ACCL Grande Mariner or Grande Caribe

[cruisenfreak]

We sailed on the Grande Mariner last year for their repositioning cruise up the intracoastal waterway and unfortunately got waylaid in Charleston due to a tropical storm off the coast, so didn't get to go through the waterway by the Myrtle Beach areas. That said, we had a great time!!!

 

Is there anyone posting who will be doing the intracoastal this year in May? Heading north our condo is immediately south of the N. Myrtle Beach/Little River, SC swing bridge on the left. We'd love to wave to you as you pass by.

 

Jim & Mary Jane

[Love Cruises]

We will be on the GRAND MARINER on the Atlantic Coastal Waterways cruise April 18 - May 2, 2008. We were on the same ship last year for the Chicago, IL to Warren, RI repositioning where we cruised through 4 of the Great Lakes, through Erie Canal, down the Hudson River going around Manhattan and up Long Island Sound to Rhode Island. We really enjoyed the ship and when we came home we immediately booked this trip. We'll look for you when we approach this area and give you a big wave!!!!

[cruisenfreak]

We're on the left side of the Intracoastal going north just south of the Little River swing bridge which will have to open for you to pass through. Hopefully we'll be on the condo deck and if we are, I'll have a mirror or a flashlight with me to signal where we are. We are not directly on the Intracoastal but just off on a canal that runs by the condos. We're the second building facing the waterway in the middle of the building on the second floor.

 

Depending on the tides, I know sometimes the Grande Mariner runs outside instead of on the waterway.

 

If we miss you, "hey" to you now. Also "hey" to any crew who were on last year this time.

 

If I read the itinerary correctly you'll be passing by on April 24 in the morning.

 

 

 

Jim & Mary Jane

[Love Cruises]

Thanks Jim and Mary Jane ... we will be looking out for you!

[Love Cruises]

Cruisenfreak ...

 

Sorry the ACCL Grand Mariner trip did not make it through the intercoastal in the Myrtle Beach area... the water was too shallow and the captain took the boat out to the ocean. We would have liked to have seen you both.

 

Otherwise, the trip was fantastic. The only day it really rained was the last day when we were pulling into Warren, RI. There were only 32 passengers on board this trip. The last one we were on there were 86 so you really got to know all your fellow passengers. We could not dock in the Wilmington, NC port so stayed in Georgetown for 2 nights. Then when we were leaving the Norfolk port we spotted two tornadoes that touched down on the island directly in front of us. Didn't expect to see this!!!

 

Again ... sorry we didn't go by your way!

[cruisenfreak]

We're sorry we missed you also, but I'm not surprised. The Intracoastal needs dredging along the Myrtle Beach area and, as I understand it, there is NO money budgeted for maintenance!

 

Glad your trip was good and, thank goodness, you weren't in the path of the tornedo!

 

Mary Jane

[Love Cruises]

Hi Mary Jane,

 

We were supposed to leave Norfolk, VA at 5:00 but the Captain said that there were tornado warnings west of us. He waited a half hour and the ship took off out of the harbor. Right smack in front of us you could see 2 funnel clouds that were trying to hit ground and they did over a small island just north of us. The 2 funnels went back up into the clouds and then 1 funnel came down again and touched land. My husband always wanted to see a tornado but who thought it would be in Virginia. Our cabin was 3 decks below and it would have taken too much time to run down for the camera so no pictures (darn)! We are going on the Grande Caribe for 2 cruises in July and hope to go on the Niagara Prince next year for their Chicago to New Orleans run. They bought the ship back and it is up in Warren being refurbished.