To Hell And Back

Arrival at Georgetown, Grand Cayman was at 10:00am under clear skies and a warm tropical temperature.   This island was discovered by Columbus who originally named it Las Tortugas after the multitude of sea turtles he found.  Everyone made their way to the ship’s tenders and headed ashore.  We were lucky and caught the very first tender.  Then it was off to Hell.  That’s correct, you didn’t read this wrong, we really went to the small village named Hell.  There’s not much there except some rough looking rock formations, a Post Office, and a general store with souvenirs.

 We then traveled to the world famous Cayman Turtle Farm at Boatswain Beach, where we enjoyed some tasty rum cake. 

It was then back to Georgetown to wonder around town for some shopping….Jewelry store, jewelry store, jewelry store!! 

We stopped to Jimmy Buffet’s for some cool refreshment.

Then back to the ship to really cool off.

Sailaway And First Day

Yesterday we were delayed in our departure from Fort Lauderdale until after sunset.  The Pacific Princess finally got underway on the World Cruise at about 6:15pm.  The Cruise Director, Brett Siborne hosted the

Champagne Sailaway Celebration for all the passengers and the ship's company.  The views along the Florida coastline were magnificant!  Miami at night from 4 miles out to sea was something to behold.  It really didn't matter that our suitcases didn't arrive to our stateroom until much later, since there was so much going on around the ship. 

The Maitre D'Hotel, Francisco Patricio selected a very nice four-top table for us in the Club Restaurant for dinner.  Here is  a autographed copy of the Sailaway Dinner Menu.  

Of course, we both selected the Prime Rib.  This will be our biggest meal for awhile, as we attempt to pace ourselves and keep the calorie count under control.

This morning we awoke to clear skies and 75 degrees F.  The sea is really calm with absolutely no swells.  After a light breakfast we headed up to Deck 10 for a Meet and Greet with all the Cruise Critic Roll Call members.  Almost all are doing the entire 107 days.  

NEWS FLASH FROM THE CAPTAIN.  Our scheduled port call to Seychelles, Mahe, April 1, 2011 has been cancelled.  The reason given is Pirates in the area west of the Seychelles.  We will be changing our course and will now be making a port call on Richard's Bay, South Africa on April 7, 2011.  This is a disappointment for most of the passengers because the Seychelles are lush islands with white sand beachs not frequently visited.  But---Safety First.
  

Tomorrow's The Big Day

The Big Day is just about here.  We will head over to the ship tomorrow at about noon for boarding.  The ship is expected to sailaway at around 5:00pm.  The weather is looking very good with small sea swells expected. Our first stop will be Grand Cayman and then on for the transit of the Panama Canal. We just do the transit with no stops in Panama and head on to Manta, Equador.  Manta is the disembarkation stop for passengers who will be going overland to Mauchu Picchu or the Galapagos Islands.

We will spend today getting last minute laundry done and packing up things here at the Palm-Aire.  Needless to say, the long wait for this cruise is finally over.

Pompano Beach

The weather is really improving, and the temperature is up to 72F.  Should even get warmer over the coming days.  Most of the clouds have dissipated and the sun is out in all its glory. 

Enjoying our stay at the Wyndham Palm-Aire in Pompano Beach, Florida.  It's a very large country club with golf, tennis, and several swimming pools. 

Yesterday we went for a leisurely drive with our friends John and Leslie around Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale.  During our drive we got to see the Goodyear blimp doing several takoffs and landings from their facility at the Pompano Beach Airpark.

We heard by email from our friend Phyllis who is currently on the Emerald Princess.  She is arriving on a B2B cruise into Fort Lauderdale on Monday.  All of us are going down to the pier to greet her arrival and then go out for lunch at the Chessecake Factory.  It will be good to see our cruising friend again.

Cold In Florida

This morning we awoke to a sunshiny and balmy 42 degree temperature here in Fort Lauderdale.  The weather is forecasted to warm over the coming few days and hopefully by sailaway it will be in the 70s.

Yesterday we did some shopping for items that we will need during the world cruise that we didn't want to transport on the plane.  And, hopefully our box that we shipped by FEDEX will arrive here tomorrow.  It's going to be fun trying to get all the luggage and extra items we purchased to the ship.  But, I'm sure we will be able to figure something out. 

En Route To Florida

Today is the big day.  We are all packed and will be flying out to Fort Lauderdale at mid-day today.  Will spend a few days doing some last minute shopping prior to boarding the Pacific Princess on January 19th.  Needless to say, we are really looking forward to this cruise.

Oh, the box of miscellaneous items that we sent by FEDEX to Florida ended up weighing 36 pounds. 

Formal Nights

This morning we received a notice from Princess through our travel agent confirming the itinerary and formal nights.  Looks like we will have 9 formal nights on the entire world cruise (3 from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney and 2 on each of the other segments).