Author Archives: Sparky
ATW-1 Days 12 & 13: At sea
We don’t get our cabin cleaned every day. In fact, if it were Marlene’s choice we would never get it cleaned at all. The compromise we have reached is cabin cleaning every 6 days, so Day 12 was a cabin cleaning day. We also got our laundry back. One of the perks of our exalted … Continue reading
ATW-1 Days 9-11: At sea
After our day in Honolulu, the Carnival Luminosa headed toward the second port of call: Tahiti. And I learned something about the islands of the Pacific: rather than heading west, as I expected, the ship headed south. Actually a bit southeast as Tahiti is east of Hawaii. And in the same time zone. So for … Continue reading
ATW-1 Day 8: Honolulu HI
I had been to Hawaii before – sort of. I landed there way back in 1975 while on my way to Australia on a work assignment. But I never left the airport terminal. So I really didn’t get to see it back then. I still haven’t seen much of the state, but at least I … Continue reading
“The Broker” by John Grisham
Copyright 2005 by Belfry Holdings. Published by Bantam Dell, a division of Random House Inc, New York. The eponymous broker in this case is disgraced and convicted Washington lobbyist Joel Backman. He is in prison, having served 6 years of a 20-year sentence (though the nature of his crime is a big vague), when he … Continue reading
ATW-1 Days 5-7: At sea
Three more days at sea on the Carnival Luminosa. These were relatively uneventful days. The weather wasn’t bad, but it was chilly and cloudy on Day 5. It was also pretty choppy. The weather improved on Day 6 and was positively gorgeous by Day 7. The highlight of Day 5 was dinner at a table … Continue reading
ATW-1 Days 3 & 4: At sea
The Carnival Luminosa portion of the ATW-1 begins with 5 days at sea. This means we spent a lot of time eating and playing slots in the casino these first 2 days on board. And meeting our fellow cruisers. At breakfast on Day 3 we met Tony, from Cincinatti. At breakfast we noticed the very … Continue reading
ATW-1 Day 2: Carnival Luminosa embarkation
We took an Uber from the hotel in Tukwila to Pier 91 in Seattle, with a brief stop to purchase 2 12-packs of cola. We thought we were going to Pier 66 (because Google told us that was the Carnival pier), but we were mistaken – another ship was docked there. Pier 91 was 2 … Continue reading
ATW-1 Day 1: RSW to SEA
We planned to get up at 5am to do the final preparations for the big trip, but we just couldn’t wait – we got up at 4am. We got the final packing done, ate some cereal and did some final work to get Marlene’s house ready for our extended absence. She didn’t clean out the … Continue reading
ATW-1 Day 0: Final preparations
The ATW begins tomorrow with an early morning flight to Seattle. But there is work to be done today, to prepare for the flight and the subsequent 22-night cruise. And to ready Marlene’s house for nearly 10 weeks of vacancy. Things to be done today: Packing is a challenge. We will be away for nearly … Continue reading
And so the ATW begins…
Not the trip per se but the final preparation for the trip. Specifically, Marlene just left to deliver Becky to her brother in Coral Springs. She will return Sunday, we will finish packing Monday and Tuesday and will fly out on Wednesday. The lead-up to our departure has not been without drama. Marlene’s air conditioning … Continue reading