October 2018 – Day 14

OK – so Key West is our last port and our last day of the cruise.  Ed has been here before but while he was in high school, so that doesn’t really count and Barb has never been here.

We had two cruises cancel Key West so this is the first time we have really been here.

Again, it was about 84 when we arrived and yes, it was hot, hot and very humid.

We had to go through US immigration as this was the first time back in the United States and we did that on the ship before we got off.  The good news is that in Miami tomorrow, we only have to pick up our bags and head for the airport so it should be quick.

Key West is beautiful as 99% of the buildings are in very good repair.  Our ship docked right at the edge of town, so when we got off, we took a 90 minute open air trolley ride throughout Key West and saw all of the highlights.

After the train ride, we walked to Ernest Hemmingway’s home and took a tour of it.  After that, we visited the winter White House made famous by Harry Truman and still available as a vacation home for any President.  It was a very interesting tour as most of the furniture was original to the home.

 

Happy, happy place

Then we ate lunch at a really neat local restaurant which was filled with local people having a party.  We ordered a Mai-Mai grilled sandwich and ½ pound of cold boiled shrimp and what a great lunch.  Then after stuffing ourselves at lunch, Barb spotted a Key Lime Pie store so we had to go in and eat a slice of Key Lime Pie and was it ever good!!

Then we went to the Fisher Maritime Museum.  Fisher was the person who spent 17 years looking for two lost ships and finally found them yielding huge tonnages of gold, silver and copper.  It was an interesting museum

By then and after looking into dozens of tourists shops, it was time to get back on the ship.

We packed and then went to dinner with our friends.  Dinner was good and the show was a singing trio who were pretty good, not great.

Then it was on to the casino for our last night and Barb was even and Ed won a little.  But, the good news is that this was the largest win in a casino that we have ever had – of course thanks to two big jackpots by Barb!!

We had a wonderful trip and met now casino friends, John and Nhu-Anne, friends of Tm and Barb and we hope they will be able to join us again.  Tim and Barb we will see over new years on the new Celebrity ship, the Edge.

Tomorrow we arrive in Miami and we will be home by 5:00pm.

Night and can’t wait to see everyone.  Hope all have enjoyed the blog

Leaving to see Key West

Hemmingway's House

A 6 toe cat!!

Yes it was good

The Trolley

Our Host Iryna and Manager, Josh

October 2018 – Day 13

The good news – Barb is up and feeling fine.  

After a long day yesterday where she slept a lot of hours, Barb and Ed spent the morning on the deck suning.  Then we had lunch on the back of the ship with our friends before returning to be out in the sun.

We came in at 3:00pm to clean up and go to the casino for an afternoon session where Ed had a good win and Barb had a huge win because she played the same machine she won on two days ago and again hit the top jackpot!!!

After taking a deep breath, we went up to the room and changed clothes and went to the show which was a big production number that we had seen before but it was good and fun entertainment.

Then it was time to go to our restaurant and we had a fine meal, only one dinner to go and that is tomorrow and the cruise is done.

After dinner we went to the casino where Ed was up and Barb tried her slot machine again and it did not pay off and she lost a little; however, she was still up for the day as she had a great second jackpot earlier in the day!!

We finished in the casino in time to go to the theater to hear the comedian who we loved before give his late night adult routine and again, he was very, very funny.

We set the clocks back tonight so that will help our sleep.

Night - on the way to Key West tomorrow.

All-in all and amazing day!!

Going out for the evening - with a great tan!!

Barbara likes chocolates

Getting paid again!!!

WOW - 2 in a row

This is what a jackpot looks like

What fun we have had on the cruise with our friends.
John and Nhw-Anne Brady and Tim and Barb Freeman

October 2018 – Day 12

Our second to last day at sea and it is a wonderful day.  Again 85 degrees during the day and 80 at night as we head towards Key West.

After breakfast, Ed went out on the deck in the sun and waited for Barb to come out.  In checking on her, she was not feeling well and she said that she had gotten sick in the middle of the night.  Barb stayed in the cabin all day.  It looks like the sushi that we ate last night did not agree with her.

Ed and the rest of the group played in the afternoon slot tournament and nobody won.  Then Ed played a session at Blackjack and lost a little.

Our casino host, Iryna, gave us her grandmother’s remedy which was a little vinegar and water followed by eating black bread and it seemed to have a good effect.

Barb did not leave the cabin and at this time, she is feeling better so tomorrow she should be just fine.  It was a case of too much “strange” food for her.

Ed went to the show and then ate in the buffet as our friends had already eaten and then took some food down to Barb.

Ed went to the casino alone and had maybe the biggest single session blackjack win he has had in a lot of years, winning 15 out of 16 hands including some nice doubles and splits!!

The good news is that Barb is feeling better and we are nicely ahead in the casino and there is no bad news!

Sorry no other pictures since Barb was not up and about today - but she will be tomorrow/

Tomorrow is another day at sea and we hope a wonderful day.

Night

Now that's a great nights winnings!!

October 2018 – Day 11

Today we arrived in Bonaire which is 86miles east of Aruba and 30 miles from Curacao and again the weather was hot, hot at a high of 83.   The sun is also very, very intense as it is almost straight overhead and we are not complaining, just stating the facts!!

Today was a fun day except we had to get off the ship by 7:30am with our friends as that is when our tour was to begin.

We met out tour guide, Connie outside the pier and had a 4 hour tour of the island.  We saw some interesting areas of the island, but basically it told us the only reason people come to this island is to scuba diver and snorkel.  We spent about 1 hour going around the south part of the island and seeing the Cargil salt flats where they produce thousands of tons of salt for water softeners every year.  An amazing process, yet very simple.

We also visited some original slave houses for slaves who worked in the salt flats a long time ago.

A very small island, very few people (20,000) and nothing to see or do, but it was interesting and we were with friends.

Following the 4 hour tour we walked a little in the small tourist area by the ship and then boarded at about 12:30pm and ate on the ship with everyone.

At 1:30pm we went up on deck and stayed out in the sun until late in the afternoon and watched as the ship sailed for Key West, FL, two days away.

We met our friends for our usual 4:30pm afternoon casino session and Ed won a little and Barb hit a big jackpot on the slot machine she has been playing all cruise.  Then she hit the same machine for $150!!

WOW - a great afternoon in the casino!!

At night, instead of eating with our friends, we were taken out to dinner by our Casino Host to a specialty restaurant called Sushi on Five and we had a great meal and enjoyed her company.

After dinner we went to the show which was a singing show about musicals on Broadway and the singers were very good.

In the casino Ed won and Barb of course had a big win!!!!

It was great day for us in the casino and a fun day seeing Bonaire.

Tomorrow is a day at sea so it should very relaxing.

Night from the ocean and we are heading north towards Key West and home.

Ging out last night

Leaving for a day on Bonaire

Original slave housing for the salt mining operation

The salt flats

A beach dive shop and restaurant

An Ospery

Downtown Bonaire

Barb with the slot tech and our Casino Host Iryna

The jackpot

Getting paid by casino management

Windsurfing area on Bonaire

                                                            A major scuba diving area