HarpHarp

What sort of souvenirs should I look for in Italy? I know Venice would be the Murino glass and the Amalfi coast would be anything with lemons! But what about the Tuscany area? Rome? Not the cheesy kind but something to be enjoyed after the cruise is over.

Italian shoes:D

Cindy

proud charter member of the Imelda Marcos/ Carrie Bradshaw fan club

As a former resident, don't skip St Croix. Here is a link to some island tours.

http://www.gotostcroix.com/guided-island-tours

The Whim plantation is great. Maybe she would enjoy Kayaking at Salt River or even the hike to the falls. Horseback riding is also available. It is a wonderful island.

If you just want a quick excursion, do take the walking tour of Fredericksted

CCL's cabins are a bit larger, but I like the NCL bathroom layouts better.

Plenty of storage on both lines.

The food is about equal. We love freestyle dining & like the choices of the specialty restaurants, & love, love love the Blue Lagoon. Liked the buffet on the Breeze best of all the ships. Haven't tried the Breakaway yet, but I will soon:)

The entertainment & shipboard activities are far superior on NCL. I was expecting the Breeze to have super activities and entertainment. Instead it was recycled stuff from our 1997 cruise, shows that were better 2 years previously on NCL (British Invasion), and it was all too loud! No place on CCL to sit and listen to music, have a drink & some conversation. By the end of the 12 days, I really needed a Gatsby's or Red Lion pub with Bernie Martini or Kenny the Human Jukebox.

Great staff on both lines for the most part. We liked the Dawn & Star on NCL. The decor on the Breeze is lovely & I'm hoping I will like the Breakaway as much.

You had to post this:D I lived on St Thomas many years ago and went to Trunk Bay almost every weekend. Been there done that a lot.

After watching the video I'm booking this intinerary next. Thanks for the memories.

We just got back from a 12 day cruise on the Breeze, wonderful intinerary, though we missed Monte Carlo, and a beautiful ship. What we missed was the fun we found on our last 3 NCL cruises.

We loved to go to one of the lounges, have a drink & listen to great music many evenings on NCL. Jazz trios, folk singers like Janna Searle, Pianists like Vladimar & Fabrizio, not to mention Benny Martini and Kenny the Human Jukebox. We would move from venue to venue to catch our favorites, sometimes 2 or 3 different entertainers in an evening.

On the Breeze , the guitar player was amped so loud nobody was visible near him in the Red Frog whenever we went by. Sure helped our sign & sail acct, since we only paid for 4 drinks each in 12 days. We missed the farewell show and the washy washy folks, and really missed being able to grab a quick bite or even a cup of coffee at the Blue Lagoon. Really, after I do my 2 laps around the promanade in the morning, I love being able to grab coffee or juice & head back to the room. I couldn't even get a cup of coffee while I was playing in the casino on the Breeze.

We did enjoy some of the entertainment.

The mixology contest and the synchonized swimming were great. No the music & the movies weren't too loud on the pool deck, but almost everything else was too loud. We loved the house band and Regan the vocalist.

OP, you're giving me nightmares. We leave for Barcelona on American for our cruise in just over 2 weeks:eek:

Our first stop is Monte Carlo. Maybe you could send me the name of the cheaper hotel, just in case:D

How were you getting around before your accident? If you have surgery after your Nov. cruise, you will definitely be layed up for the holidays, figuring 8 to 10 weeks for an "average" recovery. If pain & mobility are manageable on the first cruise, I would wait until I came back in Feb.

Talk to the orthopod, but unless there is some overriding reason to get it done this year, why not wait.

Bob-Guess that saying about things coming in threes is right.:D I am on the Oct 1 cruise and also saw the Pieta at the NY Worlds Fair when I was 9!!-Claudia

Me too-for the Pieta that is

I'll be getting on the Breeze when you get off.

Thanks for the superb review

Water for Elephants is an excellent read.

I second that!

I'm a librarian, retiring & going on our next cruise in September. It looks like we are going to have a little book club meeting on the second sea day to discuss this book.

Has anyone else tried to organize a book club through their roll call?

Here's another Kindle download I wonder if anyone has read.

35.

The Truth About Cruise Ships - A Cruise Ship Officer Survives the Work, Adventure, Alcohol, and Sex of Ship Life

Jay Herring (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars (20)

Auto-delivered wirelessly

$9.95

Cindy

Librarian & new Kindle owner

Just finished two audio books. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs and A Darkness more than night by Michael Connelly. Enjoyed both. About an hour into Beach Music. Love Conroy's use of Italy and how he brings you over there with him. Reminds me of Grisham in Playing for Pizza and The Broker.

I was thinking of getting the Connelly audio for my cruise, but my other audio came in. :) Have to wait 'til I get back for that one. Beach Music really does transport you to Italy.

Catch you al on the return.

Cindy the libararian

I know that it is probally against the law but has anybody ever put a msg in a bottle and thrown it over board? If so have you ever found out where it went?

Here's a story in today's news on aol

" A Baltimore teen wrote a message, put it in a bottle and threw it into the ocean. Five years later, his missive turned up on the other side of the Atlantic. Daniel Knopp was 14-year-old high school student when he wrote the short note on June 21, 2004. He had been vacationing at the time with his parents aboard a cruise ship departing Freeport in the Bahamas, according to The Baltimore Sun"

I just got notified that one of my e-audio books is ready for download-my cruise must be close!!:) Next week is our library booksale, so I'll pick up a buch of paperbacks for $2.00 on Sunday. Now I just hope South of Broad & Even Money are ready for me before we leave,

Cindy

Hi, again,. Cindy,

 

Do you have any other recommendations for Caribbean cruising type books? I love, love, love books like that.

 

Thanks,

 

Lynn

Have you read the Jaine Austen myteries by Laura Levine? The latest is Killer Cruise.

Dick Francis's book Second Wind is about a meteorologist, a small island and a hurricane. I know we both know about those:eek:

For anyone leaving for a cruise from Seattle try Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo for a Med cruise, and for a Caribbean cruise Don't Stop The Carnival by Herman Wouk.

If you like Janet Evanovich and haven't read Finger Lickin Fifteen yet it's a must. If you have read that try any of the Carlotta Carlyle book by Linda Barnes

Cindy the Librarian

Cool beans, let me know how you enjoy Beach Music, just finished The Water is Wide and really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it. Just started Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans.

 

Showing my ignorance here, but I could get books from Amazon for my Sony (the would not work)?

Hey Jim, I'm envious. I want a kindle for my cruise but no can do right now.

Overdrive sells a package to libraries with e-books as well as audio and I understand some of them are compatable with the Sony Reader. Check that out too.

That's interesting about Playaways. I wonder if they have them in South Florida. I've never seen them.

 

I just picked up Beach Music from my library today (CDs). I'm sooooo excited. Apparently it's LONG, too, since it's 25 disks.

 

Have you read Beach Music?

 

I used to read Dick Francis books years and years ago and used to love them.

They do have playaways in Miami Dade county library. I don't know about other places in So FL.

I read and listened to Beach Music & loved it. I'm hoping South of Broad is as good. With library funding the way it is right now, fewer copies of popular titles are being ordered,so I just hope I get what I want for my cruise.

Don't recall seeing you post in the blog before...if you have not, then welcome. If you have then sorry for my oversight. Thanks also for the Dick Francis nod. Feel free to chip in as much as you would like!

Thanks for the welcome. I have posted on other book related discussions, but just found this one. Dick Francis is one of my favorite authors and Simon Preble usually narrates the audio and I adore him.

While I could not either of those two, I did get The Water is Wide. Just started it.

That is Pat's first book. It is the story of his year teaching on "yamacraw" really Dafuskie island . It was made into the movie Conrack with John Voight.

I have both his latest and Dick Francis's latest, Even Money on hold from Overdrive for my cruise.

I'm a librarian and I also love Playaways, which are really preloaded mp3 players.

I was supposed to cruise on the Ruby Princess to the Carribean in Feb, and had to cancel because of chemotherapy. We rebooked for Alaska this June. I am in remission and have never looked forward to a cruise as much as this one. All through my chemo, I read about Alaska (never wanted to go) and spent hours on these boards. Now, I can't wait to see the glaciers and bears and mountains and the glory of this unspoiled region. I am so glad to be alive and able to rejoice in LIFE!

Donder, you're going to LOVE Alaska. We went last year and the scenery and wildlife were amazing. Our next cruise takes us up to your neck of the woods,and if we enjoy it half as much as Alaska I'll be one happy cruiser.

take care

You make me laugh - you are so right. I know we will have a wonderful day in Belgium and I won't forget to get some of their famous chocolate.

 

Thanks!

There are over 150 chocolate shops in Brugge. If you take Bear's suggested walk , and stop at each shop yous pass, I'd bet you 'd miss the boat. Of course if you sample all the wonderful kinds of Belgian beer (they will hand you a catalog if you don't know what kind you want) I am positive you will miss the boat ; )

I lived in the Virgin Islands and would go cruise there in a second,the weather being much more comfortable than Miami or Mississippi. not so the Bahamas.I found it pretty dull. Loved Alaska but I think I'll leave Antarctica to someone else. I wouldn't want to cruise anywhere I might end up having to fight off pirates. Otherwise, put me on a boat and I'm happy.

as far as the middle east - been there done that and am still doing it ( it is only 102 today in Baghdad LOL )[/QUOTE]

About the same as Laredo, Texas.

Yeah but I bet nobody's shooting at you in Laredo.

Stay alert gunny!

Hi All You Tampa Experts

We are looking for a post cruise hotel & hope to do a little sightseeing.

Any ideas for a hotel with easy access to public transport or in the downtown area that won't break the bank?

We won't have a car & one that would have an airport shuttle would be nice.

Cindy

I hate to say it, but Vincent deserved the win last night. His sister looked like she would have rather been anywhere else though.

Since this is Cruise critic, don't you think both Uli's and Kaynes outfits would be great for cruising?

Cindy