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Nope.  Just the run of the mill "blame it on the nice Canadian".  Regular occurrence. ??

Is it just me, or did it get shady in here all of a sudden? ?

Is it just me, or did it get shady in here all of a sudden? ?

Is it just me, or did it get shady in here all of a sudden? ?

Is it just me, or did it get shady in here all of a sudden? ?

I'm currently in Anchorage for work, but got to fly over the glaciers up the Knik Arm and Prince William Sound yesterday. If I could have booked a cruise in flight....
I think I've sold my wife on an Alaska cruise for our 20th anniversary in 2 years!

I'm currently in Anchorage for work, but got to fly over the glaciers up the Knik Arm and Prince William Sound yesterday. If I could have booked a cruise in flight....
I think I've sold my wife on an Alaska cruise for our 20th anniversary in 2 years!

I'm currently in Anchorage for work, but got to fly over the glaciers up the Knik Arm and Prince William Sound yesterday. If I could have booked a cruise in flight....
I think I've sold my wife on an Alaska cruise for our 20th anniversary in 2 years!

I'm currently in Anchorage for work, but got to fly over the glaciers up the Knik Arm and Prince William Sound yesterday. If I could have booked a cruise in flight....
I think I've sold my wife on an Alaska cruise for our 20th anniversary in 2 years!

Cruise Summary
Don't let the pictures fool you, Empress is not a large ship.  Cabins from interior to suites are not as generous as they are on newer and larger ships. 
In some cases the pullman beds for 3rd and 4th guests that are flush into the ceiling on other ships are mounted externally to the walls.  This is what cruising was like in the mid-80's when she was originally ordered by Admiral Cruises.  Incidentally that is also how Royal Caribbean found themselves in possession of CocoCay - through the acquisition of Admiral Cruises.  It is fitting to visit CocoCay while sailing Empress.
On Empress you'll find a Royal Caribbean ship with all the core cruising essentials and more - a pool, hot tubs, kids splash area, a pool bar, a Viking Crown Lounge, a Windjammer, a Main Dining Room, Chops Grille, Schooner Bar, Boleros, Main Theater entertainment, Casino, game shows, trivia, rock climbing wall, pool deck activities, live music and dancing.
When I booked these cruises I wasn't hesitant about booking B2B or 14 nights on Empress because I know and love this ship.  What I should have done is booked B3B or B4B as some of others that I ran into daily had done.  
Did I miss a Diamond Lounge?  Not really.  The regular top Crown and Anchor members had our regular spot and we would see each other there nightly.  We enjoyed our three free Diamond Happy Hour drinks.  The bartenders took care of us.  
I still maintain that Chops Grille on Empress is the best Chops in the fleet.  Large windows to the sea with great service and great food.  
Without question Boleros on Empress is the best in the fleet.
There is no inherent motion simply because she is a small ship.  Some nights I accidentally left my bathroom door open and it was never swinging or creaking in the night.   
With only 1,840 guests maximum it never feels crowded.  Certain events were popular and well attended but not overly packed.  
Voom.  Like any ship that uses the older satellite technology there are times when Voom struggles on Empress just like it does on other ships that use the old technology.  I hope the IT Manager's request for an O3b upgrade comes through, that would make Empress the perfect ship.  
The new Empress itineraries that include small ship ports look outstanding.   St George's and Hamilton?  Montreal?  Wow!
Perfect Day - just wow!   I'm glad to see the classic CocoCay beach experience remains with Chill Island but with new food and beverage additions.  Oasis Lagoon is massive and really nice. 
The complimentary choices mean you don't have to spend a dime to have a Perfect Day but when you want to AMP up your vacation there are choices like Thrill Waterpark to do so.   Captain Jack's and Skipper's Grill with their patios overlooking the Harbor Lagoon are places where you just want to hang out.  The large paved pathway that circles CocoCay is friendly to accessible needs, much more so than CocoCay ever was before.  
Louis the Loyalty Ambassador once again took great care of me.  With no Diamond Concierge Louis helped to fill that void.  
Julie our Hotel Director put it best.  She is a small ship but she has the biggest heart plus you can get anywhere in 5 minutes or less.  This is a huge benefit of small ship cruising.  The majority of the crew report up through the Hotel Director and If these crew and the great service are a reflection of the Hotel Director then Julie has done an outstanding job on Empress. 
There is a part of me that wants to perpetuate a myth that everyone should avoid this ship.  Only then will prices remain low and I can have her all to myself but that wouldn't be fair to the ship or her crew that make Empress not only the biggest little ship but the Royal ship with the biggest heart.
I hoped you enjoyed following along and I thank you for viewing. 

I know, I know.  I promised no more sunset pictures.
I lied.



What a way to end a wonderful day at sea.

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.

I joke with my girls that I have a ranking board and they can easily move up and down depending on the day ?
Glad you had a great anniversary cruise!

I joke with my girls that I have a ranking board and they can easily move up and down depending on the day ?
Glad you had a great anniversary cruise!

I joke with my girls that I have a ranking board and they can easily move up and down depending on the day ?
Glad you had a great anniversary cruise!

My wife tells me I only get excited when I talk about a cruise...I think she would understand why if she would look at your blogs/photos.
Thanks, as always, @twangster

Have a great cruise! #jealous
Happy Anniversary, too! My wife and I are celebrating 18 next week (hmmmm...she was teaching when we got married, so I guess we are in on the trend, too).

Have a great cruise! #jealous
Happy Anniversary, too! My wife and I are celebrating 18 next week (hmmmm...she was teaching when we got married, so I guess we are in on the trend, too).

Have a great cruise! #jealous
Happy Anniversary, too! My wife and I are celebrating 18 next week (hmmmm...she was teaching when we got married, so I guess we are in on the trend, too).

We have two sets for everyone in our family, color-coded of course. They a) help us to keep everything straight for all 6 of us and b) make organizing the luggage pretty easy. Also nice to have a cube with shirts, one with socks/unmentionables, etc.
Got them about 3 years ago, and can't imagine traveling without them now.

I earn 30 days/year, and can carry up to 60 days on the books. In addition to that are Federal holidays, most weekends, and random days granted off. However, if I am outside of the local area those days, it counts against me.

I earn 30 days/year, and can carry up to 60 days on the books. In addition to that are Federal holidays, most weekends, and random days granted off. However, if I am outside of the local area those days, it counts against me.

Rick Steve´s Pocket Barcelona is a great buy and worth the money. It will give you a what you’re looking for in an easy to read format. We have used his books and vlogs in our visits to Europe when cruising. He’s on point.

Awwwww..give them a break !!! They lost the war in 1776 and still pissed about it !!  HAPPY 4TH!!  ?????

Ok , as long as you will be able to explain us baseballs rules in 5 minutes and how its a very interesting game ? (yes yes  , I know I am starting a war now)