Guy Gadwa

There are some things that are really gross, but it’s not a full on health hazard, just feels like it. I don’t see any black mold, just lots of mildew and stains.
Floor? That’s bad. I may have done that because of the sheets, but the carpet is worse, so I just ruffed it out. 
5 hours?!?! That’s horrible. I had a 2 hour delay one time, and I thought that was bad. 
Thanks for the wishes!

Marseille Highlight
We stayed on the ship and just enjoyed the many features and activities SY offers. 
First was sleeping in! Had to get up early yesterday, so nice to just sleep. Once up, we all went to Coastal Kitchen for the beloved Baja Eggs, which is southern scrambled eggs with salsa, tomatoes, avocado, and peppers. Got three of those! Food was good as always, made to order and fresh ingredients. 
We then went to trivia... with Jamsey! The most flamboyant trivia host. It was animated Disney trivia, and we won with a whopping eight points! We got some Royal Caribbean keychains and a Symphony Inaugural luggage tag. We only were against one other group, and they only got four points. Were better! (still boasting about our win after our horrible trivia games last week)
We then enjoyed the suite only sun deck and the water slides. I especially enjoyed those. The blue was definitely the most thrilling, but the green one comes in a close second. Yellow one is ok, and can do if you want a shorter line. Also went into the beach pool for a little bit to cool off from the hot French sun! 
After some pool time, we relaxed a bit more and then got cleaned up to go to the suite sail away party on the helipad! I did a periscope of some of it if you are interested on what it is; but be warned! It was very windy in the front so it may sound pretty bad. @CraftyCat05 for Periscope
We then rushed to a complimentary dinner at Jamie's Italian, paid for by Gianluca (pronounced John Luca) for having to miss the complimentary lunch at Jamie's for consecutive cruisers. Sagrada Familla was more important than free lunch that day! 
The food was good, and in my opinion better than what I had last week when we went to Jamie's. I got the Tagliatelle Bolognese for my main, and it was good! Got the Tiramisu for dessert, and was pretty liquidy, which I don't really like in my desserts. Also got the rice ball things that I forget the name of to start, and they were to die for. Definitely would recommend Jamie's, especially if the dinner is free ?
After that was seeing 1977 again: you can see my review of it from last week.
Then was the 80s party! I talked about it with Joe, and gave my review in that post with him. You can also view it on my periscope.
These definitely are much easier to write. Hope you enjoyed!
Chao Chao!

Palma Highlight
We did the Drach Caves, and man were they amazing! Really cool to see what was formed all those years ago. 

On the ship, we got some sliders and potato skins at Playmakers for lunch... and it was really good! Probably one of my favorite lunch meals we have had on the ship, but we really haven't had much of those. I think it really is a great addition to the ship, adding to the overall feel of the boardwalk and the lunch options. (Didn't get any pictures though, just imagine some really good food!)
Then it was time for Wonderland ~ Imaginative Cuisine... And boy was it a trip down the rabbit hole! The food was pretty good, but you really are just there for the experience, right? The mad hatter really adds to the experience, making it all the more fun and entertaining. Looking back at it, it wasn't a dinner... it was a show! 
Will do another post about Wonderland with pictures at a later date.
Afterwards, we went to look at some watches (we can fantasize!) and then called it a night... Got to get ready for the 80s party the next day!
Hope this is still fine for the blog, may not be as extensive, but it's something! Chao Chao for now! 
 

I hope you will be feeling better soon!!!

Glad your back!  I hope the rest of your trip goes well.

Enjoyed your posts.  Thanks!!!

Cruise Summary
I had a very enjoyable cruise overall.  As a Diamond Plus I was treated very good on Empress.  It's not that other ships don't treat the top elite well because they do, but on Empress they took that level of service up a notch.
At 48,563 gross tons Empress is small by today's standards.  That makes her almost 5 times smaller than Symphony.  With a capacity of 1840, our sailing at 1808 guests was near capacity (98.2%).  At times like at muster or at certain times in the Windjammer it felt just as crowded as any other ship but it never felt crowded for the majority of the time.
In considering a cruise on Empress (or any ship) research the ship.  Empress has only one main pool, no flow riders or water slides.  I was amazed though that it didn't feel like a small ship.  I knew what I booked and my expectations were set appropriately and because of that my expectations were achieved.  The cabin bathroom did feel a little dated and if you are the type that will see a spot of rust or chipped paint and focus on that then maybe this isn't the ship for you.  
I wasn't sure how I'd feel on Empress so I didn't booked any more cruises on her but now having experienced her I won't hesitate to sail her again.
The 10 drink card was offered for $75 on day 4.  A beer bucket special was $29 for 5 beer (buy 4 get 1 free).  I didn't purchase either.  
My total bar bill was $116 or ~$23 per day including gratuity.  The drink package on board was $63.  My 30% Diamond Plus discount would have dropped that to $44 or $52 per day with gratuity.  Granted I had 3 complimentary Diamond happy hour drinks each evening but I couldn't have consumed very much more and certainly not an additional $29 worth each day.
The bad dining experience on one night in the MDR goes to show that any wait staff can have a bad day on any ship.  
Cuba was an amazing port.  The people of Cuba were awesome and like the OFAC program that we travel under it is there to benefit the Cuban people (not their government so much).  That's exactly what I'll plan to do on my next visit. The 7 night sailing that visits more Cuban ports look very appealing at this point.
It was great to make CocoCay after having two missed calls on previous cruises.  I was very happy to see that construction had minimal impact on the island as I've experienced it before.  I'm not sure the pier will be ready for November.  It seems like they have a lot more to do but I'm not a construction expert.

Well our last day has almost come to an end. ?
We had a fantastic week. The staff in CK were wonderful.  Our room attendants were great and we were spoiled by the CLS and amenities that come with Sky Class. 
One perk is luggage valet and we're looking forward to not having to worry about our luggage until we land in Detroit. 
I will end with a few last pictures and a link to the periscope I did from our balcony this afternoon. ?
https://www.pscp.tv/w/bjZMazFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MWVhS2JWbEFuZVpLWEgIc_QLQtoW5JaRsO_OLgJ7Tt-Bw7JGvlu2TBIGkgH-?t=1m39s

Yesterday we were in Cozumel and wanted to get off the ship and shop before it got too hot. We have been to Cozumel and have done several tours so we didn't have one planned. We had a bagel and some fruit for breakfast in the suite lounge.
Around 9 we took a taxi to the shopping area and we were dropped off at Los Cincos Soles. Here we bought some vanilla and earrings. 
We walked to a few other shops for some souvenirs and Alex and Ani bracelets before going back to the ship.
It was a busy day in Cozumel - 6 ships were in port (Liberty was docked next to us).
We had lunch in CK. I had the Mediterranean wedge and flatbread while mom had the tomato soup and grilled shrimp and spinach salad. All was very good. It was also very quiet in there.  

@twangster welcome back to Miami! 
 

Day 4 - Evening
There was a great sunset in the making.
Here is a still from the top deck when I realized I should run to the cabin and scope from my balcony:

By the time I reached my cabin, the clouds stole the sun.
If you read any of my Havana stuff this is where much of it was written.
I know this is what we all do when cruising...  what?

At this position Miami is ~ 45 miles straight towards the sun.  No wonder it's so hot in Florida. 
This is a somewhat congested shipping lane.  Bimini is 'right beside us' on the other side of the ship.  Soon after passing Bimini we'll turn and make a line towards CocoCay, our next stop.
That ship on the horizon appeared to be a car transport ship.

Day 4 - Sea Day, continued...
Bridge Tour!
Fair warning, bridge tours are addictive - can't get enough.


The Master's chair:
(we all got a chance to sit in it)





One of the exterior bridge wings.

The view from the bridge wing:

This is Louis, our Loyalty Ambassador.  Don't push that button Louis!  Just kidding as I can't say enough good things about Louis. 
They call this station of instruments "The Barbecue" because of how it lifts open just like a grill at home.  From here the ship can be controlled just like it could be from the center helm position.  This is where they control the ship when approaching a pier.

 
One of the senior officers patiently talked to us and answered all of our questions.


I need more meeting space like this:

This tour was complimentary for Diamond Plus and Gold Suite Card.  
Every time you do one of these tours you learn a little bit more that you store away for later recall.
#royalwow
Loyalty does pay.

I'm not done yet...
Day 4 - Sea Day
Breakfast
One thing about Empress, they treat Diamond Plus right.  Maybe because we have zero Pinnacle on board?  I'm not sure but I have the entire Chops Grill restaurant to myself for breakfast.

I started with some fresh fruit:

Followed with the Full Breakfast minus thing I asked them to skip.  Two eggs cooked to order over medium.

What a nice way to start the day...

It was sail away during our dinner in CK last night. We both had the crab cake for our appetizer (delicious). I chose the steak for my main  (from the classics menu - it was pretty good) and my mom had the grilled barramundi. For dessert, mom chose the vacherin (not really what she expected) and I had the strawberry cheesecake. 
Our show tonight was Oasis of Dreams at 9:30 pm and we took advantage of the preferred seating. We always enjoy this show. 

Yestetday morning we went to Johnny Rockets (breakfast sandwich and eggs my way). 
After breakfast we wandered around on deck 5. Some of the shops were having sales and the big one that they were promoting were Invicta watches for up to 75% off. Mom bought a couple of shirts (2 for $30). 
We sat at Starbucks and the Captain ended up sitting at the table next to us. He was friendly and spoke with us. 
Later we sat on our balcony and enjoyed the sun and watching the basketball court and flow riders.
We were late for lunch in CK so we tried the Windjammer. Maybe it was the day we went,  but we found the choices and quality to be lacking. I found it to be better on the Allure.
At 3:30, we went to the Aqua Theatre to watch "A Wrinkle In Time." Mom decided she wanted popcorn ($2.95 for a small container). Before the movie began, we were entertained by the aqua performers who were practicing. 
It was the second formal night. Mom had the shrimp cocktail and I had the risotto (I apologize but I forgot a picture of the menu). For our main, we both had the lobster tail and our waiter even brought us another ?. Our dessert of choice was baked Alaska. 
We went to see the 8:30 performance of Frozen In Time. We sat in the second row (middle) and really enjoyed it. 
Before heading back to the room,  we stopped in at the suite lounge for a drink. There were still some guests finishing up dinner in CK but the lounge side was pretty empty. 

With a 6pm dinner I still had time to venture outside before we departed Havana. 
By this time the surface of the sun was no longer 250' from us and it had 'cooled' down.  I use that terminology loosely.  The humidity had dropped from 3,000% to 2,999%.  The Captain no longer used Kelvin to measure the outside temperature.  With my core temperature down and with an acceptable margin from boiling point I went up top to catch sail away.

Four names were announced over the PA system.  Yep... pier runners!  This is not the port I'd pick to be late back to the ship.  Looking down from deck 11 I watched as they walked back onto the ship at least 15 minutes late.  Ok, they haven't benefited from a shower and time in A/C to cool down so I'll cut them some slack for walking.
Soon enough the sun was beginning to set.


In better light compared to this morning here once again is the Christ of Havana.

Fully backed out we started making our way forward out of the harbor. Some locals fishing on the pier to right waved and wished us bon voyage.

One last look at Del Morro basking in golden hour this time.



The upper decks were quite busy.  Everyone wanted to capture one last look at Cuba as we sailed away from her.




It was a beautiful evening and everyone was enjoying it.





With the sun getting lower the Pool Bar caught my eye.

It's time.  I had the perfect drink in mind.
A Kraken Lava Flow.  No drink package but it was worth every penny. 

What a day.
After this it was time to head down to my balcony to do some blogging...

Day 3 - Havana, continued...
Walking back to the ship
The 1/2 mile to the ship was interesting.  I start off walking along the waterfront.  It's quite nice and i shot some video to use in a scope later as well as took some photos.  I didn't have a distinct plan but there were several hours available.  I wanted to take a taxi at some point.

Those dark storm clouds were starting become noisy with the sound of thunder.  I made to the local ferry terminal before the rain started to come heavier.

I waited out a small rain storm before I headed across the street where there were some more classic cars also waiting out the storm.



At many times I was reminded of San Juan.



This is when the really big drops started falling.  Luck was on my side as there was a bar right where I was at that moment.  I ducked in side to wait out the storm.  I had several hours before all aboard so it was time to experience the culture.
Una cerveza por favor.
You can't see it in this picture but it was raining hard.

This appeared to be the bar for The Hotel De Hermanos.

A buggy driver got the same idea, leaving his horse in the rain.

From here the cruise terminal is a few hundred feet so as soon as it let up I made the final walk back to the ship.
Passport and ship card to enter the terminal from the street.  Upstairs back the way I came down.
The ship's entrance was to the right.  A quick pass through immigration who looked at my passport.  After this a long queue for the terminal xray machines and metal detector.  This lasted about 30 minutes.  After this outside to the gangway.  The ship had us go through their metal detector and xray setup once on the ship.  Finally, Schooner Bar in sight and it's Diamond happy hour.  

I grabbed a beverage and made my way up to my cabin for a shower.  I found this waiting for me:

Day 3 - Havana, continued...
After the excursion we had the option to be dropped off approximately 800m or 1/2 mile from the ship at the Almacenes San José Artisans' Market.  Our guide warned us to be careful of pickpockets.  This is close to the main train station for Havana and there are several old locomotives on display.








It was very organized but tired from my long day in the heat I decided to spend more time here on my next visit.
Something else the guide had said was weighing on my mind.
A draft beer brewery next door.



They had a band and a few locals were dancing.

Choices were light, brown or dark beer.  This is the brown beer which tastes like a nut brown ale.  The beer cost $4 but I suspect that was the tourist rate.  My waiter said the dark beer was sweet.  I used to like nut brown ales a while ago but they aren't my favorite anymore.  It was okay but I wasn't enticed to have una mas.

Outside near the water you can see the funnel of the cruise ships from here.  Larger dispensers were also available such as the one on this table.  

Day 3 - Havana, continued... 
Lunch
Lunch was included in our excursion and today we stopped at Salon Rojo.  This venue used to be a casino for the neighboring Hotel Capri but now serves in the role of a night club.



Our meal included a welcome drink which was the National drink of Cuba, the Mojito.

Much like a night club at home there were automated spotlights that changed colors and patterns moving around the room.  It was an eclectic lunch environment. 


 
Lunch progressed with an appetizer of pork and cheese.

Also included was a choice of beverage, water, soda or beer.  Una cerveza por favor.

On the bus our guide had called ahead to find out what was on today's menu and take our order.  Pork Steak, Beef Steak or Chick Breast.  Once we arrived we were informed it would be 'family style'.  This turned out to mean all three entrees served to each of us, pork, beef and chicken.  It was a very filling meal.  Rice was available on the side and lunch came with vegetables.

The food was fine but to be honest it felt more like a hotel catered lunch rather than an authentic Cuba meal.  I understand it's challenging to find venues that can accommodate a bus load of guests so this was a safe and predictable lunch meal for an excursion.

During our stop here another bus load of passengers arrived who proceeded to have a rum tasting and Cuban cigar experience.  Their guide took the microphone and walked them through how to cut a cigar, how to light a cigar, how (not to) inhale, how to take a sip of rum and follow it with a puff on the cigar.  

That was all well and good for them but his voice over the speakers dominated our lunch.  They were far enough away to not smell their cigars but it made for an awkward lunch and made any lunch conversations impossible.
All in all it worked and my belly was full but far from the expectations I had set in my mind booking this excursion.

Day 3 - Havana, continued...
Beyond Fuster's home, many homes in the area have also been tiled or decorated with mosaic tiles and there are numerous shops set up with local artists selling their art.









 
 

Day 3 - Havana, continued...
Fusterlandia
Jose Rodriguez Fuster is an artist who started decorating his own home with mosaic tiles he found while visiting neighboring countries.  Tired of seeing the rest of impoverished neighborhood run down, he began decorating many of their homes at no charge.  His own home is open to the public to explore and the neighborhood is turning into an artisans paradise with other artists joining in over the years.  The neighborhood has become to be known as Fusterlandia.  There are many artists selling their local arts within Fusterlania.
We start in Fuster's home:











There is mosaic tile literally everywhere.

Day 3 - Havana, continued...
Christopher Columbus Cemetery, Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón
Ranked by some in the top five of cemeteries around the world, this cemetery has over 500 major mausoleums.  
There is incredible detail in many of these and there are over 5,000 buried here.





This one is called 'Monumento a los Bomberos' and is dedicated to 28 firefighters who ran into a burning building in 1890 only to have it explode, killing them all.  

Our guide tells us this next one is the most visited grave in the cemetery.  Amelia and Baby.  The mother died while six months pregnant.  Mother and child were laid to rest.  Variations of the story involve the tomb being exhumed many years later only to find the child had moved or the mother was in the same state as the day she was entombed, thought to be a miracle. 
After her death, her husband would visit often, bringing flowers, knocking on the grave and seeking advice.  While approaching or leaving he would never turn his back on Amelia so the tradition is to approach, ask for a miracle and back away never turning your back on Amelia.  The tomb now is covered with hundreds of plaques from people who give thanks to Amelia for granting their miracle over the years since her death.  The people on the left are walking backwards always facing Amelia.

This the main church.  There are typically 45 burials per day here so each service within the church is limited to eight minutes.


We viewed a very small part of this 140 acre cemetery. 
While not your typical tourist attraction it was very interesting and beautiful providing a lot insight to the spirituality of the Cuban people.

Day 3 - Havana
Revolution Square - Plaza de la Revolución
Our guide give a brief talk before we got off the bus and explored on our own.  There is a lot of history that has taken place here and it was interesting to walk around.

Government buildings.  

The José Martí Memorial




One end of the square serves as a parking area for taxis.

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.

Day 3 - Havana, continued...
Hemingway's House
According to our guide, the Hemingway House in Key West was actually his wife's house.  The one in Havana is his real house.  15 kilometers from downtown The Hemingway house overlooks Havana.
He wrote For Whom The Bell Tolls and The Old Man and The Sea here.



The garage and guest house where other notable authors and guests stayed when visiting.


While you can't go inside, they have opened the doors with ropes to block access so you can view the interior.

A worker came by and offered to take pictures of the inside for me.  For a small fee of course.  I guess that makes her a professional photographer?











His typewriter.


 
Hemingway's Tower.

The view towards Havana from his tower.


His boat and the graves of four of his pets.






The swimming pool.  As our guide pointed out - "Now that you have experienced our Havana summer you can understand why Hemingway had to have a pool."

Of course there were more taxis waiting out front.

Back on the bus and time to worship the air conditioning outlets.