Selbourne ‘Live’ from Aurora’s 2024 Grand Tour

[Megabear2]

16 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

That yacht was impressive, even amongst the dozen or so other super yachts surrounding it. I was impressed when I saw the helicopter landing pad at the back, only to be even more impressed when I noticed the second helicopter landing pad at the front 😂 

 

We are now berthed and our side faces the main link road between Miami and Miami Beach. Every 5 minutes or so there’s the roar of a Ferrari or Lamborghini or other such exotica at full throttle. They don’t seem so bothered about electric vehicles over here 🤔😂

You're looking good ... thankfully you're missing the US cold snap. Port Canaveral struggling to hit 14 degrees today so great timing with a temperate 23 degrees down south.  Hope you have a great time in my favourite US city!

[Gettingwarmer]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Just had a fabulous dawn sail in to Miami. All the below taken from our balcony. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great photos very atmospheric 

Edited January 20 by Gettingwarmer

[Eddie99]

Those Miami views are almost enough to justify the whole cruise!  And you still have the Caribbean & your South (Central?) America phases to come.

Enjoy!

[P&O SUE]

Thanks again Selbourne for your reports.

 

It’s a shame about your captain, my favourites have been Camby and Turnbull and they give great updates every day.

 

I’m on Aurora on a short cruise end of March so will be interesting to see how we get on although sounds like its a different captain then. I agree the attitude filters down from the top.

[jh1809]

5 hours ago, Bill Y said:

There is good news and bad news.

First the good news, according to Moments Simon Love takes over on 27th Feb so It will be interesting to hear from our Man on Aurora if there is a change in atmosphere, we are pleased because we like Simon and he will on for our forthcoming cruise. Unfortunately the customer focused one is back on 15th May. 

Thanks. Unfortunately my cruise departs on 18th May.

[Selbourne]

Just now, P&O SUE said:

Thanks again Selbourne for your reports.

 

It’s a shame about your captain, my favourites have been Camby and Turnbull and they give great updates every day.

 

I’m on Aurora on a short cruise end of March so will be interesting to see how we get on although sounds like its a different captain then. I agree the attitude filters down from the top.

Please don’t get the false impression that we have a ‘bad’ captain. We don’t. He sounds personable and obviously is extremely competent at being master of the vessel, but quite a few people have

commented on his lack of announcements and useful titbits of information. I’m sure that we can all cite Captain’s who have massively enhanced our cruises with announcements about dolphins, whales, things of interest, things to look out for and when etc. Our favourite was Chris Wells who eventually went on to be Commodore at Cunard. As the most senior representative of the company, I’ve always felt that their role is an awful lot more than the seamanship aspects which, after all, are mostly done by the bridge team anyway! 

[Selbourne]

Todays MDR menus

[MellyMoo1989]

39 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Please don’t get the false impression that we have a ‘bad’ captain. We don’t. He sounds personable and obviously is extremely competent at being master of the vessel, but quite a few people have

commented on his lack of announcements and useful titbits of information. I’m sure that we can all cite Captain’s who have massively enhanced our cruises with announcements about dolphins, whales, things of interest, things to look out for and when etc. Our favourite was Chris Wells who eventually went on to be Commodore at Cunard. As the most senior representative of the company, I’ve always felt that their role is an awful lot more than the seamanship aspects which, after all, are mostly done by the bridge team anyway! 

 

When I was on Marella Explorer 2 last year we had a wonderful captain called Kostas. Many people would moan his announcements and little bits of information were hard to understand but I could hear him perfectly. He made me laugh signing off some messages on port days with "Don't be late please. I won't wait for you!"

 

I've only ever had one of, what I would say is a poor captain and that was the chap at the wheel of the Island Escape in May 2013. We were delayed leaving port because of very rough seas and late comers from excusions and he decided to set off against advice and we were hit by a wave that very nearly sent the ship over. A lot of guests got injured, Myself and my grandparents were thrown from our seats in the MDR, no apology from the captain and all we got off TUI was a half-a**ed apology and a voucher for £150 off our next cruise.

 

I believe a few guests who got off at the next port refused to get back on board and made their own way home.

[P&O SUE]

49 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Please don’t get the false impression that we have a ‘bad’ captain. We don’t. He sounds personable and obviously is extremely competent at being master of the vessel, but quite a few people have

commented on his lack of announcements and useful titbits of information. I’m sure that we can all cite Captain’s who have massively enhanced our cruises with announcements about dolphins, whales, things of interest, things to look out for and when etc. Our favourite was Chris Wells who eventually went on to be Commodore at Cunard. As the most senior representative of the company, I’ve always felt that their role is an awful lot more than the seamanship aspects which, after all, are mostly done by the bridge team anyway! 

I’m sure he is very competent at ‘driving’ the ship but I do like the personable ones!

[Selbourne]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Worlds largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, due to enter service in 7 days time and weighing in at just a smidgeon under a quarter of a million tonnes. On the second photo, taken from South Pointe, if you zoom in you can see the incredible front of her and how she dwarfs the other cruise ship!

 

Edited January 20 by Selbourne

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Please don’t get the false impression that we have a ‘bad’ captain. We don’t. He sounds personable and obviously is extremely competent at being master of the vessel, but quite a few people have

commented on his lack of announcements and useful titbits of information. I’m sure that we can all cite Captain’s who have massively enhanced our cruises with announcements about dolphins, whales, things of interest, things to look out for and when etc. Our favourite was Chris Wells who eventually went on to be Commodore at Cunard. As the most senior representative of the company, I’ve always felt that their role is an awful lot more than the seamanship aspects which, after all, are mostly done by the bridge team anyway! 

I always loved Captain Camby, Brown and Dunlop. Personable and you knew they were the Captain! You don’t often see them around the ship as much as on the American lines. Unsure if that’s by choice or company policy.

 

I had the pleasure of being on the Celebrity Beyond under Captain Kate McCue twice last year. She was incredibly personable! Daily brain teaser and “wise words from Mom”. She was always so visible. In the coffee shop, on deck, on the dock side, in the port area- even throwing the ball in for the officers vs passengers pool volley ball! She even remembered my name after I sent her a message on Instagram!!  
 

Another favourite was Captain Rick on the Symphony of the Seas- he used to just sit on a bench in Central Park and chat to passengers!

Edited January 21 by Glitterati

[Purdey16]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Worlds largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, due to enter service in 7 days time and weighing in at just a smidgeon under a quarter of a million tonnes. On the second photo, taken from South Pointe, if you zoom in you can see the incredible front of her and how she dwarfs the other cruise ship!

 

 

OMG it amazes me that they don’t sink !! I just think they are getting to big .

[Selbourne]

Day 18 - Saturday 20th January - Miami

 

Our best and most enjoyable day so far, helped by the fact that the weather was ideal (dry, partial sun and low 20s temperatures, which were perfect for lots of walking). 

 

I woke just in time to watch the entire dawn sail in to Miami, which was spectacular (photos posted yesterday). This commenced with passing the soon to enter service ‘Icon of the Seas’, the world’s largest cruise ship. She looked quite something and would dwarf Iona and Arvia. 

 

We berthed in terminal E, in the middle of the four other cruise ships. Aurora looks really tiny up against the other four. As always, we had a leisurely breakfast and let the crowds disperse. We walked straight off the ship and were out of the terminal in 5 minutes. We headed to the taxi rank which surprisingly had no queue, but also had no taxis either! Worst of all, the road it was in looked coned off and a police car was stopped across the end with its lights flashing. I asked a young girl with a uniform on if we were in the right place but, as we discovered, there are a lot of Hispanic people in Miami who surprisingly have quite poor English, so we couldn’t get much sense from her. Another lady appeared and asked if we needed a ‘handicapped’ cab (they use that term here for disabled). She kindly phoned for one and, as promised, it arrived 10-15 minutes later. 

 

Once we’d loaded my wife, still in her wheelchair, in the back of the vehicle, the driver asked where we wanted to go and I said “South Pointe, at the bottom of Miami Beach, by the ocean”. He seemed baffled by this, so I explained that it was my intention to walk all the way from there to Lincoln Mall, passing all the Art Deco district. I’d forgotten that Americans tend to use their cars rather than walk anywhere, so he told me that this wasn’t possible as it was way too far and several miles. I assured him that I push the wheelchair many miles everywhere we go and that was fine! He dropped us off as requested and the metered fare was $33, which I rounded up to $40 with a tip (this is relevant as you will hear when we returned to the ship). 

 

My plan to walk the coastal path from South Pointe worked a treat. We first looked around South Pointe itself and walked to the end of the pier, which affords distant views of Miami Beach, before heading north. This place is fantastic for wheelchair users as it’s all paved with smooth surfaces, is wide (to allow for all the joggers and cyclists - music blaring so you hear them coming) and is very scenic. Initially it’s plants and palm trees with beach views, gradually becoming hotels and then finally the iconic Collins Avenue strip with all the iconic Art Deco architecture that we love. 

 

I took loads of photos, as my previous visit to Miami Beach was just a drive down Collins Avenue, not getting out for a proper look around. This included the beautiful Versace villa. The place has so much atmosphere, with vintage cars parked outside some places, lively music from several bars, flashy cars and even flashier people! The only challenge was that the public toilets only had accessible cubicles in the ladies and gents and weren’t unisex. This is no good, as I have to accompany my wife. So I had one of my cunning plans. There are some swanky hotels with security gates and security staff guarding them, so I stopped at one and explained our predicament and asked if they knew if there were any suitable restrooms near. My plan worked and the guy offered us the use of the one in the hotel. 

 

We continued our walk north until Lincoln Mall and headed inland passing all the shops and restaurants. We then retraced our steps but headed down Washington Avenue, with a brief diversion along Espanola Way, to 10th Avenue where I tried (and failed) to find the Art Deco museum. Having now seen everything else that we wanted to see and feeling that we’d done really well, we decided to go back to the ship for a late lunch. Amazingly, unlike New York (or London) where cabs are constant, they were very sparse. I popped into a hotel and the receptionist kindly offered to call one. I made it clear that I needed a wheelchair accessible one, but when it arrived it wasn’t suitable as my wife would have had to get out of her wheelchair and the vehicle was too high. The receptionist came out and said she would get another. Sure enough 5 minutes later a proper wheelchair accessible one arrived. 

 

Once loaded and off I noticed that the meter wasn’t on. I pointed this out to the driver who said “no need. It’s a fixed rate”. Realising my schoolboy error I asked what the rate was “$65 dollars”. I pointed out that this was twice what we’d paid on the (albeit shorter) outward run. He got a bit funny and said he’d take us back to where he’d picked us up and we could get another cab, but I told him to just get us to the cruise terminal. En route he was at pains to show us evidence of the published fixed rates and he also, as so many Americans do, was fiddling with his phone the whole time and not concentrating on driving safely. Of course this isn’t illegal in the US, so doesn’t carry the 6 points and fine that it now does in the UK. Another example, I’m afraid, as to how backward the USA can be with some issues. When we arrived back at the terminal, I made a point of paying him exactly the $65 and not a cent more. Anyway, we didn’t let this spoil a fabulous day and we still saved money compared to doing a P&O accessible transfer. 

 

We had a brief lunch in the buffet, which we almost never use. I thought that the choice was very poor, but it filled a gap. The abolition of trays is a complete and utter nightmare for those of us who have to get food for more than one person, as I had to make multiple trips backwards and forwards. 

 

My wife was done for the day, but I decided to leave the ship again and this time get the shuttle bus to Bayside Marketplace. I must have timed it poorly as I was sat on the bus for a good 20 minutes before it left. My wife would have hated Bayside Marketplace. It was heaving. Small boutique shops, restaurants and bars with the obligatory blaring music. I was tempted to stop in a bar called Lola, which had attractive young waitresses wearing skin tight lime green shorts and equally skin tight pink bra tops, but decided that it would be inappropriate for a mature gentleman 🤔😂

 

Yet again I timed the return shuttle wrong. One had just left and I sat on the next one for 20 minutes before it left. I should at this stage say that Miami Cruise terminal was fine. No queues to get off or get back on the ship either time that I did it. 

 

At 6pm we went to see a local act, Miami Salsa, in the theatre (it was on at 6pm for those on second sitting and 8pm for those on first sitting). Think Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine but with more traditional Latin American songs. Not bad, and a nice change from the usual evening shows. My wife was less impressed 😂

 

We went for pre dinner drinks in the Crows Nest, which was still too warm but not as hot as a few days earlier. We had fabulous nighttime views across Miami with all the skyscrapers windows being lit up. At dinner we also had a lovely view through our personal panoramic window 😂. We later enjoyed the nighttime sail out of Miami as we didn’t leave until 10.30pm. 

 

As I said at the start, this had been our most enjoyable day by far and we loved it. We now have two sea days (when one would suffice) to get to our next stop Key West. This is shown on the itinerary as ‘possible tender’ but we are the only ship due in so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t berth and hopefully at the closest pier to Mallory Square. Hopefully the Captain will update us on all of this 🤔

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21 by Selbourne

[Interestedcruisefan]

52 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Day 18 - Saturday 20th January - Miami

 

Our best and most enjoyable day so far, helped by the fact that the weather was ideal (dry, partial sun and low 20s temperatures, which were perfect for lots of walking). 

 

I woke just in time to watch the entire dawn sail in to Miami, which was spectacular (photos posted yesterday). This commenced with passing the soon to enter service ‘Icon of the Seas’, the world’s largest cruise ship. She looked quite something and would dwarf Iona and Arvia. 

 

We berthed in terminal E, in the middle of the four other cruise ships. Aurora looks really tiny up against the other four. As always, we had a leisurely breakfast and let the crowds disperse. We walked straight off the ship and were out of the terminal in 5 minutes. We headed to the taxi rank which surprisingly had no queue, but also had no taxis either! Worst of all, the road it was in looked coned off and a police car was stopped across the end with its lights flashing. I asked a young girl with a uniform on if we were in the right place but, as we discovered, there are a lot of Hispanic people in Miami who surprisingly have quite poor English, so we couldn’t get much sense from her. Another lady appeared and asked if we needed a ‘handicapped’ cab (they use that term here for disabled). She kindly phoned for one and, as promised, it arrived 10-15 minutes later. 

 

Once we’d loaded my wife, still in her wheelchair, in the back of the vehicle, the driver asked where we wanted to go and I said “South Pointe, at the bottom of Miami Beach, by the ocean”. He seemed baffled by this, so I explained that it was my intention to walk all the way from there to Lincoln Mall, passing all the Art Deco district. I’d forgotten that Americans tend to use their cars rather than walk anywhere, so he told me that this wasn’t possible as it was way too far and several miles. I assured him that I push the wheelchair many miles everywhere we go and that was fine! He dropped us off as requested and the metered fare was $33, which I rounded up to $40 with a tip (this is relevant as you will hear when we returned to the ship). 

 

My plan to walk the coastal path from South Pointe worked a treat. We first looked around South Pointe itself and walked to the end of the pier, which affords distant views of Miami Beach, before heading north. This place is fantastic for wheelchair users as it’s all paved with smooth surfaces, is wide (to allow for all the joggers and cyclists - music blaring so you hear them coming) and is very scenic. Initially it’s plants and palm trees with beach views, gradually becoming hotels and then finally the iconic Collins Avenue strip with all the iconic Art Deco architecture that we love. 

 

I took loads of photos, as my previous visit to Miami Beach was just a drive down Collins Avenue, not getting out for a proper look around. This included the beautiful Versace villa. The place has so much atmosphere, with vintage cars parked outside some places, lively music from several bars, flashy cars and even flashier people! The only challenge was that the public toilets only had accessible cubicles in the ladies and gents and weren’t unisex. This is no good, as I have to accompany my wife. So I had one of my cunning plans. There are some swanky hotels with security gates and security staff guarding them, so I stopped at one and explained our predicament and asked if they knew if there were any suitable restrooms near. My plan worked and the guy offered us the use of the one in the hotel. 

 

We continued our walk north until Lincoln Mall and headed inland passing all the shops and restaurants. We then retraced our steps but headed down Washington Avenue, with a brief diversion along Espanola Way, to 10th Avenue where I tried (and failed) to find the Art Deco museum. Having now seen everything else that we wanted to see and feeling that we’d done really well, we decided to go back to the ship for a late lunch. Amazingly, unlike New York (or London) where cabs are constant, they were very sparse. I popped into a hotel and the receptionist kindly offered to call one. I made it clear that I needed a wheelchair accessible one, but when it arrived it wasn’t suitable as my wife would have had to get out of her wheelchair and the vehicle was too high. The receptionist came out and said she would get another. Sure enough 5 minutes later a proper wheelchair accessible one arrived. 

 

Once loaded and off I noticed that the meter wasn’t on. I pointed this out to the driver who said “no need. It’s a fixed rate”. Realising my schoolboy error I asked what the rate was “$65 dollars”. I pointed out that this was twice what we’d paid on the (albeit shorter) outward run. He got a bit funny and said he’d take us back to where he’d picked us up and we could get another cab, but I told him to just get us to the cruise terminal. En route he was at pains to show us evidence of the published fixed rates and he also, as so many Americans do, was fiddling with his phone the whole time and not concentrating on driving safely. Of course this isn’t illegal in the US, so doesn’t carry the 6 points and fine that it now does in the UK. Another example, I’m afraid, as to how backward the USA can be with some issues. When we arrived back at the terminal, I made a point of paying him exactly the $65 and not a cent more. Anyway, we didn’t let this spoil a fabulous day and we still saved money compared to doing a P&O accessible transfer. 

 

We had a brief lunch in the buffet, which we almost never use. I thought that the choice was very poor, but it filled a gap. The abolition of trays is a complete and utter nightmare for those of us who have to get food for more than one person, as I had to make multiple trips backwards and forwards. 

 

My wife was done for the day, but I decided to leave the ship again and this time get the shuttle bus to Bayside Marketplace. I must have timed it poorly as I was sat on the bus for a good 20 minutes before it left. My wife would have hated Bayside Marketplace. It was heaving. Small boutique shops, restaurants and bars with the obligatory blaring music. I was tempted to stop in a bar called Lola, which had attractive young waitresses wearing skin tight lime green shorts and equally skin tight pink bra tops, but decided that it would be inappropriate for a mature gentleman 🤔😂

 

Yet again I timed the return shuttle wrong. One had just left and I sat on the next one for 20 minutes before it left. I should at this stage say that Miami Cruise terminal was fine. No queues to get off or get back on the ship either time that I did it. 

 

At 6pm we went to see a local act, Miami Salsa, in the theatre (it was on at 6pm for those on second sitting and 8pm for those on first sitting). Think Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine but with more traditional Latin American songs. Not bad, and a nice change from the usual evening shows. My wife was less impressed 😂

 

We went for pre dinner drinks in the Crows Nest, which was still too warm but not as hot as a few days earlier. We had fabulous nighttime views across Miami with all the skyscrapers windows being lit up. At dinner we also had a lovely view through our personal panoramic window 😂. We later enjoyed the nighttime sail out of Miami as we didn’t leave until 10.30pm. 

 

As I said at the start, this had been our most enjoyable day by far and we loved it. We now have two sea days (when one would suffice) to get to our next stop Key West. This is shown on the itinerary as ‘possible tender’ but we are the only ship due in so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t berth and hopefully at the closest pier to Mallory Square. Hopefully the Captain will update us on all of this 🤔

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We've done a similar walk to that selbourne

 

It's definitely a lively place

 

We too love the art deco hotels like you

 

Scenes from the Al Pacino movie Scarface were filmed there as well

[Ukulele girl]

Thank you for such wonderful pictures and your ongoing delightful commentary on the trip. The last time I saw Art Deco buildings like these were in Napier, New Zealand, such a treat. Napier was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1931 so the buildings are in good condition and well planned. 

 

Great to see the menus although I think pescatarian/vegetarians have more choice than the carnivores.

 

Looking forward to your next instalment.

[brian1]

8 hours ago, Glitterati said:

I always loved Captain Camby, Brown and Dunlop. Personable and you knew they were the Captain! You don’t often see them around the ship as much as on the American lines. Unsure if that’s by choice or company policy.

 

I had the pleasure of being on the Celebrity Beyond under Captain Kate McCue twice last year. She was incredibly personable! Daily brain teaser and “wise words from Mom”. She was always so visible. In the coffee shop, on deck, on the dock side, in the port area- even throwing the ball in for the officers vs passengers pool volley ball! She even remembered my name after I sent her a message on Instagram!!  
 

Another favourite was Captain Rick on the Symphony of the Seas- he used to just sit on a bench in Central Park and chat to passengers!

We had Ingar Thorhauge on QE.She was waiting for our tour bus with trays of bubbly in Sri Lanka when 3 hrs late,luckily it was a ships tour,lol.

[Megabear2]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Day 18 - Saturday 20th January - Miami

 

Our best and most enjoyable day so far, helped by the fact that the weather was ideal (dry, partial sun and low 20s temperatures, which were perfect for lots of walking). 

 

I woke just in time to watch the entire dawn sail in to Miami, which was spectacular (photos posted yesterday). This commenced with passing the soon to enter service ‘Icon of the Seas’, the world’s largest cruise ship. She looked quite something and would dwarf Iona and Arvia. 

 

We berthed in terminal E, in the middle of the four other cruise ships. Aurora looks really tiny up against the other four. As always, we had a leisurely breakfast and let the crowds disperse. We walked straight off the ship and were out of the terminal in 5 minutes. We headed to the taxi rank which surprisingly had no queue, but also had no taxis either! Worst of all, the road it was in looked coned off and a police car was stopped across the end with its lights flashing. I asked a young girl with a uniform on if we were in the right place but, as we discovered, there are a lot of Hispanic people in Miami who surprisingly have quite poor English, so we couldn’t get much sense from her. Another lady appeared and asked if we needed a ‘handicapped’ cab (they use that term here for disabled). She kindly phoned for one and, as promised, it arrived 10-15 minutes later. 

 

Once we’d loaded my wife, still in her wheelchair, in the back of the vehicle, the driver asked where we wanted to go and I said “South Pointe, at the bottom of Miami Beach, by the ocean”. He seemed baffled by this, so I explained that it was my intention to walk all the way from there to Lincoln Mall, passing all the Art Deco district. I’d forgotten that Americans tend to use their cars rather than walk anywhere, so he told me that this wasn’t possible as it was way too far and several miles. I assured him that I push the wheelchair many miles everywhere we go and that was fine! He dropped us off as requested and the metered fare was $33, which I rounded up to $40 with a tip (this is relevant as you will hear when we returned to the ship). 

 

My plan to walk the coastal path from South Pointe worked a treat. We first looked around South Pointe itself and walked to the end of the pier, which affords distant views of Miami Beach, before heading north. This place is fantastic for wheelchair users as it’s all paved with smooth surfaces, is wide (to allow for all the joggers and cyclists - music blaring so you hear them coming) and is very scenic. Initially it’s plants and palm trees with beach views, gradually becoming hotels and then finally the iconic Collins Avenue strip with all the iconic Art Deco architecture that we love. 

 

I took loads of photos, as my previous visit to Miami Beach was just a drive down Collins Avenue, not getting out for a proper look around. This included the beautiful Versace villa. The place has so much atmosphere, with vintage cars parked outside some places, lively music from several bars, flashy cars and even flashier people! The only challenge was that the public toilets only had accessible cubicles in the ladies and gents and weren’t unisex. This is no good, as I have to accompany my wife. So I had one of my cunning plans. There are some swanky hotels with security gates and security staff guarding them, so I stopped at one and explained our predicament and asked if they knew if there were any suitable restrooms near. My plan worked and the guy offered us the use of the one in the hotel. 

 

We continued our walk north until Lincoln Mall and headed inland passing all the shops and restaurants. We then retraced our steps but headed down Washington Avenue, with a brief diversion along Espanola Way, to 10th Avenue where I tried (and failed) to find the Art Deco museum. Having now seen everything else that we wanted to see and feeling that we’d done really well, we decided to go back to the ship for a late lunch. Amazingly, unlike New York (or London) where cabs are constant, they were very sparse. I popped into a hotel and the receptionist kindly offered to call one. I made it clear that I needed a wheelchair accessible one, but when it arrived it wasn’t suitable as my wife would have had to get out of her wheelchair and the vehicle was too high. The receptionist came out and said she would get another. Sure enough 5 minutes later a proper wheelchair accessible one arrived. 

 

Once loaded and off I noticed that the meter wasn’t on. I pointed this out to the driver who said “no need. It’s a fixed rate”. Realising my schoolboy error I asked what the rate was “$65 dollars”. I pointed out that this was twice what we’d paid on the (albeit shorter) outward run. He got a bit funny and said he’d take us back to where he’d picked us up and we could get another cab, but I told him to just get us to the cruise terminal. En route he was at pains to show us evidence of the published fixed rates and he also, as so many Americans do, was fiddling with his phone the whole time and not concentrating on driving safely. Of course this isn’t illegal in the US, so doesn’t carry the 6 points and fine that it now does in the UK. Another example, I’m afraid, as to how backward the USA can be with some issues. When we arrived back at the terminal, I made a point of paying him exactly the $65 and not a cent more. Anyway, we didn’t let this spoil a fabulous day and we still saved money compared to doing a P&O accessible transfer. 

 

We had a brief lunch in the buffet, which we almost never use. I thought that the choice was very poor, but it filled a gap. The abolition of trays is a complete and utter nightmare for those of us who have to get food for more than one person, as I had to make multiple trips backwards and forwards. 

 

My wife was done for the day, but I decided to leave the ship again and this time get the shuttle bus to Bayside Marketplace. I must have timed it poorly as I was sat on the bus for a good 20 minutes before it left. My wife would have hated Bayside Marketplace. It was heaving. Small boutique shops, restaurants and bars with the obligatory blaring music. I was tempted to stop in a bar called Lola, which had attractive young waitresses wearing skin tight lime green shorts and equally skin tight pink bra tops, but decided that it would be inappropriate for a mature gentleman 🤔😂

 

Yet again I timed the return shuttle wrong. One had just left and I sat on the next one for 20 minutes before it left. I should at this stage say that Miami Cruise terminal was fine. No queues to get off or get back on the ship either time that I did it. 

 

At 6pm we went to see a local act, Miami Salsa, in the theatre (it was on at 6pm for those on second sitting and 8pm for those on first sitting). Think Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine but with more traditional Latin American songs. Not bad, and a nice change from the usual evening shows. My wife was less impressed 😂

 

We went for pre dinner drinks in the Crows Nest, which was still too warm but not as hot as a few days earlier. We had fabulous nighttime views across Miami with all the skyscrapers windows being lit up. At dinner we also had a lovely view through our personal panoramic window 😂. We later enjoyed the nighttime sail out of Miami as we didn’t leave until 10.30pm. 

 

As I said at the start, this had been our most enjoyable day by far and we loved it. We now have two sea days (when one would suffice) to get to our next stop Key West. This is shown on the itinerary as ‘possible tender’ but we are the only ship due in so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t berth and hopefully at the closest pier to Mallory Square. Hopefully the Captain will update us on all of this 🤔

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely photographs.  Whilst thrilled you had a good day, I'm very cross you were caught out on the return taxi fare.  Fixed taxi fares used to operate for the airport and cruise port until mid 2022 when Dade County adopted a resolution to abolish flat rates for taxis. 

 

In December this year a taxi from the cruise port to the Lincoln Mall was just under $27.00 so your first fare was spot on. The minimum fare for air and sea ports is $15 and metered. If the meter shows a number greater than $15.00, then the greater number shown on the meter has to be paid.  My guess is the hotel called what are known as airport taxis as these do operate a fixed fare regime outside the Metro Dade County metered rates.  Like most US citizens Miami residents are firmly glued to their IPhones and use them for Uber and Lyfts calls.  As a result "normal" taxis are pretty scarce on the ground except in the business district so I'm guessing the hotel receptionist called the number kept for taking guests to the airport or Port.

 

Floridians are encouraged to nominate a dedicated texter on group nights out, so slavishly devoted to their IPhones have they become!  I find the signs on the highways very amusing where they repeatedly mention the dangers of texting and driving rather thank drink driving or tiredness.  Because of their rights it would be impossible to introduce a system of bans or points for text drivers and these warnings are the best the authorities can do on that front.

 

Incidentally 70% of Miami's population have Spanish as their first language.

 

Do you have plans for Key West?  I note your comment that Lady S would have hated Bayside.  Key West is very loud and crowded particularly as the day goes on - its known in particular for its drink and music exuberance and being home to a lot of Parrotheads.  There are some great places to visit but if excess crowds and noise may be a problem it may be best to go ashore fairly early.  I believe the Hemingway Museum complete with 6 toed cats has accessibility but only to one floor.  Duval Street will be busy particularly at all times.

 

Thanks for the continued great updates.

[pete14]

4 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Lovely photographs.  Whilst thrilled you had a good day, I'm very cross you were caught out on the return taxi fare.  Fixed taxi fares used to operate for the airport and cruise port until mid 2022 when Dade County adopted a resolution to abolish flat rates for taxis. 

 

In December this year a taxi from the cruise port to the Lincoln Mall was just under $27.00 so your first fare was spot on. The minimum fare for air and sea ports is $15 and metered. If the meter shows a number greater than $15.00, then the greater number shown on the meter has to be paid.  My guess is the hotel called what are known as airport taxis as these do operate a fixed fare regime outside the Metro Dade County metered rates.  Like most US citizens Miami residents are firmly glued to their IPhones and use them for Uber and Lyfts calls.  As a result "normal" taxis are pretty scarce on the ground except in the business district so I'm guessing the hotel receptionist called the number kept for taking guests to the airport or Port.

 

Floridians are encouraged to nominate a dedicated texter on group nights out, so slavishly devoted to their IPhones have they become!  I find the signs on the highways very amusing where they repeatedly mention the dangers of texting and driving rather thank drink driving or tiredness.  Because of their rights it would be impossible to introduce a system of bans or points for text drivers and these warnings are the best the authorities can do on that front.

 

Incidentally 70% of Miami's population have Spanish as their first language.

 

Do you have plans for Key West?  I note your comment that Lady S would have hated Bayside.  Key West is very loud and crowded particularly as the day goes on - its known in particular for its drink and music exuberance and being home to a lot of Parrotheads.  There are some great places to visit but if excess crowds and noise may be a problem it may be best to go ashore fairly early.  I believe the Hemingway Museum complete with 6 toed cats has accessibility but only to one floor.  Duval Street will be busy particularly at all times.

 

Thanks for the continued great updates.

Megabear - I seem to recall that you have been in the Caribbean on Britannia, a cruise that coincided with a few others from these boards. I just wondered whether any of you were able to identify each other. 

[brian1]

Back in the 80s I was filling up with "gas" in Miami.The Hispanic attendant didn't have a clue what I was talking about.He said "Hey man don't ya speak English" I said yeah mate I am bloody English.

[Megabear2]

11 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Megabear - I seem to recall that you have been in the Caribbean on Britannia, a cruise that coincided with a few others from these boards. I just wondered whether any of you were able to identify each other. 

Unfortunately not.  Currently I'm isolating - day 5 - as I have a respiratory virus which has totally knocked me for six, it's not covid thankfully but it has been totally debilitating.

[brian1]

13 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

I’m sure he is very competent at ‘driving’ the ship but I do like the personable ones!

Better than some RN Captains.They can't even reverse.

[pete14]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Unfortunately not.  Currently I'm isolating - day 5 - as I have a respiratory virus which has totally knocked me for six, it's not covid thankfully but it has been totally debilitating.

Disappointing on many fronts. I hope you feel better soon.

[TigerB]

Another great report Selbourne, and fantastic photos.👍🏻

 

Yes, the toilet situation!🙄  Several times, when assisting our lass in the 'handicapped stall', we have experienced women, on hearing a male voice or seeing me (with my head bowed), screaming for me to get out and that they were going to call security, despite our lass calmly explaining the situation. One time, in a Target, a woman collared a member of staff and demanded that they eject us from the store. Our lass gave her a piece of her mind; the staff member took our side.

 

Miami itself is not somewhere we would purposely return to, but if it were on a cruise itinerary we would certainly consider doing what you did, starting at South Pointe and walking/bouling north.

 

Hopefully, you'll both be able to get off at Key West.🤞

[TigerB]

18 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Unfortunately not.  Currently I'm isolating - day 5 - as I have a respiratory virus which has totally knocked me for six, it's not covid thankfully but it has been totally debilitating.

 

Sorry to read that. Get well soon, and take care.

[Angel57]

@Megabear2 what a shame re Key West. I remember going there around 1997 -  Mum and I explored on our own and loved it. I know memories change over time, but I recalled it being quite upmarket so am saddened to hear how it has changed.