After sleeping in to be woke up by room service delivery, we enjoyed a breakfast of smoked salmon, cream cheese, coffee and OJ. Delicious!
We moseyed out on deck to the sounds of distant thunder. All day it was cloudy with rain in the distance on either side of the ship. However it was never ugly cloudy over the ship - the sun cooperated enough to allow for some good lounging on deck. We parked ourselves on the Lido deck, relaxed, chatted with our neighbors and had a drink or two. Each day the ship had the Fun Ship drink and this day we got one in the special Carnival cup. I know what my pool party cup will be next season :) After a while we headed back inside for another round of Bingo. Nichelle discovered she had more luck with the scratch off tickets than the bingo card. Then up to the Sun Deck for a round of putt-putt. Nichelle kicked my butt! Back to the Lido deck for some pizza and we discovered the 21 & over deck -- lounge chairs with cushions and 2 hot tubs. We parked ourselves there for a while. After a nap and a drink we figured we would be good and hit the gym.
Tonight was "Cruise Elegant" dress as the Captain's Reception and Dinner was on the schedule. Free cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served at the reception. The entertainment was the ship's orchestra then the Captain and senior officers were introduced. Hmm...who was steering?? Haha - couldn't resist :) Dinner was outstanding again as we sampled prosciutto truffles and baked white stuffed mushrooms to start. Those mushrooms were awesome! I went with the grouper for a main entree. After dinner we headed to the big show for the cruise, "Shout." The show was a musical review of the 50's, 60's, country & western, Mo-Town and Rock & Roll. The show was very good.
For my first day at sea I must say I approve. Though one could easily schedule the entire day with activities, I decided to take the route of relaxation. What happened, happened. I took lots of pictures (go figure, me with a camera) and enjoyed the open sea. I let myself relax and not think, people watched, daydreamed while watching clouds and ocean go by and feel the rhythm of the ship. All is well.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Cruise Day 1: Tampa
The day starts out cloudy & chilly as rain blew through Tampa during the night. I wandered to the hotel continental breakfast to kill some time then waited for my shuttle to the Port. And waited. And waited. Seems they had more cruise passengers staying at the hotel then they realized AND more airport traffic than planned. Of course, only 1 shuttle. While the hotel was nothing to write about, it seems organization isn't their strong point.
Once finally at the Port of Tampa, it was hurry & wait mentality getting through the lines. All the security measures we run across at the airport are also at the Ports. There was a benefit of the shuttle running late as I was able to board the ship and head right to my stateroom. After snapping a few pics of the still clean room, I headed to the Lido deck to find Nichelle & members of the group and get food! The Carnival Inspiration had 2002 passengers and nearly 1000 more in crew. I never thought I'd find my way around the ship so easily let alone find Nichelle very quickly. I must admit it never felt overly crowded as everyone is so spread out at any one time.
So much food from which to choose! By that time I was hungry enough to get a salad rather than stand in line for anything else. Of course I balanced that out with ice cream :) After some food and getting our bags in the stateroom we began wandering the decks to get the layout. Just before pushing off everyone had to attend the mandatory lifeboat drill. The drill was a bit behind schedule so at the end when the captain blew the horn to signal the drill was over, he multi-tasked and it signaled we were leaving port. We watched Tampa fade away then headed to the sushi bar :)
Though dinner was "Cruise Casual" we decided to change just because we could. Really, how can I pass up an excuse to dress up to go out for the evening? While getting ready we were suddenly plunged inot darkness! The lights went out! Hmm...well, the ship was still moving forward, no new rocking sensations, the cabin stewards weren't in a panic, so we caarried on and went to dinner.
Ah...dinner. Delicious! We got a bottle of merlot as they will re-cork and save it for the next night. There were so many choices we ordered several starters, each got the steak and just so we could try something really new, we got the vegetarian entree to share too. It was some a pumpkin, squash, yam and something else pot pie and was pretty good!
If someone is bored on a cruise ship, it's his or her own fault. From the time we boarded until the last night at sea, there is always something happening. After dinner we hit the Welcome Aboard show to check out the singers/dancers (all very good by the way). Nichelle uncovered her love of Bingo then we head up to the clubs. The Singles Dance was in the Rock & Roll club (in which, ironically, I rarely heard rock & roll - that was next door in the Avante Gard club). To kick off the party Smithy, one of the cruise director team, asked for 5 single women and 4 single men. We had a rousing game of human musical chairs which I must brag I took first place. Nichelle ran a close second.
The DJ started up and we hung out people watching. We noticed two women out on the dance floor shakin' it up. We called them Grandma and Daughter and they were having a GREAT time. The positive energy rolling off them was awesome. I talked to them while they took a break - Linda and Sarah, two friends both over 60 and I'm telling you, they were going to last long into the night and well past me going to bed!
After a bit we called it a night, headed back to the cabin and set out our room service order. As I settled in bed, I could feel the vibrations of the ship. It made me think of the old massage beds in motels as a kid and how much we fought over the bed and hoped for a quarter. Sleep came quickly -- needed our rest for Day 2!
Once finally at the Port of Tampa, it was hurry & wait mentality getting through the lines. All the security measures we run across at the airport are also at the Ports. There was a benefit of the shuttle running late as I was able to board the ship and head right to my stateroom. After snapping a few pics of the still clean room, I headed to the Lido deck to find Nichelle & members of the group and get food! The Carnival Inspiration had 2002 passengers and nearly 1000 more in crew. I never thought I'd find my way around the ship so easily let alone find Nichelle very quickly. I must admit it never felt overly crowded as everyone is so spread out at any one time.
So much food from which to choose! By that time I was hungry enough to get a salad rather than stand in line for anything else. Of course I balanced that out with ice cream :) After some food and getting our bags in the stateroom we began wandering the decks to get the layout. Just before pushing off everyone had to attend the mandatory lifeboat drill. The drill was a bit behind schedule so at the end when the captain blew the horn to signal the drill was over, he multi-tasked and it signaled we were leaving port. We watched Tampa fade away then headed to the sushi bar :)
Though dinner was "Cruise Casual" we decided to change just because we could. Really, how can I pass up an excuse to dress up to go out for the evening? While getting ready we were suddenly plunged inot darkness! The lights went out! Hmm...well, the ship was still moving forward, no new rocking sensations, the cabin stewards weren't in a panic, so we caarried on and went to dinner.
Ah...dinner. Delicious! We got a bottle of merlot as they will re-cork and save it for the next night. There were so many choices we ordered several starters, each got the steak and just so we could try something really new, we got the vegetarian entree to share too. It was some a pumpkin, squash, yam and something else pot pie and was pretty good!
If someone is bored on a cruise ship, it's his or her own fault. From the time we boarded until the last night at sea, there is always something happening. After dinner we hit the Welcome Aboard show to check out the singers/dancers (all very good by the way). Nichelle uncovered her love of Bingo then we head up to the clubs. The Singles Dance was in the Rock & Roll club (in which, ironically, I rarely heard rock & roll - that was next door in the Avante Gard club). To kick off the party Smithy, one of the cruise director team, asked for 5 single women and 4 single men. We had a rousing game of human musical chairs which I must brag I took first place. Nichelle ran a close second.
The DJ started up and we hung out people watching. We noticed two women out on the dance floor shakin' it up. We called them Grandma and Daughter and they were having a GREAT time. The positive energy rolling off them was awesome. I talked to them while they took a break - Linda and Sarah, two friends both over 60 and I'm telling you, they were going to last long into the night and well past me going to bed!
After a bit we called it a night, headed back to the cabin and set out our room service order. As I settled in bed, I could feel the vibrations of the ship. It made me think of the old massage beds in motels as a kid and how much we fought over the bed and hoped for a quarter. Sleep came quickly -- needed our rest for Day 2!
Friday, December 05, 2008
Vacation Time!
My first cruise experience begins with a flight from Phoenix to Tampa. I arrive to pleasant weather - much like AZ really. On the hotel shuttle I met a couple going on the same cruise as me. They were lucky enough to have been bumped to first class on their flight from Atlanta so they were already pretty happy :)
Check into my hotel and off for some food and beverage. Grillsmith is right next to my hotel and had good reviews. I start with a new beer - La Fin du Monde - and am pleasantly surprised by the hoppy yet slight fruity taste. I figure of they don't have Yuengling then I might as well go for the alcohol content of 9%!
My classic cheeseburger came more medium well than medium however was still tasty. The jalapeno mac & cheese side was good though I would make it cheesier. The green chili mac & cheese at Carlsburg Tavern in Scottsdale puts it to shame though. The prices are reasonable and surprisingly the portions are also! Not your typical American restaurant where one plate feeds at least 2 people!!
For my second beer I switched to Bells Ale. Very tasty - a bit on the lager side though not too heavy. It rounded out my meal.
LOL! Two guys at the bar - obviously scoping out the women. They seem to be regulars and have been chatting with the bartenders. The funny part...woman alone comes in, sits one seat away. The guy giving off the most "player" vibes says "For a minute I thought Rachel Ray came in!" The woman said "Oh do not say that!!" - on obviously either a tired comment or not what she considers a complent. Player 0, Woman 1. The bartender was smart enough to say he didn't see the resemblence.
Player trying to recover. Both male bartenders and I are amused. Woman still ahead as Player compares himself to Hugh Jackman (No!), Brad Pitt (still no!), and Prince William. Woman advises she could help him with better hair as she's a stylist. LOL! Dinner and a show, who knew. Upon closer inspection the woman is close to Cougar age and really working to get him a new hair style. Wish the light was better for a picture of this!!
The service was prompt and friendly. The food good and beer tasty (for those non beer drinkers there was a decent wine and cocktail selection). I would recommend Grillsmith if you are traveling through.
P.S. I just may spring for a massage on the ship after the flight and lugging my camera through airports!!
Check into my hotel and off for some food and beverage. Grillsmith is right next to my hotel and had good reviews. I start with a new beer - La Fin du Monde - and am pleasantly surprised by the hoppy yet slight fruity taste. I figure of they don't have Yuengling then I might as well go for the alcohol content of 9%!
My classic cheeseburger came more medium well than medium however was still tasty. The jalapeno mac & cheese side was good though I would make it cheesier. The green chili mac & cheese at Carlsburg Tavern in Scottsdale puts it to shame though. The prices are reasonable and surprisingly the portions are also! Not your typical American restaurant where one plate feeds at least 2 people!!
For my second beer I switched to Bells Ale. Very tasty - a bit on the lager side though not too heavy. It rounded out my meal.
LOL! Two guys at the bar - obviously scoping out the women. They seem to be regulars and have been chatting with the bartenders. The funny part...woman alone comes in, sits one seat away. The guy giving off the most "player" vibes says "For a minute I thought Rachel Ray came in!" The woman said "Oh do not say that!!" - on obviously either a tired comment or not what she considers a complent. Player 0, Woman 1. The bartender was smart enough to say he didn't see the resemblence.
Player trying to recover. Both male bartenders and I are amused. Woman still ahead as Player compares himself to Hugh Jackman (No!), Brad Pitt (still no!), and Prince William. Woman advises she could help him with better hair as she's a stylist. LOL! Dinner and a show, who knew. Upon closer inspection the woman is close to Cougar age and really working to get him a new hair style. Wish the light was better for a picture of this!!
The service was prompt and friendly. The food good and beer tasty (for those non beer drinkers there was a decent wine and cocktail selection). I would recommend Grillsmith if you are traveling through.
P.S. I just may spring for a massage on the ship after the flight and lugging my camera through airports!!
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