twangster

Vision class ships like Rhapsody have a cafe in the solarium. During the day they will have things like sandwiches, soup, fruit, salads and potato chips. Late night they might have pizza. However it isn't a sit down venue like the Solarium Bistro on newer ships. On Vision class you grab a sandwich and sit in the solarium seating that everyone else uses. This is also where you typically find the world renowned Kümmelweck roast beef sandwich. On Vision class it isn't a dinner venue, it's more of a breakfast and lunch quick bite sort of place.

I haven't been on Lady G since 2017 but I think you have to be careful reading reviews that "paint" older ships as tired and run down. Radiance class and older are getting up there in age. It's a matter of expectations. If you sail Symphony and enjoy all that modern decor then all of the older ships won't have that vibe. I have a twenty year old car. It's in great shape for a car of this vintage. However it doesn't have that new car smell (or look or feel). It's got some wear here and there but it's in really good shape and I love it. The A/C blows cold air and I upgraded the radio, added bluetooth and some LED interior lighting so it's been refreshed. However some might say it has an old and tired look. Duh! It's twenty years old! But it's still in great shape. Compared to a brand car it doesn't have that new car feel but that doesn't mean it still isn't fun to drive and enjoyable.

I often find myself on longer cruises which have always been $450 deposit unless, sometimes NextCruise has the $100 deposit promotion. Not all cruises at NextCruise qualify. I've never spent much time dwelling on it, sometimes the cruises at Next are standard deposits and sometimes they have $100 deposits. Typically the standard deposits are: three/four/five $100 six/seven/eight $250 nine + $450 Group cruises can deviate from this. Some travel agencies leverage group type rates but don't organize a group cruise specifically. These can sometimes require $250 deposit minimum or sometimes non-standard deposits.

Which ship? Solarium Bistro? Symphony: Ovation: Or are you talking about Radiance or Vision class with a cafe in the solarium?

While we're waiting to come out of warp, I looked down at my watch. It was 5 o'clock.

The Captain gave me permission to stick my head out and snap a picture at warp speed. It's a pretty smooth ride as we skip over the swells but the sea mist stings a bit when it hits at this speed. We should arrive by 5 he said... time for bed.

The Captain needed to clear the outer decks before engaging the warp drive to zoom us to our next destination so they put on a special late night showing of Pixels in Two70°. Two70° is a unique venue you won't find on any other class of ship. Our main character and leader of the Pixels gets the show off to a start.

Just before bed the Captain came over the loudspeaker with a "Rain Coat, Rain Coat, Rain Coat" call. He's been itching to tryout the new warp drives so we're departing Hawaii for something different.

Evening on the ship brings us to another sunset.

Heading back to the ship we saw some local surfers enjoying the waves. Maui is a tender port and the Captain offered this is the largest tender operation at sea.

Some Dolphins decided to join us... It's not unusual to see Dolphins while cruising but it was special seeing them up close.

From an underwater perspective...

Our tour includes a stop at the Molokini Crater with snorkeling. The crater is the top of an extinct volcano that just crested the surface of the ocean. Only a small arc of the rim is above water, the floor of the peak is perfect snorkeling depth.

Since we are here in Maui and it's an overnight stop let's explore some more. Our second Maui day excursion is on a zodiac around some of the neighboring islands. A sea turtle popped up for a breath of air.

Carnival acquired the parent company which includes more than just the train. The pier for example is owned by this company. The pier was originally built with cargo in mind, getting cargo from ship onto a train to forward to points onward was the reason why the tracks go right to the piers. Fast forward a hundred years and the tracks onto the pier now facilitate cruise passengers onto the scenic train. The train is nice and all but Carnival acquired the company for the pier.

There's a reason why Royal has secured various forms of credit to cover well into 2021... Do you really think they were giving everyone free drink packages? Someone is having fun.

Pictures are great but here is a quick video.

The main purpose of tonight's trip up the extinct volcano is for the sunset.

Today we visit Haleakalā.

Today's excursion will involve heavy winter coats in Hawaii: But it will be worth it.

We have arrived in Maui. I spotted a place to quench my thirst. It was after all... 5 o'clock.

Sunset as we make our way to Maui tomorrow.

I'm on one of my favorite ships! It's Ovation of the Seas and I'm in Hawaii! I did get some rather strange looks from fellow guests when I asked where we were. We're sailing past Hawaii's Nā Pali coast and I arrived just in time.

Hmmm. The Royal Transporter team wouldn't tell me where they were sending me. Where could this be?

My time at Labadee has been great but it's time to spin the bottle of hand sanitizer again.