Cooper is our 12 1/2 year-old yellow lab. Part dog, part counselor. We call him our four-legged Dr. Phil. He's completely deaf as a result of a late-night walk in the Colorado winter that froze just about everything including his ears. Somehow he still seems to hear everything you say - or at least everything he wants to hear.
At 12 1/2 he's slowing down a bit, but he still likes long walks by the lake, fishing (more like bobber-chasing), making doggy snow angels, snacks, napping on the furniture, and his all-time favorite - belly rubs from momma.
The Cooper Sticker...
Maybe it's just nonsense, maybe we're trying to keep the memory of our four-legged friend alive well past his last day on Earth, but for no real logical reason the Cooper sticker was born. Easy to pack, easy to stick, and pretty cool looking. This past Thanksgiving we stuck a bunch in various places in the Caribbean - St. Thomas, St. John, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Nassau Bahamas. The beginning of a new tradition. From here on out we'll leave a Cooper sticker in just about every place we go!
We'll keep posting the latest Cooper sticker sightings on the blog, and if you happen to see one, please take a photo and post to the comments section, or post to my Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/tammygabbertmatson
Here's where they are so far...
Gift shop at Trunk Bay, St. John
The snack bar at Trunk Bay, St. John
One of the taxis that go from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay in St. John
Woody's Seafood Saloon in Cruz Bay, St. John
Woody's Seafood Saloon in Cruz Bay, St. John
Woody's Seafood Saloon in Cruz Bay, St. John
Quiet Mon Pub in Cruz Bay, St. John
Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Gertrude's Beach Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Gertrude's Beach Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Gertrude's Beach Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
The Kenny Chesney No Shoes Nation Shrine at
Ivan's Stress Free Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Ivan's Stress Free Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Ivan's Stress Free Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
**Please only post Cooper Stickers where allowed ;-)
The Escape is a BEAUTIFUL ship no doubt about it! I was told by someone they made the ship more narrow then the Epic? We just never found any ebb and flow on the ship.
HOWEVER- I did find some PERFECT places to call home for the week. The WATERFRONT was a blessing, a hidden treasure! I love the extra chairs to sit out and watch the awesome view without mobs and mobs of people.
The Five O’clock bar! So glad we stumbled on that the 1st night…This turned out to be the spot we went to most of the time…Right on the water and the bartenders are the best at sea! KUDOS to Vincent Tomalin, Roldofo Signey and Chocolate Cowboy Clarence Bennet! LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!
“For the Record: The Brat Pack,”- AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!
Too bad we missed out on the other two we were originally scheduled for!
Comedy show was very good!
Rope Course- Excellent
Made it over the ocean on the zip-line 😉
Drop slides: people were getting stuck…that was something I didn’t want to risk!
Dining:
Our group purchased the 3 night dining package which you MUST make reservations prior to boarding the ship as it’s completely sold out by the time you get on board. Those that had booked direct were not made aware of this so they missed out on some great dining.
The three we choose for the week:
Moderno: DELICIOUS! Brazilian-style steakhouse offers slow-roasted meat carved right at your table
Cagney’s Steakhouse: The ship was a bit rocky that night so the food was good but hard time eating with the motion of the ocean. 😉
Teppanyaki: They gave away our 8pm table of 16!! Not cool, so we had to wait an hour for a table to open up. This was very disappointing as I had booked this a month in advance.
Happy with food & service at these restaurants.
We dinned in the Manhattan Room & Taste. I was disappointed to see extra charges on the menu!
Why not keep it the way it has always been? You charge for all the other restaurants on board…why even add a price to these menus?
Extra charges for things just kept adding up for everyone all week long.
I LOVE LOVE cruising but felt it was urgently needed to share the true experience on what transpired. (see below or more details)
Maybe the higher-ups at NCL need to travel on this boat as regular passengers to experience the masses during a 7 day cruise on board this specific ship.
Why Choose Norwegian Escape?
•Pro: Exceptional dining, entertainment, bar and club options abound.
•Con: A la carte fees and cover charges add up quickly
•Bottom Line: There’s something for everyone on Escape, but you might pay extra for it.
•With so much going on, the ship can-and does-get loud. Loud music, loud people, loud venues. Crowds too, are noticeable, especially at peak periods around dinner and at show times when everyone is clamoring for the same things at the same time.
•Service in general is inconsistent. Wait service varies from slow and begrudging to friendly and efficient; we were surprised that we received the best service in complimentary venues onboard, such as Taste, Margaritaville and O’Sheehan’s.
I believe Cruise Critic has it down exactly!
I have been on mega ships before, so I really thought that after the muster drill the ship will feel less crowded. It was crazy, but ‘everywhere’ we went there were huge crowds- Deck 7/Deck 6/Deck 5 massive amounts of people.
Bars in this area were packed (I’m sure from the drink packages) and the staff -well?? they just were not the friendly Norwegian Staff that I had grown accustomed to over the years on board. A few of them telling me they were ready to get back on the previous ships that they had been on.
Exhausted: Some of my favorite on board staff that I saw the first day where completely worn out by the end of the first day at sea. They didn’t complain to me, but you could see it in their faces and body language.
Not Organized: Standing in a few lines for mistakes made with shore excursions, pre-paid gratuities and changes in dates for the Broadway shows within the first day of the cruise which we couldn’t change because we had dining (which is always full). We missed both Midnight and Million Dollar Quartet. This did not sit well with a ton of guests on board. If you have to make reservations far in advance -NCL changing them is ridiculous
The AWESOME attitude of my Group! I was tickled pink that all of my clients were easy going and not easily upset. However, I have lost a few future cruisers because of this experience.
Comments from my guests:
-Hoodenpyle- Solo Stateroom
Hi, Tammy – thanks for the request for feedback. Debra received a survey from NCL and she told me that she answered it very honestly and frankly. Weather can’t be helped and I understand that totally. However the week-long rocking of the ship and the size of the studio cabins were great stressors for me. For $1,500 I feel that my cabin should have contained more room. Makes me sad because it seems that in the cruise world we are penalized for being single. I will not do that again for sure.
The night that we ate in The Manhattan Room consisted of very good food but was a 2 hour experience, taking “forever” to have our orders taken and the food to be brought to us. I heard a member of the staff stating that “they work us to death even if we are sick!” — perhaps that was just one disgruntled member. I don’t know – overall this cruise didn’t make me want to take another cruise any time in the near future
Balcony -Usry-
1) Bartenders – overwhelmed and with so many having the unlimited beverage package, didn’t seem all that interested in servicing – long wait times to be served
2) Main dining rooms – very slow service and too much wait time between courses
3) Common areas (where people gather to watch entertainment) – too small and not enough seating – some of the “games” really would be better in the theater
4) Deck 16 – very nice deck, set up – really enjoyed that
5) Entertainment too close to guest services – guest services should be in a “quieter” area so that you don’t feel that you are “yelling” over the noise –very good advice given here!!
6) Did like that staff would approach the guests in the guest service line to try to help before getting to the counter
7) Hallways were way too narrow – had to “duck” into any open space to keep from running into each other especially since the seas were so rough
8) Our balcony cabin was very very nice! Only complaint there is that the hangers in the closet did not “fit” all the way to the back so there was empty unusable hanger space
Booking: 270xxxxx – Mini Suite -Rhodes-
The Vibe space was great. Not pleased about having to pay to find a quiet place. The information paper that was given to us at the time of purchase stated drinks and food service available. Then in paren ‘subject to change’. We get to the Vide starved, no food service. None for our week, nor did they have any the first week of sailing per the bar tender. When we ask at Guest Services, they show us the ‘subject to change’ disclaimer. Which is ridiculous…..there was no change, it had never started. Why state on the information paper the food service statement when it clearly was not and never was available? A day later we receive a call from Guest Services telling us drinks and food service are available at the Vibe. Which was definitely not true!
Stateroom was nice. Bathroom area and shower was bigger than expected, though we did pay extra for a little larger cabin.
Never went to pool area to relax. Too many people, too many lounge chairs. It was a maze trying to walk from one end of the ship to the other on deck 16. We avoided at all cost. As my husband stated, he felt like he was at a frat party. Too small of pool for 4k people. Pool was adults only, but the klids could get in the hot tubs. That does not make sense.
The ‘atrium’ area was lacking in the grandeur I was expecting. Having been on a Princess cruise, they got that part right!!! 2 huge staircases. (which accommodated taking pictures on one staircase and still another one available for use)
Howl at the Moon – went on the last night. They were awesome! Crew members that were there still had a zest at the end of the week!
Early in November I received an email from Kenny Chesney's folks inviting me to a free private concert in Miami Beach? All I had to do was put together a quick video explaining to Kenny why I'd like to be invited.
After a grueling 5 minute shoot with uncooperative animals, it was a wrap! It definitely wasn't anything close to a Spielberg production, but Kenny's folks replied back a few days later with good news... show time!
So off to Miami we go! Corona swore us to secrecy so we couldn't tell anybody here in Colorado why we were going. They wouldn't even tell us where the concert was until the day of the show. We spent a few days just off of the beach in South Beach, and then it was show time!
About the show... It was awesome! The venue turned out to be the Fillmore in South Beach. What a cool place! Intimate as heck with less than a thousand crazy fans and we were 10 feet from the stage! The whole thing was hosted by Corona and they went all out!
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, and was the second stop on our journey.
Our city tour this morning included the following:
We started the tour in the very up-class part of the city where the United States Embassy is located ( It is designed after the white house and looks very similar) Up here we had an amazing view over all of the city and beyond.
We then stopped at the World War Two memorial where many Russian soldiers were killed during he liberation of Slovakia.
Then a visit to the castle of Bratislava, and heard a lot of history that was associated with it throughout the years. Including Maria Theresa the only female ruler of 40 years with sixteen children, including the Queen of France, the Queen of Naples and Sicily, the Duchess of Parma and two Holy Roman Emperors, Joseph II and Leopold II. Now, it is used as a political facility, and is located right next to their parliament building.
The highlight of the trip to Bratislava was getting to adventure around the Old Town area, which was rich in culture and history. The architecture here is beautiful, as it has well designed buildings throughout this whole area. The history of Old Town was quit mid-evil and not a place you would have wanted to live back in the old days. Our tour guide pointed out this narrow alleyway where the ‘Executioner’ resided and many lives were taken in this area many many years ago.
Further on down in the lovely area of town it was pointed out that below us is where the torture chambers are located still to this day. They cannot be visited anymore but can be rented out for business meetings and parties?
Now why would anyone ever want to rent a place like this underground terror facility is beyond me, but it sure would be interesting to see it. The torture chambers were used to torture and kill the witches in the city. In fact, all women that lived back then were considered witches, so I am really glad I did not live there during this period.
Interesting city but other then those areas visited the rest of city consisted of run down apartment buildings built during the communist time. Rest of the afternoon was spent on board the ship catching up on blogging.
This place was overwhelming rich in cultural clean and full of $$$~!
Vienna is so steeped in history that it could easily have become a museum rather then a modern city.
Don’t miss a visit to one of their famous coffee houses. Demel or Central are the best ones in town. Coffee houses are much more for a leisurely chat than a rushed espresso.
The day consisted of a short motorcoach in to town with local experts on the history of this city. Zac and I decided to head to the Gothic Church, another St. Stephens Cathedral. For a small price we headed up the steep steps some 100 or son to get to the top to see the overlay of the city. Well, Tammy got half way up and her claustrophobia kicked in so she turned around while Zac made it to the top!
That evening, we opted for the Walzer-Operetta Concert provided to guests on board our vessel. It took place in a small but beautiful room at the Albertina. My first experience with Opera… Well, small amounts were enjoyed ;-D
There is so much to do and see in Vienna. If you love the arts and museums – this is the perfect place for you!
Dürnstein, Austria Stop 3
The scenic Wachau Valley between Melk and Krems is a highlight of any cruise along the Austria Danbue. Dürnstein fully merits its nickname, the ‘peral of the Wachau’.
Zac and I decided to skip the tour in them morning, sleep in and then venture off on our own. BAD IDEA! I opened the curtains and it was "we need to get going quick" It was a hustle off the boat to see this phenomenal view. We were only there for 2.5 hours and we had already missed an hour. We did miss a downpour but this place was such a unique small village. Such an embrace from the large city visits! Zac thought this would be a great place to come back and backpack around. If your boat makes a stop here…Make sure to take it all in!!
Melk – Stop 4
All on board from Durstein to Melk, Austria Superlative Baroque
Visit to Benedictine Abbey: The first appearance of this place. Vast and monumental, WOW!! What is this place? Seriously, the money they put in this place? Really? Why so fancy? Couldn’t they take the money for this place and feed the poor in the entire world. I never did get a cost for this Abbey but I will forever be taken back by the sheer amazing, intricate details of such a ‘Palace’ – ‘Fortress’
It’s hard to believe that this was designed as a retreat for Benedictine monks sworn to poverty and a simple life. Really? Instead the monastery epitomizes the ebullient confidence and extravagance of the Baroque style, in which modesty and restraint were generally conspicuous by their absence.
Europe’s greatest works of baroque construction.
Salzburg, Austria via Passau- Germany Stop 5
Although Passau Germany greeted us with charm and beauty my heart on this trip was to head to Salzburg, Austria. So many childhood memories of watching the Sound Of Music with my mom (who currently has dementia) I was not disappointed. It was a 2 hour motorcoach ride through the Countryside. So peaceful I dozed off to be awaken but the incredible breathing Alps! Zac said it was a good thing that I did because the tour leader had told the “true story” of the Von Trapp Family. (I heard the story later that day) but it will never take away the movie and the horrific Holocaust.
First stop the church they were married. Abbey of Mondsee
Then off to Salzburg birthplace of Mozart. Yes, you can tour the home but we opted for the personal tour from our tour guide which included a beautiful garden where the Von Trapp Family first sang. Of course I had to take photo’s along they way. BEAUTIFUL city..
crowded with visitors at first then the crowds started to subside later in the day. If you know when to get around the crowds this would be a lovely place to visit. We had free time on our hands so we went up the cable car to the Hohensalburg Fortress where our view for lunch was a view I will never forget of the Alps.
We got a quick tour of Passau on our way back to the boat. Everyone who visited their that day was not disappointed. My brother who had visited a month prior to mine said the Cathendral of St. Stephan was a must see.
Abbey of Mondsee/Church where Von Trapp’s were married
jónapot – Good Day everyone – reporting from Budapest
Marcello Mastroanni, and Italian actor, said of the capital, “Budapest is a quiet city, both her past and future are hidden behind the windows of the old houses. Budapest is like a veiled bride; only after the wedding you’ll be able to recognize her beauty”
I have never been to Europe until this week. My life growing up has always been simple which to me was a great way to be. Being the youngest of six kids, my childhood memories consist of camping at the same location and eating the same menu every summer. I cherish those memories dearly, and never imagined that I would spending the next two weeks on a river cruise throughout Europe with my son.
Budapest Hungary, the first city we visited, exceeded my expectations. Hungary is one of the oldest countries in Europe. There are as many as 1,500 spas, adorned with Roman, Greek and Turkish architecture. With that comes 450 public baths.
After visiting the Pest side (flat part of the city) it became very clear to me that one day in Budapest was not going to be enough for this glorious city. Because this side of the city is flat, it was destroyed by a flood from the Danbue River (sorry don’t recall time period) and rebuilt. When it was rebuilt, they had to use up to 33% of the money for outside decor (outside details) making this city place amazing. I want to go back and visit their spas, their zoo, and even their circus looked like a place I would love to spend my day.
Then it was on to the Buda side (mountainous side), which is much older and that is where those with wealth live. I wish I could remember all the specific places that we walked around, including Mathias Cathedral (which we didn’t pay to get in to see.) This area was a perfect place for a romantic date, as it overlooks the Danube and Pest side, and can show the whole city lit up at night.
This poor country has had it’s fair share of being defeated by many different countries and armies.
They never won any of these battles, but they sure fought them with pride , and still it became such a wonderful, proud city with so many amazing things to offer.
We had the afternoon off so we ventured to their Market Square, which is a must see. We ventured over to pedestrian square to try their famous coffee shop, and of course one of the local beers. Then we headed over to the Ferris Wheel for a great ride to look view this wonderful city. Last but certainly not least, the tour of the St. Stephan’s cathedral. Seeing is believing. IF doing a river cruise I highly suggest you spend a few extra days getting to know this amazing city!
This was my 3rd visit to Jost Van Dyke in the beautiful British Virgin Islands…and certainly not my last.
As y’all know I am a Kenny Chesney fan and his songs is what brought me to this special place! Kenny has done a lot of his music videos from this island.
I was so excited to meet the famous Foxy and next time around I must meet the famous Ivan. After all, I have stayed and camped there twice now!
Beautiful island and Beautiful people!
Mom & pop beach bars up and down White Bay. It’s not all about the Soggy Dollar Bar. It’s about meeting the people that sail in for the day, sharing some laughs, making new friends and most importantly…… going back to find the same people that we saw last January and sharing the old stories and making a few new silly ones to chat about next visit.
What a Wonderful World We Live In With Beautiful People! Jost you have won over my heart!
**When you make it over to Jost Van Dyke take a trip to magical Ivan’s Stress Free Bar and sign our Sturgis, SD Flag and send me a picture!
The last stop on our 7 day cruise adventure brought us to Grenada. Grenada lies at the Southernmost top of the arch formed by the islands of the Lesser Antilles’ Grenadines. Spice aromas fill the air of the tropical gem.
Like many of the neighbor islands, Grenada is volcanic in origin, endowed with lush green mountains and spectacular white sand beaches, and was “discovered” by Columbus. It is somewhat ironic that he never actually explored the islands on his third voyage in 1498. Of all the Caribbean islands he visited, Grenada best approximated Columbus’ original goal-to open a source of spices to Europe by sailing west instead of east.
We had some shipboard credit to use up so I put my husband in charge of selecting the excursion. His choice was a visit to Fort Frederick, a tour of a Rum Factory, followed by a brief visit to a beach.
Like a lot of these Islands there really isn’t much to do when you get off the ship to keep you interested. When you get off the ship here you are swarmed by the “pressure” of buying whatever it is the Islanders were trying to sell you at that time. Mostly spices. In fact they grab you and even though you tell them you are working with a precious older lady named Maryanna. (Terry keeps is promises) they don’t care. So I am so glad we went off the beaten path for the day.
Three stops doing three different things is really not my favorite part of this stop, but it sure made for some good memories to look back on…plus the people we met on this excursions where so much fun it made the long waits bearable!
I’m not sure why this has taken me so long to put up here as this Island Stop was one of my favorites! Dominica is one of the largest and most northern of the Windward Islands in the West indies. situated between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
In Roseau, the town’s name comes from the river reeds (Roseaux in French) that grow profusely around the estuary.
As you come ashore, you’ll see the Dominica Museum which faces the bay front. We decided last minute to grab another couple from the ship and head with our cab driver to Emerald Falls. The picture above is the start of a short hike in to the amazing Rain Forest!
Along our journey, our cab driver pulled off the road a few times, grabbed some plants rubbed it and had us guess what it was. I was really excited and knew right away that the plant was Anis which is used in my Christmas Pizzelle recipe as well as the liqueur Anisette our good ole Italian family drink. Lemon Grass and Bay Leaves!
Here are a few more photo’s of the beauty of this Island for you to Enjoy. My advice – if you do not book a shore excursion, do your homework ahead of time, find a “licensed” Cab Driver and some people to share the costs and head out to your adventure!
