Still waiting

None of the consecutive cruisers have yet got any proper information on what we're supposed to do for transfers, immigration or luggage etc. The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing, the buck is being passed with amazing speed. We were told we'd be getting a letter to explain everything by midnight last night, well it's now 5.30 in the morning and it still hasn't arrived, so I've just been down too the pursers desk and they inform me that we will now be receiving the letter later this morning. Just have to wait and see.
One thing we have been told is the name of the hotel we're going to, Le Parker Meridian on 5th Ave, we've googled it and it looks nice and it's a 5 star, woo hoo! See the photo of the lobby. That's as long as we actually get off the ship lol.

Compensation sorted

The compensation for the cancelled part of the cruise had been sorted, we are getting 50% off this first cruise, which includes a $400 refund they have us yesterday, and then a further 50% off a future cruise. It seems quite reasonable, so no real complaints from me.
They did a forum with the captain, in the theatre yesterday, which was put together with the good intentions of giving the passengers information and the chance to ask any questions, but I'm afraid it turned into a shouting match, with people not listening and just shouting out some really stupid questions.
For me all it did was give some light
entertainment for the morning.
We will find out today what the arrangements are for the back to back cruisers. We know we're being put up in an hotel for two nights while they sanitize the ship, we're just not sure where the hotel will be, as it's Super Bowl week and the local hotels are packed out.

Free at last.

Sheila was finally let out of her quarantine in the cabin, woo hoo!
We had docked in the usual berth in Old San Juan, so as Maz, Jim & the girls had gone to a shopping mall for some retail therapy, we decided on a stroll in to town.
We headed for an ice cream parlor we had found last time we were here.
It sells beautiful frozen yogurt and most importantly has free WiFi, not only free but it has a good strong signal and is quiet, unlike the popular places like Starbucks and Burger king where you struggle with low bandwidth and hoards of people.
Oh yes,I almost forgot. A follow on from an earlier post. The concierge pulled me aside yesterday and apologized for his attitude the other day when he told me off for being loud during the penalty shootout in the Manchester United semi final. I accepted his apology, but I feel it was made more because he doesn't want to lose any tips from our group, which is usually 8 or 10 people four of which are pinnacle members. I'll just see how it goes over this and the next cruise.

We made the news.

Just watching CNN and a report came on about the sickness on the ship. According to the report there are more than 300 people sick that is 280 guests and over 20 staff.

Cruise cancelled

Well this is a first for me, the CDC have cancelled the rest of the cruise and we are now not going to St Maarten, we are heading straight back to Bayonne, New Jersey, for sanitizing. There will be compensation etc, but we've not yet been told what it will be. Also we're not sure what's going to happen to us back to backers, we don't know if we'll be doing the second cruise or if that's being cancelled also. No doubt we'll find out today, I will keep you informed.

Docked in Old San Juan

After all the speculation about where we will dock, and my thinking we where in a different part of town, we are docked in the usual place, it just looked different last night when it was dark.
The US CDC team is on board and are inspecting the ship to ascertain webcast sanitizing is required. It can't be as bad as first suspected as they were letting people off the ship last night and continue to do so today, so we'll probably get out later and get a coffee and some free WiFi.
Sheila should be released from her isolation this morning as it will be 24 hours since she had any symptoms.
Not sure if she will fancy going out though, as she was still a bit weak last night.

Epidemic proportions

Found out tonight that there are over 500 guests ill with GI problems. That's quite a big proportion of the total guests on board. We have been informed that we are not docking at the usual berth tomorrow, we are docking at a different part of town. Originally I thought this was going to be a fair way out of town, but I've just come up to deck 14 and we are still in the town, just a different part, so really that will work out well as we've seen the other part of the town quite a few times, so this will be something new. Well I'm saying all this and it all depends how Sheila is tomorrow, if she's still not well, we'll not be getting off at all.

Virus alert!!!

Well three days out of New York and the Norovirus has hit the ship. I'm not really sure exactly how many people are affected by the virus, but it is definitely well over 200. With Sheila,Eva and possibly Sue laid low with it.
It's definitely at epidemic level as we have had our first port of call cancelled. It was supposed to be Labadee, but now we've go an extra day at sea as we head straight for our second port of call, San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we are going to have some enhanced sanitation done, which hopefully will clear the infection. We will arrive there about half a day earlier than expected, but I'm certain we'll be kept in quarantine for the duration of the sanitation. So all in all a pretty miserable start to the cruise :-(

Shhhh! This is the concierge lounge.

Well I did it again, I got told of for being a bit loud. I know that is unbelievable as I'm the quietest person around. Ok ok, that's not strictly true I'm probably the noisiest person around, but all I was doing in all truth was laughing and giving the odd "woah" etc, during the penalty shootout with Sunderland and Man U. But the officious little prick of a concierge comes over and says "can you keep quiet, as this is the concierge lounge".
Well, I apologized and shut up. Then I got to thinking, I wasn't really that noisy and it was a cup semi final after all and the noise I made was only for the last 10 mins of the game.
I also got to thinking about next week when the Super Bowl is on and you can guarantee that the lounge will be full of noisy Americans.
So I told him that if they make any noise during the Super Bowl, I will be complaining and expecting him to tell them to be quiet.
Should be a very interesting evening. I'll keep you informed lol.
Oh yes one other thing it's the Merseyside derby, next week also. So I'm thinking I might be better watching it in my cabin, as you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll make some noise during that, lol.

BOGOF

Eight of us booked a table on Giovanni's last night, as we get a bogof deal on the first night of the cruise, so it's $25 for two instead of each. It was a disaster though, the food wasn't that good on fact in Sheila and Sues case it was downright bad, Sheila had a T bone steak which was all gristle, and Sue ordered a medium well filet, which came to the table still mooing in pain and dripping blood. Maz ordered a T bone and got a filet which he doesn't like so he sent it back. But by the time his correct meal came we had all finished ours so he sent that back also. We complained to the manager but didn't get much response out of him, he just said sorry and promised it would be better next time, well I'm afraid there will be no next time for me, not on this ship anyway.

Just beat the weather

Our car was booked for 10.30am, but just after breakfast about 9am the snow started, so we got the bell boy to call the limo firm and get the car at 9.30, so we could miss the incoming storm.
It worked out well because after a 30 minute delay in the Lincoln tunnel due to an accident the weather turned worse, and by the time we got to the cruise terminal it was snowing heavily.
The boarding of the ship was a little bit of a shambles, but quite quick.
The ship itself looks as if it's had a refit and is very nice.
Can't go out on deck yet though as there is still quite a few inches of snow out there lol.

Do the Harlem shuffle

What a day! So many New York bucket list items in one day. Ride the New York subway, see NYC in the snow, visit a genuine New York  apartment and go to a Harlem restaurant.
The day started with breakfast at the hotel diner, which was very good btw. Then a nice stroll down Broadway to Aimans apartment, from the 29th floor the views over the city are brilliant but even that high up you are still dwarfed by the other sky scrapers. Then it was of to the subway to get the uptown train to Central Park, the park is beautiful at the best of times but in the winter months it's spectacular, with the frozen lake and the leafless trees allowing you to see more of the surrounding skyscrapers, reminding you of the unusual location of this beautiful park. After a rather expensive beer in the famous Central Park Boathouse restaurant, it was off to the subway for another uptown train to Harlem. This train was a lot older than the earlier train we took, it was just like the rickety old ones you see in 60s movies and American tv shows. After a while we reached or destination 125th st station, the furthest north I've been in NYC. We strolled through a very rundown area to our final destination, the famous Harlem, Dinosaur BBQ and Grill restaurant. I know people usually say, wow that's the best food I've ever had, but this was, the ribs Sheila and I shared were the best we've ever had.
Then after another subway ride back to Aimans apartment to pick-up our shopping (I'd bought some new jeans in the Levis, store, absolute bargain at $23 ) it was a taxi back to the hotel and off to bed, even earlier than usual. Brilliant day and all thanks to Aiman for taking the time out to show us around.

NYC

Just arrived in NYC, great flight no problems at all, except for a very ropey landing..!
Checked in the hotel and sorted a car for the transfer to the ship on Tuesday.
Just on 7th ave at the min having a burger.
Sheila will be going back to the hotel after this, then I'll prob go for a quick pint and then off to bed.

On the countdown

10 days to go, everything booked, just hoping for the weather in New York to improve a bit.
Personally I'm not worried about the cold or the snow while we are there, just hope it's not that bad, that it will stop us getting there.
Having said that I am looking forward to a bit of warm sunshine in the Caribbean.
But before that we've got two days in the Big Apple to look forward to. I've always wanted to see NYC in the winter, so as long as we can get there it should be an interesting trip.
I've been out and bought some new cold weather gear so bring it on LOL