Jimbo

For @Ocean Boy History of the Oak Island Light house which can be seen from Southport.

https://www.oakislandlighthouse.org/

 

Keep watching this video and you will get  a good look of the light house.

 

https://surfchex.com/sppssl.php

 

There is some beautiful sunsets on this site too, maybe not tonight though, pretty cloudy down here tonight, but save the link and try later in the summer months.

29 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

 

 

At less than 50% capacity, I assumed no restricted access to the Loyalty Lounge during Happy Hour?

None at all, all us were free to roam. 🙂

Just got back from our 2nd cruise in the last 3 days............Happy times !!😁😎

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We only had about 15 cars onboard, usually holds 30 to 40 cars.

 

Wake View, no balcony 😞

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This another ferry with cars on it goin going the opposite way.

 

 

 

Rusty Barge anchored out in the harbor.

 

This is where our ferry docks and we drive off the ferry. Could not get a closer shot because they made us get back into our cars so we were ready to drive off asap!!

 

 

5 hours ago, LadyZolt said:

No.  When they gave the African choices, we elected to get off in Dubai and re-join in Ravenna.  Royal Caribbean has given us back what we paid for those 42 days.  But there was a deadline for them to give you a refund, and we didn't get our news from our family until after we'd already submitted that we wanted to get off in Dubai and come back in Ravenna.  By the time we learned of the family situation and asked Royal about refunding the rest of the cruise, it was beyond the deadline.  That is what I expected, but it never hurts to ask.  We do have insurance and will file that when we get home. Royal Caribbean has been wonderful throughout and we have no complaints.  They will be able to re-sell this cabin for Segment 4, so I'm sure some lucky couple will enjoy it.  😀

Hope your insurance comes through for you and you get it refunded without having to jump through hoops.

3 hours ago, LadyZolt said:

We have very slow Internet in India.  This will be my final post as we have to get ready to leave in Dubai.  Royal Caribbean did say that they wouldn't refund us the rest of the cruise, which is what I expected, so we will file with our insurance once we're home.  I see John's photos from the Taj Mahal, so I'll just post a couple I took.  😀

 

Is that a change as to what Royal told you earlier about getting a refund for the missed portion of the rest of the cruise?

Dinner last night at Southport Gourmet and Sushi Bar.  We shared an Entree and a Sushi Roll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also an interesting house build here as the builder built the house around this very old tree in their front yard. Zoom in to the 2 pictures and you can see how the roof edge is built  around the very large tree limb.

 

 

 

 

@ashlynn1021 What are temperatures like for touring around in a golf cart at this time of the year in Rome?

30 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

Those food photos. 🤩

 

A great reward day. 

 Seems like reward days down here are adding up faster then back home though. Still here 8 more days to go.

47 minutes ago, jmh2006 said:

Those are all places I know well!  My parents moved to Leland, NC in 2005 and my DH and I are currently building our retirement home there too.  I went to the aquarium last Christmas and noticed Ft. Fisher was having some work done to it so hopefully it is completed by now.  A fun day for you!

Looks like Leland is just outside of Wilmington, NC and really has shown a lot of growth in the last 10 years, population has doubled in that time span.

 

We are kind of looking for something more laid backed, thought Southport was that place but there is a lot of growth happening there to even in the last 3 years that we have been going there.

 

Seems nothing can hide from expanding can it?

Next cruise we are taking while here in Southport, NC we will be taking our car 🙂 🙂 . We are going to taking the Fort Fisher Ferry from Southport to Fort Fisher. We are going to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher  while there.

 

Then we will travel thru the island to Kure Beach, Wilmington Beach, Carolina Beach, Sea Breeze, Wrightsville Beach, Top Sail Beach, Surf City.

 

Cost is $7.00 per car one way. We will be driving back home, only taking the ferry the one way. Takes about 25 minutes to get there by ferry, if going by land to the aquarium ir would be an hour and 15 minute drive.

 

 

 

There was one guy going over with his Golf Cart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner last night at Moore Street Oyster Bar. Had Crab Balls,  Fried Shrimp and Wings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Went on a Sunset Cruise last night. Here are a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saw a couple large freight ships sailing by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighthouse pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Probably a fan of The Bambino too! And all things NY Yankees obviously.

 

How was the cheese steak? I had 2 while in Atlantic City. For some reason, pizza and cheese steaks always taste better on a boardwalk when smelling the salt air & hearing the gulls & ocean in the background.

 

Cheese steak was very good ,pizza not as good as some of veggies on pie weren't  cooked long enough.

Some more pics of lighthouses for @Ocean Boy

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, h20skibum said:

That looks like a 68’ Absolute Navetta.  You can pick one up for around $3.3 million.

 

Here is one that shows some photos inside.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2024-absolute-navetta-68-9033100/

 

I'm in luck, I think this is the yacht and it's for sale, just up the coast from Southport, NC  in Wilmington, NC. about 30 miles from here.

 

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2024-absolute-navetta-68-9069107/

 

....Lottery purchase should we hit the Power Ball or Mega Million....

 

Might be fate it has a Volvo 2000 hp engine, The Volvo Truck Plant where all the Mack trucks in North America are made in Virginia at Dublin, Va is about 10 miles from our house.

 

https://www.volvogroup.com/en/about-us/organization/our-production-facilities/new-river-valley-plant.html

 

I feel real good about this now 🙂

 

 

After dinner we did the  @grapau27 thing.  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Had dinner last night at Bambini's Pizzeria, I believe the owners are from the New York area. Lots of NY stuff on the walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheese Steak Sub

 

Cheese Steak Pizza

 

 

35 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

That looks like a 68’ Absolute Navetta.  You can pick one up for around $3.3 million.

 

Here is one that shows some photos inside.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2024-absolute-navetta-68-9033100/

 

Very Nice Indeed !!!

4 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

I was a few days behind, scrolling through trying to catch up- the last thing I was expecting was to see an Eagles shirt holding some Crab fries in the blog, lol. 

That is where crab fries started, In Philadelphia Eagles game, there was a Chickies and Pete's inside Veterans Stadium where the Eagles played.

 

History of Crabfries. At the onset of Chickie's & Pete's® in 1977, crabs were only served in the summer. Once the summer was over Pete needed something to do with all the leftover seasonings. So, he started experimenting with different combinations on french fries.

4 hours ago, laurieal said:

I had been saving my appetite all day for this moment. I was having dinner at the Portside BBQ. 

 

 

Several people have told me I absolutely have to eat there. I was repeatedly told to order the half chicken. 
 

Did I listen?

 

 

No! I’m not going to order HALF A CHICKEN. Who am I, Sandor Clegane?

 

 

I got the brisket and the pulled pork. For my sides, I went with the mac and cheese and the corn on the cob. For my dessert, I had to get the brookie. 
 

It was alright. Unfortunately, we went to the Polite Pig in Disney Springs, so it was hard not to compare the two. The Polite Pig wins hands down for me. 
 

I wish the corn on the cob had some excitement to it like some garlic spread thing or some spices or maybe some parmesan. I make a better corn on the cob in my air fryer. 
 

The mac and cheese was very similar to the one at Chops. Very creamy with some crunchy bits on top. I liked it, although I would have liked some sharper cheese in there. 
 

The pulled pork was good. I was surprised to enjoy it more than the brisket, which I thought was just ok and a bit dry and a bit too mustard-ey for me. 
 

The things I enjoyed the most were their cocktail, the Portside Spiked Palmer. My tastebuds couldn’t understand what was happening there, but it was good! I think it was the mint that tied it all together for me. Also, the brookie was delicious. I liked that the brownie part was super moist and gooey and that the cookie part was harder. Would get it again without hesitation. 
 

 

Despite it being just ok, I think I want to try it again and get other things. At the very least it would give me an opportunity to get that cocktail and brookie again. And maybe that time I’ll listen to directions and order half of a whole chicken. 

 

 

Now there has been some questions about whether Portside BBQ will still be there after the dry dock. I asked and the guy who was there said yes. But also a guy at the hibachi said that it was going to go away. I don’t particularly trust either of those guys. Sounds like it’s all rumours at the moment. 

 

Give me some tips on how you cook fresh corn  on the cob in an air fryer please?

Cool picture in the condo,I think we all can relate.

 

 

Few pictures from today's walk from the condo.

 

 

 

 

 

The near by Marina

 

 

 

Some of the homes on the shoreline

 

 

 

 

 

Small boat

 

Lighthouse on Oak Island

 

 

 

 

 

Much larger vessel !! One might even call it a large Yacht. Probably 2 or 3 million $$$$

 

47 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

No this is my first time to Hilton Head and our first time as a group together even though I have known these people for over 50 years and two of them lived on my block. 
 

Going to interesting to say the least. This will also be the first time I am getting on an airplane in 20 years where I am not heading to a cruise port.

Planes fly the same way whether going to a land vacation or to a cruise port. No worries there. 🙂 

20 hours ago, Pratique said:

Glad to hear you are good to go. They probably just called this guy in. 😄

 

Wonder if this latest fix will at least get then to their next port of call?

2 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

@Jimbo

 

JMHO, after travelling extensively through Europe, and began cruising in 2010, at the ripe age of 59 😕

 

I'll give the first part of this itinerary a miss.

 

I'll take a cruise which starts in Rome (and arrive 3-4 days before the cruise), which ends in Venice (Ravenna) and add 2-3 days there (or vice versa -- Venice to Rome).

 

Paris deserves much more than 2 days. I'll make a dedicated trip for Paris and London, travelling between the two with the Eurostar. Amazing.

 

Florence I could do with a full long day.

 

Much of our travel in Europe has been driving from one place to another. I absolutely hated having to "live from our [car] boot" and having to pack/unpack every 2-3 days...

 

So glad we discovered cruising, albeit late, even at the "price" of not doing "in-depth" travelling.

My "philosophy" is that anyhow I'll not see everything in the world thoroughly... budget and time are big constraints.

 

 

After taking 2 to 3 cruises a year for many , many years just don't have the interest in cruising that much anymore.

 

So I guess we are going the opposite way as far as cruising a lot first and now want to do  more land vacations.