Aboard Serenity Jan 5-18: Renewing the Adventure

[gmarsh]

My mother always said that travel should be an adventure...and this life has given us such wonderful times.  Five grandkids, happy retirement and opportunities for more travel.  Our family has been doing Crystal, our first trip 35 years ago(?) was on Harmony.  We survived the 'rona and got back everything we had laid out for a Med trip in May 2020 and a full family Christmas Cruise in '21.

 

Today we begin our first "excursion" and get to DIA and stay at the Westin night before our Thursday 0700 flight to Miami.

This prestaging at DIA means we dont need to get up at 0300 etc.

We have a sitter for the alpacas and silly dogs and  hope someone will shovel the snow that's coming😃.

 

I will do my best to report back on our experiences on board.

 

Happy New Year to all.

 

Geo

 

[Amber14]

Geo, we will be on board with you and are headed to Miami on the train. Hope we meet as we would love to hear about your alpacas. Hope your flight is smooth.

[gmarsh]

13 minutes ago, Amber14 said:

Geo, we will be on board with you and are headed to Miami on the train. Hope we meet as we would love to hear about your alpacas. Hope your flight is smooth.

Oh, now you’ve done it…Jean will be happy to talk about the ‘pacas AND grandkids🤪🍷.

Look for my yellow Doc Ford’s cap, Lido…

 

ALLL ABOARD!

[ryndam]

In HOU right now enroute to MIA. See y’all on Friday. 🛳️🛳️🚢🚢

 

Rob & Jim

[Keith1010]

Safe travels and an early Bon Voyage.

We won't eat all the food nor drink all the wine and spirits.

 

Keith

[gmarsh]

9 minutes ago, ryndam said:

In HOU right now enroute to MIA. See y’all on Friday. 🛳️🛳️🚢🚢

 

Rob & Jim

Sounds like a party 🎉!  I’ll get the first round🍻😘

[gmarsh]

8 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

Safe travels and an early Bon Voyage.

We won't eat all the food nor drink all the wine and spirits.

 

Keith

I sure hope there are some French fries 😆left!

cheers.

[Keith1010]

2 minutes ago, gmarsh said:

I sure hope there are some French fries 😆left!

cheers.

Yes no worries about that. 🤣

[gmarsh]

Camel cousins kushing with no regards to our trip…just feed us!

[ryndam]

Arrived South Beach. Overcast, windy, 60’s temps. But we’re here. And the luggage made it. And MIA was not an overcrowded zoo (at least the inbound and luggage claim). Lines were very long for TSA departing passengers.

 

To all traveling tomorrow, safe travels. See you onboard.

 

Rob & Jim

 

(To gmarch…I’m not going to hijack your thread, but if you’re okay with me supplementing your observations, I’d like to continue to post here, rather than start a new, concurrent thread. Up to you…it’s your initial post. Thanks!)

[Amber14]

7 hours ago, gmarsh said:

Oh, now you’ve done it…Jean will be happy to talk about the ‘pacas AND grandkids🤪🍷.

Look for my yellow Doc Ford’s cap, Lido…

 

ALLL ABOARD!

Sounds great!

[ryndam]

Miami Beach this morning.

[gmarsh]

21 hours ago, ryndam said:

Arrived South Beach. Overcast, windy, 60’s temps. But we’re here. And the luggage made it. And MIA was not an overcrowded zoo (at least the inbound and luggage claim). Lines were very long for TSA departing passengers.

 

To all traveling tomorrow, safe travels. See you onboard.

 

Rob & Jim

 

(To gmarch…I’m not going to hijack your thread, but if you’re okay with me supplementing your observations, I’d like to continue to post here, rather than start a new, concurrent thread. Up to you…it’s your initial post. Thanks!)

Please do augment the thread 👍🏻🍔 should be fun🍻.

The bar is open.

[gmarsh]

Ahoy!  Terminal J here we come!

Been up since 0300h…😆

 

G

[ryndam]

Screenshot from Miami port webcam.

 

 

[gmarsh]

Almost there…

[gmarsh]

The boat is as beautiful as ever😘😘

[moto_italia]

40 minutes ago, gmarsh said:

The boat is as beautiful as ever😘😘

IMG_6238.mov

It's a minor thing, but having the safe three feet or more above the floor is a nice touch. My last cruise (non-Crystal) had the safe about 18" off the floor in the dark closet / bathroom door corridor, which makes one have to bend over considerably, or sit on the floor to enter combination to lock or retrieve items. 

[History&Wine]

I've seen some rather questionable carpet design choices on the refurbished Serenity.  I  like the carpet in your room. 

Edited January 5 by History&Wine
grammar

[ryndam]

Cruise ship parking lot in Miami today. We Uber’d from hotel at 11am. Were onboard by 11:45a and lunched in waterside at noon. Seamless. Met Mark Farris on the pier and towed him onboard with us. He’s only on this cruise till we return to Miami in 2 weeks.

 

 

[gmarsh]

1 hour ago, ryndam said:

Cruise ship parking lot in Miami today. We Uber’d from hotel at 11am. Were onboard by 11:45a and lunched in waterside at noon. Seamless. Met Mark Farris on the pier and towed him onboard with us. He’s only on this cruise till we return to Miami in 2 weeks.

 

 

We agree.  Easiest boarding ever. Room key didn’t print correctly so the butler took care of getting me a new one. Can’t wait for Louis and sail away😘

[gmarsh]

Sun comin’ up and cakes on the griddle…

 

Super supper last night, Ahi and veal was delish.

Early bird coffee, very strong so stir it up.

There are 599 Crystalites aboard.  Crew tells me the Christmas Cruise was fully booked with a big waitlist!  So far, everyone I have asked is a return crew member.  Evidently, A&K sent out emails early in ‘23 to see who wanted to rejoin and the response was huge.  More evidence , to me at least, that A&K is serious about these two boats.

 

Hugs, see you in the lunch line😘.

 

G

[ryndam]

Oh my. You’re on the early shift, we’re on the late shift. We closed down the Avenue with Mark Farris around 12:30a. Now on our second set of double expresso’s in the Bistro. Two lectures this morning, another this afternoon. Caviar, oysters and lobster on the menu tonight.  😁😁👍🏻

 

Rob

[John Cruise]

Is that a aquamarine suite?

[bayonejoe]

27 minutes ago, John Cruise said:

Is that an aquamarine suite?

Looks like an Aquamarine ClassicL