The way it used to be! But, not so friendly or accomodating staff today!
Melissa and son Nathan with David and Elihana on the cruise. Image by Elihana Epstein.
APtravelnews-March 29th, -Norwegian Cruise Lines at the Port of Miami-Provided by David and Melissa- Remember when the last time you took a cruise, the overall experience and service was at the very least, exceptional and made you “keeper”, pleasant memories. Well, Cruising good service then and now things are not as they used to be. If you were on a cruise more than 5 years ago, you remember your server/waiter/ busboy- where they were from and something about why they are on the ship, likely to support their family in a far away country. If you have recently gone cruising at least on a Norwegian Liner, then you probably have very little happy memories at least about their food services. The new super-ships are beautiful and offer many new restaurant options-but!. Part of my family memories with my parents brother and children were bonding over dinner, and the servers all were part of that experience to some important extent.
APtravelnews-March 21st,-Havana, Cuba-“Bob & Barb On the Road Again.” Yes, as pundits claim; “this is an extraordinary day.” Indeed it is! Well, in the throes of a President getting ready to leave office, and him seeking to make a farewell statement by doing all he can to open up Cuba and American relations for his legacy, he took everyone he could including his mother-in-law, wife and daughters, 40-Congressional and Senate leaders and many others to the largest Caribbean Island with him, at a cost of 40-million bucks or so! I was invited by the Commodore of the sport fishing fleet in Havana Harbor, a long time friend.
Look, the Cuban people are great just as our people in the USA are great! This post is not going to be too controversial, as history will view the true events and out coming’s of this historic visit, that took 90-years for an American President to visit this (make no mistake) a full communist nation. What I do know is that the average American tourist still cannot fly over there on vacation, and doing business with a country that has stolen 6-billion dollars of American lucre in real estate and businesses, home and properties, killed and jailed uncountable people, will be fraught with land-mines at least for the foreseeable future.
I do know there already is a strong jockeying going on for U.S. interests trying to get in and get first dibs on the possibly most lucrative invasion of Gold and silver diggers ever! The Keys business and real estate community is abuzz with anticipation of property values soaring, and the potential for cheap labor as well, always a big problem for tourism businesses in the Keys! I can see the ferries, ferrying and the sky’s a-buzz with jets, auto traffic in the Keys is going to become impossible as it already is on any holiday or weekend with PR types hyping and squeezing the last bit of visitors they can on to a mostly, single lane road. My prediction is lots of money to be made, but for every ying there is a yang! What goes up or out, much like a fly fishing line, must come back and it might not always come back with roses, but with thorns too! Stay tuned! This is big, at least I can’t wait for my real Media Noche sandwich!!!
APtravelnews-March 13th, – Pictures of the Week! A few of Bob and Barb’s favorites, pulled off our files of more than 55-K images!
My pond loves it’s turtles! G-D’s gift to earth!A great writer and fine KY. friend!!!!Wild Black Bear, ladies not smart! But post taking image no harm, yet!Minnesota dreaming. Barb and Charlie (gone to old age now) at Bear Lake, MN.Reminds me of my special Arctic adventure diving under ice!!Image taken with first iteration of Olympus Digital camera in a custom water-proof case I designed! Tech folks at Olympus said it would be too cold for it to work! It Worked for whole adventure. One of the shots made best picture of the year in Skin Diver Magazine!! I’ll find it and publish in another “Pictures of the Week.”
