Solo on the Grandeur - Semi-live

Hello Everybody, I am leaving on the Grandeur tomorrow for an eight night cruise and I am going to attempt a live review. I don't have much hopes for good wifi, though. All the people, MrFunInTheSun, Bugsy, etc who tried to post live from the Allure had trouble, so, what hope is there for the Grandeur? :rolleyes: I picture 1 guy down in the boiler room, plinking away on the teletype. :p

Regardless, or as we say in Boston, irregardless of that, I will try! The first thing about this trip that is a little different for me is that I used Amtrak for the first time. It is a 5 hour trip from Lynchburg, VA to Baltimore, MD. On my roll call, I had met up with a fellow cruiser from Roanoke, Sea Turtle, who was also taking Amtrak. In discussing hotels and transfers and what not, she let me know that she could get a very good rate at certain hotels and she was willing to share her good fortune with me (cause she's cool like that ;)). Thanks, Sea Turtle!

So, we had both booked our train already to Penn Station and then discovered our hotel was actually closer to BWI, so, we had to change our reservations. You can't do that online, however, you have to go to the station, so, there began my first adventure. :o

Although I have lived in Lynchburg for 13 years, I had never been to the Amtrak station. I googled it, it looked simple enough, a few turns and I would be there. One funny thing about me is my inability to retain directions in my head for more than 10 seconds, by the time I got the car started, I had already forgotten how to get there. As luck would have it, however, I came around a bend and saw this little beauty.

How did I not know this was 10 minutes from my house?

Why am I not eating lunch here every Saturday?

I had my camera with me because I planned on taking pics of the Amtrak station for this review. I hesitated about taking pics of the park because I didn't know if people would be interested, it was a dark, gloomy day, etc. Then, I though, well, I would be interested if someone discovered a little gem in their own backyard and life is not always a bright, sunny day, so why not share the pictures? :cool:

I guess this turns the falls on and off?

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!

**The Crown and Anchor Society monitored this photo shoot. No Diamond Members were harmed in the production of this review. ** :D

Cool. Something to read while iced in.:p

This intrigued me, why would there be a little shelter in the wall?

Here is a close-up of it, anybody have any thoughts?

Just gorgeous!

Kemper Station! So, I'm only 1.5 miles off track!

Pretty, pretty!

You can see the mist rising off the river a little bit here.

And, even more mist, here! It's kind of spooky!!

So, I finally managed to peel myself away from the park and made it after a few more wrong turns to the station.

Guess what time I got there? :D I'll give you a hint, pick a number between 1 and 4! :rolleyes:

So, I took advantage of the desolation and took a few pics of the station itself. It was built in 1912 and I think it is very pretty.

Cool. Something to read while iced in.:p

Hi Wrona!! Iced in? It's 65 degrees in Baltimore! :)

This intrigued me, why would there be a little shelter in the wall?

 

 

Here is a close-up of it, anybody have any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

Matter of fact, I do. Haven't you ever heard of trolls living under the bridge and they show up on CC from time to time.:p:D

So far LOVING your review and I've been anxiously awaiting it since I will be doing the same cruise in 84, soon to be 83 days.

Lynchburg, huh? Have driven there from Pa. to visit a friend and thought I would never get there.:D

I love old buildings!

Coolest doors ever!

Hop on, we'll be in Baltimore in five hours!

Cobblestones!!

How lovely, how elegant, how quaint!!

Yeah, right!! Try dragging two 50 pound suitcases across them! I didn't know which was going to fall off first, the suitcase wheels or my arms!!

Matter of fact, I do. Haven't you ever heard of trolls living under the bridge and they show up on CC from time to time.:p:D

 

Lynchburg, huh? Have driven there from Pa. to visit a friend and thought I would never get there.:D

Hysterical!! I never even thought of that! :D Try driving from Weymouth, MA to Lynchburg with a nervous mother, a cat who cries, Meow every 10 seconds and a boyfriend driving a U=haul who can't read English very well. This was before cell phones were prevalent so we would find a pay phone and call my brother to leave messages back and forth. :(

So, I went down by the tracks to take a few pics.

And then, this happened.

It was so cool, it was the longest train I had ever seen!

So, I went back the next day and got my reservation changed. I now have a six dollar credit with Amtrak that must be used within a year. I knew there was a cafe car on the train, so, I asked the man if I could use it there. Nope, it has to be used to book a ticket. Hmmm, for six dollars? I wonder if they'll let me ride from one end of the platform to the other end?

Now that I have gained access, here is what the inside looks like.

The man that helped me, he was very nice.

The coolest doors, ever, from the inside looking out!

Here is the weight that controls the doors.

That's right! That's how we do it in the Burg! We're kicking it old school, 1912 style! :D

So, now, all I had to do was wait a few weeks until my cruise.

My luggage was packed, including my sexy, yellow, flamingo and palm tree nightshirt!

I almost had a stowaway.

My brother, PT, was going to drive me to the station.

Quick, does anybody know what the PT in PT Cruiser stands for? That's right, some of you got it, Personal Transport!

So, now, on to the cruise!!

Ohhhh, this is going to be fun!!! Thanks for bringing us along with you "Semi" "Live" to "Live". :D:D

Ohhhh, this is going to be fun!!! Thanks for bringing us along with you "Semi" "Live" to "Live". :D:D

Well, as alive as I can. I'm assuming the internet on the ship will be slow and expensive. I do get 30 free minutes. :rolleyes:

Maureen, it was 76 degrees here yesterday. It's hovering at 33 degrees at the moment - just waiting for the ice to arrive.

Oh and while I was on my last cruise I had a stowaway last exactly like that one move in with me. I'll have to watch out when I pack for my next trip.

Well, I'm such a dork, I didn't take any pics on the train today because I was afraid Sea Turtle would think I was crazy. :( I promise to take some on the way home. But, the ride was lovely, much more spacious than a plane and you can get up and walk around. They have free wifi and electrical plugs at every seat. The seats recline and there is a footrest, but, i couldn't figure out how to make it work. :confused:

At one point, Turtle went to get coffee (a six dollar credit sure would have come in handy - :rolleyes:) and I tried to nap. The car was completely quiet, everyone working on their phones or tablets. Dead silence. Well, except for two ladies talking loudly and guess where they were sitting? :rolleyes:

So, we got to Baltimore, the people at the hotel were lovely and soooo nice. We got lunch at a little Italian place right behind the hotel - delicious and enough to reheat later for dinner. I took some pics of the hotel, it's a Holiday Inn in Linthicum .

My two friends came along, Geoffrey and the still unnamed dinosaur.

I'm planning on driving to Linthicum to stay the night before. It's going to be an adventure because my friend and I always get lost, even with a GPS.:o Maybe we should plan on two days before. I'm assuming the Holiday Inn has a shuttle to the port?

Your "almost" stowaway looks just like one of my critters.:)

After a nap and dinner, I watched a little TV then wandered down to the lobby bar for a glass (or two) of wine.

All right, it's after midnight, that means I cruise today! We are going on the most exciting, most exotic itinerary ever - Florida then the Bahamas! Oh, and then Florida again!! Specifically, we will be in Port Canaveral Sunday. I have a ticket to Universal Orlando, so, if the weather holds, I will go there and will not be able to access any wifi. Monday, we are in Nassau, I have learned through these boards that there is no longer free wifi at the pier like there used to be. Additionally, Scubagirl is reporting this is due to a serious hacking problem in Nassau right now. So, I am debating if it is worth the risk to go to Starbucks or whatever and pay for wifi just to run the risk of getting hacked?

Tuesday, CocoCay= no wifi and Wednesday is Key West. We have a short day in KW and I understand immigration has been very slow there, lots of problems. If I can, I will post while I am there. Our roll call is unsure which pier we are at, we may be at the Outer Mole. Irregardless :D of whether we are at Mallory Square or the Mole, does anyone know where I can get free wifi in KW? Then, we have 2 sea days and back to Baltimore.

Hopefully, I will be able to post as I go along. Irregardless :D, I will take good notes and lots of pics and hope to come back with an interesting report about a lovely cruise. Thanks for following along!

Well, as alive as I can. I'm assuming the internet on the ship will be slow and expensive. I do get 30 free minutes. :rolleyes:

Don't remember if your ship has the discount books still or they have moved to electronic. But one mistake I kept making with the ships with the books is I would use my free minutes and then buy the package. When I should have bought the package and then had my discount applied then the credit gets you more time per say. If it's electronic you should be set with what package you do go with. What I usually do if I don't do a big internet package is I keep and write my notes offline. I usually think of about six to twelve pictures I want to upload. I try to write my stories around those six to twelve pictures that had to do with what went on since my last post, etc. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. My last trip having unlimited internet made things a little different. For my upcoming trip, I'll be reverting back to the above method as I won't have unlimited internet. :D

BTW good luck sleeping tonight since tomorrow is cruise day! :D:D

Am sure Rusty the dinosaur will be sleeping just fine though.

Oh and while I was on my last cruise I had a stowaway last exactly like that one move in with me. I'll have to watch out when I pack for my next trip.

Your "almost" stowaway looks just like one of my critters.

Well, if we're gonna talk about critters...

The stowaway is my Nutmeg.

My avatar is my Ginger (RIP).

I got them together at the Humane Society and it turned out, Ginger had FLV. I gave her a good life for two years, though. My vet called them, the Spice Girls!

Another of my critters is the albino groundhog who lived in my backyard(RIP). I thought he looked like a tiny polar bear.

And speaking of critters and me being in Baltimore, anybody want some crab?

That's my niece, Heather. She works on a fishing boat in Alaska!

I'm planning on driving to Linthicum to stay the night before. It's going to be an adventure because my friend and I always get lost, even with a GPS.:o Maybe we should plan on two days before. I'm assuming the Holiday Inn has a shuttle to the port?

Actually, I don't think they do. Since Sea Turtle had the discount, she handled all the land arrangements and she says the cheapest thing for us to do is split a cab. Our hotel is closer to the airport than the pier, so, maybe that is why.

Don't remember if your ship has the discount books still or they have moved to electronic. But one mistake I kept making with the ships with the books is I would use my free minutes and then buy the package. When I should have bought the package and then had my discount applied then the credit gets you more time per say. If it's electronic you should be set with what package you do go with. What I usually do if I don't do a big internet package is I keep and write my notes offline. I usually think of about six to twelve pictures I want to upload. I try to write my stories around those six to twelve pictures that had to do with what went on since my last post, etc. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. My last trip having unlimited internet made things a little different. For my upcoming trip, I'll be reverting back to the above method as I won't have unlimited internet. :D

 

 

BTW good luck sleeping tonight since tomorrow is cruise day! :D:D

 

Am sure Rusty the dinosaur will be sleeping just fine though.

Actually, the Grandeur is electronic. I don't understand about the discount. Are you saying don't use my free minutes first? I think I get a 20% (?) discount on internet. But, if I use my 30 minutes and I can only upload like 3 pics, I won't use it any more. I can't waste a lot of money on internet, you know? I'd rather do something productive on my trip with that money, like eat Chocolate Covered Key Lime Pie on a stick!

The problem with me and posting is I love pics! As you can tell!! It would be hard for me to do a review feeling like I could only post a few pics. If that's the case, I'll wait and do it when I get home.

God must want me to go to sleep, he made the TV go off about an hour ago. Why Rusty? Not that I'm opposed, I'm looking for suggestions, just wondering why? Are you sure it's not Andy, Jr? Am I sure it's not Andy, Jr? :D My love child - LOL!!

Hi Maureen, and hooray!!! I am sooooo looking forward to your live/semi-live review!! There is free internet at the Key West Public Library, 700 Fleming Street. Don't forget--lunch at Blue Heaven! I know it will appeal to your sense of humor. We shared our lunch with a few resident roosters;) Have a great time!

 

Actually, the Grandeur is electronic. I don't understand about the discount. Are you saying don't use my free minutes first? I think I get a 20% (?) discount on internet. But, if I use my 30 minutes and I can only upload like 3 pics, I won't use it any more. I can't waste a lot of money on internet, you know? I'd rather do something productive on my trip with that money, like eat Chocolate Covered Key Lime Pie on a stick!

 

The problem with me and posting is I love pics! As you can tell!! It would be hard for me to do a review feeling like I could only post a few pics. If that's the case, I'll wait and do it when I get home.

 

God must want me to go to sleep, he made the TV go off about an hour ago. Why Rusty? Not that I'm opposed, I'm looking for suggestions, just wondering why? Are you sure it's not Andy, Jr? Am I sure it's not Andy, Jr? :D My love child - LOL!!

The reason to get a package if your going that route is the per minute Internet cost is cheaper. Then your discount applies to that package then in the end allowing you more "free" minutes per say even though your buying a package. If your planning on just using the 30 mins then don't buy a package of course. :-)

Rusty was just the first name that came to mind. :-) He does look like he could get into trouble like Andy. Those two traveling together would probably be in the brink a lot. :-)

Yay.... Cruise day is here!!! How exciting, the sleep you lost last night you may be able to gain over the next few days!

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

Don't forget--lunch at Blue Heaven! I know it will appeal to your sense of humor. We shared our lunch with a few resident roosters;) Have a great time!

Karen, Thanks for all your help. Have you ever eaten at the Six Toed Cat Cafe? It looks sooo cute, tables shaped like cat's paws! I'll look for Blue Heaven, though. I'm always looking for a few, good cocks to share my lunch with. :eek:

I hope this weather doesn't prevent any of our cruisers from making it to port. We had one couple flying in from Paris yesterday! Ooh, lala, I wish they came in earlier! I'll go check the roll call to see if they are here, yet. Happy Cruising, everybody! :)

This looks like it will be good! (No pressure) Following along.

Karen, Thanks for all your help. Have you ever eaten at the Six Toed Cat Cafe? It looks sooo cute, tables shaped like cat's paws! I'll look for Blue Heaven, though. I'm always looking for a few, good cocks to share my lunch with. :eek:

 

I hope this weather doesn't prevent any of our cruisers from making it to port. We had one couple flying in from Paris yesterday! Ooh, lala, I wish they came in earlier! I'll go check the roll call to see if they are here, yet. Happy Cruising, everybody! :)

LOL, you crack me up! I've never eaten at the Six Toed Cat Cafe, but it sounds very cute. Everything in KW is walkable, especially if the ship docks near Mallory Square. Just have a great time--somehow I think you always find where the fun is;):D:o