TravelBluebird

@pe4all Ugh I hope you heal up well! I hated it when I couldn’t drive after my accident. Two weeks will go fast! Thanks for following along on my LIVE!

Arrived in Atlanta on time! Our next plane is HUGE - a 767-300 🙀 for such a short plane trip. Crazy; it’s totally full, 56 people on the wait list for first class (no seats available) and 14 people on standby (who haven’t cleared). Our flights were so expensive due to Spring Break, but evidently Delta could fill the seats even with such high fares! We walked from C gates where we laned to A gates. About 10 minutes, to get some steps in. Husband got a delicious red velvet cupcake from Boars Head Cafe (we are in A terminal). I got some unsalted cashews in case I get hungry; had to go on a lazy Keto diet beginning of this year; the inactivity//emotional eating after my ankle break put the pounds on. My lazy Keto ends tonight at dinner ‘cause I’m enjoying the food this trip; steps (big ship!) and dancing ought to keep too many pounds from piling back on. I hope. Delta just let us know our bags are on the flight to Orlando! Gosh I love that feature. We have air tags, just in case, but still. Expect to arrive in ATL around 2:15; meeting up with our friends from Idaho, then heading to our hotel in the Port area. We’re staying at the TownPlace Suites Port Canaveral; built in 2022, its a fairly new hotel, and only 1 mile from the Port. We picked it because the hotels near the port tonight were all asking between $300 to $400 a room (some over that!) and we could use our Marriott points for a room. Gosh its expensive to travel during Spring Break! Still glad we are going. No regrets!

At the airport for our connection to Atlanta! Pouring rain but everything looks on time. Things went about as smooth as they could, considering I never can sleep the night before a cruise trip starts! We ended up with 1 24” suitcase each and 1 carry on. I don’t carry a large purse for travel to Florida anymore, just a small cross-body bag that fits in carry on, because once on the ship I never use it again till we fly home. Son is pet sitting//staying at house for us so he drove us to the airport. Flew through TSA thanks to TSA Pre, and then did some shopping at the little gift shop at our airport. They actually have nice things, prices not too bad, and we have an hour to kill! Husband got a nice collared shirt with pocket and UT logo; if the basketball team lost last night I’m sure he wouldn’t have purchased it 😂 I got a soft generic “Tennessee” t shirt; will be great for dancing at the deck parties and hanging around the ship. Next report probably from Orlando//Port Canaveral; perhaps a quick check in from Atlanta.

Just found out there is a rocket launch at Port Canaveral tomorrow night at 7:38pm; we are hoping to see it!

Ok, so you are probably wondering WHY I’m taking the exact same cruise as last year! Well, here’s how it went down. In December, Carnival canceled the Jubilee TransAtlantic that was scheduled for this October, which I was booked on. We were given a generous credit (25% of our fare plus $200 onboard credit). At the time, my Mom was ill and I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to rebook. So in late January, my friends who were our cruising companions for the Jubilee called us. They live in Idaho, it was REALLY cold there, and really cold where I live in Tennessee too. We decided we needed to book some “Fun in the Sun,” and book it fast—hopefully February or early March. We decided we wanted to book the Celebration as the substitute for our cancelled Jubilee trip. Well DANG that ship was super booked up. No chance in February, and in March, the only available dates were super expensive. So we looked at Mardi Gras (I’m the only one of the 4 who has been on it). We tried to find a different itinerary. Well again, February was BOOKED, so we looked at March. Only sailing that any reasonably priced rooms available (we stubbornly wanted Ocean Suites since that is what we booked on the Jubilee) was this one we are taking! Well I had FUN on the Mardi Gras last year, and its certainly heading into the sun, so off we are going! Only other ship I’ve been on twice is the Carnival Splendor (from Long Beach and then years later from New York). We take off tomorrow morning; I’m so excited!

My ankle has been put back together, and I’m back on the traveling trail! As many of you know, I broke my ankle during a LIVE! on the Carnival Spirit last April. After the break, I reported on what its like to have an emergency onboard a cruise ship. Here is what happened: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2847073-a-fractured-live-fractured-my-ankle-on-carnival-spirit-in-hospital-in-cartagena/ I’ve healed up very well! Other than a swollen ankle in the evening after a big walking day, no other major problems, which is good because I know I’ll walk a ton on the Mardi Gras! At some point I’ll give you all an update on how the insurance all worked out in the end. Also, I’m calling this a Mardi Gras Redux, because I took this exact same itinerary (Nassau…Amber Cove…Grand Turk) last year, about 6 weeks before my injury. Here is a link to my original LIVE!: SO, since I did an extensive LIVE! on this exact same ship//same itinerary last year, I thought this year I’d focus my LIVE! on all the things that are different this year, such as the Pandemic being over (no masks!) and being on a Spring Break cruise (something I swore I’d never do!). We’ve also had lots of reports that perhaps food quality and service has changed. Have they? I’ll compare and let you know what I think. Plus, I’ll be reporting on all the things I didn’t do last year on Mardi Gras that I’m doing this time. The comedy shows, Chef’s Table, Pig & Anchor, some shows I didn’t see at Center Stage, etc. And I’ll let you know about some brand new things, like the new Alcohol-free drinks at the Alchemy Bar, and the “new” Jack’s Shack in Grand Turk. I’m traveling with a vegan, so we’ll talk vegan food options, and I’m staying at a new port hotel. Plus I’m happy to answer any questions you have while I’m on the ship. Also new this year is I’m taking more video (since I have a new YouTube cruising channel, Cruising With Dee), but you’ll still get plenty of prose (y’all know I’m kind of wordy!) and my photos posted here. Thanks in advance for reading along and joining in! I love to do LIVES here because of the incredible Cruise Critic community; everyone here really helped get me through the fractured end to my Spirit cruise last year, and the aftermath. In my next post I’ll tell you WHY I’m taking the exact same trip two years in a row!

Speaking of Non-Alcoholic drinks, Carnival just announced some special non-alcoholic cocktails that will be available in the Alchemy Bar! I’m so excited!

I also wish that Carnival carried more Non-Alcoholic beers, or allowed one to carry it on. My husband doesn’t drink a drop, but loves his non-alcoholic beers. Honestly, I would drink them myself sometimes too because although I do drink I don’t drink much and enjoy the NA beers as an option. Many people, for either medical or religious reasons, would enjoy these NA beers. I think that because in the United States (unlike Japan, for instance) most NA beers contain a very very small amount of alcohol, they are treated as adult beverages and cannot be purchased by minors, so they are treated the same by Carnival and cannot be brought aboard. Wish this would change at least with the new true 0.0% beers like Bud Free.

Plans, my cruise, and my LIVE! have gone awry. I dislocated and badly fractured my ankle after tripping on the steps to the gangway this morning. Dramatic fall, and unfortunately for me, dramatic scary dislocation. I am at the hospital in Cartagena. I am awaiting the specialist. Have been given pain medication. If you have ever wanted to know what happens in this situation you will now find out in my Fractured LIVE! In the bright side I have Allianz travel insurance. And working internet (gotta keep it light) Of course I’m devastated that my trip is over. Just devastated. More to follow after my ankle is put back in place.