Fantasy to Bahamas - solo cruise 5-3-13 - pics & review

CARNIVAL FANTASY 5/3/13 BAHAMAS

Background: this was my 18th cruise, 16th on Carnival (I’m counting my October B2B on Fantasy as two sailings). I’m a 60-year-old professional, been single for just about forever, so I was solo on this cruise (DD got married just before my B2B).

I had a February’s-worth of nights on Fantasy already. I do love the ship and the class in general. I never set out to sail so much on one ship, but I love Charleston, and love being able to drive 5 hours to a port. Yes, I prefer the 7-night itinerary, but I needed a cruise after another very stressful tax season. Normally, the fares from Charleston are pretty high, and I wasn’t even looking for a cruise, but went to Carnival.com one day and just started browsing. When I saw the price, I couldn’t resist.

Thursday, 5/2, drive & pre-cruise night in Charleston – I worked until noon, stopped back at the house, finished throwing a few things in my bags and hit the road. It’s an easy drive: I-40 to I-95 to I-26 to I-526, but it still takes 5 hours because you have to zig-zag down the interstates. I stopped once for some cheap SC gas and was at the Hampton Inn West Ashley in time for the Manager’s Reception – snacks and beverages, including beer and wine. Nice start to the vaca! And I was the Guest of the Day!

That was meaningless, but there was a sign with my name on it in the lobby. I had a few munchies and a couple of freebie drafts. I didn’t want to fill up since I knew I wanted to try the sushi next door. It was very, very good. I ate most of it but took some back to the room to have for my bedtime snack.

Yes, that looks like raw hamburger, but it's tuna smooshed up with a spicy mayo on top of a California Roll. Delicious!

Friday, 5/3, embarkation day - I had plenty of time before the shuttle left at noon. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, windy and cool. Another good thing about this hotel is the CVS Pharmacy and Food Lion that are pretty-much just across the street. I had my breakfast and headed over to the grocery store to pick up some razors (I forgot that they don’t have them in the cabin bathrooms when I was packing) and my carry-on bottle of wine.

I checked out of the room, got another cup of coffee, and sat and read for a little while. The shuttle arrived right on time. There were only two other couples. The traffic was very heavy and it felt like it took forever to get to the pier. I wish my fellow travelers had mentioned that they had a bottle of Crown Royal. I could’ve told them that it wouldn’t get through in their carry-on.

As has been frequently mentioned in the All Things Fantasy thread and over on the East Coast Departures board, the port of Charleston is rather different from any other. They have very limited facilities. They have to clear out everyone so they can start parking cars for departing passengers, and they also have to “convert” the small port building from baggage pickup and immigrations to luggage scanning, check-in lines, seating, and embarkation photos. Anyway, we finally arrived, had our documents checked at the entrance to the winding lanes of cones, and arrived at the luggage drop-off tent. I checked my two small-ish bags, grabbed my heavy-ish carry-on (that bottle of wine really gets heavy after a little while), and headed to the shuttle bus tent. That one filled up quickly, and we set off around the block and unloaded in front of the terminal. There is no separate security line for Platinum/Priority boarding, but the line moved fairly quickly. They looked at my one small bottle of water and didn’t even ask about my carry-on wine, which they usually do. I guess they could see in the x-ray what it way, but in the past, I’ve had to pull it out of my bag and shown them that, yes, it is a bottle of wine and not something else.

There was no one in the VIP line, but the agents were all busy, because they direct other people to them if no VIPs are there. One opened up almost immediately, and I was checked in, given my Platinum S&S card, skipped the boarding photo area, headed up the stairs, walked right up to the S&S photo taking person (there were four lines), got my card back, and headed DOWN the walkway. Last time, we walked UP the long, long switchback walkway, but this time (maybe because of the high winds?), we were back to the olden days of boarding on Deck 3. I headed straight to the stairs, climbed up to Empress, and walked back to my 1A cabin, E183 (cabin steward Asri).

Then it was up to the deli for my traditional First Lunch - turkey & swiss on a roll and a Coors Light in a glass with some lemons. I headed to the casino to see if I could find a Planet Moolah slot machine (recommended in another thread) but I didn’t see one. In wandering around, I came across a table for the wine packages. I normally purchase it in the shop but figured I’d go ahead and get the cheapest 3-bottle package, since I know I like the Pinot Grigio. Back down to the cabin to see if luggage was there. One bag was, so I went ahead and unpacked it. Then up to the Spa to register for the drawing, and soon it was time for the Safety Drill.

Folks, this was The Worst Safety Drill Ever. Having an aft cabin, our muster station was in the Forum Lounge. Unlike last time, when my muster station was in the Universe Lounge and the young man on the stage with the mic was very adamant about NO TALKING, NO CELL PHONES, NO TEXTING, NO EATING, NO DRINKING, and NO TALKING, this time there was a young lady (couldn’t see her – the place was packed and I was in a chair in the back – good thing I already knew how to put on a life vest, eh?) who never once told people to stop talking and pay attention. So, of course, they didn’t. They talked and laughed, and ate and drank, and talked on their phones. It was an absurd waste of time. We eventually climbed up to our lifeboats and it was finally over.

I think we set sail just a little after four in high winds and rain. And it was rough. Time to go to the spa raffle and not win anything. Again! And what do you know? The sushi bar is open so it’s time for my pre-dinner appetizer. It wasn’t very good, especially after having had that great sushi the night before. Headed back down to the cabin, found my other bag, and finished unpacking.

And then guess what I did? Well, I talked about doing this last time but I didn’t. So here’s the thing. I’ve had these menus now for a few sailings. My sort-of complaint is that there are nights that I could eat pretty much everything on the menu, and other nights that nothing really appeals to me very much. If they would just shuffle the items, that would give us frequent cruisers some different options. Anyway, I always get the tilapia on the first night, but I thought I might want to try something else. But I still wanted tilapia! So what did I do? I went to the buffet at 6 and had a very small helping of tilapia and a few fried shrimp. I’d been on board for under 5 hours and I’d eaten 3 times already!

Then I headed to the lobby bar for a pre-dinner glass of wine and to do some people watching. I’d really enjoyed the guitarist in October. Well, he wasn’t there. My favorite bartender wasn’t there, either. But I got my glass and went at sat over by the windows. No live music, but plenty of loud piped-in stuff. What starts to play? Free bird. Really. Free Freaking Bird. I thought I might walk out the door and throw myself over the rail. OMG. Free bird. :mad:

I had late seating and was assigned to Jubilee Dining Room, table 370, because I’d emailed the Maitre’D to see if the assistant waiter we had on Leg 2 in October was still working on the ship. I was escorted to my own little table-for-two, and there he was! Seville! He came over, gave me a hug, and said, sounding so humble and happy, that he couldn’t believe someone had requested him; that no one had ever asked for him. He’s so sweet. Head waiter is Rafael (I think) and we had a new “bread boy” named Sherwin.

I had my usual salmon appetizer and decided to try the flank steak; ordered a bottle of Black Swam Shiraz and finished it all off with the crème brulee.

Stuffed, I headed to the casino. The casino was (again) not very kind to me. As mentioned, it was rough that night. And as I’ll say one more time, please try Ginger Root capsules. I have had absolutely no problems since I started taking them. There was so much shaking and rattling back there in the stern that I had to get up and use the papers in my FunTimes to stuff around the bunk to keep it quiet. Didn’t sleep well simply because I was tossed around so much.

Lol! Freebird, are you kidding me???? That would send me over the railing. Not the time, not the place. No.

Gimme more. :D

Sailing in 24 days! Looking forward to pics to see if she has changed since our last cruise on Fantasy!

CARNIVAL FANTASY 5/3/13 BAHAMAS

 

Background: this was my 18th cruise, 16th on Carnival (I’m counting my October B2B on Fantasy as two sailings). I’m a 60-year-old professional, been single for just about forever, so I was solo on this cruise (DD got married just before my B2B).

 

I had a February’s-worth of nights on Fantasy already. I do love the ship and the class in general. I never set out to sail so much on one ship, but I love Charleston, and love being able to drive 5 hours to a port. Yes, I prefer the 7-night itinerary, but I needed a cruise after another very stressful tax season. Normally, the fares from Charleston are pretty high, and I wasn’t even looking for a cruise, but went to Carnival.com one day and just started browsing. When I saw the price, I couldn’t resist.

In my opinion, these are the BEST types of cruises - the surprise ones that just jump out at you!

Love sailing out of Charleston - it's a convenient port, if not a little oddly set-up (as you noted).

Nice start nctribe ,we were on the march 22nd cruise ,we love the closeness to charleston also ,only an hour and a half away ,and the fantasy's crew and ship.Did not get to see larry the legend ,but we were able to see kerwin again ,another great bartender on the lido deck .He told me larry was supposed to be back in feb. but the triumph deal caused him to be sent back home.Subscribing and waiting for the rest of your review.

Got some laundry done last night and can't find one of my tops. I swear I checked every possible place before I finished packing but I guess I left it on the ship or maybe at the hotel after. I know when I got to the beach it wasn't in either bag.

Will try to write more tonight. I write it all in Word and then copy/paste and add pics. It always takes longer than I think it's going to (because I do tend to get a touch wordy in my writings ;)).

I've done the Fantasy twice since it came to Charleston. I lived there for two years and love to go back..... it's just a great place to visit and is only about 3-1/2 hours from Charlotte.

The Fantasy is 70,000 tons, compared to 130,000 for the Magic and Dream. It's a great ship, though with a convenient layout and outstanding service. I prefer the itinerary which includes Key West, but even though people knock Nassau, I've always found something interesting to do there.

It will be nice if some of the South of Broad crowd in Charleston can take off their blinders and allow the facilities to accommodate more ships and maybe some other cruise lines. :cool:

Enjoying the reveiw and the pics! We love Fantasy too and sailing out of Charleston is great (because we can drive!).

When we sailed in April, I don't think I heard Freebird at all during the entire cruise. Could have played but I didn't really notice it. They did play alot of country music though.

Kim

Saturday, 5/4, at sea – Despite the tossing around in my bed all night, (or maybe because of it), I slept until 8, which is late for me. It was still rainy, windy, and rocking. And there was puke on the stairs on my way up to Lido for breakfast. How appetizing!! I went back to the omelet station between the pizza and deli and got my usual – ham, cheese, tomato and mushroom omelet, well done. Walked up to the regular buffet line and loaded up with bacon and those tasty round potato things while it was cooking. And my English Breakfast Tea. After breakfast, I just sat up in the Majestic Bar and read. The sun came out at around 11, which was great to see. I decided I’d go to the MDR for lunch (didn’t want to wait until the last day because of the bad experience on the last cruise; seems everyone goes there to redeem those drink coupons). Had the chilled avocado soup, which was very good, a burger with bacon and guacamole, and crème caramel for dessert. Oh, and used my coupon for a Corona.

There wasn’t a deck chair to be found anywhere. Don’t recall where I ended up, but I do recall that I felt the urge for another turkey & swiss sandwich at about 4. I thought a nap would be nice, but instead I had my shower, got dressed for elegant night, went back up to the Majestic Bar for my pre-dinner glass of wine, watched the running of the Kentucky Derby, then headed to the Universe Lounge to see The Brits.

I was disappointed when I learned that Ticket to Ride was no longer one of the shows. I rarely go to the shows because I’ve generally felt that the singers (usually the female lead) weren’t terribly talented. But being a child of the 60s and a huge fan of the British Invasion, I decided to check it out. Prior to the show, a British lass was on stage doing trivia. Guess who won the first medal of the night? ME!!!! I suppose the fact that my ex is English might have given me a slight advantage over some, but too bad! And during the finale, the lead male singer pulled me out of my seat to dance to "Twist and Shout." :D

For dinner, I had the stuffed mushrooms (get them every cruise but thought they were bland – just mushrooms with some green something in them), the strawberry bisque (again, I get the chilled fruit soups every single time they’re available – love them!!!), two orders of lobster/shrimp (honestly, I like the shrimps better than the lobster – they’re so tasty!); and although I don’t think I actually ordered it, I ended up with the apples/pastry/caramel dessert. Whew!

Stopped in the casino (no luck, again), and heard all this noise coming from the bar area. Walked over there and caught the end of the 70s song lyrics trivia – after the regular game, the host (he was great) went back through the list and everyone sang along. Very entertaining. Seville said he had to work MDR breakfast the next morning but was supposed to have about 4 hours off and would try to come ashore with me to wander around Nassau. I was in bed by midnight.

My towel doggy wearing my Carnival 100% Gold Plated Medal and my Platinum gift (something I am actually using for once).

Sunday, 5/5, Nassau Seville ended up having to work much longer than scheduled (those poor guys work all the time!), so I headed off the ship at 11. I had no plans, so I just wandered along Bay Street, pretending I was serious about buying some expensive jewelry. Stopped in one of the liquor stores and got a Kalik Gold. My black sunglasses had lost one of the nose pads during the trip, so I went in search of a replacement pair and found a pair of fake D&Gs for $15. Stopped for another beer, this time a Kalik with lime, and then into a jewelry store near Senor Frogs. There was a beautiful alexandrite and opal bracelet that I really wanted. She started out at $750, then dropped it to $600, then to $450! But for that price, I could practically cruise again, so I made myself leave. Besides, I never wear what little jewelry I already own. I wore my pearls twice during the cruise. What little else I brought stayed in the safe.

We had Dream on one side and Behemoth of the Seas on the other

Big 'Un leaving port; seriously, you'd have to pay me to sail on one of those monsters - I'm just not interested

Back on board, I sat and read a little bit, then showered and dressed for the PG party, which was in the Forum Lounge. It was pretty sparsely attended, yet I still couldn’t get a 2nd red drink! Probably a good thing, though. I did get the yellowish one. And who was the first one on her feet when they were going to teach the dance steps! You guessed it! I love to dance, but these choreographed steps just don’t agree with me. I like to free style, know what I’m saying?

Had to pay a visit to the casino (at some point I went to the window and got my whopping $25 that the Players Club gave me – hey, it’s better than nothing); went into the onboard shop and looked at the jewelry there. Then it was time to eat again! I had the French Onion Soup, the sushi appetizer, another burger with bacon and guacamole, and a glass or two of red wine. As was the case last time, the burger was better at lunch than at dinner, but it made an impressive picture!

I had to be sure to finish before 9:30 because I was determined that THIS TIME I was NOT going to miss the salsa dance lesson. So, stuffed as I was, I got up there on the big stage and did a better job with the salsa than I had with the earlier dancing. And then I went to the disco. I think I danced with some women, but I may have danced solo. Who cares, right? I was thinking of having One More glass of wine, and realized I was considering bumming a cigarette from the girl next to me. That was when I knew it was time to go to bed. I haven’t smoked in about 30 years! And I had to meet my excursion on the pier at 9 am.

Great review Joan - and congrats on the Medal - well done :)

Great review. I've cruised solo to Bahamas too. Looking forward to the rest of Nassau and the Freeport portion.

Walked over there and caught the end of the 70s song lyrics trivia – after the regular game, the host (he was great) went back through the list and everyone sang along. Very entertaining.

This was our favorite evening entertainment. Love me some Donkey!

Decent review but what coud ever be wrong with Freebird????? Last year the Filipino band music Degree owned Freebird on the fantasy. They were just as good as Skynard.

I had the avocado soup in the MD for lunch too! It was so very good!

I like that you were thinking of bumming a cig. I do that too sometimes when I am enjoying some alcohol. That tobacco urge never really goes away 100%. Funny.

Kim

Decent review but what coud ever be wrong with Freebird????? Last year the Filipino band music Degree owned Freebird on the fantasy. They were just as good as Skynard.

"Just as good as Skynard?" Now there's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one! Horrible song. Just excrutiatingly horrible guitar that goes on and on and on and on and on. In my Top 10 of Worst Songs Ever.

Anyway...

Hi Froufie! I really am not the sort of person who jumps up and does things, even when I'm with friends. I don't know what got into me on this cruise. Sailing solo (and having a few drinks) loosens me up quite a bit. And since I'll never see any of these people again, I just decided to do what I wanted to do!

I really used to be an excrutiatingly shy person, and I'm still not terribly comfortable in social settings. Maybe it just took 60 years for me to out-grow it! You know us old folks tend to lose the "filter" and start doing and saying what we think. :p

I'll have more to say about solo sailing at the end.

But for now, I'm supposed to be working. :(

Thank you for the review! We leave in a couple of days and can't wait!

Thanks for bringing us along with you on your cruise. Solo cruises are the best!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

Looking forward on the rest. Nice review :)

Monday, 5/6, Freeport – I rarely do ship excursions. Gave that up after I discovered Cruise Critic and realized that it is possible to do independent excursions and not get left behind! I had booked the Von Humboldt sailing excursion on Leg 1 in October but we had to skip Freeport thanks to Hurricane Sandy. And it wasn’t available for this sailing. Don’t know why, but it wasn’t. I knew there wasn’t much to do, so when I saw a brewery tour (with island tour and shopping) for $45 I thought, “why not?” I’m not sure what time I got up but I do know that I was feeling a bit rough around the edges. I’m not used to drinking all day and mixing my alcohol. But I went up and had my omelet and a quick couple cups of tea to get going. Sensation came in to dock just after us.

Ticket said to meet on the pier at 9 (tour to start at 9:15) but I figured I’d go down early since I was afraid if I sat around I’d be tempted to just go back to bed! As soon as I walked up to the sign, our driver (Captain Jack, who appeared to have a total of three teeth), called us all to head for the van. It was only about 8:30, so we sat there for a while. There were a couple of young couples and a couple of older couples (and me, all by myself, of course). Then the griping started about why we weren’t leaving. When I pointed out that we weren’t supposed to leave until 9:15, I was rudely informed by griping older woman, “NO, we were supposed to leave at 9!!!” “Uh, no. The ticket said to “meet on the pier” at 9 but it had a tour time of 9:15.” “That’s not how I read it!! Hmmmph!!” Whatever. Right at 9, Captain Jack returns with another young couple, who immediately start apologizing for being late. I pointed out that they were NOT late, the rest of us were just early.

So we set off with Captain Jack giving us a narrated tour. We stopped first at a perfume factory. While inside, I started feeling rather warm and was really wishing I hadn’t had that last glass of wine the night before! But it didn’t last long, and they had some nice scents. I can’t wear perfume because it all makes me sneeze then gives me a headache. After that, we were instructed to cross the street and walk down to the straw market area.

Now, my first visit to Freeport was my first Fantasy cruise. I took DD and her BFF on a cruise for their high school graduation. That was June, 2004. I don’t think the Lucayan Marketplace existed then. Since it was our first time there (and only my 3rd cruise), we took a ship excursion that was an island tour, shopping and beach stop. The shopping portion was at the International Bazaar, which is where I now found myself. What a difference! First time, the place was buzzing with business. All the stores were open with all the usual tourist shops, including the Diamonds International and other jewelry stores and all the shops you find on Bay Street in Nassau. Now there are a handful of straw market stalls and just about everything else is vacant. Apparently there was tremendous hurricane damage just a couple of months after we were there in 2004 and many of the business never rebuilt/repaired/reopened.

A new guy showed up (Brice; he’s nice!) and took over our tour. He led us up and down and around and through the International Bazaar (we stopped in the little Chinatown and then at an open-air bar for a sample rum punch). Then we loaded up onto his bigger, newer bus and headed to the brewery.

http://www.bahamianbrewery.com/products.php

After Brice introduced us to his ex (not really), we headed off on the tour. Again, it was rather warm during the tour and I wasn’t feeling so great, but it didn’t last long. They have 48 employees and they brew, bottle and distribute the product from their facilities there. So there we were, at about 11 am, I had a mild hangover, and it was time for the tasting. Now, I absolutely LOVE beer. Until the last couple of years, it was all I drank. Now, I have a glass of wine every Saturday night (woo hoo) because I think it’s probably “better” for me than having a couple of beers. And I don't drink much beer on a cruise because I'm so stuffed with food all the time that there just isn't much room!

I’m sorry that I couldn’t really do the tasting justice. But I gave it a go! They had six drafts for us to try, one of which is not available for sale (of course, it was the one I liked the most). She we started with the lightest and worked our way down to the stout.

2013-05-06 10.51.08

I liked the Sands Light, High Rock Lager, and the amber that they don’t sell, which are the three in my "front" line (I think she said the amber was only available on draft in a few bars/restaurants or for special parties). After we tasted them all, we could have larger cups of whichever we wanted. Well, I couldn’t even finish all six samples! I was full! I was a bit disappointed in the stout, which I normally really enjoy. I thought it was a bit bitter and “thin,” if you know what I mean. Too much of a burnt molasses nose to it, too.

Anyway, I wandered back downstairs, wanting to just sprawl somewhere and sleep. But the youngsters upstairs kept drinking and drinking and drinking and drinking. When Brice finally reappeared, there were a couple of people who also looked like they could use a nap! We headed back to the pier where two young couples together went straight to Senor Frogs. There’s a lot more there at the pier than last time I stopped, but I don’t buy souvenirs and I just wanted to get back on the ship, have my turkey & swiss sandwich, and sit on Serenity and maybe doze a bit. The young folks who kept the old folks waiting were on Serenity, eating, and then stretched out on loungers in the shade and were fast asleep.

I sat in the sun and read, then in the shade, then back in the sun until I finished my 2nd book.

I again headed to the buffet at 6 and got some of the bow tie pasta with turkey that I tend to get in the MDR. While a lot of these dishes are supposed to be the same as what you get in the MDR, that’s pretty superficial. Just because they’re called the same thing doesn’t mean they’re prepared the same. I was quite disappointed. The pasta was undercooked and there was only minimal bits of turkey. I also got a slice of the roast lamb and it was so tough I couldn’t chew it. So when people write that many of the same dishes are available in the buffet as in the MDR, that’s not really true. At least that’s my impression. So when I went to dinner, I had no choice but to order the appetizer size of the pasta and turkey! This was MUCH better; pasta was perfectly cooked and there were two large slices of turkey on top. I ordered the shark & langostino bites but didn’t care for them at all.

After dinner, I made my usual donation to the casino, joined the 80s lyrics sing-along and was in bed before 11.

Tuesday, 5/7, at sea – Wow. Last day already! These 5-night cruises are just too short. At least I hadn’t booked a year in advance. Don’t you just hate it when you wait and wait and wait for your cruise and then it’s over in a flash!

I was up at 7 and had my usual breakfast. I had plans to do all my sunbathing in the morning. It was actually quite cool out there. I had slathered on the SPF50 and spent about 2-1/2 hours, most of it sitting in a lounger and reading, but I did make an attempt to get some some on the backs of my legs (nearly an hour). I tend to end up with tan shins and arms because my time in the sun is usually spent reading. I just cannot lie on the stomach and do nothing for the sake of browning the backs of my legs! The good news is the SPF50 works! The bad news is the backs of my legs are still rather pasty white.

I also had my usual deli lunch. Last cruise, I’d gotten in the habit of having a hotdog and fries at about 3, then sushi at 5:30, with late dinner at 8:15. I only had one hotdog. And they’re so good! Anyway, while I was eating my sandwich, drinking a beer and watching ESPN News, I noticed the guy at the next table eating fried chicken. I must confess that fried chicken and cheeseburgers are two things that I get cravings for. I rarely eat out and don’t really cook very much, but I love both of those. Problem is that I’m usually disappointed when I give in to my cravings and get either. So I went up to the buffet and got a couple of smallish pieces. Sadly, it wasn’t as good as it looked. I was really tempted to get the fried chicken one night for dinner, but there were always too many other options. At least the burger at lunch that first day was wonderful, and the one at dinner was also good, but not quite as good as at lunch.

I went to afternoon tea at about 3:30. Unlike last time, when Angela was the pianist and the place was SRO, there were only a few people. James is now in the piano bar. He’s an older guy, plays well, and has a decent voice. I realized that I hadn’t made my way to the piano bar (last cruise was the first time I ever actually went in and sat down; other times I’ve stuck my head in and the vocals were awful; before that, there was always too much smoke.)

I stopped at the desk and asked if I could leave an additional tip for Seville. I was told that you cannot designate it for a particular individual. You can add (or subtract) for the cabin team or wait team, but not any one individual. Well, boo. I really don’t like handing people money. I neither want nor need their thanks. I’m giving it to them to thank THEM. But she gave me an envelop and said I could just hand that to him. So I put some extra cash and my business card with my home email on it). And then I packed. :(

Got ready for dinner and headed to the show lounge for the Motown show. It was also fun. Current review thread from the one after mine said people were laughing at the guy trying to see Jackson 5, but there was no laughing at the performers that I noticed. Hey, singing like a young Michael Jackson is not an easy thing! The finale spills out into the lobby where they get other people singing along. Quite entertaining.

Decided I’d give the casino one last chance to make me happy. Finally had a decent bonus on one of the machines that paid $65. That’s way more than I’d done all week (which tells you how pathetic my slot play was). I immediately cashed out while fighting the urge to go give that $1 machine a few more spins! There was a beautiful sunset tonight. Unfortunately, my phone’s camera doesn’t always take good pics through the windows.

I may have had a shrimp cocktail, and the chicken and pasta dish (appetizer size), then frogs legs, then prime rib, THEN Seville brought me the mac & cheese w/bacon and chicken. Guess he thought I wasn’t eating enough!

I see now that the pics I took with the "party/indoors" setting all came out rather orangish. The ones on "no" setting came out fine. I'll have to remember that!

So I waddled back to the piano bar to check it out. Poor James. There were only a few people. The couple I sat next to were trying to listen and sing along. But on the other side of the piano were a couple of groups of 3 or 4 and they were just bellowing to each other. But they weren’t as loud as the woman at the table behind us. Seriously people! Why would you go to the piano bar if you want to sit and have conversations??? Pianos are loud. To be heard, you have to shout. Shouting while someone is trying to perform for you is just incredibly rude! James seemed like a nice enough guy but probably just doesn’t have the personality for a piano bar. I’m not a fan of sing-alongs (except the music trivia thing – that was great fun). And I honestly don’t know how these poor people play Freaking Piano Man over and over and over and over and over.

So, sad it was all ending so soon, I headed to my cabin and my comfy Carnival bed. I don't care what anyone says, I love the beds!!

Wednesday, 5/8, Charleston – I was in no great hurry to leave the ship, even though I had #1 tags. Our shuttle driver hadn’t said when she’d pick us up, and I figured she’d make multiple runs (because I had assumed that we five weren’t the only people at the hotel who were sailing; she definitely could’ve had another load after us!). The day was much nicer than when we had left on Friday, that’s for sure! I was standing waiting for my omelet when up walked Seville. He normally worked the MDR for breakfast. I ate on the other side but after I was finished, I got myself another cup of tea and sat on his side of the room so he could stop and chat. Got a call from DD (it’s her birthday).

By about 9, the place was clearing out. So I gave him another hug and he said he had to go help with the loading of foodstuffs! Are you kidding me? So not only do they work breakfast, lunch, and two dinner seatings, but they also have to help load the supplies for the next sailing? Yet people remove tips because someone didn't bring the bread quickly enough or for some other stupid thing. L

So I think I’m taking my time, but when I get to the forward stairs, they’re just leading down #2 tags! I could’ve sat outside and read for another hour! Get my bags and stand in the already-long line for customs/immigrations. Then begins the long trek dragging cases down the sidewalk down to the taxi/shuttles at the street. When I get there, I find our shuttle driver and she loads my bags in the van. And then we wait. And wait and wait. Finally, one couple arrives. They had #9 tags but said the others had #19 PLUS they had their bottle of booze confiscated at check-in and would have to go retrieve it AFTER their #19 was on the board to disembark. So I sat there for over 1-1/2. If I’d known that was going to happen, I would’ve stayed on the ship where there were restrooms! I’d had three cups of tea, a glass of juice and water!!

Couple #2 finally arrives and we head back to the hotel. I told them that next time, if their tag #s are that different, they should go to the service desk and explain that they’re traveling together and see if they can get the same #s. After a quick (much-needed) pit stop at the hotel, I loaded up the car and headed across town to the Holiday Inn Express, Mt. Pleasant. I have quite a phobia about bridges over water, so when I started across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, the panic set it. It’s a beautiful structure. I wish I could’ve appreciated it, but I was seriously in danger of completely losing it. If I hadn’t been so anxious to get off it, I would’ve pulled over and cried. Seriously, I was making small, frightened animal sounds. It was no fun.

Anyway, I actually liked the HIE better than the Hampton, which I thought was pretty good. They have eggs, (not-very-good) biscuits, sausage gravy, bacon & sausage on their breakfast bar and have lemonade and cookies in the afternoon. No snacks/free beer, though. Problem is, like so many of the other hotels, they don’t provide a shuttle to the pier. If they did, I’d stay there next time. Original plans were to spend the day sight-seeing in Charleston, have an early dinner at Fleet Landing and watch Fantasy leave without me. I went exploring instead. Had good luck with just pulling into a strip mall and finding a local, family-owned restaurant (Locklear’s) and ordered the lunch special of fried shrimp with fries and cole slaw and a local brew. Sadly, I had to pay for it and Seville wasn’t there to bring it to me!!!

Back at the hotel, I went down and sat by the pool and read some on my phone’s Kindle. I’d finished both the books I’d brought AND one from the ship’s library! I couldn’t bring myself to cross the bridge again, so I went over to River’s Edge (next door to the Shem Creek Inn) and had my Shrimp and Grits there. Good food, fishing boats outside, pelicans sitting on the pilings, and dolphins playing around the kayakers. Pretty cool.

Next morning, I got up and just drove around, explored old Mt Pleasant, the park under the bridge, another park that had a kayak trails and a long pedestrian walkway with benches looking back over toward Charleston. It’s a pretty neat place.

The next day I decided to again try my luck by pulling into another strip mall (that's pretty much all there is along Rt 17). Another local eatery. This time I had a blackened salmon BLT with home-made chips. Very tasty!

I finished my vacation at Emerald Isle Beach with DD, SIL and his grandmother (she lives there and has a rental house next door J ). I know it's the beach, and it's better than being at home and having to work, but after that turquoise water on the cruise and warm sun, the cool, gray, angry-looking Atlantic just doesn't do much for me. But, hey! Free room, water and sand. I'll take it.

Had to purchase a couple of tires (knew it was near time to replace them but when the sidewall on the right front split and started to peel off I decided it would be stupid to risk the last leg home.) So there was an additional $250 I hadn’t planned on spending! Oh well. Better than having a blowout on the interstate.

Know that missing top that I mentioned in post #7? Guess what I found hanging in my closet this morning? I guess I forgot that I had forgotten to pack it. And never noticed it while putting away those three loads of laundry last week. :o

At least I didn't lose it! :D

I want to finish up with some overall impressions and comments. Will try to do that tonight. I know, I know. No one actually cares what I think of my fellow passengers or the CD or the music or the food, but I won't let that stop me! :p

Very nice review and pics! I can't wait to book another trip on Fantasy!

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