tuggers

It's https://www.enttours.com Now it's called Academy Bus. I've used it from Providence to Bayonne several times. For that run the price is $55.

I love it. Very stress free way to get to and from the ship..

Ken, nope, desserts were out in open almost all the time with no screens or barriers. And I never saw any velvet ropes. When it was blocked off for the creme brule it was with the stanchions that have that nylon looking tape stuff that is threaded through.

I really think the sauces are more of an issue than the desserts. I saw the sour cream sitting outside the barrier with flecks of other foods in it. Same with sauces set outside barriers near meats. Sushi just had all the accoutrements sitting on edge of counters where some people were using their own utensils to dip.

I was also told that if you ordered say just berries in place of whole fruit plate they would take the berries off and throw the rest of the fruit away. So it was wasted, you just didn't see it. Marvin and Harriet were told when he requested just pineapple that a waiter had to go to the dining room to get it. Or maybe it was buffet. Whichever, it took a lot more time.

Hey Ken! I liked the fact that I could get a cup of cappuccino and Mimosas!

Those are two things I enjoy at home and I like being able to have them while on vacation. Besides it has now become a tradition. I go for my beverages (and used to be for the Lox and Bagels but the toasted bagel that had sat for a couple of hours gets rubbery), to read the Daily and get ready for my day.

I think I said the service was slow but they did start to bring me a double cappuccino at first so I could get my caffeine fix. :)

As far as the buffet on deck 10 there were many unguarded, unscreened areas where you served yourself. The days they had the cake desserts as well as the pie desserts were totally open, you had to reach over desserts to cut ones behind, etc. Bread was very much out in the open as was dishes of sauces for sushi, baked potatoes and meats.

In fact the only time there was someone serving desserts was when they had the flavors of creme brulee. There was a waiter with a torch who would put on sugar and make the nice crust.

As I said before, if I had to pick one thing that bothered me most it was the waste I saw as plates were picked up off tables.

As far a the European tastes of the Lox and Bagels crowd I've never really made a study of it. I just know what I like. ;)

Just off B2B Summit and the Elite Breakfast was in Normandie. Plated dishes only, either way too much food (7 or 8 pastries) or not proportioned correctly (Salmon Platter had way too much salmon, not enough cream cheese, tomato or onion on two toasted buttered mini bagels with lettuce).

Service was poor.

Cappuccino was still good and I enjoyed the Mimosas. Didn't try the Bloody Marys.

Breakfast was poorly attended. Some mornings I went by Cafe al Bacio and picked up the pastries I knew we would eat so as not to waste so much. I guess what I objected to most was the terrible waste caused by the pre-plated food.

When they first started this perk it was one of my favorites but they've pretty much managed to screw it up. Their explanation is that they are no longer allowed to have any buffets on the ship per CDC. DUH! Did they forget deck 10???????????:D

Summit Day 5 10.25.2014 Sea Day

We have been in ports everyday of this second cruise so a sea day is a wonderful

thing! Except that a pool lounger may ne a little hard to find!

Went to the Elite Lounge for breakfast this morning and the attendance was at an all time

low. Five tables counting mine. There was some coming and going but there were never more than five tables. This started out as such a delightful perk and a great way to start the day.

After breakfast I went up to the pool and was lucky to get my preferred chair in the elevated area between both pools. I started out with 2 spray cans of Austrailian Gold

SPF 4 and I think I may have exactly enough to finish the cruise. I hate to pay $15 on here when Publix has it for $8. There’s that cheap streak showing again! J

Again it was hot by the pool and getting in the water was necessary to being able to stay

there. For a sea day there was only a very slight breeze. And we had some white caps. First ones I have seen on this cruise!

Lunch in the buffet was shared with Marvin and Harriet who told me they too have booked the Spring repo. Price was right and they really enjoyed this one. I think I had corned beef on rye. Wished I had gotten a burger but they were grilling out by the pool

and it was a mob scene. This is the second time they have done this with no mention of it

in the daily. Look like they would want people to know. Or maybe they just figured we would see the flames and figure it out???

I managed to hang by the pool until after 2 and then I had to go back to the cabin and take a nice cool shower. Watched a little news but it’s always pretty much the same thing. Worked like a charm to put me to sleep for a nap! J

Turns out Roger did not bring a jacket so dinner in Select was out for formal night. They offered him one from the dining room but that sounded kind of yucky so we made up our minds early that we would be going upstairs with Terry and Gloria.

Elite cocktails was pretty well attended but for the umpteenth time we were asked to leave right at 7 because of a private function in Revelations. It’s the Vacations to Go

Singles (almost all women) cruise. There’s a couple hundred of them and we have gotten kind of used to being run out of our venue. Getting the boot is getting OLD!

But we are all team players so after negotiating a deal we left peacefully. We took the elevator to deck 10 and were met with men flooding the solarium with water to clean it.

This was at 7:15! How can they make getting to the buffet so unsafe? We had a 90 year old and one person with a walker. What a nightmare that was trying to get them across the pool area without a fall. I was a basket case by the time we made it to the buffet.

My nerves were still fried when I had to stand in line for 10 minutes to get Roger’s stir fry. They had one (slow) guy cooking with only one pan (two burners so he could have

done two pans)! There were only 3 of us wanting stir fry but it took forever. A couple behind me gave up and I surely would have liked to but Roger was stuck on stir fry. I started to get some carved beef for myself but when I saw the guy struggling to cut it with his carving knife I knew I’d never be able to manage it with the butter knives they give you. Terry did try it and it was indeed, tough!

I have certainly enjoyed seeing Terry and Gloria again. It’s been years since we were on a cruise together. The last time was when the Grandeur limped into Baltimore 12 hours late. That was the last time I saw Joe and Mary Ann Dunn, too. Where are you guys?

After dinner I went to the casino for a while. Actually broke even which is better than I’ve been doing. Didn’t stay late because the Saints game was on in the cabin and I wanted to watch it. Once again it was watch it in your cabin or don’t see the game.

Tomorrow is St Thomas and they are closing the gangway from 10:30 until 12:30. I wanted to get off but I sure don’t want to be stuck off the ship for two hours. I may try to

get off early. Wish I knew when the stores opened.

Bye For Now!

Just walked in the door 20 minutes ago and I am in bed! I promise I will

finish this up tomorrow. Just too tired tonight.

Plane was on time arriving in Tampa (4:35) but luggage did not arrive for about 40 minutes. Then we waited another 30 minutes for shuttle from

Intercontinental Hotel Valet parking. Another 25 minutes getting everything to fit in my car. Finally got on the road at 6:20.

We made one stop in Ocala for a quick bite. Arrived from the 235 mile Tampa to Valdosta trip at 10:20. Not too bad but my back and leg are KILLING me. Otherwise everyone is fine.

Bye For Now.

Diana, from your mouth to God's ear! What a dream that is but I would miss you (and the babies!).:)

am+a, just read what I wrote. What's so funny is I'm the original 'rules are just suggestions' girl. I was way up on my horse with that one! Sorry.

Mark and Randi, well, of course I booked it to be with you! Would be cool if we could talk the boys into it again! This cruise we are on now could be the last for our friends. Couple of falls and some other things. They are booked, however so you never know!

Summit Cruise Day 4 10.25.2014 Granada

Well, for the first time on this cruise I over slept. I stayed up until after 3 AM trying to finish a book. It was by a new author (to me) and I was determined to finish it. But, sad to say I had to save the ending for tomorrow. My eyes were just not focusing so I had to give up. Next thing I knew it was almost 9:30 and I was close to missing my morning Mimosa.

Cil and Roger were already in the Normandy when I arrived. In fact they were the only

people left. I ordered the Salmon Plate and it arrived very quickly. Plates are pre-made and by 9:40 the bagels were getting rubbery. This perk has been used less this cruise than the one before and it was not busy then. Hardly anyone seems to like this new concept. So a perk that I personally used to love is now just a drag and not really worth the effort

is what I’m being told. However, you notice I’m still there every day.

I went on up to the pool. I had gotten off yesterday and walking those uneven streets and going up very uneven steps into a couple of shops put me back to using my cane. I hate the darn things but sometimes it’s a necessity. The old body just isn’t what it used to be.

But with a rolled towel under my knee and one under my neck it’s about the most comfortable I am going to be.

Today is sunny and hot enough that I’m in and out of the pool at least every 30 to 45 minutes. We are docked and there is hardly any breeze. Still I can’t think of any other place I would rather be.

I had bought a beach bag the other day when they had the Bijou Terner $10 things out by the pool. After two days one of the handles pulled out. Looks like it was hardly sewn. So check the handles if you buy one of these. I haven’t asked yet if they will exchange it but maybe they will. I have had very good luck with the BJ brand overall, buying evening bags, watches, etc with no problems.

I went in for lunch and had a roast beef with provolone on rye. Today the fries were a mixture of steak fries and skinny fries. They were okay but when you fry two different sizes of potatoes together neither one gets cooked exactly right. I wish they still had chips at the sandwich bar. I would like those once in a while. And good pickles.

For some reason I have not been hitting the ice cream like I usually do. In fact I’ve only had it 4 or 5 times. Strange for me. But I have been drinking the heck out of bottled water. Not enough to justify buying a package but I am drinking a lot. And I can get my wine and diet coke fix at the cocktail hour.

I’m trying to perfect my tan so I did stay out at the pool until 2. That’s about all I can stand. Then its back to the cabin for a cooling shower and a nap. The air conditioning sure feels good after the heat and the crisp, cool sheets make it just about perfect for an afternoon nap.

Elite cocktails were not very well attended. I think some people got back late from tours or wore themselves out in the heat. Cil, Roger, Terry, Gloria and I were at our usual table by the windows with our excellent bar server, Sasha. She is terrific. Donavan is still working this venue but when we moved up with Terry and Gloria Sasha was already serving them. She is really good. We never want for a drink. Don’t know the names of the two who serve us the canapés but they also keep us well stocked.

Selection is about the same: mini egg rolls, bite sized fried chicken and fish, fried cheese, fried shrimp, and the usual cold array. Tasty.

Cil. Roger and I went to the dining room tonight. I have only been to the dining room four or five times on these two cruises. Select Dining is really not my cup of tea. I much prefer a large table at 8:30. Dining is such a big part of the cruising experience that I feel kind of cheated. I don’t think I will do this again. Call me old fashioned but I want my same waiter and my same table every night. And a variety of people to talk to!

The menu wasn’t bad. In fact it was one of the better ones. I had the Beef Carpagio,

Crab Cake, Short Ribs (without the polenta) and a baked potato. For dessert I had one scoop of cherry frozen yogurt. It was all good. I’m still drinking that $54 bottle of Pinot Noir I bought.

After dinner I went to the casino. Played the penny machines for a while. I turned $5 into $12, then turned that into 4 cents. Hey, you lose some and then you lose some more! J

So it was back to the cabin TV and the World’s Series. Lots of grousing about the fact that there was no show in the Celebrity Theater but they chose to show a movie, Captain America, in place of using that room to play a big screen baseball game. I think the game

was on in the casino bar but that’s really small and doesn’t accommodate a lot of people,

From what I heard passengers were expecting a large place to enjoy America’s favorite sport with maybe some hot dogs and popcorn. I’ve been on ships, Celebrity ones,

where a party accompanied a big sporting event. Not sure who dropped the ball. Could have been the CD or X. Whoever it was the passengers were the losers.

Someone brought up the subject of chocolates on the pillows after turn down service. They wanted to know when X stopped that little nicety. The first cruise of this B2B we

never had them at all. On this cruise they made a towel something or other one night

and used two wrapped Oreo’s for eyes. That’s been it.

Lots of little things have been stopped: no q-tips in the bathroom, body wash only if you ask, no water pitcher in cabin (but they will sell you a small bottle of Evian for $5), pool

music is now mostly DJ which is definitely a step down from a live band,

etc. etc. Things do change but I still think X is a good value for the money. And there are lots of things I do like: No shorts in dining room at night (seems Royal is allowing that now), no announcements every 5 minutes reminding you Bingo is now being played,

enough Internet minutes free for Elite Plus to make it worthwhile, ditto for the free laundry and the beds and linens are definitely an upgrade from a few years ago.

I still love X and have been loyal for years but like I’ve been hearing onboard once you are Elite Plus the next tier is so far out of reach that the ‘I’ll never live long enough to

make it so I may as well try other lines’ sentiment seems to be growing. I’ve had almost a dozen people come up to me and ask me to write about this. Like I said, the sentiment seems to be growing.

I’m tired. This vacation thing can be exhausting! J

Bye For Now!

Summit Day 3 10/25/2014 Cruise Roseau, Dominica

Today started with overcast skies and a light drizzle. Forecast was for clearing skies and a high of 84. Because the pool was not looking too good I decided to walk the short distance into town.

When I was here a couple of years ago I found a great spice shop but had never been able to find it on subsequent trips. Since I had nothing better to do I decided to devote myself to finding it. I asked many people about the shop, the last being a taxi driver who turned out to be a block from the shop. When I was telling the woman running the shop how much trouble I had finding them she was amazed. They have been in the same location for 11 years. Either the taxi driver was very new or a very bad taxi driver.

I stocked up on vanilla beans, bird peppers, coconut vinegar (for a vinaigrette dressing) and some other spices I have been running low on. This time I had her write down their address and I put it in my passport holder. Things saved there almost never get lost.

I looked around at some of the other vendors but found nothing I could not live without.

One thing about shopping here is that the people are so nice. No hard sell, no following you once you’ve said no. I made sure to thank each one for letting me look at their wares. Although the beaches here are fairly rocky and not my cup of tea it’s still a pleasant place to shop.

After an hour or so I went back to the ship. The rain had stopped and the sun was trying to come out although it never quite made it. After the heat of the last few days it was actually a nice change.

I went in for lunch about noon and found Roger who was waiting for Cil to bring him some (what else) pasta. She had made it with only oil and garlic so I asked him if he would like some sauce. He jumped at that so I went and got him some bolognaise with

lots of meat. He seemed to really enjoy it. I also got him some Coconut Rum Cake. That was pretty good too and we both enjoyed it.

I had a couple of spare ribs with potato salad and coleslaw. They had a little sauce and were room temperature but still good. It was different. Not sure I have ever seen spareribs on the buffet.

After lunch I went out and sat by the pool for another hour or so. People were starting to

come back from their tours and walks into town. The sun didn’t seem like it was going to

really come out so I wandered back inside, eventually making it back to my cabin in time for a nap before cocktails.

Ashley is having to do double duty as someone on board is sick or had to leave. Not quite sure what the problem is but some of the crew is doing double duty filling in. For the question of whether Ashley will be onboard December 6th: Ashley will be getting off that day to go home for her vacation. As of now she is scheduled to come back here after her holiday.

So Ashley was not at Elite Cocktails until the very end and then she had to tell us to leave because the room was being used for a private function.

We have had excellent service in the Elite Cocktails from Sacha. That may not be the correct spelling. I’ll have to check. She is always right there whenever we need another drink sometimes before we need it! J Donovan is also there but we had already started using Sacha before we realized he was there. Joseph was there one night when there was a party but I mostly only see him at the pool.

I decided to go to the dining room with Cil and Roger. Not a good choice on my part because it was one of my least favorite menus. It’s the one with Rigitoni, Beef Cheeks and some fish I’ve only heard of on here.

I ordered from the left side; escargot, onion soup and a strip steak, very rare. Every thing was okay except my steak was medium rare. No biggie because I was pretty full from the appetizer and soup.

For dessert Roger had (no big surprise here) apple pie and ice cream. Cil and I had the cheesecake. Hers with chocolate sauce and mine with peach.

I left them to their coffee and went to the casino. I think it was the first time on this cruise. I turned $5 in to $10 then back to $0. Am I good or what??

As for my comments about cabin 7115. I have gotten used to being on deck three behind

Guest Relations which I find very convenient. I had a cabin there the first cruise but I had to move for the second one. Also there has been some sort of leak near 7115 because we have had those industrial fans going in the hall for two or three days. That kind of gets to be a nuisance.

The Library is sad. It has the fewest books I have seen on any X ship. They have this great two story library and so few books it is laughable. I brought what I wanted to read and I’m sure glad I did.

The ship itself is in good shape. I think it was redone in 2012 and it’s holding up well. I really have no complaints. The pool loungers are new, the pool towels are new, the solarium pool area is in good shape and both my cabins have been in good repair. Some changes are kind of weird. Like those kindergarten size trays they have on deck 10. They are a little strange for adults. And all the mini wire baskets for fries and empanadas, the single serve metal casserole dishes filled with chili and short ribs must surely have been bought at a closeout sale. I still predict they are cute enough and interesting enough to find their way into a few suitcases! J

I must be happy with Summit because I just booked the spring B2B Repo. Mark and Randi I know you are coming. How about it Jeff and Kevin. Can I talk you into it????

Bye For Now!

Ok, one last time. The Celebrity Today said that Bistro was being used exclusively for Aqua Class. We did not try to go there.

If you went and they served you, great but we decided to follow the rules and had our lunch elsewhere.

On the 10/25/2014 sailing there were 220+ B2B'ers and they gave us tickets for a 'special' lunch in the dining room. It was not very good and some people read the menu and left. We were seated by the kitchen door so I assume we ticked someone off. The selections were poor, the service no way up to X standards and if offered this again we would go have a hamburger.

Summit Day 2 10.25.2014 St. Kitts

Now that we have everyone onboard and we successfully made it through another Muster

and the ‘newbies’ have made it through their first night things will be back to normal. Most, I’m sure are suffering their first headaches after using their drink packages a little too freely. J

The Café was way too busy to stop and get pastries so I went straight down to the Normandy. With all the changes in menus attendance has been very low but today with a new cruise starting and a port intensive week I don’t think we will see many customers for the Elite Breakfast this whole cruise.

Cil and Roger came in after a trip to the buffet. I had told them that the waffles this trip were pre-made and doughy. Not the light, fluffy ones we have grown to love. Roger wanted whipped cream and when he took a little longer than the cook thought he should have, he told him to ‘just get what you want and move on’. Roger took a fall and injured his right Rotator Cuff a few months back and even after physical therapy the arm is still weak and it takes him a little longer to do things. Too bad I wasn’t there. As my friend Judy would say I’d either have the restaurant manager or the Captain down there and fast! Don’t mess with my favorite old people! J

After breakfast I did get off in St Kitts. There were two white golf carts who would take you to the end of the pier where the stores started. Tips only. After I got on I realized I had no small bills so I asked if he would trust me to pay him on the way back. Whether he thought he would ever see me again or not, he smiled and said sure. He even directed me to an Internet Café/convenience store. I wanted to clear some of my 1500 emails that have accumulated since I came onboard. Used an hour ($6) and didn’t make much of a dent. I think they were stealing their Internet from our ship because it was even slower that what we have onboard! J

Looked in one store trying to find a t-shirt for that little dog stealing 3 year old but they were 3/$27 or $10 each. Too rich for the little dear who has stolen my babies heart! Seriously, things were expensive in St Kitts. Most people looked and now plan to buy in

St Thomas.

Came back to the ship in time to wait for parts of the buffet to open. Had a grilled roast beef and provolone on rye. The fries today were a mix of skinny and steak fries in the little metal baskets and there were lots! Maybe they read on Cruise Critic where 5 fries

was a little chintzy?? No dessert, no ice cream but I did pick up two chocolate coconut (gluten free) cookies for later.

I stayed out by the pool but after 1 o’clock it was brutally hot and I didn’t last long. Sitting next to a bigger ship blocking the breeze made if even hotter. I’ll do extra tomorrow. This tan deal is my job and I’m falling down on it! Can’t go home without

a tan!

Tonight (well, 5PM) cocktails were very sparsely attended. We didn’t sail until a few minutes after 5 and since shorts aren’t allowed I think people just decided to either hit another bar or take the time to shower and rest. Besides, they were having the Captain’s Club Celebration in Revelations at 7:45 to 8:30 and you had to leave if you went for the 5 to 7 and come back at 7:45. Kind of crazy. I’ll try to find out if it was well attended. Obviously we didn’t go.

Cil and Roger went to the dining room. They were going to have the Veal Chop which I disapprove of on several levels so I let them go there and I went upstairs with Terry and Gloria. I wasn’t very hungry. Had a 3” piece of Chicken and Apple Sausage, a very small baked potato and applesauce. No dessert.

Stopped by the casino but it wasn’t bustling so I headed up to my cabin. Still not crazy about 7115 but I guess I’m getting used to it. It’s a good ways from everything but I can use the exercise. I guess. L

Tomorrow is Roseau, Dominica. I think I’ll get off for a little while. Maybe.

Bye For Now

Note to MGK - I've always been able to find a chair so haven't reported it to anyone but if I needed to tell someone I would go for the Head Housekeeper. The Pool Butlers come under that officer.

No one told us but it was in the Celebrity Today. So we didn't bother to go.

On our current cruise it did not say it was unavailable to anyone except Aqua. We thought it was strange as we always eat there on Embarkation Day and would have liked to try the expanded menu.

I am in St Kitts. There are two golf carts who bring people back and forth for a $1 tip. Pretty good deal. Carts seat 4 to 6 people.

This Internet I am using is through the little place where the drivers assault you :p and turn to the right. It's on the left side and they have 7 computers. 15 min is $4 an hour is $6. Trust me, you'll need the hour. It's not very fast but to dump emails and post on here its good.

Going to try to find a pharmacia.

Bye For Now.

Hey Andy,

Even sciatica is better on a ship! A few drinks to deaden the pain and I'm good!!!:D

Summit Day 1 10.25.2014

Well we seem to have successfully boarded a whole new crowd for this 7 night San

Juan to San Juan cruise. We only have one sea day and a whole bunch of ports starting

off today with St Croix. I have been here a lot of times, always on Sunday and always

found most everything closed. What is up with that?

We have two large groups onboard. One a hosted singles cruise that Vacations To Go

put together. Mostly women. They must not have explained the dress code for the

Elite Cocktails because some showed up in shorts. But then if they are Elite shouldn’t they know the dress code? The other is a gay group of about 60. Not sure who organized that one but looking forward to meeting both groups. sounds like fun!

Someone wanted the wine available in Elite Lounge:

Celebrity Sparkling Wine

Beringer White Zin

Santa Helena Chard

Anakena Cab

Aresti Sauvignon Blanc (my favorite)

Man Vintners Shiraz

Cocktails

Kir Royal

Mimosa

Vodka or Gin Martini

Apple Martini

Cosmo

Manhatten

Screwdriver

Sidecar

Spirits

Absolut Vodka

Seagrams VO

Beefeater Gin

Bacardi Rum

Jim Bea, Bourbon

Dewer’s White Label Scotch

Courvoisier VS Cognac

(what we need added to this list is Tequila!)

Heinekin

Bud Light

O’Doul’s

Sodas, Juices and Bottled Water

Again this morning I went to the Café al Bacio for pastries (the Apple Turnovers are GREAT!) and Cil, Roger and I ate what I brought to the Elite Breakfast. I think I brought 3 or 4 for each of us.

There was no waste. I just hate to see all this food being wasted.

I only saw two servers in Normandy this morning. One was working really hard and an older one spent 10 minutes or so teaching a table how to fold napkins. And they must not have been quick studies because he spent a lot of time with them. We didn’t lack for anything as it was a small group eating there but I felt sorry for the one doing all the work.

After breakfast I went up to lay by the pool. Again it was a small group as most people

got off. And that’s how I like the pool area – all mine!

Football today was on the in cabin TV’s as well as on the larger screens at the casino bar. As far as I know the World’s Series was only on in the cabins. I was a little surprised they didn’t have some venue set up with big screens, hot dogs and popcorn. That’s what most of the ships have done for Sunday football and especially the World’s Series. Maybe the new CD isn’t a sports fan. J

For lunch I again had a nice sandwich from the buffet. Tuna on rye with tomato and provolone, then grilled. And 5 more French Fries! Marvin and Harriet joined us and he said the potato salad was good. Truthfully I couldn’t finish my sandwich so I didn’t try even a spoonful of the it. Maybe tomorrow. Wish someone could answer the question of why all these little different buffet areas don’t open at the same time. Annoying when

people in a group want to eat together but want different things.

I came in from the pool around 3. Had a very nice cool shower. It was hot out there

and I was tired enough to take a nap for an hour before having to get ready for drinking!

Tonight is formal night but we aren’t going to get dressed and go to the dining room. Roger just isn’t up to it. He didn’t have a nap and he really needs that in the afternoon.

He HAD to see the Patriots game! Me, I gave it up for a nap when they were 25 points

ahead.

We have seen quite a few staff and crew we’ve had before: Ivo who was in the dining room and now works the buffet at night, Joseph the BEST EVER drink server when we had him in the Elite Lounge. Now he works special parties and around the pool. A couple of Asst Maître D’s and Jon, a waiter we had in regular dining and now does

Select. It’s so nice to keep seeing the same people from cruise to cruise. Makes me feel at home!

We stayed in Revelations till 7:30 and then Gloria, Terry and I went up to the buffet to

meet up with Cil and Roger. He was so exhausted that they left shortly after we went up.

I hope he gets a good nights sleep tonight and takes a nap during the day.

I had a couple of slices of Roast Pork and a very small baked Potato. They had the German Chocolate Cake that was so good the other night and I could not resist it. It was

pretty good tonight, too!

Stopped by the casino but decided to come up and watch the Saints game.

It’s been a very good day. Anytime I get pool time, reading time, food I don’t have to cook and free drinks is a great day for me!!

Things are wonderful except for one thing. My friend who is at my house taking care of the animals tells me my 100+ pound German Shepherd is in a mutual love affair with her 3 year old grandson who probably doesn’t come up to Sarge’s back. Apparently he can lead Sarge around any way he wants! I may have to break out some special treats to get my big baby back to being a mama’s boy! J

Bye For Now!

cle-guy,

Bistro on 5 is reserved on embarkation day for Aqua class. Don't think they were charged.

'Liquid' is still done in the Spa.

Yes to the individual portions for cold items, baskets and metal casserole dishes. They are out in droves!

Summit Day 6 10.19.2014

Ok, my friends know that I am famous for not following ‘rules’. To me, what most consider the ‘rules’ or the ‘law’ are merely suggestions. I have lived my life pretty much by that standard. But today I decided to play by the rules. By 8AM I had my breakfast and was ready to call housekeeping to take my luggage to my new cabin. What happened when we arrived? The passengers in the room I was moving to were not only still in the cabin, they were asleep! If this is what following the rules gets me I’m going back to my old ways!

Called Cil and Roger to see if they needed any help but they had everything ready waiting on housekeeping. Of course housekeeping was waiting on the passengers in their new cabin to vacate. And so we wait. I went up to Café al Bacio to wait. Cil and Roger followed. Their luggage was also left to be moved by housekeeping.

As instructed we went to the Rendez Vous at 9:15 to be escorted off the ship. But first

they had to call the names of all 220+ B2B’ers and give us our new sea pass cards. It was

actually after 10 when we lined up to go to the terminal. Once there we stood around for

a while until we had our passports checked and headed back to the ship. Then we stood

around some more until we had sea pass cards inspected and allowed back onboard.

Pictures taken we finally were back and legal. Just needed to make a stop by Guest

Relations to see if they needed our credit cards again. They had taken our sea pass cards

for the first cruise and we told we could get them back later in the day at GR.

I have my cards from every cruise I’ve ever taken and I wasn’t going to lose this one.

By this time it’s after 12 and we took our special ‘tickets’ to the dining room for the B2B

lunch. Kind of disappointed in the menu. I had the Mushroom Risotto (good) and the

Goat Cheese and Onion Tart (ordinary) and the old menu standby Moehr en Hand. That

was wonderful. Service okay but not to X standards.

I was tired because I couldn’t sleep the night before. My sciatica was killing me. I had

slept from 6AM to 6:45AM so by 2 I was exhausted. I headed back to my cabin for a

nap.

We did dinner early (6:15) because they do a 7:45 Muster and we wanted to be finished

with dinner by the time the announcements started. They will literally take your

dinner off the table, finished or not, and send you to your stations. In fact we were

walking to Michael’s Club (I guess Muster is the only time we will see that venue

unless we decide to start staying in suites) when a 20 something walked by us

shoveling pasta with LOTS of garlic into his mouth. People were like that stuff

stinks but he kept right on eating.

Dinner was very good with great service by Paul and Don. I had missed the Prime

Rib on the last cruise so I was looking forward to it today. I asked for a very rare

piece and that’s what I got. Had a Thai Spring Roll, Mushroom Soup and Cheesecake

for dessert. All of it was yummy and just what you expect when traveling on X.

Michael’s was jammed but I did manage to get a seat for Roger and Cil sat on her

Rollator. Muster was a little longer than usual and we did sit and let the foot

traffic settle down a little. I went outside to call Teri and Judy as we were sailing.

When I finished my calls the casino still wasn’t open so I went up to Café al

Bacio for a decaf cappuccino and then back to my cabin and an early night.

All things considered it was a very good day.

Bye For Now!

DebbieMacG, not sure about their paying but it was only for them. No idea why they didn't use Blu but I did hear some griping about it not being open to everyone. We have gotten used to eating there on embarkation day so we weren't very happy about it either.

Cancruz, thanks for reading. They were steak fries and not the little skinny ones but yes, there were only 5. We need to cruise together again! :)

Summit Day 5 10.19.2014

Today we are in St Thomas docking at Havensight. HOT again but at least we are not boxed in with ships on both sides so maybe a little breeze will get through.

Had a brilliant idea this morning. Well, okay, mildly smart. Before I went to Normandy I made a stop by Café Al Bacio and picked up pastries that Cil, Roger and I would eat. And we ate them all so there was no waste. It has been driving me crazy that they are serving plates with 8 or 9 pastries, people eat two or three and the rest has to be thrown away. With the Lox they are packing huge pieces on two tiny little mini bagels. I don’t get how this is better. The serve yourself sure seems like less waste to me. Plus the service is not that great. Someone comes in and they sit. Someone else comes in 5 minutes later and they get served right away while the first person is still sitting there waiting on someone to notice them. Ashley can keep it running smoothly while she’s there but her desk hours start at 9 so she has to leave with another hour of service left in Normandy.

I really did not want to go out but decided to do a little shopping. It is VERY humid. We were getting off at the back of the ship so you had to walk the length of the ship to get through the gate. I was lucky in that a taxi was coming by and I asked him if he would drop me off over near Al Cohen’s. Best $2 I spent all day. Bought my gifts and then went into the liquor portion of the store to price vodka for Roger. Would you believe they were closed for inventory? I have such good luck. J Stopped by the drug store for a large bottle of water for my cabin ($2.50 as opposed to $4.00 and it’s a much bigger bottle) and caught the real shuttle back to the ship. Maybe this coming week Al’s will be open.

Random off topic thought: My cabin has (in another wire basket, I tell you they got a deal) several snacks on the desk. One of them is a personal size can of Pringles, there are some chocolates, all very small portions. You are invited to enjoy them for $5 EACH. Even in a convenience store those little Pringles are only $1.50 so $5 seems really excessive. There is also a small bottle of Evian which can be yours for the same price.

Put my bathing suit on and went up by the pool. Not many people were there so I had my pick of chairs. Sat for about 30 minutes and went in for a sandwich. I don’t know why they have so many different opening times at the buffet. The sandwich portion opens at 12:15, pizza opens at 12:30, main buffet opens at noon and the pasta bar at 12:30. So you end up with people standing around with plates and their little elementary size trays that barely fit a plate and a drink. I think X got a bargain price on those trays along with the little wire baskets and the tiny metal casserole dishes. BTW, the baskets hold 5 to 6 steak fries.

Finally got my egg salad sandwich on roasted garlic bread and it was wonderful. As were my 5 french fries! J Actually the best thing was the ice water. I was pretty parched just from a little while out by the pool. No dessert not even ice cream. Wow! So not like me,

I went back out, made a couple of phone calls and decided I would be much better off to take a cold shower and a nap before the 4PM meeting for the B2B’ers. Good thing I was feeling pretty good after my nap because the woman who gave the information had a very heavy accent which left a large portion of the attendees scratching their heads and muttering ‘huh?’. I can safely say I learned more reading the paper they sent to our cabins than I got from the meeting. Someone else needs to run these meetings if they continue because she is just too hard to understand. Personally, I wouldn’t waste my time going again. Besides most of us have done b2b’s and don’t need much more than the time and place we are to meet.

Complicating tomorrow’s schedule is the fact that the three of us have to move. Cil and Roger are going to a cabin near where I am now on deck 3 while I have to go to deck 7. And they want it finished by 8AM. They’ve promised help but based on how little help I got moving Cil and Roger this week I’m not counting on anything except being exhausted from moving us both.

This all sounds like I had a terrible day and there’s another one to come tomorrow but that’s not true. Anytime I’m on a ship with water all around I’m a happy camper. And when they’re giving away wine I’m even happier! I wouldn’t have missed this cruise for anything. I’ve met some really nice people, gotten reacquainted with some old friends I haven’t seen in years and seen a couple I’m rather happy aren’t doing a b2b. J

Cil and Roger went to the dining room tonight but I decided to go to the buffet with Gloria and Terry. The nightly buffet has really been quite good. Tonight I had

ham (sliced off the bone), a baked potato, crusty olive bread and a cappuccino crème brule. Very good. And a glass of white wine. (note to whoever asked what wines are available in the Elite lounge I will have to write them down day after tomorrow and post)

I came back to my cabin and dozed off watching TV. At 11:20 I sat straight up realizing I had to go to the casino and draw our some non-refundable credits or I would lose them. Once I was up and dressed, of course I had to play a little. I finally left the casino about1:15 and it was still going strong. Lots of folks playing table games with a lot of hooping and hollering so I guess some people were winning.

I really should be getting my things together to move tomorrow but I think I’m going to call it a day (it’s now 2:30) and get up early tomorrow. We’re not docking at the piers that are downtown but at the one near the bridge that’s kind of out of the way. I’m sure I’ll stay onboard and get some more pool time.

Bye For Now.

Summit Day 4 10.19.2014 Formal Night

Today I went to the Elite Breakfast but Cil and Roger never showed up. Turns out they were once again stuck in the dining room. Same thing: Roger got his poached eggs and finished them while Cil was waiting and waiting and waiting for one egg over medium with bacon. Wish they would find out what the heck is going on in that kitchen and get it fixed. One worker in the DR told me that between 8 and 9 the kitchen is woefully understaffed. Something needs to be done. And fast.

We are in St Maartin today and it is hot, hot, hot up by the pool. Part of it is because we are boxed in on both sides by larger ships so no breeze is stirring. I’m going to stick it out up here for a while because I am not going into town. There are 4 ships in port and I don’t need anything I can’t buy at another place or do without.

Finally got a hot dog and discovered one of our favorite bar servers working the little bar by the burger and hot dog stand. Joseph was always one of the best in Elite Cocktails. Wish they would move him there for next cruise. He took very good care of us!

Cil and I sat in the buffet and ate while Roger sat by the pool.

I made it a little longer but it was just too hot to stay out. I went up to the Café and had a piece of Blackberry Cheesecake at 2 and then went to my cabin for a nap. Such a life!

Cocktails today was replaced by the Senior Officers Cocktail Party from 5 to 6:45. Smaller group. Lots of people still in town. We don’t sail until 7, all aboard at 6:45.

Cil, Roger, The Crowley’s and I went upstairs for dinner in the buffet. Roger had what he loves: Stir fry! I had Flank Steak with a Baked Potato. Cil, Roger and I had EXCELLENT German Chocolate Cake. Best I’ve had in a long time. Then we added ice cream! It was an OMG moment!

Stuffed so off to bed. Tomorrow I MUST go to the casino. My right palm has been itching for two days!

Bye For Now!

I'll check on number of elites. Breakfast is in the Normandy from 8 to 10.

It's not very well attended so no problem finding a table.:)

Summit Day 3 October 21, 2014

Had breakfast in the Elite Breakfast / Normandy Restaurant. I had the Salmon Plate but it was not well balanced. Way too much Salmon for the two tiny bagels, not enough cream cheese, onion or lemon. Not sure I will have this again. First Cappuccino was good. Second one was more of a Latté. Hardly any coffee, mostly milk. Third one was good again. Would love a couple of pastries but 8 are way too many.

Left to go to the pool at 9 AM. This is the first day I have been able to lay out. All the chairs on the raised area between the pools were taken. Not by bodies but by towels, books, suntan oil, etc. There were maybe 8 people in the area. Several told me the chairs had been ‘taken’ by 6:30 AM. Now that’s a little ridiculous. I found one chair with nothing on it and moved it to a place that was free of chairs. I was using the chair at 10:30 when a woman came over and asked me why I was using one of their chairs. I told her the chair was empty when I came out. With that she started talking to her friends in German. Other than some dirty looks I had no more contact with them and continued to use the chair.

Weather was very nice. The breeze kept it from being too hot and I was able to enjoy a day in the Caribbean sun. What a life! I should sell my house and move somewhere south of San Juan and just enjoy my life. Sun, surf and Margaritas. Now that’s my dream. And of course a little Jimmy on the radio!

I stayed out until well after lunch time. Finally had a sandwich in the buffet which was once again not very cool. I hope Summit will not start having a/c problems. I remember how it was on the Maasdam when the a/c system started to go. So hot everywhere. But for now my cabin is still cool.

I came back to my cabin at 2 PM to take a shower, a nap and get myself ready for the 5pm cocktail hour in Reflection. Munchies continue to be just okay but the drinks are good and I am quite happy with the new wines added to the list. Service has also been very good at this venue. Everyone is happy and willing to help with any request.

We’ve been sitting with the Crowley’s from Reno. So good to see them. I don’t think we’ve been on a cruise together since ’09. That was the one the Grandeur limped in minus one engine. 12 hours late. At that time we had a great TA (too bad she has now lost her mind and most of her business!) who got us all booked into a new Sheraton, arranged a bus to take us there and also transportation to G & M’s for crab cakes. She changed air reservations and had us all home the next day.

We went to the dining room at 7:30 (seated by 8) and got a real surprise when we found our waiter was Jon who we’ve had a couple of times before. He’s Great. Wish we could have him ALL the time.

Roger and I had Turkey Parm with Spaghetti which was very good. Cil had pasta, of course, but I don’t remember which kind. Roger had dessert but NOT his Apple Pie. Surprise! J He had the Chocolate Cake w/ice cream.

I went back to the casino for a little while and then off to bed!

Bye For Now!

Random things (good and bad) I’ve noticed so far.

Breakfast in the dining room seems to be a problem. Roger ordered 2 poached eggs two mornings in a row. He got them. Cil who ordered an over medium egg with bacon got her meal about 30 minutes later. In truth she thought it was 45 minutes but to be safe, and fair, 30 minutes is still way too long. The couple at the next table were experiencing the exact same thing. He was finished eating, she was still waiting. Her order? One scrambled egg!

I went to the dining room last night for the first time on this sailing. And wouldn’t you know it’s a menu with really nothing I like. I did have the Turkey Parm with Spaghetti. Ate about a third. It was good. The best part of the meal was that we had Jon for a waiter. We’ve had him before and he’s great! If we could have him every night in Select it would make for a VERY good dining experience. Keep your fingers crossed for us for next cruise.

Yesterday the buffet at around 1:30 was so hot you could hardly stand it. I managed a

Spring Roll and one piece of my fish and I was gone. Don’t know what was wrong but people were really noticing it. And not in a good way! Everyone was wiping sweat from their brow!

Seems the Captain’s Table is now in the hands of the Michaels Club Concierge. Still Penthouse and Highest Cruiser will get a chance to be there but other than that it’s all up to him. Have heard some serious rumblings about it. Some people REALLY enjoy the experience and are not happy that they won’t ever get to do it again. Several couples who have lots of cruises on other lines as well as X say they may switch more of their business elsewhere. They do not feel appreciated. Things change and sometimes I guess they (X) are willing to lose a few people for what they think is better overall. Interesting to see what will happen.

Captain’s Club Celebration was nice. Very few nibbles. Drinks the same as Elite Cocktail Party. Fairly well attended for a 1:30 party.

I must give X credit. They have found a person with the exact personality needed for the Captains Club Hostess. Ashley is bright, charming, funny, organized and never too busy to talk or help. I think ‘sunny’ is the word I would use to describe her. And ya’ll know how sometimes I have a problem with ‘sunny’. J But with Ashley it works and she fits perfectly. I am absolutely thrilled to be with her on her first solo assignment. The only thing is, when we get someone this good we don’t get to keep them because they move up.

Senior Officer’s Cocktail Party took the place of the Elite Cocktail Party on day five. It was only 45 minutes (5:15 to 6 PM), very few officer’s walked around and interacted with the guests and the drink list was smaller than the one for the Elite Cocktails. Kind of a bust.

Elite breakfast is great except for the waste! You order things that are 'plated'. For example the pastry plate has 8 or 9 things on it. Who eats that much??? And if you order anything besides the plate the way it comes your waiter must go to the main dining room to get your order. In my opinion you have to be a very crass individual to make even more work for these servers. I would very much like to see this problem addressed.

Monday Day 2 of Summit B2B Winter 2014

Cil and Roger are having a very hard time with a cabin just behind the forward elevators. They are worn out from walking to the dining room, Elite breakfast, Buffet, etc. Mila is working with us to get them moved. Mila is a jewel! One of the BEST Guest Relations people I’ve ever worked with. She is so patient with Cil long after I’ve heard enough of it. J Hopefully we can get them moved tomorrow so they can stop obsessing over it and start enjoying the cruise. They are about to wear themselves out constantly worrying about it.

Not warm enough for the pool s I am having a very low key day enjoying walking the ship, reading and window shopping. On occasion I stop at the El Baico (is that right?)

for a cappuccino or a pastry. Also like gawking at the gelato. Looks yummy.

We did dining room lunch. I had the luncheon steak with fries and green beans and ice cream for dessert. We sat for a while but eventually headed out. I went back to the cabin

To finish my book and take a nap.

The Elite Cocktails were good. Saw (and talked to) some people I’ve known from other sailings and other ships. One of the nicest surprises was finding that the Crowley’s from Reno were here. I haven’t seen them since the Grandeur Cruise when we lost an engine and limped into Baltimore 12 hours late in, I think, 2009. Come to think of it that was the last time I saw Joe and MaryAnn too! Are you out there guys?

Roger toddled off to bed and Cil and I went upstairs for Roast Pork with Applesauce. I tried a couple of cookies and the best was the Gluten Free Chocolate Coconut. It was yummy!

Brief stop and the casino and it was off to bed, Tomorrow should be warm enough for laying out. YEA! After the beach it’s my favorite thing!

Bye For Now

The FIRST Day of the Cruise! Yea!

Up at 4:15 but I was sure glad to have had 6 hours of sleep at one time. Slept like a

log even though I was on the couch. I was BEAT! I think I’m getting too old for these hours.

Dropped Cil and Roger and the luggage off at the bus pickup at PVD and I went in search of the car rental return area. Easier said than done. The return is not on the airport property. And when I got there I discovered that all of the rental car companies computers were out. There must have been 50 cars just sitting anywhere people found space to park them. Walked back to the airport proper where I finally got a cart to take me to the far side of the terminal and then walked to the parking lot where the bus picks up. The bus was not there and arrived at exactly the time we were to leave. After stowing all the luggage and taking a roll call it was discovered we had three people missing. I never thought they would wait if you weren’t there on time but we did. After a half hour or so the company called the driver and told him we could leave. We only had two stops after that and arrived at the port at 12:45.

We had noticed that no one tipped the bus driver when he loaded the luggage so we were

ready to tip him when we got off. However, almost as soon as the bus door opened there

was a porter telling everyone that the men at the port worked for ‘gratuities only’. I think

he repeated that about 5 times. I tipped the bus driver for us but I don’t know how many others did.

Luggage taken care of we walked, as told, ‘between the two white lines’ until we reached

the door to the screening room. I don’t know if it makes you feel any safer when I

tell you that they had the machine settings so low that they made nary a peep as my titanium knee and neck and back full of steel walked through. If I don’t set it off, no one did!

Walked right to the front of a check in line and we were onboard in less than 10 minutes.

As we walked in we were funneled into an aisle where all the packages and extras were

being sold. Directly in our path, sitting beside a door was a female rent a cop. As we got

close to her she said (in a VERYdemeaning manner) ‘not THIS door, the one over there

(pointing) with the sign’. I tied to tell her we were confused because we were sent towards her and not the door across the room. In response we got the whole ‘not THIS door’ speech again. Guess she wasn’t having as good a day as we were! But then we were getting on a cruise! J

By the time we were onboard and sucking down our first Mimosa’s they announced that

the cabins were ready so we dropped our carry-ons before lunch. We were hoping to do Bistro on Five for lunch but were told it was only for Aqua class on the first day. We went into the Ocean Café and it was not busy so we were able to eat and get to our Muster stations in plenty of time to find a seat.

At 4:40 we were sailing and the three of us went to our cabins for a short nap. Now the two ‘oldsters’ were up and at their 6PM dinner of Prime Rib while I slept straight through to 8 the next morning. And I was SO looking forward to that Prime Rib! J

BTW, the ship looks great, the crew is very accommodating and I am so very, very glad to be on the sea again!

Bye For Now!