SAIL LIKE A NORWEGIAN - BREAKAWAY 2016

Norwegian Breakaway - sails every Sunday out of the New York Port and goes to Bermuda for a seven day cruise.  I went on this ship for a cruise to nowhere about a year ago, and found it nice.  This time I got to spend more time and enjoy some of the features this megaship has to offer.

Since I live in New York, it was a pleasure not flying to and from a port to get on the ship.  I could pack as much as I want without worrying about weight and costs.  So I bought 14 pairs of shoes!

Embarkation and Disembarkation - could of been less hectic.  There are over 4,000 guests on this ship and even though they stagger the times you can get on and off, it is still very chaotic - almost two hours to disembark.  (2 stars)

Accommodations - Rooms were very nice.  Bathroom shower was very large.  The 5th floor is really their first floor of rooms, but it is not at the bottom of the ship.  No problem.(4 stars)

Food - We ate at the Manhattan Room the first night, and found the food was OK.  One night at the Brazillian Churrusaria and the Seafood restaurant (extra charge for the two).   Great service and the food was excellent.  We frequented the Buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Best buffet - plentiful and varied.  Every night there was a theme.  On Caribbean night, they had Oxtails, peas and rice and plantains!  So good I had to personally compliment the chef.  Italian night, Asian night with grilled lamb chops and I could go on.  All were fabulous. (5 stars)

Entertainment - So much going on all day and night - 5 stars - The ship is equipped with 22 bars.  Something was happening at each and every one of them after 5pm.  The main atrium was non-stop all day long.  Comedy show was entertaining. Broadway show lacking.

Fat Cats Jazz and Blues Club -  I want to include this separately because this show is awesome. Different show each night. Interactive, bluesy, and entertaining.  I was part of a Tina Turner dance off to "Rollin on the River"  Hilarious.(5 stars)

Atrium - adult section - you can lay out in the sun, cool off in the water falls, bathe in the hot tub and have your drinks bought to you.  Great sleeping and reading area during the day. (5 stars)

Kids/Teens Program - Excellent.  I bought my 16 year old grandson.   He immediately made friends on the first day.   I hardly saw him throughout out the week.  (5 stars)

Bermuda -  We docked there for two days. This is a unique port of call because you have to take a taxi, boat or trolley to see the Island.  The boat docks at the Navy Yard which is touristy and pricey.  There are souvenir shops, and access to a beach that is part of a prepaid Norwegian excursion.  If you are a beach person, take a taxi and go to Horseshoe Bay beach (pictures below).  A little crowded but a nicer beach.  We went to Hamilton for a festival and parade.  Again Bermuda prices are not for the faint of heart.  (five stars)

Pros - Hot dog carts! Late night food at O'Sheehans, all inclusive ultimate drink package was included in price, Excellent DJ,  80's party and dancing under the stars.  Entourage--the teen program. The App that allows you to stay in touch with others by way of a text is a plus.   You need to download it before you leave New York to save on international data charges and it cost approx $10/day.    It would of saved me personally a lot of time checking on my grandson throughout the cruise.  The water slide and the children only pool.

Cons - The adult pool was too small and was dominated by the 18-35 crowd daily, and the same at Bliss the nightclub.  If drinks were not included as a promo, I personally don't think it's worth getting the package as the drinks were not of the same quality as you would get outside.  Too many sea days would have liked to visit another port of call.  Gym was crowded and too small.  Internet slow and crashed often.

This was a great cruise and a great ship.  I highly recommend it for small groups and those that live in the tri-state area.  This was one of those....."I need a vacation after my vacation" kind of trip.

CARNIVAL CRUISE - 5 DAYS AND DONE!

We decided to treat my mom to a cruise.  I have heard things about Carnival being a "lower budget" ship, but I have several clients who love Carnival.  We went on a 5 day Mexico cruise on Carnival out of Miami.   We spent one night in Miami, loved it but didn't have enough time to hang out on the strip, which means I will be going back.

The cruise ship was a bit older and had been refurbished within the last 5 years, The Carnival Fantasy.  Check in was relatively easy and we were actually considered "VIP" and were escorted to the ship.  We booked a 3 person suite and what we got was a room with 3 beds, two regular twin beds and one child's bed.  The shower stall was big and the bathroom was great.

Food:  All I can say is if you are a real picky eater, this is not the ship for you.  Small variety daily and the best meal on the ship is the cheeseburger and french fries.  We attempted to eat at the main dining room twice and in the middle of our meal, we left.  The service was not what you would expect in a dining room, no water unless you asked, no drink orders unless you asked, no bread unless you asked, and the menu selections were limited and the food sub-par.

Entertainment:  what entertainment?

Pool - dominated by 20-30 year olds - small and no where to relax in the water.  You had to literally get in where you fit in.

The poolside DJ was awesome so we lounged around soaking up the sun and enjoyed the music.

Ports of Call:  Nothing to do but shop in Key West, Florida and Cozumel.   I loved Cozumel but did not have enough time to really explore.  We went on a wonderful excursion to a private island where the beach was awesome.

I don't want to be too harsh on Carnival or judge them by this ship or cruise.  I am told they have stepped up their game on the newer mega ships.  I will have to try one out and get back to you.

JEWEL OF THE SEAS - BYOPP (bring your own party people)!

There were 24 of us who cruised on the Jewel of the Seas the day after one of the biggest storms hit New York City.  Fortunately, most of us left the day before the storm and spent two extra days in Puerto Rico!

The itinerary was awesome leaving from Puerto Rico and going to St. Johns Antigua, St Lucia, St Maarten, St Croix and Barbados on Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas.  After cruising on some of the more modern and definately more up-to-date ships I really thought this would be a challenge, but the price was right (starting at $349pp and the ports of call were awesome).

We went to celebrate several birthdays and we most definately did in grand style.  The ship had a few perks.... one night we had full access for our group to the disco lounge.  We had a personal bartender, bottles of champagne on ice and two cakes.  Guess who the DJ was…..none other than “the travelingscotts”.  We threw down and even other people on the boat came in when they heard the music.

All of the ports of call were fantastic.  My favorite was Barbados because there were two or three in our group who were from Barbados and  pre-arranged a tour bus for the group along with music and beverages.  We stopped along the way to a local restaurant where the authentic bajan food was cheap, abundant and delicious.

In St. Lucia we stayed on a local beach where there was music and food.

The ship was ok, the entertainment was ok, and the 70’s show was awesome.  However my group was the liveliest and greatest of them all.  We did not stay as a group the whole week, but when we did….we were “turned up”  all the way!

It doesn’t matter what ship you are on or where you go…if you BYOPP you will have a memorable and fun vacation.  Next stop…Cuba

DUBAI AND ABU DHABI - Is the hype real?

Ever since Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda from Sex & The City went to Dubai & Abu Dhabi, I have always wanted to go.  So, when an unbelievable deal came our way, Dewitt and I jumped on it!


Brief History:  Dubai is a fairly new city, so everything is modern.   It is an Islamic country and there is a "call to prayer" five times a day throughout the city.  You can hear it and if you are in the mall, you will notice the locals disappear.

Hotels

We stayed at two 5 star hotels.  The Movenpick in Dubai and the Al Rahu Beach resort in Abu Dhabi.  The Movenpick had a Starbucks, a rooftop pool and buffet breakfast was served daily.  The service at this hotel was absolutely 5 star and above.  The staff was very responsive and offered one night of entertainment.  It is located in a central location .  We did notice that after a certain time, the restaurants were frequented by men only.  (If you know why, please comment below). Next door was a club with mostly locals, and one night Dewitt, being the social butterfly that he is, threw a party for our group.  It was truly awesome.  Every now and then they played some American music and the average age was 25-30.  We fit in perfectly!

Abu Dhabi - We stayed at The Al Rahu Beach Resort.   It was even more amazing.  We were escorted individually to our rooms.  Large rooms and state of the art everything.  There was a round window that separated the bedroom from the bathroom that could be frosted or see thru,  double shower heads and the floor to ceiling Windows overlooked the beach/pool area.  This hotel is located near the mall and next door to a pub/club.

Breakfast was included and was twice as much food as the first hotel.  They had a late night jazz room, spa, indoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi, 3 other restaurants on the premises and a large infinity pool and beach  surrounded by the desert.   Service could of been better, the new staff, could not speak English and food took 3 hours to come for a group of 10.  One night we reserved a cabana on the beach with candlelight and tiki torches..the tiki torches did not work because the waiter did not know where to find the lighting fluid, when we asked for napkins, he gave us tiny cocktail paper napkins, never got the water we requested and food took over an hour to come.  In all fairness, the food was excellent at this hotel, and they compensated us for the mishaps the next day.

Excursions and city highlights

Dubai is a big city of lights.  Everything is over the top.  The biggest, brightest and the best!

The Safari tour is a must.   It included dinner, camel ride, desert racing in a truck,  belly dancing and a show.  We also did a dinner cruise one night that was awesome as it took you through the canal and the city is lit up at nigh. The DJ on the cruise played all the line dance songs including the Cupid shuffle and the wobble!

The world famous mosque in Abu Dhabi is breathtaking.    We were told in advance to cover your legs, arms and heads.  Perhaps we didn't get the memo because when we got off the bus, they made 15 of us, including me get back on the bus to cover up some more.  Three quarter sleeves, partially thin clothing and a wrap were not enough, so we purchased the Abaya which is the national dress for women in most Arab Countries.  Although the Mosque's dress code is very strict the dress code for tourist in other areas is a little more relaxed.

The key is to be respectful, no see through clothing, mini skirts, or tank tops. etc.  The Mosque is a lot stricter than in other areas of the city.  The women of Dubai are very fashionable in their dress.  Their Abayas are donned with sequins and all kinds of beautiful decorations.  They wear lots of eye makeup and are absolutely beautiful even though they are covered up.  The men are meticulously dressed  in their all white Dishdash. They are always so clean and well-shaven.  I did not see one person in a dingy or dirty white one.  I am told they change several times a day.

The Gold Souk and the Spice Souk - Souk means market.  Very aggressive sales pitches here.  You should price your jewelery here and compare the price of gold by the gram before you leave the U.S. This will help you barter when you get there.

Weather - it gets hot in the desert.  Fortunately we went during their winter.  Only 80-90 degrees.  I am told that it can go up to 140 degrees during their summer months.

Food - Did not find any of the restaurants where the food wasn't great.  A blend of American food mixed with their ethnic food was always delicious.  If you like Tabouleh and hummus, it is fresh and very good.  The Address restaurant was amazing!

Money - The conversion when we went was thirty-two cents US to $1 dirham.  Expensive?  It is all relative.  A bottle of water was $3 and a glass of wine or cocktail $15.  There are ways to cut corners by eating in local restaurants, etc.  The Gold Souk (gold market) is a great place to shop for gold.  You can spend most of your day there.  Go with something specific in mind and you can negotiate pricing if you know what you are talking about.  Dinner cost approx $200 for two without drinks per night.  Since Breakfast was included in all of our hotel stays, we skipped lunch.  The local fast food restaurants and starbucks were reasonably priced.

Great trip.  Great group, and we didn't come home feeling like we spent too much money.  For what we got, we felt it was worth the experience.  Except for the plane ride, we would go back.  I hear Emirates airlines might have more flexibility to move around.  Please let me know with your comments below.

ITS A FAMILY AFFAIR - 2015 FAMILY REUNION

It has been a long time since we had our last family reunion.  So, with much preparation and planning we decided to do it again, in Orlando, Florida.  I hope some of our hits and misses will give you some thought when planning your next family reunion.

My family is small so there were approximately 25-30 of us and we almost had 100% in attendance.  The first day we arrived was a Thursday nite and we stayed at The Westgate Leisure Resorts.  Not to be confused with Westgate timeshare resorts.

This was a very nice resort and was reasonably priced so that everyone could afford to do it.  Two bedrooms with a full kitchen, two baths and a living room/dining room area.  Each family member was greeted at the front desk with a big Welcome sign, a DVD and a Family brochure with pictures and bios.  The resort also had a cooler of iced water ready for the weary travelers.

We spend the first night meeting and greeting.  Especially great was the nieces and newphews that we had not seen for a few years.  What a surprise to see how my nephews and nieces had grown, the new addition to the family just five months old, and meeting my cousins wife for the first time.  Our cousins from Florida came by and we reminisced about old times and growing up.

We all went to Aquatica Water Park on Friday morning.  We arranged for Group rates and it definately was a big savings. You have to fill out the form atleast a day before to get the discount.  Friday night we had a Fish Fry and afterwards  danced and partied to an old school dance party.  We did the cabbage patch, the snake and the young kids tried to show the old folks how to do some of the new dances like the Nae Nae and the Dougy.  The grandchildren sang to my dad and me and my siblings sang to my mom "I'll always love my mama."

Friday and Saturday, morning breakfast was served for the whole crew.   Grits, eggs, waffles, sausages, biscuits, home fries, fruit, juice.  Everyone pitched in and made one item and bought it to one location.  We all watched the DVD of memories of days gone by.

Saturday, we all headed to Turkey Lake Park for our cookout. Beautiful lake and park.   Food was catered by Chef Eddies in Orlando.  Ribs, Chicken, Brisket, greens, string beans, salad, jalapeño muffins, Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Corn on the Cob, Baked Beans....phew!! what a spread.  We could not possibly eat all of that food in two days, so a lot was wasted.  Thunderstorms put a damper on everyones pool time, but because we had a covered pavillion we were able to salvage the food and the day.   We had a few games planned,  and did all of the line dances.  Under our pavillion, we saw a family of raccoons living in the rafters.  The kids got excited over this.

Sunday, some of the members of our family headed out and some stayed until Monday.  The plan was to spend a day at the beach.  To our surprise, some of the family was sick with a bad stomach virus.  Now, I am not saying that Chef Eddies food was bad, because 6 out of 30 people got sick.  We all ate the same thing.  Just one of those things that everyone who resided in two households got sick out of the 8 houses we rented.

All in all the family had a great time.   No one can say it was not worth the trip to Orlando because we shared so many memories and the best part was.......my dad and mom was there to share it with us!

LAS VEGAS - A NUMBERS GAME

On the 19th of June, 9 members of my family went to Vegas to celebrate my nieces 21st birthday.  It was 108 degrees every day we were there!

We stayed  at the Wyndham Desert resort located a few blocks from the strip.  In normal weather you could leisurely stroll to the strip, but in 108 degrees it was impossible.   So we either took the resorts shuttle which only went to Harrahs or we took a cab.

First, I want to say that the 5 - 6 hour flight  on Virgin America was phenomenal.  It was my first time on the airline and  I was impressed.  Lot of leg room, individual monitors on the back of the seats, good service.  I absolutely loved their take off video explaining the emergency procedures. Well done Virgin America!

We did the usual things during the week like walk up and down the strip, gamble and eat.  However the Wyndham which is a time share was a great place to stay.  We really enjoyed their pool and since the water temperature is controlled, it was never too warm.  They have an adult only pool and a family pool.  We rented a poolside cabana daily and a great relief from the sun when we were out of the water.   Not bad for the price and it contained all nine of us with no problem and the guys got to watch the basketball game.

The younger family members hung out in the clubs at night.  They did not seem to have problems finding happy hour or ladies night up and down the Vegas strip.  They hung out until 7:00 am the first night.  Vegas is definately a 24 hr. non-stop everything.

There are lots of newer hotels in Vegas.  I would highly recommend staing at the Venetian, Arias, Encore, The Mirage and MGM grand.  The all you can eat buffets at the Stratosphere and Harrah's are good choices.


We spent one afternoon in Old Town - this is off the strip at the end on Freemont Street.  It has a boardwalk look but a wild wild west feel with old style casinos and shops. While there we stopped in The Heart Attack Grill.   Their claim to fame is that they serve high caloric unhealthy food in a  hospital themed restaurant.  The nurses take prescriptions from patients.  Each patient wears a hospital gown, and if you don't eat all of your "Quadruple Bypass" hamburger or the all you can eat flatlier fries you can get flogged.   However, if you are over 300 lbs you eat free.


We did not get to see 1/3 of what Vegas had to offer.  If you have never been there, it should be on your bucket list even if you do not gamble.  It is Times Square to the 10th degree. Street characters abound, water falls, fireworks, and a melting pot of people all ages..  Nothing is free in Vegas no matter what they pitch.   Keep that in mind.  You will win some and lose some, but if you are smart you will go home with what you came with and lots of memories which are priceless.

Tip:  When playing the slots be careful,  the penny slots are never a penny!

My niece bought in her 21st birthday by partying like a rock star.  When she left, she said...."ok,   I am 21. now what!...lol

If you have ever been to Las Vegas, please feel free to add your comments below. Thank you.

CAPITAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015

Yes, we came back again this year to enjoy food, fun, friends and music!

We started out Friday from New York and drove to Maryland.  The actual festival is a 3 day event at the Merriweather Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland.  We have been going for over 6 years  now and it has never disappointed us regardless of the lineup.

Friday night's line up was none other than Frankie Beverly & Maze and India Arie.  There are two stages that have non-stop music from two genres.  Your admission gives you access to both.

The Pavillion Stage features contemporary jazz and adult contemporary artists, whereas the Symphony Woods stage showcases soul music artists from the old school and the new.

We arrived around 11:00 am on Saturday and there were many good spots available. Most people were pretty accommodating and allowed you to squeeze your group in.  We came with a group of about 8-10 along with tents, coolers, chairs and tarp. There are plenty of jumbotrons through the park so you can see the show pretty well no matter where you sit.  Some groups come with elaborate equipment and tables full of food.  Yum!

The weather held up nicely and after settling down, we walked around to see what the vendors had to offer.  There were a variety of vendors from jewelry, artwork, african garb,  to "Thelma from Good Times taking pictures with patrons for $10."  Still looking good Thelma.  

The food vendors were out as well.  Prices were a little more expensive than usual.  After realizing this, we bought more food on Sunday with us rather than purchasing from vendors.

You can see this year's line up at the capital jazz website.  I just want to say that everyone looked amazing, thousands of people walking around, eating, shopping, dancing and singing along to the music.  Not one incident did I see happen all weekend and everyone was in a great mood.  

The shows end around 10-11pm and the last show on the Pavillion stage is usually the best.  However, this year's award (if I was giving one) would definitely go to Morris Day and the Tymes.  He showed up and showed out.