Emerald Princess Rome to Barcelona September 26 -October 3 2015 in photos and video

[Witsend1]

Shocking news Norris. So sad for you and angry that people think that it's OK to damage people and their property and take what doesn't belong to them.

 

Hope the dealings with police and insurance aren't to onerous and you can then spend time recovering.

 

Enjoy your trip and know that my thoughts, and those of many others here, are with you as you deal with this.

 

Take really good care.

 

Linda

[kenrod]

The eerie remains of the once beautiful Costa Concordia

 

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She's being dismantled, day by day, deck by deck. What a sad end. Not as sad of course as the deaths of 32 passengers who put their faith in the Captain, as we all do.

 

 

Wow, the eerie remains of the Costa Concordia. I never knew where the ship ended up until now. It does look a little eerie in the dark.

 

Still enjoying your voyage Bimmer. I am reading your pictorial with great interest. Thanks a lot for sharing!

[winncruiser]

I can't even imagine going through that absolutely horrific ordeal. And the emotional pain also. I wouldn't be able to sleep I'd be on such high alert! Did the police ever locate your car?

Such a violation. Hopefully you have a wonderful time in NYC.

[Kinkacruiser]

Hello Norris,

I was very shocked and saddened re the incident in your home....how terrible for you and Carol.

Like everyone else who has commented here, I was enthralled with your entertaining story and brilliant photographs. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I'm looking forward to your next adventure.

 

Cheers,

Anna

[Bimmer09]

I can't even imagine going through that absolutely horrific ordeal. And the emotional pain also. I wouldn't be able to sleep I'd be on such high alert! Did the police ever locate your car?

Such a violation. Hopefully you have a wonderful time in NYC.

 

No the Police in 2 states (MI and IN) haven't found the car which has personalized plates and an IL registration.

 

However the cop who took my statements that morning is the Local Chief of Police and he's "on the case" as it were and says he'll want me to go over to MI and look at some suspect photos this week so that's a start.

 

I just came back from 4 days in NYC that I could not postpone and the Chief was e mailing me on his day off so that's a good sign that the wheels are turning.

 

I am using this response to you to let everyone know I am fine as so many wonderful cyber friends have reached out to me through this thread. My face will heal in time and I have a cruise up ahead and I'll pop back with a barn-burner of a review of the Silhouette in January.

 

My sense of humor came back in NY as I was in the company of long time friends. Ditto my appetite as there are some fine restaurants there!

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[sajlm045]

Sounds like your on the road to recovery. You bounce back pretty quickly. More power to you!

[cherrybear]

Norris and Carol,

 

Wishing you both a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. May your physical and physiological wounds heal fully and quickly; may peace reign in your home.

 

Cherry

[Guest arowe6]

Hi Norris,

 

Catching up on CC while I was away on our cruise in the Emerald. Firstly, I want to wish you am incredibly speedy recovery. What you posted is absolutely crazy and I am so very sorry that happened.

 

Secondly, I want to thank you again for this thread and your help with the Emerald. We got off yesterday and had a fabulous time at the Crown Grill. 5 nights of deliciousness.

 

-Andrew :)

[Bimmer09]

Norris and Carol,

 

Wishing you both a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. May your physical and physiological wounds heal fully and quickly; may peace reign in your home.

 

Cherry

 

Cherry, thanks for the good wishes and I'd like to wish you and all the great friends who have been writing such heartwarming things on the thread, the same compliments of the Season!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris,

 

Catching up on CC while I was away on our cruise in the Emerald. Firstly, I want to wish you am incredibly speedy recovery. What you posted is absolutely crazy and I am so very sorry that happened.

 

Secondly, I want to thank you again for this thread and your help with the Emerald. We got off yesterday and had a fabulous time at the Crown Grill. 5 nights of deliciousness.

 

-Andrew :)

 

Andrew- 5 nights in the CG has to be a new World Record! We always enjoy it there. Did you meet that Serbian waiter George I mentioned-the goofy guy in the video?

 

Glad you had a great cruise!

 

Norris

[perfect match]

Norris, glad to hear your visit to NY was filled with good food and good friends, and that you've made it back to Chicago safely.

 

Hope you and Carol have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[p0240]

Great to read a lift in your voice and spirits Norris, can't keep a good man down!!

take care

Pat

[Guest arowe6]

Andrew- 5 nights in the CG has to be a new World Record! We always enjoy it there. Did you meet that Serbian waiter George I mentioned-the goofy guy in the video?

 

Glad you had a great cruise!

 

Norris

 

 

Unfortunately not. Most of the staff was relatively new, but great. We did have a George, but he was the head waiter. Not the one in your video.

 

Check out http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2282805

 

-Andrew :)

[4x4bob]

First let me add my to voice to others who wish you a quick recovery from your awful ordeal.

 

I came to your posting late in your review due to a whip lashed neck I received from a distracted driver. However, once here I did not want to let it go until I reached the end.

 

A few years ago we did the Grand Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona to Venice and we visited many of the places you also went to. After a 5 day stay in Barcelona at a Hotel 2 blocks from the Sagrada Famillia we boarded the Emerald Princess.

 

Your photo of the crowd in front of the church with the golden doors brought back memories of me getting seperated from our tour group while trying to get a clear photo of the doors. Catching up to the tour was an adventure in its self because they had moved forward and then turned down a side street.

 

Have made mental note to look for your next review in January.

 

Wishing you a speedy recovery

 

Bob

[azdmelani]

Norris, so glad you enjoyed my city. Would love to hear what restaurants were worthy of your presence ;)

[Bimmer09]

Norris, so glad you enjoyed my city. Would love to hear what restaurants were worthy of your presence ;)

 

We always enjoy New York and it's crazy energy!

 

I used to live a 45 min fast drive away in Edison NJ and would go into the city twice a week to the Opera. Since I moved to Chicago 17 years ago we have gone back to NYC once or twice a year.

 

This was a short business trip for Carol so we only got to visit two of our old favorite haunts-Dawat at 58th and 2nd, a fine Indian restaurant and Shun Lee on 65th at Broadway a Chinese restaurant we have been to maybe 50 times or so. We hadn't been to either in 6 years but were thrilled with both experiences.

Shun Lee is a place I used to dine in alone when I went to the opera and one of those places when I walked up to the bar the waiter greeted me and got a bottle of Shingtao beer ready for me. I'm a creature of habit when it comes to drinks so Craft Ales are totally lost on me. I always tipped the Maitre 'd at Xmas and was treated well.

 

We stayed in a nice hotel on 52nd and Madison. Half of the city was roadworks and scaffolding but that's New York.

 

We won't wait 6 more years....

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

First let me add my to voice to others who wish you a quick recovery from your awful ordeal.

 

I came to your posting late in your review due to a whip lashed neck I received from a distracted driver. However, once here I did not want to let it go until I reached the end.

 

A few years ago we did the Grand Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona to Venice and we visited many of the places you also went to. After a 5 day stay in Barcelona at a Hotel 2 blocks from the Sagrada Famillia we boarded the Emerald Princess.

 

Your photo of the crowd in front of the church with the golden doors brought back memories of me getting seperated from our tour group while trying to get a clear photo of the doors. Catching up to the tour was an adventure in its self because they had moved forward and then turned down a side street.

 

Have made mental note to look for your next review in January.

 

Wishing you a speedy recovery

 

Bob

 

Bob thanks for the good wishes and thanks to everyone who has responded for theirs. I'm sorry that I couldn't respond to everyone individually as I usually do.

 

I am glad you soldiered on through my review! I haven't read it yet as I need to set aside a few hours to do so.

 

Norris

[azdmelani]

We always enjoy New York and it's crazy energy!

 

I used to live a 45 min fast drive away in Edison NJ and would go into the city twice a week to the Opera. Since I moved to Chicago 17 years ago we have gone back to NYC once or twice a year.

 

This was a short business trip for Carol so we only got to visit two of our old favorite haunts-Dawat at 58th and 2nd, a fine Indian restaurant and Shun Lee on 65th at Broadway a Chinese restaurant we have been to maybe 50 times or so. We hadn't been to either in 6 years but were thrilled with both experiences.

Shun Lee is a place I used to dine in alone when I went to the opera and one of those places when I walked up to the bar the waiter greeted me and got a bottle of Shingtao beer ready for me. I'm a creature of habit when it comes to drinks so Craft Ales are totally lost on me. I always tipped the Maitre 'd at Xmas and was treated well.

 

We stayed in a nice hotel on 52nd and Madison. Half of the city was roadworks and scaffolding but that's New York.

 

We won't wait 6 more years....

 

Norris

 

Ive never been to any of those restaurants, but Im sure they are great!

[Bimmer09]

Hi, I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a great day today.

 

I am writing on my new Macbook Pro and hoping the insurance will cough up the $$$$ to pay for it!

 

With that in mind, as we are dealing with insurance companies right now can I pass on some tips that may be helpful? This might be obvious stuff that you have already done but if not....

 

Keep every receipt (scanned into a computer as well as on paper just in case the computer goes missing), for anything of value that you would want to replace.

 

Back-up your computer, by copying files to a Hard Drive Storage unit.

 

Photograph each item (especially electronics) front and back-put serial #s in your computer. Then photograph them in situ.

 

You can't be too careful. It's a Jungle out there! (Amazon, Borneo etc)

 

Cheers all !!

 

Norris

[Fan of cruising]

Hi Norris. I fell behind and just caught up on your report this evening. I am so very sorry to hear of your home invasion. I hope you are on the mend and that insurance is accommodating.

 

I have really enjoyed your review and I will continue to read your previous Mediterranean report while patiently awaiting your next trip!

 

Happy Thanksgiving from north of the border.

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris. I fell behind and just caught up on your report this evening. I am so very sorry to hear of your home invasion. I hope you are on the mend and that insurance is accommodating.

 

I have really enjoyed your review and I will continue to read your previous Mediterranean report while patiently awaiting your next trip!

 

Happy Thanksgiving from north of the border.

 

Thanks for the good wishes and I'm glad you read the whole "thing". I mean to read it this weekend.

 

If you read the Ocean Princess review and come across "photo not available"

click on the X and it should take you to that photo on Flickr. I have a new computer now so not all my pics are available anymore. If the Ocean ones are missing I'll find a way to get them back to Flickr-come back and let me know if that is the case. I have a Passport storage device to sort through today to see what I had backed up.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[DLSHS_Mom]

Norris,

 

I have been a faithful reader of your travel reports....and have used your recommendations multiple times. You and Carol will be in my thoughts and prayers while you recover from your ordeal.

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

I have been a faithful reader of your travel reports....and have used your recommendations multiple times. You and Carol will be in my thoughts and prayers while you recover from your ordeal.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad my recommendations proved worthwhile!

 

My face is now totally back to normal so people aren't crossing to the other side of the street anymore.

 

I have to be up at 4 am to go meet with the police in Michigan as they have some suspect photos for me to look at (yes!!), then the Insurance Adjuster is coming to see me and we have spent all weekend digging up receipts and sorting through photos to prove ownership. Meanwhile the cleaning company (Service Master) is returning for their 4th day (yikes!!) Fingerprint dust mainly.

 

So things are starting to move....

 

By the way to anyone interested in recording all their possessions just in case-Carol downloaded an APP for $5 called My Stuff....she uses her IPAd to scan the UPC barcodes from any boxes we have. Then she goes on line and grabs a photo of the item and the info goes into an inventory list-that has really helped.

 

We debated canceling the X cruise in January- but we are going to enjoy ourselves and I'll write all about it starting January 26 on the X Board.

We need a break!

 

Best wishes to all,

 

Norris

[Gabrielle R.]

Norris, thought of you often this past weekend. Glad to hear you are on the mend! Hope the police have caught the criminals!

 

Looking forward to your X cruise! I will definitely be tuning in! Can't wait to see your take on X. DH and I will be on Regal over New Years..... I am hung up on how it looks...

 

Take care!

Gabrielle

[Bimmer09]

Norris, thought of you often this past weekend. Glad to hear you are on the mend! Hope the police have caught the criminals!

 

Looking forward to your X cruise! I will definitely be tuning in! Can't wait to see your take on X. DH and I will be on Regal over New Years..... I am hung up on how it looks...

 

Take care!

Gabrielle

 

Thanks Gabrielle!

 

I've identified one suspect so far and an arrest warrant is being drawn up. I'm going to look at some video from an ATM machine tomorrow. The wheels of justice are turning.

 

43 days to go until we are on the Silhouette. I did Celebrity On Line check-in and printed out luggage tags as part of a 22 page (yikes!) "Ticket Package". The website though is rather dire to move through compared to Princess.

 

But $300 OBC, paid gratuities ($16 a day for suites) and free drinks is a great deal and the ship is stunning.

 

So roll on January!

 

Have a great time on the Regal!!

 

Norris