lauraodonnell86

I don't have any info on 81st Dolphin parking but we are using Port Parking www.portparking.com which is indoors and provides shuttles to the terminal.

Hi Laura! I have not used 81st Dolphin, but I think they would be fine. It’s outdoor, gated, and looks secure. A few months ago I used Port Parking, as mentioned above, and had a good experience. I think you would be fine with any of the providers in Galveston. Several have a park and walk option that saves money if you don’t need the shuttle bus. You can drop your bags at the cruise terminal, drive to the parking lot, and walk back to the ship. Of course the weather may make this option uncomfortable. Have a great cruise!

I'm sure you are all getting tired of so many photos so I'll stop soon but here are a few more...























 

Day 6 - Curaçao
Walked toward downtown and across the floating bridge.  Very pretty town.

The bridge swings open to let ships past such as this tug.

Tonight was the second showing of iSkate in Studio B.
I always take in the skating shows and iSkate did not disappoint.
It starts with drones much like on Symphony.  It's hard to capture the drones in still photos because they are choreographed and fly in sync and formation which can only be experienced live in person.  




















New to Navigator that I don't remember from Symphony is a segment where a lone skater performs with a single drone.  They move in coordination and perform together.  Set to strings of a solitary violin it is really well done. 


It ends with the drone lowering into the hands of the skater.




While Navigator does not have the 'Ice-a-rama" projection system like Symphony that projects video onto the ice surface it's a very engaging show and this cast nailed it perfectly.

@Pima1988 I am a parent and a germaphobe. Enough said ??

On Freedom last month, we saw popcorn for the first time ever on a cruise. They mainly had it in the theater for shows. Even though it's crazy to pay that much, my husband loves popcorn so we bought it a few times. Who cares? We're on vacation! ? 

Alright, I finally managed to get those pictures uploaded from when I first boarded.  Voom is pretty sketchy in the Southern Caribbean so I apologize for bouncing all over like this but here they are in no particular order:
The temporary fitness area in the Solarium:


Blaster tube conveyor belt so you don't have to carry tubes up the stairs:









































































 
This area on deck 12 port is a smoking area.  




And now back to our regularly scheduled cruise blog...

Last time we visited Antigua, we took a taxi to Dickenson Bay and had them drop us off near the Sandals resort. From there we went to the left and there was a beautiful beach where you can purchase chairs/umbrellas. The picture of me is next to the huts on the Sandals beach. My husband is standing in a little bay area that has nice, calm water. The third picture is pointing the opposite way from where our chairs were. The beach was really nice and long to walk as well!!

Kind of bouncing around here.  I came across some day time pool deck photos from right after boarding I'll post soon, but I some news to report.
At 7:30am this morning the Captain announced we would be undertaking a helicopter medical evacuation.  He didn't say anything about the patient which is not unusual due to privacy concerns.  The helipad was closed and the upper decks outside were also closed.  If I'm not mistaken they also ask guests in the forward facing ocean view cabins to leave their cabins. 
Helicopter landings are taken pretty seriously.   They would have had a full fire crew standing by in case the helicopter crashed and caught fire.  These landings are very complex operations that involve breaking the helipad down, removing all benches, lowering railing, lowering the forward radar tower and removing cables that stretch up towards the bridge.   With all that complete the helipad is clear of obstructions. 
The ship then works with the pilot of the helicopter to position the ship and maintain a heading to optimize the landing and takeoff of the helicopter.   
Our location is near the gap between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Instead of turning South and heading into the Caribbean Sea we continued to sail towards Puerto Rico to close the distance so that a USCG helicopter could reach us.  
With that complete we've turned South again and entered the Caribbean Sea heading to Aruba.  The Captain expects us to be an hour late arriving but has added two hours onto our Bonaire stay.

Back to the pool area as the sun sets for the evening.
Those who follow me know I like to take pictures during the golden hour and at night.  

I'm making a note of this one for our 2020 trip to Bonaire - I've heard tons about Woodwind but the personalized experience sounds fantastic. 

For anyone wanting more of a personalized experience, we booked through Renee 2 years ago and it was fantastic. http://www.reneesnorkeltrips.com/snorkel-trips/  She used to be a Marine Biologist and could point out every fish along the way to us. Some of the fish would have completely been missed if she hadn't pointed them out to us. She keeps the groups very small (4 people in ours) and it is $45/person. I would highly recommend booking a tour through her! 

I didn't get the invite!  ?

At first I balked at the idea of paying for it, but the more I thought about it, the more I would have gotten it.  The $2 cost is so insignificant and like your husband thought, YOLO!

On Freedom last month, we saw popcorn for the first time ever on a cruise. They mainly had it in the theater for shows. Even though it's crazy to pay that much, my husband loves popcorn so we bought it a few times. Who cares? We're on vacation! ? 

Another beautiful sunset this evening. 

Aruba a couple weeks ago. ❤️ 

TFW it’s 10pm and ready bed
https://giphy.com/gifs/jamie-lee-curtis-boho-freaky-friday-TfseOfhwd6BJC

You know you're a cruise nerd when...

Scientific proof the weather is absolutely perfect today in Tampa

Aruba a couple weeks ago. ❤️ 

Aruba a couple weeks ago. ❤️ 

Thanks @twangster! I had read this a few weeks ago when we were booked for this itinerary but went through it again today with the pictures back on there. Those are so awesome! We had to move to the week after due to school being extended (snow/ice days) and I'm bummed not to be able to visit Roatan and Costa Maya. 

The nighttime photos are worth the click alone!