July 5, 2023 - A wonderful cruise with the kids

 

Agenda – July 2023 Cruise with the family – Celebrity Equinox



Day 1 –Saturday, July 1

Depart Bloomington to Atlanta, Delta 4160 - 4:47pm – 7:44pm

Depart Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale, Delta 1229 – 10:30pm – 12:24pm

Arrival in Ft Lauderdale at 12:24am

When we arrive – get two UberXL’s to Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Airport and Cruise Port.

In the morning, take an Uber to the Publix Super Market at Oakbridge, 3102 Griffin Rd

Buy Wine & Buy 6 small bottles of Root Beer or cans if bottles are not available.

Take two Ubers  to the port,


Cruise Day 1 – Sunday, July 2

Leaving at 10:30am take two UberXL’s to the Ft. Lauderdale Cruise Port – Pier 18

Go to the room and drop off the luggage.

Meet on Deck 14 on the back of the ship for lunch

We were on the Equinox in October of 2021 and Danielle was the Host and Santiago was the Manager


Cruise Day 2 – Monday - At Sea

Cruise Day 3 – Tuesday, July 4

George Town, Grand Cayman – 7:00am – 4:00pm

Tender to the port – leave the ship at 7:30am

Jeff & Kris – Coral Stone Stables for a 9:00am ride at $100.00 per person and paid for. Picked up at the craft market behind the Dairy Queen. (3 min walk) at 8:30am. $10 per person round trip transportation fee – pay in cash. They may take us to the Tortuga Rum Company.

If not, he rest of us take a cab from the port to Tortuga Rum Company.

Booked for the 6 of us an 11:00am Guided Distillery Tour. Jeff and Kris may be able to join us on their way back from the stables.

Cost is $15.00 per person to be paid at the Distillery.

Lunch at the Sandbar Daiquiri Bar & Grill Grand Cayman, 23 North Church Street – which is across from the Dairy Queen

 Cruise Day 4 – Wednesday, July 5

Cozumel, Mexico – 11:00am – 7:00pm

Private Tour in Cozumel, El Cielo Sandbar and Reef Snorkeling.

Suggestion – take snacks from breakfast.

The cost is $695.36 for 8 or 8 or $173.84 and it has been paid.

Take a taxi as it is 3 miles to Aqua Clara Diving Cozumel

The cruise will depart at Noon, meet at their pier at 11:30am


Cruise Day 5 – Thursday, July 6 - At Sea

Cruise Day 6 – Friday, July 7

Bimini, Bahamas – 8:00am – 6:00pm

BMB Rental Carts - 1-242-818-2278. They are located @ Fisherman’s Village, Bimini, Bahamas. Arriving via Cruise Ship: (they are approximately a five (5) minute walk from the cruise port) Once disembarking your vessel, walk all the way down to the end of the Cruise Port Lane, which will run you into a roundabout & two (2) water tanks on your right-hand side. At this point, make a left, once you make the left, we are approximately half (1/2) a block up on the right-hand side.

Rented 2 golf carts at $90 a day

Nate's Bimini Breads

Tourist shopping area (ten or so shops) with clothing, souvenirs, etc. across from the old historical museum.

Everything is mostly south, To the north are the major resorts

Going north there is only one road and it is right along the beach – looks neat.

Conch Stands for food

 #1 - Stuart's Conch Stand has really nice seating with a view of the water.

Joe's Conch Stand has a huge pile of gorgeous conch shells out back that you can pick up and take home. (Warning: they stink. Bring a LARGE ziploc bag to put them in.)

The best beach is Radio Beach and it is behind CJ’s Deli

Best Lobster

Stuart’s

Cj’s Deli

Joe’s

Cruise Day 7 – Saturday, July 8 - Ft Lauderdale

Leave the cruise ship at the earliest time.

Take 2 UberXL’s to the Airport

When you get to the airport, check in our bags.

After checking in, Mom and Ed will go directly to the Clear line, and be escorted in.

Depart Ft. Lauderdale – Atlanta, Delta 2039 – 10:30am – 12:24am

Depart Atlanta – Bloomington, Delta 4100 – 3:11pm – 4:02pm

                                               

Leaving for the cruise

Relaxing in the Delta Lounge

Breakfast in Ft Lauderdale

The welcome cake in the Ocean View Restaurant

Going out our first day

Saying bye to Ft. Lauderdale

Our first evening on the Celebrity Equinox

The pool deck the second day - at Sea

Barb getting ready for the slot tournament - we didn't win

Out for the second evening

Jackie and Bill dancing

Sharon and Jason

Kris and Jeff

The Celebrity Equinox in Grand Cayman

Tasting rum and rum cake - WOW!!

Going out for the next evening

On the boat to go snorkling on Cozumel

In the water 

Kris and Jason

Relaxing after a fun day

From our decks

On the sun deck

Ed won the blackjack tournament

Time to go out again in the evening

Kris and Jeff

            

Sharon and Jason

Jackie and Bill 

Golf carts on Bimini

One of two beaches we went to on Bimini

Now this was fun

Lunch

Conch shells

One of many stingrays swimming by at lunch

Lunch

The entrance to lunch

Time to eat again

The restaurant

Ready to go

On the second beach

What fun

We are having fun

Time to go back

Jason and Jeff with a Cuban smoke

Out for our last evening for this cruise

Danielle our Casino Host and Alex the Casino Manager

One last group picture

Arriving in Ft Lauderdale

Ready to leave the ship

 

Spring 2023 - Videos from the cruise

                                                 Our room in Long Beach prior to the cruise

                                                            Having some bubbly!!

                                                          Our Sky Suite room 7356

                                                The Ocenview Cafe on the Celebrity Solstice at breakfast

                                                            The Aquarium at San Diego
                                                            

 

Spring 2023 - Day 10

 We had first off the ship becuase of being in a suite and we took advantage of it by going to the suite lounge and the Concierge Mar simply walked us right through security and off the ship first.

It was easy to find our luggage and while the porter took it to the curb we located an Uber car to take us the 45 minuites to the Los Angeles Airport.

As we have the Clear screaning process, we were in the airport and inside the gate area in less than 30 minites.

We had an hour to relax in the Delta Lounge before it was time to board out 4hr and 15 minuite flight to Atlanta.

The flight was uneventful and we landed in Atlanta right on time.

This time we had almost 3 hours before the Bloomington flight so we had plenty of time to ear, drink and relax in the Delta Lounge before boarding.

The flight to Bloomington was on time and we arrived at 10:30pm after a long day travelling.

It was a fun trip; however, cold with only 2 days of real warm weather.  We made some new friends and saw old friends in the casino and had fun eating several times with one wonderful couple from Arizona.

As always, it was good to get away and great to be back home.

                                                        Ready to go home

                                        Michael's Club - the Suite Lounge

                                            The entrance to Michael's Club

                                        The bar at Michael's Club

                                        Mar the Concierge at Michael's Club taking us off the ship

                                        Heading for the Los Angeles Airport

Spring 2023 – Day 9

We are in San Diego and the port we have really been looking for to being at because we are going to the San Diego Zoo, supposedly one of the best in the United States.

Today, the weather was warn, but we still had to wear slacks so it was just ok.

As we were in a suite, we were able to leave the ship with the first group at 10:00am and we immediately took an Uber to the Zoo.

We walked around for an hour and then we had a driver with a golf cart take us on a 1-hour tour of the zoo.  It was fun and informative.

After our tour, we ate at a nice sit down restaurant inside the zoo and had a good lunch.

Then we continued to walk the zoo until 4:00pm when it was time to get back to the ship.

We had time to change and then to the suite lounge for a drink with new friends before we went to the show.  The show was a music show with the cast and it wasn’t that good, just ok.

We have met a lot of nice new people on this trip, including 2 couples that we sat next to several time at dinner.  We just about closed the restaurant talking with a great couple from Arizona who have traveled extensively – nice people.

Then it was onto the casino where Barb broke even and Ed won just a little.  A good, not great week in the casino and it is always nice to bring home more money that we started with.

Having a suite with a butler and all the extra services that we had was an amazing experience and we hope we are lucky enough to do it again on a future cruise.

We leave first off the ship at 7:30am, drive to Los Angeles Airport for an 11:00am flight to Atlanta and a 3 hour layover.

From Atlanta we take the last flight to Bloomington arriving at 10:36pm.

Thanks for following us in our blog.

Night and hope to see all really soon.  We miss family.

                                            Going to the Zoo

                                        Breakfast at the zoo

                                                A tall legged family

                                Barb's traditional last night dress as we go out for the last evening

                                    Ed, Sol the Casino Manager, Barb and Anele the Casino Host

Spring 2023 – Day 8

We are back as sea and heading north for our final port of San Diego before arriving back at Los Angeles

Today, the weather was sunny; however, not warm enough to be outside so we slept in for a little bit.

Lunch was in the Ocenview Café inside and then we went on a ships tour.

The tour was 2 hours long and included the crew’s quarters, the laundry, the kitchen and the bridge so it was fun.

At 6:00pm we went to the lounge to have a drink and it was Chick Night – the replacement for the formal nights.

We spent about an hour with 2 couples who we had dinner with and just enjoy talking about where each was from.

The show in the theater was a show called “Boy Band Evolution” and it traced the history of male groups from barbershop to present time and they was very, very  good.

We had another great dinner in Luminae and then finally we went to the casino where Barb won and Ed  also won, but not as much as Barb!!

Night and tomorrow is the port of San Diego and we are going to their famous Zoo for the day and of course we hope for great weather.

A couple of more nights and we will be home!!

Night from the Pacific Ocean

                                                     Ready for the day

                                                      Part of the kitchen

                            The three top chefs for the main dining room

            Just one of many storerooms.  They use up to 5,000 pounds of rice each 7 day trip and

                    3,000 dozen eggs!!

                                            The engine control room

                                                    The bridge

                                                Ready for the evening's activities

                                                   Trout as an appetizer for dinner