twangster

Stray observation...
I noted one of my Crown and Anchor wines had a corkage sticker applied to it.  This would be to indicate that this bottle would not have the corkage fee applied should I bring it to the dining room.  The same wine from last cruise did not have this sticker.

Crown and Anchor Top Tier Event in Boleros at 5pm.
The Empress orchestra played while we waited for the event to begin followed by some dancing by the championship Ballroom couple Annamaria and Alessio.

The Captain spoke and among other things informed us there were 501 Crown and Anchor members on this sailing.

The management team was presented and each did a brief introduction.

Crown and Anchor breakdown:
330 Gold, 76 Platinum, 23 Emerald, 53 Diamond, 17 Diamond Plus, 2 Pinnacle.
With a total guest count of 1,799 this sailing that means there are 1,298 new to Royal cruisers on board.
Finally one of the main theater cast sang while members of the orchestra played.

Returning from the last cruise was the comedian and hypnotist John Moyer in the main theater.  More guests briefly lost their belly buttons.

Tonight was formal night and the Captain's address took place in the Centrum.

It's a situation that's occurring more and more in society.  Part of the challenge for any company is that they have limited ability to challenge a guest's assertion they have a disability that requires a service animal.  No company on land or at sea can require anyone to prove a disability.  I could sit in a wheel chair and make all sorts of claims about a disability and no store, or theater, or amusement park or cruise line can legally challenge me.
As many people note when flying that an airplane can solve many disabilities.  Some people claim the need for assistance to board and/or priority boarding for their ailment then miraculously by the end of the flight they can jump up and walk off the plane like a fully abled body person can.  The miracle of flight.  This is what our society has come to.  
Airlines and cruise lines have noted the abuse of the service animal policy and are trying to deal with it as best they can but people will go to great lengths to fake a need.  It is really unfortunate because there are truly valid needs that are being impacted by the fakers.
Princess has them too.   

It's a situation that's occurring more and more in society.  Part of the challenge for any company is that they have limited ability to challenge a guest's assertion they have a disability that requires a service animal.  No company on land or at sea can require anyone to prove a disability.  I could sit in a wheel chair and make all sorts of claims about a disability and no store, or theater, or amusement park or cruise line can legally challenge me.
As many people note when flying that an airplane can solve many disabilities.  Some people claim the need for assistance to board and/or priority boarding for their ailment then miraculously by the end of the flight they can jump up and walk off the plane like a fully abled body person can.  The miracle of flight.  This is what our society has come to.  
Airlines and cruise lines have noted the abuse of the service animal policy and are trying to deal with it as best they can but people will go to great lengths to fake a need.  It is really unfortunate because there are truly valid needs that are being impacted by the fakers.
Princess has them too.   

With our fabulous dinner over around 10pm I was too full to retire so I changed into shorts and went for a walk outside on deck 6.  Venturing forward we were sailing into some sea mist from the warm waters yet cooling air and there were some clouds in the sky but I also glimpsed what I thought was something I've photographed before in the night sky.  So I went back to grab my camera and mini tripod.
I've often sailed into the sunset but tonight we were sailing into the milky way.

Capturing the milky way requires long exposures but on a moving ship in the ocean it took some playing around to find some settings that worked.  With the 10 to 15 second exposures I was using I managed to catch some lighting in a distant storm on the horizon.
The bow is dark at night so the bridge crew can keep watch.  The long exposures captured enough light to make the bow look like it's illuminated but it isn't, that's just low levels of ambient light 

The sea mist, clouds and moving ship didn't make for the best astrophotography conditions but I'm pleased with the results.  More lightning:

On land the stars would be more precise and clear, that's the problem with shooting from a moving platform, but I'll take the results.

Radiance class physically fit in Baltimore.  The question is does Baltimore fit Radiance class.  
Tampa already has Brilliance.  
 

Eventually all ships will leave the fleet, even the Icon class decades from now.  It's never a matter of "if" but when.  
Radiance class still has several potential years of service for destinations best served with smaller ships.
Vision class is still around because at the moment they can operate at profit.  Royal is a business and as long as a ship is in the black why would they get rid of it?
 

It's a situation that's occurring more and more in society.  Part of the challenge for any company is that they have limited ability to challenge a guest's assertion they have a disability that requires a service animal.  No company on land or at sea can require anyone to prove a disability.  I could sit in a wheel chair and make all sorts of claims about a disability and no store, or theater, or amusement park or cruise line can legally challenge me.
As many people note when flying that an airplane can solve many disabilities.  Some people claim the need for assistance to board and/or priority boarding for their ailment then miraculously by the end of the flight they can jump up and walk off the plane like a fully abled body person can.  The miracle of flight.  This is what our society has come to.  
Airlines and cruise lines have noted the abuse of the service animal policy and are trying to deal with it as best they can but people will go to great lengths to fake a need.  It is really unfortunate because there are truly valid needs that are being impacted by the fakers.
Princess has them too.   

With our fabulous dinner over around 10pm I was too full to retire so I changed into shorts and went for a walk outside on deck 6.  Venturing forward we were sailing into some sea mist from the warm waters yet cooling air and there were some clouds in the sky but I also glimpsed what I thought was something I've photographed before in the night sky.  So I went back to grab my camera and mini tripod.
I've often sailed into the sunset but tonight we were sailing into the milky way.

Capturing the milky way requires long exposures but on a moving ship in the ocean it took some playing around to find some settings that worked.  With the 10 to 15 second exposures I was using I managed to catch some lighting in a distant storm on the horizon.
The bow is dark at night so the bridge crew can keep watch.  The long exposures captured enough light to make the bow look like it's illuminated but it isn't, that's just low levels of ambient light 

The sea mist, clouds and moving ship didn't make for the best astrophotography conditions but I'm pleased with the results.  More lightning:

On land the stars would be more precise and clear, that's the problem with shooting from a moving platform, but I'll take the results.

That is exactly what this "excursion" is - rental of equipment while you swim on your own.  It is not guided.
I don't think they rent individual items like just flippers.  
I bring my own gear and snorkel on my own.  

She's coming to Montreal, will execute a couple cruises from there, Quebec City too.  While not at your backdoor, at least they are sailing from the right country :) 

She's coming to Montreal, will execute a couple cruises from there, Quebec City too.  While not at your backdoor, at least they are sailing from the right country :) 

Empress is all yours.

Loving this blog..able to see all the picture too for some reason..yeah!!!
 
I really hope to get on Empress....she looks like a nice and clean ship. Reminds me of my first cruise ever on Monarch in a way.
 
Very impressed too with the late nite food option..perhaps Royal is getting better at this.

Amazing picture, your blogs always have something new to see or learn.

With our fabulous dinner over around 10pm I was too full to retire so I changed into shorts and went for a walk outside on deck 6.  Venturing forward we were sailing into some sea mist from the warm waters yet cooling air and there were some clouds in the sky but I also glimpsed what I thought was something I've photographed before in the night sky.  So I went back to grab my camera and mini tripod.
I've often sailed into the sunset but tonight we were sailing into the milky way.

Capturing the milky way requires long exposures but on a moving ship in the ocean it took some playing around to find some settings that worked.  With the 10 to 15 second exposures I was using I managed to catch some lighting in a distant storm on the horizon.
The bow is dark at night so the bridge crew can keep watch.  The long exposures captured enough light to make the bow look like it's illuminated but it isn't, that's just low levels of ambient light 

The sea mist, clouds and moving ship didn't make for the best astrophotography conditions but I'm pleased with the results.  More lightning:

On land the stars would be more precise and clear, that's the problem with shooting from a moving platform, but I'll take the results.

Earlier I mentioned an invitation to the Hotel Director's Table for dinner.  With only two Pinnacles on board I managed to make the cut.

We met the Hotel Director Julie and Guest Services Manager Jorge where we enjoyed a beverage in the lounge by the Schooner Bar.  Shortly after we were led to the Captain's Table in the main dining room.

Our menu for tonight:

The meal was excellent and the conversation with fellow guests, Julie and Jorge was wonderful and engaging.  So much so that I forgot to take any more pictures.
Julie and Jorge have a lot of experience and time with Royal Caribbean and it was very interesting to hear their stories from over the years.
Jorge is the voice over the PA for many announcements such as "The ship has been cleared by local authorities and you are welcome to go ashore on deck....".  I also caught an announcement back on the day 1 of the 2nd leg that at the time made me go "hmmm".  Jorge will address the crew over the PA before general boarding starts but since I was a consecutive cruiser I caught the announcement.  Since Julie is from the UK Jorge specifically called out the number of UK guests coming on board and made another humorous related comment.  Tonight Jorge explained he does these little off the wall comments to make sure the crew is paying attention and engaged.  It's a long running thing he does every week and the crew will pay attention each week to what little quirky thing he'll throw in this time.  It's all in good fun and a great way to keep the crew happy and engaged. 
Julie is the third female Hotel Director in the fleet and she has done an amazing job here on Empress.  Sitting next to her at dinner I asked about her rise to Hotel Director and being in this role as a female.  She is very proud of her accomplishment and clearly has earned it.   It's great to see Royal Caribbean advancing more women into senior positions.
After an incredible dessert we were presented with a memento of the occasion. 


Julie and Jorge are both nearing the end of the current contracts with just two more sailings to go, but they'll be coming back.
The future of Empress was discussed and there will be an announcement very soon with some new and different itineraries for Empress.  She isn't going anywhere just yet and they are taking advantage of her small size to return to some more interesting destinations that larger ships can't visit.  Out of respect I won't say more but I'll be keeping an eye out for them very soon and I know I'll be booking more cruises on Empress.
Wow!  What an amazing evening! Loyalty does have it's rewards.

Stray observation...
I noted one of my Crown and Anchor wines had a corkage sticker applied to it.  This would be to indicate that this bottle would not have the corkage fee applied should I bring it to the dining room.  The same wine from last cruise did not have this sticker.

Crown and Anchor Top Tier Event in Boleros at 5pm.
The Empress orchestra played while we waited for the event to begin followed by some dancing by the championship Ballroom couple Annamaria and Alessio.

The Captain spoke and among other things informed us there were 501 Crown and Anchor members on this sailing.

The management team was presented and each did a brief introduction.

Crown and Anchor breakdown:
330 Gold, 76 Platinum, 23 Emerald, 53 Diamond, 17 Diamond Plus, 2 Pinnacle.
With a total guest count of 1,799 this sailing that means there are 1,298 new to Royal cruisers on board.
Finally one of the main theater cast sang while members of the orchestra played.

Returning from the last cruise was the comedian and hypnotist John Moyer in the main theater.  More guests briefly lost their belly buttons.

Tonight was formal night and the Captain's address took place in the Centrum.

The guests on this cruise have been pretty quick to find the late night Windjammer spread.  At 10:30pm when it opened there was a line not unlike a lunch time crowd.  With the doors open the line stretches from the food past the hand washing stations and into the elevator lobby.


It's pretty busy in here.  Hopefully Royal can see the demand here on Empress and expand beyond the basic Burgers and Hot Dogs offered on some ships.  The more complete Windjammer selections here on Empress have been pretty popular.

The late night pool parties continue on this cruise. 

Another great show in the theater tonight.  The Royal Caribbean production Bailamos featuring the Empress singers and dancers plus live music from the Empress Orchestra.







Rock the Room game show in the Centrum.

Key West Departure
Guests were better at getting back on board on time this time.  Ten minutes after all aboard time we pushed away from the pier with no names being paged. 
The Equinox was the first to leave followed by Empress.  The rock climbing wall was open.

A lot of parasailing on the other side of Sunset Key.

Another view of Majesty.

The distinctive Viking Crown Lounge.

With Equinox clear of the channel it was our turn to follow the narrow path to the sea.

Latin night in the Windjammer.

Not a bad place to enjoy a happy hour drink.

Kenneth my cabin attendant dropped of some mail this morning.  Apparently I'm invited to the Hotel Director's Table for formal night on day 3.  When I packed for this cruise I brought my scuba gear which took a lot of space (and weight).  As a compromise I packed mostly casual type clothes planning on using the WindJammer a lot.  This wasn't a great cruise to leave anything dressy at home so off I went into Key West to find something that will allow me to "Dress to Impress". 
Hint - Key West is a laid back, not so dressy town.  It's wasn't easy finding something.  Lots of t-shirt shops, not so many dress shirts and dinner jackets to be had.
Had a slice of Key Lime Pie while I was off.  Yum.
Some pictures of Majesty while I was off.


Also I thought more about the new now old beverage cup.  Looking from the inside out I couldn't see an RFID chip.

However looking from the outside into the bottom when backlit I can see a rectangular antenna near the center and a dark mass to the right of it that I believe to be the chip.

Not sure why the cup thing became such a focus but now I can move on and get on with my cruise.

Day 8, Cruise 2 Day 2 - Approaching Key West
I went to bed early and woke early, in time to catch the sunrise.  A sliver of a moon was high above us.




I know people like to sleep in but this is often a great time to see the awe of sunrise.



In the distance the tall towering clouds would sparkle with a bolt of lightning occasionally.  

As it became brighter some fellow sunrise enthusiasts ventured out.

The rising sun started to highlight the clouds even before it peaked up above the horizon.

Chops dinner using the D+ BOGO, again.  Rinse, lather, repeat.  Gotta love that view.

Crispy Goat Cheese Salad.

Grilled Black Peppered Bacon appetizer.

Back to the nine ounce filet.

Ice Cream Sundae for dessert.

Yum.

Miami Sail Away
The Crown and Anchor Loyalty Ambassador hosts a Diamond and up sail away behind Boleros on deck 6 outside.  Since Empress doesn't have a Diamond Lounge this event is offered.
Louis our LA is there to greet us

It's a great covered location to take in the sail away from.

Several officers drop by to greet guests.  This included the Hotel Director, Revenue Manager, Marketing Manager and a few others I forget to note their positions.

Oh that Miami traffic.  You know it's bad when a cruise ship is going faster than the traffic.

We passed Symphony of the Seas as we departed.
The not so little, biggest ship as seen from the biggest, little ship.   



Cheers and Happy Anniversary to @Lovetocruise2002 and hubster who embarked Symphony today. 

You can read her live blog from Symphony here:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14288-“symphony-no-17-celebration-relaxation-exploration-reflection”-–-072719-–-080319/
Miami beach was pretty popular today.

Earlier I mentioned an invitation to the Hotel Director's Table for dinner.  With only two Pinnacles on board I managed to make the cut.

We met the Hotel Director Julie and Guest Services Manager Jorge where we enjoyed a beverage in the lounge by the Schooner Bar.  Shortly after we were led to the Captain's Table in the main dining room.

Our menu for tonight:

The meal was excellent and the conversation with fellow guests, Julie and Jorge was wonderful and engaging.  So much so that I forgot to take any more pictures.
Julie and Jorge have a lot of experience and time with Royal Caribbean and it was very interesting to hear their stories from over the years.
Jorge is the voice over the PA for many announcements such as "The ship has been cleared by local authorities and you are welcome to go ashore on deck....".  I also caught an announcement back on the day 1 of the 2nd leg that at the time made me go "hmmm".  Jorge will address the crew over the PA before general boarding starts but since I was a consecutive cruiser I caught the announcement.  Since Julie is from the UK Jorge specifically called out the number of UK guests coming on board and made another humorous related comment.  Tonight Jorge explained he does these little off the wall comments to make sure the crew is paying attention and engaged.  It's a long running thing he does every week and the crew will pay attention each week to what little quirky thing he'll throw in this time.  It's all in good fun and a great way to keep the crew happy and engaged. 
Julie is the third female Hotel Director in the fleet and she has done an amazing job here on Empress.  Sitting next to her at dinner I asked about her rise to Hotel Director and being in this role as a female.  She is very proud of her accomplishment and clearly has earned it.   It's great to see Royal Caribbean advancing more women into senior positions.
After an incredible dessert we were presented with a memento of the occasion. 


Julie and Jorge are both nearing the end of the current contracts with just two more sailings to go, but they'll be coming back.
The future of Empress was discussed and there will be an announcement very soon with some new and different itineraries for Empress.  She isn't going anywhere just yet and they are taking advantage of her small size to return to some more interesting destinations that larger ships can't visit.  Out of respect I won't say more but I'll be keeping an eye out for them very soon and I know I'll be booking more cruises on Empress.
Wow!  What an amazing evening! Loyalty does have it's rewards.