Good morning from the Caribbean, off the shores of Tortola. I am so disappointed that we had to miss Tortola as I was excited to stop here. But, such is life. Celebrity Cruises, the CDC, and the captain made the decision for us to return a day early, thus missing tortola. We will arrive in Charleston on thursday rather than friday. This, of course, is due to so many onboard having norovirus. At least 1/3 of my group were ill. Ken thus far has escaped and I didn't have noro, but lethargy & migraine that lasted well over a day. That being said, cruising is still a nice way to travel and we are looking forward to our next cruise to the Greek Isles in May! Thank you all for your emails, birthday wishes, etc... I appreciate it very much! Will be in touch more as I still have some minutes remaining! This afternoon we have a wine & food pairing scheduled as well as a back stage tour... followed by formal night with lobster, dancing, and singing!!! More later...
Bubbles
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Calm Seas on the Atlantic
Ah, life on the high ca lm seas is good! Wow – what a chaotic day we had yesterday! We checked out of the french quarter inn, proceeded the north charleston performing arts center for cruise check-in, then to drop our luggage and park our car at the pier.. only to be told that we could not drop/park until 2 pm. So we headed to SNOB for a lovely low country lunch… I chose the maverick palmetto burger, ken the PEI mussels, Phyllis & Rick duck pot pie. After lunch, back to the pier to drop luggage/park and embarkation at 4 pm. Our stateroom is concierge class and is one only 4 cc class that has a larger balcony. Very nice indeed. Ken just smiled and said thank you! Phyllis and rick are real sports, however, with a sky suite… large room, balcony and a butler! Today has been very relaxing… I had a good night’s sleep and woke up to the smell of banana waffles from the palm springs cafe… & they did not disappoint!!!! Crispy bacon, grilled tomato and fresh squeezed orange juice rounded out my breakfast. Mandatory life boat drill followed breakfast and once that was done, the day was ours! 10 of my cattail cruisers are meeting for dinner tonight & invited us to join them. It’s one of our 2 formal nights and I will be wearing my princess shoes and perhaps a one shoulder dress… or perhaps a sequined top with my long harem style skirt… Ah, decisions!
Thus far all of my cattail cruisers are happy and smiling… and that makes me smile too! OK, signing off for now…
Bubbles
Monday, March 8, 2010
A Day in Charleston
We had a lovely 3 hour drive from Southport to Charleston and checked into the French Quarter Inn. Since it was Sunday we headed to Magnolias for brunch… only to find out we would have an hour wait for a table! So, we stopped at another favorite, Blossom… where we were seated almost immediately. Wood grilled pizzas are a specialty of the house, so I had that instead of brunch… very yummy! After a bit of exploring and a quick stop at White House Black Market, our room was ready. A brief rest, then downstairs for complimentary evening wine & cheese. Using Opentable.com, I had made reservations at High Cotton for dinner. Great food, ambiance, and jazz did not disappoint!
Continental breakfast of croissants, pastries, fruit, etc. was a perfect beginning to the day. Because of a semi annual coast guard exam, embarkation for our cruise has been postponed until 4 pm. That just means that we will have lunch in Charleston .. perhaps SBOB or Amen Corner or Magnolias.. the choices are endless!
Signing off for now….
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Are you packed?
Patti’s Packing List: Compiled from personal experience & online sources
| First Aid Kit: Your medications(in your carry-on!) | Jewelry: Don’t take good jewelry! I usually purchase locally made jewelry as souvenirs! |
| Band-Aids, neosporin | |
| Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin | Laundry: |
| Bonine, Dramamine II | Shout wipes (for oops!) |
| Cough drops | Clothes pins |
| Eye drops | Woolite |
| Immodium | Sewing Kit |
| Ace Bandage |
|
| Safety pins | Personal Hygiene/Beauty: |
| Insect repellent | Shampoo/Conditioner |
| Sunscreen | Hair Spray-non aerosol |
| Hand sanitizer | Razor |
| Stateroom: | Perfume |
| Hilighter Pen | Body Lotion |
| Post-it Notes | Deodorant |
| Duct-tape! You never know! | Face cleanser Moisturizer Feminine hygiene products |
| Insulated mugs | Toothbrush/toothpaste |
| Small alarm clock | Mouthwash, dental floss |
| Corkscrew/champagne stopper, wine stoppers | Hair gel/mousse |
| Small flashlight | Hair dryer |
| Night Light | Curling iron/rollers |
| | Hair accessories: clips, scrunchies, etc. |
| | Brush/comb Make-up, foundation, etc. |
| | Tweezers, nail file, q-tips, nail clippers, nail polish remover wipes |
| Clothing: | Excursions: Copy of passport & credit cards |
| Travel clothing to & from | Backpack, fanny pack |
| Days on ship & and in port | Security wallet |
| Morning/Afternoon/Dinner/Night | Drivers license(photoID) |
| Evening wear (not formal!) may include: Dresses/dressier capris & tops, skirts/tops/shoes | Money, creditcard |
| Day time wear: onboard ship & excursions: Assortment of: Dresses, skirts (long&short), sundress Capris, tights, jeans, shorts, skorts Tee shirts, dressier blouses/tops, tank tops Sweater, light windbreaker jacket, shawl, shrug | Miscellaneous: PASSPORT CRUISE & AIR DOCS Camera, charger/battery, memory cards/sticks, binoculars, ipod/mp3player, Books, Journal, sunglasses, reading glasses, eye-glass kit (to repair broken glasses), umbrella, Nylon tote bag |
| Jammies, bras | Backpack/purse/carryall |
| Undies, slips, socks,pantyhose | Credit cards, cash (euros) to spend; cash for taxis/tips, etc. |
| Work-out wear | |
| Bathing Suit & cover-up | |
| Shoes: walking, dressier, sandals, | |
| rain coat/poncho |
|
| Hats / Visors | |
| Belts, Purses | |
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Port of Charleston Parking Information
Fellow cruisers, This is current official information regarding parking at the Port of Charleston (taken from the Port of Charleston website)
"Long-term vehicle storage is available on Port property for cruise passengers’ vehicles. Reservations are not required.
Vehicle storage is in controlled-access areas available only to cruise passengers – not the general public. The sites are secured and patrolled by Port Police during the cruise.
The vehicle storage fee chart for standard size vehicles up to 20 feet length:
4-day cruise = $60.00
5-day cruise = $75.00
6-day cruise = $90.00
7-day cruise = $105.00
8-day cruise = $120.00
9-day cruise = $135.00
10-day cruise = $150.00
11-day cruise = $165.00
12-day cruise = $180.00
The vehicle storage fee for oversized vehicles over 20 feet length (campers, RV’s, buses) is $35.00 per day.
Complimentary storage is provided at no fee for vehicles displaying a valid handicap placard or license plate with ID.
Cash, credit card, travelers’ check or personal check are the current accepted forms of payment. The total storage fee is due when the vehicle is left in storage.
Checks should be made payable to the S.C. State Ports Authority. Checks written on non-U.S. banks and financial institutions are not accepted.
A color-coded claim ticket and permit is given to the driver when payment is received. The larger permit should be displayed in the front window of the vehicle.
The smaller claim ticket should be kept by the driver. It will help identify the storage area on the return date.
A complimentary shuttle bus is provided between the vehicle storage areas and the Passenger Terminal on both departure and return dates of the cruise. The shuttles provide a comfortable way to arrive at the check-in location and return to the vehicle storage areas at the end of the cruise.
Shuttles accessible for special needs and wheelchair assistance are also available."
"Long-term vehicle storage is available on Port property for cruise passengers’ vehicles. Reservations are not required.
Vehicle storage is in controlled-access areas available only to cruise passengers – not the general public. The sites are secured and patrolled by Port Police during the cruise.
The vehicle storage fee chart for standard size vehicles up to 20 feet length:
4-day cruise = $60.00
5-day cruise = $75.00
6-day cruise = $90.00
7-day cruise = $105.00
8-day cruise = $120.00
9-day cruise = $135.00
10-day cruise = $150.00
11-day cruise = $165.00
12-day cruise = $180.00
The vehicle storage fee for oversized vehicles over 20 feet length (campers, RV’s, buses) is $35.00 per day.
Complimentary storage is provided at no fee for vehicles displaying a valid handicap placard or license plate with ID.
Cash, credit card, travelers’ check or personal check are the current accepted forms of payment. The total storage fee is due when the vehicle is left in storage.
Checks should be made payable to the S.C. State Ports Authority. Checks written on non-U.S. banks and financial institutions are not accepted.
A color-coded claim ticket and permit is given to the driver when payment is received. The larger permit should be displayed in the front window of the vehicle.
The smaller claim ticket should be kept by the driver. It will help identify the storage area on the return date.
A complimentary shuttle bus is provided between the vehicle storage areas and the Passenger Terminal on both departure and return dates of the cruise. The shuttles provide a comfortable way to arrive at the check-in location and return to the vehicle storage areas at the end of the cruise.
Shuttles accessible for special needs and wheelchair assistance are also available."
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