Marc Van Niekerk

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Here ends Day 1

We left the performance and relaxed in the Schooner Bar with the  delightful piano playing of Billy Pando.

This was a heck of a day for Day 1 and left us with an love of the ship.  We couldn't wait to spend the next 6 nights aboard.

Day 1 - HiRO

This post will be photo heavy.  I had gotten a new camera on Black Friday and was very excited to try it out in a low light performance and the 300 shots I took proved that.  I have whittled it down a little.  The performance is breathtaking.  The athleticism, artistry and technical calibre were second to none.

Embarkation Day Continued....

After lunch we headed to the Solarium to check things out.  I really appreciate the changes to the solarium compared to Harmony.  The addition of the pools resolved what we think was a big oversight. The seating options are also very attractive.

We moved along to the aft of the ship and the Wipe out Bar for our first drinks of the cruise.

After enjoying our drinks we moved down towards deck 10 in anticipation of the announcement that cabins were open.  As we made it there the doors were already open even though there had not yet been an announcement.  For this cruise we had selected a Boardwalk View balcony second from the end of the hallway with an obstructed view of the Aquatheatre.

Much to our surprise there were 12 bottles of water, a can of Diet Coke and 2 Heineken in the room besides the case of water we had purchased through the cruise planner.  I know the water is generally there as a C&A perk but never have we gotten so much.  The Heineken was kind of a creepy surprise.  It is one of my default beer choices when no speciality beers are available but how did RCL know that?  Please do not interpret this as a complaint.

Most of our luggage was already in the hallway so we took the opportunity to get unpacked before muster. 

Muster was uneventful as it should be and afterwards we headed to the Sports Deck (deck 16 AFT) for sail away.  We were in port with several other ships and here are a fe shots of them departing and as we departed.

Dinner was a Jamie's Italian.  We have dined here before on Harmony and honestly we weren't blown away but we decided to approach it fresh and we were incredibly pleased we did.  Sadly I didn't take photos of our food but things were great.  We shared a Classic Meat plank, Arancini Margherita, and Tomato Bruscetta to start.  My wife ordered Generro's Tagliatelle Bolognese and I had the Mushroom Fettuccine.  I have lost track of what we had for dessert, but suffice to say everything was excellent and the venue redeemed itself.

After diner we went to our cabin to relax for a bit before we would attend HiRO.  the show itself will be a separate post that I will work on tonight.  At that show I took nearly 300 photos.  I will share some selects what I feel show the essence of the program.  While in the cabin I took some photos looking down to the boardwalk and as we got to the boardwalk I took another.

Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Did you find a long line up of people during this time?  This is our plan too as we purchased the UDP for SY and this is our first stop after getting on the ship.

Yes, there was a bit of a lineup and at the time, only on person helping passengers at a computer terminal.  I know Matt mentioned someone taking reservations on Brilliance with a piece of paper.  In our case there was a massive group from ABC Supply aboard and they had booked entire speciality venues some nights so that was the primary challenge.

If you are in a suite and or higher C&A level and get on sooner you may have a better experience.

Embarkation

We elected to take an UBER to the port and while the process was relatively easy I will note that our driver was not to familiar with where the new terminal was and didn't complete our ride until he passed the older terminals (without us in the car).  This resulted in a slightly higher charge than expected which I resolved with UBER directly.

Embarkation at the new terminal is the most streamlined process I could ever imagine.  Everything happens so quickly and easily I didn't have time to stop and take many photos of the facility.  I have a couple of snaps from my phone.

The area outside where you drop your bags is well designed ans seemed to flow well.  All signs of passengers who had left the ship before us were gone at 10:45 when we arrived.  Te left all our bags except my camera bag with a porter and proceeded inside.

Inside the terminal was a vast space with escalators up to the embarkation area.  The space is punctuated by the huge gold propeller sculptures.

From the escalator we were directed to a series of agents and there we were quickly checked in and directed to a line for the next escalator.  Here we were waiting briefly but not even long  enough to consider visiting a restroom.

Up the escalator appeared busy enough but not overcrowded.  The were already arranging for Suite and Key guests to embark.  After barely visiting the restroom, the called Emerald class and just like that it was time for us to board.

On feature of this terminal I really appreciated was that because we had used the escalators inside the building we were already level with Deck 5 and there were no additional ramps to climb.

Once aboard we headed directly to the MDR to arrange our speciality dining.  We had pre-purchased the Ultimate Dining package and wanted to get our reservations made.

Due to some large groups it was not as easy as we would have liked to get the times and restaurants we wanted but with a little work all was arranged.

Finally it was time for lunch and my much anticipated Kemmelweck sandwich.

 

It is indeed a punch card. 15 drinks good at the non Starbucks on ship. I have heard that some ships may punch twice for two shot of espresso but on Symphony they did not do that. We paid about $38 on cruise planner pre cruise. Keep an eye on prices and re-price if it changes. 

Do it. We purchased on Syyand if you don’t have a deluxe beverage package that includes espresso and premium coffees it is the absolute best way to enjoy. 

Departure Day and Pre-Cruise Hotel

Our departure had some interesting hiccups along the way but it all worked out in the end but highlights why we prefer to fly out the day before a cruise. 

We had made an appointment for my wife to have her NEXUS Global Entry interview the afternoon of out flight so we arrived at the airport in plenty of time.  After the interview concluded we took an airport train to the correct terminal and went through security.  As we were going through security just after we had passed through the metal detectors there was a power outage in the airport.  Thankfully our bags had already passed through the machine as anyone whose bags were in the machine and those who were waiting for the metal detectors needed to wait about 15 minutes for the systems to reboot.

As we approached the customs agents they closed the doors to clear the backlog created by this power outage but about 5 minutes later the doors opened and we were quickly through customs too.  For those who have never travelled from Canada to the US, you pass US customs in Toronto airport creating much simpler arrival at your US destination.

After security we found that our flight had been delayed by several hours because of weather 2 flights upstream from ours.  Our plane was delayed leaving Washington DC for Miami due to de-icing which delayed the Miami to Toronto leg and therefore our Toronto to Miami.  We made the most of it and found some nice lounges with outside views and relaxed in the airport knowing we had plenty of time.

Once in Miami we made the long walk through the airport to luggage claim where we quickly found our bags and headed out to catch a shuttle to the Hotel.

For this cruise we used points to get a free stay at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Miami - Airport West.  We had never stayed at this hotel before but I'm never going to complain about free.  One note was that due to our late arrival (after 11PM) the room I had requested was no longer available and we were given a room on the main floor about as long a walk from the hotel entrance as there could possibly be.  The room was quite spacious though and we quickly settled in for whatever sleep we could get before a cruise.

In the morning we made our way to the included breakfast and then for a quick relax in the warmth of the pool as it was still only 8am.  Below is a photo from the pool area of a let passing over the hotel.

I'm going to make my first attempt at this and as I say in the title, this is not even remotely live.

We booked this cruise the day that Symphony sailings became available.  The plan all along was for our 25th wedding anniversary, although in out family we refer to February celebrations as Annivaleirthday as both my wife and I as well as one son have our birthdays in the month along with our anniversary and Valentines.  We mash them into one main celebration. The cruise itself was just prior to our anniversary but did encompass my birthday.

The itinerary when we booked was out of Miami with 2 sea days, followed by St Kitts, St Thomas, a sea Day, and finally Nassau before returning.  Somewhere alon the line it changed to be Nassau followed by a sea day, St Thomas, St Kitts and 2 sea days.

Part of the reason this is so late is I didn't bring a computer with me and managed to take nearly 800 photos not counting those on my phone.  It is quite a daunting task to cull that many photots while getting back to regular life and work.

I will leave it there for now with a photo from the Toronto airport on the day we left.

Great insights from everyone.  Got the quote from out TA and really still thinking we are better to get 3 separate balcony staterooms.  Will mean equal space for all 3 couples and separate bathrooms.  Just means we can't share any benefits of C&A status to everyone's pricing.

When we were in Nassau Feb 3 on Symphony I did a periscope of a solo pier runner

https://www.pscp.tv/w/bzrBvDMwMDQwOHwxbW54ZU9YQldBckdYiD-Tnx4rBrDMc-hipBZ4a1EAdD7T9vTecJQRvpPR_Fo=?t=1m26s

it was our observation that the captain of Symphony does not wait around. The ropes were droppped and walkways pulled on schedule. There were no ship wide pages for passengers and there certainly did not appear to be luggage or port agents waiting for this person running to catch the ship.

 

How many adults could you comfortably accommodate in this type of cabin?

I see 2 bedrooms with queen beds and a living space with a pull out sofa. The RCL site won’t let me price anything more than a 4 person reservation. 

Thanks

3 hours ago, Matt said:

The app does allow you to add events to your own calendar.  Very handy. 

If only it added Notifications too.  One can always hope....

After our recent visit to Magen's Bay, one thing to keep an eye on is how many ships are in port that day.  We had 6 ships in port and the beach was very crowded.  It is a fantastic location but keep in mind that as THE location of note on the island it can get busy.

has anyone here reprice their cruse to a non-refundable deposit from a refundable deposit just before final payment?

I have been thinking about the fact that this could work to your advantage sometimes and wonder if anyone has tried.

 

Thanks

When on the RCL Blog Group Cruise aboard Navigator an number of us took the RCL excursion to Klein Bonaire.  It was on of the most memorable snorkeling experiences I have ever had.  The excursion takes you by boat to the island of Klein Bonaire where you have a beautiful unspoiled beach and fantastically clear water to snorkel a reef.  There is a current around the island  which means that you walk a ways up the beach and enter the water and you can then drift with the current along the reef.  The tell you that you don't even need flippers and it is completely true.

The only addition is that by unspoiled I mean there are no facilities on the beach, simply a small shelter with a roof.

 

I believe this is the same island / excursion @WAAAYTOOO is referring to.

Good plan. On Oasis in Sept we managed to catch the only full showing of the aqua show because we booked the early performance. 

Nice job!  Love Majesty!

Thanks for sharing!  Love the photos.  We are on a similar itinerary in 18 days but they changed Nassau to day 2, St Thomas day 4 and St Kitts day 5.

Enjoy your cruise and I will enjoy your blog!

 

We haven't done it before but will be experiencing it firsthand this year on Symphony.  I expect that Playmakers will be quite busy and the perhaps even the Aqua Theater screens will be showing the game as HiRO is not scheduled for that night.

Hi All,

We are cruising on Symphony in Feb 2019 and while I love sushi, my wife does not.  On other ships she has joined me and ordered the Hot Rock, but I understand since Symphony has Hibachi they do not have the Hot Rock available. We are wondering if there are any other non sushi options in the Izumi menu on Symphony.

Thanks

Marc

Thanks for the pictures @twangster we have 9690 on Mariner for a B2B in October and that should be the same balcony setup as 9390 just reversed!

Can't wait to enjoy our balcony!

Great information. Thanks 

I have a question about how RCL calculates deposit amounts. We booked a 14 night cruise and the deposit was $900 USD however in the past most cruises were a $500 USD deposit. Is this a policy change or it it dependent on the length of cruise?