twangster

After watching several buses depart finally it was our turn. Very modern and comfortable bus. Finally underway we get our 1st look at the streets of Havana. The fort on this side of the harbor directly across from Del Morro. I'm not a fan of taking photos through windows on a moving bus so I'll restrict those to just a few.

Day 3 - Havana, continued... Around 7:30am and 30 minutes before schedule it was announced the ship was cleared by local authorities. On any future return where I don't have a morning excursion I'll be ready to leave early and hope for similar luck to beat the excursion masses heading off. Since I had an excursion booked through Royal we met in the Royal Theater on the ship along with other excursions. We were given a number to wear and received a free bottle of water to take with us. I had brought one from my cabin and I would end up being glad I had two for my full day excursion. Our meeting time in the theater was 8am but most of the group was there when I arrived at 7:50am. Shortly after 8am we were called to leave the ship. Immediately off the gangway but before entering the terminal there were the usual ship photographers there to take our picture with a Cuba back drop. Past this you entered the terminal and a small area to queue for Cuban Immigration. The lines were 4 or 5 deep but went fairly quickly. The ship held an information session on day one at 4pm that was replayed on RCTV. During that video they warned not to wait to be called, as the person before you walked on after being processed you proceed without waiting to be called. They simply looked at the completed VISA, looked at the passport and then at me before a series of stamps were made. Then they handed me my passport and off I went. No questions asked. Immediately after immigration is a security check point much like you experience on any day one boarding a ship at it's home port. Bags go through xray while you walk through a metal detector. Quick and easy. The cruise terminal is fairly modern inside and much what you would experience in many places with shops and a currency exchange inside. The only thing missing - air conditioning. This is the view back towards Cuban Immigration and the security checkpoint at the far end of the terminal. Currency exchange at the opposite end of the terminal. To the left of this is where we headed down the stairs into Havana or to meet our excursion booked through Royal. Currency exchange asks that only one in your party enter, other's can just stand near and wait. I presented (5) $20 bills and she looked it up in her computer and informed me it would be $87 CUC. Since I was on a full day excursion that included lunch I didn't think I'd need a lot on this trip. Down the stairs you can simply walk out on the streets of Havana or make the turn to follow the signs for Shore Excursions. This led me outside in the covered garage type area under the terminal where I found the typical lines for each shore excursion group. The wait here was longer than the wait for Cuban Immigration but wasn't that bad. It was already getting warm and you could tell it was going to be hot and humid today.

Day 3 - Havana, Cuba My day began at 5am largely in part from having set my alarm at that time. I didn't want to miss this arrival. Another ship was circling around and at this point heading away from Havana into the morning sky. We continued our approach and we started to see the skyline of Havana growing in the distance. We continued towards the Havana harbor. Morro Castle or 'Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro' on the left. Later today our guide would explain this fort was designed by the same engineer who designed El Morro in San Juan. At the time in the 1600's both were territories of Spain. We continued sailing into the harbor. Looking back in the direction we came from I could see that other ship beginning it's approach behind us. A first look at our cruise terminal on the left: There are two other terminals that have seen better days. These were likely in their prime in the days when there was ferry service between Cuba and Miami. Our Captain and crew were on the bridge wing to bring us into the dock. Across the harbor you could see 'The Christ of Havana'. Our small ship extended quite a bit out of the slip so you can why larger ships can't visit Havana just yet. The terminal is fairly modern as Caribbean ports go. The gangway connected to deck 5 from where we would disembark.

Back in the cabin our progress so far: My cabin attendant dropped off some Cuba specific papers: With that it was time for bed...

Day 2 - Dinner As I mention earlier I bought a BOGO Specialty Dinner package so tonight I am back in the Chops Grille. Before I talk about that, here is the MDR menu for those not doing a specialty dinner: Now on to Chops Grille... Same menu, so no sense reporting that. The normal bread to start with: (sorry I took a few bites before taking the photo) Crispy Goat Cheese Salad: New Zealand Rack of Lamb, medium rare. Sides tonight were Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach and Mac and Cheese. New York Cheesecake for dessert Different waiter but excellent service and a great meal again. Since i did a BOGO I loved getting this check: I did leave a tip though.

Where was I I? Oh yeah... Day 2 - Top Tier Event, 4pm. Some of our Senior Officers are presented: Our Loyalty Ambassador announced there are now over 12 million C&A members world wide Top Tier breakdown: 490 Crown and Anchor members on board 64 Platinum 30 Emerald 30 Diamond 15 Diamond Plus 0 Pinnacle Top cruises have 561 points and are Diamond Plus

I was hoping you were more efficient than I. Phew! It's easier when solo...

With that thread title I was wondering what I did in the MDR... In my experience cruise line 'jerk seasoning' is pretty mild. Pick your cruise line. Truth is 'Jerk' isn't something that comes from a bottle so don't expect the real thing. I did an excursion in Jamaica on Carnival that included a "jerk" lunch. It was so mild. The restaurant told me people complained to the cruise line so they had to tame it down.

As @Lovetocruise2002 mentioned, Liberty (and other Freedom class) have a small pool lounger section for Gold Card suites (GS and above but not JS). It is on the tiered seating area on the stairs rising from the Pool Bar to the Sky Bar. Liberty also has a Suite Lounge on deck 14 (in place of a Concierge Lounge) for Gold Card suites (GS and above).

I did Wonderland solo. I'm not going to sit by and let an experience be missed just because I'm by myself. Like cruising solo, eating in a specialty restaurant like Wonderland solo meant I only had to pay for one and I only had to please myself without worrying if it is something another person might not like. I have a cruise booked next year with friends I've cruised with before but I'm hesitant to book Wonderland again because I don't know if they would like it. Jamie's is a safe bet I'm pretty sure they would like. I think Wonderland is something everyone should try at least once for the experience but I feel like its something I don't need to do over and over again.

I have to wash my feet somewhere. Like my pink flip flops?

Not bad at all. This coming from someone who flew in from a dry state. Today it was 87F with 65% humidity. At home the humidity is 15%, same temperature. It was warm, make no mistake, but not one of those days you melt after walking 35'

On a side, note, I had lunch in the Windjammer. They've installed hand washing sinks at some point.

Day 2 - Key West continued... I had to get some work done so today was about exploring KW close to the ship. I did manage to get off the ship though... The view from my 'office' today:

Day Two - Key West After my red eye flight the night before it felt so good to sleep in a real bed. I awoke to find us in Key West. When I was at Chops the night before I noticed that Chops serve breakfast to Diamond Plus, Pinnacle and Gold Card Suites (GS and above, not JS). On other ships I've sailed D+ is excluded from this list. Naturally I had to check this out! If anyone has experienced Coastal Kitchen before this reminded me of that breakfast experience including some of the menu choices. I'm starting to really like this ship ? No 'slumming' it in the WJ for breakfast for me! No pictures this morning, too early.

After dinner I wandered around and took some pictures. First I checked out the Schooner Bar and found a singer / piano player at work. I still have a song in my head from this. From here I ventured into the main theater. The welcome aboard was about to start so I sat down for a while. The comedian was good but family friendly tonight. He has an adult show later in the week. He pointed out this is the smallest ship in the fleet. You can tell it's the smallest he explained, when it will fit inside the Royal Promenade of a newer ship. The Viking Crown Lounge is very different compared to the rest of the fleet. Note the folks on treadmills one level up. That's the gym. I guess you can go for a run while watching the late night dancing. "A Wrinkle in Time" was playing on the outdoor TV by the pool. Some of the drink specials. My glass block for reaching another milestone in the Crown and Anchor Society. I plan these things and it seemed fitting getting one on this ship, one of the oldies but goodies. I was getting ready for bed when I caught some flashes in the sky outside. In the distance was another ship. I am sure they were far from the storm but from this angle it made it look very dramatic with a ship on the horizon.

I dropped by the MDR to look at the menu. Here it was for day 1:

Day 1 - Dinner I had made up my mind to stick with the MDR on this trip but walking past Chops Grille I talked with the host. My Chops Grille experiences on other ships has left something to be desired. I had written Chops off and vowed to not eat there for a while. However this is the only specialty restaurant on Empress. As a Diamond Plus I get a BOGO offer on my SeaPass card so I opted to give them another try. I'm glad I did. Fairly standard Chops Grille menu: Wedge salad to start. 16 oz Prime Bone In Ribeye. Cooked perfectly and good flavors. Dessert menu. For dessert Key Lime Meringue Pie. Bonus - I was able to use my Diamond Happy Hour drinks loaded on my SeaPass in Chops plus they served me a nicer Pinot Noir compared to the normal happy hour wines I have experienced on other ships. I really enjoyed this meal and for the first time in a Chops Grille both service and the meal were excellent. My BOGO 'free' dinner is on day 2 in Chops. That Goat Cheese Salad and the Rack of Lamb are calling my name.

Day 1 - Departing Miami Muster was outdoors on deck 6. At least it was covered. Pretty quick and efficient muster, pretty typical. There are a couple of muster stations in the theater. Since we were pointing bow towards the West we would have to sail to the end of the channel where there is a turning basin to complete a 180° turn to head out of Port. To my surprise we left before Mariner. The bridge wings are not part of the interior bridge area on Empress. Captain and crew get to experience it outdoors just like we do. We headed past Mariner and made our turn before passing Mariner once again as we headed out of port. The new Skypad has become a defining element to the ship visible from a distance. As we continued towards the exit of the harbor we approached the new terminal being constructed to house Oasis class ships including Symphony. There is a significant parking structure behind the new terminal. That should make for a super convenient experience for anyone driving to the ship. A few sprinkles broke up the sail away party but it didn't stop people from enjoying the pool. The pool deck features these covered areas but are open to the sea which provides nice shelter from rain or sun but keeps you connected to the sea. Deck 6 aft behind Boleros there is a sail away party for the top members of the C&A Society. I wanted to capture sail away and the new terminal from deck 11 so I only dropped by late to the party as it was winding down. With that the cruise was officially underway.

For sure. Look at the interior cabin sizes. Empress and Majesty have some of the smallest interior cabins ever. (another factor in my choosing the upgrade)

I don't know that there is a fleet standard JS size. This ship was ordered by Admiral Cruises just before Royal Caribbean acquired Admiral. Supposedly it was built specifically for the 3/4 night cruise market so with that in mind and given her small size some deviation from the modern ships that have evolved from these ships should be expected. This is possibly an example of that.

I can only speculate but I imagine there are a number of factors. It could be based on port pilot factors such as traffic in port at the time of arrival or planned departures times. There may be restrictions on how many ships can be transiting the pier area and if another ship is waiting with it's pilot on board they might avoid using the turning basin until departure so that the other ship can follow in more closely. Ships need to be very careful passing each other in port. There are tremendous forces in the water just from the displaced water from a moving ship and sailing past another smaller ship or when a ship isn't fully berthed could put stress on the few lines that are secured at that point and snap them. In that case it might be more efficient just to dock without passing other ships and accept a turn in the turning basin at departure instead. Weather and winds either upon arrival or forecast for departure could be a factor. They may have scheduled maintenance like painting or routine lifeboat maintenance. By not making the turn upon arrival they can work on the other side of the ship. Or perhaps the local harbor pilots all play poker and the loser's ship has to dock differently. (Just kidding)

Cabin Tour! Junior Suite 9144 Empress is an older ship displacing just 48,563 GT (to put that in perspective, Mariner who was in port with us in Miami is 138,279 GT, nearly 3 times). Being from an earlier generation of cruising, balcony cabins were a engineering challenge in those days and there aren't very many balcony cabins on Empress. The best way to snag one is to book a Junior Suite. At the time the price difference was reasonable so I opted to pay the upgrade and score double C&A points. Opening the door to the cabin and you are presented with a small hallway. closet on the left (mirror doors) , bathroom on the right. Nicely appointed and refreshed in 2016 she has the carpet similar to other ships that have been recently refreshed. Looking back towards the cabin door there is a small makeup area that doubles as a desk. Bathroom features a shower with plastic shower curtain (behind the door). The closet is a walk in closet in the sense that you can walk in and there is enough room to close the doors behind you. More than enough space for a couple. Lots of storage space but the only drawers are under the TV by the balcony. With the pool deck above me, there is cover from the elements. I looked out while in Miami and it raining very hard at one point yet my balcony was dry. I waited until we were at sea to take some balcony pictures. I've yet to be disturbed by noise on the pool deck above me.

Mine is called "Hurricane Tracker" by EZ Apps. It's $4. There are some free ones out there. I used to live on the coast and with all the cruising I do, $4 is nothing but there are some free apps that might work for you, or just visit the National Hurricane Center's website https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Empress is using Terminal F today. Our bus pulled up here first before continuing on to Mariner. A short walk to the guest entrance. No dedicated Suites/Pinnacle entrance or queue for security. They initially objected to my extension cord (the one I was given by Royal on Adventure) but I was somehow able to talk my way through and was able to keep it. Upstairs was the first sign of queues based on C&A level. Suites/Pinnacle in one, Platinum through Diamond Plus grouped into the next queue. It's a small ship so this works. I had to fill out a simple form authorizing Royal to charge me for my Cuba visitors card or VISA as it is also referred to. The VISA was presented to me blank for me to fill out later. The check in agent suggested I don't fill it in until I participate in a Cuba presentation at 4pm (or watch it on RCTV later). As I hoped the ship was already boarding so from here I walked right on around 12:15pm. That's when it hit me that I know nothing about this ship or it's deck plans. I found the Windjammer and grabbed a couple of sandwiches to keep it a light lunch. Shortly after 1pm they made cabins available. Muster in 40 minutes, I need a nap.