Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 Day 4: St. Maarten “The world is an orchestra, the universe is a Symphony.” Good morning from St. Maarten! Having a quick breakfast now in CK and then the plan is to take the water taxi over to “That Yoda Guy”. I am ready to go with 3 novels downloaded onto my phone already. hayley_bopp, Deedeelynn, tiny260 and 8 others 9 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: I am ready to go with 3 novels downloaded onto my phone already. Either you're a major speed reader, or you're expecting hubs-bot to spend on heckuva long time with That Yoda Guy! Skid and Lovetocruise2002 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 18 minutes ago, JLMoran said: Either you're a major speed reader, or you're expecting hubs-bot to spend on heckuva long time with That Yoda Guy! The latter... Last time we were there for almost 3 hours! JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 27 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Day 4: St. Maarten “The world is an orchestra, the universe is a Symphony.” Good morning from St. Maarten! Having a quick breakfast now in CK and then the plan is to take the water taxi over to “That Yoda Guy”. I am ready to go with 3 novels downloaded onto my phone already. What a view..I cant wait to get there in Nov on Harmony..been a bucket list item for me. Every picture and review of it I see makes me want to get there more and more! Enjoy today there! Lovetocruise2002 and JLMoran 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 11 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Also found this from our Concierge tonight. It was also on the front page of our cruise compass. Not sure if this is new but I don’t recall seeing this on Anthem a few weeks ago. So what is this, exactly ? How does "Fast Track Boarding" work ? It mentions "ports of call" so it must have something to do with either getting off the ship or getting back on the ship or both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 12 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: So what is this, exactly ? How does "Fast Track Boarding" work ? It mentions "ports of call" so it must have something to do with either getting off the ship or getting back on the ship or both. I will let you know after I get back on board later today. I am curious as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 11 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Also found this from our Concierge tonight. It was also on the front page of our cruise compass. Not sure if this is new but I don’t recall seeing this on Anthem a few weeks ago. I'd be far more likely to buy The Key if this feature was implemented fleetwide. SpeedNoodles, Lovetocruise2002 and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenna Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 Love following along! Looks like you are having a great time I'm going to need to find me a lemon drop on Harmony in Sept! Very interested to see how that "fast track" works as we have the key booked Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiralqueen Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 16 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Also found this from our Concierge tonight. It was also on the front page of our cruise compass. Not sure if this is new but I don’t recall seeing this on Anthem a few weeks ago. Great blog so far! I'm eagerly looking forward to finding out what in the world this is. If this becomes fleet wide, it will made the increased Key price on Oasis/Quantum class ships much easier to swallow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellemiche Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 18 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Also found this from our Concierge tonight. It was also on the front page of our cruise compass. Not sure if this is new but I don’t recall seeing this on Anthem a few weeks ago. @Lovetocruise2002 This reminds me of YC on that “other” cruise line. Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 Back now after what turned out to be a busy day! Where should I start? We got off the ship around 10 am this morning and about 5 minutes after we walked off it started pouring! Even with the umbrellas that we had brought out with us, we were drenched! We ducked into one of the stores near the dock area to wait out the rain and then headed over to downtown St. Maarten where That Yoda Guy was. Happy to report that he was there today, and that Hubby did not purchase anything this time. The rain had cooled things down a bit so we decided to walk around Front Street. As luck would have it, we stumbled into an Effy store (I love that brand) and I came across a piece that I had my eye on and I thought had sold out long ago. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, because Hubby is awesome, and because they were willing to bargain, I now have a early birthday present After visiting Effy, we decided to head back to the ship because it was getting really hot by this point and we had not had lunch yet. We were stopped by someone renting private jet skis and Hubby decided we should try it out. It was pretty late by this point and we did not have the right clothes on, so we hurried back to the ship to change. By the time we got back to the rental area, they did not have any jet skis available and asked if we could wait 30-40 mins. This is the part where the clear differences in our personalities took over. If it were Hubby, he would have stayed. For myself, because I have watched too many pier runner videos, and not wanting to be one myself, I said forget it. In the end, we headed back and did not wait. Instead, we now know for next time to head straight there and get that out of the way first. Lesson learned. Deedeelynn, Guy Gadwa, JLMoran and 4 others 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 Sounds like a very successful, eventful day lol DW Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 Fast Track Boarding Warning: Apologies first because I don’t really think that I am high maintenance but I believe that there should be a logical way of doing things. This is going to turn into a rant because I did not like how this process was done at all. In fact, I am pretty sure that I will be giving my thoughts to the concierge later. As many of you know, Symphony has two gangways to enter/exit. Forward and aft. And she is a very large ship. As we approached the ship to get back on, there was first of all, no signage about Fast Track Boarding. We looked for white flags and it was very hard to spot. If we did not look as hard as we did, we would not have noticed that they were tucked away (not very visible) way at the forward entrance. Here is my problem with this. And yes, this is first world problems. Fast Track Boarding is, as they advertise, supposed to be for suite guests, those with strollers, assistance needs, etc. Why on Earth would you put this at the forward gangway?! So that those who have young children and need assistance can walk even further down a super hot pier?! And it’s a significant distance from aft to forward gangway, especially if you are in those categories. Does not make sense at all. Add into the equation that most of your suites which qualify for this are located in the aft section of the ship too. It’s just not logical. They achieved the “Fast” promise of this because no one wanted to walk all the way past the aft gangway to the forward gangway! Ok, rant over. Back to nice Canadian. cruisestuff, Skid, Deedeelynn and 7 others 3 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdiedrich Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 13 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Back now after what turned out to be a busy day! Where should I start? We got off the ship around 10 am this morning and about 5 minutes after we walked off it started pouring! Even with the umbrellas that we had brought out with us, we were drenched! We ducked into one of the stores near the dock area to wait out the rain and then headed over to downtown St. Maarten where That Yoda Guy was. Happy to report that he was there today, and that Hubby did not purchase anything this time. The rain had cooled things down a bit so we decided to walk around Front Street. As luck would have it, we stumbled into an Effy store (I love that brand) and I came across a piece that I had my eye on and I thought had sold out long ago. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, because Hubby is awesome, and because they were willing to bargain, I now have a early birthday present After visiting Effy, we decided to head back to the ship because it was getting really hot by this point and we had not had lunch yet. We were stopped by someone renting private jet skis and Hubby decided we should try it out. It was pretty late by this point and we did not have the right clothes on, so we hurried back to the ship to change. By the time we got back to the rental area, they did not have any jet skis available and asked if we could wait 30-40 mins. This is the part where the clear differences in our personalities took over. If it were Hubby, he would have stayed. For myself, because I have watched too many pier runner videos, and not wanting to be one myself, I said forget it. In the end, we headed back and did not wait. Instead, we now know for next time to head straight there and get that out of the way first. Lesson learned. Think, you and hubby could have made the news as the latest pier runners! haha Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 Back on the ship, we tried to re-create our Star class days even though we’re not this time. We also received some treats from our suite concierges, Jackie and Jennie. These two ladies are awesome but I will talk about them later. hayley_bopp, Guy Gadwa, JLMoran and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, vancouverdude said: Think, you and hubby could have made the news as the latest pier runners! haha That is not news that I ever wish to make! JLMoran and Skid 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Why on Earth would you put this at the forward gangway The Fast Track Boarding amenity was more than likely though up and designed by one of Royal's IT folks. Be sure to mention your displeasure with this amenity on your end of cruise survey. Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew72681 Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 10 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Fast Track Boarding Warning: Apologies first because I don’t really think that I am high maintenance but I believe that there should be a logical way of doing things. This is going to turn into a rant because I did not like how this process was done at all. In fact, I am pretty sure that I will be giving my thoughts to the concierge later. As many of you know, Symphony has two gangways to enter/exit. Forward and aft. And she is a very large ship. As we approached the ship to get back on, there was first of all, no signage about Fast Track Boarding. We looked for white flags and it was very hard to spot. If we did not look as hard as we did, we would not have noticed that they were tucked away (not very visible) way at the forward entrance. Here is my problem with this. And yes, this is first world problems. Fast Track Boarding is, as they advertise, supposed to be for suite guests, those with strollers, assistance needs, etc. Why on Earth would you put this at the forward gangway?! So that those who have young children and need assistance can walk even further down a super hot pier?! And it’s a significant distance from aft to forward gangway, especially if you are in those categories. Does not make sense at all. Add into the equation that most of your suites which qualify for this are located in the aft section of the ship too. It’s just not logical. They achieved the “Fast” promise of this because no one wanted to walk all the way past the aft gangway to the forward gangway! Ok, rant over. Back to nice Canadian. Sounds like they need to get their ducks in a row if expedited actually takes twice as long. Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 18 minutes ago, Andrew72681 said: Sounds like they need to get their ducks in a row if expedited actually takes twice as long. My thoughts exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaCruiseGirl1210 Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 40 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Fast Track Boarding I'ld be curious to see if the Fast Track Boarding changes throughout the cruise, it seems like maybe it was a initial running mishap? I've only ever had to wait in line to get on the ship once and it moved pretty quickly so i don't know if it would entice me to get the Key though (however that carry-on valet may) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Andrew72681 said: get their ducks in a row Actually, I think it would be "ducks on board" in this particular situation. WAAAYTOOO, hayley_bopp and JLMoran 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 10 hours ago, JLMoran said: That Yoda Guy Ok, who the hell is this Yoda Guy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted July 30, 2019 Report Share Posted July 30, 2019 10 hours ago, JLMoran said: That Yoda Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 16 minutes ago, rjac said: Ok, who the hell is this Yoda Guy? Google is your friend. Kidding...he is one of Yoda’s (from Star Wars) creators. His name is Nick Maley and he has a store and museum of Star Wars memorabilia on Front Street. rjac, Deedeelynn and MotleyCruiser 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 Dinner tonight at Jamie’s. A few months ago, we received a complimentary specialty dining voucher from our TA. The debate was between 150 CP, Hooked, and Jamie’s. Hubby and I took a close look at the Hooked menu along with pics from the Royal Caribbean dining FB page and decided against it. That left my vote for 150 and Hubby’s for Jamie’s. Well, you know who won that one. Service was great tonight compared to on HM a few months ago. It was fast and attentive. Food was the same good quality as any other Jamie’s. Ultimate Garlic Bread Arancini Grilled Vegetables from the plank Penne Carbonara Truffle Tagliatelle Dessert to go hayley_bopp, Deedeelynn, JohnK6404 and 7 others 7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 Diamond Lounge appetizers for @Susie Wanted to note that it was the exact same as the suite lounge apps. Deedeelynn, Guy Gadwa, Susie and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 Plans for tonight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaCruiseGirl1210 Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 That pasta has me drooling... Carbonara is my favorite thing ever.... need carbonara.... JLMoran and Lovetocruise2002 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 1 minute ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said: That pasta has me drooling... Carbonara is my favorite thing ever.... need carbonara.... It’s good. But very heavy. It sits in your stomach forever! Deedeelynn and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaCruiseGirl1210 Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said: It’s good. But very heavy. It sits in your stomach forever! Oh yes I know... I don't get it very often... My favorite restaurant/winery has a gnocchi carbonara and that's like double heavy... but its so delicious... Lovetocruise2002 and JLMoran 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 36 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Google is your friend Just Googled him. Wow, pretty cool! My SIL and grands would really get a kick out of this place. Wish I had known about last April when we all were there on the Allure. Oh well, have to keep this i mind for a future cruise to St. Marteen. Thanks Sabrina. Lovetocruise2002 and Deedeelynn 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 4 hours ago, Andrew72681 said: Sounds like they need to get their ducks in a row @Lovetocruise2002, you are on the blog staff...I think this needs to be moved to @kittysoul's Duckies thread Lovetocruise2002 and kittysoul 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: That left my vote for 150 and Hubby’s for Jamie’s. Well, you know who won that one. First time I've ever said this: Boo on Hubby. It's your anniversary cruise. How could he pass up the ambiance (not to mention the food and service) of 150 CP? He obviously didn't read my Symphony blog. bellemiche, JLMoran and Lovetocruise2002 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Diamond Lounge appetizers for @Susie Wanted to note that it was the exact same as the suite lounge apps. Thanks for the pictures. No doubt !! Look better than my Greek salad (my dinner for today). 74 days to go we will be on Symphony. Can't wait. Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: That left my vote for 150 and Hubby’s for Jamie’s. Well, you know who won that one. 27 minutes ago, Skid said: First time I've ever said this: Boo on Hubby. It's your anniversary cruise. How could he pass up the ambiance (not to mention the food and service) of 150 CP? He obviously didn't read my Symphony blog. And again, had it been my wife and I in this situation, it would have been the reverse of Sabrina and hubs-bot -- I'd have said 150 CP, she'd have said Jamie's, and I'd be eating Italian food that night. That said, this... 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: would have totally made the "sacrifice" worth it, assuming it's the same garlic truffle tagliatelle that I had at Chef's Table on Freedom. And if I had room left after that, I'd have asked for a side portion of the carbonara. Because like @FloridaCruiseGirl1210, I live for carbonara. At least, as long as it isn't made with cream (or heaven help us, peas! ) Lovetocruise2002, Skid and RazorbackIslandGirl 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaCruiseGirl1210 Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 Just now, JLMoran said: And again, had it been my wife and I in this situation, it would have been the reverse of Sabrina and hubs-bot -- I'd have said 150 CP, she'd have said Jamie's, and I'd be eating Italian food that night. That said, this... would have totally made the "sacrifice" worth it, assuming it's the same garlic truffle tagliatelle that I had at Chef's Table on Freedom. And if I had room left after that, I'd have asked for a side portion of the carbonara. Because like @FloridaCruiseGirl1210, I live for carbonara. At least, as long as it isn't made with cream (or heaven help us, peas! ) I knew I liked you Joe. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 2 minutes ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said: I knew I liked you Joe Everybody likes Joe! SpeedNoodles, JLMoran and Lovetocruise2002 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 5 minutes ago, JLMoran said: (or heaven help us, peas! ) That's hilarious! Love the emoji! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 5 minutes ago, Skid said: Everybody likes Joe! +1 for Joe JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 6 minutes ago, Skid said: Everybody likes Joe! Hey, I like coffee as much as the next guy (or gal), but I don't know if everybody likes it. rjac and Skid 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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