We made it. First off, to clarify for those of you following the story: No, the improvements to the Heritage Wharf at the Dockyard are not yet finished. But they are finished enough to dock the ship. In other words, the extension the ship ties up to is all done. But there is a construction zone still on the area where passengers would be able to debark from the rear of the ship. It looks to be a week or two from completion. In the meantime, I didn't see any problems yesterday with moving everybody off and on the ship using just the forward gangplank. I think because it's a 3 day port call, there was not the mad rush to be first off the ship. As far as I could tell (and I got off 4 different time), there was never a line either direction.
I got off the first time, took a walk down the pier and saw a full on presser happening with the Island muckety-mucks and the ship's captain. The Breakaway really is a big f*****g deal, to quote Joe Biden. After that I got directions to get a card to access wifi. If anyone cares, you can purchase them in the gazebo past the gazebo. Amazingly, I found it with those directions.
The dockyard has recently been outfitted with pretty much blanket wifi, and the prices are crazy cheap. $5 for an hour, $10 for a day, and $15 for 3 days.
And once you get it set up, it's pretty good. Definitely faster than the ships satellite internet. I can get a signal from the side of the ship facing the Dockyard, though it's not very strong. But from the wharf right outside the ship, it's fine. The lady who sold me the card says they will run phone lines out the wharf extension when it is finally finished, finished, at which time you'll probably be able to get a signal anywhere on the ship...at least on the open decks.
After that little project was finished I got back on the ship, ran into some friends who needed wifi, so I escorted them over and we got them all set up.
We decided to hang out at the Bone Fish restaurant and do some work. Sat outside on the patio. Right next to the Boner Bar. Just because, well...it's the Boner Bar. How could we not?
I had a bowl of the local fish chowder. Pretty good, I guess. Basically it's Pepper Pot, with a dash of sherry and a bit of fish. Chased it with a bit of the local ginger beer. Good, but not as gingery as most of the Caribbean ginger beers.
Back to the ship for a real lunch. O'Sheehans. I realized that I have eaten a bunch of meals at every O'Sheehans in the world, and have never had a burger there, so I rectified that situation. I am not a big burger guy. I'm still not. 'Nuff said.
The girls I was with decided it was time to try the speed slides. I took a pass as it was a little windy and chilly, and I'm still fighting a cold. So I ran back downstairs and answered a few emails.
By the time I was done it was time for dinner. We had a big group dinner with the Seminar at Sea thing, in the Manhattan Room. The food was quite good, and the little performance by the Burn the Floor dancers was outstanding. But the Manhattan main dining room is still just too big, too crowded and too noisy for my tastes. If I eat in an MDR the rest of the week, it will be Taste or Savor. Much more to my liking.
After dinner another bunch of friends decided to head ashore and grab a drink. We ended up at the Frog and Onion pub. Met a great waiter there, a former RCCL waiter. Had another ginger beer while my friends sampled the local hard brews. On the way out, we passed a group of guys posing for some strange, vaguely lurid photos against the wall of the Cooperage. We made some comments to the photographer, and next thing you know, all five guys are facing the wall and dropping trou...So, yeah, a quintuple moon. No one needed to see that. We're not talking young, buff guys either...we're talking old fat tourist guys. So, with that disturbing image burned into my brain, we walked on back home.
Back on board, I bopped around a little, looking for something to do. Lost some of the friends, and it finally came down to me and Kris hitting Howl at the Moon. Great bunch! Two guys/one girl. Very entertaining, getting the audience involved, making up songs, even sliding into a lullaby as a woman got up to take her sleeping baby out and to bed. So, that was fun.
We had eated awful early, and I was getting seriously hungry. So the two of us went to my balcony and ordered some room service and just enjoyed the cool night air. Til about 3:30 when my roomie came home. Then the 3 of us played musical chairs, because the balcony is definitely not big enough for three, until 4 or so, when we all kinda decided it was time for the party to be over.
I got off the first time, took a walk down the pier and saw a full on presser happening with the Island muckety-mucks and the ship's captain. The Breakaway really is a big f*****g deal, to quote Joe Biden. After that I got directions to get a card to access wifi. If anyone cares, you can purchase them in the gazebo past the gazebo. Amazingly, I found it with those directions.
The dockyard has recently been outfitted with pretty much blanket wifi, and the prices are crazy cheap. $5 for an hour, $10 for a day, and $15 for 3 days.
And once you get it set up, it's pretty good. Definitely faster than the ships satellite internet. I can get a signal from the side of the ship facing the Dockyard, though it's not very strong. But from the wharf right outside the ship, it's fine. The lady who sold me the card says they will run phone lines out the wharf extension when it is finally finished, finished, at which time you'll probably be able to get a signal anywhere on the ship...at least on the open decks.
After that little project was finished I got back on the ship, ran into some friends who needed wifi, so I escorted them over and we got them all set up.
We decided to hang out at the Bone Fish restaurant and do some work. Sat outside on the patio. Right next to the Boner Bar. Just because, well...it's the Boner Bar. How could we not?
I had a bowl of the local fish chowder. Pretty good, I guess. Basically it's Pepper Pot, with a dash of sherry and a bit of fish. Chased it with a bit of the local ginger beer. Good, but not as gingery as most of the Caribbean ginger beers.
Back to the ship for a real lunch. O'Sheehans. I realized that I have eaten a bunch of meals at every O'Sheehans in the world, and have never had a burger there, so I rectified that situation. I am not a big burger guy. I'm still not. 'Nuff said.
The girls I was with decided it was time to try the speed slides. I took a pass as it was a little windy and chilly, and I'm still fighting a cold. So I ran back downstairs and answered a few emails.
By the time I was done it was time for dinner. We had a big group dinner with the Seminar at Sea thing, in the Manhattan Room. The food was quite good, and the little performance by the Burn the Floor dancers was outstanding. But the Manhattan main dining room is still just too big, too crowded and too noisy for my tastes. If I eat in an MDR the rest of the week, it will be Taste or Savor. Much more to my liking.
After dinner another bunch of friends decided to head ashore and grab a drink. We ended up at the Frog and Onion pub. Met a great waiter there, a former RCCL waiter. Had another ginger beer while my friends sampled the local hard brews. On the way out, we passed a group of guys posing for some strange, vaguely lurid photos against the wall of the Cooperage. We made some comments to the photographer, and next thing you know, all five guys are facing the wall and dropping trou...So, yeah, a quintuple moon. No one needed to see that. We're not talking young, buff guys either...we're talking old fat tourist guys. So, with that disturbing image burned into my brain, we walked on back home.
Back on board, I bopped around a little, looking for something to do. Lost some of the friends, and it finally came down to me and Kris hitting Howl at the Moon. Great bunch! Two guys/one girl. Very entertaining, getting the audience involved, making up songs, even sliding into a lullaby as a woman got up to take her sleeping baby out and to bed. So, that was fun.
We had eated awful early, and I was getting seriously hungry. So the two of us went to my balcony and ordered some room service and just enjoyed the cool night air. Til about 3:30 when my roomie came home. Then the 3 of us played musical chairs, because the balcony is definitely not big enough for three, until 4 or so, when we all kinda decided it was time for the party to be over.
Thus ends the first day in Bermuda. The weather is supposed to get better. I'll let you know.
But, while I have you here, it's time for the shameless plug: If you are looking to book a Breakaway cruise, CALL ME. HOLMAN TRAVEL 760.265.3687. or email me at daveholman@verizon.net. And don't forget to check my youtube/daveholmantravel site for videos, or my FB page, /HolmanTravel for pics and minute by minute updates.
KThxBye!
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