Our Wander Years

Yes, I am still alive

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Sparky

Thanks for asking.

I have not posted to my blog since July 26 – 6 weeks! But I have been busy. VERY busy. Mostly with work and our rental property, but also with planning our future.

Just to catch you up on our plans: we are heading to Florida for the winter. We will be there from mid-November to mid-April. After that… not sure, though most likely we will be back in New England somewhere. We have committed to attending the National Escapade in Essex Junction, VT, from July 24 to 29, 2016. But the rest of the summer… dunno.

This uncertainty is due to my intent to retire at the end of September which meant that being in a place where I could commute to Cambridge was no longer a requirement. I had already informed my boss of my intention but had not yet given notice. But that plan is now moot because on Tuesday, 4 weeks to the day before I expected to retire, I was laid off! Before you cry for me, Argentina, understand that this is actually a huge boon as I am receiving 9 weeks of severance, plus a cash-out of nearly 3 weeks of accumulated vacation time. I was expecting to get the vacation cash-out (though I was planning to take some vacation days this month) and also expected 4 more weeks of pay, but the layoff gives me 5 weeks of pay that I wasn’t expecting. Sweet!

I suppose it is possible that the company did this because it benefitted me, but more likely it is because it is a huge corporation that simply wasn’t aware of my intentions. Don’t know, don’t care. I will take the money and run.

It also means that I don’t have to work in September. To me this is the same as getting an additional 4 weeks of PTO – another huge boon! I have a long list of tasks that need to be completed before heading south and I was worried about finding time to do them all. I am no longer worried.

We did not sell our rental property and have not yet found tenants for the 2 empty units, so getting that situation stabilized in my most urgent concern. I will probably be spending at least 4 days on site there in September, painting, fixing, cleaning and interviewing. I also have a number of financial and RV-related chores. But I now have time for all of them.

The trip south is planned for 41 days and includes a week in Bushnell, FL, which we will use to establish Florida residency. As of early November, we will no longer be Massachusetts residents! For me that will be the end of a 48-year residency.

Categories: Commentary, MA, Places | 1 Comment

Our new Heartland BigHorn 3875FB

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Sparky

Our new 3875FB

Yes, we traded in Patience – our Open Range 399BHS – in favor of a brand spanking new Heartland Big Horn 3875FB. We plan to travel for at least 3 more years and, with the sale of the house, felt justified in upgrading to a unit that better fit our current needs. We don’t have a separate bunkhouse bedroom for guests now, which was great when the grandkids visited, but was used too seldom to justify the use of that space. We opted for a unit which provides a larger, more comfortable living space for Jett and me.

Our new home has just one bedroom, but it equipped with a king size bed and a better TV – the two things Jett needs for a good night’s sleep. It has a bath-and-a-half, as did the Open Range, but the full bath is more spacious (and is, in fact, larger than the main bath in our house) and the half bath is much more comfortable (and with more storage) than the old one. The kitchen boasts a full-size side-by-side residential refrigerator and a larger convection microwave. The living room has a full-size sofa which is great for napping, two wonderful recliners and a very nice 46″ television with Blu-Ray DVD player. There are more windows, two air conditioners, LED lighting and outlets everywhere. The storage is amazing, both in the living area and in the basement. The main slides are hydraulic (no more snapped cables!), the stabilizers are hydraulic and self-leveling and the electric umbilical is on a powered reel. Rather than wrestling with a stiff power line on a cold morning, I can now just press a button! Ah, heaven!

All-in-all, we are very happy with the layout and the general living comfort of the new RV. To see what I am talking about, view this video.

But…

The “initial quality” of the workmanship has been a disappointment. The very first time we dropped the hydraulic landing legs, one of the hydraulic pistons leaked. In the two months since that day we have encountered the following problems:

All three sinks have leaked. One leak was due to poor sealing of the under-counter sink, one was due to a faulty coupling on a cold water line and one was due to a loose drain seal. We really didn’t expect to be dealing with numerous plumbing problems in a new vehicle.
Two hinges have detached from the cabinet doors.
The rear window (by the sofa), if opened, cannot be closed without pressure from outside.
The Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner was DOA.
The LED lights over the recliners flicker.
There is a ripple in the kitchen linoleum, due, we think, to an object being caught under the main slide before it reached the dealer.

Broken hydraulic line

We are currently working on getting these issues fixed (and, in fact, are “homeless” because the new unit is back at Camping World being worked on), including the complete rupture of the hydraulic line that occurred when we lifted the landing jacks for the trip to CW. Heartland, to their credit, has been very understanding and cooperative. The service at Camping World, by comparison, has been abysmal. We have been on the receiving end of rude receptionists (“The service department looks busy right now so they probably won’t answer the phone. Call back later.”) and service staff (“I don’t have the Heartland number here. Just Google it.”). We can never get a straight story from CW. When asked about the linoleum, we were told that it was a discontinued item (hard to believe, but true) and that Heartland had recommended that they cut a patch out from under the sink (untrue; Heartland says that would never recommend such an action). We were later told the replacement linoleum had arrived. Also untrue. And when the replacement Dyson arrived, they wanted us to come down to Berkley (round trip 150 miles) to pick it up rather than spending the $20 it would cost to ship it to us. They finally relented and shipped it, but only after telling us how they were making this special effort just for us.

Gee, thanks.

Now they have received the second set of keys (the unit came with just one set) and, unbelievably, are balking at mailing them to us. A security issue, they say, at which Heartland scoffs.

Our ex-RV

When we bought the Big Horn we also purchased the optional “protection package” from CS – about $2,000 worth of coatings for the exterior paint, the interior carpets and other “soft surfaces.” But we can see no evidence that these coatings had actually been applied. When we asked what proof they could give us that the work had actually been done, they said we had the receipt. We had to explain that we know what we paid for, we just wanted to see proof that we had received what we bought. They quickly – too quickly, we think – volunteered to reapply the protection.

Jett is insisting that she be there to watch them apply the protection this “second time.”

Meanwhile, the Open Range is still available at CW Berkley. If anyone needs a well-loved and widely-towed fifth wheel, go talk to the people at Camping World.

But if they offer you a “protection package” just say no.

Categories: MA, Places, RV Living | 2 Comments

The end of our Patience

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Sparky

The Open Range, traded in

We loved our Open Range fifth wheel, a.k.a. “Patience.” But some of the reasons that made it right for us – the bunkhouse to house the grandchildren being at the top of that list – are no longer relevant. And it was relatively dark and had a number of maintenance issues – most notably the slide cable unreliability, the persistent blowouts and the leak in the bunkhouse slide – that made it a less-than-ideal place to live. With the sale of our house we felt justified in looking for an upgrade.

So what kind of RV would be better? Well, we were still committed to a fifth wheel as we believe they provide the most comfortable and economical living space of any RV type. We also needed the one-and-a-half baths; Jett would divorce me if I asked her to live in an RV with just one bath. Those were the only “must haves” but there were a lot of other desirable characteristics which could be boiled down to this: more living space. We wanted something that was more comfortable for full-time RV living than the Open Range. Something brighter and cheerier. Maybe a larger refrigerator and a ceiling fan. More storage. A real sofa on which I could nap. Comfortable seating for four in the “living room” and at the table. Better outside lighting. An automatic leveling system. Hydraulic slides (with no cables!). Two air conditioners.

Also, based on some models we had seen at an RV show, the “front bath” layout was very attractive. By putting the full bath in the front of the RV, the space wasted by the hallway was eliminated and the bathroom became much larger and more comfortable.

So I started by constructing a list of fifth wheel models with a bath and a half with the full bath up front. There were about 10 such models. I then conducted a nationwide search for used RVs from this list. And I found… nothing. Well, almost nothing. I did find some used ones in Minnesota and Oregon and maybe a few in Texas. But I wasn’t about to travel 2,000 miles to buy an RV.

One of the reasons for the dearth of used RVs of this type is that they didn’t exist prior to the 2012 model year, which meant that an owner would have to have held if for less than 3 years to be for sale used now. I suspect that the few who had these models liked them and didn’t feel like dumping them so soon.

So I looked for new 2015 models. And found… damn few in New England. But Camping World of Berkley MA had two Heartland Bighorn 3875FBs in stock. So we decided to go take a look.

Of course we fully intended that it would just be a scouting expedition, but the trip down there was over 60 miles, so we weren’t eager to make many of those trips. Between some aggressive selling and the model selling itself, we were hooked. So, in late March, while the Open Range was still buried under tons of snow, we signed the contract, trading in the Open Range for the amount we owed on it.

We took possession on May 6, hauling the Open Range down to Berkley and hauling the Bighorn back up to Littleton. And that was the end of our Patience. I hope it finds a good family.

The photo is our last view of Patience as she sat in the Camping World parking lot. I felt more emotion leaving her than I did leaving the house that I had owned for 10 years. So many memories…

I could try to describe our new RV, but I will instead suggest that you find a YouTube video (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsfkBR5lLT4). The model shown here is not identical – we have stainless steel appliances, for example – but it is very similar.

I can tell you that it is as nice as it looks.

Executing the swap was an ordeal. More on that next.

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A lifetime on a laptop

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Sparky

For those (few) readers who have noticed that I haven’t blogged lately, the reason is this: my laptop died. Yes, the Dell T5510 in which I had just invested about $100 to replace the screen and power cord decided that it was time to give up the semiconductor ghost. I used it in the morning, took it into the office but didn’t use it, and when I tried to use it that night at home it was just flat out dead. Wouldn’t turn on.

Panic.

One of the side effects of a life lived on the road, in an RV, is an increased dependence on one’s computer. Jett and I are, of necessity, nearly paperless. All of our financial records, along with emails and various supporting applications (e.g., GPS map downloads) reside on the laptop’s hard disk. Losing the use of the laptop brings many aspects of RV life to a grinding halt.

I am not a complete idiot. Of course I back up that hard disk regularly, but the most recent backup was about 10 days prior to the crash. Losing even 10 days of records is not a great option. I suspected that the problem did not involve the hard disk and that the data were probably recoverable. So while I looked for a new laptop, I asked Jett to stop in at Best Buy and see if they could transfer the disk to an external drive. But, for reasons I still don’t understand, they were either unable or unwilling to do that; instead they wanted to download subsets of files based on some utilitarian categorization. They asked questions like “what email client do you use?” I tried to get through to them that they shouldn’t care; I just wanted the entire contents of the disk transferred. They tried to patiently explain that I would need to reinstall software (which I knew) and I tried to patiently explain that I didn’t care. We never did get to a point of understanding, so I instructed Jett to walk out and I proceeded to find an independent contractor to do my bidding.

For the cost of a 2TB disk ($103) and a disk-to-disk copy job ($75) I was able to successfully recover the contents of the disk. Then the real work began: reinstalling and reconfiguring the software. Fortunately, I had the foresight to save the downloads of the most recent versions of Quicken and Thunderbird (or perhaps benefitted from my failure to clean up the Downloads directory) and was able to reinstall everything that I use regularly from the recovered disk. The hardest part was reconfiguring the folders on Thunderbird. That took some research and hard work.

All told, I probably spent over 20 hours, spread over a week, on recovering my files and getting the new laptop (a Toshiba) into a functioning state. There are probably a few things that remain to be done. For example, I just recovered the Garmin GPS update software today. But I am once again up a running and this post is proof of that.

One thing I decided to not recover was my Windows 7 operating system. The new Toshiba came with Windows 8 already installed. I probably could have overwritten it with Windows 7, but decided to get with the program and “upgrade” to Windows 8.

It isn’t much of an upgrade, folks. I had to spend several hours figuring out how to disable some of the Windows 8 “charms” which I found to be less than charming. They were so annoying that I was contemplating returning the laptop and finding one with Windows 7 instead. But now that I have de-charmed Windows 8 it is tolerable, though still very unfriendly. I am beginning to understand why Apple is so successful.

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Practically homeless

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Sparky

The Medford house, last day

We sold our house in Medford MA on Friday. Jett shed a tear as she locked the door for the last time. My eyes remained dry, but even I had to acknowledge the significance of the event: for the first time since 1978, I do not own a residence. We are now back in our RV. The plan is to stay in MA until October, then… we aren’t quite sure. But we will NOT be spending the winter in the north. We have lost all interest in shoveling snow.

Moving was more difficult than it should have been. Most of our few remaining pieces of furniture went to my son and Jett’s brother. But I was surprised that it took one 24-foot U-Haul truckload and two “Beverly Hillbillies” pickup truckloads to get the job done. Plus we have a small (5x5x8) storage unit filled chock full. For a house that felt empty, we sure had a lot of shit.

Then there was the little matter of my truck. “Big Red”, the GMC 3500 that had taken us to Florida, Oregon, California and Texas with nary a hiccup, threw a shoe a couple of weeks before the close. A bearing in the engine froze, causing the serpentine belt to snap, which in turn caused a catastrophic loss of control over steering and braking. Fortunately, this catastrophic failure occurred in our driveway, which is about the only place it could have happened without putting lives at risk. Very lucky. But the repairs were in excess of $1500.

Then, on Sunday, May 3 – five days before the closing and while I was hauling Patience to the Minuteman Campground, to prep it for the trade-in (yes, we have upgraded our rig – more on that later), the GMC threw another shoe. This time it was a brake line failure – another loss of braking, this time while towing a 14,000 lb fifth wheel. I managed to get the RV to the campground, but the truck was leaking fluid badly by the time I got there. I got some brake fluid at the nearby Citgo. The comment from the clerk: “This is your lucky day; this is our last can.” I didn’t feel lucky, though I have to admit to a modicum of relief at not killing anyone (including myself). With Jett following in the Yaris, I managed to gingerly get the GMC to the dealer’s lot – some 20 miles where I tried very hard to not use the brakes.

Cost of the second repair this month: $1,873. That is over $3,000 in truck repairs in one month. Plus I had to hire a guy to haul the Open Range down to Camping World in Berkley MA and pick up the new RV. Cost: $320.

I think I have sprung a leak in my wallet.

On the day before the closing, Jett discovered a screw in the right rear tire on the Yaris. So as she was doing the last-minute cleaning, I was with the Yaris down at the local service station, getting the tire repaired. That was only $20, but the cumulative effect was much larger. I really felt physically battered by all of the problems we had in these last two weeks.

But we got it done. We are out. We are, in practical terms, homeless.

Categories: Adventures, MA, Places, RV Living | Leave a comment

Carnival Breeze – Days 7, 8 and 9 – At sea and in the Everglades

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Sparky

Beautiful sunset

We like ports of call, too, and shore excursions, but one the the best things about cruising is sailing along on the sunny open ocean, with nothing to do. Having two long, lazy days at sea to end this cruise – with beautiful sunsets – was just fine with us.

The final days of a cruise – especially days at sea – are an opportunity to do all the things that you planned to do when you boarded, but somehow never got around to it. Things on that list for me this time:

play mini-golf
do the ropes course
have sushi
have a burger at the popular poolside burger joint
get a hot dog from the hot dog cart
check out the “Serenity” adults-only lounge
catch an after-dinner show
listen to “Woodstock Generation”

Delicious burger

“Woodstock Generation” was one of the bands that played daily on board. We caught fragments of their repertoire when we passed their venue – most often the lounge area adjacent to the coffee bar, which we frequented. They struck me as being a very talented cover band, with a front singer that could do a credible job of channeling Janis Joplin. But, like the ropes course, the mini-golf the Serenity lounge and the hot dog cart, I never did check them off my list. I don’t feel bad about that; it leaves something to do next time.

The hot dog cart is classified as a “good try” – I twice tried to get there, but never found it open. I am not sure it was ever open on this cruise, so I will give myself partial credit for that one. In any case, I did manage to get a very good hot dog – with sauerkraut, of course – at the deli.

The hot dog was good, but the burger was great. We had marveled at the long lines at this poolside stand throughout the cruise and had made some snarky comments to each other on how an American tourist just couldn’t survive without a burger, regardless of how many other international dining options were available. But, after tasting one, I withdraw all snarkiness. This burger was damn good. One of the best I ever had. Way better than the pricy one I had in Curacao, and totally free. Waiting in a long line would definitely be justified.

Sashimi meal

I also sampled the on-board sushi. I was not blown away by this fare. It was good, but not great. And it cost me $15 as the sushi joint, unlike the burger joint, was not free.

We also did not make it to an after-dinner show on the last two nights at sea. Frankly, the entertainment on this cruise was not great. We saw about 20 minutes of the “Divas” show – a tribute to female singers – and walked out. It just wasn’t very good. Other shows involved juggling. Not our cup of tea.

So how did we pass our days? Well, we did stop by the casino from time to time – long enough to make our cruise casino experience a net loss, which was expected – but we also spent quite a few very pleasant hours on the smoking side of the promenade deck playing canasta. I didn’t think I would ever say this, but I am beginning to enjoy canasta. Beating the Canasta Queen (aka Jett) once in those two days was a highlight of these final days of the cruise.

We also bought some more cigarettes on board and then spent way too much time trying to figure out how they were going to complicate our disembarkation. We heard conflicting stories – from other passengers and from an internet search – as to whether the 5 extra cartons (we are each allowed to bring one carton back into the states) would be taxed or confiscated. I even stood in a long line to ask Carnival staff that question. Their unsatisfying answer? It is up to the discretion of the customs inspector. I guess if he is having a bad day he can just take the cigarettes.

Brave Jett

We were taking a shore excursion in Miami – an airboat ride in the Everglades – so we were prioritized for disembarkation (which was one reason why we booked the trip – the other being that we had lots of time to kill). So whether it was because we got off early, or that we looked like nice folks, or that the inspector got laid that morning, the result was that we were waved through customs, with our 5 extra cartons of Marlboros intact.

The airboat trip was interesting. We learned a lot about the Everglades and saw a few alligators in the wild. We also saw a show about alligators and tried to grab a bite at the ridiculously overcrowded cafe, but instead just hung out, enjoying the beautiful weather and speculating how the business could make a lot more money on busy days like this by putting a couple of food carts – and maybe an ice cream stand – outside. No charge for the advice, guys.

Our flight was not until 8:30pm and the bus dropped us off at the Ft Lauderdale airport at 1:30, so we had some time to kill. I read some and then got the laptop out to check emails. That is when I discovered that the seemingly harmless drop of the computer case when we were getting off the bus resulted in a cracked screen. Damn! It still worked, but I couldn’t look at the upper left quadrant of any maximized page. So I reduced the size and started researching how to replace the screen. Another story for another day.

We also tracked down a coffee place where we bought some not-very-good and outrageously expensive coffee and pastries. And we played some cards, napped a bit and watched lots of sunburned folks (like me) getting ready to go back to their real lives.

Our uneventful flight back to Providence deposited us – at midnight – into rainy 38-degree New England “welcome back, sucker” weather. Great to be back.

Yeah.

Airboat

Gator on the hoof

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Carnival Breeze – Day 6 – Aruba

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Sparky

A rare Sparky-and-Jett photo

Aruba was the one destination on the itinerary that we had visited before. We are probably in the minority as we are not enchanted by the island. We found it windy, bustling, overbuilt and visually uninteresting – it is basically a sandbar with big hotels. The beaches, while very nice, are not noticeably better than beaches that can be found on dozens of other islands. All of which explains why we chose to spend our Aruba time on a snorkeling excursion.

About to board

The snorkel boat was the Mi Dushi – “my sweet” in the local Dutch dialect. We traveled for 40 minutes to get to the first snorkel site, then visited two more before returning to the Breeze. Total excursion time: 5.5 hours – long enough to get a serious sunburn, which we did. I fried my face (I have gone through 3 layers of skin since the end of the cruise) and even burned my scalp. But I had only minor burns elsewhere. Jett got a nasty burn on the tops of her feet – very painful – but apparently was smarter about protecting her face as she did not peel at all.

I obviously should have been smarter about the Aruba sun. In April the sun in Aruba is about as intense as it is anywhere on earth. I knew this; I just didn’t apply the knowledge. Or the sunscreen.

Anyway, it was worth it, I guess. The snorkeling was superb. The first and third sites were in shallow water with good light and lots of colorful fish. The second site was over a German freighter, scuttled by its captain at the start of World War II when he learned that it was going to be seized by the Dutch.

I snorkeled with a T-shirt – a smart decision which probably saved my back. It also made me easy to spot in the water. I had an underwater camera with me and will add some of those later, if they turn out to be interesting, but it was old technology (film) that requires processing.

Preparing for snorkeling

Pirate ship

We had to endure a very long line when reboarding the ship. I am not sure why the process was so much slower in Aruba than elsewhere. It was very windy, but the ship and its gangways did not seem to be moving much. Yet they were letting only a few people board at a time. Even as the 4pm departure time approached, the line snaked down the quay and into the terminal. So we were a few minutes late pushing off.

But with two sea days ahead, who cared?

Leaving Aruba

Sparky in the water

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Carnival Breeze – Day 5 – Curacao

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Sparky

The Breeze at night

The Queen Emma Bridge

Curacao was another first-time visit for us. It was an unusual docking as we were ashore late – departure was 10pm. That gave us a rare view of our cruise ship at night.

I had seen the photos of the colorful buildings along the harbor in Curacao and seeing them in person didn’t disappoint. But I was not prepared for the drawbridge. I am talking about the Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pedestrian drawbridge that spans the harbor – a distance of over 500 feet. Rather than lifting to let a ship pass under, it pivots on the far end until it hugs the shore, then, when the ship has passed, swings back again. Think matador.

The Queen Emma, opened

At the time we docked I was vaguely aware of the existence of a bridge across the harbor, but thought that it was for automobile traffic. Jett and I tried to get a taxi to downtown, but the dispatcher looked at us like we were crazy (ok, he actually looked at us like we were stupid, but I’m trying to maintain my dignity) and said that we would be better off walking – about a 10 minute stroll. When I later realized that automobiles must go several miles further than a pedestrian to get to the same place, I understood. Not only was walking cheaper and healthier, it was also faster.

So we strolled. And just as we started across the bridge, bells started ringing and the gate closed. I figured that something was going to happen, but didn’t know what. I certainly didn’t expect the bridge to swing like a garden gate. Then, when the bridge started moving, I wondered how long we would be delayed in getting downtown. This was one of those moments when it pays to be a lemming, because the (sizable) crowd started moving, en masse, upstream. We joined the flow and found a ferry waiting, just past the point where the end of the fully opened drawbridge came to a rest. We hopped on board and, in about 5 minutes, were deposited on the opposite shore.

Downtown from the opposite shore

Curacao is Dutch, but in many ways it reminded me of Bermuda, a very British island. Both have colorful buildings, both are very clean, both have very civil drivers and both have no night life. We had a beer and a coffee (I will let you decide who had which) and wandered about a bit shopping and looking for a post office. But at 6pm the place shut down. Never mind that 3,000 affluent cruise passengers were in town and eager to spend.

We were not ready for a full meal, but if we had wanted a bite, then I could have had the barracuda. I was tempted to order a plate, just to see what it was like, but, like rattlesnake bites, it will have to wait.

More colorful buildings

Barracuda on the menu

While we were in downtown, the Star Clipper docked. This is a very cool cruise ship. We will have to look into booking a future trip on it. It is very photogenic.

Star Clipper

Yup, it is Curacao

The Star Clipper

Twilight

Painted cow

Café

Star Clipper and the Breeze

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Carnival Breeze – Day 4 – La Romana

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Sparky

Docked in La Romana

View from our cabin

We finally got to dock at a Caribbean island on Day 4 of our cruise. And it was one of the places we have never been: the Dominican Republic. Specifically, La Romana, a port on the southeast corner of the island and the third-largest city in the DR.

We had been told not to expect too much – no shopping, no scenic vistas, no beautiful beaches – so we weren’t disappointed when we docked in an industrial area, across the channel from a very old merchant ship and with a nice view of a factory with black smoke billowing from the stacks. But the sun was shining and it was warm, so we were eager to explore.

Most of the people who disembarked at La Romana had booked a Carnival-sponsored excursion. There were excursions to Altos de Chavon, a replica medieval Italian village, or a remote beach. Having no interest in either replica villages or long bus rides, we took a bus into beautiful(?) downtown La Romana. There was a large native crafts bazaar there. We bought some souvenirs from some very aggressive vendors, wandered a few blocks in an unsuccessful attempt to find a realtor, just to see what kind of property was available, then returned to the ship.

We won’t be returning to La Romana anytime soon. The best thing about La Romana? It’s not as crappy as Belize City.

Jett had a good night at the casino, winning over $150. I was also up for a while, but outstayed my welcome, finishing down about $70. But a net win for the night. Probably our first win ever on a cruise ship. We also stayed awake past 3am – another cruise first.

Jett with local dog

Crafts bazaar

Interesting church

Luis Tiant

Nathan’s hot dogs at the dock

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Carnival Breeze – Days 1, 2 and 3

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Sparky

The Breeze in Aruba

Jett and I are midway through a 9-day (8 night) Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Breeze, one of Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest and best ships. Our itinerary includes stops in Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands), La Romana (Dominican Republic), Curacao and Aruba. After the winter we have had, we felt the need to get some Caribbean sun.

But, if the first two days are any indication, we will be disappointed. It has been cloudy and cool, with a few rain showers sprinkled in, so to speak.

FLL, waiting for the bus to the ship

We started the trip by getting up Friday morning at 3:30am and driving to Providence for a 7:30 flight. Why Providence? Because we could get a Southwest flight to Ft Lauderdale from there. Now, mind you, the Breeze docks in Miami. But – travel tip alert – it is often much cheaper to fly to Ft Lauderdale which is just 35 miles from Miami. There is even a train that connects the airports. My original plan was to fly into Ft Lauderdale and take that train to Miami and then get a taxi to the cruise terminal. But Carnival made it easy on us by offering a bus from Ft Lauderdale. So we flew into Ft Lauderdale Friday, stayed overnight at the airport Ramada Inn, then took the Carnival bus to the ship Saturday morning. Easy peasy. And we saved over $600 in airfare by doing it that way. Yes, we had the cost of the hotel, but that was because we always fly in a day early – we got stuck once with a 16-inch snowfall and missed some of our vacation, so we vowed then that we would always get to our destination a day early. We figured that if there was ever a year where an early spring snowfall could delay us, it would be 2015.

It also turned out that Miami was having a huge music festival last weekend and hotel rooms for under $500 were non-existent. Just another reason to pick Ft Lauderdale.

The pool area at the Ramada Inn, Saturday morning

It was sunny and warm when we arrived at the Ramada and we had drinks and lunch at the poolside bar. We were starting to unwind, getting our heads into vacation mode (which was somewhat difficult because were were anxiously awaiting word on an anticipated offer to purchase our house – but that’s another story). Then it clouded up, the rains came and the temperature dropped 15 degrees. It seems that the jetstream, which had been dipping south along the US east coast all winter, bringing all that snow to Massachusetts, had followed us down to Florida. Everyone commented on how unusual it was to be that cold in March. Well, we have heard THAT before. It wasn’t the weather we wanted, but at least it wasn’t snowing.

It was cool – 70ish – when we boarded the ship. There were occasional sunny breaks, but mostly it was cloudy, cool and breezy. We wore our hoodies as we got familiar with the ship.

The colorful atrium

The Breeze is the largest cruise ship we have ever been on – about 1,000 feet long with a capacity for about 3,700 passengers, served by a crew of 1,400. That is over 5,000 people living on this floating city.

It was built is 2012 and still has a fresh feel. It is colorful and very tastefully decorated. It has a 9-story atrium with glass elevators. Lots of restaurants, bars, several pools. a spa, a mini-golf course, basketball courts, a jogging track, kids activity areas, two dining rooms, a shopping arcade, a mega-video screen above the main pool and, of course, a casino. It also has a wonderful water slide and a ropes course.

Our cabin

We have a balcony cabin on Deck 11 – one level above the Lido deck (with the pools and the buffet). It is a good location as we can get anywhere pretty quickly. And we are just steps from the main smoking area – a critical space for Jett. It was one of the smaller balcony cabins we have had, but it meets out needs. Everything works.

Speaking of smoking, Marlboros on the ship have a price tag of $28 per carton. Read that and weep, Massachusetts smokers.

Day 1 was basically a day to get familiar with the ship and our dinner companions. We dine at 8:15 with four other couples: a career army couple now stationed in Virginia, a couple from northern Mississippi, a couple from Alabama and a couple from Texas. Yes, we are the only Yankees in the bunch. I don’t know if the South will rise again, but it will certainly go cruising.

Our balcony

Our vanity area

Our hallway

Day 2 was a day at sea and it was very cool and cloudy. Jett and I aren’t big pool people, but it probably would have been warmer in the pool than on the breezy deck. The high was around 70.

Day 3 was our day on Grand Turk. Or was supposed to be. It was so windy that morning that the captain declared that it was too dangerous to dock, so we just waved at the island and moved on. That was disappointing as we had a snorkel excursion scheduled and were looking forward to seeing what is, by all reports, a beautiful (but small) island. But snorkeling on a windy day is never fun, so it is probably best that we didn’t do it. We have another snorkeling trip planned for Aruba.

Martin

We were pretty certain, when we boarded the ship, that there would be a coffee bar on board. Jett needs her coffee in the morning and I need Jett to have her coffee in the morning. Jett without coffee is not pretty. The coffee in the dining rooms, though adequate, was not the high-quality brew that she loves. And no cappuccino in the dining rooms. But by the end of Day 2 we had not found it and I was getting seriously worried. Fortunately, on Day 3 we discovered its location. In retrospect, it should not have been such a mystery as it is in exactly the same place on the Breeze as it was on the Valor. This one was manned by “Martin,” a very cute barrista from the Philippines. By the end of the cruise he and Jett will be BFFs.

It turns out that Martin is very skilled at foam art – drawing pictures in the foam topping a cappuccino.

Days 4, 5 and 6 are all days in port: La Romana (D.R.), Curacao and Aruba. If it isn’t too windy.