COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
Saved: February 24th 2016
Edit Blog Post
Ships Welcome
Arriving for cruise on Carnival's "Miracle" We are back at Sunshine RV Resort after a 9 day cruise. Actually I'd count it as a 7 day cruise as we left Fort Lauderdale about 5 pm and left the ship on the 9th day at 8 am. Sneaky, isn't it? Advertise 9 days, and actually be "out there" for seven. Oh well! We boarded our bus on Thursday after dragging our luggage to the club house in driving rain. The wind was so hard that it actually stopped me from making headway as I tried to pull one suitcase at a time to the club house. I had taken garbage bags and ripped a hole in the bottom and slide it over the suitcases to protect them. Arriving at the club house people saw me coming and quickly got the door open so I could run in. This happened two more times before I had everything there. We had invited friends (Lynn & Susan Holder) to take the cruise with us and were happy to find that they were interested in going with us. We had a wonderful time and managed to still be friends at the end of the cruise. We would love to join them again
Gatsby's Garden
Quiet, serene place to sit and relax if you need a little space. for another adventure but one where we could load luggage without getting soaked. Bill didn't get to put on dry shoes and socks till after we had dinner on board that evening. Needless to say, wet cloths and shoes do not make for a comfortable feeling. But we did find our rooms and got settled in. While Lynn and Susan had a room on deck 1 with a large porthole (actually it was square) we had an interior room with no way to tell what was happening outside. This was our first interior room and would be our last.
The sailing Gods were with us as we had fair seas and warm days. Our first day out was spent at sea. The next day was spent at Grand Turk which was a small island that catered to those interested in diamonds, as there were shops galore selling the gems for what was claimed as great prices. What was most interesting was that Grand Turk was the area where Neil Armstrong landed in our first space flight. There was a nice statue and sign explaining this happening and the arrival of man in space. While there were no great beaches
Atlas
Atlas holds up the fixtures. The Phantom Stage was also decorated with statues of mythological backgrounds. there, it did offer an opportunity to get off the ship and a pool. We did find Margaritaville (one of what must be hundreds) and an exceptionally nice large pool which went on for ever. I would have liked to see it from the air as it may have looked like a snow flake with spurs off to the side and chairs all around. This was obviously an island for those who liked to shop. We returned and boarded early as it didn't take too much time to see the stores/etc.
Then we were off to Catalina Island (Dominican Republic) where we were greeted by colorful dancers and an island band. Walking along the boardwalk led to many straw thatched huts used for displaying items that were hawked by persistent islanders. Once our ladies had their fill of shopping for low cost bargains we had a wonderful time swimming off the long beach of white sand in the crystal blue Caribbean water. There ware no charges for using the lounge chairs and we took advantage of that for several hours. Carnival brought all the fixings for a bar-b-que to the island and we feasted on island flavored food cooked
Waterslide
One of the features on the ship. by our cruise people. What surprised us most were the high number of females that had tattoos - here, there, and everywhere. One told of a horse story across her lower back. Another had---- oh, what the heck --- see for yourself in the pictures (ha).
On Monday we arrived at Curacao (cur-a-sow). Last part sounds like a pig --sow! Here we bartered for an island tour because we had downpours and threatening rain most of the day and didn't feel like walking in the rain. We were not impressed with the tour or island but did buy some Curacao Chocolate Liqueur for $12. We even got to sample several liqueurs before we purchased. The island also has the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the eastern hemisphere. Streets were narrow and shops were plentiful, as this is a very expensive island to live on. Again, we had rain when we left the ship and just after we got on board. Those that came back late (we sailed at 10 pm) got caught in heavy downpours.
We left at 10pm for Aruba. This is an island that Judy and I visited 22 years ago for our 25th anniversary. We were
Chess Set
Chess set that stood about 30" high. People played and it was interesting to see how your perspective changed when it was so large. anxious to see the changes, and were shocked by how commercial it has become. The island is 99% literate and kids are taught up to 8 languages in school. It is a Dutch island so Bill recognized some of the names on buildings. We decided to take a tour with friends and got to see several of the sites which we had seen before. It was a nice reminder of things in the past. The island is now largely developed with many condos, time shares, etc. There are even large shopping stores including a Cosco. When we visited previously there were none of these stores and we had to buy milk/etc at little stores off people's homes. Amazing! We didn't like the way the island has developed but still enjoyed the people and the atmosphere of the island. No beggars or people hounding you to purchase things. This is against the law in Aruba as they pride themselves on being above that. We didn't get to climb the highest peak (541') this time but we did see it, along with the lighthouse and the sacred rock formations that brought you to a climb thru boulders where you could see all
Casino
Casino was not too large but offered just about every game and slot you would want. People had a good time but there was too smoke for many of us. the way around the island, which is about 21 miles long and 6.5 miles wide. It was a nice place to stop for our last island and we will carry memories of the island and how it has changed.
Carnival's food and service were excellent and we all gained weight (well, most of us did). We had items such as Escargot, Scampies, Lobster, Prime Rib, Lamb, Fish of all types, and deserts to die for. Unbelievable! The ship itself was ok, not new, or large, but it did offer the passengers a number of things to do. Judy and I had sailed with Royal Caribbean several years ago on what was the second largest ship on the ocean at the time and it was simply gorgeous. Beyond description! Mariner of the Sea was the name of the ship -- in case you might wonder. But the Miracle was clean, well supplied, and sailed smoothly. This was our second cruise and we won't forget the wonderful time we had with friends and neighbors.
Now we look forward to our next trip and wonder what it will be. We both would like to do the Panama Canal or see Alaska
Phantom Theater
Lynn, Susan, and Judy are ready for the nightly show. Most of them were very good -- especially the ventriloquist who was superb! by cruise and road. Ah, dream away---- it's out there somewhere just waiting for us! Happy trails and sails to all, and to all a "Good Night".
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader_blog_bottom
Tot: 0.047s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 6; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0237s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb