|
|
By Vicky Wells, on November 7th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 07 ~ Day #181
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$18100
|
$102.34
|
$16261.92
|
$89.84
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
Sailing Between Eleuthera and the Abacos
Early in the cruise we checked the chart in the main foyer that shows the course the ship will be taking.
To our delight, it showed that we would be sailing through the Eleuthera Channel which is between Eleuthera and the Abacos.
We had asked the staff to find out for us the estimated time that we would be passing Eleuthera. We didn’t want to miss getting a glimpse of our island as we sailed by.
The staff member we asked for the information actually called the Bridge to get the information for us! And, it seemed we would be passing Eleuthera somewhere between noon and 2:00pm at our current course and speed.
We were determined to be on deck when that happened. Although the weather looked like it might not co-operate. It was still a bit overcast with the odd bit of rain every now and then.
Passing Eleuthera
The weather cleared, thank goodness, and we got our first glimpse of Eleuthera at about 2:30pm. We stayed on deck until we couldn’t see it anymore, feeling just a little homesick.
However, we still won’t be home until November 23rd as we still have more things planned for our time in Florida.
So, we bid farewell to Eleuthera and looked forward to ending our transAltantic cruise in Miami tomorrow.
By Vicky Wells, on November 6th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 06 ~ Day #180
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$18000
|
$102.34
|
$16159.58
|
$89.76
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
Feeling the Effects of Tomas
As predicted, today we were feeling the effect of Tomas. I’m not sure if it’s still a hurricane, or just a tropical storm, but it is making its presence felt.
Along with overcast skies and rain, we also had 35 knot (40 mph) winds and moderately heavy seas with 10 ft to 12 ft swells.
I don’t normally get seasick. We used to have our own sailboat and we’ve cruised before. On the Alaska cruise we had much rougher seas and it didn’t affect me at all.
However, for some reason, when the ship started to sway this time I got a somewhat queasy tummy. I immediately took some of the medication they give out on the ship. I’m not sure what it was, exactly, but I only had to take it once and then all was well again. Other people, however, were not so lucky. The dining rooms and decks were practically empty during this time.
TransAtlantic Certificate
When we returned to our stateroom after dinner this evening, along with the program for tomorrow’s activities, we also received a Certificate of TransAtlantic Crossing for each of us to commemorate our crossing.
It was totally unexpected and a nice touch.
By Vicky Wells, on November 5th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 05 ~ Day #179
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17900
|
$102.34
|
$16057.24
|
$89.71
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
Hurricane Tomas
Apparently Tomas again reached hurricane strength at about 9:00am this morning. Again, even though we are not directly threatened by the hurricane it could possibly make things a little uncomfortable.
Formal Night Moved
Because of the possibility of rougher seas due to Tomas, the formal night, which was scheduled for tomorrow, has been rescheduled for tonight. If we’re going to have heavy seas tomorrow we don’t want to be all dressed up, with most women in high heels, while the ship is swaying.
Lobster and Baked Alaska
Geoff was really looking forward to this evening as this is the night that lobster is on the menu. Not being a lobster fan, myself, I just looked forward to another delicious dinner.
Dessert for tonight, however, was the cruise essential – Baked Alaska. There was much fanfare and parading of the Baked Alaska, flaming, while the lights were dimmed.
By Vicky Wells, on November 4th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 04 ~ Day #178
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17800
|
$102.34
|
$15954.90
|
$89.63
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
I do believe that today is the day that we are officially in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s been a pleasant trip so far but their is some concern that Tropical Storm (and sometimes Hurricane) Tomas may affect us even though we won’t really be going anywhere near it.
It could affect our weather and stir up the seas. We’ll see what happens.
The Newlywed Game
One of the activities today was an onboard version of the Newlywed Game, or, in a lot of cases given the age group on this ship, the Not-So-Newlywed Game.
In the spirit of fun, Geoff and I joined in and were one of the three couples playing. We actually came in second. The couple that came in first, who were in our age group, had only been married about 9 years. We came in second and have been married 22 years. The couple that came in last had been married more than 40 years. Hmmmm … does that mean we actually end up knowing less and less about each other as each year passes?
Our Amazing Cruise Director – Sue Denning
We simply had the best cruise director – Sue Denning – on this cruise. She is actually around our age and is, quite simply, a powerhouse. Her energy is amazing and she just exudes excitement.
Aside from being the cruise director she has been in the entertainment field for more than 50 years! She’s an actor and a singer.
Tonight, after the regular entertainment, she did a one-woman show, with lots of 60s Music and a tribute to Judy Garland thrown in as well.
She was absolutely amazing and her show was very professional and certainly spoke to our age group.
When she was finished she received a much deserved standing ovation.
Thanks, Sue! Having you as our cruise director made this cruise even more special.
Midnight Dessert Buffet
I do believe that every cruise also features a Midnight Dessert Buffet where the pastry chefs just go all out. And this one was no exception.
Not only did everything look scrumptious, but the elaborate presentation was stunning.
Much as we love dessert, this was a bit late at night for us. But, we couldn’t go and just look, so we carefully selected a couple of small goodies that we knew we’d enjoy.
By Vicky Wells, on November 3rd, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 03 ~ Day #177
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17700
|
$102.34
|
$15852.56
|
$89.56
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
The Lazy Days Continue
We continued our regular, relaxed shipboard routine today. All of it pretty much based around meal times.
We came through a small rainstorm today, but it’s pretty easy to stay dry as there are several ways to get around the ship without going out onto open decks.
Onboard Movie Theater
This ship has a small movie theater onboard and, from time to time, we’d take in a movie.
The movie-of-the-day would be shown several times throughout the day and the showings would be posted just outside the theater.
Tonight we decided to see the move Invictus. It’s about Nelson Mandella’s attempts to unite South Africa just after the end of apartheid. The movie’s principal stars were Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. It is a movie well worth seeing and we certainly enjoyed it.
By Vicky Wells, on November 2nd, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 02 ~ Day #176
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17600
|
$102.34
|
$15750.22
|
$89.49
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
Galley Tour
What cruise is complete without a tour of the galley?
Today was the day that they were offering the galley tour and we decided to take advantage of it.
The size of the galley and the amount of food they prepare there is simply staggering. And, because we are now at sea for an entire week, they had to make sure they had enough food on board for everyone for the entire week. There would be no ports where they could top up anything that might be low.
I find it amazing that they can pretty accurately predict how much they’re going to need of each item. But, I guess they’ve been doing this for a while, so there must be some type of formula that applies.
Changing Our Dinner Seating
We decided to change our dinner seating to the earlier seating today. I was finding that I was much too full when it was bedtime and wasn’t sleeping well because of it.
The people we were seated with on this cruise were very nice, very interesting people and it was sad to be leaving them, but I’m sure we’ll be running into them around the ship.
Even though we were supposed to have the early seating tonight at about 6:00pm, we’re weren’t quite ready to eat that early, having been used to dining later.
So, tonight we just ate at the dinner buffet on the Lido deck at about 8:00pm.
Too Much Food, Too Little Resistance
The dinner buffet on the Lido deck can be quite dangerous. At least in the dining room you pick ONE meal and ONE dessert.
Here on the Lido deck you can choose from ALL the items that are available in the dining room and have a little bit, or a lot, of each.
It’s just too easy to say, “I’ll just have a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” because that all adds up to a lot of food!
Changed dinner seating to early (6pm) but had dinner on the Lido deck at about 8pm.
From our dinner on the Lido deck with then went to late Show at 9:15pm.
Entertainment
The entertainment tonight was a violinist who was quite good but I neglected to record his name in my notes.
By Vicky Wells, on November 1st, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 01 ~ Day #175
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17500
|
$102.34
|
$15647.88
|
$89.42
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board Celebrity Century En Route to Miami
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
We will record the miles for the Atlantic Crossing on November 8th when we arrive in Miami
First Day of Atlantic Crossing
Yesterday we visited our last port of call in Europe and we will now be at sea until we get to Miami on November 8th.
The ship has lots of activities, so I’m sure we won’t get bored. I expect it will just be a pleasant, relaxing week at sea.
A Little Too Relaxed?
As we’ve mentioned earlier, we are traveling with just one laptop. So, when one of us is using it, the other one has to find something else to do.
While Geoff was using the computer, I settled in to read my book and promptly fell asleep. That wouldn’t be so bad, I guess, but for the fact that we were in the Hemisphere Lounge on Deck 12 Forward. It’s really a lovely lounge with wrap-around windows so you can see the whole bow of the ship and, of course, a great view of the ocean.
So, here I was sound asleep, with my feet up on another chair. I think I slept for almost two hours. I sure hope I didn’t snore!
More Great Entertainment
The cast on this ship, both singers and dancers, are very good. The production numbers are well put together and very professional.
Tonight’s entertainment was called “Liverpool Knights” and treated us to a lot of songs we remember from the 60s as well as some incredibly “tight” dance numbers.
We thoroughly enjoyed it.
By Vicky Wells, on October 31st, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 31 ~ Day #174
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17400
|
$102.34
|
$15545.54
|
$89.34
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
8026.7+158.8=8185.5
|
7662
|
168
|
31566.5
|
Current Location: On Board the Celebrity Century visiting La Palma, Canary Islands
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 158.8 (138 Nautical Miles – Tenerife to La Palma)
Birthday Wishes
First up is a very happy birthday wish to son-in-law, W. Hope you have a wonderful day. Love you!
La Palma, Canary Islands
As we arrived La Palma early on a Sunday morning, it seemed like a pretty sleepy little place.
On our first walk in there really wasn’t anything open, so we headed back to the ship and waited until after lunch to head back.
There were a few shops and restaurants open when we decided to have our second look. And we enjoyed wandering around some of the stores.
We were even able to take some pictures and videos here because the camera we bought yesterday in Tenerife was now all charged up and ready to go.
Of course, now we’ll be at sea for a week once we leave La Palma. Oh well!
Comedian Jason Chase
The entertainment tonight was by comedian Jason Chase, billed as “The Dangerously Clean Comedy of Jason Chase”.
We thoroughly enjoyed his comedy routine as he definitely spoke to our age group and had us laughing at funny, yet true to life, situations.
But he was not the only entertainment for this Halloween evening.
Halloween Show
There was a single-seating Halloween show tonight as well. It started off with a costume contest for the ship’s guests. Anyone that had dressed up was eligible.
It was amazing how many people had very elaborate costumes. We hadn’t even thought about Halloween, but then, we started this trip back in May. Hardly time to be thinking of such things.
After the winners were announced, the show continued with a tribute to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
The stage effects were incredible and the cast members simply unbelievable. The video was playing on a large screen behind the dancers and they were totally in sync with the dancers in the video. It gave the whole thing an almost 3D effect.
They did an perfect tribute to the Thriller video. Very impressive!
Clocks Back – Again
This is going to be happening a lot on this trip, until we get back to Eastern Standard Time. I’m sure glad they remind us to change our watches.
By Vicky Wells, on October 30th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 30 ~ Day #173
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17300
|
$102.34
|
$15443.20
|
$89.27
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
7702.2+324.5=8026.7
|
7662
|
168
|
31407.7
|
Current Location: On Board the Celebrity Century visiting Tenerife, Canary Islands
Today’s Total Expenses: $102.34
Cruise: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 324.5 (282 Nautical Miles – Madeira to Tenerife)
Tenerife
Geoff and I have been to Tenerife before but that was a very, very long time ago. I think it may have been around 1989 or 1990. And, we were at a different part of the island than we are now.
So, it will be like discovering it for the first time and that’s true for this part of the island, anyway.
Getting A Replacement Camera
While exploring we stumbled across and electronics store and checked out the items they had in their windows.
We noticed a Sony digital video camera that seemed like a good price so we stopped in to check it out.
Actually, Geoff checked it out. They also had watches and jewelry in the store, so I browsed those things while a salesman demonstrated the camera for Geoff.
No, I didn’t buy anything, I just browsed.
After the salesman had finished showing Geoff the camera, we discussed it and then plunked down some plastic and bought it. We were just so tired of not having a camera with us.
As this was our second-to-last stop before heading back to Miami, it may seem like an odd time to actually break down and get another camera, but we did it anyway.
Next thing was to get it charged so that we could start recording video.
So Many Shoes, So Little Time
While exploring the town further, we also found a shoe store that was simply unbelievable. Really.
There were stacks and stacks and stacks of shoes and most of the prices were €1.00, €3.00 and €6.00! There were very few shoes priced higher than that.
Geoff actually said, “With prices like that, get as many as you want.”
I was in shoe heaven!
I didn’t know where to start, but I was certainly trying to pick out several types of shoes that I would like to try on.
I had only made a few selections, and hadn’t even tried any on yet, when one of the sales clerks indicated that we had to leave – the store was closing. What? I only just got here.
We had arrived just a little after 1:00pm and apparently the store closed at 1:30pm.
Okay. Closing for lunch is pretty normal in Europe. I asked what time they would re-open. After all, we were in port for a while, so we could come back.
Well, as it was Saturday, 1:30pm was their closing time for the day. They wouldn’t be re-opening until Monday! By Monday we’d be in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
I was devastated. I hadn’t even tried anything on yet. But, they didn’t care, they just wanted us out of the store so they could close.
So, I left this amazing shoe store, where I was told I could buy what ever I wanted, without making a single purchase! Waaahh!!
Doing the Tourist Thing
As the Canary Islands were our last stop where we would need Euros, and we still a few left, we did the touristy thing and actually bought some t-shirts with Tenerife on them.
They were actually a pretty good deal and we liked the quality of the t-shirts, too. They weren’t those awful thin shirts but a good weight and very soft.
We bought three of them at €3.75 ($4.94) each. Two for Geoff and one for me and that all but used up our last Euros.
Even though there is VAT (valued added tax) in Europe, I like the fact that it is already included in the price of things. So, the price you see if the price you pay. The tax doesn’t get added on on top of the price like it does in Canada and the U.S.
That made it easy to figure out if we had enough money to buy the t-shirts and how many we could afford. As we only had about €12.00 left, we were able to buy three t-shirts.
Again, we have not added this into the daily expenses as this is a discretionary expense and not really a cost of traveling. Other people may not find the need to make such a purchase.
Entertainment
Tonight’s entertainment featured two performers – Sideshow Bert, who we’d seen earlier in the cruise – and Mario D’Andrea.
Mario D’Andrea is billed as a mixed up Italian from Australia. He has a great voice and does wonderful impersonations of such celebrities as Dean Martin, Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdink.
Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
Tonight we turned back the clocks another hour. It’s something that will be happening a lot on this cruise.
We also find it much easier to deal with the time change this way. When you fly you have to deal with the time changes immediately.
I guess that’s why there’s “jet lag” but I’ve never heard of “cruise lag”.
By Vicky Wells, on October 29th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 29 ~ Day #172
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$17200
|
$133.98
|
$15340.86
|
$89.19
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15551
|
6923.2+779=7702.2
|
7662
|
168
|
31083.2
|
Current Location: On board the Celebrity Century visiting the island of Madeira, Portugal
Today’s Total Expenses: $133.98
Cruise: $102.34 (cruise cost includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment)
Entertainment: $31.64 (€24.00 City Tour Bus)
Miles Traveled Today:
Sea Miles: 779 (677 Nautical Miles – Malaga to Madeira)
The Island of Madeira
Although we had most certainly heard of Madeira, to be truthful, we didn’t know it was an island in the Atlantic (not far from the Straits of Gibraltar).
Madeira, which belongs to Portugal, is a beautiful island with lots of tropical-type vegetation and a warm and inviting climate.
We were so impressed with this island that we even checked out the cost of real estate here and visited a real estate agent.
Again, there was a bit of a language barrier, but the agent we spoke to spoke a whole lot better English than we speak Portuguese. Actually, that’s not really tough because we don’t speak ANY Portuguese!
However, he was very, very helpful and the prices here, given the climate and the infrastructure, really weren’t that bad. It’s unlikely that we would settle here, but it was fun to look.
A Tour of Madeira
As you know, we don’t normally splurge for tours, certainly not from the cruise ship anyway. But, the local tour bus offerings seemed to be pretty reasonable, at least based on the other places we have visited.
We decided to splurge for a tour with a local company. This one was a hop-on, hop-off type of tour, which meant you could get on or off anywhere along the route for the entire day.
We decided to just stay on the bus for the entire tour to see exactly where it went. That way, we could decide where we’d like to get off later, so we could explore.
It was an amazing tour. It took us to the top of the mountain and it is beyond me how the bus made it up, or down, some of those hills and narrow streets. But, the view from the top was incredible. (Once more we were missing our camera.)
But that wasn’t the only place the tour went. As a matter of fact, we weren’t even half done yet!
From there we headed along the coast (which was pretty much all cliff) to a small fishing village. Once again, kudos to the bus driver who was able to safely navigate such narrow streets.
Once back into the town of Funchal, which is where the cruise ship was docked, we headed back to the ship for lunch.
Buying Madeira Wine IN Madeira
After a quick lunch on the ship we headed back into town.
The cruise ship was offering a shuttle for €8.00 per person, good for the whole day, but it wasn’t a difficult walk and only took us 10-15 minutes.
Along the tour route, one of the stops we made note of was the place where they make Madeira wine. So, we got the tour bus again and got off at this stop.
The shop was in an old stone building that you got to down a narrow alleyway. All the buildings must have been very, very old. There was lots of stone and huge wooden beams everywhere. The stones on the cobbled lane were worn from years and years of use.
Inside the shop were rough-hewn wooden tables and chairs where you could order glasses of Madeira wine and soak in the atmosphere as you enjoyed your drink.
We, however, went directly to the counter and asked about the various options. There are several ways to choose. Madeira wine comes in dry, medium and sweet. It also comes in different ages – 3 years, 10 years, etc. The cost, of course, will be based on your choices.
We simply couldn’t miss the opportunity to purchase Madeira wine while we were ACTUALLY IN Madeira, but we had no idea what to choose.
The very helpful lady behind the counter brought us a few samples to try so that we could make our decision. The first thing we determined was that we definitely wanted the sweet Madeira. After trying the dry and the sweet, there was no contest for us.
Although we would have liked to buy the 10 year old wine, our budget insisted that we purchase the 3 year old vintage.
We bought two bottles at the price of €9.75 each. We have not included this expenditure in our trip cost as this was purely discretionary. You can most certainly travel to Madeira without purchasing the wine – but we couldn’t.
Back To The Ship
After hopping back on the tour bus, we did another quick tour of the island before heading back to the ship.
If you’ve traveled by cruise ship before, then you know that they x-ray everything you bring back on the ship after a day in port. Any liquor, wine or beer is confiscated and held for you until the end of the cruise.
So we had to bid our Madeira wine farewell until we got to Miami. We did, however, make sure to tell them to take extra special care of it.
Entertainer Helen Jayne
Tonight’s entertainment on board ship was singer Helen Jayne.
This singer has an amazing range and her show was well received. Some of our dinner companions raved about her at dinner.
However, she just wasn’t our cup of tea, so we didn’t stay for the whole performance. Perhaps we should have given the positive reviews from the people at our table.
|
|
