APEX 02/26-03/05 2022 Retreat, Eastern Caribbean out of Ft Lauderdale

[RichYak]

6 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Thanks.  It’s all good!  Just want to enjoy our vacation.

Many years ago, my wife, my 3 young daughters, and I sailed on X out of Miami. We flew to MIA the morning of the cruise and used the Celebrity shuttle (bus) to get to the port along with many other passengers. It turned out the bus driver brought the entire busload of luggage to the wrong spot and none of it made it on board.

 

All we had were the clothes on our backs and whatever we had carried on, maybe bathing suits and toiletries. We told the dining room staff that we were going to the buffet the 2nd night because we would either be wearing the same clothes or the plain white Celebrity branded T-shirts that guest services gave us. We were met with a collective "Nonsense! Come as you are!"

 

On night 2, we proudly dined in our disheveled T-shirts as did some other passengers that were on our same shuttle. Though they had taken a sharpie to the back of their shirts and wrote "Celebrity lost my luggage and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt!" 😀

 

On day 3, half our luggage arrived. For formal night, I wore a tuxedo with sneakers and no socks, my youngest daughter wore my wife's blouse as a dress with flip-flops on her feet.

 

Sometimes, stuff happens, and you just need to roll with it. Though it was stressful at the time, it was a powerful lesson for my young daughters, who, since that trip, can "roll with it" with the best of them.

[graphicguy]

11 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Many years ago, my wife, my 3 young daughters, and I sailed on X out of Miami. We flew to MIA the morning of the cruise and used the Celebrity shuttle (bus) to get to the port along with many other passengers. It turned out the bus driver brought the entire busload of luggage to the wrong spot and none of it made it on board.

 

All we had were the clothes on our backs and whatever we had carried on, maybe bathing suits and toiletries. We told the dining room staff that we were going to the buffet the 2nd night because we would either be wearing the same clothes or the plain white Celebrity branded T-shirts that guest services gave us. We were met with a collective "Nonsense! Come as you are!"

 

On night 2, we proudly dined in our disheveled T-shirts as did some other passengers that were on our same shuttle. Though they had taken a sharpie to the back of their shirts and wrote "Celebrity lost my luggage and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt!" 😀

 

On day 3, half our luggage arrived. For formal night, I wore a tuxedo with sneakers and no socks, my youngest daughter wore my wife's blouse as a dress with flip-flops on her feet.

 

Sometimes, stuff happens, and you just need to roll with it. Though it was stressful at the time, it was a powerful lesson for my young daughters, who, since that trip, can "roll with it" with the best of them.

Couldn’t agree more.  If you travel/cruise, stuff is bound to happen.  Roll with it.

 

It’s “CHIC NIGHT” tonight.  We’ll be rocking our shorts in the restaurant, and wearing them proudly!  😉

[Tyler414]

6 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Couldn’t agree more.  If you travel/cruise, stuff is bound to happen.  Roll with it.

 

It’s “CHIC NIGHT” tonight.  We’ll be rocking our shorts in the restaurant, and wearing them proudly!  😉

Is it wrong for me to hope a pen explodes on my pants before my cruise?

[graphicguy]

49 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

Is it wrong for me to hope a pen explodes on my pants before my cruise?

So many jokes…so little time!!!!  LOL!

Edited March 3, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

This is not what I wanted to see in the cabin….

[jcpc]

On 3/2/2022 at 11:23 AM, Schmoe38 said:

We sailed to Hawaii with a couple whose luggage was lost by their airline and did not make it to the ship until the first port of call. It was 4 sea days before the first stop. No exceptions would have been a little harsh here.

 

Rules are rules and are not meant to be broken. That doesn’t mean they can’t be bent!

 

Randy

 

 

I agree that rules can and should be bent, if warranted.  However, my personal opinion is that shorts should be allowed in any dining room on the ship until such time as the person can reasonably purchase a pair of long pants (dockers or khakis would be fine).  I think that graphicguy certainly had the opportunity to purchase a pair of long pants but simply chose not to.  From his previous “live from” reports/pictures he appears to be an average sized individual so I think he could have found a pair of long pants to fit him if he wanted to.  Again, just my opinion!!

[morpheusofthesea]

The lesson of the ink stain, that GG has taught me, is to only bring dark slacks on a trip. Suppose one wanted to visit the famous casino in Monte Carlo. One could get in with ink stain , but not shorts.

[graphicguy]

32 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The lesson of the ink stain, that GG has taught me, is to only bring dark slacks on a trip. Suppose one wanted to visit the famous casino in Monte Carlo. One could get in with ink stain , but not shorts.

I can’t even pull together enough nickels for the entry fees for Monte Carlo. 

[graphicguy]

Played 2 Hold’em Tournaments today.  2nd place in one, chopped the other. Been a good cruise for casino play!

[graphicguy]

Pulling into Nassau…

[graphicguy]

Huge ship being parallel parked in a small space….

[graphicguy]

Not exactly sure what happened to this place.  But, it has huge cruise ships parked outside its front yard.  Great piece of real estate that looks abandoned and certainly in poor condition and disrepair.

Edited March 4, 2022 by graphicguy

[KKB]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Not exactly sure what happened to this place.  But, it has huge cruise ships parked outside its front yard.  Great piece of real estate that looks abandoned and certainly in poor condition and disrepair.

HA--I remember thinking the exact same thing. Looks like it was a pretty nice place at one time.

Hurricane damage perhaps? No $/inclination to rebuild? (perhaps just to have to do it all again in the near future)

[Jim_Iain]

On 2/28/2022 at 8:18 AM, graphicguy said:

I like to think I’m a positive person, and this complaint isn’t just about this cruise ship, but all of them.

 

The entertainers are excellent.  And, they’re generally working in less than ideal conditions on a cruise ship.

 

So, I would not allow anyone be seated after the show starts.  It’s rude to the performers and certainly inconsiderate to those of us who can’t see around you climbing all over all of us who came punctually to see the show.

 
Can’t be there on time, for any reason?  Catch the show you can get to on time.  Be considerate to the performers and your fellow passengers.

You had me chuckling.   

 

Years ago we were at a Classic Music Concert and after it began a lady in the balcony came in making her way to her seat.   The conductor tapped his baton and the orchestra stopped.   He turned and stared at her (as well as everyone in the concert hall) and waited until she sat down to resume.    I doubt she will ever do that again. 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

HA--I remember thinking the exact same thing. Looks like it was a pretty nice place at one time.

Hurricane damage perhaps? No $/inclination to rebuild? (perhaps just to have to do it all again in the near future)

Who knows?  Looks like it’s been abandoned for quite some time, though.  And no indication it is being rebuilt!

 

I remember it being a very nice home years back. 

[graphicguy]

Back in July, the last time I was here (Nassau), it was pretty empty.  Today?  
 

See for yourself….like nothing changed.  Construction on the docks is moving rapidly.

 

 

[graphicguy]

By the way, with the construction, those who don’t want to walk, it’s over a mile, one way, from the ship (Apex) to the shopping area.  Just an FYI!

[graphicguy]

[PTC DAWG]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Not exactly sure what happened to this place.  But, it has huge cruise ships parked outside its front yard.  Great piece of real estate that looks abandoned and certainly in poor condition and disrepair.

Mick Jagger has/had a house along there somewhere…so I have heard. 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Mick Jagger has/had a house along there somewhere…so I have heard. 

Interestingly, I’ve heard the same thing.  I thought it was closer to Atlantis, though.  But, it’s been a while since I took a tour around that area, so not sure about that.

[graphicguy]

Well…..all good things must come to an end.  We’re getting ready to pull out of our berth and head for home.  It’s been a great cruise….different, but great nonetheless.  I’ll have comments later (both good and not so good) when I get home.

 

I’ll also post some of what I consider some cool vids.  Can’t do that with the state of the “streaming” internet service on board (one of those “not so good” reviews).  Will see if it’s a CC problem or on board internet issues which have plagued us throughout the cruise.

 

Anyway, will be doing the “last night tango”, so doubt I’ll post much else until I return. Thanks for hanging out.

[graphicguy]

 

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Doing a pirouette out of the pier….

[Ken the cruiser]

When we were in Nassau in February on the Reflection, we were informed by a port attendant as we were getting ready to exit the pier area that there was a $200 fine if you got caught by the "COVID police" not wearing a mask once you left the port area. Was that still the case when you were there? When we asked our tour guide about it, he said a business is also issued a $2000 fine if you're caught without a mask in their establishment (if you are not eating or drinking).

[graphicguy]

22 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

When we were in Nassau in February on the Reflection, we were informed by a port attendant as we were getting ready to exit the pier area that there was a $200 fine if you got caught by the "COVID police" not wearing a mask once you left the port area. Was that still the case when you were there? When we asked our tour guide about it, he said a business is also issued a $2000 fine if you're caught without a mask in their establishment (if you are not eating or drinking).

Ken…not sure about fines, but you are told before disembarkation into Nassau that masks are required.  Further, you are reminded going through the gates to downtown Nassau by their police that masks are required, whether vaccinated or not, inside and outside.

 

Police (which there were plenty of) walking up and down the main drag for  shopping in Nassau reminded those not wearing a mask, or had their mask pulled down, to put one on/pull it up.  Pretty stringent!

 

If you want to go inside Atlantis, you need proof of vaccination.  In this instance, they accepted a picture of your vaccine card on your phone.