New Year’s 2023 – Day 4

Since we got to bed last night at 3:30am, we slept in and finally made it up to the sun deck at about 10:00am and the sky and the weather was beautiful. 78 degrees and calm seas with a little bit of wind.

We me Jeff and Vera on the back of the ship for lunch at 1:30pm and sat around and talked until it was time to go to the blackjack tournament.

There were players for 5 rounds and the top 7 advanced to the finals. Ed qualified for the finals; however, he did not win.

By the end of the tournament, it was time to go back to the room to get ready for New Year’s Eve.

The show tonight was a Cirque type of production show and it was fun. We had seen it on the last cruise but it was worth watching again.

After the show we all went to the specialty restaurant called Eden at the very back of the ship.

Dinner was amazing and well worth the extra expense.

Of course, after dinner we all went to the casino blackjack and the slots where Ed had another large win and Barb was the chief cheerleader at our table and didn’t play.

We figured that the top deck pool party for New Year’s Eve was going to be very crowed so we choose to celebrate with the casino staff and that was fun.

What a way to celebrate New Year’s – cruising.

Happy New Year everyone and may 2023 be one of the best years ever.

Tomorrow we arrive in San Juan later in the afternoon.

Hugs to all from Barb & Ed


The pool deck early in the morning





Backstage at the theater





Time to celebrate New Year's Eve








The open kitchen at Eden








Ed's filet and Beef Wellington





Deserts - at the top, a lemon tart dist, strawberries and a Carmel Creme Brulee

New Year’s 2023 – Day 3

Day 3 and we left the hotel at 10:00am and took an Uber to the cruise port.


We had a first boarding schedule for 11:00am so we arrived at the terminal a little ahead of schedule and virtually walked right on.

Celebrity uses a facial recognition so it makes boarding very simple.

Rather than standing in line and picking up your room keys then, you just walk on after going through security and your keys are at your door!

We dropped off our carry-ons and went to the tables at the back of the ship to meet our friends.

We spent the next couple of hours just catching up – what fun we will have.

Then we went back to the room to get our swimming suits on and spent the next couple of hours on the deck in some wonderful sun – 76 degrees.

The show was next and it was a comedian named Corey Khaney and she was very funny. We had met her at the hotel this morning as we were both checking out.

Then it was onto dinner which was very good.

Of course, the casino was next on our agenda and when we got to the casino at 10:30pm it was jammed.

When we walked around, we could tell that there were more high-rollers playing $200 and up then we have ever seen in a ship’s casino.

We wanted a table for the 7 of us but there were not any available. Finally, at about 11:00pm 4 of us were able get on a table.

It was a great night for Ed who won very nicely and Barb lost a little.

We finally left the casino at 1:15am.

Tomorrow we are at sea so it should be a nice relaxing day. Night from our first day on our New Year's cruise.



Leaving the hotel




Our friends, left around the table -
Jeff, Barb, Nh-Anne, John, Tim, Barbara, Barb, Vera






Leaving Ft. Lauderdale




Ready for our first night out

New Year’s 2023 – Day 2

For the first time ever, we think, we did not have a rental car to go to the beach as we had planned to just sit around the pool at the hotel.

That was the original plan; however, Pam and Jeff Beier who live in Ft Myers Beach dover 2 hours across the state to see us.  They arrived at 11:00 am and stayed until about 4pm.

At noon we walked up to a restaurant called Coopers Hawk and have a wonderful meal and sat around and talked until we came back to the hotel and talked outside the pool.  It was fun seeing them once again.  Sorry, we forgot to take pictures of the 4 of us.

We originally met them at Corvette Adventures and they have been tour leaders for us and will again this June.

After they left, we changed clothes and walked up to another restaurant for dinner.

After dinner we went back to the hotel and just relaxed.

Tomorrow, we leave the hotel at 10:30am to go to the ship and start our cruise.

                                                        Time to go meet Pam and Jeff

                                                            Barb by the pool

                                                    Just enjoying the pool area

                                                                        Ahi Tuna for lunch

                                        Waiting for our dinner - it was 70 and a little chilly!!

                        We split a Branzino Fish plate - this is one-half and was very good

New Year’s 2023 – Day 1

We were supposed to fly out of Bloomington airport at 6:00am and have a 3 ½ hour layover in Atlanta, GA which would give us plenty of time to go to the Delta Lounge and relax before the next flight to Ft. Lauderdale for 2 days.

That was the plan; however, last night we were told that our plane would not leave at 6:00am but at 8:00am.  That would still give us an hour and half which was plenty of time to switch planes and still relax.

When we arrived at the airport at 7:00am, we found out that the plane we were to take would not be in Bloomington until 8:45am which would just barely give us enough time to switch planes.

When the plan finally took off at 9:15, the arrival was going to be 12:15pm and our flight was to depart at 12:22pm, obviously not enough time to make the plane.

The good news is that the pilot made up time and we were able to get off the airplane at 11:45am and with a lot of hustling, we made it to our plane!!  WHEW!!

We had been told back in Bloomington that there were no open seats on any plane to Ft. Lauderdale for the rest of the day and if we had missed the flight we would have had to try and fly standby or wait until tomorrow.  Thank goodness we made the flight.

We also found out that there was a major water line that broke in the airport and none of the lounges and most of the restaurants were not open.

The plane ride was just fine and after retrieving our luggage we took the hotel shuttle to our hotel and were in the room by 3:00pm

After checking in, we went for a walk to the outdoor Dana Point Mall which is brand new and it is huge.

We walked about for a couple of hours and then ate at a nice restaurant close to the hotel.

Back to the hotel and we are calling it a night very early in the evening.

Night from Day 1 from Fr Lauderdale where it is now 71 degrees!!

                                                            Leaving for the airport

                                                        Egg rolls for a snack in Ft. Lauderdale

                                                            Barb found a shoe store!!

                                                           Dinner - Crab Cakes

                                        Wood-fired Snapper and shrimp for the main course

October 2022 - The Europe trip with Celebrity Apex

 Following are pictures that were taken by the ship's photographers.

October 2022 - Videos from the trip

 

                                                            Air France - the flight over

                                                            Lunch on the Celebrity Apex

                                                    In the Palaka area of Athens, Greece

                                               At a private fashion show in Kusadasi, Turkey

                                              At the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

                                                          In the Old City, Jerusalem

                                                  At the Western (Wailing) Wall, Jerusalem

                                                 At the Tower of David Light Show

                                                  Shopping in the Old City, Jerusalem

                                                Room 10207, Celebrity Apex - Aqua Class

                                                Breakfast on the Celebrity Apex

                                         Rome - Breakfast on the rooftop of the Hotel Pantheon

                                                Arriving in Venice at the Hotel Danieli 

                                                               The Market in Venice

                                                Listening to the choir at a church in Venice

                                         Having breakfast at the Hotel Danieli in Venice on their rooftop

The Tower at the SS Giovanni e Paolo

                                       Leaving Venice by Water Taxi from the hotel to the airport

The famous Astronomical Clock in Prague

                                                Changing of the guard at the Pargue Castle

                                                       

                                                             Coming home on KLM Airlines

                                               

                                                   

                                                 

Day 22 - - 25, October 24 - October 27

                                                        Leaving Venice -  Heading to Prague

                                                                         Day 1

                                                          Getting on our boat to the airport

                                                           The view from the back of the boat

                                               Lots of company going to and fromt the airport

                                                    The boat entrance to the airport

                                                                He just dropped us off

                                                            A snack on the plane

                                                    Lunch at the Prague Marriott Lounge

                                     The famous Astronomical Clock in the center of Prague

                                                                    The Pargue Castle

                                                            The church at the Prague Castle

                                                           Dinner at a Beer Hall

                                          Our main course - duck, pork knuclke, pork rigs, 

                                      smoked pork belly, sausage, dumplings & cabbage

                                                                             Day 2

                                                                Going out for the day

                                                            A typical street

                                                                Repairing the road

                                                At the home of a Jewish person who was taken

                                                            to a concentration camp

    

                                                      Dinner on the 8th floor of a bell tower

                                                    We had wild boar!  WOW was it good!!

                                                              The Bell Tower

                                                                                 Day 3

It's a little chilly but clear and nice for the day

Cutting Ed a snack

The snack

The market

We went to Sunday church - only about 8 - 10 there

Taking a boat ride

                                                        Relaxing on the boat

   Dinner - very, very good

Dinner

                                                                  

                                                                            Day 4 - coming home

                                                            Ready to come home

                                                        On KLM Airlines - Soup to start

                                                                The fish for the main meal

                                                        Some sweets at the end

                                                     We each received these little houses