All cruise vacations, regardless of length or type, are filled with great memories. From the very moment they board to the final night, cruise passengers begin having the time of their life. There is one part of every cruise vacation which cruise passengers dislike. It’s that part known as disembarkation. Very much like embarkation, disembarkation is highly sophisticated. In a previous article, “Common Sense: An Essential To Cruising”, the top five key hints of avoiding errors when cruising were discussed. During disembarkation, honestly, cruise passengers commit a comedy of errors on a weekly basis. It’s best to have an error-free disembarkation. Anyone can agree to that! Here are the five key hints to making disembarkation a hassle-free and desirable experience.
5) DOUBLE-CHECKING THE ON BOARD EXPENSE BILL
The morning of disembarkation, the onboard expenses statement will be attached to every cruise passenger's stateroom door. Cruise passengers are to look over it carefully and make sure that all of their charges are correct. If there are any questions, they are to be taken up with the guest services desk before leaving the ship. Cruise passengers who used a credit card for their on board charges will have their total balance automatically routed to their credit card. Those cruise passengers who selected “cash” as their form of on board payment, must be sure that their on board charges are paid up prior to disembarkation.
A short while ago, a passenger had a cash account on board. For whatever rhyme or reason, he was unhappy with his cruise. He decided to leave the ship without paying his outstanding balance. The ship’s security staff attempted to stop him, but he had already raced off the ship into the customs hall. He was later stopped and sent back to the ship where he was then questioned by U.S. Customs and the guest service manager. Ultimately, he had to pay his remaining balance regardless of reason. Those cruise passengers who have a cash account must double-check their stateroom bill for outstanding charges. Cruise passengers who do have outstanding charges must pay their outstanding balance at the guest services desk before leaving the ship.
4) REMOVING ALL PERSONAL BELONGINGS
This must-do cannot be any more important at the time of disembarkation. The night before disembarking, all cruise passengers are to take a good look around their staterooms. They are to check and double-check the drawers and closets for any items they may have left around during their cruise. Personal belongings may include cell phones, iPods, articles of clothing, jewelry, and car keys. Cruise passengers should also look under the beds. Things do get kicked underneath by accident. Additionally, cruise passengers must check their bathrooms for items they may have not yet packed in their luggage. Cruise lines are not responsible for property left behind.
Cruise passengers must double-check the stateroom safe. Cruise passengers often leave their passports or other travel documents in it. They may have stored articles of jewelry or other valuables in it. Recently, a passenger left his bottle of insulin in his stateroom refrigerator. Cruise passengers rarely check their stateroom refrigerator, however, it’s vital that all passengers double-check. Cruise passengers must check everywhere in the stateroom for all personal items before disembarkation. Once the passengers' stateroom cards are swiped for the final time, they are not allowed back on board. The process to retrieve items once off the ship can be long, tedious, and complicated. Disembarkation can be extremely hectic. While passengers coming off, the on board staff is already in the process of preparing the ship for the next sailing. It is essential that cruise passengers add this must-do to their list of disembarkation chores.
3) PROPERLY LABELING LUGGAGE
The night before disembarkation, cruise passengers must have their luggage packed and placed outside their stateroom door by midnight. Note: TRAVEL DOCUMENTS MUST NOT BE PACKED IN LUGGAGE. Cruise passengers will not be allowed through customs without them. Also, passengers must fill out a customs declaration form (Shown in slide show). It must be filled out even if no purchases were made. Cruise passengers must make sure that all of their luggage has personal identification attached. In addition, passengers must attach the colored/numbered tags provided to them. The passengers' names, addresses, and phone numbers must be written on the colored/numbered tags. The number on the tag is the number assigned to passengers for disembarking the ship.
When their luggage color and/or number is called, cruise passengers will proceed to the gangway. Once inside the customs hall, they are to proceed to the area where their luggage is located. Cruise passengers must double-check and triple-check that they have all of their luggage before clearing customs. A short time ago, a couple was exiting the customs hall. The couple asked where their luggage was. They had their carry-on luggage, but never stopped to look for their bags. On another day, two cruise passengers went through customs with the wrong luggage. They accidentally took each other’s luggage. These two passengers nearly went on their merry ways with the wrong baggage in hand. Note: CRUISE PASSENGERS MUST CHECK THEIR TAGS AND COUNT THEIR BAGS!
2) KNOWING THE WAY HOME
The evening before disembarkation, cruise passengers must review their transfer paperwork, if applicable. They should know ahead of time when their flights or trains are departing. Cruise passengers shout not wait until last minute. If flying home, passengers should know when and where their flight is departing from. For example, those who are sailing from San Francisco should know if they are flying out of Oakland or San Francisco International Airport. In the New York area, there are three airports. Cruise passengers must know ahead of time which one of the three they are flying from. It makes it a whole lot easier for the shore staff to assist them.
Not long ago, a ship was repositioning from San Juan, Puerto Rico. One passenger was coming off via wheelchair. She had no idea what airline she was flying on or what airport she was flying from. She never reviewed her transfer information prior to sailing. Without knowing where she was flying from, the shore staff had no idea which motor coach to direct her to. If it weren't for checking the manifest, figuring out where she was headed would've been a challenge. If cruise passengers didn’t purchase transfers, they should seek out mass transit connections to the train station or airport. If taxis are their choice of transportation, they're are dozens of them waiting outside the customs hall exit. To find out more, readers can see the article, “Cruise Transfers: Time vs. Cost”.
1) SELF-ASSIST VS. GENERAL DISEMBARKATION
Some cruise passengers carry a ton of luggage when they travel. Some travel light with one suitcase and a carry-on. Some cruise passengers travel with a whole matched collection. This part is number one on the list for a chief reason. Cruise passengers still misconstrue the meaning of the express walk-off program. Express walk-off, now "self-assist", doesn’t mean that cruise passengers can leave the ship and claim their luggage faster. The self-assist program is for cruise passengers who can carry ALL of their luggage without any assistance from the on board or shore staff. Cruise passengers who sign up for the self-assist program are the very first to leave the ship. Note: THOSE PASSENGERS WHO SIGN UP FOR THE SELF-ASSIST PROGRAM MUST NOT PLACE THEIR LUGGAGE OUTSIDE THEIR STATEROOM DOOR. There have been mornings where passengers disembarked from the ship too early, assuming that their luggage was ready to be picked up. They had to wait until all of the luggage was set up and inspected by the U.S. Customs K-9s. Cruise passengers who have all of their luggage, along with your passports and declaration forms, are clear to go on their merry ways.
Disembarkation is the most sophisticated and hectic part of any cruise vacation. There are a lot of must-do’s to be taken care of and many don’ts to be kept in mind. Disembarkation is not difficult as long as cruise passengers use their common sense. Cruise passengers must remember to pay their on board expenses if they set up a cash account. Before leaving the vessel, passengers must check around their staterooms for personal belongings. Passengers should properly pack and tag their luggage. Further, they should always review their transfer arrangements. Last but not least, cruise passengers must think carefully if they wish to sign up for the self-assist program. If cruise passengers can can handle all of their luggage, they are good to go. Disembarking from a cruise should never be hard. It begins the countdown to an upcoming cruise. Every ending brings about a good beginning.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Picture, Picture, On The Wall: What's My Favorite Station Of Them All?
There is no day like National Train Day. It was Saturday, May 12th. I had the day off from work, and I was in no better mood for a train ride. National Train Day is the most fascinating day of the year. In 2008, my brother and I took the train from Newark, NJ to Baltimore. We visited the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. I had a grand old time. This year, I couldn’t help but travel to my favorite railroad destination, the city home to my favorite train terminal, Washington DC. Railroad historians call Chicago the United States’s railroad capital. Allow me to differ with them. There’s only one city with the utmost “monumental” flavor, and a city that I consider the passenger train capital of the nation. As a long time Amtrak traveler, I rightfully call Washington DC’s Union Station the king of the hill.
I have been traveling to Washington DC by train since I was five years old. I remember the station being completely encased in scaffolding. In the 1980s, Union Station was undergoing a massive restoration. It was being restored to its former glory. My family and I had to walk through a maze of pedestrian corridors from the platform area to the station entrance and vice versa. In the fall of 1987, we drove down with friends from home. What a big mistake! The traffic was horrendous. It took all day to get there. Never would I drive to Washington again. The train turned out to be the best way to travel to Washington. Memorial Day weekend of 1988, we visited Washington by train. The station was not reopened yet. It was a fun weekend. I was celebrating my eleventh birthday. We took the Metroliner. Remember the Metroliner? The Metroliner was the precursor to the Acela. The ride was wonderful.
The following year, my family and I to returned to Washington. Union Station was fully restored and reopened. Again, we took the Metroliner. For my very first time, I walked into the station’s grandeur. I could not get over how glorious the station looked. It looked so sparkling new, that I could see my reflection in the floor tiles. The one part of the station’s boarding area that caught my attention was “The Great Train Store”. The moment we entered the station, I nearly got lost in the store. It wasn’t a big place. I just happened to get obsessed by everything inside. All of a sudden, I had my eyes fixed on an HO Scale Amtrak E-60 electric engine in the display case. My brother and I were building my brand new train table at home. I was staring at the engine for a long while. Well, guess what! Before boarding our train home, my parents bought it for my twelfth birthday. I was happier than a kid in a candy store. It sure was a memorable trip home.
This year, National Train Day couldn’t have meant more to me. I visited Washington once again. My brother and I took a Northeast Regional train. We arrived late morning. Besides sight seeing, I had an important task on my to-do list. My bedroom had recently been repainted. It was repainted a Languid Blue, closely similar to Amtrak’s blue. To dress up one of my walls, I wanted to put together a framed collage of Union Station. From a variety of angles, my brother and I began taking pictures of the station. We couldn’t take pictures of the main grandeur, due to the heavy duty scaffolding. The station’s ornate ninety-six foot high ceiling was being repaired from the August 2011 earthquake.
Railroad photography is one of my favorite hobbies. I couldn’t have been more excited about the idea of having a framed collage of Union Station in my room. We took pictures of five major points of interest; the station’s front facade, the arched portico, the station’s platform area, the former waiting area (once known as the world’s largest room), and finally a shot of the tracks from atop the station’s parking garage. It will be a framed and matted collage which will be well-liked by all. That same day, we went on the DC Ducks Tour. The tour conveniently began and ended at where else but Union Station. It was an exciting tour. I would most likely do that tour again. Later on, we took the subway to attend mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It was our first time there since 1988. That whole entire day, Union Station was our home base. From the DC Ducks Tour, to my photography project, to attending mass, Union Station was the place to be. A beautiful Saturday in May spent at the most beautiful train terminal in the world.
Great memories last forever. They are forged from the innocence of childhood to unforgettable experiences in present day. I have visited many famous train stations around the United States. I have been to San Diego’s Union Station, Denver’s Union Station, New York City’s Penn Station, Boston South Station, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, and Baltimore’s Penn Station. Washington DC’s Union Station beats them all. Washington DC’s Union Station has played a substantial part in my life as a railroader. Every railroader has his or her favorite railroad terminal. For every railroader’s favorite station, for whatever the rhyme or reason, a special bond is formed. From arriving at Washington DC’s Union Station for the very first time, to my memories of its restoration, to finally seeing it in all its glory, to an Amtrak job interview, and in the many railroad memories to follow, it holds a true place in my heart. Like all the other buildings around Washington, Union Station plays a "monumental" role in my railroading life. Truthfully, it presents itself as a symbol showing how great it feels to be a railroader and an American.
I have been traveling to Washington DC by train since I was five years old. I remember the station being completely encased in scaffolding. In the 1980s, Union Station was undergoing a massive restoration. It was being restored to its former glory. My family and I had to walk through a maze of pedestrian corridors from the platform area to the station entrance and vice versa. In the fall of 1987, we drove down with friends from home. What a big mistake! The traffic was horrendous. It took all day to get there. Never would I drive to Washington again. The train turned out to be the best way to travel to Washington. Memorial Day weekend of 1988, we visited Washington by train. The station was not reopened yet. It was a fun weekend. I was celebrating my eleventh birthday. We took the Metroliner. Remember the Metroliner? The Metroliner was the precursor to the Acela. The ride was wonderful.
The following year, my family and I to returned to Washington. Union Station was fully restored and reopened. Again, we took the Metroliner. For my very first time, I walked into the station’s grandeur. I could not get over how glorious the station looked. It looked so sparkling new, that I could see my reflection in the floor tiles. The one part of the station’s boarding area that caught my attention was “The Great Train Store”. The moment we entered the station, I nearly got lost in the store. It wasn’t a big place. I just happened to get obsessed by everything inside. All of a sudden, I had my eyes fixed on an HO Scale Amtrak E-60 electric engine in the display case. My brother and I were building my brand new train table at home. I was staring at the engine for a long while. Well, guess what! Before boarding our train home, my parents bought it for my twelfth birthday. I was happier than a kid in a candy store. It sure was a memorable trip home.
This year, National Train Day couldn’t have meant more to me. I visited Washington once again. My brother and I took a Northeast Regional train. We arrived late morning. Besides sight seeing, I had an important task on my to-do list. My bedroom had recently been repainted. It was repainted a Languid Blue, closely similar to Amtrak’s blue. To dress up one of my walls, I wanted to put together a framed collage of Union Station. From a variety of angles, my brother and I began taking pictures of the station. We couldn’t take pictures of the main grandeur, due to the heavy duty scaffolding. The station’s ornate ninety-six foot high ceiling was being repaired from the August 2011 earthquake.
Railroad photography is one of my favorite hobbies. I couldn’t have been more excited about the idea of having a framed collage of Union Station in my room. We took pictures of five major points of interest; the station’s front facade, the arched portico, the station’s platform area, the former waiting area (once known as the world’s largest room), and finally a shot of the tracks from atop the station’s parking garage. It will be a framed and matted collage which will be well-liked by all. That same day, we went on the DC Ducks Tour. The tour conveniently began and ended at where else but Union Station. It was an exciting tour. I would most likely do that tour again. Later on, we took the subway to attend mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It was our first time there since 1988. That whole entire day, Union Station was our home base. From the DC Ducks Tour, to my photography project, to attending mass, Union Station was the place to be. A beautiful Saturday in May spent at the most beautiful train terminal in the world.
Great memories last forever. They are forged from the innocence of childhood to unforgettable experiences in present day. I have visited many famous train stations around the United States. I have been to San Diego’s Union Station, Denver’s Union Station, New York City’s Penn Station, Boston South Station, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, and Baltimore’s Penn Station. Washington DC’s Union Station beats them all. Washington DC’s Union Station has played a substantial part in my life as a railroader. Every railroader has his or her favorite railroad terminal. For every railroader’s favorite station, for whatever the rhyme or reason, a special bond is formed. From arriving at Washington DC’s Union Station for the very first time, to my memories of its restoration, to finally seeing it in all its glory, to an Amtrak job interview, and in the many railroad memories to follow, it holds a true place in my heart. Like all the other buildings around Washington, Union Station plays a "monumental" role in my railroading life. Truthfully, it presents itself as a symbol showing how great it feels to be a railroader and an American.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
You know you're a cruise addict when/if:
you constantly visit cruise line web sites
you have a cruise countdown set up on your computer screen
you’re constantly talking about embarkation day
you dress accordingly for the embarkation photo
you go to the photo gallery to look at other passengers’ photos
you can’t wait to try on the ever so stylish life jacket
you know off the bat the difference between "port" and "starboard"
you know the life boat drill from the back of your hand
you can’t get enough duty-free shopping
you enjoy eating dinner with total strangers
you’re excited about the upcoming art auction onboard
you can remember your past cruise directors
you can imitate your cruise director
you can remember your past stateroom attendants
you go to the buffet more than three times a day
you religiously partake in afternoon tea
you can’t miss the theater production shows
you’ve been to every bar onboard
you refer to your fellow passengers as “your new friends”
you look forward to sharing a swimming pool with 3000+ people
you can fully summarize every culinary and drink demonstration
you know the real meaning of “tender”
you seek out unique onboard and shore adventures
you can’t get enough time on sun deck
you like to exercise your “sea legs”
you cry on disembarkation day
you use your old stateroom keys as Christmas ornaments
you have a cruise countdown set up on your computer screen
you’re constantly talking about embarkation day
you dress accordingly for the embarkation photo
you go to the photo gallery to look at other passengers’ photos
you can’t wait to try on the ever so stylish life jacket
you know off the bat the difference between "port" and "starboard"
you know the life boat drill from the back of your hand
you can’t get enough duty-free shopping
you enjoy eating dinner with total strangers
you’re excited about the upcoming art auction onboard
you can remember your past cruise directors
you can imitate your cruise director
you can remember your past stateroom attendants
you go to the buffet more than three times a day
you religiously partake in afternoon tea
you can’t miss the theater production shows
you’ve been to every bar onboard
you refer to your fellow passengers as “your new friends”
you look forward to sharing a swimming pool with 3000+ people
you can fully summarize every culinary and drink demonstration
you know the real meaning of “tender”
you seek out unique onboard and shore adventures
you can’t get enough time on sun deck
you like to exercise your “sea legs”
you cry on disembarkation day
you use your old stateroom keys as Christmas ornaments
Friday, May 18, 2012
Fashionably, My Funniest Cruise Memory
If you read my story, Nine Days Onboard The “Big E”, you got the picture that my brother and I had a blast. Well, you haven’t learned about everything. There were some things we didn’t do onboard the Adventure of The Seas in July 2007 which I managed to do onboard the Explorer of The Seas in June 2010. I’d hate to say it, but the belly flop competition is an understatement. The funniest thing ever happened on our cruise, onboard the Explorer of The Seas. If you enjoyed my story about my nine-day cruise, you are going to get an absolute kick out of this one. Keep on reading!
Day 2, we were at sea en route to Bermuda. I was battling a God awful bug. First, I had a cough and stuffy throat. Later, I wound up with a brief cold and a headache. In the afternoon, I went to the Weekend Warrior sports bar on the Royal Promenade. I ordered a B-52 to knock out the headache. A B-52 cures anything! I was fine after that. Sorry, but that’s not the funniest part. Patience, folks! I later went back to my cabin and began reading through the Cruise Compass for ice skating times down below at Studio B (the ice rink). I found the afternoon ice skating time. Right next to the time, it said “long pants and socks required”. I started combing through the remaining clothes in my suitcase. I couldn’t believe it. I never packed any sweat pants or any long pants for ice skating. I packed my khakis for the casual nights and dressed pants for the formal nights. No way on earth was I going to wear either one of these pairs of pants on the ice. I went to the Logo Souvenir shop on the Royal Promenade. In the back of the shop, on one of the racks, were these blue sweat pants. They had draw strings with an anchor graphic printed on the left leg. I thought, “Hey, these look awesome!”. They were the right size. I draped them against my body in the mirror, and gave them a look. I decided to buy them. I paid for them with my Sea Pass card and headed back to my cabin. That’s the end of part one.
Part two: I tried on the pants in my cabin and they fit perfectly. They weren’t tight at all. Never did they fit oh so comfortably. I went downstairs to Studio B and I went to get a pair of ice skates. I have never ice skated in my life. Never have I ice skated on board a cruise ship. I held on to the railing the whole forty-five minutes I was on the ice. I slipped and fell only three times. Hey, not too shabby! Not bad for my very first time. I ice skated for my very first time with no major bumps or bruises. I so wanted to ice skate again. To improve a bit, I signed up for a lesson with a member of the international ice cast. It definitely was a good day for me, despite feeling ill for a few hours. After ice skating, I went back to my cabin and changed into my swim suit. My brother saw the sweat pants I bought. He asked me, “Did you pack those?”. I told them that I had bought them. I left the cabin and went upstairs to soak up in the Solarium Jacuzzi. A refreshing ending to the day, indeed!
Ok, here’s the big moment you’ve been waiting for. A short while after dinner, my brother and I went back to the Logo Souvenir shop on the Royal Promenade. I had changed my clothes and put my blue sweat pants on. My brother had Crown & Anchor coupons he wanted to use for some items he saw earlier in the day. While we were browsing through the shop and thumbing through the t-shirts, my brother curiously asked me a question. He said, “David, educate me. Where did you get those blue sweat pants?” I answered, “Over there on that back rack!”. He looked and quickly turned towards me. With a slight chuckle, he said, “DUDE, YOU’RE WEARING WOMEN’S PANTS!”. I just plainly retorted saying, “Well, I had to wear something on the ice!”. Ain’t cruising fun!
Day 2, we were at sea en route to Bermuda. I was battling a God awful bug. First, I had a cough and stuffy throat. Later, I wound up with a brief cold and a headache. In the afternoon, I went to the Weekend Warrior sports bar on the Royal Promenade. I ordered a B-52 to knock out the headache. A B-52 cures anything! I was fine after that. Sorry, but that’s not the funniest part. Patience, folks! I later went back to my cabin and began reading through the Cruise Compass for ice skating times down below at Studio B (the ice rink). I found the afternoon ice skating time. Right next to the time, it said “long pants and socks required”. I started combing through the remaining clothes in my suitcase. I couldn’t believe it. I never packed any sweat pants or any long pants for ice skating. I packed my khakis for the casual nights and dressed pants for the formal nights. No way on earth was I going to wear either one of these pairs of pants on the ice. I went to the Logo Souvenir shop on the Royal Promenade. In the back of the shop, on one of the racks, were these blue sweat pants. They had draw strings with an anchor graphic printed on the left leg. I thought, “Hey, these look awesome!”. They were the right size. I draped them against my body in the mirror, and gave them a look. I decided to buy them. I paid for them with my Sea Pass card and headed back to my cabin. That’s the end of part one.
Part two: I tried on the pants in my cabin and they fit perfectly. They weren’t tight at all. Never did they fit oh so comfortably. I went downstairs to Studio B and I went to get a pair of ice skates. I have never ice skated in my life. Never have I ice skated on board a cruise ship. I held on to the railing the whole forty-five minutes I was on the ice. I slipped and fell only three times. Hey, not too shabby! Not bad for my very first time. I ice skated for my very first time with no major bumps or bruises. I so wanted to ice skate again. To improve a bit, I signed up for a lesson with a member of the international ice cast. It definitely was a good day for me, despite feeling ill for a few hours. After ice skating, I went back to my cabin and changed into my swim suit. My brother saw the sweat pants I bought. He asked me, “Did you pack those?”. I told them that I had bought them. I left the cabin and went upstairs to soak up in the Solarium Jacuzzi. A refreshing ending to the day, indeed!
Ok, here’s the big moment you’ve been waiting for. A short while after dinner, my brother and I went back to the Logo Souvenir shop on the Royal Promenade. I had changed my clothes and put my blue sweat pants on. My brother had Crown & Anchor coupons he wanted to use for some items he saw earlier in the day. While we were browsing through the shop and thumbing through the t-shirts, my brother curiously asked me a question. He said, “David, educate me. Where did you get those blue sweat pants?” I answered, “Over there on that back rack!”. He looked and quickly turned towards me. With a slight chuckle, he said, “DUDE, YOU’RE WEARING WOMEN’S PANTS!”. I just plainly retorted saying, “Well, I had to wear something on the ice!”. Ain’t cruising fun!
Monday, May 7, 2012
My First "Adventure" Onboard Royal Caribbean
July 1st, 2007, was a day I couldn’t wait for. It was a beautiful Sunday morning. My brother and I were about to sail onboard Royal Caribbean for our very first time. The ship we were about to sail on was the magnificent Adventure of The Seas, a Voyager class vessel. Three and a half hours later, we touched down in hazy and humid San Juan. The humidity was about seventy-five percent. After getting our bags from the luggage carousel, we were greeted by the Royal Caribbean meet and greet staff. We were instructed to place our luggage tags on our bags and bring them out to the box truck waiting curbside. After handing the bags to the driver, we boarded our shuttle bus to the San Juan cruise terminal. The adventure was about to begin.
The San Juan cruise terminal area is located in Old San Juan, in close proximity to El Castel Del Morro. We pulled into the terminal area, and the ship was right ahead of us. I had never seen a vessel so massive. I had sailed on the Queen Mary 2 on two previous occasions, but I had never seen a cruise ship with so many bells and whistles. We checked in with no problem, and we were onboard in less than ten minutes. Our rooms weren’t ready yet, so we went upstairs to have lunch in the Windjammer Café. If I could say one thing about the food, it was absolutely awesome. Did I say it was awesome? Correct me if you will. The food was sinful. Meanwhile, our luggage was still yet to arrive at our cabin. Our bags didn’t arrive at our cabin until seven o’clock at night. I was wearing my black buttoned flowered shirt with my jeans, and my brother was wearing very much the same. The heat and the humidity outside on the pool deck was unreal. We did whatever we could to stay inside. At least the air conditioning helped us out. Later, we had dinner in the main dining room. We met our table mates. We met a married couple from California, a dating couple from Pennsylvania, and there two other couples from Colorado. The evening started off without a hitch.
At 11pm, we finally pulled out of port. Our cruise had begun. Our cruise was taking us to Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. The following day, we were at sea. What was to happen during the afternoon blew my mind. Near the Windjammer Café, I was in line purchasing “Win A Cruise Bingo” cards. Outside the window, I noticed a monster crowd gathered by the pool. I was thinking it was only the band playing and everyone was just checking them out. I asked a member of the cruise staff what was going on. That’s when he told me what was happening. He told me, “Oh, that’s the belly flop competition!”. I missed the belly flop competition over bingo cards?? I guess I did. “Until next time!” I said to a few guests standing in line behind me. Eventually, next time did come. Three years later onboard the Adventure, I managed to nail down third place in the belly flop competition. I wore my bronze medal all the way home. So, how did my game of bingo turn out? In the third and final game, I was two numbers away from winning a free cruise. The afternoon pressed on. We used the Solarium pool, chilled out at the pool bar, and chugged down a few cups of tea downstairs at Café Promenade on the Royal Promenade. A pleasant day it sure was, despite missing out on the belly flop competition.
The next day, we arrived at our first port-of-call, Bridgetown, Barbados. It was a lovely morning. Dear friends of my family’s picked us up at the pier and drove us to their house. They drove us around the island, showing us what had changed, and told us about what was new with their family. We had traveled to Barbados many times when we were little. It was sure a fun place to visit. Our friends showed us the hotels we once stayed at. My, did things change! Even our favorite pizza place, Chefette, at Rockeigh Beach tripled in size. It was a tiny little place the last time we ate there. Wow, were things different! Before heading back to the ship, we met our friends’ daughter. She and her brother used to hang out with my brother and I when we used to visit many years ago. Time sure flies when having fun! We returned to Barbados on the Adventure of the Seas three years later on New Year’s Eve. That time, it was my parents, my brother, and myself all together. Now that was a reunion!
Back onboard the Adventure, we went upstairs for drinks. While enjoying a few drinks, we pulled out of Bridgetown. The following day, we tied up in St. Lucia. We had excursion tickets for the Brig Unicorn. The Brig Unicorn was the sailing ship used in “Pirates of The Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl”. It sure felt like I was on a movie set. It looked a bit different. Of course it looks different when you have a cooler onboard with the skipper passing around the rum punch, soda, and beer. What a fun day that was! We arrived back at the ship, and we boarded once again. We spent the rest of the afternoon onboard. I must have sat in the Jacuzzi with the ladies for over an hour. Just as we were having a good time, we pulled out once again. Next stop, Antigua! Antigua was a very quiet place. Oh my, was it raining cats and dogs. The rain was coming down hard. We had tickets for the 4x4 jeep tour. Our driver was a real piece of work. Every ten minutes or so, he would drive the jeep into an open field near the road. There he would drive the jeep around in circles, saying over his microphone, “Once around, twice is nice, three times a charm, oh my goodness!”. It was one fun day, to say the least. Once the tour was over, we headed back to the pier. We boarded the ship once again, and it was time to move on to St. Maarten. We had dinner at Portofino’s, the Italian specialty restaurant onboard. The food was absolutely fantastic. From the window, we watched the sun set as Antigua disappeared into the twilight. It was definitely the perfect ending to an exciting day.
We tied up in Philipsburg, St. Maarten the following morning. It was absolutely gorgeous out. We had tickets for the island highlights tour. The tour took us to the town of Marigot, the Maho Bay area, all along the island’s shoreline, and back. The tour guide pointed out Orient Bay to us, which is the most famous and busiest beach in the Caribbean. It’s part regular beach and part clothing optional. As soon as we finished the tour, we got into a taxi cab and headed to Maho Bay. Maho Bay is located fifty feet from the Princess Juliana International Airport. The jetliners are just fifty feet above you before they finally touch down. The noise was one thing, but watching the jets kick up sand while taking off was another. That is definitely a beach I want to visit again soon. Of all the Caribbean beaches on my list, Maho Bay is among the musts. Once all of the jet action died down, we headed back to the ship. We boarded the ship, put down all of our souvenirs, and went upstairs for drinks. After drinks, we got ready for dinner. Before we knew it, we began pulling away from the pier. The next and final port-of-call was St. Thomas, USVI.
Our departure from St. Maarten couldn’t have featured a bigger drama than anyone would imagine. As we were steaming away from the Philipsburg pier, the pilot was picked up and his boat pulled away. We were on our way once again, or so I thought. Less than five minutes later, the pilot boat came racing back to the ship. Everyone on the starboard side of the ship (the right side of the ship), were looking on. As the pilot boat pulled up alongside the ship, no one could believe what had happened. A nine year old child had been left behind in St. Maarten. When the child was lifted onboard, everyone on the starboard side started cheering. The big question which blew everyone’s mind was “What kind of parents leave their kid behind?” Does anyone know? The story was all over the dining room that night. Despite all the drama, dinner was a fun experience. Everyone shared what they did on island. That’s the fun part of sitting at a table for ten. The stories and poking fun at each other was endless.
The next morning, we tied up at the Havensight pier in St. Thomas, USVI. My brother and I had a few errands to do on island. We first took the cable tram up to Paradise Point. At Paradise Point, we took pictures and had a few drinks. When we were done, we headed back down the hill into the Havensight Mall near the pier to shop for booze. After buying two boxes of vodka and gin, we headed into downtown Charlotte Amalie to browse through the shops. We stopped by the camera store to look at some new camera models, made a traditional stop at the Little Switzerland store, and looked through every little trinket store along the way. Two of my favorite selections in the Little Switzerland store were Lladro and Lalique. They include human figurines, to porcelain animals. Lladro featured the largest porcelain train I have ever seen in my life. Is it ok to say that it cost thirty-five thousand dollars? It’s a store I cannot get enough of. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship. Back onboard, we went back to our cabin. We put our souvenirs and stuff away. We also started packing our bags for disembarkation. Shortly later, we went upstairs to the pool deck for drinks. We even brought our cameras with us. While having our drinks, we noticed more drama brewing on the starboard side of the ship. It was four o’clock, castoff time. Just as the lines were being loosened, a couple was seen running down the Havensight pier towards the gangway. Luckily, the ship’s security staff let them onboard. The cruise just couldn’t get any more dramatic than we had imagined.
My least favorite part of any cruise is when it’s over. The final night of the cruise, the waiting staff did its parade around the dining room. The head waiter wished everyone a pleasant journey home. At our dining room table, we were passing around our address books. Everyone was writing down their phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses. Later on in the evening, we all attended the farewell show in the Lyric Theater. The comedian for the night put on a hysterical performance, followed by a performance by the ship’s singers and dancers. When the show was over, streamers and confetti dropped from the rafters. It was quite the perfect ending to a cruise so packed with fun, adventure, and a bit of drama to along with it. The next day, everyone was saying their good-byes before swiping their Sea Pass cards of the final time. When my brother and I left the ship, I couldn’t say enough. For our first time onboard Royal Caribbean, it wasn’t just a cruise, it was an adventure. That’s why the ship is named Adventure of The Seas.
The San Juan cruise terminal area is located in Old San Juan, in close proximity to El Castel Del Morro. We pulled into the terminal area, and the ship was right ahead of us. I had never seen a vessel so massive. I had sailed on the Queen Mary 2 on two previous occasions, but I had never seen a cruise ship with so many bells and whistles. We checked in with no problem, and we were onboard in less than ten minutes. Our rooms weren’t ready yet, so we went upstairs to have lunch in the Windjammer Café. If I could say one thing about the food, it was absolutely awesome. Did I say it was awesome? Correct me if you will. The food was sinful. Meanwhile, our luggage was still yet to arrive at our cabin. Our bags didn’t arrive at our cabin until seven o’clock at night. I was wearing my black buttoned flowered shirt with my jeans, and my brother was wearing very much the same. The heat and the humidity outside on the pool deck was unreal. We did whatever we could to stay inside. At least the air conditioning helped us out. Later, we had dinner in the main dining room. We met our table mates. We met a married couple from California, a dating couple from Pennsylvania, and there two other couples from Colorado. The evening started off without a hitch.
At 11pm, we finally pulled out of port. Our cruise had begun. Our cruise was taking us to Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. The following day, we were at sea. What was to happen during the afternoon blew my mind. Near the Windjammer Café, I was in line purchasing “Win A Cruise Bingo” cards. Outside the window, I noticed a monster crowd gathered by the pool. I was thinking it was only the band playing and everyone was just checking them out. I asked a member of the cruise staff what was going on. That’s when he told me what was happening. He told me, “Oh, that’s the belly flop competition!”. I missed the belly flop competition over bingo cards?? I guess I did. “Until next time!” I said to a few guests standing in line behind me. Eventually, next time did come. Three years later onboard the Adventure, I managed to nail down third place in the belly flop competition. I wore my bronze medal all the way home. So, how did my game of bingo turn out? In the third and final game, I was two numbers away from winning a free cruise. The afternoon pressed on. We used the Solarium pool, chilled out at the pool bar, and chugged down a few cups of tea downstairs at Café Promenade on the Royal Promenade. A pleasant day it sure was, despite missing out on the belly flop competition.
The next day, we arrived at our first port-of-call, Bridgetown, Barbados. It was a lovely morning. Dear friends of my family’s picked us up at the pier and drove us to their house. They drove us around the island, showing us what had changed, and told us about what was new with their family. We had traveled to Barbados many times when we were little. It was sure a fun place to visit. Our friends showed us the hotels we once stayed at. My, did things change! Even our favorite pizza place, Chefette, at Rockeigh Beach tripled in size. It was a tiny little place the last time we ate there. Wow, were things different! Before heading back to the ship, we met our friends’ daughter. She and her brother used to hang out with my brother and I when we used to visit many years ago. Time sure flies when having fun! We returned to Barbados on the Adventure of the Seas three years later on New Year’s Eve. That time, it was my parents, my brother, and myself all together. Now that was a reunion!
Back onboard the Adventure, we went upstairs for drinks. While enjoying a few drinks, we pulled out of Bridgetown. The following day, we tied up in St. Lucia. We had excursion tickets for the Brig Unicorn. The Brig Unicorn was the sailing ship used in “Pirates of The Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl”. It sure felt like I was on a movie set. It looked a bit different. Of course it looks different when you have a cooler onboard with the skipper passing around the rum punch, soda, and beer. What a fun day that was! We arrived back at the ship, and we boarded once again. We spent the rest of the afternoon onboard. I must have sat in the Jacuzzi with the ladies for over an hour. Just as we were having a good time, we pulled out once again. Next stop, Antigua! Antigua was a very quiet place. Oh my, was it raining cats and dogs. The rain was coming down hard. We had tickets for the 4x4 jeep tour. Our driver was a real piece of work. Every ten minutes or so, he would drive the jeep into an open field near the road. There he would drive the jeep around in circles, saying over his microphone, “Once around, twice is nice, three times a charm, oh my goodness!”. It was one fun day, to say the least. Once the tour was over, we headed back to the pier. We boarded the ship once again, and it was time to move on to St. Maarten. We had dinner at Portofino’s, the Italian specialty restaurant onboard. The food was absolutely fantastic. From the window, we watched the sun set as Antigua disappeared into the twilight. It was definitely the perfect ending to an exciting day.
We tied up in Philipsburg, St. Maarten the following morning. It was absolutely gorgeous out. We had tickets for the island highlights tour. The tour took us to the town of Marigot, the Maho Bay area, all along the island’s shoreline, and back. The tour guide pointed out Orient Bay to us, which is the most famous and busiest beach in the Caribbean. It’s part regular beach and part clothing optional. As soon as we finished the tour, we got into a taxi cab and headed to Maho Bay. Maho Bay is located fifty feet from the Princess Juliana International Airport. The jetliners are just fifty feet above you before they finally touch down. The noise was one thing, but watching the jets kick up sand while taking off was another. That is definitely a beach I want to visit again soon. Of all the Caribbean beaches on my list, Maho Bay is among the musts. Once all of the jet action died down, we headed back to the ship. We boarded the ship, put down all of our souvenirs, and went upstairs for drinks. After drinks, we got ready for dinner. Before we knew it, we began pulling away from the pier. The next and final port-of-call was St. Thomas, USVI.
Our departure from St. Maarten couldn’t have featured a bigger drama than anyone would imagine. As we were steaming away from the Philipsburg pier, the pilot was picked up and his boat pulled away. We were on our way once again, or so I thought. Less than five minutes later, the pilot boat came racing back to the ship. Everyone on the starboard side of the ship (the right side of the ship), were looking on. As the pilot boat pulled up alongside the ship, no one could believe what had happened. A nine year old child had been left behind in St. Maarten. When the child was lifted onboard, everyone on the starboard side started cheering. The big question which blew everyone’s mind was “What kind of parents leave their kid behind?” Does anyone know? The story was all over the dining room that night. Despite all the drama, dinner was a fun experience. Everyone shared what they did on island. That’s the fun part of sitting at a table for ten. The stories and poking fun at each other was endless.
The next morning, we tied up at the Havensight pier in St. Thomas, USVI. My brother and I had a few errands to do on island. We first took the cable tram up to Paradise Point. At Paradise Point, we took pictures and had a few drinks. When we were done, we headed back down the hill into the Havensight Mall near the pier to shop for booze. After buying two boxes of vodka and gin, we headed into downtown Charlotte Amalie to browse through the shops. We stopped by the camera store to look at some new camera models, made a traditional stop at the Little Switzerland store, and looked through every little trinket store along the way. Two of my favorite selections in the Little Switzerland store were Lladro and Lalique. They include human figurines, to porcelain animals. Lladro featured the largest porcelain train I have ever seen in my life. Is it ok to say that it cost thirty-five thousand dollars? It’s a store I cannot get enough of. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship. Back onboard, we went back to our cabin. We put our souvenirs and stuff away. We also started packing our bags for disembarkation. Shortly later, we went upstairs to the pool deck for drinks. We even brought our cameras with us. While having our drinks, we noticed more drama brewing on the starboard side of the ship. It was four o’clock, castoff time. Just as the lines were being loosened, a couple was seen running down the Havensight pier towards the gangway. Luckily, the ship’s security staff let them onboard. The cruise just couldn’t get any more dramatic than we had imagined.
My least favorite part of any cruise is when it’s over. The final night of the cruise, the waiting staff did its parade around the dining room. The head waiter wished everyone a pleasant journey home. At our dining room table, we were passing around our address books. Everyone was writing down their phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses. Later on in the evening, we all attended the farewell show in the Lyric Theater. The comedian for the night put on a hysterical performance, followed by a performance by the ship’s singers and dancers. When the show was over, streamers and confetti dropped from the rafters. It was quite the perfect ending to a cruise so packed with fun, adventure, and a bit of drama to along with it. The next day, everyone was saying their good-byes before swiping their Sea Pass cards of the final time. When my brother and I left the ship, I couldn’t say enough. For our first time onboard Royal Caribbean, it wasn’t just a cruise, it was an adventure. That’s why the ship is named Adventure of The Seas.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Nine Days Onboard The "Big E"
June 2010, the cruise of the millennium, was THE BEST cruise ever. I can’t stress it any further than I have with my friends, family, and colleagues. My brother and I sailed on board Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of The Seas. I refer to her as “Big E”. My brother and I sailed from Cape Liberty-Bayonne, NJ. It was a nine day trip to Bermuda, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico. At first I wanted to pack my Amtrak duffel bag, but my mom told my brother and I to pack the two purple suitcases. I had no idea why she wanted us to pack them. I couldn’t believe I was taking Barney The Suitcase. I was getting worried that my colleagues at the cruise terminal, mainly the longshoremen, would laugh at me. Some of my friends used to joke with me saying, “Hey, Dave my man...did anyone tell you that you pack like a girl?” When traveling with a purple suitcase, I felt like I was on a crash course. Luckily no one joked with me. Phew! Instead, an even more favorable matter had arisen. I was doing guest check-in that Thursday. I was going to at some point be checking in guests who might be at my dinner table during the cruise. Throughout the afternoon, I was checking my Sea Pass card amongst guests I embarked, just hoping to come across a party that was going to be at my table. None of the parties I checked in happened to be so. At dinner later that night, I met this one family from Boston sitting at our table. The husband noticed me and said “Hey, weren’t you just in the terminal?” You were checking people in today. You were really moving. Nice work!” Life is more than just a fish bowl, huh folks?
Two days later, we tied up at King’s Wharf, Bermuda. My brother and I didn’t do all that much. We took the ferry from King’s Wharf across the way to Hamilton. We walked a few blocks in either direction. While doing so, we walked into all of the stores. We didn’t buy anything. Both of us took a boat load of pictures. It was a gorgeous day, with the temperature in the low eighties. After walking around, taking pictures, and browsing through the stores, we headed back to the ferry. Once back at King’s Wharf, we boarded the ship again. We had lunch at the Windjammer Café, and then hung out at the Solarium pool. Just as we were departing from King’s Wharf, I saw this huge squid swimming out from underneath the pier. At dinner, one of our appetizers was fried calamari. I asked the waiter, “Wendell, is this calamari from that squid we saw swimming near the pier?” He said, “No, I’m afraid not, but that’s a good guess.” Food for thought, I can’t imagine fast food in the dining room. Ha-Ha!
Two days later, we arrived at St. Maarten. We tied up at the pier around noon. I was hoping we were going to spend some time of our own at Maho Bay or Orient Bay. We were presented with a surprise. Our travel agent had arranged for us to be on a complimentary island highlights tour. After eating lunch, we headed downstairs and we met our tour guide at the pier entrance. We boarded our motor coach, and we were off. We had visited St. Maarten before when we sailed on the Adventure of The Seas. We sort of knew the places the tour guide was taking us. We visited the town of Marigot, and nearly touched the Maho Bay area. We then drove by famous Orient Bay, where a majority of the cruise passengers hang out while in port. It’s most definitely on my to-do list when I cruise again. We were then given each a post card with stamps already attached. We all wrote to someone at home and handed them to our tour guide at the conclusion of the trip. Before we knew it, we were back on board. We hung out on our balcony, and did some people watching while we were at it. Late at night, we pulled out of port and we were off once again. St. Thomas, here we come!
Early the next morning, we arrived in St. Thomas, USVI. It was another beautiful day outside. The temperature was in the mid-eighties. My brother and I took the tram ride up to Paradise Point, to take pictures and guzzle down a few drinks. The Carnival Liberty was in port next to us. St. Thomas, with ships in port, is a gorgeous sight. Every time you look at postcards in St. Thomas, they all have ships in the picture. It’s truly a sight to behold. When we returned to the port area, we took a bus to the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef, right at the mouth of the harbor channel. We stayed there a few times when we were little. We had lunch by the pool. Right in front of us, a little more than two hundred yards away, was our ship, the Explorer. She looked like a gem, with the water sparkling all around her. Next, we took the boat from Frenchman’s Reef to downtown Charlotte Amalie.
Hanging around downtown Charlotte Amalie was a ton of fun. We shopped for booze, did some souvenir shopping, and then did the most adventurous thing of all. We walked all the way back to the Havensight pier. Half way there, we stopped at a coffee shop called “Bad Ass Coffee”. There we helped ourselves to some iced coffee and kept walking until we arrived back at the ship. By the time we arrived back at the pier, our calves were hard as a rock. As we were walking on the pier toward the ship, one of the USVI’s famous youth steel drum bands was performing. They were called “The Rising Stars”. If you have ever heard these kids play, you don’t know what you’re missing. They are absolutely superb, like real professionals. We listened to them for a good half an hour. Just as we arrived at door of the Explorer, one of the guest relations officers I knew was at the gangway. I introduced my brother to him, and they shook hands. After talking briefly, we got back on board. Our day in St. Thomas was over. Another visit to St. Thomas was in the books.
The following morning, we arrived at our final port-of-call, San Juan, PR. Just as we tied up, we headed downstairs to the gangway. We boarded our tour bus at the pier entrance. We visited the Bacardi Rum Factory. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but the rum was absolutely awesome. We were all given two tickets, for two free drinks. I thought, what the heck, and helped myself to two Screwdrivers. Yummy! First we watched a short film presentation on the history of the Bacardi company. We were then taken on a mock up tour of how Bacardi’s charcoal fired rum is made. Later we were then shown, step-by-step, how to make a Bacardi Mojito. Immediately afterward, we walked through the gift shop. My brother and I bought a package of mint seeds for our garden at home. We also bought a few other souvenirs, including a canister of rum chocolates. When we were done, we headed back to the bus to return to the ship. It was two o’clock. It was time to pull in the lines and head back out to sea, back to Bayonne. The cruise was unfortunately nearing its end, but the fun was just about to heat up.
On our cruise on board the Explorer, I participated a lot of fun activities. I even took a class on how to play Bridge. That afternoon we departed San Juan, I participated in the event of all events...the “Men’s International Belly Flop Competition”. This event cannot be missed. This event, I swear it, looked like a meat market and a happy hour combined. Every last babe in a bikini onboard was at pool side soaking up every last ray available. There were eight participants including myself signed up for the belly flop competition. Each contestant had to make two jumps off a wooden jumping platform. The first jump was judged on style and grace, and the second jump was judged on splash factor and PAIN. I wore my patriotic swim suit for good luck. I scored a 4.998 on the first jump...a near perfect score! Half way to heaven! The second jump was not too bad, a 4.534, but then I got eliminated. This one contestant decided to change the position of the jumping platform, from horizontal to vertical. No one stopped him from doing so. He scored a 5.12. NO FAIR!! Later on at dinner downstairs, one of the guests at the table nearby bought me a beer for being the unofficial 1st place winner of the competition. After the waiter poured the beer for me, I went over to this guest nearby and said, “Hey, thank you so much, I greatly appreciate it.” This other guest said, “Dave, you got screwed up there. That jump you made was a 6. Here’s to next time, ok my man?”. We clinked glasses, and I once again shared with the guy and everyone at his table my thank you’s. Even at my table, all of the adults including my brother were treating me to a bottle of beer. How moving of an evening! Agree?
The next day was the charity event, “Walk of Wishes”. It was a six lap walk around the sun deck to benefit the Make A Wish Foundation. During the event, I’m was walking my laps around the sun deck with over two hundred guests. While we’re walking and making our way around the sun deck, I’m getting the hero’s welcome. This one guest points me out and shouts, “Hey, it’s the belly flopper! 4.998 baby!" Guests on both sides of the walking track were applauding me. People on the sun deck were buying me beer that whole afternoon. It must have been the black and blue marks on my chest, arms, and shoulders. Do you know how painful belly flopping is? It’s not too bad when jumping into chlorinated water, but with a salt water pool? Yikes! Belly flopping into salt water is like jumping off the roof of your house and landing on your backyard patio. One of the gentlemen I met on the sun deck gave me advice for the next belly flop competition. He told me to bring a crumby hat with me, a hat really worn out. He said that I should have someone toss it over the pool and I would grab it as I make my landing. He then gave me another hint of advice. He then suggested that I should toss the hat in the pool, land in the water, and let the hat land on my head as I come up to the surface. He then said “You’ll be scoring more than free beer next time!”.
The final night on board, we went to the farewell show in the Palace Theater. To start the show, a sneak preview of the “Cruise In Review” DVD was shown on a screen on stage. At first, I saw myself at the “Dancing Under The Stars” party on pool deck. Minutes later, came the footage from the belly flop competition. The Royal Caribbean TV staff showed my jump not once, but four different times. When my big jump was done, it was rewound three different times. Half the theater was going crazy. I never thought I would become that popular so quickly. It must have been a blessing.
The following day during disembarkation, I ran into some of the guys I met on pool deck. Then, two young ladies just down the hallway from my cabin saw me on the pier. I overheard one of them asking the other, “He works here?”. With a smile on my face, I said, “Yes, I work here.” Unfortunately, I never spoke with them again. She was “the one that got away” as they say. When my brother came through customs, I introduced him to my supervisor. She asked my brother, “Did you guys have a good time?” My brother answered, “Oh definitely. David was hogging the camera the whole trip.” There is one thing that still wears on my mind. Will there be a cruise that will top that one? Not anytime soon, but the belly flop stakes can’t be any higher.
Two days later, we tied up at King’s Wharf, Bermuda. My brother and I didn’t do all that much. We took the ferry from King’s Wharf across the way to Hamilton. We walked a few blocks in either direction. While doing so, we walked into all of the stores. We didn’t buy anything. Both of us took a boat load of pictures. It was a gorgeous day, with the temperature in the low eighties. After walking around, taking pictures, and browsing through the stores, we headed back to the ferry. Once back at King’s Wharf, we boarded the ship again. We had lunch at the Windjammer Café, and then hung out at the Solarium pool. Just as we were departing from King’s Wharf, I saw this huge squid swimming out from underneath the pier. At dinner, one of our appetizers was fried calamari. I asked the waiter, “Wendell, is this calamari from that squid we saw swimming near the pier?” He said, “No, I’m afraid not, but that’s a good guess.” Food for thought, I can’t imagine fast food in the dining room. Ha-Ha!
Two days later, we arrived at St. Maarten. We tied up at the pier around noon. I was hoping we were going to spend some time of our own at Maho Bay or Orient Bay. We were presented with a surprise. Our travel agent had arranged for us to be on a complimentary island highlights tour. After eating lunch, we headed downstairs and we met our tour guide at the pier entrance. We boarded our motor coach, and we were off. We had visited St. Maarten before when we sailed on the Adventure of The Seas. We sort of knew the places the tour guide was taking us. We visited the town of Marigot, and nearly touched the Maho Bay area. We then drove by famous Orient Bay, where a majority of the cruise passengers hang out while in port. It’s most definitely on my to-do list when I cruise again. We were then given each a post card with stamps already attached. We all wrote to someone at home and handed them to our tour guide at the conclusion of the trip. Before we knew it, we were back on board. We hung out on our balcony, and did some people watching while we were at it. Late at night, we pulled out of port and we were off once again. St. Thomas, here we come!
Early the next morning, we arrived in St. Thomas, USVI. It was another beautiful day outside. The temperature was in the mid-eighties. My brother and I took the tram ride up to Paradise Point, to take pictures and guzzle down a few drinks. The Carnival Liberty was in port next to us. St. Thomas, with ships in port, is a gorgeous sight. Every time you look at postcards in St. Thomas, they all have ships in the picture. It’s truly a sight to behold. When we returned to the port area, we took a bus to the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef, right at the mouth of the harbor channel. We stayed there a few times when we were little. We had lunch by the pool. Right in front of us, a little more than two hundred yards away, was our ship, the Explorer. She looked like a gem, with the water sparkling all around her. Next, we took the boat from Frenchman’s Reef to downtown Charlotte Amalie.
Hanging around downtown Charlotte Amalie was a ton of fun. We shopped for booze, did some souvenir shopping, and then did the most adventurous thing of all. We walked all the way back to the Havensight pier. Half way there, we stopped at a coffee shop called “Bad Ass Coffee”. There we helped ourselves to some iced coffee and kept walking until we arrived back at the ship. By the time we arrived back at the pier, our calves were hard as a rock. As we were walking on the pier toward the ship, one of the USVI’s famous youth steel drum bands was performing. They were called “The Rising Stars”. If you have ever heard these kids play, you don’t know what you’re missing. They are absolutely superb, like real professionals. We listened to them for a good half an hour. Just as we arrived at door of the Explorer, one of the guest relations officers I knew was at the gangway. I introduced my brother to him, and they shook hands. After talking briefly, we got back on board. Our day in St. Thomas was over. Another visit to St. Thomas was in the books.
The following morning, we arrived at our final port-of-call, San Juan, PR. Just as we tied up, we headed downstairs to the gangway. We boarded our tour bus at the pier entrance. We visited the Bacardi Rum Factory. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but the rum was absolutely awesome. We were all given two tickets, for two free drinks. I thought, what the heck, and helped myself to two Screwdrivers. Yummy! First we watched a short film presentation on the history of the Bacardi company. We were then taken on a mock up tour of how Bacardi’s charcoal fired rum is made. Later we were then shown, step-by-step, how to make a Bacardi Mojito. Immediately afterward, we walked through the gift shop. My brother and I bought a package of mint seeds for our garden at home. We also bought a few other souvenirs, including a canister of rum chocolates. When we were done, we headed back to the bus to return to the ship. It was two o’clock. It was time to pull in the lines and head back out to sea, back to Bayonne. The cruise was unfortunately nearing its end, but the fun was just about to heat up.
On our cruise on board the Explorer, I participated a lot of fun activities. I even took a class on how to play Bridge. That afternoon we departed San Juan, I participated in the event of all events...the “Men’s International Belly Flop Competition”. This event cannot be missed. This event, I swear it, looked like a meat market and a happy hour combined. Every last babe in a bikini onboard was at pool side soaking up every last ray available. There were eight participants including myself signed up for the belly flop competition. Each contestant had to make two jumps off a wooden jumping platform. The first jump was judged on style and grace, and the second jump was judged on splash factor and PAIN. I wore my patriotic swim suit for good luck. I scored a 4.998 on the first jump...a near perfect score! Half way to heaven! The second jump was not too bad, a 4.534, but then I got eliminated. This one contestant decided to change the position of the jumping platform, from horizontal to vertical. No one stopped him from doing so. He scored a 5.12. NO FAIR!! Later on at dinner downstairs, one of the guests at the table nearby bought me a beer for being the unofficial 1st place winner of the competition. After the waiter poured the beer for me, I went over to this guest nearby and said, “Hey, thank you so much, I greatly appreciate it.” This other guest said, “Dave, you got screwed up there. That jump you made was a 6. Here’s to next time, ok my man?”. We clinked glasses, and I once again shared with the guy and everyone at his table my thank you’s. Even at my table, all of the adults including my brother were treating me to a bottle of beer. How moving of an evening! Agree?
The next day was the charity event, “Walk of Wishes”. It was a six lap walk around the sun deck to benefit the Make A Wish Foundation. During the event, I’m was walking my laps around the sun deck with over two hundred guests. While we’re walking and making our way around the sun deck, I’m getting the hero’s welcome. This one guest points me out and shouts, “Hey, it’s the belly flopper! 4.998 baby!" Guests on both sides of the walking track were applauding me. People on the sun deck were buying me beer that whole afternoon. It must have been the black and blue marks on my chest, arms, and shoulders. Do you know how painful belly flopping is? It’s not too bad when jumping into chlorinated water, but with a salt water pool? Yikes! Belly flopping into salt water is like jumping off the roof of your house and landing on your backyard patio. One of the gentlemen I met on the sun deck gave me advice for the next belly flop competition. He told me to bring a crumby hat with me, a hat really worn out. He said that I should have someone toss it over the pool and I would grab it as I make my landing. He then gave me another hint of advice. He then suggested that I should toss the hat in the pool, land in the water, and let the hat land on my head as I come up to the surface. He then said “You’ll be scoring more than free beer next time!”.
The final night on board, we went to the farewell show in the Palace Theater. To start the show, a sneak preview of the “Cruise In Review” DVD was shown on a screen on stage. At first, I saw myself at the “Dancing Under The Stars” party on pool deck. Minutes later, came the footage from the belly flop competition. The Royal Caribbean TV staff showed my jump not once, but four different times. When my big jump was done, it was rewound three different times. Half the theater was going crazy. I never thought I would become that popular so quickly. It must have been a blessing.
The following day during disembarkation, I ran into some of the guys I met on pool deck. Then, two young ladies just down the hallway from my cabin saw me on the pier. I overheard one of them asking the other, “He works here?”. With a smile on my face, I said, “Yes, I work here.” Unfortunately, I never spoke with them again. She was “the one that got away” as they say. When my brother came through customs, I introduced him to my supervisor. She asked my brother, “Did you guys have a good time?” My brother answered, “Oh definitely. David was hogging the camera the whole trip.” There is one thing that still wears on my mind. Will there be a cruise that will top that one? Not anytime soon, but the belly flop stakes can’t be any higher.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
An Hour On Board The Celebrity Silhouette
Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, Bayonne, NJ: The April 22nd sailing came faster than I had imagined. It was the day of the Celebrity Silhouette’s repositioning cruise back to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy. The ship was in the middle of the embarkation process. A noreaster was threatening the area. The rain was coming down. Aside from the rain, it was extremely chilly out. I felt really bad for the guests boarding the vessel. They couldn’t enjoy the open areas of the ship due to the inclement weather. Not every trip starts out the way you want it. I’ve learned that lesson time and again in my role as a cruise line agent in the New York area. I have my good days and I make the very best of the not so good days.
Despite the poor weather conditions, five of my colleagues and I had the opportunity to have lunch on board the Celebrity Silhouette. At first, we had to wait for the ship’s security staff to clear us to board the vessel. Once we got the all clear, we proceeded on board via the forward gangway. We took the elevator up to deck 14, where the Oceanview Café is located. The Oceanview Café is the Silhouette’s guest buffet. Once we arrived on deck 14, we had to navigate our way through the public areas to get there. While on our way to the Oceanview Café, we passed through the Aqua Spa. All I could say was “WOW!”. If you have ever been in the Solarium on a Royal Caribbean ship, the Aqua Spa is very much like it, but exceptionally spruced up. The pool was enclosed, and the pool area was very relaxing. All of the lounge chairs had fresh folded towels sitting on them. At that moment, I just couldn’t help but say to myself, “One day, I am going to be on board this ship. Lord, make it happen!”. Right in the corner of the Aqua Spa was this hammock with a canopy draping over it. I so wanted to drop myself onto it, but I didn’t want to ruin things for the guests. Next we walked past the ship’s main pool. The main pool was absolutely gorgeous. If you want to see an environment where guests get pampered beyond their dreams, that is sure the place.
Lastly, we walked through the automatic sliding glass door into the Oceanview Café. All I could say was “Whoa! Somebody definitely better get me on this vessel.” The buffet stations in the Oceanview Café were endless. There was a roast beef carving station, a chicken carving station, a fruit buffet, a bread bar, and a massive salad bar which I thought I’d never see on a cruise ship. I thought I was in heaven. I went to the roast beef carving station, and the chef couldn’t have been friendlier. He said to me, “Welcome aboard! One good slice for you, Mr. David.”. I then said, “It looks awesome. Can you cut me a second piece?”. The chef said, “My pleasure, Mr. David. You enjoy your meal sir.” From the roast beef station, I walked over to the fruit bar. There I loaded my plate up with pineapple and honeydew melon chunks. From there, I walked to the bread bar. There were these pretzel baguettes. I took one, and I went to the juice dispenser. I decided to try something a little more exciting than Sprite, iced tea, or fruit punch. I filled my glass with guava juice. It tasted absolutely heavenly. I sat out on the stern with two of my supervisors, with the wind and rain whipping about. Despite the weather, we enjoyed the food on board. The food was fantastic. I wanted to go back for seconds, but I didn’t want to overstay my welcome. Besides, I didn’t have a Sea Pass card. As we left the Oceanview Café, I took some pictures of the buffet area to share via email. I then took pictures of the ship’s library, the Aqua Spa, the Aqua Spa Café, and the main pool. I so didn’t want to get off the ship. After a memorable hour on board, it was time to step off the ship and return to my check-in duties.
With a bit of resistance, I managed to board the shuttle bus back to the terminal building. I couldn’t help but reminisce about the on board environment I had just visited. I have never been on board the Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, or Eclipse. However, I can say for sure that the Silhouette is truly a palace. It is most definitely a ship I look forward to sailing on board for real. Whether I plan to sail to the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, I would most definitely sail on board the Celebrity Silhouette. The staff was welcoming, the food was splendid, and the public areas were through-the-roof majestic. There was most definitely a special flare in the air. Never so quickly has one ship caught my eye like the Silhouette. That one hour I spent on board her is one hour I will deeply treasure. There is no doubt in my mind that very hour I spent on board will transpire into an unforgettable seven or twelve-day adventure in the near future. I was left with the everlasting impression that a ship so elegant, paints the perfect picture of “A True Departure”.
Despite the poor weather conditions, five of my colleagues and I had the opportunity to have lunch on board the Celebrity Silhouette. At first, we had to wait for the ship’s security staff to clear us to board the vessel. Once we got the all clear, we proceeded on board via the forward gangway. We took the elevator up to deck 14, where the Oceanview Café is located. The Oceanview Café is the Silhouette’s guest buffet. Once we arrived on deck 14, we had to navigate our way through the public areas to get there. While on our way to the Oceanview Café, we passed through the Aqua Spa. All I could say was “WOW!”. If you have ever been in the Solarium on a Royal Caribbean ship, the Aqua Spa is very much like it, but exceptionally spruced up. The pool was enclosed, and the pool area was very relaxing. All of the lounge chairs had fresh folded towels sitting on them. At that moment, I just couldn’t help but say to myself, “One day, I am going to be on board this ship. Lord, make it happen!”. Right in the corner of the Aqua Spa was this hammock with a canopy draping over it. I so wanted to drop myself onto it, but I didn’t want to ruin things for the guests. Next we walked past the ship’s main pool. The main pool was absolutely gorgeous. If you want to see an environment where guests get pampered beyond their dreams, that is sure the place.
Lastly, we walked through the automatic sliding glass door into the Oceanview Café. All I could say was “Whoa! Somebody definitely better get me on this vessel.” The buffet stations in the Oceanview Café were endless. There was a roast beef carving station, a chicken carving station, a fruit buffet, a bread bar, and a massive salad bar which I thought I’d never see on a cruise ship. I thought I was in heaven. I went to the roast beef carving station, and the chef couldn’t have been friendlier. He said to me, “Welcome aboard! One good slice for you, Mr. David.”. I then said, “It looks awesome. Can you cut me a second piece?”. The chef said, “My pleasure, Mr. David. You enjoy your meal sir.” From the roast beef station, I walked over to the fruit bar. There I loaded my plate up with pineapple and honeydew melon chunks. From there, I walked to the bread bar. There were these pretzel baguettes. I took one, and I went to the juice dispenser. I decided to try something a little more exciting than Sprite, iced tea, or fruit punch. I filled my glass with guava juice. It tasted absolutely heavenly. I sat out on the stern with two of my supervisors, with the wind and rain whipping about. Despite the weather, we enjoyed the food on board. The food was fantastic. I wanted to go back for seconds, but I didn’t want to overstay my welcome. Besides, I didn’t have a Sea Pass card. As we left the Oceanview Café, I took some pictures of the buffet area to share via email. I then took pictures of the ship’s library, the Aqua Spa, the Aqua Spa Café, and the main pool. I so didn’t want to get off the ship. After a memorable hour on board, it was time to step off the ship and return to my check-in duties.
With a bit of resistance, I managed to board the shuttle bus back to the terminal building. I couldn’t help but reminisce about the on board environment I had just visited. I have never been on board the Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, or Eclipse. However, I can say for sure that the Silhouette is truly a palace. It is most definitely a ship I look forward to sailing on board for real. Whether I plan to sail to the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, I would most definitely sail on board the Celebrity Silhouette. The staff was welcoming, the food was splendid, and the public areas were through-the-roof majestic. There was most definitely a special flare in the air. Never so quickly has one ship caught my eye like the Silhouette. That one hour I spent on board her is one hour I will deeply treasure. There is no doubt in my mind that very hour I spent on board will transpire into an unforgettable seven or twelve-day adventure in the near future. I was left with the everlasting impression that a ship so elegant, paints the perfect picture of “A True Departure”.
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