One More Time Around the Caribbean!

 

Yeah, you read correctly.  
Last Seen heading home to unpack from their recent adventure aboard the Royal Caribbean Jewel of The Seas, you're favorite traveling wackos [they're still your favorites aren’t they?] are headed back out to sea.
 

For those that missed that little detail reported in the finale of NOWAT-CARIB WEST 2022, we’ll recap a portion of that conversation here:
 
As Dragon Lady was saying… 

"...it seems the Tempelshifs and the lovely folks that cruised with us had won a complimentary cruise and a handful of cabins for all their casino play - and they invited us to join them - at no cost.  We just have to pay $250 port charges."
 
Well now, tell the Dragon Lady that she can get a *Free* 9 day cruise to the Southern Caribbean and...
 
Yeah… you get the rest – they're off to the A-B-C Islands!
 
Truth be told, THEY are already on the cruise, and HE is just getting around to catching up with this NOWAT,  having a helluva time doing so because…
 
The NOWAT for the last one, 

NOWAT CARIB East 2022 

was interrupted on their return by numerous medical and other appointments, etc  – noted below - and was just finished. 

 
But enough about that, let’s get to the Pre-Trip set up for what will forever be referred to as:

NOWAT-CARIB SOUTH 2022.

 
Since the new adventure is on the Celebrity Equinox, and the get outta town date is January 21, guess who has to get another Covid Test by January 19.  Yup, Chucky and DL, Fortunately the test site is just around the corner and they'll get results in 2 hours.
 
On their return from the last cruise, his dance card for the following two weeks was filled with PET scans,  Covid tests, an Endoscopic dilation procedure, physical therapy for his neck, an MBSS <-*CLick*], his oncology follow up on the PET Scan, - right after another pre-cruise Covid test - and before other stuff, etc., etc.
 
But then on Tuesday, while waiting outside the PET scan for the CD and report to send to Proton Radiologist Dr. Kaiser at Baptist, he first, gets a ding on the Memorial Patient Portal App that the results were already posted, which read, in so many words... "ALL CLEAR" YAY! 

 
And then, on the way across the street to the COVID TEST for the procedure with Dr. Block... he gets a call from Dr. Block’s office that stopped him in his tracks.  

Maria Says, 

"Due to the Covid-19 Omicron surge, Memorial Health System has ordered a hold on the Endoscopy and Dilation for the 14th and we have to reschedule it for the 28th."
 
Now that would be fine except... well you KNOW from the insert above where he’ll be January 28.  

YUP, somewhere between Aruba and Port Everglades and NOT in the Endoscopy Lab at Memorial West with Dr. Block reaming away... Obviously!
 
With the Endoscopy being rescheduled, he has to scramble to cancel the Covid Test for the "non-procedure" before he gets dinged as a no show. After much calendar perusal on both their parts, Blocks office reschedules the procedure for February 4th. 
 
So with the rest of the week freed up, it’s just a bit of physical therapy for his neck and maybe a trip to… DSW ‘cause ya know… 

A new trip requires new shoes, 

OF Course.  

Truthfully, HER last pair of “Little Black Shoes” got a bit tight from all the sandal wearing/feet spreading and new ones WERE in order.
 
Most of the other prep for the trip, including the Pre-cruise COVID TEST were accomplished the following week. 

And Voila, with little, if any "Packing Ballet Drama", they were packed and ready to meet the Tempelshifs, Donna's Brother Richard and Steve & Ellen for dinner the Thursday night before the cruise.

Dinner was lovely, only marred by a torrential downpour all night making getting everyone back to their hotel around the corner a challenge.

We'll pick this up tomorrow, with any embarkation drama or Whatevah.

Ciao 4 Now
Uncle Chuck & The excited to be on the Equinox

Dragon Lady

A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To…

So we left our “Beloved [Please Tell us they still are] Traveling Wacko and The Ever-Lovely Dragon Lady muddling around in the rain last night delivering their traveling buddies TE6-2 from the Islamorada Fish Company, around the corner from the Courtyard by Marriott “Ft Lauderdale Airport” [which was 3 miles from the Airport] with promises to meet up at the Port by 11:30am – the groups “official boarding time.
 
It’s now 11:00am FRIDAY
Packed and ready for the trip to the Port, Chucky & DL have the bags in the driveway for a quick getaway since Greg is running late and they hate to keep TE6-2, whose Airport shuttle delivered them to the Port at 11:10, waiting outside the terminal.
 
Now racing up I-95 – NOT - It’s a freakin’ parking lot!
And they are crawling along because some idiot got stupid and tried to merge outta the express lane causing a 3 car pileup in the two left lanes and everyone is trying to merge 4 lanes into 2 and it is a mess.
 
Greg finally swerves over to get off at Griffin Road when Chucky reminds him that I-595 is a straight shot into the port, so he swerves back just time to avoid the little mish-mash in the express lane and zooms up the ramp to I-595 and across past the Airport to the port gate that…
 
Is backed up 6 cars deep with ID checks, moving VERRRYYY slowly - It’s A Federal Port, dontcha know - in the only 2 of 4 lanes open.
 
Getting annoyed, Greg swings left into a shorter line, which is stalled because some Fuel Tanker dude forgot his Port Pass and the Gate keeper has to call a supervisor, to call the company, to clear the “Dumb Ass” {Greg is also a trucker who used to make the same fuel run} and after a heated discussion, they finally wave “Dumb Ass” through.
 
Now at the gate – it’s 11:35 and the Customs Officer Lady is still on the radio about something, taking a ridiculous amount of time meticulously writing something – maybe her memoirs – as Greg is beginning to fume.
 
When she finally waves us forward and asks for our ID and cruise Sea Passes, Cristina discovers… She forgot her ID. 
Uh-Oh!
 
and gets on the radio again, before walking over to the next booth for a conference and returning back with:
 
“You gotta make a U-Turn up there, drop her off at the Customs Office - Over there”, 

<--pointing half a mile Back, 

“Come back here to take them [us] to the terminal and then pick her up on the way out.”
 
As we all restrain Greg from jumping outta the car…
 
This little exchange continues with Greg objecting, Ms. Customs Officer Lady standing her ground and Greg finally, huffing a puffing all the way, making the U-Turn, drops Cristina off at the Customs checkpoint just behind our gate instead of going all the way back to the Customs Building, 

<--Over There. 

He makes another U-Turn across from the Customs Building, and… since Ms. Customs Officer Lady had accidently handed him a Port Pass, he swings into an open lane, where the officer there eyes the pass suspiciously.
 
Greg tries to explain the last exchange with Ms. Customs Officer Lady - Over There -->

and is getting the Stank Eye from a still, just a bit wary, Mr. Customs Officer Dude who finally looks at our passports, cruise Sea Passes, Drivers licenses, birth marks, battle scars and a partridge in a…

[Oh wait, that’s a different NOWAT]
and waives us through. 
 
It is now 11:55 and Chucky has already texted TE6-2 about the kerfuffle at the gate and they responded as to their location.
 
Finally following all the signs to the Equinox and the LUGGAGE drop, Greg deposits the Wacky American Tourist and the Ever-Lovely Dragon Lady right where TE6-2 were waiting with S&E’s Son-In-Law [now making the group TE7 {more on why later}]
 
Unloading was a snap as the Baggage Porter eyed Chucky’s rigged carryon of HIS usual laptop/toiletry carryon bag, stacked with a 24 pack of bottled water [more about that later] and on top of that… HER toiletry bag which includes the all-important…
Wait for it…
 
Wait…
 
Blow Dryer.
 
Now you would think it would be an easy walk in with their Sea Pass, Vaccination card, Covid Test, Passport, picture of their birth mark, battle scars and a partridge in a… [Enough with the Damn Bird already] however…
 
They have to stop every 30 feet at a different Celebrity Security Person, to show all the above, [except the bird] until they get to the security screening where everything goes through the x-ray machine  and where… as usual, she gets pulled out of line. 
 
W.T.F.!?!?
 
After clearing security, he hurries over to rescue HIS beloved [yes she still is – for now] from the clutches of a very polite Security Officer who is explaining very patiently,
“I'm sorry madam but you can't take these scissors onboard, regardless of the BooBoo on your leg that needs the bandage changed every day.”
 
It seems, unbeknown to Chucky, she had borrowed his desk scissors and packed them in the HER newly anointed Toiletry bag, [the blow dryer took up  too much room in her LUGGAGE dontcha know] to trim the gauze bandage for the stitches from the Melanoma she had removed from her shin on Tuesday [more on that later]. 
 
Chucky already knew about the need to trim the bandage and already had an acceptable sized scissor in his travel kit that he used to trim his beard that she could use.
 
SHE grudgingly accepted the receipt for the scissors, mumbling something in an unintelligible Cuban Dialect under her breath, and followed Chucky to the next stop to show their Sea Pass, Passport… Yeah, all that again [but no bird] and onto the ramp that turned this way up, and that way, and this way again onto the Celebrity Equinox.
 
The only pleasant surprise they got, still lugging the Laptop case with Chucky’s toiletry bag [regulation scissors included] 24 pack of water [hold on… well get to that] and HER toiletry bag, blow dryer included [minus the un-regulation scissors] was that they could proceed directly to their cabin, as opposed to other cruise line's procedure where they would have to go to some waiting spot, like the dining room, ‘till the cabin was ready. 
 
If nothing else, HE was already appreciating CELEBRITY’S style.
 
Since this got WAAAY longer than HE planned, we'll catch up with our daring [surreptitiously secreted scissor] duo later as they meet up with TE7-2 for cocktails after unpacking.

 

Ciao 4 Now
Uncle Chuck & The still fuming about the scissors, 

Dragon Lady

We Can't Do What?!?

It was nice to get into the room to dump the carryon Bag, the 24 pack of water, her Toiletry bag and a still no bird… OK enough with that!
 

Now SHE hands HIM the letters that were handed to them at check in but he didn’t bother to read.  Now they did and low and behold… all the ports except Bimini are closed to cruisers and the only way you can get off the ship is if you have booked a Celebrity sponsored shore excursion.

 

W.T.F.?!?

 

Sounds like a bunch of BS to force you into their excursions rather than you’re doing your own thing but they’ll check it out later.  It was time to meet Steve at the guest services to get the rooms sorted out.

 

What’s that you ask about sorting out rooms?

 

We'll part of the deal with Steve and Ellen getting free rooms from all their Casino Play was that even if they wanted to just give us one of the rooms, that isn’t how it works.  They each had to be in one of the rooms, so officially, Steve and I are in one room on one reservation number and Ellen and the Dragon Lady are in the other on a separate reservation. 

Now remember this little fact as it will play out in several instances later.

 

And since they couldn’t do the swap before sailing, we had to wait until we were on the ship to move Chucky into the same room as DL and Steve in with Ellen, which of course required getting new keys made for the appropriate cabin occupants.

 

Of course now, Guest Services Supervisor Salvatore, is not quite following the request.

 

It seems that the cruise had a large contingent of LGBTQ cruisers and he figured, 2 guys in one cabin, and 2 ladies in the other… wellll, Yeah, we could understand his confusion when we wanted to swap the combination.

 

So after a couple repeats of the issue, Salvatore is Sicilian as is Chucky who finally tries the explanation in two languages and suddenly Salvatore goes,

“Ahhh Si, Si Signoré, ora ho Capito”. 

Now He Gets IT!  

 

With the room situation sorted out and the proper key card/sailing pass in hand, it was time to address the closed port issue, which has a particular importance for Steve, Ellen and their son-in-law Bob.

 

S&E and their family had been vacationing in Aruba for over 30 years and the reason they chose this particular cruise and itinerary was that Bob had flown in with the cremains of his late wife Lesley, S&E’s daughter, to scatter her ashes in several of her favorite places on Aruba. 

 

Now, not being able to get off the ship unless with a Celebrity sponsored Excursion, put a crimp in the plan.  It would be impossible for any of the excursions, most of which were rapidly selling out, to make the 3 or 4 stops they needed to accomplish their mission.

It looked like they had to come up with a new plan, but were not too sure how.

 

Salvatore suggested we consult with the excursion desk to see if they may have a solution.  But of course with the handout given at check in, the line at the excursion desk wound around the waiting area like a python curling up for a nap.

 

Since we had to complete the safety drill we decided to do that first and come back later. 

 

Now-a-days in the digital era, the safety drill involves a few innovative steps.  Rather than head out on the boat deck and stand around in the heat for an hour until everyone for that muster station shows up, you can do most of it on your phone using the Celebrity App that we had to download prior to boarding.  It allowed us to watch a video of the safety briefing, listen to the Ships Emergency Signal blast, and then check in at our Muster station, which was actually in one of the Specialty Dining rooms. 

 

While there, the delightful young lady who scanned our Room Key to check us in for muster, informed us that she would be giving a Glass Blowing demo on Deck 15 at 4:00pm and invited us to attend. 

 

Since we had both been to Murano, Italy - at separate times of course - Steve and I thought that was a great idea and we might just do that after lunch while the rest headed to the casino to check in with the Casino Host.

 

But for now, it was time to head up to the deck 14 and the Ocean Café to discuss the port dilemma over a delightful lunch, with plans to go back to the excursion desk later when it wasn’t so busy.

 

Once again, this got out of hand so we'll continue this Saga, in the next episode of “Do they or Don’t they Get offa da Boat”

 

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & 

The anxious to see what HE comes up with, 

Dragon Lady

We Can’t Do What? Part II

So where were we?  Oh yeah Lunch on Deck14 discussing the current dilemma of getting Lesley’s ashes scattered in Aruba, which is tabled until we can research options and solutions.  Time for Chucky and Steve to head up to Deck 15 for the Glass blowing exhibition, and the others to the Casino.
 
While up top, we discover that the glass blowing installation opposite the big outdoor screen is no simple operation. They have some serious ovens and glass making equipment actually backed up to the ships stacks and are actually managed by Hollywood Hot Glass based in the Young Circle Arts Park in Hollywood, FL. where they hold classes and you can make your own creation.
Way cool, we gotta check them out when we get home.  The grandsons would love that, so SHE thinks.
 
While there, Steve comments that he has heard that most of the land based excursions in Aruba are all but sold out and is worrying that they are gonna have a problem completing their mission.  It has already got Ellen in a funk and he is not far behind.
 
Chucky is getting upset that his friend is having a hard time reconciling the dilemma so while Steve hangs back to watch a BIG Bowl being made, HE decides to wander down to see if the crowd at the Excursion desk has lightened up and if there was anything they could do to help S&E+Bob out.

 
Can you guess where this is gonna wind up?
Go Ahead… Guess.
 
Once at the Excursion desk, the nice fellow there, we’ll call him Harry, tries his best to explain the port restrictions are made by the islands not Celebrity.  And there is no way any of the remaining Excursions for Aruba can accommodate the situation as Chucky was outlining it.  Harry’s supervisor senses an issue and intervenes in another attempt to explain their position.
 
Chucky has already conceded that Celebrity has no control on the port restrictions but reiterates that Celebrity had to know this well before sailing and could have alerted all cruisers well in advance so S&E+Bob could have made other arrangements. 

We know this had to be true because some of Steve’s friends had booked this same itinerary for 2 weeks after this cruise and had been alerted by Celebrity at the beginning of January about possible port closings due to Covid 19.  As such, the other couple had cancelled their cruise until they got word that all ports reopened.

Chucky found this port closing stuff to be particularly wacky as they – TE6 - had just been to Aruba 14 days before on the RCCL JEWEL and spent 2 days onshore, unfettered in any way!
 
Now Chucky has kicked into high gear and as he points out the above fact and convinced that Celebrity had sufficient prior knowledge of the port closings, he indicates that it was incumbent upon Celebrity to find a way to get S&E+Bob some type of transportation, aside from currently available shore excursions to at least get their mission completed.
 
Harry’s Supervisor, we'll call him Herman, is getting frustrated as he has no valid response and recommends that we try the Guest Relations desk.  Perhaps they’ll have a better answer.
 
Now at Guest Relations, Chuck meets the lovely Maria and starts right off with:
“Good Day my Dear, Please call a supervisor, I'm sure you won't be able to address this issue.”
 
Undaunted, Maria assures Chucky that won't be necessary, she is sure she can help. Chucky appreciates her confidence but assures her that this challenge is well above her paygrade and it would be in her best interest to call a supervisor, as she insists on hearing the issue.
 
As Chucky says OK, and begins to outline the problem [see the notes above] his volume begins to increase [for the effect Chucky knows it will have] and of course, Salvatore pops out of the back office to listen in.
Ahhh, that’s what we’re looking for, and Chucky starts all over again, focusing now on Salvatore. 
 
As the tone of the discourse was such, up pops Dan Hutchinson, Director of Hotel Operations who motions the others off and asks Chuck to please explain the issue and we’re off again, from the beginning, confident that HE may just have the right one this time to make things happen.
 
Dan patiently listened to the details, including Chucky reinforcing his belief that Celebrity had prior knowledge of the port issues well before sailing.

Chucky went on to outline the emotional toll it was having on S&E+Bob and there was apparently nothing the excursion desk was prepared to do to assist. He emphasized that it was now incumbent on Celebrity to come up with some solution and/or mode of transportation to get them to the stops.  Rent a Cab, Rent a Van, DO SOMETHING!  

Chucky continues to offer suggestions, not shy to drop several corporate names he is familiar with. 

And... you must know by now, HE has the complete directory of the RCCL/Celebrity Corporate offices including Celebrity V.P. of Hotel Ops Brian Abel’s direct line and email.  Of course he does!  

 
Dan, astute fellow that he is [he wouldn’t be running the Hotel Operations otherwise] realizes that he has a handful here and after profusely apologizing, promises to look into the issue and get right back to him with some potential solutions.  Chucky suggests not to get back to him but to further engage S&E+Bob and advise them as to just what can be done for them.
 
Now rendezvousing with the rest of TE7 in the Casino, Chucky fills Steve in on the goings on at the GR desk and to expect a call from Dan.
 
For now we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out, if the "Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease" and Dan can step up.

 
We'll cover Happy Hour and Dinner in the next episode, and we betcha just can't wait to hear the solution to Aruba... or can ya?
 

 

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & 

The feeling a bit of sympathy for Dan and Crew, 

Dragon Lady

Gettin' on With It

HE is making this a double header, so to speak, finishing Day 1, dinner etc., and launching right into “Bimini or Bust” – The operative word being… “Bust”
 
As in past cruises, the pre-dinner ritual Happy Hour took place in a cozy alcove of the Lounge opposite the Upper level of the Main dining room with the Oh So Delightful Bartender/Waiter Jaya getting all the special drink orders handled with an excellent sense of humor and GREAT SMILE..
 
Remember, S&E don’t drink, so bottled water ain’t too complicated an order and as for Bob… it’s kinda hard to mess up a Stella Artois.
Jaya would continue throughout the cruise to amaze TE7 with his flair and Outstanding service.
 
Dinner was uneventful, the menu a little more inspiring than that of the previous cruise and the Casino play a bit livelier, albeit with higher minimum wage limits.
 
All retired to their cabins early as Bimini awaited with an early arrival.
 
And just like that they were in BIMINI.
 
Bimini is sorta the Red Headed Step-child of the Bahamas Islands Chain, sitting just 50 miles off the Florida Coast, it’s another 80 miles to Grand Bahama Island to the north and 120 miles from Nassau to the South.  And for almost an eternity it has been the Florida Fisherman’s not so dirty little secret runaway spot to drink, fish, party, drink some more and tell tall tails [sic] of the one that got away, until…
 
Having their plans to turn the old Miami Herald bay front property into a mega casino and resort foiled by the Florida Panhandle Gang and Bible Thumping legislature, The Genting Group out of Malaysia developed Resorts World Bimini and Casino as a consolation prize which in turn became the only real highlight of the whole island, if you can call it that, besides drinking, fishing and lying about fishing.  And... you can even catch their ferry round trip for only $89.  What a Bargain!
 
And since it is almost in Miami’s back yard, the overnight trip took almost less time than it took TE7 to make the long walk on the even longer pier to hop aboard the long tram that would take them to… well, actually, nowhere. 
 
The Tram’s primary purpose seemed to be to either transport tourists to Resorts World and Casino, The Public Beach, or the Fisherman’s Village & Marina which, is a small collection of even smaller shops and a bar.  That’s it.  If you want to see the rest of Bimini, or even the World Famous Straw Market [NOT!] ya gotta haggle a cab ride to… again – nowhere in particular.
 
Soooo after a 10 minute stroll around the marina, TE7 find a cabby with a van that seats 6.  But what about Bob? [Sounds like an old movie title come to think of it]. 
Welllllll,  Bob spots an upside down  bucket in the luggage area of the van and that’s how he decides to ride along as they head to… the Straw Market cause’, Ellen has GOT to do some shopping or she'll bust.
 
If you have ever been to that rambling mega expanse of tee shirt, Straw hat, conch shell creations and Tchotchke shops that is THE STRAW MARKET in Nassau, , then you know what a REAL Straw Market is. 
 
If you have never been to the Straw Market of Bimini, Thank Your Lucky Stars!  

You ain’t missed NUTHIN’. 
 
Seriously, it consists of a handful of little rooms linked around what could have been a ramshackle motel converted into Tchotchke shops. 

“This is it?” asks Bob, who rode 30 minutes on a bucket to get here.
 
Sooooo, after a 15 minute stroll around the Straw Market, it was time to find a bar somewhere to make the trip worth it.
 
After polite inquiries of the Tchotchke ladies who were visibly disappointed that even Ellen couldn’t find anything to buy, they were pointed up the hill that led to Sherry’s Shack on a very lovely beach. 

This is where a very jovial fellow wooed them with magnificently potent CoCo-ladas, albeit served in tall plastic cups with a VERY generous float of Myers Rum, until the Cabbie returned to deliver them back to the Fisherman’s Village and the Long Tram that took them past Resorts World, one-more-time [see what your missin’ folks] and back to the long pier, for the long walk back to the ship. 

Oh Wait... while sipping our VERY potent frozen concoctions on the VERY lovely beach, we did see the Crystal Symphony pull in and anchor off shore and not dock at the cruise pier.  We later found out that the ship and her sister ship the Serenity were subsequently, seized by the Bahamas for the US authorities as there was an arrest order in Miami for the Captain for not paying long overdue fuel bills. 

 
Now… wasn’t that Exciting?!?
 
Tomorrow, the lovely island of Bonaire, and without an excursion planned they won't be able to get off the boat so it will be a Pool Day.
 
Dinner and the results of what Celebrity will or will not do to accommodate S&E+Bob’s mission in Aruba are reported in the next episode of…
What We Did For 9 Day in the Caribbean.
Or sumpin’ like that.

 

 

Ciao 4 Now
Uncle Chuck & The Disappointed with Bimini, 
Dragon Lady

2 Sea Daze and Bonaire…

Last seen dragging in from an exciting [NOT] visit to Bimini and heading back to their cabins to freshen up for Happy Hour and Dinner, TE7 had a lovely night of Jaya’s expertly crafted cocktails and not too many kitchen faux pas at 

Well there was that request for Fried Shrimp [they just had to test the limits] that was summarily dismissed and then later delivered, and then casino time and not much else.

 

Moving on…

 

HE misspoke in the last note, the next day was not Bonaire. That would be after 2 days at sea where it went sumpthin’ like this:

Sea Day 1:

Breakfast in the Ocean View Café, Pool, Lunch in Ocean View Cafe, Casino or Pool, Happy Hour, Dinner, Casino, Bed.

Sea Day 2:

Lather, Rinse and Repeat.

 

Oh, and since we had no Excursions in Bonaire, TE7 was stuck on the ship for more of:

Rinse and Repeat.

 

For at least 3 days, Dragon Chic was able to get a lot of walking in on the 1/7 mile jogging track, and actually got Chuck to stretch it out as well, when he wasn’t trying, to no avail, to catch up with NOWAT. 

 

Oh and HE got to teach her how to play Bocce on the lovely real grass lawns on Deck 15.

 

We pause now for a Word about Celebrity.

For the most part, the ship, crew, service etc. is head and shoulders above RCCL.  Not unexpected as this is their “Upscale“ brand and it showed. 

Much nicer more expansive fare at the Ocean View Café Buffet, and slightly more inspired menu’s in the main dining room for dinner, in spite of the minor hitches dealing with special requests.

 

And of course as the “Upscale” brand, wager minimums in the casino were double.  Not that it mattered to the regular gamblers.  However, the crap table was much mellower, read that boring and scarcely used.

 

The best thing that happened over these three days was the call Steve got from Guest Services on Sea Day 2, to meet with them regarding Aruba.

 

To say they really stepped up is an understatement, showing a complete understanding of the delicate nature of S&E+Bob’s situation. 

 

Steve was advised that Celebrity would be arranging for a private van for 4 hours, to take them anywhere on the island to accomplish their mission and that it would be complimentary. WOW!

 

And then, on departing from Bonaire…

 

“This is the captain from the Bridge Ladies and Gentleman.  It gives me great pleasure to announce that Curacao and Aruba have reopened the ports to all tourists so you won't need to have a ship provided Excursion to debark on those islands.”

 

Well now, that IS good news.  And of course now Steve wants to know if the offer of the comped van on Aruba was still on the table, and once again, the Celebrity team came through assuring him that all was still the plan as their way of apologizing for all the stress and inconvenience it may have caused.

Needless to say Happy Hour was EXTRA Happy, and dinner was a celebration with toasts to Dan Hutchinson and Rodrigo in Guest Services. Yeah, These Guys are PRO’s!

 

The Next Day was Curacao so the morning routine would start early.

 

We'll catch up with them then.

 

 

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & The Happy for S&E+Bob, 

Dragon Lady

In Conclusion...

Wait, What?!?!

What happened to Curacao... Aruba...

[Jamaica, oooohhh I wanna take Ya... to Bermuda, Bahama common pretty mama...] 

Ooppppsss Wrong Blog.

So here's the Deal...

"Now What Chucky?"

OK... He'll try to make this brief, but you know him...

After the good news and celebration that the ports opened and we were gonna be able to attend to S&E+Bob's primary mission in Aruba, things snowballed into a whirlwind of activity and Chucky got overwhelmed with dis 'n' dat and one thing led to another and he never got a chance to document everything that followed. [It's Complicated!]

  

So here is the "Cliff's Notes" version.

Curacao was lovely, they visited SENIOR'S Curacao Distillery and had lots of samples, took pics.  

Went to the beach, took pics, then back to the boat with the usual evening activities, yada, yada, yada.

The last stop was Aruba where Dan & Rodrigo and their teams came through and a private bus was waiting for TE6+Bob as they debarked the ship.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of stops at the several spots that were Lesley's favorites starting at the Lighthouse point and finishing at their Seaside condo, where her ashes were spread lovingly and with reverence.

As solemn as the mission was, it was also a great release for the family and we were honored that they asked us to join them as they celebrated a remarkable woman, daughter and wife.

The trip back with 2 sea days was pretty much a repeat of the previous sea days and nights...well, pretty much the whole trip actually, which concluded with much joy and camaraderie.

Now comes the topper.

While on the first sea day back, Steve visited the Casino Royale Desk to see what perks may be remaining for the heavy gambling part of our entourage.  What he comes back with will go down in Tempelshif Entourage lore as the  wildest finish to date.

Steve waits 'til we're all at Happy Hour and then turns to Chucky and Dragon Chic and says with a real sly grin,

"So, Whatcha Doin' Next May?" 

"Uh, no plans yet," we reply, "whatcha got in mind?"

By now he has everyone's attention [although we learn later that Lenny knew all about it].

"Well, don't make any other plans, we'd like you to join us on a 13 day MedCruise next May, and all it's gonna cost you is the taxes and port charges."

SAY WHAT?!?

Yup.  It seems that with all their gambling, L&D and S&E+Bob had accumulated enough points to rate a bunch of complimentary cabins on a future cruise, so they picked the 13 Day Barcelona to Venice on the Celebrity Constellation, from 2 - 15 May 2023.  

All we have to come up with is Port Fees, Taxes and  Air Fare.  

Now that's a no-brainer, we've been accumulating enough Delta Air miles to cover that little detail [we hope].

We'll be sure to keep all of you in the loop as we wind down 2022 and start to prepare for another seagoing adventure of TE6+Bob.

So That's about it Dear Hearts and Innocent Bystander, another drama at sea, on land and whererevah but, Hey... we survived it all!

So until we gather here again, we'll leave you with our usual NOWAT Benediction:

Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
And during life's darkest moments remember the 
4 most important words in any language:
"This Too Shall Pass!"

Ciao 4 Now

Uncle Chuck & The So Glad you cruised with us again,

Dragon Lady