Don't Stop the 2016 Carnival

Carnival is one of the major cruise lines.

They market themselves as the FUN ships

They do their best to have music and activities non-stop. To me, a carnival is a kind of fun fair, and on a Caribbean cruise I think of.....

===Don't Stop the Carnival===

.. which is a book by Herman Wouk which explains the attitudes and culture of the West Indians. It is the story of a New York City press agent who runs away to a Caribbean island to reinvent himself as a hotel keeper - and butts up against the differences between NYC and the Caribbean. It is a good introduction to the mindset of the local people. I had Bob read it before we went on our first Caribbean cruise in 2005

St Thomas in 2005

In 2016, I wrote my travel agent:
This is my dilemma. Bob says he only wants to drive to places and he doesn't want to go on cruises anymore. He wants to stay home and work on the house and boat and also play with the cats.

I don't want to stop traveling. There are lots of places that I'd still like to go or go back to. I'd like to re-visit the Grand Canyon and I'd like to re-visit California and I'd like to go to Oregon. I think it would be nice to go back to Williamsburg - have not been since 1963. We could do that from here. This is not your problem. But my immediate problem is that I mentioned to Polly, the lady who has been cutting my hair at her salon since 1975 that I would like to go on more river cruises, but since Bob doesn't want to fly and doesn't want to do the Chesapeake or the ICW, that doesn't look like it will happen. She said she would go with me. But she has no one to take care of her beauty shop while she is gone so it would be financially difficult for her to go.

Anyway I was discussing taking a cruise with Polly to our mutual friend Lynde who is also my cleaning lady. Lynde was in a bad auto accident and she is pending getting permanent disability from the insurance company. She had to borrow money from me to replace her furnace and she still owes me about $8,000, although I have repaired her credit quite a bit.

Lynde said she would love to go on a cruise with me. But I had not intended to take a cruise with her. She will not fly and she hasn't been on a cruise before this because her husband will not go anywhere on a boat out of sight of land. So Lynde and I looked at some cruises today. Lynde is wildly enthusiastic about going on a cruise. She wants to go to the Bahamas. She has never been out of the country, so she will have to get a passport. Since Lynde will not fly (Polly has no problem with flying), then we have to go on a cruise that we can drive to. We decided on the October cruise to the Bahamas on Carnival Sunshine out of Norfolk. We decided that Bob could take us to the cruise and Lynde's husband Timmy can pick us up

I told Lynde that I would pay for her booking, but she would have to pay the tips, and anything that she bought on the ship (like if she played the slots in the casino) and admissions to things on shore. She also has to get a passport.

Later I wrote, I was wondering whether to cancel, but Lynde told me not to cancel- she says she can handle it. But she's had her electricity turned off for the second time, and she doesn't have her passport yet. Can you book cabin 3102 or 3103 which is wheelchair accessible for the October 28th cruise on the Carnival Sunshine? Smoking appears to be allowed on the port side of deck 3 outside, and that cabin will be easy to get outside and smoke, and also there is a restaurant on that deck. Lynde has gotten her passport, so we are definitely planning to go

My travel agent wrote me:
We have you booked on the Carnival Sunshine departing Norfolk, VA, on 28 October 2016. You are in cabin #3103 which is a Category 4C rate. It is an Accessible Cabin as you requested. The total for the cabin is $2,346.32 of which a deposit of $500.00 is due now and the balance is due 14 August 2016. Please note that this is a Promotional offer and the deposit is non-refundable. There is a medical form to be completed and returned and as soon as I can get a legible copy I will forward it to you.

Packing

Lynde is working double this week so she can get away. She came Monday and packed my suitcase. Bob keeps saying that he doesn't understand how I can have such a full suitcase, but I have the stuff that he usually takes (like the 25 foot extension cord, the mouthwash, the alarm clock, and I have his power strip which takes up more room than mine. And he usually takes a hanging bag also - at least when we are traveling by car.

I don't really have a lot more than usual of my stuff, except that since the cruise will be over Halloween, I have a costume packed, and I also have all the snorkeling stuff (bathing suits, dive skin, mask, snorkel, underwater camera). I don't think I'm really too over packed for an 8 day cruise - two pairs pants (aka trousers), two skirts, two dresses, five tops, two pairs shoes, and a the dress I ordered (but didn't get) for last month's wedding for formal night. I have Bob's big old suitcase chock full. I'm wondering whether I need to remove some stuff. I can think of one pair of pants I can do without and maybe a blouse. Lynde had me print out the directions again for Timmy and we found on the map where it would be. She wants to stop and get a carton of cigarettes when we get to VA.

Carnival emailed me last week wanting to know why I had not filled out their form - the form turned out to be nothing more than that they wanted to know if I used a scooter (or was deaf or blind).

27 October 2016

We did early voting today. I knew Bob and I were voting for a different person for president.

line up for early voting

He does not see how I can vote for my choice and I do not see how he can be so blind as to vote for his. So we don't talk about it. One good thing about this cruise is that the election will be over when we get back. I didn't realize it but afterward I found that I had voted opposite him for everything except maybe the Representative for Congress. Although I didn't ask him about who he voted for in the school board.

I put my tag on my suitcase and Bob put it and the scooter in the car. We were on our way down to Norfolk and I made time in the schedule to stop off at Gloucester Courthouse again. I had prints made of the photos that were taken in 1962 so that I could compare.

28 October, 2016

We got up at six and I did email and then shut the computer down and got ready to leave. Timmy brought Lynde over at 8 and we were finally through the Ryken morning traffic and in Leonardtown by 8:15.

Spongebob in the Pumpkin field as we were leaving our county

We were going over the Nice bridge by 8:45

Governor NIce bridge

Lynde stopped at 10:30 to by cigarettes and go to the bathroom at a place that sells non-ethanol gas. I took a photo from the car of the

Fire tower next to the gas station

Flashback

From 1960 to 1963 we lived in Norfolk. Every time I went to visit my parents in Baltimore, I drove up US 17, which at that time went right through (or around) the Gloucester Courthouse square. At that time there was a brick wall around the buildings in the square.

Sometimes cars didn't make the turn and ran into the wall

We stopped and took photos of it in February 1962 when my oldest child was five months old. Across from the square was this little shop.

My, my mom and my child in front of the Hodge Podge Shop in 1962

Gloucester Court House -my dad's photo with me on the porch

Gloucester Court House's Colonial Courthouse

It was still in use when the 1962 pictures were taken. The sign above the bulletin board in 1962 says:
This building erected 1768 on the site of the previous Court House destroyed by fire. In 1769 under Act of Assembly the town was ordered to be laid out and called Botetourt.

Courthouse Bulletin Board

Courthouse and Monument 1962 - my Dad at the courthouse

Roane Building in 1962

Debtor's Prison

End Flashback

The historic district on Main Street in Gloucester Courthouse includes a walled green in the middle of the road (although the main highway no longer runs right through here as it has been routed around the town) and the buildings on the opposite side of the street. The green has one Confederate monument and five buildings; the Debtor's Prison, the Jail, the Roane Building, the Clayton Building, and the Court House. Some of the buildings have been restored and are open to the public.

The Hodge Podge shop is gone.

Where the Hodge Podge shop was

I wanted to look and take some photos to see how much change there was since 1962. We got to Glouster Courthouse before 11 and I got out with the scooter. Where we parked there was a

Historic marker about the Werowocomoco Indians

Part of it says "The site of Werowocomoco is located nearby at Purtan Bay... Captain John Smith was brought to Werowocomoco as a captive where he met the Powhatan leader Wahunsonacock.".

Buildings on the street where we parked

Just off the square is the Botetourt Building, formerly the Botetourt Hotel, which was built in the late eighteenth century as a roadside tavern or ordinary and was known as John New's Ordinary. This is now the Gloucester Museum of History.

Gloucester Museum of History

The building is said to have been named for Lord Botetourt Norborne Berkeley, Baron of Botetourt, sent from Gloucester, England to be Governor of Virginia. We didn't visit this museum (we didn't have time), but the website says: featuring the "Good Old Days" exhibit which includes more than 100 Gloucester County relics from the 1800's to the mid-1900's. It offers insights into a way of life that no longer exists when people milked cows, churned their own butter, cranked ice cream in a wooden freezer, make their own bread, made clothes from feed sacks, repaired their own shoes, raised and fried their own chickens and heated their homes with firewood which they sawed themselves.

Also featured in the exhibit is a recent donation of two period lady's dresses from 1880 and 1909. Another popular exhibit at the Museum is the original oil painting of Civil War General W. B. Taliaferro reviewing the last general muster of the Gloucester Militia at Roaring Springs Plantation the 4th Saturday in May 1860. Painted by Robert E. Goodlier (b.1925 – d.1999), the painting has been donated to the Gloucester Museum of History by his family. The artist’s daughter, Elizabeth G. Esrey of Middletown, Delaware and son, Winslow R. Goodlier of Glen Allen, Virginia, agreed that the painting should be returned to Gloucester because of it’s historic significance to the County. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goodlier lived at Roaring Springs Plantation from 1992 until 2004. The Museum also continues to display the "Battle of the Hook" Exhibit as well as other numerous permanent exhibits. The permanent exhibits on display include the original manuscript of The Honey-Pod Tree, the Gremer Doll House Exhibit (located on the 2nd floor) and the World Wars I and II Exhibit which will remain in place throughout the year

South entrance

We entered the Courthouse green on the south side. In 1962 they had a lot of signs directing people on the main highway around the square

Gloucester Courthouse Square - right 1962 - left 2016

First I had to go through a sprinkler which was watering the lawn.

Hose watering the lawn

Sign outside the Courthouse on Gloucester in the Civil War

Part of it says: "On April 7, 1863, a detachment [northern soldiers].. occupied Gloucester Court House for two hours.." They looted and burned the buildings.

The Colonial Courthouse was built in 1766. It is one of the oldest Courthouses in the country and is one of the most architecturally sophisticated of Virginia's important colonial courthouses. This old courthouse served its purpose for more than 200 years. While court is no longer held here, it is used regularly by county government and the community for meetings. An addition was built in 1956 which served as the Clerk's Office until April, 1982. Gloucester Courthouse has survived years of change (including assault by automobile) and visitors can still enjoy stepping back in time under the great old trees inside the court green. (It was added as a Historic District in 1973.)

Courthouse in 2016

As you approach the building, you may notice the original roof line of the front portico. The current roof was added to the structure some time in the early 1900s.

Original roof line under the portico

Comparison courthouse portico - left 1962 and right 2016

Comparison 1962 and 2016

Opposite the Courthouse is the Clayton Building

Clayton Building and left side of square

It was built on April 2, 1776, for John Clayton, Clerk of Gloucester Court 1720-1773 to be used as the clerk's office. It suffered almost complete destruction by fire in 1820. It was rebuilt on the earlier foundations and completed about 1823, the original wooden floor was replaced with stones of random size and with a brick floor in a smaller room. We didn't go inside on either visit

Clayton Building from near the south entrance

The self guided tour says:An interpretive restoration now depicts a Clerk of the Courts office from the early 1800s. Beneath the brick is the original stone floor. The very large stones probably were used as ballast in the ships coming to America from England. Because the stones had begun to deteriorate, a protective cloth now covers them and the bricks are set in sand. The herringbone pattern is typical of the period.

Clayton Building 2016

John Clayton served as Clerk of the Court in Gloucester for 53 years. However, he never worked in this building - instead he worked from his home as was customary for clerks in this period. In 1976, the building was named in his honor. Clayton was best known for his contributions as a botanist. An archaeological exhibit featuring Clayton’s home and office site sites is located here Please ask the docent at the Visitor Center to open the building for you.

Next to the Clayton builting is the

Roane Building

which currently, is the home of Gloucester’s Visitor Center. It previously served as the Museum of History and headquarters for Gloucester’s 350th Anniversary Celebration.. On April 2,1976, the building was named for Basil Bernard Roane, a native son, who served as deputy clerk and clerk of the Circuit Court for 59 years. I don't know what they called it for the first 80 years. .

Built 1896

According to the website, the Roane Building was built in 1896 on the foundation of a 1770 Clerk of the Courts office. The earlier building burned in 1820, and in the fire, all Gloucester’s records were destroyed. So the Roane Building was built to comply with rigid fire codes. Each of the rooms can be closed off from the remainder of the building by a heavy iron door. The walls are fire proof and the interior of the roof is cement. In theory, if a fire began in any room, it would not spread to the remaining building. B. F. Smith designed the building and traveled throughout the region selling his buildings from a design catalog. A marble plaque just inside the front door, commemorates the construction and the county officials serving at the time. In 2008, a considerable renovation project was undertaken. Drop ceilings were removed to expose the original metal interior.

Original ceiling and original floor pattern over Bags and T-shirts for sale

Tile floors were laid in the same pattern as the original floor, paneled walls were removed to expose the plaster, and lighting was installed to reflect the type used in the early 1900s. In the Visitor's Center there are maps and information on the history of the area. The one pictured is of the Peninsular Campaign of the Civil War.

Map in the Visitor's Center

Sign on the wall says: Battle of the Hook Posters 50 cents

You not only find the volunteers who can answer questions and information about the history of the building and of the area, brochures, maps and general tourist information, but also there is a small gift shop.

Gloucester History Ornament $18.00

Volunteers staff the center Monday thru Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. There is a little self-guiding map on the door if you don't want to go in.

Door with self guiding map

There are several steps required to enter the building

so I parked the scooter and went into the visitors's center and talked to the volunteer lady a little bit. I also talked to a man who works for the organization in charge of the historic buildings. I gave him the prints I had made and emailed him the link to all the photos. I have never heard back from him.

Roane Building, Confederate Monument and the Masonic Building in 1962

The white building at the far end of the picture (outside of the Court House Green) is the Botetourt Lodge No. 7 Masonic Building which is one of the oldest Masonic lodges in the country. The Lodge dates from 1757.and there is a 2016 photo of it also. Botetourt Lodge has met regularly since 1865, and was instrumental in the formation of four new Lodges: Oriental Lodge No. 20, Urbanna Lodge No. 83, Centerville Lodge No. 80, and Donovan Lodge No. 75. Its proudest day was probably September 18, 1889, when, assisted by sister Lodge, members laid the cornerstone for the Confederate Monument in the Gloucester Courthouse Circle.

Confederate Monument in 1962

Botetourt Lodge has provided space to the Red Cross and allowed the local Presbyterian congregation to use the Lodge building during major renovation of their church. The Gloucester Lutheran Church held its first services in the Lodge.

Located in the center of the court circle was unveiled on September 18, 1889, in honor of the Gloucester men who lost their lives in the War Between the States. It contains 132 names, eight of whom were officers. Two names were added in 2005. I took photos the names on two sides of the monument in 2016.

South side of the Confederate Monument with the Masonic Lodge in the background

West side of the Confederate Monument with the Debtor's Prison behind it

Also there is the James D. Gardner Memorial - Pvt. Gardner, a Gloucester resident, was the only Gloucester citizen to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. This honor was bestowed for his bravery at the Battle of Chapins Farm, September 29, 1864.

The third building on the west side of the square is

The Colonial Jail from the south side

The Colonial Jail was erected in 1873 as a prison after the earlier prison on the same site was burned by Federal troops during the War Between the States. This two story structure consisted of four rooms, each 16 x 16 feet in size. The upstairs floors were made of 6 inch thick North Carolina Pine spiked together to form a solid floor. One room up and one down were constructed as iron cages covered with bricks. The building’s walls are 18 inches thick.

Colonial Jail 2016

The two ‘wings’ on the building are newer brick. These additions were built in the early 1900s and were segregated restrooms. They have been modernized and made handicapped accessible. In 1952, the building was converted to office space. Although damaged by fire in November of 1974, the building continued to be in use by the Sheriff's Office into the 1980's, where it was last used by the Investigations Division. The building still stands, and can be identified by the large star that hangs over the entryway. - It is not currently open to the public.

Jail from outside the southeast wall in 1962

Jail from outside the north wall in 2016

On the other side from the regular Jail is the Debtor's Prison. In 1962, on the street behind the Debtor's prison was the Hodge Podge Shop (which is gone now).

Gloucester County Courthouse Debtor's Prison comparison 1962 and 2016

The 1962 sign says"Debtor's Jail built previous to 1754. In 1754 County Surveyor laid off 300 square yards where the prisoners were allowed liberty" Boundaries were usually marked with whitewashed stones and the ‘prisoner’ could go anywhere within those boundaries...except that they were strictly prohibited from going into a building which had a pool table.

Gloucester County Courthouse Debtor's Prison

The self guided tour brochure says: This tiny building was constructed around 1810 over a portion of a much earlier structure. Recently, under the guidance of an architectural historian, samples of the modern interior walls were removed to reveal the original interior. Two layers of sheetrock were removed to reveal 1 1/4 inch planks laid horizontally. The planks vary in width between 7 and 10 inches and have several layers of whitewash. The studs are quite close together and laid flush against the bare brick of the exterior wall. This same pattern was used in the ceiling. The placement of the boards on the walls and ceiling kept prisoners from picking away at the mortar to escape. The floor and the fireplace are original.

The window to the left of the door was added in more modern times. Furnishings would have been very sparse; most likely a straw mat for bedding, a table and a few eating utensils. Debtors who were incarcerated here were allowed out during the daylight hours for exercise.
When we left, I went out of the square on the side (beside the Debtor's prison) which was closer to where we had parked,

Gloucester County Courthouse Debtor's Prison from the side

and Bob folded the scooter back up. We were there a little over half an hour before we went on to Norfolk

Passing Williamsburg and Yorktown on the way to Norfolk

We went down 17 and went through the

Tunnel

and right by DePaul hospital where my oldest child was born. But when we got closer to the cruise terminal, traffic inched along. It took us a good 30 minutes to get from DePaul to the place to drop us off- A distance of 4 miles. We passed the Nauticus Museum which is right next to the cruise ship terminal.

Battleship Wisconsin

Hampton Roads Naval Museum (Nauticus)

Every time I get on a cruise ship at the Half Moone Cruise Center or go through Norfolk on our boat, I see the Battleship Wisconsin. I've never toured the battleship nor visited Nauticus

Carnival Sunshine at the Half Moone Cruise Center

There is only one small short driveway at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Terminal and whenever one of those humongous cruise ships is loading or unloading passengers, there is massive gridlock in the area. It took us half an hour to drive about 2 miles when Bob dropped us off. There is NO PARKING AT ALL at this location. All passengers who want to park their car and get on a cruise have to park at a remote location and take a shuttle in.

People picking up luggage 2016

Since the first time we cruised out of Norfolk, they have built a fancy new terminal,

Mermaid fountain

but the traffic issue was not addressed. Checking in took about half an hour. They took away my water bottle (but not the one in my suitcase) under the guise of not allowing plastic. Which is stupid and bloody minded on the part of Carnival because there is plastic everywhere on the ship including three plastic water bottles in our room.

TV and plastic water bottles

Later I found out that it wasn't Carnival's idea - it was the cruise terminal. Another black mark to go with the gridlock.

Selfies

Getting Settled

Wisconsin from the restaurant

We went up to the Italian restaurant to eat and I wasn't impressed - the Caesar salad was just glopped full of mayo.

Lynde eating sphagetti

Lynde went to the spa and made an appointment for tomorrow to have her nails done, and I went and asked where we were to eat. We are to eat in the Sunrise restaurant which means we have to go up an elevator and down an elevator to get to it.

Atrium elevator

So I asked for early dining in the Sunset restaurant which is right here by the room. I also went by the excursion desk and picked up our tickets. And found that they had rescheduled the Snuba so it conflicted with the Segway tour that Lynde was taking. When she got back to the room she went and got it changed. When I got back to the room there were two ladies in wheelchairs trying to get into the room opposite ours.

From the door looking at our beds

Bed with plastic cover to put a suitcase on

I logged onto the internet with my computer, but I am unable to use my cell phone and Lynde can't seem to use her iPad either. She did call before we left the port. So if Jaclyne wants to get in touch with her mother, she needs to email.

Selfie

They would not say when the lifeboat drill was. And when they had it, they took all of us impaired people into a room so we didn't have to go out on deck. But when we went out to see us sail away at 5 they were still loading the ship.

Ferry dock from the ship

Hospital Point (Mile Marker 0 for the ICW

Coast Guard boat

Lynde on deck

Navy helicopter

Loading provisions

Fork lifts on the dock

Nauticus

Removing the boarding ramp

Sunset over Norfolk

Reflections in the glass of the new terminal 2016

We finally went inside at 5:40. We still didn't have our luggage. We were hungry (at least I was) so I we didn't wait for the sail away which probably happened about 6 and tried to get to the Sunrise dining hall. But even when we got on the correct deck, we couldn't get there because there was a private party in the Limehouse Lounge. We did see our luggage as we were going to dinner. We ate with two ladies from NC - mother and daughter. Lynde and both of them had the shrimp cocktail and I had the

Strawberry "Bisque"

which was kind of a strawberry yogurt thing. Not what I think of as bisque. Then the mother had sweet and sour shrimp and the other three of us had the

Roasted chicken

Our chicken had very dark skin and I thought that the skin part of it was tasty but I thought the breast meat was a little dry. I didn't think much of herbed stuffing - it didn't seem to actually be made of bread. For dessert I had

Apple pie a la mode

and Lynde had the melting chocolate cake. She said it was good. I'll have to have that sometime. We came back to the room and unpacked and charged the scooter which took a long time to charge.

Desk with the scooter charging

Lynde tried to send an email with her iPad but couldn't and I couldn't get guest services to answer the phone at all. We tried to plug in a power strip (which we found under the bed) with the plug with two round pins and it blew the circuit breakers and all the lights went off (except the TV and the charger for the scooter). We had to get them to come and reset it. When I tried to plug something into those plugs I got sparks, so I am afraid to try anymore.

European plug

Sitting on my bed

We just have the one power strip and the two US plugs to use.

Bed

Thermostat

We had a handicapped accessible bathroom

Sink and Towels

Shower seat

While we have a refrigerator (and I booked the room based on a survey I found which listed the rooms that had them)

My cranberry juice in the refrigerator

we have only four drawers and one of the drawers is taken up by a completely unnecessary hair dryer.

Functional closet - hangers are locked to the bar

One of the hanging closets was taken up with life preservers and had no hangers (I put the dirty clothes bag in there)

Closet with no hangers

Three tall shelves reflected in the door mirror - instead of drawers (one out of sight at the top)

and the little night stands have no drawers - just a cubby hole.

My bedside table

Totally inadequate for two. And this room can be for four people

What we don't have is an ice bucket. Maybe because we have a refrigerator. When I asked for an ice bucket, I got a big plastic bucket with no lid filled with ice cubes (?).

Lynde went out to smoke a cigarette and read her book

Swan Towel animal

but it was a little chilly. So she's in bed. And I'll try to sign on again. I can't figure out how to access my account on board. The Carnival website says one device at a time, but it appears that once I logged on with the computer, that it is permanently logged on and I cannot log off to use another device.

Lynde wants to sleep with the TV on which is OK with me, but I'm not too happy with her choice of music. Carnival has both a bow and stern camera and the deck is lighted at night so the stern camera always has something on it.

TV tuned to the stern camera

Sea Day - October 29

Lynde had an appointment at 9 to have her nails done so we got up at 7:30. I did the belt and suspenders thing and asked for a wake-up call and also set the alarm. Both worked. Lynde slept so well she didn't want to get up. We went up to breakfast.

Movie screen

Pool before breakfast

I got what I thought was Eggs Benedict but it had salmon instead of ham.

Breakfast

Didn't care much for the salmon. I got grits and a square of French toast. The fried potatoes were cold.
I discovered that the Blue Cantina has ranchos hueveros in the morning but it was too late because I'd already eaten.

Huevos rancheros sign

When Lynde went up to have her nails done, I went back through the pool area - it was a little rough and they had drained the pool and were scrubbing the bottom. But by this afternoon things were in full swing around the pool.

Drained pool with workers

Before we went to breakfast we went for an explanation of how I could log the computer off and she could log her iPad on. Also they said I could check my bill at one of the kiosks. So I did that this morning. Boy those kiosks are the PITS. The touch screens require a hammer touch to work, and sometimes even then it just sits there. But I did find that we each got a $10 credit for less taxes I think, and that I had the $100 stock owning credit. After that I went back to the room and tried logging the computer off and using the phone. I was worried that Bob had a problem getting home, but he answered the phone so I knew he had gotten there. He couldn't hear me too well so we didn't talk long.

Atrium reflected

We went to lunch and we have to take these big plates - there is a counter that I can push the plate along, but I can't easily reach the food on the back plates and of course I can't see the labels because if I am on the scooter, they are way over my head.

Menu

They had a mac and cheese spring roll!!!

Mac and cheese spring roll?

Whoever heard of such a thing. I got the soup which was called Caribbean hot pot - wasn't spicy and had okra in it

Lunch

Lunch dessert

I thought they had bread pudding (even though that is a HAL (Holland American) thing, but it turned out to be a Napoleon which Lynde tried but didn't like. She really liked the Key Lime pie and ate two pieces.

I logged off the computer and she was able to log on and Skype and talk to Jaclyne and reassure herself that all was well at home - Timmy had paid the cable bill and he was feeling better and had gone back to work.

We did get early dining in the Sunset restaurant. Lynde had made an appointment to have a seaweed wrap, but tonight is formal night and the seaweed wrap wouldn't be done until 6. So she switched to have it tomorrow.

Cruise Critics meeting

At the Cruise Critics meeting this afternoon, the hotel manager told me that
-a) it was not carnival's policy to tell guests that they couldn't bring plastic aboard - that if I had been able to persuade the lady to let me dump the water out it would be Ok to bring the empty bottle

Juice bar and coffee at the meeting

-b) We aren't supposed to have power strips in the room (so I have hidden it)
-c) They don't do the ice buckets anymore. But several people have told me that they got ice buckets when they asked. Probably gold or platnium members. My card is red - Lynde's is blue for a first time cruiser.

Getting ready to go to dinner, the ship was rocking and rolling a bit. There was a northwest wind of about 35 mph (the TV said Beaufort scale 8), Lynde got a shower and used one of the bathrobes but when she got dressed, she threw up as we were going to dinner.

They have us at a table for four, but there was no one else there. Not sure if there will be someone there tomorrow night or not. Lot of tables were empty.

Dinner table

It was lobster night, so we both had the

Shrimp cocktail

(which was good, if small) and the lobster.

Then for dessert Lynde tried a chocolate hazelnut cake which was dark chocolate done very fancy with slabs of chocolate on the top and a chocolate ribbon,

Malted Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

and in case she didn't like it (which she didn't because she doesn't like dark chocolate) she had a creme brulee, which she did like

Creme brulee

I had

Coffee Cream Cake

Carnival did their usual thing at dinner with the waiters dancing and everyone waving their napkins

Dancing and napkin waving

Dancing waiters

Afterward we went out on deck for her to smoke a cigarette. It was so windy that they had those doors closed to that side of the deck. It was not cold although it was windy and Lynde said she could see the whitecaps in the distance. The ship was throwing up big waves of wake (we were near the bow). A couple came out - he was dressed in black with a really nice black hat. They complimented Lynde on her shoes - the straps were silver but the heel was clear acrylic.

Towel animal

We came in and she called home via Skype (after I logged off the computer) and she was immediately sick again. I was started to get a headache myself. So when she finished her call and then went out tosit on deck again I set the computer to upload the photos of Glouscester Courthouse, and plugged in the scooter and shut my eyes. The Florida game was on the TV, but I have no idea who won.

I came to and unplugged the scooter, but I left the computer uploading photos all night. They charge for the whole trip a flat fee so it does not matter how many minutes i use.

We both slept well last night although it was rough. Lynde was talking to someone and they said their stateroom was on Deck 1 and the captain lowered the ship - they said they watched the water coming up and wondered whether the boat was sinking. I never heard of that but Lynde said that the waves are splashing up to deck 3 and got her sweater wet on the back.

I went to breakfast

Breakfast bread

and had their version of ranchos hueveros (which I really liked)

Ranchos Nueveros as done by Carnival

and I lost Lynde and we didn't get back together until we both got back to the room. I ate at the next table to a man who was from England but who was born in Nassau and he had never been back until today. I can use the chock to hold the door open and get into the room by myself.

Chock to hold open the door

Anyway they notified Lynde that her excursion was canceled because of lack of participation, so after breakfast I persuaded her to sign up for the tour of the Atlantis aquarium instead of going snorkeling. That left at 1:30. She thought about doing the Ardasta gardens, but I thought they might still be decimated by the hurricane. She went up to do the seaweed wrap (which she said was marvelous). She has a watch but it needs a battery so she never knows what time it is. I went out on deck to see us come into port. BTW, the door ramps are not very east to cross - some of them are better than others - some of them I get hung up on.

Atlantis resort in the distance

Hotel beach on the harbour

Lighthouse

Freighter dwarfs the lighthouse 2016

We were coming in really slowly - I saw the tide was pushing us out of the dock, but he didn't come in hot like the HAL captains do.

Oasis of the Seas

Enchantment of the Seas at the next dock

were already here. Sunshine (our ship) is about the same length as Enchantment (and smaller than Oasis) but we have the big water slide. Our dock space is also used by Pride.

Fork lift and dock lines at Carnival Pride's and Carnival Sunshine dock space

I couldn't see who was going to do anything with dock lines, but eventually there were a couple of guys with fork lifts who got the bow and stern lines.

Lines from deck 3 to secure the gangways

There was someone dropping lines from deck 3 and I could not see what the purpose of them was, but eventually they secured the gangways. We were to get off on deck 0 (zero)

Tour ticket

Anyway we went out to get in line for the tour and neither of us had time to eat lunch. We went out and had to fold the scooter up to get on a van.

Folded scooter in the van

Nassau end of the bridge

Going across the bridge

We had a very nice girl who took us all through the resort

Decor of Crystal Court area

and casino

Crystal Gate at the casino entrance

(there were four Chiluly glass sculptures counting the one at the casino entrance)

Temple of the Sun

Temple of the Moon

Seaform chandelier

and the aquarium part. The astrolab thing isn't there anymore and neither are the jellyfish. I didn't think the water was as clear, nor did I think it was as picturesque as when we were there before. We walked around the great tank for several views of it.

Shark

Ray

Curved stone arch

Fish swimming by

Ray

Another shark

Archeologist desk

Another view of the "archeologists" area

"Tunnel" for the dig around the main tank

Individual Lobster tanks

Tank at the end of the tunnel

Fish in the Great Hall

Silver fish

Fish in front of steps

Fish in Atlantis

Groupers

Grouper looking disapprovingly at my scooter

Starfish - Individual species tank

Moray eels

Moray eel tank

Hyroglyphics

Our guide and some of the other tour group

One of the "Atlantis" dive suits behind a tourist

Astro navigation globe

Afterwards she told us how we could get to the predator tank and they were feeding the sharks at 3, so we went over there.

Aquarium Surface Tanks

Lynde saw them feed the sharks at least from a distance.

Feeding the shark

Feeding the sharks

Sharks waiting to be fed

There was also a possibility of snorkeling in the big tank (for $129.00/person). We didn't do that and Lynde didn't have the chance to swim which she had wanted to do. I had a hard time getting into the shark tunnel but eventually we found an entrance that didn't have steps.

Inside the predator tunnel

Instructional sign inside the predator area

Shark tunnel

Sawfish

OOH - a ray

Ray Surface Tanks

Baby Turtle Tanks

We did some shopping there (they said their machine was not working so we had to pay cash) and then got into the van to go back to the ship (the excursion was $45 and the van to and from was included). Lynde folded up the scooter and I got on the van but the scooter was still on the sidewalk. Apparently there was a Youth Parade in downtown Nassau and the streets were blocked so we couldn't get back to the ship.

Lynde on the sidewalk talking to the van drivers

Oasis left a 3 and Enchantment was to leave at 4 and there were some folks on the shuttle who were worried about getting back but the lady in charge of the van shuttles said they emailed the ship and told them that they would be late back, so they wouldn't miss the ship. And Enchantment was still there when we got back.

Carnival Sunshine with Enchantment behind her

Line to board the ship

We got ready for dinner

Entrance to the Sunset Restaurant

- we both had what was billed as a crab soup made with locally caught crab, but there was very little crab in it - it was a hot tomato based soup.

Crab soup

Then I had the

Junkanoo pot

which was to have shrimp, calamari and chicken with pineapple and pepper. But I didn't see any pineapple. It actually did have shrimp, a little calamari and one piece of chicken, but it also had mussels and quite a few scallops. Lynde had the veal parmesan and also a pina colada.

Pina Colada $9.96

For dessert she had pashion fruit flan and I had orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream.

And we finally got a real

Ice Bucket