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Bliss 1/5/2020 sailing from NYC


PistolPete13
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Good morning all.  A definite chill in the air today as we continue to head north.  Long sleeve T-shirt is out and sunblock packed away.  

 

Walked around the ship at 3AM to get some interior photos this morning thinking there would be no people.  

 

How wrong i was!  Guess I’m old now. So many kids and drunks roaming about.  In the my distant past I sorta remember winding down the night at 3. 

 

Salt and pepper shakers are being put out in the buffet this morning for the first time all cruise.  The danger of outbreaks must be past or the incubation period will put most of the passengers off the boat so NCL doesn’t care.  Lol

 

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Kohunlich & Dzibanche Ruins Tour:

 

This was an NCL excursion from Costa Maya.

 

Costa Maya has a long pier and both the front and rear areas were open for disembarking.  I was able to get off the ship quickly for the 7:45AM meeting time.  It was very straightforward finding the gathering spot and soon we were walked a short distance over to the large bus to start our trip.

 

The ride to the first site (Dzibanche I believe, will have to look at the GPS data in my photos later) was a solid two hours.  This area of Mexico is much less developed than the touristy Cozumel/Cancun areas.  Once we got off the main roads, its was single lane dirt roads.  You will pass many small towns along the way and get a fleeting glimpse of the living conditions of the local population.  I was able to take some video from the bus and will post a YouTube link back on this thread once I have them all edited.

 

The guide (I think her name was Lissette) was very informative and gave us a good history of the Mayans in that area.  She even managed to make me understand the Mayan number system which is based on ratios of 20.

 

About 10 minutes before the first site, there is a quick stop at a ranger station for a bathroom break.  At this time I also purchased a pass for using a GoPro or video camera for $4.  Most cameras and phones now have video capability as well but it’ll probably be too much to ask and check everyone regarding video hardware.  This was on the honor system so I paid up.

 

Back on the bus it was a quick 10 minutes to the actual site.  We were the only tour group in the park that day.  Aside from about 5 - 8 other independent travelers, we had the entire place to ourselves.  

 

All the ruins were freely accessible to us.  You can walk right up to them and even climb a few (check with the guide first!).  At the first large pyramid, the guide turned us loose to climb it and people started to go up without thinking.  It was basically almost straight up and the “stairs” were steep and narrow.  I’m 5’7” tall and was wearing cargo shorts that go a little past my knees.  The step were so high that my knee kept snagging my shorts as I climbed.  Each step up was that high.

 

A lot of people stopped halfway up.  It was NOT an easy climb.  Once up at the top, the most difficult part was getting back down.  It was steep enough that you can’t just expect to “walk” down without pitching forward and falling the rest of the way down.  I have a size 9 shoe and the crumbling steps were basically the length of my shoe.

 

Juggling two cameras, I resorted to going down sideways with one hand touching the stairs for balance (told you it was steep) and my foot turned to be horizontal with each step.  Don’t forget about the crumbling steps as well, so you have to pick and choose your path down; not a straight shot.  I was a little surprised the guide didn’t warn everyone.  I had to make sure no one else was above me at all times in case they tumbled down into me if they fell.  Happily everyone made it down but a few people were not happy and completely out of breath.

 

I do have video of my climb and descent via a chest mounted GoPro.  If the video looks OK, I will edit and post a link on here later.  I’m typing this out now 3 days after the excursion and my thighs still feel a little sore.  I was running 5 miles a day in the ship gym before this excursion.  I hate to think how the other folks who may not be as active felt after that tour.  So be warned!  The view from the top isn’t anything that special.  You’ll see once I post the photos.

 

The next 3 or 4 pyramids were just as steep but thankfully the steps were longer so that you can put your entire foot on a step to climb.  Crazy me decided to climb all of them as well.  These ruins were in the middle of a cleared jungle so that if you wanted to step away from the group you could.  It will feel like you had the place to yourself.  Instead of iguanas like there were in Tulum, this place had monkeys in the trees eyeballing you.

 

We spent 90 minutes or so at this site before heading back on the bus and moving to the next ruin location.

 

At the next site, there was another ranger station and bathroom break followed by a short walk to the ruins.  This area was much more open with the ruins spaced apart in an open field.  This site also had an Mayan ball court.  It was interesting to learn that the winning team were the ones sacrificed to claim their reward of entering heaven/paradise.  No tourists were sacrificed on our trip although there was this one annoying guy… 

 

This site had a few more tour groups there with us at the same time but it was still roomy enough for everyone to spread out and not get in the way of photos.  Again, you can walk right up to the ruins and climb them if you wish.  I don’t recall the time we had here but it was just long enough for me to be satisfied that I saw everything and was not rushed.

 

Back on the bus for the long ride back to Costa Maya and we were some of the last folks to get onboard the ship.  All the towel and water stations were packed away already and only the gangway was left on the pier.

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Sitting in the observation lounge today processing photos.  It's way too windy to be on deck and there is a definite chill in the air as we keep heading north.  A strange thing is happening to me the last two sea days.  I'm getting more and more annoyed with the fellow passengers!

 

Right now I'm sitting in a prime seat in the observation lounge and the only two people who are talking in the section decided to plop down next to me.  I don't want to hear about your prostate issues!

 

Yesterday I was on the 8th floor wrap around deck, the "quiet" area, when a group of kids decided to use that section at a race track screaming and yelling running back and forth.

 

At 3AM this morning when I was trying to get some photos of the ship interior without people milling about, a drunk group saw me with my cameras and insisted I take their photos.  I did and then they slurred their room numbers out to me.  I'm not a ship photographer so good luck trying to find those!

 

 

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1 hour ago, PistolPete13 said:

Sitting in the observation lounge today processing photos.  It's way too windy to be on deck and there is a definite chill in the air as we keep heading north.  A strange thing is happening to me the last two sea days.  I'm getting more and more annoyed with the fellow passengers!

 

Right now I'm sitting in a prime seat in the observation lounge and the only two people who are talking in the section decided to plop down next to me.  I don't want to hear about your prostate issues!

 

Yesterday I was on the 8th floor wrap around deck, the "quiet" area, when a group of kids decided to use that section at a race track screaming and yelling running back and forth.

 

At 3AM this morning when I was trying to get some photos of the ship interior without people milling about, a drunk group saw me with my cameras and insisted I take their photos.  I did and then they slurred their room numbers out to me.  I'm not a ship photographer so good luck trying to find those!

 

 

Hello Pete from the internet stations in the atrium.  Yesterday in the Observation lounge some guy started to sing (badly) folksongs and pop songs from the 50s and 60s.  While the music from the ship was also playing.  He kept it up for an hour.  I think music of all kinds (except the entertainer hired by NCL) should be banned in this area.  I also am getting grumpy about the people in the buffet who don't use the tongs, etc.  Ah well, first world problems!

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Having a lazy lunch in the buffet now.  Looks like the skies are clouding over.  

 

It’s a terrible thing to say but I’m glad I don’t have to chase another sunrise or sunset photo now.  During the entire trip we only had one day where it was clear to the horizon to see the sun rise and set. 

 

It’s very windy outside and only the diehards are still out there. 

 

The free internet access comes and goes in terms of performance.  I wonder how they are filtering this or is web access normally this slow with the shared pipe. 

 

I had 90 minutes of access left as of this morning after carefully squirreling my minutes last week. I’ll blow half of that today and use the rest tomorrow.  

 

I’ll make the most of my remaining time on board. Not sure when I’ll be able to do this again. Most of the sailings out of NYC seem to be very expensive now compared to only last year when I first got into this. 

 

Back to finishing lunch!

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On 1/14/2020 at 2:07 PM, Proud Dance Mom said:

 PistolPete13, Will be on the Bliss in 19 days and was wondering if you could find out something for me.  Am curious if my favourite bartender is on the Bliss.  Had heard rumours that Ramos is on the Bliss n Vibe.  If he is in Vibe, it would give me a good reason to fight my way on early to get Vibe passes for my upcoming cruise. 

 

Thanks

 

I checked with Guest Services and there is a Ramos assigned to vibe.  Hope this is who you’re looking for. 

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On 1/9/2020 at 11:25 PM, mking8288 said:

Has anyone spoke to and/or left a written message with the GM onboard about the lounge campers?  

 

I'm sure many of you are familiar with these urban design - easy solutions, no ? v7Z2a1Gs?format=jpg&name=smallAlso used at airports, transit stations, etc. park-bench.jpg

v7Z2a1Gs?format=jpg&name=smallv7Z2a1Gs?format=jpg&name=small

Although I am sure I won't be sleeping/drooling in the Observation Lounge, it is a lounge. Why would you want it to be uncomfortable? The NCL site says it is a place to relax. I think some people have a hard time doing that. 

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On 1/16/2020 at 3:53 PM, CruiserDan53 said:

For NCL someone washing peoples hands at the buffet is standard on all ships. They do a very good job keeping people and the ship clean. It would be overexaggerating to imply that the Washy Washy person is there because there is an outbreak or something like that. 99% of the time its normal.

 

when you see no condiments then you have an  issue. obviously its much safer to have a huge bowl of ketchup open to the buffet ....or they wouldnt do it,right?  less hands touching that one spoon at the buffet to spoon the ketchup then the 100 bottles of ketchup on the tables..right? i was shocked to see it to be honest. 

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22 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

when you see no condiments then you have an issue ... 

 

Absolutely concur.  We're on the Escape last January when "I" noticed the subtle changes, 2 days before it was announced & the Captain declared it, officially as an outbreak ... exceeding the 2% threshold.  Our balcony cabin was on Deck 13 Fwd, walking by the "medical center" next to/beyond the elevators, multiple times a day and seeing 

 

What Pete wrote this morning is pretty much, validation of the earlier proactive practice(s) - quoting

  • "Salt and pepper shakers are being put out in the buffet this morning for the first time all cruise.  The danger of outbreaks must be past or the incubation period will put most of the passengers off the boat so NCL doesn’t care."

Shakers are usually out ... what this implied, there were some suspected cases reported on the previous sailing, below the 2% threshold; and, out of  an abundance of precaution ... vigilant measures were taken.  

 

Once it was officially declared, hand washing before walking into the buffet was enforced as a requirement, before getting sprayed on the hands again by crew members assigned.  It was not voluntary and carried out ... can't say that nobody managed to bypass or sneak thru.  All the "public" access restroom doors were left open with a stopper, etc. 

 

However, none of the MDR or Specialty Restaurants had hand wash sinks nearby - the use of the automated hand sanitizer was urged but difficult to enforce, and there're no washy washy crew on duty ( ... someone will probably comment about the merits of the sanitizer, please don't) 

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@PistolPete13 - You are doing pretty good with 90 airtime minutes remaining earlier, satellite WiFi is going to get slower & become more sluggish as folks will get online to reconfirm their disembarkation arrangements, checking in for their flights, calling limo services.  

 

Latest forecast for NYC area, expecting light snow-mixed rain Saturday afternoon, 2" to 4" at most, should be gone & clear by Sunday morning.  AIS data suggesting ETA into NY around 5 to 6 am, translating into an early/on-time arrival.  

 

Looks like ship is handling well for 10' to 12' of sea swells & gusty wind, nothing terrible - overnight & into tomorrow ... swells & waves will improved but cross wind will increase + change in direction, might be briefly warmer than today depending on ship's course/heading, transitioning across the warm/cold fronts in the Carolinas toward the VA waters.  

 

Those videos should be very nice to look at, once you get them edited & uploaded, TIA.  Enjoy your dinner & evening onboard ... ship officers & crew usually do a farewell at the end of the main theater performance. Tomorrow night, most folks will be busy packing, checking their $$$ OBC and eating early, and getting ready to say their goodbye in leaving the ships.  

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1 hour ago, Heronymous said:

Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying your cruise!

 

Any chance someone can upload a pic of the officer wall photos if the 'free' wifi let's you on CC?

 

I’ll try my best to get you this tonight.  Do you remember what floor the photo will be on?  I remember seeing it only once on this ship but don’t remember where. 

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According to the navigation channel, we are sailing into winds with a relative speed of almost 50 knots?   I remember the word gale force being displayed. 

 

The ship is definitely rocking however but after 13 days I’ve gotten used to it.  

 

The NYC weather sounds terrible to come back to.  It will be a total shock to the system.  It’ll mean a few less things to pack because I plan to wear multiple layers!  

 

Any thoughts on when we’ll go under the VZ bridge?  I’m thinking it’ll be too dark to bother with trying to get any photos during this time of year. 

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10 minutes ago, PistolPete13 said:

 

I’ll try my best to get you this tonight.  Do you remember what floor the photo will be on?  I remember seeing it only once on this ship but don’t remember where. 

Thank you! Good question, the last few away class ships I was on, it was Deck 6 Forward just to the left of the hallway that leads to the atrium when facing forward.

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6 minutes ago, tumblew467 said:

Thank you for the very detailed and informative  post on both ruins. It is greatly appreciated.

 

You’re very welcome.  Wait until you see the photos. 😉 

 

Writing things out will help me remember some of the details in the future.  Things were already getting fuzzy with 5 ports in 5 days!

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Did another two for one dinner in Taste tonight.  Two of everything!

 

Thinking of skipping my MDR reservation tomorrow night and coming back to Taste. 

 

The smaller size of the place makes it more comfortable for a single diner like me. 

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Arrrh, coalfish & pollack, plus cod ... shouldn't salmon be available ?   I literally went online to see what the heck coalfish was - unlike when a description of "white fish (fillet)" was given in the past.  We also had red snapper last month.

 

But, it's beginning to feel like going to the IHOP chains for their tilapia specials.  Let's bring on those sardines instead, in the can with olive oil - yay, let's cheer for it. :classic_biggrin: :classic_wink: :classic_ohmy:  These aren't exactly, IMHO, the upscale cruise experience promised or is this, for our convenience; and, for a "nominal" upcharge plus 20% ... 

 

P.S.  Check your Nav Channel about likely time to sail past the SOL ... if she's on schedule per AIS data uploaded, likely to go under the VZB around 4 to 5 am plus another 15 minutes nearing Lady Liberty, depending on speed & traffic.  If your balcony is portside, should get a nice view - with your camera gears, set your ISO higher ... we had gotten several good ones even with smartphones by manually changing some of the settings.  

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Re the time you will sail under the VZB, there is most likely going to be a Q&A session with the Captain and Chief Engineer in the Theater tomorrow (Saturday), generally at noon or 1PM.  You can ask the Captain yourself.  By then, he should be able to give you a very good estimate.  

 

Thanks for the picture of the officers.  From what I can make out, I see several familiar faces, including GM Djamel from France.  Sailed with him several times on the Breakaway, and from what I understand, he will still be aboard the Bliss when we do the same itinerary you are just finishing on 2/2.

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