Guy Gadwa Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 Following!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 Is it my imagination, or is the color scheme in your cabin on Empress different from pretty much all the other royal ships? Specifically looking at the blue "luggage rest" and throw pillow covers, but even in the public areas the color scheme seems brighter and more vibrant than I recall seeing even on post-AMP ships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 6 minutes ago, JLMoran said: Is it my imagination, or is the color scheme in your cabin on Empress different from pretty much all the other royal ships? Specifically looking at the blue "luggage rest" and throw pillow covers, but even in the public areas the color scheme seems brighter and more vibrant than I recall seeing even on post-AMP ships. Empress was refreshed when they brought her back into fleet for Cuba. She has decor in places that ships like Navigator just received. Carpet, drapes, upholstery are more consistent than different. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oreocruiser Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Excited to follow another Twangster Live Blog! We were on Empress two years ago solely for Cuba and were pleasantly surprised by how much we loved the ship. She gave us the perfect calm and relaxing feeling needed during a weekend off from school and work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethlehem_GA_Cruisers Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Twangster - enjoying the photos from your Empress cruise. We are long-time cruisers of the "Fun" ships but have booked our first RC cruise this fall on the Empress. The "other guys" have their FunTimes daily planner - wondering if there's something similar on the Empress - and if so could you post photos? We're excited about spending Thanksgiving on Grand Cayman. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagnew Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Thanks for the photos sir, they along with the price point are just about sending me to the travel agent to book a sailing next Jan/Feb. As you noted in the intro, we can definitely get a lot more room on the Empress than some of the big boys for the price... My question to you is, as you walk around her is do you think it is "worth it" to go past the Junior Suite level for 2 adults? I know that is a personal decision, but without a suite lounge it may be silly to go for a slightly bigger room unless the on board service finds ways to make up the gap. twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 18 hours ago, twangster said: It may not be the newest or biggest ship, but I'm on a cruise while @Matt is sitting at home thinking and talking about being on a cruise. JLMoran, WAAAYTOOO, hayley_bopp and 11 others 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 9 hours ago, Bethlehem_Cruiser said: Twangster - enjoying the photos from your Empress cruise. We are long-time cruisers of the "Fun" ships but have booked our first RC cruise this fall on the Empress. The "other guys" have their FunTimes daily planner - wondering if there's something similar on the Empress - and if so could you post photos? We're excited about spending Thanksgiving on Grand Cayman. Thanks in advance! The Royal Caribbean version of "Fun Times" is called the Cruise Compass. Like the Fun Times it's delivered daily to your cabin. This site has a collection of Cruise Compasses that previous cruisers have been kind enough to collect and send to Matt Hochberg who runs this site. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass Specifically for Empress the following Cruise Compasses have been posted: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass?ship=1195 I am collecting them for this sailing and I'll be sending them to Matt after I have collected them for the entire cruise. In fact I'll likely do that for both cruises of this back to back. Matt and mom2mybugs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 9 hours ago, jagnew said: My question to you is, as you walk around her is do you think it is "worth it" to go past the Junior Suite level for 2 adults? I know that is a personal decision, but without a suite lounge it may be silly to go for a slightly bigger room unless the on board service finds ways to make up the gap. I've only booked "full" suites (grand or better) on Oasis class. For my situation, particularly when cruising solo, a grand suite or higher would be excessive. For me, I would rather put that extra money towards another cruise. I'm not one that must sail in a balcony or in a suite. I've gone from a loft suite on Allure to an interior on Grandeur and I had a blast on both cruises. It's a great question but ultimately as you noted it's a personal decision. Susie, jagnew and mom2mybugs 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Day Two - Key West, continued... We arrived as the first ship into port and we hit the jackpot with the primary Mallory Square berth. A Carnival ship would arrive later and end up behind us. It grew hot pretty quickly so I ventured off to grab a few pictures in between work activities. I am working a bit on this cruise so I took advantage of the strong cellular connection towards that goal. Back on board we sailed away at 5:30pm and I made my way to the Windjammer for dinner. Jerk night. Yum. The WJ is forward facing on this ship. The band Mass Effect was playing in Boleros. Pretty good and one Mojito turned into another. A sunset was looking promising but some clouds on the horizon stole the show away from me. From the pool deck; The Viking Crown Lounge is different on Empress. It is aft facing, not forward facing like the VCL is on most other current ships. Empress does have a rock climbing wall. Movie night. Tonight's movie was Captain Marvel. This picture doesn't do golden hour justice. Sunsets at sea are often some of the best. Kim Kincade was on the piano and singing in the Schooner Bar. Ballroom dancing display in the Main Theater didn't grab my attention so I hung out in the Schooner Bar for an hour, or two, or three. Kim is from Nova Scotia and he is pretty good. Late night adult comedy hour was good and the theater was packed. A couple had their 5 or 6 year old daughter with them. This show was not appropriate for that age and the comedian didn't hold back. She doesn't speak english was the couples response. I don't buy that. Some people. hayley_bopp, Bethlehem_GA_Cruisers, Deedeelynn and 8 others 7 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Day Three - Sea Day I woke up feeling like the ship wasn't moving and I thought we might be stopped or at a pier for a medical diversion. Nope. Opening the drapes the sea conditions are very flat this morning. The itinerary channel on the TV system has us going ~15 knots. Very smooth, it feels like we are going 4 or 5 knots. The full breakfast menu choice in Chops this morning. Chops has a private dining area contained within it. I suspect this is where the Chef's Table would be held. While at breakfast I noticed some marine life popping up here and there. Back in my cabin I saw some more. Looks like dolphins, quite few of them but spread out for 15 minutes here and there. Voom Surf and Stream this morning: Our progress so far... mom2mybugs, The Cruise Junkie, JLMoran and 8 others 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethlehem_GA_Cruisers Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 56 minutes ago, twangster said: Day Two - Key West, continued... We arrived as the first ship into port and we hit the jackpot with the primary Mallory Square berth. A Carnival ship would arrive later and end up behind us. It grew hot pretty quickly so I ventured off to grab a few pictures in between work activities. I am working a bit on this cruise so I took advantage of the strong cellular connection towards that goal. Back on board we sailed away at 5:30pm and I made my way to the Windjammer for dinner. Jerk night. Yum. The WJ is forward facing on this ship. The band Mass Effect was playing in Boleros. Pretty good and one Mojito turned into another. A sunset was looking promising but some clouds on the horizon stole the show away from me. From the pool deck; The Viking Crown Lounge is different on Empress. It is aft facing, not forward facing like the VCL is on most other current ships. Empress does have a rock climbing wall. Movie night. Tonight's movie was Captain Marvel. This picture doesn't do golden hour justice. Sunsets at sea are often some of the best. Kim Kincade was on the piano and singing in the Schooner Bar. Ballroom dancing display in the Main Theater didn't grab my attention so I hung out in the Schooner Bar for and hour, or two, or three. Kim is from Nova Scotia and he is pretty good. Late night adult comedy hour was good and the theater was packed. A couple had their 5 or 6 year old daughter with them. This show was not appropriate for that age and the comedian didn't hold back. She doesn't speak english was the couples response. I don't buy that. Some people. From what I've seen - there's no specific Comedy Club venue on Empress - and most activities are in the Main Theater. Are there 2 shows/activities most nights? Comedians each night or just some nights? And have participated in a Quest-type scavenger hunt on a Fun Ship - but have heard that they are more random and not the same repeated items on RC - is that true? And which night is it normally held? Thanks so much for sharing your photos - they are making us want Thanksgiving to get here even faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Random observation...The Viking Crown lounge reminds me of the Top Sail lounge and restaurant on the MSC Seaside. Enjoying the pics so far. I will likely never sail this ship so it is nice to see it through you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacation Crazy Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Enjoying your blog so far. Thanks for sharing. We sailed Empress a few years ago when we were offered a free cruise from the casino. We loved every minute aboard. She is a great little ship with a big heart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Bethlehem_GA_Cruisers said: From what I've seen - there's no specific Comedy Club venue on Empress - and most activities are in the Main Theater. Are there 2 shows/activities most nights? Comedians each night or just some nights? And have participated in a Quest-type scavenger hunt on a Fun Ship - but have heard that they are more random and not the same repeated items on RC - is that true? And which night is it normally held? Most Royal ships don't have a dedicated Comedy Club venue. Often a comedian will do a family friendly bit during the welcome aboard show and an adult only show in the main theater one night. Depending on ship and cruise length sometimes there will be comedy on another night. Royal Caribbean ships tend to have an adult oriented Quest event typically towards the end of the cruise. I don't recall Carnival offering the same when I last sailed them but that was a few years ago now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 When I boarded I was glad to see Louis Soomaroo back on board as Loyalty Ambassador. Louis took very good care of me on my last Empress cruise and there's little doubt that he was responsible for the Diamond Plus pin left in my cabin last night. I actually made Diamond Plus 17 cruises ago but I had never received a pin. It's not a thing for me, I don't tend to wear pins so I never pursued it. Leave it to Louis to figure it out. A pod of dolphins provided some entertainment for us but it was hard to time the pictures right as dozens of them jumped around in front of the ship. Pool deck on a sea day: World's Sexiest Man contest. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it. As we reached the end of Cuba and entered the Caribbean Sea we picked up a gentle swell coming up from the South hitting us broadside. There is a very gentle rocking of the ship occasionally. Not bad, just a slight pitch now and then. The bridge crew have kept us out of the rain as it passes us on both sides (or we just got lucky). With that past us we are back into sunny skies. ellcee, SpeedNoodles, hayley_bopp and 8 others 7 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinUpinLife Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 9 minutes ago, twangster said: When I boarded I was glad to see Louis Soomaroo back on board as Loyalty Ambassador. Louis took very good care of me on my last Empress cruise and there's little doubt that he was responsible for the Diamond Plus pin left in my cabin last night. I actually made Diamond Plus 17 cruises ago but I had never received a pin. It's not a thing for me, I don't tend to wear pins so I never pursued it. Leave it to Louis to figure it out. A pod of dolphins provided some entertainment for us but it was hard to time the pictures right as dozens of them jumped around in front of the ship. Sounds like you are seriously having no regrets with these types of posts-sounds awesome! I wish I was there! twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayley_bopp Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Loving your live blog as always @twangster. Just right to keep me going through my last couple of weeks pre-cruise JLMoran and twangster 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 1 hour ago, twangster said: I actually made Diamond Plus 17 cruises ago but I had never received a pin. Now THAT's great service. Very nice. twangster, CruisinUpinLife and JLMoran 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleroman88 Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Thank you so much for this blog. I am cruising on the Empress on August 10th for an 8 night East. Carribean. I had heard some very negative things about the ship so I feel so much better seeing your positive experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinUpinLife Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 42 minutes ago, Michelleroman88 said: Thank you so much for this blog. I am cruising on the Empress on August 10th for an 8 night East. Carribean. I had heard some very negative things about the ship so I feel so much better seeing your positive experience. As he has said, if you go on this ship with big and or new ship expectations, you will be disappointed. If you go knowing it’s a smaller ship with less passengers, wanting to use the pool and be entertained in intimate venues, you are all set. Every cruise is what you make of it. tiny260 and Michelleroman88 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Amazing how much easier getting around Key West is when you dock in Mallory Square twangster and MotleyCruiser 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 19 minutes ago, Michelleroman88 said: Thank you so much for this blog. I am cruising on the Empress on August 10th for an 8 night East. Carribean. I had heard some very negative things about the ship so I feel so much better seeing your positive experience. I’m looking forward to that cruise. It’s been several years since I’ve been to Tortola and Jost Van Dyke. In general negative reviews often come from improper expectations. In some ways negative reviews help to keep expectations in check so people are pleasantly surprised when it isn’t as bad as some people report. Make no mistake, Empress is a small ship. If you understand that when you board you won’t be surprised with her size. She has all the essentials requirements for a great experience. She might be the smallest in the fleet but she has the biggest heart. JLMoran, Michelleroman88 and The Cruise Junkie 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleroman88 Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 34 minutes ago, CruisinUpinLife said: As he has said, if you go on this ship with big and or new ship expectations, you will be disappointed. If you go knowing it’s a smaller ship with less passengers, wanting to use the pool and be entertained in intimate venues, you are all set. Every cruise is what you make of it. I have been on other small ships and have thoroughly enjoyed. Small ship negative reviews were not really whatI Iwas referring too. These were more like food was not good and poor selection, ship was dirty, and foul smell coming from aging pipes from bathroom waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleroman88 Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 10 minutes ago, twangster said: I’m looking forward to that cruise. It’s been several years since I’ve been to Tortola and Jost Van Dyke. In general negative reviews often come from improper expectations. In some ways negative reviews help to keep expectations in check so people are pleasantly surprised when it isn’t as bad as some people report. Make no mistake, Empress is a small ship. If you understand that when you board you won’t be surprised with her size. She has all the essentials requirements for a great experience. She might be the smallest in the fleet but she has the biggest heart. Thanks again Twangster. I plan on going with an open mind. And I have never been to Tortola so I am excited about that as well. I just hope by then the protests in San Juan will be done and we will be able to go there. CruisinUpinLife and mom2mybugs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2mybugs Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 9 hours ago, Matt said: Amazing how much easier getting around Key West is when you dock in Mallory Square I was thinking the same thing. We docked way out at the naval station and when your tired and hot, it felt like forever away. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2mybugs Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Thanks twangster! It looks like an amazing ship and like Sabrina, I enjoy the pics because I’m thinking I won’t get on it. I have yet to meet a class I haven’t liked and I’m sure I’d enjoy empress! Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Day 3 afternoon I ventured around the ship and enjoyed a few cocktails here and there. Top Tier event at 5pm in Boleros. The Captain announced there are over 11 million Crown and Anchor members worldwide and 540 were on this sailing. 365 Gold, 84 Platinum, 25 Emerald, 43 Diamond, 17 Diamond Plus, 6 Pinnacles. Top cruiser 3,488 points. Arriving back to my cabin there was an envelope on my bed. Windjammer for dinner tonight. Empress features hand washing stations in the WJ like newer ships. Gala Indian Night A small gluten free section. The WJ has been lightly occupied on the few times I've had dinner there. I found some great new Indian items to try and they were tasty. Dramatic sky tonight In my cocktail induced state a number of different animals were conjured up in my mind looking at this cloud. #FreeWillie hayley_bopp, WAAAYTOOO, Skigoofy and 6 others 5 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 18 minutes ago, twangster said: Gala Indian Night I'm enjoying your blog almost as much as I enjoy Indian food. It is always a highlight of the cruise when it's served. Last cruise they even had some for breakfast in WJ. Curry and eggs anyone? twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Night 3 Pool Party I wanted to check out the pool party they referenced in the letter. It was well attended with many people still in their formal wear since this was a formal night. Entertainment staff led the dance moves. I had noted the Windjammer offered "Late Night Snacks" 10:30pm to 12:30am and then a "Burger & Sandwich Bar" 12:30am to 1:30am. There were a number of guests here at 11:45pm. Unlike the late night offerings on Mariner and Navigator recently this was more complete with much more than just burgers and hot dogs. It was pretty much a midnight buffet. It wasn't packed by any stretch but I was certainly not alone. There were even some dessert items. Wandering around the pool deck it was a beautiful night with a sky full of stars. It's hard to see them in these photos but it was a great night for star gazing. I wanted to include a picture of the kids splash zone and here at midnight it was void of kids so I took the opportunity to take a quick picture. I try not to photograph other people's children so this will have to suffice with the water features turned off. mom2mybugs, The Cruise Junkie, Guy Gadwa and 8 others 9 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oreocruiser Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Although my parents do enjoy trying new things, the amazing Indian food Royal Caribbean offers is always a comfort to them if the vegetarian options are not to their taste. It also gives them a little slice of home since my mom (who rarely dines out) has a difficult time not cooking for an entire week. mom2mybugs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayley_bopp Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Is it wrong that I now want to sail on Empress just to try the late night WJ offerings? Cruzinfun, twangster, JLMoran and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 3 hours ago, FManke said: I'm enjoying your blog almost as much as I enjoy Indian food. It is always a highlight of the cruise when it's served. Last cruise they even had some for breakfast in WJ. Curry and eggs anyone? Yes!!!! And the Indian style grits were amazing too. Ala_Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Day 4 Costa Maya I slept in a bit given the late night activities the night before. Looking outside I saw we had arrived. Today Empress was recording setting. We are the biggest ship in port! We were also the only ship in port so is there that. Unfortunately a whale tail arrived to break our record. Fortunately the Fantasy didn't arrive until 1pm and with Empress being on the small side it was nice experiencing Costa Maya with so few guests present. hayley_bopp, Lovetocruise2002, Guy Gadwa and 7 others 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 I've always enjoyed the Costa Maya port area and Mahahual is a short shuttle ride away. This time I'm just sticking to the port area. Maybe I'll run over to Mahahual next week when I'm back. Nice big pool that's free to use. Matt, JLMoran, hayley_bopp and 6 others 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 I don't recall seeing the Pink Flamingos before but I probably just missed them. They are sort of a weird looking animal up close with some strange mannerisms but it was fun to watch them for a while. They have a free tram running down the pier. It's hot today and this was a welcome break from the sun on the way back to the ship. ellcee, Skigoofy, mom2mybugs and 8 others 9 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mook1525 Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 24 minutes ago, twangster said: I don't recall seeing the Pink Flamingos before but I probably just missed them. They are sort of a weird looking animal up close with some strange mannerisms but it was fun to watch them for a while. They have a free tram running down the pier. It's hot today and this was a welcome break from the sun on the way back to the ship. If you decide to go to Mahahual next week, can you tell us current seaweed situation? thanks! twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Note about Costa Maya and Cozumel time. They are one hour behind ship time. The ship stayed on eastern time and a note on the Cruise Compass for today warns guests to mind the time change. My cell phone did switch to central time until I manually fixed it to eastern. Often Royal Captains will change ship time to match island time. Not so on Empress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 I met a Pinnacle at the bar last night. He is staying on for the next four cruises. Super nice guy. JLMoran, mom2mybugs, SpeedNoodles and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Oh my...that Carnival ship looks like it has seen way better days! SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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