CV2 wrapup

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Sparky

I have lost track of how many cruises I have taken. Must be approaching 20. The CV2 cruise, on the Carnival Vista, is in the running for the worst. Certainly bottom 3. But there were some good things about the cruise. Let’s get those out of the way first.

Highlights:

  • We got to spend an entire week with Marlene’s son and daughter-in-law.
  • The Vista Rockband was quite good.
  • The few shows in the theater that we saw – the comedians and the 80s rock show – were quite good.
  • My meal at the Cucina del Capitano was very good.
  • Some of the staff were very helpful.

Lowlights:

  • The wholesale change of itinerary – replacing Aruba and Curacao with Nassau and Freeport – was beyond disappointing. And the manner in which Carnival handled it – waiting until everyone was on board before breaking the news and then offering a paltry $400 per stateroom compensation – was unforgiveable. My opinion of Carnival took a big dive with this cruise. We didn’t even leave the ship at two of the four ports – Princess Cay and Half Moon Cay – and both Nassau and Freeport were uninspiring. The loss of Aruba and Curacao ruined the cruise.
  • The food in the buffet and the dining room was mediocre. Even the “fancy” meals – Beef Wellington, prime rib, filet mignon – were not as good as we have experienced on previous Carnival cruises.

The casino wasn’t kind to me but was very kind to Marlene. The improvements to the Vista since our last cruise on that ship were mostly positive. Embarking and debarking were smoother and the lines at the buffet disappeared. The IMAX theater was added too but I found it to be not much different than a standard small theater with stadium seating

Categories: Caribbean, Cruise, CV2, Family | Leave a comment

TN_10 Hop 4: Montclair VA to Worcester MA

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Sparky
TN_10 Hop 4

440 miles via I-95, I-895 through Baltimore, I-95 again, the New Jersey Turnpike, I-95 again across the George Washington Bridge in New York City, CT 15/Hutchinson Parkway, I-91, I-84, I-90 and I-290. Auto miles: 447. Cumulative route miles: 1,471. Cumulative auto miles: 1,512.

This was a LONG day. We departed at 7am, stopped for gas on our way to I-95, made one bio stop in MD, then drove non-stop to MA. Traffic was brutal around DC (no surprise – it was the morning rush) and again in NYC at noon (again no surprise – the George Washington Bridge is always backed up). But the weather was fine and there were no unexpected slowdowns.

I usually try to avoid I-95 when traveling between VA and MA, both because of the heavy traffic and the heavy tolls, but we wanted to get to MA in time to meet up with brother-in-law Ray, so time was of the essence.

We arrived at 4:02pm, so total travel time was almost exactly 9 hours. And we didn’t have to refuel again before arriving, but the tank was nearly empty (driving range: 0) when we got there. I refueled after unpacking the car and catching up a bit with Ray.

Our home for two nights was the home of my stepson Devin and his wife Mary. Also the home of my step grandson Zachary. Zachary just turned 14 and is growing up quickly. He immediately challenged me to a chess match. I was doing fine until I made a bonehead move and lost my queen, but recovered to play him to a draw. He played well. He might beat me next time.

We were treated to dinner out both nights, with the entire family and my other stepson Joshua and his wife, along with Mary’s brother Will who was visiting from Florida.

Thanks, all, for making us feel welcome in VA.

Categories: CT, DC, DE, Family, MA, MD, NJ, NY, Routes, TN_10, VA | Leave a comment

TN_10 Hop 3: Florence SC to Montclair VA

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Sparky
TN_10 Hop 3

372 miles via I-95 and VA 234 with one bio break. Auto miles: 381 (extra miles mostly in Florence getting gas and a birthday card for my grandson). Cumulative route miles: 1,031. Cumulative auto miles: 1,065.

This was as easy as expected. No tire failures, no accidents, no bad weather. Simple. I like that. Especially after a disappointing cruise and a stressful Hop 2.

The only difficulty on the trip was the road construction. I-95 is always under construction, but there is more than usual now. I estimate that 80% of I-95 in NC is under construction. I think another lane is being added, which will be good when completed but is a PITA now. A lot of SC is under construction as well.

Our home for the evening – as mentioned in my previous post – was the Super 8 by Wyndham. It was every bit as nice as it seemed at first. A nice bed, a nice bathroom, a microwave, a mini fridge, and a TV with some good cable channels. The free continental breakfast was basic and the coffee was barely adequate, but they had frosted flakes. Can’t go wrong with frosted flakes.

We did a bit of shopping in Florence before heading to VA. I had to find a card and some wrapping paper for my grandson who had a birthday Sunday. We also needed gas and were fortunate to find regular gas for $2.82 per gallon at a nearby Sam’s Club.

Categories: Hotels, NC, Routes, SC, TN_10, VA | Leave a comment

TN_10 Hop 2: Port Canaveral FL to Florence SC

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Sparky
TN_10 Hop 2

466 miles via I-95 and a bunch of local roads in Brunswick GA. Auto miles: 479 (the extra miles driven in Brunswick GA looking for a tire – see below). Cumulative route miles: 659. Cumulative auto miles: 684.

This was supposed to be an easy hop – just a straight shot up I-95. But sometimes a simple hop becomes an adventure. And Hop 2 was certainly an adventure.

The trip was uneventful through Florida. We stopped for gas and coffee at a Loves Travel Center north of Jacksonville. But shortly after we entered GA it seemed that the road started getting rough. At first I thought nothing of it. But it got worse. The steering started to pull to the right and the rough ride soon became a thumping. I thought I was getting a flat tire. But when I stopped to check I found that the pressure in the front right tire was just fine. But something was clearly wrong. My theory: the tread was separating and the tire was going “out of round.” That is a precursor to a blowout. So, with some urgency, we exited I-95 in Brunswick GA and started looking for a tire shop. On a Sunday. Yeah. Good luck.

We traveled to 3 places without success, but each time getting a suggestion for a place to try next. We eventually found a tire shop – Mavis – that was both open and had the right size tire in stock. But they couldn’t fix it until Monday. Next try, Walmart. Same story. At that point I cancelled our hotel reservation, thinking that we most likely would have to stay in Brunswick overnight. But we persisted. We found a Firestore tire center that could look at it if we could just wait a bit. Marlene put on her best “damsel in distress” act and they got the car in pretty quickly. The technician took a photo of the tire and showed it to us – it was, indeed, bulging and on the verge of a blowout. They installed a new tire and we continued on our way. It was a 3-hour delay but not a full day delay.

I tried to recover the reservation at Baymont by Wyndham in Florence, without success. So we just traveled there hoping they would have a room available. They did, but it was on the second floor, no elevator. Our bags are very heavy and it had been a long, stressful day. I asked for a first floor room. The clerk found one but seemed uncertain. He gave me a keycard and said “take a look.” I did. It was far from ideal but I figured it was just for one night. So we took the room, moved our luggage in and, I thought, would settle in for the night. But no. After Marlene had a chance to fully absorb how awful the room was – especially the disgusting bathroom – we decided we couldn’t stay there. So we put everything back in the car, I returned the keycard and got a refund, then drove next door to the Super 8 by Wyndham.

Which was very nice. And for just a couple dollars more.

Same hotel chain (with different brands), same location (literally next door to each other), almost identical pricing, but vastly different quality. Go figure

We unpacked for a second time then went to the Cracker Barrel on the other side of the Baymont and had a nice dinner.

Categories: FL, GA, Hotels, Routes, SC, TN_10 | Leave a comment

CV2 Day 8: At sea

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Sparky

Our last full day of this very disappointing Carnival Vista cruise. We started with brunch which was nice but not spectacular. We then headed to the other end of the ship (from aft to fore for those of you into ship lingo) to attend the “reunion” – a by-invitation-only get-together for the most dedicated (i.e. Platinum and Diamond) passengers. We got to see all the officers. But the real draw was free drinks. Several of them.

After the problems on this cruise I was expecting the captain to get booed. But he got applause. Tepid applause but applause.

Several awards were given to passengers. The most interesting one was the youngest Diamond (the highest level of cruising – over 200 days on Carnival) passenger – just 5 years old. His parents must live on Carnival cruise ships.

Captain and officers
Award winners, including the 5-year-old Diamond
Marlene on the last night

Against my better judgement, I accompanied Marlene into the casino after the reunion. But to my great surprise I won. At one point I was up $300 but ended the day up $230 (down $570 – $270 after credits).

We decided to try out the new IMAX theater – added since our last Vista cruise. It was a 45-minute film about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Because it was about cool science I liked it a lot. Marlene – not so much.

Dinner was very good – prime rib for me. After dinner I got my free $5 of candy (Jelly Belly jellybeans) then we danced a bit and went to the comedy show. Three comedians, the best being Just June.

Then we packed, finishing around 2am.

Categories: Caribbean, Cruise, CV2 | Leave a comment

CV2 Day 7: Half Moon Cay Bahamas

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Sparky

Another day, another cay.

And another cay that we didn’t see. This time we both put on our swimsuits in anticipation of going ashore. But we got a late start and by the time we finished breakfast some people were coming back on board, saying that “there is nothing there.” Just beach. We decided to just remain on the half-empty ship.

Of course that meant we spent extra time in the casino (which remained open because it was a private island). I should have gone ashore. I broke even for the first couple of hours but went downhill rapidly after that. I lost $320 – my worst day ever in a casino. Down $800 for the cruise (but only $500 in real money due to the $300 in ship credits that I received). Marlene continued to win. As a couple we are still up.

We wandered about the ship a bit before dinner and took some photos. And had a woman take a few of us.

We were invited to dine (courtesy of Tim and Rachel) in Cucina del Capitano – the ship’s specialty Italian restaurant. I chose the “tomahawk pork chop” which turned out to be one of the finest meals I have ever had. Marlene had a shrimp dish which was also very good.

View at the stern
Tomahawk pork chop

A bad day at the casino but a good day at the restaurant.

Marlene sat for some photos after dinner. And we danced.

Sitting for photos
Marlene dancing
More dancing
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CV2 Day 6: At sea

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Sparky

We tried to do something different in the morning – have brunch instead of the buffet breakfast. But the wait was over an hour so we ended up in the buffet as usual.

After breakfast I tried to upload photos to the laptop but failed. I might have to wait until the cruise is over to post cruise photos.

I attended a couple of trivia contests and did very poorly. Tim, on the other hand, won the show tunes trivia contest. Who knew that he was so into show tunes?

Marlene and I spent several hours before dinner in the casino. We both won – a couple of hundred for her and $10 for me (down $480). But any win is a win, right?

It was the second Elegant Night for dinner so we dressed up. I had prime rib – pretty good but not great – and Marlene had a pecan-crusted salmon entree that she liked very much.

After dinner we attended the show in the theater. It was a song/dance show featuring rock music of the 80s and the Vista Rockband. Very nice.

Categories: Caribbean, Cruise, CV2 | Leave a comment

CV2 Day 5: Freeport Bahamas

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Sparky

We had breakfast, as usual, then left the ship to browse the port area. It was the usual cruise port shops. Nothing interesting. So we started the 5-mile walk into Freeport.

We didn’t get very far before Marlene’s shoe broke (the heel came off). So we went back to the ship, got a different pair of shoes for her and headed back out. But on our way out we got some advice: go to Port Lucaya. It was supposedly more interesting than Freeport. So we, along with 4 other cruise passengers, took a cab 12 miles to Port Lucaya.

Concrete ball artistry
In the port
Goofing
Vista in Freeport
Shopping in the port

We shouldn’t have bothered. It was pretty much the same as the port area. Same trinkets. Marlene did find a sterling silver ring and I found some Bailey’s-flavored popcorn. Then we took a taxi back to the ship.

In Port Lucaya
In Port Lucaya
Casual dinner attire

We had dinner in the buffet. We could have gone out after dinner – the ship didn’t leave until midnight – but there would have been nothing to see. We weren’t expected in port that day (we were there only to get some repairs done to the engine) and all the shops and restaurants – the ones that opened at all – shut before 5pm which was when we were supposed to have departed.

Vista Rockband

We danced some after dinner and Marlene, as always, got a lot of nice compliments on her dress. We were on our way to the casino when we got a call from Tim and Rachel – they wanted to see Marlene. Rachel was traumatized by an incident in the casino. She had sat at an empty machine – after asking the person at the next machine if it was free. As soon as she inserted her card three security guards surrounded her, telling her that she had taken someone else’s money and she had to cash out immediately. She was escorted to the teller, like a thief, with the entire casino looking on, wondering what was going on. Turns out the person using that machine before her had been unable to cash out and had left $100 in the machine. It got transferred to Rachel’s account, without her knowledge, when she put her card in. It was all resolved, but not before Rachel vowed to never sail on Carnival again. It was handled very badly.

Yet more evidence that this is the Cruise From Hell.

Marlene and I went to the casino and I stopped my losing streak, but just barely. I won $10 (down $490). Marlene won again. She is up over $1,200.

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CV2 Day 4: Princess Cay Bahamas

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Sparky
Marlene and her muffins

We dropped anchor about a quarter of a mile from Princess Cay and water shuttles ran from the ship to shore (and back) all day. I put on my swimsuit in anticipation of a day on the beach.

Never happened.

After breakfast (which featured the baker presenting her with a dozen of her favorite poppyseed muffins) Marlene informed me that the casino was open and she wanted to visit it before going ashore. She was getting close to the 2,000 casino points she needed to get a $200 freeplay gift. I wasn’t. But we both went down. As usual I lost $100 but this time it was particularly brutal – over 250 spins without a hint of a bonus. My fourth straight very bad day at the ship casino. I am now down $500.

After losing my limit I went up to the cabin to read. Then I went to lunch. Marlene finally left the casino around 2pm, too late to get to shore. I was miffed. We didn’t have a pleasant evening. She went to dinner with her son and daughter-in-law and I ate in the buffet. Then I read some more, finishing the book that I reported on yesterday.

Marlene went back to the casino after dinner and won again. She is up a lot now. So some good came from a bad day.

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“Hammerhead Beach Motel” by Tim Dorsey

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Sparky

Copyright 2000 by Tim Dorsey. Published by HarperTorch, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, New York.

If you like crazy you will like Tim Dorsey. I enjoy crazy, but only to a point. Apparently that point is somewhat below Dorsey’s level.

There are about 1,000 characters in this book and about 12 intersecting plot lines – all insane – that come together at the end in the middle of a major hurricane while Key Largo appropriately plays on the DVD player. Some of the crazy scenes include Toto the Weather Dog getting blown out the door of a hurricane-hunter plane, a grandmother who had gunned down a gangster getting blown to bits by 14 pounds of dynamite in retaliation, some drug runners getting taxidermied and a group of Flying Hemingways getting strewn about southwest Florida.

Yes, the book is set in southwest Florida which gives it a local flavor for me. But that isn’t enough to compensate for the over-the-top craziness.

3 out of 10.

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