Friday, December 24, 2010

Relaxing in the lobby bar

Central lounge of the Carnival Liberty

Yay cruise!

Hanging out in the lobby and listening to a singing duo.
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Eugene in the glass elevators

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No pictures from dinner!

Didn't want there to be another shortage in NJ =) Besides, food was good, but not amazing. A little over salted. Also, both Eugene and I managed to overturn our water glasses. I think the rocking of the boat is impairing our depth perception judgment.
After dinner, we took some ballroom dance lessons - chacha tonight! Unfortunately no pictures because we were both up on stage, but we had lots of fun.
I'm feeling much better - not seasick anymore. I guess you get used to the rocking motion. Also the dramamine and dinner helped. It's much better if you keep busy and don't think about it.
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the Atrium

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Only a few hours in

...and there's already a bit of turbulence, or whatever the nautical equivalent term is. I took half of a dramamine less drowsy and Eugene is now taking the other half.
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Looking through the events for tonight

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Last view of shoreline

So far, so good. We went through the muster drill, missed the spa raffle, and booked a two tank scuba dive excursion for Eugene in St. Thomas.
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Setting sail!

Sailing!

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First meal onboard!

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On the ship!

Our room!

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Great view!

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Balcony from our room

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Clear skies

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Skyline shot

Finally on board...and more lines!

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The ship!

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Almost on board...

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Waiting in line at the port

Apparently there are 3800 passengers, so the lines are quite long.
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Luggage heading on board

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Good morning!

Sunny and going up to 75 degrees today. We had a great nights rest, and are excited to board the ship today! Glad we stayed in downtown Miami. Our hotel is just 10 minutes from the port. We'll head over around noon. Lines will probably be really long, but we are trying to get there as early as possible. Ship doesn't depart until 4pm.
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Beautiful views from our hotel room

We got upgraded to a suite with views of the intracoastal waterway!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

There is a Food Supply Shortage in NJ


Mushroom Hotpot

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Sea Bass

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Sweet Potato

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Beef Skewers

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Aahhh...vacation

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Calamari

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Black Cod and Prawn Gyoza

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Yellowtail Roll

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Sashimi Salad

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Yellowtail Sashimi

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Sushi bar at Zuma - across the street from our hotel

Slow service due to new waitress, but the food is good.
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We got upgraded to a suite with water view!

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We are off to Miami!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Day before we leave for Miami

Quack here. Leaving for Miami tomorrow afternoon. Very excited about the Caribbean and excited to get out of the cold NYC weather! I've never been on an ocean cruise before, so I'm a little apprehensive about getting seasick. Hopefully, the weather and seas will be calm and the ship large enough that I won't feel a thing. We have a couple days at sea before getting to our first destination, so that should give me some time to get acclimated. Although we are splurging a bit on a balcony room, we managed to keep costs down by flying on miles and using my Hyatt points for a room in downtown Miami, right near the port. Too bad our monster couldn't join us on our cruise - when are they going to start making cruises dog-friendly? Would it be so difficult to designate just one deck as dog-friendly? I know that Cunard offers a dog kennel for its transatlantic cruises, which is a good option for people that are relocating, but it's not really a viable option for people who enjoy travelling with their pets. But hey, if Pet Airways can become a successful business model, then it's only a matter of time before cruises adapt too!