Mike and I made it safely to Fort Lauderdale late last night, and enjoyed today here immensely, riding the water taxi and eating great seafood. We are staying at the Doubletree Gallery One, and it is fantastic. Tomorrow we board the Navigator for our 11 day pre-FUN3 cruise! I will try to keep everyone updated on the ship, the crew, and the cruise itself, as much as I can.

I always wanted to do water taxi! Any place for seafood you suggest? I think we'll eat at Rustic Inn (nice fun very unassuming spot with good blue crabs) and Chuck's Steakhouse near Pier 66 as people we are joining know owner will that matter??- looks like they have fantstic salad bar who knows! ;) ;) :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I always wanted to do water taxi! Any place for seafood you suggest? I think we'll eat at Rustic Inn (nice fun very unassuming spot with good blue crabs) and Chuck's Steakhouse near Pier 66 as people we are joining know owner will that matter??- looks like they have fantstic salad bar who knows! ;) ;) :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Joanna, Mike and I ate at the 15th Street Fishery...it is stop #8 on the water taxi route. I highly recommend it...seating is pretty much all outside (unless you eat at the bar, which we did), and although the menu is fairly limited, what they do have is excellent. If you go, try the skillet specialty (sorry, don't remember the exact name, but it is the first specialty listed on their menu). Had lots of fun, and if I wasn't so computer challenged, I would post a picture here!

I don't think it matters where you eat though...seems like it is pretty darn good wherever you go.

Thanks Tami heard 15th was GREAT and you agree!!! Appreciate all your experiences before we board - believe me I am not complaining as I get to "chill" for 3 weeks but Navigator was not my favorite ship few yrs ago - this will be our second experience - have a great time! Joanna

Yes, Joanna, I am a bit worried about the Navigator, as we have a sold out cruise and I'm sure it is going to feel very crowded. I love the Mariner, and am concerned I will be less happy with the Navigator...but I'm sure once onboard and having the time of my life, I won't really care if the ship isn't the best one in the fleet.

Feel same way we are with some great friends so any ship is OK with me!

Tami, it will be so fun hearing your updates! You can inspect the ship for us, too ;)

Karen, I'll be sure to check out all the bars to ensure that the bartenders are all up to snuff for you guys!!

Some photos from today:

Waiting for the water taxi (in the background)


Eating at the 15th Street Fishery


Hanging out with the Captain at the Pirate Republic Bar


Evening cocktails on the balcony of our hotel room

Great pictures, Tami!! Whatever you were eating looks pretty tasty! :yummy1:

Looks to be a beautiful day in Ft Lauderdale for Tami & Mike. Hi, Navigator!! :hello1:

Oh Beth, you are right! What a beautiful day for a sail away!! Great stalk!!

It is indeed gorgeous here today. I am doing my final packing up and we are heading to the Navigator in just a little while. Am trying not to get too excited...but your picture, Beth, has just ramped up the excitement a bit more!! YIPPEE!

Tami loved all your pixs but especially hotel balcony - what a pretty view

We are onboard, unpacked, and getting ready for the safety drill. Easiest embarkation ever (we got to the port around 1:30 and were told we were in the last 100 to board). A few glitches (our double nights promotion hadn't been applied so we were still Bronze, the butler request I called in back in January never made it to our butler), but the crew has been working hard to make it all right, and we are very, very content. The two beers I had at lunch couldn't have hurt!

Onboard and unpacked is the best, now you can relax!

Drill is over, time to relax! Did a quick tour of the ship before the safety drill, and Mike decided the following shot was necessary for some reason! I did go to Reception and asked for the current crew list, and they told me it would be in our Passages tomorrow. I do know that Michael Caughlin is the GM, but his wife is not currently onboard. The ship's Captain is Italian, but is not the one we had on FUN2 (will get his name tomorrow). The CD is Lorraine Weimerskirtch (sp?). Will hopefully be able to update everyone more completely after we get our Passages tomorrow.

Oh my, that made me laugh!!!! :app:

Doesn't look like "elegant casual" to me!

I caught this photo of the Navigator fleeting from our view. Have fun, Tami & Mike. :bv:

Am looking at this cruise for the future, so will be interested in hearing your thoughts. Have fun! (guess I don't really need to say that though)

Sorry double post.

Love hearing from you Tami! Love your PIXS!!!

Thanks everyone! Off to bed after a really exhausting first day onboard. I will say that I am already feeling the vibration and motion so many talk about...let's hope we have smooth seas this cruise! The crew has been unbelievably fabulous, right down to the casino folks (okay, won't explain why I am familiar with them!). But, holy cow, if this is what the Navigator feels like in smooth seas, what the heck does she feel like in rough ones???

Tami's good weather is continuing. I THINK that is the Allure of the Seas, Tami are you docked nearby?

Karen, we are way over on the other end of the docks from the Royal Caribbean ship (not sure which one it is), so you won't be able to see us from this camera. Thanks for the photo though...the weather really is great today.

Here is the list of the current staff onboard (I'll also post on the Navigator page for folks not reading this):

Captain Ubaldo Armellino
GM Michael Coghlan (his wife Stephanie joins the cruise on the 10th)
CD Lorraine Weimerskirch
Asst CD Chris Martin
Dining Room Manager Francesco Lampis
Cruise Consultant Bruce Van Rooyen

If I missed any positions anyone is interested in, please let me know and I'll add them.

Had an awesome first day out. We did the Airboat Adventure, and it was fanastic (Rachel, if you decide to do this itinerary, I highly recommend this tour). The tour guide was great, and took us by some external tanks of the space shuttle Columbia (which was lost in February 2003) and an actual shuttle on display outside before taking us to the airboats. Mike and I got SOAKED on our ride, as we were in front and the driver was doing some crazy maneuvers, but we dried off really fast at those speeds. Then back to the Navigator for a light lunch and time out on Deck 11, above the pool. Word of warning to everyone...the soot that comes out of the smoke stacks of the ship flies around everywhere up there on the higher decks, and it does NOT come out of your clothing (my brand new yellow bathing suit now has black spots all over it). Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed our time up there, but wish we'd have known that our clothes would be ruined, so we could wear something older. Now it is off to get ready for the Captain's Reception night...more later.

I haven't ever encountered any soot from the smokestacks. You need to tell the concierge as this should NOT happen. And they should either clean your clothes or replace them. I would. E really mad if my swimsuit were ruined.

The excursion is exactly what we would pick if we were to do this trip. Sounds like great fun.

Enjoying your reports!

HI Tami, So glad to hear you and Mike are having fun. Sorry that the soot ruined your yellow bathing suit. Hope Captain's Night has good food in the CR!!!

Please tell Franco (DR manager) hello from Cindy and David - he took outstanding care of us on our Circle South America on the Mariner last year.

I thought Franco moved to a different ship? If not, I will be very happy, I adore him!

Yes Franco and Karen hope same Franco :) ;) ;) :app:

The Passages copy I got said the DR manager is Francesco...does he go by Franco?

Rachel, I have a feeling they know about the soot, because they don't cover the chairs up on Deck 11 with those nice white covers like they do by the pool, and the chairs up there were very dirty (I just assumed it was regular dirt...never thought it might actually be oily soot, so just covered the chair with a towel. What "got" my bathing suit was not on the chair, but was actually falling from the smokestacks). I will, however, report the problem, so that maybe they will at least post a warning to future sunbathers...thanks for the suggestion.

We are enroute to Charleston and should dock around noon. Then we are off to the Boone Hall Plantation, back for a quick dinner, and then the Ghosts of Charleston Tour. But first...off to the gym to work off last night's yummy caviar and lobster!!

Tami, this is my dear Franco:



I think I remember the asst. DR manager being Francesco several years ago? I wonder if it is the same person, maybe you can stalk him and get a picture :) Now I am off to stalk you in Charleston!

Karen, dear Franco is definitely onboard! He seated Mike and me our first night, and was an absolute darling! I will tell him you are getting on the Navigator at the end of our cruise if I have the pleasure of seeing him again. And Cindy, I'll tell him you and David send your hellos.

I did check for the dark haired girl near Recption, but it was a blonde lady staffing the Concierge desk when I went down to tell them they need to put signs up warning about the falling soot. She did say she'd have the laundry contact me about trying to clean my bathing suit, but I think it's a lost cause!

Off to the Plantation!

Oh that is good news about Franco, he is the best!!!

Oh, I hope Franco's still on May 1st for Alaska!

Franco is one of my favorites!

I don't want to hijack this Seamail thread, but had to share this short video of my DH giving Franco a "kiss"!! Franco and our waitor Mario really went the extra mile to make our anniversary special. All the crew were awesome.

Anniversary Video

That's Franco commenting "that's a very nice kiss!"