoKniY6QpzgiejVxd7Sg/w400-h180/IMG_20240226_sunset%20from%20room.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Gabriel, the Magician</span></b><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"> was
on tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed on him and
listened to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lucky Band</b> in the
Rendezvous Lounge. There was something going on with them tonight as they
really sounded different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never figured
out what. After they finished their set we stayed put and read and scanned the
internet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">This
entire voyage and the previous cruise have been so smooth – not even a shimmy.
The ship never felt like it was moving. Could be the smoothest consecutive days
on a cruise for us.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-88901927298104299302024-03-12T15:18:00.000-07:002024-03-12T15:18:05.803-07:00February 25, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Sunny – Warm – 70s<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">The
usual crazy sleep story. On the plus side, I got a nice early morning picture of a very calm sea.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMCm5RSSLWNp-BGypcwmrBTugbQyzxX3sLhimrNxvDBdOYvhb1MUwnpi4Jd2u2a5QulT77yWuEO0DWiZPC0xg8QqIKPgjrPsZpmKOIRgvqjLDuf0_SNx3OnwJX_VEeMb0E1zITl70plJLJEcwErIo80-L3Vtj7HqPwsgtCgzHFk_VYY0Heu_s_qYKPCo/s1024/IMG_20240225_good%20morning%20cabin%20view%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMCm5RSSLWNp-BGypcwmrBTugbQyzxX3sLhimrNxvDBdOYvhb1MUwnpi4Jd2u2a5QulT77yWuEO0DWiZPC0xg8QqIKPgjrPsZpmKOIRgvqjLDuf0_SNx3OnwJX_VEeMb0E1zITl70plJLJEcwErIo80-L3Vtj7HqPwsgtCgzHFk_VYY0Heu_s_qYKPCo/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_good%20morning%20cabin%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Started
my breakfast in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b>
with Pancakes and Eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning,
the piped in music was so annoying and repetitious that I had to get out of
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My next breakfast stop was the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spa Café</b>, where I got a nice window
seat and watched the Sun come up. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9j1k7DWhyO4OkLE6LGLJT6zcaQQ59pNhqTwsKiqLnsWQiyNNbcpT_U6_RLjfpIg3JfZKErNYjF_HY2vUrjx4etX1ct_FkSkzZzYyr9qZg43CDo0muf3zA58KX3uJYlCjcLb06v7lmrkKnY4Ek-VAQByaXOwsn-0DAhROz0teytuugnp1O0LJq-jqNXak/s1024/IMG_20240225_sunrise%20spa%20Cafe%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="1024" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9j1k7DWhyO4OkLE6LGLJT6zcaQQ59pNhqTwsKiqLnsWQiyNNbcpT_U6_RLjfpIg3JfZKErNYjF_HY2vUrjx4etX1ct_FkSkzZzYyr9qZg43CDo0muf3zA58KX3uJYlCjcLb06v7lmrkKnY4Ek-VAQByaXOwsn-0DAhROz0teytuugnp1O0LJq-jqNXak/w400-h179/IMG_20240225_sunrise%20spa%20Cafe%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I brought Ellen a banana apple topped peanut butter coated bagel
and an egg and avocado bruschetta from the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spa
Café.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The
second lecture, in my mind, is always the most important. Will the people come
back – especially this time round because, I did not feel that I did such a
great job on the “TV Lecture”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my
surprise, they did come back to hear <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Forensic
Detectives: The Search for the Baton Rouge Serial Killer”.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the talk, I spoke to some passengers
and they LIKED the first talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I
didn’t read the room correctly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 10
AM, the <b>Celebrity Theater</b> was about 70 percent full and there were folks up in
both balconies. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsot2o8LP1OEhV7bbUtpBqpWzE-QOLCeQtQiUuEfCGtWGkaKE_NAu5aoqxAEtsQGMgGREHm2pgf21_I7xKdrUACj4OOcwzVpiluNHbXB-TIUTrLKQ6dd9-d1pBO4asR7A-Z0_UluO1pTCNNr9r9f_DC74swkWCfsBASR0AZ-rCz7yrnUEHDL_ProzMb04/s1024/IMG_20240225_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsot2o8LP1OEhV7bbUtpBqpWzE-QOLCeQtQiUuEfCGtWGkaKE_NAu5aoqxAEtsQGMgGREHm2pgf21_I7xKdrUACj4OOcwzVpiluNHbXB-TIUTrLKQ6dd9-d1pBO4asR7A-Z0_UluO1pTCNNr9r9f_DC74swkWCfsBASR0AZ-rCz7yrnUEHDL_ProzMb04/w400-h225/IMG_20240225_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPxFoDZ_gAERhU8CAjy5NL2U5eGIGZqDkPQN2SX8rScPn6NbBL39wHrKY0xhyphenhyphenvY3nZhwngEM9wZ-druDtN-dONifDv8lNO_iQlc_xtgeBUBZmyP7s8itFwIZOVYmRFWweSMY8v0zA19lTY6TeiSWgZMB6E4a6hEQIoWXL0IsQl17yvLu-g4ZeH3zDjaw/s1024/IMG_20240225_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPxFoDZ_gAERhU8CAjy5NL2U5eGIGZqDkPQN2SX8rScPn6NbBL39wHrKY0xhyphenhyphenvY3nZhwngEM9wZ-druDtN-dONifDv8lNO_iQlc_xtgeBUBZmyP7s8itFwIZOVYmRFWweSMY8v0zA19lTY6TeiSWgZMB6E4a6hEQIoWXL0IsQl17yvLu-g4ZeH3zDjaw/w400-h225/IMG_20240225_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcbkVjrK1x7r9SBSgFYQ20bX7DAclV05YhINB5MjGVuzYUdZIJNC4I2IbJ7frH46cpztAfKkrJ3BDEGVy9FI2SpyMVQIhsL79DKSqLu4lldbNB-svH9Zb3aG3fPOdAlr_wziAvTcFVibrTPdK4qJw4Gapwyk_AmlPhZR5f7dLbQW5xToLl-jC59UVapQ/s1024/IMG_20240225_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcbkVjrK1x7r9SBSgFYQ20bX7DAclV05YhINB5MjGVuzYUdZIJNC4I2IbJ7frH46cpztAfKkrJ3BDEGVy9FI2SpyMVQIhsL79DKSqLu4lldbNB-svH9Zb3aG3fPOdAlr_wziAvTcFVibrTPdK4qJw4Gapwyk_AmlPhZR5f7dLbQW5xToLl-jC59UVapQ/w400-h225/IMG_20240225_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">The talk, which had some minor revisions implemented between
these two cruises, ended on time. I spent some time with passengers out in the
theater lobby after the talk.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TLLH9IlAsiVr1EUGx6GtZ78josIddm0VCp2qZs7m2dDmWD-d-JFeGRiJoL93fPym9iZRDFAp27oyAKUfL345E3eWoxSfsogLUawIB3ZhIAgHhovRmSu7sFaiF3Cv708zvfkvdiN8YLe2oOUmdvAFPELIX4ATpRZlFhigSei6QhyRDJq3r0U06Fn5j3Y/s1024/IMG_20240225_post%20talk%20chat%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TLLH9IlAsiVr1EUGx6GtZ78josIddm0VCp2qZs7m2dDmWD-d-JFeGRiJoL93fPym9iZRDFAp27oyAKUfL345E3eWoxSfsogLUawIB3ZhIAgHhovRmSu7sFaiF3Cv708zvfkvdiN8YLe2oOUmdvAFPELIX4ATpRZlFhigSei6QhyRDJq3r0U06Fn5j3Y/w400-h225/IMG_20240225_post%20talk%20chat%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">So, the
program seems to have legs on this cruise as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
had lunch on the back deck – a really nice salad from the aft grill in the
<b>Oceanview Café</b> plus some pizza (always decent).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stayed out there for some time – warm and sunny. Why not?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We spotted an oil rig in the Gulf - the Gulf is littered with them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhf2DxJChojDDbsg5QU7pl16OM-FSrFPwBXEgmgc0sCBqCHtxfNSqWpWLt2XMtl8tqkFOsfuue96NnnVxhP_v4qc68NRZpVBf75tc4YpJ_qHBlgtgStGpHDUCfdmxpvXu6b3SRP5KfIZepbA2VDZmObToI4MMg_LoETiNbfEz12hNJ3Hgiln0YOCUC7Tg/s1024/IMG_20240225_oil%20derrick%20in%20Gulf.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhf2DxJChojDDbsg5QU7pl16OM-FSrFPwBXEgmgc0sCBqCHtxfNSqWpWLt2XMtl8tqkFOsfuue96NnnVxhP_v4qc68NRZpVBf75tc4YpJ_qHBlgtgStGpHDUCfdmxpvXu6b3SRP5KfIZepbA2VDZmObToI4MMg_LoETiNbfEz12hNJ3Hgiln0YOCUC7Tg/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_oil%20derrick%20in%20Gulf.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
also had dinner on the Back Deck – we both had the Pasta Guy make us Spaghetti
with Pesto (the pesto sauce is out of sight and must be requested).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pasta was good but it needed more
pesto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pasta Guy is not big on special
requests.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">At dinner, we caught today's "Magic Moment".</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF2Gotj2H6G7z32MRdJ8-G61nhyphenhyphenamFEEwnR_Eni-D-4Kttp0V9X9JfbC1cxKrcic8oUQvu_8Kjeh89tZJsH3Q5Xmhf3YAq8OIOnm7hj8hsIpkxh5LDN_nB_9gUTGcgj22IDmEmpB74GpW5M717k0bS-4sD6Ru540PMtzUefmmt7VtZREuuiCNCnNtJS0/s1024/IMG_20240225_dinner%20on%20deck%2010.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF2Gotj2H6G7z32MRdJ8-G61nhyphenhyphenamFEEwnR_Eni-D-4Kttp0V9X9JfbC1cxKrcic8oUQvu_8Kjeh89tZJsH3Q5Xmhf3YAq8OIOnm7hj8hsIpkxh5LDN_nB_9gUTGcgj22IDmEmpB74GpW5M717k0bS-4sD6Ru540PMtzUefmmt7VtZREuuiCNCnNtJS0/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_dinner%20on%20deck%2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzCjlyQ2PfS74M72pXIFJjgY8EB7njPHjb2glWZ1MmWorX3waFNz10AZoO4XLLKxezpnEkzAFiVIcFcyTsr4o_4_wWHHB6rA6pY4zG_iHKMpoNJrNl_C4yV99EvJbTk3yrcvjexd0EGSUVSbM_dBcd8w3jlblhxQS0wlotvKPM7yYsbqtuQjP0K5_Q7Y/s1024/IMG_20240225_sunset%20at%20dinner%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzCjlyQ2PfS74M72pXIFJjgY8EB7njPHjb2glWZ1MmWorX3waFNz10AZoO4XLLKxezpnEkzAFiVIcFcyTsr4o_4_wWHHB6rA6pY4zG_iHKMpoNJrNl_C4yV99EvJbTk3yrcvjexd0EGSUVSbM_dBcd8w3jlblhxQS0wlotvKPM7yYsbqtuQjP0K5_Q7Y/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_sunset%20at%20dinner%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Tonight’s
show is arguably the best show that Celebrity puts on – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Broadway Cabaret”</b> with the six cast singers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four are from the United States (Cincinnati,
New York plus two I can’t remember) and two are from the UK).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone of them is a vocal marvel – if I had
to pick the best female singer, it would be American <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Danielle Mouch</b>, who had volume and range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are all great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The song list was essentially identical to
what they did last cruise – </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“On Broadway”,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVB0dFGvsDKUrZl7fVwLKKkedpf8MiR5SnkCOrrPd0QYqiIE62hINVKeUYpr3SPvY0VxQgzoTW9DK22Xq2Whhi2CiUp4fNz-2YtLH_PL8aLC7jHvsDirc-UrugfDQlE4JaKZ0V2ts3ctwQOmt-evi01GnvIrwbmFCsPqH5nHi9OBDFGGp0lSh8xbxWAU8/s1024/IMG_20240225_On%20Broadway%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVB0dFGvsDKUrZl7fVwLKKkedpf8MiR5SnkCOrrPd0QYqiIE62hINVKeUYpr3SPvY0VxQgzoTW9DK22Xq2Whhi2CiUp4fNz-2YtLH_PL8aLC7jHvsDirc-UrugfDQlE4JaKZ0V2ts3ctwQOmt-evi01GnvIrwbmFCsPqH5nHi9OBDFGGp0lSh8xbxWAU8/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_On%20Broadway%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"> “Don’t Rain on my Parade”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“Can’t
Help Falling in Love”,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOv-XTKT0kL52hXnM3hblgA2CcT5zEnt7iot4eMTxfqisbmhi8VHpduWy7sDziR91PdXW3oq9Gqx0Fy6AODgoCM-6N9mnvCr18nVaQ4-MhavWerJg-BFWXO4pEyNFL7TBfs7ndLcdT_tkcvxvI7396edumk2LpbXobJZRgTFmgeKS6KttJKuuIsbMiz18/s1024/IMG_20240225_Can't%20Help%20Falling%20in%20Love%20With%20You%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOv-XTKT0kL52hXnM3hblgA2CcT5zEnt7iot4eMTxfqisbmhi8VHpduWy7sDziR91PdXW3oq9Gqx0Fy6AODgoCM-6N9mnvCr18nVaQ4-MhavWerJg-BFWXO4pEyNFL7TBfs7ndLcdT_tkcvxvI7396edumk2LpbXobJZRgTFmgeKS6KttJKuuIsbMiz18/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_Can't%20Help%20Falling%20in%20Love%20With%20You%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"> “I don’t Want to Show Off”, “Beautiful Medley”, “Luck Be
a Lady Tonight”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“On My Own”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaROPbqv2814GgzSAhaeeIYas9ocVNNctYnm1MUIGC7YXU4RAuQdTQ7OtQjeye32NHDm-m1gnDUSaJRQXto-xmZS0pNhpiYrKaJGMG6gvCNbavDAW5fH_5O5B_u0OAdGqOhpWkWAii13Ol7OrT3Nsc4QiJesBlXSH8eps_dnWQwr_JvaiKETVipmIl9o/s1024/IMG_20240225_On%20My%20Own%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaROPbqv2814GgzSAhaeeIYas9ocVNNctYnm1MUIGC7YXU4RAuQdTQ7OtQjeye32NHDm-m1gnDUSaJRQXto-xmZS0pNhpiYrKaJGMG6gvCNbavDAW5fH_5O5B_u0OAdGqOhpWkWAii13Ol7OrT3Nsc4QiJesBlXSH8eps_dnWQwr_JvaiKETVipmIl9o/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_On%20My%20Own%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">"One Day More",</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1AldIDpGSOsfpIe4EK3fyF9EPIG90hFpFVnfbcBX8WS7Q_Cll5VVm-yMCrr-k2R7YUOpnDGBl25-Erw95dvQCZW_Vp9W34y7NUlKIJpYuYNkWuBR-MvNtAC7hxW7Bk6EM2jr5iOGibceDj2nonTGU1jXDy27Bd9Qd_t-7loaF-dsOiCKS0EeVaKI_AU/s1024/IMG_20240225_One%20Day%20More%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1AldIDpGSOsfpIe4EK3fyF9EPIG90hFpFVnfbcBX8WS7Q_Cll5VVm-yMCrr-k2R7YUOpnDGBl25-Erw95dvQCZW_Vp9W34y7NUlKIJpYuYNkWuBR-MvNtAC7hxW7Bk6EM2jr5iOGibceDj2nonTGU1jXDy27Bd9Qd_t-7loaF-dsOiCKS0EeVaKI_AU/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_One%20Day%20More%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">"Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS088-a079Y-fd7IDTGXJ_WeNMEZ-vH1OUo6O-Uwb7JT8eVxXjNRDb89ZUhbGR1MqVlSu4xyt2gFyXkr_wwiY56PIPbDsK6A_tEI_iiIHtmt_5AM3B-zpRJ8DyYzS0cWPKi7cGLeS-ql_y9XWdcOf4EEZiSgRuNnazwKRxwONFBXwDd6EkLPCV7Us7j2Q/s1024/IMG_20240225_Will%20You%20Love%20Me%20Tomorrow%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS088-a079Y-fd7IDTGXJ_WeNMEZ-vH1OUo6O-Uwb7JT8eVxXjNRDb89ZUhbGR1MqVlSu4xyt2gFyXkr_wwiY56PIPbDsK6A_tEI_iiIHtmt_5AM3B-zpRJ8DyYzS0cWPKi7cGLeS-ql_y9XWdcOf4EEZiSgRuNnazwKRxwONFBXwDd6EkLPCV7Us7j2Q/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_Will%20You%20Love%20Me%20Tomorrow%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“What I Did for Love”, and </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“You Can’t
Stop the Beat”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrT19yqL7lCVr56sh0F_e5R2C9ba_2yJbvx6cmM3A-J2nAKH6Hvwpt8xxgi2VtKYIpJrQRynNbHWpMpWHKLybAyLSRMeRg7cNsWjQOae-jdzBAYGmUwtS7CdUzQ8YjnKCMj3VxkzrXVj680WjDY7gYAAKDzzom-u3UeLyX1YYmQmMUw3g7rERyneUX_U/s1024/IMG_20240225_cant%20stop%20the%20beat%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrT19yqL7lCVr56sh0F_e5R2C9ba_2yJbvx6cmM3A-J2nAKH6Hvwpt8xxgi2VtKYIpJrQRynNbHWpMpWHKLybAyLSRMeRg7cNsWjQOae-jdzBAYGmUwtS7CdUzQ8YjnKCMj3VxkzrXVj680WjDY7gYAAKDzzom-u3UeLyX1YYmQmMUw3g7rERyneUX_U/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_cant%20stop%20the%20beat%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">An EXCELLENT SHOW. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Sue
gave me a nice post show plug and explained how her grandmother was due to sail
on the Titanic but became ill and didn’t board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">After
the show, we got great seats in Cellar Masters to watch the new Acoustic Duo, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Bright Avenue”,</b> do their set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpS6g8b7qVeNyJIyVTc_Syousc1-SeCOuKqGgyREczRzmj2C0WVMgAFDbvmgYH4DPU__tYnTOYXItDMPUK7CNop7Mc3Dj_-r6Ao3G0yfAbF4qGGzFtzJzTpQUlFcnmODRWkz0Q-1XFXSHiAapAH3FObOm56he1IcPhvrjTkoJp6Na1JSJ3rUbrQCDpnc/s1024/IMG_20240225_Bright%20Avenue%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpS6g8b7qVeNyJIyVTc_Syousc1-SeCOuKqGgyREczRzmj2C0WVMgAFDbvmgYH4DPU__tYnTOYXItDMPUK7CNop7Mc3Dj_-r6Ao3G0yfAbF4qGGzFtzJzTpQUlFcnmODRWkz0Q-1XFXSHiAapAH3FObOm56he1IcPhvrjTkoJp6Na1JSJ3rUbrQCDpnc/w400-h180/IMG_20240225_Bright%20Avenue%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">They are different from their predecessor,
which was very mellow. This duo is more animated but the girl singer is great
and the guitar guy is pretty muted – that all makes for a great sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spoke to them after the show and found out
that they are from Mexico and we started to chat when another passenger took
over the conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Duo are
instantly likeable and provide a relaxing alternative to the Lucky Band and
Waves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our
cabin is a little noisier than it used to be – maybe the engines are revving
louder than before. The earplugs still are able to deal with the new noise and
I have been tuning it out. Seas continue to be remarkably smooth.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-69303509141560464152024-03-11T09:47:00.000-07:002024-03-12T15:32:56.047-07:00February 24, 2024 – New Orleans, LA – Warm -70s<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Getting to New Orleans involves navigating the Mississippi River from the delta to the city. I was up before dawn (of course, I was) and was able to capture some of that journey from our stateroom. That is not the Sun reflecting on the river but a light of some sort in one of the buildings along the river. The Sun is yet to rise - it is really early,</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fYkElB5N5r-Ai4G6saqM08FN1qNWFz1bXw4kTF9jVIENBpPw1_IJRwIpyGtk8N50gxmFPiapZjAskZ_BnJrZNdpfGByJrasRnSEu3YPTbCj6IDUlKViISOAFWbjalbFZQ71a8vUEJImD-gpyx04A5M7jgjyhoOuB5gmIxzB5CsDty4wauXIDXLj8T4I/s1024/IMG_20240224_mississippi%20predawn%20from%20room-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fYkElB5N5r-Ai4G6saqM08FN1qNWFz1bXw4kTF9jVIENBpPw1_IJRwIpyGtk8N50gxmFPiapZjAskZ_BnJrZNdpfGByJrasRnSEu3YPTbCj6IDUlKViISOAFWbjalbFZQ71a8vUEJImD-gpyx04A5M7jgjyhoOuB5gmIxzB5CsDty4wauXIDXLj8T4I/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_mississippi%20predawn%20from%20room-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9wBq0D3pvOw81msy6LXVXkibrn8WqDR4EaNbYutDO5c6ExDDTm3jRXF35v0JmoZdPc-ExpuYbtUJ8N0Hwn4zD5_vJXIVMElFei8v2_3D4CYGJ21xbKhLfXr5FvGhIZulhme3ZTF8VuO7EKYxSMNLxm2zOv7Shv8uXoqGfztOPLX93HsAp9JH9yTgAUA/s1024/IMG_20240224_mississippi%20predawn%20from%20room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9wBq0D3pvOw81msy6LXVXkibrn8WqDR4EaNbYutDO5c6ExDDTm3jRXF35v0JmoZdPc-ExpuYbtUJ8N0Hwn4zD5_vJXIVMElFei8v2_3D4CYGJ21xbKhLfXr5FvGhIZulhme3ZTF8VuO7EKYxSMNLxm2zOv7Shv8uXoqGfztOPLX93HsAp9JH9yTgAUA/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_mississippi%20predawn%20from%20room.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">At around 6 AM, the Captain came on the all PA system to announce that there was a passenger with a medical emergency that needed a blood transfusion. I had given blood many times in the past, so I hustled down to the Medical Center on Deck 1 to get tested. As it turned out, my blood type did not match the passenger so I went back to the cabin. We found out later that he/she was taken to a hospital in New Orleans and was doing better.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">That was certainly a new start to a cruise day.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Unlike last cruise, the
weather has really improved in New Orleans. It’s sunny and warm and we are
going to get out and see more of the city.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> What a difference a week makes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">People were up in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> early today to be ready
to go on their excursions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I watched the rest of the approach to New Orleans from the Cafe.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWygvSRjKY94UeMqy7y6zLCPNiBucqgE0x-VQ9CG8JoTCSGJfyUUn1B1qya5-oG5b_dPO6ovqSLL_m9XMx5B81QC0pSXbc1Iw1li_Rou7gl7wGUcuf5PBi4_KbHzLhF_L264SL5Y0-zuQS-fLjoJIkrATz2wBVl0m53R-O_83z1jn3IeLs7LjU9s8WvLA/s1024/IMG_20240224_NOLA%20sail%20in%201.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWygvSRjKY94UeMqy7y6zLCPNiBucqgE0x-VQ9CG8JoTCSGJfyUUn1B1qya5-oG5b_dPO6ovqSLL_m9XMx5B81QC0pSXbc1Iw1li_Rou7gl7wGUcuf5PBi4_KbHzLhF_L264SL5Y0-zuQS-fLjoJIkrATz2wBVl0m53R-O_83z1jn3IeLs7LjU9s8WvLA/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_NOLA%20sail%20in%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04bzPS-SHFifghneh2b661AerUkZD2IojdMjFwvCrx7UlMRBZ39wydHWNmvL8MUhQzfm5eWikS7nEGC3TZTOPz3YPsCRT_ngEM4Ux1g8C7Mn445bIeNY0Q_QwH75bllNSAHSiG01ujvfUa2GGqFrWUAcqJMb2rn9I0tS_xStGaRyZsyHl7C8HnT2Ov74/s1024/IMG_20240224_NOLA%20sail%20in.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04bzPS-SHFifghneh2b661AerUkZD2IojdMjFwvCrx7UlMRBZ39wydHWNmvL8MUhQzfm5eWikS7nEGC3TZTOPz3YPsCRT_ngEM4Ux1g8C7Mn445bIeNY0Q_QwH75bllNSAHSiG01ujvfUa2GGqFrWUAcqJMb2rn9I0tS_xStGaRyZsyHl7C8HnT2Ov74/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_NOLA%20sail%20in.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I still got a
nice seat and had another nice breakfast – this meal has been consistently good
on both cruises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It was too cold to be outside but from my seat, I got a great view.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmC-2bWi54iXHgDjD6tY9OliYNTXINNF-v_rBub-yYfMfCo0dvS0N_m3jMKQKRR3HAo3s1YVCTFeqPilOhB_aNSoUY9UD9ph8ilgsEoE-4079aEV6DKckxqm1ds66cS_l74XlaGKz4P0DvYoJPPBcwb35gCpAA6mYI5dPaLlMaStsGWDTUn3x-mI170M/s1024/IMG_20240224_Breakfast%20view%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmC-2bWi54iXHgDjD6tY9OliYNTXINNF-v_rBub-yYfMfCo0dvS0N_m3jMKQKRR3HAo3s1YVCTFeqPilOhB_aNSoUY9UD9ph8ilgsEoE-4079aEV6DKckxqm1ds66cS_l74XlaGKz4P0DvYoJPPBcwb35gCpAA6mYI5dPaLlMaStsGWDTUn3x-mI170M/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_Breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The ship has a lot of statues and other installations around the near. Near out cabin, and serving as a directional marker for our cabin is a statue that reminds me of Clark Kent.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFBTLs3kIIt7OB7Mup6bj4PjazIrSKQaujwxvnI9mG4bDDR9YwTZZ93UKN9CBPlSHQY1IkjEPXpppewNR8DL6saWNO4-_MiC9k_LjRS-y04h2NZIRpH3z1Q8bGiz-30SBuDZYKCBw80HLVFm6_YhOTX6DAYKfkh7ilB-68UtVIEtFcEOF4cZ1WT54t8k/s768/IMG_20240224_Clark%20Kent%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFBTLs3kIIt7OB7Mup6bj4PjazIrSKQaujwxvnI9mG4bDDR9YwTZZ93UKN9CBPlSHQY1IkjEPXpppewNR8DL6saWNO4-_MiC9k_LjRS-y04h2NZIRpH3z1Q8bGiz-30SBuDZYKCBw80HLVFm6_YhOTX6DAYKfkh7ilB-68UtVIEtFcEOF4cZ1WT54t8k/w180-h400/IMG_20240224_Clark%20Kent%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">At around 10 AM we
disembarked and walks a bit to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Julia
Street Cruise Terminal</b> – the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carnival
Valor</b> is also docked here today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NadJgZo2YHSgEViLiGc6k67rkgD5Pwi4ebht7zUUDfjgHp5fqFIJ-v9WBEEAVNZrBggtwVwKv1hpLifcHi7Qc09XJ7HDPRCBDFOlBuLCAAXCyn8x9lmUtcrUt3QPEXLHFBYqiBGBhJYcGdukctP5SOERMShdKXetN-gt8A4nLqEhb8cYNEcxNTqaG_E/s1024/IMG_20240224_Constellation%20and%20Valor%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NadJgZo2YHSgEViLiGc6k67rkgD5Pwi4ebht7zUUDfjgHp5fqFIJ-v9WBEEAVNZrBggtwVwKv1hpLifcHi7Qc09XJ7HDPRCBDFOlBuLCAAXCyn8x9lmUtcrUt3QPEXLHFBYqiBGBhJYcGdukctP5SOERMShdKXetN-gt8A4nLqEhb8cYNEcxNTqaG_E/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_Constellation%20and%20Valor%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">From there, we took the elevator in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Riverwalk Mall</b> (right across from the pier exit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That put us into the Food Court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHm9xCKLVaL95quHUrxonBPEOfcMwtxEL9dhrOqdJjE4eLLTds5ESKZ5uA4Bw_1QsIkpjDVOfv-cNsyQ7nRi_a_bZa1Cylnwfq65ldvVWZbZmuysw3esJcTGcs0XOsIZY0pP0jJdqW19HNY7OYEcuUbXov4yaLzOBf3sTqy0HvV4yrbHKys7kxNAGTOs/s768/IMG_20240224_Riverwalk%20shopping%20mall%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHm9xCKLVaL95quHUrxonBPEOfcMwtxEL9dhrOqdJjE4eLLTds5ESKZ5uA4Bw_1QsIkpjDVOfv-cNsyQ7nRi_a_bZa1Cylnwfq65ldvVWZbZmuysw3esJcTGcs0XOsIZY0pP0jJdqW19HNY7OYEcuUbXov4yaLzOBf3sTqy0HvV4yrbHKys7kxNAGTOs/w180-h400/IMG_20240224_Riverwalk%20shopping%20mall%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">There are literally wall to wall fast food
stores on this level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked quite a
ways and then exited onto to the Riverwalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It didn’t take long to put our jackets into a backpack – it was T-shirt
weather.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The Riverwalk is a very nice
feature – a nice walkway adjacent to the Mississippi River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed an “installation garden” which
looked like something left over from Mardi Gras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAWpykfdJXt9y_yRmFt4n4Nxqi3dx2_kBidYbPYXMIjQtfpGdzsLBmS1E43L3Jy9p7ofenuEidK5LFdXwVPkV8SkbUaAOll5kIFASurmmeO4bu-A94I-PCCt-Frgk9Q8j2r1HwV9Y57RhwQ0SacYPKcmqmjnG6Xf5OOy4v9kj_px3vkjuSnceFHqqX3Y/s1024/IMG_20240224_River%20Walk%20installations%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAWpykfdJXt9y_yRmFt4n4Nxqi3dx2_kBidYbPYXMIjQtfpGdzsLBmS1E43L3Jy9p7ofenuEidK5LFdXwVPkV8SkbUaAOll5kIFASurmmeO4bu-A94I-PCCt-Frgk9Q8j2r1HwV9Y57RhwQ0SacYPKcmqmjnG6Xf5OOy4v9kj_px3vkjuSnceFHqqX3Y/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_River%20Walk%20installations%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnDcB8ac2yiNVUFYrziM7gt5hOXPYNAqXWYY-F0MoRZ4UXdX2baKsR6TzEaBhjsvxB3l375vIa6x25aI6jEMB_K2foehw9s8YoUfOFjl4NKqkReH6FWLGphdJG9OYw_KeM-ejrQcS4_GeiweIfdDp0SbAGjX8X8Sj5iY_ewB-WD0Dk4EzZNwmkDtZ7-M/s1024/IMG_20240224_installation%20garden%20River%20Walk%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnDcB8ac2yiNVUFYrziM7gt5hOXPYNAqXWYY-F0MoRZ4UXdX2baKsR6TzEaBhjsvxB3l375vIa6x25aI6jEMB_K2foehw9s8YoUfOFjl4NKqkReH6FWLGphdJG9OYw_KeM-ejrQcS4_GeiweIfdDp0SbAGjX8X8Sj5iY_ewB-WD0Dk4EzZNwmkDtZ7-M/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_installation%20garden%20River%20Walk%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">A little further along, we took pictures of
<b>“Ocean Song”</b>, a shiny chrome looking installation composed of mirrors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One picture we took looked like we were
trapped in the “Phantom Zone”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46H7rvY3veRQrFAZQqtydtk7noZV3oKOR-4lga_jyUZQX0AQ-iEwExGuw6ZTPcx8aBI2ymrq1ZwZWimhnn1BWWgglTdzC4NQVT5Mqai6PAR8GDfsfJBbEogloyuvJN1W_LIseczzqaP-795jZNyeiUGcpyrllBtx4MjKLPiQ4jRPWNsHXntg8H0uAzDM/s1024/IMG_20240224_HMT%20ocean%20song%201.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46H7rvY3veRQrFAZQqtydtk7noZV3oKOR-4lga_jyUZQX0AQ-iEwExGuw6ZTPcx8aBI2ymrq1ZwZWimhnn1BWWgglTdzC4NQVT5Mqai6PAR8GDfsfJBbEogloyuvJN1W_LIseczzqaP-795jZNyeiUGcpyrllBtx4MjKLPiQ4jRPWNsHXntg8H0uAzDM/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_HMT%20ocean%20song%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMF3JaskTJgqbrBjxb9Szd6Sxuw7eh57LT5FABxQTWIojhBlmz0ACsatT9HpibUetKu1pg6gYhLTr-iqd8VP2rwFNFdz_9U6ON59q08xCSp2EJjTlZlOcoBj-ERcNfDWGba491e-X7KW4Hy-JekNLYs7raq5hcGpR226NcJMIZkzestMOTX-YoKq3r9NY/s768/IMG_20240224_ocean%20song%20and%20us.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMF3JaskTJgqbrBjxb9Szd6Sxuw7eh57LT5FABxQTWIojhBlmz0ACsatT9HpibUetKu1pg6gYhLTr-iqd8VP2rwFNFdz_9U6ON59q08xCSp2EJjTlZlOcoBj-ERcNfDWGba491e-X7KW4Hy-JekNLYs7raq5hcGpR226NcJMIZkzestMOTX-YoKq3r9NY/w180-h400/IMG_20240224_ocean%20song%20and%20us.jpg" width="180" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Next up was a monument put up
by the Italian and Jewish Organizations of New Orleans which commemorated the
welcoming of immigrants. The monument was in disrepair with tiles missing from
the base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkz5DpgbSI5UA_hK5fpBxQC3mLUvrMiIie8D6iIT1qtO-7MNdyRmEWg9VVfyMkisFQMP-Pj4sM8PYkiCsbsdSTNatylc-2Zyvkitk9yFtDjI0nwZMdtrTrHXgontgKvYr-ifOgHJ_azmZK9GuYk8Oo9P-3YHQhY876i_J3HqiHdDnhELX2jUbUsP_JBug/s768/IMG_20240224_Immigant%20statue%20Italian%20and%20Jewish%20im.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkz5DpgbSI5UA_hK5fpBxQC3mLUvrMiIie8D6iIT1qtO-7MNdyRmEWg9VVfyMkisFQMP-Pj4sM8PYkiCsbsdSTNatylc-2Zyvkitk9yFtDjI0nwZMdtrTrHXgontgKvYr-ifOgHJ_azmZK9GuYk8Oo9P-3YHQhY876i_J3HqiHdDnhELX2jUbUsP_JBug/w180-h400/IMG_20240224_Immigant%20statue%20Italian%20and%20Jewish%20im.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The next statue was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Old Man River”,</b> which to me looked
like Darkseid from Superman.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsUfWDsl31Rje6oPTua3SFLVGe9yORBaeWtDvQXu8HJaXdjBRYSCt8fQRDkCVhf_fF7feAu6Vb9erjbMRZuenqUjYahJCKXVZqvG-9VmwV8hQb0pKXskNRhq_bArLFiF3WKnm6km5VFcsv1gCvlXuux-qmg3pOlyz98LA5U7i4Hy1hI0Xt1zz1Y9nBew/s768/IMG_20240224_Old%20Man%20River%20statue%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsUfWDsl31Rje6oPTua3SFLVGe9yORBaeWtDvQXu8HJaXdjBRYSCt8fQRDkCVhf_fF7feAu6Vb9erjbMRZuenqUjYahJCKXVZqvG-9VmwV8hQb0pKXskNRhq_bArLFiF3WKnm6km5VFcsv1gCvlXuux-qmg3pOlyz98LA5U7i4Hy1hI0Xt1zz1Y9nBew/w180-h400/IMG_20240224_Old%20Man%20River%20statue%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">As we continued down the Riverwalk, we saw the <b>New Orleans Holocaust Memorial.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRe5pKSPZV5fYWBFU8dviMUuMubLmpex-XpgDOUU9Pw0OfrklLyH0QWbZhIuslIXNeA1ltK-fCg09OgpbSuNQxZcVJfdF0JZQSWJ00RnO32mfjSUifFbQXvgYdyvunRVeJ5c7skFgLpGt8x4e4GHQMXieTIhB_5PWOlL4ctc3uDJK3DoZesoaB0JzhyphenhyphenL4/s1024/IMG_20240224_riverwalk%20Holocaust%20Memorial%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRe5pKSPZV5fYWBFU8dviMUuMubLmpex-XpgDOUU9Pw0OfrklLyH0QWbZhIuslIXNeA1ltK-fCg09OgpbSuNQxZcVJfdF0JZQSWJ00RnO32mfjSUifFbQXvgYdyvunRVeJ5c7skFgLpGt8x4e4GHQMXieTIhB_5PWOlL4ctc3uDJK3DoZesoaB0JzhyphenhyphenL4/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_riverwalk%20Holocaust%20Memorial%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">There was a very loud calliope blaring at the riverfront - it was coming from this Riverboat, <b>The Natchez</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlNsUjmD5VkHoVN71htn1jKRfI_hyphenhyphenqfhU0j7YYSlTbia4c6tibJgd9IFJD1Gun6VJGsgOP6_PUk_Mmj0_Dg3AtpqiBRRn_Kw-H_m_TxKYwZ3WBS9nBbC2K6AAeosOUSi-o89OK1GaUm_9KE4tUlYPMmmaZzE5K-oF77Mwegi5dd5oP5sSXoVm_LRGlqg/s1024/IMG_20240224_Riverboat%20%20(1).jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlNsUjmD5VkHoVN71htn1jKRfI_hyphenhyphenqfhU0j7YYSlTbia4c6tibJgd9IFJD1Gun6VJGsgOP6_PUk_Mmj0_Dg3AtpqiBRRn_Kw-H_m_TxKYwZ3WBS9nBbC2K6AAeosOUSi-o89OK1GaUm_9KE4tUlYPMmmaZzE5K-oF77Mwegi5dd5oP5sSXoVm_LRGlqg/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_Riverboat%20%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The Riverwalk eventually took
us to the downtown area and a Walgreens, where we got a few things we
needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also got a bag of Goldfish
(just had a pica for something crunchy).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We stopped at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jackson Square</b> and sat a while and I
finished my entire bag of Goldfish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got some really
nice shots of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jackson Square</b> and it
was nice to take a break from walking. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJBoiGkbku2UnJjiJUoKY3r7ax0T6UmyvL9N9jZWiJja9EVpplmIyuFV0cWge_uvwTAWwuFQwagSyeqEfSr2USNdpEEbK_v7WXt-6j9FzzO6btbliHKdmucLZzDRz6RfBUeFinuOgE9k270XDEACOSPYDCXkW52k796Uojxr2hlupF-bUyNfSaiXPiQ4/s1024/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224114111_COVER.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJBoiGkbku2UnJjiJUoKY3r7ax0T6UmyvL9N9jZWiJja9EVpplmIyuFV0cWge_uvwTAWwuFQwagSyeqEfSr2USNdpEEbK_v7WXt-6j9FzzO6btbliHKdmucLZzDRz6RfBUeFinuOgE9k270XDEACOSPYDCXkW52k796Uojxr2hlupF-bUyNfSaiXPiQ4/w400-h180/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224114111_COVER.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj61gxJ4x0QYAt77hA7fX-EPuXpr-jNO4H7ii1aDcChcAfuJAkMYFNmFbqHncMdwZDJaKDT9d4gVXEslpkjEUeWgA3EWzTqs9hyphenhyphenHe-wbbTZmeZOxaNX1WbinBokzakcFLnxIAoxp2ZsqFpExREq5AO2kl3AHHP1Otsp27lwLt5Q3juSJvpaaCjX7E7eu0/s1024/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224114119_COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj61gxJ4x0QYAt77hA7fX-EPuXpr-jNO4H7ii1aDcChcAfuJAkMYFNmFbqHncMdwZDJaKDT9d4gVXEslpkjEUeWgA3EWzTqs9hyphenhyphenHe-wbbTZmeZOxaNX1WbinBokzakcFLnxIAoxp2ZsqFpExREq5AO2kl3AHHP1Otsp27lwLt5Q3juSJvpaaCjX7E7eu0/w400-h180/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224114119_COVER.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">After leaving <b>Jackson Square,</b> I wanted to find the building
that was used as the NCIS: New Orleans Office and via Google found it at 729
Anne St.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHoSP88urJIFdWZpy_WWbBTZeAPhhw1HkNHNhDt0LpJ6s2Jvz-49NBR2mPextXrMSpfLkOmCv6zjOxYW8wMtqY5mevIXttzvEcTDQnUYVsILRZW8tRfw8RVXcVVidoXWjTSEN1ScDU9_ZuQDBTiPLAgH8xefZU-4Fcye_bTGOKfTr6eF0Ji6N1f7rXV8/s1024/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224115706_20240224%20NCIS%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHoSP88urJIFdWZpy_WWbBTZeAPhhw1HkNHNhDt0LpJ6s2Jvz-49NBR2mPextXrMSpfLkOmCv6zjOxYW8wMtqY5mevIXttzvEcTDQnUYVsILRZW8tRfw8RVXcVVidoXWjTSEN1ScDU9_ZuQDBTiPLAgH8xefZU-4Fcye_bTGOKfTr6eF0Ji6N1f7rXV8/w400-h180/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224115706_20240224%20NCIS%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I took some pictures that I
might be able to use in a future lecture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We decided to walk back to
the Riverwalk via <b>Bourbon Street</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
came upon <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pat O’Brien’s</b> (unplanned) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a7lM7Y94eTHCd9tEWJcaeIllEEdV5LvDw8N_MxrbWgsHqoHLxnNexzrTMrYEHrrr00cAvmTf47Lmrcd-GoemgRE57fOR1G3Kdxu-lO-l9tlXnAWJZ-3mHOR1YIsSwd4Ccvh6y2_ug6UsxCmy3PFxKC0CZF1on9t87aYqmWyqiVF6beYkrA2wejg_5as/s1024/IMG_20240224_pat%20O'Brien%20Bourbon%20Street%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4a7lM7Y94eTHCd9tEWJcaeIllEEdV5LvDw8N_MxrbWgsHqoHLxnNexzrTMrYEHrrr00cAvmTf47Lmrcd-GoemgRE57fOR1G3Kdxu-lO-l9tlXnAWJZ-3mHOR1YIsSwd4Ccvh6y2_ug6UsxCmy3PFxKC0CZF1on9t87aYqmWyqiVF6beYkrA2wejg_5as/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_pat%20O'Brien%20Bourbon%20Street%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and
I just had to have a Hurricane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a
nice seat along the side of the courtyard </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG8rr0S-0CfQR1oPo-8gZaouUFNtt9MLPODEoWvPazid20pe3p_OMCCz73LNDzs23URndEQP96RLEad1nEGqZb0I64xuwy98Wj5l7kyHnmBpCcap2ZsDJKY5xLICwPBVHnDbgvtCIfLjC42v5mEKEFFkT7iJb39j5YPjmtinKaoj7lE7A7KDd5vTmhMI/s1024/IMG_20240224_pat%20O'Brien%20patio%20-1.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaG8rr0S-0CfQR1oPo-8gZaouUFNtt9MLPODEoWvPazid20pe3p_OMCCz73LNDzs23URndEQP96RLEad1nEGqZb0I64xuwy98Wj5l7kyHnmBpCcap2ZsDJKY5xLICwPBVHnDbgvtCIfLjC42v5mEKEFFkT7iJb39j5YPjmtinKaoj7lE7A7KDd5vTmhMI/w400-h225/IMG_20240224_pat%20O'Brien%20patio%20-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2wQlVkMW90nw4FbA8Wpd4TSi2xTYayFgFJCQIYzhsLLdJzuCRt4Pe4K9ZXjI4McSPFHf_jxKFnkHO_DMKgrIO8lXDv3JMZGDsGSG3Xi90_UaqeaAv0kcuYwiNulvEDQ3cT-p9tF6pj4z9hg_72TemPcsm7BvesgNPBhMofrZ-4vY4apjSwLDJvlnN6E/s1024/IMG_20240224_pat%20O'Brien%20patio%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2wQlVkMW90nw4FbA8Wpd4TSi2xTYayFgFJCQIYzhsLLdJzuCRt4Pe4K9ZXjI4McSPFHf_jxKFnkHO_DMKgrIO8lXDv3JMZGDsGSG3Xi90_UaqeaAv0kcuYwiNulvEDQ3cT-p9tF6pj4z9hg_72TemPcsm7BvesgNPBhMofrZ-4vY4apjSwLDJvlnN6E/w400-h180/IMG_20240224_pat%20O'Brien%20patio%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and it was nice until a bunch of guys
(like a daytime stag party) showed up and essentially crowded us out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Hurricane was good even though it didn’t
seem to lack the pop of the Hurricanes of the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And the last time we were here in February 2019, the Hurricanes were served in plastic cups - tall glass today.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hl8Ckfp-V7CNdoPRyBxL3Q4FSV_MSayBF6ULl_TGupoL0aLP8G9_bfXg1ceH7hl4THF0GVatXMQswZi8Ihyg622adNo_cKVMzHMiw1uH9BLcdX2uycDiTSR_UrL8Q63HwVV8_QwpUd9v9DmY9Jx_8iZwvZcIgxT2YyuzlW4-Dnn58anFGUMgNzrIfss/s768/IMG_20240224_world%20famous%20Hurricane%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hl8Ckfp-V7CNdoPRyBxL3Q4FSV_MSayBF6ULl_TGupoL0aLP8G9_bfXg1ceH7hl4THF0GVatXMQswZi8Ihyg622adNo_cKVMzHMiw1uH9BLcdX2uycDiTSR_UrL8Q63HwVV8_QwpUd9v9DmY9Jx_8iZwvZcIgxT2YyuzlW4-Dnn58anFGUMgNzrIfss/w180-h400/IMG_20240224_world%20famous%20Hurricane%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUe1pGmgkTJ6uv01F_jCMWRjKBAUFjNyhG_7Vv35GyKpUnaPOH3rc30A4Rielpy5O4xQizuoS15yE8FGmhF_ZVTci2YbivtQ1VFKVbrNcjs15HonfkbhZrEjhyT0JNTYpNHuBDzcXsNZHollMu6_c-ZAG1l9c75LoLfTYxX7OahI1-udzEI1aKM3drL8/s768/IMG_20240224_121418%20(1).jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="410" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUe1pGmgkTJ6uv01F_jCMWRjKBAUFjNyhG_7Vv35GyKpUnaPOH3rc30A4Rielpy5O4xQizuoS15yE8FGmhF_ZVTci2YbivtQ1VFKVbrNcjs15HonfkbhZrEjhyT0JNTYpNHuBDzcXsNZHollMu6_c-ZAG1l9c75LoLfTYxX7OahI1-udzEI1aKM3drL8/w214-h400/IMG_20240224_121418%20(1).jpg" width="214" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I paid the check (after tracking down the
waitress) and we were back on Bourbon Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The drink tasted like it had rum in it but it seemed to have little
effect on me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We walked along Bourbon
Street until we came to the cross street that would take us back to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Riverwalk</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked toward the River and met the
Riverwalk at the Gumbo Restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
made it to the Main Mall Entrance – Ellen wanted to check out the shops and I headed
back to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I could see Constellation but there was a security fence guarding the terminal.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7KFBmLCAP9n3ezRUZGCICgggdHHUmXO9_WEJY9_Uyl3zaMbqlNPHaOFkuXMijyG6na7xHp_4vmHa978txIjZPOLQpiT9o2PgX99jO1rg6uPnOk9hw5njUdQh0ICa5KpOj8haSXOKVBHQKr867EYEs1B4T-JW84oCdIDhv1b1otUzTXbfnPtPagGJKM8/s1024/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224103005_Constellation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7KFBmLCAP9n3ezRUZGCICgggdHHUmXO9_WEJY9_Uyl3zaMbqlNPHaOFkuXMijyG6na7xHp_4vmHa978txIjZPOLQpiT9o2PgX99jO1rg6uPnOk9hw5njUdQh0ICa5KpOj8haSXOKVBHQKr867EYEs1B4T-JW84oCdIDhv1b1otUzTXbfnPtPagGJKM8/w400-h180/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240224103005_Constellation.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">I ducked into the Mall and walked an annoyingly long way until I came across a sign that said "Cruise Ships". I took the elevator down </span>one floor to the street and and right across the street from Security for the Julia Street Cruise Terminal. I passed through the gate and then
back aways to the gangway and I was on the ship – tired (11.000 steps) but
happy to be back on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had some
pizza and salad for lunch on the back deck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ellen came back a little while later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
found outside spaces and hung out there until it was time to change for dinner.
We are back in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco Dining Room</b>
again tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had ordered a special
meal – spaghetti marinara with veggies – “Spaghetti Primavera” – the night
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The service was very slow
tonight and we wound up spending an hour and forty minutes at dinner. The
waiters tried to explain what had happened but we couldn’t figure out what they
were saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed on dessert and
coffee. I should mention that the pasta dish was very good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
missed the show tonight - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Josh Christina</b>
– Piano Guy – but we weren’t planning to go anyway since we had just seen
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We
took in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“The Lucky Band”</b> in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b> while sitting in the
seats near the entrance – this was to deal with the volume of the music which
tends to start off soft and then slowly amps up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The groups also has the oddest accent – “the”
is pronounced “thee”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">When we got back to the cabin, there was a note from the Captain thanking me for my effort on the part of the passenger who needed medical help. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkRXrJtITkdAN7_u0Qpy6fq_IFCwKQK_-16gkocLOKgRLuUfnllEn-BZsBcEUTWKFSdPz902MnMuUif1b0EwIAPteTDKPaapOBFpri6PQPMPsjN1zSZEbqJDZhY7qjHcYsUG_2i9gwK-f8nk0U91HVtB2778LUpHX123osU7347BhRo0_gCuSJ7t1txM/s1024/00001IMG_00001_BURST20240226144139%20Captain%20letter.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1024" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkRXrJtITkdAN7_u0Qpy6fq_IFCwKQK_-16gkocLOKgRLuUfnllEn-BZsBcEUTWKFSdPz902MnMuUif1b0EwIAPteTDKPaapOBFpri6PQPMPsjN1zSZEbqJDZhY7qjHcYsUG_2i9gwK-f8nk0U91HVtB2778LUpHX123osU7347BhRo0_gCuSJ7t1txM/w400-h291/00001IMG_00001_BURST20240226144139%20Captain%20letter.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYogyWXRCYvkJA1l71G_vzhAm6rra9joRqDK68aS2G-97lTqj9qUd7AB81ggPgvMKgcCrLBV0a2CIdZGVP4dww73Kxqws7wNKyKYnqKmu7cNMFX8JwJY_M1z6bsaovoAJ-cHIwtQFkeWSjw3oeOYDkf4bi7bFQ0-ad5flFofle9jE9EuGoRXchwwx6Qo/s975/IMG_20240226_captain%20letter%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="975" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYogyWXRCYvkJA1l71G_vzhAm6rra9joRqDK68aS2G-97lTqj9qUd7AB81ggPgvMKgcCrLBV0a2CIdZGVP4dww73Kxqws7wNKyKYnqKmu7cNMFX8JwJY_M1z6bsaovoAJ-cHIwtQFkeWSjw3oeOYDkf4bi7bFQ0-ad5flFofle9jE9EuGoRXchwwx6Qo/w400-h315/IMG_20240226_captain%20letter%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Along with the letter were chocolates (delicious chocolates). What a nice gesture on the part of the Captain.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Departure
was at 9:30 PM and we watched it from our Cabin.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-49444223395421653282024-03-11T06:09:00.000-07:002024-03-11T06:09:58.455-07:00February 23, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Warm -70s<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We are off on the second of our twin cruises. It is a beautiful first day out there with calm sees and blue skies.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> As always, I was up early and got a picture of the Gulf of Mexico from our cabin.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zzCSv3MLKVSlNDXWcU_FsL47gZqye67LbUlHXhUxQyVUu3rHYh-crEJdMN5hSQcQAHHJXqG_uvHLJ8upOQAKD-Tm__W5mEKaWiw1ED8q4oK7-wOJpkO-9Zs59jqOChSlZO_Qz938XPEs9-ZNEXFNMXlKjmSLbqm92zY5ugEwRJWNY3CnX7iPkc1_H0w/s1024/IMG_20240223_view%20from%20cabin%20early%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zzCSv3MLKVSlNDXWcU_FsL47gZqye67LbUlHXhUxQyVUu3rHYh-crEJdMN5hSQcQAHHJXqG_uvHLJ8upOQAKD-Tm__W5mEKaWiw1ED8q4oK7-wOJpkO-9Zs59jqOChSlZO_Qz938XPEs9-ZNEXFNMXlKjmSLbqm92zY5ugEwRJWNY3CnX7iPkc1_H0w/w400-h180/IMG_20240223_view%20from%20cabin%20early%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Even though this is the second cruise, the first morning up in the <b>Oceanview Cafe</b> is always exciting. Another wonderful breakfast (the staff still has my cottage cheese and sour cream stash available. This is my first breakfast on the back deck.
Warm, no wind, and a scenic sunrise as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaS1FsAxnrndGXOOuYJ9cmVHnr70Fmh2apuyImJrGKoghp8YFWMHGkes-hHH_SCy0QkmOTcuYT9reCQIJtppsinLc5QG5Js-O6SpnpRgoTnVu4oUrL9j0TxwEW73PVz2bHBwxZaPHnqXYE_H-D729aeogqbS85s_1M3ztLygyaNKewfylbYlqcKzkCq80/s1024/IMG_20240223_breakfast%20view%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaS1FsAxnrndGXOOuYJ9cmVHnr70Fmh2apuyImJrGKoghp8YFWMHGkes-hHH_SCy0QkmOTcuYT9reCQIJtppsinLc5QG5Js-O6SpnpRgoTnVu4oUrL9j0TxwEW73PVz2bHBwxZaPHnqXYE_H-D729aeogqbS85s_1M3ztLygyaNKewfylbYlqcKzkCq80/w400-h180/IMG_20240223_breakfast%20view%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML6L6HEEp4dU3r5o4oP3PEglGtT-ZbEVZTiGHNHA9IQ5PyavsFWluyvROkKsqaG7JDBhHZnxdMlmNIDGaMhkCBPxm42f5kK-HV_tGzlG3AnwjX6kI8wYNQejd2R7vzXIggTEAU7mYolL2ZyWnvnZRi0u6bXpWFbs1eYtURl-6aHw2_XvQ5wN2l_KT98k/s1024/IMG_20240223_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="1024" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML6L6HEEp4dU3r5o4oP3PEglGtT-ZbEVZTiGHNHA9IQ5PyavsFWluyvROkKsqaG7JDBhHZnxdMlmNIDGaMhkCBPxm42f5kK-HV_tGzlG3AnwjX6kI8wYNQejd2R7vzXIggTEAU7mYolL2ZyWnvnZRi0u6bXpWFbs1eYtURl-6aHw2_XvQ5wN2l_KT98k/w400-h184/IMG_20240223_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As on the first cruise, all of my presentations are
scheduled at 10 AM in the <b>Celebrity
Theater</b>. When I got to the theater at 9:30 PM, one of the dancers (from
Australia) was conducting a tour of the stage, which was set up for tonight’s show.
I didn’t want to disturb her so I stayed in the back of the theater until Jaime motioned to me that I should come down
and set up, which I did while she was finishing up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I spent about 20 minutes greeting and chatting with the audience (a fun time for me) as they were finding their seats.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9X8z77DAXNAUAwN5PTmlAHvP4srqkm2Mn3UZknlpFGuxMgvHAiI2QzkJdOWQbC_gbJUOsP9fLp2BwCvOvRwOnlOaZONXaUTnEQS-c5rdTKKvB6cfse_k09V6uYkWxeK8e4yIRCk1N3yz2xAexwp9rA1rEc9HwA2fP7JQw9bZ04gzZND7JM2hxM_fZH4/s1024/IMG_20240223_pretalk%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9X8z77DAXNAUAwN5PTmlAHvP4srqkm2Mn3UZknlpFGuxMgvHAiI2QzkJdOWQbC_gbJUOsP9fLp2BwCvOvRwOnlOaZONXaUTnEQS-c5rdTKKvB6cfse_k09V6uYkWxeK8e4yIRCk1N3yz2xAexwp9rA1rEc9HwA2fP7JQw9bZ04gzZND7JM2hxM_fZH4/w400-h225/IMG_20240223_pretalk%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was anticipating that Sue would
introduce me at this talk but she wasn’t there at show time. I started to present and I saw her on the
floor next to the stage. I asked her to come on up and she said she was a
little late (she had given the daily spiel right after the Captain). She said some nice things about me and the
talks and I was off and running<b>. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj431aiHUhO57BqBzTuwud2g6F1nTGWyT210O69wS4u3OprE7toXf00KxQt__4LlxvvWbm7heMw4nakOkZN_ec0fZ_PtOgNOUidmrJWIEJjTWsGTsmMmoXSnU7qhmUPKGG3J63FDIf6i-JM6MSRDF-nQQM5ZdiZ5aLe26nZENJs9bCmmULM6Fxzy_tZYh4/s1023/IMG_20240223_Sue%20intro%20talk%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1023" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj431aiHUhO57BqBzTuwud2g6F1nTGWyT210O69wS4u3OprE7toXf00KxQt__4LlxvvWbm7heMw4nakOkZN_ec0fZ_PtOgNOUidmrJWIEJjTWsGTsmMmoXSnU7qhmUPKGG3J63FDIf6i-JM6MSRDF-nQQM5ZdiZ5aLe26nZENJs9bCmmULM6Fxzy_tZYh4/w400-h300/IMG_20240223_Sue%20intro%20talk%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10NPHmAXySS9JhAYGwEwkfgy6QLfvZ_Ge8_Pl-yg_lP_aEPtqjQJMFjSzYXqbKS8RPxdVoWxF0HoFS1KoedBcvo0XWfKjNIBEahDciTfTbYZbR9_Sy-ucjShJUsjwtP2JCn37hf3cbsIW68mU6LxyK2koOi8_EfT5vqXnQQO4DCk_hJbpryA7vUfRiGY/s1024/IMG_20240223_Sue%20intro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10NPHmAXySS9JhAYGwEwkfgy6QLfvZ_Ge8_Pl-yg_lP_aEPtqjQJMFjSzYXqbKS8RPxdVoWxF0HoFS1KoedBcvo0XWfKjNIBEahDciTfTbYZbR9_Sy-ucjShJUsjwtP2JCn37hf3cbsIW68mU6LxyK2koOi8_EfT5vqXnQQO4DCk_hJbpryA7vUfRiGY/w400-h225/IMG_20240223_Sue%20intro.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>“CSI
Phenomenon – Forensics on TV”</b> pulled a good turnout for a first session –
40 percent of theater was occupied. Got some nice feedback from guests as I was
leaving the theater.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMimHzZho1dGja8fW3_ttlA1IbALT6MjoYZlFTXk0tYpsnpwO7Ujxk2AFTNUdyNTjR3GgRVKyPxq3FDiWdO5-u10rsd3aoyDN7HEABQm213KZhOxrODKvL5anu_6M5cxisH1bvf0xP5jpKzsFG3AT4gsPbF8Yp9HlLjtUKotirC4zcJ7YY66c9tOzWQs/s1024/IMG_20240223_Forensics%20on%20TV%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMimHzZho1dGja8fW3_ttlA1IbALT6MjoYZlFTXk0tYpsnpwO7Ujxk2AFTNUdyNTjR3GgRVKyPxq3FDiWdO5-u10rsd3aoyDN7HEABQm213KZhOxrODKvL5anu_6M5cxisH1bvf0xP5jpKzsFG3AT4gsPbF8Yp9HlLjtUKotirC4zcJ7YY66c9tOzWQs/w400-h225/IMG_20240223_Forensics%20on%20TV%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">We had dinner at our new
table in the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">San Marco Dining Room</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
It’s a super table with a view of the Fourth Floor restaurant and also the back
windows.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is not really close to other
people and relatively quiet.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our assigned wait staff, Roy and
Jayson, are friendly and efficient.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our
food came quickly and we even stayed for a second cup of coffee.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We passed on <b>“Rock City”</b> and
instead spent some time listening to the <b>“Lucky Band”</b> in the Rendezvous Lounge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To the room and quiet.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-66975795974671007422024-03-10T14:09:00.000-07:002024-03-13T07:05:20.768-07:00February 22, 2024 – At Sea – Tampa, FL – Warm – 70F<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">We are back in Tampa after a successful first cruise.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTx_juiJt3AJ_KJaFnt5n-1knCaXPgrSXEJzu7IdO3QksTsv615PJRQX5l7778if4LBcQKXSrYVcraoevwe7asxl-PLmddaz9YBfGDs1kL2WYkGvOtnJSyf4rMAcr-ECVMOwapc1t8eMxlbPxRwOKUaBVcFTz3fbR__xoJ30oPBHOI7w_DvkPNrQuQ14/s1024/IMG_20240222_good%20morning%20Tampa%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTx_juiJt3AJ_KJaFnt5n-1knCaXPgrSXEJzu7IdO3QksTsv615PJRQX5l7778if4LBcQKXSrYVcraoevwe7asxl-PLmddaz9YBfGDs1kL2WYkGvOtnJSyf4rMAcr-ECVMOwapc1t8eMxlbPxRwOKUaBVcFTz3fbR__xoJ30oPBHOI7w_DvkPNrQuQ14/w400-h180/IMG_20240222_good%20morning%20Tampa%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">The schedule is a bit different this morning.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">The </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Oceanview Café</b><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> is open from 6:00 AM to
8:00 AM and we have to vacate our room (for cleaning) at 8:00 AM.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Of course, anticipating the early start, I
didn’t get a lot of sleep and was up in the Café a little after 6:00 AM.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">The place was not overly crowded and I was
able to eat my nice breakfast before the Sun came up.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I brought Ellen her usual breakfast (no room
service this morning).</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">We were out of
our room a little after 8 AM and went to the <b>Rendezvous Lounge</b> where continuing
passengers were asked to meet.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">At 9 AM, we all went as a
group to the gangway, checked out (and gave up our old Sea Pass cards) and
marched to the Terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of
having to meet with an Immigration Agent, we all went through a Facial Recognition
Scanner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still don’t know when the
reference photo is taken for the FR comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We then got our new cards and scanned back in. For some reason, I had to
take a new picture (hat hair and scruffy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We spent the rest of the
morning in the <b>Solarium </b>– the ship is nice and quiet until the new folks start
filtering in.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Ongoing passengers were being
treated to a special lunch in the <b>Concierge Lounge</b> in the <b>San Marco
Restaurant.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salmon was on the menu and
it was pretty much the same as the standard salmon meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lunch took a long time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I received an email from
Bradley and a phone message from Guest Relations to come see them about a room
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><b>Guess Relations</b> asked us to
look Cabin 2027 and see if it would be acceptable. We did that and told them
that to check for any other rooms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
tapped their keyboards and came up <b>Room 3118</b> which is Midships near Guest
Relations. I was concerned that we would hear music from the <b>Grand Foyer</b> but
the room is set back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We told the nice woman at Guest Relations that the room would be fine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said someone would come right away to move
our stuff from 2027.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It didn't go quite that smoothly but we eventually did relocate our stuff. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">On this cruise we are
assigned to <b>Celebrity Select Dining Table 502</b> – <b>San Marco Dining Room – Deck 5
– 6 PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>So no more waiting in line and
explaining what kind of table we need. This table is the last table on the port
side against the railing – a terrific table for two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We opted to pass on the
dining room tonight as there was nothing on the menu for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pasta and pizza in the <b>Oceanview Café </b>was our sail away dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ate on the back deck as it was still nice and warm in Tampa. We watched the sail away from there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkeKxJ1PNV1uD9jCZiIidg6ZtofxC7Ow-p_ILB1cQrQOyA6aN0060VVO4zISRACrGgDTGsbcBUfu9c87kDYd9OXm7ljgTUVnXAPDZpXdHHr7X0HIOwrj-GVCyrJGEqsrr0jmi_AfBhHAOW6pqo4MuS9JT_dvK83iLxL6Wr2OenA2dv7SsqamdSeDRKtE/s1024/IMG_20240222_tampa%20sail%20away%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkeKxJ1PNV1uD9jCZiIidg6ZtofxC7Ow-p_ILB1cQrQOyA6aN0060VVO4zISRACrGgDTGsbcBUfu9c87kDYd9OXm7ljgTUVnXAPDZpXdHHr7X0HIOwrj-GVCyrJGEqsrr0jmi_AfBhHAOW6pqo4MuS9JT_dvK83iLxL6Wr2OenA2dv7SsqamdSeDRKtE/w400-h180/IMG_20240222_tampa%20sail%20away%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-J5YRR4YpPATAgx_3ajdlJm3aMSpJD9JQRziV4n5txHy1dobAN9WfrcK6ULYTF5RfHacueOc_B_XHXYPCzEknTeqgPimjY1fc34Yyghr1yQB5jivYJFBYpA6vFPDKb0k92hmMskOmTQtXwSnc4AFjJ6519e_HO821WCHS-ljS1ID8lCxXEA9NJw-N8k/s1024/IMG_20240222_Sail%20away%20sunset%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-J5YRR4YpPATAgx_3ajdlJm3aMSpJD9JQRziV4n5txHy1dobAN9WfrcK6ULYTF5RfHacueOc_B_XHXYPCzEknTeqgPimjY1fc34Yyghr1yQB5jivYJFBYpA6vFPDKb0k92hmMskOmTQtXwSnc4AFjJ6519e_HO821WCHS-ljS1ID8lCxXEA9NJw-N8k/w400-h180/IMG_20240222_Sail%20away%20sunset%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;">We also passed on tonight’s Show
– <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“David Klinkenberg”</b> (yes, that
David Klinkenberg – he joined the ship last cruise).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came in the beginning to see what Sue
might say about the Beyond the Podium lectures and she did mention me briefly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our new room is quiet and the
layout makes it feel like it has a balcony. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3H1mtrvNpOES1O0ZONtl5DmjF4ctROJb1EXzcLs-sc8qZcNz05ltilV2K4m5SJWgrsMWRFuiuF_HB_m7Fz3pi4Nou6Lcn7uZExuPqFq_hxpSlHExrxnWZOQAEsxqZMbj6swBIinTh_1ESxHOB5fEwHv-B8L3gmY3NPcXD28Q0GF2NxjHnfHDdS5LB38/s1024/IMG_20240228_Cabin%203118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3H1mtrvNpOES1O0ZONtl5DmjF4ctROJb1EXzcLs-sc8qZcNz05ltilV2K4m5SJWgrsMWRFuiuF_HB_m7Fz3pi4Nou6Lcn7uZExuPqFq_hxpSlHExrxnWZOQAEsxqZMbj6swBIinTh_1ESxHOB5fEwHv-B8L3gmY3NPcXD28Q0GF2NxjHnfHDdS5LB38/w400-h180/IMG_20240228_Cabin%203118.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The bed is bigger than our previous one – “California Queen” maybe. </span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-1554318265635366662024-03-10T06:28:00.000-07:002024-03-10T13:57:31.542-07:00February 21, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Warm – 70sF<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I think I slept a bit better
last night – don’t know why.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">With the time change, I was
able to get a marvelous Sunrise up in the Oceanview Café, along with my usual
wonderful breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coffee was
really hot this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4vnoFt0nprkCQzhPnE-HhiltacvqhChxU4eFmCutifQtWzybZql8mzSJ3bHf4jxdcRk_oQk0eaJ61YU4BQT3V6zhi7GDO7xstg-dRTmza8IBeQOolkwmiSkBjCLW_mtMj5mZUF2Q7AFUKHWPLvKNXPJDqVkPQqXEEw1glKtgLfE3pv5yt1MNIPwtK7Y/s1024/IMG_20240221_Here%20comes%20the%20sun%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4vnoFt0nprkCQzhPnE-HhiltacvqhChxU4eFmCutifQtWzybZql8mzSJ3bHf4jxdcRk_oQk0eaJ61YU4BQT3V6zhi7GDO7xstg-dRTmza8IBeQOolkwmiSkBjCLW_mtMj5mZUF2Q7AFUKHWPLvKNXPJDqVkPQqXEEw1glKtgLfE3pv5yt1MNIPwtK7Y/w400-h180/IMG_20240221_Here%20comes%20the%20sun%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">My final talk, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Open Unsolved Cases: Forensic Genetic
Genealogy”</b>, drew essentially a full house (if you don’t count the seats
nobody wants to sit in – in the front along the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So probably about 95 percent full – rounding
up to a full house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvdQQ9G7RQdluBFGox0yQlfZDehEYtOpxabYt4eqqidnwuIcM_VjCrb8kkXEBU4UfDEdI9YXiyL1NWPrVAVPhm9zP8md42omHiixat2r-CQBPtViBJjYb-OgSgpBpSWlnzPhh5sfkZ-leXpSryCPy0b_5xjqt9EtaTf2pNSK7F7vW6FcbMSmynSyWW3A/s1024/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvdQQ9G7RQdluBFGox0yQlfZDehEYtOpxabYt4eqqidnwuIcM_VjCrb8kkXEBU4UfDEdI9YXiyL1NWPrVAVPhm9zP8md42omHiixat2r-CQBPtViBJjYb-OgSgpBpSWlnzPhh5sfkZ-leXpSryCPy0b_5xjqt9EtaTf2pNSK7F7vW6FcbMSmynSyWW3A/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHUcSz8CWLrW0Z__llG59B0htq6r_TKCpBHWyIOZaT6m5LAqPxT-KBGdx3NYoAOVSE5be_sQFousevmziXi2Ee-J0MdrdzIXz4JRUn5Xgfu5IzW_CXf9lUCTVbvHTvedpXLS-OQWzdwKf3gmWT4wef6dUybaR2T-2lWpPwcfAhHrQ3qLzYDmNOPtjfWY/s1024/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHUcSz8CWLrW0Z__llG59B0htq6r_TKCpBHWyIOZaT6m5LAqPxT-KBGdx3NYoAOVSE5be_sQFousevmziXi2Ee-J0MdrdzIXz4JRUn5Xgfu5IzW_CXf9lUCTVbvHTvedpXLS-OQWzdwKf3gmWT4wef6dUybaR2T-2lWpPwcfAhHrQ3qLzYDmNOPtjfWY/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURKldP2_56NKxplQArNc5cTCHpN7-40B-6O27aQDtefvY_0k_4TZjP2ZqyuDyg7ShrOlROS54KcxdSTjYzQU7Awlv1_ZpJcb3Drhs_2oVyqNarNSDUDZWZnWSJSPVbJqfH90BR20ln8T55gkG8hZEe0TW7jK1nwOcaFvdFHztNARhDW0jSYMusoitY3Y/s1024/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURKldP2_56NKxplQArNc5cTCHpN7-40B-6O27aQDtefvY_0k_4TZjP2ZqyuDyg7ShrOlROS54KcxdSTjYzQU7Awlv1_ZpJcb3Drhs_2oVyqNarNSDUDZWZnWSJSPVbJqfH90BR20ln8T55gkG8hZEe0TW7jK1nwOcaFvdFHztNARhDW0jSYMusoitY3Y/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm92Be_g3GRcdhyVxWhwZgsX-gvmAClf6RZ-2qfLHHvQwjWqozW7-NlD0s7Mp0ZOAOIL7RVBmFbC8ec7nD25Cf3lpVZgblzCq1uuCBVV6FS71stDZTCI14Na20NhHu2hv19D8DcRlf4PXA2QcikK8McX3iVtbgJHudLN08MXRwFeRy92YH27d4qfRW1ew/s1024/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm92Be_g3GRcdhyVxWhwZgsX-gvmAClf6RZ-2qfLHHvQwjWqozW7-NlD0s7Mp0ZOAOIL7RVBmFbC8ec7nD25Cf3lpVZgblzCq1uuCBVV6FS71stDZTCI14Na20NhHu2hv19D8DcRlf4PXA2QcikK8McX3iVtbgJHudLN08MXRwFeRy92YH27d4qfRW1ew/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjyRbkHNkUDdt8PTVlKhMjKCpQ1UUzjvMGGBXzZRFVIHBgyFWQExVMqSZbE18hZ2SBX6GISKLykd1I1Hx1qmJ13MKAqsVfbUQ647odK0VXLbZvRwTi0BIoflyNOnt-NWssWq0u7lNWpzvnQH3wz_KXFVwJz-Di8W5im9Df_ILxZle6Du03ysdWzfjMVM/s1024/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjyRbkHNkUDdt8PTVlKhMjKCpQ1UUzjvMGGBXzZRFVIHBgyFWQExVMqSZbE18hZ2SBX6GISKLykd1I1Hx1qmJ13MKAqsVfbUQ647odK0VXLbZvRwTi0BIoflyNOnt-NWssWq0u7lNWpzvnQH3wz_KXFVwJz-Di8W5im9Df_ILxZle6Du03ysdWzfjMVM/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk%205.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQW_AkthnFrLZ6NI23VUANZJvrWdPIx3ztYUDxZzur4uWlX-PVsYKD9G_zJhzB25C-RQvS56OchauDugLl8b6Cps75xZx27Nv2wToTNZnxJ1jgH6QH1v3SIkNjZdY__VFTM92eGt0OYI6c0KfdmsP3kcBdkpt2f_V2aBjgEIwtn5pbeJzGDfgFpnfhyphenhypheniA/s1024/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQW_AkthnFrLZ6NI23VUANZJvrWdPIx3ztYUDxZzur4uWlX-PVsYKD9G_zJhzB25C-RQvS56OchauDugLl8b6Cps75xZx27Nv2wToTNZnxJ1jgH6QH1v3SIkNjZdY__VFTM92eGt0OYI6c0KfdmsP3kcBdkpt2f_V2aBjgEIwtn5pbeJzGDfgFpnfhyphenhypheniA/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Final%20Talk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91Xy3fAWuGr6FbAq2xolxVBpqXm0Eyh-2ORJ7M_KMdSs9caykyuWoPvhQxz7Po4R-K7LQGwCmeNKnYYHVjW91H3p5H4LSMHJrg5HUgbT_JPfGui3N8-f_RjijN4zLgsaWXvYpPTz7RhyphenhyphenMhXvTk2fbnds7BbFfe9_QG1FsPNICLmXLDbpzahfe_zACHQU/s1024/IMG_20240221_Good%20crowd%20Final%20Talk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91Xy3fAWuGr6FbAq2xolxVBpqXm0Eyh-2ORJ7M_KMdSs9caykyuWoPvhQxz7Po4R-K7LQGwCmeNKnYYHVjW91H3p5H4LSMHJrg5HUgbT_JPfGui3N8-f_RjijN4zLgsaWXvYpPTz7RhyphenhyphenMhXvTk2fbnds7BbFfe9_QG1FsPNICLmXLDbpzahfe_zACHQU/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Good%20crowd%20Final%20Talk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">It’s also amazing
how many people are up in the two levels of balconies.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><div><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I asked the audience how many people had perfect attendance and about 90 percent raised their hands.</span></div><div><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTcXf87Z34Hv6Mq06T1nKD8rUn-hc3AF9G-pByfNelKHbg0O_kNoQPtbHtMj_fyK5G4VXlqocPavYoo8wR3iLUu1MtENsQq3kaL72r_3_A25XnBEaZuzZEdn4s7weKnMBt9weNZ_oY6g280OCjSLtBwKXXg6hW32D1I0gq4L7HAsBBeAS_kDNumICcpA/s1024/IMG_20240221_Perfect%20attendance%20folks%20Final%20Talk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTcXf87Z34Hv6Mq06T1nKD8rUn-hc3AF9G-pByfNelKHbg0O_kNoQPtbHtMj_fyK5G4VXlqocPavYoo8wR3iLUu1MtENsQq3kaL72r_3_A25XnBEaZuzZEdn4s7weKnMBt9weNZ_oY6g280OCjSLtBwKXXg6hW32D1I0gq4L7HAsBBeAS_kDNumICcpA/w400-h225/IMG_20240221_Perfect%20attendance%20folks%20Final%20Talk.jpg" width="400" /></a><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"><br /></span><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I have only given this talk a
couple of times and the first time on Celebrity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had trimmed the talk to fit in the allotted
time and this made it go a lot smoother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was also able to get across the tech involved in this kind of DNA
testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy with both the
turnout and the talk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Ellen went to the Continuing
Passenger briefing in the Conference Rooms at 10:30 <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>We now know the
turnaround process. We also found out that we are changing rooms and that our
new room is 2027, which is located at the Forward Elevator Lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expect that this room will be noisy as it
will see a lot of Theater traffic and will also be able to hear the elevator dings
go off when the car arrives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I emailed
Bradley with my concerns about the room and he said he would look into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response was that the ship was full on
the next cruise and that room was assigned to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">When I got back to the room,
I got a call from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Guess Relations</b>
that a passenger had left a letter for me and that they would deliver it to
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I went to pick it up and it
was a very nice thank you note from a passenger who had attended the talks. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJVK7kfZ4isEQtvtXeehflaIpB5-tMCVDQ5ofS_vS-a7Q4o71QsKor_PGJ94PJh2-oCS756tnI6QVltx46bVJ5Wiwlrgmdpj2exn_KXsw6PcRNrFLD6wc4Sub6d-ABlXAu75PhJi3xPtgFWW2ehUCjW4i0GsCENZz_5l4F7XWCSP1E12wGSnuasCyoTk/s768/IMG_20240222_passenger%20Thank%20you%20card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJVK7kfZ4isEQtvtXeehflaIpB5-tMCVDQ5ofS_vS-a7Q4o71QsKor_PGJ94PJh2-oCS756tnI6QVltx46bVJ5Wiwlrgmdpj2exn_KXsw6PcRNrFLD6wc4Sub6d-ABlXAu75PhJi3xPtgFWW2ehUCjW4i0GsCENZz_5l4F7XWCSP1E12wGSnuasCyoTk/w315-h400/IMG_20240222_passenger%20Thank%20you%20card.jpg" width="315" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">As we always do, we ate dinner on the last night of the cruise in the <b>Oceanview Cafe </b>- still warm outside.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We spent most of the last
night of this cruise in our room – nice and comfortable. Tomorrow all we need to do is put everything
in our drawers and in the bathroom into our suitcases and a room steward will
move them and the hanging stuff and shoes to our new room. <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It's great to be an ongoing passenger.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p></div></div>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-62799001737697853252024-03-10T06:09:00.000-07:002024-03-10T06:09:29.868-07:00February 20, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Warm – 70sF<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Another beautiful and warm
day in the Gulf of Mexico.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Another great
breakfast up in the </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Oceanview Café.</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I’ve trained the staff in the buffet about my
cottage cheese and sour cream requirement and I seem to be able to get that
when I need it.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Beautiful views again
from my seat in the Café. The Sun was just coming up and look at how calm the seas are.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi787NV1vI8dsud5wvlXnBizpkiCMFfg1qN0uN7W1xbp-KFgOOaBgsmbZKrP9xWLSyMaahUBkRLXFJUg5YjNhiHKEER_KUmW7FHf11kLI7RbnsPywHJgnpLbg3zGYvm5qTOve_YLukCvGFzQlXIe5s4meokQZ6IUqBx0ddg5sGs85RP04EGnzX2HSorE5I/s1024/IMG_20240220_breakfast%20view%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi787NV1vI8dsud5wvlXnBizpkiCMFfg1qN0uN7W1xbp-KFgOOaBgsmbZKrP9xWLSyMaahUBkRLXFJUg5YjNhiHKEER_KUmW7FHf11kLI7RbnsPywHJgnpLbg3zGYvm5qTOve_YLukCvGFzQlXIe5s4meokQZ6IUqBx0ddg5sGs85RP04EGnzX2HSorE5I/w400-h180/IMG_20240220_breakfast%20view%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp3hguGrzO7FSSkfNAxwqvtUKR6eFQ2K5eFaAUXeB_zc4HOUESHSR0XZVRT06cusjq4nBKHupSUUFXzp-7znkzEaKCR5Oxi1rJbX0I186aM7OaQT8Qgg3_MVexsGbp_E310WsaWQGp8QFTOpkV6_QuMnHvFy_oCrGXQDEtec4dX_RXJsW5kvKmoGyuPY/s1024/IMG_20240220_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp3hguGrzO7FSSkfNAxwqvtUKR6eFQ2K5eFaAUXeB_zc4HOUESHSR0XZVRT06cusjq4nBKHupSUUFXzp-7znkzEaKCR5Oxi1rJbX0I186aM7OaQT8Qgg3_MVexsGbp_E310WsaWQGp8QFTOpkV6_QuMnHvFy_oCrGXQDEtec4dX_RXJsW5kvKmoGyuPY/w400-h180/IMG_20240220_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">My fourth talk, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Forensics and History: The Search for Jack
the Ripper”, </b>was scheduled at 10 AM in the Celebrity Theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should mention that I really like the talks
taking place at the same time and place each day – some ships like to move the
schedule around and all that does is confuse everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turnout again was terrific – more than 90
percent of the theater full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowd
was split between Lizzie Williams and Aaron Kosminski with Lizzie winning a plurality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The talk went very well and I finished on
time. My photographer was otherwise booked so no pictures of today's presentation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The headliner tonight was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Josh Christina</b>, </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06RRCxOhlye0vrnfXlTYurYNhWYRZmyXy1uknr2bcou6hz-qyVOlcwnnOwEji28wYt-ZPPgXUsRwgJ6rNhQaaWBUGNiEHAf0juS2ADvEsCSE2t2h-f9oBTNzdgDsLDhUF5lkHDvcySRFu7dUxeZ75HswnXItp5VrqclyxFECdBe0L5QavUzlq0ItiFNE/s1024/IMG_20240220_Josh%20Christina%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06RRCxOhlye0vrnfXlTYurYNhWYRZmyXy1uknr2bcou6hz-qyVOlcwnnOwEji28wYt-ZPPgXUsRwgJ6rNhQaaWBUGNiEHAf0juS2ADvEsCSE2t2h-f9oBTNzdgDsLDhUF5lkHDvcySRFu7dUxeZ75HswnXItp5VrqclyxFECdBe0L5QavUzlq0ItiFNE/w400-h180/IMG_20240220_Josh%20Christina%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERJN67CpS4npQfADe5SSBafVndChR-H07V2nXhSDQthdVJdYv0n6ONm7Eo6DINPCkAl9SyYTO3eR_W1oEu4_p454cCwUokVpY9dy38K6-_l4hBopC7i5XiwILOhnlZmQ3crEvrKaMUJcD_ESgvjpTnoDwdFxxQhgeVqdR7Lznh-MSwW8iigSapVCeGko/s1024/IMG_20240220_Josh%20Christina%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERJN67CpS4npQfADe5SSBafVndChR-H07V2nXhSDQthdVJdYv0n6ONm7Eo6DINPCkAl9SyYTO3eR_W1oEu4_p454cCwUokVpY9dy38K6-_l4hBopC7i5XiwILOhnlZmQ3crEvrKaMUJcD_ESgvjpTnoDwdFxxQhgeVqdR7Lznh-MSwW8iigSapVCeGko/w400-h180/IMG_20240220_Josh%20Christina%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">a pianist/vocalist who
looks like a younger version of Elton John and sounds like him as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was his first time on Celebrity and, I am
not really sure about this, his first cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He did the usual Jerry Lee Lewis piano noise fest and some Elton John
but he missed an opportunity to do some slower Elton John songs, which would
have balanced his playlist. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">After the show we went to
<b>Cellar Masters</b> (Deck 5 Forward) to hear <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Acoustic
Duo: Malenna</b> again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDITyBrsn_K-IGH61TxR1XjiY18DV66Y8Ml8u-aV7P33qOLE0MyvVq7rxrGFNNWbG2Ia0AFdmJBfeB1jW7ahMHW1G7Mi1aj3EH9EqvQCGJp6j2AbT2fU_9FZ5MuEbKbrO1HVDNPPhvT-Y8XMtSLM_6sprTfKVO-Ci6zJpQMAKlD1-7LwWGlym9Y494eXI/s1024/IMG_20240220_Acoustic%20Duo%20Malenna%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1024" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDITyBrsn_K-IGH61TxR1XjiY18DV66Y8Ml8u-aV7P33qOLE0MyvVq7rxrGFNNWbG2Ia0AFdmJBfeB1jW7ahMHW1G7Mi1aj3EH9EqvQCGJp6j2AbT2fU_9FZ5MuEbKbrO1HVDNPPhvT-Y8XMtSLM_6sprTfKVO-Ci6zJpQMAKlD1-7LwWGlym9Y494eXI/w400-h284/IMG_20240220_Acoustic%20Duo%20Malenna%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">They are from
Colombia and the duo is composed of Nathalia and Andres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really like their mellow Latin Sound and we
were close enough to them to take some decent pictures of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Earlier in the evening, I got
a great shot of the sun setting in the Gulf. <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVjI5RjmGsBhYjDd6rgRfYjB-RltxL2V-fTxFNPnezQ4Nf4ORDJ7bhAF2BylosLdfD3Cr3F5-lvJu1fuoFOT-hFNRJtd8JiwJSleYb5PlrkeemARqH4L_WJpAoaVoZc_AbQmn9Byv2uCgTrkIbqBJeynw07s0VJ470jqFd6e1Pg0M_YDDx3Oofj7J1-U/s1024/IMG_20240220_magic%20moment%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVjI5RjmGsBhYjDd6rgRfYjB-RltxL2V-fTxFNPnezQ4Nf4ORDJ7bhAF2BylosLdfD3Cr3F5-lvJu1fuoFOT-hFNRJtd8JiwJSleYb5PlrkeemARqH4L_WJpAoaVoZc_AbQmn9Byv2uCgTrkIbqBJeynw07s0VJ470jqFd6e1Pg0M_YDDx3Oofj7J1-U/w400-h180/IMG_20240220_magic%20moment%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-16187122040260696102024-03-09T19:36:00.000-08:002024-03-09T19:36:16.514-08:00February 19, 2024 – Cozumel, Mexico – Mostly Sunny – 79<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Another beautiful day on the
island of Cozumel.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I had another really
nice breakfast in the <b>Oceanview Café</b> (the pancake cottage cheese combo) and
caught the sunrise from my indoor table (I should be eating outdoors but these
seats are more comfortable). I brought Ellen her favorite meal - super room service.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwB0_fCYKlMbDZER-AhiJOoOMQkuEogFXIFWwsICSInBx9zg6ZXJpmcHFaZnLS8p0eTkYx3h9yWFQ30wu_AvIwXA2mhn4qD1flpitXpgFf8Xp93tZiQqEp27VNbY9KjQi5DX_w_HnQqA0FgFSHGQz-vkt-LhoPRFZOeRPDtiFYJclGudsdI5c0TEUfHQ/s1024/IMG_20240219_Sunrise%20breakfast%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwB0_fCYKlMbDZER-AhiJOoOMQkuEogFXIFWwsICSInBx9zg6ZXJpmcHFaZnLS8p0eTkYx3h9yWFQ30wu_AvIwXA2mhn4qD1flpitXpgFf8Xp93tZiQqEp27VNbY9KjQi5DX_w_HnQqA0FgFSHGQz-vkt-LhoPRFZOeRPDtiFYJclGudsdI5c0TEUfHQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_Sunrise%20breakfast%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Our plan today, as we usually
do when we come here, is to find a nice affordable spa for some well deserved
pampering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plans needed to be
revised as we docked in the <b>International Terminal</b> instead of in the city of
San Miguel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That meant we could not go
to our usual spa (too far away) and we would need to find an alternative near this
terminal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It’s a quiet day in Cozumel
today (both here and in the City Terminal).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only other ship here today is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Radiance OTS</b> (a ship that hosted a family cruise a few years
back).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSQVtQoUFC2Gs_3OY89iQ76rV-rIjNfDAEqSnOIubpaD0YdkIcFkAN_O7An4yI1aB1wqhIMaT4JRpwBRBRMH1_0gJWa-iZt8F_pfavdSpkIbPDLRv4Nh0prwBhpbrMzknTV8tg99sEuI-nDfFwb-3oMG_wTPqSCVd2jnSpUMYEROKwr27UN8vcfkjLuM/s1024/IMG_20240219_Constellation%20and%20Radiance%20OTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="1024" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSQVtQoUFC2Gs_3OY89iQ76rV-rIjNfDAEqSnOIubpaD0YdkIcFkAN_O7An4yI1aB1wqhIMaT4JRpwBRBRMH1_0gJWa-iZt8F_pfavdSpkIbPDLRv4Nh0prwBhpbrMzknTV8tg99sEuI-nDfFwb-3oMG_wTPqSCVd2jnSpUMYEROKwr27UN8vcfkjLuM/w400-h179/IMG_20240219_Constellation%20and%20Radiance%20OTS.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It’s docked right next to us and almost
exactly the same size as our ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If you look down toward the other City Pier, there are no ships.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qpalON8o-_W82ofnmHTjdhziSELkdkZRvqBRPDglTm-uKMxPqOgOYf45hvvjmLpTVhnrL0NlujLdGjPrd7Eq7ZGfAreqHeorvplCYTXwPfblQQa5XV2DB9GYOQzICdUU6kT9BF_4Rd5oHONCsRPLru631X6U8v1hGSryNkUo_YULmfsyuWUf5uDN8Xs/s1024/IMG_20240219_San%20Miguel%20de%20Cozumel%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qpalON8o-_W82ofnmHTjdhziSELkdkZRvqBRPDglTm-uKMxPqOgOYf45hvvjmLpTVhnrL0NlujLdGjPrd7Eq7ZGfAreqHeorvplCYTXwPfblQQa5XV2DB9GYOQzICdUU6kT9BF_4Rd5oHONCsRPLru631X6U8v1hGSryNkUo_YULmfsyuWUf5uDN8Xs/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_San%20Miguel%20de%20Cozumel%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
disembarked the ship around 10 AM and walked into the maze that is the shopping area at the
end of the pier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We followed the
confusing signage and finally emerged outside near the main street, <b>Avenida
Rafael E. Melgar</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We turned right and walked a few blocks
and found ourselves in <b>Mayan Plaza</b>, where we also found a spa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original price was $80 and the final
negotiated price was $120 for the two of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The session was really good – the place had a door and not curtains and
also had A/C so it felt like an ocean breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Very relaxing and a future option near this cruise terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also used my remaining Euros (I Euro =
$1.08) so it works out well for everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Mayan Plaza has two Cozumel Signs so we got a picture of both of them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXYP_NTJTf7f89YZm43Xacg7o_ZPFKrtEybzLFduI5WJCFRyRcxYNm1y-xHwZyMlNejmfIhllJc13tKwToFkmMiL_fus5xeM2dFqyhO7CVTnEWo0iubcPRXf-z7ss655IX9D5v9-tJMcc6JfnuHfkJnxZGbKNbFBULmHL1l6FrvdVi8UyifQI-8790Eg/s1024/IMG_20240219_Cozumel%20city%20sign%20Mayan%20temple%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXYP_NTJTf7f89YZm43Xacg7o_ZPFKrtEybzLFduI5WJCFRyRcxYNm1y-xHwZyMlNejmfIhllJc13tKwToFkmMiL_fus5xeM2dFqyhO7CVTnEWo0iubcPRXf-z7ss655IX9D5v9-tJMcc6JfnuHfkJnxZGbKNbFBULmHL1l6FrvdVi8UyifQI-8790Eg/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_Cozumel%20city%20sign%20Mayan%20temple%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk1PiCIhNaLozRnJQ4n6dQKn-7fEkpXJnGn5OaIDT8I0mBiFJaIAoHK-YXayOdB-r3grwlq8ROh4wGMAdWuMAJ3JGio9g0z9ei5A3uxz_PH2jQQOituTej4hSuUM-Ad1X1xUN2NN52ZPKPQii2e3nTCci0apDGXmpnZ9o0YYw2CQtF52D-HSYgPrQkx4/s1024/IMG_20240219_114950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="1024" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk1PiCIhNaLozRnJQ4n6dQKn-7fEkpXJnGn5OaIDT8I0mBiFJaIAoHK-YXayOdB-r3grwlq8ROh4wGMAdWuMAJ3JGio9g0z9ei5A3uxz_PH2jQQOituTej4hSuUM-Ad1X1xUN2NN52ZPKPQii2e3nTCci0apDGXmpnZ9o0YYw2CQtF52D-HSYgPrQkx4/w400-h209/IMG_20240219_114950.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Right next to the spa, a
group of Mayan Flyers were putting on their show – we got some nice pictures of
them and left them a tip.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuL0jL2VGj3n89YIdOaS-69LkjSD-v8HxdCLLtCGbXPX4i21LRWeQ4As2fgqNULc9dfrVAFD0uZW646fmI_JV_Lzm2_DnJbhKEE7fnGg9debOdgPHBtJKxreUA0WubrMwoM5KgNbKWZPpCBUrfRTyCOdUxUjZQfoRp4tjGgnTTgqf9UjTpt8iZLJkPqXM/s1024/IMG_20240219_Mayan%20Flyers%20Cozumel%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuL0jL2VGj3n89YIdOaS-69LkjSD-v8HxdCLLtCGbXPX4i21LRWeQ4As2fgqNULc9dfrVAFD0uZW646fmI_JV_Lzm2_DnJbhKEE7fnGg9debOdgPHBtJKxreUA0WubrMwoM5KgNbKWZPpCBUrfRTyCOdUxUjZQfoRp4tjGgnTTgqf9UjTpt8iZLJkPqXM/w400-h225/IMG_20240219_Mayan%20Flyers%20Cozumel%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstye5JEBU9fxG-0BsfEpul0YIntGc7MKpRMX9j0NX254_pm37vvK0A9LP_VbJSQxH516qW8oj-mKelXx5cTxgiOpUyouhIbvGhNNAOXB6mRzuSl2sgktDx-23vt98zkFN_xWgy2Vtn7NU7PfiZcCT9_USEVnYTAZUv7Xx5_xJMgTDPhRDwZ-nX_JpO2o/s1024/IMG_20240219_mayan%20flyers%20Mayan%20Plaza%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstye5JEBU9fxG-0BsfEpul0YIntGc7MKpRMX9j0NX254_pm37vvK0A9LP_VbJSQxH516qW8oj-mKelXx5cTxgiOpUyouhIbvGhNNAOXB6mRzuSl2sgktDx-23vt98zkFN_xWgy2Vtn7NU7PfiZcCT9_USEVnYTAZUv7Xx5_xJMgTDPhRDwZ-nX_JpO2o/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_mayan%20flyers%20Mayan%20Plaza%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">There were some other buildings in the Square and we found some interesting figures to shoot. One of them looked like the Cisco Kid so that makes me Pancho.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbtOhj1HQBAmYqm9bwFhju-A-Qm6yx2njQgaglH-D7msHOTZFifXj-BfJ_YEECgVrfQlG_uAdNhgcA-k9mPE1FOZZlFHo-X7ClNWv4IeD-xSFJjnCCgIyf2CRY0ODrvQg0-FGdBTzA4RliVwUlof-MDFplaXEbXjr1W5hUCB5vWVjvMYVvT2uxXNZJao/s768/IMG_20240219_Cisco%20Kid%20and%20me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbtOhj1HQBAmYqm9bwFhju-A-Qm6yx2njQgaglH-D7msHOTZFifXj-BfJ_YEECgVrfQlG_uAdNhgcA-k9mPE1FOZZlFHo-X7ClNWv4IeD-xSFJjnCCgIyf2CRY0ODrvQg0-FGdBTzA4RliVwUlof-MDFplaXEbXjr1W5hUCB5vWVjvMYVvT2uxXNZJao/w180-h400/IMG_20240219_Cisco%20Kid%20and%20me.jpg" width="180" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq02fvfxKXR4a01-Rjq5zF1zgRqskHWEaixgHnhhgCdJXV0gIsEB97XkbEAQj5zdeoscMf1mGsbN1I-x-2ZhRf3L7MwohnRragVDbazVMLRf_Usp62pIP7zl7iRE7ID9F4w4-jKYtuRDiNVFTPleJiy6eADtxuGwgijG8pqcb9VmZ6avATwA2ybFWWRr4/s768/IMG_20240219_local%20senorita%20and%20me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="487" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq02fvfxKXR4a01-Rjq5zF1zgRqskHWEaixgHnhhgCdJXV0gIsEB97XkbEAQj5zdeoscMf1mGsbN1I-x-2ZhRf3L7MwohnRragVDbazVMLRf_Usp62pIP7zl7iRE7ID9F4w4-jKYtuRDiNVFTPleJiy6eADtxuGwgijG8pqcb9VmZ6avATwA2ybFWWRr4/w254-h400/IMG_20240219_local%20senorita%20and%20me.jpg" width="254" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I was looking for a place for
a beer so we stopped at <b>Al Chili</b> – we went there on a promise of salsa and
chips.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1VRH1NvkeCQi3CsdIBPVJcT1BXCaHwT43SG3KSnvD04achTK2K1QHuLjOXHfisVjJWVS1oGQkH_ZMGDqDWwShvb9Ujg5YWprL6wz8VsWoQ_syTLXPRk6bZVA0l9e6UemIJ4Ymfxs5ky5Rx0IlFINBKMqlAYZgtzdQ1_3s9zLx5HSp1LEODWOm81v52o/s1024/IMG_20240219_finger%20food%20at%20Chilis%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1VRH1NvkeCQi3CsdIBPVJcT1BXCaHwT43SG3KSnvD04achTK2K1QHuLjOXHfisVjJWVS1oGQkH_ZMGDqDWwShvb9Ujg5YWprL6wz8VsWoQ_syTLXPRk6bZVA0l9e6UemIJ4Ymfxs5ky5Rx0IlFINBKMqlAYZgtzdQ1_3s9zLx5HSp1LEODWOm81v52o/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_finger%20food%20at%20Chilis%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The Tecate Light (in a can?) was $3 and
Ellen’s Diet Coke was $2.50 – I ate the chips but did not try the salsa and dips (a lot of cruise ahead of us).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Not quite the beer moment I was looking for
but we'll have other opportunities. We did take a pretty good selfie.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIeuItpGzxD3I_6V0T-FQdRc3k1oLJBZ7E8NHxvJ_7xvfTXUtksW-XoxPef8GTlo_8gApetWkKdKw0vIc2HVbSiXw8rSRBa0kGRaLKRUBD0_fjDocGsSdJRf1c_Eey1IrLLKga1xIOX_Wx9bPqf3c3VAXmLCSuAlyMLnr9U0FzZ69doJrJQiQLz0yEpw/s768/IMG_20240219_Cerveza%20and%20diet%20coke%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIeuItpGzxD3I_6V0T-FQdRc3k1oLJBZ7E8NHxvJ_7xvfTXUtksW-XoxPef8GTlo_8gApetWkKdKw0vIc2HVbSiXw8rSRBa0kGRaLKRUBD0_fjDocGsSdJRf1c_Eey1IrLLKga1xIOX_Wx9bPqf3c3VAXmLCSuAlyMLnr9U0FzZ69doJrJQiQLz0yEpw/w300-h400/IMG_20240219_Cerveza%20and%20diet%20coke%20.jpg" width="300" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I would have liked to nurse my beer a bit but the seats (make out of tree branches) were uncomfortable and the music was blaring so we continued back to the ship.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We walked a bit more and came to a strip mall that used to have a Karl’s Jr. (now closed).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It did sport a crazy shark that just begged for a picture. You could climb into the shark from the back so it looked like you'd been swallowed. A bunch of kids were doing that but I could easily get stuck in there.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxLw9Ek28dpB3No3A9bSETQKF2yYriz8eZDQfdfzI24m7pbeI9F2YTOllc19GRh38wRSi8q1GNzRfn5nIORL6Q_Ui8MGZKliAMJvmH3sItQcsXNHArku9LBQ0PAhedBf8j8UyDFEx1pv-FTpK9IwMToeta_k1fUp7bDmc565nFoAApbu-x0m9WWyK3FM/s768/IMG_20240219_Cozumel%20land%20shark%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxLw9Ek28dpB3No3A9bSETQKF2yYriz8eZDQfdfzI24m7pbeI9F2YTOllc19GRh38wRSi8q1GNzRfn5nIORL6Q_Ui8MGZKliAMJvmH3sItQcsXNHArku9LBQ0PAhedBf8j8UyDFEx1pv-FTpK9IwMToeta_k1fUp7bDmc565nFoAApbu-x0m9WWyK3FM/w180-h400/IMG_20240219_Cozumel%20land%20shark%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">A little further into that little mall we came across a <b>cenote</b>, a deep well fed by underground rivers. This one didn't look that deep and was pretty scummy. Divers like to explore cenotes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AYBjrtZL6_DhSB-5iVQrJDkrdoy8km8WScxnMwg6gvMnhl4xQvauQFoO75y-LnypKjT0KEIeDb8Qb47cbCye669K24-f3hcd9IZrCThvKf6HMwpvBNPAFF6hqaavM8Uj1DIPLsykLQ6sHjDEluuoVWUTfhvIF17zjcauI2-IrLhy-mW0mDIAw40CIiY/s1024/IMG_20240219_Cenote%20near%20Israeli%20store%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AYBjrtZL6_DhSB-5iVQrJDkrdoy8km8WScxnMwg6gvMnhl4xQvauQFoO75y-LnypKjT0KEIeDb8Qb47cbCye669K24-f3hcd9IZrCThvKf6HMwpvBNPAFF6hqaavM8Uj1DIPLsykLQ6sHjDEluuoVWUTfhvIF17zjcauI2-IrLhy-mW0mDIAw40CIiY/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_Cenote%20near%20Israeli%20store%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">A woman working in the esthetic store (creams and other paraphernalia) next door pointed out the cenote and also wanted to give Ellen some special face
cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were snared for about a half
hour in their store (I did get a beer out of the deal) and finally we were able to make our
escape. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We were looking for a
supermarket to get some bottled water but never found one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did score two waters from the lotion
store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we did find were additional “Cozumel” city signs on this walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c1b2m7VUBFbYcuHXfMlt-hUyBZCR70Isi2kFRa_jaSbpxSEKvFPbH0LHCYXHg-qMqAdFZI5BWNl-RdTyP5AAQSnJIJzFdctB7bNmJfrYhh9SkRMVV1RBehxkhBsfAmOhXWpgAIuKEL7hpE2fCSxW7-BEx6rhVdqz4NpdTf8qvAgx4UwQyCccTiGASYI/s1024/IMG_20240219_sign%20at%20the%20international%20pier%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c1b2m7VUBFbYcuHXfMlt-hUyBZCR70Isi2kFRa_jaSbpxSEKvFPbH0LHCYXHg-qMqAdFZI5BWNl-RdTyP5AAQSnJIJzFdctB7bNmJfrYhh9SkRMVV1RBehxkhBsfAmOhXWpgAIuKEL7hpE2fCSxW7-BEx6rhVdqz4NpdTf8qvAgx4UwQyCccTiGASYI/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_sign%20at%20the%20international%20pier%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AHFDF3CoC4VPsT2aHk3iz41YKPMWgdov7f17UJL_gH8-is38TqrRdTDm8VE71OjQMN4JeNWp8NQPMAerZ7meSW7RziS0_wpbIbN9azzn9j6YauGGn6wEIty5clAZDo__-5DaIEluscOawR7VotSwmeDrtdoFXCkaarBOhNnOHExT7qZW2oXdQn_g8Nc/s1024/IMG_20240219_City%20Sign%20and%20ships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="1024" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AHFDF3CoC4VPsT2aHk3iz41YKPMWgdov7f17UJL_gH8-is38TqrRdTDm8VE71OjQMN4JeNWp8NQPMAerZ7meSW7RziS0_wpbIbN9azzn9j6YauGGn6wEIty5clAZDo__-5DaIEluscOawR7VotSwmeDrtdoFXCkaarBOhNnOHExT7qZW2oXdQn_g8Nc/w400-h201/IMG_20240219_City%20Sign%20and%20ships.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Back on the ship we had lunch
and then spent the afternoon on Deck 4 facing the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Radiance OTS </b>(the other side was the smoking side).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The side by side orientation of the ships provided a natural wind tunnel so we had a nice breeze. </span>It was very nice. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">After dinner, we went to see <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Al Ducharme</b>, comedian and sound
generator in the Theater. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpP77m5oEja0dW-EGFzZmBJuXMP3nLkqYG4BLZUKkA3SdsBivJDZ0pVBZBuEPZcPDrHIwk40_igWCpgBfeIChlsNKs1PAsQ-awxpuMpucmJ-0KSqiumxBdEIV8dTE9GnfC_gl85vTHrDw10Daw8V30NZU33auM33mKZyxK9ruaywfO-RBvZBAVXuSCNok/s1024/IMG_20240219_Al%20Ducharme%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpP77m5oEja0dW-EGFzZmBJuXMP3nLkqYG4BLZUKkA3SdsBivJDZ0pVBZBuEPZcPDrHIwk40_igWCpgBfeIChlsNKs1PAsQ-awxpuMpucmJ-0KSqiumxBdEIV8dTE9GnfC_gl85vTHrDw10Daw8V30NZU33auM33mKZyxK9ruaywfO-RBvZBAVXuSCNok/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_Al%20Ducharme%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It’s unusual to have two comics on the same cruise (Toni Esposito got
off the ship).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Al was funny in a creative
way – straight jokes and some bizarre sound effects. The crowd liked him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Once Al was done, Sue said
she had a surprise for the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
crew of the Constellation did their march down the aisles and gathered on the
stage; they were followed by the Command Staff and <b>Captain Morfis</b>, who then
addressed the crowd and thanked the crew and audience. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMw2nbftNWblcKPRzp6pJ_ejodfeCRo42oUAU86nMmwZdExIW30RV6kQ2_wWmSxTFUzwPoxB_1V-jT7pniqby5Mc88xwmHzH-avoS36Ugf9sQeGOl_7zgJxcahPu2ZJE4RRpvPZjAqo4lBblUXSAhzELR_xf-1iwTc_sCs3rNrN4r1lqT7NApDb9EwC8/s1024/IMG_20240219_capt%20and%20crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMw2nbftNWblcKPRzp6pJ_ejodfeCRo42oUAU86nMmwZdExIW30RV6kQ2_wWmSxTFUzwPoxB_1V-jT7pniqby5Mc88xwmHzH-avoS36Ugf9sQeGOl_7zgJxcahPu2ZJE4RRpvPZjAqo4lBblUXSAhzELR_xf-1iwTc_sCs3rNrN4r1lqT7NApDb9EwC8/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_capt%20and%20crew.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4WFPJcJ3zt7cPydgNbIQcalnKrAe_cKfdXEsY9GGw3WRGbEDaCn3yw9Ik7ERyFiRRw76GFMOgCX0ukCvxxhYe-CNlUpdECQTj9yvWx_76OGgnLV90XMarAm8siU3u0QbCjXL2sko1wEroQym3HCNETmDhWyR0WA050VXt16nVo_8Bi2hXZCrNrLanh0/s1024/IMG_20240219_the%20ganze%20mishpucha%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4WFPJcJ3zt7cPydgNbIQcalnKrAe_cKfdXEsY9GGw3WRGbEDaCn3yw9Ik7ERyFiRRw76GFMOgCX0ukCvxxhYe-CNlUpdECQTj9yvWx_76OGgnLV90XMarAm8siU3u0QbCjXL2sko1wEroQym3HCNETmDhWyR0WA050VXt16nVo_8Bi2hXZCrNrLanh0/w400-h180/IMG_20240219_the%20ganze%20mishpucha%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We went back to the room after their recessional. </span></span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-5573252173480583452024-03-09T18:55:00.000-08:002024-03-09T18:55:32.214-08:00February 18, 2024 – Belize City, Belize – Cloudy, Rainy, and Windy – 79F<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Belize City is a tender
port and with the weather, the tenders are delayed.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">The <b>P&O Aurora</b> (the ship we travelled alongside with to Peru) is anchored out here as well.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzDLZWMs2pOM9N88sjXmQOMQ9b9QrfgJYZWcSeUzIwA1rzccibgRP6vuxOBA3RjfUTJxeVidUF8U91muU6yj7fNCIUgiGqVLbrd4WIeNUPwqNhyphenhyphen8oRrpLptVjozys_GGuXwC0qAVSiSy3MbMY1eig56CqoCiVtlVP4M6dLjM8H-moAsghnkPO6cEAwcA/s1024/IMG_20240218_PO%20Aurora%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzDLZWMs2pOM9N88sjXmQOMQ9b9QrfgJYZWcSeUzIwA1rzccibgRP6vuxOBA3RjfUTJxeVidUF8U91muU6yj7fNCIUgiGqVLbrd4WIeNUPwqNhyphenhyphen8oRrpLptVjozys_GGuXwC0qAVSiSy3MbMY1eig56CqoCiVtlVP4M6dLjM8H-moAsghnkPO6cEAwcA/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_PO%20Aurora%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Nr0ZqKwgw2rEpOq58upkFHx46PTgrbwRJiF7lnhsPw04xkT5oJnFcahxk4nQsDclyl9KknuMx0_yzd8IwFepXwIW8RYsBMUc8qN5H9TPMr6Vz838VI_AeWI4pnF4kpncLgGcU4MjJW_POKeTvJsuJRBGTYUsMmoFPym638qXA-gg4VD4qNFjChfrAJg/s1024/IMG_20240218_Aurora%20and%20tender%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Nr0ZqKwgw2rEpOq58upkFHx46PTgrbwRJiF7lnhsPw04xkT5oJnFcahxk4nQsDclyl9KknuMx0_yzd8IwFepXwIW8RYsBMUc8qN5H9TPMr6Vz838VI_AeWI4pnF4kpncLgGcU4MjJW_POKeTvJsuJRBGTYUsMmoFPym638qXA-gg4VD4qNFjChfrAJg/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Aurora%20and%20tender%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Today we tried
something different for breakfast – I did not go up the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead I waited for Ellen and we both went to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco Dining Room</b> for breakfast. We got a table at a window but
close to another table (we did chat with those folks).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen had apple pancakes and fried eggs and I
had regular pancakes with fried eggs (along with an oatmeal starter).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issues with the dining room is that most
of the food arrived at the table cool or cold and getting coffee refills was
very difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a different
experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">So far, we are not
thinking of going ashore – the weather has not improved much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead we are in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reflections Lounge</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
little chilly up here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">When the winds died
down, the tenders started their shuttles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It still didn’t look that
great over in Belize City so we spent the day basically handing out in the
<b>Reflections Lounge </b>or in the <b>Solarium.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Solarium was a little warmer than most of the ship so that was a plus.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BGIKuvUSBWFPUE1Uk4QsMeXm-uPVb5zMwuKby36U0KGEtM43PO10_Tr7PZdQcFheM7nMqU-UdSbKaPF4LWYqot-88znXpYJ1iBoLSXQKqPSDr-aep9dYBdY4tuzUFRDM7hCqRdoRkRIrHFfmnbVXF3tULo4agoSiDxY1_HetGa1Pzy6kKP9jyop5BUc/s1024/IMG_20240218_Solarium.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BGIKuvUSBWFPUE1Uk4QsMeXm-uPVb5zMwuKby36U0KGEtM43PO10_Tr7PZdQcFheM7nMqU-UdSbKaPF4LWYqot-88znXpYJ1iBoLSXQKqPSDr-aep9dYBdY4tuzUFRDM7hCqRdoRkRIrHFfmnbVXF3tULo4agoSiDxY1_HetGa1Pzy6kKP9jyop5BUc/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Solarium.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">At the far end of the Solarium, the spa staff was doing free face treatments so Ellen gave it a try.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sWhm4mHjGkFOmUtQERqfZ8YdC-nluRKEpbq-H6eVAKD8QrEpEl5YvOEcqeQg2QRqZHxHRf7lhAv2YmUyWTZ7ATwcHMqC6gND_bjJDVLWYTSFAHbEecGhg876xCENo4WSZxgtzUb4zSOe2gISJU7jB9EkOSDhjRq2zxs0WwelbuOCa0IKsb61Iskq5YA/s768/IMG_20240218_getting%20the%20beauty%20treatment%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sWhm4mHjGkFOmUtQERqfZ8YdC-nluRKEpbq-H6eVAKD8QrEpEl5YvOEcqeQg2QRqZHxHRf7lhAv2YmUyWTZ7ATwcHMqC6gND_bjJDVLWYTSFAHbEecGhg876xCENo4WSZxgtzUb4zSOe2gISJU7jB9EkOSDhjRq2zxs0WwelbuOCa0IKsb61Iskq5YA/w180-h400/IMG_20240218_getting%20the%20beauty%20treatment%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Ellen also found another cruise duck - this one is a miliary duck.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUpXTP_NaJ9p9uwz-otC_PcdZ6gDiIctfB2wpZtPOb6rO8HRJLG8ZvDrfRXChlmfbAPvctIShGxVL2NSMBN5lA9b-Bno0YZ4xvYGKkDZiciqz49Xvkc7kfXfESUaqnJ0_FEz7s1Wuk8-9sNUsww9Xu2dhNocNeFCtUQOXHQnRByJm-rahtdgsEKbgqYI/s768/IMG_20240218_Cruise%20duck%20found%20yesterday%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUpXTP_NaJ9p9uwz-otC_PcdZ6gDiIctfB2wpZtPOb6rO8HRJLG8ZvDrfRXChlmfbAPvctIShGxVL2NSMBN5lA9b-Bno0YZ4xvYGKkDZiciqz49Xvkc7kfXfESUaqnJ0_FEz7s1Wuk8-9sNUsww9Xu2dhNocNeFCtUQOXHQnRByJm-rahtdgsEKbgqYI/w250-h400/IMG_20240218_Cruise%20duck%20found%20yesterday%20.jpg" width="250" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Lunch today
consisted of the various salads, tuna and egg, along with potato salad, available at the very aft end of the buffet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, the tuna was terrific – sometimes, there are large chunks of tuna
in the salad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nice light lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I am making progress on “Dead
Mountain” but the plot is rolling out at a glacial speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope things pick up soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of red herrings being dropped
along the way and I don’t know which makes the most sense.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I had the made to order pasta
tonight for dinner – tomatoes, onions, broccoli, and garlic sautéed and then
mixed with spaghetti and marinara sauce poured on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a little better tonight – maybe not as
much oil used to sauté the veggies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
tossed salad completed the meal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We are excited about
tonight’s entertainer – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Michelle Dowdy</b>
is doing her Broadway Show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has a
super set of pipes and she’s loud (and on key) but not painful like some of the
singers on ships. Tonight she performed “Broadway Baby”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIdiOtm7GsSu46sMeW5RvJMkkZdIW_X0tNfK337RtudDVcXVdYXnk9lGPa2nTC6EySdXQarfx0jnYy3w_SIsoeNDBfY-89IkJ0WLJQjvO217iuznXuWpJBDxUMg08Mdv7kiiMZlIszshh56baXdycWkQY-UeOEW8dfgwE4mLPEjznru0ovOtQiOIKm8Y/s1024/IMG_20240218_Broadway%20Baby%201.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIdiOtm7GsSu46sMeW5RvJMkkZdIW_X0tNfK337RtudDVcXVdYXnk9lGPa2nTC6EySdXQarfx0jnYy3w_SIsoeNDBfY-89IkJ0WLJQjvO217iuznXuWpJBDxUMg08Mdv7kiiMZlIszshh56baXdycWkQY-UeOEW8dfgwE4mLPEjznru0ovOtQiOIKm8Y/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Broadway%20Baby%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUA5ammehq_TW2QsAxCQ-MWXPT0TVxJ_VRmJ7haKhqsGrbhnf2RBajIR1z1deN86kCVDEFouwHlOPt9QbJA_EY2eWOXVg9eBLjOOpMXRLB_3gXTzlsaHrbbuHvJ6okwSubSDEljxm1qmw4F7GyBcYG_QsG2JBf5DWiDICXN3qKkGOWP6VJ1w3XlQasyw/s1024/IMG_20240218_Broadway%20Baby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUA5ammehq_TW2QsAxCQ-MWXPT0TVxJ_VRmJ7haKhqsGrbhnf2RBajIR1z1deN86kCVDEFouwHlOPt9QbJA_EY2eWOXVg9eBLjOOpMXRLB_3gXTzlsaHrbbuHvJ6okwSubSDEljxm1qmw4F7GyBcYG_QsG2JBf5DWiDICXN3qKkGOWP6VJ1w3XlQasyw/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Broadway%20Baby.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“Good Morning
Baltimore” (of course), </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7olgVRY5cEHvS3STUnpRYWoUm0q8F7Nt4alZTxUfYxpHF4ZkKGyakZEmesGrFHK1C3vzoRG3hS2ESMM4fXMY0gONzIfz8TNEfiu0b8wftknOcLWhVT4eJv6gWw2DuGFrTU6JxEUahGIgrVG1SnZtFhwRwiVrnqPKPKJ1LVWLmKAapwe6npeGJOd3pCoU/s1024/IMG_20240218_Good%20morning%20Baltimore%201.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7olgVRY5cEHvS3STUnpRYWoUm0q8F7Nt4alZTxUfYxpHF4ZkKGyakZEmesGrFHK1C3vzoRG3hS2ESMM4fXMY0gONzIfz8TNEfiu0b8wftknOcLWhVT4eJv6gWw2DuGFrTU6JxEUahGIgrVG1SnZtFhwRwiVrnqPKPKJ1LVWLmKAapwe6npeGJOd3pCoU/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Good%20morning%20Baltimore%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PC_YoNJTF2Zm7dEIud8-bspn9H4FH7CH5Wz3RVlbGdboLpXgWJqNfjwZf62G5qS_CTRbXXcxO5Zb8dibRYGGs9SBc9R_RcL6oMvUtog8iXAHd00YInKKVNRIC8UnX5q97XqvRuV3LQeBgz4TffkVJ0RZSy4Rl7-LgXwvWrKWyO2s3y81i2KbIVUGGaI/s1024/IMG_20240218_Good%20morning%20Baltimore%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PC_YoNJTF2Zm7dEIud8-bspn9H4FH7CH5Wz3RVlbGdboLpXgWJqNfjwZf62G5qS_CTRbXXcxO5Zb8dibRYGGs9SBc9R_RcL6oMvUtog8iXAHd00YInKKVNRIC8UnX5q97XqvRuV3LQeBgz4TffkVJ0RZSy4Rl7-LgXwvWrKWyO2s3y81i2KbIVUGGaI/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Good%20morning%20Baltimore%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">“Somewhere That's Green” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1o2mAlhtL7HyFsYSpTdz7kmZfdM3Ygc0SqRw-kc_SLO8obX8PwsUQeBnFQv8RKQIJsDB61_qBAUVFpNgwSsgDKEasCk11UikwgNJqCkA8qzDDQexUKupGVH594sZlV2dz9JbaUbv966WA5SLOvZDld6NcIYp-dH-BBUIhQDkiZxp4-5OYV8lx5m6kv8/s1024/IMG_20240218_Somewhere%20Thats%20Green%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1o2mAlhtL7HyFsYSpTdz7kmZfdM3Ygc0SqRw-kc_SLO8obX8PwsUQeBnFQv8RKQIJsDB61_qBAUVFpNgwSsgDKEasCk11UikwgNJqCkA8qzDDQexUKupGVH594sZlV2dz9JbaUbv966WA5SLOvZDld6NcIYp-dH-BBUIhQDkiZxp4-5OYV8lx5m6kv8/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Somewhere%20Thats%20Green%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwVsEP7o8dfu9E4iACoKPxpGXei_zXnuGnVoDV23Ji1Q4H3mQtvrW00VqWfAfFq7ci3e0eyXfPVp0ziFsLoeIU6JbSpQjDOHBPNp9dDdwV6EaFDltBG33u3ZZYUfCc7NhI33FniDI_1DZXExANx-vR76IPMpMmRKhQRpct8MQUPSwPAxHeS1q5jjYlDw/s1024/IMG_20240218_Somewhere%20Thats%20Green%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwVsEP7o8dfu9E4iACoKPxpGXei_zXnuGnVoDV23Ji1Q4H3mQtvrW00VqWfAfFq7ci3e0eyXfPVp0ziFsLoeIU6JbSpQjDOHBPNp9dDdwV6EaFDltBG33u3ZZYUfCc7NhI33FniDI_1DZXExANx-vR76IPMpMmRKhQRpct8MQUPSwPAxHeS1q5jjYlDw/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Somewhere%20Thats%20Green%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and “Suddenly Seymour” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3rCisy2VuQLel2St1r-3tQKuA3eFS3fRqyLaFSXXENrxciGtTcvJnaAompgfOTMtp7NnaEPXyrfqnw-pc7vO-qNZ4NhQdLL0M3hqXviP6rKB5tUfeRGPkt8BuOZF0nioBdCSKCr9Q10Wj3H1QYLzazSmdIrgBpEVmKgA6c3BpcVj4rwXxteXOFO9_5Y/s1024/IMG_20240218_Suddenly%20Seymour%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3rCisy2VuQLel2St1r-3tQKuA3eFS3fRqyLaFSXXENrxciGtTcvJnaAompgfOTMtp7NnaEPXyrfqnw-pc7vO-qNZ4NhQdLL0M3hqXviP6rKB5tUfeRGPkt8BuOZF0nioBdCSKCr9Q10Wj3H1QYLzazSmdIrgBpEVmKgA6c3BpcVj4rwXxteXOFO9_5Y/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Suddenly%20Seymour%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">from Little
Shop of Horrors (she played Audrey II (the plant) in a version of that show),
“Come to the Cabaret”, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I Dreamed a
Dream”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapXBa68qlD5oN5CDm5Z0qSxcgAM53jH2RrZ84LsGQTY96r1dy0HPBewrgRN3JiJ-NxH0SWkD_JAfqHsmFYieITiNxxUu_DK3hXfR5VRz76hxHLt_RJq3yKgpssPgrBuu_53g1Dkz1ZHVVI2qmYa_x4N61noeLfsqnH3Rr1tKfBrvgwlKJU4fEWJPBuE8/s1024/IMG_20240218_I%20Dreamed%20a%20Dream%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapXBa68qlD5oN5CDm5Z0qSxcgAM53jH2RrZ84LsGQTY96r1dy0HPBewrgRN3JiJ-NxH0SWkD_JAfqHsmFYieITiNxxUu_DK3hXfR5VRz76hxHLt_RJq3yKgpssPgrBuu_53g1Dkz1ZHVVI2qmYa_x4N61noeLfsqnH3Rr1tKfBrvgwlKJU4fEWJPBuE8/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_I%20Dreamed%20a%20Dream%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhASVDcVgzdpPB3qYYwTk7KpTw7DktB0QmVHOvbv-SOBtmtawfbpUQfAlNfTA94Mz2T3vlXd65T_VTjiXyf5rGTLedNsYqh65IHsTq_mSpn-2BB5UrbHc71NltwtHShPrwl5mZWEnp26KwpPEnJ3zUB3xoUe-NoedStMNUnCJx8pKicP6CmUBr25qG18/s1024/IMG_20240218_Michelle%20Dowdy%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhASVDcVgzdpPB3qYYwTk7KpTw7DktB0QmVHOvbv-SOBtmtawfbpUQfAlNfTA94Mz2T3vlXd65T_VTjiXyf5rGTLedNsYqh65IHsTq_mSpn-2BB5UrbHc71NltwtHShPrwl5mZWEnp26KwpPEnJ3zUB3xoUe-NoedStMNUnCJx8pKicP6CmUBr25qG18/w400-h180/IMG_20240218_Michelle%20Dowdy%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It was a very entertaining show and she was joined by her fiancé on the
Little Shop of Horrors medley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">After the show, we took in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“The Lucky Band”</b> in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b> until they once again
got too loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The clocks go forward one
hour to put the ship on Eastern Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Seas are smooth but our twin
noises remain.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-57608324254307880812024-03-09T14:35:00.000-08:002024-03-09T14:35:31.778-08:00February 17, 2024 – Roatan, Honduras – Warm – Partly Cloudy – 79F<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Still not sleeping on
this ship even though there is no reason for it.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It is beautiful
outside and the temperature is forecast to be around 80F so it should be comfortable to get off and look around later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The <b>Oceanview Café</b> opened 30 minutes earlier
this morning to accommodate the folks on early excursions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had my usual waffles and stuff for
breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t depleted their
Daisy Cottage Cheese tub and there is still sour cream to be had (although, the
server keeps bringing me too much).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over
the past couple of days, the ship has placed a coffee wagon in the Café and the
coffee she serves is piping hot – that saves me a trip to the coffee
dispensers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia29-LlgS6tYvjsEfM4ExP5yUzZeA_YbAEsOdMxmrVBxRmXWqn5vk8dBmKuFbwitwYuGNJnhVZY_eWJay3LA5T0XPNiyUiR4FaV0dfTRe8A4oUHgHbaVoQAAc8m7Qnw2DpEn8iXn6Y2AKunevg9d6WNRDlnvkTW_bD6etQlJy7Tw0_uv3cTQ-VuWliGZI/s768/IMG_20240217_ET%20back%20deck%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia29-LlgS6tYvjsEfM4ExP5yUzZeA_YbAEsOdMxmrVBxRmXWqn5vk8dBmKuFbwitwYuGNJnhVZY_eWJay3LA5T0XPNiyUiR4FaV0dfTRe8A4oUHgHbaVoQAAc8m7Qnw2DpEn8iXn6Y2AKunevg9d6WNRDlnvkTW_bD6etQlJy7Tw0_uv3cTQ-VuWliGZI/w180-h400/IMG_20240217_ET%20back%20deck%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0ImhX1_nHZoEWvBWyTujSLk_QPpHwcaR1b7OgPjm2aKloGnl5ugkHNwht5gexfi9zprlSmOdKahS1ZqrzreJqGF8zXVJn-x3F6CgnGQpxkNtYrScWgA-0tBeK-6tlTHpTcdkJh-KImePRdwCWgusBig0jIs0oBIcz9L0da2oauIVCmmN7L4QtKr6n7A/s1024/IMG_20240217_Roatan%20Reflections%20Lounge%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0ImhX1_nHZoEWvBWyTujSLk_QPpHwcaR1b7OgPjm2aKloGnl5ugkHNwht5gexfi9zprlSmOdKahS1ZqrzreJqGF8zXVJn-x3F6CgnGQpxkNtYrScWgA-0tBeK-6tlTHpTcdkJh-KImePRdwCWgusBig0jIs0oBIcz9L0da2oauIVCmmN7L4QtKr6n7A/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_Roatan%20Reflections%20Lounge%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Constellation is the
only ship here today and we are docked at the pier closest to the terminal,
which saves us a long walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
disembarked at little after 10 AM and made out way over to the shopping
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Mf2e9f_J05IO8HgnMlKK96afgbYY3S06mI4wJvnw-CS6cfhhc3YQDrqc_02mgXEUfUQgu2TcQR_JBArfqIXLZnB86xLpZmUpEShpakVW5R5QGs45cwsA2ogAwiZkl3xA_RvLGJummxMR_4x3ios6Pr9B7Uy-DZrC4w6DvkxkthGuTwiuCCeeuTNzG5M/s1024/IMG_20240217_Constellation%20docked%20Roatan%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Mf2e9f_J05IO8HgnMlKK96afgbYY3S06mI4wJvnw-CS6cfhhc3YQDrqc_02mgXEUfUQgu2TcQR_JBArfqIXLZnB86xLpZmUpEShpakVW5R5QGs45cwsA2ogAwiZkl3xA_RvLGJummxMR_4x3ios6Pr9B7Uy-DZrC4w6DvkxkthGuTwiuCCeeuTNzG5M/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_Constellation%20docked%20Roatan%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There has been a lot of new
construction since we were here just a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were told that the large wooden structure
(that looks a bit like Noah’s Ark) will be the new and improved <b>Diamond’s International</b>
Store and it will most likely replace the smaller store in the shopping
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There was a little
stand selling Belizean coffee and although the bags contained a full pound (and
not 10 ounces), the bags sold for $18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My limit for coffee back home is less than $10 a pound and on cruise
ports between $5 and $7 a pound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
not crazy like Kona or Blue Mountain coffee but it is still out
of line pricewise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also was hoping for
some local beer but it’s only 10 AM and too early for me (FYI – beer is $6 a
bottle at the port).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We checked out some of
the shops – I was looking for a Roatan Cap for my collection but they were $13
and also out of line with price expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We did get out picture taken by the Roatan sign.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNPgEcTWRbsyn9zJ2u3YpZuiDGXx0P_KdtelHXzk9RGyFUPVGPhOKXYNzYjOfrolauRyAfgrvvlrreoNMjlNXZvkF70JhULntnpEQXNR702-Noz-Q7s4vKOMFSzb9Vb0nkggW_RmDo1UFS-rpEo27lgruhAyUu6az7bjZaC1UPPKogXYebGDirt2aljI/s768/IMG_20240217_We%20at%20Roatan%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNPgEcTWRbsyn9zJ2u3YpZuiDGXx0P_KdtelHXzk9RGyFUPVGPhOKXYNzYjOfrolauRyAfgrvvlrreoNMjlNXZvkF70JhULntnpEQXNR702-Noz-Q7s4vKOMFSzb9Vb0nkggW_RmDo1UFS-rpEo27lgruhAyUu6az7bjZaC1UPPKogXYebGDirt2aljI/w180-h400/IMG_20240217_We%20at%20Roatan%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It seemed a lot warmer
than 79F so we headed back to the AC on Constellation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no breeze on any of the open decks
so we found a couch in the <b>Solarium</b> (deck 10) by the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That generated some air movement when someone
opened the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Solarium was at a
comfortable temperature and the chlorine smell was minimal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">At 11:30 AM, I went
over to the <b>Pool Grill</b> and ordered a veggie burger with sautéed onions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a table in the Solarium and Ellen
had the Caprese Salad and Quinoa Salad from the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spa Cafe</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t serve
Iced Tea there so we both had the sugar saturated guava drink.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We spent the afternoon
in the Solarium reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We had dinner in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco Dining Room</b> since they had
two nice pastas on the menu tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had the Penne Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese sauce and
Ellen had the Pappardelle with Mushroom Ragout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We went early to dinner (around 5 PM) so we would be able to get good
seats for tonight’s show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both dishes
were very good and they both got finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We also both had Cesar Salads – they came dry (Ellen likes her dressing
light and no parmesan), which was a good thing because usually the salads sit a
while with dressing on them so they get soggy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We listened literally
to five minutes of <b>Acoustic Duo – Malenna</b> in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b> before getting good seats in the Theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Tonight is our favorite show on Celebrity
Ships – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Broadway Cabaret</b>” - where
the six Celebrity Singers perform Broadway and West End songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Tonight’s song list
included “On Broadway”, a medley from " Beautiful”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdvth0mh8SB0Dehek0l2g0OrXRr_MQT0buXx3kuCDVIIDaOPs-XC2KQcW51IiBqBG9Qe4xhYsyUy42crzKhvnZ16FRlNFLYI2Fgi34r3Vbx4W-m5yRQmSxVmGYfbugqIsFOPXdRTZIIwYDR-KVZh_avrjrdXLTBualKP4VviynrXwEyy13eSxvbL7sXQ/s1024/IMG_20240217_Beautiful%20medley%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdvth0mh8SB0Dehek0l2g0OrXRr_MQT0buXx3kuCDVIIDaOPs-XC2KQcW51IiBqBG9Qe4xhYsyUy42crzKhvnZ16FRlNFLYI2Fgi34r3Vbx4W-m5yRQmSxVmGYfbugqIsFOPXdRTZIIwYDR-KVZh_avrjrdXLTBualKP4VviynrXwEyy13eSxvbL7sXQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_Beautiful%20medley%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk61iUNEGUjut11WXjJOi_zmIElST9SYHmWAB2m7lo3rvNZghqX7Zt69u80UXdOV1T5QRo7wcVpcBDKoMK6tgXufLC7HGsm5nr2mqWQdprivYui5b3KiQ4aGrG0qNKjDarsGyi4eOZQI5T4D7icHPwJ9QESDxHZlab3ZGORHu5EoPtQ2Vqy5JM7qz6J4g/s1024/IMG_20240217_Beautiful%20medley%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk61iUNEGUjut11WXjJOi_zmIElST9SYHmWAB2m7lo3rvNZghqX7Zt69u80UXdOV1T5QRo7wcVpcBDKoMK6tgXufLC7HGsm5nr2mqWQdprivYui5b3KiQ4aGrG0qNKjDarsGyi4eOZQI5T4D7icHPwJ9QESDxHZlab3ZGORHu5EoPtQ2Vqy5JM7qz6J4g/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_Beautiful%20medley%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">a medley from “Les Miserables”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLjmogVbNSWBOZWIaRW4Oe5zEyQkU0LgmIDLk1t0AefA-nWS3wgh42gUxSAede6XQMUUe38X7SKqa8z0kp-vo7ptU6zD1MYKcxJp_hfVCqJ2lBRjUye42YJtFMMlymkzl-66_wGDK9zOyECtLyQKscl100AnJ4SOiMEebzenipIhbVFNLCyNS6o2Pz0Y/s1024/IMG_20240217_Les%20Mis%20medley%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLjmogVbNSWBOZWIaRW4Oe5zEyQkU0LgmIDLk1t0AefA-nWS3wgh42gUxSAede6XQMUUe38X7SKqa8z0kp-vo7ptU6zD1MYKcxJp_hfVCqJ2lBRjUye42YJtFMMlymkzl-66_wGDK9zOyECtLyQKscl100AnJ4SOiMEebzenipIhbVFNLCyNS6o2Pz0Y/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_Les%20Mis%20medley%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">“What I did for Love”, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3b59yJI0NliLXbeaZsVvSYKRhIl23KIBxJSQZXE3KNB1zfpRTBf0ZjOetyCsFonCn6JUKeETA71CixVVSxUG7g2IgO72EcRVk5S-8h7lW-MZ66hg02NPRGWqA1Ej1Ic0qUkZocUyYKYpn15htGbtIMovP6FnZJQ2NKr8kE0ZKWT3bCK9mULW72BTpuDY/s1024/IMG_20240217_What%20I%20Did%20For%20Love%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3b59yJI0NliLXbeaZsVvSYKRhIl23KIBxJSQZXE3KNB1zfpRTBf0ZjOetyCsFonCn6JUKeETA71CixVVSxUG7g2IgO72EcRVk5S-8h7lW-MZ66hg02NPRGWqA1Ej1Ic0qUkZocUyYKYpn15htGbtIMovP6FnZJQ2NKr8kE0ZKWT3bCK9mULW72BTpuDY/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_What%20I%20Did%20For%20Love%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvb0QhxM-Xrwt3TyYzmJ-FQujJRqpuSVEcOhHhIiwLAjLyy6KerMA8obG6vNGYLVKu8lGreDd4j8Z1N4xlu_x_UEYS48KevrqlHZAO9fJ29WiNgovUI2dMM_mMZK_IJEYgeJFZgOoU6PyVl8N0bkjVvb9hmkTY2xca8HyQhuoNTHDUnaouf4Kh4Jl3IE/s1024/IMG_20240217_What%20I%20Did%20For%20Love%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvb0QhxM-Xrwt3TyYzmJ-FQujJRqpuSVEcOhHhIiwLAjLyy6KerMA8obG6vNGYLVKu8lGreDd4j8Z1N4xlu_x_UEYS48KevrqlHZAO9fJ29WiNgovUI2dMM_mMZK_IJEYgeJFZgOoU6PyVl8N0bkjVvb9hmkTY2xca8HyQhuoNTHDUnaouf4Kh4Jl3IE/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_What%20I%20Did%20For%20Love%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">and the finale, “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhimUk4Vk-qllKnvbm0bcZxmQ3GdUjbbMZ62gEtK68SSUS5iX46Ige_a27zuYYmaIhUaXtZ86leKlRYnue9o0-C-PbUXJ8hJnmktLEuNz7lxrjtic9gpnLivkvr5oUmMCXgWuQvxFfA_tWo9gv6xoctRHWFpfNhV3X5egQSR6rSl_TezZKSzvSnc9OS0/s1024/IMG_20240217_You%20Cant%20Stop%20the%20Beat%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhimUk4Vk-qllKnvbm0bcZxmQ3GdUjbbMZ62gEtK68SSUS5iX46Ige_a27zuYYmaIhUaXtZ86leKlRYnue9o0-C-PbUXJ8hJnmktLEuNz7lxrjtic9gpnLivkvr5oUmMCXgWuQvxFfA_tWo9gv6xoctRHWFpfNhV3X5egQSR6rSl_TezZKSzvSnc9OS0/w400-h180/IMG_20240217_You%20Cant%20Stop%20the%20Beat%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It was, as it always is, a wonderful show.
The singers all have wonderful voices and deliver the goods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is real emotion in these songs and you
can feel it coming from the cast. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">After the show, we
went back to the <b>Rendezvous Lounge</b> to catch the <b>“Waves Party Band”.</b><b> </b> They are OK but their song list is odd and
they go from quiet stuff to very loud stuff.
We found seats away from the speakers but it still got to loud and we
headed for the room. We, regrettably missed <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tony Esposito’s</b> Adult Show but I, at least, was too tired to stay
up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt 377.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Lights out at 10:40.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-13454389173099011642024-03-09T12:44:00.000-08:002024-03-09T12:44:08.214-08:00February 16, 2024 – Caribbean Sea – Warmer – 70s<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Another beautiful sea day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Another nice breakfast – I
have worked out a system to get my cottage cheese and sour cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that both of these items are kept in
a fridge at the yoghurt table in the Oceanview Café buffet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people behind the counter will give me a
scoop of each when I ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, the
sour cream was somewhere else and the young lady brought me some to my
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">All my talks so far have been
scheduled for 10 AM in the Celebrity Theater. Today, I am presenting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Forensics and History: The Search for the
Unknown Titanic Child”</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
arrived at the theater at 9:30 AM, the doors are both closed but there are
people waiting to get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I always
do, I chatted with some of the guests before the talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy came down the aisle to talk to me and
he introduced himself as the comedian on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I recognized <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tony Esposito</b>
right away (although he was dressed a bit differently from his act).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he was at yesterday’s talk and he was
going to stay today, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked
a bit about comedy on board and then I had to get started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave Tony a little plug at the beginning of
my talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Attendance today was fantastic
with more than 80 percent of the seats filled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were people in both balcony levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great crowd. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I finished and showed a preview slide of
my Jack the Ripper talk, the audience gave me a big round of applause
(why).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyhow, a fun time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUi7fg1LjSNdnrUxxq0W89i3ZBNlCzgKJdRhKCWvE2A8HD6We3d93sC_1fl58nOuHTNJoQlQ7pJ4J96To8ksHni88zIOM-Lnk_xv59sIGPkcuTKNO6fO8UXCmHPl0O1Uk-7cpgukD-Web5FpH8bavcXln4hz1QO39y8-PsTMiXDddvUIX0-Oh7qhSavY/s1024/IMG_20240216_Titanic%20Child%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUi7fg1LjSNdnrUxxq0W89i3ZBNlCzgKJdRhKCWvE2A8HD6We3d93sC_1fl58nOuHTNJoQlQ7pJ4J96To8ksHni88zIOM-Lnk_xv59sIGPkcuTKNO6fO8UXCmHPl0O1Uk-7cpgukD-Web5FpH8bavcXln4hz1QO39y8-PsTMiXDddvUIX0-Oh7qhSavY/w400-h225/IMG_20240216_Titanic%20Child%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3cLiiVdbD0g6rfqQub-_xcM9C0F5RLGSo6T3HKeq2su-uJClvXz0GTmxaDrefFGk27Y1Sbu2pesw8bv1ONUWMFfzdftLlUe8OPoT93k3YNUMLHGHR_QUfXL_MjkGEtZKi7f565FTV5sAzbkUouG4cauVq0lxtvzTkhU_5JWdeFkCiKLCLmyuF4mqFgY/s1024/IMG_20240216_Titanic%20Child%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3cLiiVdbD0g6rfqQub-_xcM9C0F5RLGSo6T3HKeq2su-uJClvXz0GTmxaDrefFGk27Y1Sbu2pesw8bv1ONUWMFfzdftLlUe8OPoT93k3YNUMLHGHR_QUfXL_MjkGEtZKi7f565FTV5sAzbkUouG4cauVq0lxtvzTkhU_5JWdeFkCiKLCLmyuF4mqFgY/w400-h225/IMG_20240216_Titanic%20Child%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsJ_Tk0YIsXXr_Vj1Z9TOTCOZNCqaqgrRzsRXjhUA9f2hY_KzZz3rnqUcFarVEJjVMPPWaaQ9rZiUyRvnEkOlRolF91X_UYyKvm5txL-s-pYJTuAzrFPuA_Lgn8k-Rv2S9FoZLrmuQQb18gXnax_lEbiI7QzReR5YMOnUi9MbcY3_UGXNYHP-otMrQhQ/s1024/IMG_20240216_Titanic%20Child%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsJ_Tk0YIsXXr_Vj1Z9TOTCOZNCqaqgrRzsRXjhUA9f2hY_KzZz3rnqUcFarVEJjVMPPWaaQ9rZiUyRvnEkOlRolF91X_UYyKvm5txL-s-pYJTuAzrFPuA_Lgn8k-Rv2S9FoZLrmuQQb18gXnax_lEbiI7QzReR5YMOnUi9MbcY3_UGXNYHP-otMrQhQ/w400-h225/IMG_20240216_Titanic%20Child%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I chatted with a few guests
after the program out in front of the theater.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The captain and I believe the first officer stopped and told me that they
had been in the talk as well (I guess the Titanic is a subject the captain
would be interested in).</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Other captains
have come in and out of my sessions in the past but it sounded like they were
there the whole time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Today, we had lunch in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco Dining Room</b> because the menu
had some of our favorite items: crispy mushrooms in artichoke sauce, cold
potato leek soup, panini with eggs (Ellen’s favorite), and Nicoise Salad (tuna
well done, mostly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a table away
from everyone and the service was great. A very nice lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We spent the afternoon on
loungers on the open deck (away from the wind and in the shade).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I am reading “Dead Mountain”
a new novel by Preston and Child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We had dinner in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> – it’s Turkish Night (no
baklava unfortunately) so I just had a Cesar Salad, some feta cheese, some
pizza and some of the calzone (didn’t like it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not a great experience tonight but we did eat outside which was a treat. I also got a very nice picture of Ellen in her "against the railing" ionic pose.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0N2rJ7HVMoE9Upj2FgT0FljgeiRip_vfHpML7Vgt81asQJxWkJWPcMlChhDVQnpoXg0Ob8FpM-Mx1gtALXJlmp6MP8U4wZVLRb88x0oelAussVcBMprr-bcypXGkVHx2qNwM3-mghMiR0rsvsz2ymzAZIUOJi1oMj6AygwB0c6KDDRbO5Lygh8sJtQI/s1024/IMG_20240216_iconic%20ET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0N2rJ7HVMoE9Upj2FgT0FljgeiRip_vfHpML7Vgt81asQJxWkJWPcMlChhDVQnpoXg0Ob8FpM-Mx1gtALXJlmp6MP8U4wZVLRb88x0oelAussVcBMprr-bcypXGkVHx2qNwM3-mghMiR0rsvsz2ymzAZIUOJi1oMj6AygwB0c6KDDRbO5Lygh8sJtQI/w400-h180/IMG_20240216_iconic%20ET.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The entertainment tonight is <b>“The Magic of Gabriel”.</b> Gabriel, who is Italian, is the Magician in
Residence on Constellation. I could not
understand most of what he was saying and so we stayed for just a few minutes
before heading to Cellar Masters to hear <b>“Acoustic
Duo Malenna”</b>. They have a soft
soothing style – they are Hispanic and sometimes she sings in Spanish. Their set was nice. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The perfume on board the ship is a bit heavy
at times so we called in a night.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-81024457072137285962024-03-09T12:35:00.000-08:002024-03-09T12:35:02.500-08:00February 15, 2024 – Gulf of Mexico – Sunny Skies, Breezy – 70s<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Slowly getting warmer. The
seas are so smooth you can’t tell that the ship is moving.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">Another nice breakfast upstairs. Ate outside for the first time this cruise and got some nice pictures.</span></p><p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Wl0C9UYC-13ZGeBImkOl-bROV-Siy-oxEwDRFQdwLq6emO1c253x6mzhYaQJJyDm0IJq75LroW98pO5JdRQ_-275DGRDpXjWIQ63bWrd7ceo6WXd11AkgrOepik2JSvmPAB9Zk-vjXL73n8UG3SRO6ZpmBfD-qouaSQpGtw86Zvldvj1m5GGh5ta0Tk/s1024/IMG_20240215_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Wl0C9UYC-13ZGeBImkOl-bROV-Siy-oxEwDRFQdwLq6emO1c253x6mzhYaQJJyDm0IJq75LroW98pO5JdRQ_-275DGRDpXjWIQ63bWrd7ceo6WXd11AkgrOepik2JSvmPAB9Zk-vjXL73n8UG3SRO6ZpmBfD-qouaSQpGtw86Zvldvj1m5GGh5ta0Tk/w400-h180/IMG_20240215_breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeA9c1W1yBkUaP2p0NHLM-VX88rlcImBP0D96_stLqgHK1gifzhyphenhyphennmSYliMQM538zJrm09tZ6ASQjHX2TBMDcw0wTbgxf_0LNuivwu0yjDqZz3nSb8dHZa8wyPxrNha_QtEliOIAeH-a4nWLACsFNCwnLNAHLmSEwwnzcKc9m8W_0aE1PBGTPlMCggFJ0/s1024/IMG_20240215_breakfast%20view%20storms%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="1024" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeA9c1W1yBkUaP2p0NHLM-VX88rlcImBP0D96_stLqgHK1gifzhyphenhyphennmSYliMQM538zJrm09tZ6ASQjHX2TBMDcw0wTbgxf_0LNuivwu0yjDqZz3nSb8dHZa8wyPxrNha_QtEliOIAeH-a4nWLACsFNCwnLNAHLmSEwwnzcKc9m8W_0aE1PBGTPlMCggFJ0/w400-h179/IMG_20240215_breakfast%20view%20storms%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh5cr1GaYuA9kflUG03QiabPZJ_p8wZ45ePte_9tqOaaIBlvZl4g2saJIGrE4SeG4to8xirfktqDauG-qVIBjUhHuLkSLXngsbk9adgxQqHx_zw9VxQwGKhxq2mm-420FqRUH8t190xRGqdd_bgjV2HrK-xlxpYvUlKxBEYRSVQvJZkAd-oLo6brml_w/s1024/IMG_20240215_how%20many%20engines%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh5cr1GaYuA9kflUG03QiabPZJ_p8wZ45ePte_9tqOaaIBlvZl4g2saJIGrE4SeG4to8xirfktqDauG-qVIBjUhHuLkSLXngsbk9adgxQqHx_zw9VxQwGKhxq2mm-420FqRUH8t190xRGqdd_bgjV2HrK-xlxpYvUlKxBEYRSVQvJZkAd-oLo6brml_w/w400-h180/IMG_20240215_how%20many%20engines%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The Celebrity App which is
very handy has been down for a few days. Uninstalling and re-installing the App
does not do the trick. The software engineers successfully brought the app back
on line today – Nice Job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">My talk today – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Search for the Baton Rouge Serial Killer”</b>
– is at 10 PM in the Theater. This talk was requested by Celebrity as a tie-in
to the New Orleans stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turnout is
great with about 70 percent of the theater occupied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RN1KtpuhcpjhYrvOE9_wP9ae521u0P19Zd7IEHXyQiUOPVMY2TNKCohs8iMRqAus_sO0HHFreg8Yw2S04xVxDC2GjqZyYL22UR4ETzP8dbEJLUVEZ-YMmx1qobGb5u0mnSwRj6cLEmeXxmPdZ4ISFobgwQcOBj6uvXJb12JKWGUrFWE7RfV-7SACOEM/s1024/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RN1KtpuhcpjhYrvOE9_wP9ae521u0P19Zd7IEHXyQiUOPVMY2TNKCohs8iMRqAus_sO0HHFreg8Yw2S04xVxDC2GjqZyYL22UR4ETzP8dbEJLUVEZ-YMmx1qobGb5u0mnSwRj6cLEmeXxmPdZ4ISFobgwQcOBj6uvXJb12JKWGUrFWE7RfV-7SACOEM/w400-h225/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvLyBMf6QoKT5DSEBoAnfNaJdEy99WsENa82UvyZZFtIk3MHJqHmOolCHBDdOD2pH4mo9jUSP5YalfjGJ2yWYg6c_gi6nzkBl5uyzX5jS49MRIT1OvDeEauC1lxiy3v4mOlS2becJqCX2yaa_rXVcrrcsOOkPc6YhrzmBOXj46LsBaQu01e7upDs_oo8/s1024/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvLyBMf6QoKT5DSEBoAnfNaJdEy99WsENa82UvyZZFtIk3MHJqHmOolCHBDdOD2pH4mo9jUSP5YalfjGJ2yWYg6c_gi6nzkBl5uyzX5jS49MRIT1OvDeEauC1lxiy3v4mOlS2becJqCX2yaa_rXVcrrcsOOkPc6YhrzmBOXj46LsBaQu01e7upDs_oo8/w400-h225/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswotHEnHjPTP7tjM9KoELw4Ju50oFDwfredDgzV8zIzhln660zxg4Q-vQY-N9YdjXcACEllPxfa8rg9fJi6vthHKQP0Uznhy5n83qVHTO6eu4ztthKuzxwYBpfxz759-uz6mOiUgVo5y2Pmwjh3GPQsHPBagOrYisqmw0KIzbRR1BsQasYNBoigXcdq8/s1024/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswotHEnHjPTP7tjM9KoELw4Ju50oFDwfredDgzV8zIzhln660zxg4Q-vQY-N9YdjXcACEllPxfa8rg9fJi6vthHKQP0Uznhy5n83qVHTO6eu4ztthKuzxwYBpfxz759-uz6mOiUgVo5y2Pmwjh3GPQsHPBagOrYisqmw0KIzbRR1BsQasYNBoigXcdq8/w400-h300/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRZu7t89hup1esFvK-co4YWzAmbgKaq12bNHUfXq-pDpUVLqf2UAb9k8uA7Pk3yN7S7YZpeFRskx_vg5TGX89n2u_fYg3Px14U9wqjW1zi6OchM_zFxcCS5plXx9wiEtGaHUsjwFA9tGXpOl0zPxrzMq4_u_7Yicz5z_PZI0YlP0yTpI4glpSyWZ49MU/s1024/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRZu7t89hup1esFvK-co4YWzAmbgKaq12bNHUfXq-pDpUVLqf2UAb9k8uA7Pk3yN7S7YZpeFRskx_vg5TGX89n2u_fYg3Px14U9wqjW1zi6OchM_zFxcCS5plXx9wiEtGaHUsjwFA9tGXpOl0zPxrzMq4_u_7Yicz5z_PZI0YlP0yTpI4glpSyWZ49MU/w400-h300/IMG_20240215_Baton%20Rouge%20Serial%20Killer%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Although it borrows elements from another
talk, it is a new talk and one of the shortest at 40 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might have to fortify it a bit for the next
cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audience seemed to like it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span>At 1 PM, we attended a
“Captain’s Circle” event in <b>Reflection’s Lounge</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few speeches by Sue and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Captain Morfis</b> and some snacks and
drinks (I had two of the wine coolers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sue said she was happy with the turnouts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It was warm enough to spend
some time on open deck 4 forward on the shady side away from the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We had dinner in the <b>Dining
Room </b>tonight because they had a pasta we liked – tube pasta with mushrooms (we
had it made without prosciutto).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
tried the Branzino – Ellen liked it but I wasn’t impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We skipped dessert because it was getting
late and we wanted to see the show.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The headliner tonight is
comedian <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tony Esposito</b>, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhME6zQu_Fzf2fozmA_naMPT6o8CMJFsIST-W_f192FTxmdnNjiENXtYLsGRcwV3a2rvqn3pkrnUAATtBP1hMkXPkPzu9F1owe8ySgpqKKiHV212kgCz3sCyTbiH5zBtPqmzHf6uHp8tqFojVrhDeWmxB5nAJr0dvIDR8BL9u4Xh2szb5SST6FHxNCVEiE/s1024/IMG_20240215_Tony%20Esposito%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhME6zQu_Fzf2fozmA_naMPT6o8CMJFsIST-W_f192FTxmdnNjiENXtYLsGRcwV3a2rvqn3pkrnUAATtBP1hMkXPkPzu9F1owe8ySgpqKKiHV212kgCz3sCyTbiH5zBtPqmzHf6uHp8tqFojVrhDeWmxB5nAJr0dvIDR8BL9u4Xh2szb5SST6FHxNCVEiE/w400-h180/IMG_20240215_Tony%20Esposito%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">who works
his background (Southern mom and Italian father and now living in South
Florida) into his act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His skits
involved a lot of stuff about Waffle Houses, being overweight, and other stuff
about the South. He was very funny and broke the string of unfunny comedians we
have experienced on ships lately. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our cabin is once again
temperature controlled as maintenance fixed the thermostat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We are still getting some
ship noises in the cabin – the whooshing sound and now a tapping sound has
joined in. Ear plugs continue to handle
these noises.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-20437462920590991042024-03-09T06:22:00.000-08:002024-03-09T06:22:19.317-08:00February 14, 2024 – New Orleans LA – Mostly Sunny – high expected to be 65F.<p><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Happy
Valentine’s Day</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Slept a lot better last night
but throat is sore due to the cold air in the ship and room.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Had breakfast in the
<b>Oceanview Café.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning’s fare was
a bowl of Frosted Flakes/Bran Flakes plus two pancakes and two eggs over
medium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had to spend a few minutes
explaining to the cook that I needed a non-meat clean pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He eventually disappeared in the back to
clean the pan I hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The breakfast was
good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I brought Ellen her usual
breakfast and now we are in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview
Café</b> sipping coffee and tea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It is still pretty chilly out
there so we are not planning to go off ship today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, it is a short day with departure
around 2:30 PM.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I had another veggie burger
for lunch today – it was just as good today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I like is that it only takes about five minutes to cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On some ships you have to wait at least 15
minutes to get your burger (you get the rest of your meal and come back for the
burger).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the best situation. Also,
the grilled onions on this burger just make it that much more delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The ship had turned out a lot
of valentine’s day desserts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAVTOvUu0idAfcuoY42weZ3ID5GXqti2Rh8IyxjiUMs3RWK44Qslwf4Qyy9pf8ULfypEHNe_XQM6wx9CHcH5lG2WBe1ahBC-AUvzWTDF-yAuLpKEMY72uqj2kAt5za1-S_WBur1n-DnmH9Kgn9WYLEUzq8cI8xI6iU6no2uFeRxPKspWRWnrLTNVuWY4/s1024/IMG_20240214_valentines%20day%20dessert%20table%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAVTOvUu0idAfcuoY42weZ3ID5GXqti2Rh8IyxjiUMs3RWK44Qslwf4Qyy9pf8ULfypEHNe_XQM6wx9CHcH5lG2WBe1ahBC-AUvzWTDF-yAuLpKEMY72uqj2kAt5za1-S_WBur1n-DnmH9Kgn9WYLEUzq8cI8xI6iU6no2uFeRxPKspWRWnrLTNVuWY4/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_valentines%20day%20dessert%20table%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1iz3nQYA3pNvbSY4tHJidgt6wu4iHxsMqdGfUQCtor0rIDOu4inS5St9TiJTeAi6sAcK8CqcdBdnQ-FEY8pRdquXCX0jkHQbC54tcARoJ2jXZAK0hA7udFm9z05lY50LUlLEXDEG51Ma6DnSeYwveqE71vxwxv5LAStcvba5O8VUD6r3UhXh6zLT4do/s1024/IMG_20240214_valentines%20day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1iz3nQYA3pNvbSY4tHJidgt6wu4iHxsMqdGfUQCtor0rIDOu4inS5St9TiJTeAi6sAcK8CqcdBdnQ-FEY8pRdquXCX0jkHQbC54tcARoJ2jXZAK0hA7udFm9z05lY50LUlLEXDEG51Ma6DnSeYwveqE71vxwxv5LAStcvba5O8VUD6r3UhXh6zLT4do/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_valentines%20day.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I am scheduled to deliver my
second talk – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“The CSI Phenomenon:
Forensics on Television”</b> – at 3:30 PM in the Theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Post departure talks are historically poorly
attended (people are tired from being out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was not the case today as the turnout was as good or better than
the previous session (more than half full).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT4e2GND5bws5CNp2Er-MvCr9xjGmPHBajyR5Dk5JnOzygd_Lz1s3Fn1krVZ1Fmc4DTow7NwXvfm8lwLdZtekKCI4kpSJ-Kj5QOIgPdcv4M4sKaD8Qv5vOEAhc5uMBHNPmDhIeiUGtS8zY7rYc1GEFexmv62m7JBbVMn56kMnaEgTmk7a8IjtXBdeyf4/s1024/IMG_20240214_pretalk%20chat%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT4e2GND5bws5CNp2Er-MvCr9xjGmPHBajyR5Dk5JnOzygd_Lz1s3Fn1krVZ1Fmc4DTow7NwXvfm8lwLdZtekKCI4kpSJ-Kj5QOIgPdcv4M4sKaD8Qv5vOEAhc5uMBHNPmDhIeiUGtS8zY7rYc1GEFexmv62m7JBbVMn56kMnaEgTmk7a8IjtXBdeyf4/w400-h225/IMG_20240214_pretalk%20chat%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuvFzxsTg0x32gm4Bbju5_7JCqKgHx9eXJNmZ6H6SBX-elZndPZPT_vYiEF3UUh4p8vFNend_vEdyXM6WsU8mweZXRJbIjIfX98p-whVPP9MpKwUGj9MnEGUg8BVHg936N9CnerCiTW-c22tNBalaP3BCCvCnX2OIK974yif4tvZfbAIbvreo3ohUERA/s1024/IMG_20240214_CSI%20Phenomenon%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuvFzxsTg0x32gm4Bbju5_7JCqKgHx9eXJNmZ6H6SBX-elZndPZPT_vYiEF3UUh4p8vFNend_vEdyXM6WsU8mweZXRJbIjIfX98p-whVPP9MpKwUGj9MnEGUg8BVHg936N9CnerCiTW-c22tNBalaP3BCCvCnX2OIK974yif4tvZfbAIbvreo3ohUERA/w400-h300/IMG_20240214_CSI%20Phenomenon%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vybmYxV53YBuecF725kBUvhxqtof9a3prgasyEgNXzVhOReblarQxKpVRNcf5BIMDLwr7pMbyoCtIGmr0wsqlNgJgGGEOTMDw9Zib91vMKuQhgJtY3eOGQd3IYXzp8Nv5oaDrCPQyBVWk9eWkoXOtWXkTDePvPV2t-XK8mVPl6-YMZkHHT8-IJhDSYo/s1024/IMG_20240214_CSI%20Phenomenon%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vybmYxV53YBuecF725kBUvhxqtof9a3prgasyEgNXzVhOReblarQxKpVRNcf5BIMDLwr7pMbyoCtIGmr0wsqlNgJgGGEOTMDw9Zib91vMKuQhgJtY3eOGQd3IYXzp8Nv5oaDrCPQyBVWk9eWkoXOtWXkTDePvPV2t-XK8mVPl6-YMZkHHT8-IJhDSYo/w400-h300/IMG_20240214_CSI%20Phenomenon%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The audience was generally
enthusiastic (I am never sure with this talk) and in speaking to individuals
who attended was told that they enjoyed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It ended right on time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">When it is sunny and chilly
outside, the only places to spend some time would be the <b>Café al Baccio</b>, the
<b>Rendezvous Lounge </b>windows, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reflections
Lounge</b>. We wound up at Reflections because it has a lot of windows and
seats. It also is a good place to get a shot of the River Walk and the
Mississippi.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We stayed there most of the
day – it was very quiet until the trivia started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Trivia Host has his mic way up so it is
difficult to do anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was almost
time for dinner so we got ready.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I had the Pasta Chef in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> make me some pasta –
this time I had him add the sauce to the pan along with the previously sautéed
veggies and the result was much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He told me he is not allowed to do that (he adds the sauce on top of the
pasta at the end) because of food allergies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As I noted previously, I</span> hope he realizes that he also sautés shrimp in some of the pastas and
that is a major source of food allergies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The pasta was good and, along with a Cesar Salad, comprised dinner. I think Ellen had some kind of fish prepared at the rear grill. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Tonight is the first
production show – “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Soundtrack</b>” –
songs from the theater and movies. The Constellation Cast consists of six
singers (three and three), two singer dancers (M and F), eight dancers (four
of each), and two acrobats (one huge Reacher sized guy and a small woman). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two takeaways from the show: First, everyone
is very animated while performing an unusual but inventive choreography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movements are a blur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, I did not recognize most of the
songs – clearly they were from plays and movies I had not seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There was a very good duet "I Will Love You Until the End of Time" (from the Great Gatsby musical).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRatAmF6XK1KWk3SxxzfLpZR4g2_LqqCiT3kBEaI1Pb0XO24MHH5qCJg2ZsrhWGQn4EhsCuDYypZF8xT8VOOMfkgvM26-Sfs-qsH1VcGPtMT_XKBFmDQT0iYAZvLUUtQYWsR5RV0GFb_0_0IXdcnJtl3f2ITNjnBpmzdyRGyQB1Ecx0tEqZf1Z-raE1M/s1024/IMG_20240214_Love%20you%20until%20the%20end%20of%20time%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRatAmF6XK1KWk3SxxzfLpZR4g2_LqqCiT3kBEaI1Pb0XO24MHH5qCJg2ZsrhWGQn4EhsCuDYypZF8xT8VOOMfkgvM26-Sfs-qsH1VcGPtMT_XKBFmDQT0iYAZvLUUtQYWsR5RV0GFb_0_0IXdcnJtl3f2ITNjnBpmzdyRGyQB1Ecx0tEqZf1Z-raE1M/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_Love%20you%20until%20the%20end%20of%20time%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The showstopper was “Somewhere Over the
Rainbow” performed by the best of the female singers and to a different
arrangement.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnvcjpvTosZXQ9Zl4XcUAH4kPsfQnl73VifeRYMhMY38X4cgbbWO2vGG7XA_yT5qnT4i_HFvWhYmW9H27q9QYUv1TDkmHu8EjJS73o0k8zRoyM8CAbRzhBXXgzox4Pkp5snOqob0efKTv37_MgZn1Z0H-UjwNY_zdOn05ds7jlgWTWKJ6O4R3YvmwM8M/s768/IMG_20240214_Somewhere%20Over%20the%20Rainbow%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnvcjpvTosZXQ9Zl4XcUAH4kPsfQnl73VifeRYMhMY38X4cgbbWO2vGG7XA_yT5qnT4i_HFvWhYmW9H27q9QYUv1TDkmHu8EjJS73o0k8zRoyM8CAbRzhBXXgzox4Pkp5snOqob0efKTv37_MgZn1Z0H-UjwNY_zdOn05ds7jlgWTWKJ6O4R3YvmwM8M/w180-h400/IMG_20240214_Somewhere%20Over%20the%20Rainbow%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">There was also the
obligatory James Bond Medley with “Goldfinger”, “View to a Kill”, and “Skyfall”
in the set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the second time we
had heard Skyfall on this cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
an enjoyable show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cast is very
talented.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR40rGCSEHuwS7n7pKzUGM3S5qusdCfAiAJVuyo2OfF10vzu29JYfoNBOwAF9u7gqiidq9WUbpVAfay7DrJPevXohveRROoENx3G7RdtavkwRpC96b4LSq4kiZG0rQanuszVD-3lWIpDb2o9Jmod-PwQ7lElB7RwQD3yCLYsZeP0QEjkloMPh0j3tnL8/s1024/IMG_20240214_bows%20acrobats%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR40rGCSEHuwS7n7pKzUGM3S5qusdCfAiAJVuyo2OfF10vzu29JYfoNBOwAF9u7gqiidq9WUbpVAfay7DrJPevXohveRROoENx3G7RdtavkwRpC96b4LSq4kiZG0rQanuszVD-3lWIpDb2o9Jmod-PwQ7lElB7RwQD3yCLYsZeP0QEjkloMPh0j3tnL8/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_bows%20acrobats%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CPeBjoqgY_neqkyZKSAkVgRCKOVCUMLLJtmfj-GYI4X3yWxfqg3Dvfn0aXZMMdR5bWmxCdrkl8t4RsqlMJbcgL8fikywcOxAM6uNScH9d-1ZVQtQ9pXMKAWT8Z7IjWRfVTVC6EOa0wkeFoSFoDIDYH1jPOKF1uI4rEa-qYcV4JMMp9Tc6qhwA2hG3AM/s1024/IMG_20240214_bows%20boy%20dancers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CPeBjoqgY_neqkyZKSAkVgRCKOVCUMLLJtmfj-GYI4X3yWxfqg3Dvfn0aXZMMdR5bWmxCdrkl8t4RsqlMJbcgL8fikywcOxAM6uNScH9d-1ZVQtQ9pXMKAWT8Z7IjWRfVTVC6EOa0wkeFoSFoDIDYH1jPOKF1uI4rEa-qYcV4JMMp9Tc6qhwA2hG3AM/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_bows%20boy%20dancers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjw5d5Ai4FPv4fGs3zi0fT-VBtbBoJGBzjaSRRgH3AIPumd7m-RC1XiO2dDGIc50Jg_fmnvikq6j3rQ3b7BoKSvONZD26aACcOpltbhPqNCkB88mi1SECG5HrxNsZK7BJ68fpC29aLkxKRxgzT3ipLvgJWm3-vrJgwOwRqD1eovrSLAPLa1m-mggstbQ/s1024/IMG_20240214_bows%20girl%20dancers%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjw5d5Ai4FPv4fGs3zi0fT-VBtbBoJGBzjaSRRgH3AIPumd7m-RC1XiO2dDGIc50Jg_fmnvikq6j3rQ3b7BoKSvONZD26aACcOpltbhPqNCkB88mi1SECG5HrxNsZK7BJ68fpC29aLkxKRxgzT3ipLvgJWm3-vrJgwOwRqD1eovrSLAPLa1m-mggstbQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_bows%20girl%20dancers%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdI5k_h7XF9tXIgrqr7LEUX2vHnrcBDxKIfTg641S4gHBMSPg2_XdeS6fx29qDhhbXx1o8LxG5BfvYqP1emobUYgH5SFuel8LfmLiQHKbE9KUvOJRMkGkABahuOqZkrbOxqBSvaoWR1n8q23NMb0sDQnWjC3arT7a_mtQa6ILK7_y3rsJZxwvw50q8vw/s1024/IMG_20240214_Constellation%20Singers%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdI5k_h7XF9tXIgrqr7LEUX2vHnrcBDxKIfTg641S4gHBMSPg2_XdeS6fx29qDhhbXx1o8LxG5BfvYqP1emobUYgH5SFuel8LfmLiQHKbE9KUvOJRMkGkABahuOqZkrbOxqBSvaoWR1n8q23NMb0sDQnWjC3arT7a_mtQa6ILK7_y3rsJZxwvw50q8vw/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_Constellation%20Singers%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYIyxCcDDqPooVGIRCCvi0KeRq_1tq6oVMwFjUgRn12YIPCskmUGGheuUtbCi0IZHUkxxrRh8hO__1j3k3aU0XfHhVbyaS4JHKNIgbpuSFhUGvUJs9si8kqZ1rdnbvnTJWBBtdQjUuxGH-jH_vO2rejLllMo4orfSm-ZNEoJit1Fb61Rm5BEhW38Ll_Q/s1024/IMG_20240214_Soundtrack%20acrobats%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYIyxCcDDqPooVGIRCCvi0KeRq_1tq6oVMwFjUgRn12YIPCskmUGGheuUtbCi0IZHUkxxrRh8hO__1j3k3aU0XfHhVbyaS4JHKNIgbpuSFhUGvUJs9si8kqZ1rdnbvnTJWBBtdQjUuxGH-jH_vO2rejLllMo4orfSm-ZNEoJit1Fb61Rm5BEhW38Ll_Q/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_Soundtrack%20acrobats%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpBC8asW6_p7bcbEslTrNM_8PVCtog3px5DF4CI2gWTJ-Bx6Cnz8uLIDoI3egeLNAe5yn5VlY-ahYf4pNgHhkuagGnvYXCGY4S47djpIVBX-GaP75x6yv_KSTFe1cdGYOrYYl3t_h_o-rHwYezUsmZsq6FYvP7SjNSeV-O9DfIOc6v-JeeZ9ksTHDUW4/s1024/IMG_20240214_Soundtrack%20acrobats%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpBC8asW6_p7bcbEslTrNM_8PVCtog3px5DF4CI2gWTJ-Bx6Cnz8uLIDoI3egeLNAe5yn5VlY-ahYf4pNgHhkuagGnvYXCGY4S47djpIVBX-GaP75x6yv_KSTFe1cdGYOrYYl3t_h_o-rHwYezUsmZsq6FYvP7SjNSeV-O9DfIOc6v-JeeZ9ksTHDUW4/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_Soundtrack%20acrobats%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">After the show, we listened a bit to <b>Malenna</b>, an acoustic duo. A soft soothing sound that is a welcome change from the party band music generally in the <b>Rendezvous Lounge.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YaCix8Mwpml5K65NmAQlfjQsyVAMKgVAVzUT1WlXwP51ElZpUZhmqw6fGvHGeL-Qqu135odEQEEYFFqyqqnuCcWRlgoEIEf5gtd3mWTiwpLLXz6z1SRave-1xs2MdMHvdnJync6e3dWlrnF6o9nnZJ-0MS3_oKHKTnn2uYWwj8RplTeopkufxifsjRM/s1024/IMG_20240214_Acoustic%20Duo%20Malenna%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YaCix8Mwpml5K65NmAQlfjQsyVAMKgVAVzUT1WlXwP51ElZpUZhmqw6fGvHGeL-Qqu135odEQEEYFFqyqqnuCcWRlgoEIEf5gtd3mWTiwpLLXz6z1SRave-1xs2MdMHvdnJync6e3dWlrnF6o9nnZJ-0MS3_oKHKTnn2uYWwj8RplTeopkufxifsjRM/w400-h180/IMG_20240214_Acoustic%20Duo%20Malenna%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The cabin is still cold even
though the ship is slowly warming up after spending cold days and nights in New
Orleans. I called <b>Guest Relations</b> and
asked them to send someone tomorrow to take a look at the heating system.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-55682205369830617832024-03-09T05:57:00.000-08:002024-03-09T09:59:10.347-08:00February 13, 2024 – Mardi Gras – New Orleans, LA – Broken Clouds – 57F<p><i><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><b>Laissez
Les Bon Temp Rouler</b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Don’t know how much "roulering" will
be going on since it is cold out there. The temperature is stated to be in the high 50s but it feels a lot colder than that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It is so cold in the ship that I am wearing
long pants and a sweatshirt to breakfast. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I did breakfast right today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked a suit for cottage cheese and sour
cream and got both – I should be able to get that tomorrow by asking over near
the lox station, where the food of the gods is stored in a fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even had my soggy
waffle toasted at the bread station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those items along with delicious scrambled eggs made for a perfect
breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyJkC1oQI3hFQNdlcQQuZGuEJ33IUmQcHBvd5zQMh2pexPGM49rMUAzY3gDNiBkaG1d1TcF_mRK8VAfhi4MSFelAX1CDdTGnjEV4w2uQna_do_nG8RS0jDhQ51-RN3p1_czCWIZ6a-DTQvZfXlqtJ1pLLoOH2GCzx7kPrAXjNOmfPtp1k-MQh2TH_SuI/s1024/IMG_20240213_breakfast%20supreme%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyJkC1oQI3hFQNdlcQQuZGuEJ33IUmQcHBvd5zQMh2pexPGM49rMUAzY3gDNiBkaG1d1TcF_mRK8VAfhi4MSFelAX1CDdTGnjEV4w2uQna_do_nG8RS0jDhQ51-RN3p1_czCWIZ6a-DTQvZfXlqtJ1pLLoOH2GCzx7kPrAXjNOmfPtp1k-MQh2TH_SuI/w400-h180/IMG_20240213_breakfast%20supreme%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I brought Ellen her standard
breakfast. It would have been too cold for her to come up to the Cafe for breakfast. Fortunately, the heat is working well in our cabin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We decided that it was too
cold to go out today and instead thought we might be able to see parades from
the upper decks of the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did not
see anything that looked like a Mardi Gras event (even though I checked out the
parade route and we should have been able to see something).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The same thing happened the last time we were here - the parades did not show up where they were scheduled to. (Note: I ended that sentence with a preposition - it's now OK to do so according to grammarians). </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Ellen and I went to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> for a late second
breakfast – for me, herring in wine sauce; for Ellen some scrambled eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got good seats and watched river traffic. The ship is still being watched and protected by gunboats. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltgx41CWFFKiYI7ryEA0e_iFIHbMHMKzsbnTC8XJki79lDAGG9OTaw6jj1n1kvKTt-oKVWRLGMRZoIuTQX09pefkC847tl6IJyNBjvhw_5z_f4r19qPMspreSVgvFRmorhP5NimV9VDM5oErCK607-4wDgnn886v3m_i540b6Xf15sW8ZWPYc6hx2Z9I/s1024/IMG_20240213_USCG%20gun%20boat.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltgx41CWFFKiYI7ryEA0e_iFIHbMHMKzsbnTC8XJki79lDAGG9OTaw6jj1n1kvKTt-oKVWRLGMRZoIuTQX09pefkC847tl6IJyNBjvhw_5z_f4r19qPMspreSVgvFRmorhP5NimV9VDM5oErCK607-4wDgnn886v3m_i540b6Xf15sW8ZWPYc6hx2Z9I/w400-h180/IMG_20240213_USCG%20gun%20boat.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We had lunch a little later
due to the dual breakfasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, I had
a veggie burger at the <b>Pool Grill</b> (Deck 10 just outside the Oceanview Cafe) and it was wonderful (either a Beyond or
Impossible Burger).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen had the fare
at the <b>Spa Café</b> (she was not impressed with the salmon "patty").<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did like the guava juice – no iced tea at
this healthy place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The burger will be
on my lunch menu again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The afternoon was spent in
both the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reflections Lounge</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM4sHji6lWk-H2yF8ojnDBp7MyLYvdFTgzD8BEmJ7kccnKE8BV3cyKB0suV9S9HWFoTZ3C35n6IORILx1Al5PaXpdpQlKbP7Zak3VFjCpX5jiICrpxYE17mI8M4fWnU6VsmdVSWngRd5jFHuh3EWN8VWwaBrSd1s0sB7sxLII_DVDlvuCanbUD5RLs5w/s1024/IMG_20240213_ET%20Reflections%20Lounge%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM4sHji6lWk-H2yF8ojnDBp7MyLYvdFTgzD8BEmJ7kccnKE8BV3cyKB0suV9S9HWFoTZ3C35n6IORILx1Al5PaXpdpQlKbP7Zak3VFjCpX5jiICrpxYE17mI8M4fWnU6VsmdVSWngRd5jFHuh3EWN8VWwaBrSd1s0sB7sxLII_DVDlvuCanbUD5RLs5w/w400-h180/IMG_20240213_ET%20Reflections%20Lounge%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We left when the music trivia started and the
music got too loud.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We had dinner in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chatted with the Pasta Guy about how to
make my pasta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their process involves
briefly warming the pasta in hot water and a sizzling the veggies (they don’t
have onions or tomatoes on their options but I can get them at the salad bar about 20 feet away) and the pasta briefly in the pan before putting them into a bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sauce is then poured on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him if he could cook all of it
together in the end and he did, but explained to me that it’s not done due to
possible food allergies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other Celebrity
Pasta Stations are not concerned about food allergies and two of the sauces are
tomato based so it would only be the meat that would be a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Also, not sure how that works when shrimp, available here, is sauteed before being added to pasta - shellfish allergies are pretty common and the pans are potentially contaminated with shrimp. </span>I need to be the first in line before anything gets into the pan that I don't want to be there. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Ellen had some trout (salmon
trout – red trout), the same fish that was on the Dining Room menu yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grill at the aft end cooks the fish to
order – she had that with a baked potato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We checked out the desserts but none of them did the trick.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We could not see any parade
activity even though we were pretty high up in the Café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did get a very nice shot of the sunset with
New Orleans in the foreground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Ellen's picture was better because it captured UAP (formerly known as UFOs) watching the good times roll.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjncnzLDzh8JBexU0eYPPE4Qb8_QUWSqRsu9aht4pVmhWSg8R5tJOYtaNQiFWa7WpKQ2NOoP9K2mn_co332-1D92s-w9jl2p2gy246zlGtduxi79qTpZ5cyOzAp5xbuJLivYv4CEiGJMJVyy15pwIR7D-CzpnR_FdMQU-AOHDHM9VmG4GsocBsTI61-K0/s1024/IMG_20240213_Mardi%20Gras%20night%20.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjncnzLDzh8JBexU0eYPPE4Qb8_QUWSqRsu9aht4pVmhWSg8R5tJOYtaNQiFWa7WpKQ2NOoP9K2mn_co332-1D92s-w9jl2p2gy246zlGtduxi79qTpZ5cyOzAp5xbuJLivYv4CEiGJMJVyy15pwIR7D-CzpnR_FdMQU-AOHDHM9VmG4GsocBsTI61-K0/w400-h180/IMG_20240213_Mardi%20Gras%20night%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xm6stqQkULYiiyI3hFnuDlaqu2ECaludGx8QAoLCcJQxD6l-_AE-EGL1NMTwd-7mizlHExAmHQ-gCRL9HPOlwbDIEBhpx_Ffp_TLtnLnebdqo2GEHAr4xrHoPAeMxKh4rc9Ojd2OHP1fRgXzttQvcFJKLzEQgD810SEZuxshdzcnNMqalPvfavT4iSs/s1024/IMG_20240213_UFOs%20NOLA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xm6stqQkULYiiyI3hFnuDlaqu2ECaludGx8QAoLCcJQxD6l-_AE-EGL1NMTwd-7mizlHExAmHQ-gCRL9HPOlwbDIEBhpx_Ffp_TLtnLnebdqo2GEHAr4xrHoPAeMxKh4rc9Ojd2OHP1fRgXzttQvcFJKLzEQgD810SEZuxshdzcnNMqalPvfavT4iSs/w400-h225/IMG_20240213_UFOs%20NOLA.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We then went the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b> where the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lucky Band</b> was playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seats were hard to find and we wound up
leaving because the cigarette smoke from the open deck had entered the ship
(the doors were open since we were spending several days in New Orleans).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there we went to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reflections Lounge</b> where we were
comfortable until trivia started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
trivia leader is so loud that we could not stay there any longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our only other possibility was our cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deck 2 is really cold since that is where the
overnight gangway is located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
got to our cabin, it was cold and the heat was at maximum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hoping that the heat is not
malfunctioning and the problem is due to the cold air in the hallway.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Lights out at 10:30 PM.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-79391705099631011222024-03-08T14:41:00.000-08:002024-03-08T14:41:18.986-08:00February 12, 2024 – New Orleans, LA – Cloudy, then Mostly Sunny – 60F<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Another no so good sleeping
night – the noise is still there.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I’m
going with the one ear plug strategy – blocking out the noise in one ear and
letting the pillows do the rest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Up really early – something
that always happens on ships – and at the Oceanview Café at opening. There were
already a lot of people up there – I guess they wanted to be ready to get off
in New Orleans when we arrive at 10:00 AM. The ship is just a ways away from the <b>Crescent City Bridge.</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK85FXn8GXikCIyIwQ5j54-qySBgIswrLBuXMPjlCN6YdX0LL8yGBlzIJibs3dDJcprmA980OXFilF5qcIxGjOv5Z0cppK6C8jD_zAk-H_UllVdpxqD7mJ-hmkSINUIyjTsVzkkSJJBjY5tpceMFu_FXwbzuwfnjoLqsAgr-XOy9mtsOBSDUdAuOXBGOw/s1024/IMG_20240212_Crescent%20City%20Bridge%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK85FXn8GXikCIyIwQ5j54-qySBgIswrLBuXMPjlCN6YdX0LL8yGBlzIJibs3dDJcprmA980OXFilF5qcIxGjOv5Z0cppK6C8jD_zAk-H_UllVdpxqD7mJ-hmkSINUIyjTsVzkkSJJBjY5tpceMFu_FXwbzuwfnjoLqsAgr-XOy9mtsOBSDUdAuOXBGOw/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Crescent%20City%20Bridge%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I tried everything today at
breakfast – pancakes with syrup, oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins,
scrambled eggs, and eggs over medium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But nothing really did the job – mostly a breakfast sampler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own fault for not having a breakfast plan. I did meet someone interesting at breakfast, another Cruise Duck - just sitting there on the window sill. This duck was all decked out in Mardi Gras duds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcNWI4axwz-LFNaUfq8dO57lM3gFWjQUYlqH33k3tHXhArUrQ6trANIgUsTDZwP-pv7_NvchdmzSQe5uu2YAObyq5Uag_mbztHmyK5nB6jLOv0OP39sgkrsS2NhBhnbnKo7C5F7m3nAicBTaHbrWkKC2-UeGApZcBrQbrQQsBC1JXrczHQjj3wZU4zxU/s768/IMG_20240212_Cruise%20Duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcNWI4axwz-LFNaUfq8dO57lM3gFWjQUYlqH33k3tHXhArUrQ6trANIgUsTDZwP-pv7_NvchdmzSQe5uu2YAObyq5Uag_mbztHmyK5nB6jLOv0OP39sgkrsS2NhBhnbnKo7C5F7m3nAicBTaHbrWkKC2-UeGApZcBrQbrQQsBC1JXrczHQjj3wZU4zxU/w180-h400/IMG_20240212_Cruise%20Duck.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The ship pulled into the
<b>Julia Street Pier</b> at just about 10:00 AM and it took about an hour for the ship
to be cleared by the local authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
could see people getting on tour busses from our cabin window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan was to stroll through parts of
downtown and then through the <b>French Quarter.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We exited the ship and walked
a few blocks past the parking lots and outlet mall until we got to Canal
Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there we took a soft right
and walked parallel to the Mississippi River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We eventually got on Decatur Street and came across the statue of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville</b>, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8Yv3cfa5B4_rV7PtPnU-B7mjRfe53e63YUgmfx1FKiMRki_k5KFVawl6mzR1e-CEmszwu4wo2o2yE_zRfgg6ha_dIAhuEqCCFtlJU3Nz06fHncS37P6uE63Dlex7xXPvgWqOYSRD3I2OdpknEOf-JDYlVieGoYWk-e4acFDTs0kUovZg8pTydE0CAXU/s768/IMG_20240212_de%20Bienville%20Statue%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8Yv3cfa5B4_rV7PtPnU-B7mjRfe53e63YUgmfx1FKiMRki_k5KFVawl6mzR1e-CEmszwu4wo2o2yE_zRfgg6ha_dIAhuEqCCFtlJU3Nz06fHncS37P6uE63Dlex7xXPvgWqOYSRD3I2OdpknEOf-JDYlVieGoYWk-e4acFDTs0kUovZg8pTydE0CAXU/w180-h400/IMG_20240212_de%20Bienville%20Statue%201.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGCV2CggXWptjkCiEQI6C5QNCeDHzqPJQ9sjklQPdcjDi1N4mTUv9v0Sa41xVFwKqFoHP3R-RoNnt9V0C2eJzPe4NvejOdysXmmmvJ8Up2IUoGX4j1LRZPVx3uZHifq7KqNZsdNQtYyEPsxDTR3NqFktsSxrO_7eYwjOYc2c1jOcETPC_f9uFfjHTEPE/s768/IMG_20240212_de%20Bienville%20Statue%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGCV2CggXWptjkCiEQI6C5QNCeDHzqPJQ9sjklQPdcjDi1N4mTUv9v0Sa41xVFwKqFoHP3R-RoNnt9V0C2eJzPe4NvejOdysXmmmvJ8Up2IUoGX4j1LRZPVx3uZHifq7KqNZsdNQtYyEPsxDTR3NqFktsSxrO_7eYwjOYc2c1jOcETPC_f9uFfjHTEPE/w180-h400/IMG_20240212_de%20Bienville%20Statue%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">who founded the city of New Orleans in 1718. The statue also contains a monk
who accompanied Bienville and a Native American, representing the original
inhabitants of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued on
Decatur until we reached famous <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jackson
Square</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The place was literally
saturated with evangelicals sporting red shirts and baseball caps.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We walked through them and they said
nothing.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Jackson Square was not that
busy although there were some people decked out in Mardi Gras costumes.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbAujVN4d93DG2hDd8ED6GQrYBCgMH_5i2p3RdvTXqvjmdTp5VDMyvP8pGldD3F4uokT90n3SToOnaGeHMr8He8MP_JaMbCEAE-xyQogG7BC64k3AlEhiM09TMJSuJJZ4ofBXLoLa5DLl1cvpMS3hqTaRyOVsrbWvRy7y9Wsu3-vnBueYrUlqfgKxSpE/s1024/IMG_20240212_Mardi%20Gras%20revellers%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbAujVN4d93DG2hDd8ED6GQrYBCgMH_5i2p3RdvTXqvjmdTp5VDMyvP8pGldD3F4uokT90n3SToOnaGeHMr8He8MP_JaMbCEAE-xyQogG7BC64k3AlEhiM09TMJSuJJZ4ofBXLoLa5DLl1cvpMS3hqTaRyOVsrbWvRy7y9Wsu3-vnBueYrUlqfgKxSpE/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Mardi%20Gras%20revellers%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I got some great pictures of the statue of
Andrew Jackson as well as the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">St. Louis
Cathedral</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyqCWO1N7U1zJAOvjdopBU_OyMpnCUS0JyejTpE8ojO2NmMMdE_5WwzOKjZHys0y6qnFtQc10RcMrjAHczXTPy1lCQDV-eyejOORtFhLWF6QbDzvklpPtPsLGdaqInm0f_bzkuyo-eFw2cjxPMYYloHYXJDrwyfqpdS3bbUp9ZfjWftcDurXCsw-4UYg/s1024/IMG_20240212_Jackson%20Square%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyqCWO1N7U1zJAOvjdopBU_OyMpnCUS0JyejTpE8ojO2NmMMdE_5WwzOKjZHys0y6qnFtQc10RcMrjAHczXTPy1lCQDV-eyejOORtFhLWF6QbDzvklpPtPsLGdaqInm0f_bzkuyo-eFw2cjxPMYYloHYXJDrwyfqpdS3bbUp9ZfjWftcDurXCsw-4UYg/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Jackson%20Square%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We continued along
Chartres St until we got to St. Philip Street where we turned left to Royal St.
I got a picture of <b>Royal St</b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSB8Vau8kkLyv9N4xlsZY1h7wRxs5chQi3jJ3LVyM2oLJfY8Jan2Wke-tOZeZrKn1oCRPTLLd0nVo5_1vRAGArIpH8PJlqyRD07DUjsAkuXU05qQWJCtCnTcOJe0_58JoG7-3dhnkBJ6LKsUz5-DL9zZRGsjJil8mOthCBQ7yX_s23ZXUTUSs8oWBHy0/s1024/IMG_20240212_Royal%20Street%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSB8Vau8kkLyv9N4xlsZY1h7wRxs5chQi3jJ3LVyM2oLJfY8Jan2Wke-tOZeZrKn1oCRPTLLd0nVo5_1vRAGArIpH8PJlqyRD07DUjsAkuXU05qQWJCtCnTcOJe0_58JoG7-3dhnkBJ6LKsUz5-DL9zZRGsjJil8mOthCBQ7yX_s23ZXUTUSs8oWBHy0/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Royal%20Street%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">and then we continue up another block to <b>Bourbon
St,</b> the heart of the French Quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsGkFnb7uyHHSNcD20Xl_abYEnv1vAaG4DgZmpeoZNp4lGZuRtSFPsY3pHbnFlRmWR2SYQWGEqUTIove_khRgkeJTUJLAXZqjXlbpZ2-MA_A7ZIPzH2ihV0HU715s_BjX4K1DgAqXgVcGkEBsnw4_9fQYj8A51kMCVohqtCR4lgF03D1H7Bgyav0XGG4/s1024/IMG_20240212_Bourbon%20Street%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsGkFnb7uyHHSNcD20Xl_abYEnv1vAaG4DgZmpeoZNp4lGZuRtSFPsY3pHbnFlRmWR2SYQWGEqUTIove_khRgkeJTUJLAXZqjXlbpZ2-MA_A7ZIPzH2ihV0HU715s_BjX4K1DgAqXgVcGkEBsnw4_9fQYj8A51kMCVohqtCR4lgF03D1H7Bgyav0XGG4/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Bourbon%20Street%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We
walked along Bourbon St for a couple of blocks before going over to the next
street, Dauphine St.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We saw many interesting buildings in the French Quarter including the <b>French Quarter Hotel</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkjOf6ef3UKveyIW8occu4ppfMuSpGPBPjqZB8GP2jVDak96cDvrtm5qnvHH8Ky-SJm06krUtBvOi7u3D3nE9Q00-ovYEJU-MDw-FYwEO7uWiLNSDrQKEv9ZzkYkIiHDHavZprv_xE1CrtrvOo1ln83FBBTpvKJdLNIH1T96FmupgFULaVEnM2t222tY/s1024/IMG_20240212_hotel%20French%20Quarter%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkjOf6ef3UKveyIW8occu4ppfMuSpGPBPjqZB8GP2jVDak96cDvrtm5qnvHH8Ky-SJm06krUtBvOi7u3D3nE9Q00-ovYEJU-MDw-FYwEO7uWiLNSDrQKEv9ZzkYkIiHDHavZprv_xE1CrtrvOo1ln83FBBTpvKJdLNIH1T96FmupgFULaVEnM2t222tY/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_hotel%20French%20Quarter%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">and the <b>Andrew Jackson Hotel</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqZOg37Hws2EjOcW16lkgbir_-kdLmFWmPz4ae3_lWWP20pDscNma3c8L0Y4iKV3emVDFzpqVhTKz8gHoSupXgIuB-jYW33U7oSgblqlEfGuB8KO5IoeJF59GGyq3nD0cHRorWAwFhZi8gN2X6WBL-kpJ8GVbqkncZ-o3QjyRzsmyRITsPBthFmfVGDM/s1024/IMG_20240212_Andrew%20Jackson%20hotel%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqZOg37Hws2EjOcW16lkgbir_-kdLmFWmPz4ae3_lWWP20pDscNma3c8L0Y4iKV3emVDFzpqVhTKz8gHoSupXgIuB-jYW33U7oSgblqlEfGuB8KO5IoeJF59GGyq3nD0cHRorWAwFhZi8gN2X6WBL-kpJ8GVbqkncZ-o3QjyRzsmyRITsPBthFmfVGDM/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Andrew%20Jackson%20hotel%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">At this point, we decided
that we needed to get back to the ship but that walking back was not
realistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called an Uber and was
surprised that one was just a few minutes away (I was wrong in assuming that
Ubers stayed away from the French Quarter due to the crazy streets and
traffic).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Before our pickup, we found someone who took out picture with a harlequin, very Mardi Gras.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDFtm-YhEWIRK93EtnFYCVY-bgC95m5F7zz34YmelU1KJdFU8yVpXaeAarKVnlYjCpYWs83Fj8R8t6rQK5bfSWC_tejMR91Pl_i16FGrquhSFVquie8eHBmWD9_-i-tdvZIbFAdc77wJRtwBHup0m8-C1_s3cl92PLuWUQkmX3FAm5GaxogP4zElW_sM/s768/IMG_20240212_with%20harlequin%20on%20Canal%20St%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDFtm-YhEWIRK93EtnFYCVY-bgC95m5F7zz34YmelU1KJdFU8yVpXaeAarKVnlYjCpYWs83Fj8R8t6rQK5bfSWC_tejMR91Pl_i16FGrquhSFVquie8eHBmWD9_-i-tdvZIbFAdc77wJRtwBHup0m8-C1_s3cl92PLuWUQkmX3FAm5GaxogP4zElW_sM/w180-h400/IMG_20240212_with%20harlequin%20on%20Canal%20St%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Brian, our driver, met us the
entrance of the <b>Ritz-Carlton Hotel</b> on Canal Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride was a mini-tour of the Warehouse
District an area now converting warehouses into hotels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brian dropped us off at the entrance to the
pier – the Uber ride (3.2 miles) cost $19.97 (including a $5 tip for giving us
a lot of information on the ride back).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I went to the ship and Ellen went to the Outlet Mall. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Lunch was in the <b>Oceanview Cafe</b> - Pizza and Salad. It did come with a nice view.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVcqQnd0nw44Xe64kSbQh-wj8hR9kYOJFnBTGru0c77PlwH6NU3Hgc9GWQu8GFLuONxXNGsa_Qg-yQNLt3vvkrRLeBNWHVOjZKXiGAxNQi1tHsBsnQ4RC6K_MVwHksKN43VNj3vFPYgMpEdXaXNqI4FY4xV0Tz9P_pGRCG7TFiW1rK9YGfEp26AxydQU/s1024/IMG_20240212_view%20from%20ship%20aft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVcqQnd0nw44Xe64kSbQh-wj8hR9kYOJFnBTGru0c77PlwH6NU3Hgc9GWQu8GFLuONxXNGsa_Qg-yQNLt3vvkrRLeBNWHVOjZKXiGAxNQi1tHsBsnQ4RC6K_MVwHksKN43VNj3vFPYgMpEdXaXNqI4FY4xV0Tz9P_pGRCG7TFiW1rK9YGfEp26AxydQU/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_view%20from%20ship%20aft.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We had dinner again in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco Dining Room</b> because they had
trout on the menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a wonderful
mushroom appetizer, green salad (foo foo lettuce, unfortunately), and tomato chick
pea soup (OK), and a mini-Margherita pizza off the kid’s menu (which was
awful).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both tried the apple pie a la
mode and that wasn’t so great either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did get two cups of hot “decaf” coffee. Since it was Mardi Gras eve, there were fireworks out on the pier, which we could see from our dining room seats.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZCzHIV8AP642dhcVc55ZBP1or3MH0fBIbrw3wwkEKlEWidTpw-A0NEzcN-e4ZaLZR9piMzww8ruirs6HcGeAfE60mqs-OTtAYsUX339cVfwR3OIvc-531aMKZe2fOfbdZ5gJ-W_eMP9omL20Uh0laFOPUZyg87E8jH4GM1z2n-83d6-cM5UeVeHXLKQ/s1024/IMG_20240212_fireworks%20from%20San%20Marco%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZCzHIV8AP642dhcVc55ZBP1or3MH0fBIbrw3wwkEKlEWidTpw-A0NEzcN-e4ZaLZR9piMzww8ruirs6HcGeAfE60mqs-OTtAYsUX339cVfwR3OIvc-531aMKZe2fOfbdZ5gJ-W_eMP9omL20Uh0laFOPUZyg87E8jH4GM1z2n-83d6-cM5UeVeHXLKQ/w400-h225/IMG_20240212_fireworks%20from%20San%20Marco%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The show tonight was a Neil
Diamond tribute show, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“So Good”,</b>
starring actor <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Robert Neary</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkiPrTLhnWTAC72E_9kTiR4X2x8LlexBH46idLZKygR-oTmK1hJUsxW1BNLre1qf0uU4D0xYEzcSgse6lhyphenhyphen7ZEx8BrP5FnGyKYzuG9rYmynHSlFaSwYkKpid6KIBsmyWZOKC5vqvAtTqutjgQ1hI5y8OaDvuUiV4TiBZy3KWlcZ0suab75bOWeyI56p0/s1024/IMG_20240212_Robert%20Neary%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkiPrTLhnWTAC72E_9kTiR4X2x8LlexBH46idLZKygR-oTmK1hJUsxW1BNLre1qf0uU4D0xYEzcSgse6lhyphenhyphen7ZEx8BrP5FnGyKYzuG9rYmynHSlFaSwYkKpid6KIBsmyWZOKC5vqvAtTqutjgQ1hI5y8OaDvuUiV4TiBZy3KWlcZ0suab75bOWeyI56p0/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Robert%20Neary%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP3iG5V20d6_0McjG9IeUO4J2UoVpZhtl6Adv4DbJ-ZV5bIDrpthbXaeMcuD8lXyinPVXMRAcGj1BZLML6Paxy32bcDJE4t0O0AmqfYpymg8a2VWSCESN8nPqEtnQ8Gv3RBjo89oK8w0kDd9mTv_FLi9u_EFmiT9qFDNa2g_Z3QmsHgTjFNFYVnMxLn0/s1024/IMG_20240212_Robert%20Neary%20Neil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP3iG5V20d6_0McjG9IeUO4J2UoVpZhtl6Adv4DbJ-ZV5bIDrpthbXaeMcuD8lXyinPVXMRAcGj1BZLML6Paxy32bcDJE4t0O0AmqfYpymg8a2VWSCESN8nPqEtnQ8Gv3RBjo89oK8w0kDd9mTv_FLi9u_EFmiT9qFDNa2g_Z3QmsHgTjFNFYVnMxLn0/w400-h180/IMG_20240212_Robert%20Neary%20Neil.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">He told us he had been acting for 30 years
and when auditions dried up, he put together this tribute show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked so much like Neil Diamond that it
was a little scary especially since he was able to get a lot of his moves down
as well as a pretty good impression of his voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audience liked him – maybe due to the
drink packages – and his show was entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not a big fan of tribute shows especially in this case because Neil
Diamond retired due to Parkinson’s. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">After the show, we stopped in
the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b> and then
headed to the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gangway is now
on Deck 2 so our deck is cold – in fact, the whole ship is cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 63.85pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Lights out at 10:30 PM.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-37899398095472357202024-03-08T11:50:00.000-08:002024-03-08T11:50:21.531-08:00February 11, 2024 – At Sea – Gulf of Mexico – Partly Cloudy – 60s<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Not great sleep (plugs were part of the problem).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I was in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview
Café</b> when it opened at 7 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found
a nice table by the window.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqI3IMRBxHN9Mp6Czvh_J0_inh9_pZYdho_nOUjtxEQFqS6x3pKFDhJc-naj0osX4XD6v_JhObGwMiaBJ2QuKLdvdQvjUmLuyI7mxh1wQveBJhExF9hx9JiSt8oSM8vDZlDQ9OYJskE_jblMw4jIeTu3yFCI62j5Au9ARL4IMctbC6BYI8v1P4ua1Vyh0/s1024/IMG_20240211_Breakfast%20view%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqI3IMRBxHN9Mp6Czvh_J0_inh9_pZYdho_nOUjtxEQFqS6x3pKFDhJc-naj0osX4XD6v_JhObGwMiaBJ2QuKLdvdQvjUmLuyI7mxh1wQveBJhExF9hx9JiSt8oSM8vDZlDQ9OYJskE_jblMw4jIeTu3yFCI62j5Au9ARL4IMctbC6BYI8v1P4ua1Vyh0/w400-h180/IMG_20240211_Breakfast%20view%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Constellation has only circular tables of various
sizes in the Café so I always put down extra settings and plates so I can have
the table to myself - the magazine I read at breakfast also keep place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The breakfast was
pretty good – there was no cottage cheese on the buffet so I asked someone for
it and I was able to get some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t
push my luck with sour cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a
waffle (a bit soggy and cold) and some scrambled eggs (very good).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big problem is coffee – it is difficult
to find a functioning coffee dispenser (either cleaning or brewing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the coffee was cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll have to figure out a strategy for this
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, a good breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">My first talk, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Forensics
and History: The Mystery of the Romanovs”,</b> was not even on the list I
submitted to Celebrity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to spend a
few minutes modifying a talk I gave years ago to make it work as the <u>first
session</u> (the first talk has a lot of background material on DNA and I had to put that back in).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I went to the <b>Celebrity Theater </b>at 9:30 AM to greet
passengers and set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got there,
about 10 people were sitting down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
the time the talk started, the theater was more than half full (capacity 900) and
probably one of the biggest first day turnouts I can recall</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8mNivsK68jvvQpCQAXhFhET2JMjVVoWFjuYhLPuUueqCDRwr3HqrhqJ76OxaFrpL5JKBIZx4k_Ud63N90OVjzGM6rLGbHgNcmDgRmbdIT_R5rdzpTGjBGN2L5XrJcoTDGnXaE2yZH8tvMloFvr201ls_oRV4Bh-s3fkYgB0A36u7xD80fHwHGN8NcjQ/s1024/IMG_20240211_Mystery%20of%20Romanovs%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8mNivsK68jvvQpCQAXhFhET2JMjVVoWFjuYhLPuUueqCDRwr3HqrhqJ76OxaFrpL5JKBIZx4k_Ud63N90OVjzGM6rLGbHgNcmDgRmbdIT_R5rdzpTGjBGN2L5XrJcoTDGnXaE2yZH8tvMloFvr201ls_oRV4Bh-s3fkYgB0A36u7xD80fHwHGN8NcjQ/w400-h225/IMG_20240211_Mystery%20of%20Romanovs%203.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd5I2py1MjBca0vBo7UKOWcF9qdkhSeMTLyJ8Kn_G-tC0GrdmQcR-YeOyMhaPzpCzHQw8wsO7cyAWYLyP3tQ0UpsWcIkQrIc9ok-LYaFO11QpSKYT3nqcFxoZzPASZdge1Qr1SJ5ajDTnEVVGxZNZ3uce3bkRnADPNCpQQpghF3RoCMRFg9iXoEIRFjo/s1024/IMG_20240211_Mystery%20of%20the%20Romanovs%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd5I2py1MjBca0vBo7UKOWcF9qdkhSeMTLyJ8Kn_G-tC0GrdmQcR-YeOyMhaPzpCzHQw8wsO7cyAWYLyP3tQ0UpsWcIkQrIc9ok-LYaFO11QpSKYT3nqcFxoZzPASZdge1Qr1SJ5ajDTnEVVGxZNZ3uce3bkRnADPNCpQQpghF3RoCMRFg9iXoEIRFjo/w400-h225/IMG_20240211_Mystery%20of%20the%20Romanovs%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BvupHiLcJRYiP0YzZbH67xUJiLmPL0-l88HFw4p_Vs1GlFCXNI-cvhotuSIiMq5Ncbe2lbMjBSXwhvIChhcPv6GeP6h-nVEyDUYPSw_WiivgnXFOa-BFX0vQ6F0a1FawGj60IB7PdXmstbvpTOxChz_zg2Kdd5nBWhyphenhyphenB39nydpNken8LHP6dT53xaIE/s1024/IMG_20240211_Mystery%20of%20the%20Romanovs%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BvupHiLcJRYiP0YzZbH67xUJiLmPL0-l88HFw4p_Vs1GlFCXNI-cvhotuSIiMq5Ncbe2lbMjBSXwhvIChhcPv6GeP6h-nVEyDUYPSw_WiivgnXFOa-BFX0vQ6F0a1FawGj60IB7PdXmstbvpTOxChz_zg2Kdd5nBWhyphenhyphenB39nydpNken8LHP6dT53xaIE/w400-h225/IMG_20240211_Mystery%20of%20the%20Romanovs%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Sue gave me a very nice introduction</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88tyP6N6OZk8Rh5Q4HxcUByE3Tzp0MHaoMxBK5lY4cI6fYlbwSqYxbtEqz5SXX9b5yeImfdPzY_eHPG03t7Y-QXk7u7DIOhMIl2DDWj3Zimmp3uNai4oEw0xK86hBYc1hja-v7FpLOoo82eRv5aWaSOP1J13HdSMoX9_RA2tEwJIJWzeZiC4JimvAt58/s1024/IMG_20240211_pre%20talk%20with%20CD%20Sue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="1024" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88tyP6N6OZk8Rh5Q4HxcUByE3Tzp0MHaoMxBK5lY4cI6fYlbwSqYxbtEqz5SXX9b5yeImfdPzY_eHPG03t7Y-QXk7u7DIOhMIl2DDWj3Zimmp3uNai4oEw0xK86hBYc1hja-v7FpLOoo82eRv5aWaSOP1J13HdSMoX9_RA2tEwJIJWzeZiC4JimvAt58/w400-h251/IMG_20240211_pre%20talk%20with%20CD%20Sue.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzA5AcEPe2OsIG1rHNxsLL-aHFDzW_Wbwc1q0WiCixGfMGrmSKVZWZ-ftBwkO_PnlJx5xBibpjC75P_DGX_Dc3tjGyC1UaOq_ICZk9Zv-sK4H4Wm3JXIfjGn0oA9JHqK59GnMxc_aZpWNvyao7oUnhg2orGMJwVeYLsiAVGbg9ceMg_0KH9IDrozQRNs/s1024/IMG_20240211_pre%20talk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzA5AcEPe2OsIG1rHNxsLL-aHFDzW_Wbwc1q0WiCixGfMGrmSKVZWZ-ftBwkO_PnlJx5xBibpjC75P_DGX_Dc3tjGyC1UaOq_ICZk9Zv-sK4H4Wm3JXIfjGn0oA9JHqK59GnMxc_aZpWNvyao7oUnhg2orGMJwVeYLsiAVGbg9ceMg_0KH9IDrozQRNs/w400-h225/IMG_20240211_pre%20talk.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYl-vQcMGyhZgwO2Kp7sJR6oLRotvj-GTPqm1CNyWKtkpaLd10mUYrg5doAHrcuvBovs8rUTujtzGa_kKhjVDN1yQLai_ULE8BLtc0IpICx7HciyRpXXIMtdAOl-O6PsC-UFrHCNn-hwQ6fGmMC-DQJvZ4vc23EzKyONTd_TL1cieiw8s9vlwUpbjqXs/s1024/IMG_20240211_intro%20from%20Sue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYl-vQcMGyhZgwO2Kp7sJR6oLRotvj-GTPqm1CNyWKtkpaLd10mUYrg5doAHrcuvBovs8rUTujtzGa_kKhjVDN1yQLai_ULE8BLtc0IpICx7HciyRpXXIMtdAOl-O6PsC-UFrHCNn-hwQ6fGmMC-DQJvZ4vc23EzKyONTd_TL1cieiw8s9vlwUpbjqXs/w400-h225/IMG_20240211_intro%20from%20Sue.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">and the
talk, </span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">“Mystery of the Romanovs”,</b><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">
finished at 10:51 AM or right on time.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The AV set up by Christian was quick and perfect.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The screen was a little fuzzy as it is
sometimes when the AV is tuned for the production shows.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">It still worked out fine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 102.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Today is all about the Super
Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 5:00 PM, the game will be shown
in the theater, the casino, and up on the rooftop garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather outside is awful so most
everybody will be in the theater. We checked it out and there will be food
(burgers, wings, etc.) and drinks in the back of level 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to watch part of the game but
couldn’t find a seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, there are
too many people in the theater so I am going to pass (I am still wearing my
mask in the elevator).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 102.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXElgo5tI0CaaWwqjOz76kZrS9IzQ9wFtsjUfZeXClx-0WQFprycASfbkWssA_aeXo1BWWKZAEqX8IZvoi291iY8TthuJRowq5HHPOdEqGPjlP6S3O0J1HPab1LdjVt0xAiyqOWiB7Ue-dbcdOF3CcauaAmzEfQfbqzadvV1uEgOxhGOkNeuauKRYDamE/s1024/IMG_20240211_Superbowl%20in%20the%20Theater%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXElgo5tI0CaaWwqjOz76kZrS9IzQ9wFtsjUfZeXClx-0WQFprycASfbkWssA_aeXo1BWWKZAEqX8IZvoi291iY8TthuJRowq5HHPOdEqGPjlP6S3O0J1HPab1LdjVt0xAiyqOWiB7Ue-dbcdOF3CcauaAmzEfQfbqzadvV1uEgOxhGOkNeuauKRYDamE/w400-h180/IMG_20240211_Superbowl%20in%20the%20Theater%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 102.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">While the 49ers and Chiefs
were going at each other in Las Vegas, we were in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rendezvous Lounge</b> listening to two different bands – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lucky Band</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Waves</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 102.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We had dinner in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Marco Dining Room</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both had the broiled salmon plus the Cream
of Potato soup off the Veggie Menu. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 102.75pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Tomorrow, New Orleans.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-14013465854701329182024-03-07T10:24:00.000-08:002024-03-07T10:24:24.684-08:00February 10, 2024 – Embarkation Day – Mostly Sunny – 70s<p><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">The room was quiet and comfortable so I got some
sleep.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I went down to the Lobby Area for
breakfast at 7:00 AM.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">It wasn’t too
crowded and I got a seat away from most of the people.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I am wearing my mask in the elevator so I am
scaring some people – not wearing the mask in the eating area because I am
avoiding people.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif">I had some Frosted
Flakes with milk, a waffle, a premade cheese Omelet (OK but kind of rubbery)
and some pretty good coffee.</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I ate pretty quickly – Ellen went down by herself to have
breakfast.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We had plenty of time as checkout is 11 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to call an Uber but when we got
to the lobby to make the call, a guy was shouting that he was going to the port
right now and that it would be $10 pp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hopped on and after just a couple of stops, he dropped us off at
Terminal 2 at the Port of Tampa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
taken cruises out of Tampa before but I did not remember anything about the
port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any event, we handed off our
bags to a porter and went inside to check in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We checked in with the Pier Coordinator and in a few minutes we were on
the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop was the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview Café</b> when I had a nice Cesar
Salad and some pizza (which is very good if fresh).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">There are some amazing views of Tampa from the ship.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzI7Hl3WLUAKhOMh_W2KBynMGihQqoKejYOVwC7-gpotOAhgNYgDQQUJjEXocjRKdkcTn3lNfPkXkTXtXaw5NL2BDmZmNjkuRyJbE_NRvNsAmwKH5IzN9e5PCS1u-YLSoAm-OvWu2nxui-boBZpx5Q0RveigYlQa82g06WgNjhIzC_MR7tUaQgDOMyA0/s1024/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20from%20ship%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzI7Hl3WLUAKhOMh_W2KBynMGihQqoKejYOVwC7-gpotOAhgNYgDQQUJjEXocjRKdkcTn3lNfPkXkTXtXaw5NL2BDmZmNjkuRyJbE_NRvNsAmwKH5IzN9e5PCS1u-YLSoAm-OvWu2nxui-boBZpx5Q0RveigYlQa82g06WgNjhIzC_MR7tUaQgDOMyA0/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20from%20ship%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWUNfjyrRWvFAk2EJOK-vbsYKpnr2kYQo-ckgsRmau-Ao9WQVmlXIjPlzWv7mdKtxFuEE7FIjpOPJNdjVoGNuJDzL3hIEpyVikukjAK691cOfTAgS26CoMPNYX2TjsYgs5PKD6bubbEa_ApdLMnQPwgtlnNdvcteXWnOCokxMnc5OvbIqCNBxncm3qWU/s1024/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20from%20ship%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWUNfjyrRWvFAk2EJOK-vbsYKpnr2kYQo-ckgsRmau-Ao9WQVmlXIjPlzWv7mdKtxFuEE7FIjpOPJNdjVoGNuJDzL3hIEpyVikukjAK691cOfTAgS26CoMPNYX2TjsYgs5PKD6bubbEa_ApdLMnQPwgtlnNdvcteXWnOCokxMnc5OvbIqCNBxncm3qWU/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20from%20ship%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtURJddRBtIN_qXXJ6b-KfkJjTW_6bCdRSN9hHKFuNiX9vlX3FcoIBxMOtN_-o0aEOWhczCbhW3TqQC6LnCQHW7W9ltNuMF3P4hE-R9KltP3DHjkYzJKhrgG2P1stNoRLcNZnaXmn9ykIcYxvd3UzI3lj0ti-saxy_U6PWhySoTrwEwLMmXHKKglEDK4/s1024/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20from%20ship%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtURJddRBtIN_qXXJ6b-KfkJjTW_6bCdRSN9hHKFuNiX9vlX3FcoIBxMOtN_-o0aEOWhczCbhW3TqQC6LnCQHW7W9ltNuMF3P4hE-R9KltP3DHjkYzJKhrgG2P1stNoRLcNZnaXmn9ykIcYxvd3UzI3lj0ti-saxy_U6PWhySoTrwEwLMmXHKKglEDK4/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20from%20ship%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our cabin is a passenger cabin – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2098</b> – Midships starboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Probably the best location in rocky seas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a real nice cabin with a large window,
large bathroom, lots of charging options, a sleeper couch and two real
nightstands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Those knobs on the wall have something to with the beds that come down from the ceiling so can accommodate four passengers in this room.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsejuq4hm6jzRUa2UhRvaGJnsv7x4b0KPIrOQxEBcRUnSR3tcHtLAEcpNxfosW_BhoZl0OOUNlDkeEOTb9djPe2jtTv2yHdkV2kGXgYkwPMaxMwpV4X4sLtw0vHpjovV-x9-veKo3rXT5nx-G1yawB7hpMua8DhgUBW5tS1sh35M97ZEyjwZkSuErewg/s1024/IMG_20240210_Cabin%202098%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsejuq4hm6jzRUa2UhRvaGJnsv7x4b0KPIrOQxEBcRUnSR3tcHtLAEcpNxfosW_BhoZl0OOUNlDkeEOTb9djPe2jtTv2yHdkV2kGXgYkwPMaxMwpV4X4sLtw0vHpjovV-x9-veKo3rXT5nx-G1yawB7hpMua8DhgUBW5tS1sh35M97ZEyjwZkSuErewg/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Cabin%202098%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21lVFW3bQa72DABvSopvQUK67oSOmW4emaB3scIXH1QshhaEqufE_-w0Hl2AFRpx4kJG5iDn_QERUKXTlhJ1g_BKYlzIyNZ5g48eDDhDFiMEB62sKB10kISkoM_-ArJNMbaxJRlpHA4bio07acQ3tBaoGUe_HQVnIb9ZHWpd0EWVq-6mrcvB5wtsdxnI/s1024/IMG_20240210_Cabin%202098%20bathroom%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21lVFW3bQa72DABvSopvQUK67oSOmW4emaB3scIXH1QshhaEqufE_-w0Hl2AFRpx4kJG5iDn_QERUKXTlhJ1g_BKYlzIyNZ5g48eDDhDFiMEB62sKB10kISkoM_-ArJNMbaxJRlpHA4bio07acQ3tBaoGUe_HQVnIb9ZHWpd0EWVq-6mrcvB5wtsdxnI/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Cabin%202098%20bathroom%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">There was no letter waiting
for me from the Entertainment Department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I called the Activity Manager, <b>Bradley Sulayao</b>, and his assistant who answered
told me that Bradley wanted to meet at 6 PM at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Guest Relations</b> to go over things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We walked around the ship and things started to look
familiar. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">A little before 6 PM, we went to the room to change before
my meeting with <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bradley</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bradley did show up at 6 PM and gave me a
list of talks with my first one being tomorrow at 10 AM in the Celebrity
Theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the list of talks was
not the one I had submitted to Celebrity and was actually the list I did when I
was on this ship in 2022.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked like
someone pulled that one out of a file (either on ship on shore side).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was too late to change tomorrow’s talk
because it was already in the app.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bradley and I would figure out what to do about the rest of the
cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Bradley and I went to the Entertainment Office, which is
behind the door on Deck 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sue Denning</b>, the Cruise Director, and
we chatted for a while about the topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I told Bradley that I would email him the titles submitted for this cruise and he would </span>figure out a way to get the real topics in to
the program somehow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We had dinner in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Oceanview
Café</b> on the back deck – very nice out there and still warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pizza and salad were the choices tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It was a bit breezy on the open decks and there were no
seats (due to embarkation) so we watched the sail away from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Café Al Baccio</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As happened in 2022, Constellation was escorted into open waters by a series of gunboats.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCsBZ5iu3T0sR_A6ZN11rZSUN_CzxODorkEEPwLVVyPHgHHhI0zD2hltciCKp3CQFYOlqkJveHCYM-SrblyLhgfwGiq-A9Zfg2KjE3bcKb6IwU0kNqk6DajDRpaMlMt0VZuiZjkKc-QWCCJ-oFJMIngA-imewPFveuGoMJFrCk8oEbrDoBRyDO8mWLX8/s1024/IMG_20240210_160735.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCsBZ5iu3T0sR_A6ZN11rZSUN_CzxODorkEEPwLVVyPHgHHhI0zD2hltciCKp3CQFYOlqkJveHCYM-SrblyLhgfwGiq-A9Zfg2KjE3bcKb6IwU0kNqk6DajDRpaMlMt0VZuiZjkKc-QWCCJ-oFJMIngA-imewPFveuGoMJFrCk8oEbrDoBRyDO8mWLX8/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_160735.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wZgmjFKxWi_NFFChxiyTx4v1tjcnODbXkHj8zlkWVo0L78Fc5JoVFTsi_N7ORfCO1Z6rrQVBIWmxU_Q1_-OLNJpPa4E8NXgoST5c2BLpn8qFCZESCwAGT4v5cEYEPNJCpqI5ArDCoACb3bOSXYNAEr2EO9auaE7C0myov_Tn-X6Tt9twlgGSpDhaQg8/s1024/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20sailaway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wZgmjFKxWi_NFFChxiyTx4v1tjcnODbXkHj8zlkWVo0L78Fc5JoVFTsi_N7ORfCO1Z6rrQVBIWmxU_Q1_-OLNJpPa4E8NXgoST5c2BLpn8qFCZESCwAGT4v5cEYEPNJCpqI5ArDCoACb3bOSXYNAEr2EO9auaE7C0myov_Tn-X6Tt9twlgGSpDhaQg8/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Tampa%20sailaway.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">On the way out to open waters, we passed under the <b>Sunshine Skyway Bridge</b>, a very long bridge that was lit up in red and gold. Spectacular.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzjTrfbJpxH-FsN-5rmNOgF8d46Rih7Xsq35vJxr9RjwrLORYXMv-hUPhuDve9bfcmKE_HmSqMJ_uFZVyaShKprzeptdOlKf6RvRayULK-rzYoquAyVNCweQxsM4TUVCvZT1UMnxmcUqUDGk4MCl6pyaPVziTUlGpSlTGyVBLcCz2SBtLld-nCL_YX3k/s1024/IMG_20240210_Sunshine%20Skyway%20Bridge%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzjTrfbJpxH-FsN-5rmNOgF8d46Rih7Xsq35vJxr9RjwrLORYXMv-hUPhuDve9bfcmKE_HmSqMJ_uFZVyaShKprzeptdOlKf6RvRayULK-rzYoquAyVNCweQxsM4TUVCvZT1UMnxmcUqUDGk4MCl6pyaPVziTUlGpSlTGyVBLcCz2SBtLld-nCL_YX3k/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Sunshine%20Skyway%20Bridge%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLsBZelNVavuXvTkZXBYRsxyt2yRTG9OHsa6UlH7VVwMjhElPN7pRNRxdeUk9AegCnLYP2PU_ki-YwR8jkmCrqXj6sJBUA504-c3txLCLaGgRlkV7IlZUY1eDXhZ-vMfZTwP2ye7sf4yFrB9d9AUvLo2CRdnUxOH2jhrXct5ckmyOWlHJidsVMz2OAsY/s1024/IMG_20240210_Sunshine%20Skyway%20Bridge%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLsBZelNVavuXvTkZXBYRsxyt2yRTG9OHsa6UlH7VVwMjhElPN7pRNRxdeUk9AegCnLYP2PU_ki-YwR8jkmCrqXj6sJBUA504-c3txLCLaGgRlkV7IlZUY1eDXhZ-vMfZTwP2ye7sf4yFrB9d9AUvLo2CRdnUxOH2jhrXct5ckmyOWlHJidsVMz2OAsY/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Sunshine%20Skyway%20Bridge%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">We went to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Welcome
Aboard Show</b> at 7:00 PM. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Sue introduced the Entertainment Staff</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ynfeEI5UQgrb5nnzB2USc4jbbl3avxYjPEeOy2LfdLryoH4CP4ojPteSS9KhLeCgYT7QfZc455dvDy3BPj0zH7NFeFqPcDsKY85yXsPQr8YwhXfff-723PNt0AXBpIIzs9kQ95xkCcBfG35df_8ShOLZ1_jASKXLdzSgV6PIy501ODkcwTHY13binio/s1024/IMG_20240210_Sue%20Denning%20CD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ynfeEI5UQgrb5nnzB2USc4jbbl3avxYjPEeOy2LfdLryoH4CP4ojPteSS9KhLeCgYT7QfZc455dvDy3BPj0zH7NFeFqPcDsKY85yXsPQr8YwhXfff-723PNt0AXBpIIzs9kQ95xkCcBfG35df_8ShOLZ1_jASKXLdzSgV6PIy501ODkcwTHY13binio/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_Sue%20Denning%20CD.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Michelle Dowdy</b> was the headliner tonight. I hadn’t heard of her but she was a stand in
for “Hairspray” on Broadway and would up doing 400 shows (the star must have
been prone to illness).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was very
animated and had a good voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IJ_kW0dzN1gY7-C3qKxGPgS-LFnwtfaWHr4pOACJ7LJ7Yd4-beohhDorQM7JNwvixWQdwxuNQvvsnuLfMguaurUuRKWZ8IFFwgrBv0lWeLml14OpnqVeoxxwaGDUpUE-NxE30Yca24ZXZ_bsOCxuFfgYVIAzsjkdf5NCY36CpqcmpRcqdW6nANbuf14/s1024/IMG_20240210_Michelle%20Dowdy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="1024" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IJ_kW0dzN1gY7-C3qKxGPgS-LFnwtfaWHr4pOACJ7LJ7Yd4-beohhDorQM7JNwvixWQdwxuNQvvsnuLfMguaurUuRKWZ8IFFwgrBv0lWeLml14OpnqVeoxxwaGDUpUE-NxE30Yca24ZXZ_bsOCxuFfgYVIAzsjkdf5NCY36CpqcmpRcqdW6nANbuf14/w400-h185/IMG_20240210_Michelle%20Dowdy.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Her show
was entertaining. She will be back later in the cruise to do a Broadway Show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the show, Sue gave a nice
announcement about tomorrow’s talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
looks like I am the only speaker on board.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We caught some of the live music in the <b>Rendezvous Lounge</b>.
Then it was back to the room to relax since I had a presentation in the
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Every cruise ship has its own signature noise –
Constellation has a different noise that it had when we were on her two years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now she had a sound like rushing water
that comes on suddenly lasts for about a minute and then suddenly stops. So I
had to resort to earplugs and I don’t generally sleep as well with plugs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Hoping for a quiet room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With this new noise, who knows.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-59305762167696884642024-03-07T07:41:00.000-08:002024-03-07T07:48:29.117-08:00Celebrity Constellation – Mardi Gras, Caribbean, Mexico Cruise – February 9 – March 3, 2024 – Roundtrip Tampa, FL<p><b><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">February
9, 2024 – Travel Day</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">February is historically the coldest month of the year in
Chicago but thanks to scientifically ignorant earthlings, the planet is getting
warmer and the weather is getting weirder. Temps have been in the low to high
50s this week and today, the high is forecast to be 57F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the month where we usually take out
“Get Away from the Cold” cruise and while the name is not as appropriate this
year, we are doing back to back cruises on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Celebrity
Constellation</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our flights, set up by the Cruise Lines’ travel agents,
tend to be at odd times and involve some lesser known airlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are going out on American and returning on
United (both non-stops) and the itineraries are pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our flight this morning on <b>AA2920 </b>departs ORD
at 8:35 AM (arriving 12:14 PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
checked us in on line, I noticed that I did not have TSAprecheck on my boarding
pass (Ellen did). After an online chat with American, I found out that the
travel agency had entered my birthdate incorrectly – so no precheck. Based on
that information, I figured we needed more time to go through security so I
scheduled American Taxi to pick us up at 6:45 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Taxi #2441 arrived right on time. The driver put our bags
in the trunk (not all drivers carry our bags down the stairs) and drove at the
speed limit in the right lane all the way to the airport. We arrived at 7:10 AM
and I was amazed at the number of cars at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3
(ours).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found an open kiosk near the
Door 3A entrance and I printed new boarding passes and tagged our bags (my AA
credit card got me a free checked bag). We dropped our bags at the drop and I
asked the agent if she could do anything about my TSAprecheck problem. She
asked me for my KTN and I gave it to her and she promptly printed a new boarding
pass with TSAprecheck on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
past, I was told that was not possible because TSA needed 10 days to confirm
everything. Good to know.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The TSAprecheck Security Checkpoint is at the other end of
the terminal. As we made our way there, we were in a mass of people – I don’t
remember the terminal being this crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We reached the Check Point and realized that there was a line – a really
long line of maybe 100 or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
regular security line was unbelievable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amazingly, the line moved pretty quickly and TSA had a lot of agents and
we got through in a decent amount of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We made our way to our gate while wading through a sea of people – what
was so special about today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
no seats at <b>Gate H14 </b>when we first got there but some people got up and we
scored a couple of seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight
next to us (destination Los Cabos Mexico) was overbooked and they were offering
$2000 vouchers for people to give up their seats (the bidding started at
$1000).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our plane (B737-800) was at the gate </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcq2I3UC5IImXBbA3WkGfRKHTVHotlqykS0QqV1bhs0BO49NES4uTa1x0tMsHpAex8oRdngtIwI7CqTQr3uaPrWFGtJni_Lmlf7F6M8WTbKmbJiBUWhvmEfqL7qzvH8VllmMZtdYnN5V7fpWXRR7_a0DQfHdfFBFs60Jdg7xhGBwzSn9sAxru5zSfsXE/s1024/IMG_20240209_AA2920%20Gate%20H14.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcq2I3UC5IImXBbA3WkGfRKHTVHotlqykS0QqV1bhs0BO49NES4uTa1x0tMsHpAex8oRdngtIwI7CqTQr3uaPrWFGtJni_Lmlf7F6M8WTbKmbJiBUWhvmEfqL7qzvH8VllmMZtdYnN5V7fpWXRR7_a0DQfHdfFBFs60Jdg7xhGBwzSn9sAxru5zSfsXE/w400-h180/IMG_20240209_AA2920%20Gate%20H14.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and boarding started
right on time at 8:00 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time,
we went over to the jetway entrance, they were boarding Group 5 (ours).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got the flight information from
Celebrity, all of the Cabin Extra seats (the good ones) were gone so we are
sitting aisle across (19C/19D) in the sardine section. Even though these seats
are regular seats, they are considered “preferred” location seats and cost $23
(the end is nigh). The overhead bin by my seat was empty when I got there and I
stowed by backpack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somebody closed it
so my backpack was the only thing in that bin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Everybody was on board, so we pushed a few minutes
early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed right out to the active
runway – no planes ahead of us – revved those engines and took off right on
time. We had our mini-bagels and smoked salmon cream cheese for a late second
breakfast. I ordered two cups of coffee and an orange juice. The flight
attendant was about to pour my juice when the plane hit some bad air and shook
the aircraft. The pilot ordered everyone to sit down (I never got my juice and
I held on to my coffees so they wouldn’t get knocked over). I checked my flight
tracker and we were flying through some storms – I guess the pilot thought they
wouldn’t be an issue. The plane climbed from 27,000 to 36,000 feet to find
smoother air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turbulence smoothed
out at the higher altitude and the flight was uneventful until we landed (a
very hard landing) early at 11:56 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
should mention that I wore my mask the whole flight (except, of course, when
eating).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Lot of cruise ahead of us.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IyFzy3Sgi7a7U_EKwr85lwE3LdhDqka_6R14thNico_13oJEj4rC3UqXjBv-uWRDkCtT9XPQVqwAU71HlzV8beaU8ql7s5rZEbDDh_c1VkVQh-91Kx5BSEnF0bGQh3hgeDtz9n0Qwm-A75PmVr5zbZB-1Qm8lVqJgEKCbmKzcF6EDUGzCRp_8iixXFc/s768/IMG_20240209_Masked%20on%20plane%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IyFzy3Sgi7a7U_EKwr85lwE3LdhDqka_6R14thNico_13oJEj4rC3UqXjBv-uWRDkCtT9XPQVqwAU71HlzV8beaU8ql7s5rZEbDDh_c1VkVQh-91Kx5BSEnF0bGQh3hgeDtz9n0Qwm-A75PmVr5zbZB-1Qm8lVqJgEKCbmKzcF6EDUGzCRp_8iixXFc/w300-h400/IMG_20240209_Masked%20on%20plane%20.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We took a train from our gate to the terminal to get our
bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The terminal building is very nice with restaurants and shops and the world's biggest flamingo.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJKUue68hOVqZlNkd5hriDnEdbQFl2U6r-2Qyt6_wR8lNmKdtBVTvaJAnkXQoyktTJSj5A0SbZ0X8-r1wodmGqrEwtFdywOrfhW2UTytuRbSYlKoIkrlBVIW12EDq5R4LfXEbnycrxKYe3aUPaZ0UGHReP_t7bN0GlCKiHm9agH-ZdhKsGi_Ba3EB1fY/s768/IMG_20240209_Big%20Flamingo%20at%20TPA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJKUue68hOVqZlNkd5hriDnEdbQFl2U6r-2Qyt6_wR8lNmKdtBVTvaJAnkXQoyktTJSj5A0SbZ0X8-r1wodmGqrEwtFdywOrfhW2UTytuRbSYlKoIkrlBVIW12EDq5R4LfXEbnycrxKYe3aUPaZ0UGHReP_t7bN0GlCKiHm9agH-ZdhKsGi_Ba3EB1fY/w180-h400/IMG_20240209_Big%20Flamingo%20at%20TPA.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our bags came right out so I called
our hotel to send the shuttle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told
us to go outside of the baggage claim, turn left and find BLUE 1 or 2 (the
sections of the terminal have colors and numbers). American Airline baggage
claim is BLUE 225 and I thought we would need to walk forever but BLUE 1 was
just around the end of the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
called the hotel again and the shuttle appeared less than five minutes later – a
true BLUE miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The ride to our hotel – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hampton Inn and Suites, Tampa Airport Avion Park Westshore</b> – took
just a few minutes. The hotel is in a complex of hotels and businesses called
Avion Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a real nice hotel – it
looks new but it’s hard to tell how old it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Room 811</b> – the desk
clerk said it would be quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had our
third meal of the day in the hotel lobby – we split Ellen’s birthday sandwich
from Jimmy John’s along with Pirate Booty and a Diet Coke from the hotel
fridge (never charged us).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sandwich was a little soggy
but still good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Room 811 is a real nice room (you have to use your key
card to activate the elevator in this hotel).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, it looks new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It smells
clean and looks clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It also had an interesting door plate.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLvoRsl3RuSzka-WI-ZgUHxy8a-et7wPiI4tA2iBOutp6STcj3noMw7ZBYoOnjbH926Fp4IAqgsQcXMXmvtgtz8DZZOe6z6jBYWCDxtxmBqCO-K6T6bTqkn7XbSijU3qbUSXf5dq5qh1o34fAPn_4KQY2ephItNeMlMPqF5K59cPUYxh7qhLdljYDOxQ/s1024/IMG_20240210_hotel%20door%20plate%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLvoRsl3RuSzka-WI-ZgUHxy8a-et7wPiI4tA2iBOutp6STcj3noMw7ZBYoOnjbH926Fp4IAqgsQcXMXmvtgtz8DZZOe6z6jBYWCDxtxmBqCO-K6T6bTqkn7XbSijU3qbUSXf5dq5qh1o34fAPn_4KQY2ephItNeMlMPqF5K59cPUYxh7qhLdljYDOxQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_hotel%20door%20plate%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb6dMp4wBeAxHo4Z2-_BIGw6NkWtDilSaDt8tZe2MTPjdZXliaAMct39A6EWUXB-CfciO7HhFNf_ruWbyagzgtOK8kAqUXmsIjZr4Rpik2pWN8q32V_Q-F21zA-s71XmSho0SC1tWb63qv6HZ5M044IQuPB3jrZ0w-vaYL9wn18p87Tw3hqX3e4N5Yc0/s1024/IMG_20240209_Room%20811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb6dMp4wBeAxHo4Z2-_BIGw6NkWtDilSaDt8tZe2MTPjdZXliaAMct39A6EWUXB-CfciO7HhFNf_ruWbyagzgtOK8kAqUXmsIjZr4Rpik2pWN8q32V_Q-F21zA-s71XmSho0SC1tWb63qv6HZ5M044IQuPB3jrZ0w-vaYL9wn18p87Tw3hqX3e4N5Yc0/w400-h180/IMG_20240209_Room%20811.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The room has good views including the airport (TPA).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGVt5C-siUmmcn7E2__qINQFnhkNWKB6KccaBdnYY34QSFr9zdFZYBvwWRaE8hz5sM3UdNQCgdV0aH7PMuQyF4g_tSO-jKCFAdp4xp_557wPN10zeU6zP7UpQzCbKe2HvH3pxWmutY8SRYbzJ8q9dsrh6mdDfPAZT_r41gKRCp54DKCNgATJGAmFzzrM/s1024/IMG_20240210_view%20from%20811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGVt5C-siUmmcn7E2__qINQFnhkNWKB6KccaBdnYY34QSFr9zdFZYBvwWRaE8hz5sM3UdNQCgdV0aH7PMuQyF4g_tSO-jKCFAdp4xp_557wPN10zeU6zP7UpQzCbKe2HvH3pxWmutY8SRYbzJ8q9dsrh6mdDfPAZT_r41gKRCp54DKCNgATJGAmFzzrM/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_view%20from%20811.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mIj8riqQ13uF2Jdx4lAkqRIm5TnRdIkYH1iVEBW7qJytJnpEUlKaPpb8ak_j9__Mfqs1iDyji5-VH9lg_SXh-s5P_bkrzp5cp8lTPx2Uwpk80tp-KFKUp4LsOeOz1Py27BZZ9u3IKFbGa5jzdeaFD8boxW2H-tE78m8ICcCArZnSkmId8diTBrhZiBI/s1024/IMG_20240210_view%20from%20hotel1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mIj8riqQ13uF2Jdx4lAkqRIm5TnRdIkYH1iVEBW7qJytJnpEUlKaPpb8ak_j9__Mfqs1iDyji5-VH9lg_SXh-s5P_bkrzp5cp8lTPx2Uwpk80tp-KFKUp4LsOeOz1Py27BZZ9u3IKFbGa5jzdeaFD8boxW2H-tE78m8ICcCArZnSkmId8diTBrhZiBI/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_view%20from%20hotel1.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdqdClPn8W4vXmgjD7Rtv6KgZMB5PuHK7sUny2vi_jFhe5XSt16yijjOAecjnXivLijQoRFroPQ2hvtPdLO-N4Lm4RA1Ph9quadH4W5E7m6ytWfeDT_rb66PPdWGTtfe3mpmCvgh0Q_k4mrGsBnglhwlbaySvMMayh6Jnuka-1FKMfd3hDDy8eqZx05Q/s1024/IMG_20240210_TPA%20from%20hotel%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdqdClPn8W4vXmgjD7Rtv6KgZMB5PuHK7sUny2vi_jFhe5XSt16yijjOAecjnXivLijQoRFroPQ2hvtPdLO-N4Lm4RA1Ph9quadH4W5E7m6ytWfeDT_rb66PPdWGTtfe3mpmCvgh0Q_k4mrGsBnglhwlbaySvMMayh6Jnuka-1FKMfd3hDDy8eqZx05Q/w400-h180/IMG_20240210_TPA%20from%20hotel%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Although we were tired, we did have the whole afternoon to
go somewhere in Tampa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was
perfect – blue skies and 70F – so we decided to Uber to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ybor City</b>. Ybor City (we were here years ago) is a concentrated
cultural area (mostly Cuban and other Hispanic folks) that started off as its
own city until it became part of Tamps in the late 1800s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Uber ride to Ybor City (with Laura in her
Nissan Rogue hybrid) was 7.7 miles and took 37 minutes (yes, the traffic was
ugly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cost including the $3.29 tip
was $25.24 (that darn “booking fee”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Our plan was to walk along the main drag, 7<sup>th</sup>
Avenue, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-lfB_NDMgrvi5N2dIqKEcqcPmHYWPgSqRyBqx_xz9YK6K54AOnKOV23rBgnKzlusLOfJoco4FY3PatbEsIx4KjPgAAtlu8EPbSNp2RaL01GT8axycGJluiV4Q9zuP_NLg40SXnh_Bxf3gj8o1clxpjUNplZCU2beWBg82ri7B_lKYeTXd9TZejsjHNc/s768/IMG_20240209_7th%20Ave%20Ybor%20City%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-lfB_NDMgrvi5N2dIqKEcqcPmHYWPgSqRyBqx_xz9YK6K54AOnKOV23rBgnKzlusLOfJoco4FY3PatbEsIx4KjPgAAtlu8EPbSNp2RaL01GT8axycGJluiV4Q9zuP_NLg40SXnh_Bxf3gj8o1clxpjUNplZCU2beWBg82ri7B_lKYeTXd9TZejsjHNc/w180-h400/IMG_20240209_7th%20Ave%20Ybor%20City%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">and then have dinner at a Fish and Chip place on 8<sup>th</sup>
Avenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Fish and Chip place was iffy
so we changed the plan and would seek out a better place along the main
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7<sup>th</sup> Avenue had plenty
of vintage stores and restaurants and even a theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgailhlOLBjySUZplCSk3HtonBvHji2NLzAbinu-Jdb2i5kf6kFYcrFfnVdwI1EAwbAri_X1spOUnW4UTCbnx8qHlarPC_NA8-mGIU3q0d2HdbHXjV1sGBUwDzqbqXmuAU7GcILMOtqpqSo-_vuTZMWBJWM6ADaJJBReHWNaFof1HQ6mtaYuKEKMwSRlMg/s1024/IMG_20240209_vintage%20theater%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgailhlOLBjySUZplCSk3HtonBvHji2NLzAbinu-Jdb2i5kf6kFYcrFfnVdwI1EAwbAri_X1spOUnW4UTCbnx8qHlarPC_NA8-mGIU3q0d2HdbHXjV1sGBUwDzqbqXmuAU7GcILMOtqpqSo-_vuTZMWBJWM6ADaJJBReHWNaFof1HQ6mtaYuKEKMwSRlMg/w400-h180/IMG_20240209_vintage%20theater%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It also had a cigar plant where you could see
the men making cigars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNlCFFCB85emHOv3Qn6YPCjmS3yHU5v1k9dTF9VV-lz5Uewr88P9oo8l1RC-WsuzEXKZQ4Wz60lbFijct7O9zYRD1huin0Iz0zKGqP6J_Qf7xnWWxzFGpBEMyxnciI2KZzgk5ozRusTdilrtNZo7JUrAu923CF4OMSW1Uk9jhztGXw5A_HE4IK-GDr5M/s768/IMG_20240209_Cigar%20makers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNlCFFCB85emHOv3Qn6YPCjmS3yHU5v1k9dTF9VV-lz5Uewr88P9oo8l1RC-WsuzEXKZQ4Wz60lbFijct7O9zYRD1huin0Iz0zKGqP6J_Qf7xnWWxzFGpBEMyxnciI2KZzgk5ozRusTdilrtNZo7JUrAu923CF4OMSW1Uk9jhztGXw5A_HE4IK-GDr5M/w180-h400/IMG_20240209_Cigar%20makers.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">But it also had
plenty of cigar smoke along most of the street on both sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed a bit quiet for a main street but
it was early in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed
<b>Ybor Centro</b>, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xqOn32TOZzjMHbtSBdEmCRTLw8goMPDSSabiHZEbNZqPsdYFplkn9cJ0J13ygrJBsm8sfs6_ldOMK_G_Fqtz_PPgxGOj206DmF7jl9G0KFeLnPGEIsp_lSSxoScy80ln6qPGL5t-Xk1K7QXgZ4afF9uQdMOo7-99mfrWSe7T6osRd5BX-mJnht6VoRQ/s1024/IMG_20240209_Ybor%20Centro%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xqOn32TOZzjMHbtSBdEmCRTLw8goMPDSSabiHZEbNZqPsdYFplkn9cJ0J13ygrJBsm8sfs6_ldOMK_G_Fqtz_PPgxGOj206DmF7jl9G0KFeLnPGEIsp_lSSxoScy80ln6qPGL5t-Xk1K7QXgZ4afF9uQdMOo7-99mfrWSe7T6osRd5BX-mJnht6VoRQ/w400-h180/IMG_20240209_Ybor%20Centro%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">a mall with restaurants (a large Thai place) and shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The hotel desk had told us about a free trolley that takes
you all around the downtown Tampa area and has 11 hop off hop on stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went back to that first restaurant and
once again decided it was not going to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While we were there, we saw roosters roaming the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pYOIQsRrXYDiNsD9Gr8bW44S75Y-idZwQrqkN0nJgL_V21gSKO-Rqd1SIk4j7IPXOTVMIONcEAcyC0HgJaJI36zzrki8gya3cB7pTKOCCCal3_V2kpqzOJpGDyIjsjFnONL7c-XdgjwHUxKKWKUflgRf9ZdIcaBMFUnjbxCkUP9RwLYllbDLFzkR0t4/s1024/IMG_20240209_Tampa%20chickens%20and%20me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pYOIQsRrXYDiNsD9Gr8bW44S75Y-idZwQrqkN0nJgL_V21gSKO-Rqd1SIk4j7IPXOTVMIONcEAcyC0HgJaJI36zzrki8gya3cB7pTKOCCCal3_V2kpqzOJpGDyIjsjFnONL7c-XdgjwHUxKKWKUflgRf9ZdIcaBMFUnjbxCkUP9RwLYllbDLFzkR0t4/w400-h225/IMG_20240209_Tampa%20chickens%20and%20me.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">These chickens are descendants of Ybor City
chickens kept by the cigar workers for food and for cockfighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chickens are protected by the city of
Tampa so they have the run of Ybor City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We spotted the <b>TECO trolley</b> sitting at the Ybor City stop a
couple of blocks away and hopped on to see the rest of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugxhRaKAwSGRWcJ0ojKR6WoX3lmbT6jTOcqBBrupC9x_UWnSc5M8cSuVEOKxN33LryRI_Xf95fKKIX7kqwmjVUEU5gcxJpxRzHm0f-HN94HFMsCzZtKsllQUcroPXwJvlQV0uZVxeyRd6CO0sjaOTtM6ghA2iMLiDoqAw0PnHj8CQrP95KNzL-YoNa1g/s1024/IMG_20240209_Teco%20trolley%20Tampa%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugxhRaKAwSGRWcJ0ojKR6WoX3lmbT6jTOcqBBrupC9x_UWnSc5M8cSuVEOKxN33LryRI_Xf95fKKIX7kqwmjVUEU5gcxJpxRzHm0f-HN94HFMsCzZtKsllQUcroPXwJvlQV0uZVxeyRd6CO0sjaOTtM6ghA2iMLiDoqAw0PnHj8CQrP95KNzL-YoNa1g/w400-h225/IMG_20240209_Teco%20trolley%20Tampa%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It went through some industrial areas and
wound up in the downtown area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got
off and walked to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">River Walk,</b> a
2.6 mile walk along the Hillsborough River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLurimWiKvWDaJHRtchkoWc9m21HzWEsksLj9isX1esqCT66AGKBQPDLlgB-9Jtpuf3dmCCGRvpeliTVnEo6Q2EcA8ORrlvZgHNf4kexdy7vsx8t20SU7wkuPmzwe4BLI9OjeS4VdY6e3Jy0ItR22Lj86h6FMnx8h-9XvpDszZjRYWtIxoeMjJDY8gaE/s1024/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240209174420_River%20Walk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLurimWiKvWDaJHRtchkoWc9m21HzWEsksLj9isX1esqCT66AGKBQPDLlgB-9Jtpuf3dmCCGRvpeliTVnEo6Q2EcA8ORrlvZgHNf4kexdy7vsx8t20SU7wkuPmzwe4BLI9OjeS4VdY6e3Jy0ItR22Lj86h6FMnx8h-9XvpDszZjRYWtIxoeMjJDY8gaE/w400-h180/00000IMG_00000_BURST20240209174420_River%20Walk.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We had dinner al fresco at <b>Big Ray's Fish Camp</b> near the Convention Center and the Riverwalk. I thought it was an aquarium at first. We ordered from a
window and you got paged when it was ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We shared a Cesar Salad (a unique version containing tomatoes and no
croutons plus Ken’s Cesar Dressing in a packet), a grouper sandwich (a Florida
tradition), and Parmesan Garlic fries (an interesting taste when fresh and not
so much when cold and soggy), along with sweet and sour sauce (I dipped my fries in the
sauce), and a Diet Coke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was plenty
of food and it was good. It’s been decades since I had a grouper sandwich (I
tried one on Azamara but didn’t like it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The meal ran $35.48.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The River
Walk dispatched tour boats and was populated by young joggers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrbraZOhNHXrO93Fb_d541hao2IRx9RPAihxiOAvCd544o-rQRAjfiVfuPhgKVJAGYwe0yIeWZgqzeoH4apiMqbMcvIGvu3booSk_JjWMq32vsjLg1W4kTFmtzZi3OXvQ5Zb0Qc3NfUpPTxb7-hVOO8KeAK5g0niLI1ReoCqYNUUo6kyohmVm27eYgjs/s1024/IMG_20240209_Tampa%20River%20Walk%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrbraZOhNHXrO93Fb_d541hao2IRx9RPAihxiOAvCd544o-rQRAjfiVfuPhgKVJAGYwe0yIeWZgqzeoH4apiMqbMcvIGvu3booSk_JjWMq32vsjLg1W4kTFmtzZi3OXvQ5Zb0Qc3NfUpPTxb7-hVOO8KeAK5g0niLI1ReoCqYNUUo6kyohmVm27eYgjs/w400-h180/IMG_20240209_Tampa%20River%20Walk%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We sat there until the Sun went down it got
chilly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkW7_c8nsJ6au-C3r9vCMWJolHPaxNx9YHpQQJyMMSz7lS7jHhsiPoAlnw8VHcHi18QoX4bi1hG0r9r8XjisL9e3ftKrosHghsJ9SDBkDYJJq6RavhfN1ZVhuUafjeL1Pqtg2p-rh4cvb14nh84gP9QIWKNzbxNuI0FeAfCxHswEIEQJ4qxzEXjSRgLw/s950/IMG_20240209_Dinner%20River%20Walk%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="950" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkW7_c8nsJ6au-C3r9vCMWJolHPaxNx9YHpQQJyMMSz7lS7jHhsiPoAlnw8VHcHi18QoX4bi1hG0r9r8XjisL9e3ftKrosHghsJ9SDBkDYJJq6RavhfN1ZVhuUafjeL1Pqtg2p-rh4cvb14nh84gP9QIWKNzbxNuI0FeAfCxHswEIEQJ4qxzEXjSRgLw/w400-h324/IMG_20240209_Dinner%20River%20Walk%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">I called for an Uber – Matthew picked us up in his Corolla;
this trip was 6.34 miles and took 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The traffic on the highway was nasty but Matthew knew how to avoid
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cost was $21.13 including a
$3.00 tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back at the hotel, we found
some comfortable seats in the lobby and had donut holes and Oreos for dessert
along with coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coffee was cold
and I heated it up in the lobby microwave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Back in our room and lights were out early – it was a long
day.</span></p><p></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602562343363088678.post-3443358095856078872024-01-23T06:21:00.000-08:002024-01-23T06:21:16.050-08:00December 28, 2023 – Miami, Florida – Raining – 60F<p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><b>Disembarkation Day</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Up early again this morning so I went to the <b>Windjammer </b>for my usual breakfast and was also able to get a picture of pre-dawn Miami. The Cafe was not the chaotic place I thought it would be.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdZlRwJg4jAHrulEvVeGLbrJ84f5O3z7jp4qKoSHWP62AyU356hc3F0hujOHAlaNmtsgmE8Em7JYTSX3U7-qSqZiBPjZ-EQgthZaPRpZKa1cvQwxzpqBl5Fj5A5WToDMVaZ_MuzdMAzzeTuKWGKEnnSY4Dh29QCZ4Jz4F7aPzf8QbTJjMyr8Ha89AydE/s1024/IMG_20231228_good%20morning%20Miami%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdZlRwJg4jAHrulEvVeGLbrJ84f5O3z7jp4qKoSHWP62AyU356hc3F0hujOHAlaNmtsgmE8Em7JYTSX3U7-qSqZiBPjZ-EQgthZaPRpZKa1cvQwxzpqBl5Fj5A5WToDMVaZ_MuzdMAzzeTuKWGKEnnSY4Dh29QCZ4Jz4F7aPzf8QbTJjMyr8Ha89AydE/w400-h180/IMG_20231228_good%20morning%20Miami%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">I brought Ellen
her breakfast even though it was disembarkation day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We were out of our cabin 8 AM and hung out in the
<b>Promenade </b>until 9:30 AM – </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRYAMgBwNNud6bsvLkkhjuGntTkMTGh8irMDTL9yssQchZMX5xWIpnPC7GvBbh9nKbRBJOx_U8_lzS5yDQBFHmYE3S7EYV-Sy7YJ8DtolAzVRHilcf-rEnrfeHSXk0wnKnUG9NL-qhM5mxIJgDock4LpW-DZE3gduJg2Ng3oJlLGc_FmLT6xWSiHTqis/s1024/IMG_20231228_my%20coffee%20place%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRYAMgBwNNud6bsvLkkhjuGntTkMTGh8irMDTL9yssQchZMX5xWIpnPC7GvBbh9nKbRBJOx_U8_lzS5yDQBFHmYE3S7EYV-Sy7YJ8DtolAzVRHilcf-rEnrfeHSXk0wnKnUG9NL-qhM5mxIJgDock4LpW-DZE3gduJg2Ng3oJlLGc_FmLT6xWSiHTqis/w400-h180/IMG_20231228_my%20coffee%20place%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The <b>Promenade </b>was a comfortable place to wait until leaving the ship. The chairs were comfortable and there weren't a lot of people crowded into a small room. I was able to almost punch out my coffee card – maybe
one short – by getting an iced mocha this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_IDV5AurZmI8hMWO5Pn1obFXSh_tIiPsTwHKgLfHI4ecErGFvYnPlfhOi0R03GIofUvyKigMpFIPC7e_tDx6bq8084Q-88LoSKd9GFbEX8m_GA0LZUnwvTNF5M3d-29GbqqLi2m92S_w-F-GflOLtpXv9OjGnlCtxBxSidA1aFlMpD9EgPnQVakBd5Q/s768/IMG_20231228_one%20for%20the%20road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_IDV5AurZmI8hMWO5Pn1obFXSh_tIiPsTwHKgLfHI4ecErGFvYnPlfhOi0R03GIofUvyKigMpFIPC7e_tDx6bq8084Q-88LoSKd9GFbEX8m_GA0LZUnwvTNF5M3d-29GbqqLi2m92S_w-F-GflOLtpXv9OjGnlCtxBxSidA1aFlMpD9EgPnQVakBd5Q/w180-h400/IMG_20231228_one%20for%20the%20road.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwQKHLWtz_T3U0xCQmYZE-5MAvGvkluxBMPJwZvl7P6AAkpzb4o3y9P2DXKCXTbqwvHOFNoPGhCHN8JHzxP8SG8O4FbgZzEtxEjJ3Qs4B94lqILEzsXBAWgGTMx4VPfjrxc4Dw0-jrOUIgdVhSehd9n-ku5P7B8AG08PpLu9Xh5RiQyxdZZ8FucOIMfw/s768/IMG_20231228_waiting%20to%20go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwQKHLWtz_T3U0xCQmYZE-5MAvGvkluxBMPJwZvl7P6AAkpzb4o3y9P2DXKCXTbqwvHOFNoPGhCHN8JHzxP8SG8O4FbgZzEtxEjJ3Qs4B94lqILEzsXBAWgGTMx4VPfjrxc4Dw0-jrOUIgdVhSehd9n-ku5P7B8AG08PpLu9Xh5RiQyxdZZ8FucOIMfw/w180-h400/IMG_20231228_waiting%20to%20go.jpg" width="180" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7KIB-WNaMdaiELQCia9kyZNIjqzWnSpXfISl_WkiuBTpdmwJAiEy4ai7_1xvrQ5dZjeiUn6Nr4ji_w4P5jVQouV-bIdJvn1vZTHDQXTmu5Ekzjod8RyvNmzz0UGNHg6TN5GV0Pyn_jutTwZYvgd9pyhT9IKYYkPftMhyphenhyphenv9vD-6ben9QyBz-TNsweFyA/s768/IMG_20231228_almost%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7KIB-WNaMdaiELQCia9kyZNIjqzWnSpXfISl_WkiuBTpdmwJAiEy4ai7_1xvrQ5dZjeiUn6Nr4ji_w4P5jVQouV-bIdJvn1vZTHDQXTmu5Ekzjod8RyvNmzz0UGNHg6TN5GV0Pyn_jutTwZYvgd9pyhT9IKYYkPftMhyphenhyphenv9vD-6ben9QyBz-TNsweFyA/w180-h400/IMG_20231228_almost%201.jpg" width="180" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We waited until the <b>Promenade </b>was deserted and then took
off for the gangway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy_c5AwOKjd7aGWQueCsBcaprHwdoxWe6h5A6HgbfqiyJalCoy19gPFSHeWplsteY-KH92qRtKmcX9FSXy0YW1Iw75F-w9n9hNtQDg1bfQYqOG9EAFqTWUyYo5rUtwHxpBBlF4A5kXM8dPEW3uICzDSYSFF3OcrPDY_cCsc1XBaqTob4MFPfe_ltyguA/s768/IMG_20231228_everyones%20gone%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="345" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy_c5AwOKjd7aGWQueCsBcaprHwdoxWe6h5A6HgbfqiyJalCoy19gPFSHeWplsteY-KH92qRtKmcX9FSXy0YW1Iw75F-w9n9hNtQDg1bfQYqOG9EAFqTWUyYo5rUtwHxpBBlF4A5kXM8dPEW3uICzDSYSFF3OcrPDY_cCsc1XBaqTob4MFPfe_ltyguA/w180-h400/IMG_20231228_everyones%20gone%20.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Because of the size
of the ship and the number of bags, the bag retrieval area used carousels like
an airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited by our designated
carousel (Group 33 was on Carousel 11, I think) but our bags did not come off that carousel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After going back and forth through the
carousels (I think there were 11), we finally found our bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Immigration was simple since the Port of Miami has facial
recognition.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We were going to take a cab over to the MSC Terminal (per
instructions from Guest Relations) but the cab driver told us that she couldn’t
do that but that there was a free shuttle between cruise terminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen got us into a short line for that
shuttle – another Jedi power – and soon we were at the MSC Terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be our last cruise of three.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The short cruise on the <b>Independence of the Seas</b> turned
out to be a pleasant surprise with good food, good entertainment, and good
service. It was a good call.</span></p>Hal Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09250934474920602717noreply@blogger.com0