Live From Celebrity Constellation 3/11-3/23

[jam19872016]

Weight in was good today but I always weight less at my mom's than back home so I don't know how accurate things are. Yesterday I was -.6 and today I am -3.2. It tends to be off by about 2 lbs so maybe I'm only down 1.2. I am using a different scale but even when I used the same scale the same thing used to happen. Weird.

 

[lwid77]

On 3/8/2024 at 6:36 AM, jam19872016 said:

Exactly, there is no risk. There is no heating element in a fan and so long as they have a marking that says "UL" they have previously been inspected by an electrician and deemed safe for all electrical systems. Try explaining that to the security folks though. I would have no problem with the onboard electrician inspecting my fan, but again they don't really care to hear your negotiating. 

 

 

I am on the Constellation in May and this is my first cruise.  I was actually wondering if I should bring a fan.  Both of us like a very cold room when we sleep and I can just imagine the room being very stuffy so the air flow would be better than nothing.  We have a veranda room- can you keep the veranda doors open for fresh air at night?  Sorry- newbie question!

Also, what type of fan do you bring?  Thank you!  I am enjoying your report!

[jam19872016]

Hitting the road.

 

Two hours and 45 minutes to the hotel.

 

 

Oops I did it again 🎶 

[jam19872016]

Checking in now.

 

 

Not bad time, we stopped twice along the way. Traffic was stop and go on 75 until we passed Orlando but other than that not bad.

[jam19872016]

Looks nice so far.

 

 

[jam19872016]

Room looks nice.

 

 

 

Room has some worn edges but is clean and cozy. I'm happy with my choice so far. Rate was lower than I quoted earlier, we were only charged $165. That's cheaper than parking at the port. 

[jam19872016]

3 hours ago, lwid77 said:

I am on the Constellation in May and this is my first cruise.  I was actually wondering if I should bring a fan.  Both of us like a very cold room when we sleep and I can just imagine the room being very stuffy so the air flow would be better than nothing.  We have a veranda room- can you keep the veranda doors open for fresh air at night?  Sorry- newbie question!

Also, what type of fan do you bring?  Thank you!  I am enjoying your report!

I always recommend a fan if you think you might need it. I've never had a problem with the AC on a celebrity ship but you never know. I also like that it blocks out other sounds.

 

If you leave your door open, it will switch off your AC and I tried it once, it's far too hot for me and I had to close the door. This was in January. 

 

I will take a pic if my fan once I unpack it, it's buried in a layer of clothes because I convince myself they can't see it on the x-ray when it's insulated 😆 😅 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

18 hours ago, hcat said:

Seems some confusion by OP.with valet and porters,  and now I am confused!

 

We self parked for Terminal 25 (Ascent) after we dropped off our luggage..so just had carry- ons to board with.

 

We were concerned how we would get our luggsge and carry-ons to our car after the cruise....and had no info about the port's valet service. 

 

We lucked out. Had a great porter who took all our stuff up to our  car in  the garage and helped load the car.  Well worth the big tip!

 

note to self.. travel lighter next time!

Terminal 25 is in Fort Lauderdale.  We were discussing the Tampa Terminal.  Completely different situation.

[hcat]

On 3/9/2024 at 1:25 PM, bluewater1298 said:

You sound so depressed. Hope it goes better than you think. Two reason to do the buffet on first night - top deck view of sailing under the bridge and eating stir fry while watching the sunset. Your mom will probably like that idea and she can have the dining room 11 other nights. 

dining while going under the bridge around sunset sounds great!

[hcat]

52 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Terminal 25 is in Fort Lauderdale.  We were discussing the Tampa Terminal.  Completely different situation.

sorry..

after seeing the hotel and set up. I realized my confusion,   and  get it now!  We might do the same if we sail from Tampa!  Good price, less of a hassle with parking/ shuttle.

Edited March 10 by hcat

[jam19872016]

Was supposed to behave until tomorrow but my mom is a bad influence 🤣 

 

Dinner from a spot nearby, Salem's.

 

Shrimp po boy with cheese fries.

 

 

Fries were pretty good but the po boy was amazing. Nice kick of heat and tender, flavorful shrimp. Definitely hit the spot.

[jam19872016]

Pool area.

 

 

I tried a few different seats but they were not comfortable at all. A little chilly out which is surprising for this far south in Florida. 

 

I've moved back inside where it is still chilly, thanks to the AC but I can cozy up under the covets.

 

Thinking it's going to be an early night so I can be well rested tomorrow. 

[jam19872016]

9 hours ago, lwid77 said:

I am on the Constellation in May and this is my first cruise.  I was actually wondering if I should bring a fan.  Both of us like a very cold room when we sleep and I can just imagine the room being very stuffy so the air flow would be better than nothing.  We have a veranda room- can you keep the veranda doors open for fresh air at night?  Sorry- newbie question!

Also, what type of fan do you bring?  Thank you!  I am enjoying your report!

My fan.

 

 

I wouldn't go much bigger. I used to bring a box fan but size wise they have gotten more restrictive.

 

 

[jam19872016]

Turning in early 😴. 

 

Cruise day tomorrow!!!

[lwid77]

15 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

My fan.

 

 

I wouldn't go much bigger. I used to bring a box fan but size wise they have gotten more restrictive.

 

 

Thank you so much!  I appreciate the advice!

have a wonderful cruise! 

[hcat]

3 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Pool area.

 

 

I tried a few different seats but they were not comfortable at all. A little chilly out which is surprising for this far south in Florida. 

 

I've moved back inside where it is still chilly, thanks to the AC but I can cozy up under the covets.

 

Thinking it's going to be an early night so I can be well rested tomorrow. 

property is not looking bad ..esp with the parking deal!

 

Happy Sail Away tom!

[perfect match]

On 3/8/2024 at 9:28 AM, jam19872016 said:

Only if I can make it happen with my free play 😅. Other than that I will only be in the casino this time if my mobile bar needs a refill.

 

Tampa has a lot of unique itineraries that help make it more attractive. They do tend to all be during the winter season though as during the summer most of these ships sail off to Europe.

We drove into St Pete on Saturday and the drive from where I-275 splits off from I-75 when approaching Tampa from the north was insane! When we left St Pete after the event we were attending we decided to go home the long way. We drove south out of St Pete and over the Sunshine Skyway bridge to I-75 and headed north from there. We even saw a cruise ship out a short way past the bridge. I couldn’t tell who it was because I was driving and thought that even though traffic was light it would be a really good idea to keep my eyes on the road.

 

After our drive through Tampa I was seriously rethinking my plan to look for a cruise out of Tampa. I like the idea of a stay, park, and cruise hotel with round trip transportation to the port. We’ve done that when we cruise from Ft Lauderdale or Miami because the drive to either of those two ports tends to take a lot longer than the 3+ hours it is supposed to take. Stay, park and cruise makes for a far more enjoyable first day of the cruise than driving down the day of the cruise does. 
 

I do wish that the ships sailing out of Tampa would hang around in Tampa for a little longer in the spring and come back earlier in the fall. We like to cruise during the late spring and early fall and there aren’t options for those times out of Tampa.

 

Before I forget, I want to congratulate you on all of the progress you’ve made in your weight loss journey. Don’t go too crazy on the cruise so you won’t have to lose any of that same weight that you’ve already lost! 
 

Good luck 🍀 earning enough money on your free spins to cover your Panama Canal excursion! I’m not at all lucky in the casino. If you figure out how to make those free spins work for you please let me know how you did it and maybe I’ll give it a try. 😂

[jam19872016]

Good morning from Tampa. The bed was nice and comfy but I'd be lieing if I said I was well rested this morning. 

 

The included breakfast is continental so I'm going to skip it and wait for lunch to eat.

 

Have a little repacking to do this morning and I've scheduled the shuttle for 10am so I've got time. I do like not having to rush around this morning. 

[jam19872016]

11 hours ago, lwid77 said:

Thank you so much!  I appreciate the advice!

have a wonderful cruise! 

You're welcome! 

 

10 hours ago, hcat said:

property is not looking bad ..esp with the parking deal!

 

Happy Sail Away tom!

I've been very pleased with the hotel. At this price point you are taking a gamble but it's been nice.

 

 

[jam19872016]

6 hours ago, perfect match said:

We drove into St Pete on Saturday and the drive from where I-275 splits off from I-75 when approaching Tampa from the north was insane! When we left St Pete after the event we were attending we decided to go home the long way. We drove south out of St Pete and over the Sunshine Skyway bridge to I-75 and headed north from there. We even saw a cruise ship out a short way past the bridge. I couldn’t tell who it was because I was driving and thought that even though traffic was light it would be a really good idea to keep my eyes on the road.

 

After our drive through Tampa I was seriously rethinking my plan to look for a cruise out of Tampa. I like the idea of a stay, park, and cruise hotel with round trip transportation to the port. We’ve done that when we cruise from Ft Lauderdale or Miami because the drive to either of those two ports tends to take a lot longer than the 3+ hours it is supposed to take. Stay, park and cruise makes for a far more enjoyable first day of the cruise than driving down the day of the cruise does. 
 

I do wish that the ships sailing out of Tampa would hang around in Tampa for a little longer in the spring and come back earlier in the fall. We like to cruise during the late spring and early fall and there aren’t options for those times out of Tampa.

 

Before I forget, I want to congratulate you on all of the progress you’ve made in your weight loss journey. Don’t go too crazy on the cruise so you won’t have to lose any of that same weight that you’ve already lost! 
 

Good luck 🍀 earning enough money on your free spins to cover your Panama Canal excursion! I’m not at all lucky in the casino. If you figure out how to make those free spins work for you please let me know how you did it and maybe I’ll give it a try. 😂

Yea 275 looked congested when I drove passed it but the drive into Tampa wasn't too bad.

 

Carnival sails year round from Tampa but, if you have never sailed Carnival I can't say I would recommend Paradise for your first time, it's not exactly their best product. 

 

I wish I knew the secret myself 😆. I do stick to video poker on free play. It earns less points but has better odds than slots. Since you don't earn points anyway on free play that does not matter.

[jam19872016]

+2.2 lbs today. Expected since as I said I always seem to weigh less at my mom's house. Still starting this cruise almost 3lbs lighter than last one.

 

My mom has bought herself a foldable scooter. I'm glad she is taking steps to help her enjoy travel more, but it is hard to see her using a scooter and I also worry if she uses it too much she will get even more out of shape. She plans to just use it for boarding and when we go into port.

 

[princess76021]

Good morning!  Hope you and mom have a great demarcation day!!

 

I'm getting ready! 😁😁

 

hugs from Texas

[jam19872016]

On the shuttle. 

 

[jam19872016]

5 minutes ago, princess76021 said:

Good morning!  Hope you and mom have a great demarcation day!!

 

I'm getting ready! 😁😁

 

hugs from Texas

Thank you 😊. Almost time now 😁

[jam19872016]

Getting closer