Jamman54

We walked in the terminal door at around 9:20am and basically walked to the seating area with just brief stops to check in, and then for the security screening. We also stopped to get our embarkation photo taken…… We were seated in chairs by 9:40am. Boarding began at 10:45 and followed this order: Weddings, Diamond, Suites, Platinum, FTTF, and then boarding zones. Now that we are aboard, here are today’s “real” Fun Times that are delivered to the cabin each evening….. The first thing we did once on board was head to our Muster Station (C8). This was located at Bonsai Sushi on Deck 8. Robert, the Brew-master that we knew from the Pig & Anchor on the Mardi Gras, was in charge of this station. That taken care of, we made our way to our cabin (12354) to drop off our carry-ons. The room hadn’t been done so our Sail & Sign cards weren’t there. We left a note for Gilbert, our room steward, that we had put our bags in the closet. We were getting hungry so up to the Lido Deck #16 we went for lunch. I went to Big Chicken for a Shaq Attack……. Patti went to the Salad Bar in the Marketplace and made herself a salad….. We took our lunches over to the Tides Bar to eat….. I’m having my first drink of the cruise….. To be continued…..

Cool! Let us know if you show up in any of the pictures!

Unfortunately, with eight ships in port today, the traffic bogged down so it was slow going to reach our terminal. Here is the MSC Seascape at Terminal “C”….. The Carnival Spirit is at Terminal “D”……. This terminal sign says that we’re heading in the right direction….. We pass the Norwegian Encore at Terminal “E”….. We finally reach the Carnival Celebration at Terminal “F”…… We pull over here and drop off our luggage….. We now have to drive down the road a little bit to park in Parking Deck “G”. The Grandeur OTS is docked at Terminal “G”…… Once in Parking Deck “G”, we found a spot to park on the second level. We took the stairs down, and then made the short walk back to Terminal “F”. Our cruise journey is about to begin! To be continued…..

We have a 9:30 to 10:00am arrival time. We checked out and left the hotel at 8:40am. This way to Miami….. There is hardly any traffic at all, so in twenty minutes we were approaching the exit for the tunnel to Dodge Island….. Before we reached the tunnel, we got a glimpse of the eight ships in port today….. The Valiant Lady, Grandeur OTS, and Carnival Celebration were the three ships closest to us…… We are heading into the tunnel. We are almost there! Once out of the tunnel there are plenty of signs to direct you to where you want to go….. To be continued……

Day # 1 – (4/16/23) – It’s Embarkation Day!!! We were up at 5am to shower and get ready for the day. It’s going to be sunny and hot with a chance of thundershowers later in the day. Once we got our luggage ready and tagged, I asked Patti if she was ready for breakfast. She wasn’t hungry, but I was, so I headed down for the free breakfast that the Springhill Suites provides….. Here is my breakfast plate….. To be continued…..

Glad to have you along with us! Hey Cindy! Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your cruises on the Freedom!

I have the pictures, so I'm sure I can weave a story around them!

Thanks for joining us once again, and for your kind words! Thanks for following along once again. Can't make any promises about your January 21st sailing. Maybe you ought to switch to the 14th!

Thanks for reading. We're happy to have you along for the ride! Always a pleasure to have you aboard with us! Your cruise will be here before you know it!

Glad to have you aboard. Enjoy your cruise on the Panorama!

Glad to have you back on board again! 😀

We also had an excellent time. We agree on the elevators, they seem very small. If you see yourself in any of the pictures please let us know. 😎

Thanks for reading! We'll be getting you aboard the Celebration later today! 😎 We went to Dania Jai-Alai a couple of years ago and had a great time. We'll be back in January for two nights, so if they're in session we'll check them out again.

We've had two as well. Great cars! 😎 Thanks for coming along for the ride once again! 😎

Thanks for reading and your kind words. Glad to have you aboard! 😎 Hey Nicki! Always great to have you along with us! 😎

Perfect timing! Glad to have you along, and for your kind words!

After a couple of hours Patti came back to get me and we went back to the hotel. I went back to the room as Patti took a short tour around the hotel. Here are some views of the Lobby area….. This is the Exercise Room….. This is the pool area….. There is a small market for snacks by the front desk….. Patti made her way back to the room where we relaxed for the rest of the evening. Patti ordered us dinner online from the Panda Express next door. Coming up next: We board the Carnival Celebration!!

Here are some more pictures of Room # 215….. After getting settled, we made our way over to Miller’s Hollywood Ale House for lunch….. Patti had a Caesar salad and a flatbread pizza, and I had zingers and loaded fries….. After we ate, Patti wanted to explore some of the nearby stores while I hung out at Miller’s watching the Yankee game. To be continued……

Pre-Cruise - (April 15th) - Heading to Dania Beach. Before I continue with today’s activities, I want to step back and give you some information that I forgot to touch on in yesterday’s postings. Three days prior to today, southern Florida was hit with a storm of the century type rainstorm which dropped over twenty inches of rain in some places, in just twenty-four hours. This caused massive flooding and damage and forced the closing of Fort Lauderdale airport for three days. As the water receded there were literally hundreds of abandoned flooded out cars littering the roadways. We were going to be headed down that way today. Concerned that we might have to make alternate hotel reservations, I called the Springhill Suites in Dania Beach where we were scheduled to stay tonight and asked them if they were open for business. They said that where they are located is fine, so come on down! We were up at 5 am to a beautiful warm day. After showering and packing up, we wanted to get on the road as soon as we could. We missed the free breakfast which started at 7am, but at least they had coffee available. We checked out and then stopped at a nearby gas station. This is a big deal for me, as I enjoy pumping my own gas. New Jersey and Oregon are the only two states in the nation where it is against the law to pump your own gas. Crazy….. We are on the road at 7:05am, and in three minutes time we are crossing the border into Florida……. It was an uneventful easy drive until we reached Port St. Lucie and pulled off I-95 to get gas. We stopped at a Shell station which seemed a little busier than usual, and when we pulled up to the pump all they had was Premium gas. Not wanting to pay to put Premium gas in my Honda Element, we got back on I-95 and continued heading south. About twenty minutes down the road, the little gas pump light came on telling me that I needed to stop and fill up. So, we got off at the next exit and pulled into a Mobil station, and to our horror, they had no gas at all! Apparently, their suppliers are all from south Florida, and they are still reeling after the flooding and haven’t caught up. They haven’t had a delivery since Wednesday. I’m starting to panic now. I looked across the street at the 7-11 gas station and they appeared to be pumping gas, so we drove on over there. Again, they only had Premium gas left at $4.28 a gallon, so that’s what old Betsy got. Hope she don’t get used to it, because it’s back to regular next time! We drove the last eighty miles to Dania Beach and our Springhill Suites hotel. The traffic got heavy the last ten miles or so, but we finally made it….. We checked in and were given Room # 215….. Again, Patti takes pictures of the room before I can go in and mess it up….. To be continued…..

Thanks Barb! Always great to have you along!

Thanks so much for your kind words Loretta. Glad to have you aboard! Always great to have you guys along for the ride! Patti says hello back! We'll figure something out for the Vista. It should be a great cruise! Thanks for jumping on board again! Take notes, and if you have any questions, ask away!

Thanks for following along once again Susan. Glad to have you aboard!

Always good to have you along Heather! I love being able to share some of the old pics from time to time. Go Devils!

Glad to have you aboard! We're lucky to have a Ruby Tuesday near our home. With the rewards program, the salad bar and boneless wings were free! Always good to have you along for the ride!

Here is the link to our Carnival Celebration review.