bellemiche

The menu was on the bed. We have 6 pillows and there's 2 of each kind.

I will try and find out for you!

Yesterday was our first stop - Labadee. Before disembarking, we opted to go to the Suite Lounge for a coffee and a bagel. They also have a toaster set up to toast your bread, bagel. Once off the ship, we had a short walk to where the suite guests can meet to get a ride to Barefoot Beach. The ride took only a few minutes. We checked in and were then brought to our cabana S6 (we booked a regular cabana with the concierge a week before). It was great for mom as it provided lots of shade. They provided 6 large bottles of water as well as towels. Our attendant Guy checked in with us regularly to see if we needed anything. We each had a Labadoozee. ? At 11:30, the lunch buffet was ready. There was a variety of salads, mac and cheese, ribs, steak, chicken, shrimp skewers, hamburgers and hot dogs. All was quite good. Mom stayed in the cabana while I went back and forth between the water and the cabana. The water was clear and warm, and it was relaxing to float around on the mat. We stayed until around 2:00 PM before getting a ride back to the suite area by the pier. We really enjoyed Barefoot Beach as it was quiter and less crowded.

Our dinner reservation in CK was for 6:30 (and will be every night). I chose escargot for my appetizer while mom had the Maine lobster salad. We both had the crab and shrimp crusted pollock which was delicious. For dessert, I opted for the mascarpone cheesecake and mom chose the valrhona chocolate bar (it was a very generous portion which we could have shared). We had reservations for the comedy show at 9, but mom didn't feel like going so we watched Oasis of Dreams from our CLS balcony instead.

The World's Sexiest Man competition took place at 1:45 in the Aqua Theatre. We got there about 15 mins early so we could get a seat that was shaded. It was good for laughs. I found the group of guys on the Allure a couple of weeks ago to be more dramatic. Plus they made it clear on the Allure that the contestants couldn't touch the judges but that wasn't the case today. My periscope from it is below: https://www.pscp.tv/w/bi-yiDFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MXpxS1ZMVmJRRUFKQnh0oLFXdbcVmXqLdjNRW_tAQgwOpxU-tWmGDVMwzV5E?t=1s When it was over, we went up to the suite lounge for a sneak peek at tonight's dinner menu. Tonight was the first formal night.

I'm sure that's why not many showed up.

We got up early and went to the gym around 6:30 am. It was busy but we were still able to get onto a treadmill and bike. After that we did one lap around the walking track. Was at CK for breakfast for 8:30/8:45 (not busy at all). I had the eggs Benedict and mom had the traditional breakfast. Both were good. They also had a small selection on the buffet. We had a busy morning of events! First up was the Cruise Critic Mix and Mingle, which took place in On Air at 9:30. Not too many showed up. Mom won a bottle of wine. After the Mix and Mingle, we moved onto the C & A Top Tier event at the Aqua Theatre. They served a few different complementary drinks. We chose rum punch but it tasted more like a tequila sunrise. My periscope from it is below. https://www.pscp.tv/w/bi-nvjFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MUx5eEJRRE9kTm5KTlk6pUzJ8QofE32Mx-4YGjN-0sm4rqHdAGXWy8cGiFuY?t=1s After the strong drink we headed up to the Suite Lounge for an exclusive reception (11:30 am). Here they served more drinks (this time it was really a rum punch) and finger foods while the Captain and other officers mingled. They were all friendly and personable. We were feeling good after the two drinks (we don't drink much ?) and decided to go back to our cabin before the World's Sexiest Man competition at 1:45 pm. Well we ended up going past our room and I almost put the key in the wrong door when our room attendant stopped me! We had a good laugh.

We were on the Allure two weeks ago and the menu for night 1 was the same. I'm looking forward to having some of my favourites again!

After the safety drill, we returned back to the room and balcony to relax and people watch. Our reservation for CK was for 7 PM. It was quite busy when we got there, after a short wait we were seated. For my appetizer I chose the burrata (sorry but I was hungry and forgot to take a picture until I had eaten a bit) and mom had the shrimp cocktail. We both chose the filet mignon (delicious) for our main course. For dessert, I had the chocolate tart and she had one of the other features for the night (sorry I can't remember the name). We decided we needed to go for a walk after dinner. We didn't have any shows planned, although we could watch Ready Player One from our balcony playing on the Aqua Theatre screen. It is an early night for us after a long day of travelling. I'm enjoying the comfy bed and we can pick our perfect pillow!

I will give a little background about this cruise. My mom (76 years young) and I have traveled together since I was a kid. As an adult we've done all inclusives, Disney/Universal, and cruises. We like cruising best, and me being a teacher we usually go during March Break. We didn't have this trip planned, but in June she said she wanted to get away (hubby and I were just on the Allure July 8 - 15). So with the help of Michelle at MEI, here we are! We originally were interested in a grande suite so we could try out the Sky Class amenities but there weren't any available. It was between a junior suite (which we usually do) or a CLS. Well I decided to go for the CLS! We left Detroit this morning (yes I know! we usually go the day before) and after a slight delay we landed in Orlando just before noon. When we got to the luggage area, there was a rep from RC waiting for us. She welcomed us and waited while we retrieved our luggage. She then escorted us to the RC desk where they gave us a # and told us to wait until it was called. We didn't wait very long until we were on our way to the ship. I have to admit that I was a little nervous, since we've never cruised out of Port Canaveral. The last few have been out of Fort Lauderdale and Miami which we are familiar and comfortable with. Not to mention that I had a strange dream Saturday night that the boat started to leave without me and I was hanging on the back of it! Needless to say all went well! Everything was so organized. By the time we got to the ship our apartment - I mean cabin was ready! We were hungry and missed the CK lunch but the suite lounge had a small buffet of food. So we had a glass of wine and a bite to eat. After lunch we made our reservations for CK for the week. ***My first attempt at periscoping was today ?. I promise it will get better as I go along! Thanks to @Lovetocruise2002 for the tips! https://www.pscp.tv/w/bi5okDFheVFWSlZ6WlBwUXB8MXluSk9ZZGVCbXpLUv8rYMYZbP5hWssYxYe7VvV8iABhW4G-wHbsb2gKwtwm?t=1s

We were in a junior suite two weeks ago on the Allure. We had to make our reservations once we were onboard. The first night we just showed up to eat, and then made our reservations for the remaining nights.

Yes you can use the gift cards! I used either my card or the app.

When the cruise is over (unless they just let us stay on LOL). ?

We will be staying in a Crown Loft Suite on our upcoming Oasis cruise (July 29). I'm just wondering if the valet luggage service is included with our room. ?

Thank you! ? We were able to make our reservations the first night for the entire week - no problems at all!

Saturday July 14 Our last day we had breakfast in Johnny Rockets and afterwards went up to the solarium pool before it got too crowded (and hot). We basically just spent the day lounging and wandering around the ship. Before dinner we visited the diamond lounge for one last time, then had our last supper in Coastal Kitchen. We ended up going to the comedy show (same comedians from the comedy club) that night in the Amber Theatre and had a few good laughs. Sunday July 15 We opted to walk off with our luggage to avoid the crowds. We headed down to deck 5 around 7 am and there was a short line that ended up moving quickly. After a 5 minute wait at customs, we were off to the airport in no time! We would rather be at the airport early than fight with the crowds. ***This was only my hubby's second cruise and he had a great time. The first one was a New Year's cruise on Princess, so he wasn't so keen on going on another one. I have him hooked now!!!** I will be going on the Oasis on July 29 with my mother and we are staying in a Crown Loft Suite (first time --so excited ?). I will try to live blog that week.

Yes you do @Lovetocruise2002! I'm surprised you never have. But then again, have you been to Labadee before?

Friday July 13 We booked an over the water cabana for the day at Labadee. We splurged to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. ? We got off the ship shortly after docking to fully enjoy the day swimming and lounging in our cabana. After a short walk to Nellie's Beach, we checked in at the hut and were escorted to #5. It was the last one so it was pretty private. There was a cooler filled with 6 large bottles of Evian water, as well as towels and two floating mats. In order to get into the water, you needed to go down a ladder or walk around to the beach. The ladder steps are just narrow bars, so anyone who has some mobility issues would find this difficult to get in and out. Right below the ladder were a couple of rocks but it was mostly sandy. The water was beautiful and we enjoyed going back and forth between floating in the water and relaxing in the cabana. For lunch, we walked over for the buffet -- ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and desserts. We stayed and sat at the picnic tables provided in the eating area. While we were eating, some Haitian dancers entertained us. We stayed at the cabana until 3 pm. We had reservations at 150 Central Park for 8 pm. I wasn't quite sure whether we would like the menu or not but it ended up being our best meal out of the 3 specialty restaurants we tried! For appetizers we had lobster gnocchi and the agnolotti (both yummy). We chose the beef tenderloin for 2, but I mentioned that we both like ours cooked differently, so our server said that they can cook one for each of us. We were both very happy with our choice! For dessert, I had the chocolate tarte and my hubby had the warm doughnuts ?. We ended up going to the Quest later that night. We definitely laughed a lot! Although our "team" didn't win, it was a good time overall. video-1532010843.mp4

Thursday July 12 The ship was docked in San Juan from 7:00 am until 2:00 pm. We were up early and went to the Windjammer for some breakfast before meeting for our tour. We chose the "Wonders of San Juan" tour which was 3 hours. We walked to the end of the pier and easily found our group and guide. My hubby and I ended up at the back of the bus, and although it wasn't a big bus, at times we had difficulty hearing the guide because the air conditioner was directly above us. The tour took us through old San Juan, to a beach at Isla Verde, for a food/drink stop at Loiza, and Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis (cemetery). Our guide was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour. We enjoyed the tour and found that the length was perfect. After returning to the ship, we took a short nap and then went to the solarium area. It wasn't too crowded at first, but as more passengers returned to the ship it got busy. We had dinner in Coastal Kitchen (which was great as usual) and then went to the Royal Promenade for the 50's & 60's Rock & Roll Dance Party (9:30 - 10:15). At10:30, we went headliner show in the Amber Theatre - Tony Tillman. He was okay, but I've seen him previously and some of his show seemed the same.

@Lovetocruise2002 Well it's not like we were hanging out with them! They weren't at the beach! ? They just happened to be in an area near Friar's Bay and this one wandered onto the road.

They made note of our anniversary on our reservation but we didn't mention it to Chops. On sea days we tried to go to the Solarium by 9:30 am so we could get chairs. By the afternoon, it got quite crowded. You will have a great time celebrating both your birthday and anniversary!

Wednesday July 11 We arrived in St. Maarten and headed over to Hertz to pick up our jeep. We reserved it online (no credit card needed to reserve) for $93. After giving our information and getting a map, we were brought to our jeep. The map wasn't the best and the signs weren't the greatest, but we had lots of fun kind of winging it. First stop was Friar's Bay - it was beautiful and only about 10 people were there. We got out and went for a short swim before getting back to our adventure. I had read about Pic Paradise as having beautiful views of the island, so when we saw the sign on our drive, we decided to go there. Glad we had the jeep because the road became quite bumpy and closer to the top it was a very narrow road (more like for one car). We didn't end up hiking to the top, but we stopped and got out where we could turn around and took some nice pictures. Next stop was Maho Beach where we opted to go have a drink and bite to eat at Sunset Bar & Grill. Lastly, we went to Mullet Bay where we went for a swim before going back to the port. When we arrived to return our jeep, the rep for Hertz wasn't there, so we put the keys in the drop box. That night we had dinner at Giovanni's Table. We shared the antipasti and gnocchi for appetizers. I opted for the ossobuco (delicious) and my hubby had the pasta of the day (chicken marsala). For dessert, I chose the tiramisu (one of the best desserts I had all week ?) and my hubby had the cannoli. We made reservations for the 70's Disco Inferno VIP experience on the Rising Tide Bar. It included drinks, snacks and favors ($26 pp if you have a drink package and $52 pp if you don't). We went to the bar around 9:30 and the disco street party started around 10:15 pm. It was a fun way to watch the street party! The chocolate martinis went down very well! ?

Tuesday July 10 I got up and went to the gym around 7 am while the hubby slept in. We headed to Johnny Rockets for breakfast around 9 a.m. and it wasn't busy at all. We had the breakfast sandwich and patty n' eggs (the latter became my hubby's favourite). First, we tried out the TV show trivia at On Air, but unfortunately didn't do very well. Lots of newer shows that we were unfamiliar with. Next, we spent time at the solarium pool and had lunch at the solarium buffet. In the afternoon, we went to watch the Sexiest Man Alive competition at the aqua theatre. When that was finished, we headed back to On Air to watch soccer. That night, we had drinks in the Diamond Lounge before heading to Coastal Kitchen. We were quite tired, so we didn't do much that night. Our first stop (St. Maarten) was also in the morning, and we wanted to be up and off the ship asap.

Monday July 9 We slept in a bit then got dressed and headed to the Cruise Critic meet and greet in On Air. We won a prize pack of RC items (backpack, hat, water bottle, pen, keychain, highlighter, reusable bag) and ended up using the back pack throughout the week. ? Once the meet and greet was over, we had a breakfast sandwich in Park Café. Throughout the day, we went back and forth between the main pools (quite busy due to it being a sea day) and the solarium pool. Lunch at Windjammer was okay and we easily found a seat even though it was busy. That evening we enjoyed dinner in Chops. We had the crab cake and grilled black peppercorn bacon for appetizers (both were very good). For the main, the filet mignon was excellent but we found the mac and cheese a little dry. They brought both of our desserts (key lime pie and liquid center chocolate cake) on the same plate and sang us "Happy Anniversary" to the tune of "Happy Birthday." We had 10:30 pm reservations for the comedy club. The comedians were Rick Corso & Graham Kay and they didn't disappoint. We laughed a lot! On our way back to the room, we stopped by the Schooner Bar and listened to the singer who was also playing acoustic guitar.

Thought I would share our wonderful experience celebrating our 10 year anniversary on the Allure! Saturday July 7 - We arrived early afternoon at the Renaissance Cruise Port FLL. Our room wasn't quite yet ready, so we left our luggage with them and walked over to Publix to get our wine. We stopped at Duffy's for a drink and to watch soccer and shortly after our room was ready. That evening, we walked back to the Harbor Shops Plaza for dinner at La Bamba (as recommended by @Lovetocruise2002) and back to Duffy's to watch UFC (hubby's request). Bed was comfortable and we had a good night's sleep. Sunday July 8 - Woke up and walked over to Einstein Bros. and Starbucks for breakfast and a coffee. We signed up for the shuttle ($6 per person) for a 10:30 am departure. We arrived at approximately 10:45 am and waited shortly (20 - 30 mins) in the Diamond area before boarding. Once on board, we walked around a bit and made our reservations for the specialty restaurants (Chops for Day 2, Giovanni's Table for Day 4, and 150 Central Park for Day 6). Our junior suite (room 7640) was ready at around 1 pm and our luggage came shortly after, as did champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. ? We were feeling a little hungry, so we headed to Park Café for a kummelweck sandwich (yummy). After that we changed into our suits and went up to the solarium pool (not busy). For dinner, we first went to the Diamond Lounge for drinks and onto Coastal Kitchen for dinner. Our server Rexcel in the Coastal Kitchen was wonderful and we got to know her throughout the week as she became our regular server. After dinner, we watched Oceanaria and stopped in at karaoke (On Air) on our way back to the room. to be continued...….