Florida/Bahamas Cruise 2025 - Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas (01/08/26)

 

Great Stirrup Cay - NCL's private island.  The last time I was here, I declined to set foot on the island because it was a tender port.  And I did the right thing, as choppy weather was getting in the way of tenders returning people to the ship.

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We arrived at the island early in the morning.  The ship emptied out while we went to breakfast on the ship. That meant the ship was quiet and peaceful for a change, and we enjoyed it.  Breakfast was pleasant, as we didn't have to wait to be seated, nor did we have to be worried about overworked wait staff giving shoddy breakfast service.  Normally, we might not have roused ourselves out of bed until noon.  But we were hungry, and the mechanical staff had to visit our room again for a third time to fix the problem with our toilet not flushing correctly.  So, after breakfast, we killed time in the main atrium and gave staff a chance to make up our cabin, and fix the problem with the toilet without us getting in the way.

We came back to a room with a working toilet (Thank God!) and relaxed for a while before going to the buffet for a late lunch.  Again, we killed a little time, as we had an early dinner at the Hibachi restaurant. There's not much to say about this place, save that the food was tasty and plentiful.  I've seen the Hibachi show way too many times to be impressed by it, and I'm glad that we didn't get stuck eating 3 specialty meals in this place.

After dinner, it was off to the ship's theater to see a show we saw on one of our trips on this ship - the Broadway Cabaret.  Unlike the last show we saw in this theater, we enjoyed it - even though we had seen it before.   The ship's singers and musicians were at the top of their game, and we stayed to the closing number.  (We left during the number, as we both needed bio-breaks.)  And then we were done for the night. 

 

Florida/Bahamas Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #1 (01/05/26)

 

This would be the first full sea day of our cruise.  Nothing to do, and we're doing it well.  If the alarm wasn't set, we'd have stayed asleep until lunch.  But the alarm was set, and we were up a little after 8:00 am, so that we could have breakfast in the main dining room.

We had to wait 10 minutes to get a seat at a shared table, and we got lucky - our table mate was a nice lady from Buffalo about to have her medical residency in Queens.  Most of our chat involved cruising and places to visit, with the cruise lines best for specific routes.

After breakfast, we went back to our room and it hadn't yet been made up.  We left the room around 1:00 pm, so that the room steward could make it up.  We went to the buffet to kill time, and he hadn't taken care of this by the time we got back.  (Several years ago, NCL cut the number of room stewards in half and doubled the number of rooms they service, leaving cruisers with once-daily room servicing.)  So we knew he was running late, servicing rooms as they freed up.  We simply vacated our cabin at the wrong time for him.  So again, we left the cabin for an hour, giving him time to do his job. 

Later, we went to Cagney's, the ship's steakhouse, for dinner.  Sadly for those who liked the Brazilian BBQ restaurant, Moderno, it is now gone with the 2025 retrofit of the ship, with Cagney's doubling the real estate used for the restaurant. With that out of the way, the food is as good as we remembered it, with beef portions that do more than fill you up - they satisfy a craving for a steak perfectly done.

Once done with dinner, we decamped to a "quiet" area on the ship before going back to our cabin.  It was a nice day, a chance to rest without anyone bothering us. 

Florida/Bahamas Cruise 2025 - Embarkation Day (01/04/26)

 

The alarms rang at 8:00 am, but didn't wake either of us up.  I had already been awake since 6:00 am, and couldn't get back to sleep, while RQS simply hit the snooze bar for another 30 minutes.

- - - - - -

When we finally started to move, I took my shower first and went out the door to pick up breakfast.  One of the delis that I'd usually go to as Mario was closed (unusual for a Sunday morning), so I went to another one nearby.  After finishing our breakfasts, we carted our bags downstairs and waited for our taxi.

Arriving at the local train station, we were a little surprised by how the change in railroad fares would affect us.  No longer could we buy a senior round-trip ticket good for use one day, and for a return several days later.  We now have to buy tickets before each leg of our trips, as they only offer single day use "unlimited" trips.  (Yeah, right.  Who wants to go back and forth into and out of New York City in one day?)  As a result of the fare change, we now have to plan our arrival time at the train station more carefully, so that we don't miss a train because we didn't allocate enough time to buy our tickets.

Once at Grand Central, we took a cab to the cruise terminal, and were on the ship in less than 20 minutes.  Unlike our last cruise, this ship felt crowded.  It didn't help that many cabins weren't ready for occupancy until after 2:00 pm.  This meant that most of the venues where one could sit down were crowded, without any room for newcomers.

Once on the ship, we checked in at our muster station (no problem, as it was right by the elevator bank we needed to use to get to our cabin.)  But we didn't expect the amount of walking we'd have to do between the elevator bank and our cabin.  (We were so far forward, that if we went much further, we'd be on the bow of the ship.)  We dumped our carry-on luggage in the cabin (even though it wasn't officially open for us to do so) and went to arrange for our 5 specialty dining meals.  (We got 3 due to the length of this cruise, plus another 2 due to my loyalty status with the cruise line.)  Although there was a long line to book specialty dining, we got slots in each of the restaurants on the ship, and had one of our favorites booked for this evening.

Having taken care of the time sensitive stuff, it was time to get lunch.  Unfortunately, cabins were not yet officially available to cruisers, so no one was giving up any space in the buffet.  I figured that with a little searching, that we'd find a spot - but I was wrong.  I ended up putting a full plate of food down in a public place for someone else to clean, and then proceeded to another restaurant for lunch.  We were told that we'd have to wait for 45 minutes, which caused us to go to our cabin for 30 more minutes (again, the cabins weren't officially available yet) before returning to the restaurant for pub food. 

Now that we were done for the afternoon, it was back to the cabin to rest for a couple hours.  Just before 6:00 pm, we went to the ship's French Bistro for dinner.  As expected, the food was yummy.  Nothing in the menu has changed in 2 years, and that was good enough for RQS and me.  If one goes to this restaurant, go hungry - I had a 16 ounce pork chop, and couldn't finish it!  The food was good and filling, and worth going out of one's way to eat there.

After dinner, we went back to the room to relax for the evening.  Being sleep deprived, it made sense for me to finally be able to rest with no time pressures. 

Florida/Bahamas Cruise 2025 - Final Preparation (01/03/26)

Right now, we're making final preparations for our upcoming cruise.  Last minute packing, double checking documents, and figuring out when we must leave to make it to the cruise ship on time are among the things we have to deal with today.

One of the things I have to take care of is picking up a prescription at the drug store.  This forces me to be in Mario mode for the day - and for once, it's not a bad thing.  I expect some very minor annoyances when I tell the pharmacist that I only want the blood pressure medication my doctor prescribed, and that I want the prescription transferred to the mail order pharmacy.  But first, I will have to transfer both money and legal ID into Mario's wallet.

A last laundry basket has to be done - if only because I don't want to come back to an overflowing hamper. This is something that forces me to get off my ass when I don't want to do so.  More importantly, this is a task I prefer to do when RQS is not around, as I fold and store my clothing differently than she does. Finally, we have to clean out the perishables from the refrigerator.  Milk and other things get dumped, and then we take the last trash bags to the dumpster.  

Yet, there was an unplanned wrinkle to my day - I lost a set of keys when I was out to dinner last night, and I had to replace them before we went away.  So, after I picked up my pills at the drug store, I drove to Home Depot to get my keys cut.  The fellow at the key cutter couldn't find one of the blanks needed for me, so I had 3 or 4 of the keys I needed.  This meant that I needed to go to a hardware store for the last key.  And even there, they had a problem finding the right key.  But they found it.  Now, I had a set of 4 keys that I can again keep with my handbag. 

- - - - - -

By the time you read this, we'll be back from our cruise - and I'll be writing much more while I'm on the cruise.

Getting ready for my next cruise.

 

The above is far from my favorite cruise itinerary.  This is a route I've sailed twice before: once with XGFJ, and once as a solo traveler. Both cruises are best forgotten, albeit for different reasons.

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When I last cruised this route (albeit to another cruise line's private island), it was the worst cruise I ever sailed on.. There is "no there there" for Port Canaveral, and the only reason that I got off the ship there was to go to the Kennedy Space Center.  (I'm surprised that the Orange Snowflake hasn't yet named it the "Trump - Kennedy Space Center".😆) 

Next is Nassau. The first time I was here, following a disappointing trip on a glass bottomed boat, XGFJ and I walked around the port area a little bit and got bored.  Since I am not into beaches, I'd get bored going here again.

And finally, there is the cruise line's private island.  Great Stirrup Cay was a disappointment when I was there, as there was no dock for the ship.  Everyone had to use tender boats to go between the island and the ship, and I didn't bother going to the island with XGFJ.  She wasn't that happy with the snorkel experience she had, as the water was churned up too much to get a clear view of the underwater life.  To make things worse, the tender boat had a hard time returning to the ship due to high winds.  (Although I've seen evidence that the new pier for this island is finally available, I still see little gain by visiting this place.)

- - - - - -

So, why did I choose this cruise?

It was the cheapest way I could find for RQS and I to spend a week together and to see whether I'll consider cruising on NCL again for cruises other than the Bermuda run from NYC and for the 7-night Hawaii run from Honolulu.  Many people have reported that NCL now has the feel of a cruise line that nickel-dimes too much.  My impression has been that post-pandemic cruising has a much different feel (and I'm not referring to health related changes) than the pre-pandemic cruises that made NCL a go-to cruise line for me.

Will we have been spoiled too much by Cunard and Princess to choose NCL in the future?  Who knows? But I know that there are only a limited number of cruises that NCL offers that I want to take.  Without being able to get self-service laundry onboard, I will avoid taking cruises longer than a week on this line. (The free laundry bag provided to Platinum, Sapphire, Diamond and Ambassador status is a little too small to clean most garments other than undergarments and socks.)  

I may have outgrown NCL as a go-to cruise line.  But I'm glad to know that I still have good cruises ahead of me on other lines.    

The weekend ended early for us

 

I've gotten so used to having RQS around, that it always feels a little strange when she has to go home.  Today was the last Sunday of 2025, and it was an early end of a weekend for us due to New Year coming on a Thursday this coming week.  And it feels stranger today, as she will be back here in 2 days.

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On Sundays, if I wake up early enough at my home, I have the option of going to church.  It's partially a running joke with us that I will turn over and go back to sleep for another 2 hours or so, instead of going to church.  Although I was up at 8 am, I decided to stay inside and watch videos while RQS slept.

Around 9:30 am, RQS got up, and we relaxed a little more before showering and getting dressed.  This is when I started work on the co-op meeting minutes for December, so that they can be reviewed and corrected before the end of the year.  (I usually try to keep myself occupied when RQS is showering and getting ready for the day.)  We were both ready by 1 pm, and I dropped her off at the station 30 minutes later. What I didn't mention so far is that I decided to go out as Mario for one reason only: I had to return the watch I bought as a Christmas gift for RQS, and I expected to need to present as Mario for this trip.  (If I put off the return for another day, I could have enjoyed a day out as Marian. 

Once I was done with returning the watch, it was back home to rest a little.  Sometime around 6 pm, I decided to replace my CPAP mask, and I fell asleep while trying it out.  (I must have both needed sleep and to replace the mask.)  By the time I woke up, it was late, and I'll bet that RQS wondered why I didn't call.  So I shot her a message to tell her that she could call me - if she was still awake when she read the message.

Tomorrow (weather permitting), it will be a Marian day for the rest of the week.  What better a way to spend New Year's Eve, than to be out as Marian.... 

A nice dinner out. (Not much to say, as I'm recovering from a cold.)

 As I'm writing this, it's Christmas Eve, and I'm still recovering from a cold.  So I won't say too much about today.  

RQS came up from the city, and I picked her up around 1:30.  Both of us were a bit hungry, so we went to the local pizza parlor before taking a rest at home.  A couple of hours later, we went to Cold Spring for dinner.  If I hadn't made Xmas Eve reservations, I'd rather have stayed in for the night.

We got to Cold Spring early, and were seated in an almost empty section of the restaurant.  Both the food and service were top notch, and I had enough taste buds working to enjoy the meal.  But my cold was draining me, and we decided to skip going to church as we planned.

I don't have much energy today - I'll write more soon.

A weekend with RQS, getting ready for Xmas

 

As I write this, we're all getting ready for Xmas, and Amazon boxes are going here and there.  RQS has has some of her boxes shipped here, And I've had to make sure that boxes containing small Xmas gifts for her don't arrive when she's here.  This is not a big thing.  But it is something I have to stay aware of before the holiday.

Sunday came, and Amazon delivered the SIM card for her new phone.  It was a little bit of an effort to get her new phone plan set up, in part because the SIM Card ID was not easily legible without assistance, and that the setup would be more easily done on a laptop, and not the cell phone itself.

At that point, RQS started a little bit of cleanup around the place, while I edited my co-op's website to include some government contacts as part of the "useful contact" page.  And then I joined in the cleaning effort for a little while.  After getting some room freed up on the dining room table, RQS started to work on some of her art on a "clean" surface.

Later that day, we put a spatchcocked chicken in the oven and feasted on the bird when it was fully cooked.  We took out some stuffing I had prepared the day before, and, with a salad, we had a filling dinner.  This wasn't much to talk about.  But the day wasn't that eventful either.  In short, this was a Jammie day that went well.

A new restaurant and a new phone.

 

As I write this, Christmas and New Year have yet to come.  Yet, I'm rushing to get a co-op newsletter out before the end of the year, so that shareholders see that we are trying to communicate with them on a regular time frame. 

RQS is unable to reach me today, as she left her phone here last weekend.  So we made arrangements for me to pick her up at the train station at 4:30.  Once I picked her up, we decided to go to the new Thai restaurant in town.  Before I say too much about the restaurant, the owners used to have a place in Thornwood, and after 20 (?) years, decided to move to Croton to open a new place.  Their website still lists the Thornwood address, even though they have been located in Croton since Halloween weekend.  

We walked into the restaurant without reservations, and were shown to a table next to the bar.  We were told that since the place hadn't yet been given a liquor license, they were giving away a glass of wine with each meal.  Looking at the menu, we both saw that prices were a little bit more than we expected.  I could easily manage this unplanned cost, so I ordered the Tamarind duck while RQS had chicken in a spicy red curry sauce.  Both were excellent!  We'll be going back when the budget allows for it.

Our next stop was Best Buy, where RQS bought a backup cell phone, just to have a cheap phone for use in an emergency (or, when she leaves her phone at my place).  It took a stop at 2 stores, as the first one didn't have the budget Motorola phone in stock.  When we got home, RQS was about to buy a SIM card directly from a service provider.  I told her NOT to complete the transaction, and explained why she should buy the SIM card through Amazon.  If the card were shipped by the cell phone company, it wouldn't get here until sometime after Xmas.  But, if the card came from Amazon, it would be here before the end of the weekend.  So, RQS ordered the card, then started to set the phone up for backup use.

Hopefully, RQS will be able to use her new phone for phone calls by the end of the weekend.

This was a quiet day until I decided to go out after dark.

 

As I write this, it's a week before Christmas.  RQS now has 2 boxes she can open on Christmas, and I can relax a little before the holiday.  Given that she knows about her big gift (a cruise), I felt that she should have something small to open on Christmas as well.

- - - - -

I didn't start getting ready to go out until 4:30 pm.  Once I was ready, I went out to the car and started driving to Walmart.  But before I was out of the driveway, my brother called to shoot the breeze.  He opened up a little about his home situation, and then we chatted about the family homestead.  Once at Walmart, I took a detour to Best Buy to see if they had a webcam I could use as a replacement.

My back was hurting a little as I entered the store, and proceeded to the computer accessories area.  (I was smart enough to be using my cane tonight.)  Five minutes later, I went to the check out area to pay for the webcam.  And that's when things went South.  One would expect a busy store with slightly less than a week to go before the holiday - but it was almost empty.  There were only two people tending the cash registers, and neither of them were doing anything fast.  One of the attendants were handling a return that was taking forever.  (I couldn't hear much, but if I did, I didn't understand their language.)  The other attendant couldn't feed a new roll of paper into the receipt printing machine.  Ten minutes later, I was almost ready to give up on the purchase and go to Walmart.  But then, a register opened up, and I was finally able to leave the store.

Next, I took a drive and ended up at Trader Joe's.  $60 later, I was out the door with the food I'd need this weekend.  At least, I won't have to go food shopping when RQS arrives tomorrow.... 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                 

Schedules change, and sometimes for the better.

 

Today, I had lunch with my friend from the census.  At this time of year, it's always hard to find good days to meet, but we did so - and had a good chat.  She told me of her husband's semi-retirement and of some other goings on in her life, while I mentioned my cruise and the little things we enjoyed.  Time passed quickly, yet I felt that I was "out of sync" again.

Once finished with lunch, it was back home to rest for a while.  While I had the chance, I texted Maria to see if we're on for the weekend.  She would only be available for lunch on Saturday, so I had to check with RQS whether she would be able to make it up to Croton before noon.  After a little back and forth, she said she'd take an early train, so that I could pick her up at the station for lunch with Maria.  

While I was in the mood to text, I checked in on my acquaintance from meetup (MAR).  She doesn't get that I can't make any weekend dates, and she has a hard time having any energy to meet on weeknights.  Sadly, she's stuck in a rut, and there's nothing I can do (or should do) to help her at this stage.  When one's 40, stuck in a dead-end job, and still living with parents, it's doubtful she'll ever be able to afford the time or money to maintain certain friendships. 

Since I was home for the evening, I decided to do some laundry.  Although I didn't bother folding anything, the clothes are clean and ready to be put away.  Once done with this task, I checked in with RQS and found out that her friend wanted to have lunch, not dinner, with her on Friday.  So RQS will be able to make it up here Friday night and have an easier time making it to lunch the next day.

In the end, the calendar worked out for me.  And that's a good thing when I'm living as much of my life as I can in Marian mode. 

I'm tired of talking politics, and I hope that the new year is better than this one.

 

Today will not be an excuse for a political rant.  I am thankful that the year is almost over, even though I have a few chores left to take care of before baby new year comes a calling.

- - - - - -

I'm very thankful that I've been able to take 5 different cruises this year.  It's nice to have someone to share experiences with.  After being widowed for 29 years, it feels a little strange to be with someone I can trust to be there when I need her.  (She feels the same about me.)  It's a blessing to have someone in my life who can accept me both as Marian and as Mario.  Unlike former relationships, I don't have to hide the feminine side of me from her.

I've tried to keep in touch with people, but some of them have fallen by the wayside.  One friend is assumed to have died, or he is unable to keep in touch.  Another friend is doing OK, and we have to find time to get together during the new year.  Yet, unlike most cisgender females, I do not have a typical woman's network of friends.  This is the price a transgender person pays for being assigned male at birth.

In spite of what is going on in the Orange Snowflake's mind, I have been able to live most of my life untouched by his evil nature.  Yes, I get angry when I hear his voice.  But I know to change the channel and catch up on the news in ways where I don't have to hear evil words come out of his hateful voice. Yet, I still have faith that things will get better sooner than later.  However, I know that I have an exit plan underway, just in case things get really bad.

When I look at things going on with my co-op, I worry about things that could cause our complex to fail financially.  Luckily, I have a voice in things, and use it as much as possible,  I publish the co-op's website, as well as manage the co-op's zoom presence.  (Zoom is nothing much to talk about.  But I handle all technology issues for the co-op.)  There are some accounts that are in arrears, and I am looking to get these shareholders to pay up, so that others don't have to carry them.  Hopefully, 2026 will be a better year for the co-op, as I don't want to take on any more responsibility than I have now.

After a year of having no tenants in the family homestead, it looks like we will have some soon.  This year, 2025, the house became a money pit for my brother and I, and neither of us expected that we would sink as much money into the house as we did without rent coming in to pay the expenses.  Assuming we get someone good to rent the place, I'm hoping that we will sell the place 5 years from now, as I expect I'll need a cash infusion by then.

So, I'll close this entry with a simple wish - have a joyful and prosperous new year!

 

It was a busy day and evening

 

Today would be a busy day.  I didn't have the time or energy to clean up my apartment before RQS came up today So, all I could do is get some little things out of the way, so that she could feel more comfortable while here.

- - - - - -

I woke up early, but had little energy to move.  My back was bothering me a little, and I didn't want to spend what little energy I had cleaning up my place.  So, I moved things out of the way and got ready to go out as Marian for the first time since before my last cruise. 

Getting ready as Marian involves several things.  First, I have to shave very close.  Then, I have to apply my makeup.  And that has a routine that I try to follow: (1) Clean my face, (2) Apply beard concealer, (3) Apply dark makeup to disguise my chin bones, (4) Apply foundation, (5) Apply brow makeup, (6) Apply setting powder, (7) Apply blush, and finally (8) Apply lipstick.  There are times that I am in a rush and skip a step - but that's usually when I'm in a rush.  It's a production, but worth it to go out as Marian.

- - - - - -

My friend from the imaging firm and I had a lunch appointment scheduled for noon at Panera Bread in White Plains.  So I wouldn't have much time in the morning to putz around and all I could do would be to get up, get ready to go out, and drive to White Plains.  By 11 am, I was running late, and was about to call my friend.  Then I read a test on my phone - my friend would be late.  She "got credit" for asking for a delay, and this suited me just fine.

We met at Panera at 12:30, and had a nice chat.  I talked about my recent cruise, and she talked about her Thanksgiving day dinner disaster.  All too soon, lunch had to end.  Part of me couldn't wait - this place was much too loud in which to hold a good conversation.  So I went home for a while, waiting for RQS to come in.

At 4:30, I picked up RQS at the station, and we went to a local "Red Sauce" joint for dinner.  But neither of our dishes were covered by red sauce: she had shrimp scampi, while I had chicken scarpiello.  Yum!  The food was tasty, plentiful, and filling. We lingered a bit at the restaurant, and then it was off to the Westchester Woman's Chorus perform at a nearby church.

- - - - - -

A friend of ours performs with the chorus, and we were there to hear her (and others) sing.  It was a nice performance, and  we were glad to have gone.  We met DS there from game night, but she didn't have a lot to say.  Soon, it was time to leave, and we were home for the night.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 

While we were on the cruise, both RQS and I were noticing the gradual mounting of Christmas decorations around the ship.  First, it was setting up this Christmas tree.  Then, it was the read garlands around the light sconces on the ship.  Gradually, the ship had been transformed for its Christmas season cruising.  If I could afford both the time and money, RQS and I would be taking a Christmas cruise on the Queen Mary 2.  Given what I've seen so far, they how to celebrate the holiday on this ship. 

Several years ago, I took a Christmas Cruise which sailed from New York to Port Canaveral, NCL's private island, and Charleston, SC before returning to Manhattan.  This was one of the first cruises to sail after Covid-19, and it was one of the best cruises I've ever been on.  On Christmas Day, both children and their parents came down to the atrium in their PJs, just to visit with Mr. & Mrs. Santa.  The best gift that we could get that year was the ability to travel again as things were coming back to normalcy.

This year, I have yet to buy RQS a present she doesn't know about.  But I've already given her the gift of a cruise we'll be taking soon.  As much as I'd like to have traveled as Marian for this cruise, I know I'd be pressing my luck with another visit to Florida and its dreaded bathroom laws.

- - - - - -

I still have to give RQS an idea of what I want for Christmas.  I don't need any more dresses in my closet.  And I need to figure out what best fits me from the Marian side of my closets if I want her to give a clothing gift.  Jewelry would be nice, but I'm not sure of what I'd want and it's hard to find things that will fit me and look good on me.

Still, as I write this, it's a couple of weeks before the holiday, and we have time to figure things out. 

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Disembarkation Day (12/08/25)

 

I don't have that much to say about leaving the ship today.  The alarms were set to go off at 5:45 am, and I was up even earlier.  Normally, if one is on the starboard side of the cruise ship. one doesn't get a chance to see the Statue of Liberty at sunrise from the safety and comfort of our cabin.  However, our ship was brought in to the pier pointing South. And that meant that the ship would do a U-Turn before going to the pier, allowing me to capture the shot above.

- - - - - -

We got off the ship around 8:30 am or so, and spent the next 30 minutes going through the cruise terminal hunting for RQS's luggage.  (It was placed in a wrong, but nearby area.)  By the time we found it and got outside, we saw the ferry leaving the dock, meaning that we would have to stand outside on the coldest day of the year, waiting for another hour.  Of course, we had no intention of waiting.  But all the cabbies shunned us, and the fare to take us to Central Queens.  After getting frustrated, someone at the pier told us - summon an Uber, as it will be cheaper. So, we did.

When the Uber arrived, we encountered a very nice fellow at the wheel  His GPS took us through a traffic jam I always try to avoid (the section of the BQE that's falling apart and always moving slower than a walk), and then through back roads to RQS's place.  (I knew most of the roads, and it probably was the fastest way there.)  What startled me a little was that the driver was getting his directions in Chinese!  We were at RQS's place before 11:00 am, and the gentleman helped us bring our luggage to the first landing of RQS's apartment.  I made sure to give him a good tip!

- - - - - -

RQS had no food inside her place.  So at noon, we ordered some from a local pizzeria.  We knew we were going to have problems when she had to repeat a phone number and address several times to the fellow on the other side of the line.  At 12:40 pm, we got our first call - where were we?  The delivery person was waiting for us.  (But at the wrong address, as we'd find out when RQS went downstairs.)  After a few fits and starts, the fellow still couldn't find us, and claimed he was in front of our place.  So, when the pizzeria called at 1:00 pm, we were both very upset and told the person we were cancelling the order.  We wanted hot pizza, and after 30 minutes, it would likely be cold in this weather.  After hanging up on the owner, he left me a message telling me to F-Off!  With an attitude like this, and a screwed up delivery, we'll never order from this place again - a sad thing, as this was the best pizza joint in the neighborhood for delivery.

I got home around 4:30 pm, and found that a plumber was doing work downstairs.  What was being done, I don't know.  But I'll find out at our next co-op board meeting.  At least, the work being done did not affect my apartment. 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #5 (12/06/25)

 

As we approach New York, both RQS and I dread our return home.  No, it's not because our cruise is ending.  Instead, it's because we're coming back to some of the coldest weather we've had in a while.  When I look at the NYC weather forecast, I see subfreezing weather for the day we return.  That means that we'll have to be outside, on the waterfront, while we wait for our ride home.  And then, once at RQS's place, I'll have to cart most of my bags up to Croton that same day.  If I'm lucky, my car won't be covered by too much snow.  But I won't know until I get home.  

- - - - - -

This morning started with another Room Service breakfast. This time, it came early.  Only one problem: they forgot to bring sweetener with the coffee.  But we made do.  Around 11, we left the room to have a snack and to do some laundry.  Around 1, we returned to the room with our clean laundry and all traces of breakfast were gone. I had a table I could fold clothes on!

Around 3:15, we went to afternoon tea, expecting to meet a new acquaintance there. She wasn't there when tea service started, but she did appear at our table a bit late.  I told her of my idea for an adaptive garment, and she loved it - she doesn't have the use of one arm, and my garment idea would have solved one of her needs, making it easier to get dressed in the morning.  While there, I showed her a few pictures of me in Marian mode, and she loved it.  She wants to find out more at some later time.

- - - - - -

Tonight would be the last gala night of the cruise, and today's laundry run gave me a clean white shirt for the night.  Yay!  I don't have to break open another new shirt for this time in a suit and tie!  So I took out the suit one last time for this trip, and went to dinner with RQS.  This was the night of the chef's parade, where key restaurant personnel were saluted for the hard work they do.  I preferred something like this, where we didn't have to completely disrupt our meals, than to endure Princess's Baked Alaska parade towards the end of their cruises.

 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Barbados Day 2 (12/03/25)

Day 2 in Barbados, and we decided to stay on the ship and rest.  Neither of us wanted to go back outside and deal with the heat and humidity in this part of the world, and then get dressed up for another gala night.

But first...

We decided to sleep late, and go to the buffet for our first meal of the day - lunch.  I find it amazing that a buffet as small as that on this ship is big enough to serve the passengers on this ship.  However, I think it's because the main dining room is open for lunch - even on port days.

After lunch, we went back to the cabin, where RQS got ready to go to the gym to exercise.  I, on the other hand, took this chance to start work on this daily post, as well as working on my travel blog.  It gives me something to do when i don't want to go outside.  

- - - - - -

Dinnertime came again, and we got dressed in our best and headed to the main dining room for gala night (there would be 3 on this cruise).  We enjoyed a nice dinner, and went to a lounge to listen to some music.  I befriended a woman interested in my thoughts on cruising, and I introduced RQS to her when RQS returned from a bio break.  It was a nice way to end a nice day. And we're looking forward to a similar day tomorrow.
 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Domenica (12/01/25)

 

Domenica.  It looks like it might be a nice place to walk around. However,  we weren't in the mood to get off the ship today.  So we stayed on the ship, with two things in mind: 

• Laundry
• Resolution of Internet issue.

But first we had breakfast in the buffet....

After breakfast, we walked onto the promenade deck to get a view of the island. nd that's where I had a mishap that could have caused me some serious problems.  I had decided to sit down in one of the lounge chairs.  It collapsed forward because it wasn't set up right, and I fell forward.  This wouldn't be so bad, save that my cell phone almost fell off the ship.  Several more inches, and I would have lost a general purpose credit card, 2 gas cards, and my OMNY (NYC Mass Transit) card in addition to the phone.  But I was lucky, and only had a minor loss of pride.

Our next stop was to the purser's office, where we got the internet issue fixed - RQS did buy access for me, and the lady at the desk logged me into the ship's wi-fi under my account.  (Now to get the default settings fixed for my laptop.)  Finally, RQS and I can get on the internet at the same time, and not share a single account!

- - - - - -

After a chance to rest, we went down to the laundry room to wash a week's worth of clothes.  We only had 90 minutes to wash and dry our clothes, but the machines were running slow.  Even after 45 minutes of drying time, some items were still slightly damp - and that would have to wait until after dinner.

We arrived at the dining room at 6:30, and met the same 2 people who sat next to us last night.  Again, we had a pleasant chat over dinner.  And again, we noticed minor inconsistencies in staff service in the restaurant, none of which affected our enjoyment of the meal, but should be noted to management to prevent this from getting worse in future cruises.

Once back in our cabin RQS noticed something about the tour we would be taking the next morning in Barbados.  It leaves almost as soon as we get to the port, and we will need to hustle to make it to the tour bus on time.  This meant we'd have to get up very early in the morning for us, and that we'd skip tonight's show in the ship's theater. 

 

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - St. Maarten (11/30/25)

 

We got up early and went to the buffet.  Normally, this woud not be our choice, but we had a shore excursion to go to, and we didn't want to miss it.

Around 9:30, we left the ship and walked to the small tour bus that would take us on a 4 hour trip around St. Maarten.  Our tour guide took us to several beaches - not for swimming, but for the views.  And then we went to an Iguana feeding station, where, for a simple gratuity, one would have a chance to feed an Iguana.  It was fun to see one of the iguanas greedily go after some leaves put in front of him, as if there would be no one there tomorrow.  But there would be, as December 1st is the official start of the tourist season, and there would be larger crowds passing by this informal tourist attraction.

Next, we were off to the capital of the French side of the island, and stopped for a bite to eat.  Three currencies are used on St. Maarten: the Lesser Antilles Guilder (St. Maarten and Curacao), the Euro, and the US Dollar.  Many places were treating the dollar at par with the euro, even though the euro trades at 10% higher value.  So, when I got the bill for lunch, I saw the Euro price with a conversion for US Dollars.

After lunch, we were off to the Airport/Maho Beach, where crazy people have decided to try getting blown back by the jet blast.  Although we were not lucky enough to see people try this when a jet took off, there were a lot of people looking to get a thrill by being directly under the flight path pf the planes going in to/out of the airport.

Finally, it was back to the ship.  It was a long day, and it was only 2:30 when we walked back onto the ship. 

- - - - - -

After a chance to rest, RQS and I went to dinner.  As usual, dinner  was tasty, and I had a chance to taste Haggis.  Yum!  The rest of the meal was good as well, including the pheasant.  While at our table, a couple from Ontario started up a chat with us, and we shared pleasantries while eating our dinners.

When dinner was over, we went back to our cabin.  RQS was still upset at having bought internet for 2 devices, but only was credited for one.  I looked at her copy of what was purchased, and I figured out why we were told we only had internet for 1 device - a combination of Cunard's wonky website and her use of the English language - she wasn't thinking like a systems analyst in her use of language, and that got the original internet specialist on the ship to think we bought internet for 1 device.  Once she showed me the proof that she had purchased internet for 2 device, she marched down to the purser's office to get things fixed.  I expect that will take place tomorrow morning.

- - - - - -

Once the internet issue was taken care of, it was time to go to see the stage show - Symphony.  This was far from what we expected, but I'm glad we stayed.  We were expecting a miniature symphonic concert.  Instead, we got the ship's musicians and singers performing/singing Post -WW2 20th century pop music along with a prerecorded segment from the Royal Alpert Hall Orchestra for John Williams and Beatles' selections.  It was much better than I would have thought, given that there was a prerecorded segment being part of the show.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #2 (11/28/25)

 

The Christmas tree, the true sign that holiday season is coming.  On the QM2, the ship's staff is quietly installing Xmas decorations, and this tree "magically" popped up just after Thanksgiving. 

Now that we're halfway to our first port, the weather outside seems to be getting a little warmer.  Or, this is how it felt next to a window in the dining room, where RQS had to take off her sweater to feel comfortable.  Could it be that we finally have a sunny day?  Maybe.  But I think it's because we've gone South enough for the ship to start warming up from the outside in.

Our alarms got us moving around 7:45, and I was the first one in the shower.  Surprisingly, we were both ready to go to breakfast a little early.  When we arrived at Breakfast, there were several people waiting to escort people to their tables.  We were seated near a window, and could feel the warmth from the outside, now that we are in warmer climes.

While I was typing in the basis for this blog entry, RQS went outside (while it was still dry) to do her walk around the promenade deck.  I figured that I'd then continue work on my cruise blog, and started to slice and dice things to make the other blog more useful.  Things such as Cunard's wonky app had to be described, and I had to dedicate an entire section to Cunard's wonky technology.

Around 6 pm, we went for dinner, and had our hits and misses as usual.  Out of the 3 main dishes we ordered, only my lamb dish passed muster.  The chicken dumplings had no taste, while the chicken with Moroccan spices was a little too far out there for RQS's taste.

It felt like we had a long day - only because we were up since 7:30 am.  I can only imagine how we'll be feeling in St. Maarten, as we'll be out in the tropical sun for several hours.