NCL Getaway 10/10/2015

[Nhcris]

We had a terrific cruise on the Getaway last week, and I am going to do my best to share the highlights with you guys. I didn't take notes so it's all off the cuff & t will likely take me a couple of days to finish up.

We flew out of Worcester, Mass on JetBlue because it has one of the only non-stops to Fort Lauderdale AND parking is only $7 a day vs $29 a day at Boston. It is the silliest little airport with one flight a day to FLL and one to Orlando. That is it!! They have a shop run by one guy & it serves as a shop, restaurant & bar. He microwaves pizza or sandwiches (blech) and serves Skunky beer - HHH. This gives you an idea of how busy this airport is.

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It was a bumpy ride, but we got in on time and our bags came right off. But our damn driver was late! I can't recommend Go Shuttle unfortunately.. They left a message on our home phone instead of our cell which further compounded the issue. But the driver was competent and after an hour or so we arrived at the Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami. We had booked it on points, so splurged for a $30 upgrade for a view and as it turned out we were on the same floor as our friends from Michigan!
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We had a nice view of the ships that would be leaving Friday evening, but were looking forward to waking up to the sight of our own ship!

We normally go to EPCOT Food & Wine Festival every year with these friends that we met nearly 20 years ago when we were all members of Disney Vacation Club. We decided to switch it up and take a cruise this year instead. They arrived in Miami before noon, and by the time we arrived they had been playing and drinking in South Beach all day and were more than a little tipsy! The party was in full swing :grouphug:

[SoCalRob]

Loving it so far!!! Great view!!!

[zeus]

The Marriott Biscayne Bay is where we have stayed prior to cruises. Can't beat that view.

What is this about taking a couple of days to finish? Get your ass in gear and get 'er done. :laugh: Alright, I will be patient and wait. I know it is going to be a good one. :pop2:

[chrissyDee]

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Sorry my darling Zeus, but today turned out to be Wine Club delivery day! My attention has been momentarily diverted :D


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[Nhcris]

Grrr, thought I fixed my tapatalk ID but I guess not. If anyone is wondering, ChrissyDee is nhcris (AKA Palazzo Whore - HHH)

[chrissyDee]

So we headed over to Bayside to meet our pals and after a million hugs and screams, we settled on Bubba Gumps as a good spot for loud hungry drunk people. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/21/1b347e650ffdccc8dcb5fb54ea7c4881.jpg
Food & service were both mediocre but we had a rowdy blast! I would not have wanted to be seated near us though - HHH


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[chrissyDee]

After dinner we headed back to the Marriott and sat outside just talking and catching up. Meanwhile, my friends Carol and Scott who I travel with regularly, had arrived in Fort Lauderdale and were spending the night there. Scott (a.k.a. Lammie) had booked their hotel and ignored all of my recommendations. They were near the beach, but Carol said that I would have run screaming down the beach if I had seen that hotel- HHH.

We turned in fairly early and I woke up before dawn to this beautiful sight. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/21/e248fd53205609029a59afd10fc320cd.jpg
The Getaway was turning around in the basin. The excitement was mounting!

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After sunrise, she looked even prettier. We headed over to the port by taxi at about 1045. We zipped through security & check in and settled in to wait for boarding.


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[sassycat]

You are a great reporter!! I love it!

[Laurie]

I agree with zeus hurry up!! HHH Great start!

[chrissyDee]

Sorry spent the morning in the dentist chair getting a temporary crown today. Now I will try to remember all of the wonderful things about the cruise as opposed to the evil of the dentist.

So I think it was about noon when they let us on board might've been a little earlier than that though. We headed straight to O'Sheehans pub for lunch because everybody knows the first thing you do when you get on a cruise ship is eat and drink. I ordered a strong bow cider and the meatloaf. I decided I prefer angry orchard and will stay away from strong bow in the future.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/22/9f66da48dbfd3bec9478e67ccb69dc3d.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/22/3fb889d7c30c6bf2bc5f014fc629e223.jpg

We hung out there until they announce that rooms are ready a little after one. we had booked a state room with a large balcony on deck nine next to our buddies from Michigan. I chose deck nine for its convenience to the casino and the pub.

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[CTslotters]

Love this! Excited to read the rest but I'm not sure I can get behind you skipping the food and wine festival at Epcot! We are considering going again next year, it's been too long since we've been!


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[chrissyDee]

The balcony had 2 loungers and two straight back chairs with a nice size table. It was rather crowded with all that furniture but sure was nice to have our own loungers.

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We had champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and a box of Godiva chocolates waiting for us because we are platinum cruisers. We had the all you can drink plan, so we immediately gave our champagne to the honeymooners in the state room beneath us.

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Our luggage arrived promptly and we were able to get totally unpacked before the lifeboat drill. There was tons of storage space and drawers and Nooks & crannies we never even used. Our Muster Station was in O'Sheehans so that was very convenient and done in a flash once all the asshole stragglers blessed us with their presence.

From there it was time to hit up the casino party. It was a pleasure to meet the executive casino host, Christine Bika, who is the sister of our favorite concierge of all time, Adrian. Cruising frequently on NCL is really like coming back to hang out with friends.

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Then it was time for a quick stop at the Mojito bar. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/22/2750d8395fe909e2762c094c6e423561.jpg
I chose the pineapple coconut Mojito (to go) & it was very enjoyable. The bartenders were amazing as the bar was mobbed and they were pumping out Mojito's unbelievably fast. After that we wanted around a bit as we sailed away and then headed for the casino as soon as it opened.

I should clarify here, that my husband does not gamble. And our friends from Michigan never gamble either. So my time in the casino would be spent with Carol and Lammie. I will also lose track of time in the casino because I was there much too often.


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[seemoreroyals]

Love that balcony. The times we have had balconies we have not been fortunate enough to have one big enough for loungers. And that pineapple coconut mojito looks wonderful. I am on a diet right now still losing weight from our cruise, but remind me in a couple of weeks in Couchatta and we will drink one together.

[chrissyDee]

I was pleased with the selection of slots in the casino, and pleasantly surprised to find 7/5 DDB at the quarter level, and lots of other video poker options. They had a number of Wonder 4's, Wonder 4 Special Edition, and Wonder 4 Stars. A number of Aruze games, IGT, WMS Super Multi Progressives, Alice in Wonderland, Cheshire Cat, BierHaus, White Orchid, bunches of Konagi's including the ones where you can change games, tons more random things, lots of different Quick Hits at the penny, quarter, dollar and $5 level. It was a really good selection and only got busy in the evenings.

It's $5 a point, or $10 on vp. I think you earn free drinks at 2500 points, but I could be wrong. When you book through Casino at Sea (NCL's casino) or CET you get a card for free drinks in the casino. It included well drinks and beer & wine and more importantly bottled water, which is pretty pricey onboard. Just like land casinos they have different tier levels that include more perks, but I rarely reach that threshold in time for it to be in effect for my next cruise. But I always get at least a 20% discount off my cruises, and often qualify for a comped cruise. I have been pretty happy in general with their casino program.

I wild say the casino is a little more than half non-smoking (in and around the corridors) and the rest smoking in the areas along the side of the ship.

First night I finished a little ahead and had a couple hits. We (Frank, Carol & Lammie) had dinner in O'Sheehans (are you sensing a theme here?) because it was prime rib night there and we actually lost track of time so chose the simple option :) I do not recall what happened the rest of the evening

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http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/22/3a6ac7ca233dcc36d43784c4b77c93b9.jpg. So tender!


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[Nhcris]

Sunday and Monday were both days at sea, so we were able to really relax and get settled in. The ship is 145,000 tons which is pretty large even by today’s standards, so there was plenty of exploring to do.

They have a much better than average buffet (called the Garden Cafe) which is open from about 6am until well after the dinner hour. They have omelet stations in the morning along with pretty much every other breakfast food you can think of, plenty of choices at lunch including good salad ingredients, a made to order caesar salad station, soups, sandwiches, grill foods, pizza, many hot dishes, and then for dinner they have all of the above plus a carving station and between about 6 and 8pm my personal favorite, a crepe station!!!

Besides O’Sheehan’s Pub, they have 3 main dining rooms, Flamingo Grill and a Noodle Bar all at no extra charge. For a fee between $15 and $35 pp they have several other restaurants including LaCucina (Italian), Le Bistro (french), Cagney’s (steak house), Moderno’s (Brazilian), A Teppanyaki place and a seafood place. There is a Carlos bakery & gelato for a fee, and a coffee place. I am sure I am forgetting something. I enjoy doing a couple of uncharge restaurants, but honestly find the food to be good to very good at all of the no charge places.

They have a ropes course, a climbing wall, crazy water slides and even a plank to walk. The pool deck is probably a bit too small for the number of people, but I am not a pool person so no biggie to me. My favorite place during the day was up on deck 16 in H20 where they have a couple of good sized hot tubs and a really nice water fall feature. There is a bar with a couple of fabulous bartenders and a nice smoking area. Other than the casino, I spent most of my time up here.

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[chrissyDee]

My favorite place was the waterfall. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/22/755af366da865a3802642aebec909d35.jpg

Ok, it's all a blur now. We went to the Grammy Experience one night. The performer was Carolyn Malachi, A very accomplished Grammy nominated R&B singer. She was very good but the venue is a bit small. But the cocktails were good!

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I forget what it was called but it was gin & lime and all sorts of goodness!

We also enjoyed Howling at the Moon, the Dueling Pianos. It wasn't the best trio ever, but they were quite good. One of the guys, Leon, adopted our group and had breakfast with us every morning. I think he was homesick!

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Le Fizz. Wicked amazing yumminess

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We enjoyed Burn the Floor, a Latin Dance extravaganza and walked out of Legally Blonde. It was a screechy musical although out Michigan friends loved it, so maybe it didn't suck - HHH


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[SoCalRob]

I hate that Breakaway doesn't have a waterfall feature in their Spice H20 area. :/ It looks so amazing. The entire cruise looks fun. I'd also rather have Grammy Experience than Second city. :/(that's the two differences right?)

[Nhcris]

I hate that Breakaway doesn't have a waterfall feature in their Spice H20 area. :/ It looks so amazing. The entire cruise looks fun. I'd also rather have Grammy Experience than Second city. :/(that's the two differences right?)

The Breakaway still has Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club I believe, which was phenomenal!

[Nhcris]

Taking a break. Will add more tomorrow :)

[zeus]

Chris, this is so worth the wait! You are doing a fabulous job on your TR! Sure seems like you worked that unlimited beverage package. HHH! And OMG, that prime rib looked like one of the best cuts I have ever seen. Really enjoying this and looking forward to the rest.

[seemoreroyals]

Nhcris I am looking forward to hearing how the 7/5 DDB quarter worked out for you. The last time I played pay tables so hideous was in Vegas a couple of months back when I was hanging out and doing tequila shots with friends and at the time feeling no pain and did not know better. I proceeded to hit a $2000 royal. So I guess pay tables are not as important as I used to think they were. I am hoping you got lots of 4aok's and perhaps a royal or two.

[Cyndyga]

Le Fiz looks refreshing I love lime! I am really enjoying your report because I 've only been on Royal.

[emmas]

This sounds so much fun. Loving the report.

[Gypsy]

Loving your TR. We hang out in Spice H2O too, but on the Epic they have a pool. Looking forward to hearing about the ports!

[Mauretania]

What a fun trip report!

[chrissyDee]

Clearly things are a bit muddled in my old brain, partly due to the Unlimited Beverage Plan, partly due to having so, so much fun, but mainly from being an old lady!

The casino closes while in Port, which is good since it forced us to do something else from time to time :) Most mornings Carol & I were down playing by 6 and stayed until we got hungry. We normally had breakfast at the buffet, and most mornings found part of the group. At the beginning of the cruise we scouted out a general area to sit each time we were at the buffet, and that made for lots of impromptu meet ups since none of us were really doing much planning. On a big ship it really makes a difference having special spots like that.

Anyway, here are some wins.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/23/d2b23fa668adc303ed856bd889cdfa76.jpg very surprising win on this Volcanic Fortune. I rarely play this type of slot, but happy I have it a go here!

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Played these a lot and for the most part they treated me okay.
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No big wins on Wonder 4 but played it a bunch and we all got a lot of play for our money.






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[chrissyDee]

Most evenings we received little surprises from the Hotel Director. This was a nice fruit basket and some canapés. Other nights were candy , more chocolate covered strawberries, and various other snacks. Lots of it went to waste but it was a very nice gesture.

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I did a terrible job taking food porn and I apologize for that. I think it's because I had a few glasses of wine with dinner every night. Here is a random picture of a pear and beet salad that was heavenly
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[chrissyDee]

Our first port of call was St Thomas and that was on Tuesday. We were ready for a change of pace by the time we got there. We had decided to go to Magen's Bay and just relax on the beach. I've been to St. Thomas many times but never made it to Megans Bay although I had been told it was spectacular. Truthfully, I was underwhelmed but we still had affect test dick day. HHH fantastic day but I kind of like that talk to text error.

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Frank did a bit of snorkeling but it's not very good here at Magen's Bay. I would recommend Coki beach if you want to go snorkeling from shore or one of the fabulist catamaran snorkeling tours that are offered. Next time we go to St. Thomas we will take the ferry to St. John as that is another thing I've never done. There are lots of things to do in St. Thomas and shopping is one of the big ones. I'm not a shopper but we saw lots and lots of people coming back with jewelry and lots of other things.


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[Nhcris]

The next day we had a stop in Tortola. We were there last year and had taken a catamaran sail to Jost Van Dyke to visit the Soggy Dollar Bar which is listed as one of the best beach bars in the world. Well, that tour involved being dropped about 50 yards from shore in fairly choppy seas & told to swim to shore, being gouged for lounge chairs, and having birds poop in our $20 pain killers! It was a day I will never forget and has provided lots of laughs, but not one I choose to repeat! Carol, Lammie & I decided to stay onboard and enjoy a nearly deserted ship and make the most of our drink plan :D

The rest of the group took a ship tour to the Baths on Virgin Gorda. They loved it! It was not an easy excursion, and if you have fitness issues it isn't a great choice, but if like an adventure it looked like quite an experience.

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So, if that is your cup of tea, go for it! I quite enjoyed my lazy day under the man made waterfall - HHH!

[zeus]

For an old lady the mind is still working pretty decent. :tongue-new: More great pics too. Definitely go to St John the next time. The whole island is beautiful and Trunk Bay has got to be the most gorgeous place I have ever been.

[RiverSong]

Glad you had a good time, I don't cruise so I really enjoyed the pictures and description.Thank you!

[Luckylinda123]

This is great. Never been on a cruise so very interesting. Since carol is a great low roller does she still find a good deal?
Frank looked scary in those rocks.

Glad you skipped Disney, you have strange eats there sometimes. And you already get plenty of wine. :topsy_turvy::topsy_turvy:

[chrissyDee]

Somehow we had gotten to Thursday and it was another seat day. It mostly followed the regular routine. Early for the casino breakfast club in the buffet and some balcony naptime.

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[Nhcris]

I had also received an unexpected invitation to visit the Ice Bar. Since Frank doesn't drink, I brought my friend Rich in his place, and Carol & Lammie had also received the invite. We refer to the Ice Bar as the Ship's Meat Locker, but it was fun to drop by and have our cocktails in glasses made of ice and to have a few chilly laughs in the middle of the Caribbean!
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How bout Lammie's skinny legs - HHH!

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[Nhcris]

Friday was our last full day with a stop in Nassau. The most popular thing to do here is visit Atlantis, or go to Blue Lagoon for beach time. It was a rainy day, so we chose to just wander around town in search of local beer and a little stop at the Straw Market. There were only 3 ships in Port, so it wasn't as crowded as it often is and we had a nice time dodging the raindrops.

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Conch Fritters - YUMMY!

Rich had told a very funny story about one of cruises when we went to Honduras and visited Gumbalinda Park which was a so called nature preserve and included quality time with monkeys. Rich had been looking forward to this excursion for months, but when we arrived there was one monkey that was allowed to interact with guests. Apparently the other ones were biters - HHH! Anyway, the one monkey visited with all of us and climbed on our shoulders and heads and stole our hats and generally played the part of monkey ambassador very well. With one exception. This monkey took an instant dislike to Rich, and squawked and beckoned and hissed at Rich and pretty much broke his heart. It was a fucking riot to see how crestfallen he was - HHH! (aren't I a great friend?)

Anyway, Carol loved the story and set out to find him the perfect souvenir from the Straw Market.

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THE PERFECT GIFT _ HHH!

[chrissyDee]

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Taking a break for some hockey & wine. I'll wrap things up tomorrow.

GO BRUINS! Please.

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[chrissyDee]

Frank thought we should have Italian tonight. Shrimp Arrabiata with an appy of eggplant pomodoro.

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Perfect pairing with the Pinot noir! Life is good.


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[MNvegasgal]

This is a great read. Makes me want to plan another cruise. Love the slot selection.. and can't wait for the next installment.

[KingJasonSlots]

LOVING your report!!!! Thank you!!!!


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[clemi]

Nhcris what a fun TR, thank you for posting your cruise trip! I've never been on a cruise and would love to do one someday, especially after reading about all the fun times you had!

[Jackpot]

Love your writing style! Thanks for the fun trip report!!

[Gypsy]

For an old lady the mind is still working pretty decent. :tongue-new: More great pics too. Definitely go to St John the next time. The whole island is beautiful and Trunk Bay has got to be the most gorgeous place I have ever been.

So good to hear this. We decided to do St. John for our February cruise because we have like 10 hours in port.

[SlotMommy]

This has been such a great read Chris and as others have said, I love your writing style...makes it so enjoyable to read!

I haven't been on a cruise in over ten years so it is especially interesting to read all your helpful info regarding the NCL Getaway. My family and I were supposed to go on a Norwegian cruise this past summer to the Bahamas, but with Keith not fully recovered yet, we thought it best to put it off till next summer when he should hopefully be feeling more like his old self by then. So it's been especially enjoyable for me to read all about your cruise vacation...you give such awesome and specific details about everything.

And I love how you vacation...lots of relaxing, eating and drinking, lol. That's my kind of vacation :)


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[Jen Jen]

Great cruise report! Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and had lots of things to do. Your casino wins were awesome! Can you in the casino? Is there a smoking section on the ship? I think the only way I could get Troy to go on a cruise if there is a smoking section. We should consider having Joker's Cruisin M&G.

[loisluvsslots]

What a great, fun-filled trip! Loved all the pictures, Chris. Congrats on your casino wins!

[goldengreeke]

This was an excellent report Chris!:first:

Reading this has got me in the cruising mood again!:eagerness:

I've been on over 40 cruises but my last was back in 2009, an 11 day Panama Canal cruise on HAL. Always enjoyed sipping cocktails on our Veranda each night and looking at the stars and the waves. :)

[Gypsy]

Great cruise report! Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and had lots of things to do. Your casino wins were awesome! Can you in the casino? Is there a smoking section on the ship? I think the only way I could get Troy to go on a cruise if there is a smoking section. We should consider having Joker's Cruisin M&G.

Lots of smoking sections, but no longer on your balcony or in your room. I've read on Cruise Critic that people still sneak them on their balconies though.

[goldengreeke]

Lots of smoking sections, but no longer on your balcony or in your room. I've read on Cruise Critic that people still sneak them on their balconies though. The smoking bans were already starting on some cruise lines back in 2009. That's why we chose Holland America. They have nothing but old people on their cruise ships and most of them smoke lol.

[Nhcris]

As Gina said, no more smoking in the staterooms or on the balconies. There is something that says $250(ish?) fine if you are caught although we smelled cigarettes a couple times. The casino is almost half smoking, so you can smoke there, and there is an area on the Waterfront on Deck 8 for smoking including the Sunset Bar, and up on Deck 16 in H20 there is a smoking section and bar. Also, adjacent to the smoking area on Deck 8 is an indoor Cigar Lounge but we never had to use it as the weather was pretty cooperative.

Carol is a serious smoker, so she selected a stateroom on Deck 8 very close to the Waterfront smoking area. I didn't see it, but she swears she went out there in her jammies a couple times - HHH.

[Gypsy]

Loved your TR Chris! We are getting tons of pictures in of the Escape and I'm getting so excited!

[Nhcris]

Saturday came and it was time for our final breakfast club meeting, and the sad task of saying our goodbyes. The Michiganders had early flights, so they did easy walk off, meaning they kept their luggage and walked it off the ship. They made their flights with time to spare. Frank and I were staying in Fort Lauderdale because the one flight back t Worcester leaves at 9am and there is no way to make that on disembarkation day. Carol & Scott were flying out of FLL in the afternoon.

We had priority tags, so we put our luggage outside the stateroom Friday night and just had carryons to carry off. When we decided it was time to go, we just called the concierge and she met us and walked us off. It was a piece of cake. We had our luggage and got through customs in about 15 minutes. We took the Alamo shuttle to the Cra Rental facility at Miami airport and picked up the rental. We were bringing Carol & Lammie to the airport, so it looked like a tight squeeze until they brought over a Ford Escape. Everything fit perfectly and we were off. We took the scenic route to FLL and stopped at the Flashback Diner right across from Gulfstream racetrack. I was really bummed that the ponies weren't running, so we just had a long leisurely lunch before we dropped them off at their terminals. Then we found our hotel and checked in.

I had gotten a decent rate at the Hyatt House near the FLL airport after almost being scared off by the crazy prices everywhere! It turned out to be ideal. It had a small full kitchen, a living area and bedroom. It was clean and comfortable and we promptly fell asleep - HHH! When we woke from our stupors, we debated whether or not to hit up the Hard Rock, but I was fairly satisfied with the way things went on the ship, and with Coushatta right around the corner I decided to leave well enough alone. So we took a ride and found a beachfront bar along the boardwalk in Hollywood Beach. http://jweforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4250&stc=1http://jweforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4251&stc=1he food was mediocre (or worse) but the beer was cold and the people watching was most excellent.

From there we drove up to John U Lloyd Beach State Park and walked around for awhile. It was a lovely peaceful spot.

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Then it was back to the hotel for a movie and a good night's sleep.

[DK528]

Lovely TR, Chris! I get too seasick to go on a cruise so you are making me very jealous.


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[Nhcris]

We were up and out of the hotel by 7 and got the car dropped off with ease and made it through security in a flash other than me getting felt up thoroughly. We were amused by a group of middle aged wannabe douche bags involved in a serious one upsmanship contest. I kept hearing the song "My dog's better than your dog, my dog's better than yours..." in my mind. God, Massholes can be annoying! But we boarded on time and settled into our extra legroom seats. I love JetBlue's Embrauers as they have the 2 & 2 configuration and good television options. Other than some major jolts on departure the flight was routine. Or so I thought.........

We were descending through the bumps into Worcester, when I watched us climb from 2500 feet up to 4000 feet. I watch the flight channel like a hawk and caught this immediately. I knew something was up, but thought maybe they were doing a runway change due to the winds or had to go around for a general aviation aircraft. But then we just circle a couple of times. Hmmmm.....

After about 15 minutes of wandering aimlessly through the air, the pilot came on and informed us that our flaps were stuck and they were working on figuring out what to do. A couple people prompt puked and now there was a very strange atmosphere onboard as we could hear mumbling (prayers?) and other bizarre sounds. I tried to remember everything I know about no flaps landings, and how long the runway at Worcester was and I didn't really like the answers. So we flew around for awhile longer and the pilot came on and said we were diverting to Boston.

Okay, good plan. I know they have a nice long runway and better facilities. I was still pretty tense. So after a very, very long downwind leg the pilot came on one more time and told us tat we would hear a lot of noise and we would be met by firetrucks because we had to keep our speed much higher than normal (stalling would be BAD!) and our brakes would get very, very hot... Yep, damn lady up front puked again. You know how they say you life sometimes flashes before your eyes? All I could see was my nightstand drawer and how much I didn't want my kids to see it - HHH!

Landing in Boston is an adventure on a good day because you come down right over the water and have to clear the seawall before touching down. I knew that on this day, we needed to touch down as quickly as possible. My face was glued to the window as we hurtled toward the runway. We touched down perfectly and then the plane screamed and groaned and shook and kept speeding down the runway. Then we stopped!! After a moment of silence the passengers burst into applause! I was still tense, because I knew those brakes had to be hot as a mother fucker or worse & I contemplated pulling open the nearby exit and sliding my fat ass right off that plane. Just then the firetrucks pulled up and gave us the all clear. NOW I COULD BREATHE!

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[sassycat]

What a wonderful trip!!! You did such a great job too!
I love how you live each trip to the fullest!! Good thing you have a couple of weeks to recover before Coushatta!

Thanks again!

PS - now I understand about the puking on the plane comment you made on another thread.
SCARY!!! Glad you are safe!

[Nhcris]

SO, now we are in Boston and our car is in Worcester. They briefly considering flying us to Worcester. Um, no thank you. Not in the mood - HHH. Then said maybe a bus. But in the end, they gave us taxi vouchers. SO Frank took a cab to Worcester and I took a cab home with a crazy bastard who must have been an Eastern European race car driver in his previous life. But I made it, and I was shocked to see that it was only about 2 hours later than we would have been had things gone normally. SO I zipped over to Chewies and picked up the pups. That will bring you back to earth in a hurry.

[chrissyDee]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/24/f5d2ad340c3166a243137a4c8a9e01f6.jpg
This is what Frank found when he made it back from Worcester.


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[Gypsy]

OMG I can't stop laughing, you had to throw in the nightstand comment at the height of the plane story? You really do have a great writing style, so loved your TR, thanks for sharing. So happy you guys were safe. Can't wait to see you in Coushatta!

[zeus]

Bravo!!!! You did one helluva job on this TR! I so thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of it, but the flight and landing had me in tears from laughing. Thanks for taking the time to share with us. Can't wait for the next one!

[seemoreroyals]

Great Job Nhcris. You have got me wanting to take another cruise. With the winter coming up a trip to the Carribean sounds like a great idea. If I can talk my DW into it. You made us all feel that we were on the cruise ship with you.

[SlotMommy]

I remember hearing about your horrific experience on the flight home but I had no idea just how scary it was until I read all the gory details about it here. Just one of the many reasons why I hate flying.

Gotta agree with Gypsy...leave it to you to throw in a very funny comment about not wanting your kids to see your nightstand drawer! Hardy har fucking Har...you are one funny bitch!!!

So glad you are safe and we will have more comic relief from you in the future!


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[CTslotters]

Chris, I thought the Honduras monkey story was the funniest thing in your TR until I read the nightstand comment, omg! We (yes, I was reading it out loud so Adam could hear about the cruise) were cracking up! Glad you landed safely and had an awesome time, really appreciate you sharing the pics and stories! :)

[Nhcris]

This is great. Never been on a cruise so very interesting. Since carol is a great low roller does she still find a good deal?
Frank looked scary in those rocks.

Glad you skipped Disney, you have strange eats there sometimes. And you already get plenty of wine. :topsy_turvy::topsy_turvy:


You would enjoy cruising Linda! Carol usually doesn't qualify for a comped cruise on her own, but when she combines her play with Lammie they generally do. A couple of times she has been pleasantly surprised that she qualified on her own. But she always gets at least the 20% off. Between introducing her to slots and cruising, I have created quite a monster!!

[Nhcris]

Nhcris what a fun TR, thank you for posting your cruise trip! I've never been on a cruise and would love to do one someday, especially after reading about all the fun times you had!

clemi, I think you would really enjoy cruising. I mean wining & dining, slot machines and fun places to visit. What's not to like?

There seems to be enough interest to get a good group of Jokers together for a cruise one of these days. Let's do it!

[Nhcris]

This has been such a great read Chris and as others have said, I love your writing style...makes it so enjoyable to read!

I haven't been on a cruise in over ten years so it is especially interesting to read all your helpful info regarding the NCL Getaway. My family and I were supposed to go on a Norwegian cruise this past summer to the Bahamas, but with Keith not fully recovered yet, we thought it best to put it off till next summer when he should hopefully be feeling more like his old self by then. So it's been especially enjoyable for me to read all about your cruise vacation...you give such awesome and specific details about everything.

And I love how you vacation...lots of relaxing, eating and drinking, lol. That's my kind of vacation :)


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Now that you have Keith strong & healthy again you should definitely consider taking a cruise. Either the Getaway or the Breakaway would be great for a family cruise, and the Breakaway sails from NYC so no flying hassles. And I am all about not flying for awhile - HHH!

[Nhcris]

Great cruise report! Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and had lots of things to do. Your casino wins were awesome! Can you in the casino? Is there a smoking section on the ship? I think the only way I could get Troy to go on a cruise if there is a smoking section. We should consider having Joker's Cruisin M&G.

YES to a Joker's cruise :) It would be amazing!

[Nhcris]

This was an excellent report Chris!:first:

Reading this has got me in the cruising mood again!:eagerness:

I've been on over 40 cruises but my last was back in 2009, an 11 day Panama Canal cruise on HAL. Always enjoyed sipping cocktails on our Veranda each night and looking at the stars and the waves. :)

We need to get your ass back on a ship. I bet Sharon would be up for it!

[Nhcris]

What a wonderful trip!!! You did such a great job too!
I love how you live each trip to the fullest!! Good thing you have a couple of weeks to recover before Coushatta!

Thanks again!

PS - now I understand about the puking on the plane comment you made on another thread.
SCARY!!! Glad you are safe!

Thanks Sassy! The cruise was fantastic but the memory of that flight will last awhile. Not looking forward to my next flight even though it is to see my boy and my Jokers!

[Jackpot]

Damn funny ending!! Part James bond and part comic relief. Thanks for the laugh!!

[tee2green]

I wanted to wait for the whole TR to be done before reading it and OMG Chris it was worth the wait. You seriously crack me up when I read your posts. Not sure I'll ever convince DH to cruise but you make it look amazing. Can't wait to see your crazy ass in 2 weeks!


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[emmas]

Chris, thanks for an awesome report. It makes cruising sound so much fun. I have a weak stomach and am afraid of going on a cruise, although I'm told that movement is fairly minimal in those big ships. Your report so made me want to cruise.

You really have a wonderful writing style and had me in stitches with some of your description. Glad you survived that landing, and I want to know what's in that nigh stand. Congratulations on an excellent gambling adventurous trip.

[clemi]

A Jokers cruise would be fun!

[Gypsy]

Joker Party 2017

[BorgataBabe]

OMG NHcris! I would have been puking too! I don't love flying to begin with and hate take off and landing because that is always when you hear of the accidents! Remind me never to book a flight with you! Lucky for you your children won't have to go through the nightstand! HHH!

Loved your cruise report and it made me want to book my next cruise sometime soon!


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[SoCalRob]

Nhcris. The pictures were gorgeous and have made me that much more excited about my upcoming cruise! Thank you so much for sharing. As for your plane story, first of all, I'm incredibly interested in this nightstand!!! Also, even though you made it safely you still had me holding my breath reading the story making sure everything was OK. I felt like I was on the plane with you when you were describing it. Glad you had an amazing time! Can't wait for your next one.

[Stephiede11]

Wow, just wow!! That was a very entertaining report that had me cracking up. Glad you had tons of fun and made it safely on the ground.

[dvandentop]

gotta read this tomorrow when I get time

[Nhcris]

@Nhcris (http://jweforum.com/member.php?u=9). The pictures were gorgeous and have made me that much more excited about my upcoming cruise! Thank you so much for sharing. As for your plane story, first of all, I'm incredibly interested in this nightstand!!! Also, even though you made it safely you still had me holding my breath reading the story making sure everything was OK. I felt like I was on the plane with you when you were describing it. Glad you had an amazing time! Can't wait for your next one.

Pretty sure you are the same age as my kids. Therefore you will never know the secret of my nightstand!

I can't wait to hear about YOUR upcoming cruise!

[tee2green]

Pretty sure you are the same age as my kids. Therefore you will never know the secret of my nightstand!

I can't wait to hear about YOUR upcoming cruise!
Ahaha! On come on Chris, tell him about the nightstand! But do it in person at Coushatta, I want to see his face.[emoji15]

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[SoCalRob]

Ahaha! On come on Chris, tell him about the nightstand! But do it in person at Coushatta, I want to see his face.[emoji15]

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Yes!!! What she said.

[michelelovesvegas]

So much fun to read! Can't wait for Coushatta!!