Year 4, Day 215, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 12/01/2024. The Wellington – Day 18 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. – Driving from WV to KY. It is snowing as we drive through the West Virginia Mountains on Interstate 77 South. The farther south we go the more it is snowing. The roads are almost empty. It is just us and the lone highway.
Here’s some cruise line trivia for size of cruise lines
1: Carnival is #1 because of the size of the Fleet.
2: Royal Caribbean is #2
3. MSC is the 3rd largest cruise company in the world! And the largest Privately owned company as well!
4. Norwegian is #4
5. And all the rest fall below.
We got home to this mound of dead flies. Where are they coming from? How disgusting is this. When you leave a construction site things take over. The number of dead flies in the slider door frame is amazing.
We are back in time to prepare dinner.
But I am missing this parade.
Oh well – suck it up Dolores, it is back to work time.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Little ELF Gift Wrap Cutter:https://amzn.to/4ak6qTh This cutter is so easy, and I use it year-round for wrapping gifts. So easy with a nice clean straight cut.
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Year 4, Day 214, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/30/2024. The Wellington – Day 17 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. – Day 2 HersheyPark Christmas Candylane. Fun, but colder. We had breakfast at the Hershey Pantry. It was okay, but very very crowded. I didn’t like that people were standing behind us waiting for tables while we ate.. They should have to wait in their cars.
Left at 3pm and headed to spend the night in Clarksburg, WV.
We altered our route and took the Pennsylvania turnpike through three mountains.
What beautiful countryside we rode through and the best sunset ever.
Then we hit the stark cold snowy mountains as soon as we crossed into West Virginia.
I spent some time thinking of Christmas – crafts to make, cookies to make, and shows to watch. Thanksgiving is officially over.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
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Year 4, Day 213, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/29/2024. The Wellington – Day 16 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. – Christmas season begins with our annual trip to HersheyPark Christmas Candylane. It is cold!!!
But first visiting Santa and picking a tree.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 212, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/28/2024. The Wellington – Day 15 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. – Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! Cooking, eating, playing Thanksgiving Family Feud, and watching Christmas movies with a great family.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 211, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/27/2024. The Wellington – Day 13 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. Lunch out
Look at this local reservoir – Wow it has been really dry in the Northeast.
On the way to Olive Garden, I noticed these waffle-like yellow grids nailed to local utility poles. I have never noticed it before. Since 2007, PECO (Pennsylvania Electric) has been installing the reflective grids. The poles are inspected and the grid changed out every ten years. About half of PECO’s 400,000 poles have them so far. The reflectors are called delineators and help drivers see poles at night and avoid collisions. They are used in the mid-Atlantic region states – Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Individual utility Companies decide if they will use them or not. Therefore, they are not used in every state.
In the evening everyone in the household was put to work prepping tomorrow’s Thanksgiving meal/feast. Cooking together as a family builds a strong connection.
I think the mice are enjoying our home while we are away.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 210, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/26/2024. The Wellington – Day 13 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. We stayed in Rockaway, NJ at the Hilton Garden Inn for a second night. Checked out this morning and headed to Wantage, NJ to visit some friends and then on to lunch.
After lunch we headed to PA for Steve’s birthday celebration.
It was an exciting day visiting. We even couldn’t pump our own gas. Did you know that New Jersey is the only state where it’s illegal to pump your own gas. The ban dates back to 1949 and was passed due to safety concerns. Gas station owners in New Jersey can be fined for drivers caught handling the gas pump. The gas station attendant even washed our windows.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 209, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/25/2024. The Wellington – Day 12 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. We stayed in Rockaway NJ Hilton Garden Inn last night. Met up with a friend for a long cup of coffee this morning. It was great to see Betty. Then had another long meet up with other friends (Agnes and Ann) for lunch but forgot to take pictures. It was a fantastic heartwarming day.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 208, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/24/2024. The Wellington – Day 11 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 8 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – Departing ship in Bayonne, NJ. Up early with an early departure from ship. A quick walk around the ship, breakfast, and then we are off.
We were off the ship and were in our car super quick. We always grab a porter to take our luggage. You won’t regret it. They get you and your belongings through customs and out by the parking garage quick and easy. I waited with the luggage at the bottom of the parking garage, while Steve paid for the parking ($210.00) at the kiosk outside the garage and pulled the car around. The parking garage elevators were super busy and he took the stairs for quickness. We were eager to go see FAMILY!
Here’s my thoughts on the Odyssey of the Seas (Quantum ultra-class cruise ship) compared to Anthem of the Seas (Quantum-class cruise ship)
Odyssey Pros:
– Playmakers huge upgrade to SeaPlex
– Main dining room layout is way better
– Deck 15 hot tubs huge upgrade (6 on Anthem just isn’t enough)
– El Loco Fresh is a net positive over Johnny Rockets in my opinion
– Teppanyaki is a nice touch
– Windjammer seems bigger
Odyssey Misses:
– No indoor pool area area is a huge miss
– corporate Starbucks in place of La Patisserie is a giant waste of space and nearly ruins the Esplanade for me
– Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar is a significant downgrade from Jamie’s and Vintages combo, especially Vintages seating
– The Via on Anthem seems much larger and spacious and has a completely different vibe (with the big horn)
– I prefer the layout of the music hall on Anthem
– Miss the swing in the Solarium
– Miss outdoor back area of Windjammer
– No SeaPlex hotdog stand seems chintzy
We spent the day visiting with family. It was so much fun catching up. Miss, miss, miss seeing our NJ family.
We are always looking at new designs and look at this water filtration. Need to research if it removes PFAS.
Then more family love and of course good food!!
Isn’t good food love?? Well in my Italian family it always was LOL
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 207, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/23/2024. The Wellington – Day 10 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 7 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – Second sea day traveling from Nassau, Bahamas to Bayonne, NJ.
Yummy burger lunch in the main dining room.
Last dinner at Chops Grille
Saying good by to Peggy and Eddie till our next NJ cruise.
Here’s a video of the Windjammer dinner buffet
We are loving that the dogs get to enjoy our house.
It was a fun trip. Tomorrow we are off the ship in Bayonne and on to see some friends.
Daily cruise planner and departure information
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 206, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/22/2024. The Wellington – Day 9 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 6 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – At sea traveling from Nassau, Bahamas to Bayonne, NJ. It is much cooler on deck this morning. The MSC Meraviglia is traveling in the distance as we eat breakfast. She is heading back to NY.
The dogs and mice are playing at our house as we cruise along. How did mice get in our house?
It is 35 degrees Fahrenheit at home, and we are at 61. It is much nicer here except for the rolling seas. Today was the Cheers with an Officer lunch. I love putting a face to the crew of the ship and especially the captain. We met some nice people from Brooklyn and had a great lunch.
The hvac inspector came in the afternoon and we passed the final inspection. When we get home it is on to finishing the electric and getting the final electrical inspection.
The captain says it will remain rough tonight through tomorrow and get colder the closer we get to Bayonne. Of course I see all the snow pictures in NJ. It was even snowing by our house early this morning.
Then a little casino time after lunch.
Our 10th deck balcony floor and chairs are soaking wet and the balcony door has water running down the outside. Yup those waves are huge and splashing high
Daily cruise planner
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
2 Pcs 10” Valentine’s Day Nutcracker:https://amzn.to/3DJQBJp Look at these cute nutcrackers for decorating for Valentines Day. I think they add to my year-round nutcrackers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 205, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/21/2024. The Wellington – Day 8 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 5 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – – Nassau, Bahamas. Five ships are docked here in Nassau, Bahamas today. It is very busy.
Had a mani Pedi and then we headed into the town. We walked around for a little while, visited a few shops and headed back to the ship. Way way way too crowded.
These little Curly Tailed Lizards were everywhere. They are native to the Bahamas. I guess they don’t mind the crowds. They eat crickets, grasshoppers, ants and beetles. They were different colors from brown to gray and had different markings. When chased, the northern curly-tailed lizard will curl its tail to intimidate predators. This behavior is most common when the predator is far away.
We also saw some stray dogs. The Bahamians call these dogs Potcakes. The name came about because after a meal, Bahamians traditionally placed their food-caked pots outside to feed the stray dogs.
Afternoon meanderings on the Odyssey of the Seas.
Main room dining had entertainment.
Last night’s dinner was more peaceful and relaxed at Giovanni’s.
Always peaceful in the evening at the Lime & Coconut.
Daily cruise planner
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 204, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/20/2024. The Wellington – Day 7 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 4 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas. CocoCay is Royal Caribbean’s private island located in the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. What a change from the busy industrial Port Canaveral yesterday. It is the world’s second busiest homeport. Today is like a little bit of heaven in the Bahamas.
The view from our balcony is Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay. Great Stirrup Cay is a 268-acre island. The island is empty today. They do not have a dock, and it appears that only one ship at a time visits that island. Way way far in the distance I can zoom my camera in on some ships.
CocoCay is about one mile long and 1/3 of a mile wide. This year (2024) Celebrity cruise ships started stopping here along with Royal Caribbean. Two ships can dock here at the same time. Today there is us on the Odyssey of the Sea and also the Allure of the Sea docked. Looking at the calendar it appears that most days of the week there are two ships here. Allure looks twice the size of us. It is much wider and also taller.
A quick breakfast and a look at the tips to know and off we go to the beach.
I am not a beach person, so this is a forced beach day for me. Love to cruise, love the water, but am not the beach relaxing type of person. There was a nice cool breeze while sitting near the water. Maybe just dozing under an umbrella for a few hours is nice. The water was cold with lots of two-inch fish swimming around you. The beach was fairly crowded and there was a constant buzz of conversation surrounding me and mostly in different languages. Lots of children were running, laughing, screaming, and a few even throwing tantrums. This is not one of my favorite places, but people love love love it here in CocoCay. I am definitely not a Thalassophile. I lived on an island for a few years. I did enjoy sitting on the beach by myself for an hour every day. This beach has a vibrant setting and is ideal for people who are traveling with company. I did find the longer I laid on my chair the more relaxed and calm I felt. So maybe it was a good day after all. They say that sea air is full of healthy negative ions. These charged particles improve our ability to absorb oxygen. They do this by neutralizing damaging free radicals. These negative ions in the ocean air increase the oxygen flow to our brains. This flow creates more mental energy. It also increases serotonin. I have heard that our brain is hardwired to react positively to water. Being near it can calm us and connect us. Water can also increase innovation and insight. It might even heal what’s broken. Hmm maybe there is something to it.
Here are links to some other of our days at CocoCay. Coco Cay
We sat and ate lunch and watched this huge iguana sit in the tree above us.
After the water, sand, sun, and food it was time to head back to the ship. Our room was so cozy and clean. We have a great Stateroom attendant.
As we head into Chops Grille, we see Schooner Bar is busy. It is always a great place to sit and there is a lot of Trivia that takes place there. We had dinner at Chops Grille and then sat outside. Another beautiful night in the Bahamas. So relaxing looking out over the ocean and enjoying the sights sounds and smells of nighttime at sea.
Daily cruise planner
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 203, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/19/2024. The Wellington – Day 6 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 3 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – Cape Canaveral, Florida. We pulled into Port Canaveral and we’re off the ship by 12:30pm. We took an uber to the Merritt Square Mall for $18.97. Steve forgot his sandals so off to Macy’s we went.
Then back to the ship for afternoon cocktails on deck 14 at the Lime & Coconut poolside bar.
Tonight is dinner at Chops. This ship is so crowded in the Windjammer buffet that a lot of times there are no plates around. Here’s our balcony stateroom 10522 video. Nice room and a nice location.
Here is parking information that was highly recommended to us.
Daily cruise planner
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 202, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/18/2024. The Wellington – Day 5 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 2 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. – At sea traveling from Bayonne, NJ to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Today we spent the day roaming the ship. This is a really nice large ship.
Although, the elevators are ridiculous. There is always a long wait, and they are very crowded. These pictures are at 6am.
We elected to have our room cleaned in the morning. I am not sure what happened. I think the man cleaning was distracted. He forgot to put the towel animal together. It was a good laugh for us.
Lunch in the main dining room was good. Actually, they had brunch in the Main dining Room from 8:30am to 12:30pm. We elected to go for lunch at noon. This ship just came over from Europe, therefore a lot of the supplies are from Europe still. We were given bottles of still water, anf cartons of LUXLAIT milk. The lunch time Royal burger was so good that I bet it was European meat. One thing I noticed in Europe is that the meat tasted so much better than here in the United States. The food on this ship just seems better than the last few cruises we have been on.
Another good point is that the casino allows you to play which is nice. We won a major jackpot in the morning and played a long time in the evening for very little money. Yes, we are ahead. They did announce a lot that you cannot smoke in the casino unless you are actively playing.
Daily cruise planner
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 201, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/17/2024. The Wellington – Day 4 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise – Day 1 of 7-night Bahamas cruise on Odyssey of the Seas. Embarkation day. Time to head to Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ to board Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas. It is hard to say goodbye to the grandkids, but we will be back for Thanksgiving at their house.
Odyssey was built in 2021 and has not had any refurbishments yet. Odyssey of the Seas has a double occupancy capacity of 4,198 passengers. The maximum capacity is up to 5,510 passengers when all berths are occupied. The ship also accommodates 1,663 crew members.
Cape Liberty cruise port is located on the Hudson River in New Jersey across from New York City. This cruise port is very easy to get to if flying in for your cruise. Newark International Airport is 10 miles away and about a twenty-minute drive. We had a quick and easy boarding once we got through the backed-up traffic to the ship. There is only one terminal and both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines sail from this port. We dropped off our luggage, parked in the parking garage, and walked over to the ship. We checked in and were onboard in no time. At this parking garage you pay when you come back from the cruise on machines located outside the garage. We were told it would be $30.00 a day. We have also been here where we have had to park in the overflow lot due to the parking garage being full. See https://deestimes.com/new-jersey/ for more information and other days at this port.
Upon boarding the first thing we both said was “wow, now this is a ship – She is beautiful”.
We headed to the windjammer buffet. It is huge and the food was great.
The first day on board is always a nice day to familiarize yourself with the ship. But before you do that, take care of the mandatory safety briefing on the Royal Caribbean app. Then, check in at your assigned assembly station.
The main dining room is gorgeous. Finding your dining table is always a fun thing to do.
Our balcony room is huge with a nice shower (video to come in a day or two). Water and wine are waiting for us.
The casino is nice with spread out machines. The ship itself is so much nicer than the last ship we were on “Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas”. Of course, it is much bigger and newer than the Brilliance. Before you know it, we are off and treated to a one main sail away goodbye
Then the most heavenly sunset views while passing under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. I never get tired of these sail aways. Every large ship that enters New York Harbor must pass beneath the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. This double-decked suspension bridge has a clearance of 228 ft. The bridge is 13, 700 feet long. It is located at the mouth of upper New York Bay and connects Brooklyn with Staten Island. The bridge averages nearly 200,000 cars daily. Think of how many people are crossing that bridge as we pass under her.
Our dinner table companions are super nice. The one couple is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will be on the trans-Atlantic cruise with us next year. We also met up for a few hugs with long time cruise friends from NJ. That brought back many diamond lounge memories from years past.
The casino was packed after dinner. It was very hard to find a slot machine empty. The roulette tables have minimum bets of either $10.00 or $25.00. The $25.00 table was empty. We were given $8.00 worth of free play each. Lol, that does not last long. It seems as though everything is a little more expensive this trip. Every trip you go on is a little bit different. We have bought three-night specialty dining packages recently for three different prices. From Vancouver it was $89.99 each, and from New Orleans it was $109.99 each, and now from Bayonne it is $164.99 each. The headcount for this cruise is 3,951 Adults and 798 Children for a total of 4,749 passengers. This number includes 67 Pinnacles, 344 Diamond plus, 442 Diamond, and 173 Emerald. It also includes 309 Platinum, 904 Gold, and 2,510 brand new Royal Caribbean cruisers.
Daily cruise planner
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 200, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/16/2024. The Wellington – Day 3 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. We had the honor and pleasure of seeing Jacob’s U13 and Joshua’s U10 soccer games today. We had lunch at Olive Garden. Then Jacob worked on Bobby’s Beverage cart. We had a fantastically blissful day filled with love, joy, and happiness.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 199, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/15/2024. The Wellington – Day 2 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. A foggy morning driving east through the mountains of West Virginia and Maryland on Interstate 68.
It cleared up once we hit Pennsylvania, Welcome out of the fog strangers?
Had a Wawa sub and a stuffed pretzel for lunch. What happened to Wawa. The food was definitely not as good as it was a few years ago. Arrived at the Grandkids house and had a great evening making Rice Krispie treats
playing “For one Dollar”
and assisting with a school project.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 198, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/14/2024. The Wellington – Day 1 of 17-night PA, NJ, and Caribbean cruise. Over the river and through the woods to West Virginia we go. The car knows the way to carry us far through the traffic and driving rain. Over the river and through the woods. Oh, how the excitement grows. It ripples through our hearts right down to our toes. As we get closer and closer and closer to Pennsylvania. Yeehaw!! We are spending the night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clarksburg, West Virgina. Although I am pretty excited to see family and friends that sleep will be a little evasive tonight. If you follow this blog at all you will notice, we spend a lot of nights here. This is a good place for a break from driving to the NY, NJ, PA area. The employees know us pretty well.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Philips Sonicare ExpertClean 7500:https://amzn.to/4h1bMoO This toothbrush is the best ever. My dentist says you have excellent teeth and take such good care of them. It’s this toothbrush for sure.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 197, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/13/2024. The Wellington – Kitchen cabinets installed, and we are ready for final electrical inspection after the doorbell is hooked up.
Looking at cruises to Norway. Thinking of trying P&O cruises.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 196, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/12/2024. The Wellington – Working on installing kitchen cabinets.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 195, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/11/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Working on kitchen cabinets and lighting today. In order to get our final electrical inspection, they need to be up. This is kind of out of the normal order for building a house.
Clifty Hill 2 is now officially the Wellington.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 194, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/10/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Arrived home late last night to a porch full of mail and Christmas presents. We have been Christmas shopping at sea.
Up early and at Lowes. You know they missed us.
Then back to work putting kitchen cabinet lights in.
Let’s get her done!! We hit the floor running. Four days and we are on the road again. We are deciding if we should do knobs or handles on the kitchen cabinets.
Hurricane Rafael is still meandering around in the gulf looking for us.
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 193, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/09/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 16 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 15 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Up early, packed, eating breakfast and taking some last pictures. We are eager to get on the road.
Here’s a few thoughts about Brilliance of the Seas
Great room attendants
Very clean ship
Old ship
Good food
Way too much dressing on salads
All employees are friendly and accommodating
Best staff of any cruise ship we have been on.
In the garage and heading home at 8:15am.
By 9am cst we are on Interstate 10 east. Maps says we will be home 8pm est. We think it will be more like 10pm unless we stop for the night. Plans are to drive straight through. We are leaving on Thursday for Pennsylvania. Lots to do before we leave again.
At 9:30 am we pass over Lake Pontchartrain. Lake Pontchartrain is the largest inland body of water in Louisiana. It covers 630 square miles. It is actually an estuary, not a lake. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and various rivers and bayous. We did not cross over The Causeway Bridge. That bridge runs 23 miles over the lake and is the longest bridge over water in the world! It connects New Orleans to the North Shore and takes about 50 minutes to fully cross.
It is a drizzly dreary all-day drive.
Cruise Departure information:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 192, “Living the Dream”. Friday, 11/08/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 15 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 14 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. It is another day at sea day heading back to New Orleans from Belize. It was not as rough as I anticipated last night or today. Just a little bit of everyone on board drunk walking or maybe it was the yummy drink special.
A little bit of a spa day before departure tomorrow. The spa manicurist said that all spa employees get acupuncture before rough seas.
Look at the cutest duck ornament I found. Can’t wait to hang it on my Christmas tree.
Last lunch in the Windjammer for this cruise. Here’s a video of the Windjammer buffet at lunch time.
Spent some of the day viewing the artwork.
Cruise Daily information and departure times:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 191, “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 11/07/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 14 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 13 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. It is a at sea day heading back to New Orleans from Belize City, Belize. All eyes are on Hurricane Rafael. He is a category 2 hurricane this morning and the projected path keeps changing. He is now projected to hook around in the Gulf back down towards the Yucatan Peninsula. Cuba has now lost all its power after Rafael tore through that country as a category 3.
We are slowly making our way up the Yucatan Peninsula trying to let her pass us by in the gulf. Our captain Pero Sutalo
and Craig Setzer Royal Caribbean’s meteorologist have been working on the logistics to bring us home safely.
At 11am we are in calm water traveling 12 knots. We have had issues with our bathroom. First the sink trap was leaking and today the toilet was leaking into the hall. Plumber is busy.
On our way to Cheers with an Officer they called Alpha Alpha Alpha. I was amazed at the crew members that came running by us They included medical staff and officers. An officer was in the elevator holding the doors open for transportation of person.
At noon captain announcement says we are off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. Tonight, we will get behind the storm and follow Rafael. He expects heavy seas and strong wind through the night. Tomorrow should be calmer. There are a few birds taking the cruise with us
At 2pm, it is hot and beautiful on deck five. However, the crew is hard at work stacking and securing the outside lounge chairs. They are preparing for tonight’s bad weather. Rafael is expected to keep weakening as it spins over open waters and heads toward northern Mexico.
Cruise Daily information and departure times:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Cloth drawstring gift bags:https://amzn.to/3CdBlUJ I love using cloth gift bags. This is a save money, save the environment, and pass it along gift wrap. I use these all the time especially at Christmas. The bags here are great for every gift giving event.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 190, “Living the Dream”. Wednesday, 11/06/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 13 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 12 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. In Belize City, Belize today watching the hurricane path. Are these hurricanes developing to increase the food production in the ocean. Did you know as a hurricane moves across the ocean, it mixes warmer surface water with cooler, nutrient-rich water from deeper down. This process can help drive food production in the ocean. It is warm and sunny here. There are three other ships in port with us. I think this is a haven from Hurricane Rafael today. It is a five-mile tender ride into the port.
The port is hot, sunny, and loud with lots of shopping, food, and drink. The best thing about this port is the swings.
We departed port at 5pm. It is beautiful leaving Costa Maya. But are those soap bubbles in the water.
The plan is to go slow and follow behind Hurricane Rafael. I am getting a little nervous. That Hurricane is just meandering around the Gulf. It is right where we need to go.
Dinner at Giovanni”s
Cruise Daily information and Breakfast menu:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 189, “Living the Dream”. Tuesday, 11/05/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 12 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 11 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Today we are in Costa Maya, Mexico. It is always hot and mobbed with people here. This used to be one of my least favorite ports. That changed the last time we were here. We rented a golf cart for the day. It was the best day we ever had in Costa Maya. Here’s a link to two other times we visited Costa Maya. 1/18/2024 – https://deestimes.com/…/living-the-dream-year-3-day…/ 4/18/2023 – https://deestimes.com/…/living-the-dream-year-2-day…/ This port will soon be changing drastically and will become a Royal Caribbean private destination called Perfect Day Mexico. The opening is scheduled for 2027. It will be like Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Virgin Valiant Lady is already parked as we pull into port at 7am. Virgin Voyages operates a fleet of four ships.
The port is very quiet and nice this morning with only two ships in port.
By 11am it is getting crowded and now we have three ships in port. The Norwegian Getaway is here.
At 1pm Harmony of the Seas arrives, but we have headed back to the ship. Now it is crowded and very hot.
Brilliance of the Seas has a capacity of 2,543 Guests and 848 crew members. Harmony has a capacity for 6,687 passengers and 2,200 crew members. Virgin Valiant Lady has a capacity for 2,770 passengers and 1,150 crew members. The Norwegian Getaway has a capacity for 3,963 passengers and 1,646 crew members. Our ship the Brilliance of the Seas has the smallest capacity, and the Norwegian Getaway has the largest capacity. It is possible that 21,807 people are sitting here at the dock in Costa Maya today. Cruising has become so popular that most ships are currently 100% full. I wonder what percentage of people are getting off the cruise ship here to at least wander around. My guess is probably 80 percent of passengers, and 20 percent of the crew. It really amazes me the amount of people that currently are in this port. If there are 15,963 passengers and 80 percent get off their ship and another 5,844 crew members with 20% getting off. We can have about 12,771 passengers and 1,169 crew members who got off the ship today. That is my estimate. No wonder it is so so crowded. This cruise ship port began operations in early 2001, with two cruise ships per week unloading 1,500 tourists each. Here’s a detailed video of this week’s balcony stateroom 9010.
Everyone is now watching Tropical Storm Rafael
Cruise Daily information:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 188, “Living the Dream”. Monday, 11/04/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 11 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 10 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Another day at Cozumel, Mexico but this time we are docked at the International Cruise Terminal.
We got off the ship walked around the vendors
and spent the rest of the day just hanging out on the ship. We enjoyed the views of Cozumel and the quiet ship.
Radiance of the Seas is docked with us. Radiance is the first ship to be built of this class. So yes, older than this ship. We were on the Radiance for 21 days through the Panama Canal. Here’s a link to that experience. https://deestimes.com/radiance-of-the-seas/
Dinner was at Chops Grille
Starting to be concerned about Tropical Storm Rafael
Cruise Daily information:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 187, “Living the Dream”. Sunday, 11/03/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 10 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 9 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. At Sea traveling from New Orleans to Cozumel, Mexico.
Our new balcony room is way smaller than last week. We are port side forward room 9010. It looks like it sleeps 3.
There was a medical emergency today and we had to go north to meet the Coast Guard Helicopter. Some family is really having a rough day.
There seems to be a medical emergency on almost every cruise. Be happy for everyday your family is healthy.
Cruise Daily information:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Year 4, Day 186, “Living the Dream”. Saturday, 11/02/2024. Clifty Hill 2 – Day 9 of 16-night KY to New Orleans and Day 8 of 14-night New Orleans Carribean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. It is back-to-back day at NOLA. NOLA is short for New Orleans, Louisiana. We are in port early and the luggage is being taken into the terminal by 6:30am.
Incredible logistics. There is so much going on at one time. Passengers disembark. Garbage and sewage are removed. New passengers board. Luggage is handled both ways. New supplies are loaded. The outside of the ship is painted. Onboard cleaning is performed. A coast guard inspection takes place. A bunch of busy bees. The ship is cleared by 8am.
There are a 61 back 2 back cruisers this trip. All back 2 backers met in the Colony Club on deck six in the aft of the ship. Some of the back-to-back cruisers we met are on the ship for six cruises in a row. Wow. There we received new stateroom keys. While waiting to be escorted off the ship through customs and back on, they announced three times that all luggage tags have been called. They urged everyone to please disembark the ship. This was the final call. I know they wanted to say GET OFF THE SHIP so we can do our work. At 9:30am they start calling names of people. Wow, how rude can people be.
Coast Guard is coming on board today once all guests are off for inspection. They are inspecting because they just came from a home port of Vancouver, British Columbia. They have a new home port of New Orleans. New guests cannot board till inspection is complete. The last cruise was 80% full. It was pretty quiet. This cruise has 2,291 passengers. The rooms are all booked. It is interesting to walk around an empty ship. The crew was everywhere for the coast guard drill.
They started the boarding process at 11:15am. Lots of families started boarding. It is going to be a different cruise. Every cruise is different because the atmosphere is set by the guests on board. We attended the Consecutive Cruisers Lunch.
Main dining room was packed for first seating with large families. Between this cruise and last cruise, I noticed most passengers seem to be either first timers or die-hard cruisers. Not many in between.
The casino was smoky and packed in the evening.
Cruise Daily information:
Things to ponder today! Have to leave you thinking.
Indoor Outdoor Thermometer Large Numbers Wall Thermometer:https://amzn.to/3W7Br7e This is a nice Indoor-Outdoor thermometer. We use it in our garage to verify the temperature. Works good and easy to read.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
