February 15, 2015

We were up at 6 a.m. and the ship was docked by 6:20 a.m.  Miami temperature was 11 C; the sun was starting to rise, wind 7 knots and clear sky. (One knot is equal to 1.852 knots per hour (or 1.15078 miles per hour).  It is a cold day for the Floridians. Besides the Eclipse, there was a Disney ship, a Norwegian ship, a Carnival ship, and another Celebrity docked near us at Port Miami. We took pictures of the sunrise from our portal on Deck 3 and then climbed the stairs to Deck 14 for more pictures and the daylight was much stronger in that short time.

The dining room opened at 6:30 a.m. for Disembarkation Day. We sat with two ladies form our group and a couple from Philadelphia for breakfast. Passengers with no formal shuttles were allowed to disembark at 7:30 a.m.  Our group was to meet in the portside Deck 4 dining room at 8 a.m. for 8:15 a.m. disembarkation. So started our day of delays!  

At 9 a.m., our group finally exited the ship to the U.S. Customs baggage claim hall to collect our luggage and submit our declaration forms. The line was 600 meters long and grew, as passengers left the ship in batches. But the line moved and it took about 30 minutes to make our way through U.S. Customs. Outside the temperature, was 14 C, at 10 a.m., still cool for the Floridians. The group waited for everyone to get through and then at 10:20 boarded a 60 passenger Celebrity shuttle to Miami airport, but several other Celebrity passengers slipped on, causing five of our group to wait for the next shuttle and not arrive at the airport for another hour, to catch our scheduled 12:05 p.m. flight to Toronto. Fortunately, the 20 minute bus ride went well and the Air Canada check-in had four staff and only three people being checked in when our shuttle and another shuttle arrived.  We had no problem checking in, even though we had not done the pre-board on Saturday, however, we could not sit in the same row. Good News from Air Canada - the plane was delayed in arriving and would now be leaving at 1 p.m. which made up for the 45 minute delay departing the ship. The five members of our group, that had to wait for the next shuttle after ours, would probably not have made the flight if the flight had been on time. Next, we needed to find the security line, which went quickly, although I got chosen for a body scan, which took ten seconds. We did some walking in the extensive departure area, since we did not do much on the ship. We had sandwiches and a cappuccino & a coffee at a Gilbert’s Bakery, then, walked more accumulating 5,671 steps by the time we boarded the plane. There was a short delay to fix a malfunctioning tray at the back of the plane. I chose the dramatic comedy movie, “This Is Where I Leave You” based on Jonathan Tropper’s best-selling novel about four grown siblings, whose father’s death forces them to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and spouses. We landed in Toronto at 4 p.m., however, and the plane was actually a few minutes early.  The ground crew was unavailable for 20 minutes to allow the plane to pull up to the gate before extending the gangway and unloading the plane. There was still plenty of time to go through Canadian Customs, grab a snack and be ready to board the flight to Winnipeg at 6:25 p.m.  Going to Miami two weeks ago it took two days to get our hearing back to normal but no problem coming back.  We followed the signs to Canadian Customs, collected our luggage, then stood in line to submit the declaration form (our our combined total was less than $600 and we could each bring in $800 Canadian each). Next drop off the luggage for the flight to Winnipeg and go to the security line for connecting flights, which always seems extremely slow in Toronto. No disappointment – for a short line of twenty people with only one lane open, it took more than half an hour to be processed.  At this stop, I had my carry-on selected for an extra screening, which it passed. By 5:30 p.m., we found which gate we were going to use and we went in line at Tim Hortons for a coffee and muffin. When we finished our snack, we checked the gate again and it had been changed but was a shorter walk away.  So we went for another walk in the departure section and had 9,853 steps when we sat down to await the boarding call. A minute later there was an announcement that the gate had changed again to across the concourse – about 110 steps.  Then at 6:30, we were advised that there would be a delay due to refueling the plane, there was a backlog, but we should be able to board soon. Boarding started at 7, with the hope that very soon the plane would be fueled.  We were told that due to the cold weather (-20 C) some of the electric pumps on the refueling trucks were malfunctioning, but we were third in line.  Everyone was on board by 7:20. The captain gave several updates per hour, but not much changed until after 10:30 when the captain said he told operations that the flight crew hours were close to maxing out. There was no Wi-Fi connection on the plane so only people with cell phone plans could connect with family to advise them of the continued delay.  The passengers were co-operative and the stewards passed soft drinks and water several times and once handed out pretzels and another time cookies. Everyone was hoping that we would get some fuel to go home.  Then at 10:50, a fuel truck appeared and hooked up to the underground storage then, half way through, something broke and a bit of fuel needed to be cleaned up.  The captain reported that we had to wait for another fuel truck to come back and complete the fill.  After 20 minutes, we finally saw another truck and refueling was completed.  Finally, to everyone’s relief, we took off after five hours of sitting on the plane at the gate much later than scheduled.  We arrived in Winnipeg at 1:30 a.m. Monday morning.  Thank goodness it is Riel Day, and I do not need to go to work today!  As people waited for the luggage the flight crew descended the stairs nearby and most of the passengers applauded them. Steps 10,983. We took a taxi home and were in bed by 2:45.  The luggage will be packed in the morning.

February 14, 2015

During the night, we cruised along the eastern side of the Bahamas islands. Clocks went back an hour to Eastern Standard Time (EST) overnight. Temperature at 7 was a cool 20 C with wind 12 knots south. The sky was partly clear with scattered puffy white clouds. Ship speed is 16 knots heading 300 (about north west) The swells looked flatter than yesterday’s waves, as we walked for 55 minutes on Decks 14 and 15, the sea got a bit rougher with the occasional white cap and 2 meter high swells.  Steps 7016.

We showered and went to breakfast in the dining room with two English couples and a couple from Sweden, who enjoy CBC radio especially Stewart McLean.  The hosts had an information desk set up on Deck 3 for an hour this morning for people who questions about tomorrow’s schedule. We went to an interesting presentation about navigating the ship.  End to end, the Eclipse is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

We browsed the shops and the photo gallery, where we bought two photos from the cruise, then had a light lunch in the Oceanview Café, where each food station had an Ice Sculpture.

At 1 p.m., on Deck 14’s Skyview Lounge there was a 30 minute Waltz dance lesson attended by seven couples.  The dance floor was big enough that each couple had lots of space, even though the ship was rocking, like yesterday. We stopped for IGLU Coffee frappes before going to the iLounge on Deck 6 to meet the group and do pre-boarding seat selection.  It is the travel agency’s experiment, to see if over 60 people can do their pre-boarding. The line-up of at least 20 people to assist and only one account for Internet seemed that with dial-up speed satellite Internet the current line would not be able to be assisted in the next 75 minutes, so we decided that we could wait until Sunday at the airport. We found out later that with the assistance of another group member and some others with extra Internet minutes that everyone from our group, who went to the iLounge and stayed was able to get their boarding pass for Sunday. Then we went to the stateroom to update the blog and make a list of our purchases over the past two weeks, for the Customs declaration.  As usual, between us we did not use even one person’s exemptions.

We walked up to Deck 12 and through the Solarium and all the pools were open.  There was a group reception in Deck 14’s Skyview Lounge before dinner and a group photo was taken. Then it was time for dinner. For Valentine’s Day appetizers, soup and salad chosen were Scallop & Shrimp Ceviche, Wild Mushroom & Barley soup, and Tuna Nicoise salad. The entrées selected at our table were Coq au Vin, T-bone steak and a seafood pasta.  Just before dessert the song “That’s Amoré ” played as waiters and assistant waiters came down the stairway and aisles with red roses for all of the ladies.  Dessert was Blueberry Pavlova.

After dinner, the Grand Foyer on Deck 3 was filled with people to witness a dance competition where a passenger and cast dancer were paired and had prepared a 1 minute dance routine. We watched from Deck 4 and there were people watching from Decks 5 and 6 too.

Temperature at 8 p.m. was 17 C with winds of 16 knots. Then we packed in order to leave our luggage in the hall before 11 p.m. to be picked up and unloaded when the ship arrived in Miami and then when we are part way through the Customs process we would collect the luggage for possible inspection and then go to our bus to the airport.

  Steps today were 14,035.  

February 13, 2015

During the night we passed Puerto Rico and in the morning were cruising east of the passage between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Temperature is 24 C with wind 18 knots South East. The sky is blue with some fluffy white clouds. Ship speed is 18 knots heading 300 (about north west) The swells look gentle, but are three metres high, making the sea look like endless moguls undulating into the horizon.

We slept in, about an hour, then had breakfast in the dining room on Deck 3 and timed our arrival with Elaine and Rod, so shared a table for four. Then changed to walking clothes for a 30 minute (3 km ) circuit around Decks 14 and 15.  To refresh ourselves we went to Café al Bacio where Larry had the IGLU coffee frappé and I had iced tea. Next, we browsed the shopping boulevard and watch a presentation on how to grill meat properly. At 1 p.m., on Deck 14’s Skyview Lounge there was a 30 minute rumba dance lesson attended by eight couples.  The dance floor was large and no one bumped into anyone even though the ship was rocking, forward and back as well as side to side. We walked through the Solarium and the pool was closed.  The water was sloshing over the sides.  The outdoor pools are smaller and were still in use as were the 6 hot tubs. Then for lunch we went to the Bistro on Five on Deck 5 for salad and crepes before returning to the stateroom to work on the blog and get ready for dinner.

We danced to one song played by the Blue Velvet jazz band before dinner. Tonight was the last of the three Formal nights. The photographer teams had set up at their photo stations with different backgrounds and were having people pose for pictures before going to dinner or leaving dinner.  All eight of us were seated at our dinner table tonight. We both ordered a glass of wine, then for appetizers a large scallop with a dab of seasoned mashed potato, followed by French Onion Soup or Kale salad. The entrées selected at our table were: Lobster Tail, Beef Wellington or Lamb Chop.  There was a pause in the service when the Cruise Director introduced some of the chefs and kitchen staff and the waiting staff to allow the dining room patrons to thank the staff for their hard work and they paraded around the dining room as the patrons cheered and waved their white napkins. Dessert was Baked Alaska or a lemon jelly roll.

After dinner, the Grand Foyer on Deck 3 was filled with dancers, so we climbed the stairs to Deck 14 to dance at the Skyview Lounge with a larger dance floor. The pre-recorded dance music was playing and there were four tables used but we were the only ones using the dance floor at first.  Another couple danced two songs but we had the floor, at least two times the dance area of the Grand Foyer, mostly to ourselves for 45 minutes.  It was a challenge dancing with the ship rolling under you and never sure if the floor will be higher or lower for your next step, or if the ship will shift suddenly sideways.  One couple in attendance who are part of the Winnipeg group called us over and asked if we were instructors. We checked our ship account to be sure that the multiple excursion credits had been applied so we can use it to buy photos on Saturday.

Clocks are moved back one hour overnight to Eastern Standard Time (EST).

We are passing the eastern side of the Bahamas islands. The current temperature is 22 C and wind is 15 knots.  Steps today were 13,070.  No pictures today.

February 12, 2015

This morning the temperature was 23 C with a 9 knot west wind and mainly cloudy sky with a few patches of blue sky.  The waves gently rippled as we approached Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch Sint Maarten harbour.  I still have a hacking cough in the morning. There two ships already docked - the Celebrity Summit ship (doing a 7 night round trip from San Juan, Puerto Rico) and the British ship P & O cruises Adonia.  There are two other ships approaching the harbour to dock, the Carnival Liberty and the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas.

When the first Dutch settlers arrived in 1631, near foot of Fort Amsterdam, the village spread gradually eastward. With the economic growth from sugar plantations and more people there were more services needed. John Philips was appointed commander of the island and encouraged the modernization of sugar cane, coffee and cotton harvesting techniques. The sheltered bay facing the town was ideal for exporting agricultural produce and salt. The name Philipsburg appears for the first time in 1738, although Philips was not the town’s founder. Present-day Philipsburg now extends the whole way along the sandy strip and welcomes over a million cruise ship passengers each year.

We ate breakfast in Oceanview Café on Deck 14 then walked on decks 14 & 15 for 30 minutes before discovering that I had lost my sea pass security card. We went back to the Oceanview Café to see if it had been turned in, then, down to Guest Services on Deck 3,and waited behind just one person.  He was quick with his business and when I went to the station, he had turned in my card, so a new one did not need to be made.

Our bus tour, driven by Felix who was also our guide, explored both the Dutch (Sint Maarten) and French (St-Martin) sides of this Caribbean island. There is only an obelisk marked with 1649 to 1949 at the border which represents that the two countries have been peacefully coexisting for 366 years. The first stop is at the Butterfly Farm, in the D’Orleans Quarter on the French side.  The website is www.thebutterflyfarm.com.  Under a screened in butterfly area, about three times the size of the one at the Assiniboine Zoo, there are hundreds of butterflies from all four corners of the world, in all shapes and colours, fluttering around plants and ponds.  We were told about the life cycle from egg to caterpillar to pupae and finally butterfly and saw one that had come out of its pupae. It is a family run operation. When the 10 minute demonstration ended we could strolling the paths and watch the butterflies play, sometimes landing on people.  We were also offered a rum punch as we browsed the gift shop. It was a ratio of two ounces of fruit punch to two ounces of white rum.

On the way to Marigot, capital of the French side, we saw six or seven big iguanas, some a shade of orange, on the top of bushes soaking up the sunshine but the bus could not stop for photos.   Seen from the Marigot marina, on a hill top, is Fort Louis built in 1789 on behalf of the French Crown by the people of Marigot. The primary purpose of the fort was to defend the warehouses at Marigot port, where produce such as salt, coffee, sugar cane and rum was stored. The fort witnessed struggles between the French and the English, the latter landing on a regular basis from Anguilla to loot the warehouses and restoration was started in 1993

Marigot grew rapidly over the 18th century thanks to sugar cane production and became the capital of the French part. The lagoon has been filled in and today it is a water front promenade running from Fort Louis Marina to the cemetery via the open-air market. The town of Marigot is home to all the local government departments. The Marigot Market is best described as a melting pot of colours, smells and lively hustle and bustle. Stalls manned by locals selling fruit and vegetables, spices, local meats and fresh fish caught that day as well as clothing kiosks that are housed under a mass of open Creole huts along the water front.  Steps 8930.

As we exited Marigot, back to Philipsburg on the ocean side we saw the ruins of the former plantation of Saint Jean. The first mention of the plantation dates back to 1772. Chevalier Jean de Durat, governor of the island, married the heiress to the plantation. In 1795, revolutionaries from Guadeloupe sequestered the sugar factory. De Durat took back possession of Saint Jean in 1801 and died in 1814. His widow purchased the nearby sugar plant of Saint James, after the passage of a devastating hurricane, in 1819. His children and grandchildren continued to run the plantation until the abolition of slavery in 1848, at which time the Saint James sugar plantation was sold off in small lots, while the Saint Jean plantation remained in its original state.

There was a quick photo stop for the view at Indigo Bay then as we descended toward the coast a photo of the community of Bel Air. We were back to the ship at noon and browsed the port shops before dropping our backpacks and going for lunch in the Oceanview Café.  Then we reapplied sunscreen to go back to the port shops, a seven minute walk and wander around trying to orient our map and where we were and discovered the map was for the downtown which was a 10 minute walk away.  We tried a Guavaberry smoothie sample before walking in the 28 C heat and 9 knot wind to the beach front and downtown to browse and look in their air conditioned stores which offered free drinks, juice or alcohol to come in and look at their jewelry. After an hour we walked back to the ship with a final stop at the Belgian Chocolate shop that was crowded with six people in its air conditioned comfort and we bought some chocolates to share for the rest of the voyage.  Steps count was 17,652.  Back at the ship, it was showers and an Iglu and a look to see that the ship was still being refueled.  We were underway to Miami shortly after 5 and will arrive in Miami in 2 ½ days. Dinner appetizers were Ravioli or Pork Spring Roll followed by Cream of Chicken Soup or Panzanella Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives goat cheese, lettuce and croutons. The entrées were Veal Occo Bucco, a beef kebob and hake fish.  The dessert was part of a birthday cake since it was Elaine’s birthday tonight.  Steps 18,584.

After dinner went up to Deck 14 to the Skyview Lounger where pre-recorded ballroom music was playing until 10 so we danced and had a drink. Then we went back to the stateroom to finish the blog and post it. Ship is at cruising speed of 18 knots heading 308 (northwest) Temperature is 23 and wind is 16 knots from southeast under a partly cloudy sky.   Steps 20,317.