Spring 2012 – Day 10

The main pool early in the mrning

Well here it is, our last day.

After only a few hours of sleep and the clock being turned forward, Ed go up at 8 am to get chairs on the deck. The one spot where we like to be was still available and most of the prime chairs on the deck were already taken so it worked out very well.

After Ed ate breakfast, Barb joined him on the deck and we stayed on the deck until 11:30 am. Even with our tans, two hours is about all the sun we can take.

We cleaned up and joined Jeff and Vera in the Bistro at 1 pm for lunch. The Bistro is a crêpe restaurant and the food was excellent and the service was very slow.

Going out on our last night

Ed left early from lunch to go play in the blackjack tournament. While he qualified first going into the finals, he didn’t win.

Then it was up to the room to spend the next 1 ½ hours packing. We have signed up for the airline luggage program which means that once we put our bags outside our door tonight the next time we will see them is in Bloomington. What a great program to not have to fuss with the luggage and check it in at the airport.

Ed took a nap and Barb walked around and then we both cleaned up for the show and dinner.

The show was wonderful. The singer from a couple of nights ago sang again and the quartet finished the show.

Ed's steak in Tuscany

Dinner was in the Tuscany Restaurant with Jeff and Vera. It is an Italian Steakhouse and an extra charge restaurant; however, we didn’t have to pay as we were guests of our casino host, Andrea who joined us.

Then it was on to the casino where we had a great night and finished the trip the best that we have ever done.

After finishing this blog, we have to finish packing, organize for tomorrow and get a few hours of sleep. We will be home tomorrow.

We hope you enjoy following us on our trip. May your next vacation be a wonderful.

Night - Night

Spring 2012 – Day 9

The view from our balcony - another ship, the pier and the village

We awoke and were docked at the pier at Costa Maya, Mexico, which is a “town” made for the cruise industry. Before the cruise lines decided to get together and build this port, there was nothing here except a small town of 200 people.

So, they build a port, with a large pier and a new village with all of the typical tourist shops. It is built right on the Mayan Riviera, which is stretch of coastal land in Mexico stretching many miles south of Cancun.

The village at the port

The view from our balcony shows a very long pier, then the village and behind the village miles of just very flat land with palm trees – very un-developed. You could visit some Mayan ruins but it was a two-hour bus right and we didn’t feel the need to do that. There were a number of other “jungle” tours that people could take, but we skipped them all.

After spending about an hour visiting the port we had been to all of the shops and bought the prerequisite souvenirs that we needed. So, we headed back to the ship for lunch.

After lunch, we headed up to the deck for some sun – only one more day besides today to do so. As always, Barb is ahead of Ed with her tan!!

Buying a ring

Pretty soon it was time to change for the show and dinner. Tonight is the second formal night of the cruise and we are eating in the main dinner room.

The show was a major production by the singers and dancers on board. It was a very high energy show featuring all types of fast music from Irish Step Dancing to Tango, to Disco and much more – it was supposed to be a great up-beat show but it fell a little flat and did not have the energy that it should have – but we had fun.

Then we went to dinner which featured lobster tail. Can you imagine fixing lobster tail for a thousand or more people!

After dinner, we went to the casino where Barb finally hit a jackpot – not a great big one but a nice one!! Ed also did well so this was our best night in the casino ever.



Going out for the evening

We set the clocks forward tonight and tomorrow night – not good when you need sleep but tomorrow is a day at sea and we will spend a lot of time relaxing on the deck.

For all the basketball fans, we say Go Bulls and Go Syracuse!!

Night for now and thanks for everyone who makes it possible for us to be here – we will be home soon.

Spring 2012 – Day 8

Well I awoke early because we had gone to bed early since I was under quarantine. I felt just fine so I stayed in bed until Barb woke up and then ordered room service for breakfast.

Barb ready to go into the port.

After breakfast, we watched people get off the ship and then Barb went off to do a little shopping in the small port area of tourist shops.

We had scheduled a great all-day trip to the resort of Paya Bay Resort on the other side of the island. They were to pick us up and for lunch cook us a fresh lobster for lunch. During the rest of the day we were gong to just be on their beach.

Of course all that had to be cancelled last night and I did find out today that they will refund our money.

We had a snack on our balcony

I watched a movie on television during the afternoon – talk about being bored!! But at least life goes on and hopefully we will be back on Roatan in the future.

After the call from the Doctor came at 4 pm checking on my status, we immediately left the ship so that I could see a little of the port. We were back on the ship at 4:45 pm as the ship sailed at 5. You can’t imagine the feeling of watching everyone leave the ship and not even be able to leave the room – but it was over.

As we are requested to play in the casino two hours a day at a minimum and we lost a day yesterday, we went to the casino after the ship sailed and Ed did well.



Ed's three petite filets

The show tonight was a singer by the name of Lindsay Hamilton and she was outstanding. As they said in the program, she has played many of the most coveted roles in musical theatre history and we were very entertained by her performance.
After the show we went to the casino again and Ed did really well.

Dinner tonight was in one of the specialty restaurants call the Murano. There are three specialty restaurants on board that you have to pay an additional fee to go to and this is their classic French restaurant. We went with our friends from New York, Jeff and Vera and had a good time. We had a good meal, but not as outstanding as on other Celebrity ships.

Barb's lobster

Then it was on to the casino where both Ed and Barb lost but we were up considerable for the day, so it was a good day in the casino as we closed it at 2 am.

Tomorrow is Costa Maya, Mexico, our last stop.

Spring 2012 – Day 7

The clocks were set back an hour last night so the extra sleep was appreciated. In addition, we did not dock at the island of Cozumel until 9 am.

The kitchen

At 8 am it was raining but it cleared up by the time we docked. Cozumel is Mexico’s largest island and a major tourist stop. Today there were 5 ships in port so it was really busy. We were docked at the same pier with the Celebrity Eclipse, the sister ship to ours. Both ships were letting passengers off at 9 am so about 7,000 people including crew who could leave were all leaving at the same time – what a crowd. But pretty soon everyone was on their way to separate places so again it was just another busy port with lots of stands to buy things.

The highlight of our trip to Cozumel was meeting a chef at major market in town for a two hour food experience at a number of different local restaurants in the town.



The restaurant

 We met Emily, a US Citizen and trained chef who is living in Cozumel and she then proceeded to drive us to our first stop, a very local Empanadas restaurant, where we had three versions of the dish, all very good.

Then it was to another place for an introduction to Yucatecan food and they served cochinita pibil, which is baby-suckling pig that is slow roasted, marinated with citrus and annatto and served on a soft taco.

Then we went to the local market and Emily walked us through explaining how to tell fresh produce of different kinds and we looked at all the local produce from Mexico. The fish for sale at the market was very fresh, having been caught that morning.

Next we went to a more formal restaurant which served a really great Yucatecan chicken soup.


All parts of a pig cooking for our next meal



And our last stop was a local bakery where she pointed out the different types of breads that they produce and we each selected one for dessert.

What a wonderful experience we had. Every one of the restaurants except the bakery was an actual home with the restaurant in front and their homes in back. At the stop before the bakery, the front seating area was actually the garage for the house at night!!

So much for health codes.

After Emily dropped us off where we started, we took a taxi back to the ship and spent the next hour or so shopping at the shops by the pier. Barb bought a couple of purses because she really needed them. One that is made of folded gum wrappers we saw in Europe a couple of years ago for over a hundred dollars. The style finally made it to the islands and Barb bought one for $20!

Another restaurant and they park their car inside at night

Then it was back to the ship for a nap before dinner by Ed.

Then the problems started. Just before getting on the ship, I (Ed) had diarrhea. It had to be because of all the spicy and different food we ate on the food tour. At 5, there was no more diarrhea; however, I decided to go to the infirmary to get some Imodium in case it continued later on in the evening.



Two new purses



Everything was fine at the Doctor’s office after completing the paper work. Then the nurse came back in and brought me the Imodium and said the I was going to be quarantined in our room for 24 hours. No amount of talking or pleading would budge them. They said that anyone who reports diarrhea must be isolated for 24 hours in case it was a possible case of Norovirus and as soon as I signed the form, I was trapped.

So, until 4 pm tomorrow, I cannot leave the cabin. We were planning a great evening and a fun trip on the island of Roatan, but all that was cancelled.

Barb is not quarantined so at least she can leave the cabin tomorrow. There has been no more diarrhea since 5, but that doesn’t matter how good I feel now.

As of this writing there are 17 ½ hours left – what a bummer!!

Dinner in the room is not fun!!

Spring 2012 – Day 6

Ready to go to Grand Cayman

When we awoke we were anchored off the island of Grand Cayman and its capital, George Town. George Town, while it is the capital, is just another small tourist sea port and there isn’t much in the city to see except tourist shops and banks. It is a major banking center because of its tax-haven status.

In the two trips that we have been to Grand Cayman, we have done everything that we wanted to do and while they have a beautiful 7-maile beach, the deck of the ship is also great for getting a good tan.

So we went to the tender station at 10am and boarded the tender boat for the trip to shore and spent the next couple of hours in the tourist shops and also getting what we needed, Kahula and Pepsi.

At noon, it was time to go back to the ship and eat lunch and relax on the deck, which we did. As usual, Barb has a deeper tan than Ed does and Ed’s forehead is pealing!!!

On the tender to the island

At 3:30 pm, we came in and Ed took a nap while Barb walked around. Our daily schedule is usually that Ed gets up first while Barb sleeps a little. Then in the afternoon, Ed naps while Barb walks around – it all works out and then we are ready for the evening entertainment.

The show was terrible – an individual who thought he was funny and very few others did!

Dinner was excellent and we have had wonderful service.

After dinner, of course we went to the casino where Barb only lost a little and Ed was up.

Our Ship

We set the clock back an hour tonight so that will be great for sleeping.

Tomorrow we arrive at Costume and we have a fun day planned.

Spring 2012– Day 5

We woke up to absolutely perfect weather. Light winds, no clouds and tempteture to be somewhere in the low 80’s!!

They had 4 kinds of fruit like this for lunch in the Aqua Spa!

Ed was up early to get deck chairs and eat breakfast while Barb slept in for a little – it was a late night last night. By 10 we were both on the deck relaxing in the sun.

We only have this day at sea and then 4 stops in a row before our last day at sea– so this is the day to relax.

We were on the deck until a little after noon when we ate lunch and came in to clean up and go to the slot tournament at 2pm.


Dressed for dinner



Both of us failed to qualify for the finals, but we had fun.

Then we walked around and went back to the cabin and rested until it was time to get ready for formal night.

Formal night is always fun, having pictures taken, dancing and watching people.

On this ship, the show times are 7pm and 9pm. It works great because we have late seating for dinner at 8:30pm so we go to the early show. That is wonderful for us because then we can go directly to the casino after dinner, play a couple of hours and still be back in the cabin before 2am.

The show was a big production number and dinner was excellent. They do an amazing job for all the people that they feed.

On the ship there are 2,800 guests from 40 countries and 1,200 staff from 70 countries!!!

Ed's filet for dinner

Tonight the doors to the public outside decks were closed because of high winds.  It is a little choppy and we can feel the ship rolling, which is very unusal.

Then it was on to the casino where Ed and Barb both lost.

Tomorrow we stop at George Town, Grand Cayman, and the first of four stops.



Swans made by the room stewart from towells



Spring 2012 – Day 4

Ready to go on our cruise

Time to pack up and head for the ship. We left the hotel a little after 10am and before we could leave the parking garage we had to put up the convertible top because it was raining and a cold, windy 76 degrees. Perfect time to leave Miami.

When we got to the cruise terminal, the rain had stopped and we put the top down because that was the only way to get the luggage out of the back. The problem was that at just that moment, it rained hard again. We got us and the car inside a little wet, but we were unloaded.

Ed took the car back to the rental drop-off and rode the shuttle back. Check-in was very fast as usual and we dropped our bags off in the room and went to the Aqua Spa for lunch.

Ed's lunch in the spa

Just as we were finishing lunch, Jeff and Vera who we were going to eat with in the evening and gamble with arrived so we sat with them catching up on the last couple of months.

Then it was time for the life boat drill and back to our room to rest for the evening.

Before dinner, we saw the show in the showroom and it was probably the best first night show that we have seen.

Dinner was a great start to the cruise – we had a good wait staff.

Barb at lunch

After dinner we went to the casino and played until little after 1 am. Ed had probably his best start even in a casino and Barb lost a little at slots so it was a very good start – wish us luck on the rest of the cruise.

Tomorrow is a day at sea and it will be good to relax.



Leaving Ft. Lauderdale



Spring 2012- Day 3

Here is the video we took from the Franke Valli concert last night. I was a wonderful concert and they really, really sounded great.

Day 3

Ed driving

We woke up to another beautiful day. We drove down to Miami Beach and rented a boat for a 2 hour tour around some of the islands that make up Miami Beach. We rented a 21 foot boat with a 115 horse power engine; however, we couldn’t go fast because of all of the houses. Then it was a little too rough out in Biscayne Bay so we didn’t open it up.

For lunch we went to a Columbian Hot Dog restaurant called La Perrada that we saw from the Travel Channel with Anthony Bourdain.. Barb had a Chilean Hot dog which was a hotdog with sausage, guacamole, fresh tomatoes, sauerkraut, sauces, mayo and mustard. Ed just had his regular with ketchup and relish.

Barb up front directing!!

Then it was a short drive farther up the beach to Haulover Beach. As it was Saturday, it was really crowded but we had no trouble finding a spot close to the water. We met a couple from Miami and talked a little about each other lives, then they left and we shall never see them again – but we always have memories.

After a few hours in the sun, we went back to the hotel and cleaned up, rested and did a little packing for tomorrow. The weather again today was in the mid 80’s with a light breeze and virtually no clouds. We could not have asked for better weather.

After resting, we went out to the entertainment and food district and had a fun dinner sitting outside watching people as we ate.

La Perrada

Barb and the boat

Then it was on to the casino where Ed had his best night. We finished UP and we hope that we built up enough credibility that they will ask us back.

It is now time to get to back to the room and do a little more packing before getting to bed.

A fun trip to Miami – now on to the Cruise.

Spring 2012 – Day 2

Our new friend

We slept a little late because we were really tired from the traveling the day before. We finally left the room at about 10 am and drove about ½ hour to the Sawgrass Recreational area were took an air boat tour. Barb had never been on an air boat and this had been one of the items on our “bucket list” that we were finally able to check off.

The ride was fun although because it was about noon and the tempteture was in the middle 80’s, we only saw one alligator, but he was a huge one. We stopped the boat and watched him watching us – it was fun.

On the airboat ride in the Everglades

We ate there from a trailer like we used to have and we had a Cuban Philly sandwich which was pork, cheese, tomatoes and thin French fries on a long roll. Then we toured their little nature area where Barb got to hold a small alligator – it is fun being a tourist. It was good for her that the trainer put tape over the alligator’s mouth.

Back in the car we went about 30 minutes and we were back at Haulover Beach where we spent 2 ½ hours in the sun before heading back to the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel to clean up.

Then we walked around this huge complex and met with our casino host, Vanessa. We are very fortunate that she is here as hopefully if will mean free stays whenever we are in this area – we will see.We had fun talking about when she worked at Celebrity and now the Hard Rock Casino.

Barb and her new pet!!

Frankie Vallie and the Four Season were playing in the huge showroom and Vanessa arranged for us to get casino comp tickets.

Wow – what an amazing show he and his group put on. A full two hours on stage of solid great singing.

After that we went to the casino and Ed did well and Barb couldn’t find a machine she liked because of the crowds.

Then we walked around their big entertainment, shopping and eating outdoor area, had an ice cone and generally just watched people.
What a fun day and tomorrow will be as good if not better.

Our room

Spring 2012 – Day 1

We awoke early in the morning and headed to the airport to catch what will probably be our last Air Tran flight from the Bloomington airport as they are ceasing service June 2.

A full car as usual

The flight was totally full and we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale just after noon.

We quickly picked up our convertible and headed to the Hard Rock Casino. Our casino coordinator from Celebrity cruise line is now working as a host at the Hard Rock and sent us an invitation for a free room, etc. for the three nights we needed – so here we are.

We changed out of our travel clothes and immediately headed for our favorite beach – Haulover Beach. Sorry no pictures because pictures are not allowed. The weather was beautiful – 84 degrees, a light wind and no clouds and there were a lot of people on the beach.

Barb's dinner

We stayed on the beach until about 4:30 pm and then headed down Miami Beach to a Cuban restaurant that the Travel Channel had recommended called Las Olas Café. Their specialty is empanadas, which is a pastry stuffed with chicken, beef or ham and cheese and were they ever good. No one in the restaurant spoke any English so it was fun. Ed had a couple of orders and also an order of Plantains, which are fried bananas.

Then it was back to the Hard Rock to clean up and go to the Casino. This place is huge – there are over 2,500 slot machines! We had a fair session in the casino and built up some playing hours.

As we have been up a long time, we are getting to bed early – it isn’t even midnight – but night night.

Ed's empanada and fried plantains