CELEBRITY REFLECTION Part 6 (the final one)

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Part 6 - the final one

Friday 7th December 2012
Hooray, the storm has obviously abated overnight, for we arrived in CocoCay Island at 7.30 in bright sunshine and tremendous heat, and put one anchor down.

My early morning view

The tenders were prepared and goods were sent ashore; this is Celebrity's island and so we can all go ashore for excursion things or to do nothing and have lunch ashore. It is a very small tropical island and like nothing I have ever seen before.

Under the stairs

We had a leisurely breakfast (with good English bacon, in the spacious Lido) and took the free tender to the tiny harbour, then strolled round to one of the fine sandy beaches. I loved the sapphire and aquamarine colours of the water.

Celebrity fleet

CocoCay

CocoCay island

Tender to shore

On the island the trees were sparse and obviously lacked water, but the sand was fine and soft, and there were all sorts of water sports available; one could also do absolutely nothing. We paddled, took photos, I tried a hammock strung between two trees (very comfortable but difficult to disembark) we strolled around to another part of the island where some local craft were berthed, and admired the large piece of carpet on a linkspan.

Carpeted linkspan!

Celebrity Reflection

Lovely

Home

Cococutter 1 and La Santa Maria

I wonder what happened to the other half...

Port side, above the Bridge, is a Suite Shower cubicle, protruding out over the sea. It has one-way glass fitted, so when someone is showering, they can see out, but from the outside the glass is obscured. One must have faith...

We had a light lunch and drinks provided by the cheerful ship’s staff, and then later headed back to the ship for coffee, tea, cake and ice cream in Café al Bracio. What a contrast with yesterday’s weather.

Celebrity Reflection

The X for Excellence

I now have my disembarkation papers for tomorrow when we arrive back in Miami. Thanks to Celebrity I have been able to arrange to leave as an independent traveller soon after 8.10 a.m. and take one of their coaches to the Bayside Market complex; there my luggage will go in secure and guarded storage for the day until 5.30 p.m. when I take another coach to Miami International airport, so I appreciate this facility that the cruise line offers.

Tonight’s dress code is Smart so I had the chance to wear again what we English jokingly like to call a ‘posh frock’. Packing quickly completed, I joined my friends for a pre-dinner drink and then a lovely meal. A late night walk on deck was in amazing heat, even up on the top Deck 15, with no breeze, and with the sight of several other ships in the distance all lit up.

Funnels at night


Ships seen: Cococutter 2, Cococutter 1, Nina, La Santa Maria, a Disney ship on the horizon, various others at night which couldn’t be identified

Saturday 8th December 2012
Back in Miami at the Cruise Terminal I was up early and had the chance to ring beloved daughter, and hear about two little boys seeing real reindeers the day before. I was preparing for an early breakfast and departure from the ship at 8.30 on my pre-arranged Celebrity Excursion, went through Customs and collected my suitcase, and on the quayside I was directed to a coach to travel to the Bayside Market complex. There my suitcase was put in a secure container for the day – peace of mind. Then I could go into the Market mall as planned and locate one of my good friends, with free wi-fi and coffee, before saying goodbye.

One of my American friends was unexpectedly free so we were able to meet and have lunch and a little visit. I saw the Mary Brickell village, the fantastic Biltmore Hotel entrance hall, and routes around there, before being dropped off back at the Bayside Market (thanks Ernie).

I was able to catch a double-decker red open-top tourist bus from there to travel over the MacArthur Causeway and see the cruise ships, before crossing the road and catching another red bus back to Bayside. Driving over the Causeway, there was CELEBRITY REFLECTION coming towards me, along the Government Cut, and it felt a bit odd to be in the position of ship-watching from there, rather than on board!

Back at Bayside I collected my suitcase from the safe storage, and was escorted onto the bus to Miami International Airport, which was all part of the Celebrity Excursion for today. It seemed a sensible thing to arrange to do, as I was unencumbered by my suitcase for the whole day and knew it was in safe keeping.

I checked in for my evening British Airways flight, which arrives tomorrow morning at London Heathrow.

Ships seen: Celebrity Reflection, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Breeze, Norwegian Epic


Sunday 9th December 2012
It was an uneventful long flight home, but I think the ‘social whirl’ caught up with me and I slept well! On arrival at Heathrow I was soon able to catch a coach heading south, and then beloved son met me and drove me home. I had been away for three weeks and enjoyed every minute of it, both the sea time and the land time.

The ships were all very different but interesting in their own ways, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve been very fortunate.

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Paradise

Celebrity Reflection


One could say that, on REFLECTION, I’ve been able to BREEZE through PARADISE.


The End

CELEBRITY REFLECTION & Miami Part 1

Part 1
Saturday 1st December 2012
We arrived back in Tampa early today, so on board CARNIVAL PARADISE it had to be an alarm clock morning to get to the Normandie Lounge for 7.30 a.m. to join the queue for Immigration. It was well organised so all was done within half an hour, and then I could go for breakfast. I am in the last group to disembark at 10.20 so I could wander and take lots of photos in the hot sunshine of Tampa. Typical after a grey day at sea yesterday! I took a pre-arranged Carnival coach to the Tampa International Airport, which has free wi-fi throughout, so I was able to see what was happening in the port of Miami (on http://portofmiami.com) whilst I was waiting for my flight. This took just 38 minutes, going south/south-east at 28,000 feet, so it was even quicker and higher than flying from Miami to Tampa.

A pleasant taxi-driver, originally from Peru, drove me to the Park Central Hotel on Ocean Drive between 6th and 7th Streets, a wonderful Art Deco building from 1937, and one of the many iconic hotels in this Heritage area of Miami’s South Beach.

Park Central Hotel, 640 Ocean Drive

I soon went for a walk along the pavement on Ocean Drive, and my eyes must frequently have been popping out of my head. All the restaurants had staff outside touting for business, but politely, but I found it rather irritating. The inevitable free-standing heaters were everywhere too.

The incoming flight of one of my travelling companions on CELEBRITY REFLECTION was much later than expected so I sat at a nearby pavement table for a meal, and watched the world go past until he arrived. I saw lots of cars, obviously doing the evening parade up and down Ocean Drive and driving slowly, coaches, vehicles of all kinds, a man with a lemur on his arm in one bar, someone with a rabbit in his arms, a man on a scooter driving past slowly with his big alsation dog, wearing goggles, in front of him on the seat; Charlie Chaplin walked past and said hello. Coo, what a day.

Ships seen in Tampa: Carnival Paradise and American Victory ship.
None in Miami.

Sunday 2nd December 2012
I have a day to myself today, so I went out for a late breakfast along Ocean Drive at the News Cafe, which was suddenly interrupted by heavy rain; the kind waitress found inside seating for many of us. The rain finished and the heat soon dried everything, so I walked on the beach and wrote my name and date in the sand, and then headed north on Ocean Drive up to Lincoln Avenue and the shopping mall.

Beach Rescue hut

South Beach walk

Congress Hotel

The Tides

Cardozo Hotel

Ocean Plaza

Lincoln Theatre

This seems to be an area to see and be seen, and it was fascinating to my English eyes. Lincoln Road is between 16th and 17th Streets and starts at Ocean Drive. I later discovered that there is a bus route going up and down Washington for 25 cents a ride.

Lincoln Mall Art Center

Art Center mosaic floor

I went in the Art Centre, Lincoln Road, and met helpful Monica, and then Rosa Naday Garmendia with her beautiful pin work pieces, KK (K. Kissik) with her wonderfully glazed pieces of art including a cathedral and a Paris piece; we had a chat about the renowned Art Basel Miami Beach annual exhibition which starts here on Wednesday – the day we sail. The floor mosaic was pointed out to me by Monica, and I saw the glass inserts in the stair rails.

Stair rails

Postcard map of America, which was fascinating

I also saw several pieces by nina surel (yes, lower case letters) which I liked. Just to complete my tourist morning, I visited Pottery Barn for 4 minutes, as mentioned in the American television series called Friends! Lunch just had to be taken in an Italian restaurant along the Mall, because they offered half-size portions of some things on the menu – thank goodness.

I walked back down Washington Avenue, which is parallel to Ocean Drive but a couple of avenues inland.

This caught my eye

Art Basel exhibit already installed

I visited the Art Deco Centre shop in Ocean Drive as I neared the hotel, and enjoyed seeing all the lovely things for sale. It was dark by the time I got home, but I had enjoyed a great day out and goodness knows how far I walked. It had been a long day, but interesting and entertaining.

Park Central Hotel


Ships known to be in port: Carnival Valor, Carnival Glory, Carnival Breeze and Norwegian Pearl, berthed on what is called Dodge Island.

Ships seen: late evening, Allure of the Seas passing Miami Beach just out at sea, and clearly visible with all her lights blazing, and heading to Labadee (which I found out thanks to http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais)

To be continued….

CARNIVAL PARADISE Part 5

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Friday 30th November 2012

Towards Tampa

Today we have a day at sea, before arriving back in Tampa tomorrow, but it is very misty and we cannot see the horizon. I had to set the alarm clock as I am going on a ‘Fun Ship Behind the Scenes’ tour and we have to meet at 8.45 a.m. in the Blue Riband Library.

I think this must be first time I have been there in daylight and could see the ceiling properly. Because the room is curved around part of the Atrium it is not a regular shape, and a ceiling mural starting with the Arctic Circle in one corner of the ceiling spreads out to show some of the shipping lanes used for travel from European ports such as Genoa, Le Havre and Southampton to New York, plus ships and other geographical points. Teak wall panels are shaped to resemble ships’ hulls, topped with mahogany superstructures fitted with amber-tinted brass-trimmed porthole lights. Carved chain mahogany mouldings connect the hulls, with brass anchors completing the bulkhead and door decorations.

Blue Riband ceiling mural

Blue Riband Library

Blue Riband Library

Blue Riband Library

A full-size Replica of the Hales Trophy is in the centre of the room in a glass case. Models of six Blue Riband winners are in glass showcases that form the walls between the Library and the Atrium – fascinating to see but almost impossible to photograph with so much glass. I really liked this room and its design features, again from Mr Joseph Farcus. He was a protégé of Morris Lapidus (1902-2001), the Odessa-born American architect responsible for so many buildings in Miami, and the man who reminds us that soldiers march in a straight line but people meander, and the man who was asked to design the interiors of the first two Carnival ships and followed this principle. I gather Mr Farcus worked with Mr Lapidus on the second ship, and then set up on his own account with great success. As one of my good friends says, the rest is history.

On this, our day at sea, the security man checked each of us to ensure we were not carrying phones or cameras, and the sixteen of us were taken on our tour. We saw the various departments and met their head person, including the Galley, Laundry, Stores, Thaw Store, Crew bars and mess rooms, Engine Room control room (Italian officers) and finally the Bridge, where we were introduced to the Captain and a group photo was taken.

Back in the Crew mess room we were each given a baseball cap and a lanyard as gifts, and later that afternoon there was a knock on my cabin door and I was handed a covered plate with two buns, three tiny Florentines and three chocolate-covered strawberries as another gift.

Guest goodies

More guest goodies

There was rain, cloud, a big swell, and force 5/6 on the Beaufort scale all showing on the weather chart.

I went for lunch up in the Paris Restaurant inside and, for the first time ever, had a Reuben sandwich, and made especially for me in the American grill sector. As I ate it I thought of a tiny boy at home, and American friends who occasionally mention it on one of my favourite web sites (thank you Liners Listers).

The weather cleared a bit after lunch and became warmer so I sat on deck and thought about the 5.45 p.m. entertainment shown in the Programme as 'Let it Snow'. Many of us went into the Grand Atrium to see a female singer, saxophone player, and a pianist on the atrium dais; she sang the well-known song ‘Let it snow’, the wonderful Christmas song created by lyricist Sammy Cahn and the composer Jule Styne in 1945, and by the time she came to the chorus, it did indeed snow! Fake snow fell down on us from on high, and gosh that was fun. She sang it again, and hundreds of us took photos. Tiny 'flakes' floated down and settled on the cloths over the Bar bottles (poor Bella) but it soon disappeared – it was a huge success.

Preparing for the snow

It snowed!

I changed ready for drinks and dinner, had a glass of Prosecco in the America Bar with the others, and Dewey played for us. There was more snow at 8 p.m., with an even bigger audience this time.

Snow fell on us again

Snow on the Grand Atrium Bar

My final dinner on board was again with the lovely and friendly Misty and Jeremy, and I hope they have a beautiful baby in April. At 10.00 p.m. more snow was expected and there was an even bigger audience that time. I thought that was such a fun final touch on my Carnival cruise, to be long remembered. There was the usual crowd in the America Bar again after the final snowstorm, and there I met Bobby and one of his friends. Amongst other things, we talked about my father’s photographs from his visit to Miami in the early 1930s and also my reasons for visiting the USA, so he was interested in the ships. Bobby and his wife are expecting twins in the Spring, which is happy news.

This is my last night on board CARNIVAL PARADISE, as we berth back in Tampa early tomorrow morning. I then return to Miami for a few days before sailing again, this time on CELEBRITY REFLECTION on her short inaugural voyage from Miami.

I have enjoyed being on this ship and seeing all the Farcus interior decorations; it was a complete contrast with the interiors on CARNIVAL BREEZE, and just as interesting. For people who enjoy discovering cruise ships of old and a shipping ambience, CARNIVAL PARADISE and its historical cruise ship detailing come highly recommended.

Ships seen: Jewel of the Seas heading south as we were on the Bridge.

Saturday 1st December 2012

Back in Tampa

Grand Caymman poster

Cozumel poster

Looking back towards the sea

Reflecting on Carnival Paradise

How about that - being able to pat a funnel (stack/engine uptakes) and stand beside it and take such a photograph!


To be continued…