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“Into the Unknown” … Independence OTS (Holiday sailing) – 12/29/2018-1/3/2019


Lovetocruise2002

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Sorry for the lack of updates. It has been a crazy sort of evening since the Sexiest Man competition. 

We’ll start with that. Here is the scope of it. It is about 1/2h long.

https://www.pscp.tv/w/bvmP8TF4TlFhYVJPT2V3UWJ8MU93eFdPdmVkemt4UQFcYk9ipf6iBebZPx_6b29772vU-lQMaJQU_Z7M6UgJ

After that we decided that we would catch the 6pm showing of Grease as the 9pm time might have been too late for D10.

Went back to the room to get ready and the ship picked up considerable motion. I thought it may have just been the location of the room, but as the evening progressed, there was motion everywhere.

Anyway, D12 and I were not feeling well at all we almost did not make it to Grease. We finally took took some Gravol (Canadian version of Dramamine) and the nausea went away but now I was really sleepy.  

Grease was the same as I remember from Harmony. We got front row even without a Genie ? I give the Harmony cast a slight edge here but no real differences to report. 

Because of the early showtime we decided to head to the WJ for dinner tonight. The fact that we were not impressed with MDR dinner last night and tonight’s menu did not look appealing played into our choice. 

Here is the MDR menu for anyone keeping track. No food pics as we did not eat there. 

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Pulling a @CGTLH with WJ recon. It was Mongolian/Italian night. 1228249C-64BB-4935-9D72-7EB8844CE4A7.thumb.jpeg.2e3f41717715cbcae0796f58812448d2.jpeg

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Ended the night now with this post. Lazy but long day. The ship is rocking a lot tonight so headed to bed as that is the best remedy ??

038C8210-2BFB-4023-9B24-1C14CA18262B.jpeg

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Loving your review and "re-living" Indy. Amazing photos.  Neat too how you can also compare Mariner and Indy as can relate tot eh comparison. 

Agree with your ice show comments with it being more fun on Mariner, and more skating skills on Indy.  But I loved the different era theme. If your cruise is like ours, they'll replay it again on the next sea day, but also in the day (although I think your cruise is one day longer so could be different).

And totally agree with you about getting seats on Indy. I lined up early but was also able to grab front row.  We have Symphony booked in March, and Harmony in the future too and with all these reserved seating options and crowd size, can imagine front row (and next couple) will be an impossible task.  Neat for you to compare the same show on different ships.

So sorry you and your daughter weren't feeling well..but good that the dramamine kicked in. Hope seas are smooth for you going forward. (Where are you from?  We're from Ontario)

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10 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Hope you wake up feeling a lot better, and that the motion in the ocean is much more bearable!

We were good once we took the meds ?

8 hours ago, Susie said:

After I saw MDR menu you posted, now I am 100% sure that most Royal ship uses the same menu. I think you made the right call to eat at WJ. Hope you feel better with motion sickness. I took Bonine in the morning then drink coffee so I will not sleepy. 

A while back they rolled out fleet wide menus for the MDR. They will all be similar regardless of what ship you sail. Unlike @Matt, I am #teamCK and quickly losing interest with the MDR.

1 hour ago, WannaCruise said:

Loving your review and "re-living" Indy. Amazing photos.  Neat too how you can also compare Mariner and Indy as can relate tot eh comparison. 

Agree with your ice show comments with it being more fun on Mariner, and more skating skills on Indy.  But I loved the different era theme. If your cruise is like ours, they'll replay it again on the next sea day, but also in the day (although I think your cruise is one day longer so could be different).

And totally agree with you about getting seats on Indy. I lined up early but was also able to grab front row.  We have Symphony booked in March, and Harmony in the future too and with all these reserved seating options and crowd size, can imagine front row (and next couple) will be an impossible task.  Neat for you to compare the same show on different ships.

So sorry you and your daughter weren't feeling well..but good that the dramamine kicked in. Hope seas are smooth for you going forward. (Where are you from?  We're from Ontario)

I mentioned in a scope yesterday that Mariner and Indy are practically identical. Given a choice between the two, it really is a toss up. Unless you are a huge fan of Bamboo Room, which Indy does not have.

It is unlikely that you will get front row for HM or SY as those are usually reserved for Star class guests. But for a show like Grease, I actually prefer to sit further back. Kids and Hubby like the front. 

You will find as you spend more time here on these boards that there are quite a few of here from Ontario ? Canadians need to stick together here. @Matt thinks we all live in igloos?

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Good morning! Day 3: Labadee

I have decided as of last night that I don’t like my cabin. While the additional space is nice, the small bathroom frustrates me and this morning while docked in Labadee, there was so much noise and vibrations coming from below us. 

I don’t think that we are getting off the ship today. D10 has decided that we will make today a mini golf and pool day.  

Some more random observations: 

@CruiseLifeRick has got me thinking that I should start collecting these. I do wish they updated it to include the additions to the pool deck.

B59DBA1D-D4FE-4A29-9595-A337B7B921D0.thumb.jpeg.ccce0d058b080a017c1993a1e280ed6f.jpeg

I missed so many ships already, not sure if I should start. Buy it? Yay or nay?

Tonight’s festivities:

100A19C1-0A18-4673-B07E-21738E30F243.thumb.jpeg.913cf7d3fe1b090a0140871d20f70d99.jpeg

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I have decided as of last night that I don’t like my cabin. While the additional space is nice, the small bathroom frustrates me and this morning while docked in Labadee, there was so much noise and vibrations coming from below us. 

Just think how much you will appreciate the Harmony cruise in March! You will have 2 bathrooms to choose from! ? 

Happy New Year! ?

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2 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

And totally agree with you about getting seats on Indy. I lined up early but was also able to grab front row.  We have Symphony booked in March, and Harmony in the future too and with all these reserved seating options and crowd size, can imagine front row (and next couple) will be an impossible task.  Neat for you to compare the same show on different ships.

 

36 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

It is unlikely that you will get front row for HM or SY as those are usually reserved for Star class guests. 

If you don't mind sitting on the sides, the front row in Studio B on Harmony and Symphony is very attainable.  Plus you never know, sometimes Star Class doesn't consume the entire center section of Studio B, each cruise is different.

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Just now, bellemiche said:

Just think how much you will appreciate the Harmony cruise in March! You will have 2 bathrooms to choose from! ? 

Happy New Year! ?

Same to you @bellemiche!

Hubby thinks I am ridiculous because I keep talking about Harmony while on Indy. He’s probably right ?

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55 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

We were good once we took the meds ?

A while back they rolled out fleet wide menus for the MDR. They will all be similar regardless of what ship you sail. Unlike @Matt, I am #teamCK and quickly losing interest with the MDR.

I mentioned in a scope yesterday that Mariner and Indy are practically identical. Given a choice between the two, it really is a toss up. Unless you are a huge fan of Bamboo Room, which Indy does not have.

It is unlikely that you will get front row for HM or SY as those are usually reserved for Star class guests. But for a show like Grease, I actually prefer to sit further back. Kids and Hubby like the front. 

You will find as you spend more time here on these boards that there are quite a few of here from Ontario ? Canadians need to stick together here. @Matt thinks we all live in igloos?

We love our igloo..lol

Sorry to hear that you are not as impressed with the MDR.  And of course, CK is only on Oasis (and I think Quantum) class.

Yes very true....the two are very similar.  Indy does have the kids pool/splash area which seems to help with crowds on sea days (and great for kids).  And Indy has Grease (and I loved Once Upon a Time as well).  But that back area with the Sky Pad and climbing thing, etc is identical.  I agree too that overall the ships are almost identical.  

Its funny though...on Mariner I found my way quickly and knew which way to go.  On Indy for some reason, I always felt lost.  Could be though, because on Indy we had a mid stateroom vs Mariner we were by aft elevators (so just knew go to the elevators and at Windjammer/waterslides/MDR side).

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13 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

If you don't mind sitting on the sides, the front row in Studio B on Harmony and Symphony is very attainable.  Plus you never know, sometimes Star Class doesn't consume the entire center section of Studio B, each cruise is different.

Great to hear...we would rather be front and on the side vs further back.  Thanks for the note.

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2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Unlike @Matt, I am #teamCK and quickly losing interest with the MDR.

I had never been in Suite so don't know anything about CK. We don't want to spend money on the suite. We are on #teamBalcony. However, MDR is not on my team after my last cruise that why we get UDP for Symphony in October.  Have fun ? and enjoy the New Year's Eve Party tonight.

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I think Royal really needs to address this ^ issue.  When we went in Nov on Oasis, even with reservations it looked like this.  Nowhere to sit, and with a bad back, I wasn't too happy.   

I have loved eating in the MDR for all of my past cruises, but that wait made me change and we only ate there twice, opting for the Winzhammere three times, and 

I'm not the biggest WJ fan.  First formal night was in the Solarium, which was pedestrian at best (we were all dressed up and yet there were a lot of people in there in shorts) and pretty unimpressive.

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Dinner tonight in the MDR got off to an interesting start. As stated in my previous post, the line was so long, even with reservations. Maybe because it was NYE and they were extra busy? I don’t know. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. When we got to the podium, the crew member there tells us that we don’t have reservations for 7:45pm that it was for 6pm and they gave our table away. I pulled out my app to show him that it was indeed for 7:45pm and he seemed confused. In the end, they found us a table but I was not impressed. 

NYE menu:

D413DEAE-07EB-47C0-B5D7-22EE2E0BAAEE.thumb.jpeg.ebaeeaad222f869940663fa65d8f0f72.jpeg

Caesar salad:

A11D1138-2D1C-4931-9CA0-D71A19FDA631.thumb.jpeg.ff6cd48641fd62cd7e500351cb1e74f5.jpeg

Butternut squash soup:

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Onion Tart:

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Lobster:

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NY Strip Loin:

3BE125C5-42D2-4167-B22F-27680B9D33E1.thumb.jpeg.fae51f1d8b8224f157eec50bcfd868dc.jpeg

Apple Pie:

87020A40-D70D-48A9-963C-A6AD94528687.thumb.jpeg.9cada21cbb6f36558e28ad3eabf9e6db.jpeg

Spiced cake:

21E8361F-F874-4399-9E8E-F6F91E40CE08.thumb.jpeg.976125e1fdf2d6fa42d74a5f5e13cc6a.jpeg

Cheesecake:

794FA03E-A7B2-4AE3-8091-1552E59F1BBF.thumb.jpeg.3988afb1869711e5d11d453bb1901bb6.jpeg

For the record, dinner was slow again. Was it MDR FTW? No. But the lobster tail was good. The steak was dry and tasteless and the rest was just ok. I am so happy that we are trying Giovanni’s tomorrow night. 

Our plan is to spend the rest of the night on the promenade. There’s a “Time’s Square” countdown there. @JLMoran it would not be your scene as there are many balloons on the ceiling right now. ?

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Happy New Year! ??

 

Same To You @Lovetocruise2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Good morning! Day 3: Labadee

I have decided as of last night that I don’t like my cabin. While the additional space is nice, the small bathroom frustrates me and this morning while docked in Labadee, there was so much noise and vibrations coming from below us. 

I don’t think that we are getting off the ship today. D10 has decided that we will make today a mini golf and pool day.  

Some more random observations: 

@CruiseLifeRick has got me thinking that I should start collecting these. I do wish they updated it to include the additions to the pool deck.

B59DBA1D-D4FE-4A29-9595-A337B7B921D0.thumb.jpeg.ccce0d058b080a017c1993a1e280ed6f.jpeg

I missed so many ships already, not sure if I should start. Buy it? Yay or nay?

Tonight’s festivities:

100A19C1-0A18-4673-B07E-21738E30F243.thumb.jpeg.913cf7d3fe1b090a0140871d20f70d99.jpeg

 

 

 

So teens party until 1 AM but kids party until 2 AM ? 

 

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14 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

Great to hear...we would rather be front and on the side vs further back.  Thanks for the note.

On our last cruise on Allure, the front lines were secure for star class , but 10 minutes before the show they took the reserve signs from the non occupied seats (and there were many like that) people that came late got the front seats at the end ... 

We were seating at the fifth line so we did not felt the need to move further more but some people improved there seats when it happened . 

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6 hours ago, Traveler said:

On our last cruise on Allure, the front lines were secure for star class , but 10 minutes before the show they took the reserve signs from the non occupied seats (and there were many like that) people that came late got the front seats at the end ... 

We were seating at the fifth line so we did not felt the need to move further more but some people improved there seats when it happened . 

Thank you. We'll definitely keep a watch for when/if the seats free up.

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