Horizon / (*Not) Live / Solo - May - 25 - June - 2024...

[mamiamjo]

Enjoy your cruise Sid 😎

[Kanyon71]

Have a great cruise and RELAX.

 

[WhiteOptima]

 

Enjoy your cruise!  Can't wait to see what you do in Bonaire.

[sid_9169]

I stalked flights to Miami for months leading up to this sailing, and prices ranged from sky high to even higher. Lately I’d been paying somewhere in the mid 400s for Miami flights, but these rates were running in the six, seven, and even eight hundreds just to get from Atlanta to Miami… I took a wait and see approach, but it appeared that it was just going to be expensive no matter what, I assume due to the Memorial Day holiday. 

 

I even began looking into budget airlines, but many of them included a layover in some other far away city, so I just kept keeping an eye out. 

 

About a month prior to the cruise I ended up getting a check in the mail for an item I'd dropped off at a consignment shop months earlier. I figured it'd be around a hundred or so, but to my amazement they actually sold the item for over a thousand dollars, and my cut was almost five hundred! This turned out to be completely “found money”, as the thing I was trying to sell was something found in a storage unit last summer that didn't even belong to me. A “fancy chair” that I came “this close” to actually throwing in the trash, but I figured I might get SOMETHING for it, so… 

 

With this newfound chunk of change burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to just take it as a sign from the Universe that things were beginning to break my way. (As if that would ever happen, but I was trying to be optimistic) Anyhoo, long story even longer, my ex, who y'all might remember as “C” from the Norwegian Encore cruise back in 2019 decided she might like to fly down to Florida with me just to get out of town for a couple of days. She had been looking into flights to Ft Lauderdale which usually ends up being cheaper than Miami, but then you have to factor in the cost of getting from there to Miami. She had already planned on renting a car, so the stars were aligning towards at least not forking out seven or eight hundred dollars for the Miami flights. I ended up finding some non stop flights to FLL for a little under five hundred, and just booked it, as it was free money to me anyway… 

 

 

[sid_9169]

This will be my first time flying into FLL, so I'm not familiar at all with the layout. "C" is on a different flight about an hour earlier than mine, so the plan is for her to go ahead and get the rental vehicle and I'll meet her after I land. 

 

Boarding pass is printed, and with a bit of luck we'll cruise right through the remainder of the day. I still haven't packed a single thing, so I've got my work cut out for me when I get home...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 23 by sid_9169

[SenatorsFan]

Have a wonderful cruise, @sid_9169! I look forward to reading about it when you're back. Oh, and thanks for the Faulkner quote; he's one of my favourite authors. 😊

[sid_9169]

I'm going to be test driving a "new to me" hangover prevention supplement called Cheers Restore... I actually bought some of this back in early 2020 intending to use it on upcoming cruises. Of course that never happened, and they sat up there in my kitchen cabinet until they expired. I guess I could have at least gotten some use out of them with my daily bouts of heavy drinking, but they just slipped my mind. Costs about 35 bucks on Amazon for a small bottle, so hopefully these things work magic. Getting older, I just don't seem to bounce back like I did only a few years ago... 

 

I'll also be armed with my Water Boy hydration multiplier for the mornings after... Much more expensive than Liquid IV, but supposedly higher quality...

 

 

 

[coondog99]

1 minute ago, sid_9169 said:

I'm going to be test driving a "new to me" hangover prevention supplement called Cheers Restore... I actually bought some of this back in early 2020 intending to use it on upcoming cruises. Of course that never happened, and they sat up there in my kitchen cabinet until they expired. I guess I could have at least gotten some use out of them with my daily bouts of heavy drinking, but they just slipped my mind. Costs about 35 bucks on Amazon for a small bottle, so hopefully these things work magic. Getting older, I just don't seem to bounce back like I did only a few years ago... 

 

I'll also be armed with my Water Boy hydration multiplier for the mornings after... Much more expensive than Liquid IV, but supposedly higher quality...

 

 

 

Looking forward to hearing your "side review" on these products. 

[blarko]

I’m following along with your not live review. Did not expect this but I’m glad you’ve started it.  Enjoy the cruise 🛳️ 

[illinoisfive]

While reading Greg's recent review i noticed that you were cruising this coming week.  Enjoy your trip and don't worry, we can all wait until your return for your review!  Relax, relax, relax

[pirate4me2]

Have a great vacation Sid!

[sid_9169]

We've had a few wackos in here customer-wise today, but other than that it hasn't been too terrible. I'm trying to figure out what to pair with my margaritas and packing this evening. 

 

 

[tsahall01]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I stalked flights to Miami for months leading up to this sailing, and prices ranged from sky high to even higher. Lately I’d been paying somewhere in the mid 400s for Miami flights, but these rates were running in the six, seven, and even eight hundreds just to get from Atlanta to Miami… I took a wait and see approach, but it appeared that it was just going to be expensive no matter what, I assume due to the Memorial Day holiday. 

 

I even began looking into budget airlines, but many of them included a layover in some other far away city, so I just kept keeping an eye out. 

 

About a month prior to the cruise I ended up getting a check in the mail for an item I'd dropped off at a consignment shop months earlier. I figured it'd be around a hundred or so, but to my amazement they actually sold the item for over a thousand dollars, and my cut was almost five hundred! This turned out to be completely “found money”, as the thing I was trying to sell was something found in a storage unit last summer that didn't even belong to me. A “fancy chair” that I came “this close” to actually throwing in the trash, but I figured I might get SOMETHING for it, so… 

 

With this newfound chunk of change burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to just take it as a sign from the Universe that things were beginning to break my way. (As if that would ever happen, but I was trying to be optimistic) Anyhoo, long story even longer, my ex, who y'all might remember as “C” from the Norwegian Encore cruise back in 2019 decided she might like to fly down to Florida with me just to get out of town for a couple of days. She had been looking into flights to Ft Lauderdale which usually ends up being cheaper than Miami, but then you have to factor in the cost of getting from there to Miami. She had already planned on renting a car, so the stars were aligning towards at least not forking out seven or eight hundred dollars for the Miami flights. I ended up finding some non stop flights to FLL for a little under five hundred, and just booked it, as it was free money to me anyway… 

 

 

I, too, was dreading getting r/t airfare for my cruise in November--only I was doing St Thomas to Miami--the Friday before Thanksgiving.  I was SHOCKED to find a r/t on American for my dates for $362.  I immediately bought them as I don't think that they will go any lower!  SCORE!

[pbxtech]

Have a great cruise Sid!

[sid_9169]

Exactly a year ago this week I had my very first experience with the CitizenM hotel brand at the Miami World Center location in downtown Miami… Turned out to be a bit of a rocky start with the check in process, and then the realization that the room itself was roughly the size of a cruise ship cabin. Fast forward to January of this year, and I stayed at the Brickell location which happens to be right across the street from one of my favorite drinking establishments in Brickell…

 

With it being Memorial Day weekend, hotel prices were in line with the cost of flights. (Expensive) I went ahead and reserved a room again at the CitizenM Brickell location, so at least it'll put me at ground zero of my favorite neighborhood in Miami, as well as stumbling distance from SoCal Cantina, where I assume that I'll end up at some point the evening prior to the cruise. 

 

I ended up paying around $270 for this tiny room, which is quite a chunk of ching for such a tiny space, but I'll only be there for the night, so … There's a Metro Mover station as well as the Brickell stop for the Metro Rail just blocks away, which pretty much puts the entirety of downtown Miami and beyond at my fingertips…

 

***Couple of pictures of my room then. I'd imagine that the room I'll be in tomorrow will look pretty much identical.

 

 

 

 

[sid_9169]

[sid_9169]

[sid_9169]

When I'd reached 16 days prior to sailing it was time to do my online check in... I knew that there was no way I was staying up until midnight, as it was prior to a work day. (Honestly, I probably wouldn't have made it on the weekend either) I did it first thing the next morning when I woke up, and ended up with an arrival time of 10:30 - 11:00 and A3 boarding group, so I was plenty satisfied. I'll probably sleep in a bit on Saturday morning to try and prepare for the long embarkation day. Once I'm on board I'll probably try and add a couple of updates if I can get a signal. If not, then the entire "review" will commence on June 2nd after I'm off the ship...

 

 

 

 

 

[Hoosierpop]

We will be on this cruise with 17 from our family. I’ll be looking for your post that go something like, “well, I thought I’d seen it all but here’s what these clowns did today……”

[lazydayz]

Sid, Have a great time in Miami and on your cruise!  Look forward to your review.  

[sid_9169]

They're letting us go a half hour early today, so as of right now I'm officially ON VACATION!!!!!!!!!...

[Destiny0315]

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

With this newfound chunk of change burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to just take it as a sign from the Universe that things were beginning to break my way. (As if that would ever happen, but I was trying to be optimistic)

Enjoy your retro 20th century cruise with no internet and always remember that...

 

[Sherry84]

Following! Hope you have a great cruise Sid!

[sid_9169]

Had to stop by Publix on the way home for some ice. Limes are squoze, and the first margarita is shook. I don't feel like making anything for dinner tonight so I'll probably walk over to Woody's Cheese Steaks and grab a sandwich. Quick and easy.

 

I whipped out the suitcase, and I've already installed one pair of long pants, some shorts and swimming trunks, as well as some socks. I'm doing a total of nine nights in just a carry on, so I'm going to be stuffing this bag to the gills. If I do end up buying anything I'll need to find a box to bring it back in as a checked bag, so I'll bring my trusty rusty roll of packing tape just in case...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sid_9169]

Walking...