MaryS

Day 7 - At Sea
This morning MisterZ was feeling exceptionally loungy, so I went to CafeTwo70 to grab some breakfast items. They were very tasty! Apparently we should have gone here sooner in the trip ? 
Seas were rough today. We were sailing through the tail end of a typhoon. Personally I’ve seen worse, but the crew who hadn’t been on smaller ships were saying this was the worst they’d been through. There were sick sacks available in the stairwells, but they didn’t seem much used, fortunately.
Today we had our Entertainment Tour from our Diamond status. I was really looking forward to seeing the differences with the older ships; we had most recently done one of these tours on Explorer. We started with about 30 minutes of discussion with the Theater stage manager and the dance supervisor. This was particularly fun because the Stage Manager’s mother was on the tour too, on her first cruise. She was very proud of her son — it was cute!
The Theater holds about 2200 guests:

Props and costumes:



Backstage fun:


The biggest surprise for me was how similar it all was to Explorer. While there were some tech advances, like the spotlight tracking devices, the dressing rooms and storage places were all the same (just a bit bigger). The Theater has 29 singers and dancers, and Two70 and the Music Hall have their own totally separate teams. If you get a chance to do this tour, jump on it on any ship. So interesting!
Immediately following the tour was our consecutive cruiser meeting. There were about 160 back-to-backers on this cruise. Cruise staff told us what to expect the next day, and how to handle things if we were planning to go ashore or not. It was very helpful.
Next we went to our favorite lounge chairs in the Silver area. For lunch, strictly for research purposes, I fetched pizza from Sorrentos:

It was perfectly reasonable — not amazing but very edible ? How’s that for failing to add to the raging pizza debate on this site??
Dinner in the MDR for our last night with our waitstaff:


Also, we just squeaked in to the 50 year thing, this being the end of 2019. The cake was surprisingly delicious!

We had intended to see both Silk Road and The Effectors tonight, but both were canceled due to high seas. DO NOT LEAVE SHOWS UNTIL THE END OF YOUR TRIP! In our case, we knew we had the next sailing to catch them so while disappointed, we were not crushed.
This is one of my new favorite cruise sights, a hallway full of bags that does not include mine:

Hahahahaha! Bye, poor suckers that have to go back to the Real World! (Too mean? #sorrynotsorry)
 

Subic Bay - pt. 2
A few more shots from our shore excursion:





 

Day 6 — Subic Bay
Another morning, another tasty breakfast at Silver dining. We docked in Subic, Philippines, at a former US Naval base that had been returned to the Philippine government after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Even though this was a docking port instead of tendering, we still chose a Royal excursion. Mostly because all the close-in stuff to do involves duty free shopping and that’s just not our thing.

We chose the Puning Hot Spring and Jungle Adventure tour. Turned out to be a slightly misleading name, and the whole thing was not so much disorganized as badly communicated, but we enjoyed it anyway. Also, we ended up back to the ship late. Oops, again.
The welcome show:

Scenes in the town of Angeles on our way up to the hot spring:


Our transport part of the way:

Jungle:


Dinner in the MDR, which was lobster night (lobster for MisterZ, Stir-Fried Beef for me):


After two full days of touring we were a bit tired, so our evening was low key and we turned in early.

Ilocos pt. 2
As promised, real photos!
Laoag Cathedral (St William’s Cathedral), built 1612:


Sinking Bell Tower, built 1612, sinks 1” per year:

Ilocos Norte Capital building, dressed for Christmas:

Moto-taxis, hold 2 passengers in the side car and one sitting side-saddle behind the driver:

Paoay Church, built 1694:


The only shot we got of the inside:

Because wedding!

 

We start trip at 2 o’clock after work on 12/31. Will met daughter and granddaughter on January 1 and fly from Baltimore on January 2. As you can see I’m beyond excited. YOLO has special meaning to me. I have been in remission for 2 years.

Final Thoughts
Two things I haven't commented on yet are crowds and crew.  
We've been on the largest ships including Symphony and Allure and my smallest was Grandeur (but that was awhile ago, so don't have fresh memories of it), and recently, the mid size ships of Voyager class including Adventure.  During our Adventure cruise, DH kept commenting "the ship must not be full" as nothing ever felt crowded.  At one of his comments, the crew member overheard and said "it's a fully booked ship".  Adventure isn't huge, and there isn't a ton going on at once compared with Symphony, but we had no crowd issues which was great.  The first night, even though there was only one showing of the welcome show, the theater was half empty.  I think that's because it was an awkward time of 7:15pm so people were probably still at dinner or unpacking.  But even going forward, we never had an issue getting a good seat.  
On our Grand Cayman day, you could just go to the tender if you were within the first hour, or after that you had to get a ticket that would assign you a time to get off.  We managed to make the first hour so can't comment on how the ticket system worked.
Now having said all that, I never found it that crowded on Symphony as there was just so much to do, that it spread the people around at different events and venues.  But DH isn't a crowd person so he noticed the difference.
As for the crew, they were great. Our room steward was very friendly, always saying hello when she saw us in the hallways.  I'm impressed that she make the effort to remember our names as I imagine the she has many cabins that they look after.  
We really liked our waiters at dinner.  They were a bit quiet and no magic tricks for us without our kids (ha ha), but they always had a smile and were attentive.  One night DH asked for "a" roll without seeds, and from then on, every night, our main waiter left him an additional basket of about 6 super fresh plain rolls.  And he's always smiled and said hello when we saw him in the MDR at breakfast. It's those simple things that mean a lot.
We found our CD Drew Devine pretty good.  He was funny and introduced the shows well.  DH managed to chat with him briefly after one of the shows and the top tier and he was pretty personable.  And he is from Toronto so he automatically gets a point from us!  But one thing I find different these days, is that aside from the evening shows or the Top Tier event, you don't see the CD around.  I'm pretty sure you used to see them around the ship during the day too (or maybe I'm thinking of Love Boat episodes...lol)
Rating
I will start by saying that every cruise I have been on, has been amazing.  I really love them all and really have no bad comments.  Also, when we select a ship, the criteria is different if it's just DH and I going vs our kids.  For example, Dh and I both want to try Brilliance some day, but we'd never take our kids on that one.  We stick to the newer ships or the amped ones with lots of amenities when it's the four of us.
DH comments that "Voyager class is his sweet spot".  It's not too big, not to small (and thus, he loved the lack of crowds).  His favorite ship is Mariner, but I think Adventure is way up there too.
I really enjoyed Adventure too.  If you are in the dining room, and want to go to say the theater or Imperial Lounge or Starbucks (did I mention that you can get cappacino with Baileys?  ...lol), it took no time at all.  One of my favorite activities is to walk around deck 4...up to 5 to the front....and then back down to 4 to complete the lap.  I love that feeling just watching the water, or even looking at all sides of the port we are in.  A lap on Adventure only take a few minutes.
But for me...my very favorites are still the mega ships with Symphony being my favorite.  You can't beat the amenities, the shows are amazing, and the decor of the newer ships is spectacular with the most beautiful and creative and fun art work all around.  
So my current rating so far is:
Symphony Allure Independence Navigator Mariner Adventure Voyager Grandeur Can't wait to try Anthem in March.  Will see where it rates.
We also have Harmony and Oasis booked so looking forward to trying to too!  And another Freedom class as well.  I really love the variety of ships that Royal offers.

Reyd’s first I Fly experience  ?  Photographer got some great shots. Just another reason the photo package is so great! 

We have a great final day planned tomorrow. The  boys are going to try stand up Wave Rider and hopefully the climbing wall — weather has restricted its hours; cold initially and then winds.  We hope the weather cooperates ?. Then 1 final I fly session followed by the bridge tour which Reyd and I are super excited about!! Supper at Chops and Lindsays last chance for the seafood tower followed by a headliner finale. 
Good news is that we do not have to put out our luggage tomorrow night ???? Andres will meet us at our suite with a porter and they will take us as far as customs before handing us off to a terminal porter.  We are planning breakfast at Coastal Kitchen Saturday morning. Andres says he has a few good hiding spots for us in life boats ? if only it were that easy ?.  

Lindsay hits I Fly & Wave Rider ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lindsay had tons of fun doing both these activities. Star class benefits really pay off as ? can book I Fly multiple times and star class gets you preferred access on the wave rider ?? 
If he can move in the morning from the workout he got today on the wave rider he is trying  stand up tomorrow. Hours are 9-5 on 2 remaining sea days.   
IMG_2164.MOV

Our HVAC issues have finally been fixed!! I am simplifying the issue but essentially the main floor thermostat was set to heat (couldn’t get it off heat setting) and was directing heat over my bed on 2nd floor.  The HVAC team tore apart some things on both levels and things are finally running smoothly. They came again today to do some A/C testing. The HVAC supervisor checks in a couple times a day and is monitoring our thermostats remotely.  He is the best!! Andreas said he would share details about a future OBC for the hastle and inconvenience.  I will update once I know more.  

Day 4 — At sea
Today turned out to be mostly about music. 

Breakfast at Silver dining again. This morning was Christmas, and Royal had 2.5 hours of Santa giving out gifts to the over 1000 children onboard this sailing. Crazy! We also did Northstar (see above) this morning. Lunch was room service on our balcony, watching birds chase flying fish. After lunch MisterZ napped and I trotted around the ship taking photos for you all ? 
My first sighting of the Stowaway Piano Player was that afternoon. Music #1. 

Then we checked out the Bionic Bar. In the name of research, of course!



Diamond lounge before dinner, and then we ate at Silver dining. It was nice, but the menu doesn’t change so once was enough. You order your app and entree from the menu and then get sides, salad, dessert, and more entrees from the buffet. 
Crab cake and prawns:



 
Next we found the Stowaway Piano Player again and got to request songs. He’s quite good. Music #2. 
Then we went to the Music Hall to hear the Aura Band, a bluesy-pop cover band. They were fun and I really like the Music Hall venue. Music #3. 
Music Hall staircase:

Behind the Music Hall bar:

 
Last we stopped at the Schooner Bar to hear Girl Named Jake, who we had caught briefly two nights before. Music #4 was also excellent!
Schooner Bar:

 
We really have been pleased with the live music on this trip! 
 

OMG. The mouse was fantastic, but this water buffalo?? I heart him so much!

 

Day 3 — Addendum
So. The margaritas did not make me forget to photograph the dinner menu after all. They made me forget that we were given souvenir menus to take with us! Oops!


 

Northstar costs money on sailings out of China. We decided to use some of our OBC to book the extended trip — $40 per person. We’ve not been on a ship with a Northstar before so we were looking forward to it. The day was beautiful, too!


Here you can see The Balcony, a Gold suite exclusive sun deck (center) and the observation area over the bridge wings (off the Solarium):

A crew member hamming it up for us ?

 

Day 3 - Okinawa
Today we slept in again, which was lovely. Breakfast at the Silver dining. Then we cleared Immigration (see above) even though we weren’t leaving the ship. After that we found a nice spot near the Solarium Bar and settled in for some serious leisure. We fetched light lunch from the Windjammer and brought it out to our spot. The ship was quite empty — I was surprised there weren’t more who stayed onboard. I guess Japan ports are still a novelty.
At 5pm we processed out of Japan again and then went to dinner. Due to the margaritas, I failed to remember to photograph the menu ? I had holiday ham and MisterZ had Beef Wellington. Both were tasty.
One thing I really appreciate about non-US based cruises is the smaller portion sizes. It helps with the weight gain issue and allows you to try more things. They’re of course still happy to bring you extra apps or entrees as well!
After dinner we went to Two70 Alive, a little show on the robo-screens in Two70. It was interesting but not worth making a special trip.
Windjammer decorations for the holiday:

 

On the 9th Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me ..
A 9 day Southern 
Eight @twangster sightings
Seven Lava Flows
six beach cabanas
FIVE SEAFOOD TOWERS!!!
four shore excursions 
three star class genies
two crystal blocks
and an up-grade to a suite

On the 8th Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me ..
Eight @twangster sightings
Seven Lava Flows
six beach cabanas
FIVE SEAFOOD TOWERS!!!
four shore excursions 
three star class genies
two crystal blocks
and an up-grade to a suite

On the 7th Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me ..
Seven Lava Flows
six beach cabanas
FIVE SEAFOOD TOWERS!!!
four shore excursions 
three star class genies
two crystal blocks
and an up-grade to a suite

On the sixth day of cruising my true love gave to me
six beach cabanas
FIVE SEAFOOD TOWERS!!!
four shore excursions 
three star class genies
two crystal blocks
and an up-grade to a suite

On the fifth day of cruising my true love gave to me
FIVE SEAFOOD TOWERS!!!
four shore excursions 
three star class genies
two crystal blocks
and an up-grade to a suite

?On the fourth day of cruising my true love gave to me....? 
four shore excursions
Three star class genies
two crystal blocks
and an up-grade to a suite 
??⚓?

Squeeeeeeeeee! Our first block! 

Okinawa
We are not going ashore today, since we live in Japan and have been to Okinawa, However, I know people are interested in the port, so here are some photos from our last trip here. These (after the first shot, anyway) are taken on a Sony RX-10 III for those whore are interested. Also, all of these shots are from places easily accessible from a Royal shore excursion.
Port:

Naha:

Fukushuen Garden:



Shurijo Castle (before it burned down, under reconstruction currently):

Gyokusendo Cave:

A Muscovy Duck, which you can find all over the place as an invasive species:

A fun restaurant sign in Naha:

 

It might be the three stoutly-poured Royal Margaritas talking,  but I have to take a moment to say...
I am having the BEST day!

First, on the ship when everyone else is on shore — always amazing!
Second, this is the BEST SITE! Thank you @Matt and everyone else who makes this forum a fun, safe place to indulge in my cruise obsession!
Having so much fun doing this blog!

Day 2 - At Sea
I love sea days, especially at the very beginning of the trip! Gives you a chance to really settle into vacation mode ? 
Today we slept in a bit and then went to Silver dining for breakfast. The options, while obviously not as comprehensive as the Windjammer, were decent and the space was calm and relaxing. Sadly, the cappuccino machine is broken — noooooooo! The drip coffee was better than the MDR and got the caffeine-insertion job done though. After that, we wandered the ship until the Crown & Anchor event held in Two70. They invited Platinum and above, a total of about 500 guests onboard. I carefully noted down the number breakdown of the loyalty levels and then promptly deleted the note. Doh! I will get the exact numbers later when I visit the Loyalty desk. Speaking of, the Loyalty Ambassador moonlights as the NextCruise Manager; there’s not enough business on these cruises yet to warrant separate people. They showed a slick production called Dance in a Box on the robo-screens in Two70 for the party. Very impressive! Particularly enjoyed the subtle change of perspective as the screens moved.
Cruise Director and Captain at the Crown & Anchor event:


We went to lunch at Jaime’s. We had only been on ships with a Giovanni’s before and I was looking forward to testing the difference. Ultimately, I prefer Giovanni’s. I like the heavier pasta dishes. Heh. Jamie’s was certainly tasty, though! We split an Epic Brownie for dessert. OMG! Super gooey brownie, salted caramel gelato, and caramel popcorn. Mmmm! Also, shout out to @SpeedNoodles for going on about the Oberon — I remembered and recommended it to MisterZ. He enjoyed it very much! ? 
After lunch there was some leisuring about, and then we tried to go to our Northstar reservation. Unfortunately it was too windy, so we rescheduled for the 24th. Another vote for “schedule all the things right away so you can still do/see them if the weather doesn’t cooperate!” Then back for dinner in the MDR. Tonight was “Dress Your Best” — at our seating it ran about 50% of the people dressed in anything vaguely resembling “formal” wear. Granted, early seating tends to have more families with tiny humans, so there’s a lot of “you’re lucky we’re here with pants on at all” vibe. This time I had the Japanese Steak (adequate) and MisterZ had the Tempura (also adequate). Our waiter and assistant waiter are fantastic. Our non-table table mates didn’t show, so we had a lovely two-top experience ? 


After dinner we went to see Showgirl! in the theater. It was decent — very elaborate costumes and strong singing and dancing, low on plot. We enjoyed it though! Honestly, we hadn’t been to a show on a ship in about 6 years, because the smaller ships just don’t do the interesting, big productions. We have resolved to take advantage on Spectrum though! FYI, these next snaps were with MisterZ’s Pixel 2XL, as my iPhone XR (what has been used for all the shots up to here) is crap for low light shots.