Maryland cruise addicts?

[Pumbaamd]

Originally Posted by CAC104

We'll have to start a Terp Cruiser relocation club.

Yes, we can have our meetings at Conchy Joe's!

[rafinmd]

Originally Posted by Pumbaamd

Just back from our 2nd visit to Port St. Lucie looking for retirement property. It was great to finally visit Carol and Kent at C&J's home and the great dinner that followed. Thanks C&J again for your wonderful hospitality and Carol and Kent for being with us.
C&J and we enjoyed a short but very, very fun MN cruise last weekend. Sooo much fun, that we all booked again for 8/24 on MN and are also again in adjacent cabins.
This Florida life looks good, hope to make the move in 2013.
Rick and Deirdra

Looks like you really like the Monarch, Actually I just booked it for December, will be the 3rd ship I book in it's final season (After SS Rotterdam and QE2). This will be almost B2B with Celebrity Summit for my nephew's wedding.

Meanwhile, I leave Monday for a short cruise with my favorite small ship company.

Roy

[Pumbaamd]

Originally Posted by rafinmd

Looks like you really like the Monarch, Actually I just booked it for December, will be the 3rd ship I book in it's final season (After SS Rotterdam and QE2).
Roy

Yes, we enjoy Monarch and Majesty (and previously Empress). The advantage on the smaller ships is that you get to know the staff and crew much better, and also fellow pax, and make new friends to sail with again. We've had the same cabin attendants, wait and bar staff, other staff and crew, many times. It's always a great pleasure to sea them again!
Rick and Deirdra

[Annieeee]

Hi,

Hope everyone is well.

I am doing good, adjusting and still loving life. Hope everyone is having a good summer, and boy it sure has been a hot one.

Pumba, when is your TA?

Hope everyone is staying cool.

Annieeee

[Pumbaamd]

Annieeee,
Great to sea you on this site again!
We've been to Port St. Lucie twice this spring/summer to visit Cindy and Carol KC. While there, we checked out the real estate and have contact with a realtor there. A major move within a year looks good for us. Also took a MN and a MJ shorty while in Florida.
Our Brilliance Baltic/TA has been cancelled. The other party that was to sail with us had some medical issues and without them the trip would not have been the same. We took a small hit on the airfare, but all in all, we made the right decision.
Hope you continue to sail when possible and keep posting when you can.
Take care,
Rick and Deirdra

[CAC104]

Annieee...so good to see you posting again. When I get back to MD, would you like to meet for lunch over in your area and check out the Amish market that is next to our golf center on Fridays and Saturdays?

Deidra...in your home search, look at The Lakes in Tradition. They have cute houses and a wonderful community pool, tennis courts, gym etc., but the prices are much lower than here in PGA...Tradition is a brand new area and only a 2 miles up 95 from me and in PSL. Since you aren't into golf, I think it would be a perfect area for you. They have many different developments, but my friends have a house there so I know how nice the community amenities are. It's a gate community.

Right now we have a huge thunder storm under way. Earlier it was just raining a bit on and off and I went out in the pool to swim my laps in the rain. The pool water is really warm, so it was completely comfortable and with no lightening in the area I felt safe to do it. Now, no way would I go out to swim.

[Pumbaamd]

Carol, many thanks for the Tradition info. We'll check it out.
R&D

[CAC104]

My oldest son Jim went home from Florida on Sat. and gave us the good news that all is well with our MD house. My yard company came and removed all large limbs that came down, and nothing in the house is leaking, etc. We were a little worried that the huge winds might have loosened shingles and that we could have a leak that no one could see from the outside, but all is well.

[Pumbaamd]

Carol,

Don't be in a big hurry to come back to Maryland. Calling for 102 degrees Thursday!
We will be back in FL for a shorty MN cruise with C&J and our MIA friends on 8/24.

Off topic, but interesting, Legend of the Seas is coming to Port Everglades for the 2013-14 winter season. We and friends are looking to book Legend's 12/12/13 11 day extreme Southern Caribbean cruise on board MN 8/23. It's an extremely outstanding itin!!!

Best to Kent!

Rick and Deirdra

[CAC104]

I love the southern cruises. Being that I like to snorkel, the water and snorkeling is great in many of the stops.

[Pumbaamd]

Just kinda sorta gotta get this thread movin' a bit.
Have Monarch for a shorty 8/24-8/27 for Deirdra's 8/26 birthday. Sailing with former SeaTerps Cindy and Jerry and also good friends from MIA.
Still searching for a single family home in Port St. Lucie. Our realtor Carol sends us listings almost daily. Hoping for a spring 2013 move from MD to FL.
Need some rain here. Hope it comes tomorrow.
R&D

[buckirj1]

Hi folks. I'm from Howard County, and am *this* close to booking the Enchantment in October, unless I chicken out. It isn't the cruise I want, but this one is much less expensive and fits my schedule better. I'm hoping sailing from Baltimore will mitigate some of my misgivings.

Roy, if you're not off travelling these days, can you offer any advice about the best way to get to the Baltimore port, please? I thought of taking the local bus from the Mall to the airport, then light rail downtown. The trouble is that doesn't get you very close to the port. Would a commuter bus and transfer be better? I'll have managable luggage, but don't want to schlep it more than a half-mile or so, especially since I won't know where I'm going. Thank you for any help you (or anyone else) can provide/.

[rafinmd]

Rita, a woman after my own heart. I may have things a bit easier but here's what I do. I take the 150 bus into Baltimore, but I think the closest you can get to that is at Long Reach Park and Ride. Perhaps one of the commuter buses to Baltimore (I'm not sure exactly how close to your neighborhood they go). In downtown I take the number 1 bus which goes to Fort McHenry. There's a McDonalds in front of a shopping center on Fort Avenue. I'll get off there, have a cup of coffee, and then head to the port to drop off my bags perhaps 9:30. You can board about noon. In the time between bag dropoff and boarding I've once paid a visit to the Baltimore Symphony show house (It happened to be in the inner harbor) and the other time stopped at Ft. McHenry. The Museum of Industry and the American Visionary Art Museum are a couple of other options. If you did not want to leave home as early as the commuter busses you could take the Silver bus to BWI and Light Rail into the City. It connects with the Fort McHenry bus near Lexington Market.

Google Maps has McDonalds (825 East Fort Avenue) to the pier (2301 East McComas Streeet) as .6 miles. Basically walk towards the Fort until you cross over Key Highway, then either down the stairs or there's a probably better street connection 100 yards further down Fort Avenue, and Key Highway will take you right to the dock.

The Airport Shuttle appears to be offering a much easier option with a shared shuttle to the port for $33 each way from my house. I'm going to try that when I sail the Pride next winter on a Sunday when the commuter buses aren't running.

Which itinerary are you considering on the Enchantment?

Roy

[CAC104]

Originally Posted by buckirj1

Hi folks. I'm from Howard County, and am *this* close to booking the Enchantment in October, unless I chicken out. It isn't the cruise I want, but this one is much less expensive and fits my schedule better. I'm hoping sailing from Baltimore will mitigate some of my misgivings.

Roy, if you're not off travelling these days, can you offer any advice about the best way to get to the Baltimore port, please? I thought of taking the local bus from the Mall to the airport, then light rail downtown. The trouble is that doesn't get you very close to the port. Would a commuter bus and transfer be better? I'll have managable luggage, but don't want to schlep it more than a half-mile or so, especially since I won't know where I'm going. Thank you for any help you (or anyone else) can provide/.

Why don't you just drive to the port? They have a big parking lot right by the ship.

[buckirj1]

Wow! That's great information, Roy. Thanks so much. I'm used to taking the local bus to the Amtrak station and the airport, and the commuter bus to DC, but what I don't know about getting around in Baltimore would fill several volumes. I might take a morning to do a dry run to see how it works. And I'd completely forgotten about the Airport Shuttle from the airport. I think it's about the same price as a cab, but I like the fact that the Shuttle is a shared ride. I don't think I'd pay for the service to/from my house unless embark or debark happened on a weekend.

I haven't booked the Enchantment's Canada/NE itinerary, but will probably make up my mind for sure by mid-week. I just KNOW as soon as I do, the NCL cruise I really want will drop to an acceptable level!

[buckirj1]

Originally Posted by CAC104

Why don't you just drive to the port? They have a big parking lot right by the ship.

That's a fair question. I dislike driving, especially when I don't know where I'm going. I also like to do my part to keep fewer vehicles on the road. Mostly, though, I just like taking public transportation of all sorts. Makes a hick like me feel like a city girl

[rafinmd]

Originally Posted by buckirj1

Wow! That's great information, Roy. Thanks so much. I'm used to taking the local bus to the Amtrak station and the airport, and the commuter bus to DC, but what I don't know about getting around in Baltimore would fill several volumes. I might take a morning to do a dry run to see how it works. And I'd completely forgotten about the Airport Shuttle from the airport. I think it's about the same price as a cab, but I like the fact that the Shuttle is a shared ride. I don't think I'd pay for the service to/from my house unless embark or debark happened on a weekend. I see the Enchantment New England cruises are Thursday to Friday so public transit

I haven't booked the Enchantment's Canada/NE itinerary, but will probably make up my mind for sure by mid-week. I just KNOW as soon as I do, the NCL cruise I really want will drop to an acceptable level!

Just to clarify, the Airport Shuttle is between home and port. That service used to be quite expensive but recently they've revised their pricing with pretty much the same prices to go to the port, Penn Station or BWI. Like you, I'm more likely to to use public transit but have pretty much chosen them for the Carnival Pride, which is Sunday to Sunday, and also for my mid-winter Enchantment sailing. Last time on Enchantment though I did something that looked nice but I won't repeat it. I took a cab to Camden station for the last MARC train to Dorsey. While it worked, the cab was almost as expensive as the Airport Shuttle and there's no good place to wait for the bus at the MARC station.

As you suggested, I did take a dry run on the 150 bus before the first time I sailed from the port. I think it's a real benefit.

I'd really encourage you to try the Enchantment. It's well down my list of choices in cruise lines but a very pleasant experience from Baltimore and I think always a plus to have a first hand knowledge of all your options.

Roy

[rafinmd]

I just noticed you've sailed Enchantment of the Seas before. How long ago, and what was it you were not happy about?

Roy

[Annieeee]

Hello,

Just popping in to say Hi and bye. I leave in a couple of days for London, staying there till Sunday and then take the RCI shuttle to Harwich where I will board the Jewel for its 12 night Baltic cruise, then staying onboard for the trans atlantic back to Boston.

I will catch up with you when I return.

Anniee

[rafinmd]

Originally Posted by Annieeee

Hello,

Just popping in to say Hi and bye. I leave in a couple of days for London, staying there till Sunday and then take the RCI shuttle to Harwich where I will board the Jewel for its 12 night Baltic cruise, then staying onboard for the trans atlantic back to Boston.

I will catch up with you when I return.

Anniee

Have a wonderful B2B.

Roy