Skigoofy

Day 4 - St Thomas Departure
I had a 6pm MTD reservation but decided to skip it in favor of the sunset.  Not a bad decision as it turns out.

It started out pretty great but as the sun went down further it got a bit better.

Looking back towards St Thomas with the Windjammer Al Fresco seating area:

At this point the sun was below below the horizon but it begin to illuminate the clouds and I just couldn't stop taking pictures.

As it became darker the colors became more vibrant.

Show nearly over, I grabbed one more photo with the deck 12 slide in the foreground.

These were all taken with an iPhone 8.  I think they turned out okay.

Day 4 - St Thomas
There is no easy way to put this, this post will be photo intensive.  Sorry @Matt, in the immortal words of Roy Sheider's character in Jaws... "We're going to need a bigger boat".
I met with a friend and former co-worker before the excursion.  He reports the majority of residents on St Thomas have power back but other luxuries like cable TV are still a work in progress.  Residents on St John are still getting there.  Many areas have power but more remote areas are still without.  Despite that people are settling back into a routine.
My excursion today - St John's "All Inclusive" Beach & Snorkel
To clear up a commonly heard misconception, all inclusive refers to ferry + taxi + park admission + snorkel gear.  Nothing else.  No water, food or anything else. 
A few pictures around Crown Bay to start us off:




Our greeting committee:




Our chariot (ferry) to St Johns.


We cruised along the Southern coast of St Thomas and from a distance much looked normal but you could see many of these coastal buildings took it hard during the storm and they are a work in progress.

Twenty fives minutes later we approached Cruz Bay in St Johns.






We loaded into our taxi's to begin our way to Trunk Bay.






Our first glimpse at Trunk Bay.

After a 15 minute drive we arrived at the Virgin Islands National Park - Trunk Bay.

Restrooms and showers faired well during the storm:


Some things like the concessions are not open yet.

Chairs are available for rent.

Snorkel gear included in the excursion was available near the beach.
There is a snorkel trail underwater.


The beach is gorgeous with sugar like sand.



The snorkel course is to the left of the island with marker buoys in the water.  I set my stuff in the sand and donned my snorkel gear.
Lots of Sea Urchins.  You do not want to step on one.

If you look closely you'll see lots of minnows.












This complete and about an hour later we boarded our taxi.  Our driver stopped at several viewing spots so we could take pictures.  That's the British Virgin Isles in the distance.

Jumbie Beach

This is the Caneel Bay Resort.  Like most hotels it's closed pending restoration.  

Back on our ferry and heading to St Thomas they offered beer for $5 (brewed in Portland, ME).  

I managed to talk to a few locals this trip.  Most hotels remains closed with no word when they might reopen.  Building material and labor are hard to come by to fix them.  While some hotels have opened, tourism is swayed towards cruise ships at the moment.
While island life is settling into a new normal, the storm's effects continue.  For example, rain inundated many homes.  Appliances not physically damaged are beginning to rust and break down just now from water damage, even if minor at the time.  The storms that keep on giving.  Those that had the money built with concrete and faired better than those with older homes.  They didn't escape unscathed though, even the concrete began to saturate from the days of rain before, during and after both storms which amounted to weeks of rain.  The concrete in some cases withstood the wind but leaked water from saturation.  
I was glad to make it over to St Johns and just as happy to see life moving forward.  It's a process but the tens of thousands of dollars each cruise ships brings are very welcome.  With hotels shut many are out of work but they very much appreciate each ship and the jobs that are created from the cruise industry.

Embarkation Day recap...
We checked out of the hotel about 10:20 and hailed a Lyft. The experience was not nearly as smooth this time; the first assigned driver mysteriously changed the ride to “in progress” without ever showing up, and I had to cancel that one and hail another (thankfully with no penalty applied). The second driver we got showed up earlier than predicted, but clearly didn’t know the area fully as he was blindly following Lyft’s GPS directions and I could see it was taking him in a crazy route compared to where the port was. It eventually got us there, and we made our way to Terminal 29, the very last one in the port. As we made our way through, we passed Harmony of the Seas, Carnival Conquest, and HAL Nieuw Amsterdam. It was indeed a busy day in the port!
We arrived about 11:10, and there was already a good line of cars forming for drop-off. We checked our bags with a porter and I tipped $10 for our 8 bags (four big suitcases and four carry-ons that we wanted to check, while keeping the essentials in our backpacks and handbags). I was openly gawking at the ship and the sheer size of her, now that I could see her up close. I kind of pissed off the port workers as I failed to quickly follow their directions to GTFO and go into security, and just stood there for a minute debating whether to take a picture (I didn’t).
From there we quickly went through security, and ship check-in was relatively fast as well comparing to other times I’ve seen reported here. We boarded Freedom around 11:50, so a 40 minute turnaround. Considering the large crowd already there when we arrived, and the time I “wasted” ogling her from outside the terminal building, I’d consider that pretty good. Sadly, our t-shirts advertising our 20th anniversary got us no love from any attendants, and we had to take the “no status” line.
Here’s a shot of the crowd at the checkin counter, plus a panoramic showing it wasn’t actually that crowded.

We boarded on deck 4, and went straight to the gym and spa so my wife could find out about those unlimited classes. Unfortunately, this resulted in us getting the guided spa tour, which none of us wanted but we got roped into as we didn’t see the way into the gym that bypassed the spa. We realized afterward that we should have gotten off at deck 11 instead of 12. My wife ended up not signing on to the unlimited classes in the gym, deciding she’ll be fine just using the complimentary equipment. But she did sign up for the free pampering session they had on offer, and the girls signed up for the teen version (though they might skip it).
After this, we went outside to the pool deck, and had our first split up of the day, with the girls wandering off to explore the ship. I got right down to business, and sat down in a lounger in the shade with my first beverage — a lava flow!

It was good, at least when the rum wasn’t settled to the bottom and overwhelming the flavor. My wife stayed with me and had a taste, agreed it was good. We got up and explored the rest of the deck, enjoying the view of the surrounding area. I had a moment looking over the railing where it really hit me that I was on a cruise ship, about to embark on a helluva trip, and I laughed out loud. This is what I was looking at.

From the other side of the ship, we could see Harmony and Carnival Conquest, sharing the port with us.

We made our way to the Promenade, and once again I had to take a few moments to just absorb it all and realize I was somewhere I’d only seen in pictures up to this point.

Where to start?!? But, it was 1:10 and the announcement came out that rooms were now open. So, off we went to see what our balcony rooms were like.
In two words, very nice! We were a little nervous when we saw how narrow the door was, but breathed a sigh of relief when we walked in and saw the actual space. No photos right now, my wife was adamant that I not do a photo tour set the second we got in. And happy wife does indeed equal happy life!
She did not, however, say anything about taking photos of our view, so I give you one fisheye and one telephoto pic that sums it up.

Our luggage arrived not long after, around 1:30. Most of it... Oddly, we got every piece except my wife’s carry-on; maybe because it was more like a very large handbag than a suitcase? That didn’t show up until a little after muster.
Before muster, after unpacking our luggage, my wife and I went to the MDR to see where our table was and if we got the really big table we’d hoped for. We didn’t, but from what I could see there really weren’t any apart from a half dozen in the center.
Our table is on Deck 3, #356, located to the right of the central staircase.

We left the MDR and wandered around deck 4, making our way to Studio B and the ice rink. It is cold in there!

By the time we were done taking in the MDR and ice rink, it was about time for muster. Muster itself was uneventful, but a little surprising. I was sure we were going to be outside, so I had all of us put on sunscreen... and then we had muster in the Star Lounge! It was over pretty quickly, and then D14 and I got Down to our post-muster goal — a margarita for me to have with sailaway, and a mocktail for her.
She went back to the room to enjoy sailaway from her balcony (favorite spot #4, per @Matt, IIRC), and I made my way to the helicopter deck (favorite spot #1) by way of the “secret path” through the Star Lounge. Here I did my first ever Periscope, which was... well, let’s say I have a lot to learn on this front. ?
I really enjoyed sailaway. The weather at this point was perfect, not too much sun, comfortable temperature, and a refreshing breeze blowing in. Once we cleared the channel and got into the open ocean, I took a few pics of the receding coastline and the helipad.

I made my way all the way aft to take in the view of the wake. Doing that walk really made clear how long the ship is! But it was worth it, as I caught this view that was absolutely striking.

After this, I met up with everyone back at the cabin. We got changed for dinner, then saw the welcome aboard show. I got my second margarita of the day before the show started. We got to meet our cruise director, Drew. He was very funny and engaging, so this bodes well; I found out later from the staff at Vintages that he just transferred (from Liberty?) last week. As for the main acts, there was a pair of artistic dancers who opened up the show and were really impressive, with good choreography and some jaw dropping moves. After them was a comedian who was hit and miss for me, mostly because of some his subject matter that has become a sensitive subject for me. No photos as photography was not allowed and we were sitting in the back of the theater.
After that, we had our 8 PM dinner (not 8:30 as I’d originally posted) in the MDR. Menus are the same as posted earlier by @LetsTryThisPlace in his live blog, so I didn’t take pictures. Also didn’t take pics of our food as I was too engaged with the family and our table mates, a mother and son from Michigan who happen to know @mpoole3 and have cruised with him a couple times! Small world, indeed!
I tried the escargot, not expecting to like them, and was very pleasantly surprised! D14 had asked to try one if I liked them, so I passed over the plate. I have to quote her here, because it kind of sums up my own experience:
”I’m kind of nervous about this...” ::eats the piece, and a moment later her face simultaneously lights up and gets confused:: “This is wrong, why does this taste so good?!?”
She said she’d have it for sure tomorrow, assuming it’s offered.
The rest of our meals were very good. In addition to the escargot, I had the wild mushroom soup, the horseradish crusted salmon, and creme brûlée for dessert. My wife had the Caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese, and royal chocolate cake. D14 had the crispy calamari, prime rib, and hazelnut chocolate. And D17 had the French onion soup, salmon, and fruit for dessert. D14 and I both got a cappuccino with our dessert, which is why I’m posting a novella at 1 AM instead of sleeping; lesson learned!
After dinner, I went to the pub and spent some time listening to guitar player James Brown from Canada for a while, while I enjoyed a Paulaner Salvator double bock.

I Periscoped some of his set before my battery got too low, and my wife joined me after a while. We tried to go back to the helipad to see the stars, but the moon is full and the wind from the bow so strong that we couldn’t even make it all the way up there! We decided to call it a day and went back to our cabin, where I started working on this. She fell asleep about midnight, but I was still wired and decided to finish this post.
So there you have it! Future posts may be broken up more or they may also be novellas, but that’s the writer in me for you. I hope I conveyed how amazing this first day was for all of us, me especially.
 
Just want to wrap up with a couple items:
- Drink package tally: 1 lava flow, 2 reposado margaritas, 1 cappuccino, and 1 craft beer; I think I got my money’s worth today, given the $43/night rate I paid.
- I stopped in the casino briefly and spoke with the gent at the craps table; minimum is $5 all day, and you get single odds for that bet, however if you bet $25 you get double odds; betting $50 gives you 3x/4x/5x odds, depending on what number you rolled. So serious craps players can actually get Vegas casino level odds on their pass line play.

Well somehow this never posted this morning. So backtrack and pretend it’s 9:30 AM. In the Wind-jab-mehr right now, getting some late lunch (nothing worthwhile at Cafe Promenade).
 
A gathering of angels
appeared above my head.
They sang to me this some of hope,
and this is what they said: They said,
COME SAIL AWAY! COME SAIL AWAY!!
COME SAIL AWAY WITH ME!!!
 
The day is finally here! Just another couple of hours and we’ll be on board. I was told by another couple we met on the hotel elevator that Harmony is also in port today, and between those two ships and the others in port there are going to be 17,000 people there. Very glad I learned the lesson to get there between 10:30 and 11, because I can’t imagine what the crowds are going to be like! I know it’s multiple terminals and it won’t be all 17,000 in one place, but that many people funneling through the port entrance and security checkpoint is going to be nuts!
I’m going “dark” now, probably until after sail-away. I’ll be Periscoping during sail-away, so keep an eye out for me there. Periscope handle is the same as my handle here.
 

So we ended up spending about four hours today out at the nearby public beach. As planned, we took the Beach Link trolley bus from Publix. On the way, we passed by the port and saw Navigator of the Seas at the far end of the port, and also Royal Princess docked very close to where we were driving past. We were all kind of awe-struck at how big Royal Princess was, and then I quickly realized that she was about the same size as Navigator, and Freedom would be even bigger! I honestly have no idea what my reaction when I finally see her up close is going to be.
We got off the trolley at a park a short stretch past where the trolley’s route left the beach area; we didn’t realize until we passed that final stretch of beach that this trolley line doesn’t have fixed stops, and you need to tell the driver when you want to get off. We had to walk a little ways to get back to the beach, but not that far.
The stretch of beach we ended up on was great. Not at all crowded, plenty of space to just stand at the water’s edge and take in the view, as well as a lot of pictures that included some very nice family snaps. Some of those also confirm I’m no bot. ?

 
At one point we saw a big flock of pelicans flying in formation. I always thought they were more solitary birds and didn’t do that, so this was quite surprising. It was like watching the Canada Geese migrating, only these birds were slimmer and far less obnoxious as they flew by.

 
All of these shots were taken using my new telephoto lens. It’s really good in these well-lit conditions, definitely better than it did with the test pics I took at home. Surprisingly, I also really like how panoramic photos with the tele lens come out. I think these are a lot better than what I get with the iPhone 6s Plus’ base lens.
 
After deciding we’d had enough time at the beach, we walked about a mile back up the main road and found a little place to grab lunch, which was right next door to a Haagen Dasz store that we also took advantage of. After that, we caught the trolley back to our hotel, rested a little and cleaned up, then grabbed dinner. (Outback again, as I’d scored a Dine Rewards discount on our prior visit)
Now we’re packing up for tomorrow, when we will finally be boarding Freedom of the Seas. I have my alarm set for 7 AM so we have plenty of time to shower, grab breakfast, pack up the last of our things, and hail a Lyft to get us to the port around 10:30 or 10:45. We all want as much time as possible on board before the crowds!

Guess what @JLMoran ?  IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!   Finally !!!!!

Windjammer Breakfast
Located deck 11 aft




Two egg stations, one for fried eggs and one for omelettes.  That's Kristen, my assistant wait staff during dinner in the MDR.

The egg stations use a ticket system unlike from what I''ve seen on other ships.  You place your order and are handed a ticket with a two digit number.  You are free to wander around and gather other food then come back when your number is up and collect your order.  It works quite well.

Mmmm, bacon.

 
 
Several flavors of pancakes kept warm under cover.


Lots of fresh fruit.


Smoked Mackerel and Smoked Salmon.

















 
 



Al Fresco Seating with aft views

If you've ever eaten in a Windjammer on any ship, you'll quickly feel at home on Serenade with the added bonus of outdoor seating.

IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!
Disclaimer - @SaltyNavyCruiser15 started a live blog a few weeks ago but out of respect I'm trying to avoid taking over his post and starting this.  I'm hoping they continue to blog as it will be an interesting comparison having different users providing perspective of the same sailing.  Their blog is here:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5849-30-mar-09-apr-southern-caribbean-cruise-on-serenade/
This week has been a busy week for me.  Between business trips and my flight to reach Serenade there were four flights to her the day before sailing (an unexpected business trip had me flying over 6,000 miles this week).  From my 3am ET start to the day to landing in Fort Lauderdale at 1:44am ET on the day of the cruise I would have been up for 24 hours by the time I reached my hotel if it were not for sleeping on the MD88, 767, 757 and 737 it took to arrive here.  Someone today asked me what class of ship Serenade is and I drew a blank,  I couldn't even remember half the classes.  Yeah I'm tired.  A cruise starting with two sea days is perfect right now.
Itinerary
Sea Day,  Sea Day,  St Thomas,  St Croix, Martinique,  St Kitts,  St Maarten, Sea Day, Sea Day
Excursions
(booked during a recent sail event:)

Skipping St. Croix excursion due to work requirements.  I'm familiar with St. Croix from having done some work there so once conference calls are over I'll wander around a bit on my own.  Fun fact - St Croix is home to the Eastern most point of the United States (excluding the main land).   



Fort Lauderdale - Port Everglades 
I called my hotel twice throughout the day to make sure they wouldn't give away my room as a no-show given my 2am arrival.  It was nearly 3am when I crashed into the hotel bed.  I woke at 8am to re-arrange my luggage and inventory what I missed since packing for the cruise a week ago.  I did pretty good and double packed some items. 
Lyft was $12 and I arrived at terminal 19 at 10:10am. Apparently they were doing work on some terminals so we couldn't use terminal 18 or 29.   I haven't used terminal 19 since a cruise on another line in 2013.  It hasn't changed much (still small).  The terminal contractors seemed to like it as much as I did. 
Suites/Pinnacle boarded at 10:30, Diamond Plus at 10:40-ish and a few minutes later they called Diamond - the escalator can only take so many at a time so they regulate flow.  Not bad - just over 30 minutes from my early terminal arrival to boarding.  Pretty painless.  BTW - terminal 19 also has free wifi.
Lunch in the WJ.  Honey Stung Chicken and Curry and a few other things and before I knew I it my plate looked like food coma.  I need a nap.  Cabins opened right at 1pm as offered.  Cabin and dinner pictures tomorrow once I've slept.     

T-minus 1 day to embarkation...
The weather is a lot nicer today, as expected. Just some scattered clouds, and nice and warm. We’ll be catching the shuttle at the Publix in a little bit to get to the nearby beach; only $1 per person vs whatever we’d have to pay for a Lyft.
Will be another “take it easy” day, no set agenda.
A few random thoughts:
- Our room lock was adjusted yesterday, and it is much more reliable now
- I can’t for the life of me understand why a room meant to sleep four has two double beds instead of two queens, especially when the bedroom section is more than large enough to accommodate them. The girls are doing OK with it, but my wife and I are finding it a little too cozy. I called the main desk before we came in and confirmed that there are no queen bed rooms, only two doubles or a single king.
- D14 painted this last night, just for fun. Sketched the drawing from a photo she pulled up on her iTouch, then painted with watercolors. I continue to be amazed by the artistic talent of both my girls, but D14 is rapidly outpacing her sister (which is understandable, since D17 takes art for fun and is focused much more on music, where D14 is planning on an art / visual design focus in high school and eventually college)

FRI 30 MAR FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
SAT 31 MAR CRUISING
SUN 01 APR CRUISING
MON 02 APR CHARLOTTE AMALIE, ST. THOMAS - Scuba Diving Excursion
TUE 03 APR ST. CROIX, U.S.V.I. - The Palms at Pelican Cove Beach Break
WED 04 APR FORT-DE-FRANCE, MARTINIQUE
THU 05 APR BASSETERRE, ST KITTS & NEVIS
FRI 06 APR PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN - Maho Beach Airplane Experience
 SAT 07 APR CRUISING
 SUN 08 APR CRUISING
 MON 09 APR FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
 
Needless to say, we are STOKED! 

452 days have passed since I booked.
Now it's just 6 days away!
I'm single digit dancin'! I'm super excited, and I just can't hide it! No more waiting, no more holding back, it's time to get this ball rolling!
This will be my live(ish) blog for our long-awaited first-ever cruise. My family and I will be on Freedom of the Seas, sailing out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. It's an Eastern Caribbean itinerary with four sea days and four port days, and we have a fair bit planned on those port days. BUT, that's not all we're doing! We're flying down to Fort Lauderdale 3 days early, as it saved us a ton on the airfare, so we'll be taking in the sights and activities around Fort Lauderdale for a couple of days before we board. AND we're staying one extra day in Fort Lauderdale after disembarkation, to get in one more beach day (and maybe an air boat ride) before flying back home.
Here's the full cruise itinerary, plus what we have planned each day:
March 31 - Embarkation from Port Everglades at 5:30 PM April 1 - Sea Day April 2 - Sea Day I'm doing Chef's Table this day April 3 - St. Kitts, 9 AM to 6 PM Dolphin push/pull/swim excursion in the AM Wandering around town in the PM, after we shower and have lunch on the ship April 4 - St. Maarten, 7 AM to 5 PM This is the big big day; we're doing an all-day beach and snorkeling tour around the island with Soualiga Destinations I'll be curious to see how the snorkeling is after the hurricane roared through there last year; haven't really heard much about that on the other recent live blogs to St. Maarten, so I will be sure to report back April 5 - Old San Juan, PR, 7 AM to 2 PM We're meeting up with a friend my older daughter met last summer, who lives in Old San Juan We plan to visit El Morro, and around that my daughter's friend said she'll show us some other interesting places, as well as the best places to eat; this might mean we'll miss a stop at Barrachinos as originally planned, but who am I to ignore the advice of someone who's lived there her whole life? April 6 - Labadee, 9 AM to 5 PM Wife and kids are doing the zip line in the morning All of us are doing the alpine coaster, as I got all-day passes for a really good sale price The rest of our time we'll be chilling in an over-the-water cabana! I heard @Matt's recommendation and rave reviews on his podcast, and I said, "This is my splurge item this trip!" April 7 - Sea Day April 8 - Return to FLL Why this itinerary?
We needed a cruise that timed well with the girls' Spring Break week, but wanted one that filled up as much of that time as possible and also gave a good mix of port days and sea days. Our only other options were 7-day trips on Harmony or Allure that only gave us 3 ports, or a 10-day on Navigator to the Southern Caribbean that we'd have loved to take, but ran over the time we had (and before we knew we'd want to fly down early anyway). So this wound up being our "Goldilocks" cruise, especially with Freedom being liked by so many as a first-time cruisers' ship.
We also wanted something kind of big for a first-time cruise, because we're celebrating 3 simultaneous milestones that will all happen in May / June of this year:
Our 20th wedding anniversary Our older daughter graduating high school Our younger daughter wrapping up middle school Our TA actually has "20th anniversary" down on the reservation for the room my wife and I are in, and "High School Graduation" for the girls' room; I'll be curious to see if there are any decorations in either room when we arrive, or if the staff does anything out of the ordinary. Not expecting it, but ever-hopeful.
Our Cabins
We booked two D3 Superior Balcony rooms on deck 8, forward. The rooms are connecting, so my wife and I were able to book in one room together and the girls are in the other room. This was after looking at the prices of suites and realizing that we got more space and saved a ton of money going the two-balcony route. We plan to get the divider opened up as soon as possible, so even though we won't have a suite, we'll at least have a suite-size balcony! 
The rooms included $100 OBC each, we have no idea what we'll spend that on at this point. The girls are thinking of putting theirs into a purchase at the salon or maybe to get some on-ship merchandise.
Drink / Dining / Other Packages
I've purchased the Deluxe package for myself, and I'm planning to at least try and keep a running tally of everything I get to see if it works out. I think it will, but time will tell. The rest of the family has the Refreshment Package.
Since it's our first cruise, we chose not to plan on any specialty dining and just use the MDR for all dinners. Not sure yet if we'll use the MDR for breakfast, at least on sea days, or go to the Wind jah-mehr for all the morning food. WJ will likely be our go-to for lunch, at least when we're not in port. Depending on whether any lunch specials are offered, we might try Giovanni's for lunch one day. For sure I'll be visiting Sabor, even if only for guac and margaritas.
I did get the 4-device VOOM Surf and Stream package on a fairly good sale in the Cruise Planner. We mostly plan to use it for communicating with each other through iMessage and Google Hangouts (my wife is the lone Android user), and of course I'll be taking advantage of it to post updates here as I'm able.
Updating this blog
I'm only bringing my phone with me, no laptop since the one I have is employer-issued and I'm not working on this trip. I'll post updates as I'm able to each day, but they may be on the shorter side since typing on the phone is a lot slower than I can manage on a proper keyboard.
 
So looking forward to this!

Well, the good thing is that because my Mom's plans are the reason we are changing the date...she paid for the change fee AND the difference in the price of the cruise.  I offered to pay my 1/2 but she wouldn't hear of it.  Can't wait to spend this week with my amazing Mom.   

First, I’ll introduce myself, I’m Mel and traveling with my DH, DD18, DS14, DS11, DD6 and MIL (MIL first mass cruise ship).
Staterooms  This trip we have 3 Spacious Oceanview Balconies on Deck 12 (category D3 and D5). DD18 and MIL in one, next to ours with our room connecting to the 3 younger kids. All 3 in a row and hopefully we can open all the balcony dividers.
Why we booked:
This is our fourth family cruise all on RC. We’ve only cruised during Spring Break as that is a good week for vacations for us. DD18 just had a birthday and will graduate high school in May, MIL celebrated 70 last summer and we were not able to go on a trip with her then, and DS14 will celebrate a birthday on this cruise. DH loves the fact it is a Sat-Sat cruise. He hates going to work the day after we get back. I appreciate that we can get back on Saturday and still celebrate Easter as last year we were home very late on Easter.
Our schedule:
Day 1: Embark at Fort Lauderdale
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: Sea Day
Day 4: St. Maarten (private island tour)
Day 5: San Juan (walk around forts)
Day 6: Labadee (Beach bungalow and zip line)
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Back to FLL
What we are looking forward to:
*Large ship – first time on an Oasis class ship  *Different entertainment (AquaTheater and Grease)
*New things to do (Ultimate Abyss)
*Zip lining
*Large outdoor track
*DD6 should be tall enough for the big water slides
Concerns:
*DD18 just turned 18 a few weeks ago and worried about meeting other young adults without teen club.
*Is the ship just too big?
*Will the staterooms be too small? They will be the smallest (square footage) we’ve stayed in.
*Is it worth the extra “surcharge” for this class ship? The price per person per night is significantly more than other cruises...even staying in a JS on Liberty last year the week before Easter. We’ll see if we feel it is worth the extra cost.
Even with those concerns, we are easy going and we always have a great time. I’m sure there will be things we love and things we don’t but usually the good outweighs any bad. After all we’ll be on a cruise and we can’t wait.
Right now, I do not have any specialty dining planned. I did buy the drink package during the Black Friday sale. This will be my first time with the drink package but I didn’t want to deal with buying wine in FL when we get in late Friday. I am hoping to take a break in the afternoon from the family to come back to this page so feel free to ask questions.
 

Hello all!
Id like to go ahead and get the thread started for those sailing on Serenade of the Seas between 30 MAR and 09 APR. This will be our third cruise (2xdisney, 1xRCL) with this being our first on RCL. We are stoked!! 
Will be flying in from Asheville NC to Ft Lauderdale, and will spend a night on the 28th. From there on the 29th, we will embark! The Wife and I hope to meet new friends!
Bon Voyage, Shipmates!
 

first night was Thursday and first sea day was yesterday.  We are waking up to a beautiful sunrise in Charleston today! 
So far we are having a fabulous time and our sea day yesterday was nearly perfect!  I love the quaintness of the grandeur and the feeling of always being connected with the sea.  I had gotten the BOGO dining package when it was still $30 per person.  Night 1 we ate a CHOPs and last night we ate at Giovanni’s.  We went earlier than our reservation and were able to get a great window seat at both locations.  At CHOPs, I ordered the lamb and DH got the filet, but we split them.  The filet was my favorite, but both were good.  I also got the crab cake, lobster bisque, and the red velvet cake.  At Giovanni’s,  we got the filet and veal to split and then the crab ravioli for the table.  Again, the filet was my favorite. I may have even liked it better than the one at CHOPs.   We loved our waiter at Giovanni’s, and realized it was our favorite waiter Kicki that we had when we sailed on Grandeur in 2016. We also loved the baked mozzarella appetizer, and the kalamata bread and dipping sauce.  I had purchased the sushi class and it was originally scheduled for later in the week, but it was moved to yesterday at 11:45.  We started off in the MDR for check in and then proceeded on a tour through the galley.  I had not toured the galley in a while, so this was a fun experience.  We then went up to the Viking crown lounge and had the class in Izumi.  It was a lot of fun.  We made two full rolls, a hand roll and a sushimi. We then got to eat hat we made. I would recommend the class and recommend pre-booking in the cruise planner. While, it is not discounted in the planner, you do save the added 18% gratuity that is added if you purchase the class on the ship. 
 

Nope, you didn't miss it. We're a family of mystery ?

It's Almost Time!
We are just about packed and I'm giddy with excitement! We'll take a red-eye flight Friday night, with a layover in Charlotte, and arrive Saturday morning in San Juan.  From the airport, we''ll take a taxi straight to the ship and get the fun started. Think they would let me stop to get some bottled water on the way? Normally, I would prefer to arrive the day before and explore San Juan more, but given the uncertainty of power and hotel arrangements post-hurricane, my travel agent advised us to fly in the morning of.  Plane tickets were tough for this itinerary.  They just did not budge in price, and there weren't many options to choose from, as opposed to when we flew there in 2017. Perhaps its a result of traveling post hurricane?   I'm definitely curious to see San Juan now.  If we're not too exhausted maybe we'll take an extended ride to the ship.
the "Why"
We  chose this cruise based mostly on 2 criteria:  1) The kids wanted waterslides. 2) The adults wanted a new itinerary.  Adventure was a perfect fit.  We sailed Allure last Spring Break, and although impressed with its shows and amenities, we found ourselves wanting a smaller ship this time.   I reserved this trip last May and enjoyed watching the prices change for this itinerary.  We originally booked inside promenade rooms for something new, then changed to Family Ocean View and later balconies.  The prices dropped so low I couldn't pass on the balconies. Again, I think the hurricane had something to do with that.  
We choose cruising to escape the long, cold winters and to travel gluten-free without having to forage for food at each meal (3 of us have celiac disease).  My older kids find it more difficult to miss school for a week so we are forced to travel during the school breaks- which leads us to this Spring Break week.
Our Plans
On board: Were reserved a few internet pkgs, a soda package, and BOGO Dining package for the first two nights and first seating in the main dining room the rest of the trip. 
In Port:  St. Thomas:  still deciding, but plan to go off on our own.  St. Kitts: Royal's Kayak & Snorkel Adventure.  Curacao: exploring on our own  Aruba: Royal's Crazy Red Bus Beach excursion, not the real name, but it's what I can remember right now .  I'm wondering if its the same excursion Matt & the group cruise took and seemed to really enjoy?  
Well, back to packing. Maybe someday I"ll find a way to streamline it. In the meantime, I'm hoping all the storms have passed and we are in for some sunshine!  See you Saturday or Sunday!

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

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!
 

Hi all!  Sorry for the lack of live posts today.  It has been a busy day.  We went to KSC today on a shore excursion purchased through RC.  It is called "Kennedy Space Center Guided Tour".  It is pricey but well worth it in my opinion.  We got 10% off the Cruise Planner price during the sale at Christmas time.  Here's a short summary of our day...
Instructions were to meet outside the terminal building at 8:15am.  Upon arriving outside, greeters were there to direct you.
Greeter:  "What excursion are you headed on today?"
Hubby:  "Cape Canaveral"
Greeter: ...looking puzzled
Me:  We are going on the Kennedy Space Center guided tour.
Greeter:  "Oh, ok, down to the buses on the right."
More evidence to support the fact the I am the Genie, even on vacation...Ok, moving on...
The bus left promptly at 8:30am.  It took slightly over 20min to get to KSC.  The bus ride there and back was very interactive.  Our guide gave lots of info about the area and the Space Center.  We headed straight to the Saturn V Center.  The last time we were here it was about 20 years ago.  Hubby and I both noticed throughout the day that they have added many more attractions to the place.  At the Saturn V building, we watched a video on the lift off of Apollo 8 and there was plenty of time given to walk around, take pics, and tour independently.
Photo Credit:  All Hubby



After leaving the Saturn V Center, they gave us some time to view the launch pad from the viewing stands.  That's where my pic earlier today came from.
We boarded the bus again and headed over to the Visitor Complex.  Here we watched a short video at Journey to Mars and watched an 3D IMAX movie on "Journey to Space".  Many of the attractions here reminded me of the Epcot Center.  Our kids were surprisingly engaged and we were really pleased with that.  Free time was then given for lunch.  It was raining by this point so the break was welcomed.  The food choices here are standard theme park items.
D2 was quite inspired by this time.  She created this.  It's called "Mission Chicken"  or "Chicken Rocket", she couldn't decide.

After lunch, we met back up with the group and it was time to head over to Atlantis.  Here we had time to participate in the Shuttle Launch Experience and wander through other exhibits.

All in all, it was a very worthwhile experience at KSC.  Everything mentioned above was included except lunch.  It was a busy day.  D2 lost all steam by the end of the day.  In chatting with the kids at dinner, they had time to reflect on the visit and they enjoyed it.  It was eye opening for them to see the collective effort that goes into a mission.  It was also humbling for them to see the sacrifices made by others to get to the point where we are now in space exploration.  I am really happy that we took them now (at this age) and not earlier because they are at an age where they can see beyond the "fun" of the exhibits and process the information they took in today.  This excursion also provided a really good mix of guided exploration and independent touring. 
In answer to @Skid's question from earlier, if this excursion is worthwhile as a half-day tour, I feel that the answer is it depends on several factors.  If the tour is guided and includes both the Saturn V Center and the Visitor Complex, then no.  I fear it may be very rushed.  If it only includes part of it, then yes, you can still get some good time in.  If your tour is totally independent, then it is worthwhile if you are not visiting for the first time (and you are selective) or if you have researched it and have a set plan (no wandering).  Keep in mind that travel time alone is about 50-60 min round trip.  On our way back to the ship, we had to wait on a bridge for about 10 min because there was a barge that had to pass.  Things like that can eat up time if you only have 6 hours.  Our tour was listed as 8hrs but really it was 8:15am-5pm.
After we got back, the kids were wiped.  It was a quick stop at Sorrento's pizza again (kids like it lol) and then back to the stateroom to clean up for dinner.
Going to put the kids to bed then post dinner photos...

Back from rock climbing. Hubby and kids got there at 1:30pm for a 2:00pm start. They were first in line. By 2pm when I got there the line was very long. I did not get a pic in the frenzy but the line started to the left of the wall and it was past the giraffe (not my pic...credit to google search). 
 
You are required to wear socks. They provide the shoes and harness. No helmet for this activity.
Beginners:


He's done it before:

Ever wonder what happens if you lose your  seapass card?  After rock climbing hubby could not find his. He went back to rock climbing to see if he dropped it. No luck. Went to to guest services and they basically deactivate your card and WOW band and issue you a new card. Pretty easy. Then D1 found hubby's card...location? In the slot for the lights! ?

CK Night 2: Formal night 1

For D2, my picky eater. At least it looks nice lol.

Lobster Salad: A; on the small side but good flavours and fresh 

Zucchini Spaghetti: Interesting twist on Spaghetti in that the noodles are actualLy  Zucchini and it is in a Marinara sauce. Not to my liking as the texture is off for me but hubby likes it. The flavours are good and it's a fairly healthy dish. Grade: A-

Caesar salad: Fresh...interesting set up...other than that, it's Caesar salad. Grade: A

Chicken leg: I did not try this on Harmony and wanted to give it a try tonight. Sorry to say that I did not enjoy it. The flavours were wonderful but the texture was weird. It's almost as if the chicken seemed ground up. Not sure if I am explaining this well but it was just strange.  Grade: B-

Pappardelle: Excellent flavours, pasta could have been a bit more "al-dente" but overall a good, solid dish.  Grade: A

Crab and Shrimp Crusted Pollock: This was Hubby's dish. He liked it enough to order it a second time (he had this on Harmony). He's not here right now to give it a rating. Living it up in the Seaplex with the kids. That's what cruising with kids is like ?

Dessert!

As mentioned before, D2 is a very picky eater. Our waiter is amazingly patient with her. She took it upon herself to create her own desser tonight. It's chocolate chip cookies with a cup of vanilla ice cream, whip cream, and chocolate sauce for dipping. She said it was delicious! So I guess the rating is A+? ?

Valrhona Chocolate Bar: What can I say about this? It's rich chocolate, melts in your mouth, yum!  Rating: A+

After dinner we went to see "The Gift" in the Royal Theatre. Set design, choreography, vocals, acting, dancing, all superb!  Storyline...a bit strange. I almost want to see it again as I had a really hard time following this one.
Currently passing time writing this as we wait for the late night comedy show.  The comedian is Kivi Rogers. He did a bit on the Welcome Show last night. We found him quite funny so heading back to see his late night version. CD Clo continues to be very entertaining and amusing. This is our first time having a female CD. The vibe is definitely different, but a good different. 
Still have not had a chance to do WJ recon. ? Going to try tomorrow...
Random stray observation: Star Class does not seem to be as "in your face" on Anthem. Other than the Theatre, I have yet to see a Genie walking around. On Oasis class, we saw them everywhere.
Good night for now.  Hopefully tomorrow brings warmer weather, and sun. It was cloudy and cold today. Then it rained...
 
 

Cabin Photos:
This is a Family Junior Suite (FJ). The FJ on Anthem can sleep either 4 or 5. The ones on Deck 8 and 9 can accommodate 5 and the ones on the other decks only sleep 4. 
Powder room: Toilet/sink


Full Bath: shower with curtain ?, sink, toilet. One complaint is that there is a lack of storage in here. Shelves on the wall would have been great.



L'Occitane bath amenities in suites for anyone who is wondering. 

Room:








Balcony:


Storage:




At night with the Pullman:



 
 

Hi Everyone,
We are leaving Wednesday evening to fly to Baltimore for a 9 night Southern coast/ Bahamas Cruise on Grandeur of the Seas.  This will be our 3rd time on Grandeur, but our first time on this itinerary.  We have an large outside guarantee cabin for this cruise and were reserved a room right away after calling for a price drop.  All in all we got a great deal on this cruise for less than $1300 total for two people including port fees and $135 onboard credit.  We turn diamond on this cruise, so we did go ahead and pre-purchase a drink package. Initially, I got it for $41 per person on black friday, but two weeks ago it dropped to $38 per person per day so I cancelled and rebooked saving over $42 total.   I also pre-purchased the BOGO 2 night dining package for $30 per person prior to the price increase to $40.  Grandeur only has 3 specialty restaurants.  CHOPS, Giovanni's table, and Izumi.  I also pre-purchased the sushi class after Matt's review.   Our pre-cruise hotel for Wednesday is the Hyatt Regency, Baltimore inner harbor.  I have points with hyatt and utilized a free night coupon for the stay.  The blog will be "Livish" as I did not purchase VOOM for this cruise. 
Here is our itinerary and plans:
Wednesday, March 14th Fly to baltimore  Uber to at Hyatt Regency Baltimore inner harbor   Thursday, March 15th Coffee at Filicori Zucchini  Top of world ( purchased on groupon) Board cruise ship- departs at 4pm  Dinner @6:30pm (specialty restaurant #1)   Friday, March 16th Day at sea Dinner @ 6:30pm ( specialty restaurant #2)   Saturday, March 17th (7am to 3pm) Charleston (St. Patty’s day) Walking tour (Charleston in a nutshell)- 10 am -12pm  Purchased on groupon - Tour departs at 10am next to the large water fountain at Waterfront Park    Lunch and beer flights at craftsman kitchen and tap house in french quarter 12 Cumberland StCharleston, SC 294 ( opens at 11:30) MTD Dinner reservation @7pm   Sunday, March 18th (10:30 to 9pm) Port Canaveral Kennedy space center ( pre- purchased tickets on a discount site-  will take uber or lift there) Beer flight at Florida beer company??? (hours 1-6)   Dinner @ 7pm   Monday, March 19th (10:30 to 8pm) Miami Catamaran tour 2:30- 5:30 pm ( groupon purchased )— leaves from Bayside marketplace   Tuesday, March 20th (10 to 11:59pm) Nassau Bahamas food tour 11:30 to 2:45pm Bites of Nassau Food Tasting and Cultural Walking Tour  Beer flight/wifi at Pirate Republic Brewing MTD Dinner reservation @ 7pm   Wednesday, March 21st (8 to 5pm) Cococay MTD Dinner reservation @ 7pm   Thursday, March 22nd Day at sea Sushi making class 11:55am to 12:55pm ( izumi)   Friday, March 23rd Day at sea   Saturday, March 24th Disembark Fly home