Mrs. Regular

Good morning from the Windjammie! Unfortunately in cold weather climates the seating area inside is too small for a nearly full ship if you get here any time after 7:30 a.m. You have to stalk and hover for an empty table or take your plate outside or to another area of the ship. 
 

Several of us are suffering from tummy discomfort due to jet lag and general adjustment to cruise food. Overall the food has been fine but we are only in the morning on day 3 and we are already getting tired of it. Luckily we have opportunity to eat in port the next three days. No one is going hungry or complaining. If you went to college in the US any time after 1995 you may be familiar with the buffet style dining halls that are often billed as “all you care to enjoy.” I usually refer to it as “more than you care to enjoy” and that’s where we’re at. Paired with some increased rocking and rolling I think we are all ready to get into port this afternoon!

We will arrive in Sitka around 12:30. My sister, Mr. Regular, and I have the bike and hike scheduled and our parents are going to hang around town.

Good morning from the inside passage. Cloudy/overcast when I got up but it’s clearing up. Last night we went up to the Starquest lounge to take in the views and then passed out because, jet lag. 
 

My sister and I went to the gym this morning, she took a nice but uninspiring yoga class and I did my own workout with dumbbells and then a treadmill walk. We are spending this sea day hanging out and taking it easy, probably doing some trivia and taking in the views. It’s formal night and the first production show Now and Forever. I’m always here for a Broadway review show!

4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

UGH.  Flying across the country is hard enough without the added stress of one of your party missing their flight !  Your FIL should know better !!  Glad you made it without incident.

I think he felt the worst out of all of us. Lessons were learned that day!

A bonus surprise, kettle with instant coffee, tea, and all the fixings in regular staterooms. What a treat!

we are in aft balcony on deck 8. The ship is showing her age but the crew couldn’t be lovelier and friendlier!

Greetings from Canada Place! Embarkation was a long winding road but we all made it on. My MIL got a wheelchair and the lovely port staff fast tracked her and my FIL through security, customs, check in and they are comfortably hanging out in their stateroom while we are enjoying Windjammie lunch from the back dining area watching the sea planes go by. It’s the most beautiful day in Vancouver!

Our aft balcony room is ready and waiting for us! See ya for sail away!

Good morning from Vancouver! Long travel day yesterday so I decided to go to bed and post an update when the jet lag set in. Ultimately, we all made it, but we did not get off to a good start. Here's what happened:

The morning started off fine. Mr. Regular and I got up and packed the car. As we were about to get going to pick up my mom, my FIL called. This normally wouldn't be cause for concern except for the fact he and MIL were supposed to be on an airplane at the time. Sadly, he was calling because they missed their flight. Apparently they made it to bag drop just fine, but FIL grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to get through security at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning. We love him, but the hubris of a private pilot flying commercial is tough to fight. Luckily they were rebooked but that meant instead of landing in Vancouver at noon local time they were now going to arrive at 9 p.m. local time. They decided to stay at the airport in the lounge until their next flight and they did land in Vancouver right on time last night.

Meanwhile, I was losing my mind in the car because I hate the drive to NYC. We regularly drive to NYC but usually not on such a high stakes deadline like the only direct flight across the continent. We left with 6 hours to spare but the drive to Newark was awful. It usually is but I think my anxiety was just so heightened. I am so glad we aren't flying to our next cruise, lol. We made it to Newark two hours before boarding. We parked at the exact opposite end of the airport so it took about 25 minutes to get to the terminal and luckily bag drop and security were very slow. We got to our gate area with 30 minutes to spare, which is not my preferred arrival time but it all worked out. 

Smiling through the stress.

Our flight was smooth and uneventful, we landed in Vancouver and decided to rent a car instead of coordinating multiple ride shares and we wanted to return to the airport later to pick up the in-laws. After such a long and stressful day for them, we wanted to make it as easy as possible to get to the hotel. We went through customs, picked up our luggage, got the car, and checked into our hotel. We are at the Wall Centre Sheraton downtown. Highly recommend this place, it's very nice and the location is fantastic. We are LOVING the city of Vancouver and I wish we could have come out a day or two earlier to explore more. It's beautiful here. We ate a delicious dinner at Earl's Test Kitchen, then went back to collect the in-laws after they arrived. After a quick stop at wine store to get our carryon wines, we collapsed into bed. 

I expected jet lag to have me up at 3 a.m. local time but the events of the travel day helped me stay asleep until about 5:30. Now all we have to do is look forward to boarding the ship in a few hours!

Here are some views of the descent into Vancouver, with Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) in the distance. Next stop, Brilliance!

Just a little over 24 hours to go before we board our plane from NJ to Vancouver! Weather in the NE is terrible today but it looks like everything should be clearing up tomorrow. My travel anxiety will continue to be high until wheels are down in Vancouver but oh well. That's what cocktails are for, right?

We are packing away! It seems like we can get by with 1 checked bag, 1 rollaboard, and 2 backpacks between Mr. Regular and me. I keep reminding my mom, who has never packed light in her life, that her checked bag can't weigh over 50 pounds and she keeps buying bigger and bigger suitcases  but that will be her problem to have a bag check tomorrow, I guess.

Can't wait to add another mug and magnet to the collection!

I have a long list of housework, errands, and chores to tackle today. Oh, and doing my full time job too. Will check in from travel tomorrow!

It's not an option on my Brilliance sailing. Specialty dining is more limited on smaller ships so I wonder if that's why? We do have the option for 3 night dining and ultimate dining packages though. 

17 hours ago, skywalk640 said:

Being able to drive to the port and not having to fly is such a gamechanger, especially with how inconsistent flights have become. It's not just the money, but the peace of mind that makes it an appealing option even with more limited itineraries. Good luck with packing!

AMEN TO THAT! 

BIG NEWS! we get to add "visit the next cruise desk" to my embarkation day agenda. Last night I somehow convinced Mr. Reg to book a Symphony 7 Night Bahamas and Perfect Day out of NJ. Don't ask me how, don't ask me why, just ask me when, lol. I think it's because when pricing a 5-day Disney trip vs. a 4 night Utopia cruise vs not flying anywhere and doing 7 nights on Symphony, the money spoke for itself! I'm letting my Disney AP lapse since I don't anticipate being able to go much over the next year (I logged 17 days on my current AP but my circumstances, sadly, are changing). I still need to look a little closely at when the current promotion expires and if a different promotion takes effect on Sunday and if it's better or not as great. If it's not as great, getting $100 or whatever in onboard credit (that's usually what you get for a balcony) and a reduce deposit at Next Cruise is not really worth waiting for and I'll just ask my TA to book it before we go. We are looking at September 22-29, so I know it's a bit of a calculated risk weather wise with hurricane season but honestly we aren't in it for the itinerary as we've done it before and been to Perfect Day twice. It's all about that ship for me. Do they still give a gift for booking at Next Cruise on embarkation day?

Anyway, back to the cruise at hand (one cruise at a time, as my TA likes to say!). We are t-minus 6 days! The packing has started, the last minute bookings have been made, planning for pre-embarkation brunch in Vancouver is solidified, and the weather is looking pretty ok for traveling on Saturday (so far). Photos of packing and suitcases and backpacks, etc. to come later this week. Of course our daughter is moving out of college early now so she needs allllll the suitcases  and I told her she must empty our brand new one no later than Thursday. Mama needs to get packin!

On 5/1/2024 at 9:32 AM, OCSC Mike said:

Dunno if it's important based on your listed excursions (or if this is included under the above) but we found froggtogg waterproof pants very useful... however we also did 10 days on land pre-cruise, a glacier hike, dog sledding up on a mountain glacier, etc. so we used them more for being on the ice/snow than for rain, although they worked for both of course. They fit right over your jeans/hiking shoes.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep an eye on it and run down to EMS just in case. We are now adding a bike and hike in Sitka and it could or could not rain at all, just depends. 

On 5/3/2024 at 12:54 PM, DDaley said:

I gotta say, my step Husky is the best dog I’ve ever owned and he seriously doesn’t take a lot of maintenance! He gets groomed 3 times a year and otherwise I brush him randomly (maybe like every 3 months?) when he looks a little fluffy. He is the calmest and sweetest boy. On walks everyone is barking and going absolutely apes%&* when they see us and we just trot right by smiling! 

Your Alaskan packing list sounds perfect! Happy to see binoculars made the cut, I spied on a treetop filled with 4 eagles with mine! If you can squeeze a mini one in, I’d recommend an umbrella too. 

I hear you on the grooming, my lab gets a bath and nails once a month but she sheds from December to July, and then from August to November LOL! 

We do have umbrellas!

Packing! Packing! Packing!

Thanks to the internet, I've found a ton of helpful information about preparing for an Alaska cruise. Between RCB and YouTube, there's so much out there. If there's one thing to remember, it's that layers are key. Here in the northeast, we are no strangers to varying weather conditions from March to May (and sometimes June)! My drawers are a mix of sweaters, fleece, light weight blouses, and cardigans. So, all of that will be coming with me, hahahah! I just returned from a long weekend at Disney World, so much of my travel toiletries and bits and bobs are already in the carryon suitcase. We will be checking 3 bags and using carryons and backpacks for onboard the plane.

So far, here is the list!

Clothing - for all weather! Jeans, leggings, sweaters, "fancy" dresses for formal night and Chops, swimwear for hot tub time, gym clothes

Outerwear - for all weather, but mostly chilly! I plan to bring a puffy vest, base layer, fleece jacket, water proof outer shell, knit hat, gloves, sneakers, sunglasses, and waterproof hiking shoes.

Games, books, etc, for sea days. We are on northeast time and with the sunlight going from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., we anticipate being awake a lot this week and needing something to do in addition to gazing at the incredible scenery.

Alaska or cruise specific items - binoculars, bonine, hand warmers, magnetic hooks, cruise lanyards, luggage tag holders, reusable water bottles, bottles of wine (bought in Vancouver)

Anything else you would recommend adding to the list? I'm going to get a start on packing over the weekend. 11 days to go!

On 4/25/2024 at 4:06 PM, Ampurp85 said:

I am doing my first Alaskan cruise this Sept on Quantum. I too normally cruise regular. We are in Interior VB and have excursions planned for 3/4 ports. So, I am looking forward to this blog. 

I've sailed on the Anthem before so if you have any Q class questions, let me know. I'm so excited to explore the ports!

On 4/25/2024 at 12:52 PM, skywalk640 said:

Alaska is amazing, went in 2017 and it's still my favorite vacation/cruise. The White Pass Railroad is a great excursion, definitely one of the highlights for my family. Enjoy this trip!

We are so excited for that one, and even though we dock in Haines there is time to explore Skagway a bit before getting the ferry back.

On 4/25/2024 at 9:42 AM, OCSC Mike said:

I never even considered Alaska but my wife did and spent a year planning (with an outside company) what turned out to be a bucket list type extravagant 18-day land/sea trip in 2018. It cost a small fortune (especially given that we normally just drive to PC for 7N's in the Caribbean in an interior) but it was the best trip we've ever taken. I've been thanking her for making me go ever since. Enjoy!

Sounds incredible. I wish we were able to take more time to do a land and sea situation. Hopefully next time!

On 4/25/2024 at 9:33 AM, melmar02 said:

We loved Alaska (even with the kids). I think it would be magical without them though, and you are in for a treat!

With our without our kids we always have a great time cruising!

On 4/25/2024 at 1:47 AM, Sweety said:

I love Alaska. You are going to be for a treat. Love the dog musher's excursion. Hubby always warn me, "We are not buying a husky." They are so cute. Wait until you see the eagles and whales. Beautiful. I will be following.

We LOVE dogs and I am so excited to get to cuddle puppies. I admire Huskers from a distance, we are Lab people. Still work but a lot less maintenance! 

On 4/24/2024 at 11:21 PM, JohnK6404 said:

Have a great time!  

Thank you!

Greetings, RC Blog friends! It's me, Mrs. Regular, back again for another blog. This year we are leaving the Regular kiddos at home and making it an extended family affair! Follow along for preparations, travel, and semi-live updates from the Brilliance of the Seas!

Background Info

Picture it... Sicily, 1929... Just kidding. I'm in my Golden Girls era so I often channel Sofia when I begin telling a story. Picture it... my living room, November 2022. Alaska 2024 deployment would be announced and bookings opened within a few days. We already had cruised in the Mediterranean, cruised from NYC down to the Bahamas, and were booked for summer 2023 on the Mariner of the Seas for my 40th birthday. Generally we are a "one cruise at a time" kind of family but something struck me about the 2024 Alaska deployment that just felt.... right. Like it was the exact right time for Mr. Regular and I do book something for ourselves. A treat. A reprieve. Alaska has been on our bucket list for a long time and at first glance when bookings became available, the price was pretty good. I knew I couldn't just book something without speaking with him first, so I laid out all the benefits and trade-offs (small ship! leaving from Vancouver! Aft balcony! I just got a pretty sizable raise so I will foot the bill! He saw no tradeoffs, lol), and got his ok to contact the travel agent. YES! It was so early in the deployment I got to hand pick our room and with over 600 days to go, we started planning and researching.

Eventually, our other extended family (mainly our parents) caught wind of our plans. We scheduled a mid-May itinerary for a few reasons, one of the best being our kids wouldn't be able to go. I know, we are Regular mean parents. But also because the likelihood of the ship being overrun by school kids would be lower. We love kids, we have two, we have kids in our family and extended friends group. There's nothing wrong with kids. But, we loved our experience cruising during a non-break time. The last two cruises we've taken have been with our kids during school breaks and they have been vastly different experiences. Not bad, but different. We wanted to return to those non-break vibes. But this time in Alaska. Anyway, our parents wanted to tag along and we were ok with that. Getting my sister to come rounds out our merry group of 6!

The Intergenerational Regular Family Tree

Me, Mrs. Regular. 40 years old. Working at a university full time and full time PhD student. I am finishing up coursework and successfully defended my proposal last month. This itinerary falls over the one break I have between spring and summer terms. I have been on 3 RC cruises and will reach Emerald on this cruise.

Husband, Mr. Regular. 45 years old. Working at the same university and teaches snow sports on the side. He is bummed there will be no skiing or snowboarding while visiting Vancouver or Alaska. Has been on the same cruises as me and will reach Emerald.

Regular Mom. My mother! 70 years young. Doesn't travel much, retired 3rd grade teacher. Has always wanted to go to Alaska. Will be her first cruise.

Regular Sister. My sis! My best friend. 38 years old, never cruised before. Just there to show up and have fun!

Regular Father-in-Law. Mr. Regular's dad. 79 years old, has cruised once before from FL. Certified renaissance man, he is an acrobatic pilot, flight instructor, motorcycle racer, and welder. Ran a multi-million dollar business but never earned a bachelor's degree. He is just so cool.

Regular Mother-in Law. Mr. Regular's mom. 84 years old, has cruised once before from FL. Recovering from a mild stroke in January, she is a remarkable person. She's improved so much in 4 months mobility and speech wise. She's still sharp as a tack but just a little slower than before. In her 80's but acts not a day over 60. 

Why are we "regular people"?

My username and the name of my cruise blogs came out of an observation that post-COVID restart, most people in the RC Blogs were taking their "revenge" travel trips and there was a run for a while of suites only travel blogs. No shade to the "suite snobs" out there or to those who are blessed enough to cruise frequently at the premium of a suite. But, while I am still fairly new to cruising I wanted to read more from perspectives that didn't go for all the extras or bells and whistles. Thus, "regular people cruising" was born! Not only do we not tend to travel in suites with the amenities, we also don't splurge on other luxuries like drink packages, unlimited dining, spa treatments, a lot of excursions, etc. Now, this will change a little bit this trip because I think Alaska affords some special opportunities.

Our Itinerary

My in-laws are flying in on their own schedule, but mom, Husband, Sis, and I are all traveling together from NJ on a direct flight to Vancouver on the 11th. Crossing fingers for smooth travels! We are all staying at the Sheraton downtown and will get brunch on the 12th before heading to Canada place to board our ship!

Day 1 - Vancouver

Day 2 - Inside Passage/At Sea

Day 3 - Sitka in the afternoon. No plans other than walking around port and maybe going to the totem poles

Day 4 -Juneau. Mom, Sis, Husband and I have the dog musher's camp excursion in the morning. Regular in-laws may or may not get off the ship, much will depend on how MIL is doing. She can do activities in small bursts but then needs time to sleep and recover. We will be done at the camp by 1 but the ship is in port until 7 p.m. so I am sure some sub-group of us will explore Juneau a bit. This night Husband and I have date night at Chops.

Day 5 - Haines. We all have the White Pass Railroad excursion booked through RC. Most looking forward to this one!

Day 6 - Tracey Arm and glacier viewing/At Sea

Day 7 - Inside Passage/At sea

Day 8 - Vancouver. The Regular In-Laws are staying at a hotel on Vancouver Island to relax for a few days and traveling home later in the week. The rest of us have a red-eye back to NJ. We will look into storing luggage somewhere and taking a tour around Vancouver before heading to the airport.

Next Update: Packing! Packing! Packing!

I have iPhone and can't login with the password I haven't changed in a year but the error message says my pw is not correct 

Update: changed my pw and that actually worked. ugh.

3 hours ago, twangster said:

The question they are asking is... If Voom was included would more people book a suite on these older ships?

Probably not.  So they don't offer it. 

There is little reason to offer something that will reduce revenue while not motivating people to step up to a suite.  The demographic that books suites on the older ships is going to book suites on the older ships with or without Voom included.  

I agree, and for that matter we would just remain in our current cabin and buy The Key instead. For where we are at in our cruise journey and trying to build loyalty status, the investment in suite class to get to Diamond quicker by earning double points is the true draw right now. Any other perks are nice to have but we don't need to have them. On large ships, I think we would consider it.

Thanks, all. This helps a lot! I need to read the fine print better and thankful to this community for your help and insight!

Just now, smokeybandit said:

You would not get double points for a royal up since points are always based on the original booking.

So I think you talked yourself out of it already.

Well that's a reason right there! Yeesh. Thanks for sharing that!

I am sailing on the Brilliance to Alaska in May. Royal Up email appeared in my inbox yesterday. Minimum bids for Jr. Suite through 1 and 2 bedroom Grand Suites aren't that bad per person. We have an aft balcony room so I'm not very interested in giving up that view but I could bid a reasonable amount on a grand suite... Ugh. So torn. I know there's not a guarantee at all.

On a larger class ship I would do it but being unfamiliar with sky class suite class benefits on a Radiance class ship I'm not sure there's much benefit beyond double C&A points (we will reach Emerald on this cruise and we're still building toward status that actually pays off, so that might be a pro) and wifi included. We already have all our plans settled so I'm not sure we'd need the concierge. The happy hour in the suite lounge seems ok but we are traveling with family in other rooms who wouldn't be able to enjoy it. Anyone have thoughts on taking the gamble?

We sailed on her for our honeymoon in 2017 in Europe and had a fantastic time. Yes she's small, but if you aren't into all the modern bells and whistles of an Oasis or even Voyager class it's a lovely, low key time. We had a port intensive itinerary with only two sea days, but the time we spent on the ship was so nice and the crew is outstanding. Husband just asked if we could go back on her but I'm gunning for the Symphony next, lol.

Wrap Up Thoughts!

Again, these are our thoughts based on how we live life, vacation, and worldview. You may agree, you may disagree, AND THAT IS OK! Once again for context - we take big vacations with the kids sparsely, this was our third cruise overall, we have only cruised with Royal Caribbean, and we don't tend to do a lot of fancy things but will treat ourselves once in a while. With that being said, here are our takeaways about the Mariner of the Seas 6 Night Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day cruise:

• We love Coco Beach and the Space Coast. If we ever cruise out of Canaveral again (and we will, just not for a while), I want to come down 2-3 days early or stay a few days after to enjoy the beach town life. We adored Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Coco Beach, and still need to tour Kennedy Space Center. 
• Voyager Class Ships are a great fit for us! We previously sailed on the Rhapsody and Anthem, and we felt like if our family was Goldilocks this class of ship is juuuuuust right! Not too big and not too small, the venues were well spaced out (except for deck 3), the ship was essentially sold out but venues never felt overcrowded and queues for food or activities like waterslides moved at a reasonable pace. The ship was easy to navigate but felt large enough that there was so much to keep us busy. I'd be happy to sail any other ships in this class again, and sometimes Adventure ports in NJ!
• The changes to crew responsibilities, schedule, and dining operations have had negative impacts on service. THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE CREW THEMSELVES. Every singe crew member we encountered on this ship was engaged in their work and we knew they wanted to do a good job to please the guests. It was obvious, though, that the level of service we have experienced on previous sailings before the changes (e.g., cabin service 2x a day, old menus, more crew available) is no longer there because crew are stretched too thin. They didn't have time to engage with us, get to know us, or even have more than a 30 second conversation. It all felt..... transactional at best. It felt like they could no longer go out of their way to help. For example, I was in the Windjammie looking for a banana and asked a crew member, Randy (WHO IS AWESOME), if there were any available because I couldn't find one. He said he'd go look in the pantry for me. While I was waiting, I heard his supervisor looking for him and another crew told him he was in the kitchen looking for something for a guest (me). The supervisor seemed annoyed with this and very curtly said "well tell him to call me." I almost spoke up to tell him how much I appreciated Randy taking the time to help me out, but the supervisor quickly turned on his heel and left to do something else. Randy returned with a banana for me and I really wish I had a dollar or two to show my appreciation. I did give him a shoutout in the post-cruise survey. We experienced this a couple other times, too, that it seemed like all crew have their "track" and they can't stray from it. Obviously I wouldn't ask housekeeping to bring me a banana in the Windjammie, but geesh I didn't think asking a food & beverage crew about food and beverage would be an issue. Even the kids, who don't get waited on at home and don't expect it elsewhere, remarked they felt the service was different and not in a good way from our Anthem cruise, which was sad.
• We will not do another summertime cruise for a long time. This is just timing and preferences, and if my birthday was any other time of year we wouldn't have cruised in July. We prefer to go to warm climates when it's less humid and less crowded.
• Labadee is the best! After doing Perfect Day twice, we all agreed Labadee was the best out of the two. We treated ourselves to a bungalow when it was at a sale price I couldn't refuse, and it was worth every penny! We had a wonderful experience here, the natural beauty of Columbus Cove, the fun activities and excursions, and the service were excellent. I know some folx don't love the food, and I get why, but I actually thought the food was very good and better than what was in the Windjammie.
• We are over the deluxe beverage package for now. While we definitely got the best bang for our buck on this itinerary (only Puerto Plata was non-Royal affiliated), Mr. Regular and I agreed we'd be fine with paying out of pocket for alcohol in the future. We did try some fun new cocktails but by and large we stuck with coffees, sodas, waters, and drinks included with the cruise fare. We are doing Alaska next (YAY!!!) and decided at most we would get Refreshment packages or the coffee cards and carry on wine and Prosecco. 
• Starlink internet was great. I know there's been mixed reviews that vary by ship. We had Voom surf and it was much faster and more reliable than when we were on Anthem in 2022. We used the app to message each other and it worked great, too, just really wish there were push notifications! I also thought the internet worked at Labadee but we couldn't get it.

Well, that's all folx! We are now 10 months from our next sailing in ALASKA on the Brilliance of the Seas next May! It will be Mr. Regular, me, my mother and sister, and the Regular In-Laws. Thanks for reading along!!!

Hit another snag in finishing up this blog. A few snags, actually! When we last left off our flight had been delayed only a few hours. Well, fast forward to nearly 7 hours later (say it in your head with the Sponge Bob accent, it's fun!) and we were still in Terminal C waiting. A series of unfortunate events with air traffic, weather in both DC and MCO (our plane to Central NY was coming from Regan), and crew/staffing problems caused by hours and hours of delays meant we spent a bonus night in Orlando. Ranting about the airline's decision to continuously delay us nearly 24 hours and then not assist customers with overnight accommodations is outside the scope of this blog, but it was frustrating to say the least and I'm thankful I never travel without trip insurance. I still got home in time to spend my 40th with Shania Twain, though! 

Then Sunday, Mr. Regular discovered he came home with an unwanted souvenir, if you get my drift. He was feeling a little "off" and chilly on the plane Saturday, which is unusual because this man is NEVER cold, but I chalked it up to a week's worth of vacation, alcohol, restaurant food, lack of sleep, and eating exactly 3 vegetables. Sadly, he spiked a fever Sunday and we confirmed a certain virus followed him home. Luckily, the kids and I are ok! Hopefully he's starting to feel better this morning.

So anyway, that was our adventure filled end to our cruise vacation. Wrap up thoughts to come!

Day 6 - Coco Cay

Our last day of the cruise was at Coco Cay. We have been here once before and had a Beach Bed on Breezy Bay, which we booked again for this time. We really like the Breezy Bay location and the space a Day bed affords, but I don't know if we will reserve one again next time. Unfortunately, the weather was not perfect when we arrived. We docked at 7 a.m. and I was off the ship almost as soon as it cleared. I was going to spend EVERY AVAILABLE MINUTE at that bed come rain or come shine. There were some scattered rain showers in the forecast, but I wasn't concerned. Well, I should have been. I checked into the bed and just about 15 minutes later the thunder rolled. From about 9-10:30 a super intense cell of thunder storms blew in. I was surprised we weren't directed to take shelter in Chill Grill, just instructed to stay out of the water due to the lightning. Once it passed, the rest of the day was sunny and warm. 

I stayed at the bed pretty much all day long, the rest of the fam went to do Swimming with Pigs. They said it was cute and had fun but definitely a one-and-done experience. Unlike the monkey encounter experience at Puerto Plata, it was apparent this excursion is about profiting off the animals. Mr. R. said he could really tell the pigs are not very well taken care of and are forced to stay in the water for the sake of taking photos they pressure you to buy. I am NOT about that, and am glad I didn't go. My SK's love animals and that's why they wanted to do it. We live near several farms, I can get my pig fix at home, lol.

We stayed at the bed, floated in the water, and got yummy food from Snack Shack until it was time to pack up and head back to the ship. What a sad walk that is. So, while we do love the beach bed, when we go to Coco Cay again I think we will just get chairs under umbrellas adjacent to the beach beds. We felt tethered to the bed because we paid for it (not much, but still) and didn't explore the island at all. Last trip we had a bed and did the water park so we also didn't do anything else that trip. We would do more in the pool, look at the other beaches, and play the games there next time. We still had a lovely day!

We left around 4 pm and got ready for our last dinner onboard. It was pretty good, but again we just didn't feel the connection with our wait staff this time and saying good-bye didn't feel as bittersweet as it has in the past. After dinner, we went to trivia, the farewell show called Center Stage, and then saw the first half of The Quest. We just don't get the appeal of The Quest, but I understand why so many love it. Maybe we were too sober? Maybe it's because my career is in higher education so I don't love this kind of college behavior while I'm on my vacation? We tried, but it isn't for us.

This morning disembarkation went very smoothly. We were out of our rooms at 7:45 and got a quick bite in the Windjammie. We were off the ship around 8:30 and through customs, and got on our GoPort shuttle before 9. Arrived at MCO in time for several delays, including the most recent one that now has us arriving home at 9:30 p.m. I suppose there are worse things that could happen.

Final thoughts, food reviews, and more pics to come in the following days. I officially turn 40 tomorrow and celebrating by going to Shania Twain with my girl squad!

Day 5 - A Day at Sea

We did a whole lot of.... NOTHING today, and it was great. Mr. Regular and I had hoped to get to the Solarium really early to get a day bed. We arrived at 7 am and all of them were taken. It looked like some folx slept there overnight to hold one for their party. That's dedication. We got 4 chairs next to each other looking over the sea and spent the morning there relaxing, reading, eating, and drinking. At 11:30 we did the escape room, which was pretty cool. I don't love the $35 per person fee, but what can you do. I am not as into puzzles and games as the rest of my family but they had fun and it was cool to be in the space and do it once.

We got some lunch at the Windjammie after that and hit the water slides in the afternoon. I had wanted to go to BINGO but seats were all taken 45 minutes early. I pivoted and went to catch the last bit of the ice show and then Boy Band trivia in the Schooner Bar. That was a hoot! I got some video of the whole bar singing Backtreet Boys, it was great.

Why does time fly on a sea day? Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner. It was the second formal night and felt odd without the Royal menu. We all felt pretty ambivalent about the new menus, everything was tasty and hot when it came out but we missed the Classics and we felt the pressure on the staff to get guests in and out of dinner within 60-75 minutes made for some disjointed communication and service. We didn't get to know our wait staff how we like to and felt our interactions with them were short because they had lots of tables to take care of. 

After dinner, we did some more trivia and then saw the A Night with Adele headlining show. Amy Jo was amazing! I liked that she can sing Adele's material in a very confident and commanding way but she still sounds like herself and not trying to be an Adele impersonator.

We had been taking full advantage of our beverage service and I knew the time was ripe to get Mr. Regular on the dance floor at the 80's party. This was fun, too, and should be longer! There's only time for a couple songs and by the time you get into it the party wraps up. Nevertheless, we both had a great time rocking out to the tunes from our childhood.

A very relaxing sea day, just as the good Lord intended. Tomorrow, a (fairly) Perfect Day at Coco Cay!

Ok, I had to take a pause from live updates due to some extreme sea sickness on night 4 (more on that later) and fighting with teenagers for access to the internet we were "sharing." I should have just changed the pin code on her until I didn't need it anymore  live and learn. We debarked this morning and have been at MCO for a few hours because SK 2 had an earlier flight than the rest of us and now we have just been delayed 2 hours so here I sit in Terminal C, finishing my blog.

When we last left off, we had just docked in Labadee. After a quick Windjammie breakfast we got off the ship and were at our Bungalow on Columbus Cove by 9:15 a.m. We got checked in and met our attendant, Lamy, and enjoyed the view of the ship and calm, cool water until it was time to go Ziplining at 11! Lamy called "the limo" (a small golf cart for bungalows and cabana guests) to take us to the excursion spot. We got harnessed up, watched the safety video, and then hit the warm up run. The wind was picking up so our guides were really flying us through the basics so we could be sure to get the real deal done. This was such a fun experience, and I would highly recommend. I'd do it again in a second!

I had forgotten to pack a couple necessities in my beach bag, so after Ziplining was over I briefly went back to the ship and then spent the rest of the afternoon luxuriating in the water and drinking Labadizzles (as we called them the more we drank). We absolutely adored our bungalow and our time at Labadee. It was hot, but we had shade, drink service, floating mats, and a peaceful spot to enjoy each other's company. The natural beauty of Haiti was stunning. I think this was easily my favorite day until...

Rough seas. I can be sensitive to motion especially in the car or on the bus if I am looking at a screen or reading (which is why I binge podcasts when traveling!) but I usually don't get bothered on cruises. Except this night! During dinner I could tell something was off. I ate my meal just fine, but I knew I had to go back to my cabin and not come back out until conditions improved. The captain announced some thunder storms nearby were making the seas pretty unstable with 10 ft. swells that definitely made the ship rock and roll to the point I wasn't sure I would make it. I took Bonine, got some ginger ale, and laid down in the room. Sadly this meant I would miss our post-dinner trivia and all the July 4th celebrations. My family enjoyed the balloon drop on the Royal Promenade and I could hear the music from our stateroom. Luckily the captain announced conditions would improve greatly by midnight and they did. When I woke up the next morning I was back to normal. 

Day 5 coming next, but first some pics from Labadee!