Isn’t 6 Hours Long Enough For Flight Transfers?

 Apparently not when you’re flying Jet Blue. My 11:15 AM flight from JAX to JFK hadn’t even left the tarmac in JAX by the time it was supposed to land in JFK at 1:15 PM. I thought a 6 hour layover would leave me bored, tired of window shopping, weary of sitting around, sick of the novel I was reading, chewing my cuticles, and babbling incessantly with perfect strangers. Normally it would.  Passengers trapped in their seats around me were getting cranky.  At 2:00 they deplaned us.  At 2:30 I was dialing the concierge service at Allianz insurance to try to get another flight to JFK so I could get my Delta flight to Rome at 7:30 when JetBlue reboarded us

and finally took to the skies.  We landed at JFK, and it took ANOTHER nail biting hour to get my luggage, so I made it to the gate just as they were finishing boarding for Delta #152 to Rome.  I was just a little stressed.  From here on, I fly in the day BEFORE, like I tell my clients to do.

It all ended well, I surprised my nephew Brady on the flight, we flew over together, and met Liam in Civitavecchia.  It’s so good to be traveling with my boys! Let the games begin!

And I’m Off!

There’s always been a certain amount of stress involved with travel, but I’ve always thought that it was part of the fun.  Can I clean all the pressing items off my desk before I go? Organize a good sitter for the dog? Remember to put an “out of office message” on my e-mail inbox?  Turn off the oven? Unplug the iron, get foreign currency in small denominations for tipping?  Remember medications? Passport (yes, I have forgotten that more than once — and I’m supposed to be a professional). 

The amount of additional paperwork and testing added by Covid-19, and by traveling with two twenty- something’s almost did me in this time.  Getting the twenty- something’s to read e- mails marked “URGENT” and “DON’T F*** THIS UP” have proven unsuccessful.  Two days prior to embarkation and I was getting messages asking if they needed booster shots and what kind of Covid testing was necessary, ummmm that info was in the e-mail I sent in March marked “URGENT”.  It’s like trying to nail jello to the wall.  If all three of us get on the ship in Civitvecchia I’ll stop having panic attacks😱.  If not, I’m never attempting this again.

Finally Heading Back to Sea

 It's just been so long, so very, very long since I've had a deck under my feet!  The smell of the ocean breeze, the wind in my hair, nothing but the horizon to see, looking for dolphins splashing in the wake or seeing if there's a fin in the water (a habit from childhood).  I'm going back to the sea!  I love this quotation from John Kennedy:

 “I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came.

 That sums up so well how I feel about it and why I love cruising and selling cruises so much.

 

So what's so special about THIS sailing?  Well, I'm taking two of my grandnephews with me, so for once I won't be sailing alone!  These two young men, age 20 and 23, are tall, slender, athletic, blonde haired, blue eyed and I will be the envy of every other old lady on the ship!!  You don't believe me?  Here's a photo of one of them. I don't currently have many photos of these  two but in a month or so I'll have a ton of them!!  They plan on being my wingmen, setting me up with every guy on the ship.  I plan to set them up with all the pretty women, mermaids, sirens, you name it -  both on land and at sea.  This sailing is sure to be a hoot.  😊  The only thing missing will be my dog, Blue, who will be home with the dog-sitter being spoiled rotten, going to a neighbor's pool every day or to "Dog Beach" to play with the other dogs, and getting lots of love and attention at night.   It's going to be a great vacation for everyone and most important of all ... I'm going back to the sea from whence I came!!  I hear it calling and I must go!

Senators Blumenthal & Matsui Urge Continuation of Sailing Restrictions

From Cruise Radio: 

"While the cruise industry and its supporters are loudly demanding that ships be allowed to resume sailing as soon as possible, opposition voices are making a case for keeping the current ‘Conditional Sailing Order’ in place.

At the heart of the debate? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is charged with making decisions crucial to the future of an embattled industry.

Two politicians, both frequent critics of the cruise industry, have sent a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, urging the public health agency to maintain current restrictions.

“Prospect Of Premature Resumption”

“We write today with significant concern about the prospect of premature resumption of cruise ship operations that could threaten public safety and increase the spread of the coronavirus,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA). “Failing to adhere to this guidance could create unsafe conditions that jeopardize public health,” the politicians added."

I have a one word reply: "Balderdash." Senators, you have always campaigned against the industry in which I work.  This is more of your posturing.  Please provide some scientific evidence - ANY scientific evidence to backup your claims.  And then please shut down the casinos in your states that allow players to sit near each other for 8 hours and longer in close quarters so the gambling industry can thrive, and close the amusement parks again because although they are cleaner than they were they don't live up to the standards of cruise ships.  And if you think cruise ships threaten public safety and increase the spread of the coronavirus then you're not prioritizing well, because a heck of a lot more coronavirus came here by airplane than it did by ship, it's just that the ships make the headlines - they're sexier. 

Please stop picking on one narrowly targeted segment of the travel industry without good reason.  Stop being bullies - it has been 13 months.  Allow 450,000 Americans to go back to work, work that brings in over $55 billion to the US economy.  This is the most egregious misuse of bureaucratic power I could ever imagine witnessing.  You are causing basic hardworking American people to become desperate.  Desperate people will do desperate things.  Do you not envision the trouble you are brewing?  Does history need to continually repeat itself?  Are you deaf to the outroar? 

I am shaking my head in disbelief.  Is this the country of which I was once so proud?  I'm just horribly saddened. 😢🚢

 

392 Days

On March 13, 2020 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a Conditional Sail Order, at the time the CDC commended the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)for their willingness to voluntarily suspend cruise ship operations from U.S. ports of call. It was the right thing to do. It was a hard thing, but as an industry we had to put our profits aside and the safety of our passengers first.  At the time, my projected income for 2020 looked  something like this:  

 

It was livable.  Not grand, not poverty level.  Solid, hard-working, middle-class.  As the days rolled by the commissions became this: 

Ouch. But I was one of the lucky ones I told myself. 

1. I had always saved money for an emergency.
2. I had no dependents except for a 15 year old dog. 
3. My needs were modest.
4. My expenses were limited as both my home and my car were paid for.  No mortgage, no lease, no credit card debt, no student loans, no chronic illnesses.  I was BLESSED.  

This was just a bump in the road, it couldn't last forever.  That was 392 days ago.  It has lasted forever.  I've sewn over 700 masks.  I've cleaned my house several times, although it's hard to see under all the fabric remnants. 

 I've acquired a new puppy. He has my Mom's blue eyes.

I binge watched the Outlander series and binge reread the books.  I binge read James Patterson novels and Philippa Gregory novels and a whole buncha other novels. I pulled out 10 year old knitting projects (I put them away again after I got the puppy).  I started learning SEO and digital marketing.  I looked for jobs in other sectors of the economy.  I'm still getting job search results from Glassdoor and AARP and LinkedIn.  After over 25 years in the travel industry I don't really want to work for a 30-something maverick selling digital ads for bitcoins to leverage his involvement in scalable synthesis of nano-technology high density lithium ion battery packs.  I just want to return to selling travel.  It's been 392 days.

I'm glad that Governor De Santis has taken a public stand for Floridians affected by this continued Conditional Sail Order.  There's no scientific basis for it.  No data says that you are more likely to get Coronavirus on a well-maintained, state-of-the art cruise ship, sailing on the open ocean than you are on a commuter bus, subway or airplane. In fact, worldwide over 400,000 passengers have cruised since the outbreak with less than 50 instances of COVID-19 reported.  That's a lower percentage than anywhere else in the world.  All of those cases were successfully treated.  Show us some science based facts or let the ships sail again.  If there was evidence to support the CSO, it would have been available by now.  It's just not there.  The opposite has been proven.  Yes proven, by over 400,000 passengers.  By countries like Israel, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Singapore and Greece which are opening their ports to passenger cruising.

So, c'mon.  Blue needs puppy chow. I need to stop watching reruns of Law & Order.  I'm going to go process some more refunds now. 😟

Ohmygosh, so much to report but phone is running out of juice and the WiFi on the ship is so slow &  unreliable that I haven’t been able to write my blog.  Shame on me!

The ship is as nice as it gets for Carnival.  Everything in good working condition, the food is good and plentiful and although we didn’t get to go to Bermuda, it’s been nice to see old San Juan and Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.  I’m really looking forward to Turks & Caicos tomorrow, someplace new for me!

Here’s a sign that may give comfort to some:

What else is new?  Well we have been followed by one hurricane or tropical storm after another.  Got soaked coming back to the ship yesterday in San Juan.  Thank you Susan for the rain poncho last Christmas!  Discovered a great little hidden courtyard bar in San Juan where they claim the piña colada was invented.

The thallosotherapy pool on the ship is Paula’s favorite spot, she can be found there while I’m doing my 45 minutes in the gym. I think I’ve finally had my fill of bacon & sausages.  Didn’t seem possible but I may have finally fulfilled my nitrate and nitrite requirement!!  Thank God for the treadmill! 

The ship has everything, ropes course, billiards, mini golf, water park, a couple of pools, BINGO & Trivea (of course), craft classes, medispa, giant chess & checkers, dancing, theme parties, great shows, movies under the stars (I’ve seen The Avengers & Godzilla 🤣) line dancing, and on & on.  Seriously down to about 5% power so have to sign off.  Hopefully more tomorrow.

The Tropicana - A Night Like No Other

I'm guessing that no trip to Havana is really complete without a visit to the Tropicana, a cabaret style nightclub launched in 1939.  A seat at the Tropicana doesn't come cheap, but the show is spectacular - and the rum and coke is supplied with your admission. 

The Tropicana has always been known for its showgirls, conga sounds, and flashy, spectacular productions.  Over the years it has been associated with mob figures, celebrities, spectacular landscaping and architecture.  Nat King Cole, Xavier Cugat, Carmen Miranda and many other well known entertainers have graced its main stage. Desi Arnaz modeled his fictional Tropicana on the "I Love Lucy" TV show after the famous cabaret in Havana, and the list of stars who flocked to its shows included Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Durante, Maurice Chevalier, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Marlon Brando.  All of Las Vegas can be said to have been modeled on this successful formula. 

Shows include a chorus line of 50 and the dancers often perform on catwalks among the trees.  The sights, sounds, colors, movement, costumes and some of the most beautiful dancers on the planet make it a "must see" for visitors.   Today the Tropicana's clientele is mostly comprised of visitors to the island, the pricing being beyond the means of most Cuban citizens.  The casino gambling has been eradicated with the current regime, gambling being outlawed in Cuba.  But the shows go on and they are exceptional, accompanied by a huge, live orchestra.  Put this on your "once in a lifetime" list ... it's worth it!   

And if you are ready to book YOUR trip to Cuba, don't forget to call me at 305-361-6772!!