| We were the last tour to return and got parped at, as well as one of the crew coming out onto the docking platform waving and cheering us on for turning up. We were only ten minutes late which wasn't bad. Before we'd even reached the only gangway left out, you could hear the Captain giving his pre-departure speech. I popped to the cabin to freshen up and when I went onto deck 11 at 4.50pm, we were casting off, giving three short blasts to signal going astern. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| After another yummy curry from the Seaside (although madras and korma shouldn't be really as spicy and eye watering as these are), shower and the show, which was The Land of Make Believe. It was a cross between The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella and flipping hilarious! The staging, costumes, sets and monster were amazing. I've included many photos to give an idea of this very strange but very funny show about a couple who are on the verge of getting married. Top marks to Celebrity for another fabulous show, which got a standing ovation at the end. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Back to the cabin before getting ready for dinner and killing time watching the news and webcam. |
 |
 |
Carmel was late, which didn't go down well with Bill so she rushed to order. Afterwards, we left again at 11.10pm only this time Loreto said he was going for his dinner and bid us goodnight. Reflections again after popping our heads into Michael's Club to see a bit of Perry Grant. Due to my now early morning tour, I left at 12.15am. There is a really annoying noise above my head, which had been there since the day I boarded. It sounded like hammering, sawing or a mad dentist doing constant drilling but it was the galley! Pity they couldn't have made it soundproof since I wasn't sleeping well because of it some nights. We were now a week into the cruise and this time a week from now, would be back in Fort Lauderdale. It was going too fast! Up at 5.30am and it was chilly on deck with the occasional shower. Azura and Royal Clipper were already docked, Seven Seas Mariner was on our port side, Norwegian Dawn was due for 10am and Wind Spirit didn't appear to be anywhere unless I missed it. Sunrise was partially obscured by low-lying clouds. I grabbed breakfast while it was quiet then headed to the Prom deck to avoid the rain as we got closer and Seven Seas Mariner arrived under a gorgeous rainbow. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| I couldn't wait to see her dock so returned to the cabin to charge the camcorder, slap on the sunscreen and go. One annoying thing was no port information such as where we dock, how close to the town, transport. All we got were shopping guides and when I asked why before going out, was told it was because there was no port guide aboard. Excuse me??? It's not like any RCCL brand was a stranger to these ports so there should be bog standard info to just put in the daily paper. Today we had shuttles but what they didn't say was you also had to get one to go on your tour. The ticket said to meet on the pier, not go on a bus to the port terminal, walk miles to the other end and hey presto! In fact, all shuttles went to the port building and from there you could do their 'recommended' hopping or catch a bus/taxi but it never told you that and should have instead of just "Complimentary shuttle bus to the port terminal." Well I made it to my tour just in time but we left without ten people. It was the Coast to Coast Scenic Drive tour and so-so. The guide was English, having moved there twenty years previously from London. Ginny from my tour in Curaçao was on it, as was the videographer doing the cruise DVD, who fell asleep a lot because the guide droned on. As we left, I saw Norwegian Dawn arriving - damn! First stop was some view for either complimentary rum or fruit punch. I was on painkillers for my back so had the fruit which was okay. She decided not to stop at Barclays Park but Bathsheba, somewhere supposedly better, then claimed they'd changed the tour without telling her, whoch now included both places when the driver told her we should have stopped. She does it practically daily so can pull the other one! It was at Bathsheba she said of Cliff Richard, "He's so tiny, so friendly and so gay." Okay! Well she did say celebs can be themselves on the island and aren't bothered by people or the press. We just drove into the car park of St. John Parish Church then out again and if it hadn't been for a lady with a foreign accent, we wouldn't have stopped at all. The guide's excuse was we had to be back for lunch. She was really getting on my wick! But not as much as an American woman. I'd been trying to help and old Scottish bloke get a signal on his phone since he hadn't since leaving Fort Lauderdale, even the ship one. The old cow in front of him had a go at us for talking when the guide was only pointing out bloody plants and talking rubbish! Well, we stopped at the church and had about ten minutes. Guess who kept us waiting???? It's guaranteed on EVERY tour, the moaner is the one who then holds everyone else up and never apologises. I'd asked Ginny if our discussing his phone was annoying her and she said no. She was falling asleep at the boring drivel the guide was coming out with. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| As we neared the port many of us became disgusted at the way the guide was telling us we should tip them! Tipping is at your own discretion, not something to be dictated by an awful tour guide. Bloody cheek! Unless she never gets any because she knows she's terrible. We were also given a form to rate the tour and I wouldn't be surprised if the negative ones disappeared. It rained again as we got onto the Tardis bus. I say Tardis because once we pulled up in front of the ship, it appeared to be a never-ending queue of people getting off. It was certainly far more than it should have safely held. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| After lunch I washed my hair to get the sweat out and had a kip. There really is no point washing hair first thing when only have to do it again and damage it with too much cleaning. Then it time for was sailaway. We were leaving at 5pm but again went a bit early, and the showers were still intermittent but the sun was setting, creating some gorgeous light. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| I had another fabulous curry and then popped onto the Prom deck as the moon was rising and looking gorgeous. |
 |