Royal Princess Southern Caribbean Medley - Cruise Time!

[Nhcris]

Thanks to palazzo it's time to cruise again!

SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN MEDLEY


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Sun, 11/05/17
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida



Mon, 11/06/17
At Sea



Tue, 11/07/17
At Sea



Wed, 11/08/17
Aruba



Thu, 11/09/17
Bonaire



Fri, 11/10/17
Grenada



Sat, 11/11/17
Martinique



Sun, 11/12/17
St. Thomas, USVI



Mon, 11/13/17
At Sea



Tue, 11/14/17
Princess Cays (https://book.princess.com/cruisepersonalizer/excursions.page?portid=RSD&portdate=11142017&exType=S&exPage=PORT)(Tender Required)



Wed, 11/15/17
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (https://book.princess.com/cruisepersonalizer/excursions.page?portid=FLL&portdate=11152017&exType=S&exPage=PORT)

[Nhcris]

Frank & I will be flying out Saturday morning to embark on another Adventure at Sea! We are hoping for smooth flights (unlike our Hawaii cruise) and good health (unlike our Bermuda cruise). This is the second comped cruise I got from Palazzo last year. We are paying a whopping $125 apiece for the port fees and taxes this time. Staying home would cost me more than that!

I haven't finished packing but things are coming along. Lola has been up and down with her issues, but hopefully the meds and prescription food will keep her healthy while we are gone. The three pups will be in the VIP suite at the kennel again - haha. They will have a better room than we will!

We should arrive in Fort Lauderdale around 7:30PM (ssh, I am ever the optimist) and will spend the night at the Renaissance near Port Everglades. We are paying a small fortune because it just so happens this is the weekend of the big Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. The good thing about that is, because the ship is returning from a transatlantic, boarding will be delayed. So we will spend a couple hours at the boat show dreaming about what it must be like to own one of those! With a little bit of luck we will be onboard by 3:30 or so.

I am very excited about the itinerary, especially after the changes that were made due to the hurricane damage in the Eastern Caribbean. Aruba is one of my favorite ports, and Bonaire, Grenada, Martinique and Princess Cays are all new to me so we will have fun exploring. There should be snorkeling, sailing, and tons of sightseeing. One foot is still fucked up, so the crocs will be making the trip. I's okay though, as they match my formal wear :stupid:

I will post food porn, but we have been trying to do the low carb thing, so it may not meet the standards of my Jokers! Maybe I'll sneak up on unsuspecting cruisers and photograph their plates :tongue-new:

I bought an internet package but service is really slow and spotty, so updates onboard may be intermittent. But with so many ports of call I hope to be able to post from shore. I will try to actually complete this report!

Ok, just wanted to set the table for this as tomorrow is going to be pandemonium.

[Pat]

have a wonderful, safe, healthy, on time cruise

[TwoArmedBandito]

Can't wait to see some beautiful pictures. Hope you have an uneventful trip. Have fun!!

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[Curlyd]

Oh I wish we could cruise again but alas life changes things. So I will enjoy your trip! Do lots of snorkeling as that is one of my favorite things to do while cruising. I will wait patiently for pics! Thanks in advance for sharing.

[MNvegasgal]

Hoping for no flight delays, no medic visits on board, that the bum foot gets better(get a massage and have them work just your feet and calves) and great weather through out the trip!


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[LowAndSlow]

Sounds like a wonderful time is awaiting you. Happy sailing!

[Laurie]

Have fun look forward to your pictures!


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[goldengreeke]

Sharon and I have been on that same cruise twice, lots of fun! Looking forward to following along. :)

[Jen Jen]

I hope you have a fabulous cruise.

[zeus]

Are you sleeping with the boss because you sure do get a lot of vacation time each year? [emoji23] It sounds fabulous! Have a wonderful time.

And see, Crocs go with anything. [emoji16]

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[Elf70]

Hoping you have a smooth wonderful trip! Can’t wait for pictures. I hope the foot doesn’t slow you down. Have an awesome time.

[Darlene]

Have fun it looks like a great cruise. The weather should be fantastic.

[Reen]

Wishing you both a fabulous time!

[clemi]

Have a wonderful cruise, looking forward to any updates and pics. Good luck!

[Mimi]

Wishing you a fabulous cruise! That itinerary sounds great. I can't wait to follow along! Have a blast, you two soooo deserve it!

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[Penguin]

Have a great time. Looking forward to your posts about the trip.

[Mary9915]

Have a fabulous time!

[FL Mary]

That's a cruise I want to do some day. Have a wonderful time!

[Hoofy7]

A friend of mine from the boards will be on that cruise with you. Lol Have a great time. I was on that ship in February and really enjoyed the Royal Princess. Also free from Grazie. Had a mini suite and it was still small but was comfortable for sleeping and showering! Enjoy!!!

[michelelovesvegas]

I can not wait until I (we - I guess I could if I leave him home) can do 10 or more days.... It's a bitch to be kind of retire and DH not. Looking forward to fun in the sun pictures and adventures!

[BorgataBabe]

Can't wait to hear all about this one, 3rd times a charm, you are both going to have a fabulous cruise this time.


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[CPT]

So I login to check new users and there is a new registrant. They are from Netherland, although have a username "casinobonus" . I'm going to say spam, but...What Would Chris DO??? Come back it's too much pressure!! HHH

[sondor]

Have a great time.....

[chrissyDee]

So I login to check new users and there is a new registrant. They are from Netherland, although have a username "casinobonus" . I'm going to say spam, but...What Would Chris DO??? Come back it's too much pressure!! HHH

You checked spam sites, google, FB for the email, screen name & IP address? You can leave it for me. Had a lot of sneaky ones free m Netherlands where the emails ( usually gmail now) tracked back to Russia.


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[CPT]

You checked spam sites, google, FB for the email, screen name & IP address? You can leave it for me. Had a lot of sneaky ones free m Netherlands where the emails ( usually gmail now) tracked back to Russia.


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HHH Yes I did all the cross checks, I send them packing!

[chrissyDee]

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We got the pups dropped off at camp and had relatively uneventful flights. Made it to Fort Lauderdale only half an hour behind schedule. Yay Me! All checked in to the Renaissance & sweet talked my way onto a corner room that should give me A nice view of the ships in the morning.

It’s too dark to get any pictures tonight. We are exhausted so I am signing off for now. The report should start in earnest tomorrow.


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[Gypsy]

Yay, glad the first part of the trip went well! What a fabulous itinerary, you guys are going to have a blast! Looking forward to pictures, are scones low carb? Tea is my favorite onboard Princess lol. Good luck in the casino, bon voyage!

[Mimi]

Bon Voyage you Floosie!! Have a fabulous time and I look forward to your updates!

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[zeus]

First win is that you made it there on the planned day! Excited to see your ports, cabin and food porn. I am sure you will throw a cock pic or two in the report too.

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[Pat]

I woke up wondering if you got there. Thanks for checking in.

[chrissyDee]

I woke up wondering if you got there. Thanks for checking in.

Ha ha, I am getting superstitious about posting during my travel day. Reading back, some of my flights have been so horrendous I don’t ever want to remember. This flight was actually fun, as I ran into a guy I used to work with that was also Mitch’s friends dad. We were both coming down to Fort Lauderdale for cruises but they are on a different ship. It was really fun to catch up!


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[clemi]

What cute pups!

[chrissyDee]

So we both slept surprisingly well. The bed is really comfortable & the room was very very quiet. I woke up about five or 6 AM (not sure since the clocks were changing), and some ships are already in and some were still coming in. There are actually six ships in port today.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171105/b97a70d28115533c6e3cd92d5af3b7ca.jpg. Taken in the wee hours. Our ship is the one in the distance.

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These two are right across from my hotel – the regal princess and the carnival conquest. Although the picture doesn’t show it, it is actually a beautiful sunny day.

My foot did not like the travel day, so we decided to just have breakfast here at the hotel and relax until we can head to the port. This is my breakfast after I removed the carbs – potatoes and bread bye-bye.

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Mushroom tomato and cheddar omelette with a side of Guac and a side of bacon. Eating low-carb is not terrible, although like Elf70, know I’ll be craving that cheesecake on the ship!

So we are back in the room lounging around waiting until we can leave. The hotel was nice enough to give us a late check out so it’s easy to be lazy farts.


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[chrissyDee]

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This one’s for you Zeus. Frank says I look Dutch or a Mario Batali fan. Since I Am of Dutch heritage, and since I would Kill for Mario’s ravioli right now, that works for me :).

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Putting on the cruise tags.

I can’t stand the wait so we are headed to the port in a few more minutes.


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[chrissyDee]

We are onboard [emoji925]⚓️.

An hour from the hotel to our room, and that includes A 15 minute broken gangway snafu. Don’t even ask HHH

The room is very compact but the closet is much more spacious than I expected. This is called a premium balcony room, Apparently because it has a loveseat. The regular balcony rooms must be really little.
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But as always, I did my homework and booked an aft balcony which is at least twice the depth of the ones on the side and has an overhang over half of it. So FRAnk will be able to sit in the shade while I sit in the sun to work on my leather face. And at night we have the beautiful romantic wake to watch in the event of a prize upgrade.

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Off tofind some lunch


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[chrissyDee]

The buffet was fabulous. I will take pictures tomorrow at a time that it’s not so crowded, hopefully.

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My current version of a turkey dinner.

The ship is really lovely. She is beautifully maintained and quite elegant. Refined and sophisticated without being stuffy.

Almost time for the lifeboat drill.


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[CTslotters]

Love that you are doing a report since we're doing a Southern Caribbean itinerary later this month! Your trip will hold me over until I am in warm weather once again!
We will both be following along, enjoy! :)

[chrissyDee]

Love that you are doing a report since we're doing a Southern Caribbean itinerary later this month! Your trip will hold me over until I am in warm weather once again!
We will both be following along, enjoy! :)

We hope to do a fair bit of snorkeling, so will hopefully have tips. Anything specific you want me to check on somewhere?


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[chrissyDee]

Just played the theme from The Love Boat on the ship’s horn! And off we go.

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[Laurie]

Great start! Love the updates I’m doing the low carb thing now so keep those pictures coming too!


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[CTslotters]

We hope to do a fair bit of snorkeling, so will hopefully have tips. Anything specific you want me to check on somewhere?


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Just curious how the seas are down there this time of year and how clear the water is, what shape the beaches are in, after the storm season. Enjoy!

[chrissyDee]

Just curious how the seas are down there this time of year and how clear the water is, what shape the beaches are in, after the storm season. Enjoy!

The seas have been calm but the water was a bit murky here in Aruba. Spoke to a diver that dove a wreck and he found the same
Conditions. Sun is sure hot though !


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[chrissyDee]

We relaxed like crazy on the first 2 sea days. Did a few ships activities but not much. I went to the casino the first night and really didn’t like it. Too crowded and not big enough. Only want back once for a cigarette on Monday. It’s saving me money!

We have a decent table in the dining room with very nice servers. We’re pretty antisocial so it’s a table for two ha ha.
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Yes, I know there are carbs in wine. I don’t care. I signed up for the seven bottle wine package which is suiting me quite well since FRAnk doesn’t drink. The first night I behaved. The second night a drink the whole bottle and then an after dinner drink. Next morning I did have a hangover. I didn’t like it.

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Yummy shrimp with a dipping sauce. It came with nice crusty bread which I removed.
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I had a nice Caesar salad and then prime rib without the baked potato or the corn on the cob. Our dude was kind enough to sub steamed vegetables. It was good

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We have been starting our day off at the buffet. My go to is an omelette. This one was bacon Swiss and tomato I think and quite delicious. Then I throw some other stuff on the plate and pick it all of it. Breakfast is the best meal of the day when you are trying to avoid carbs.

[chrissyDee]

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I don’t do sushi but they had a lovely set up one day at the buffet.

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I just had stuff that day. Like all the fajita fixings without the tortilla and it was good.

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View of the atrium

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This was a surprisingly tasty fish stew I had for dinner the other night. It was basically a water based broth but my dude added olive oil and cracked pepper and it was very good. Shrimp scallops grouper and little bitty clams. And again, I did not eat the beautiful crusty bread that would have been perfect to sop everything up with
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Another lunch of stuff from the buffet. My favorite part of this was roasted pumpkin and it had no sweeteners but it was still very comforting. I miss my carbs



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[chrissyDee]

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Last night was the captain’s gala. Yada yada yada

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[chrissyDee]

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Smoked Duck breast. So so good!

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Is that French onion soup you ask? Yes it is. (I got most of the crouton out of there) but I could not resist and it was absolutely decadently delicious.

I had tenderloin medallions for my entrée and I forgot to take a picture but they were very good with summer vegetables.

[chrissyDee]

Today is Aruba. We took a tour.

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Where the Natural Bridge used to be.
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Now they have a baby Bridge.

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If you want comfort of any kind, Do Not Take This Tour Bus.

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Luckily we ended the tour at Arashi Beach where we swam and snorkeled. I may have had a beer ( but it was a baby beer). It is a lovely spot.




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[chrissyDee]

Oh, I almost forgot to mention just another of my transportation glitches. When we boarded our tour bus to leave the port today, we were advised there was a mini strike due to friction between the independent tour operators and either the government or the big operators. I’m pretty sure it was due to bribes & protection money not getting where it needed to go. So, in typical nhcris fashion, my tour was delayed!!


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[zeus]

Looks like a fantastic trip! Love all of the pics.

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[Elf70]

Great recaps. Sounds like an excellent trip so far. I admire your no carb resolve. It looks like your still having plenty of delicious food.

[Penguin]

Looking like a good trip so far. Enjoy and thanks for the pics.

[Laurie]

Great pictures! Aruba is on my bucket list!

[clemi]

Love your updates Nhcris! Looks like everything is fabulous, except for that bus.

[Gypsy]

Thanks for the updates, looks like so much fun, I wish I was there!!

[treyster]

So if a casino gives you the cruise and you don't play in the casino, don't you get in trouble or double secret probation or something?

[Luckylinda123]

Keep having a great trip!

[Suze1000]

So if a casino gives you the cruise and you don't play in the casino, don't you get in trouble or double secret probation or something?

I was wondering that, too!

[Suze1000]

I am loving your report! I will especially be interested in hearing about St. Thomas. I have been there many times, and am anxious to hear about it after the hurricanes. Have a great time. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[chrissyDee]

So if a casino gives you the cruise and you don't play in the casino, don't you get in trouble or double secret probation or something?

I expect I’ll be suspended but hopefully not expelled. Truthfully, I’m not sure how it will affect me. If Palazzo Continues to use carnival, I don’t want another cruise from them anyway.

Bottom line is, most of these ccruiseswould be cheaper to pay for than what I’m spending gambling and gambling is losing its luster.


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[chrissyDee]

Bonaire

Best snorkeling ever. CTslotters. I have never seen so many varied fish and all we did was pick a spot and go in from shore. I saw my first moray eel up close & personal! He was breath taking! Can’t wait to return & snorkel off shore!

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Great way to explore the island.

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Docked next to the Dutch Navy.

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Never drove a golf cart before. Took her right out in traffic like a pro HHH


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[BorgataBabe]

So jealous!


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[chrissyDee]

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Thank you for a lovely day Bonaire!


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[michelelovesvegas]

Aww, Chris, looks like such a great time, especially away from the cold weather. Even in GA today, nasty, rainy and cold! I am wearing socks!! Thanks for the pics and keep having fun!

[Curlyd]

Love, Love, Love to snorkel! Enjoying your posts and glad your having a good time. Thanks for sharing.

[Mimi]

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Thank you for a lovely day Bonaire!


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkGreat picture!! Excellent choice of that room. Cheers!!!

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[chrissyDee]

Last night was cheat night. Dinner was at Sabatini’s, the Italian specialty restaurant.

We were started off with an antipasto of prosciutto with pecorino & olives which I scarfed down pre-photo. It was a nice start.

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Had a lovely Toscana which was just right for the meal.

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Burrata with tomatoes & really good balsamic

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Short rib penne was oh my freaking lord delicious. So worth every carb.

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Chicken stuffed with eggplant & sun dried tomatoes and topped with a beautiful light Marsala. It was excellent and actual marsala, @tab.

Then came dessert and I went all. The. Way.
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Inside that chocolate box is decadent tiramisu, and yes , you see espresso gelato and chocolate straws & swirls. It was marvelous.

After dinner we watched Wonder Woman at Movies under the Stars. It wasn’t awful & I love being out there on deck curled in a blanket enjoying a movie.

So ends our day of shame.


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[BorgataBabe]

If only we could all be so shameful everyday! I am enjoying all of your trip posts, can't wait until I book my next cruise!


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[TwoArmedBandito]

Last night was cheat night. Dinner was at Sabatini’s, the Italian specialty restaurant.

We were started off with an antipasto of prosciutto with pecorino & olives which I scarfed down pre-photo. It was a nice start.

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Had a lovely Toscana which was just right for the meal.

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Burrata with tomatoes & really good balsamic

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Short rib penne was oh my freaking lord delicious. So worth every carb.

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Chicken stuffed with eggplant & sun dried tomatoes and topped with a beautiful light Marsala. It was excellent and actual marsala, @tab.

Then came dessert and I went all. The. Way.
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Inside that chocolate box is decadent tiramisu, and yes , you see espresso gelato and chocolate straws & swirls. It was marvelous.

After dinner we watched Wonder Woman at Movies under the Stars. It wasn’t awful & I love being out there on deck curled in a blanket enjoying a movie.

So ends our day of shame.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkNow that's the right color for marsala. It's not Madeira for God sakes.

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[Laurie]

That day sounds fabulous!! ❤️


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[clemi]

Love that dinner!!

[charlie50]

Looks like y'all are having a great time ...Enjoy ! ...thanks for sharing

[Hoofy7]

I’m so glad to see you having such a great time! Well deserved. Your photos are making me miss that ship. We really did have a fantastic cruise with Princess. I’m booked for a 7 day in February and can’t wait. My husband threw a fit when I booked out last one which was 10 days. He thought he would be miserable and hate it, but he absolutely loved the cruise. So now we plan on going at least once every year and with V/P handing out 2-3 15 day free cruises a year....I say why the hell not???? Thanks so much for sharing and getting my anticipation up for our next cruise.

[chrissyDee]

Yikes, I’m falling behind. Will try to get a quick post off before we leave the island today.

Yesterday was Martinique & I loved it! The history is amazing and the mixture of French and Caribbean flavor makes it unique in our experience. We took a tour with Thomas and he was ooh la la.

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I forget the name of this church but it’s an exact replica of a famous one in France but 1/5 the size.

Can’t seem to upload pictures. Will try again later.

Still having a blast but carbs have been sneaking in to our diet HHH


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[zeus]

Just catching up and all I can say is WOW! The pics of all of the ports and meals have been stunning. I love to see that smile, so I know you are having a ball.

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[CTslotters]

I LOVE THIS REPORT!!!! You are making me so anxious for our cruise later this month! The Italian dinner looked amazing, as did the smoked duck breast. I always order duck on cruises and am usually disappointed because it tends to be some overcooked mess, but that looked delicious and not overdone in sauce, yay! Thanks for all the water/snorkel updates too, I'm excited to feel the sun and warm water again!

[Nhcris]

Thanks to everyone that followed along. The internet was acting up so I couldn't continue the report on the ship, and yesterday I was running around doing errands and crap. But I'll try to wrap it up now.

I will continue with Martinique, which was my favorite island. The church in the previous photo was called Sacre Couer and is a replica of the one in Paris. It was lovely. 5960

[chrissyDee]

OK, back to Tapatalk since the main site wants to post my picture sideways. We continued our tour in Martinique with a beautiful botanical garden another rum distillery, and the ruins of mount Pelee.
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The peak of the volcano was obscured all day by the clouds but it was still pretty impressive. When this volcano erupted , instead of the typical lava spewing from the top, it completely exploded killing 28,000 people in two minutes. Even people in the harbor on ships died from the gases. The only survivor was a drunk that have been thrown in jail the night before. Saint Pierre, the capital, was completely destroyed. It really is an amazing story.

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A church stood here prior to the Eruption.

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This is what remains of a beautiful theater.

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DePaz rum is damn good.

Then we went to a black sand beach where I swam
And had a yummy local beer.
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By then it was time to return to the ship where I had to say Au revoir to the charming Thomas.
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[chrissyDee]

The next day we stopped in Saint Thomas. FRAnk went out and took a tour of the hurricane damage but I remained onboard. I’m really not sure where the day went but it was nice and relaxing. This time I have made good friends with a crazy group of smokers, and we spent hours just laughing and Sharon stupid stories. Considering the average age of the princess passenger, I was lucky to find this band of misfits that ranged everywhere from a 26-year-old drag queen With his somewhat older pilot husband,to a pair of thirtysomething stoner newlyweds to A handful of Random folks from all over the country. We laughed and laughed and laughed.

Here are a few views from the ship and apparently I took some food porn.

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As you get close so you could see many many blue tarps were roofs are still gone and FRAnk said there were powerlines down everywhere with people still needing power food and water. It was sad.

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This beautiful hotel suffered severe damage.

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Delicious chicken of some
Sort.



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[chrissyDee]

The next day was a sea day, And other than making one final donation to the casino, I have no idea what I did. I just knew I liked it.

Our last day was spent at Princess Cay, their private island. The day started out pretty ominous, with dark clouds and showers but we got our asses on a tender by 8 AM and settled into a clamshell shortly there after. It was a good thing because the rain came down and I took a lovely nap :-)

Eventually the rain stopped, the Winds calmed a bit and it turned out to be a beautiful day. I alternated between lounging in the sun, lounging in the shade, and floating in my Aqua chair.

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FRAnk had a lovely sail.

Although not the best of the private islands I’ve been to, it was quite lovely and I would not hesitate to return.

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Nice beach bar

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After this beautiful last day in paradise, it was back to the ship to pack up and get ready to return to reality. We went to the dining room for one last dinner, and I went for the turkey which was a pretty good carb failure but I couldn’t resist

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ADELIN, our server, took excellent care of us, Putting up with my ridiculous requests and incessant questions with a lovely smile on his face. I wish I could’ve put him in my suitcase.

After dinner, I still had one full bottle of wine I had to knock off so up to the smoking deco I went For a final night of Raucous laughter and inappropriate conversation. We popped down to karaoke for a final listen to the tone deaf and vocally challenged regulars and after final nightcap and hugs all around, it was off to bed.

Next morning we were up at 6:30, at the airport by nine and on our on time flight at 11:50. After a short stop at Baltimore, we made it to Manchester around five and picked up the pups and got home about 630. Absolutely no travel delays woo hoo!


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[chrissyDee]

All in all, we had a very nice time, especially considering the price tag of $125 apiece. The ship is beautiful although I found it a bit lacking in personality. It was a either too warm or too rainy to enjoy much time on our balcony, but I did go out for sail away every day. The casino totally sucked. Dining room service was excellent, and the buffet was good although after 10 days of low carbing, it got pretty old. It really was a great cruise, especially after our last one!

It’s good to be home and I have nothing planned until Kansas City. So far.


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[Laurie]

Thanks for the great report and pictures :) Yay for no delays! Sounds like you had a really fun time.


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[zeus]

Loved that you and FRAnk had such a fabulous trip! And you did not cause any delays in travel.[emoji16] I want to be just like you in a few years when I retire. Great pics!!!

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[michelelovesvegas]

Chris, you look so happy in the fun in the sun place. Sounds like such a great trip.

[TwoArmedBandito]

Thank you for sharing . Looked lovely.

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[RiverSong]

Thanks for the trip report...loved it and the photos!

[Pat]

We had our Christmas tree put up but not decorated. Palm Springs area high season is in full force, so our great friends from Seattle area are coming over for cocktails and snacks. Always good to catch up with them.

Physical Therapy on the fractured arm and that's about it. Then the family starts arriving for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. Have fun everyone

[clemi]

Lovely pics and trip report Nhcris, thanks so much for sharing!

[Gypsy]

Looked like a fabulous time. Sad to see the damage in St. Thomas. I'm excited to get back to the Caribbean in February!