LIVE – Ascent B2B 1/27/2024 - 2/11/2024 - Live Blog, Cat Blog, Vlog!

[theopup]

Enjoy your cruise!

[bandp407]

Look forward to following along ! Have a great cruise! 

[David Kane]

Onboarding 2 of Many

 

One of the things I have to keep reminding myself of is that this 'Live' blog runs exactly 1 day behind. The immediacy is just *stressful* so having time to have some Reflection (different ship) is important.

 

SO! Let's take a step back to the onboarding terminal and briefly discuss the experience. As already noted; you are getting dropped off wherever the Port Authority darn well chooses - but fear not! As much as they care not for your Retreat status, the Port, um, Porters? do, very much indeed. The better news is that they care for all equally, so give your bags and your tip (call it $20, inflation and whatnot) to the first Porter who walks up - from there, the Porter will direct you to the main entrance or, if Suite/Zenith, escort you to a side entrance. Here is the funny part - the side entrance is SUPER boring. The main entrance has a long escaltor and wonderfully designed cascading lights - the Suite entrance? Yeah, it's an elevator. Granted one with no wait so, fair fair but still.

 

Once up the elevator, you have to pass through 'security.' Here is the thing. This security is the Port security who seems to just be on hand to search people for throwing stars and concealed knives. We passed a bag of 4 bottles of liquor through the scanner without even an eye blink (granted these were all gifts for the staff and we actually wanted to have them confiscated) because they apparently weren't the katannas the guards were told to be on the lookout for. (To be even with the Port Guard, someone DID give  Capt. Kate a half sword as a gift so I suppose one does need to be on the lookout for that?). 

 

Past the guards the Retreat Lounge awaits. It is a wonderful area, worth more than a cursory glance. Below are the offering - danish, coffee, sodas, some fruit and THE most important thing at the port - a extensive restroom. For some reason there isn't a lot of signage, but it is just to the right of the embarkation gangway and well worth the stop before you get on board!

 

 

[David Kane]

Onboarding 3 of Many

 

Now, prepare yourself, because you are about to take the Ring to Mordor! The gangway to the ship is the LONGESTswitchback I have ever seen. Seriously, it cuts back 4 times before reaching the desk - I have literally carved less switchbacks than these into the mountains of Tennessee (and, during one memorable moment, saved the President of Kodak-Americas life, but that is a story for another time). 

 

But, to be serious here, if you have a mobility issue or need any type of assistance, you should ask for it here. It is a long walk. Now, due to some weird onboarding magic, it was also a walk with no other people? We quite literally set our baggage down half way up, XZ unpacked her hat and a few other things, re-packed her bag, and then we continued up and saw no a soul. We hope to have this video up shortly - it was WEIRD.

 

You onboard on 5; I think? I am still backwards on this ship - we're Summit kids (where everything is on 6) and the last time on the Beyond we just went from the room to the retreat and back again all week so we are still thrown off sometimes. Say what you will about Celebrity's generic naming (the eXcel? Seriously? You named your next ship after a commonly known and used Microsoft program? What's next? The Powerpoint?) but I will always know what deck Raw on 5 is...

 

From coming on board, the first thing to do get to the muster station. Seriously, I know the bags are heavy but your Muster will logistically be between your entrance deck and your room, and all you have to do is affirm you haven't picked up the hoof and mouth between when you said you didn't on the app and right now, and then scan your card.  Just do it and get it out of the way on the way because you next stop will be the room.

 

All rooms are ready when you onboard, at least to get your room cards and drop off your carry-ons, which should always contain your cash, passports, and as much ***** as you could be legally prescribed (no shame my madlads, but we know that's not a bottle of Vitamin C - we all saw the 193 ads for 'Hims' on Hulu last week watching Heckin' Kitchen - the cooking show where dogs are the judges).

 

You will ALSO need to do this because the code on your card is necessary to create your internet account and login and I so totally know how addicted to ship's Wifi we all are. 

 

Once you have your keys you'll want to make your way to the Retreat Lounge and OHMYGOD - ok, so, the sell for this ship was the fact that the staff on the Beyond told us they were opening the Ascent and would be onboard for at least the first 90 days and, so, all the staff we met on the Beyond would be on the Ascent and are they ever. We ran into SO MANY people we knew from our last cruise - it was almost like a homecoming. We don't necessarily like to post names here, but currently the Retreat Manager, Host/Hostess of Luminae, several severs at Luminae, and several bartenders on the Retreat Deck were all on the Beyond. The thing that has always made the ships for us is the crew, and they are out in first class spades!

 

From the Retreat Lounge we jumped over to Luminae for lunch. So, here is the thing about embarkation, either be first or pay for Le Grand Bistro. We were luckily first and got a table at the front of the ship - I can be a little sunny up there, but is ostensibly the same view one has from the Iconic suite and so worth it. The rest of Luminae is OK, but the front is amazing.

 

And speaking of amazing, let's take a look at a few pictures and well contested note - I like to bury actually relevant information deep in my posts, but for those following along, Celebrity is now upselling in the Retreat. I don't remember seeing this before - I mean, I guess one could order, say, Johnny Blue up here and there would be a charge (that was the last time I set OBC on fire - now I just buy t-shirts) but I have never seen it straight up advertized before. So, that's a thing...but hey, the Haslinger and the Decoy are included so, small wins?

 

 

[mac_tlc]

We also recognized  a bunch of Beyond folks. Luminae maitre’d is also from Beyond.
 

It looks like your wife is seated in, or very close, to the table we had at Luminae!

 

Say hi to Vivin, Paul and Ana Liza if they are your server team ! 
 

A couple of Beyond folks left yesterday, so your 90 day timeline seems accurate since they went to Ascent in October. 
 

Mac_tlc

[Beachlover1989]

So excited to follow along on another of your very entertaining live vlogs!!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Looking forward to your review and your outfits!  I probably won't be sailing Ascent given the current upcharge for solos, but perhaps Celebrity will come to its senses some day.  Boarding from Terminal 25 and the suite lounge is fabulous, even though I set off the alarms because I forgot I now have artificial knees!  Although we were the first on the ship, my luggage vanished in the process--worst luggage delivery ever.  My alert cabin steward finally found it lurking in a hallway somewhere shortly before sailaway.

[David Kane]

Onboarding 4 of Many 

 

After lunch at Luminae we did a quick ship's tour. There is a far and potent truth that the Buffet is darn near overwhelmed on onboarding day - actually, it's not the buffet, those stations are staffed approproiately - it's just the seating. For those less inclined to hover-round that seating area, I again suggest Le Grand Bistro - yes, it's an upcharge, but it's likely also a calm point of relaxed sanity in a day which may or may not have included being a witness in a hit and run on the way to the cruise terminal. Seriously Fort Lauderdale, could your lights be any longer or your bicyclists any less entitled?! (interrobang).

 

Now, as we often like to disguise useful information behind paragraphs of trite prose, the Retreat has a new offering (at least since the Beyond last year). Aside from offering free pump bottles of sunscreen, they now offer Free Sunglasses! Are they the best? Heckin' no, I will always wear the Oakleys my dad gave me some years ago because it always reminds me of him - but, as far as free sunglasses go, they are pretty darn good! So, you may have lost your premium wines - but you got some free shades in the bargain  - not a bad trade in my book!

 

At this point, we should have been unpacking, but, instead, we decided to do the sailaway from the Retreat Pool. There were all of 5 people in it and, as it has a impressive wading lip, you can stand on the edge of it and watch the ship slowly pull out into the channel. Oh, and you can also 'unintentionally' hip-check your wife into the deeper part if you so choose (this is a well planned revenge from 7 years ago when she pushed you down a 20 foot water ladder at Cozumel and pretended it, like Shaggy says, "wasn't her") .

 

On the other side of sailaway was dinner. An important note; the first night at Luminae is THE most important - you set your seating preference, meet the service staff, and generally put everything in play for the coming week. In our experience, do not do a Specialty or Buffet on the first night - go to your favorite restaurant and get everything set - we messed up once on the Reflection, did 3 specialities in a row, and showed up to Luminae on Wednesday and befuddled the staff.

 

 

 

 

[David Kane]

Onboarding 5 of Many

 

Apologies for the weird font, CC is an odd little thing.

 

After the lounge, and walking about, and attending the sail away from the pool it was time for dinner. As noted earlier, tonight is the night to set your preference and we elected to sit on the front of the ship - fun tidbit, same location as the Iconic suite, just with more servers and less pop-down televisions.

 

Dinner was splendid, XZis a Vegan (and has been for 30 years at this point so comments about it will be shown the Alpaca...don't make us show you the Alpaca...) and so the chef made her the most ridiculous tofu plate ever (it's generally easier to be diet-restricted on ships because the majority of the crew starts with what is essentially a vegan base and works up from there - see also the amazing Indian Food at the buffet and, if they ever offer it again, Taj-X) and I had the Daniel Bouloud.

 

Now, a word about this - we have dined at Le Voyage, carried his heavy, heavy cookbook that you get as a "gift" home with us and tried his 5 hour recipes and, much unlike Julia Child, we find his cooking inaccessible (unlike the excellent HBOMax show Julia which is just wonderful). Which is all well and good! I don't know HOW chefs at Luminae do it, but they consistently make his recipes every night - the Duck Leg Confit is now my go to on every cruise (whereas the previous chicken could have reasonbly used to defend oneself in a knife fight). Perhaps it is the heavy sauce? But the meat is fall-off-the-bone and the presentation is on point. Much like us slowly coming to appreciated the cluttered genius that is Kelly Hoppen; we are becoming big Danial Boloud fans - if I can ever spell his last name right.

 

After dinner there were various walks and casino trips, and then XZ went to bed and Ihit the casino rather hard, and by which I mean playing the BESTgame on the ship - $10 roulette. Yes, yes, I know, 6/8 craps has a narrower edge, but you have to pay attention to that - here, you just drunkenly blindly pick 10 or so numbers and....whatever man, 0/00 for life.

 

After that I poked around a little Blackjack - $15 table mins not being bad and the other players being generally amenable - and then, off to bed.

 

If you have lasted this far, here are small pictures - the next post will contain the dailies because YES I know you can just look them up on the app, but there are reasons I brought 17 lbs of books on board and not a kindle. 

 

 

[David Kane]

And now, dailies, here is the boarding day paperwork one might encounter:

[mac_tlc]

From discussions with the cruisers on the past few cruises, looks like you got the rock star Head Butler.

 

Bravo!

 

mac_tlc

 

P.S See, even X knows the Retreat Host is a Stateroom Attendant ......😂

Edited January 29 by mac_tlc

[hcat]

it was great  meeting you both tonight!

I am a long time fan!

[TheHawk1]

On 1/27/2024 at 10:01 PM, David Kane said:

Recently, a commenter suggested that someone posting a LIVE review should just eliminate all the where-with-all and get on with it. We couldn't agree more - thusly, we present 'the Fast Forwards.'

 

99% of you should just scroll right through this to the onboarding post; it's kind of like the way I watch Road House - keep fast forwarding until Sam Elliot shows up.

Thank you for this! It’s a great idea that I wish more reviewers would follow (even though I was not the commenter you were referencing, I couldn’t agree more).

 

Somewhere along the way, there developed a standard format for live reviews here, which so many now follow. It typically starts a week before the cruise (or heaven forbid, longer than that), whereby the author starts trying to build reader excitement by showing us what they’re packing in their suitcase, followed by the trip to the airport, where they parked, what they ate on the plane, their arrival at the port city, etc. Then we get to hear all the scintillating details regarding what hotel they chose pre-cruise (and why), followed by a detailed review of what they had for dinner. Isn’t that what Tripadvisor and Yelp are for? This is called CruiseCritic for a reason.

 

Apologies for highjacking your excellent live blog with my small rant. But I do hope more reviewers will follow your lead in the future and warn everyone about all the non-cruise fluff in their posts. Thanks and have a great cruise!

[David Kane]

Day 1 - Waking Up Posh

 

It is always odd how cruise days are counted - yesterday was technically 'day one' but I don't count embarkation day or eviction day so I am marking this as day 1...which will make no sense as the dailies say 'day 2.' So, Ok, Fine. Day 2 - here is the paperwork.

 

 

[OldTymeCruiser]

Always enjoy your reviews and style of writing as well.  May I suggest you consider a Cunard Transatlantic voyage in the future. Having crossed numerous times there are always fashionable passengers dressed in victorian clothing and other styles. You certainly would be welcomed and appreciated!

[David Kane]

Day 2 - Time flies, or, rather, swims when you're having fun

 

Day 2 begins by myself pushing XZ out of bed and mushing her up to Luminae. In the past, we have played it casual with our morning repast by eating way too much sausage at the Oceanview Buffet. However, at the very end of our last cruise, on the final day, we tried Luminae breakfast and remembered just how good it is - pictures below is their elevated take on Lox. 

 

 

While on the subject of Luminae, let's review a little history of it because I feel it has changed over the years. 

 

Originally conceived as a 'Speciality' restaurant for Suite guests it was unveiled with the goal of attaining a Michelin Star (or the at sea equivalent) within a few years. Service was handled by a dedicated team per each table - a head waiter, water server, bread server, and a general sommelier. Guests were welcomed by up to two hosts, and evening meals started with an amuse bouche. Service was timed, and meals arrived simultaneously - often times under domes that were lifted in synch. Occasionally, the head chef would drop by. The meals were relaxed, allowing guests to spend some time getting to know the staff. At least that was the concept as I remember it being executed on the M class ships as there were fewer suites. 

 

And then Luminae got built into the Reflection, which had way more suites - and the Edge series got built which had way, way more suites and I feel, somewhere along the way, that 5 star experience started to give way to expediency. And that was completely understandable. 

 

The first time we went to Le Voyage, last year on the Beyond, XZ and I looked at each other and said 'You know, this feels a lot like the first time they rolled out Luminae.'

 

Well, I have news - I don't know if they continue to tinker with the concept, or the staff onboard is just that good, but the 'feel' of that original Luminae is BACK in a big way on the Ascent. Sure, there is still some expediency, but the personal touches have returned in a big way. 

[David Kane]

Day 2 - Time flies, or, rather, swims when you're having fun - around and aboot!

 

After a lovely breakfast we decided to give a round of Pool Bingo a try - it being somewhat overcast the Retreat Cloud Deck pool was largely abandoned and a touch chilly. The same held true for the luke-warm tubs. However, the actual 'martini glass' whirlpools were amazing, the high glass walls being perfect for a slightly grey day.

 

Now, here's a fun story - XZ is from Leadville, Colorado - the highest town in America. For point of reference, it is essentially on the back side of Vail. We went out for Boomdays last summer, which involves the highy anticipated Burro Race down Main Street and, no, before you ask, it isn't like running 'with' aka 'AWAY FROM'  the bulls in Pamploma. In this event you race WITH a Burro kitted out in 50 lbs. of historic mining gear (the Burro, not the runner). One would think a race that has rules like "if a Burro leaves the course it must be led back and re-enter the course at the point where it excited" and "you cannot ride the Burro, but the Burro may ride the racer" isn't taken all that seriously but is freaking IS. It's also like 26 miles up and down mountains. 

 

SO! The point is, it is a town of like 4,000 people at 12,000 feet and everywhere we go, and I mean everywhere, XZ runs into someone from Leadville. It's uncanny.

 

This time, two fellows join us in the whirlpool and we get talking over this or that and one of the goes, 'Yeah, I like and work up in Colorado' so XZ gets her shifty eyes on and goes 'Oh really, where abouts?' and he goes 'Oh, it's a local ski resort, you've never heard of' and she goes "Try me." and it turns out works THE ski mountain that XZ grew up skiing on and worked winters there during high school. 'Small World' doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

After Pool Bingo (side note; the Solarium Pool has been oddly empty...) we attended a chipping competition. 

 

 

I was envisioning retirees taking divots out of the Carpeting in Eden and smashing golf balls off the interior plants but, in a wise move, Celebrity uses foam golf balls...which turns this into more or a Carnival Game that a skills challenge, which is likely a good thing for some people's egos as there seemed to be an awful lot of former LPGA stars sand bagging it to get into the competition and then looping in consecutive shots.

 

 

This is a really fun event to attend, and a great use of the space in Eden.

 

After that we took more of a walk around, including sitting in this chair down by the MDRs to refresh our Orgones.

 

 

[David Kane]

Day 2 - Pardon the Interruption

 

Before we dress and head off to dinner, let's take a moment to check in with the fuzzy menace.

 

 

"Ok, paws on the table, I snagged this comment off of the forums a few months back and thought it was so clever I had to preserve it for all time. I should have probably grabbed the poster's name so I could credit them warmly but it seems I failed to do so - what do you want, I'm a cat who occasionally bites people out of love."

 

Ok Kitty, that's actually very funny - I really don't even have much of a clever reply here because all of this is so spot on.

 

[David Kane]

Day 2 - Evening 2 - To Boulud-ly go

 

After wrapping up pool time we dressed for dinner and then headed to the Retreat Lounge to kill some time before our 7:30 reservation at Le Voyage. We spent some time with some wonderful guests and staff, including a butler who recently transferred over and is superstar caliber (he was trained by Hilario if that indicates his level of professionalism and experience).

 

 

After that, we headed down to Le Voyage - we snagged a last minute reservation a year ago on the Beyond at the insistence of our neighbors in the Iconic and were blown away by the staff, setting and the entire experience. This is a restaurant where you come hungry, order 1 item, and leave extremely satisfied.

 

 

For the Ascent the space has been entirely reimagined. Whereas the Beyond was segmented and segregated, with lines of sight being interrupted, creating an intimate and enchanting layout replete with private alcoves, the Ascent has gone in for a far more open concept. It seemed to us there were more tables set closer together in this iteration. And indeed, a very loud table of 8 directly behind us helped to drag the atmosphere from refined to ballpark level as they made sure that I could participate in their witty asides and enjoinders if I so chose.

 

One of the reasons we booked the Ascent was the rock-star-level of service and quality on the Beyond - many those same folks were already contracted to open Le Voyage on the Ascent. Unfortunately, is seems we juuuust missed them departing, except for one or two, and while the service and attention was still present the...how best to say this...the quality and execution of signature dishes did not match our palette. I suppose each chef brings their own execution, just like each sommelier brings their own signature tastes and this Le Voyage is markedly different than our experience on the Beyond. YMMV.

 

From there, we finished up our dinner at the buffet where, once again, Indian and Greek specialties stand out. After that, we just had time to make that evening's show - Residency. Modern music is good to hear on the ships (one more tribute to Motown, I swear...) and this cast is exceptional. There is one particular female lead who has a dynamic range and an almost unearthly voice - I cannot wait to see what other roles she is cast in.

 

  

 

After the show, I once again visited the casino while XZ retired for the night - $10 roulette is still the most affordable game on the ship - the $15 blackjack is still OK (with a weird 2 cards to 20 mini-game which isn't a fun as a traditional match the dealer, but is still pretty cute). And I made it back to the room far, far too late!

[georgiaguy]

Trying to gauge your reaction Le Voyage. If you hadn’t had the prior experience would you have enjoyed this one more? Just curious. Enjoying your review!

Edited January 31 by georgiaguy

[David Kane]

In re: to Le Voyage I think it is a combination of things - the expectation was high based upon the Beyond and the new space/other guests detracted from the intimacy we were expecting. In addition, with Luminae making SUCH a strong comeback on the Ascent, I would offer a re-ordering of things?  On the Beyond I would put Le Voyage at #1, Eden at #2 and Luminae at #3. Here, Luminae catapults into the #1 position - I will update on Eden when we attend that experience later in the week, and put Le Voyage at #3. Note; there is a strong bias here as we do not go to Fine Cut which, arguably, could be seen as a premium venue and others might consider Luminae more of an MDR option (alongside Blu) so, as usual, your mileage may vary, but the change in Luminae continues to impress on a nightly basis. 

[georgiaguy]

Good to know. We have Le Voyage tasting menu booked for my husbands 40th birthday but we are also in the MDR the rest of the time. Still expect it to be a good time. Thanks!

[David Kane]

Day 3 - Wasted Youth

Let's so some paperwork so we don't fall more than 1 day behind and then review the whole lot of *nothing* we managed to do today. Paperwork for Puerto Rico is as follows:

 

[David Kane]

Day 3 - Wasted Youth

The plan, today, was to head up into the Old City once the ship docked at 3:30 in San Juan - from there, we could relive our former glories, like when our flight back from the Summit got cancelled 2 days in a row and we had to take an Air B&B behind a vendor's stall on the second floor/rooftop. Or the time we arrived in the middle of a government protest/polite riot and could only find one driver who was willing to drive into the middle of civil unrest to deliver us to the fortified hotel that is El Convento where we able to watch stream of protesters defacing buildings, live on television, while sitting at the hotel bar directly across the street. Good Times, Good Times.

 

Unfortunately, blissful malaise, along with the apparent 2 lbs of smoked salmon I 'accidentally' consumed for breakfast meant we spent the morning lolling around, doing little, aside from watching a woman at the buffet foks 7 helps of the pickled herring onto her plate - aka 'tell me you're from Norway without telling me you're from Norway.'

 

By the time lunch rolled around we had accomplished even less, aside from watching 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' for the 58th time. While the pickings on the TV tend to slim, the Cruise Director, Luigi, has the most entertaining morning program since Alejandro's days on the Infinity. These shows seem to be shot at random locations around the ship the night before and, if you can find them while they are filming, they will invite you on the set. It's kind of like if Good Morning America had decent guests and is a lot of fun. I mean, spliced in-between the pre-recorded adverts for Fat Freezing, Posture Analysis, and recruitment promotions for the John Birch Society (the last one may not, in fact, be true - I have no ideal of the political leanings of the eye-brow threader).

 

Lunch was at Oceanview (odd, helpful note - Luminae IS open for lunch even though this was considered a 'Port' day as we had not yet arrived at the port) but we absolutely missed it. The buffet continues to provide excellent choices, depending on your tastes, including a build your own greek salad bar with 6 different types of olives. 

 

I know seating and genersl crowding is starting to become a topic, especially as these cruises reach sold-out status, so here are two helpful hints hidden in the middle of a page of blather:

 

1) The back of the buffet, across from the Pizza station, always has open seating. The front, even the 'Pink Room,' may look discouraging, but there is plenty of seating available if you make your way to the back.

 

2) Situational awareness can be tough, especially while holding a plate of food and trying find your next selection in the midst of people who are either moving at close to a jog or close to a stumble. The best way to navigate this area, when not at a station, is to move in a straight line from support pillar to support pillar. This keeps the area in front of you generally free and makes sure no one will cut you off as they would crash into the pillar(s). Alternatively, for those Canadian friends, it also allows you to check someone into the boards if they encroach on your space.

 

After lunch, and as noted, we decided against going ashore (even though the ship docked an hour early) and took a lengthy amble around the ship where I managed to snag a few pictures of drink menus as follows. Note the Magic Carpet has a few 'upgraded' wine offerings while the Sunset Bar has a food menu (?) featuring a middle eastern theme. I am uncertain if this is new or not? It would never have occurred to me to eat at the Sunset Bar...

 

In addition, the Sunset Bar menu is printed paper, so, unlike the Magic Carpet's laminated page, it seems rather easy to change out.

 

   

 

 

 

[David Kane]

Day 3/Night 3 - Back in the Saddle

 

By dinnertime we had generally recovered from our listlessness (oooohhhh...this is what a vacation feels like...riiiiiight) and headed over to Luminae for dinner.

 

Now, a semi-open secret, XZ has been Vegan for 20+ years and, yes, we have heard all the jokes and been to numerous restaurants that literally played 'hide the bacon' for daring to ask for 'off menu' items like unbuttered toast and a veggie wrap without any cheese. Things have gotten noticeably easier in the last 4 years and it really turned around in 2022 when we were in the Penthouse on the Summit and the chef came by the table each night to explain the dish he prepared. It also helps that XZ's tastes run along a high spice Indian/Thai line...and it also helps we brought a bottle of local bourbon on board as a gift for said chef. She plans to have a Vlog about eating Vegan on Celebrity out...eventually, but, in the meantime, the Chef in Luminae has been making some alterations to the nightly menu to make dishes Vegan with tremendous success. Last night she had some lip-numbing noodles that were somewhat off the blurry menu pictures below:

 

 

 

 

One note; there was a whole discussion at one point about how one could order off the MDR menu in Luminae in M class as they shared the same kitchen but not in S class. I am uncertain if that distinction still holds, as I can get the MDR appetizers in Luminae every night - I'll have to check on the mains considering there are 4 separate restaurants from which to choose.

 

We had some delightful company for dinner and saw what are becoming familiar faces. 

 

After dinner we eschewed the performance, which was Elisha Pickett, a civil war re-enactor who recreates the Battle of Gettysburg in 3 rather moving scenes (the only historically inaccurate difference being the cross casting of the Irish Iron Bridge as the Serbian 7th Home Guards due to cultural staffing issues among the actors). Instead, we spent some time in the Retreat, visited several bars, took in some singers at Eden and found the below item in the...iLounge?

 

 

 

Also, just before the ship was prepared to depart San Juan a major storm came roaring through. You think pier-runners are fun - pity the poor folks who got caught in THIS deluge:

 

 

We had decided on an early night, as we needed to rise at 6am (!) to have time to sufficiently prepare for our excursion to the Baths at Virgin Gordo in Tortola the next day. But not before we had the bartender at Luminae help us keep our traditions going by preparing Wine Spoodie Odie.- a shot of Port Wine, a Shot of Whisky, and a Shot of Port Wine. - 'a sweet jacket for all that bad whisky' per Kerouac's recollection.