Saturday, January 28-29th - Off the Boat

Today we disembarked from the ship. We caught the shuttle back to the airport and picked up our rental car.  Our hotel was the Ocean Sky Resort which we had stayed at after the cruise in 2015.  We spent our day catching up on some rest and getting back in touch with the world via technology. We caught dinner at Five Guys and went to a mall. We hiked on the beach. 

 

Sunday was our final day in Fort Lauderdale as we had an early flight out on Monday morning. Unfortunately it was rainy. We did manage to hike to a nearby Starbucks. We then went to a movie at a dine in movie theater. We saw Hidden Figures which was a great movie. The food was just ok and the whole experience was quite expensive for what it was. It was fun though!  As we got back to our hotel there were random fireworks on the beach which were the perfect end to our vacation. 

Friday, January 27th - Day 7 - Nassau, Bahamas

This morning we went on a ship tour. Unfortunately due to an “emergency” we weren’t able to go in the bridge or engine room. We heard a code and since we were in the crew areas we saw a sheet that let us know that it was a security issue. Our guide indicated that a crew member was missing. We aren’t sure if it was real or a drill. They have many safety drills on a regular basis so I was leaning towards that. We did get a discount on our tour which was nice but Jason has always wanted to see those parts of the ship so it was disappointing to have the incomplete tour. We saw the kitchen, laundry area, provisions (including all the liquor!) and the crew mess/bar.

Our port of call today was Nassau Bahamas. We were here in 2012 and at that point it was our personal first ever port. We went on a semi lame snorkeling excursion at that time. 2015 it was a missed port due to the weather.   This year we couldn't find any ship sponsored excursions that we wanted to do so we decided just to explore on our own. We actually found a cool water tower a fort. You could go in the fort for $1.08 a person. It had nice views of the city and some interesting history. We also found the Queen's Staircase which was a neat area and the stairs themselves were built by slaves. Afterwards we continued to walk around and we found various flowers and wildlife to photograph. We went into a few shops but didn't buy anything. We then headed back to the ship where we encountered the obnoxiously loud Norwegian Escape. 

 

We then grabbed a bite to eat and started to pack as we have to be out of our room earlier than previous years.

 

The last show was billed as Brian Culbertson but turned out to be an all start type show at the end. As usual the cruise felt like it came to an abrupt halt. 

 

Thursday, January 26th - Day 6 - At Sea

Today was our second at sea day. We got up for the morning autograph session and while in line we ended up chatting with another couple from Wisconsin. After a little lunch Anikka wasn’t feeling well and went back to bed. Jason went out to the Pool Party with Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Peter White. He also hit up the guitar session with Marcus Miller, Peter White and Nick Colionne. Anikka was feeling a bit better and joined in attending the horn session with Candy Dulfer, Mindi Abair, Marqueal Jordan and Eric Marienthal in the dinning room. 

 

We then hurried to get dressed up for formal night. Anikka bought a new formal dress this year so she was excited to take pictures. We went out on one of the decks and it was crazy windy but we got a few shots. They even make it look like we like each other ;)

 

The main shows were Keiko Matsui and Marcus Miller. They were followed by the second Alonzo Bodden (comedian) show. 

Wednesday, January 25th - Day 5 - Samana, Dominican Republic

Today is Jason’s Birthday! Happy Birthday!

This morning we had arrived in Samana, Dominican Republic. 

We had booked a ECP sponsored excursion with one of the artists, Peter White. Our excursion was called a “Cave and Mangrove Exploration” in Los Haitses National Park. We had a special boat pick us up directly from the ship (versus tendering to shore first). We were shocked at the amount of garbage we saw in the ocean. In all our years of cruising I don’t think we’ve ever seen such substantial pollution. It was depressing. Anyways the boat took us to a bird sanctuary area (on the water) so we saw all kinds of birds and even some vultures. We then road the boat to shore and saw some caves and mangroves. We even snagged a picture with Peter :)

After the excursion we made a quick pit stop back in the room and then got back off (via tender) to explore the town a little. We didn’t want to go too far but there was a sidewalk along the shore and a few big metal sightseeing towers that we climbed. We didn’t see much but it’s always fun to explore a little beyond what the excursions show us.

Tonight’s theme night was Purple for Prince. We don’t normally get into the theme night’s but we packed our purple for this one.  The main shows were Richard Elliot and Rick Braun. We then headed out to the “Purple Rain Party” by the pool. The Cruise Director Dane Butcher was sporting quite the Prince costume!

 

Tuesday, January 24th - Day 4 - Labadee, Haiti

Today we arrived in Labadee (also spelled Labadie), Haiti to RCL/Celebrity’s private beach.  They have lot’s of activities like zip lining, a rollercoaster, water sports and more. We decided to keep it a low key day. We laid on the beach, swam a little and roamed the “resort” a bit. The area is actually leased to the cruise ships so we found lots of areas not actively being used. We took lot’s of selfies and Jason took lots of pictures of flowers, nature and the ship. Our ship was the only one in port which was neat but It seems most of the people on our ship weren’t enthralled. We were almost worried we missed the ship when we saw how few people were left on the beach. We were able to snap some neat pictures with signs and things that would have been difficult with tons of people around so that was nice.

 

The main show was titled “The Greatest Show at Sea” (a play on the cruise’s nickname of “the Greatest Party at Sea”). We then headed to see Nick Colionne in the dining room. 

 

Monday, January 23rd - Day 3 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

 

Today we arrived in Montego Bay Jamaica. We did an excursion with Chukka which is the same company that ran an excursion we did in Belize a few years ago. This time we went zip lining. Anikka had zip lined on a school trip in elementary school but this was Jason’s first time. First our driver took us to a cool overlook where we snapped some pics. Then we went to their little shop where they start various excursions. We got fitted with safety gear before heading out on the various zip lines. We did 6 in all and there were about 15 people in the group all from our cruise. The last line was fairly long and a lot of fun. Then afterwards we had time to hang out again at their shop. Anikka indulged in a couple of Red Stripe beers and we took lots of photos. We then boarded the bus back and were dropped off right by the ship. Due to limited time we didn’t go back out exploring like we usually do which was disappointing. 

We showered and changed and I offered to line up for the main show Jason could go see Eric Marienthal in the Revelations lounge. I raced down to our usual seats this year and Jason had to come find me after.  John Secada and Kirk Whalum graced the main stage this evening. Afterwards was Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers on the main stage as well.

Sunday, January 22nd - Day 2 - At Sea

Our first full day on board was an at sea day as we head to Montego Bay, Jamaica. We started the day with breakfast. In the dining room and then headed to the pool for the t-shirt party. This year's shirts were neon green!  The t-shirt party has free drinks which is always fun :). We then grabbed some build your own pasta in the buffet followed by some delicious but pricey mochas. Then we split ways for a bit. Anikka headed to the Revelations lounge for the women's talk with Candy Dulfer, Mindi Abair, Keiko Matsui and Honey Larochelle.  Jason headed to the dining room for the horn panel with Richard Elliot, Eric Darius, Kirk Whalum and Patches Stewart. After dinner it was time for the main stage shows which were Peter White (one of Anikka’s favorites) and Candy Dulfer.  We then saw comedian Alonzo Bodden to round out the night. He does a great job of integrating some current events and politics but still manages to keep the show light hearted and funny.

 

Saturday, January 21st - Day1 - Sail Away

 Today we got up and took care of a few last minute items before heading to the airport to return our car and catch a cab to the port. Our cab driver was a character and did not seem real excited about driving too the port. I'm sure the traffic and security are a headache but she made up for it by giving herself a tip when she made change. This year the embarkation process to moved fairly quickly with the best part being that we boarded the ship almost immediately after checking in.  Once on board we went to check out our room. This year is the first time the cruise has been on Celebrity cruise line so we have a new ship to explore (Celebrity Summit). We grabbed a burger by the pool before the ever important life boat drill. I’m not sure why but celebrity has the muster stations inside. I'm think this is due to the fact that is very unlikely that there would be a need to abandon ship but I still prefer Holland America's method of having us go outside to where the life boats are. There is just something comforting in actually seeing them. We explored the ship a little more and were disappointed to find out that there is not an outside deck that you can walk around the whole ship. This was something we enjoyed doing on our previous cruises. Normally we would have changed into nicer clothes for the evening but we still didn't have our luggage. The odd part of a cruise is that you leave your luggage outside the terminal. They take it through security and they take care of getting it to the room. Normally we have it within a couple hours of boarding. We later found out that customs and border protection had decided to examine the music equipment and luggage for our ship. We ended up getting it late in the evening while we we're at the main show. Main show was Boney James who is one of the hosts this year. After we headed back to the room to shower and headed to bed.

Thursday - Friday 19-20th, Before the Cruise

1/19 Our day started dark and early at 1:30.  Our flight was originally at 6:15 but over time had been moved up to 5:00. The shuttle company insists on picking you up with plenty of time so our pick up was at 2:05 in Maple Grove. Of course at that hour the airport is empty and at first the checkin kiosks weren't even open. Eventually we boarded our first flight to Houston. Then we flew from there to Fll. We went to our hotel which unfortunately wasn't the greatest. We've had good luck with deal sites over the years but this was kind of a flop. We went out to do some shopping. Jason picked up a belt and Anikka got some Sandals. The it was target for a few forgotten toiletries. We headed back to the room. We are tired and head to bed. 

 

1/20 - today we slept in as we had a long day of travel yesterday.  We headed to Chick Fil A for lunch. Then we went to a state park in the middle of the city.  We explored the trails and of course took pictures of the birds and turtles we saw. It was a neat find and admission was pretty cheap! We spent a low key evening in.  Jason worked on the vlog and Anikka worked on homework and savored the last hours of internet connection. We ordered in from a local pizza place. Calzones, bread and tiramisu. The food was just ok. We then headed to bed!

Sunday, January 17th - Off the Boat

Our last moments on the ship

Unfortunately this year we were assigned one of the earlier departures from the ship. This is most likely due to the fact that we had flights out the same day. We hadn’t informed Holland America of our flight change so we ended up at the airport about 4 hours prior to our flight. We camped out in the Rental Car building and later made our way to the gate. We had eaten a small breakfast in the Lido but decided to grab pizza to eat on the plane. We were nervous about catching our flight in Atlanta and also because we didn’t have seat assignments. We assumed the flight was overbooked (and it was). Much to our surprise we had seat assignments by the time we landed. We were seated with infants next to us and in front of us. Thankfully the flight went smoothly for both babies (and parents) and we landed in MSP on schedule. It was about -5 in Minneapolis which was quite a temperature shock for us. Jason was kind enough to warm up the car and pull it up for me so I didn’t have to stand out in the cold very long. We then cranked the heat and turned on Watercolors (the Smooth Jazz satellite radio channel) and made the 3 hr drive home. We’re excited to be home and sleep in our own bed. Vacation is wonderful but in the end there is no place like home. 

Last moments on the ship

Pouring rain just prior to disembarkation

Sad faces because were no longer on a boat and the vacation is over

Saturday, January 16th - Day 7

The week comes to a screeching hault on Saturday. We always say that after Wednesday the week flies by and this year was no exception. Today we were in Key West. We didn't plan an excursion but we got off and walked along a path we found on the shore. When we reached the end we weren't quite sure what to do so we started walking back to the ship. Then I suggested the Southernmost Point marker. I wasn't sure were it was at but we discovered it was only about 1.5 mi from where we were. We decided to head there. Much to our surprise/dismay there was a line to take a photo. From what we could tell this line was just voluntarily formed by other tourists hoping to take a picture with the side that has writing on it. Out of frustration and impatience we snapped a picture of the marker from afar and left. After making it all the way back to the ship we decided we really wanted a picture with the marker. With an hour to go before the “all-aboard” deadline this left us little time to get to the marker and back let a lone take a picture. Well we ran there, snapped a picture from the side (not waiting in line but not interfering with others).  Then we ran back to the ship and made it with about 15 min to spare. What an adventure!

Before the main show we went to the Queen’s Lounge to see Eric Marienthal. We missed his show earlier in the week and so we made sure to arrive early and sat in the front.  The final show was the Sirius Watercolors Hall of Fame induction for George Benson and Joe Sample. Since it was our 5th year we got the opportunity to watch it from the “box” in the balcony which was much different perspective then our usual seats in the first few rows. This concert is always much shorter than we’d like. We then headed back to the Queen’s Lounge for Eric Roberson. He is a singer/songwriter and even made up a song on the spot with input from the audience. After the show we made our way to the Crow’s Nest for a bit. We had purchased a drink “plan” earlier in the week and needed to use up the last of our drinks. After that it was back to the room to pack.

Eric Marienthal & Jason

A view from our Box seats

Friday, January 15th - Day 6

Foggy Morning at sea

Friday was our second sea day. We made our way to the Crow’s Nest for the second Autograph Session and got our posters signed by almost all of the remaining artists. One of these days we will get around to framing these memories but for now we’ve got them safely tucked in poster tubes.

Marcus Miller

Chante Moore

Eric Roberson

We then went to the main stage for another “Game Show”. This time it was Family Feud style and it was fun to watch although not quite as funny as the “Newlywed Game” from earlier in the week. We then headed to the Queen’s Lounge for an interview of all the singers hosted by Marcus Miller.

We had some free time before getting ready for Formal Night. There’s no rules so there’s quite a variety of interpretations of formal. It’s still fun to see (most) everyone spiffed up. The main stage shows were Brian Culbertson and David Sanborn. The late show was a tribute to Luther Vandross.

Thursday, January 14th - Day 5

We arrived in Cozumel at around 11:00 We had an excursion scheduled but not until 1:00. We got off to roam around but were disappointed to again find that there isn’t much that can easily be seen near the port. First they force you to walk through a long duty free store to get out of the port. Only the ship crew members are allowed to bypass. Once we got out of the port security there were shops upon shops of tourist junk. When we got out of that area there wasn’t much to see. So we went back into the tourist trap and roamed around until we met up with our excursion at a little before 1. There were only 5 people including us on our excursion and everyone was from our ship. We went to Playa Mia Grand Beach & Water Park . Our excursion however was a cooking lesson that Anikka had selected to celebrate our 1 year Wedding Anniversary. 

Another ship in port

Jason's appetizer

We met with our chef/instructor Luis and he was quickly cracking jokes. We ordered drinks (open bar was included) and started making our dishes. We started with dessert which was Caramelized Plantains and Chocolate Tequila Sauce. We then moved to our main dish which was a fish. I dropped mine on the counter while putting it in my pan but some how successfully flipped it mostly over by shaking the pan. We topped the fish with veggies and a Tamarind sauce.  Last we made a shrimp and tortilla appetizer (“Devil-Style Shrimp Sopes”). When we were all done we got to sit down and eat our creations (they did add a side dish as well). Jason’s plates were more fancy looking than mine but the food tasted pretty good anyways.

Luis & Anikka

Stairs to nowhere

After cooking we had planned to use the beach/water-park but unfortunately it was a gloomy day.  We took some time to use the WiFi and catch up on a few things from home and sip on a few more beverages. Fortunately when the downpour started we were already under a large tent/picnic area and didn’t get soaked. Before we knew it they were announcing our ride back to the ship. Our poor cab driver got to experience my poor Spanish (it’s suffered greatly from lack of use…)

Playa Mia

When we got back to the ship I took a nap and Jason got in line for the headliner of the week, George Benson. We had seen him 2013 but it was a great show again. His show was followed by an encore of comedian Alonzo Bodden.

Wednesday, January 13th - Day 4

Wednesday brought us to Georgetown (Cayman Islands). This was a new port for us and we had selected a Discover Scuba excursion. This excursion didn’t require any experience which was cool as that has not been offered in any other ports that we can remember. The dive shop that we went to actually has  pool to get you started in. We were able to try out the equipment and learn some basic skills in the pool before attempting in the ocean. We both did great in the pool but unfortunately the pace was a little fast for me (Anikka) to be in the ocean. There were only 4 of us and our instructor but I just wasn't comfortable when I tried to go in the ocean. Obviously the ocean is much deeper than the pool and I just wasn't confident enough that i knew what to do if something went wrong. After a few attempts I swam back to shore and let the group go on. I was disappointed of course but it was still a neat experience and I know what to expect. I hope to try it again in the future as it would be a really neat way to see another side of the world. Jason really enjoyed the ocean experience. After the excursion we got back on the ship and grabbed Jason’s camera. We had hoped to find some things for him to shoot photos of but unfortunately we didn’t find much.

Found this Iguana just hanging out

Fresh fish processing

The shows tonight were Richard Elliot and Peabo Bryson. The late-show was a New Orleans themed concert with Wycliffe Gordon, Patches Stewart, Marcus Miller and David Sanborn. 

Sunset at Sea

Tuesday, January 12th - Day 3

Looking at the back of the ship

On Tuesday we had a sea day. We were able to sleep in as the first event we were interested in wasn’t until noon We headed to the t-shirt party sporting our Flamingo pink cruise t-shirts from this year. The shirts are quite the sight! We found a table upstairs overlooking the pool and enjoyed some music as well as appetizers and drinks. The t-shirt party is always a fun experience. This year we actually stayed for most of the party and took our chances showing up for the autograph session at the last minute. Much to our surprise the line wasn’t too bad at the autograph session and we both were able to get our posters signed by about half the artists.

Anikka's Flowers

Eric Marienthal

Later in the day Jason caught the tail end of a happy hour hang with Norman Brown while I (Anikka) napped. We had a late lunch at the Dive In so we skipped dinner. The main stage shows were Chante Moore (a singer) and Boney James. The late show/event was a rendition of the Newlywed Game. They had 2 artists and their spouses (Marcus Miller and Richard Elliot) and then they picked 2 couples from the audience. One had been married less than 3 months and the other had been married 53 years. The whole thing was hilarious. Dane Butcher had written the questions himself and had done a great job. Richard Elliot was turning all sorts of shades of red .It was a great event.

Eric Merienthal & Grace Kelly

Tom Braxton & Norman Brown

T-Shirt Party