Hi everyone! Thanks for all of your well-wishes on the CANADA thread!

We are in Cape Canaveral and took the Kennedy Space Center tour which was great. We got to have a (buffet style) lunch with an astronaut, Jon McBride. He was so kind, went around to every table asking where we were from. He took questions from everyone as we enjoyed our lunch. The whole tour was fascinating, seeing all of the things that were actually in space and my, those rockets are MASSIVE! And at the end we watched an IMAX movie in 3D of the efforts made to keep the Hubble Station in good mechanical condition. I love seeing video of astronauts floating around and doing their job, yet they have such a sense of humor.

The weather is a little cloudy and chilly but we didn't get too wet, thank goodness!

We are seeing many familiar faces with the staff which is SO wonderful (one of the main reasons why we cruise!) - and there were many who just boarded in Fort Lauderdale. We'll break 'em in for sure. :D

Have already met several other guests, I really love doing that early on! Dave & Joan sought us out (at a bar, of course! ha!) - so great to meet them and hope to get to know them better as we cruise on.

Time to shower up and head to the Stars Lounge! Compass Rose tonight and Prime 7 tomorrow night!

Sounds like such a perfect excursion Kristin.

Make sure you find Eric the bar waiter. He worked in STARS when we were on but he may have rotated. He would bring me a Cosmopolitan before dinner, a Sambuca after dinner, he'd move chairs to make our huge circle even larger where we always gathered on the port side of STARS, he'd follow Olivia around with a bottle of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio ALWAYS with the biggest smile. We adored him.

Kristin, that tour sounds like my cup of tea!!! You are off to a great start and thank you for the sea mail, I don't have to go into withdrawal!

I sure hope Olivia didn't drink up all the Santa Margherita in stores - David and I get on November 8, and I made my special request that there PLENTY on board (have been on 2 cruises where they actually came close to running out and we had to hoard it in our room!!)

We'll definitely look up Eric.

Kristin - keep me posted on any other special crew we need to be on the lookout for!

Hi Cindy - we had it flowing for our short visit in Charleston..know the feeling we ran out on some trip and I was UPSET!!! I met Eric a sweetheart -

Cindy, don't worry, I left plenty aboard! Eric worked in both Stars at night where we gathered before and after dinner, and Compass Rose during the lunch hour, and I eat there at lunch. He would walk over with that bottle of wine every time he saw me in either place! He has the most charming smile, so if you are on the Navigator, be sure and look him up!

Glorious morning as we sail into Savannah (they better have a parking spot for us, LOL!).

I have heard so many great things about Eric but have not seen him yet, darn! I think a lot of new bartenders came on. Elvis is one of them (I am sure many of you know who he is! - what a sweetie) We will make a special effort today to find Eric. He must have rotated to another bar.

Today we are doing a hop on/hop off tour at our leisure. We'll take in Savannah's southern charm and then probably watch some good old NFL football somewhere.

Oh, by the way - dinner at Compass Rose was incredible last night. Greg said it was one of the best meals he's ever eaten (he had roasted duck) and his dessert was an apple crisp of sorts -- he said it was THE best dessert he's ever had. And Greg is not one to rave easily. I had Maine lobster off the Canyon Ranch menu and it was cooked to perfection.

More later!

Kristin, is this the Navigator?

probably is Karen, that is right where we docked, and there is only room as best we could tell for one ship. Maybe two really small ones, but pretty sure thats the Navigator.

Well editing to add that obviously I don't know Charleston from Savannah, even though I have been to both and would swear that bridge was in Charleston, its sure an exact copy if not. LOL on me, everyone can laugh now. :o

Kristin & Greg--glad you're having a great time. Enjoy Savannah for the rest of us too, since we never made it. While you're looking for bar personnel, also look up bartender Francesco (from Italy) and tell him hello from us. He was in Galileo on the last cruise, but has probably also moved. The bartender in Stars was Francisco (from Columbia)--if you find him, you may also find Eric as I'm thinking the bar staff "rotate" together. One of the best waiters in Compass Rose is Albeto--you may want to look him up also. And last, but not least, say hi to Steven in Prime 7.

Karen,

That's the Navigator. Glad we were able to get to Savannah after missing it on the cruise from Montreal. Very good and emotional tour to the 8th Air Force Museum. Our guide was a gunner on a B-17 during WWII which added a personal touch to the tour.

It was nice meeting Kristin and Greg at sail away.

Dave

Dave, that tour sounded like it was very special! I am glad you all are having such lovely weather, too!

Great stalk as always, Karen! We have been having such a great time. We DID finally meet Eric last night, and we made sure to give him "props" from all of you from the prior cruise. That guy never stops smiling! Peggy, we'll seek out those you mention! We were in Prime 7 last night and Steven was indeed excellent.

We had the pleasure of seeing Ray Solaire's performance last night and it was amazing. This man is so talented. Of course I was all teared up and I think Greg was a little bit, too!

Today in Charleston, we didn't do an organized tour but rather walked and walked. What an amazing city. Everyone we have talked to raved about it and I see why. Tonight we are going to do the "Ghosts of Charleston Walking Tour" which I am sure promises to be ideal, considering it's on Halloween night. Our timing was brilliant, no?

The sun has finally popped out and so I think it's time for a beverage at the pool bar!

Hi Kristin & Greg. So glad you are enjoying your cruise. We did the same thing in Charleston. Walked and walked our legs off, but what a charming city.
Glad you are carrying on the LCT tradition with a couple of trips to the bars. :)

Dave and Joan, I'm glad you made it to Savannah. Sounds as if you had a good time. You all, keep having fun!

Kristin and Greg, sounds like a perfect start to your journey. Enjoy!

excellent

Ghost tour was fun but boy, has it been COLD! I didn't bring enough cold weather clothes. Oh well, it could be worse! It was neat to learn more about Charleston's history. They sure have been through a lot of tragedy. There was a major distraction though because during the first part of the tour, one car rear-ended another right in front of us, and then since they were in a busy street, they moved on to a side street, and that of course was our next stop. The police came, etc. It was just distracting!

Then, yesterday we took a horse & carriage tour and about halfway through, I heard this awful crash - our canopy hit a tree branch and got dislodged! We felt sorry for the tour guide, I am sure she was embarrassed.

So then we set sail for Bermuda and start crossing the wide open sea. And we are R-E-A-L-L-Y rocking and rolling, the most motion I have ever felt. Greg and I both ended up seasick. Eric from Stars lounge was, too. I have a feeling a lot of us are feeling the effects. We are skipping breakfast, that's for sure.

Looking forward to Bermuda and its warmer climes!

Kristin, so sorry you hit some glitches in Charleston and now the rough seas. Hope the seas get smoother and the temps warmer for you. What a difference a week can make.

Oh Kristin, so sorry to hear about your bumpy ride. Hope it smooths for you soon.

Thanks, Marcie & Betty! Ginger ale, ginger candy and meclizine from the front desk have helped. It's still downright nasty. So much so that the Captain says we are not due to arrive in Bermuda until 4pm (previous time was noon). I am wondering how in the world I am going to get a shower. I have such poor balance. How do the older folks handle this? I can't imagine!

I don't think many guests were out today, most stayed in their cabins. We thought the fresh air would help so we spent most of the day on the pool deck, and that seemed to be a good idea.

Thank goodness for the candied ginger! I hope the seas have calmed down a bit, nothing worse that being seasick!

Sorry to hear you were seasick Kristin. I certainly would have been too, but we have done a TransAtlantic and I had to take my pills the whole time, so I never leave home without them now. We had several rocky nights on CANADA and I took them more often than normal, but it did help. Hope things calm down soon and once you get to Bermuda you recover.

Thanks for posting and keep us updated.

bummer about the seasickness. total bummer

Oh no, Kristin. Here's wishing for calmer seas and warmer days in Bermuda!

Oh Kristin I hope things get better once you get to Bermuda - I have never been seasick and hope it never happens BUT no rough seas for us (so far!!) - and your carriage ride and the car accident in Charleston - you're done for any more troubles!!

Kristin, sorry to hear of your seasickness. Here is a tip. Get in the pool. Floating in the pool will stabilize your equilibrium. Just put on suntan lotion so you don't get sunburned. Doug and I did this on our cruise to Bermuda....we were so clever we got over our seasickness and got 3rd degree burns.

what a great idea--sunburn excluded

So sorry your day in Charleston didn't work out so well. My husband and I go there quite often but it is best in the spring when the azaleas, camillias and crepe myrtles are in bloom. Magnolia Place Plantation is gorgeous at that time of year. Charleston has great restaurants, Ft. Sumter, The Market and Sullivan Island. So much to see and experience, one day just doesn't do it justice. Anyway, glad you got a flavor of it and you will be enticed to return some day.

Don't get me wrong, we LOVED Charleston and will definitely return! The thing I liked most about it was how walkable it is. I love the slate sidewalks! And you aren't shoulder to shoulder with others, as we have been in some other ports. Personal space is such a bonus!

We've recovered nicely from the seasickness and just got the announcement that we should be arriving at 3:30 today - half hour earlier than they thought. We have another horse & carriage tour planned as soon as we "land". Can't wait to see Bermuda!

Everyone on board is so wonderful, food and service A-1.

Glad you're feeling so much better Kristin! You and Greg must be trying to top the record Olivia, Tom and I hold for horse & carriage rides on Canada.

Can't wait to hear about Bermuda!

horse and carriage rides. so romantic

The horse & carriage tour here in Hamilton was SO fun. Bermuda is everything I pictured it to be, just gorgeous. We also took a tour to the Crystal Caves - where we descended deep into the stalagmites and stalagtites (hope I'm spelling that right) and met the ocean floor deep below. It was just breathtaking. I have to somehow get Greg's pictures to Karen to post!

We were supposed to sail on to St. Georges, Bermuda yesterday but the conditions weren't satisfactory for it. It's a very small inlet and not the easiest to maneuver on a cruise ship even in ideal conditions. We leave today at 1pm for Nassau - so one more day at sea (I have already taken my meclizine just in case!), then Nassau, then back to Lauderdale.

More later!

Kristin, I'm so glad you and Greg are having so much fun. Hope you have smoother seas for remainder of your cruise.

Sounds perfect Kristin glad you two are loving your cruise

Kristen, so glad you have recovered. Hope the smaller Navigator gives you good passage on open seas to Nassau and beyond. I can almost get green at anchor if there are swells, so fully empathize with you! But so nice to hear the ship is giving you all great service and food. We certainly didn't lack for either on the last one!

Yes, smooth seas back to this neck of the woods!

Glad things are looking up, Kristin. Smooth sailing from now on! Your visit to Bermuda takes me back to our first Radisson/Regent cruise (except for a Smithsonian charter), which was Ft. Lauderdale to Bermuda in 2003. Such a lovely place.

Ugh! More rough seas. We left Bermuda at around 3pm and by 6:00, we were rockin' & rollin' and pitchin' and moanin'. I have just been so tired, too. We retired really early last night and I had to fight to stay awake to watch the Alabama/LSU game. Normally we are the ones closing the bar down at night! At least neither of us has gotten ill again, but we just plain don't feel well.

We don't get to Nassau until tomorrow at 1:00. We have our first GPT event which will be a caviar sail-in to Nassau. Looking forward to that! And tonight is Krew Kapers which always promises to be enjoyable. Oh, and we haven't been participating in trivia, but yesterday we sat in and listened - and got only 3 wrong! (That's really good for us - we are pathetic at trivia - but I think this one was pretty easy.)

I am so happy we're done with daylight savings time - it's the most wonderful day of the year! So we gained an hour last night and gain another tonight as we sail more westward.

More later, my fingers keep floating off the keyboard, LOL!

ugh is right. keep taking the mescline

What a difference a few hours makes! Now it's smooth sailing, and we're actually scheduled to arrive in Nassau less than an hour from now, WAY earlier than expected. We don't have any tours planned today, but I am sure we'll hit the Hard Rock Cafe to add to our T-shirt collection, and perhaps go to Atlantis.

Last night was karaoke night - too fun! A group of us sang a couple of songs together, and I was sharing a mic with Carly Simon's brother! Pretty neat. So this morning I have the song "You're So Vain" in my head. :)

They had postponed the Krew Kapers show from last night to tonight because of those rough seas. Which actually worked out well so we didn't have to miss any of the Packer game!