Skigoofy

The mini golf is moving to deck 14 as part of the dry dock in May ?
 
Where the st tropez tanning deck is now.

I am beyond excited! I have to share this news with my RC Blog family! As some of you know already know from reading my posts, star class has been on my radar for a while now. I was never able to do it though for various reasons, either kids too young or work or price too crazy.
Anyway, as @WAAAYTOOO mentioned in another post, yesterday I noticed early in the morning there was a STAR discount of $1000. I had my eye on upgrading my Anthem sailing next month to the GLS but sadly I moved too slow and it was gone. 
Because I am obsessive by nature, and also persistent, I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the $1000 discount which ends at midnight. So this morning, I was able to find (although I'm not sure what I signed up for) a 2BDR ATS-GTY for about $3400pp on none other than my favourite ship ever-Harmony!  I did not hesitate this time because for a March break sailing, I knew that price was a no brainer. I am just praying that I guessed the correct dates for march break 2019 because the school calendar doesn't even come out for another two months. 
I am beyond excited but I have never done a guarantee room on anything before. So I am not sure what I will end up with. Any thoughts anyone? But as @WAAAYTOOO put it, the worst I can get is an A2 on deck 10 and even that is amazing!  Only 403 days left but who's counting!

I don't know whether to laugh or just shout NO!!   I just read a post on Facebook that said if you leave an open bottle of wine in your stateroom and the cabin steward sees it, they will charge you a corkage fee. They are also recommending you never throw the empty bottles away in your cabin or the steward will charge you the corkage fee. The OP was telling people to carry the empty bottle to the nearest trash can outside their cabin and to be sure they hide the open bottle or finish it in one sitting. Now...  I, personally, am not a wine drinker, but I have to think that most people reading those posts will believe them and I will see empty wine bottles everywhere I look! 

Since this was Anthem's first visit to Miami I went overboard taking pictures.  Go figure, me taking pictures.  Here are some of them:
























And with that it was time to leave...

Day 5 - Miami
This will mark the first time Anthem of the Seas will have ever been to Miami and an inaugural visit of a ship is a big deal.  Somewhere on the ship, often in the bridge or elsewhere you will find plaques presented to the bridge crew whenever a ship makes a port for the very first time.  I suspect a new plaque was presented to the Captain today.
The day started out early for me and I made my way to a bridge wing way to catch the early signs or a sunrise.  


We were still beyond the 12 mile territorial limit at this point as we slowly made our way to intercept the navigational path into the Port of Miami.

They raised North Star to it's highest position which I later learned holds a Guinness Book of World Records as the highest viewing deck of any ship. 

It was empty and would remain here for the rest of our arrival into Miami.

The weather wasn't the best but it began to clear as we moved closer to the channel and picked up our pilot.
What isn't obvious in these photos is the distinct channel that leads to the mouth of the Port.  It isn't very wide and the Captain did a perfect job keeping us in the center all the way.

We passed the new Royal Caribbean Miami terminal that is under construction.  This will be eventually become the home for Symphony of the Seas. 


Several crew came out to the fore deck to take in this special occasion. 

Miami is home to Royal Caribbean's headquarters and it isn't far from the terminals.


Towards the end of this channel is a turning basin which barely looks big enough for a ship this size.

Our Captain made it look easy and with our turn complete we were pointing 180° back in the direction we came from.

Our terminal for today is located directly adjacent to the Royal Caribbean HQ building.

Our bridge crew slowly nudged us to the pier and with that the first visit of Anthem of the Seas to Miami was officially in the books.


Apparently along the way a water cannon salute was accomplished according to our Activities Director however I missed it.
A news helicopter did a fly past and we made the local CBS news:
http://miami.cbslocal.com/video/category/spoken-word-wfortv/3797274-cruise-capital-of-the-world-gets-glimpse-of-anthem-of-the-seas/

You should absolutely do your live blog! We all enjoy them primarily because it is a great way to live vicariously through others. While we all certainly enjoy a pretty photo, that's more "icing on the cake".  I know I speak for everyone when I say I welcome all live blogs!

Let's talk Jamie's.  Hope everyone has finished dinner.  
Jamie's is located towards the aft on deck 5 in 'The VIA'.  It's is right beside Vintages.  There is indoor seating both along The VIA (like patio seating at a city café) as well as indoor seating deeper inside the restaurant.  There is also outdoor seating on the port side of the promenade deck that is covered by glass and truly outdoor.






Dinner tonight at Jamie's started with some Garlic Bread.

I tried the Vegetable Plank this time along with the Peperonata Bruschetta (again).  It was so good last time I had to anchor this meal with some things the same.



I had the meat plank on my last visit so in the interest of trying something different I tried the vegetable plank.  I've always strayed towards the meat plank but the vegetable plank has much better flavors. I'll be doing both again.
 
For a side dish I had the Crispy Polento Chips.

For my main course I tied the Simple Baked Lasagna.  I was going to try something else but the waiter suggested this and he was right.  It was very good.  Very hot and very filling.  After finishing three quarters of it I raised my white napkin in surrender. 


I didn't include the dessert menu in the Jamie's post a few nights ago so here it is:

I was going to try the Raspberry Rippled Pavlova but my waiter warned me it's very sweet so I took his advice and went with the Epic Chocolate Brownie.  

Section O, Row M, seat G.  If anyone has ever seen Monty Pythons Life of Brian when the waiter offers 'a wafer thin mint', that is how I feel right now.  Don't google it, trust me.  I'm not sure I'll eat for the rest of the cruise.

IT'S CRUISE DAY!!!
Departing Cape Liberty (Bayonne, NJ) I have two sea days, Port Canaveral, Miami, Nassau, CocoCay then two sea days back to Cape Liberty.
I haven't booked excursions and plan to work some days.  Some of these ports are places I've visited many times.  As always I'm hoping we make CocoCay but since it's currently a tender port that is always a game day decision for the Captain. Finger's crossed.
I flew in last night and stayed at a hotel near the Newark airport.  On the plane I checked Anthem's position on a ship tracking site and was surprised to see she was beating me into NJ.  Apparently there was a medical incident that precluded helicopter evacuation so they sped up to make port.  
This is my 3rd cruise on Anthem after a back to back in December.  That seems so long ago but then again it was last year.
I'm in a balcony cabin on deck 6 forward this time.  Most deck 6 balconies are obstructed view due to the position of the life boats however I'm far forward enough to be away from them.  
I'm planning to purchase Voom on board as it never went on sale in the cruise planner.  Since we are in port much of today I'll wait until day 2 to buy Voom to save some money since the on board plans are pro-rated based on how many days are remaining.
Yesterday I changed planes in Atlanta.  It was very odd looking out the window of the plane and seeing some snow on the ground.  My favorite airline lounge has an outside deck which was closed yesterday because of the snow.  Where I come from this isn't considered a lot of snow but for this part of the country the recent storm was snowmageddon. 
 
Here in Newark it is 28° F this morning.  There is something about boarding a ship when it's below freezing that just seems weird.  I think I'll skip the sail away and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge event on deck 15 this time.
With that it's time to finish re-packing my bags and hail a Lyft.

Sometimes, when you guys get to talking, I feel like this

 
I feel like such a noob...

Day 5 — Sea Day
When you pay for several hours in a hot tub losing count of piña coladas, you enter coma land. So, we didn’t venture outside our cabin after dinner. My wife watched a movie while I nursed a serious hangover until I finally fell asleep. I woke up and felt ok, and wandered the ship while most were still asleep. 



I took some video on my GoPro and will post a link in a wrap up after I have had a chance to edit it a little. 
After the walk, we went to the main dining room for breakfast, which hadn’t yet done on this cruise. I always like talking to the people we sit with in the MDR at breakfasts, and wish we had done it a little more on this sailing. 

although it isn’t on this menu, eggs Benedict was available, and that’s what I ordered. I seriously don’t think I ever order it on land, but it’s my default at sea for some reason. 
Following breakfast, I was concerned about still being too full to enjoy Chops lunch, so I headed to the gym to burn some calories. It might all be in my head, but no one can convince me it didn’t help, because Chops was amazing. I cannot think of a better value than pre-booking Chops lunch on the cruise Planner for $19 each  
Mushroom Soup — OMG
Filet cooked medium — Perfection
I paired it with a Malbec from Argentina which was nice, and dessert was warm chocolate cake with raspberries and vanilla ice cream. 
Next, it is to the pool deck to waste away the food coma. 

The next post will wrap up the last sea day, List some final takes and hopefully include links to some video if anyone is interested. 

I thought I would provide a post-cruise recap for those who are curious about experiences with both Disney (DCL) and Royal Caribbean (RCI).
We sailed on DCL three times (Fantasy 2013, Wonder 2015, Dream 2016) and our Oasis of the Seas Christmas 2017 cruise was our first on RCI. Here is a quick, high-level comparison between DCL and RCI based upon on our experiences. Of course, this is only our experience and others may vary ?
Websites -
Overall: DCL is much better
RCI's site is notorious for being glitchy; they need some work in their IT department :). That being said, I always had excellent service when I called to follow up on anything that I did online (because I didn't trust that my changes online had been captured correctly)
Embarkation process -
Overall: RCI slightly better
Both were comparable with regards to luggage drop off, parking and security. Both have online check in options which save a ton of time and effort at the port.
{Sidebar for my fellow US Citizens: Please take the advice that so many have shared here before: bite the bullet and get a passport for you and your kids. It will make your life so much easier and safer in the event you need it in a foreign location situation. It makes check in simpler as well, as you don't have to carry multiple pieces of information. Times have changed, doesn't matter what the cruise line websites say, everyone should have a passport. End sidebar}
On each trip with DCL we had some long lines and waits before we boarded. On RCI (Terminal 1, Port Canaveral) once through the quick security stop around 10:30AM, we went up the escalator, turned left and a quick right, and walked up to an empty queue with about 30 agents waiting to assist us! Because we had passports and all online check in completed, printed and signed, we had our Sea Pass cards in about 7 minutes and headed to the chairs to wait. They began calling for all the specialty boarding around 11AM (all Crown and Anchor levels, special assistance, etc.) and our boarding group (3) was called to board by 11:30. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
Dining food variety and quality -
Overall: Slightly better with DCL
We found the food (main buffet and formal dining rooms) to be comparable for both cruise lines. On RCI we did My Time Dining and liked being able to pick different dining times depending upon our daily plans.
We had breakfast at Johnny Rockets and in the Park Cafe (both included in price of the cruise) a couple of times because it was closer to our room and quicker to get off the ship and both were ok.
Kid Feedback:
On DCL, the "free" soft serve ice cream was open from around 10am-midnight and there was always plenty. On RCI, it was only open from 11:00am - 7:00pm and many times the machines were not really frozen and/or out of order completely. They ran out of chocolate a lot! This was a BIG downer for our kids who LOVED getting a couple (ok, really more like 4+) ice creams a day, especially that last one right before midnight. Also, the kids really missed the variety of theme-ing and activities/interactions offered on DCL.
Dining food allergy concerns -
Overall: Both were exceptional
Our son has a severe tree nut allergy. Disney was great with this and a chef came out to talk to us almost every day to reassure us that his meals would be without contamination.
On Oasis OTS, our Head Waiter (Mariel) and server (Darcey) were WONDERFUL. They were extremely attentive to his allergy concerns. Each night after dinner they brought him the next day's menu where he could pick out what he would have the next evening. This way they could be sure to prepare his meal in the nut free area to ensure no cross contamination. If you are a food allergy parent, you know how wonderful it is to have food service take this issue seriously and alleviate some major worries. Plus, our son thought he was quite special with all the extra attention
Staterooms -
Overall: About the same experience
On Disney, we had a single, ocean view cabin for the 4 of us. On Oasis we had 2 adjoining inside cabins...and it was STILL cheaper than DCL (we'll get to cost later). Cabin layout, cleanliness, etc. are comparable between the two cruise lines.
Stateroom attendants on both were exceptional and they really do make you feel so pampered and relaxed on a cruise vacation. Janice on Oasis was a doll and made sure we had everything we needed, any time of day. Our son spent the last full sea day of our cruise in his bed with a fever (poor thing!) and she continually asked if he needed anything.
The only thing we really missed from DCL stateroom-wise was hearing Disney songs playing in all the corridors!
Entertainment -
Overall: About the same experience
We thought the quality of the shows (headliners, stage productions, comedians) were better on Disney.
But then again, Disney did not have the Oasis of Dreams water/diving show or the Frozen in Time ice skating, both of which were spectacular!
Come Fly With Me in the Opal Theater was a neat production as well, but we missed a lot of it because of where we were seated and due to the big fight – I mean screaming fight - that broke out among several guests seated behind us. After about 10 minutes, my husband got up and asked someone to call security. That was not something we experienced on a Disney ship. Not saying is doesn’t happen but we had not seen that before.
Also, we don’t gamble or smoke, so the one short-cut trip we made through the Casino was a mistake – the smell was pretty awful.
We missed the movie theater on DCL ships as well – it was fun to watch first run Disney movies while at sea.
Pools/Hot Tubs –
Overall: RCI was better
DCLs adult only lounging area was much smaller, even on their “mega ships” like Fantasy and Dream. On RCI we LOVED the Solarium area. I never had trouble finding a chair or lounger somewhere, despite being one of over 6,000 passengers. There was always room in a pool or hot tub, somewhere on deck 15. Lots of lifeguards around.
“Nightlife”
Overall – RCI was slightly better
The sheer variety of venues, from the Champaign bar, to the jazz club, to Vintages wine bar – so much to choose from and all had their own vibe. We had fun dancing on the Royal Promenade during the 70s and 80s dance parties. They venues were more spread out on RCI than what you have on DCL, but it helped you get your steps in for the day!
Cruise Line App-
Overall: DCL’s is better, but the new RCI one is getting closer
The newest RCI App is getting better with every revision. However, we found it was not kept up to date so the kids were disappointed when they missed something because they looked it up on the app and the information was wrong. The details on the Cruise Compasses were correct, but they didn’t carry that in their pockets like they did their phones.
The biggest issue was that we didn’t pay for wireless for the kids so it was hard to keep with them and/or our friends who were also on the ship.
On DCL, anyone can text anyone on the ship if they have the app on their phones – at no charge. So on DCL we could catch up easily, plan to meet, etc. On RCI, we constantly wondered where the kids and our friends were and missed out on doing things together because we didn’t know where everyone was. I do not like the idea of walkies, so next time, if they have not added the free texting feature in the RCI app, we will budget Voom for everyone so we can communicate better.  DCL also has wave phones to communicate and RCI did not have that as an option.
Disembarkation –
Overall: Both equally awesome
Walked off the ship, luggage found and loaded with porter and through customs - total time = 10 minutes at the most, no exaggeration. It’s a well-oiled machine on both cruise lines, mostly because it has to be.
Price/Value
Overall: RCI is the clear winner
A DCL cruise for the same type of cabin, the same number of days and the same ports is more than DOUBLE the cost of RCI.
Whew. That was a lot. Happy to answer any questions or provide feedback on areas I have not already.
We are very much looking forward to our next cruise on RCI (no kids this time!) in Sept 2018 - Anthem of the Seas New England/Nova Scotia to celebrate our 25th anniversary!

So it looks like my 360 photos have come to a tragic end.
Was taking a photo from one to the overlooks on the trail. Left the camera so I wouldn't be in a shot. Right when I was done and ready to grab the camera someone came running up and knocked it about 10ft+ to the surf below. One of the Labadee staff members (thanks Willkin) who works the baby zipline went down and was able to retrieve the camera from the surf. Camera was on, forced it off and now it won't power back on. Guess time will tell if it recovers.

Thank you for sharing this!

We cruised with a family group of 18 (teenagers to grandparents) on Indy over Christmas. We had a table of 10 and table of 8 side by side. We were worried that 5:30 traditional dining would not work for our group but it actually ended up being fantastic. Only one night of the nine were we missing anyone -- and that was due to too much rum punch on our excursion earlier in the day. Our waiters encouraged us to rotate tables every night so we were able to have dinner with everyone throughout the cruise. Most nights we had dinner, then went to the evening show together before the group split up for the night (teens made lots of friends and were usually out until the 1am curfew and the adults would hit the casino for a bit or head to bed).

The Millennium was the first in its class and she has three sister ships.  First launched in 2000 at 91,000 GT with a passenger capacity of 2,138 she isn’t a large ship by any stretch but she is well maintained.  
As I boarded the ship they offered sparkling wine and mimosa.  




The Martini Bar with it’s frozen bar top would become well visited on this cruise.  Despite it’s name it offers just about any kind of beverage.


I had booked a Suite GTY and was assigned an S1 Sky Suite.  There are two sky suites on Millennium class that are unique.  They are right beside the aft Penthouse Suites on port and starboard and they have an adjoining door inside the cabin to the penthouse.  They are designed to function as an extra bedroom for folks booking the Penthouse Suite who need a little more room for an extra guest.  When not needed in that capacity they become available as an S1 Sky suite.  As such these sky suites are decorated just like the Penthouse suites and are a little larger than the standard S1 Sky suites.












The Millennium offers a spacious pool deck with several hot tubs.




There are plenty of areas to take in the beauty of Alaska on this class of ship.




Aft there is an outdoor TV and seating area.

For an Alaskan cruise they offer towels and fleece blankets.







There is also an indoor solarium which would be very popular on this cruise.  It’s adult only except between 4-6pm when kids are allowed.  That’s a good thing because the outdoor pools and hot tubs were just warm, certainly not hot.  I tried an outdoor hot tub once on this cruise.  Just once.  From that point on I used the solarium.




Forward on deck 11 is the multi-purpose Cosmos lounge with excellent views forward.



Leaving the lounge you can head to the outside deck area.










Mille has dry docked a few times over the years and has some very nice decor.




Like RCI ships there are specialty restaurants.



Luminae is a suite only restaurant and where I would eat almost all of my meals.




Blu is the restaurant for Aqua class guests


Somehow I made a wrong turn and found the gym

Despite being 17 years old it a very nice ship.  It’s not brand new and it doesn’t have an ice rink or zip lines or bumper cars but it was perfect for Alaska.



While we were still tied up in the Seward port a Humpback whale came into the port and began feeding.





The Windjammer like buffet area is the Oceanview Cafe and Grill and it has an aft bar and seating area called the Oceanview Bar.





Heading out of port and into the ocean just after 10pm we were treated to an awesome sunset as we headed South towards our next day at Hubbard Glacier.



On board the Millie was a naturalist.  At evening talks in the main theater he would explain what to look for tomorrow and what to expect.  On this sailing we also had Captain Dave and his wife from the Aleutian Ballad.  This crab boat was one of those featured in the early seasons of the “The Deadliest Catch”.  He has since converted that boat in an excursion for cruise ships passengers.  He was an amazing guest speaker and his talks in the main theater became must see events.  Even the informal Q & A session with his wife in the Cosmos lounge was great.
What an amazing first day.  A fantastic train ride followed by boarding and seeing whales right from the ship before we even left port.  Then a spectacular 10pm sunset.  As RCI likes to tweet, on this cruise I would find myself frequently in Section O, Row M, Seat G many times. 

I was starting my second Stella as my daughter and I walked through the door on deck 8 of Empress to the forward patio/observation area. I was excited for the quick 4 nighter to Cozumel and back. I was really liking this ship already after a not so perfect boarding experience due to some delays.


 
I started a Periscope for sail away (@DunkelBier_Jay), and had some fun conversations with people as the ship dropped lines and we entered the channel. To our right was the now famous (or infamous) @mpoole3 pad and the mainstay American Victory ship. Tampa Harbour is really cool in that direction. In the other, its all industrial. It is a great sailaway into the Tampa Bay and eventually the Sunshine Skyway Bridge about an hour away. I wanted more of this port!
*save your money*
As we entered the Bay, we walked down the hallway behind us and to the stairs to deck 5. From there, we walked aft, and I had my first lavalflow in the Schooner Bar...

But you're asking...the title says Brilliance, and he's writing about Empress...I'm getting there!
The two beers and the lava flow were talking after we finished and started walking aft. What's behind the Schooner on Empress?
*Next Cruise*
*YOLO*
The booking agent was there all alone, and I couldn't let her stay there all lonely like that. So, I booked a Fall cruise on Empress to Cuba with my wife. In the end, it didn't work out schedule wise, so we ended up changing it to the Brilliance January 6 sailing for five nights to Grand Cayman and to Cozumel.
So, this coming Friday, January 5, we will board a plane for Tampa where we will spend the night at the Tampa Airport Marriott and then rideshare to the port as early as possible.
This itinerary has two sea days to go along with the ports, and it is on a class we haven't sailed before. My goal is to sail every class before 2020.
First Port -- Grand Cayman
The plan is to rent a car and drive to the North Side and tour Crystal Caves and the nearby rain forest. Following that, we will drive to Rum Point for lunch and some beach time. We will stop by Cayman Brewery on the way back to turn in the car and then tender back to the ship.  We chose this because we have been on diving vacations to the Caymans a couple of times, and just didn't want to do the same old thing. We're saving that for the next port.
Second Port -- Cozumel
I flip flopped a lot on what to do, and I even had Chichen Itza booked for a while after a cruise planner sail, but ended up changing it to a day at Nachi Cocom so that we could go into San Miguel to sample some food and fun before the ship leaves.
So, my next posts will show whether or not we pull off these plans, and will show you some sights and sounds that are sure to excite one and all...woot
*thanks for reading this far*
Briliance, here we come!

 

Well wouldn't you know it.  The upgrade fairy has hit us without even a phone call.  Just checked online and we have been upgraded from JS to Two Bedroom Suite with Balcony on our sailing the 5th Jan 18, Serenade of the Seas.  I couldn't believe my eyes...i better run out and purchase a lottery ticket!! Waahoooooo!!!!

Fabulous photos! We were also on this sailing and had a fantastic time! Even spotted our group swimming in one of your shots in St. Maarten. This was my first RC cruise and I can't wait to book my next. I sailed with 18 family members -- celebrating a Christmas birthday and my parent's 50th Anniversary. We met the husband of the couple that missed the ship in St. Kitts while on a catamaran excursion in Antigua. Before we departed the ship that day, the captain announced that he extended the all aboard time by an hour so they thought all aboard time was 5:30 instead of 4:30. They returned to the dock at 5:10 but the ship left at 4:55. They felt absolutely horrible -- the wife has a condition that doesn't allow her to fly and she uses a ventilator for part of the day. The captain absolutely made the right decision to return to get them.
I think I need a week to recover from all the fun. Just made it back to California yesterday and can't wait to go through my photos and finish my notes. Thanks for all your beautiful photos!

Housekeeping items
Three formal nights on this holiday cruise.  The regular sea day formal nights plus Christmas Day.
The $25 OBC offered upon boarding has been rescinded.  Since they boarded on time they've decided it doesn't apply.
The announcement channel control in my cabin actually works!  During the day it plays the same background music that plays in the halls and public areas.
Changing time back to Eastern overnight at 2am.
While Freedom had sliding doors from deck 11 aft elevator lobby to the H2O pool area, Indy has revolving doors.  I have found the revolving doors to be slow and less efficient.  A pop rain storm occurred earlier.  The revolving doors really impeded traffic flow trying to escape the rain.  I'll be curious to see if these are changed during the dry dock.   
I wandered around looking at some areas of the ship that we known will be changed in the dry dock based on this blog post:
Deck by deck drydock changes to Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas
 It should be interesting, looking forward to seeing how she looks afterwards.
Crew has been excellent.  Not a single grumpy crew experience so far.  My Time MDR service possibly the best I've experienced.  
No signs of any viruses so far with one day left to go.  Washy washy.

Thanks for details on the St Kitts delay.   It was confusing with the Captain making the announcement upon arrival.  I was on a top deck later when the cruise director made the announcement adding be back on board at 4:30.   At that point hundreds had already disembarked.  
EDIT - just checked my Cruise Compass and it stated 4:30 back on board.  So with the Captain announcing he was giving us an extra hour in St. Kitts and extending our stay I'd go far as to suggest this was his fault.  

Fabulous photos! We were also on this sailing and had a fantastic time! Even spotted our group swimming in one of your shots in St. Maarten. This was my first RC cruise and I can't wait to book my next. I sailed with 18 family members -- celebrating a Christmas birthday and my parent's 50th Anniversary. We met the husband of the couple that missed the ship in St. Kitts while on a catamaran excursion in Antigua. Before we departed the ship that day, the captain announced that he extended the all aboard time by an hour so they thought all aboard time was 5:30 instead of 4:30. They returned to the dock at 5:10 but the ship left at 4:55. They felt absolutely horrible -- the wife has a condition that doesn't allow her to fly and she uses a ventilator for part of the day. The captain absolutely made the right decision to return to get them.
I think I need a week to recover from all the fun. Just made it back to California yesterday and can't wait to go through my photos and finish my notes. Thanks for all your beautiful photos!

Day 5 - St. Maarten.  December 25, 2017.
I awoke for no reason and there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the Windjammer I flew like a flash...
It's Christmas morning and I woke before my alarm and to no clatter, but I'm glad I woke up early because I wanted to take in our approach to St. Maarten.  Showered and shaved I went to the Windjammer for breakfast.  Everyone I met was in a good mood.  Morning salutations consisted of either 'Merry Christmas' or 'Good Morning, Merry Christmas' .  Scrooge must have been a pier runner because he missed the ship.
There is a channel on the ship's TV system with a fire in a fireplace set to Christmas music.  I know some TV providers do this as well at home, sometimes called the 'Yule Tide Channel'.
Breakfast out of the way I went to the helipad to watch our arrive.  On the way I caught our pilot approaching the ship.
 
I recognized that row of condos.  I've ridden horses near there and recognized them. The flag was new and would be seen again later in the day. Pilot on board we inched closer to St. Maarten.
 
We arrived early and were quickly docked and cleared before our scheduled arrival time.  My excursion didn't start for another hour so I had time to kill.  So I do what I always do... took a picture.
 
With 45 minutes before the 'meet' time for my excursion I left the ship and headed onto land.  I was an early bird with few people off the ship yet so I had an opportunity to... take pictures.
I've been here several times and the familiar sign was in place with some friendly folks holding a banner to greet us.
 
I also noted a sign on the Diamonds International building.  The sidewalk around the building was being worked on so they had some fences up with temporary walkways into the building,
 
It was a beautiful morning and it's Christmas Day.  
There were some additional greeters this morning and they were happy to have their picture taken.
 
I wandered back through security to the meeting point on the pier for my excursion.  An Island Tour.  We boarded a really nice bus and met Nicholas, our bus driver and tour guide.  
As we drove toward the French side of the island Nicholas provided many facts and interesting information about his life on the island and his experience here.  As a result of living on the French side for a while he spent some time in the French Army.  He has lived on both the Dutch and French side and has family on both sides.  
Not long after the port area damage from the hurricane was hard to miss.  I honestly feel and believe St. Maarten is ready for cruise ships and everyone was very happy to see us.  Locals waved to our bus.  But make no mistake the hurricane damage is very easy to see.  I am choosing not to focus on it because more than damage I saw a spirit in the people and in everyone I met.  They are happy to see us and and eager to see tourists return.  They are moving forward.  They are recovering.  It's very safe here.
I visited St. Maarten by cruise in the 90's not long after a hurricane in '95 did similar damage.  They rebuilt then and they will rebuild now.  The good news is that most cruise ship or tourist excursions are fine.  Beaches are great.  Sail boats and dive boats are operating.  There is quite a bit to do and the pier was lined with several hundred of my fellow guests doing so.  That was really great to see and it's the best way to help the locals since they operate the excursions.
Nicholas kept us entertained and was an excellent guide.  I'm glad I did this tour because I learned a lot about the island I've visited many times.  After a 40 minute ride our first stop was in Marigot.   
 
 
 
It's Christmas Day and local shopping centers were closed but I'm okay with that.  I had mixed feeling about coming on Christmas Day.  On one hand it would be nice for everyone to stay at home with family but on the other they need money.  They need tourists.  They did have a flea market set up along the water
 
Since I had ripped my Caribbean shirt when boarding in Port Everglades I took the opportunity to replace it here.   I bought two new shirts at two different vendors.  I really confused one when I handed her the money plus more in small bills than they were asking.  It took a few seconds as she recalculated it in her head but then a big smile came to her face.  I'll remember it every time I wear that shirt.
 
Nicholas then took us back to the Dutch side where we stopped at Carousel. 
 
It's an ice cream/gelato store with a free Merry Go Round in the back.  Walking towards the back of the establishment we had a similar experience we would have many times.
 
Quite normal then you walk a little further and see the effects of the hurricane.
  
This stop complete we continued our tour.
 
Do you remember the flag in the background behind the pilot boat as we first arrived?  Here it is up close.
 
From here we went back to the cruise ship port.
 
After dropping off the shopping bags in my cabin I headed back to the water taxi to go to the local beach and shopping district downtown.  It was $7 roundtrip but it came with great views.  
 
 
 
 
From here I walked up and down the beach area.  Much of it looked normal but occasionally I would see a business that was rebuilding.  
 
 
 
There were dozens of places to get food and a cold beverage.
 
 
The beach was lined with umbrellas and loungers from various vendors along the entire stretch of it.
 
 
 
I stopped for a cold beer here and there, always leaving a good tip.
 
 
 
With that I jumped back on the water taxi to return to the ship.  Beer was $2 on the water taxi.  It was nice and cold.  One last look as I sipped a Red Stripe on the ride back.
 
It was an amazing way to spend Christmas Day.  Every where I went on land or on the ship every one was in a good mood.  The weather was great and I'm really glad we were able to stop here and contribute to the local economy.  Every local I met was very appreciative.  I never felt unsafe or questioned if a ship should come to St. Maarten.  It was a really great day.

Day 3 Labadee  (or that at least what we planned).
We were waiting for day 3 at Labadee  as it is only our second time over there , at the first time we did not really had enough  time to try all the good facilities.
We booked two major activities – the Jet ski tour (both drivers) and the zip line , both of them taking advantage on one of the sells (20 %).
When we woke up I opened the curation just to see that plans are one thing and reality is different.
There was tons of liquid sun around and visibility was almost zero.


Although I knew that most of the chances our activities will be canceled I went down to check out just to see the long line of people thinking the same as me.
After a while I got official notice that both of the activities were canceled and we will get our money back to the CC we used to book it.
I just wished they will put a sign there telling everyone the activities canceled so we can all avoid the lines.  
Now we had two options, first, start to complain about our bad luck and why or why the weather is like that.
The second was to think, hey we just save some money let’s go and use it at the SPA, we choose the second one.
Before everyone else will understand the same, we run up to the SPA to book some treatment (with the port day offers).we took the hot stone massage, 50 minutes for 109$
After the SPA we said we must try to go down to the “Island” so we can at least drink one Labadoozie ,
We went out and it was nonstop raining so everyone were running between the ship and the closer shelter.
They still served the BBQ meal under the rain ,  all seen looked like something from as disaster movie (wet people with towels over there had)  , I was looking to see if FEMA agents will suddenly arrive .


We did eat something quick with a Labadoozie and run back to the ship.

On the way back we saw the dancers and singer that continued with there act under the heavy rain , the singer was using a portable megaphone as I guess it was not allowed to use electricity equipment under the rain,
 
The rest of the day we took it easy has we were both tired .
We did miss dinner (I was sleeping) so we took some sandwiches and  red bolls and went to see the Love and marriage game , it was very funny (first time for my partner to watch it live).

 
by the way ,  day 3 and still I do not know who is our cabin attended he never came to say hello or to present himself , not that I am complaining  as the room still clean and we are not missing anything , just strange.
Still trying to figure out what this creature is 

Tomorrow Jamaica    , Ya Man

Alright! That's settled then - I talked it over with Ryan and we'll plan on bringing my laptop along so I can upload pictures easily. 
Working now on getting the stateroom situation figured out - looks like there were some post final payment price drops, and we might be moving up to a Promenade Interior! (We were able to move up to a deck 8 interior late last week to get out from under the casino)

Day  -2  ,
As I suspected I woke up around 3 am due to the jetlag which mean I only slept  3 hour.
To avoid waking up my spouse I moved to the second room to watch some TV and go over emails I guess getting the upgrade at the hotel was useful.
The hotel itself is very near Universal, almost a walking distance, we consider this option (walking) but somehow we picked the coldest day so far in Orlando and it was rainy (we actually brought the cold front with us) . I was waiting until 7 am for the guest service to open so  I could reserve the shuttle ride to the park.
The early shuttle was already full  I had to settle for the next one which I did not like too much as I wanted to be there early to avoid some of the crowds, the other option was to use the car but I remembered it will take more time (queue , parking , walking).
After quick breakfast we took the shuttle to the park (5 minute drive) and walked to the entrance.
There is some magic with those park (if I am allowed to use the word magic for Universal) I mean, if you come with the right mode, allowing yourself to leave any cynical feeling at the gate (not easy for me I admit) and just have fun it can be a great  experience , in other words, let’s face it you can  feel like a child again for few hours.
We went directly  to the Diagon alley which was under contraction last time we visit the park (too long ago I guess , shame on us well mainly on me) , the waiting time for the ride (the escape from Gringotts)  was less than 10 minutes so I even did not bothered to use the express pass I bought.
I enjoy the ride although I think the older ride at the other park (the Forbidden Journey) is still better.
After the ride we went to drink the warm butterbeer , yes they serve it warm also and the cold day was perfect for that, another thing you need to forget when you are at a theme park is  counting calories (you start to see the similarity to a cruise right ?) .
We wanted to take advantage on the short lines during the morning so we jumped on the Hogwarts express to move to the adventure island.
We reach there just on time to do the forbidden journey ride as the waiting time was again only 10 minutes, I love to go to a theme park when it’s cold and rainy, lines are much better !
We went and did all the other attraction we planned to do there, took something to eat and did again (this time using the express pass) the forbidden journey, although on a full stomach it’s a different experience, still loved it.
We took the train back to Universal studio to do the rest of the attractions we skipped before, including some of my favorites like the mommy revenge and the new ride with Jimmy Fallon which was hilarious.
We did again the escape from Gringotts just in time to see the Macys parade.
Although it was still quite early we were both tired and since we done already most of the attractions we wanted we headed back to the hotel.
It was a perfect day