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Solstice Dec 11-18 - Hangin' with the Primate Posse


subtchr

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Hi, all,

 

I so enjoy writing a review of each of our cruises, as a way to relive them and have a written account to look back on in the future. I am also a compulsive photographer (just ask my husband), so I try to include any pics I think help to illustrate these amazing vacations. So here goes!

 

A bit of background before I begin -- my husband Bruce and I had taken four Royal Caribbean cruises and loved them. Our oldest son, Pete, and his partner, Tom, had booked the Solstice originally for the week after Thanksgiving. When Celebrity extended Solstice's Med season, they were offered some OBC to switch to the December 11-18 cruise. They booked Aqua class cabin 1610, with its huge balcony, and when we decided to join them, we snagged 1608 beside them. We initially booked 1606 for our other son and daughter, but for various reasons they didn't end up joining us. We were actually able to time cancelling that cabin, which also has a large balcony, so that another member of our roll call could grab it.

 

Speaking of our roll call, it was a fantastic group. I have joined roll calls on all of our cruises, but none of those has been more than a group to exchange info with online prior to the cruise, to meet at the Meet and Mingle on board, and to stop and chat with occasionally throughout the trip. And that was absolutely fine with me - I have a great time with my family. But from the beginning, this roll call was a different animal (pun intended).

 

We called ourselves the Primate Posse for a couple reasons. Tom's screen name is prim8keeper, as he works with primates in a research lab at Emory, after working at zoos for several years. And it turns out the rest of us have a soft spot for animals - pets and otherwise. So the roll call postings during the year before the cruise were peppered with lots of humor and photos as well as cruise info from the experienced travelers among us. Several shared excursions were organized, as well as a couple of other group gatherings.

 

When we learned in the spring that the price of the beverage packages would be increasing, several of us purchased it then. We even dubbed it the "P6" - Primate Posse Pre-Purchased Premium Package. Even though Bruce and I don't usually drink much, the "all-inclusive" feel of the package appealed to me, and I figured we could always change our minds and cancel it as the cruise got closer. Well, of course by that point my mindset was, "Hey, it's paid for, let's just try it." Which we did, and loved it. Did we get our money's worth? Probably not, if all you consider is how much we would have spent on the beverages we consumed. But we absolutely loved not having to think about it or sign any slips, and we enjoyed many things we would not normally try. Would I purchase it again? If its within the budget, absolutely. I'll talk a bit more about it during the review.

 

Enough talk, how about a few pictures to get things going?

 

Bruce and I flew into FLL from Dayton late on the night before the cruise, as Bruce had a class that day. We had a short connection in ATL, but everything went smoothly, so no problems there. In fact it was a gorgeous night to fly - crystal clear with a full moon:

 

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Cincinnati from the air at night:

 

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Pete and Tom picked us up and took us to the Westin Beach Resort, which I had snagged on Hotwire for $87. We wouldn't have much time at the hotel, but we are early risers, so I thought we would enjoy a walk on the beach before heading to the port Sunday morning. (Hint: if you are heading to the Westin Beach Resort, don't just put "Westin" in the GPS. Unless you want it to direct you to the Westin Diplomat. But a tour of Fort Lauderdale at night is not all bad.)

 

It was a bit breezy but very nice Sunday morning, especially after leaving the 20-degree temps of Ohio behind us. We walked for a bit then found The Deck restaurant for an inexpensive and tasty breakfast with a view:

 

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We walked back along the beach:

 

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We relaxed at the hotel for a bit before the boys (okay, they are in their 20s, but they're still "the boys" to us) picked us up. The original plan was to head to the port at 11 or so to check in and have lunch on the ship. The extra noro cleaning required the development of Plan B (we had all received email and phone notification of the delayed boarding). Yes, people who did arrive at the port early were able to enter the building and wait inside, but no one was allowed on the ship until after 2:30 or so. We decided we would rather have a nice lunch elsewhere before arriving, so we met another roll call family at Seasons 52 in the Galleria Mall. Outstanding lunch, wonderful flatbreads - I highly recommend it.

 

We had left our luggage with the bell desk at the hotel, as the boys' car did not have room for the four of us and all the luggage, so they dropped us off back at the hotel, and we got a taxi to the port for a $25 flat fee. We arrived around 1:50, and the line was quite long, which we expected. We dropped off our luggage with the porters then got in line, which at that point wrapped along the side of the building. Soon after we arrived, it quickly grew to double itself and then triple, snaking along the sidewalk and building. Luckily there was a security person directing the traffic in the line, to make sure it was orderly. There were also Celebrity folks coming through sharing information and passing out complimentary small bottles of water. We were lucky to be under the overhang of the building. It was warm but not too hot, but there was a quick shower which the folks in the outer sections of the line had to deal with.

 

The line was pretty much a standstill for the next hour or so, but finally started moving slowly about 3, and I believe we entered the building by about 3:30 or 3:45. I have to say, overall the folks in the line were pretty good-natured about everything. It's always fun to chat with people in such a situation. A few who had not received notification were confused about the delay, but most seemed to understand once it was explained to them. Our view before entering the building:

 

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As other posters from this cruise have noted, the first day was far from ideal. Late boarding and cabins not available until after 6 pm made for some crowded public areas. But we were aboard and on vacation, so we just tried to make the best of it.

 

We explored a bit, got a drink, then fought the crowds to grab a snack at the buffet. It had just stopped raining, so we were able to find a slightly damp seat in the open-air section aft.

 

We looked at all the other ships in port that day and walked around before meeting up with some of the roll call members at the Sunset Bar. We had planned that gathering for sailaway, but we did not pull out until about 6:30, well after dark. Still pretty, but when they announced the cabins were finally ready a little after 6, everyone disbursed to drop off carry-ons and get ready for dinner.

 

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We were in Aqua class, cabin 1608 on the hump. We loved it!

 

We had previously cruised 4 times on RC - 2 insides, 1 balcony, and 1 junior suite with our daughter. We were fine with the insides, but if we can afford it, we love having a balcony. The extra space in the JS was nice with our daughter last year, but with just two of us, a regular cabin is all we need.

 

We chose the Aqua because the boys wanted to eat in Blu, and I am so glad we did. The "extras" that come with the cabin were nice, but nothing we would pay extra for. However, we adored dining in Blu. The atmosphere, food, and service were amazing.

 

A few pics around the cabin:

 

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Best cruise bathroom ever, in our opinion. We did not have a problem with splashing from the sink that others report, and there was plenty of space both in the bathroom itself and in the shower. We did enjoy the extra spray nozzles in the shower in Aqua!

 

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Storage in the bathroom was fantastic, plenty of space in the cabinets to the right of the sink:

 

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Storage in the cabin itself was plenty for us as well, contrary to some reports. We did not even use the cabinets above the bed (kind of awkward to access) other than to store a few things we did not plan to use all week.

 

1608 has the bed closest to the balcony, which we prefer, but we'd be fine with the other configuration as well (which is what the boys had in 1610). A little tight between the couch and the right side of the closet:

 

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The little shelves beside the beds are kind of useless, but okay to put a small book or your watch on:

 

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The best part about the cabin was the large balcony, especially since we had the boys next door. No problem having the steward open the partial partition between the balconies. I will let the photos tell the story:

 

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Our balcony (1608)

 

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1610, with the partition open to 1608:

 

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For the folks who like details, from a kindred spirit, here is the way the partitions work. The steward has a tool that he or she uses to retract the metal piece holding the partition against the bumper:

 

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Then the partial door swings open and is latched at the top to keep it from swinging:

 

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Here is the divider between 1608 and 1606. One could open the glass partition at the top and the small white partition at the bottom, but of course the diagonal beam would still be there to duck under:

 

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There was a big group on Deck 8 who opened up the partitions between six or seven balconies:

 

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View of our balconies from below:

 

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The view forward:

 

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In addition to the great balcony, we loved the location of the cabin, just a few steps from the aft stairs and elevators, and one flight up to the pool deck, two to the buffet. We rarely heard noise, even out on the balcony, from the pool deck above. Certainly nothing that bothered us. The only semi-negative I could report would be that there is a steward's supply closet right outside our door. Never heard noise from that, but there was often a supply cart parked there. No big deal, but it would bother some people. We'd choose these cabins again in a heartbeat!

 

Back to the cruise!

 

After our Primate Posse gathering broke up, we went to the cabin and unpacked, as our bags were there when we arrived. We met our cabin steward, who did a fine job all week.

 

We talked to the boys and decided to head to dinner at Blu at about 7. Even though you have to sign up for a specific dining time for Blu, and previous reports indicated you would be requested to stick to that time the first night, we had a letter in our cabin informing us we could go to Blu whenever we wanted. Which makes more sense - Blu works best when individual dining groups arrive scattered throughout the evening.

 

So began a wonderful dining experience! We always received outstanding service, and it was difficult to decide what to try from the enticing menu. We would not consider ourselves foodies by any means, but we are willing to try just about anything.

 

We had several different servers throughout the week, all of whom were outstanding. I'm sorry I never wrote down her name (which was quite long - I remember it rolling off my tongue after several glasses of wine one evening!), but the female sommelier in Blu was our favorite employee of the cruise. We do not know much about wine, but that did not bother her at all. She was SO helpful and funny and gracious, and after the first night knew us well enough to make suggestions. Here is where having the premium beverage package served us well. We could try several different kinds of wine, or polish off a bottle of something we liked, or have an aperitif or liqueur at the end of the meal, with no hassle or anxiety about the bill. It was very freeing!

 

After dinner we caught the end of the Welcome Aboard show and crashed pretty early. Overall, in spite of the delayed embarkation, we were happy with the ship and the experience and looking forward to a wonderful week!

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Sue,

 

Great review. Thanks for sharing your experience and photos.

 

Please tell me there is more coming :confused:

 

We're sailing the Solstice in April and appreciate every detail we can get.

 

Please tell us what nights were formal nights. Not sure if you ate in the main dining room but do you know if any of the dinners included lobster?

 

Sounds like your Posse was a fun group. I am hoping ours picks up as we get closer.

 

Rick

 

 

Rick

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Thanks, Rick!

 

Definitely more coming...if you peek at my Serenade review linked in my signature, you will see it's tough to get me to shut up once I get going...

 

Formal nights were Monday (first sea day) and Friday (last port day). We had lobster in Blu, so I am assuming they had it in the MDR.

 

Back to the cruise...

 

I always sleep well on a ship. Something about the movement, even when it is minimal, is just so relaxing. The beds were a bit on the firm side but very comfortable. The linens were great, love the duvet.

 

I did wake up early the first morning (Monday), with a glorious sea day ahead of me. I wrapped up in my fluffy Celebrity robe (an Aqua perq) and snuck out to the balcony to be greeted with this beautiful sight, a full moon over the water:

 

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Even though this cruise had been planned for many months, the timing of it was better than I ever could have imagined. We had a busy fall - Bruce had started a new job, and I escort group travel trips, mostly high school bands and choirs, so marching band season keeps me on the road. In fact, I had escorted a great group to NYC for the Macy's parade over Thanksgiving. In the weeks between that trip and the cruise, my dad, who had been in failing health for several months, took a turn for the worse. I am one of seven siblings, so we were able to provide care for him in his home with the help of hospice during those weeks. He passed away the Tuesday before our trip, so that week was a whirlwind of arranging details and family time.

 

Every cruise to us is therapy, a chance to get away from the realities of every day living, to recharge and relax and be pampered. Besides the beautiful ships and amazing service, there is something about being on the water that is elemental, that allows one to feel tranquility. At least it does for me. So I spent a lot of time on the balcony or elsewhere on the ship just watching the water, thinking of my dad. Don't get me wrong, I also had a great time laughing with my husband and some new friends, and we had some great shore excursions, as you will see if you stick with me. But there was some healing going on as well.

 

I stayed on the balcony for quite a while, as the moon set and the sun rose. (Note the X slippers, even...):

 

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I decided to try the Aqua Spa Cafe for breakfast today. I was not in the mood for the buffet, especially since they had the noro restrictions in place, with no self-serve. That was true in Aqua Spa too, of course, but it's a nice little venue.

 

There is something about oatmeal on ships that I just love, one of my many quirks.

 

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I had that with some fruit and some hot, milky, sweet tea. Lovely.

 

After breakfast I walked around a bit taking some pictures:

 

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More wanderings...

 

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This is pretty cool, "Team Earth" on Deck 7. Interactive ecology-themed computer terminals, lots of info:

 

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Bruce's favorite spot and favorite activity (he reads 4-5 books a cruise):

 

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Soon it was time to head to the 10:00 Connections party, in Cellar Masters. One of our roll call members, Leslie, was so sweet - she had made bags, door magnets, all kinds of stuff, including a great banner:

 

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I had made "Primate Posse" nametags for all the regular posters on the roll call (and plenty of blank ones for those who might show up who did not post). We had a pretty good turnout, and I was surprised how many people came who had signed up for the Connections party but never joined the roll call. I don't mean that they didn't post much or jump in and join the jokes or ask cruise questions; I mean they did not even know that there WAS such a thing as a roll call. I'd ask what their screen name was to see if I had a nametag for them, and some did not know what I meant. But it was not a problem, I just gave them a blank one to fill out and let them know we had a few other activities scheduled if they were interested.

 

The cruise director, Stewart Turnbull, even showed up after a while. He welcomed us aboard and mentioned how much they appreciate Cruise Critic. And told us to wash our hands. (I think he was contractually obligated to say that after every third sentence throughout the cruise.)

 

We had arranged a gift exchange for those interested, and we had originally planned to start a cabin crawl after the party. But with the delayed departure the night before, the muster drill was now scheduled for 11:00, so we decided to all meet at 2:30 for the cabin crawl.

 

Bruce at the muster drill in the MDR, our first stay-inside-and-watch-a-video muster drill. Nice.

 

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Will post more tomorrow (I'm not even through the first full day!).

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Time for a couple posts before heading off for some Christmas shopping!

 

Since the muster drill was at 11:00, I reasoned that the buffet would be packed afterward with everyone trying to get lunch at the same time. By the way, we had all planned to attend the gala buffet brunch in the MDR this day after our roll call activities, but of course that was cancelled because of the noro. We were hoping they might reschedule it for the last sea day, but alas, it was not to be. Just another reason to sail X again so that we can experience it!

 

Bruce went ahead to the buffet, but I decided to try room service for lunch on the balcony. I ordered shrimp cocktail and what was listed on the menu as margherita pizza. Three little shrimp (but tasty), and the pizza was a regular cheese pizza, but it hit the spot. I had grabbed a coke earlier to keep in our fridge.

 

Our fridge had been emptied because of the noro precautions, which was fine with me. Our steward had asked us if we wanted him to refill it, and we said no thanks. So under our beverage package, we would occasionally grab a canned coke or Arizona tea or premium water and just bring it back to the cabin to keep in the fridge for later. Worked out great!

 

I forgot to mention, our sparkling wine was in our cabin when we returned after muster drill:

 

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We never did drink it. We are not big fans of sparkling wine, so I really don't think we would have enjoyed it; and since we had the beverage package, there was no reason to partake of anything we wouldn't enjoy!

 

After relaxing for a bit (napping may have been involved), it was time to head out for the cabin crawl. We had a Sky Suite, a couple of cabins on the stern, and our hump Aqua cabins with the large balconies to visit. We had decided to do it as a poker run for anyone interested. $5 buy-in, pick a card at each cabin (and the last card at the final bar!), best hand gets the pot.

 

The Sky Suite was nice, very similar to the junior suite we had on RC's Serenade last year. Much more like a hotel room, size-wise, and the bathtub is nice. The balcony was wide, of course, but not as deep as ours, so that was a toss-up.

 

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Next stop was a balcony on the stern of the ship. To me the best aspect of these cabins would be the view:

 

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The long walk down the hall would not really bother me, but I would not like the lack of any kind of overhang, or the way that those above could look down on my balcony:

 

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I'm sure I am in the minority there, but that's what I love about cruising, there is something for everyone!

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Moira and her daughter Brittany, our Aussie members, had a couple of appropriate decorations for us to see and even shared some marmite for those interested!

 

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Primate Posse forever:

 

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We finished at the Passport Bar and socialized a bit afterward. What a great group!

 

Sharon (bighairtexan) distributing the last of the poker cards:

 

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Beautiful sunset from the balcony tonight:

 

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It was formal night in the MDR, but as Aqua guests, dining in Blu or a specialty restaurant, we could have opted out. But the boys had brought their suits, Bruce a sport coat and tie, and I a dress, so we enjoyed looking nice (even it wasn't the traditional tux and gown!).

 

We had reservations at Silk Harvest with the boys tonight, as we all love Asian food. Service was a little on the slow side, but we enjoyed the food tremendously. It's nice to have a group of at least 4, to be able to have a taste of many different things. Of course you could order as much as you wanted even with only two people, but it feels much less indulgent with a larger group! Bruce enjoyed a Sapporo beer with dinner (he had been stationed in Japan, very close to where they brew Sapporo, many years ago), and the rest of us had warm sake, which was perfect with the meal.

 

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A fun dessert - cheesecake "sushi":

 

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Tomorrow, our first port - Grand Cayman.

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Thank you for the time in sharing your cruise and thoughts and pictures with us! It sounds like you surely did need time for resting and time to recover from all that had gone on before your trip. My dad passed away about 6 weeks before our first TA. It was a good time to rest, but it was good to be around friends and other people as well.

I am looking forward to the rest! We'll be on the Solstice next September... really looking forward to that.

Thanks again for your review!

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Sue:

 

I had the pleasure of cruising the Solstice in March with my wife, best friend and his wife. We were cruising shortly after the passing of my father from a year-long battle with cancer.

 

Like your time with your husband and family, I, too, enjoyed the happy moments with my 'cruising crew.' But, just as you described, I made sure to make time to think of my Dad and find the healing I so desperately needed. I remember one evening at the Sunset Bar alone just to have a scotch (my father's favorite indulgence). It felt as though he was sitting next to me, quietly enjoying the evening with me.

 

They say time heals all wounds--and it does--but shared experiences and knowing that others did the same as you helps just as much. Seeing your pictures and reading your review flooded me with all those positive and happy memories. Please keep them coming!

 

Oh, and: Thank you.

 

I hope and trust that your cruise was as helpful and healing for you as mine was for me.

 

--Robert

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Thanks for the kind words.

 

Robert - the cruise was very therapeutic. I love that about Cruise Critic, that we can have these shared human experiences, in spite of never having met.

 

On to Grand Cayman!

 

The captain had announced during the sea day that due to the late departure from Fort Lauderdale, we would be arriving at Grand Cayman an hour late. That surprised me, as I would have thought that 36 hours would be plenty of time to make up an hour, but there may have been other factors at play. I wouldn't think with a tendering port there would be any issues with docking (anchoring?) times, but who knows.

 

An hour normally would be no big deal, but we were a little concerned as we had booked a private excursion. We don't do cruise line excursions unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Too expensive and, more importantly to us, usually way too many people. We prefer private tours, which usually offer a more intimate local experience. I research on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor to ensure that we are booking a reputable company. We try to find a mix of active and relaxing excursions, with as much local flavor as possible.

 

Three years ago, when we visited Grand Cayman on Royal's Liberty of the Seas with a large family group, we did the Rays, Reef, and Rum Point tour with Native Way Watersports. We loved it so much that we decided to do it again this trip.

 

The original schedule had us arriving in port at 7:00, and we were supposed to meet the Native Way contact by 8:45, to depart at 9:00. Since we now were not arriving until 8:00 and had to tender, it was going to be tight. Having said that, Native Way does not require a deposit, so if we missed the bus there would be no financial implications, just disappointment. We already had a Plan B in mind, a taxi to Seven Mile Beach, which we luckily had no need to implement.

 

We were up early as usual and had some breakfast in the buffet. My choices were not quite so healthy as the day before, but hey, I was going to be burning some calories today!

 

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According to the announcement, tender tickets would be available in the Entertainment Court on Deck 4 at 8:00. I went down about 7:15 (armed with my iPod for entertainment while waiting) and was among the first in line. The result?

 

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We waited in the Grand Foyer for them to announce tendering had begun, Bruce with his usual book:

 

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We were aboard the tender by 8:20 and on our way on a breezy but beautiful morning. We had a regular harbor tender, and they were also using the big lifeboats from the ship for tendering. I believe they used them for folks on ship's excursions going in, and for everyone coming back.

 

A few pics from the tender, including the Disney Magic, two Carnival ships, and an NCL (an RC ship would join us later - busy day!).

 

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We ended up meeting the Native Way contact right at 9:00. About 20 people total, from several different ships, made our way to the bus for the ride to the yacht club where the tour boat was located. It was about at 20 minute ride, comfortable and interesting to see the sights of George Town on the way.

 

Arriving at the dock:

 

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We were happy to see we would be with two of the same guides we had three years ago, Andrew and JC:

 

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Always fun to see the iguanas lining the walls as we pull out of the channel:

 

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Checking out the beautiful homes in the area before picking up speed:

 

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Soon we were approaching stingray city. For those not familiar, it is a sandbar where the water is waist- to chest-high, where stingrays gather (especially when tour guides and accompanying tourists are there bearing gifts of squid to eat). It's a very cool experience! Lots of pics:

 

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