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Sad robot, made obsolete by a human blogger. Sigh...

Yep, there rolling out the old website ?

Dinner photo dump: Jamie's Italian tonight. What can I say? I love Jamie's. Everything was delicious! No menu pic as @twangster already included one. Here is the kids menu though. Vegetarian Plank: Arancini: Garlic Bread: Mini Sliders: Penne Carbonara: Eggplant Parmigiana: Funky Chips and Polenta Chips: Tiramisu: Lemon Meringue Cheesecake: Epic Brownie: Off to see We Will Rock You. I ate so much I can barely move!

Doesn't make me excited at all....if anything kinda sad. I liked Coco Cay for what it was...a nice relaxing private island beach in the ocean.. All the noise and theme park feeling and upcharge and cost for everything....can get that anywhere/everywhere else....why cant they leave one place just to relax.....Labadee is busy already..whynot add all this crap there?

Ending off the night with some thoughts about We Will Rock You. We have now seen Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Grease, and now We Will Rock You on Royal Caribbean Ships. All the shows have been good caliber, Broadway style shows. If we had one complaint up until now, it would be the fact the the vocals (especially the leads) aren't as strong as one would hear on Broadway. That changed tonight. This was most definitely our most favourite show on any RC ship. The musicians were amazing, so talented. The entire cast had strong, vibrant voices. Definitely a must see if you sail Anthem. We are even thinking about seeing it again. A warning to parents of young children. There is some language in this show. The cruise compass even says "Parental Guidance Advised". Really, it's nothing school age children don't already hear on the playground. I teach kids, I've been out there daily, I know. A short conversation with your kids before or after is a good idea though. The Quest is tonight. That makes me sad. It means our cruise is coming to an end soon. Sailing back to NJ now....at sea for the next two days... Goodnight all.

My family and I went on a cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas last week. I'm a male in my 20s, and I went with my grandma in her 80s and my uncle in his 40s, for reference. MONDAY 3/5 (Leaving Miami): Getting on the boat was a breeze, especially because my grandma has been on enough cruises to qualify for gold status (the word on the card, not the actual gold-colored card), so we got to skip the longest lines. I remembered it taking much longer the last time I went on a RCI cruise (Liberty of the Seas in 2008), so that was a pleasant surprise. One annoying thing when we got on board- we had pre-paid for different beverage packages (they were nice enough to let my uncle get the deluxe beverage package with only making me and my grandma get the refreshment package even though we were all 21+) that all came with the Coke freestyle cups. But, they already had those in our room, which we couldn't yet access. Since Windjammer's machines are cup-sensitive, we were unable to get soda at the first lunch even though we had paid for it, but that isn't the biggest deal in the world. A touch I really liked was that they provided mini-buffets by the pool deck as we were getting ready to leave Miami. As it was a beautiful day, a lot of people were on the pool deck watching us leave, but we were able to get a table. Dinner was really nice. We chose the 6 PM seating and were paired with three other small groups of people. My family all went for the prime rib, which we really enjoyed. I will touch on this more later, but our wait staff gave us really good service too. We elected not to go to the evening show, instead walking around the boat. Also, we spent a couple hours watching the entertainment in the Centrum, which was pretty good (except when a drunk guy broke a glass on the dance floor). When my grandma went back to the room, my uncle and I continued to explore the ship. Even though the shuffleboard courts theoretically close at 9, there was nothing stopping us from playing and no one waiting, so we played several games (I eeked out the win too). A nice way to start the trip. TUESDAY 3/6 (Nassau): On Tuesday, we were in Nassau. Breakfast in the Windjammer was decent enough everyday (I certainly didn't need that chocolate covered cheesecake at breakfast though). Since we could do more for less money using a third-party excursion service, we had booked a Nassau tour through Viator with a company called Tyrone Wilson's Shore Excursions. Our guide, Kevin, knew everything to know about Nassau and even seemed to know everybody. While we did make five stops, one of the real highlights was getting to hear him talk about the Bahamas. My personal favorite stop was the Queen's Staircase, both for the history and for the views as we descended. My uncle and grandma also really enjoyed the rum distillery. I don't drink, so it wasn't the stop I was looking forward to most, but it was still very interesting to see and learn about the industry. The only real disappointing stop was the chocolate factory because they only gave you a tiny crumb as a sample (whereas all the other sampling stops were far more generous) and ridiculously overcharged for any additional chocolate you wanted to purchase. I had been there before (as a hotel guest), but we also had about 30 minutes to explore the Atlantis resort. Our guide also drove us through some poorer areas of Nassau, so we got to see the various ways people live there. We also asked him for a lunch recommendation, and he recommended us some place called Bahamian Cookin' (or something like that) a couple blocks inland in downtown that was excellent. We later went to this zoo and gardens that was somewhat disappointing, at least relative to the excellent tour Kevin had given us earlier in the day. We got back on the boat in time to get ready for dinner, which was formal night. Unfortunately, we were the only ones at our table who were able to get there. We again went for the beef, all getting the tenderloin. Since the dining room wasn't very full, they must have had a bunch of extra food, so we were offered seconds, which we happily accepted. I think there might have even been thirds. Additionally, the service was far better than I could have ever expected. Our waiter remembered that I had a Diet Coke the night before and had one there for me as soon as I sat down, without my even having to ask. When they realized how much we seemed to all like beef, they sent promoters from Chops Grille to offer us a discount for the next night, which we seriously considered, but decided against (largely because my uncle would have wanted lobster, which wasn't included with the base surcharge). After dinner, we split up, all having different things we wanted to do. My uncle had wanted to enter the poker tournament in the casino (by the way, the casino has tutorials of the different table games 30 minutes before opening every night, which I enjoyed, even if I wasn't really planning to play). Assuming full capacity, the winner from Tuesday was set to play Wednesday's winner on Thursday for a free cruise on the Allure of the Seas. I walked around with him for a while, but went back to the room to get out of my suit. My grandma went to the music show that night, which we allowed her to do alone since neither of us wanted to go. While my uncle was playing poker, I met up with my grandma after the show and we went to the Love and Marriage Game Show. That gameshow actually has importance in our family because, on our cruise 10 years ago, my grandmother and my late grandfather were the long-married couple on the show (they came in last). When they were trying to find couples, my grandma told that story, which was a nice moment for all of us. The show (in my biased opinion) didn't live up to the one ten years ago, but that could just be me. We still had a good time. Afterwards, I met back up with my uncle, who had unfortunately only come in third in the poker tournament, and we went back up to the pool deck because I had read in reviews that there was a big party with a poolside buffet when leaving Nassau. That was only partially accurate, as they only had food inside the Solarium, but there was music from the boat's DJ. It was a bit more of a party scene than I would have liked because there was a group of close to 500 spring breakers just from one school on a ship of only 2500, but we enjoyed it still. After that ended, we did briefly go to the Viking Crown Lounge, but that was a little too wild for me, as it was pretty much only the spring breakers (I'm about that age myself, but I am not really that wild). Some of them were enjoyable to talk to individually, but they were crazy as a group (my uncle actually described them as entertainment). We got some late night food from the Solarium (my uncle had the idea of putting pizza inside a burger, which he said was excellent) and went back to the room. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 (Not CocoCay): While at breakfast, even though it was partly sunny outside, we heard an announcement from the captain that the weather would not allow us to go to CocoCay as planned because the seas were too rough and a cold front was approaching from the west. Royal Caribbean did do a good job of adding more events, such as ping pong tournaments, trivia contests, and game shows to try to let us still have a good time. But, as the weather was still pretty nice, we grabbed seats at the pool and hung out there (but unfortunately they weren't opening the main pool until 11). Before lunch, we went to play Family Feud, one of the added activities, which was fun. Lunch in the Windjammer was likely the same thing they were going to serve on the island, but it was good, and we rushed out of lunch to play sports trivia, which was harder than we expected (or, more accurately, a lot of the questions were from sports we didn't follow as closely as the Big Four American sports). By the time we finished with trivia, the bad weather had arrived, so we mostly had to stay inside. I did use the Solarium pool in this time (and found out that I'm actually 7 feet tall if that is really 5'6" deep). At dinner, to our surprise, again nobody else showed up, so we yet again got fed like royalty. My grandma was finally tired of beef and got a lasagna, while my uncle and I had multiple beef short ribs. If you are ever on this cruise, you must get the warm chocolate cookie with ice cream. I made the mistake of not getting it, but had a bite of my uncle's one, and it was easily the best dessert I had. But, since the dining room wasn't full, I was then able to order one anyway. After dinner, my grandma is a big North Carolina fan and wanted to watch their game, so we went to the casino, where the only sports bar is on the ship. We tried our luck with the penny slots before the game, and I wasted $5 in about 15 minutes and decided I had had enough. My grandma and uncle were up for a little while, but they lost theirs too. My uncle decided to give the poker a second go, but again finished in a tantalizingly close third, good for nothing. The casino sports bar was also crowded with some of the students on spring break, which really wasn't too bad. The only annoying part is that smoking is allowed in the casino, so you could intermittently smell smoke. I do wish they had a smoke-free place to watch sports other than your stateroom on board (and I know newer RCI ships do). After the game, my uncle and I caught the second half of the adult comedy show, which we definitely enjoyed. We took advantage of the midnight buffet in the Park Cafe before calling it a night. THURSDAY, MARCH 8 (Key West): This was my fourth cruise, but I had never been on one that reentered the US before returning to the embarkation port, so I had never been through the "you must wake up at a certain time to go through customs" thing before. It was pretty early in the morning, so we just rolled straight out of bed to do that and ate and got ready for the day afterwards. We did the hop-on, hop-off bus tour in Key West that morning. When we first got on, our guide, Louis, was excellent, so we rode around most of the way before getting off at the location of the Southernmost Point and the butterfly house, which we enjoyed (even if my grandma inadvertently took a butterfly out on her shirt and had to get an employee to return it to its habitat). We ate lunch at Sloppy Joe's, where they actually invented the Sloppy Joe and went around both on the bus and on our own to see a few more landmarks before returning to the boat. It was a sunny, but not hot, day, which made it perfect for exploring the island. The previous night we had considered seeing if we could take them up on their Chops Grille offer and even got to the point of asking them if it would still be good for Thursday, which they said it would. However, we really liked our waiters in the main dining room and were offered a discount on getting the Chops food in the main dining room, which we did. My grandma and I got the Chops filet, which was excellent, while my uncle got their lobster, which he seemed to enjoy. My uncle and I got the lamb shank as well since it still wasn't full (we weren't totally alone, as one of the other three groups did come that night). After that, we wanted to watch basketball again, so we went back to the casino. Before going to the casino, we checked out the Centrum entertainment and I somehow got drafted into doing some dance in front of everybody without even being told what I was doing. At least I didn't drop the woman from the activities staff when she jumped! Duke and North Carolina were playing in back to back games and my family is split between those two schools (I'm actually a fan of a different school, but I was rooting for both that night, and both won). Again, the college spring breakers were at the casino bar, but some were into the games since they were mostly from North Carolina themselves (I actually live in Tennessee, but my family is from NC). Once they had both won, it was about 11:30, so The Quest was already well into progress, but my uncle and I decided to go anyway. While I don't mind humor that isn't PG-rated, The Quest went too far for our tastes, so we left after about 10 minutes, went back to the room and called it a trip. FRIDAY, MARCH 9 (Returning to Miami): I had breakfast with my grandma, but, after breakfast, my flight to Tennessee was much later than theirs to North Carolina, so I stayed on the boat when they left. I decided to simply carry my bags off, so I went a little before when my number would have been called, but the line was already crazy. It likely took me well over an hour to get off the boat, but there was nothing we had to wait for after getting off since we had been through customs in Key West the day before. I had reserved a $30 shuttle to FLL, but that had taken me so long and I didn't know where to go that I found an third-party shuttle to the airport for only $20 that I took. In the future, I would just do that from the beginning. I got to the airport in plenty of time, but my grandma and uncle actually missed their flight out of Miami to get home. OVERALL THOUGHTS: -I really liked the refreshment package, but I probably could have lived with just the classic soda package if I had been paying for that part myself (my grandma was gracious enough to pay for most of the cruise for all of us). -The food was of excellent quality, and there was virtually always somewhere you could go. The late night food was actually really good too. -This was a relatively small RCI ship, but everything was running well and the crew did a great job. -We had fun plans for CocoCay (the Aqua Park and walking the nature trails), so I was disappointed it got cancelled, but it was handled well. -I didn't see what they gained from roping off the pools at night. I wouldn't have minded taking a night swim, but that was impossible. Also, the Solarium may technically be a retractable roof, but it was always closed, even though three of the four days had perfect weather. -They do need to have a place to watch sports that isn't smoky. I don't think it would be a big deal to put a couple TVs at one of the bars, possibly the Schooner Bar. -We did a bunch of the game shows and trivia and really enjoyed all of that. All in all, my complaints are minor, and I had a really good time and would go back on the Enchantment of the Seas. But, from seeing the pictures of the very newest ships, I think I want to try one of them the next time I go on a cruise.

I only speak for myself, obviously, but this doesn't excite me one bit. I live 30 minutes from 2 indoor and 1 outdoor water parks, but I don't have a tropical island nearby. I haven't been to Coco Cay yet, but I have been to Castaway Cay a few times. Castaway Cay is the idealized tropical island, it is quaint and has the Disney "fake-authentic" feel about it. You feel like you are on a quiet island, even though there is always water and drinks and a buffet a tram ride away. Now look at that picture of what it will look like as you walk off the dock and on to Coco Cay. Painfully bright and gaudy like any other water park in the world. There's nothing special about it to me. I'm sure it will be fun, I'm sure a lot of people are excited for it, but to me this is just hurting a great destination. And of course there is the potential up charge. (I use "potential" loosely, I consider it a guarantee) I wonder how crowded the remaining free beaches will be. I'm willing to bet the new food areas won't all be included either.

^this right here! I just said this to hubby last night after reading Matt's blog post on the changes. I think it looks just like blizzard beach and typhoon Lagoon!

That would require twangster 2.0 and there have been no plans announced for such an upgrade.

I wish you had taken pics. I don't even know that other guy anymore...

The only thing better than an afternoon nap is an afternoon nap on a cruise ship! Savor it. Glad you are feeling better.

Afternoon report: Pretty lazy day at sea today. The ship is really moving today. The Captain came on earlier and reported that they are already taking a detour back to Cape Liberty but still warned everyone that this ship is going to move a lot more into the night as we pass by Hatteras. He also suggested that everyone takes their medication for sea sickness if needed. After taking mine before going on North Star, I'm good with the motion but very sleepy. First afternoon nap I have had in years! Here are some photos from this morning: ?: Hubby Photo evidence of the dedication to this blog ? It was interesting to be able to ride it today and yesterday in port. The experience was way better in port. Views were better and less motion. The operator said that winds were at 29 knots when we rode it. That capsule was moving! They shut the ride down at 46 knots. I also witnessed someone without reservations trying to get on the NS. No go. Completely booked. So make your reservations ahead of time. This was in our stateroom today ?

I very much agree with this - if I wanted Disney or a theme park, I'd go to one. This isn't what I cruise for.

I get it as they want to get them interested and hooked now and keep them for long term as they get older, have kids etc...... If they can keep a balance of things(relaxing and active) then I am all for it. I don't want to cruise and feel like I am at Disney or any theme park for my whole cruise and be surcharged up the ying yang with extra fees and costs to do anything fun or interesting.

In this rendering the existing beach areas are still there (green arrow). Labadee doesn't charge for loungers or just having a beach day and I suspect CocoCay won't either. Most of CocoCay is undeveloped now. My guess is that what is there today will remain and available close to what it is today, they are not going to take away the beach, loungers or free buffet lunch.

I consider this to be TRAINING !

I wouldn't want anyone to misconstrue my statements or opinions as one who doesn't enjoy fun. Believe me, I am usually the life of the party and the last one to go to bed and the first one up. And I enjoy many of the things they are adding. What I was trying to say I guess is that Coco Cay was nice as it was. Labadee is already more of an "amusement" type place so why not just build that up. Plus the ships are all getting updated with slides and sportsbars etc so really they have that already to cater to the crowd that enjoys that. There is NO beach or sand or ocean swimming on the cruise ship..only option was Coco Cay....and now that is totally changing. I enjoy Royal over Celebrity for many of the reasons @twangster mentioned...I just didn't think they needed to turn Coco Cay into a theme park with charges for almost everything..... I am sure I will still enjoy it..just wont be the same as before and I didn't feel it needed to be "fixed". It was relaxing and peaceful and tranquil just the way it was....

Just saw the details and had much the same reaction. We did CocoCay twice last year and actually booked the second trip because we had such a great time just relaxing on the nice quiet beach and enjoying the peace and quiet on the first trip. Liked the pier idea but concerned that this is too much ... but we shall see.

Oh, once I take something I'll be just fine! This happened on day 3 too ?

I'm trying to but I'm on @henrysea13 's diet at the moment ?

It wouldn't be dumb at all! Entertainment is highly subjective too, just like food. But we did love it. Now I need to see Cats from Oasis to complete it. Such a shame Symphony is showing Hairspray.

I am sooo happy to hear how much you liked We Will Rock You. After all my raving about it, I'd have felt really dumb if you didn't like it! We went back a second time to see the finale again.

Try a pina colada made with amaretto instead of rum. YUM

It runs a number of different programs. NorthStar has evolved in North America. For what ever reason they kept it free in North America but due to demand they had to cut the duration to 9 minutes plus 6 minutes for boarding, de-boarding. Up, slight left and right and back down. In other regions the duration is longer but there is a cost.

Blue Lagoon Dolphin Excursion: RC Excursion This excursion is available in several forms. There is the Blue Lagoon Beach Break. This gives you access to beach only. Then there is the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Swim where you can actually swim with a dolphin. The one Hubby and D2 did was the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter, which basically lets you play with a dolphin in waist high water. The excursion started at 7:45am with the meeting spot at Station 1 on the pier. Hubby reported that it took a long time to actually get on the ferry to Blue Lagoon Island. They waited pier side until about 9am. People were separated into two groups (beach people, animal encounters) and bands are given out before boarding the ferry. The ferry ride to Blue Lagoon Island took about 45min. Hubby and D2 reported a smooth, slow ride. There is a washroom available on the ferry. You can even purchase drinks and snacks on the ferry. After arriving on Blue Lagoon Island, there are a few dolphin locations and staff direct you where to go. There is slight confusion but no one got lost. Once arriving in your location, there is a consent to sign off on. Then your belongings are stored in a locker. Hubby reported that these lockers are small and difficult to lock. If you have a large backpack, it won't fit and you have to put it off to the side. The locker can fit approximately a mid-size handbag. Hubby says the locker is ancient looking and rusted. It locks with a key. After securing your belongings, everyone is provided with a life jacket. Then you are taken to the area for the Dolphin Encounter. Here the dolphin trainer gives instructions on how to interact with the dolphin and safety. There are about 16 people in each group. No personal cameras or recording equipment allowed. Interactions with the Dolphin includes hugging, kissing, dancing, rubbing, and touching its teeth. You are also given a fish to feed to the dolphin. Sometimes the dolphin squirts and splashes you. After, the dolphin does a few tricks and then you are given to have the opportunity to take a group photo with the dolphin. Change rooms and showering facilities are available to clean off. Kiosks are available in the gift shop for purchasing photos and videos. Single pics are about $14 Videos are about $58 4 pics + video is $97 All inclusive pics through email was $79 7.5% tax is charged on all purchases and if paying with a credit card, you have to show picture ID. Beach time is included with the excursion and you have the option to take selected ferry times back to the ship. Overall thoughts: Hubby felt this was worth the money. We paid $119.70 CDN (on sale during Black Friday). He reported that some parents had children who ended up being afraid and not wanting to go in. So, buyer beware. Know your children. Photo credit: all Hubby Excursion recap: Hubby and D2 ?

You might like a Pain Killer - that's one of my goto fruity drinks. 2-4 oz. of Pusser's Rum 4 oz. pineapple juice 1 oz. cream of coconut 1 oz. orange juice Grated fresh nutmeg

If you want frozen & fruity, my wife's new favorite from the Schooner Bar on Grandeur this year was "Kiss On The Lips": Peach Schnapps, Mango Mix, Grenadine, & Crushed Ice.

Brass & Bock menu: @SeasTheDayNJ I asked about St. paddy's day specials for Saturday, the answer was, "Don't know yet. Not planned yet. Maybe yes, maybe no. But we usually do." ?

I was close lol.

It was great. So giving an idea of what I used. I turned off most things on my phone to give data to the primary things, (work phone app, whatsapp, emails, and periscope.) I could still use the other apps they just wouldnt use background data. I periscoped multiple times from St. Kitts, St. Maarten, and Labadee (Caribbean plan) I some how only used 112MB out of my 500MB plan which was only $20 US. For the North American plan that covers Puerto Rico and my Florida trip including maps usage and lots of other stuff trying to kill my data I only used 420MB. I purchased a 1GB plan and it got bumped to 1.5GB (I'm guessing as a first time bonus type thing) which was $20 US. If you are from the US you will only need the Caribbean plan but I needed both. Luckily for me, I can still use the rest of my data here (well once they figure out why it doesn't work in Cayman). Oh, yes lastly, so I got home and decided to try it here and I have tried many different things but nothing seems to get it to work here. Support is looking into it as all things considering it should, I mean I had no issues anywhere but here. It doesn't provide a usage report per-say but it tells you the remaining usage. My phone also records how much I use so I can check that too. I would definitely use it again. Now that I have learnt how much I use I might go with the 500MB North American plan for $15 (although for $5 it is a good deal just in case). I'm not sure what the costs are for plans like AT&T for roaming but for our pricing it is worth it and will be sharing the sim with my family since all they will have to do is top it up and go. They did have a deal (not sure if they still do) where they were giving the sim for free, I bought mine on Amazon for $10 as I wanted to make sure it made it to me on time.

Going to be interesting to see if they can "get paid" for everything they are adding. Booked a 3 nighter on the upgraded Mariner for next year and was already pondering staying aboard in Nassau to try and do some of the things on the ship (all of which I am sure are going to cost money) and then chill at the tiki bar on CocoCay ... now it looks like CocoCay is going to have its own selection of everything you ever wanted to pay for as well. That 3 nighter was already feeling pricey now it's downright scarey. May have to leave the kid home for budget purposes ;)

got an email few hours ago that my cruise document is ready and a link to download it. The link brings me to the new login page and from there I do no have any clue how to get to it , any idea ? (I tried also to do online check in but got error message)

This ship rocks a lot more than Oasis class. I would suggest something between 7-10 to stay as mid-ship as possible. Also, do you need to to fit 2 or more? The JS here are part of a connected family JS set and not as much privacy. Better to get the spa JS if it's just you and your wife.

I hope you are ok Sabrina! Go out on the deck and get some fresh air!

I don't even know how to get to C&A anymore !

It's great that you have a physician that will do this. Mine did the same. Many years ago, when learning that we were going on a cruise, she gave us a prescription for Cipro so that we could take it with us in case we go into any situations with stomach bugs. It has never happened but I love having that med along with us just in case. I did use it once (at home) for a cold-turned-sinus infection. Very handy to have around ! She has always re-written the scrip when we needed it.

Well, it's from Jamie's, which Allure doesn't have yet...but...maybe your Genie can round it up from somewhere lol

Yes! Mission accomplished! I have finally turned it around and made @twangster jealous!

I always recommend a margarita made with a reposado tequila. From the menus others have posted here, Sabor offers at last two options there -- the Sweet & Spicy, and the Grand(?) Margarita.

Buffalo Trace is close to our house! We are all around the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! His favorite is Woodford Reserve Rye. Our friends own Angels Envy! There is no shortage of Good Bourbon in Kentucky!

Good morning all! Sorry for the late post this morning. Hubby and D2 were off before 7:30am this morning and D1 and I did not wander into the WJ until 10am. @jurrjurr this was the closest thing I found to dim sum so far. I gave it a try, but as someone who has eaten congee most of my life, I can safely say that this is a pass. After breakfast we wandered the ship for a bit. Did not find the ship's coin but we did find the I-95. Random observation...the conference Center here has 4 rooms. They are named Radiance, Brillance, Jewel, and Serenade. I thought that was a nice touch. We have now stumbled upon an empty North Star line so we are going to ride the NS in port!

Hey now!!!

I just know it was 28 degrees in Florida when I was there in January and it was snowing and cold here in Chicago today (ok...I know... not the 2 feet in the east). If I don't get warm and sun soon, I may not survive! I need cruise therapy badly! Jane

Lol! I will see if hubby will agree to it for research purposes. He was already complaining today that we had to "pay" for the fried cheesecake.

Currently sitting in the solarium. Did not bother with pics because @twangster more than covered that in his Anthem blogs. And it's crowded in here. Drink cards are offered today...10 drinks for $85. They are also making Coco locos on board.

Podcasting? I only know how to listen to @Matt's. Everyone got up but now two are back in bed lol

It's currently 68 degrees. The water would have been too cold for the kids to truly enjoy anyway. I will get that menu pic too for you today. I feel like today is a great day to try those desserts! And I have extra OBC now ?

Sorry to hear that... the RC private islands are always some of my favorite destinations, a nice beach with no one constantly trying to sell you stuff. Plus the hollowed out pineapple of frozen drink perfection. Just a great relaxing family day for us.

CK Night 4 Menu: I forgot to mention in previous dinner posts that the classics menu (left side) is the same every night. The menu that changes nightly is the one that I am posting. For the classics menu, see the first dinner post. We were all super tired from today's activities so the plan was just to eat quickly and relax the rest of the night. Hubby, D1, and I all started with the Caesar Salad. No pic as I already posted that in another post. D2 had her usual tomatoes in a martini glass. We didn't even have to ask for it tonight. At CK on Anthem, they sit you with the same server each night. I like that way better as they know you well by now and it makes tipping easier at the end. He has also been very accommodating with D2 as she is ridiculously picky. More than once now, he has taken items from the adult menu and modified it to her liking. For example, for dinner tonight, she had the roasted chicken but it was completely plain (zero sauces and garnishes) and her side item was fries. Cheese Tortellini: Flavour was light and not too strong. Hubby and D1 liked this a lot. I liked it too but I could only eat about 1/3 of it as I find tortellini sits heavy in your stomach and fills you up quickly. Rating: A Grilled Barramundi: The plan was for Hubby and I to share this. In the end, we each took a few bites and left it. It was really salty and the texture was very stiff. It was fresh, just not to our personal liking. I want to say rating is a B- but that is highly subjective. Vegetable dish. Sorry, in putting this post together I just realized that my menu pic has the last entree cut off. I also cannot remember the name of it. Whatever it was called, this dish is good! It contains beans, chick peas, and grilled vegetables. The white stuff was a yogurt dressing. Flavouring played a big part in making this dish delicious! Rating: A Dessert! Proof as to how tired my kids were by this point, they skipped dessert. Totally unheard of! Hubby and I still found the strength ? Creme Brûlée, my usual favourite. Rating: A Chocolate and Olive cake. This did not sound appealing at all but our waiter insisted that I try it. I am so glad I listened because this was yummy! It was dense and rich but melted in your mouth. Rating: A New York Cheesecake with Strawberry topping, Hubby's usual favourite. Rating: A After dinner we called it a night. Back to the stateroom for PJs and family time. Everyone, but me, is now fast asleep ? Goodnight all!

Shout out to the Poweraid options for helping me recover from the effects of the drink package! Also a big fan of the sparkling water varieties - I drink La Croix like crazy at home so it's fun having that option on the ship. Fun observation - the number of people I saw on my last cruise on Adventure trying to use paper or coffee cups at the freestyle machines and either getting confused/angry when they didn't work was almost comical.