EdgeCited to Set Sail on Edge Again

Second Time on 
Celebrity Edge

November 2018 we sailed on Celebrity Edge for one of the Trade and Press Preview sailings. We immediately fell in love with the ship, and vowed to sail on her again. Two days just wasn't enough time to fully experience the ship.

 Celebrations at Sea 

After the cruise we checked upcoming sailings, and as luck would have it, there was a Western Caribbean itinerary during my birthday week. A cruise can enhance any special celebration, so we decided to book a Sunset Veranda cabin.   Last time we sailed on Edge, we were in an Infinite Veranda.  This way we could experience the difference in order to share with our guests.

We are especially EdgeCited that Captain Kate McCue will be the skipper for this sailing. Follow her on Instagram

We began our story about Celebrity Edge in our Post:

Most Anticipated Ship of 2018 Arrives Florida

The story continues here (we'll pick up where we left off).  For convenience, we'll combine both experiences into one.  We'll do more videos this time as well.  Be sure to follow our social media accounts so that you can sail along with us.

Bookmark this Page - we will be posting more soon

BLOG POST LINK (click title)	Photo Albums / Videos
Celebrity Edge Revealed	First Glimpse
Xcited to Meet Celebrity Edge	Concierge Cabin
Setting Sail on Celebrity Edge	Resort Deck
Introducing Infinite Veranda	Solarium
Celebrity Edge Resort Deck	Magic Carpet
How Suite it is on Celebrity Edge	Edge Villas    Sky Suite      Luminae Royal Suite    Iconic Suite
Pamper Yourself on Celebrity Edge	Edge Spa & Fitness
Pre-Cruise Fort Lauderdale	Staybridge Suites          Hard Rock Hotel Guitar Light Show (Video)
Celebrity Edge Embarkation	Embarkation
Edge Embarkation Lunch	Embarkation Lunch
These Are My Favorite Edge Things In Martini Heaven on Celebrity Edge	Martini Bar      Bartenders Juggling (Video)
Making Birthday Memories  Tiny Chefs EdgeCiting Meal	Sunset Veranda  Le Petit Chef     LePetit Chef Playlist (Videos)

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Celebrity Edge Infographic

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Havana & Key West Reopen to Cruise Ships

Empress of the Seas in Key West
Courtesy Key West Trolley Tours

Empress Of The Seas

Returns to Cuba & Key West

On September 20th, Havana welcomed Royal Caribbean Empress of the Seas guests. The terminal, port and transportation were ready and all tours ran as scheduled. The city is ready and receiving visitors and delivering the authentic experience this historical destination is known for.

Today, Key West welcomed Empress of the Seas guests back there as well.  Mayor Craig Cates was there to greet passengers as they disembarked.

The pictures, courtesy Royal Caribbean's Travel Itinerary Update, from their most recent visit to Havana are below.

On September 10th, Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys knocking out power and causing extensive damage to Key West and the rest of the Keys.   Cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean Empress of the Seas, had itineraries cancelled or modified.  

Not all of Key West is up and running, but several key sights opened up for the first time Sunday to welcome guests from the cruise ship.   What Key West needs now is money from tourism to help rebuild their city.

Key West's Old Town Trolley tours was one of the popular attractions operating on Sunday.   Their trolley cars were spared from the wrath of Hurricane Irma and their employees were back at work shuttling passengers around the town for the popular tour.

It will be quite some time before most of the Caribbean recovers from two back to back major hurricanes.   The cruise lines are vital to helping with the recovery.   They have brought supplies and are donating funds to the recovery.   Check with your favorite cruise line to see how you can help.



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Planning Key West Activities Via Advertising

(click images to enlarge)

#FriFotos Theme: #ADVERTISING

We continue our series of photos depicting the #advertising subject.  In this post we'll look at one popular tourist port of call and the signs that beckon your attention.   They come in all sizes and shapes and on different surfaces.

We arrived in this next destination via cruise ship.  We only had one day to explore the city, so advertising paid a key role in deciding what to do.  So much to see - so little time !

Second in a Series of Posts

For those of you not familiar with the forum, it is hosted by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. The theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We  co-hosted one week late last year and continue to contribute with images from our archives whenever possible.

Key West Florida

The sign above can be seen shortly after you arrive at the main part of town.   There is a major shopping area which also has several of the popular attractions.  The sign also advertises various ways that you can explore the city, such as by trolley.  The #advertising on the right adds another element, a 3D person that helps draw your attention to the sign. 

No Escaping Advertising

I bet you thought you'd just have a relaxing day at the beach at the Southernmost Point of continental U.S. Guess again! Here you might find an advertisement like this with water sports and places to eat or drink while you are there.

Place Ad Here

As you can see in these two images, no surface is immune from advertising.  Advertising doesn't have to be stationary.  In this second image, the trolley becomes the medium of choice for delivering several different advertising messages.
 
There are several different transportation choices competing for your vacation dollars, so it makes perfect sense for the business to put their contact information on the side of the trolley as well as other offers to compliment their services.

Signs on Buildings

Even the signs on the buildings are #advertising. Their message is brief, usually just the name of the business or attraction. Sometimes, they may contain other elements, all of which are designed to capture your attention.

Historic Buildings

You can have your picture taken by a marker depicting the "Southernmost Point" and then you might want to explore some of the historic buildings, such as this hotel. A picture is worth a thousand words, so why not advertise by showing what you'll see inside.

This is just a sample of the many #advertising images you might see on your day trip to Key West, Florida. It won't be possible to see everything in the time you are there, but through these ads, you should be able to select what interests you the most. Happy exploring !

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

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What #advertising have you seen? 

Take a look through your photo archive and see if there are any images that fit this week's theme.  If you don't have any to share at this time, check out what others are posting.   This forum is a great way to explore the world from the comforts of your chair.

How to Spend Summer Vacation

When we think of Summer...
CRUISING comes to mind

We missed the "live" tweeting on #travelpics because we were on a Seminar at Sea on board Carnival Breeze.   We still wanted to share our responses, so pardon the late entries.

Questions for last Monday’s summer-themed #travelpics chat: 

(3:00) Intros: Please introduce yourself and tell us where you’re tweeting from today!

Key West, FL during Carnival Breeze #cruise #travelpics (picture above is Carnival Breeze in port)

(3:05) Q1: Home or abroad, where is your favorite place to spend your summer? Why?

A1: On a cruise - doesn't matter where it is going. Great way to #seetheworld  #travelpics

Seeing the world by cruise ship is one of the easiest ways to get around.  You embark your ship and unpack and each day you are either somewhere at sea or in a new port of call.

This cruise took us from Miami, Florida to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to home port of Miami.

(3:10) Q2: Share a photo from your most recent quintessential summer vacation.
A2: Relaxing is what #summer #vacation means to us  - by the pool, in the sun or shade #travelpics

I guess we can't be more recent than the vacation in progress during this #travelpics chat.  Truth be told, it was a mix of business and pleasure, but our trips always are that way since we are constantly learning and gathering images and information to share with our followers.

In this image, you see the Carnival Breeze main pool area on Lido deck.   It's not far form there to your favorite meal venue, such as Guy's Burger Joint.

The perfect ingredients of sun, shade, water, and plenty of places to simply relax can be found around the pool area.  Top that off with perfect weather, and it doesn't get much better than this.

 
(3:20) Q3: BESIDES swimming at the beach, what do you think of when you picture summer? Favorite activities?

A3: #summer fun activities for me include #waterparks Carnival Water Works #travelpics

At home we've been known to take a summer vacation that includes some time at a water park or two.  Carnival Breeze's Water Works is a great place to splash around.  I opted for the slightly slower orange tube which dumps you into the "drain" at the bottom of the slide.

(3:30) Q4: Show a summer photo of yours that ISN’T sand, surf, or sunglasses.

A4: as I get older, I'm getting braver Carnival Breeze Rope Course was my next conquest #travelpics


This definitely doesn't include sand or surf, but since it was bright, but glasses did automatically darken.  Here I am waiting for the people ahead of me to clear this next section of the rope course.  It took some figuring out at first, but once I got the hang of it, the rest was "easy".

(3:40) Q5: What is the most unique place you’ve ever spent your summer?

A5: it was end of #summer when we visited #galapagos Celebrity Cruises #travelpics

We explored this Land Beyond Xpectations via Celebrity Xpedition.  Here you'll see species that can be found nowhere else on earth.  You can snorkel with turtles, sea lions, and other marine line.   Walk along paths where Darwin explored over a hundred years ago before writing his famous publication.

(3:50) Q6: From hiking to wildflowers, show off your favorite view of summer anywhere in the world!
A6: #galapagos islands have many beaches like Urbina Bay #travelpics


We traveled by zodiac from Celebrity Xpedition to this landing site in Urbina Bay.  You can't tell from the picture, but it is one of the more difficult wet landing sites on our trip due to the inclination of the beach.   After landing on the beach we went on a short hike in search of Giant Land Tortoises and Land Iguanas before returning to spend some time snorkeling and swimming in the bay.

This concludes our #travelpics chat about #Summer.  We'd be happy to share other images from our summertime cruising adventures if it helps you plan your escape.

This final image was captured in Cozumel at Secrets Aura Resort.   We spent the entire day there relaxing, swimming, and enjoying a fabulous fresh fish lunch.  We'll write more about our day there in future posts, as well as the rest of our trip, so be sure to follow our blog.

Have you seen the  #travelpics recap? http://bit.ly/17RRaFq

Join us for #travelpics on Monday's at 3 PM ET every week for a fun-filled hour related to travel and photography.  Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.

Spend Halloween At Sea

Are you looking for something different to do this Fall?   Why not Spend Halloween at Sea?

Have a ghostly good time on a Carnival Cruise Line Ship. As you can see in the picture above, the ships are decorated for the holiday.   You can enjoy special costume contests for adults and kids as well as trick or treating around the ship during your cruise.

4 night cruise to Key West and Cozumel from $200 per person

7 night cruises to Nassau, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk from $380 per person

Now is the time to book your Fall and Winter get-a-way cruise vacations.   Carnival Cruise Line offers their Early Saver Rates when you book in advance.   Learn more about these money-saving rates.

Drive to Your Next Cruise Vacation

Stretching the Vacation Budget

A recent survey indicated that more and more families are deciding not to fly to their destination this year and instead are taking to the roads.   This makes sense especially for families with two or more children.   The cost of airfare adds up quickly when you travel with the entire family.

You don't have to limit your final destination to the 50 contiguous states if you decide to drive to your vacation spot.  Did you know that there are 23 U.S. ports that you can select from, some of which offer year-round cruising?

These cruise ports also offer parking facilities, some of which are covered parking, that offer prices comparable to airport parking garages.   You can also explore near-by hotels that offer stay and park packages complete with transportation to the pier.

Carnival Fascination Sailing From
Charleston, SC  Year-round

Starting May 18th, Carnival Fascination is sailing year-round five-, six- and seven-day cruises to The Bahamas and Key West, Florida from Charleston, SC.   The ship will also offer six six-day Bermuda cruises from Charleston next year.  Carnival Fantasy is expected to carry 140,000 passengers annually from Charleston.

This past week, Carnival Cruises and Charleston officials participated in several events commemorating the new sailing program including: Carnival’s Launch of Year-Round Service from Charleston Highlighted by City’s First-Ever Water Slide Races

The recent addition of the awesome aquatic amenities of Carnival WaterWorks, Serenity Adult-only Retreat, and a tropical resort-style pool make this 70,367 ton, 2,056 passenger vessel the perfect vacation destination.

Elation Arrival, Courtesy Carnival

Carnival Elation Sailing From

Mobile, AL Year-round

Starting May 15th, Carnival Elation replaced Carnival Fascination sailing four-, five- and seven-day Western Caribbean cruises from Mobile, Alabama.  Carnival Elation is scheduled to operate 74 voyages annually from Mobile, carrying an estimated 170,000 passengers each year.

This past week, Carnival Cruises and Mobile officials participated in a traditional maritime plaque ceremony to commemorate launch of the year-round program. Carnival Elation is a sister ship of Carnival Fascination, so the same on-board amenities await you and your family.

These are just a couple examples of recent announcements for cruise vacation options from ports of call within driving distance.   So pack up the family and drive to one of the U.S. ports of call to begin your cruise.

Celebrity Cruises Delays Mercury March 19 Sailing

Celebrity Mercury Itinerary Change

March 19th Departure Delayed

Due to an outbreak of a a gastrointestinal illness, thought to be a Norovirus, during the last sailing of Celebrity Mercury, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has advised Celebrity Cruises to perform extensive and thorough sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal at the Port of Charleston.  These measures are being taken to help prevent any illness from affecting the next sailing.

More information about Norovirus and its prevention is contained in the International Travel tab above which discusses travel documents, health and safety.  The CDC operates a Vessel Sanitation Program  for the prevention and control of the spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships.   While Noroviruses are most often reported in a cruise ship setting, they can occur in nursing homes, restaurants, catered events, hotels, as well as any small area where a number of people are gathered - not just on cruise ships.

The sad thing is, this illness CAN BE PREVENTED.  Cruise ships have taken extensive measures, especially since the start of the H1N1 outbreak last year, to increase the number of sanitizer containers throughout the ship.   I'm always amazed at how many people walk past the sanitizers without using them, or how many people don't WASH THEIR HANDS after going to the restroom.    This is how the disease is spread.

So, because of some careless people, the passengers on the next sailing of Celebrity Mercury are now impacted.    Regrettably, due to the extensive sanitation,  the itinerary for the March 19th sailing has been delayed two days.   The new itinerary is as follows:

Sunday, March 21 - Embarkation between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m

Monday; March 22 - sea day

Tuesday, March 23 -  Key West, Florida

Wednesday, March 24 - Cozumel, Mexico

Thursday, March 25 - Costa Maya, Mexico

Friday, March 26 - sea day

Saturday, March 27 - Nassau, Bahamas

Sunday, March 28 - sea day

Seating in the cruise terminal at the Port of Charleston is very limited. Therefore, Celebrity Cruises is asking that guests scheduled to depart on this sailing not arrive at the pier on Sunday before 4:00 p.m..   Celebrity apologizes for the inconvenience.