mbk999

If you're coming in earlier in the afternoon or evening, I'd personally just drive to the port and stay there (it's been too many years since I've stayed at Port Canaveral hotels to have an opinion on any).  
If you're coming in late, the Hyatt is a great option though it was >$200 the last time I was there.  Great hotel and it's nice to be in bed <20 minute after collecting your luggage.  I just walked down to the airport food court and got breakfast the next morning.   I've stayed at the Hampton Inn by the airport and it was fine.  It's about a mile away so also a good option for late flights.  
 

Onboard! Dining reservations made, Kraken Lava Flow ordered.  Watching the latecomers trickle in. Vacation has begun!

This is just more of an FYI, relaying my just concluded experience with calling Royal to get an exception for the Deluxe Drink Package (wife doesn't drink alcohol).   As most know, you can't do it on-line, so you have to call 1-800-398-9819 .  The first person I spoke to didn't have an idea as to how to grant an exception, she said book the refreshment package first, then go in and book the deluxe for myself.  All that does is add two Deluxe and one Refreshment Package to the cart (approaching $900).    I cancelled that and called back.  I wish I would have gotten the name of the rep as he knew what to do.   I had to exit out of the cruise planner and then he was able to add the Deluxe + Voom for me and the refreshment package for my wife.  I had to give him my CC info and I got the confirmation email and I've confirmed it's in my cruise planner.    So as Matt has said in the past, if the first person you speak to can't help you, hang up and try another one.
Also,  as others have noted, the exception they will grant is for the other person to get the Refreshment package.  That works for us but I know others don't want that.   I'm not sure what to say about it as it didn't seem to be an option to not get a package or to just get the soda.     The Bogo $ for the Refeshment Package was $18/day which I thought was pretty good as we'll go through several bottles of water a day alone. Four of those, an OJ, and a virgin daiquiri and you're at $18.    Deluxe + VOom was $59.

Cruise Day 3
 
Today We get to go to a new port that we have never heard of before this booking let alone been to.  Progreso Mexico!! 
 
Breakfast was at the WindJammier as usual.  I have never done breakfast in the MDR. Breakfast is more of  grab and go type situation for me.  We docked later than a typical port.  So we had plenty of time to eat and get down to Deck 1 to disembark the ship.
 
As previously mention Progreso has a FOUR MILE long pier.  It is not a typical wooden/cement pier. It is land extended for four miles into the Gulf Of Mexico. Two lane road and multiple turn offs and building along the way.   Progreso offers and free shuttle to the downtown area and then you are free to explore. Right where the ship docks there are some chatzky stores and the usual Duty Free shops offering free tequila shots. The shop owners and hawkers are relentless everywhere here. Worst I’ve seen. A simple No thank you does the trick most of the time. The heat was unreal. 88* F but is felt like 110*F. Oppressive is putting it lightly. The bus drops you a central bus depot and it is a 4 block walk to the beach area IF you can find your way out the maze of shops. After doubling back 2 times we found our way.
 
RCCL offers an excursion for the public free beach.  $35 pp will get you a bus ride, access to the beach and two loungers and a palapa.  Umm,  bus is free for everyone… beach is free for everyone…lounger and palapa you can haggle to $10.  Am I missing something??  Along the beach are mostly restaurants that offer seating on the beach. We have a simple beach tent to protect us from the sun. This ‘tent’ folds up into a sack that is ¼ the size of a shoe box. Quick set up and tear down. We bought is on Amazon real cheap.
 

 
https://www.amazon.com/Venustas-Umbrella-Outdoor-Shelter-Lightweight/dp/B07PNW1WPB/ref=pd_ybh_a_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7MGHW9HQSFG72NJ0BKZQ
 
I hit up the convenient store across the street for some soda and water.  I was thrown off for a moment when saw a 1.5 Lt bottle for water for $14.50….Yes with a dollar sign. BTW the Peso uses the dollar sign also.  Easy translation 20ish pesos to a dollar….so 85c. The diet Pepsi Black was .5 Lt for 40c.  Prices for locals are amazingly inexpensive….Tourist areas not so much!!
 
We spent about two hours at the beach and headed back to a restaurant that was handing out little flyers on the way to the beach. Barlovento Restaurant and Bar had little dollar margaritas so that peaked my curiosity. Since my wife is pregnant I had four, two for her and two for me. Quesadillas and fries for me and the baby, enchiladas for the Mrs. she also had some Mexican flavors fruity water. $47  DOLLARS!!!  Return bus ride was quick and painless for I hate shuttles and waiting on them to fill up to capacity.  This one filled up quick.  We were back to the ship by 1:15.
 

 
That's the NOT the ship in the distance....that not even the half way point to the ship!!!
 

 
 

Check out this old school high chair!!

 
 
One question I had right off the bat was will the casino be open while in port?  The ship is docked 4 miles for the coast of Progreso….essentially International Waters?  Nope not open.  Upon return it was nap time for the baby and mommy. I walked around a bit, then before you knew it was time for dinner.   
 
Dinner
 
Me
 
French Onion Soup
Caesar Salad
Chicken Parm
Royal Chocolate Cake
               
 
                Wife
                IDK
 
                Zander
                Fruit Cup
                Steak off kids menu  NY Strip
 
After dinner walk led us to the ventriloquist show at the theater. I was a little hokey and nice and lighthearted.  Zander being your typical 20 month old got bored real quick and we made our exit to explore some shops and head to the room.  I then headed to the roulette table to turn $40 in to $240. Now I’m even. Of to bed. Tomorrow Cozumel and Nachi Cocom!!!  1st timer here
 
 



someone is sleeping.



this is part of the dock/pier in Progreso


Zander waiting for steak!!

These were cool. Fold on this sailing's FB page talked about hiding Rubber Duckies around the  ship.  They had dozens we found one for Zander. It took us to day 4 to find one, but we did!!
 

Enchantments "added" 70+ feet of ship that was added after the original build
 

Cruise Day 2 A Day at Sea
 
Let me back up a little.  In reference to check in…My wife is 23 weeks pregnant. RCCL limits pregnancy to 24 weeks on Disembarkation Day,  but no one ever asked if she was pregnant, (it would be rude if they did) and most likely no one would if she was 30 weeks either. I guess this is a rule that is only a concern if you go into labor but then again that is too late.  Anyone have any experience with this??
 
Another early day with the baby Zander. We always do breakfast at the Windjammier. I noticed RC is now cooking their bacon to my and most folks and likely everyone’s liking…crispy!  Another observation. They do not serve bananas in the Windjammier in the morning….odd.
 
Beautiful partly cloudy day.  We are not ‘lay out by the pool’ kinda folks.  We attended the Art auction as we occasionally do. Free Champagne is always a plus. Wifey likes the art and I ended up surprising her with a Thomas Kinkade portrait of the American Flag and Statue of Liberty. She completed 30 years in the Navy Reserve last year and I found the portrait to be fitting for her.  Lunch at Windjammier then a quick donation to the casino while mommy and baby napped.  
 
Many folk complain about the age of this ship. The only things that, to me, make it appear dated in the exterior has a lot of rust and that cigarette smoke has just permeated everything around it. You can smell smoke all the way to the Centum on deck 5 and the forward elevator atrium on 4 5 and 6. Everything else about Enchantment is fantastic.
 
I find it odd that the run movies in the room that are 3 hours long. Today was Aquaman. I never got to see the full movie for it always ran into other activities ☹
 
Day 2 is formal night and we didn’t overdo dressing for it. Khakis and a dress shirt for me, fancy slacks and blouse for the misses and a Tuxedo onesie for our son.  I am an extremely picky eater, but I am consciously trying to “try” new things. This trip it’s escargot eh the garlic
 
Me:
                Escargot
                Classic Caesar Salad
                Filet
                Royal Chocolate Cake
 
Wife:
                Classic Caesar Salad
                Filet
                Sugar Free Dessert
 
Zander
                Fruit cup
His own Filet
Cookie & ice cream
 
 
 
After dinner we headed for the pool deck to walk of some calories and enjoy the peacefulness of the outdoors.  It early to bed for mommy and baby, and I headed to the casino for some Roulette and had to shower to get the smoke off me upon returning to the cabin.  Wifey is highly sensitive to it.
 
PICTURES TO FOLLOW

Maybe Murphy's law just bit you on that trip.  Our Allure cruise was a 50th for me and a 25th for us.   The cruise was during the same month as the anniversary at least, it was a few months different than my birthday.  Our TA asked us about that it when we booked and asked which days we wanted them to be recognized.   On those nights, they brought out a special dessert at dinner.   
 

Fresh of the Empress with a night in a hotel in between I'm ready and pumped for my next cruise.
Did I mention...  IT'S CRUISE DAY!
I thought about starting this thread before my Empress cruise even left the dock (like some others around here do) but that just wouldn't be right.
This five night Majesty of Seas cruise was necessary.  I needed something to justify the airfare to Empress so this side-to-side was the perfect solution.
Itinerary
Ft. Lauderdale Nassau Perfect Day at CocoCay Sea Day Key West Ft. Lauderdale I love Empress but this way I'm upgrading to a much larger ship!  Plus, I gotta get back to CocoCay.  :) 
I originally booked a number of Empress and Majesty sailings when the Cuba cancellations were forced upon the industry.  I feared Royal might move these ships out of the fleet.  My plan was to take lots of pictures and document this legacy class of ship that were the foundation of so much that became even much more on later ships.  It was because of the success of ships like this that Royal has become what it is today.   Success breeds success.  As it turns out they aren't moving these ships out to pasture just yet plus I get to sail on some of the best (small) ships in the fleet!  That's a win-win.
To be fair I split my time between Empress (3 bookings) and Majesty (3 bookings).  I already had some fall bookings that were bucket list type cruises so I had push some my Majesty cruises into October but that's okay, she'll be here waiting for me.
When you stay in a hotel and pay for things like meals and drinks you quickly appreciate the value that cruising represents.  Spoiler alert - the view out my hotel window never changed and I woke up right where I was the day before.  #boring
Cabin this time is an Ocean View on deck 4.  

Congratulations to your husband and JennyJenny. I know how hard it can be. I’m also a survivor also. Going on our victory cruise in January. Love the blogs. It really helps with the waiting.

We’re on board this absolutely gorgeous ship and it’s instantly clear why she’s a favorite among so many. ??
We checked out Central Park and the Boardwalk. It’s too early to put cash on our account and the rooms are supposed to be ready at 1:30pm.
There is a different vibe on this ship.  The guests and staff are ready for a good vacation.  We already met “new familia” in the elevator. ?
Our fish is already in the pool...

Cruise Summary
What really made these three recent Empress cruises stand out as cruises I'll remember are not only the places we visited but the people I met.  I've met not only great crew and management employees but also many frequent cruisers with conversations I've enjoyed every night.  Almost every one of them has overlapping future cruises where we'll meet again.  You don't get to meet great people like this on big ships.
I've met some great bartenders but the ones on Empress really stand out.  I remember certain bartenders from this cruise or that cruise but on Empress I've added three stand out bartenders to my list.  I'm hoping I'll see them at some CocoCay bar when we share the pier with Empress on an upcoming cruise. 
Going to Jost Van Dyke has been on my mind for some time now and it was great to finally make it back plus see it return to 100% after the hurricanes.   
I'm still in love with Empress despite her small size.  It's probably her big heart that attracts me to her. 
While she is an old ship she was refreshed quite extensively when she came back for Cuba, granted cabins were not made any bigger.
Small ship cruising isn't for everyone.  That's okay, there will be more room for me on the small ships.  I still love big ships too and there is always room on big ships for everyone.  My favorite remains Voyager class but I'm glad Empress is there when I really want to experience the sea even more.
It's going to be interesting moving up to Majesty.  It's kind of funny when moving to Majesty is stepping up to a bigger ship!
I'm still trying to figure out if I can squeeze Empress onto my cruise dance card over the next few months.  I'll definitely go on Empress again.
All cruises will create memories you won't forget. Some of my best memories come from this, the smallest ship with the biggest heart.
I hope you enjoyed following along and I thank you for viewing.
PS - look for Cruise Compasses soon, once I get home from Majesty and can scan them in properly.

Greetings from Miami! 
IT’S CRUISE DAY! 
Leaving for San Juan in an hour. Zero days till we go on the cruuuiiiseee ✈️??  and I am so excited!! 

 
Leaving Miami time-lapse

IMG_9749.mov

Trip planning is half the fun...   There's just too many options around Orlando to go wrong, even if you don't go to the parks.  We just got back from a week at the Mouse and Disney Springs has some fantastic restaurants.  Animal Kingdom Lodge has a couple of great restaurants and if you have reservation to eat there, you can park at the resort and wonder around it's own savanna observation areas.  None of it is cheap but we had really good times.     
I don't know what time of year you're planning on going but if it's in the winter, I can't imagine there'd be a lot to do for a couple of days in Cocoa, other than KSC.

Exactly.   I used to use Melbourne a lot and it is (or at least was) a nice little airport but there's not a lot of alternate flight options if something comes up.  Plus, can you fly direct into Melbourne from your location?   That's what caused me to stop using it as I would have had to transfer in Charlotte or Atlanta.   If you can fly direct to MCO and have alternate flight options, that's what I would do.
Melbourne is a little closer than MCO but it's not like FLL which is right across from the cruise port.  It's still 25-30 minutes away.    Plus, the bulk of the Orlando traffic is west of the airport towards the theme parks and I-4, the traffic between MCO and Cocoa Beach is not that bad (normally).  
If you're coming in a couple of days early, you can always do a theme park one day and/or Disney Springs or Universal CityWalk   and then head over to Canaveral for the beach day or KSC.   It would give you more options.

My excursion today was Escape to Jost Van Dyke booked through Royal and later cheaper when it went on sale and I saved $19.  Jost Van Dyke is one of the smaller islands in the BVI with a small permanent population.  I've been to Jost Van Dyke before and booking this excursion was the very next thing I did after booking this cruise.
Very close to the end of the pier is the staging area for excursion boats.

The boat has both inside and outside seating fore and aft.   

The forward outdoor seating does some sea spray but it was very refreshing.

Around 25 minutes later we were approaching this little slice of heaven right here on Jost Van Dyke.

The water here is quite stunning.

I wasn't quick enough to capture the decent size sea turtle that popped up close by in this general direction.

On previous trips here the boat anchored and we swam to shore.  This excursion comes with a barge that takes guests to shore where you can just walk onto the beach without getting wet.

There are numerous bars that line the beach.  Our designated section was at the end of the beach at Ocean 7 names after seven sisters that founded this bar.  Loungers and umbrellas were reserved for us.  We received tickets for one drink (beer/soda/water) and one meal each.


It's such a beautiful beach. 

3.5 hour drive on Florida's turnpike.  Should be good.

I buy it for convenience and less stress as long as the "convenience fee" isn't too much.  I'm not a huge drinker on land but will break even on the ship.  I like the ability to try something and not feel like I just wasted $15 if I don't like it.  It's less stress for me not to have to be calculating the cost every time I ordered or have my wife not get something because she doesn't want to spend extra money on it.   I'm sure we lost $ on her the last cruise (even with her refreshment package) but I just considered it the convenience fee.  Even at the new price, I'd still do it but if it's getting into the $75 range, then I'd re-think it.

Southwest out of BWI to Orlando or Fort Lauderdale is usually pretty good.   It's become standard for us even though Dulles is a little closer.   Have a good trip!

Southwest out of BWI to Orlando or Fort Lauderdale is usually pretty good.   It's become standard for us even though Dulles is a little closer.   Have a good trip!

In the words as sung by Britney Spears...  ? Oops, I Did it Again ?
For those who are wondering what is he talking about?  (or thinking I've enjoyed one too many happy hour drinks)  I just finished 14 nights on this little beauty last week.  You can read about that B2B experience here:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14213-empress-b2b-14-nights-on-the-biggest-little-ship-july-2019/
Those cruises were great but they were Western Caribbean and this 8 night cruise is Eastern Caribbean including a stop at Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.  Royal hasn't visited the BVI very much in recent years so when I saw the BVI added to the itinerary in the wake of the Cuba cancellations I knew I had to do it.  Icing on my cake comes courtesy of another visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay. 
Itinerary
Miami Perfect Day at CocoCay Sea Day San Juan Tortola St Thomas Sea Day Sea Day Miami Our Perfect Day ends at 2pm so we can make it to San Juan for a 3pm arrival after a day at sea.  We stay until midnight in San Juan so if all goes well I hope to get some evening and night pictures around San Juan.
Sailing in a Junior Suite I have scored one of the most forward deck 9 JS cabins this time.
I love this small ship and her big heart.  It's a good thing I love this ship because this will be my fourth cruise on her.  My Crown and Anchor points haven't been posted yet from my last cruise on her so with the "paint still wet", I'm heading back to the love of my life, or at least the love of my life right now. 
Because I'm flying I don't like taking just one cruise so with a night off the water in between, I'm doing a side-to-side over to Majesty right after this cruise.  A few years ago I started dreaming about a tour of the small ships and this marks another step towards completing that goal.  
I think I set a record this time having packed my suitcase a full two days before the cruise.  Basically I took my cruise clothes from the dryer and put them right back into my suitcase.  
      " You see my problem is this
       I'm dreaming away
       Wishing that heroes, they truly exist
       I cry, watching the days
       Can't you see I'm a fool in so many ways
       But to lose all my senses
       That is just so typically me
       Oh baby, oh "
Okay that doesn't make total sense but it's the only part of the lyrics that somewhat fit so I'm going with it.  

Yes, 7 nights on the Allure in October with ocean facing balcony was about 60% the cost of 8 nights on the Oasis in August in a Central Park balcony.

My Disney Park philosophy for next week.  Make sure we see the new (to us) attractions but if we miss one of our traditional attractions, so be it.   It's a lot less stress.  
 
I won't go so far as saying better, but it's a different experience.  Less stress and you can avoid/tune out kids (and other adults) if you want to.  As a semi-recent empty nester, I'm not sure what all the angst is about empty nesting, seems pretty good to me....

Yes, 7 nights on the Allure in October with ocean facing balcony was about 60% the cost of 8 nights on the Oasis in August in a Central Park balcony.

Yes, 7 nights on the Allure in October with ocean facing balcony was about 60% the cost of 8 nights on the Oasis in August in a Central Park balcony.

Yes, 7 nights on the Allure in October with ocean facing balcony was about 60% the cost of 8 nights on the Oasis in August in a Central Park balcony.

My Disney Park philosophy for next week.  Make sure we see the new (to us) attractions but if we miss one of our traditional attractions, so be it.   It's a lot less stress.  
 
I won't go so far as saying better, but it's a different experience.  Less stress and you can avoid/tune out kids (and other adults) if you want to.  As a semi-recent empty nester, I'm not sure what all the angst is about empty nesting, seems pretty good to me....