EJKorvette

When this was announced, I jumped at the chance. My late wife and I did two Transatlantic sailings on this ship in 2012 and 2013, the same time of year, late April and the same stateroom, somewhere on the eighth deck (I forgot).

I wasn't sure I would have gotten there on time, but the signage to the Port was spot-on. I parked the car in the parking garage, at eight to eleven, and the invitation said be there at eleven.

Well, I should not have been worried. It took FOREVER to get on the ship. I was surprised that we would have the tour on a Departure Day. The private security firm used at the Port of Miami sucked; our boarding both times at Port Everglades had gone flawlessy, but this resembled a military evolution that starts with cluster- and ends in a "bad word".

FINALLY, after wending our way through the boarding process and bypassing the actual check-in, a group of us met with someone from the ship (Trang) and Elizabeth (the All-Ivy Liaison with Celebrity).

We were given a tour of the ship then. It was time-traveling to five and four years ago. There were some new things. No more Molecular Bar - it was some other high-end concept now. Michael's Lounge and one of the restaurants became exclusive to people in suites and on up. The upcharges for the restaurants had went up.

Things that were the same - Martini Bar, the artists for sale by Park West, the crowds at the sixteenth deck buffet, the spotty service at lunch (more on that).

We were given a promotional presentation in the small theater, explaining the new The Edge. (I mentioned to my fellow tourers that it looked like the moving bar on the Oasis class ships, but on the SIDE of the ship). Then the various people gave speeches. And we were given a brochure for on-ship savings if we booked by July 5.

Finally, lunchtime. We waited on the third deck entrance of the dining room, but then we had to all troop up to the fourth deck entrance to actually go in. We were led through the tables to a little area off to the side.

The food was wonderful. I had the Caesar salad, the salmon, and apple pie with ice cream. The service was the unhurried pace of a meal in the dining room. The staff did their best, but when someone asked for french fries for the table, they were taken aback. The fries did show up fifteen minutes later.

After lunch we only had less than an hour before the muster drill at two thirty, when we had to be off the ship. I went to the Future Sales office to get the sailings for the Caribbean and Europe. I wanted to look around a little, but it was time to go.

I retraced my steps, got my passport back, handed in my Tour badge, and came back to reality.

I took me a while to find the car in the parking garage, then find the correct exit back to Miami through the tunnel which is not well-signed.

On the drive back to Broward I thought about how I got most of the cruise experience in half a day. I noticed how clean and bright the ship looked, and how I envied all the people aboard who were about to sail off for a week. Unless I win the Lotto or find a sugar mama by July 5, I won't be joining them any time soon. And I am sure Judy was with me all during the tour.

Download Ingress and you can use the Intel map to find all the spots in ports. I've been playing Ingress for years and have captured portals errr pokestops all over the world. FYI join Enlightened when you do [emoji1]

Today is the third day I have been playing Ingress. I had never heard of it until I started playing PokemonGo.

Wow, ANOTHER reason to go on cruises! Now I have an actual reason to get off the ship in Nassau again!

All I need is a cruising partner, preferably one into PoGo. Ingress, and Geocaching.

And yes, I had the sense to join the Enlightened Faction.

quick question, did they have guiness stout in the can (with the widget?)

 

Thank you!!

I don't think so. They did have Engish and Irish canned beers with the widget on the Celebrity Equinox.

Evan

Sometimes there is; sometimes there isn't. Frankly (!), it annoys me, too.

 

But I can always get some in the MDR. :)

 

AND WHAT A SCREEN NAME!!!!! :eek:

No I never worked for them, but bought my vinyl from the one in Flushing, Queens near the library.

But my brother and I did work for an inventory firm at that branch one day.

I recently finished "Infinite Jest". Four months ago I had never heard of DFW. I only decided to read IJ because I was interested in Thomas Pynchon (I have since read TP's first three books).

Once I got used to let's say "strangeness" of the book, it rolled right along, though I missed a few crucial connections. But IJ is not what I would read for fun sitting by the pool. In fact the print version is too large to take on a ship!

So if you had never read IJ and wanted to tackle it on a vacation, I applaud you. I doubt though any cruise ship library would carry it. Or maybe you just wanted to reread parts of it.

I ran across your post because I bought the book that contains DFW's essay about his experience on a cruise, and wanted to see what people on these boards would say about it.

Hope you had a good vacation!

Obviously it is a safe bet to make that my "press releases" are as phony as a $3 bill, but whenever I see a topic worthy of one I will write one for entertainment value, and hopefully you will continue to get a chuckle from them. :)

 

BTW, I only do them here (for now?), for some reason I don't get motivated to do them at the CCL forum! :cool:

how do they compare with RCL, Princess, and Celebrity?

EJ Korvette, did you work for them? I did part time from 1958 to 1960, in the Scarsdale store. Just curious.

for one day my brother and I worked for a third party inventory-taking company at their store in Flushing, Queens. I worked in the vinyl (records) department. That was the only thing worth buying there.

We only ate a few meals at the WJ. I love sausages and various wursts. I was too hungry to go looking all over for decent mustard after not finding any at the condiment stand. To be honest, I don't remember if I saw another one of my favorite condiments, HP Brown Sauce either.

After our cruise on The First Extremely Large Ship of the Seas three years ago, I knew not to set the bar for food too high. Especially after the "Beef Stroganoff" incident on the Oasis.

Not having real mustard at the Hot Dog Stand though really rankled me. I was not about to sully specialty sausages and wursts with yellow mustard. Of all the places to have a choice of mustards, this would be the place.

Similarly, the place for a draft stout would be the English Pub. Is there a special issue with having draft beer on board a cruise ship? Even on smaller ships on other cruise lines, there is only one or two beers.

I have been using my screen name since I first used it on IRC in 1996. I wanted to find people about my age and from the Northeast.

I did have some other issues with the cruise. We are not used to so many kids on a cruise, but we got used to it (sort of). But since school had just got out, it was to be expected.

The elevator rudeness wasn't as bad as I expected.

We also knew not to set the entertainment bar too high either. Thus I really enjoyed "Chicago" and the other entertainments.

The wi-fi service was the best I ever had on any cruise ship.

I did appreciate the iPod docks in the stateroom. Unfortunately they were for the older models, not the newer ones with the Lightning connectors.

Everything considered though, we did have a good cruise and really enjoyed ourselves.

Finally, you all are pretty funny. I enjoyed all of your replies.

1. NO BROWN MUSTARD on board, EVEN AT THE HOT DOG STAND

ya know, Guldens or something like that

2. NO DRAFT STOUT at English Pub. I don't remember which two beers are the only ones on draft, probably because I would not drink them.

Props for the selections of premium bourbons though (Booker's, Basil Hayden, etc.)

on ship it's San Pelligrino.

She has been on many many cruises over the years with her girlfriends.

Unfortunately we are constrained by Judy's health, and my part time job. I am a mutuel teller at Gulfstream Park during their live winter meet, and also the Triple Crown and Breeders Cup. So we have to plan our trips around horse races.

So she has all the experience, and I do all the reading. But she schedules the excursions (with my input) and the spa bookings (the ones I can talk her into!).

I don't know if this has been mentioned before.

Under any circumstances, DO NOT order the "Beef Stroganoff". You will end up sending it back.

If you want more information, read my review of our trip on the Oasis from three years ago.

If Customer Service has finally listened to everyone's complaints and has fixed the Beef Stroganoff problem, please let me know.

Now for the question. It says there are iPod docks. Are these for the old iPods with the large connector, or are they for the new iPods with the little Lightning connection?

This is my favorite photo of my (now) wife. This was taken on our second transatlantic on the Celebrity Equinox back in April (our first was the same trip the year before, same stateroom!). Judy is all dressed up for the first of the three formal nights.

I feel sorry for the couples that don't take the opportunity to get all dressed up while cruising. We usually don't get dressed up for anything on land so we love to get dressed up at sea. That is one of our motivations for cruising in the first place!

All the lovely ladies that have posted themselves in their dresses and gowns look so stunning! I hope this tradition never dies out!

Since I have only been on one real cruise while of legal drinking age, I have to say the "Costa Atlantica" we had on the Costa Atlantica. I forget what is in it, except that it has something called orzata in it.

Of course, while at the bar at the Polynesian up at Disney World, our favorite is the Zombie.

And out in Vegas, whatever the attractive young woman in the flattering outfit brings me,which is usually Jack on the rocks.

It will be interesting to see what the cruise lines do about nudity after the recent YOLO cruise.

You Only Live Once? I am not familiar with it. Could someone enlighten me?

EJKorvette on the boards

 

My mantra is "When in Rome...".

We were on the Costa Atlantica for a western Caribbean cruise last week. My girlfriend said she did not appreciate seeing all the men wearing the skimpy European Speedo-type suit. That, and all the smoking, are the only two cultural things she doesn't like about Europeans. I told her I wasn't looking at the men (except for the guy who walked through the Lido buffet deck wearing nothing but a Speedo).

EJKorvette on the boards

My friend just cruised on Costa, she said top deck was clothing optional.

Got back last week from a western Caribbean week on Costa Atlantica. Only saw one topless woman on the aft deck with the jogging track on the eleventh deck.

Which ship and where was she (the ship) did your friend go on?

EJKorvette on the boards