This year's cruise was a seven day excursion, on the Celebrity Equinox, a Solstice-class cruise ship, sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to four different ports (itinerary below).
Six of the nine of us were going again, (Patty, Shirley, her brother Rick and his wife Darla, Marci, and I). But this time we also had Judy, Marci's husband Billy, and Joe. So there were three couples and three single ladies.
Here is a map of our route.
Each couple had their own room (Joe and I were in an inside stateroom #7156) and the three single ladies splurged to get a verandah stateroom (had a balcony towards the ocean).
General Characteristics of the Equinox:Maiden voyage - July 31, 2009 Newly remodeled - June 1, 2019 Occupancy - 2850 Tonnage - 122,000 Length - 1041 ft Beam - 121 ft Cruising Speed - 24 kts
Here is a (video) tour if you are interested in more details.
Our drive to Knoxville was uneventful, and we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Shirley, Judy and I waited with all the luggage while Joe and Patty parked the SUV at a nearby hotel and shuttled back.
We had a leisurely lunch, and then boarded the plane. Joe and I were back in row six, while the three single ladies were in the first row.
The flight to Ft. Lauderdale was also uneventful. However, once off the plane and on our way to baggage claim, we discovered Joe’s carry-on suitcase was leaking pop. He was glad it wasn't the bag of rum he had also snuck in his suitcase.
After cleaning that up, we went to get our suitcases, but Alligant never posted which conveyor to go to.
We waited,and waited,
and waited,
even asking airport personnel if they knew where to get our bags. No one did.
Once the luggage claim area had cleared out, we realized something was amiss. Come to find out, our suitcases were sitting on the conveyor belt which had been stopped because everyone (except us) had claimed their bags.
Next was a wait for the shuttle, which came fairly quickly, and in no time we were at our hotel, The Red Carpet Inn.There was another very long wait, to get checked in and reserve a spot on the shuttle for the dock transport the following morning.
Joe was soon down by the pool to catch some rays.
I eventually joined Joe by the pool while waiting on the ladies to freshen up and decide when to go to dinner. A little pop up shower sent us both back to the room, and then I got a message that the girls had already been seated at the restaurant.
So Joe and I hustled down to the bar and grill to join the girls for a toast to life, adventures together, and cruising. Service was a bit slow but well worth the wait. We were in no hurry because we were waiting on Billy and Marci, who had gotten caught in rain and traffic driving down the coast.
They were all fairly wild and would not let me close enough to pet them. Many wouldn't even stay in sight once I spotted them.
Once the Clarks arrived, I went to the lobby to say hi, help with their luggage, and then join them for their dinner. I had ice cream. Joe found me, having come back from the casino early because there were no openings for him to play.
Joe went for a short swim but the water was rather cold.
In the meantime, we got word from the others (Marci, Rick, Darla, and Billy) that they were on the ship.
We got wet at the hotel loading onto the shuttle, and it rained all the way to the port.
This windshield says it all.
It was raining and blowing quite a bit while we walked (ran) from the shuttle to inside the terminal. We were questioned about our health and recent travels, as a measure to protect all aboard our vessel, against the coronavirus.
Then up the gangway we went.
A glass of champagne awaited us as we entered the ship.
We dropped off our carry-on items in our rooms. This is the girl's room, with a view of the ocean. Shirley slept on the couch. It is always such a relief to be on the boat and into our cabin, with all the luggage, which arrived soon after us.
A late lunch was our next order of business. The problem with it pouring rain, was that no one was out on deck, and many stayed in the Oceanview Cafe, so we had troubles getting a seat where the five of us could sit together.Some watched our 3:30 rainy departure out of Ft. Lauderdale from the Sky Observation Lounge.
We got unpacked and explored the ship before dinner. This is Patty in the Quasar bar. And I checked out the Dance Band in the Grand Foyer.
All nine of us sat together in the formal dinning room for the 6:00 seating, but dressed more casually.
The evening's theatre entertainment was the comedian Tom McTigue, who we all enjoyed.
Joe played some poker in the Casino, and I listened and danced to the house band and then DJ up in the Sky Lounge until nearly 1am.
Sunday 2/16 - Was a day at Sea.
There was a plethora of activities going on and we all went in different directions to do different things. I mostly stayed pool side, enjoying the sun, hot tub, pool, and music of two different bands and the DJ. I took part in a dance class and later a Dance Fitness session.
Joe was with me at first, then went to take a nap. The girls came for awhile and later Billy and Marci showed up.
We girls competed in a corn hole game. Patty, Shirley, and I were on the winning team. Unfortunately, Judy wasn't. So she took this photo.
The girls had done some shopping, and are seen here taking a break.
There was time to mingle with the crowds after dinner, before going to the show. The Equinox Orchestra was playing big band hits that we listened to.
This is a photo of the Grand Foyer, with stairs leading down to the dance floor and area where the bands played at the very bottom of photo. The Foyer extends from the 3rd floor up to the 5th floor and can be seen and heard from each level.
Here are the nine of us at dinner :
Billy, Marci, Joe, me, Darla, Rick, Shirley, Judy, and Patty.
The night's show in the theater was the Equinox's cast production called Topper.
There was a lot of singing, dancing, and aerial acrobatics.
We didn't recognize many of the songs but enjoyed the entertainment.
Joe left before the show ended to catch a Texas Hold'em cash game at the Casino.
Right after the show, we five ladies and Billy hustled up to the Sky Lounge for the Silent Disco.
With Silent Disco, everyone has their own head set. There are three different music channels playing, each a different genre of good dancing music, constantly going from one song to the next. You can switch from one channel to another anytime you want, and control the volume in your headset. The music always sounds great.
I am not sure why this form of music and dancing is so popular, maybe because it is always a lot of fun.
Rick never got in because the line was too long, and Joe never showed up because he was winning at poker.
Billy didn't last long, but we five girls held out to about the very end, dancing the night away.I was the only one to stay up in the Sky Lounge, dancing till 1am, with the DJ playing Golden Oldies. I requested some Latino music but he did not oblige because he said it wasn't listed as the music venue for this night.
Joe was asleep when I got back to the cabin.
This series of photos is of us arriving and docking at San Juan, Puerto Rico. The first photo was taken from the girls' balcony, which they had opened up to Rick and Darla's. The last photo shows another cruise ship that was coming in right behind us.
We were off the ship by 4pm and quickly at the Segway tour place. After filling out a waiver and getting fitted with equipment, we began training for the hills and rough roads of the city.
Jose, our guide (and instructor) had us practice stop and go, speed changes, and getting off and on the Segway. We all did this in the court yard on our own.
Then he had us all going over this speed bump (video).
The last and hardest challenge was taking our Segway up a ramp, stopping in the middle of the incline, and holding it there for ten seconds. I think all of us failed on our first attempt. Marci never did master this so was not able to go on the Segway tour with us. 😓 Sad and frustrating for all of us, especially Marci.
A group photo was taken before we hit the streets and sidewalks of Old San Juan and the Castillo San Cristobal fortification with several levels and plazas.
Jose was a very good guide, quite knowledgeable, and stopped many times to tell us about different sights. We each had ear buds and a receiver that picked up his voice.
Jose talked as we rolled along, telling us about sights and warning us of hazards.
We got off and walked around some, which was a nice break for our feet.And we took turns leading and following while tootling along.
The Segways are a lot of fun to operate and ride on, and they are a great way to see a lot of sights quickly but up close and in person.
We took tons of photos.
I like this photo, looking through a window in the wall, of a sail boat out on the bay.
This totem is made of very old broken pottery from the indigenous people.
You can see through the door in this wall, our Segways parked on the other side of the fortification.
This is a military training encampment. To recruit soldiers, they were given five star accommodations.
Our final stop was Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
This (video) shows us arriving there.
The sun was going down and rain clouds had moved into the city.
We got back to the Segway headquarters right at dark, and we did get rained on. At least it didn't last long and was fairly warm.
We hit the gift shop as we enjoyed a before dinner drink and waited for a table. The music was going and fun was being had by the crowd, so I couldn't contain myself...
I set my beer down and started dancing (video).
And even Joe joined in for a few beats.
I joined in on a conga line and when we made it back to the stage area, those who participated did the limbo for a shot of tequila... or two if you did the limbo twice like I did.
Then the MC came around to the tables offering shots, and Joe got one.
The rest of the folks at our table were a little more subdue, but still enjoyed the fun.
By the time our food came, Joe was feeling good about life, and excited to see his meal.
We had to be back on board by 10:30, making it to the ship in adequate time.
Most everybody went to bed, but I went up to the Sky Lounge to catch some 70s & 80s Rock 'n' Roll. There was not much going on and I had had adequate dancing at Senior Frogs, so I went back to our cabin and was in bed by midnight.
We were docked at Charlotte Amalie by 8am.
The skies were overcast as we entered St. Thomas.
This man on stilts greeted some of us as we left the cruise port.
These iguana were enjoying the morning sun as we walked to the smaller dock to catch our 'FastCat' tour.
It was a large vessel that accommodated 130 passengers, and was way too crowded with 120 on board. This photo of the "Cruzan Breeze" catamaran was taken as people were getting off at Honeymoon Beach.
We all got wet while the catamaran was going fast, into the wind, to get to Turtle Bay. But it was a fun, thrilling ride.
Turtle Bay (known for it's population of sea turtles) is at Buck Island, a protected national park that is home to an abundance of tropical marine life and coral formations. Once moored in the bay, we all started getting our snorkel equipment (flippers, vest, mask and snorkel) ready and into position.
Rick and I were the first from our group into the water. And then at some point, when maybe 20 of us were in the water, the boat came un-moored, but those of us in the water had no idea. Apparently one of the crew men hollered everyone back in the boat. Then I guess someone asked is it a shark? And next thing you know, several people are yelling shark and everyone is swimming for their life back to the boat and scrambling onto it as fast as possible. I, being quite far from the back of the boat was in panic mode, grabbed a metal handle of some sort at the side of the boat and was trying to pull myself out of the water. When the engines turned on and a crewman yelled 'swim away from the boat', I did what I was told, especially because I was near the propellers. At this point, my brain was thinking maybe the shark was on the other side of the boat.
I think I passed a few swimmers as we were all headed to shore. There were five of us total (I am one of them in this photo) who did not make it back on the catamaran. At some point I learned that it was not a shark, but that the boat had come un-moored and was drifting towards shore. They had wanted us back on board so they could turn on the engines and get the boat out of trouble.
Once the catamaran was securely moored a second time, most everyone got in to snorkel. Judy is seen in this photo, heading down the ladder. We were divided into two groups since there were so many of us. I did see one turtle and many fish. Others saw a second turtle and some barracudas. I kept getting kicked and hit by fellow snorkelers and was tired from my earlier swim, so decided to call it quits early.
And then the drinking began, with an endless supply of rum punch, most everyone was feeling happy.
Once all were done snorkeling, we motored a short distance to Honeymoon Beach. The "Cruzan Breeze" was backed in towards the beach and tied just off shore so we had to wade to the beach.
Notice that the rum punch was available on the platform at the back of the boat if people wanted to swim over to get some. Each pitcher had a bottle of rum, and a carton each of orange, pineapple, and mango juice. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing by the shore.
Once our beach time was over, we motored back to St. Thomas. We managed to just miss a small squall that had kicked up, only getting rained on a little. The skies were still cloudy as we headed back to the ship, but some of us did a little shopping anyway.
Our ship headed back out to sea at 4:00 while I was getting cleaned up for dinner. Just about every night before dinner I would go to the Ensemble Lounge and listen to an acoustic duo or a solo guitarist who kind of impersonated James Taylor. When that show was over, I would go down two decks to the Grand Foyer and listen to the House Band (seen in this photo) or the Dance Band until time to go into the formal dinning room.
Our waiter Alex showed us some napkin folding tricks after desert.
He and our bread and water waitress (Jola) provided us with great dinner service throughout the whole cruise.
We watched the 9:00 after dinner theater production 'Life' which had more acrobatics along with the singing and dancing.
While Joe played poker, I did my usual evening 'bar hopping' to find the best music and most happening place for dancing. I had made friends with Bridget (from Germany) who loved to dance but her husband and family turned in early most nights. There were three other groups I also danced with, one a large (extended family) of some young and older, single and married couples, who had a blast together and out on the dance floor. Another group was six gay guys who were having a lot of fun and I enjoyed and felt safe dancing with.
Wednesday 2/19 - I was up on deck again by 5:30, and watching another sunrise, this time as we approached Tortola, one of the British Virgin Islands. I walked my laps and took lots more photos.
We were docked by 7am, and because we were getting off the ship early, I knew the girls would be up. First I checked on Joe to be sure he was getting up.
Then I went over to the single ladies' cabin and sat on their balcony, watching the sun ascend higher in the sky, until they were ready to go to breakfast.
Here we five are, on the boat to take us to a dock on the island where we were then herded on to a 'taxi' that drove us on narrow windy roads to the beach.
Several of the taxis (like these two pictured) just had an opening to the back at the tail gate, that you got in from, and two long benches down each side.
We five squished in, and were off to the beach. Here is an example of the hair pin turns we were driving on.
But look at the beautiful white sand and clear water awaiting us.
We arrived at White Bay Beach about 30 minutes later than scheduled, and were escorted to 'our' section of water front.
Patty worked on getting internet service and Joe lit up a cigar to enjoy with his Captain and Coke.
The bar is seen back behind our chairs.
Some went for a little dip to cool off.And then we enjoyed a rather early lunch (burger or hot dog with chips) using our meal tickets.
Shirley wanted to go to the Soggy Dollar Bar, home of the original Painkiller rum cocktail, to give it a try.
Judy went along with her to keep her company. I think I was napping.
By the time they were walking back from the bar, we had to gather up our belongings and go catch our taxi at the designated place and time.
We ended up waiting there for 45 minutes, had to seek shelter during a pop up downpour, and finally got loaded into several taxis that had arrived bringing more guests to the beach. It was disappointing and frustrating that our time at the beach was so short.
And then to make matters worse, the taxi in front of us slid trying to make a sharp turn on the wet road. Our driver had gone straight at the intersection, turned around, and came back at a better angle. At this point we saw that the taxi had slid all the way off the road and was kind of on it's side. It is a good thing a big rock stopped it from going farther down the hill and into the ocean.
There were traumatized and injured passengers sitting and standing in the road. Our taxi driver, an older lady, absolutely lost her cool. She was honking her horn, to warn other taxis coming down and around the bend, to slow down. Once our taxi stopped, most of us jumped out right away to see if we could be of help.
Our driver was so mad and upset she just kept screaming. She was too scared to look to see how bad the accident was. She had told the other drivers not to make that turn because it was too dangerous on wet roads. I felt sorry for her, but she could have handled the situation better.
Luckily there were no real serious injuries, but we did learn later, that one girl completely tore her ACL and would need surgery when she got home.Everyone from our taxi walked the remainder of the way (a few hundred yards) to catch our boat. We had to wait quite awhile again, until they taxied more people from the beach back to our boat. Once it was full, we head back to the port, where our ship awaited.
Once on board, I went to the Ocean View Cafe to get another lunch, all salads, and sat out back and watched people returning to the ship.
Then a soak in the hot tub and a nap on deck occurred. And our ship was underway sometime after 3:30.
After dinner, we all went to the night's theater show which was the comedian Derrick Cameron. He was absolutely hilarious.
At 11:30, the party moved up to the Sky lounge. Again, this is not my photo, just one I got from the internet, but exactly what the lounge area with dance floor looked like. I stayed up late, knowing I could sleep in.
Thursday 2/20 - Was a day at Sea. I was up fairly early, knowing I could nap anytime. I hit the walking track as usual, while my tea steeped. But a little rain shower sent me up to the Fitness Center to finish my 'laps' on the elliptical and even do a few weights.
These three photos were taken off the internet because I did not take any photos all day long, and it seems nobody else did either.
It later cleared off and was sunny but windy. Like our first day at sea, we all did our own thing, enjoying various activities. I sat out by the pools and later up a level by the walking track with Judy, Shirley, Billy, and Marci.
It was the second formal night of our cruise, and since Joe had won a nice amount of money during all of his poker playing, he treated us to a bottle of champagne at dinner time. It was also our last dinner together in the formal dinning room.
The Equinox cast members did a Broadway Cabaret show in the theater but most of us did not know several songs they sang.
It was another late night of dancing because we did not have an early morning scheduled.
We got this photo of our tree out front, from Karen our cat sitter. They had gotten four inches of snow back home on Thursday. I was kind of sorry to have missed it, but thankful for the warm air and mostly sunny skies we had been enjoying.
Friday 2/21 - These photos are of us arriving at Nassau in the Bahamas where we docked by 12:30.
I moved around the ship taking photos from various spots.
This was their view from the port side of the ship.When I went over to the starboard side, below is a photo of what I saw. We were already docked, right near a Disney cruise ship.
We went through the same Celebrity Cruise Excursion routine and were finally on our ferry, motoring across the calm waters of Nassau Harbor for a no-worries afternoon of fun in the sun on Blue Lagoon Island.
Once docked, we all got off the ferry and headed to the beach to claim our spot.
And then it was straight to lunch, a nice buffet, that was part of our excursion packet.
This was definitely our best beach day, the most relaxing because we had plenty of time to unwind and enjoy a full afternoon of uninterrupted bliss.
Judy took all of these photos of most of us.
Marci
Rick and Darla
Patty and I
Joe was off smoking a cigar and I don't know where Shirley and Billy were.
Mostly we lounged on the beach.
Some waded into the tranquil Caribbean.
And we all watched the coconut palms sway back and forth.
Many of us walked over to check out the Dolphin Encounter facility and see these amazing mammals in their natural habitat.
I really enjoyed watching the dolphins swimming around in their enclosures (video) although I have mixed feelings about their captivity.
I also spent a lot of time talking with this keeper who was cleaning the raccoons water basin, a job she does two or three times a day. I enjoyed watching these three yearlings, who had been rescued.
There was a lot to see and do on the island, but not near enough time for it all.
The day was getting late and our stay on the island was drawing to a close.
Goodbye beautiful Blue Lagoon.
We had a little pop up shower as we were ferried back to the port (video).
Our ferry swung around right in front of our cruise ship and dropped us off farther up the dock.
The rain had stopped temporarily, but more was coming, so we hustle back to the ship.
Patty took this photo from her balcony as we left port around 7pm.
We got cleaned up and met at the Oceanview Cafe for a 7:30 dinner together.
We all skipped the last theater show and went back to our rooms to pack our bags, which needed to be in the hallway by 10pm.
Our cabin steward made us a cute towel rabbit.
I did a little bar hopping, but discovered that most everybody must have been busy packing. I did run into Bridget and her whole family at the Martini Bar, and had a great time talking with her. And we did get in a few more dances in the Grand Foyer.
The four hour drive to Mom's in Winter Haven went smoothly.
I know Jean was excited to see us. She surprised us with the new carpet she helped Mom get installed through her whole upstairs. And she also showed us cat tricks, among other things she wanted to share.
We had a light lunch and then Mom rested on the couch, Joe went to nap at the pool, and Jean and I went for a walk. See the osprey on it's nest atop the wind damaged palm tree?
And then, the moment especially Mom had been waiting for; our 4:40pm - 6:40pm pontoon Sunset Cruise with The Living Water Boat Cruises.
Jean packed us snacks for dinner, and a few drinks, and we were off to the boat dock on Lake Shipp.
Captain Randy was a great guide, telling us the history and pointing out wildlife as we motored through canals and around lakes on the chain of lakes.
It was quite cold on the water, with the strong wind and falling temperature. Jean's jacket was used as a 'burka' to help keep Mom warm.
We snacked and enjoyed a beer, and Mom her bourbon and cream soda, as we looked at the sights.
Mom was the only one to give a request when Randy asked what we all wanted to see. She said, Ester Williams' swimming pool. (There were two other couples at the front of our pontoon also along for the tour.)
I got this photo and caption from the Florida Memory: The "Esther Williams Swimming Pool" was built in the shape of Florida, projecting out in Lake Eloise, as a set for MGM technicolor movie "Easy to Love" (1953) which was partly filmed at Cypress Gardens. Look at all the bathing beauties around the edge of the pool. LOL
We also saw Lego Land while at the old Cypress Gardens.
Then we were able to watch a beautiful sunset.
Arriving back at Mom's, we were all quite cold, and she went straight to bed, but needing to thaw out didn't stop us three 'kids' from enjoying strawberry shortcake. And then it was fairly early to bed for the rest of us.
Joe and I made a 'quick' trip to Walmart to buy Mom a couple of chairs. (One of hers broke while Joe was standing on it to help Jean and I get the broken duck house down out of a tree.) Her other one was also in very bad shape. In this photo, he is sitting in one of the new chairs, sunning, while waiting for Jean and I.
We were going to treat Mom and Jean to Sunday dinner, but Mom ended up declining because she was not feeling well. The lump in her cheek had started swelling and acting up again, and the pontoon cruise had worn her out.
We went to the 'Bar-muda Triangle' (named after it's three bars within walking distance of each other on south Lake Howard drive on the canal between Lake Howard and Lake May) and had dinner at the first one, Tanners, sitting out by the water. The female singer was good, but not performing dancing music, so next we went to Caribbean Bay. It was hopping, but packed, so we headed across the street to Old Man Franks (were a duo was playing mellow music, good to sing along to, but not for dancing).
So it was back to Caribbean Bay. The band was on break and some seats had opened up, so Jean and I indulged in one of their specialty drinks, Rum Runners and got Joe a rum and coke.
Once the band started back up, we girls hit the dance floor, while Joe held our table and watched our drinks (video).
By the third set, the band started playing head banging music that was difficult to dance to and listen to. So then we got in the car and drove around to the other side of the cove and checked out the bar Twisted Prop, where a country style band was playing.
The party was hopping at Twisted Prop, seen left, but there was no dance floor or any seats, so we called it a day.
Back at Mom's, we got a fire going in her fire pit and Joe burnt all her shred pile documents. Jean and I kept a close eye on the two cats who enjoyed prowling around in the enclosed patio after dark. There is a bandaid on part of the scratch Joe obtained, falling through the seat of the chair the day before.
We got our bags all packed up in preparation for an early departure the following morning (nearly the middle of the night actually) and hit the hay fairly early again. It had been a great vacation on the cruise ship with everybody and a fun visit with Mom and Jean.
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