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An Amber,A Thomas,A Juan,A Turk,a Dee and a Jim - Carnival Splendor Journal w/ Pics

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vanislandcruisers

vanislandcruisers

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Thanks for the great review. I always enjoy reading about the splendor we sailed her last year and going back again in September

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You are very Welcome...Like you we really enjoy the Carnival Splendor

 

Enjoying the review! Your style of cruises meshes will with most of my favorite things to do on cruises (Drinking, Blackjack, Piano Bar, Nightclub, etc.) Can't wait to read the rest!

 

Thanks....we do try to have Fun and make the most of our Vacations

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vanislandcruisers

vanislandcruisers

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April 14th - Day 6– Good Friday - Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos 11:00am– 5:30pm

 

Map%20of%20GT_zps7q85qb0p.png

 

I woke up about 7:45am and after taking a few pictures and spending some time on the Balcony watching the Weather clear...

 

Jack's Shack is at the end of that Rainbow

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...I was at the Oceanview Bar behind a couple of Green Olives at 8:21am and I had 2 more Olives at 9:01 along with a Bottle of Water. I went back up to our Cabin about 9:30am, showered and woke Dee up so she could do the same. We wanted to be off the Ship right at 11:00am so we decided to put off our Run and Workout for another day so we went to the Lido and had just a little something to eat as we wanted to save our appetites.

 

We had no plans for Grand Turk other than to get off the Ship make our way down to Jack’s Shack for some Jerk Chicken - the reason we wanted an Appetite, Drinks, Sun, Sand and R&R.

 

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This would be our 3rd visit to Grand Turk. The 1st time we rented a Cabana by the Pool at Margaritaville and spent several hours there before eventually making our way down to Jack’s Shack. Our 2nd visit saw us spend the entire day at Jack’s Shack although on our walk back we realized we had more ‘Back to the Ship’ left than ‘One for the Road’ so we made a quick stop at Margaritaville for what now became the ‘Second Drink for the Road’.

 

The Grand Turk Cruise Center is a beach front Cruise Facility nestled among nearly 18 acres of landscaped Grounds. The Cruise Center’s location and the Island’s geography offer Vessels a safe approach and berthing year-round.

 

You can swim in the sparkling Ocean Waters or in one of the largest Swimming Pools in the Caribbean, stroll along the idyllic Beach, relax in a complimentary Chaise Lounge on the Beach or around the Pool or rent a private Poolside Cabana for the day. Clam Shell Shades for the Beach Chairs, Floats, and Snorkeling Equipment are available for rental at the Beach Rental Hut centrally located on the Beach.

 

Snorkelers can explore several sunken Reef Balls that tend to attract fish and see a few 18th Century Cannons and Anchors that are submerged in front of the Beach Rental Hut at the Cruise Center.

 

The Cruise Center is also home to the Caribbean’s largest Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Bar, Restaurant, and Retail Shop.

 

You can peruse through a 45,000 sq. ft. Shopping Center which includes a 10,000 sq.ft. Dufry Duty-Free Shop, 35,000 sq. ft. of high-end Jewelry Stores, unique Apparel and T-Shirt Stores, locally crafted Souvenirs and Gifts, and Food & Beverage Facilities.

Adjacent to Margaritaville and the swimming pool is the Grand Turk FlowRider surfing attraction. Offered as a Shore Excursion through the Carnival, the FlowRider surfing attraction is the only of its kind located in a Cruise Facility. The attraction operates by utilizing a pair of high pressure waves that produce a two-to three inch layerof water moving over a pre-formed and cushioned surface at high speed. You can enjoy the thrills on a body board or experienced snow boarders and surfers can try the more challenging stand-up riding.

If you prefer a quieter area you will enjoy South Beach. The Beach is located on the right as you walk down the Cruise Ship Pier towards the Cruise Center. The Beached Whale Bar & Grill is located at South Beach with a Menu of Island inspired favorites include Coconut Shrimp, Cracked Conch, Conch Fritters, Island Seafood Chowder and daily Fish Specials.

 

Grand Turk is the Capital of the Turks & Caicos Islands Archipelago and it is located 575 miles Southeast of Miami, Florida, and 30 miles south of the Bahamas. The Island is approximately 7 miles long and 1.5miles wide.

 

The average temperature ranges between 85-90 degrees F (29-32 degrees C) from June to October, sometimes reaching the mid 90's F (35 degrees C), especially in the late summer months. From November to May the average temperature is 80-84 degrees F (27-29 degrees C). A constant trade wind typically keeps the temperature at a very comfortable level. In an average year, Grand Turk has 350 days of sunshine.

 

Approximately 4,500 inhabitants make Grand Turk their home and the Island's primary language is English however Spanish and Creole are also widely spoken. The U.S. dollar is the official currency. Grand Turk is on EST. Daylight Savings Time is observed from March to November.

 

Just before 11:00am we went down to the Oceanview Bar in the Casino to have a Smoke and some Olives and once we heard the ‘All Clear’ we went down to Deck 0, got our ‘Welcome to Grand Turk’ Photo taken and made our way along the Pier, through the Duty Free Shop and then turned left and headed towards the Beach and then made the 5 minute walk down the Beach to Jack’s.

 

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The 1st thing we did was get 2 Loungers (Free) and an Umbrella ($10) which one of the Staff at Jack’s set up for us and then we went up to the Bar to say “Hi” to Jack (John) and Janet. We had not been here since 2013 and Janet gave us a funny look like she recognized us but didn’t know from where. I said “Hi Janet. Sharon M. says "Hi” to which Janet replied “Tell that B***H to get on a Boat” Conclusion # 806 – The tone for the Day had been set. It was as if the mention of Sharon’s name triggered Janet’s memory and she said “Dee and Jim. So nice to see you again”

 

We ordered a couple of ‘Reef Wreckers’ and then stood and chatted with Janet and her daughter, Erin, and the other Tarbender, Tony, for a while. During this conversation we found out that because it was Good Friday none of the ‘Locals’ (Catholic and had to be born and raised in the Turks and Caicos) could serve nor consume Alcohol until 6:00pm which meant Margaritaville was ‘dry’ today. Tony warned us and the others at the Bar that ‘some of the Locals would ask us to buy them a Drink’ but “Just say No”. Jack and Janet had to buy a Special Permit in order to be able serve Alcohol and we told them we would do our part to help them get their Investment back. We eventually made our way down to our Loungers to wait for Natalja and shortly thereafter Topher came up and sat with us for quite a while.

 

P4130343_zpsltrk0luw.jpg

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vanislandcruisers

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April 14th - Day 6– Good Friday - Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos 11:00am– 5:30pm (continued)

 

We were one of the first to arrive at Jack’s Shack and our Order for Jerk Chicken was the 1st of the Day and was SO GOOD – so good in fact we bought a Bottle of the Jerk Sauce.

 

It was a gorgeous day and the Reef Wreckers were going down very nicely.

P4130358_zpsos8tb0ix.jpg

 

P4130350_zpsfwzjmurs.jpg

 

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Natalja and her Roommate, Nadica; a Hostess for Your Time Dining in the Black Pearl Dining Room, arrived around 12noon so we got them each a Lounger and a Reef Wrecker. We told them this afternoon was “our Treat” which fell on deaf ears as a few minutes later Nadica went up and got a Round of Dark Rum and Red Bulls for the 4 of us. ” Conclusion # 806 – The tone for the Day had been re-set.

L - R: Nadica, Dee, Me and Natalja

P4130349_zpsyssnyitf.jpg

 

We spent the next while talking about their ‘Lives on Board the Ships’, our cruising experiences and our Homelands. It was a really nice afternoon visiting with the 2 of them but unfortunately all good things must come to an end as Natalja had to return to the Ship to get ready for her Dinner Services and Nadica had a few fellow Crew Members that she had to spend some time with before she headed back. Before they left Natalja made us promise to have Dinner in her Section that Night.

 

Dee and I occupied ourselves with Reef Wreckers, time in the Water, playing with Topher, talking with a couple of Tarbenders from the Atrium Bar who were lounging in front of us and taking in the sights.

P4130361_zps6cxjfvuf.jpg

 

We had a good laugh with a Group of Ladies who were on Loungers just in front and to the left of us. One of the Ladies was laying on her Stomach and had taken the Top of her Bikini off. Tony had come down to the Beach to ‘remind’ everyone “NOT to buy Drinks for the Locals”. They just had a Customer who had not listened to their instructions and that person was now dealing with the Local Authorities. While there the Topless Lady on the Lounger asked Tony for a Drink and he said he’d ‘be right back’. A few minutes later we could see Tony standing on the Beach with a Drink in each Hand looking around trying to remember where the Lady was. All of a sudden we hear someone screaming and look over to see the Topless Lady swinging her Bikini Top around in the Air. Conclusion# 807 – She has waved a Napkin in the Dining Room before. As Tony was heading towards her she continued to ‘whoop it up’ and in order for her to swing her top around she had to arch her back quite a bit and needless to say Tony, along with everyone else in her immediate vicinity, got quite a view. Conclusion # 808 – ‘Good Friday’ now had a whole new meaning for Tony.

 

Dee did a little shopping in the Store for her Boys, my Daughter and our Grandson and then we spent the last hour of our stay up at the Bar having Drinks, talking to Janet and Erin about their upcoming trip ‘Home’ to Canada and some of our mutual Friends and just plain enjoying ourselves at one of our favourite Places in the World.

 

We had a back onboard time of 5:00pm so about 4:50pm we started to make our way back towards the Port Area. Just like the previous 2 times at Jack’s Shack their Drinks had made an impression on us and although our intention was to walk on the hard and compact Sand close to the Water we ended up testing out the deep Sand, the Water and the hard and compact sand all the way back. By comparison all of it was fun to walk but none of it was easy.

 

We stopped to chat with 3 Rastas sitting on the Beach and when we did so we were suddenly reminded of the Song ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple. They said “Dey were da REAL Duty Free before da Duty Free Mon”…. and we laughed and we laughed and we laughed. We were back on the Pier about 5:10pm and were met with very long line-ups to get back on the Ship just like the guys from da Duty Free before da Duty Free said there would be. Conclusion# 809 – They weren’t just blowing smoke. We were definitely 2 of the happiest Cruisers getting back on the Ship having been somewhere that served Alcohol as lots of the People in line were lamenting the fact that Margaritaville had not been.

 

After a quick trip to the Cabin to drop off our Knapsack and say Hi to Dee’s favourite Towel Animal....

P4140362_zpsgubfqhmb.jpg

 

....we went down to the Sports Bar to have some Drinks with Nemanja. We were telling him about Jack’s Shack and he hadn’t heard of it so I ran back up to the Cabin to get our Camera so I could show him some Pics and while I was there I grabbed our Blackjack Chips and the Plate of Cookies that had been delivered to the Cabin ‘Compliments of the Casino’. I offered a Cookie to Dee and she looked and said “No” as they ‘had Raisins in them’ which “are just fake Chocolate Chips that get you excited”. Nemanja passed as well but The Our House Bar Waitress did not and she ate all 4 Cookies over the Course of her next 4 Trips back to the Bar. Every time we saw her for the rest of the Cruise we asked her if she “wanted a Cookie?”

 

It was time for Nemanja to take his Break at 6:30pm so we found ourselves at a Blackjack Table and stayed for 2 Drinks before we made our way up to the Cabin to get ready for Dinner. At the Golden Pearl Dining Room we made a quick trip over to tell Made, Made and Wayan that ‘we were going to eat with a Friend of ours tonight but that we would see them tomorrow Night’ and then headed over to Natalja’s Section and had a Seat in Booth 510.

 

One of the Conversations we had with Natalja at Jack’s Shack was about the temperature of the Food from the Dining Room. On our first several of Cruises the Wait Staff used to use a cloth to hold the Plate because the Plates were so Hot but lately we had noticed that they could carry the Plates with bare hands. We had told Natalja that we ‘had noticed that on this Cruise not only was the Food tastier than it had been on our last 5 or 6 Cruises but that the food was noticeably hotter’.

 

Shortly after sitting downwe ordered a Glass of Wine each and then we ordered our Meals. Dee went with Flatbread and the Sea Bass while I went with the Shrimp Cocktail, Beef and Barley Soup and the Penne Mariscos. The Service we received this Night was AMAZING!!!

 

When Natalja brought my Soup she smiled and said “Be Careful Jim. It is very Hot” and after tasting it I concurred – It was Hotter than Hot. Dinner was GREAT and we even got a Visit from a Shots Waiter and Natalja treated us to a Round. I had the WCMC for Dessert while Dee went with Ice Cream. During Dessert we noticed a couple more White Uniforms visiting with the Family at the Booth across the Dining Room by our ‘normal’ Booth so we asked Natalja about them “Are they Carnival Execs?”….. “Are They Celebrities?”…. “VIP’s?”….. “No they complained on the 1st Night” she answered….and our imaginations crumbled along with my WCMC.

 

Nadica came by to visit us after her Hostess Duties at the Black Pearl were finished and we ended up spending 2½ hours at Dinner this Night wanting to visit for as long as we could. We kept telling them to 'kick us out if they had stuff to do' but Natlja and her Team genuinely seemed to be enjoying our company.

 

At 10:40pm after a long round of Hugs we found ourselves back in the Casino where we’d spend the next 4½hours. Once we were at a Table Rick and Leslee found us as did the Lady fromCompton and her Husband so the laughs began again.

 

About 1:30am Rick told us and the Dealer he was going to the Bathroom to which we told him “Do a good Job.”A few minutes later we hear a ruckus coming from the end of the Table as if someone was playing the Cymbals but it was just Rick trying to get his metal Drink Holder back into its hole in the Table as he had taken his Beer and the Drink Holder with him. We don’t know if it was on purpose or if the condensation had caused it to stick to his Beer Bottle but between us, our Dealer and the Pit Boss…we laughed and we laughed and we laughed.

 

I ordered my #0DollarBills Drink at 1:45am which freed up my Drink Holder to hold a couple of Dee’s Drinks until we got the “5 More Hands” alert at 2:55am so we ordered A Traditional and at 3:00am we ordered the other Traditional which I ‘would hold for Dee’.. Once the 2nd Traditional arrived we said ‘Good Night’ to Rick and Leslee and then Dee and I headed up to the Lido for some Late Night Pizza. We have been on Cruises where we have visited the Pizza Station late at Night or very early in the Morning depending on how you look at it 7 out of 7 Nights but this was our 1 and only trip for Pizza this Cruise. Conclusion# 810 – We miss the Calzones. We took the Pizza back to the Cabin to enjoy on the Balcony with The Traditionals and each other.

 

Our Day in Grand Turk had been everything we had envisioned it would be.

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Bosrox

Bosrox

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April 14th - Day 6– Good Friday - Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos 11:00am– 5:30pm (continued)

 

We were one of the first to arrive at Jack’s Shack and our Order for Jerk Chicken was the 1st of the Day and was SO GOOD – so good in fact we bought a Bottle of the Jerk Sauce.

 

It was a gorgeous day and the Reef Wreckers were going down very nicely.

P4130358_zpsos8tb0ix.jpg

 

P4130350_zpsfwzjmurs.jpg

 

P4130352_zps80uj8cat.jpg

 

Natalja and her Roommate, Nadica; a Hostess for Your Time Dining in the Black Pearl Dining Room, arrived around 12noon so we got them each a Lounger and a Reef Wrecker. We told them this afternoon was “our Treat” which fell on deaf ears as a few minutes later Nadica went up and got a Round of Dark Rum and Red Bulls for the 4 of us. ” Conclusion # 806 – The tone for the Day had been re-set.

 

L - R: Nadica, Dee, Me and Natalja

P4130349_zpsyssnyitf.jpg

 

We spent the next while talking about their ‘Lives on Board the Ships’, our cruising experiences and our Homelands. It was a really nice afternoon visiting with the 2 of them but unfortunately all good things must come to an end as Natalja had to return to the Ship to get ready for her Dinner Services and Nadica had a few fellow Crew Members that she had to spend some time with before she headed back. Before they left Natalja made us promise to have Dinner in her Section that Night.

 

Dee and I occupied ourselves with Reef Wreckers, time in the Water, playing with Topher, talking with a couple of Tarbenders from the Atrium Bar who were lounging in front of us and taking in the sights.

P4130361_zps6cxjfvuf.jpg

 

We had a good laugh with a Group of Ladies who were on Loungers just in front and to the left of us. One of the Ladies was laying on her Stomach and had taken the Top of her Bikini off. Tony had come down to the Beach to ‘remind’ everyone “NOT to buy Drinks for the Locals”. They just had a Customer who had not listened to their instructions and that person was now dealing with the Local Authorities. While there the Topless Lady on the Lounger asked Tony for a Drink and he said he’d ‘be right back’. A few minutes later we could see Tony standing on the Beach with a Drink in each Hand looking around trying to remember where the Lady was. All of a sudden we hear someone screaming and look over to see the Topless Lady swinging her Bikini Top around in the Air. Conclusion# 807 – She has waved a Napkin in the Dining Room before. As Tony was heading towards her she continued to ‘whoop it up’ and in order for her to swing her top around she had to arch her back quite a bit and needless to say Tony, along with everyone else in her immediate vicinity, got quite a view. Conclusion # 808 – ‘Good Friday’ now had a whole new meaning for Tony.

 

Dee did a little shopping in the Store for her Boys, my Daughter and our Grandson and then we spent the last hour of our stay up at the Bar having Drinks, talking to Janet and Erin about their upcoming trip ‘Home’ to Canada and some of our mutual Friends and just plain enjoying ourselves at one of our favourite Places in the World.

 

We had a back onboard time of 5:00pm so about 4:50pm we started to make our way back towards the Port Area. Just like the previous 2 times at Jack’s Shack their Drinks had made an impression on us and although our intention was to walk on the hard and compact Sand close to the Water we ended up testing out the deep Sand, the Water and the hard and compact sand all the way back. By comparison all of it was fun to walk but none of it was easy.

 

We stopped to chat with 3 Rastas sitting on the Beach and when we did so we were suddenly reminded of the Song ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple. They said “Dey were da REAL Duty Free before da Duty Free Mon”…. and we laughed and we laughed and we laughed. We were back on the Pier about 5:10pm and were met with very long line-ups to get back on the Ship just like the guys from da Duty Free before da Duty Free said there would be. Conclusion# 809 – They weren’t just blowing smoke. We were definitely 2 of the happiest Cruisers getting back on the Ship having been somewhere that served Alcohol as lots of the People in line were lamenting the fact that Margaritaville had not been.

 

After a quick trip to the Cabin to drop off our Knapsack and say Hi to Dee’s favourite Towel Animal....

P4140362_zpsgubfqhmb.jpg

 

....we went down to the Sports Bar to have some Drinks with Nemanja. We were telling him about Jack’s Shack and he hadn’t heard of it so I ran back up to the Cabin to get our Camera so I could show him some Pics and while I was there I grabbed our Blackjack Chips and the Plate of Cookies that had been delivered to the Cabin ‘Compliments of the Casino’. I offered a Cookie to Dee and she looked and said “No” as they ‘had Raisins in them’ which “are just fake Chocolate Chips that get you excited”. Nemanja passed as well but The Our House Bar Waitress did not and she ate all 4 Cookies over the Course of her next 4 Trips back to the Bar. Every time we saw her for the rest of the Cruise we asked her if she “wanted a Cookie?”

 

It was time for Nemanja to take his Break at 6:30pm so we found ourselves at a Blackjack Table and stayed for 2 Drinks before we made our way up to the Cabin to get ready for Dinner. At the Golden Pearl Dining Room we made a quick trip over to tell Made, Made and Wayan that ‘we were going to eat with a Friend of ours tonight but that we would see them tomorrow Night’ and then headed over to Natalja’s Section and had a Seat in Booth 510.

 

One of the Conversations we had with Natalja at Jack’s Shack was about the temperature of the Food from the Dining Room. On our first several of Cruises the Wait Staff used to use a cloth to hold the Plate because the Plates were so Hot but lately we had noticed that they could carry the Plates with bare hands. We had told Natalja that we ‘had noticed that on this Cruise not only was the Food tastier than it had been on our last 5 or 6 Cruises but that the food was noticeably hotter’.

 

Shortly after sitting downwe ordered a Glass of Wine each and then we ordered our Meals. Dee went with Flatbread and the Sea Bass while I went with the Shrimp Cocktail, Beef and Barley Soup and the Penne Mariscos. The Service we received this Night was AMAZING!!!

 

When Natalja brought my Soup she smiled and said “Be Careful Jim. It is very Hot” and after tasting it I concurred – It was Hotter than Hot. Dinner was GREAT and we even got a Visit from a Shots Waiter and Natalja treated us to a Round. I had the WCMC for Dessert while Dee went with Ice Cream. During Dessert we noticed a couple more White Uniforms visiting with the Family at the Booth across the Dining Room by our ‘normal’ Booth so we asked Natalja about them “Are they Carnival Execs?”….. “Are They Celebrities?”…. “VIP’s?”….. “No they complained on the 1st Night” she answered….and our imaginations crumbled along with my WCMC.

 

Nadica came by to visit us after her Hostess Duties at the Black Pearl were finished and we ended up spending 2½ hours at Dinner this Night wanting to visit for as long as we could. We kept telling them to 'kick us out if they had stuff to do' but Natlja and her Team genuinely seemed to be enjoying our company.

 

At 10:40pm after a long round of Hugs we found ourselves back in the Casino where we’d spend the next 4½hours. Once we were at a Table Rick and Leslee found us as did the Lady fromCompton and her Husband so the laughs began again.

 

About 1:30am Rick told us and the Dealer he was going to the Bathroom to which we told him “Do a good Job.”A few minutes later we hear a ruckus coming from the end of the Table as if someone was playing the Cymbals but it was just Rick trying to get his metal Drink Holder back into its hole in the Table as he had taken his Beer and the Drink Holder with him. We don’t know if it was on purpose or if the condensation had caused it to stick to his Beer Bottle but between us, our Dealer and the Pit Boss…we laughed and we laughed and we laughed.

 

I ordered my #0DollarBills Drink at 1:45am which freed up my Drink Holder to hold a couple of Dee’s Drinks until we got the “5 More Hands” alert at 2:55am so we ordered A Traditional and at 3:00am we ordered the other Traditional which I ‘would hold for Dee’.. Once the 2nd Traditional arrived we said ‘Good Night’ to Rick and Leslee and then Dee and I headed up to the Lido for some Late Night Pizza. We have been on Cruises where we have visited the Pizza Station late at Night or very early in the Morning depending on how you look at it 7 out of 7 Nights but this was our 1 and only trip for Pizza this Cruise. Conclusion# 810 – We miss the Calzones. We took the Pizza back to the Cabin to enjoy on the Balcony with The Traditionals and each other.

 

Our Day in Grand Turk had been everything we had envisioned it would be.

 

 

 

Welcome home, can't wait to visit Grand Turk

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pblack

pblack

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I offered a Cookie to Dee and she looked and said “No” as they ‘had Raisins in them’ which “are just fake Chocolate Chips that get you excited”.

 

Your wife and I would get along. ;)

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vanislandcruisers

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April 15th - Day 7– A Fun Day At Sea

The Seas were a little rough through the remainder of the Night and throughout the early Morning and we don’t know if it was the Motion or all the Reef Wreckers from the Day before or some bad Olives but neither of us were feeling GREAT so we had no intention of attempting our Morning Run or Workout.

 

I had slept later than normal this morning and didn’t make my way down to the Oceanview Bar until just before 10:30am. Playing a hunch that the Olives were OK I ordered 2 with a side of Grey Goose and Clamato Juice. I had 4 more Olives with the appropriate Sides before going back up to the Cabin to wake Dee up.

 

There were messages on our Cabin Phone and as I listened to them it became apparent that we had made Plans to meet Rick and Leslee for the Sea Day Brunch. In true Canadian fashion I called their Cabin to apologize but did not get an Answer so I left them a Message saying “Sorry”.

 

Neither one of us felt like eating anything that wasn’t round in shape, green in colour and impaled on a Stir Stick so down to the Oceanview Bar we went. We spent an hour there and then headed over to The Our House Sports Bar for some Drinks with Nemanja and to get our Camera back which we had left there the day before.We each had a couple of Drinks there before deciding we needed to eat something other than Olives so we made our way up to the Deli for a couple of Sandwiches.

 

Once we finished playing with our Sandwiches we went down to the Pixels Gallery to find and purchase our ‘Welcome to….’ Amber Cove, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk Pictures and to find and throw out all the other Pictures we had posed for in the Dining Room.

 

Next we went back to the Cabin to begin the Packing process where we were met by our Final Towel ‘Animal’...

P4150364_zpsjq3kjpgs.jpg

...the Debarkation Letter, a Letter with our Platinum #1 Debarkation Tags, a Letter with #4 Tags along with Instructions for the Carnival Shuttle to FLL and a Pair of Cards from the Casino – one for each of us – which stated that we could order any Entrée off of the Steakhouse Menu in the Dining Room that Night.

 

P4150365_zpsssmdlgtz.jpg

 

Dee had a Rest while I went down to the Sports Bar for 5:00pm to meet up with Rick for Sports Trivia and a few Beers. We were successful in drinking all of our Beer but not in answering all of the Questions. They had a very late flight the next day and had rented a Car to tour around Miami so I gave our #1 Debarkation Tags to Rick so they could get off as early as possible. Once our Beers were finished we made a Plan to meet in the Casino after Dinner and I went back up to the Cabin for some Balcony Drinks.

 

On the way to the Cabin I saw Putu in the Hallway and gave him a Cash Tip which would be in addition to the Gratuities we had pre-paid. I asked Putu ‘if Made was around because we’d like to give him a Tip as well’. Putu said his Assistant “would be around in the Morning” before adding that “I could give him the Money and he would pass it along.” I told Putu that “We’d like to ‘Thank’Made ourselves in the Morning.”

 

We went down to the Oceanview Bar at 7:50pm for our Patron Shots neat before heading to the Golden Pearl for our last Dinner. When the opportunity presented itself we gave each of our Wait Staff an extra Cash Tip and they were very thankful. Wayan brought out a piece of Paper with information he had written out for us on a Resort his Family owned in Indonesia plus his Facebook contact info and told us that if we 'ever wanted to come visit him and his Family in Indonesia all we had to do was get there and everything else would be taken care.’

 

For our Meals we both went with the Shrimp Cocktail and the 18oz Ribeye Steak from the Steakhouse which is basically a Steak on a Plate. We each got a Baked Potato with all the fixings as a Side and while Dee skipped Dessert I made my last attempt to create some gooey goodness with the WCMC and 2 Scoops without success.

 

We really enjoyed and got a kick out of Made, Wayan and Made as the week went along. They were so nice and so sincere about wanting to take care of us. We never asked them but we were both fairly certain that they have not been a ‘Team’ for very long. We certainly never went without anything we asked for and their effort to please us was appreciated but we are not sure that they are entirely sure of their Roles just yet.

 

If we got a Baked Potato our Head Waiter, Made, would come by with the Condiment Tray and ask us if we ‘wanted Bacon Bits, Sour Cream and/or Green Onions?’….and then 30 Seconds later Wayan would come by with the Tray and ask us if we ‘wanted Bacon Bits, Sour Cream and/or Green Onions?’….and then a minute later the other Made would come by and ask the same thing. Conclusion #811 – Never eaten so much Sour Cream before. And being asked 3 times wasn’t exclusive to Sour Cream, Bacon Bits and Green Onions as we ended up with a lot of Black Pepper on our Plates too.

 

With us eating in Natalja’s Section the Night before we were able to get a ‘real-time’comparison between 2 Wait Teams in the same Dining Room and while one was a well-oiled Machine the other needed a little more Oil or Time to get all the Parts running together smoothly. Not complaining at all as Dee and I are fairly used to being over-served however it’s not usually with Condiments.

 

During our Meal the Family at the Booth by the Railing got a visit from a Carnival Staff Member – a Magician – who we were certain was there to make any Complaints they might have had disappear. We did watch the Magician and he was very good. Once he was done one of the Golden Pearl Hostesses made a final stop by to make sure everything was OK

 

Nadica stopped by to say “Good-bye” and after the Staff sang Leaving on a Fun Ship it was time for us to say “So long” to Made, Wayan and Made. We then went over to see Natalja and as I said earlier I am not much on saying “Good-bye” and Natalja had definitely made an impression on us. As we were giving her Hugs she began to cry which got the both of us going too. She is definitely one-of-a-kind and we were very fortunate that our paths crossed.

 

We wandered over to the Casino to meet up with Rick and Leslee and found Leslee at a Slot Machine so Dee sat down beside her and started playing. Once Rick returned the 4 of found a Blackjack Table for one last kick at the Can …or Drink Holder in Rick's case. We were so LUCKY to meet these 2 on the Cruise and we know we have made lifelong friends. Conclusion #812 – They are Good People.

 

We stuck around for the Free Cruise Draw at 11:00pm and played for about another hour before we went to the Casino Cage and cashed in our Chips and then made the Rounds and said ‘Good-bye’ to all the GREAT Casino Staff we had met.

 

The 4 of us made a stop at The Our House Sports Bar so Dee and I could say “So long”to Nemanja and give him an extra Tip and while we were there we asked him if he would take a picture of the 2 of us and Rick and Leslee which he did.

 

Dee%20Jim%20Leslie%20and%20Rick_zpsmjgbp5o4.jpg

 

We grabbed The Traditionals from Nemanja, hugged and said “Until next time” to Rick and Leslee – Conclusion #813 – They are coming on the Cruise in October of 2018 with us and we are going to visit them in Arizona between now and then. – before taking the Elevator up to Deck 10, spending some time on the Balcony and then calling it a Night.

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vanislandcruisers

vanislandcruisers

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LOVED your GT review! lol I AM getting on a boat.....in Sept. and will see Janet.

 

Thanks Sha!!!.....That'll make Janet happy.

 

Thank you for such a great review. We will be on the Splendor in August. Do you know what time Jacks Shack opens? We are only in Grand Turk from 7 am to 1 pm. Thanks again

 

You are very Welcome.......They operate based on Ship Schedules....so they will be open

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vanislandcruisers

vanislandcruisers

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April 16th – EasterSunday – Embarkation and The Flights Home

 

This is never a GREAT morning unless we are on a B2B. Normally we book our Cruises 18 – 24 months out and the wait for the Cruise seems like it takes forever and then the Vacation is over in the blink of an eye and this Trip was no different even though it was only booked 6 months out.

 

This was also only the 2nd time out of 10 Cruises leaving from the Eastern States that we have flown out on the Day we disembark although the only other time we did so we had to overnight in Toronto on the way Home.

 

I woke up when the announcements started around 6:30am so I had a Shower, got dressed and finished packing my carry-on which was our new Carnival Cooler....

 

Love this Cooler

 

P4160366_zps3gti9iym.jpg

...and once I was organized I wokeDee up.

 

I made my way out into the Hallway to find Made to give him his Tip. Don’t know if he was used to getting Cash Tips in addition to the Automatic Gratuities because he sure was appreciative.

 

It was then that we realized we had packed our Workout Clothes in our Luggage that we put in the Hallway the Night before so now we were 63 Days shy of 13 years in a Row of missing our Morning Run and Workout. Conclusion #814 – Starting to think we are not cut out for this thing some People call Exercise.

 

At 7:30am we went down to the Lido Deck for some Breakfast. With it being so crowded we decided that one of us would sit at a Table while the other one went to get food and then switch off.

 

Once done eating we made our way back up towards the Cabin to grab our Stuff and when we got to Lobby on our Deck we saw a young Lady struggling to drag a HUGE Suitcase behind her. She asked us ‘If we knew where the Gym was?’ Conclusion #815 – Not in almost 13 Years. She said she ‘had to use the Scale there to weigh her Luggage.’ I told her “We have a Scale” and went around the Corner to our Cabin and grabbed it and then went back and weighed her Suitcase for her. Her Suitcase weighed in at 65lbs so she ‘Thanked’ us and then said she “had a little more reorganizing to do.”

 

We heard the Call for #4 Debarkation Tags so we made our way down to Deck 3 and it was an absolute Zoo with people packed in everywhere. Dee was really suffering with her claustrophobia so for the 1st time ever I played the Platinum Card to one of the Staff Members and was able to get us out of the Crowd and into the Priority Debarkation Line.

 

Finding our Luggage was a little more difficult than in the past with Miami now having Carousels like an Airport and our Luggage was on a Carousel with 6 other Debarkation Numbers. Customs was quick as no one had to fill out a Declaration Form and in just under 15 minutes after leaving the Ship we were boarding the Bus that would take us to FLL.

 

The Bus left the Pier shortly after we boarded and we were at the Fort Lauderdale –Hollywood Airport by 9:30am which was just in time for our 3:40pm Flight toToronto. The line-ups to Check-in for Air Canada Flights at both the Kiosks and the Counters were lengthy but fortunately my Amex gets us Priority Check-in so we went to that Counter and were 2nd in line. After a short wait we found ourselves in front of a CSR who politely informed us that she ‘would not be able to accept our Luggage until 11:30am’ so we went back across the Terminaland found a spot on the Carpet to wait.

 

Busloads upon busloads of Canadians who had debarked off of Cruise Ships that morning from both Miami and Fort Lauderdale kept arriving over the next few hours to the point that Airport Staff had to put up additional Crowd Control Stanchions with retractable Belts.

 

At exactly 11:30am we went back over to the Priority Check-In Counter. We placed each of our Bags on the Scale and both were just under the allowable 50lbs. Conclusion #816 – We knew that already. The CSR then asked to weigh both of our Carry-ons and each of them weighed in just under the 20lb Weight Limit. Conclusion #817 – We did not know that already. Check-in complete we grabbed our Boarding Passes and went outside to have a Smoke together.

 

I noticed that there were a lot of Broward County Sherriff Cars parked curbside along the front of the Terminal but wrote it off to increased Security due to it being it being Easter Sunday and didn’t say anything at all to Dee. A few minutes later we both saw a Broward County Canine Unit pull up and the Officer got out and after grabbing the Dog from the Back of the Car went inside theTerminal. Another Sherriff’s Car pulled up a few minutes later and the Officer got out, went to the Trunk and casually put his Bullet-Proof Vest on and then went inside. I could see the wheels turning in Dee’s head so I told told her ‘how Happy I was about the increased Security’ and added it ‘makes me feel safer’.

 

A Lady wearing a Delta Uniform came and asked us if we ‘could slide over a little on the Bench we were sitting on so she could sit down?’ and we did. As soon ass he sat down she started talking about the “Police presence” saying “there must be something going on” and then she said “I have not seen this many Police here since the Night of the Shooting” referring to the Shooting on January 6th, 2017. Without any prompting on our part she relayed the Story of what she went through that Night and she told us that 'if anything happens don't worry about Personal Items just Run'. Just as she was finishing her eyes got very big and she said “OH MY GOD!! THE SWAT TEAM” and welooked up and saw the SWAT Vehicle driving in front of us.

 

When we first sat down on the Bench we still had 4 hours before our flight so neither of us were in any rush to go through Security. We would only have 1 hour and 20 minutes in Toronto to clear Customs and change Terminals meaning I wasn’t going to have time to go outside for a Smoke there so I was facing a 12 hour Stretch without one. Before Dee even said anything I knew that Stretch was about to be extended to 14 hours so through Security we went just before 12noon.

 

Only Delta and Air Canada fly out of Concourse D in Terminal 2 at FLL and judging by the fact we couldn’t find any Seats in the Gate Areas both Airlines must have been operating at peak capacity so back on the Floor we went. We used the Airport WiFi to ‘catch up’ before our stomachs started grumbling so we went in search of something to eat.

 

We ended up at Miami Subs Plus where we each ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries, a side of Gravy and a Coke and we also got a Nathan’s Hot Dog to split. We found a Table and waited 3 or 4 minutes for the Number on our Receipt to be called. Everything was really good and reasonably priced for an Airport.

 

After eating we found a couple of Seats right in the middle of the Concourse and we remained there until we heard the pre-boarding call for our Flight. I made 1 last ‘comfort’ trip and after exiting the Bathroom I felt my back pocket and realized my Wallet was not there. I quickly ran back into the Bathroom and checked in and around both the Stall I had been in and the Sink I had washed my Hands at – No luck – I asked the Janitor who was servicing the Bathroom ‘if he’d seen a Wallet?’ – He had not – I ran back and told Dee and we had a quick look around where we had been sitting – No luck – I ran back to Miami Subs Plus and asked if a Wallet had been turned in – Nope – and finally wentover to Security a to see if one had been passed in there – No.

 

When we get on the Ship our Passports, Dee’s Wallet minus her Visa and her Driver’s License which go in my Wallet, my Wallet, Dee’s Jewelry, our Cash and our Emergency Credit Cards all go in the Safe and everything stays in there unless we are getting off the Ship in a Port in which case we take whatever Cash we think we’ll need plus a little more and my Wallet which is placed in a secure zippered pocket inside our Knapsack. We hadn’t done the exchange yet so my Wallet contained both of our Driver’s Licenses, Dee’s Visa, my Bank Card, my Amex, my Health Care Card, a couple hundred in Cash, my S&S Card and few other things.

 

This is the 2nd time I have felt this panic – On January 19th, 2013 I mistakenly left our Hotel with my Wallet in my back pocket the Night before our Carnival Conquest Cruise – normally we would just carry Cash. As we were walking down Bourbon St. I realized I had my Wallet with me and fearful of being pickpocketed I took the Wallet out of my back pocket and put it in my front Pants pocket. Conclusion #818– I did not like that. So I took the Wallet out and put it in what I thought was the inside pocket of the ‘Helly Hansen’ Fleece Jacket I was wearing. Conclusion #819 – It was not a pocket but was the inside lining for the outside pocket. When we stopped to get a walk-along drink I realized my wallet was gone so we ran back to the Hotel so we could call and cancel my Credit Cards and phone in a Police Report. Thankfully Dee had a Credit Card in her Wallet which was in the Safe in our Hotel Room along with our Passports and the rest of our Cash so at least we were good for the Cruise the next Day.

 

We went back out that Night and got back to the Hotel about 2:30am. At 3:00am the Phone in our Hotel Room rang and it was NOPD calling to ask me ‘if I had lost anything that Night?’ – My wallet had been turned in and the Police Report we filed and the fact that a Hotel Key from the Drury were in my Wallet helped the NOPD contact us. So we had to go down to the NOPD Station at 334 Royal St – one block over from Bourbon St.

 

We went down to the Lobby and tried to get a Cab but all the Taxi Traffic was heading away from the French Quarter so we weren’t having any luck. Then we saw a fellow pedaling a Kabuki Cab heading towards Downtown so we asked him if we ‘could hire him to take us down to the Police Station and back to the Drury?’ He was agreeable so off we went. When I was telling the Story to a few of our friends the next morning one of them asked me “What did the Cops say to you?” and I said “Well the 1st thing they said was You can’t bring that Drink in here!!!” referring to the Fish Bowl sized Hurricane Drink that was hanging around my Neck.

 

Now Back to FLL and my Panic…..we had very little time to spare as boarding had started so we both got on our Phones and called our CC Companies. Dee was able to get hers cancelled very quickly while I was having to negotiate the barrage of Security Questions through Amex to try and get mine cancelled. I told the CSR several times that“We can’t miss our Flight – we have nothing – our Plane is boarding.” I was still on the Phone with him as I handed my Boarding Pass to the Gate Agent and had just told the AMEX CSR what the last Charges were on the Card – Onboard Account from Carnival – he saw that – and the Charge for the Luggage with Air Canada –he couldn’t see that – then he asked me if I was ‘sure I wanted to cancel the Card and not just put a Hold on it?”. I answered “Cancel” and then heard theAnnouncement “All Passengers should now be onboard Air Canada Flight 1627 with non-stop Service to Toronto” and then he said “1 more thing before we are done. Now that I know you travel would you be interested in a Supplementary Card for any Members of your Family. I can waive the Annual Fee for you for 1 year” and I was ABSOLUTELY speechless. I was nor speechless when I spoke to American Express Canada a few days later

 

Our biggest fear at this time was Identity Theft so our hope was that if I was pickpocketed or someone found the Wallet but didn’t plan on turning it in that they took the Cash and just threw the Wallet away. I felt bad but my biggest regret was that I had lost my S&S Card – I am a bit of a Souvenir Collector from our Trips and generally do a Folder for each of our Trips. I have every Chocolate that they used to put on your Pillow during turndown Service from all our Cruises, and every Daily Carnival Caper or Fun Time, and every Wristband from Excursions, and every Open Bar Card, DOU Card……….and Sail and Sign Card……..until now.

 

The Flights home were non-eventful and on time and we truly didn’t let this incident take away from the Adventure we had just been on.

 

On Thursday, April 27th I checked the Mail after getting home from Work and inside the Mail Box was an Envelope and inside the Envelope was my Wallet with everything in it. The Envelope had been mailed from San Antonio, TX on April 17th at a cost of $9.50 ....

Envelope%202_zpsdpmietkr.jpg

 

and had a Return Address including the Sender’s Name and Mailing Address. When we entered the PSC, APO, AP and Zip Code information it came back as a Armed Forces - Pacific .

Envelope201_zpspccnhnoc.jpg

 

Conclusion #820– Thank you Sir for your Service, your Honesty and your Integrity. We have sent this Gentleman a Thank-you Card and a token of our Appreciation.

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ancfun

ancfun

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On Thursday, April 27th I checked the Mail after getting home from Work and inside the Mail Box was an Envelope and inside the Envelope was my Wallet with everything in it. The Envelope had been mailed from San Antonio, TX on April 17th at a cost of $9.50 ....

That is so awesome! :halo:

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TexasRed

TexasRed

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Thanks - definitely one of our FAVOURITE Places EVER...and that's one of the Reasons we booked the NCL Cruise for next year...Gonna be Beach Days in all 4 Ports

 

I was chatting on messenger with Kat yesterday about this cruise, but she didn't know any of the details. Could you email me any details about if there is an organized group booking and all the fun stuff, my email is Texasred_2000 at yahoo.com. I told my hubby about this review, and the cruise next October, and he is in!

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