Day 7 photos
position: 9:58:17 N latitude x 84.49.50 W longitude
(143 miles Sw of Managua, Nicaragua or or about 640 SE of Huatulco, our next stop)
temperature: 80F and 79% humidity at 7:00 am - sunny
This is a sea day. Tonight is another formal night. We have an AMEX Cocktail Reception at 11:30am in the observation lounge, and a Seven Seas Society at 6:30 pm. We also have a reservation for a shared table in Latitudes this evening at 7. This will be the first resevation resturant that we have tried.
This turned out to be a pretty lazy day. We did work a little to get two loads of laundry done, which entailed a learning curve on exactly what buttons needed to be hit to make the washing machine work. (Still not clear we know.) Laundry is a blood sport on this ship. We went to the Amex cocktail party and it was not much. They had free drinks which would have been a perk usually, but on this cruise, all our drinks are included anyway. Clay asked what beers they had and was told Heineken. He had one. We lunch in Compass Rose and forget the camera. Clay asked what beers they had and asked if they had weissebier and the guy told him maybe in the crew lounge but he couldn't get one. Clay asked what other beers they had. Heineken. Nothing else? Finally, the guy gave a rapid short list with Amstel, Amstel Light and ending in Tiger. Clay did not catch a word of it, but Debbie knew he had had Tiger in Singapore and liked it, so she piped up. Debbie ordered a Coke. The guy asked for our suite number and returned with a chit for Clay to sign. We told him we were on the WC and he apologized and took the chit away. In the afternoon, Clay played blackjack for the second time and won what he lost the day before, and now is actually ahead by about $40. There was one other guy who played the same table for the whole two hours. He was drinking coffee, and giving the coffee guy $25 tips on occasion. (Clay offered to get the guy coffee anytime he wanted it!) Debbie read and napped, took exercise classes in the morning and the afternoon.
It turned out the Seven Seas Reception conflicted with our Latitudes reservation. And since Compass Rose had a strong menu for the evening, we opted to cancel the Latitudes reservation to make it to the Seven Seas Reception and eat at Compass Rose. The reception was good with huge shrimp, caviar, little pizzettes, and champagne. They honored the people on board who had sailed more tham 300 nights with Radisson. The were 5 individuals/couples honored. The leader was a woman with 550+ nights. We received with our invitation little goldtoned lyre-shaped pins (Radisson logos), in blue suede pouches, the night before to wear to the party.
Clay got signal back on his Blackberry to his relief. We skipped the Chocoholic Tea this afternoon. Debbie felt we should pace ourselves and we would probably have many more opportunities for this kind of event. Hope so. It turned out that dinner was our big event of the day. Clay decided to order the menu degustation which is 5 courses and Debbie ordered random courses to match number. Bob Graham sat at the table next to ours. Clay drank both white and red wine. After dinner we got a DVD to watch and went to bed with it. Rough seas overnight.
Day 7 photos
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Day 6 - Monday Jan 02 Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Costa Rica photos
position: 9:58:17 N latitude x 84.49.50 W longitude
(Puntarenas, Costa Rica)
temperature: 80F and 92% humidity at 7:30 am - sunny
Today is our first shore excursion with Radisson. We were on the dock around 8:10am for our 8:30am Costa Rica's Cloud Forest & Poas Ntl. Park tour. It was scheduled for 8 hours. It turns out there were 2 buses going to the volcano today. We were on the first bus which left with 17 people onboard. The bus probably could have held 40-45 people, so it was more than half empty. The second bus must have left about 30 minutes after us, and they were lagging us all day, getting back to the ship after the 30 minutes after castoff time, causing Captain Dag to wait on them. The first bus got back around 4:30 more or less on schedule.
We had a tour guide named Jeffrey, and he did a good job keeping us entertained on the 2.5 hour ride up to the Poas Volcano. There was a blocked road that caused about a 30 minute delay in us getting to the volcano. We left the bus and walked about 700 yards on a smoth paved upward sloped path to get to the overlook where you could see down into the volcano's crater. We were lucky in that it was a clear day, and we could actually see down into the volcano. Evidently, a lot of days, clouds prevent you from seeing into the volcano so taking this tour is sort of a crap shoot. The volcano is about 1.5 KM across, and the water in the volcano has recently turned a white color. Jeffrey said that as late as one year ago, the water had a blue-green-turquiose color. On the walk back to the bus, Jeffrey discussed some of the blooming flowers along the path. We spent about 45-60 minutes at the volcano. We boarded the bus for a 45 minute ride to the Chubascos resturant where we had a surprisingly good lunch. They served a frozen fruit drink (strawberries, mango, peaches, ???) that was refreshing. They offered red or white wine, and allowed Clay to substitue a local beer for the wine. They served him a beer named Imperial and it was good. The lunch consisted of a nicely spiced pumpkin soup, a marinated, grilled chicken breast, rice, black beans, freshly made small corn tortillas, mango salsa, fried sweet plantains and a slaw dish. For dessert, they served coffee flan. After lunch, we spent another hour on the bus going to Sarchi. That definitely was a tourist joint, but still it was not terribly offensive. You could get a desk sized painted ox cart for $300-$400. Fortunately, nobody on our bus took advantage of this opportunity. We spent 30 minutes at Sarchi, and then another hour or so to get back to the ship around 4:30pm.
The roads we travelled were one line each way (and ocassionally, one lane for both ways). The drive ranks right up there with the Amalfi coast in some parts for heavily travelled mountain roads, though the Italians drive faster. It was a winding trip going up and down before we arrived at the volcano and its 8500 feet above sea level. But it was worth the trip today. It may not be if you are unlucky enough to not be able to see into the volcano.
Tonight, we are dining with Ngaire and Ken and Jack and Mary in the Compass Rose.
Below is the description of the tour from Radisson literature. The cost was $105 pp.
From the low coastal areas, head into the clouds and discover the incredibly diverse landscape, the ever-changing vegetation and the spectacular scenery that this journey provides. One of the most renowned parks in Costa Rica, the Poas National Park is one of the few cloud forests accessible from the Pacific Coast during a one-day visit. This beautiful nature reserve allows participants to experience a rare natural scenario, as well as the possibility of witnessing the struggle within the earth's core.
Surrounded by lush forest is the crater of the Poas volcano. On a clear day, it is possible to peer into the volcano's crater and see geysers of steam and smoke rising from the bubbling depths. After a visit to the park, the tour continues through spectacular scenery, bringing to mind the fields and pastures in the Swiss Alps. It is this region that gave Costa Rica its nickname, the Switzerland of Central America. Soon you will reach a traditional mountain retreat where a tasty typical "Tico" meal will be served. After lunch, you head to SarchÃ, home to a large artisan community. Here the most beautiful handicrafts are produced and offered by local artists.
Upon leaving SarchÃ, your journey takes you past sugarcane and coffee plantations that were once the main trade of Costa Rica. Soon you will see your ship waiting in the port of Puntarenas. Please note: Although not strenuous, walking on this tour cannot be avoided. A walk of approximately half a mile must be covered to view the crater of the Poas Volcano. Due to the high incidence of rain in this area, we suggest participants bring with them rain gear. Sudden rain showers can be expected. As the coaches do have strong air conditioning we would recommend bringing along a sweater or jacket.
Costa Rica photos
position: 9:58:17 N latitude x 84.49.50 W longitude
(Puntarenas, Costa Rica)
temperature: 80F and 92% humidity at 7:30 am - sunny
Today is our first shore excursion with Radisson. We were on the dock around 8:10am for our 8:30am Costa Rica's Cloud Forest & Poas Ntl. Park tour. It was scheduled for 8 hours. It turns out there were 2 buses going to the volcano today. We were on the first bus which left with 17 people onboard. The bus probably could have held 40-45 people, so it was more than half empty. The second bus must have left about 30 minutes after us, and they were lagging us all day, getting back to the ship after the 30 minutes after castoff time, causing Captain Dag to wait on them. The first bus got back around 4:30 more or less on schedule.
We had a tour guide named Jeffrey, and he did a good job keeping us entertained on the 2.5 hour ride up to the Poas Volcano. There was a blocked road that caused about a 30 minute delay in us getting to the volcano. We left the bus and walked about 700 yards on a smoth paved upward sloped path to get to the overlook where you could see down into the volcano's crater. We were lucky in that it was a clear day, and we could actually see down into the volcano. Evidently, a lot of days, clouds prevent you from seeing into the volcano so taking this tour is sort of a crap shoot. The volcano is about 1.5 KM across, and the water in the volcano has recently turned a white color. Jeffrey said that as late as one year ago, the water had a blue-green-turquiose color. On the walk back to the bus, Jeffrey discussed some of the blooming flowers along the path. We spent about 45-60 minutes at the volcano. We boarded the bus for a 45 minute ride to the Chubascos resturant where we had a surprisingly good lunch. They served a frozen fruit drink (strawberries, mango, peaches, ???) that was refreshing. They offered red or white wine, and allowed Clay to substitue a local beer for the wine. They served him a beer named Imperial and it was good. The lunch consisted of a nicely spiced pumpkin soup, a marinated, grilled chicken breast, rice, black beans, freshly made small corn tortillas, mango salsa, fried sweet plantains and a slaw dish. For dessert, they served coffee flan. After lunch, we spent another hour on the bus going to Sarchi. That definitely was a tourist joint, but still it was not terribly offensive. You could get a desk sized painted ox cart for $300-$400. Fortunately, nobody on our bus took advantage of this opportunity. We spent 30 minutes at Sarchi, and then another hour or so to get back to the ship around 4:30pm.
The roads we travelled were one line each way (and ocassionally, one lane for both ways). The drive ranks right up there with the Amalfi coast in some parts for heavily travelled mountain roads, though the Italians drive faster. It was a winding trip going up and down before we arrived at the volcano and its 8500 feet above sea level. But it was worth the trip today. It may not be if you are unlucky enough to not be able to see into the volcano.
Tonight, we are dining with Ngaire and Ken and Jack and Mary in the Compass Rose.
Below is the description of the tour from Radisson literature. The cost was $105 pp.
From the low coastal areas, head into the clouds and discover the incredibly diverse landscape, the ever-changing vegetation and the spectacular scenery that this journey provides. One of the most renowned parks in Costa Rica, the Poas National Park is one of the few cloud forests accessible from the Pacific Coast during a one-day visit. This beautiful nature reserve allows participants to experience a rare natural scenario, as well as the possibility of witnessing the struggle within the earth's core.
Surrounded by lush forest is the crater of the Poas volcano. On a clear day, it is possible to peer into the volcano's crater and see geysers of steam and smoke rising from the bubbling depths. After a visit to the park, the tour continues through spectacular scenery, bringing to mind the fields and pastures in the Swiss Alps. It is this region that gave Costa Rica its nickname, the Switzerland of Central America. Soon you will reach a traditional mountain retreat where a tasty typical "Tico" meal will be served. After lunch, you head to SarchÃ, home to a large artisan community. Here the most beautiful handicrafts are produced and offered by local artists.
Upon leaving SarchÃ, your journey takes you past sugarcane and coffee plantations that were once the main trade of Costa Rica. Soon you will see your ship waiting in the port of Puntarenas. Please note: Although not strenuous, walking on this tour cannot be avoided. A walk of approximately half a mile must be covered to view the crater of the Poas Volcano. Due to the high incidence of rain in this area, we suggest participants bring with them rain gear. Sudden rain showers can be expected. As the coaches do have strong air conditioning we would recommend bringing along a sweater or jacket.
Costa Rica photos
Monday, January 2, 2006
Day 5 - Sunday Jan 01
Day 5 photos
position: 7:37:06 N latitude x 81:29:29 W longitude
(~10 miles S of Mamey Panama)
speed: 19.7 knots with a with a 333 degree head wind at about 20mph.
temperature: 80F and 97% humidity at 7:30 am - partly cloudy
First day of the new year. Internet was up early this morning so three journal posts with some pictures were uploaded (about 30 minutes online). They have offered a World Cruise Special Internet package - 10000 minutes (about 165 hours) for $600. As spotty as the internet has been, the 165 hours might last the whole cruise.
Today we are changing our eating locations. Instead of doing breakfast at LaVeranda and lunch at the pool grill, we are eating both in the Compass Rose as a special weekend treat. Debbie is having Eggs Benedict (not on the menu, but always available in compass Rose she was told). Clay had lamb chops with two eggs over easy. Lunch was to be a traditional New Year's fare. We were hoping to get blackeyed peas and collard greens, since that was the menu provided when we inquired through Ngaire's office, but that did not exactly happen. They listed Collard Greens and Hoppin' John on the menu. We think the chopped up iceberg lettuce was supposed to be the collard greens and it looked and tasted like cheez-whiz in the hoppin' john. So, we got ham and about 8-16 black eyed peas each, oh, well... The cheez-whiz was a surprise delicacy! They offered a New Year's Lucky Cake. But, we were waved off it by the waiter and the woman seated at the next table. It was sponge cake with chocolate frosting. Oh, also, they offered a soup called Potage Garbure. Two guys at a table near us called it potage garbage. Debbie asked the waiter what it was and he said it was a pureed vegetable soup. She asked if that meant it was all the leftover vegetable for the week and he winced and said yes. The 2 guys heard her ask and they were eating it at the time and told her it was not bad. She said she would take their word for it but Adorable (honestly, that was our waiter's name!) brought her a bowl anyway. We also broke our routine for dinner tonight by going to LaVeranda's Mediterranean Bistro instead of Compass Rose. It is part buffet and part table service. The food was all very good, but it was very dark in the room, so no photos. The appetizers, salads, breads, and desserts were self-serve. The soup, pasta and main course were ordered and delivered to the table.
Clay tried his hand at blackjack for the first time onboard as there was a tournament with a $20 buyin. You played six hands with $200 worth of chips. The people with the most money at the end of the six hands were the winners. Clay did all right until hand 4. He doubled down a $200 bet showing a ace, four against the dealer's 5. He actually hit a five and was feeling pretty good. Then the dealer drew a 21 with about dozen cards %#%%$$. That ended him in the tournament. Beforehand, he played some regular blackjack to get a feel for things. The tables were $5 minimum, and he dropped $37.50 in about 45 minutes of playing. He will pace himself in the future.
After the tournament, we spent a lazy afternoon on our balcony watching for dolphins/porpoises/tuna??? that showed up occasionally jumping along side the ship. This morning we saw 2 large brown ray-type fish just under the water near the rear of the ship. The captain announced this AM that he had seen flying fish, we have been watching for the them but have not sighted any ourselves yet.
The captain announced that it looks like we will be getting into Puntarenas, Costa Rico around 9 or 10 this evening instead of early tomorrow morning. He said that due to tidal conditions, he had a choice of 10pm or 3am and it was easy for him to decide. We have made good time in fairly calm seas.
We are now docked in Puntarenas, Costa Rica at 9:45pm. The dock is on the port side. (In Key West, we were docked on the starboard side.) We have tickets for Costa Rica's Cloud Forest and Poas Volcano tomorrow. Keeping fingers crossed for a clear day. Our bus leaves at 8:30am so we have ordered our first room service meal for breakfast tomorrow.
Day 5 photos
position: 7:37:06 N latitude x 81:29:29 W longitude
(~10 miles S of Mamey Panama)
speed: 19.7 knots with a with a 333 degree head wind at about 20mph.
temperature: 80F and 97% humidity at 7:30 am - partly cloudy
First day of the new year. Internet was up early this morning so three journal posts with some pictures were uploaded (about 30 minutes online). They have offered a World Cruise Special Internet package - 10000 minutes (about 165 hours) for $600. As spotty as the internet has been, the 165 hours might last the whole cruise.
Today we are changing our eating locations. Instead of doing breakfast at LaVeranda and lunch at the pool grill, we are eating both in the Compass Rose as a special weekend treat. Debbie is having Eggs Benedict (not on the menu, but always available in compass Rose she was told). Clay had lamb chops with two eggs over easy. Lunch was to be a traditional New Year's fare. We were hoping to get blackeyed peas and collard greens, since that was the menu provided when we inquired through Ngaire's office, but that did not exactly happen. They listed Collard Greens and Hoppin' John on the menu. We think the chopped up iceberg lettuce was supposed to be the collard greens and it looked and tasted like cheez-whiz in the hoppin' john. So, we got ham and about 8-16 black eyed peas each, oh, well... The cheez-whiz was a surprise delicacy! They offered a New Year's Lucky Cake. But, we were waved off it by the waiter and the woman seated at the next table. It was sponge cake with chocolate frosting. Oh, also, they offered a soup called Potage Garbure. Two guys at a table near us called it potage garbage. Debbie asked the waiter what it was and he said it was a pureed vegetable soup. She asked if that meant it was all the leftover vegetable for the week and he winced and said yes. The 2 guys heard her ask and they were eating it at the time and told her it was not bad. She said she would take their word for it but Adorable (honestly, that was our waiter's name!) brought her a bowl anyway. We also broke our routine for dinner tonight by going to LaVeranda's Mediterranean Bistro instead of Compass Rose. It is part buffet and part table service. The food was all very good, but it was very dark in the room, so no photos. The appetizers, salads, breads, and desserts were self-serve. The soup, pasta and main course were ordered and delivered to the table.
Clay tried his hand at blackjack for the first time onboard as there was a tournament with a $20 buyin. You played six hands with $200 worth of chips. The people with the most money at the end of the six hands were the winners. Clay did all right until hand 4. He doubled down a $200 bet showing a ace, four against the dealer's 5. He actually hit a five and was feeling pretty good. Then the dealer drew a 21 with about dozen cards %#%%$$. That ended him in the tournament. Beforehand, he played some regular blackjack to get a feel for things. The tables were $5 minimum, and he dropped $37.50 in about 45 minutes of playing. He will pace himself in the future.
After the tournament, we spent a lazy afternoon on our balcony watching for dolphins/porpoises/tuna??? that showed up occasionally jumping along side the ship. This morning we saw 2 large brown ray-type fish just under the water near the rear of the ship. The captain announced this AM that he had seen flying fish, we have been watching for the them but have not sighted any ourselves yet.
The captain announced that it looks like we will be getting into Puntarenas, Costa Rico around 9 or 10 this evening instead of early tomorrow morning. He said that due to tidal conditions, he had a choice of 10pm or 3am and it was easy for him to decide. We have made good time in fairly calm seas.
We are now docked in Puntarenas, Costa Rica at 9:45pm. The dock is on the port side. (In Key West, we were docked on the starboard side.) We have tickets for Costa Rica's Cloud Forest and Poas Volcano tomorrow. Keeping fingers crossed for a clear day. Our bus leaves at 8:30am so we have ordered our first room service meal for breakfast tomorrow.
Day 5 photos
Sunday, January 1, 2006
Compass Rose Menus Dec 27-Jan 01
Compass Rose Menus Dec 27-Jan 01
Click the link above to view menus. A note here about viewing the photo files of text. Doubleclick on the first image and on the next screen you can use the magnifying glass to enlarge it so you can read it. Then you can use the arrows to scroll through the rest of the menus.
Here are the Compass Rose menus from our first 6 days on board. Compass Rose is the main dining roon. It has open seating, and has opened each night at 6:30 pm except New Year's Eve when it opened at 7:00 pm.
Click the link above to view menus. A note here about viewing the photo files of text. Doubleclick on the first image and on the next screen you can use the magnifying glass to enlarge it so you can read it. Then you can use the arrows to scroll through the rest of the menus.
Here are the Compass Rose menus from our first 6 days on board. Compass Rose is the main dining roon. It has open seating, and has opened each night at 6:30 pm except New Year's Eve when it opened at 7:00 pm.
Day 4 - Saturday Dec 31
Panama Canal photos
position: 9:25:44 N latitude x 79:54:54 W longitude
(~10 miles N of the entrance to the panama canal)
speed: 9 knots with a with a 300 degree head wind at about 18mph.
tempature: 80F and 90% humidity at 7:30 am - partly cloudy
We got up early to be in the Observation Lounge forward on deck 11. We made it by about 6am and were there first ones present. There was supposed to be a coffee bar there from 6am on for the entry into the locks. But it was not ready, and the manager was not pleased. Debbie wanted a latte from the coffee bar anyway so she went downstairs to get one. The action started about 6:30 with the ship approaching the lock gates. They hooked 3 locomotives to each side to pull the ship into the lock chambers. There were two chambers to raise the ship up 85 ft which is the height of Gatun Lake. The lake is the 3rd largest man-made lake behind Lake Meade and Lake Nasser. By 7am, the ship was in the locks. We then moved our location to the deck behind La Veranda and ate breakfast while going through the locks. About 9:30 we were out of the locks, and anchored in Gatun Lake off the Gatun Yacht Club. Did not see any yachts there but it was a pleasant 3-4 hours on land. Clay swam in the Panama Canal and got a T-shirt to prove it (his first t-shirt purchase of the cruise). Debbie only got in up to her knees, backing out after the life guard told her what wild life was present. (Alligators were on the list.) We then ate from a ship-provided barbeque lunch. Laurens saw Debbie in line and yelled at her to ask for the alligator steak when she got to the grill. The only problem was keeping the wind from blowing your plate away, but the wind kept it very nice weather-wise, helping with the humidity. Debbie purchased some handicraft work made by the local tribal artisans. She got a basket to hold her jewelry at night on the ship, a mola oven mitt for home, a mola T-shirt for Clay and a "I swam in the Panama Canal" T-shirt for Clay. There was lots of live local entertainment with musicians and dancers.
The last tender was at 2:30 and we lifted anchor around 3. For the next 3 and half hours, we cruise Lake Gatun, meandering through the little islands until we approached the locks on the Pacific side aroud 6:30. Dinner started a half hour later this evening at 7 instead of 6:30 because of New Years. The dress code for the evening was Black and White Formal. We opened our sail away bottle of champagne for a New Years toast. We set our clocks back this evening for the first time (23 more to go). What a good way to start a new year with an extra hour.
No Blackberry signal all day long and the ship's internet was very spotty. Clay tried to go online about 6-8 times during the day when he noticed people in the club.com typing away. The signal was only available for about 10 minutes total and everytime Clay lost his work.
Panama Canal photos
position: 9:25:44 N latitude x 79:54:54 W longitude
(~10 miles N of the entrance to the panama canal)
speed: 9 knots with a with a 300 degree head wind at about 18mph.
tempature: 80F and 90% humidity at 7:30 am - partly cloudy
We got up early to be in the Observation Lounge forward on deck 11. We made it by about 6am and were there first ones present. There was supposed to be a coffee bar there from 6am on for the entry into the locks. But it was not ready, and the manager was not pleased. Debbie wanted a latte from the coffee bar anyway so she went downstairs to get one. The action started about 6:30 with the ship approaching the lock gates. They hooked 3 locomotives to each side to pull the ship into the lock chambers. There were two chambers to raise the ship up 85 ft which is the height of Gatun Lake. The lake is the 3rd largest man-made lake behind Lake Meade and Lake Nasser. By 7am, the ship was in the locks. We then moved our location to the deck behind La Veranda and ate breakfast while going through the locks. About 9:30 we were out of the locks, and anchored in Gatun Lake off the Gatun Yacht Club. Did not see any yachts there but it was a pleasant 3-4 hours on land. Clay swam in the Panama Canal and got a T-shirt to prove it (his first t-shirt purchase of the cruise). Debbie only got in up to her knees, backing out after the life guard told her what wild life was present. (Alligators were on the list.) We then ate from a ship-provided barbeque lunch. Laurens saw Debbie in line and yelled at her to ask for the alligator steak when she got to the grill. The only problem was keeping the wind from blowing your plate away, but the wind kept it very nice weather-wise, helping with the humidity. Debbie purchased some handicraft work made by the local tribal artisans. She got a basket to hold her jewelry at night on the ship, a mola oven mitt for home, a mola T-shirt for Clay and a "I swam in the Panama Canal" T-shirt for Clay. There was lots of live local entertainment with musicians and dancers.
The last tender was at 2:30 and we lifted anchor around 3. For the next 3 and half hours, we cruise Lake Gatun, meandering through the little islands until we approached the locks on the Pacific side aroud 6:30. Dinner started a half hour later this evening at 7 instead of 6:30 because of New Years. The dress code for the evening was Black and White Formal. We opened our sail away bottle of champagne for a New Years toast. We set our clocks back this evening for the first time (23 more to go). What a good way to start a new year with an extra hour.
No Blackberry signal all day long and the ship's internet was very spotty. Clay tried to go online about 6-8 times during the day when he noticed people in the club.com typing away. The signal was only available for about 10 minutes total and everytime Clay lost his work.
Panama Canal photos
Day 3 - Friday Dec 30 San Andres, Columbia
San Andres photos
position: 14:47:27 N latitude x 81:32:38 W longitude
(100 miles ESE of Cabo Gracias a Dios at the border between El Salvador and Nicaragua)
speed: 18 knots with a with a 300 degree head wind at about 18mph.
temperature: 80F and 90% humidity at 7:30 am - partly cloudy
Internet and blackberry were up this morning but were lost midmorning and were only up for a short period in the afternoon. Debbie started her exercise program today going to 3 classes between 7:30am and 9:00am. She worked out the scheduling conflict and empty stomach problem by eating 2 breakfasts. She went alone down to the Coffee Corner and had a latte and a chocolate croissant and 3 strawberries, then went with me to LaVeranda after 9 and had oatmeal+banana. When they kept asking why she wouldn't take coffee, she told them it was her second breakfast.
It looks like we will be able to go ashore in San Andres today. The ship should anchor at 2pm with the last tender leaving the dock at 5:00.
We went to a wine tasting in the Compass Rose at 11am. There were two French wines (a white - Chablis Premier Cru Domaine Larose 2003; and a red - Chateau Mazeris 2002) and two Autralian wines (a white - Sauvignon Blanc Brancott Vineyard 2004, Marlborough Valley New Zealand; and a red Koonunga Hill Penfold's 2002 South Australia). The whites were a little more acidic than we like, but were good. The reds were strong finishers. We had to leave the tasting before the end of it to make it to Captain Dag's WOrld Cruiser's Cocktail reception in the Horizon Lounge. They served champagne and caviar. Then there was a special luncheon in Signatures Restaurant. They served Foie Gras, Dover sole and veal medallions along with floating islands for dessert. Debbie later went up to the pool bar where they were having Mexican food to get something to eat. She was busted at her second lunch and laughed at by the Laurens, the Food & Beverage Manager with whom we dined last night. He had seen her earlier at the Captain's luncheon. Also, having learned her weird food rules last night, he had told her that she would not be able to eat anything at the Signature's lunch which only confirmed Debbie's hunch and she really hated to miss the Mexican lunch. So, she made nice at Signatures and raced up to get an enchilada, but it was pouring rain and the thing was just about shut down but she was able to make herself a beef burrito and find a dry place to eat it. She told me that she has become a hobbit with first breakfast and second breakfast, first lunch, second lunch, etc.
At about 3pm, we arrived at St Andres Island, Columbia. This is strictly a technical stop. A cruise ship cannot leave one US port and arrive another US port without visiting an approved foreign country. Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico are not approved, but Columbia is. Hence the reason for the stop. There is nothing at the dock. The city center was 10 (km or miles?) from the dock. It was a tender stop with the tenders leaving from the straboard side. We left on the first tender and returned on the second tender. We were on land for about 20 minutes or so. Walked up and down the road a bit, took some pictures of the ship anchored off shore. And that was it. But Debbie did get some shore time.
Back on ship, Debbie was off to another set of fitness classes and Clay was doing a little work communicating with his office on his blackberry, though some spotty signals. About half the time, it displays a message Data communication refused. He hopes this is a temporary thing.
Ate dinner in the Compass Rose. Debbie had a filet mignon and Clay had chicken. We made it an early evening. Overnight, there was some general movement in the ship with lots of creaking and groaning noises in the cabin.
San Andres photos
position: 14:47:27 N latitude x 81:32:38 W longitude
(100 miles ESE of Cabo Gracias a Dios at the border between El Salvador and Nicaragua)
speed: 18 knots with a with a 300 degree head wind at about 18mph.
temperature: 80F and 90% humidity at 7:30 am - partly cloudy
Internet and blackberry were up this morning but were lost midmorning and were only up for a short period in the afternoon. Debbie started her exercise program today going to 3 classes between 7:30am and 9:00am. She worked out the scheduling conflict and empty stomach problem by eating 2 breakfasts. She went alone down to the Coffee Corner and had a latte and a chocolate croissant and 3 strawberries, then went with me to LaVeranda after 9 and had oatmeal+banana. When they kept asking why she wouldn't take coffee, she told them it was her second breakfast.
It looks like we will be able to go ashore in San Andres today. The ship should anchor at 2pm with the last tender leaving the dock at 5:00.
We went to a wine tasting in the Compass Rose at 11am. There were two French wines (a white - Chablis Premier Cru Domaine Larose 2003; and a red - Chateau Mazeris 2002) and two Autralian wines (a white - Sauvignon Blanc Brancott Vineyard 2004, Marlborough Valley New Zealand; and a red Koonunga Hill Penfold's 2002 South Australia). The whites were a little more acidic than we like, but were good. The reds were strong finishers. We had to leave the tasting before the end of it to make it to Captain Dag's WOrld Cruiser's Cocktail reception in the Horizon Lounge. They served champagne and caviar. Then there was a special luncheon in Signatures Restaurant. They served Foie Gras, Dover sole and veal medallions along with floating islands for dessert. Debbie later went up to the pool bar where they were having Mexican food to get something to eat. She was busted at her second lunch and laughed at by the Laurens, the Food & Beverage Manager with whom we dined last night. He had seen her earlier at the Captain's luncheon. Also, having learned her weird food rules last night, he had told her that she would not be able to eat anything at the Signature's lunch which only confirmed Debbie's hunch and she really hated to miss the Mexican lunch. So, she made nice at Signatures and raced up to get an enchilada, but it was pouring rain and the thing was just about shut down but she was able to make herself a beef burrito and find a dry place to eat it. She told me that she has become a hobbit with first breakfast and second breakfast, first lunch, second lunch, etc.
At about 3pm, we arrived at St Andres Island, Columbia. This is strictly a technical stop. A cruise ship cannot leave one US port and arrive another US port without visiting an approved foreign country. Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico are not approved, but Columbia is. Hence the reason for the stop. There is nothing at the dock. The city center was 10 (km or miles?) from the dock. It was a tender stop with the tenders leaving from the straboard side. We left on the first tender and returned on the second tender. We were on land for about 20 minutes or so. Walked up and down the road a bit, took some pictures of the ship anchored off shore. And that was it. But Debbie did get some shore time.
Back on ship, Debbie was off to another set of fitness classes and Clay was doing a little work communicating with his office on his blackberry, though some spotty signals. About half the time, it displays a message Data communication refused. He hopes this is a temporary thing.
Ate dinner in the Compass Rose. Debbie had a filet mignon and Clay had chicken. We made it an early evening. Overnight, there was some general movement in the ship with lots of creaking and groaning noises in the cabin.
San Andres photos
Day 2 - Thursday Dec 29
This is a sea day cruising the channel from west of Cuba south to San Andreas, Columbia for a technical stop. The seas were flat for most of the morning, but picking up slightly in the afternoon. No satellite service, so no blackberry and no internet on the ship. There are several ship activities scheduled for today including a talk by Bob Graham (Dem FL) that is competing with a dessert cooking demonstration at 11am. We have decided to pass on both. We took the morning to get caught up on this journal after eating a leisurely breakfast on the back deck of LaVeranda.
Debbie found a banana on the buffet this morning so she could have her oatmeal+banana breakfast that she came to enjoy on the last long cruise we did. The buffet was better setup this morning than yesterday with an active omelet station (and bananas). There was no bleach incident today either. Debbie is missing morning exercise classes because of scheduling. The sit-down breakfast does not begin until 7:30 but classes run from 7 to 9. She could exercise on an empty stomach and then run to meet me at LaVeranda for a sit-down breakfast but she found herself nauseous between the ship's motion and exercise on an empty stomach. We will have to try to work something out.
At lunch, there was a fresh fish extravaganza at the pool grill. Clay ate some salmon and tuna, having passed on mahi mahi. He also ate anchovies which required some heavy breathe cleansing once back in the cabin.
We have a heavy social schedule over the next day or so. Tonight, there is a Brown & Keene cocktail party. (B&K is the travel Agency through which we booked this trip.) We are eating at the Food & Beverage Manager's table this evening, and there is a special cocktail party and luncheon in the Signature's Restaurant tomorrow for the full world cruisers.
We had a restful afternoon looking at a movie, Debbie's spraying some clothes with mosquito repellant for our Panama Canal transit tomorrow and then Costa Rica, and then having some quiet time. Clay spent the afternoon on the balcony reading, napping and generally vegging out looking at the sea go by. Debbie sealed off the bedroom area from the sitting area of the cabin by drawing a set of heavy drapes and took a nap.
The Voyager's stability has impressed us. Except for the annoying vibration, it is a very stable ship. Debbie has been able to go without her seabands for limited periods of time. This is something she was notable to do on the Diamond or the Crown Odyssey.
We attended a Brown & Keene cocktail party at 6pm. They had an open bar and served hors d'oeuvre that were tasty. It was good seeing people who you know from the LCT board.
Afterwards, we had dinner with the Food & Beverage Manager, Laurens Hazelebach who hosted us and an agent from Brown and Keene and her husband. It was a very pleasant meal with special wines being served. He promised that Debbie could eat water buffalo before the cruise is over (Yeah, that will happen.)
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Wednesday Dec 28 - Day 2 Key West
Day 2 photos
There is a vibration on the Voyager when you are at speed. It is easily felt in room 748 when the ship is trying to make good time. The good news is that it is only a vibration problem and otherwise the Voyager seems to handle rather well. So far, there has been none of the bouncing side to side problems we felt on the Diamond in the Caribbean or the porpoising behavior we have seen on the Orient Lines Crown Oddessey (which we spent 42 days on in the last quarter of 2001, Barcelona to Singapore via Capetown). But the vibration problem is definitely here in 748. Unless you have a heavy object in the center of the coffee table, the glass in the table rattles with the vibration. The seas are like glass, but the vibration is there, strictly from the ship's movement.
Our tasks today are to see Key West, and then follow up on the luggage status, and see about getting the promised room internet connection into 748. (We have an email from Radisson corporate in July saying we will have such a connection.)
Clay walked outside on the track above deck 11 this morning from about 5-6am and saw the sun come up. The are 7 laps to a mile (much better than the Diamond's 11-13? laps to a mile). He shared the tracked with only 1 person for the last 5 minutes.
After breakfast (and an on-deck bleach episode), we left the ship around 9am to go ashore. Debbie called her Mother in Bonita Springs as this may be the last chance for a cheap call until San Diego. (Clay lost his BlackBerry signal around 7am on Thurs Dec 29 as the ship rounded Cuba heading south. Until then, the Blackberry was able to access email and phone signals without problems.) We then walked over to the visitors information center and got a walking tour map. Our goal was to walk about a mile over to the cemetery seeing sights along the way. The helpful woman at the center recommended Bo's for a grouper sandwich when Clay asked. There were three cruise ships docked in Key West for the day. So, Duval Street was very active with lots of shoppers. Debbie purchased two pairs of shorts and a shirt there (because of the on-deck bleach incident). Our walk to the cemetery took us away from the crowds, and Bo's was busy but not overly packed. It was a pleasant morning. We got back the to ship around 2 well within the 3:30 all-aboard time.
The evening attire was formal for the Captain's Dinner. Beforehand, they offered drinks in a block party that took place in all the cabin halls. The menu had lobster, caviar, beef wellington. The food was very good, and it was a pleasant evening. See the pictures for details of the meal.
So far here are some of the very helpful hints noted so far culled from the LCT board - Thanks
1) KMart's Martha Stewart over-the-door shoebag
2) Magnets - bring twice as many as you think you need - you can also ask your stewardess for these (The walls and doors of your cabin are metal. Magnets will create a lot of space for you to post things that you want to have in sight without cluttering surfaces or losing things when the stewardess moves your things/papers off of surfaces.)
Day 2 photos
There is a vibration on the Voyager when you are at speed. It is easily felt in room 748 when the ship is trying to make good time. The good news is that it is only a vibration problem and otherwise the Voyager seems to handle rather well. So far, there has been none of the bouncing side to side problems we felt on the Diamond in the Caribbean or the porpoising behavior we have seen on the Orient Lines Crown Oddessey (which we spent 42 days on in the last quarter of 2001, Barcelona to Singapore via Capetown). But the vibration problem is definitely here in 748. Unless you have a heavy object in the center of the coffee table, the glass in the table rattles with the vibration. The seas are like glass, but the vibration is there, strictly from the ship's movement.
Our tasks today are to see Key West, and then follow up on the luggage status, and see about getting the promised room internet connection into 748. (We have an email from Radisson corporate in July saying we will have such a connection.)
Clay walked outside on the track above deck 11 this morning from about 5-6am and saw the sun come up. The are 7 laps to a mile (much better than the Diamond's 11-13? laps to a mile). He shared the tracked with only 1 person for the last 5 minutes.
After breakfast (and an on-deck bleach episode), we left the ship around 9am to go ashore. Debbie called her Mother in Bonita Springs as this may be the last chance for a cheap call until San Diego. (Clay lost his BlackBerry signal around 7am on Thurs Dec 29 as the ship rounded Cuba heading south. Until then, the Blackberry was able to access email and phone signals without problems.) We then walked over to the visitors information center and got a walking tour map. Our goal was to walk about a mile over to the cemetery seeing sights along the way. The helpful woman at the center recommended Bo's for a grouper sandwich when Clay asked. There were three cruise ships docked in Key West for the day. So, Duval Street was very active with lots of shoppers. Debbie purchased two pairs of shorts and a shirt there (because of the on-deck bleach incident). Our walk to the cemetery took us away from the crowds, and Bo's was busy but not overly packed. It was a pleasant morning. We got back the to ship around 2 well within the 3:30 all-aboard time.
The evening attire was formal for the Captain's Dinner. Beforehand, they offered drinks in a block party that took place in all the cabin halls. The menu had lobster, caviar, beef wellington. The food was very good, and it was a pleasant evening. See the pictures for details of the meal.
So far here are some of the very helpful hints noted so far culled from the LCT board - Thanks
1) KMart's Martha Stewart over-the-door shoebag
2) Magnets - bring twice as many as you think you need - you can also ask your stewardess for these (The walls and doors of your cabin are metal. Magnets will create a lot of space for you to post things that you want to have in sight without cluttering surfaces or losing things when the stewardess moves your things/papers off of surfaces.)
Day 2 photos
Tuesday Dec 27 - Day 1 Ft. Lauderdale
Debbie's Mother, grandmother and aunt drove us from Bonita Strings to Fort Lauderdale to catch the ship. They had been cleared as Voyager guests about a month ago, so they could visit the ship as they dropped us off. We left the west coast of FL about 11 am, and got to Port Everglades just after 1 pm. We had about 8 pieces of carry-on luggage, including 3 roll-around bags, 2 laptop cases, a printer in a box to which Debbie had attached a handle, a camera, a spotting scope in a case, a backpack and a world map in a tube. A Radisson employee guided us through and the checkin process was quick, but the cabin would not be available until 3pm. Nothing would do except that the Radisson rep. separate us from Grandma, so we boarded while she wheeled Grandma off somewhere else and we had to wait on the ship to see her again. We don't really understand why because we all took the elevator at the port to see Grandma off the ship without any separation or assistance. So, we dropped the carry-on pieces in the cabin. First thing we did was have lunch. We were handed a letter on boarding telling us what was open and where for "early embarkation" when we boarded right at 1:30pm. LaVeranda was listed as open until 2pm and we arrived there at 1:45pm to be told it was closed and only the the pool grill on deck 11 was open for lunch. So, pool grill it was for It was a pleasant day, sunny but not too hot as we sat on deck eating hot dogs, sandwiches and salads. After lunch, we toured the ship with our guests, and finally got to the cabin just after 3pm. About 10 minutes to 4, we saw Debbie's relatives off as they had to leave the ship by 4. The muster drill was at 4:15 and we were to sail at 5pm. We then spent an hour or so waiting anxiously for our shipped luggage to show up. About 2 hours later, all pieces had been delivered but someone had pilfered the bags taking miscellaneous stuff.
The Luggage
Our five bags that we shipped via IPS finally got delivered to our room. Four of the five bags were delivered just as the ship left FLL. About 1 hour later, the final bag was delivered. Voyager departed FLL more than an hour late because IPS had not delivered the World Cruisers' baggage before the scheduled departure time.
One hardsided bag was completely opened only being held together by the strap we had wrapped around it. Three of the soft sided bags had been pilfered. For example, someone had removed a pair of Debbie's shoes that had been packed inside Clay's patton leather tux shoes which were inside cotton shoe bags. The tux shoes were gone, and one of the cotton shoe bags was also gone, but Debbie's shoes were still in the suitcase. Other things missing included a 35 oz bottle of Nutragena Rain Bath, 10 batteries, a box of Lance nabs, a pair of Minolta binoculars, and other miscellaneous things. It did not make for a good start. We checked our inventory lists against the contents of the delivered bags and submitted a copy of the inventories with the missing items marked Tuesday night to the Guest Relations manager onboard. So far (morning of December 29), we have not heard anything regarding the missing items.
The Compass Rose Dinner
We took time out of unpacking to eat dinner in Compass Rose, the main dining room. Debbie had the chicken and Clay had the pompano. Our only previous experience with Radisson was on the Diamond in February. Clay thought the Sommeliers on the Diamond were a little more attentive when it came to keeping the glasses full, but Debbie did not notice this. There was unlimited wine and we certainly had a sufficiency. We stayed up past midnight working on preparing our luggage report.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Christmas Sunday
We got to Florida without incident in the rental car. Debbie’s Dad was much sicker when we arrived late Tuesday morning, the 20th. The hospice nurse was with him and warned Debbie’s Mom that he only had 24 to 48 hours to live. He died on Friday morning, the 23rd, about 8:30am with his wife and both his children at his bedside. It has been a stressful and very sad time all around. We are all sad and yet at the same time relieved that his suffering is over. It has been a bittersweet Christmas. Debbie’s Mom, Grandma and her Dad’s sister will be driving us over to Ft. Lauderdale to the Voyager and get to visit the ship on Tuesday. Again, it will be a mixed emotion event.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
PACKED!
 |
| 5 bags/268 pounds!!! |
Well, we never thought we would need the entire luggage allowance that RSSC has for included shipment to Voyager. 6 bags/270 pounds per cabin/couple. But, here we are with 5 bags and 268 pounds. Ready for pickup by IPS on Monday. It was a big job! Looks like we both wanted to seriously overpack, but you just keep thinking 4 months! Anyway, we whittled it down to 5 bags and 268 pounds! Today, we have to get packed for the week in Florida with Debbie's family and make sure it will all fit in our tiny car trunk. Then we are off!
Oops, sadly here we are with today's addendum. We could not fit all the Christmas presents and the rest of the stuff for the cruise in the SLK's tiny trunk. So, we have rented a full-size car one-way from Budget and will be driving that to FL tomorrow. The best laid plans...yada yada....
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Itinerary
Here we are a dozen days from sailing! Debbie is doing a last laundry day. We will pack everything up this weekend for pickup by IPS on Monday. We also leave town on Monday for Florida. Four days to departure. Unbelievable, but it is almost here!
There have been lots of adjustments to the WC itinerary since we signed up nearly 12 months ago. But, since we'll be sailing in less than 2 weeks hopefully the schedule as posted online now is as final as can be. So, here it is!
Date Day Port Dress Code Arrive Depart
12/27 T Ft Lauderdale, FL Country Club Casual 17:00
12/28 W Key West, FL Formal 08:00-16:00
12/29 Th At Sea CCC
12/30 F San Andres Island Informal 16:00-18:00
12/31 Sa Panama Canal Transit 06:30-09:45
12/31 Sa Panama Canal - Gatun Yacht Club 10:00-16:00
12/31 Sa Panama Canal Transit 16:30-21:00
1/1 Su At Sea InF
1/2 M Puntarenas CCC 08:00-17:00
1/3 T At Sea F
1/4 W Huatulco CCC 13:00-18:00
1/5 Th Acapulco CCC 09:00-19:00
1/6 F At Sea InF
1/7 Sa Cabo San Lucas CCC 08:00-17:00
1/8 Su At Sea F
1/9 M San Diego, CA CCC 09:00-18:00
1/10 T Los Angeles, CA CCC 17:00
1/11 W At Sea
1/12 Th At Sea InF
1/13 F At Sea CCC
1/14 Sa At Sea InF
1/15 Su At Sea CCC
1/16 M At Sea F
1/17 T Nuku Hiva (Taiohae) CCC 08:00-16:00
1/18 W At Sea InF
1/19 Th Papeete, Tahiti CCC 10:00
1/20 F Papeete, Tahiti CCC 05:00
1/20 F Moorea CCC 08:00-18:00
1/21 Sa Raiatea CCC 08:00-18:00
1/22 Su Bora Bora InF 08:00-16:00
1/23 M At Sea F
1/24 T At Sea InF
1/26 Th Cross International Dateline CCC
1/27 F At Sea InF
1/28 Sa Auckland, NZ CCC 09:00-23:00
1/29 Su Bay of Islands CCC 08:00-17:00
1/30 M At Sea InF
1/31 T At Sea F
2/1 W Sydney, Australia CCC 09:00
2/2 Th Sydney CCC
2/3 F Sydney F 13:00
2/4 Sa Phillip Island CCC 19:00-23:00
2/5 Su Melbourne CCC 07:00-23:00
2/6 M At Sea InF
2/7 T Adelaide CCC 07:00-23:00
2/8 W At Sea InF
2/9 Th At Sea InF
2/10 F Albany CCC 07:00-13:00
2/11 Sa Fremantle CCC 09:00-20:00
2/12 Su At Sea InF
2/13 M At Sea F
2/14 T At Sea InF
2/15 W Bali (Padang Bai) CCC 09:00-22:00
2/16 Th At Sea InF
2/17 F At Sea F
2/18 Sa Sandakan, Malaysia CCC 08:00-18:00
2/19 Su Kota Kinabalu CCC 08:00-18:00
2/20 M At Sea InF
2/21 T Manila, Philippines CCC 08:00-23:00
2/22 W At Sea F
2/23 Th Hong Kong CCC 12:00
2/24 F Hong Kong CCC
2/25 Sa Hong Kong CCC 23:00
2/26 Su At Sea F
2/27 M Hong Gai (for Hanoi)CCC 08:00
2/28 T Hong Gai (for Hanoi)InF 15:00
2/28 T Halong Bay InF
3/1 W Chan May (Hue) CCC 08:00 18:00
3/2 Th At Sea F
3/3 F Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) CCC 08:00
3/4 Sa Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) InF 16:00
3/5 Su At Sea InF
3/6 M Laem Chabang (Bangkok) CCC 08:00
3/7 T Laem Chabang (Bangkok) CCC 17:00
3/8 W At Sea F
3/9 Th Singapore CCC 14:00
3/10 F Singapore CCC 16:00
3/11 Sa Penang (Georgetown) CCC 13:00-20:00
3/12 Su Phuket InF 08:00-18:00
3/13 M At Sea F
3/14 T Yangon CCC 08:00
3/15 W Yangon InF 16:00
3/16 Th At Sea InF
3/17 F At Sea F
3/18 Sa At Sea InF
3/19 Su Cochin, India InF 08:00-15:30
3/20 M Goa CCC 13:00-18:00
3/21 T Mumbai (Bombay) CCC 08:00
3/22 W Mumbai (Bombay) CCC 18:00
3/23 Th At Sea InF
3/24 F At Sea F
3/25 Sa Dubai,UAE CCC 08:00
3/26 Su Dubai CCC 23:00
3/27 M Fujairah CCC 13:00-19:00
3/28 T Muscat, Oman InF 08:00-18:00
3/29 W At Sea F
3/30 Th Salalah CCC 07:00-12:00
3/31 F At Sea InF
4/1 Sa At Sea CCC
4/2 Su At Sea F
4/3 M Safaga, Egypt CCC 09:00
4/4 T Safaga InF 18:00
4/5 W Aqaba, Jordan CCC 07:00-19:00
4/6 Th Suez Canal InF 13:00
4/7 F Suez Canal CCC 18:00
4/7 F Port Said CCC 19:00-21:00
4/8 Sa At Sea CCC
4/9 Su At Sea InF
4/10 M Tripoli CCC 08:00-19:00
4/11 Tu Syracusa, Sicily F 12:00-18:00
4/12 W Sorrento, Italy CCC 09:00-18:00
4/13 Th Civitavecchia (for Rome)CCC 08:00-18:00
4/14 F Monte Carlo F 08:00-18:00
4/15 Sa Barcelona, Spain CCC 12:00
4/16 Su Barcelona InF 01:00
4/17 M Malaga CCC 08:00-19:00
4/18 T At Sea InF
4/19 W Funchal, Madeira CCC 08:00-18:00
4/20 Th At Sea InF
4/21 F At Sea CCC
4/22 Sa At Sea F
4/23 Su At Sea CCC
4/24 M At Sea InF
4/25 T Hamilton, Bermuda CCC 09:00-16:00
4/26 W At Sea F
4/27 Th At Sea CCC
4/28 F Ft Lauderdale, FL Disembarks
Sorry this is so sloppy. It seems that we have finally found a real drawback to this journal feature; no formatting!
Regarding Dress Code above: RSSC states attire ranges from country club casual to informal and formal. Country Club casual (resort-style outfits) is appropriate for daytime on board ship or ashore. Evening attire can be Country Club casual, informal or formal. Casual wear includes open neck shirts, slacks and sport outfits. For informal evenings, dresses or pantsuits, coats and ties are suggested. Formal evening-wear is gowns and cocktail dresses, tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Preparations nearly complete...
We leave home to begin this journey in 3 weeks from yesterday. IPS is scheduled to pickup our luggage for delivery to RSSC Voyager in Ft. Lauderdale on 12/19/05 between 1:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon. We plan to start driving to Bonita Springs, FL as soon as the luggage is picked up. We will spend Christmas with Debbie's family and join Voyager on 12/27/05 from her parents' home. Yesterday, Brown & Keene contacted us to arrange Weds. delivery of our cruise tickets! Today, Brown & Keene contacted us to arrange delivery of our visitor requests for 12/27/05. Hopefully, some of Debbie's family who got pre-approved will be able to see us off with a visit to the Voyager. Sadly, Debbie's father was admitted to hospice services yesterday. This is sad for obvious reasons, but we are hopeful that it will provide some much needed relief to her parents as well. With the situation as it is, we have reserved a rental car and may have to make the trip to the Voyager alone on the 27th. Either way, we are prepared for it and it will be a sad farewell as well as an exciting one.
We have had our flu shots, Clay will see the dentist today (Debbie went 2 weeks ago). Need to get the car inspected and all our billing/taxes paperwork in final order. Get packed! Shut down the house. We are nearly ready. It seems like we have been preparing for this forever and it is hard to believe that it is now really nearly here.
Saturday, November 5, 2005
Clay's ready with his first tuxedo!
Clay's formal fashion
We leave home to begin this trip in just about 6 weeks. We will probably head for Florida and Debbie's Mom's house for Christmas on 12/19, right after the luggage gets picked up. RSSC provides complimentary luggage shipping to and from the Voyager for full World Cruisers. (The limitations are 3 bags per person with a weight limit of 45 lbs. per bag. So 6 bags and 270 lbs. per cabin.) Clay thinks Debbie should be further along in the packing process! Right, Clay is still buying clothes that he didn't think he needed! We got to studying and it looks like 22 formal nights, 39 informal nights and 62 country club casual nights. So, Clay should be able to get his money's worth out of that tux even if he never wears it again after this cruise!
We leave home to begin this trip in just about 6 weeks. We will probably head for Florida and Debbie's Mom's house for Christmas on 12/19, right after the luggage gets picked up. RSSC provides complimentary luggage shipping to and from the Voyager for full World Cruisers. (The limitations are 3 bags per person with a weight limit of 45 lbs. per bag. So 6 bags and 270 lbs. per cabin.) Clay thinks Debbie should be further along in the packing process! Right, Clay is still buying clothes that he didn't think he needed! We got to studying and it looks like 22 formal nights, 39 informal nights and 62 country club casual nights. So, Clay should be able to get his money's worth out of that tux even if he never wears it again after this cruise!
Sunday, October 2, 2005
Final Payment Made
So, we are now within 90 days of departure and final payment was made last week. Whew! We are starting to make serious preparations for being gone for 4 months. Debbie has already scheduled the complimentary IPS luggage pickup for 12/19/2005. Though when asked to describe the number, weight and size of the bags, she had to confess that she had not actually started packing yet!
We have booked and paid for 2 overland trips. One to the Taj Mahal for an overnight and a 2-nighter to Cambodia. The Cambodia trip departs from Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam on the 2nd day there and visits Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for Angkor Wat and then we meet back up with the RSSC folks in Bangkok for the hotel overnight there that is included in the cruise fare. We had purchased CSA trip insurance that we found online at www.insuremytrip.com back in January when we booked. Debbie last week had the policy coverage upped by $6980 to cover these excursions that had to be paid at final payment and are non-refundable at 60 days from departure, so next month. (Note: insuremytrip.com will not sell a policy over $100,000 total over the Internet, but it is easy enough to shop for a policy there at that maximum to make your choices and then call the 800 number to purchase the policy for the actual amount.)
Between the time of initial deposit and final payment, Debbie's father has completely lost the use of both his arms and legs from ALS. Her Grandfather had his 90th birthday yesterday and he and her Grandmother have had some declines as well during the last 8 months. Debbie has spent some extra time down in Florida during this period to try to help her Mom out with all of them, but not a lot that can be done except being there fulltime to lend a hand when needed and that is just not really possible for her. Debbie's family has continued to insist that we not let them interfere with our big trip plans, but it is hard. Clay's view is that we should do this while we can because you never know when it will be our turn to be disabled. Since Clay is a decade older than Debbie, she agrees that if he feels that way and now is his time, OK.
In any event, we are both committed to making the big full circle of the planet now and are making preparations to be out of the country and on the move for 4 months. We are fairly well prepared for this from our experiences with the round-the-world trip of 2001, the only difference being that this is for about twice as long and will cover tax time.
It is getting closer and feels much more real now!
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