Test Cruise

We recently completed a four day cruise from Jacksonville, Fl to the Bahamas, stopping at Freeport and Nassau. After experiencing the most expensive suite on the ship during the Alaska Cruise (remember we got a free upgrade), this cruise was a test. We wondered how the cheapest cabin at the bottom of a ship would compare. Our accomodations moved from the highest deck to the lowest deck for passengers. However, we did splurge ($60) for a cabin with a window. We did notice a bit more noise from the crew's activities one deck below us as well as a slight bit of engine vibrations. We did miss the extra space and sitting area in the suite. While the food and entertainment were comparable there was a definite difference in the service and the clientel.
Considering the overall experience and what it cost, we still considered it a good value. While we'll still go on some nicer cruises, we will do some of these quick cruises, especially since they are an easy driving distance and we have discovered how to get an even better rate. "When it's cheaper than staying at home, you can't afford not to go!"

"Pool area on the ship"

"Tankers unloading fuel in Freeport"

"House on the tip of Paradise Island"

"Starfish for sale along the dock in Nassau"

"Fuel Barge as it pulls in to refuel our ship"

"Beautiful beach at Freeport"

"A favorite spot on the ship for us-the quiet Adult Only area on the ship's stern"

Suite, Suite and Sweets

ALASKA-PART 1

What a trip!! We've just returned from a 7 day Alaska cruise onboard the Sapphire Princess. We sailed 2100 miles and visited the usual ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. We also had one day of cruising through the icebergs in Tracy Arm Fjord up to the Sawyer Glacier. Our final port before returning to Seattle, was Victoria, British Columbia.

A word about the title of this blog entry. After arriving at the Hyatt in seattle prior to the cruise, the staff discovered it was our anniversary. We were moved to a suite complete with champagne and chocolates. Two days prior to leaving home, our travel agent had called to say she'd received notice from Princess that we had been upgraded from our mini-suite to the Cozumel suite. This was not just any suite, but one of only five located on the ship. What a luxury it turned out to be!. We were on the forward port side just beneath the bridge with a 45 ft. balcony that wrapped around that corner of the ship. This suite also came with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, a stocked fridge, fresh fruit daily, fresh flowers and other privileges while onboard. Even a special lounge with coffee and pastries to wait for disembarkation on the final morning.

"Docked in Juneau"

"Ketchikan is an island only accessible by water or air"

"Early morning entering Tracy Arm Fjord. The water color changed to a turquoise color as we neared the glacier."

"An iceberg that had broken off Sawyer Glacier. The ice in the glacier is so dense that it creates the blue tint that you see here."

"Breakfast in our room while we enjoy the scenery in Tracy Arm"

"Sawyer Glacier- notice the melting runoff in the foreground"

"One of the many huge waterfalls"

"Salmon was available at every meal. This was at the Taste of Alaska Buffet"

Alaska-Part 2 (View Part 1 First)

"Victoria, B.C. marina with the parliament building in the background"

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"Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. It was a very clean city with beautiful flowers everywhere."

"Spray from a humpback whale"

"Salmon Bake at Liarsville Gold Rush Camp near Skagway"

"Skagway, AK, population 800, notice the wooden sidewalks"

"Enjoying the view from our balcony"

"Living room and balcony in the Cozumel Suite"

"Seattle's skyline as viewed from the ship"

"This is the home of the flying fish vendors. They even have a live webcam on the internet"

"Large Alaskan Salmon at the Seattle market"

"Puget Sound in Seattle"

"Shopping Trip to Miami"

Having been interested in the US Customs/DEA/IRS auction for some time, we were finally able to attend. This auction requires about 5 days to participate. There is registration and previewing one day, the auction 2 days later, and then picking up purchases on another day. It's amazing to see all the items seized. We didn't bid on the truck load of Huggies Diapers that sold for $9000.00, but we did bid on the helicopter parts valued at $70,000.00. There was one other bidder who evidently knew the value of the parts. We stopped bidding and he won. Oh well, maybe we'll get a deal the next time! It was a very interesting auction to attend.
We stayed at a nice resort in Weston, just west of Ft. Lauderdale. In our spare time we shopped at the World's largest Outlet Mall, toured Ft. Lauderdale by vehicle and by water on the tour boat "Carrie B.". We ate at several great restaurants on the waterfront. We also drove 80 miles across the Everglades and toured Naples.

"We enjoyed the large pool at our resort"

"Many travel by water taxi in Ft. Lauderdale"

"This home was owned by the Six Million Dollar Man-Lee Majors"

"Muli-million dollar homes with yachts parked like cars line the Ft. Lauderdale waterfront"

"House used in filming the old Miami Vice T.V. series"

"We ate lunch at Roland Martin's Marina and Fishing Resort on the edge of Lake Okeechobee. He is a famous professional fisherman."

"Thousands of acres of sugar cane surrouding the processing facility"

"Post Office with one customer in Ochopee, Fl. in the Everglades

"One HOT Cruise"

Heather and Adam recently brought Abi up to Chattanooga for her first cruise on Play Dough. Even though temperatures had been 100+ for several days, we all had a great trip. In order to stay cool we cruised during the morning hours. We also ran the generator when not parked in the covered slip and plugged up to shore power. This allowed us to have continuous A/C in the cabin.

It was actually too hot to swim. Without much shade around, the marina pool looked sooo hot. We all opted for afternoon naps onboard the boat and a trip to the Mall. Yes, Abi has learned to shop! She was also very entertained by the live band at the Marina's restaurant as they played island tunes!

"Abi tries out her SEA LEGS"

"Family Cruise"

"Abi and Dad ready for cruising"

"You never know what kind of traffic you'll meet on the river!"

"Youngest Captain on the River!"

"Abi decided being a captain was hard work, so she took a nap in the cool cabin while cruising up river"

"Cooling Towers at the Power Plant near Soddy Daisy, TN"

"As Logan continues to grow, he'll soon be ready for cruising"

Perdido Key, FL

We're just back from a week on the Gulf coast with Abi and Logan. Oh yea, they brought their parents along. Our Condo was located on the Intracoastal Waterway about 1/2 mile inland from the coast. We had our own private beach on the ICW just out our back door. You may remember some of these pictures from our time boating through this area. These condos we discovered from the boat, later tracked down their exact location and found one of the units to rent. Even though we were in the heart of the oil spill, we did not actually see any oil on the coast or the ICW. We saw lots of workers and equpment mostly as a show of force rather than solving the problems.

We enjoyed the usual beach activities along with something new this trip, playing with the babies. Then there was the two hour trip to Winn Dixie. On our way across the bridge we saw law enforcement at every side street. We immediately knew that the Presidental Motorcade would be passing through. Just as we arrived at the grocery, deputies blocked the parking lot exits. It was two hours before the motorcade passed and traffic was allowed to go.
We were all thankful for a great time and everyone arriving home safely.

"We were in the green condo on the end" "Logan worked on his muscles so he could show them off at the beach"

"Abi loved her beach ball"

" We saw no oil on beautiful Perdido Key Beach"

"Coast Guard was constantly monitoring for oil in the waterway"

"Abi is ready for the beach"

"Logan is growing. He spent most of his time in the cool condo."

"Logan's first swim! "

"Abi loved her pool on the beach! "

Everyone enjoyed the pool after sunset

Fun in the Water

One of the many command centers for the oil clean-up

Sunset on our private beach