donalk

This is perhaps a timely review following Matt's Brilliance cruise at the weekend. He has posted great pics of a post refurb Radiance class ship, here's a look at one that remains "as is". This is also a mirror of the itinerary Matt did in 2013, but in reverse order, so from the outset, I must acknowledge that his observations were important in how we approached our cruise. Cruise Critic members may recognise this, I posted much of this over there under my CC user name 'madra2112;.
 
The background. My wife celebrated a significant birthday in October. Obviously a gentleman doesn't reveal a lady's age, suffice it to say I'm 51 and she's a bit younger!
 
Our roles when it comes to cruising are reasonably well laid out. I plan, book, research, listen to the podcast, read and post here and on Cruise Critic, prepare folders and action plans, fill in ESTA forms, renew the travel insurance and draw up a timetable of excursions.
 
She lives in the real world, and enjoys the cruise when the time comes.
 
This time, I was adamant that she should be centrally involved in the planning, as this was her birthday cruise, and in late 2014, started asking her what she wanted to do. Her response was very succinct. "I want to go to Barbados, and you work away after that".
 
Fair enough, and with that in mind, the research started.
 
When Jewel came up as an option, I was drawn to it immediately. The Radiance class seems to have a particular place in the hearts of the Royal community, and Matt had written and podcasted very positively on his experience on that route. I was also intrigued by San Juan, and the more I had heard of it, the more it struck me as a place I wanted to visit.
 
And so, the planning began. Surf the net, listen to back episodes of the podcast, confirm the decision, book the cruise. I also looked very carefully at Celebrity Summit, which had an almost identical itinerary. However, Matt's Jewel review swayed it, and by the end of last year, Jewel was booked for the first week in November, visiting Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten and St Croix.
 
Months turned into weeks, weeks into days, and suddenly, it was the last day of work before the break. I work as a journalist, and was scanning the Irish Daily Mail, when my eye was drawn to an article about the traits and characteristics that define a gentleman. The last column is........interesting!
 

 
However, the next day, after an overnight stay in the Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport, we flew via JFK to.........San Juan, Puerto Rico!
 
One very handy aspect of flying from Dublin is there is a US Customs centre in Dublin airport, the idea being that you clear immigration and security before travelling.
 

 
The formidable gentleman processing us questioned us about our plans, as soon as we mentioned cruising, it emerged he has 20+ RCI cruises under his belt, and was heading for Venice to catch Splendour the following week. 
 
In the unlikely event that he's reading this, I hope you had a wonderful cruise my friend!
 
We flew Aer Lingus into JFK, landing just ahead of schedule. Aer Lingus has a special partnership deal with Jet Blue, which meant we had one ticket, we were issued Jet Blue boarding passes in Dublin, and our luggage was checked straight through from Dublin to San Juan.
 
We had been offered two options when booking. One was a Jet Blue flight to SJ an hour after we landed in JFK, the other was a 4.5 hour layover. o be safe and sure, we chose the longer stop. When we landed, we were off the plane at 1.30pm we checked the boards, walked to the gate where the 2.20pm San Juan was showing, to find they hadn't started boarding yet. 
 
However, we waited, read books, explored Terminal 5 and spend some time 'Up on the Roof'.
 

 
And so, after a relatively relaxing day in the air, we landed in San Juan and were whisked to the Hotel Miramar. 
 
The next morning, I got up and walked around the Condada Lagoon and the South Eastern tip of Old San Juan. Beautiful. Already, I was convinced we'd done the right thing.
 

 

 

Love these posts! 
 
Thank you for posting all the info and photos.
 
I've eaten at that same Ben & Jerry's in San Juan to escape the heat.  Sometimes, you just need ice cream.

I left her to it and went off to explore. I ended up on Deck 13, watching the planes take off from the small airport beside the pier.
 

 
Then, the announcement was made around the ship that cabins were ready, so we went down to Deck 8 and found our E2 Balcony 8638. Everything was fine and our cases were there so we unpacked, stashed the cases and went up to Windjammer for lunch.  
 
That was when we realised the extent of the outdoor seating on Jewel, as I said, it was our first experience of a Radiance class. It seemed to me that the selection in this Windjammer was not as extensive as those on other ships, but finding a seat was never an issue, and that was a major plus.
 
As we sat outside, right at the back, Pauline said "Can we just stay on this ship from now on?" Now I understand the widespread affection for the Radiance class ships.
 

 
We had a relaxing afternoon onboard, and made a My Time Dining reservation in the Tides Dining Room for 6.15. Before that, we had a roll call meet up at the Sky Bar, during which we  met Blanche and Michael, another couple we would be spending some time with over the course of the week.
 
At dinner, we sat with Bruce and Pris, another interesting and amiable couple. That was a feature of the week, chatting with different people every day, it seems to me that Jewel was the friendliest ship on which we've sailed.
 
Then it was muster drill, and up on deck for sailaway.
 
An interesting sailaway indeed, watching the city at night as we left, contrasting the lights and bustle with the dark solidity as we passed El Morro, ever watchful at the mouth of San Juan harbour.
 
Sailing past Carnival Liberty was interesting - in a sense, we were seeing her six years late! In 2009, we were booked on a Baltic cruise on Carnival Liberty, but they pulled all their ships out of Europe that year, leaving us with a decision to make. Do a Baltic cruise with Holland America, or cancel completely. In the end, we cancelled and cruised the Western Caribbean on Freedom OTS instead.
 
Had Carnival stayed in Europe and we had sailed on Liberty in 2009, what would our sailing pattern be now?
 

 
Back inside for the Welcome Aboard show with John Blair the Cruise Director, his wife Katrina the Activities Manager, and the Jewel OTS Singers and Dancers.
 
I have mixed feelings about John Blair. All CDs have their schtick (Richard Spacey's socks still rank as the most original IMO), and from what I read, John's been at this for longer than most people. He managed to give the impression it was his first cruise and we were the most important people he'd ever met. Professional to the last. Then he did his "I say 'How do you feel' and you shout back 'Great'" thing, before dividing the theatre into a boys against the girls and butchering Sweet Caroline changing 'so good' to 'so great'.
 
Later in the week, he did a Neil Diamond Tribute Show, which at times was very moving and heartfelt, Then, he launched into Sweet Caroline and pulled the same stunt again - John, leave the Cruise Director routine to one side for an hour, it really dragged the show down IMO!.
 
I don't want to say too much, because I know there are people reading this who will be cruising on Jewel soon and will have him on board. I'm also acutely aware that one person's meat is another person's poison, and opinions will be divided.  
 
I will say he's very professional and made me think. Interesting character.
 
Then it was off to bed. Things were looking up, and it seemed a great cruise lay ahead.
 
The next day, I was up walking the decks shortly after dawn, as is my wont.
 
 
 
After a leisurely breakfast, Pauline and I went down to play some morning trivia. We were joined by Judy, who we had met at diner in San Juan, who happened to be passing, and ended up winning by two points!
 
We celebrated by getting all sporty..........well, if it's good enough for Rory Mc Elroy!
 

 
My beloved hammered me, so I found solace and comfort in the arms of another woman.
 

Once again, I awoke early on Sunday morning and strolled around Condado and the fringes of Old San Juan. I was intrigued to see the local stadium, named after the boxer Sixto Escobar was open to the public to come in and walk around.
 

 

 

 
Back to the hotel, sort out the bags, have a quick breakfast on the rooftop terrace and reflect on our 36 hours in Hotel Miramar.
 
Initially, we had booked the Quality Inn El Portal in Condado, but got a message from the site we used (otel.com) to say it was unavailable and Miramar had been reserved for us at the same price. On my walk around Coindado earlier that morning, I found the Quality Inn, and it was clesr why it was cancelled. It was closed, and by the look of dilapidation, had been for some time. By coincidence, we had looked at Miramar as an option, and had no hesitation in accepting it. For many, a hotel in Old San Juan is desirable, and I know the Sheraton there is a favourite among cruisers. However, when you factor in the dollar exchange rate against the euro (which is great for US visitors to Europe, but horrendous from our perspective), and the need for transatlantic flights, savings have to be made anywhere you can get them.
 
It was a very nice hotel, a little off the beaten track, but close enough to OSJ. Each floor has a drinks vending matching, which can  be a little noisy, the 2nd floor had an ice machine which was very loud, and maybe it would be an idea to avoid that floor.
 
At 11.05, we left the hotel room, checked out, and caught a cab from the rank beside the hotel to the Pan American pier, which was no more than two miles away. There were relatively few people there when we arrived. We entered the Platinum and above queue, were at the desk within minutes, presented our documents, got our SeaPass cards, had our photo taken and got onto the ship by 11.30.
 
25 minutes from hotel room to Deck 5. No complaints there!
 

 

 
Pauline and I have a running joke that whenever we board a ship, she's on the pool deck, reading, within an hour. No change there then!
 

 
It wasn't always that quiet!

I then made a detour back towards the city gate. I'd read in a book about La Rogativa, a plaza and sculpture commemorating the night when a British invasion force retreated when the Bishop of San Juan and a group of women marched through the city with torches praying very loudly for the men, who were away fighting. The various accounts I've read differ on how deliberate or calculated this was, but either way, it appears the British took them for Spanish reinforcements and scarpered!
 
I found it, and it was indeed a lovely spot.
 

 
At this stage, being Irish, we're not really used to heat and humidity, and we were getting a little tired.
 
Thankfully, the free tourist trolley arrived, with some free seats this time, so we hopped on and travelled through town as far as La Casita.
 
There we got off, and strolled along the El Malacon boardwalk. Seabourn Odyssey was berthed there, and across the water at the Pan American Pier, Adventure OTS and Celebrity Summit were ready to start their respective week long cruises. Tomorrow, it would be a different ship!
 

 

 

 
We then crossed over to the bus station and caught the M3 back to the hotel. There's a really small patch of sand (beach is too ambitious a word) just on the corner of the bridge a few minutes walk from the hotel, so we headed up there for a quick swim.
 
At this point the heavens opened, but sure, I was wet anyway!
 

 
Then, it was back to the hotel to freshen up, because we had a date! A group of 12 of us from the Cruise Critic roll call had agreed to meet for dinner at Casa Dante in Isla Verde. It was a lovely night, with excellent conversation and convivial company, punctuated by the appreciation of an excellent strip steak and mofongo (after hearing Matt recommend it so often, how could I not!). I was also happy to make the acquaintance of Medella, the local beer.
 
We then got a taxi back to the hotel, sat out on the terrace for a few minutes, and then hit the sack.
 
Tomorrow, we would be boarding Jewel of the Seas.

After 25 minutes and almost a litre of water, I got back to Pauline, and we went through the gate into the old city. We went into the cathedral, and then hit Calle Del Christo. Halfway up the hill, we decided to stop for lunch, and where better to do so than in a traditional San Juan institution?.
 

 

 
That really hit the spot!. Then, it was up to El Morro.
 

 

 

After breakfast and a shower, we caught the M3 bus into the Old San Juan bus station, and began our sightseeing. We headed down Paseo de Princessa to the Raices Fountain, a lovely spot looking over towards the Bacardi factory.
 

 

 
Then we headed towards the gate in the City Walls with a decision to make. I wanted to walk the Paseo Del Morro over to the base of the fort, she didn't. We compromised. I walked to the fort, while she sat under a tree in the shade and read a book.
 
 
 

 

 
I was delighted to see that while the walking guide I had printed off noted that there was no access to the fort from the Paseo, that information was outdated, and the path is now completed. A long walk, followed by a climb up to the fort, and I soon found a guy who looked as thirsty as me!
 

Then it was back to the hotel for breakfast and a shower ; we'd brought some microwave oatmeal and breakfast biscuits with us, prepared them, and ate them on the rooftop terrace looking over the area I had walked a little earlier. 
 
 
 

This is perhaps a timely review following Matt's Brilliance cruise at the weekend. He has posted great pics of a post refurb Radiance class ship, here's a look at one that remains "as is". This is also a mirror of the itinerary Matt did in 2013, but in reverse order, so from the outset, I must acknowledge that his observations were important in how we approached our cruise. Cruise Critic members may recognise this, I posted much of this over there under my CC user name 'madra2112;.
 
The background. My wife celebrated a significant birthday in October. Obviously a gentleman doesn't reveal a lady's age, suffice it to say I'm 51 and she's a bit younger!
 
Our roles when it comes to cruising are reasonably well laid out. I plan, book, research, listen to the podcast, read and post here and on Cruise Critic, prepare folders and action plans, fill in ESTA forms, renew the travel insurance and draw up a timetable of excursions.
 
She lives in the real world, and enjoys the cruise when the time comes.
 
This time, I was adamant that she should be centrally involved in the planning, as this was her birthday cruise, and in late 2014, started asking her what she wanted to do. Her response was very succinct. "I want to go to Barbados, and you work away after that".
 
Fair enough, and with that in mind, the research started.
 
When Jewel came up as an option, I was drawn to it immediately. The Radiance class seems to have a particular place in the hearts of the Royal community, and Matt had written and podcasted very positively on his experience on that route. I was also intrigued by San Juan, and the more I had heard of it, the more it struck me as a place I wanted to visit.
 
And so, the planning began. Surf the net, listen to back episodes of the podcast, confirm the decision, book the cruise. I also looked very carefully at Celebrity Summit, which had an almost identical itinerary. However, Matt's Jewel review swayed it, and by the end of last year, Jewel was booked for the first week in November, visiting Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten and St Croix.
 
Months turned into weeks, weeks into days, and suddenly, it was the last day of work before the break. I work as a journalist, and was scanning the Irish Daily Mail, when my eye was drawn to an article about the traits and characteristics that define a gentleman. The last column is........interesting!
 

 
However, the next day, after an overnight stay in the Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport, we flew via JFK to.........San Juan, Puerto Rico!
 
One very handy aspect of flying from Dublin is there is a US Customs centre in Dublin airport, the idea being that you clear immigration and security before travelling.
 

 
The formidable gentleman processing us questioned us about our plans, as soon as we mentioned cruising, it emerged he has 20+ RCI cruises under his belt, and was heading for Venice to catch Splendour the following week. 
 
In the unlikely event that he's reading this, I hope you had a wonderful cruise my friend!
 
We flew Aer Lingus into JFK, landing just ahead of schedule. Aer Lingus has a special partnership deal with Jet Blue, which meant we had one ticket, we were issued Jet Blue boarding passes in Dublin, and our luggage was checked straight through from Dublin to San Juan.
 
We had been offered two options when booking. One was a Jet Blue flight to SJ an hour after we landed in JFK, the other was a 4.5 hour layover. o be safe and sure, we chose the longer stop. When we landed, we were off the plane at 1.30pm we checked the boards, walked to the gate where the 2.20pm San Juan was showing, to find they hadn't started boarding yet. 
 
However, we waited, read books, explored Terminal 5 and spend some time 'Up on the Roof'.
 

 
And so, after a relatively relaxing day in the air, we landed in San Juan and were whisked to the Hotel Miramar. 
 
The next morning, I got up and walked around the Condada Lagoon and the South Eastern tip of Old San Juan. Beautiful. Already, I was convinced we'd done the right thing.
 

 

 

I was so entranced by Matt's podcast previews and reviews of his Jewel cruise last year, I booked the exact same one today! Watching this thread closely - only 341 days to sailaway! 

I was so entranced by Matt's podcast previews and reviews of his Jewel cruise last year, I booked the exact same one today! Watching this thread closely - only 341 days to sailaway! 

Should anyone like an audio commentary to go with the pictures, you can hear my ramblings on the latest podcast episode, which Matt has just put up.

This is a 30 minute podcast recorded by the Irish Times newspaper this week.
 
Fionn Davenport is a well known travel writer, who has written for Lonely Planet for years, as well as publishing a number of books, doing radio and TV  work and also heading up the Irish Times travekl section.
 
This is a podcast he recorded with a travel critic and travel agent after all three of them travelled on Quantum's two night cruise to nowhere for media and agents out of Southampton last weekend.
 
It's the fourth one down on the page, and makes for interesting listening.
 
http://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts

This is a 30 minute podcast recorded by the Irish Times newspaper this week.
 
Fionn Davenport is a well known travel writer, who has written for Lonely Planet for years, as well as publishing a number of books, doing radio and TV  work and also heading up the Irish Times travekl section.
 
This is a podcast he recorded with a travel critic and travel agent after all three of them travelled on Quantum's two night cruise to nowhere for media and agents out of Southampton last weekend.
 
It's the fourth one down on the page, and makes for interesting listening.
 
http://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts

Thanks Matt and Mike, I actually prefer reviews to YouTube videos, because you get that extra injection of personality and vicarious participation, and hopefully I got some of that across.
 
Hope you have a blast tomorrow and Thursday Matt, looking forward to e-sailing with you!

cool thanks for sharing  so excited to get onto the ship tomorrow with Matt and other agents!

Folks, thanks for reading these ramblings. For those contemplating a European cruise, I would heartily recommend it. With Allure on this route next year (excluding Villefranche), I predict another great season for Royal Caribbean on the Western Med.
 
Liberty herself is also a beautiful ship, and as promised, I'll leave you with a few random shots I took around the ship. If you have the pleasure of sailing on her in the future, I can only wish you as good a cruise as we had. 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

One thing we noticed in Riomaggiore was that while these look like idyllic pictures from paradise from a distance, when you look up close, these people live a hard life. Facilities are minimal, and by the looks of the buildings, people can have very little personal space. Apart from tourism income and what little is made from wine and food production, there's not much more to the local economy by the looks of things, and while places like this always look stunning in videos shot at the height of summer, it can be a different story on an overcast day in October. 
 

 

 
Then, after a day which has made us determined to return to this region, we headed back to La Spezia. Once on board, we slipped on our dancing shoes and headed down to the Platinum theatre to see Saturday Night Fever. As an amateur actor myself who specialises in stage musicals, I was very impressed with the production. The 'stars' were clearly chosen primarily for their dancing and musical prowess rather than their acting skills, but put on a very good show which really got us in the mood for the 70s Disco Party on the Royal Promenade that night.
 
Between the two, we headed down to the MDR for another excellent meal. (I really should have taken pics of menus and noted what I had, but was too busy eating and enjoying it!) During dinner, my beloved expressed her belief that the background music was on CD. I told her it was live, she disputed my assertion. I grabbed the camera I wasn't using to photograph my dinner, and came back three minutes later with this!
 

 
It isn't very often I get one over her....in fact, it's extremely rare....so I enjoyed that little victory! Then, after a night of music and reminiscence, we hit the sack. Liberty was Civitavecchia bound, and the next leg of our Italian adventure awaited.

Manarola is the second smallest of the five villages, but arguably one of the most photographed. We started walking along the path back towards Corniglia, just the first few hundred yards at which point we stopped for a coffee in a strategically placed cafe beside the point where most panoramic shots of Manarola are taken. It's a vista I've seen in quite a few cruise brochures and other travel orientated sites.
 

 
From the path, we could clearly look back towards Corniglia, a fairly straightforward and easy walk by all accounts, but the 365 steps lurk ominously at the end!
 

 
Then, it was back onto the train for the last of the villages, Riomaggiore. Now, graffiti is an issue in some parts of Italy, but judging by what I saw written over the tunnel at Riomaggiore station, the village must experience some Crazy, Crazy Nights!
 
 

Thanks guys. As I said, Villefranche will not be an option on Allure because of the need to tender, but it will be a port next year on longer Vision itineraries out of Barcelona and Anthem and Adventure cruises out of Southampton. 

Then on to Casino Square, where we stopped to see the outside of the casino and gaze on the numerous supercars and limos, before heading back on to the circuit and entering the famous tunnel.
 

 

 
Lap driven, we left Monaco and headed back along the Lower Corniche to Nice.
 
Before we went in to the city, our driver / guide brought us to a great viewing point from where the city unfolded in front of us.
 
 
 
We had 90 minutes to explore the city before heading back to the ship.
 

 
Then, before we knew it, we were back in Villefranche, on a tender and heading back to Liberty.
 

 
That night, Pauline and I went to the ice show "Encore", followed by dinner in Johnny Rockets (MMmmmmmmm Milk Shake nom nom nom nom) and music from Sister Twist, an all girl Beatles tribute with some wonderful harmonies. And so, the final credits rolled on 'The French Connection', next on the projector - "The Italian Job" 

Villefranche
 
 
Day three brought us to Villefranche, a port which will not be visited by Allure next year as it is a tender port. Instead, Allure will visit Palma on the island of Majorca on Day 2, and then visit Marseille on Day 3 (assuming that Barcelona is the departure port, as Jason pointed out in his Liberty review, Civitavecchia is also a departure port on this cruise).
 
After tendering in to Villefranche (a quick and seamless process), we met our driver for the day from Provence Riveria Tours. The tour was organised by Rodney from Texas, one of the many wonderful people we met on this cruise. Eight of us took part in what was to be a highlight of the week. Unfortunately, there was a bit of rain that morning, and while it eased quickly, it was cloudy and overcast as we made our way to the hilltop village of Eze. Walking through narrow, winding streets, we passed a selection of craft shops and restaurants displaying some frankly ridiculous prices, before reaching the Jardin Exotique (exotic garden), featuring a huge range of cacti and some of the best views of the French Riviera you will get.
 

 

 

 
The vista from Eze is simply stunning, featuring prominently in many cruise brochures, and even a dull, overcast sky couldn't detract from the majesty of the scene. The ship is still clearly visible from five miles away, travelling on roads which pass some of the most exclusive and expensive real estate on the planet, not to mention feature in numerous films.
 

 
 Over the course of the day, our driver delighted in pointing out where, among others, Bono and Microsoft founder Paul Allen have their holiday homes. The Riviera is indeed the "millionaires' playground", and that is nowhere more evident than in our next stop, Monaco.
 
We arrived at the Rock of Monaco, visiting the cathedral to see the tomb of Princess Grace and the Changing of the Guard at the Palace there. The views over Monte Carlo were excellent, and as a Formula 1 enthusiast, knowing I would soon be traveling on the iconic Monaco Grand Prix circuit was a thrilling prospect. Looking down, I immediately noticed a landmark that’s referenced in one of the corner names – the swimming pool.
 

 

   
After a quick bite to eat at a roadside café overlooking the palace, we then headed down into Monte Carlo and prepared to drive a lap of the circuit. I was delighted to see the grid markings are still visible on the road.
 

Marseille
 
The next morning, we met up with Mike and Kim, two of our new 'Cruise Critic' friends and had breakfast in the MDR before heading to the Old Port area of Marseille.  There was a water taxi shuttle on offer at $20 pp, but we would have had to wait over an hour, so we got a conventional taxi into town. It cost about €20 ($25), so with taxis each way, we saved $30 between the four of us. Once at the Old Port, we caught the Petit Train to Notre Dame De La Garde, a basillica which overlooks the city. The views from there were breathtaking.
 

 

 
This shot of the church is taken from the Visit Provence website -
 

 
Then, we queued for the train again, and made out way back to the old port where we strolled around a bit and then headed back to the ship.
 

 
That night, as we waited for sailaway on the helipad, the Ibero Cruceros ship "Grand Holiday" sailed into the sunset ahead of us. It made for a nice shot.
 

 
Tonight was formal night, so we dressed in our finery, but before heading for the Botocelli Dining Room, we went to the theatre for the production show "In The Air". Previously, I would have said "Once Upon a Time" on Freedom was the best production show I've seen. Not any more. This was simply superb!
 

Last month, my better half Pauline and I were on one of Liberty's last European trips, and with Allure replacing her on the Western Mediterranean route next year, we don't know if we'll see her back in Europe again.
 
We sailed from Barcelona, and visited Marseilles, Villefranche, La Spezia, Cicitavecchia and Naples. For regular podcast listeners, I previewed this cruise with Matt before we left, and will be reviewing it in the coming days.
 
With this in mind, the review will be "photo heavy", with an emphasis on the ports. In September, JasonD wrote a very good Liberty review, but as an Italian resident he didn't get off in a number of the ports because he lives in Italy. This will be slightly different!
 
We flew from Belfast (the closest international airport to our home) to Barcelona on the Friday, and spent two days in the city before sailing on the Sunday.
 
We stayed in Hotel Continental, with a balcony room overlooking La Ramblas. very noisy at night, but a superb location.
 
On the Saturday, after visiting La Sagrada Familia (be sure to book online, the line to get in was quarter of a mile long by the time we were leaving), we did a boat tour of the harbour. Pullmantour's 'Sovereign' was in port, a ship Royal Caribbean veterans may well recognise!
 

 
That night, 20 of us who had participated on a roll call on Cruise Critic met up for dinner in a local restaurant, and the next day, we took a taxi  to the port to board Liberty of the Seas.
 
The boarding process was seamless (apart from the fact that I left my phone behind at security, but managed to get it when I went back down two hours later!), and we were soon exploring the ship with some of our new Cruise Critic friends.
 

 
That's me in the black t-shirt at the end.
 
We were on MyTime dining, so we booked a meal in the MDR for 9.15 and went to the early show in the theatre. Luke Arrowsmith was CD, who was seen all over the ship, frequently with activities manager Cici acting as a Spanish translator. The show itself was grand, an aerial act and a juggler. One feature of European cruises is that because they tend to be more multilingual, there are very few comedians, with far more emphasis on visual arts and music.
 
After an enjoyable show and a great meal, it was on to the Royal Promenade for the salsa parade, and then to bed. France's second biggest city was waiting for us.
 

Great review and pictures.