Guy Gadwa

In the afternoon I saw the aqua theater staff testing various components that I assumed would be used during the aqua show.  A diver was on hand to assist.

They seem to be load testing these by placing them under tension.  I was hoping these would come into play during the show.

It turns out they would.    

This comes up from time to time, so the coffee served in Café Promenade is... Seattle Best.



Seattle's Best is a subsidiary of Starbucks.

Day 10 - HiRO Take 2
From my Boardwalk balcony I noted that the wet zone in the Aqua Theater was pretty empty as tonight's first showing of HiRO was filling up.
I threw on some shorts and a water shirt and headed to the standby line.  
It was amazing near the front of the theater like I was the only person in the theater.  Seeing the performers up close was pretty special.
I won't include all the same pictures but here are a few just so you see what the front row in the wet zone is like.





 

Day 10 - Dinner
Playmakers
I've heard good things about the food at Playmakers and after ordering the sliders in the Mariner's Playmakers I thought I'd eat dinner here in Playmakers on Symphony tonight.
Menu



The Hamburger.

The hamburger is very good.  It is not a Windjammer hamburger with a different bun.  It's more of homemade looking cooked to order hamburger with two patties. 
Way back on day 3 I was up early and took some pictures of Playmakers in the morning when it was empty.








While Mariner's Playmakers had only the fleet standard draft beers, Symphony's Playmakers has some additional draft options.



In terms of the question... "Is my game/sport/tournament going to be available on TV?" The answer is... it depends.  
Sports content is licensed and no company can display sports content without acquiring a license to do so (a.k.a pay money).  Royal Caribbean can't steal or pirate the signal and display it onboard.  
What they can do is approach their TV provider Global Eagle and request the cost for a broadcast license.  There is a lot that goes into that request including the ship's position. 
For example, last Saturday while we were in the middle of the Atlantic, the ship could not acquire a license to display NCAA sports.  NCAA strictly controls broadcast rights and NCAA football was not available in Playmakers.  However what several people did was to bring a tablet or phone and watch their favorite team on their own device using a paid Voom Surf and Stream plan while sitting in Playmakers.
That will be different when the ship is in the Caribbean which NCAA in general allows as a region to enjoy their content.
NFL football was available but like other ships they don't tend to display every game that it is active at any given moment.  Using a tablet and a paid Voom account is always a good backup plan if your game/sport/tournament is important to you.

Day 10 - Misc.
I returned to my cabin and found this certificate on my bed.

Our progress...

Day 10 - Entertainment Tour
Another Diamond Plus tour offered as a Crown and Anchor Society benefit.   

We have the head tech for the ship (all entertainment on the ship) as well as two cast members from Hairspray/Flight.  The Aqua Theater cast is a separate cast.

The cast comes and goes from the ship as a group.  Most entertainment contracts are nine months.  As the 'Take Out' cast for the main theater they had a twelve month contract.  That included three months on land preparing for their arrival to the ship.  This will ensure the initial shows when the ship arrives in Miami will be performed from a cast that is well versed and practiced.
The hairspray used during the show is called 'Fog In A Can' and made for theatrical use.  
The backstage crew work in multiple venues such as the Main Theater, Studio B or the Aqua Theater.   Flight is such a demanding show technically that it requires most of the backstage crew to be involved.  Consequently they can't operate Aqua Shows when Flight is offered.
The plane used for the finale in Flight is mounted on a gimbal and the 3D pulley/cable system moves it around the theater but the plane itself, direction, pitch and roll is controlled by the cast member 'flying' it in their seat on the plane.   
After our question and answer session we are escorted backstage.

The smaller plane prop used during the barnstormer skit within flight.


We continued backstage.




Dressing room


Alien mask used in Flight





The stage floor is covered with tape marks used for setting props.




The plane used for the Flight finale is taken apart and stored in these shipping containers.


The 3D pulley cable system is operated from this little space to the left of the screen.


It's always interesting to see how much effort goes into these high end entertainment shows.

With that our tribe begins to appear unified and equal.

Each is wearing a common tribal outfit.





I've seen all of the aqua theater shows and this is my favorite.  It's high energy with lots of action, plenty of diving and incredible aerial work.  It's more artistic in places and uses technology to highlight the incredible performance of the cast which itself is outstanding.
The aerial components are incredible and add a lot to the show.  Be aware though, when they get wet by dipping into the water they do drip onto the audience below, all over the theater.  

More diving



Followed by more diving






 

Next the theater is lit up by a huge mirror ball



Ropes in water are next



The aerialist returns

Next a very dramatic rainfall number.







Next the high line comes into play.





Followed by some high diving.

 

The first aerial performer appears from behind us walking upside down into the theater.




She is lowered into the water and emerges with another performer upside down below her.

She is released and dives back into the water.  Nothing but their own muscles used during the lift.  


The aerial artistry continues

Next we see a performer high up in the theater banging a set of drums that are lit up and covered with water so that with every beat the water dances upward.

Below him every beat of the drum he seems to breathe life into the aerial performer

Day 9 - HiRO
HiRO is the story of three competing tribes that start separate and uniquely represented by their own color, red, white and black.





We first meet the three distinct tribes


The tribes begin to compete with a series of dives.

Sugar Beach
A first for Oasis class we have space to dedicated to anything that contains sugar.  

Located on the Boardwalk right next to the Carousel.  


Sugar Beach is a self serve fill a bag to your hearts delight pay by the pound candy store.






Take a bag, fill it with whatever you want and place it on the scales.  $11 per pound.  

You don't have to spend $11 if you want a lesser amount of candy.  

They also serve ice cream and sundaes.

1 scoop $3, 2 scoops $4.50, 3 scoops $5.75.  Sugar cone or bowl.

Plus they have some stuffed animals.




 

Do you remember day one I showed my balcony pictures and the obstruction from the black bag that hangs across the boardwalk behind the Abyss?

It turns that contains a fishing net that is part of the HiRO Aqua show.  It's function is artistic only.  At the end of the show it flies out in the air over the Aqua Theater and remains suspended in the air as guests are walking out of the show.  It's secondary function is to turn premium boardwalk balconies into obstructed boardwalk balconies. 
Here on day 11 they have lowered the fishing net and it's bag down to the floor for maintenance and the glorious unobstructed views aft returned (for a few hours at least).  I can actually see all of the aqua pool and stage now!  I can see ocean sitting in my balcony chair!


It actually make a huge difference in the boardwalk balcony experience.
After 11 days this is my only gripe with the cruise.  I guess that's not bad.  

Noon Update
Our progress...
At noon ship time we are now in sync with the Eastern time zone of the U.S. after changing times for the final time last night.

Total cruise distance so far 4,226 nm.

Day 11 - Sea Day
Breakfast in the MDR this morning.  Given the large numbers on this sailing, deck 4 has been set aside for Diamond and Diamond Plus.
Breakfast menu for the MDR


Solarium Bar update
It looks complete at this point.

Caulking in between glass panels was added last night.

Did someone ask for some pool pictures?

Late night nightclub - RED in Studio B



After a stop in Boleros for a drink with friends, it was time for bed.

Day 3 – Crystal Caves, Bermuda
The bus dropped us off at the stop for Crystal Caves, which is actually the start of a walking path that leads you to the caves. Next to the path is an ice cream shop, and across the street from the bus stop was the Swizzle Inn. I'd been told it was a short walk from Crystal Caves, but I had no idea it was literally right across the street from its path entrance!
We were both ready for lunch, so we decided to do that before going to the caves. As soon as we were seated and I had a chance to look through the menu, I ordered a Rum Swizzle. I had to try one, in the name of research!

I'm not a big rum fan, and it was definitely no Kraken in this brew, but it wasn't bad by any stretch. I'm just glad I only got the single serving and not the next size up (a half-pitcher) -- that is one strong drink! I was feeling a hefty buzz before I'd even gotten halfway through what was in my pitcher! Knowing I had to navigate a lot of stairs in the caves, I figured it was better at that point to finish the drink quickly, and hope it cleared out by the time lunch was done. Swizzle Inn, swagger out!
The food was pretty good. I had locally caught Wahoo, which to me was about the same as a good swordfish steak. Cathy wasn't super hungry and just had a flatbread pizza. Then I saw they had bread pudding as one of the dessert options... Yeah, I'm weird that way; I love bread pudding, especially if it's got a good vanilla sauce (which this preparation did).
With a full belly and the vestiges of my swizzle still in me, we headed out to the path that would take us to the Crystal Caves. It had rained while we ate, and everything was still pretty wet, but that didn't discourage the large group of people ahead of us. We ended up having to wait for the tour at three o'clock, which was OK as my feet were pretty worn out from all the walking earlier in the day and could use the rest. Cathy took the opportunity to check out the gift shop, and got a couple more items for the girls along with a small stone bracelet for herself.
Our turn to see the caves came around, and we made our way through the gate and descended the 83 stairs down into the caves proper. Along the way, we could see open pockets where the water from the sea was already visible, as well as some smaller stalactites and columns.



When we got to the bottom of the stairs, our guide directed us to the smallish dark opening in the ceiling. This was the original entrance to the caves, the one that the boys who lost their cricket ball crawled through in their effort to find it.

Now here is a part I didn't know about the caves. The water level changes with the tides, to the tune of between two and three feet deeper at high tide. Our tour happened to be going through pretty much at peak high tide, so when we went down the floating walkway to reach the rear of the chamber, several of us had to bend over almost double to get past some of the stalactites without hitting our heads or getting our back's badly scraped by the stone.


Our guide stopped us about two thirds of the way back to talk about the water here, and how deceptively deep it was. It ranges between 50 and 75 feet deep at the spot we were standing, and it's so clear and the refraction from it so strong, that you don't realize that the rocks below that you think are fairly short are actually themselves between 40 and 50 feet tall.





We made our way to the far end of the main chamber, where I noticed there was a small opening in the columns that had a light mounted inside the space there. I leaned down and got what I think was actually one of the prettiest photos of the space, despite what the brochures typically show. The limestone in that space looked more like mother of pearl than rock. I was kind of wishing I could explore that space more instead of this main chamber.


Our guide turned the lights down and showed how, depending on the angle of the light that was hitting the water, you could see just the cave floor below, or the reflection of the ceiling above forming what looked something like the Manhattan skyline, or the head and long neck of a dragon.

The actual tour only lasts about 20 minutes, and that was plenty. Caves are supposed to be chilly places, but either the smaller space created by high tide, or the high humidity there, or the sheer number of people being taken through all day made the place feel like an oven by the time we started walking out.
We headed back to the bus stop, where we met a mother and her two daughters holding a picture of their father, her late husband. They came here on the Disney Magic, and were visiting Bermuda to honor his passing, as it was one of his favorite places to vacation. I took their picture when they asked, the three of them holding his photo and standing with the Swizzle Inn, one of his and his widow's regular places, behind them. After that, we spent the time waiting for the bus just talking about Bermuda, how beautiful it was and how nice the people were. We learned that the Magic was in Bermuda for three days, not just two; if we didn't already know how much more expensive it is to sail Disney than sailing with Royal, we might well have decided to book a return trip on that ship so we could get that extra day!
The bus to Hamilton arrived, and just like before it filled up before we could get on. Partly it was our mistake, we were standing at the wrong end of the stop and a bunch of people who got there after us boarded first; partly it was because it was getting to be rush hour there, and with this stop mid-way on the trip to Hamilton any bus was going to be more crowded when it arrived.
Just like before, we waited about ten minutes and another bus arrived. This time we were at the front of the line and got on right away, but we knew that there was no way we were making the 4:30 ferry from Hamilton back to the ship. Sure enough, we arrived at the bus terminal in Hamilton just a few minutes before 4:30. Could we have walked really fast and gotten to the ferry pier in time? Maybe, but it was raining again and we didn't feel like chancing it. A bus going to the dockyard was right there and leaving momentarily, so we got on and just accepted that we'd have an hour's ride back to the ship, instead of the 20-minute ferry trip.
We got to the dockyard closer to six than five-thirty, and hurried back on board as best we could with our tired feet. We had a reservation at seven-thirty for Wonderland, and while we weren't dressing up, we did want some time to rest and get cleaned up.

Day 3 - Ferry and St. George's, Bermuda (FINALLY)
We woke up at 7, knowing we had to be off the ship as soon as we were cleared to disembark if we wanted to get our transit passes and board the 9:30 ferry to St. George's. We grabbed a quick breakfast from Cafe Two70, and once again sat in the far back of the Two70 area while we ate and watched the ship finish docking. We were ready to disembark just before our scheduled clearance time of 9 AM and walked down the stairwell to deck 2...
Where we were told to go back up to deck 3 and wait until we were actually cleared. Even though it was 8:58. ?
The good news is that we were only about a half-dozen people from the very front of the rapidly growing line of passengers who also had time-sensitive plans. We all were getting antsy as 9:00 passed, then 9:05. Apparently we needed a little more time to get cleared, or maybe we were running a bit late with our docking, as we didn't actually hear the announcement that it was OK to disembark until about 9:10.
Once cleared and outside the ship, we hoofed it over to the booth just outside the pier where transit passes could be purchased. Most people ahead of us were boarding shuttles to Horseshoe Bay beach, or waiting for taxis or excursions, so we only had a couple of people ahead of us when we got there. I got us a pair of single-day passes, figuring that tomorrow we'd only be doing Horseshoe Bay and just needing the private shuttle. Tickets in hand, we had ten minutes to make our way over to the ferry before it departed for St. George's. Thankfully, it was a fairly short walk to the ferry pier, and we were finally able to relax a little and just walk over at a normal pace. We boarded the ferry with a couple of minutes to spare, and made our way up to the top deck where we'd have a better view as well as a breeze.
While we waited for the ferry to depart, I got a shot of the far side of the pier, where the dockyard shops were located, and also a half-decent shot of Anthem.


We departed on time, and as we made our way into the water I saw our companion from yesterday, the Disney Magic, making her way into the port to join us.

We had to share the view with our daughters, but our younger one was already in school. Still, it was early enough thanks to the time zone difference that it was still possible to catch our older one before she went off to college for the day. I'm on Verizon's pay-as-you-go international plan, where for a flat $10 a day I can use my phone's data plan just like if I were home. I took the phone out of Airplane Mode, made sure I had a good cell signal, and fired up FaceTime. We spent about half the trip chatting with our older daughter and showing her the view of the coastline. She was horribly jealous, and tried to make us feel the same by cuddling with the puppy.

Eventually the cell signal got too weak, and it was close to when our daughter had to go to class, so we hung up and enjoyed the rest of the ferry ride. At one point, we passed what looked like a fort of some kind on the coastline.

Before much longer, we were entering the channel to the port at St. George's. We started to see brightly colored homes peeking out through the foliage.

The channel quickly widened, and the number of buildings rapidly grew.


I took some video as we got closer to the pier, and much to my surprise there was another cruise ship docked here! The Regent Cruises "Seven Seas Navigator" was paying a visit to this end of the island.
We were almost to the pier now, and the area was getting progressively more dense and colorful.


We finally docked, and once the ferry was secure we got off and started making our way towards the town center. Before we got very far, we saw a car that was just too awesome looking not to take a couple pictures. I'm not a car guy by any measure, but even I was impressed at the work that went into customizing this Suzuki!

Even the dash and seats had been modified to match the general design theme...

Tearing ourselves away from this awesome vehicle, we continued until we made our way onto Water Street, passing a place that had quite an assortment of hats for sale.


We walked down Water Street, admiring the buildings along the way and just loving the general quiet vibe of this town. By this point, Cathy was already saying that we had to come back for another visit.

We followed the sounds of a steel drum being played, and found this gent next to a small shop that had just opened. I tipped the fellow a couple of dollars before taking his picture, remembering what the busker I'd met in San Juan last April had told me.

There wasn't really anything interesting in this particular shop, just typical t-shirts and other touristy knick-knacks. We continued down Water Street until we came to a craft shop on our left that sold various pieces made from sea glass.
a
We found a couple of nice paper weights that we thought the girls would like and would hold up to travel and being bounced around in my backpack. While we were looking at the various items for sale, we chatted with the shop owner. She was born and raised in Bermuda, and while she didn't look a day over 60 she said she was actually in her eighties! Clearly this island's air is good for the body and soul!
I half-jokingly told her that we were already debating the idea of relocating here. We proceeded to get an interesting but brief description of how to actually do that, and it's not that hard really. The only tricky part is that until you've lived on the island for ten years and earned "landed resident" status, you either have to rent an apartment (which would be tricky with a family of four), or buy a home worth at least a million dollars! After reaching the "landed resident" milestone, you're free to buy any house you want on the island.
Having bought some small gifts for the girls, we thanked the shop owner and went back out to explore the town more. We stopped in a couple more shops, these ones selling art prints and various hand-made glass decorations, but didn't buy anything more. We already planned to visit the shops in the dockyard area the next day, and didn't want to blow through our spending budget in the first hour we were there. Little did we know...
Eventually we reached the center of town proper, and found the St. George's town hall.

If I read the various descriptions hung on the walls correctly, this building was both a historical site and also still used for town meetings and other local matters. It certainly looked like it could still be actively used, but the photos of a young Queen Elizabeth and Duke Philip, plus the original charter under sealed glass, spoke to the age of this place.



Having looked around, we headed back out to try and make our way over to Tobacco Bay Beach. The sea glass craft shop owner had told us about it, and said it was a very beautiful spot that we really should try and see before we left the town. We were still getting our bearings, and while ambling around we saw a much closer Seven Seas Navigator, along with some other sights.


Here's a statue of Admiral Sir George Somers, for whom the town is named. There was nothing there to indicate why his statue was posed in this way.

We figured out we must be heading the wrong way for Tobacco Bay beach, and started going back the way we had come. Our shop owner friend had told us one of the ways we'd know we were going the right way was to just watch for the old men shambling along, who would all point in a general direction and mutter, "Tobacco Bay, that-a-way" as they passed. Sure enough, we hadn't gone a hundred feet in our new direction when a man with deeply tanned skin like old leather and sun-bleached hair walked past us, and sure enough pointed vaguely in the direction we were walking and said just that!
Even with this "help", we still had to ask another shop owner for some slightly more-precise directions after buying a couple of drinks to stave off the growing heat. Knowing the way, we walked away from town and up Duke of Kent Street.

We came to a side street with some interesting looking ruins. Not the abandoned church that @coneyraven saw, as we could see that further up the street. This was something different.

On the other side of the intersection, we were suprised to a banana, or maybe plantain, tree growing on the far side of a low wall.

As we hit the roughly half-way point, we paused to take a breather and admire the view back the way we'd come.

The walk is about a half-mile each way, and going out is definitely harder as you're going uphill for about two thirds of the way, some of it steep. We finally reached the point where we started going downhill again, and to my surprise I started hearing techno music! Some really good stuff, too, like there was a club nearby. Not long after we saw Tobacco Bay and its beach spread out before us.

We walked the remaining distance and finally were standing on the beach, admiring the view. The source of the music was the beach's bar and small restaurant, and I couldn't have been happier. Not only did we have a gorgeous view laid out in front of us, our ship faintly visible off in the distance; I had a great soundtrack to enjoy with it!



We were trying to figure out how on earth this mostly submerged bench ended up here, and whether it could even be sat on without the waves pounding you. Neither of us had brought our bathing suits since we didn't even know this place existed before we got into town, so we'd just have to wait for a return trip to find out.

I was amused to see some birds taking advantage of a puddle that had formed in one of the lava outcroppings. We humans weren't the only ones who wanted to swim at this beach!

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay as we still wanted to have lunch at the Swizzle Inn and see the Crystal Caves. A young woman there was nice enough to take our picture before we left.

We walked the half mile back without too much trouble, although we were very hot by the time we got back into town and very much needed something to drink and cool off. We gulped down a couple of sodas, then made our way to the bus terminal to wait for the #10 or #11 to show. The first bus to show filled up before we could board, but then another one showed up with plenty of space. We showed our day passes, got them punched (not sure why the ferry pilot hadn't done this when we boarded back at the dockyard pier), then sat down for the relatively short ride to Crystal Caves and the Swizzle Inn.

Day 9
Another early start for us – after yesterday‘s change of breakfast plans, we returned to Solarium Bistro – only way earlier. At 7.15 am, we stood in the ever-growing line – fortunately we were early enough to get seated. Solarium Bistro is a nice venue for breakfast, as you can get made to order omelet and also pre-cooked omelet options as well as fruit pancakes. Unfortunately, it’s just too much hassle on this cruise – too many people know about it.
 
After breakfast, we headed to Central Park for a bit of blogging. After more than a week I finally got one of the Hide & Seek items – this cute teddybear from Joe. At least I was wearing the perfect shirt for the occasion. Sadly, we didn’t have much time to chat as we were on our way to Dazzles for the Guest Talent Show rehearsal. This was our final meeting because we would miss the other ones due to Escape the Rubicon and the All Access Tour.


Escape the Rubicon is an escape room game where your mission is to use the old submarine SPS Rubicon to fire a torpedo at an active volcano and thereby saving the world from its fatal outburst. It's in a dedicated room in front of Adventure Ocean. Our group comprised of 12 people, with us, two indivduals and a group of 8. We were the only non-US citizens so again no language barriers. A staff member introduces you to the story and is present in the room for the whole time. She also instructed us to not touch anything with a red hand on it. Guess what, somebody didn’t heed to the instructions and reset the game when we were on it for about 5 minutes. Fortunately, we could still go on. With a group as big as this, the game is quite chaotic because it’s impossible to know who is doing what. We still managed to save the world with 8 minutes to spare (3 if you count in the 5 minutes in the beginning). Escape the Rubicon is great fun, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s worth the 19.99 $ fee. Taking into account that escape rooms are more expensive at home, it was worth the money to us.


Instead of taking a lunch break, we raced down the stairs to On Air for the Royal Heist – another puzzle break experience (without a fee attached). We already did Royal Mystery the week before and had great fun doing it. We joined the same European team as last time. PIty this game is not as well designed as Royal Mystery – you have 45 minutes and we were done with all riddles except the final one after half the time. We then stared at the final riddle for 22 minutes without coming up with a solution – or even a way to the solution. As there were no hints, no team solved the final riddle ?

Time for lunch – we headed to Park Cafe to grab a bite. The afternoon was spent at Playmakers, then a quick wardrobe change and off to Wonderland we went. You know the drill – speciality dinner will get its own post. Next stop: ISkate 2.0 in Studio B. As we had to hurry there from Wonderland, we didn’t get the best seats – can’t always get what you want. ISkate is a show where the cast choses the music as well as the choreography – so don’t expect a storyline – just let yourself be wowed by the performance. Funny enough, one of the songs they chose was This is Me from The Greatest Showman – exactly the song, we’d been rehearsing all cruise for the choir. Yes, we sang along ?

From ISkate we hurried to the Boardwalk to get in line for Hiro, the Aquashow. Finally we’d get to see one! Guess there had been a lot of complaints as the movement of the ship hadn’t changed much since yesterday but they were still running the shows. Unfortunately, our seats again weren’t the best as a) we weren’t the first in line due to ISkate and b) the whole center part of the Aqua Theater is reserved for PiT (Pinnacle in Training), Pinnacle and Suites. Hiro is a brilliant show with a storyline (see Twangster’s blog for details), but there’s so much going on with dancing, high diving, fighting, synchronized swimming and slacklining – you just can’t take it all in. I guess you’d have to watch it at least twice to see all the details – good luck with the standby line ? Fun part: we kind of got our revenge for the seats. The screeches from the high status crowd when they got wet from the dripping aerialist amused us immensely ? With another detour for a cocktail, we just fell into our beds.


















Side notes
12.2 steps
Planning on getting up early for our way into Port of Miami, as Symphony is rumored to turn before docking. Estimated arrival time is 4.30 am in case you wanted to watch, Matt.
If you suffer from night blindness, Escape the Rubicon is really hard. Speaking from experience here.
Found yet more staircase artwork I liked – and some elevator art:




Stopped by at Vintages – here’s the current menu for tapas:

Howdy,
Just got back late last week, of course, it's raining now here in the mountains of Western Maryland....
To summarize things, this is the first 7-nighter that Grandeur has done in years ..... having 2+ days in Bermuda was AWESOME!!!
We booked this at 575 Days out (the minute we heard about it, we jumped on it).
Mike S. & CiCi are, by far, the BEST CD & AD I'd ever seen ....... Mike has a sense of humor that had everyone laughing ALL THE TIME!!! Including Captain Thor, which, to his credit, has a pretty wicked sense of humor too.  It was fun watching them play off of one another through the cruise.
Oh, and worth noting since today is election day --- NO POLITICAL ADS FOR 7 DAYS!!!!!  YES!!!!!! 
Day 1 --- Thursday 10/25
This was the smoothest we'd ever seen the Port of Baltimore (it's always been quick, but this was unprecedented in my book).
We arrived at the Port around 10:00 am to a small line of cars that weren't permitted to go into the lot, we waited about 10 minutes, then we were able to drop off
luggage, pay our parking fee and park .... The real surprise was when we walked into the terminal, the boarding process had already began.  By the time we got our SeaPass card, THERE WAS NO LINE..... JUST UP THE RAMP AND BOOM -- At the R bar for our first Bloody Maryland's
The weather was cool and breezy, not shorts and T-shirts, that's for sure ....
Sail away was smooth, the only real bummer was that the sail away party had been moved into the Centrum, yet, most folks were up top to witness going under the Key Bridge.  Oh well, the frozen drinks never ended so we were happy.
Day 2 --- Friday 10/26
What a blast, it was a little warmer, but was still pretty windy, we figure, due to the nor'easter that was due to form off the coast .... the seas, however, were surprisingly smooth.
Saw something I'd never seen, an airplane contest in the Centrum ..... too funny, those things were flying everywhere ....
The highlight of the day was that it was my 56th Birthday .... being also the first Formal Night, I chose to have my Birthday Dinner up in Izumi .... as always, that place does NOT disappoint ..... the real surprise for me was when a cake w/ candle showed up and they sang Happy Birthday to me.  Best birthday I've had in years.
Day 3 --- Saturday 10/27 -- arriving in Bermuda
One of the things that was interesting was that we weren't due to arrive until 4:00 pm --- The reason why was obvious when I checked Marine Traffic and noticed the P & O Arcadia AND, I believe, the Disney Magic.  We had to wait for the Disney Ship to leave so we could dock.  Those that were watching PtzTV could see how we pulled into the turning basin and waited on the Disney ship to leave ..... The hold-up there was, again, the wind, they needed help with tugboats to pull away from the dock, which took longer than expected, then the tugs had assist us pulling in (didn't want to slam into anything) -- we ending up docking at King's Wharf instead of Heritage Wharf (the Acadia was there) --- that was a new thing.  On top of it all, there was another vessel behind us --- A Viking Cruise ship that ended up docking in Hamilton.
Once we docked, getting off the ship was as smooth as always, not much was open that late so we ended up going over to the Bonefish for snacks and a few drinks .... which ended up costing $107 --- but, whatever, you're on vacation .....
NOTE to Future Bermuda Cruisers that we discovered later in the cruise, shopping is LESS Expensive in Hamilton vs. the Dockyard, that shouldn't surprise anyone.
Day 4 --- Sunday 10/28 --- Getting to Tobacco Bay
Transportation wasn't impossible, but it was a bit of a challenge if you didn't know what you were doing.  Our goal was to get to St. George and Tobacco Bay.  The only part of the island we hadn't been to.
The Ferry for to St. George wasn't operating due to its season being over (it won't be operating again until April 2019) --- and, being a Sunday worked against us.  We (a lot of us) rode the ferry to Hamilton, then walked a couple blocks to the main bus terminal --- multiple routes go to St. George (1,3,10,11) and each one seemed to arrive 15 minutes apart from one another --- the 11 was filling up when we arrived, then those in front of us got on a #10 15 minutes later, then we were able to board a #1 15 minutes after that.
Suffice it to say, St. George is, by far, our favorite part of the island ..... the walk to Tobacco Bay was a bit rough due to a hill you have to walk over (which takes you by church ruins which are stunning) --- when we left Tobacco Bay, we ended up taking a cab back to St. George to the bus stop --- $3 pp ---- worth every penny.
Also got a wicked sunburn ..... but isn't that what you're supposed to do?
Love, Love, Love Tobacco Bay.
Day 5 --- Monday 10/29 --- Last Day in Bermuda
Since the All Aboard time was 4:30 ---- it gave us time to not be in such a hurry ....
We ended up taking the ferry back to Hamilton just to do some shopping --- we spotted the Washington Mall the day before, so now, being a Monday, everything was open.  That's when we discovered the price differential from the Dockyard .... plus, seeing Hamilton on a weekday, boy, those businessmen can really sport those Bermuda shorts .... you know, I COULD DO THAT!!!   The real take-away was how nice everyone is.  Everyone says "hello" when you pass them on a sidewalk.  Very refreshing.
Day 6 --- Tuesday 10/30 --- Halloween -- 1st Sea Day
For us, today was Halloween, this way the party could go late into the night since the night of the 31st, that was the last night of the cruise.  All I can say is, I've never been a part of a party like the IN MY LIFE!!!!  We WILL do another Halloween Cruise one of these days....... SO much fun, I can't even begin to describe .....  Some of the costumes were unbelievable ..... the staff and crew all got into it ..... since this day also doubled as our 2nd Formal Night, they pretty much did away with the dress code and encouraged folks to show up in costume if they chose to do so.  Oh, and for what it's worth, Tyna and I went  as the Skipper and Gilligan (we were with another couple that went as Maryanne and The Professor) .... sorry, no Ginger.  For those that were a part of this and saw my Facebook posts, watching Gillegan attempt a portion of Michael Jackson's Thriller is the kind of thing you can't unsee.  BEST CRUISE EVER!!!!!!
Day 7 --- Wednesday 10/31 -- Second Sea Day
Amazing Weather, ended up spending a portion of it in the pool, however, you could feel the chill as the day wore on as we got closer to the Chesapeake.  Ended up having Lamb Shank in the MDR --- it really made us question why we pay extra money in the specialty restaurants some times, because, this was just that good.  Tyna ended up getting a steak .... she described it as being "like butta" --- best meals of the cruise.
Oh, and I don't want to forget this activity, they did an Egg Drop from Deck 8 in the Centrum to see who could land their egg, unbroken, closest to a target on the Centrum floor (Deck 4) --- every participant was given a kit with supplies and an egg, so it was just like a school science experiment as to who could build the best device to float it down. 
Who thinks of those things?  People were watching from all decks cheering everyone on .... We were on Deck 9 on the opposite side from where they were dropping them on 8 so we could see it all .... in the end, it was a young girl that won.
Getting off the ship ...
We all know it's like herding cattle .... but in all honesty, just like when we got on, it was the fastest I'd ever experienced .... the line never stopped moving.  In and out in a matter of minutes.
In the end, it's no surprise to anyone here ..... WE LOVE LADY G!!!!  She's due to go into drydock in March, so, perhaps that's a good thing ...... It'll feel strange that the next two cruises for us are NOT on her ...... but we know we'll gravitate back to her.
Below are a few random photos ..... if you need explanation on any of them, just ask ..... the dude as the GI Joe was, by far, the best costume of the night .... even the crew kept coming up to him wanting photos

Enjoyed your blog & photos.  Thanks!!

RC site doesn't show it yet but i was able to call and book it this morning.  I called and got a very helpful RC rep.  He said he wouldn't expect 2020 to be out until Dec-Mar.  I told him I had heard RC had announced "week of November 5".  He checked and Yes! He was almost as excited as i to announce he could book it.  I don't know the full rotation but i can tell you June 19-26, 2020 is the standard south-bound route.  I did wind up paying a bit more than 2019 rates (to be expected) but got exactly what i wanted including the aft corner on deck 8.  Alaska here i come!!

Day 7
Much of the morning was spent in the high-back chairs of the 270 lounge watching the gray skies and waiting for Cafe 270 to open so I could grab a final kummelweck sandwich.  While I was in getting my sandwich, my wife said that a fighter jet flew low and right across the aft of the ship.  Several other people were also commenting that they saw it fly by - guess I missed the air show!
I met up with my Brother-in-law on the way to the rooms and we decided to head to the Schooner bar for awhile for some final day Johnnie Walker Double Blacks.  It's been our tradition to enjoy a glass of Blue label on the final night and have a cuban cigar that we find on a port of call, but none of the bars carry Blue Label any longer.  We asked the bartender why that was, and he explained that too many guests thought it was somehow included in the drink package, so they stopped stocking it in the bars.  I think in the past it was about a $20 upcharge per glass which wasn't horrible for Blue label.
After a bit, I decided to head down to the casinos, and somehow I turned $20 into $45.  (I usually donate $20 to the slots and stop).

* side note - this gentleman in the casino bar was the absolute fastest bartender I have seen.  He powered through people's orders like a champ.

Tonight was dinner in Chops again, but we couldn't get reservations until 8:30. I decided to try the NY strip this time rather than the filet - I think I definitely prefer the filet.  The ladies got the filet, and G had the prime rib.  We all enjoyed our last meal onboard at chops. Dinner lasted until around 10:00 that night and we were running out of time.  G and I grabbed a glass of Double Black neat and headed off to the smoking area in deck 5 to continue our tradition.
Coming back to the room, I found that my wife had most of our stuff packed (she's awesome like that).  We all opted to do the self carry option at 6:30 AM the next day.  And just like that, our 7 night cruise was coming to a close.
 
Day 8
We woke up around 5:45 AM and got ready and put the final items into the bags.  We headed down to deck 5 around 6:10 AM which was very shortly after the ship had docked.  There were already over 100 or so people queued up with lots more on the way.  By the time we cleared customs around 6:50, the line stretched all the way from the midship elevators down into 270 and back up again.  I think most people had the same idea!  There was also another departure line near the Royal Theater, but I'm not sure how long that was.
Once we started moving, it went super fast.  Clearing customs was nothing but a camera that you stood in front of and if you were good to go, a green light would appear on the top.  We didn't even need to have our passports out, declaration forms... nothing.  I'm sure there were random spot checks, but I didn't see any.  Either way, I'm glad that this process has been even further streamlined.
We met up with the others outside and headed out to the parking garage where we had no issues whatsoever getting out.  
Including a stop at Wawa, we went from stepping foot off of the ship at close to 7:00AM to home at 9:30 AM - not bad at all!
 
Now we are in dry dock until next year.  Right now we are really thinking about an Alaskan cruise and hoping for a good Black Friday sale.
 
Thanks so much for reading my live(ish) blog!