Jim_Iain - 9/5 and 9/17 Equinox B2B - Come along for a Live Blog

[Jim_Iain]

Cruise Day - September 5

 

We checked into Embassy Suites electronically using the Hilton APP.  No need to stop at front desk.    After checked in an electronic key is enabled on your IPhone.  
 

We slept like rocks but awoke at 7:30. The breakfast at Embassy Suites has changed a bit.   No eggs cooked to request.   They have Scrambled eggs.   At first I was thinking of the powdered eggs discussed on TerryDTX thread.   They were actually not bad.   
 

about 10-15% wearing masks and tables are spaced nicely. 
 

[Jim_Iain]

Opened the window and can see Equinox.    Just completed health questionnaire.  Ready to head to the ship in 2 hours. 

[rucrazy]

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Ready to head to the ship in 2 hours. 

Bon Voyage.... Have a wonderful time!

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

Puerto Rico? 

LOL... I guess I should have said the Mainland.     I guess USVI would have also qualified as U.S. soil.

[Jim_Iain]

6 hours ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

 

if I recall from lax the Dreamliner is too big to be brought to the current terminals.  They had to built a separate place to board them.  We were bussed to the ramps to the plane.  We were leaving for New Zealand but if there is a problem with the planes size building 2 terminals seems silly. 

The must have fixed that as we had bridges at both San Francisco and Houston.   It was a very comfortable plane. The flight from Houston to FLL was only about 1/2 full and passengers in coach were told they could spread out but not into the Plus seating area unless they paid extra. 

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, TraderSam said:

Yes, we were all subjected to the poetry analysis and singing the songs in school!

 They do have a wonderful museum telling his life story now. He was quite a laddie, was oor Rabbie! It is worth visiting when you are next over if you haven’t already been to it.

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum

(there’s an option on the website, to read the info in Scots. Maybe Iain could read it to you.😁)

 

Oh and there’s no ‘e’ in Ayrshire. Ayr is the town and Ayrshire is the surrounding area.🥰👍🏻

 

We have visited both his home as well  as the Museum.     It is really interesting.    Iain' sister and niece live near by and we often drop in to their wee restaurant for afternoon tea. 

 

Iain has NO Scottish accent at all but his Aunt has one of the strongest Ayershire accent one has ever heard.     For over 20 years she use to fly over to spend the summer with us.    When I first met her she was yapping at me and I guess I had a dazed look and she said -  you don't understand a word I said do you.    We both fell to the floor laughing. 

[Jim_Iain]

21 hours ago, helen haywood said:

My understanding from reading others’ experiences in covid times is the lunch is no longer on embarkation day due to the staggered boarding times.  

Now that you mention it I seem to remember reading that also.  

[Jim_Iain]

16 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

Have a fantastic trip; I’ll be following along, and boarding the Equinox on 9/17!

Looking forward to all of the 9/17 cruise.   Looks like it is popular also.  

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

I'm on the 8/27 cruise.

Today is last day of my cruise.

I woke up at 7 am and saw that I wasn't packed at all.

 

I wondered why I wasn't packed since I'm pretty good about doing at least 90% the night before.

 

Then I remembered I'm doing a b2b.

I need coffee...

🙂

You have Iain and I laughing with that.    

 

It fees so nice when everyone is running around on the last night packing and saying good by only to realize you are not yet 1/2 way through your vacation.   

 

We are dragging a bit and i'm on my second cup of coffee.       We will be joining you soon.

[Jim_Iain]

43 minutes ago, Valentin53 said:

Jim, thanks for providing updated info. Have a great time and enjoy the cruise!

We were going to be together on a trip to Busan, South Korea in October 2018, when we were on Celebrity Millennium, but the trip was canceled (sorry we didn't meet). We now have a reservation for February 2022 of the Millennium.

That was a B2B2B to remember for sure.   

 

We got hit with 2 Typhoons and on turn around day in Yokohama we were evacuated off the ship and overnighted and overnighted in a hotel.     The next cruise that included Busan all ports were shifted by 1 day and all of our private excursions had to be cancelled.  

 

Loved Busan.  

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for taking us along again.  

Did Embassy Suites offer a take out option, ie styrafoam containers?

 

Luminae should be open for lunch.  It is the Concierge Lunch that has been moved to another day.

 

[NCHPcruiser]

Bon Voyage!  Have a wonderful cruise and thanks for taking us all along with you!  

[CruiserRob]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

LOL... I guess I should have said the Mainland.     I guess USVI would have also qualified as U.S. soil.

If they wanted to fly my to Hawaii for quarantine, I wouldn't object 😁

[funatseascott]

We will be cruising the b2b with u in a royal suite as well…might be neighbors…I’m not a blogger but follow along to learn.  As this is your thread, I’ll stay quiet unless you want a fellow cruiser adding some comments.

[micheleata]

Have a great cruise!   I always love reading your reviews.

 

When we rented the golf cart in Bonaire we did the Southern Route first.   They give you a map with all of the points of interest.    The first couple of beaches we came to were very sandy and calm, and I wish we had spent more time at those.   As we moved along they became very rocky with rough waves.   We had such a fun day!  Enjoy!

 

 

[JRL81]

Jim and Iain I hope you have a wonderful trip and will living vicariously through both of you on this trip!!! As always I’m late to the party but I am caught up now! If you don’t mind could you elaborate on the dining situation and social distancing once on board in the venues you visit? Also when you are ready for a new series.. The Scarapetta series by Patricia Cornwell is phenomenal and over 12 books in the series start to finish!!!! Fair winds and smooth seas my friends!!!

 

~Jay~

[robinsra]

Could you tell me how you got from the hotel to Cruise. We have Uber but not Lyft. Wondering if we should down load it. Thanks

 

[bandp407]

BON Voyage Jim !!  Enjoy every moment!

[DUTRAVEL]

Have a fantastic cruise. Looking forward to following along.

[Oville]

Jim and Iain, have a wonderful time.  I too look forward to following along, your blogs are always entertaining and fun.  Katie

[fstuff1]

Letter from the ship says st lucia govt now has  curfew of 4pm and most shops close at 3pm.

 

Sail away is 6pm so all aboard is supposed to be 5:30p.

But because of curfew, it's basically 4pm.

 

Most other ports are excursion only to get off ship.

 

For me, this is a 12 day cruise to nowhere since I've taken excursions in most of the ports.

 

 

[Benthayer Gonbak]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

The must have fixed that as we had bridges at both San Francisco and Houston.   It was a very comfortable plane. The flight from Houston to FLL was only about 1/2 full and passengers in coach were told they could spread out but not into the Plus seating area unless they paid extra. 

 

We still had a bridge, but it was from an area away from the main international terminal.  Hopefully other airports have been able to adjust.  New Zealand did put us into the main terminal as I recall.  

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Thanks for taking us along again.  

Did Embassy Suites offer a take out option, ie styrafoam containers?

 

Luminae should be open for lunch.  It is the Concierge Lunch that has been moved to another day.

 

Yes Luminae was open for lunch and Concierge Lunch was not taking place on embarkation. 

[fstuff1]

Unlike my 8/27 cruise, tracelets are not being used on this cruise. 😮

 

I wonder how contact tracing will be?

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Yes Luminae was open for lunch and Concierge Lunch was not taking place on embarkation. 

Bon Voyage. 🥂 Thanks for inviting us along on your cruise.