GoodSmith

Day 12 - Land Ho!
"Far,
We've been traveling far..."
Neil Diamond, "America"

Sometime around 3am I ventured to the port bridge wing to capture our arrival in Port Canaveral and to North America.  


Several people would join me, the bridge wings were very popular.
We did a quick turn in the mid-port turning basin and backed into the slip for Terminal 1 that Oasis of the Seas uses as her home.


Captain Rob expertly brought us in and we gently made contact with the pier.

With that we had arrived.  
Our progress...

For the first time on this voyage we were pointing due East.


With our arrival complete I went back to bed.  I wasn't expected to meet Customs and Border Patrol until late morning so sleep seemed like a good idea.

I plan to continue the timeline and post more to this thread but the last few days have been quite hectic. 
More to come... soon.

That Solarium is a Symphony of Light in itself !

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 ?

With my artistic juices flowing (the wine in the Solarium Bistro at dinner was really good) I was inspired to take more night photos around the ship.


The Perfect Storm slides were still open.


Inspired by the color changes within the art in the Solarium that I saw during dinner in the Solarium Bistro I knew I had to try to capture it.








It really is pretty spectacular and something anyone who sails Symphony needs to experience.

Day 11 - Dinner
Dinner tonight would be in the Solarium Bistro.  It's a pretty great location for dinner and with the Solarium changes on Symphony it is a pretty awesome venue for dinner.
For those that want a short summary - come eat here.  Must. do.
The Solarium at dinner is by reservation but at no charge unless you want to enhance your dining experience with a special entree.
The 'menu' is offered outside on flat panel displays for your consideration.


Solarium Bistro is not a full sit down specialty dining venue.  You will be escorted to your table but you will not be presented a full menu to order from. 


With the Solarium right outside the floor to ceiling windows of the Bistro make it a pretty great dining location.


Instead of a dinner menu I was offered a wine list to start and informed that the Bistro is more of buffet of sorts.  A foodie buffet.

My waiter did mention some specials one of which caught my ear.  A filet for $12.  Like a land restaurant the nightly specials don't appear on the menu.   I decided I better try the filet.  For $12 it's all in the name of research.
Having ordered the filet special I was invited to eat from the buffet as if I had not ordered an extra cost item.  
The Bistro is a collection of small items that you are free to pick as many of one, or a selection of many,  as you see fit.  



 


There is also a pasta station where you can pick your ingredients and have them make a unique pasta entree.  



A salad station offers different types of salads to pick from.

My 'appetizer' tonight.  Mixed Salad, Chicken Kabob and Kofta.

By this point the sun had set and the beautiful art of the Solarium was illuminated with ever changing colors.  Quite mesmerizing to watch.  

Perhaps it was the wine, but it is a very unique and nice dining venue that really struck a chord with me.

Very quickly my filet arrived.

Cooked just as I requested and very good.  Yum.
Time for dessert.


O. M. G.  
I would have taken pictures of dessert but I found myself diving into the wonderful flavors.  The Baklava really was good.  So were the two other dessert items I managed to eat.  Three desserts?  I don't normally do that but they were so good.
I wish I had found the Solarium Bistro earlier in the cruise.  While I'm not a foodie by nature the Kofta and Chicken Kabobs were really good as an appetizer.  I would gladly pay the $12 for the filet again.  Dessert - just wow.  
Between the ambiance of the venue itself and the food offered it was a highlight meal of the cruise for me.

Day 11 - Last Sea Day
Sometime around 4:30pm I was in Central Park having a glass of wine when the sky caught my eye.  Have I mentioned I love Central park?

I saw the early signs of a sunset so I headed up to the Solarium.
The Solarium Bar is back open!


When sailing into the sunset the Solarium is a pretty great location to take it in.


I was joined by several sunset enthusiasts tonight.


It was really kind of special.  Our last sunset in the Atlantic before making Port Canaveral tomorrow for Symphony of the Seas first ever U.S. port of call.

What's the no-elevator-rule?
Have you met twangster yet? If you do please take a photo of him, would love to see him in person!

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?

Since Royal has ended it's relationship with Michael Schwartz the menu at 150 Central Park will be different going forward.  
While I didn't eat there this cruise, I saw the menus in the lounge and I am including them here along with the Jamie's Italian since that menu varies slightly ship to ship.


Wine list


Desert Menu



Jamie's Italian - Dinner Menu

 

Late night nightclub - RED in Studio B



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

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.

Our crew cabins are on Deck 1. As shop staff, I share a cabin with one of my fellow shoppees! Yes, the higher rank you are, the better cabin you will have. The captain has a very nice cabin, in which his wife will occasionally stay in as well.
We can be working up to 14 hours on a sea-day and up to 6-8 hours on a port day, and yes we work everyday.
I plan on posting a lot of content of the crew areas on my Facebook page, so make sure to 'like' me. Search for: ChrisWongVlogs

If you stay in a Boardwalk balcony cabin you get the soda package including a Freestyle cup and a one time coupon for a meal at JR for four.  
Just buying a soda package in any other cabin does not include the meal at JR.  

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.