Celebrity Reflection January 14 to 21 2017

[Bimmer09]

Thanks Norris and Carol! I have enjoyed reading every word & looking at every picture! Reflection is such a wonderful ship! What a wonderful review!! Like reading a book in installments!!!

 

Thank you! I am glad you have enjoyed the journey to this point.

I will go back and read it through once it's finished.

Cheers!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I will be here to the very end.

 

Love your pictures. Any more food porn to come?

 

Yes, Judy. One last meal.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Moving swiftly along...well not quite as it's more of a gentle stroll and the streets and sidewalks and park are playing host to locals and tourists just like us. Restaurants are busy busy and people are spending money which of course is good for the economy. Money makes the world go round...

 

 

 

 

Winter Haven is from 1939





Public bathrooms on the edge of the park



 

 

Rental bikes



 

The Netherland from 1935



 

 

The Cavalier

 

 

The Cardozo is undergoing renovation on the ground floor and owned by Gloria Estefan and her husband.

[MGnut]

Cabaret :D

[MinnesotaCruiser1974]

I love the pic of you from 1986. VERY Miami Vice! [emoji3]

 

 

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[pd7277]

Peggy, thank you for the Bravo! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

It was a learning experience for me and what I have learned will be put to good use in a better review on my next cruise.

I am learning more and more about photography-things like take the lens cap off for better pictures and so on.

I already have ideas for how to improve and am planning not to leave a lot of ship photos until the last morning. A note from my mother will explain everything.

I hope you hang around for my last blitz of photos- I have been looking at them in Lightroom and am happy with them.

Thanks for your many comments and enthusiasm!

Norris

 

I fully intend to follow the remainder. We honeymooned on the Song of Norway in 1990. You, of course, were gone by then.

[Bimmer09]

Cabaret :D

 

Money makes the world go 'round...you are correct!

I saw it for the first time last year in Chicago.

Norris

[MisterMet]

Money makes the world go 'round...you are correct!

I saw it for the first time last year in Chicago.

Norris

 

Norris,

 

We are still with you my friend. Dig the Don Johnson pic! Way :cool:! Glad you got to revisit some of your past haunts. Do you still have the Johnsonesque jacket?

Your ( and Carol's) review has inspired Pam to upgrade from Concierge Class to S2, Aft facing Sky Suite for the 2018 Southern Caribbean on the Equinox. It was kind of surprising as she's prone to motion sickness, but the combination of perks and your photos and experiences in Aft Suites has made her want to give it a try.

Thanks for the diversion from our long "season." With everyone up north getting hammered by the re-emergence of winter, SW FL has become very, very busy. I wonder why?

Trip

[Bimmer09]

I love the pic of you from 1986. VERY Miami Vice! [emoji3]

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Thanks for the Miami Vice compliment-as you've learned I loved Don Johnson in particular from that show, plus the cars and the speedboats and the Miami sun. I see in the photo I hadn't shaved that morning-so Sonny Crockettesque!

I originally tuned into it on the BBC as I heard one of my musical heroes Jan Hammer from Holland had written the music. It blasted onto the screen and I was hooked.

Thanks for the comment!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

We are still with you my friend. Dig the Don Johnson pic! Way :cool:! Glad you got to revisit some of your past haunts. Do you still have the Johnsonesque jacket?

Your ( and Carol's) review has inspired Pam to upgrade from Concierge Class to S2, Aft facing Sky Suite for the 2018 Southern Caribbean on the Equinox. It was kind of surprising as she's prone to motion sickness, but the combination of perks and your photos and experiences in Aft Suites has made her want to give it a try.

Thanks for the diversion from our long "season." With everyone up north getting hammered by the re-emergence of winter, SW FL has become very, very busy. I wonder why?

Trip

 

Trip as you know I am happy when a lurker comes out of the shadows but it's always gratifying to see a familiar face, a fellow reviewer, still following along. So thank you for that.

That jacket- I don't know what became of it and the same goes for the Grand Cayman tee shirt.

I have clothes in Michigan-maybe they are there? I am wearing a sweater that I bought in London in 1986 right now so I take care of my clothes and find it hard to throw them away if they are comfy and this sweater sure is that. I love that color of the jacket-made for Florida but not so much Chicago where black rules. I have a lot of black clothes!

Aft suites are always our first choice and certainly on X where they really add value to the suites with Luminae/Blu/Michael's and (if you are lucky) a useful butler. You aren't daft if you go aft is our motto. The pros outweigh the cons for us.

We snagged the last aft balcony cabin on a Princess cruise to the ABC islands-our favorite suite was available but we wanted to cut costs as we have some expensive vacations in 2018 including an Aft Suite on the Silhouette to Norway which is our 2nd most expensive cruise to date and a week of Opera in San Francisco where none of our meals or accommodation are included. Nor car rental and I love to drive Highway 1 in something with a big engine and good brakes.

When is your Equinox cruise?

I don't know how anyone else here feels but I am excited by the Edge designs.

Thanks for stopping by again Trip!

Norris

[May B]

Trip as you know I am happy when a lurker comes out of the shadows but it's always gratifying to see a familiar face, a fellow reviewer, still following along. So thank you for that.

That jacket- I don't know what became of it and the same goes for the Grand Cayman tee shirt.

I have clothes in Michigan-maybe they are there? I am wearing a sweater that I bought in London in 1986 right now so I take care of my clothes and find it hard to throw them away if they are comfy and this sweater sure is that. I love that color of the jacket-made for Florida but not so much Chicago where black rules. I have a lot of black clothes!

Aft suites are always our first choice and certainly on X where they really add value to the suites with Luminae/Blu/Michael's and (if you are lucky) a useful butler. You aren't daft if you go aft is our motto. The pros outweigh the cons for us.

We snagged the last aft balcony cabin on a Princess cruise to the ABC islands-our favorite suite was available but we wanted to cut costs as we have some expensive vacations in 2018 including an Aft Suite on the Silhouette to Norway which is our 2nd most expensive cruise to date and a week of Opera in San Francisco where none of our meals or accommodation are included. Nor car rental and I love to drive Highway 1 in something with a big engine and good brakes.

When is your Equinox cruise?

I don't know how anyone else here feels but I am excited by the Edge designs.

Thanks for stopping by again Trip!

Norris

 

All the way down to Big Sur?

 

Mr. B. and I booked the inaugural voyage for Edge! I agree, the design promos are very exciting. Did you notice they haven't designed the public areas yet? That infinite balcony absolutely called my name.

 

 

But then you go and mention Norway, and I think I should be booking that for 2018, instead of Edge. Ah, choices, choices. Aren't they wonderful? Aren't we fortunate to have them?!

 

 

Norris, thanks for this wonderful review. Loved all those art deco hotels -- along with all your Reflection photos. Thx a gazillion! and thx as well to Carol, for chiming in. Especially loved hearing a bit about growing up in Jamaica.

 

--May

[One_plus_one]

Thanks Tracey!

The subject of Australia has come up many times at home and we have several FB friends that are relatives of Carol who live there. We even looked at a cruise on the Diamond Princess for this year from Sydney to Fremantle which is near Perth were Carol's relatives do dwell. Carol has been to Australia I think 3 times as her mom used to live there before returning to Chicago to be near Carol. Carol has done the Nullarbor Plain Indian-Pacific train ride which took 3 days.

It's so far away though and with a limit of a week's vacation at a time, which I already tack on 4 days to, using up my two days off a week and the jet lag involved I have resisted but it's a certainty once retired in 5 years (ish).

We watch a TV show called Househunters International and Australia looks good on that.

Australia and New Zealand are on the bucket list.

Norris

 

Carol is practically a local here then :D Wow, that would have been an experience on the train across the Nullarbor. I do understand how you feel as it is a long way to come and you need time to recover from the flights as well. It is the same for us going to the US or UK as it's so far away. When we went to Europe we broke the flight up and stopped in Singapore for a couple of nights which made it a bit more bearable. We hope to go to the UK next year and visit Belfast as I have never seen my husband's home town. Good to hear that Australia is on your bucket list. Take your time when you do come as it is a big country and there is so much to see.

 

Loving the art deco buildings in Miami.

 

Tracey.

[MisterMet]

Trip as you know I am happy when a lurker comes out of the shadows but it's always gratifying to see a familiar face, a fellow reviewer, still following along. So thank you for that.

That jacket- I don't know what became of it and the same goes for the Grand Cayman tee shirt.

I have clothes in Michigan-maybe they are there? I am wearing a sweater that I bought in London in 1986 right now so I take care of my clothes and find it hard to throw them away if they are comfy and this sweater sure is that. I love that color of the jacket-made for Florida but not so much Chicago where black rules. I have a lot of black clothes!

Aft suites are always our first choice and certainly on X where they really add value to the suites with Luminae/Blu/Michael's and (if you are lucky) a useful butler. You aren't daft if you go aft is our motto. The pros outweigh the cons for us.

We snagged the last aft balcony cabin on a Princess cruise to the ABC islands-our favorite suite was available but we wanted to cut costs as we have some expensive vacations in 2018 including an Aft Suite on the Silhouette to Norway which is our 2nd most expensive cruise to date and a week of Opera in San Francisco where none of our meals or accommodation are included. Nor car rental and I love to drive Highway 1 in something with a big engine and good brakes.

When is your Equinox cruise?

I don't know how anyone else here feels but I am excited by the Edge designs.

Thanks for stopping by again Trip![/

COLOR]

 

 

Norris

 

 

Our Equinox cruise is Sept 2018. Pam, who never looks at the cabin videos on YT has been on it like white on rice! Now if we could snag one of those pool suites on the Edge, I'd work 3 jobs to do it, [emoji23].

 

Always good hearing from you. Hopefully you'll visit your friends on Marco soon and we cold meet over some stone crab and red snapper.!

 

 

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[perfect match]

Standing ovation Norris; take a bow.

 

Thank you again!!!

 

(And yes, every member of the family, even feline, gets a vote; kudos to Snowy)

 

It's a good thing our cats DO NOT get a vote! We would be out-voted and thus never get to go anywhere! They hate it when we leave, even though we have a excellent cat sitter who takes care of them while we are gone. :eek: WE do tend to keep our trips on the shorter side, though, in deference to their wishes. :)

 

Norris, I have, as usual, enjoyed every minute of your Gentleman's Seafaring Journal, and will follow it to it's completion. :D Thank you for taking the time to share it with us!

[Bimmer09]

We're walking along Ocean Boulevard in South Beach and it's a place I would be happy to visit again for a weekend to savor it more. We were just skimming the surface of these buildings. So many fun looking restaurants and bars to people watch from.

One guy literally stopped the traffic by driving by in a Maserati Convertible with a unique paint job -like a shimmering airbrushed carbon fibre and off the top of my head I'd say it was a $500,000 car. He stopped and stood up in the car wearing a yellow python (as one does) and drew a crowd who wanted to pet the snake and ogle his car. I was on the either side of the road and couldn't get a worthwhile shot of the scene. Traffic had to go around him.

Maybe 50 yards away under a palm tree some homeless guy with his world in a carry on bag was trying to catch up on his sleep. This is America the land of opportunity and one guy had made the most of his obviously.

I got a kick out of watching the exotic cars in South Beach-the Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Mercedes AMGs, BMW M5s, Porsche 911s, roaring away once the lights went green and hitting 60 before they had to slam on the brakes at the next light 300 yards away. Boys will be boys. Perhaps some day they will grow into men. They already have the grey hair...

I love fast cars but there's a time and a place to work the engine and a 30 mph zone ain't it. But you look and sound cool for about 7 seconds. Maybe that's all it takes?

 

We are on foot and enjoying our sunshine stroll in this great little beach town.

 

 

 

 

Pastel Carol finds a chair she likes

 

 

From whence we had come thus far



 

 



The Carlyle is from 1941





The Leslie is from 1937







 

For many of the buildings I shot above the crowd of people at street level to show the building more but for some I lowered the camera to show the 2017 scene. There are no Studebakers or Packards in the shots as there would have been at the time of construction when men wore suits and hats and women didn't have tattoos or nose piercings. Tattoos may look great (if you say so) on young firm flesh but that flesh will not be so tight later in life and the artwork will shrivel and sag and we'll all have to guess what that animal used to be. Is it an aardvark riding a horse?

[krb1000]

Oh my goodness! It is after 11:00 pm EST. I began reading this amazing review this afternoon, and only stopped to prepare and eat dinner. What a wonderful journey you and Carol have shared with us. THANK YOU so much! Your writing style is beyond witty; your photos are lovely. As we sail on Reflection on April 22, this was a welcome preview. Norris, may I suggest that you consider posting on Instagram? Your photos (and comments) will surely garner thousands of followers in no time.

I'm very much looking forward to your future travels. Thanks for the memories.

[donswife]

There are no Studebakers or Packards in the shots as there would have been at the time of construction when men wore suits and hats and women didn't have tattoos or nose piercings. Tattoos may look great (if you say so) on young firm flesh but that flesh will not be so tight later in life and the artwork will shrivel and sag and we'll all have to guess what that animal used to be. Is it an aardvark riding a horse?

 

I am exceedingly thankful that my mouth was empty when I read that last line, or there may be tea all over my key board! I see a lot of elderly patients, and I can rarely tell what their old faded tattoos are meant to represent.

[Bimmer09]

Oh my goodness! It is after 11:00 pm EST. I began reading this amazing review this afternoon, and only stopped to prepare and eat dinner. What a wonderful journey you and Carol have shared with us. THANK YOU so much! Your writing style is beyond witty; your photos are lovely. As we sail on Reflection on April 22, this was a welcome preview. Norris, may I suggest that you consider posting on Instagram? Your photos (and comments) will surely garner thousands of followers in no time.

I'm very much looking forward to your future travels. Thanks for the memories.

 

Thanks for the kind compliments Kathie! It's always gratifying to see a new name posting.

Have a great time on April 22 and beyond as you begin your Reflection cruise!

Cheers!

Norris

[jules815]

Enjoying your South Beach photos. I wonder if I made a mistake by not booking our overnight there the day we disembark Reflection on 4/8? I'll be sailing with my 27 year old daughter. We currently have 2 nights booked at the JW Marriott Marquis (before and after the cruise). It's a lovely hotel, but we'll have a full day on the 8th, and I don't think my daughter has ever been to South Beach. Did you stay at the Ritz both before and after your cruise?

[March Babe]

I have been lurking again, reading and enjoying every word and pic. We just returned from the Regal Princess which I believe you will sail on her soon. If you haven't tried the Winemaker's dinner or the Chef's Table on Princess you may want to consider doing these. We enjoyed every bite.

[Walt fan]

I am so loving the Art Deco pics of all of the buildings and surroundings. I never knew there were so many buildings restored. Beautiful.

 

I absolutely love San Francisco. I have only been 3 times but I know there will be some more stops there in my future. You and Carol will have an amazing week.

 

I agree with Perfect Match, our cats do not get a vote; we would be overruled as well with 3 spoiled rotten felines.

 

Thank you for the pic of you back in the '80's. Perfect look.

 

I don't want this review to end Norris!

[Bimmer09]

Enjoying your South Beach photos. I wonder if I made a mistake by not booking our overnight there the day we disembark Reflection on 4/8? I'll be sailing with my 27 year old daughter. We currently have 2 nights booked at the JW Marriott Marquis (before and after the cruise). It's a lovely hotel, but we'll have a full day on the 8th, and I don't think my daughter has ever been to South Beach. Did you stay at the Ritz both before and after your cruise?

 

We stayed in the Ritz before our cruise and once we saw the location and the hotel lobby we decided to cancel our original Marriott booking and return to the Ritz. There are a few more great looking hotels by the water-Loews, St Moritz(?) The National (more if you research on TripAdvisor). South Beach is where we will stay when in Miami from now on. We loved it!

You don't feel like you are in a city there and there are so many outdoor bars and restaurants and a general feel-good vibe. It's eye candy with the art deco buildings not found anywhere else.

Go for it!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

The Tides is from 1936







The Victor is from 1937 by the same architect (Dixon) who did the Tides





I think this is the rest of the Victor



 

We are moving away from the beach now, heading west away from the ocean. There are art deco apartments a few blocks in from the beach so it's not just one strip of beauty-it's more than skin deep.

 

Look at this fabulous building!

 

The sun sets in the West and that was an issue for most of my photographs as the light was bright behind them so they were somewhat cast in shadow. If I had been out in the morning they would have been bathed in easterly light and the colors more vibrant.

[Bimmer09]

I have been lurking again, reading and enjoying every word and pic. We just returned from the Regal Princess which I believe you will sail on her soon. If you haven't tried the Winemaker's dinner or the Chef's Table on Princess you may want to consider doing these. We enjoyed every bite.

 

Yes we are on the Regal In October to Canada and the N.E. USA states and I can't wait. Hopefully there will be some fall color along the way and a beautiful ship (on the inside) to photograph. Some of the Regal's design elements on the outside set me off pontificating which I will spare you here. I'll see it for myself and report back.

 

There is the Winemakers and The Chef's-Princess is on the ball when it comes to blow out feeds and I think I may get Carol to try the Winemakers, although she will skip the wine. I know the food will be superb. Even the MDR on Princess pleases us in most dishes. We like that the meals start in the galley during a full service so we can see the hustle and bustle while we amuse our bouches and nibble on canapés. I am up for trying the wines. I love the look of the Chef's Table Lumiere-dazzling!

Thanks for the suggestions and validations!

Norris

[british lady]

Thank you, I have enjoyed your review and hope to see a little of the Art Deco Buildings from the Hop on Hop of bus after our next Equinox ABC Cruise this May.

Sara