JohnK6404 Posted February 6, 2022 Report Posted February 6, 2022 Hello everyone! OK, this is a first for me! Starting the “live” blog one week before we set sail! Odyssey will be our first experience on a Quantum/Quantum Ultra class ship. We had booked Anthem several years ago, since she’s in our backyard, but unfortunately had to cancel due to unexpected circumstances. We booked this cruise very early on back in May of 2020 for both the ship and the southern Caribbean itinerary. This will be our first visit to Aruba and Curacao, and we can’t wait! We’re a little bummed that Grand Cayman was swapped out for Nassau, but we’ll survive and will certainly make the best of it… any day on a cruise is a great day! We’re once again sailing with our good friends from Florida. They sailed with us on Allure back in May of 2019 and we had an amazing time. Unfortunately, it’s looking more and more likely that our friend’s husband will not be able to make this cruise and she will likely be flying solo in her cabin. Nice side note… our friend won her RoyalUp bid and was moved from an interior cabin to an Ocean View balcony cabin this past week! Winning bid for her was $230 ($115/person). Thankfully, she was relocated just one deck below us and just two cabins further aft on the same side of the ship! Plus since our cruise qualifies for the double C&A point promo, and she will likely be solo, she should be receiving 4x the usual points for this sailing (32 points)! My wife and I both contracted Covid during the first week of January right after the holidays. We’re both vaccinated and boosted. Thankfully, neither of us had serious symptoms. We both just had lingering/annoying symptoms that lasted about two weeks (sinus headache, minor fatigue, etc.). We’re both feeling great now and have both tested negative since. We're hoping we got Covid out of the way! Just praying the test that really counts comes back negative! We decided to skip the PCR test at CVS or at the local urgent care this time based on all the advice both from here on the forum and from family/friends in the medical field (due to testing positive last month). Also, we’re not in the mood (or have the luxury since we're flying down) to have to wait very long for the results of a PCR test under the circumstances! We decided to order the online proctored rapid antigen Covid tests from Optum and will give that a shot this time. A huge thank you to @Matt and @SpeedNoodles for posting the two excellent videos outlining the entire testing procedure including what not to do! Fingers crossed tightly! * Time for some trip details… Cruise Details: Odyssey of the Seas, 8-night, Southern Caribbean itinerary (Nassau, Curacao & Aruba) Out of Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale 2/12/22-2/20/22 Cabin Details & Cruise Planner Stuff: Ocean View balcony (Deck 10 Aft, Starboard side; Basically, below the climbing wall toward the cat sculpture) Purchased the Key ($19.99)… Yes we did again, LOL! I'll provide our feelings on value on this sailing. Selected My Time Dining Reservations made for Chef’s Table for Valentine’s Day Reservations made for Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar Purchased the Deluxe Beverage Package Purchased “Snorkel with Stingrays and Shark Feeding” excursion in Curacao Purchased “Half Day Off Road Adventure” excursion in Aruba Miscellaneous Stuff: Flight on Southwest Airlines out of Islip/MacArthur Airport (ISP) on Long Island (NY) early on FRI (2/11/22) morning to Orlando (MCO). Our friends live outside Orlando and have rented a car. We’re driving directly from the airport to Ft. Lauderdale that same day together. (UPDATED) Staying FRI evening at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport-Cruise Port (our first time here): LINK Our current plan is to use the shuttle service from the hotel to the port on SAT morning. We booked the 11:00-11:30 boarding period so we could board with our friends (originally grabbed the 10:30 slot, but they did not complete check-in until the following morning and missed out). I think that’s it for the synopsis... now we just need to pack and pray! We will be taking our Covid tests on Thursday... *** Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to post pictures of something you are interested in... I'll do my best to keep up! ellcee, RWDW1204, KristiZ and 8 others 9 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 6, 2022 Author Report Posted February 6, 2022 Ahhhh.... she's home right now with Edge... 6 more days! https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/ asquared17, WAYNO, SpeedNoodles and 1 other 4 Quote
GregD Posted February 7, 2022 Report Posted February 7, 2022 Another blog to get me through the week before my cruise!! I'll be boarding Oasis on the 20th. Have a great trip! WAYNO and JohnK6404 1 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 7, 2022 Author Report Posted February 7, 2022 36 minutes ago, GregD said: Another blog to get me through the week before my cruise!! I'll be boarding Oasis on the 20th. Have a great trip! Thank you very much! We had the opportunity to sale on Oasis last OCT and had a great time! I’m sure you will too! GregD 1 Quote
SpeedNoodles Posted February 7, 2022 Report Posted February 7, 2022 On 2/6/2022 at 9:37 AM, JohnK6404 said: Ahhhh.... she's home right now with Edge... 6 more days! https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/ Did you see me wave? I was totally waving. #cannotbackthatup JohnK6404, WAAAYTOOO, RWDW1204 and 1 other 3 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 10, 2022 Author Report Posted February 10, 2022 Soooo close! .... and YES! We all tested negative! Woo hoo! Time to finish packing... the dogs are probably not thrilled that they are heading to my sister's house tonight for the next 11 days! "Are you serious? Leaving us again!" - Jake "Enough of this cruising stuff!" - Bella RWDW1204, Yesiamthere, WAYNO and 10 others 7 6 Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 10, 2022 Report Posted February 10, 2022 What beautiful (and handsome) goldies. JohnK6404 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 10, 2022 Author Report Posted February 10, 2022 7 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: What beautiful (and handsome) goldies. Thank you! Looking for any excuse to post pics of them! LOL! ellcee, Big Tule, WAYNO and 1 other 2 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 11, 2022 Author Report Posted February 11, 2022 Absolutely love Long Island/MacArthur (ISP) Airport. Literally 5-10 minutes from our home. We park in a resident parking lot. Small, clean, and modern airport. Quick and easy to get through security. Dread it when we need to go to LaGuardia, JFK or Newark. Lining up to board! Getting there! PPPJJ-GCVAB, wordell1, PRebecca and 4 others 7 Quote
WAYNO Posted February 12, 2022 Report Posted February 12, 2022 By now you're on your way. And on the 26th, I'll be on the same boat. Have a great cruise! Wayne. JohnK6404 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2022 Author Report Posted February 13, 2022 So, last evening we stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. Definitely a bare bones hotel with a good location. From our room we could see the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel & Casino in the distance. If you want a bed and a basic complimentary breakfast it will do nicely. Day 1: Embarkation Day For some strange reason, the first shuttle to the port left at 10:45am which was a little too close to our 11:00am check-in window. Instead, we just took an Uber which cost about the same for the the three of us (our friend’s husband was not able to join us this time). We arrived at the port a little before 10:30am. Checked the bags at the curb and headed to the terminal. Since we had the Key, they led us to another entrance just to the right of the main entrance where folks were lining up based on their check-in times. For some reason, they did not seem to care about our check-in window and just let us in! As we entered the terminal we could see people were still disembarking the ship. Our line was pretty short and the main line snaked around to our left. After a brief delay we went through security, completed the second checkpoint (check-in and negative Covid test verification, etc.), and then into the Key waiting area of the terminal right next to the suite folks. Only 15 minutes or so from entering the terminal to the boarding waiting area. Glad we did not have to wait for the 11:00am check-in and wait on that long, snaking line! There was another short delay which gave us the opportunity to start and complete most of the muster/safety drill. Suite folks lined up to board and we followed immediately behind them. I can say the Key was very helpful this time as we actually boarded the ship before our scheduled check-in window. We headed right to the MDR to check-in with the Key desk and drop off our carry-ons for delivery to our cabin. We then stayed for our embarkation day Chops Grille menu lunch. We were all pleasantly surprised how well it turned out in the MDR. Since we had the Key lunch actually in Chops back in 2019 on Allure, we did not know what to expect this time around. Everything was excellent! Excellent way to start the cruise! Heading to bed now before my wife kills me (it’s 1:16am)! I’ll wrap up embarkation day tomorrow! Goodnight! WAAAYTOOO, ellcee, RWDW1204 and 7 others 9 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2022 Author Report Posted February 13, 2022 Day 1: Embarkation Day (Cont.) During lunch we started reviewing the Royal app and the entertainment schedule. As mentioned in recent blogs, no reservations were required for any of the shows in the Royal Theater or Two70. The only show that required a reservation was The Book (Two70). What really annoyed us was that none of the major productions in the Royal Theater were on the entertainment schedule for this cruise. I spoke to a couple of crew members in Two70 and at Guest Services later that evening and they explained that the contracts of the original cast of both Showgirls! and The Effectors has ended and the new cast in in rehearsals still. They did not know know when these productions would be back on the regular schedule. I did notice there is some abbreviated “Special Preview” of The Effectors on the final evening of the cruise. I doubt we’ll be able to catch it. After we wandered around a bit and then headed to our cabin to unpack. Our carry-ons were in the cabin awaiting us. Here are some random shots we took before sail away. Elevator tower (aft) artwork… Two70… Solarium pool and one of the hot tubs… love the multi-tiered pools! Also love the two double hot tubs. Without a doubt, the tiered pool and double hot tubs on Odyssey/Quantum class are much nicer than those on Oasis class! Smaller, but nicer solarium IMHO for the water lovers. More pics to come. That playful cat! Aft main pool… Forward pool… generally less crowded so far… The Regal Princess, Celebrity Reflection, and Celebrity Apex were among the ships in port… We stayed on the glass walkway that wraps around the Sky Pad and extends over the ship… freaky if you have a fear of heights… Goodbye Ft. Lauderdale! MaryS, asquared17, WAYNO and 1 other 4 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2022 Author Report Posted February 13, 2022 Day 1: Embarkation Day (Cont.) We had 6:30pm My Time reservations in the MDR. Tonight was Prime Rib night, but since we all had the Filet for lunch, we opted for the Herb-Crusted Salmon. We all had the Maryland Style Crab Cake… very tasty, but don’t expect the real deal with huge chunks of crab. I had the French Onion soup and the ladies had the Wild Mushroom soup. For dessert I had the Creme Brulee and the ladies had the Royal Cheesecake and the Apple Blossom A La Mode. Later that evening, we went to see the 10:15pm showing of The Book in Two70. Since we have the Key for this sailing, we were told to arrive 45 minutes before show time for the choice of seats. They formed 2 lines… one line for Pinnacle, Diamond Plus, suite guests, and folks with the Key. The other was for general admission (Diamond on down). We were actually first on line. The crew member recommended siting upstairs in the first row in the center of the venue. Good choice! The performers and production quality of this show was top notch, but we all felt it lacked something… continuity. Some of the other Royal-created productions we’ve seen in the past seemed confusing as well for the same reason. It’s seems like they create individual routines (chapters in The Book) and stitch them together hoping it will make sense. It is definitely worth seeing… form you own opinion as I have heard many people love it. That concluded the evening for my wife and our friend and they hit the sack. Here is a copy of the entertainment guide and Cruise Compass for Day 1: WAAAYTOOO, Neesa, KristiZ and 1 other 2 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 13, 2022 Author Report Posted February 13, 2022 Day 2: Nassau I have a few minutes before we have to head down to dinner - once again in the MDR. Let’s start with today’s Cruise Compass: The Key letter we received at check-in yesterday, as well as, the Crown & Anchor (Platinum) onboard benefits/discounts: OK, off to dinner! KristiZ and Neesa 1 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Posted February 14, 2022 Day 2: Nassau (cont.) We woke up early this morning in Nassau to the Carnival Conquest and the British Colonial Hilton off the starboard side… A busy day in Nassau as the Celebrity Reflection (starboard) and Celebrity Apex (port) followed us from Ft. Lauderdale… … and Indy (port) joined us as well! We decided not to get off the ship today and headed to the Windjammer for breakfast. After breakfast we headed to the solarium and used the hot tubs. The pool water was on the chilly side, so us lightweights didn’t last very long and went back to the hot tubs! We met this lady in the solarium… very friendly… The ladies had booked a massage in the spa, so I took the opportunity to explore the ship some more… OK… time to call it a night! RWDW1204, ellcee, Neesa and 4 others 6 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Posted February 14, 2022 Day 2: Nassau (cont.) When the ladies returned from their massages, we went to El Loco Fresh for lunch and then back to the solarium for a bit. We had dinner once again in the MDR. Just a reminder that if you have a special diet or special requests to tell your waiter. My wife requested low sodium this time (elevated BP) so they bring over the menu for the next evening and you make your selections. They will then prepare your meal accordingly when you come the following evening. We also requested the famous “savory bites” for the remaining evenings in the MDR. I cannot remember if we’ve had these before, but everyone seems to love these little rolls! Here is the Day 2 MDR menu: Some pics of the entrance into the MDR… cool video walls! The ladies had the Seafood Puff Pastry and the Shrimp Cocktail. I had the Baked Potato Soup and the Shrimp Cocktail as well. Wow, forgot how tiny these shrimp are compared to the specialty dining restaurants like Chops! Not the best MDR menu this evening… we all elected to have the Beef Stroganoff. Just an FYI… not the creamy kind you are likely familiar with. It was tasty, just not memorable. For dessert, two of us had the Bananas Foster and the other had the Traditional English Trifle. We all enjoyed the dessert! We had no interest in watching the Super Bowl… I know, blasphemy! I’m a huge hockey and baseball fan. If the Jets could ever field a decent team and make the playoffs again, then I’d be interested! They showed the game in Two70 and the Forward pool on the big screen. Additionally, they showed it in Playmakers, but there was a $50 cover charge which included food, etc (not sure of all details). We explored the interior of the ship some more and visited Boleros to listen to a couple of bands (not just Latin bands) and then called it a night. This guy treated us when we got back to our cabin… asquared17, WAAAYTOOO, KristiZ and 3 others 6 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 14, 2022 Author Report Posted February 14, 2022 Day 3: Sea Day (Valentine’s Day) Last evening before we hit the sack, I went to Guest Services for the passenger count. They mentioned the pre-cruise count was as high as 3,300 at one point… they looked it up and confirmed that the total official count for this cruise is 2,724. Here is the Cruise Compass for today: My wife and I went to the Windjammer (Solarium Bistro does not offer breakfast like on Oasis class). We headed to the solarium a little before 10:00am to eventually meet up with our friend. The place was empty on a sea day! It did pick up late morning into the afternoon. It looks like my wife is being boiled alive, LOL! We set up shop right up front… very relaxing view! For lunch, we went to the Windjammer… retrained ourselves as we have Chef’s Table tonight and we did not want to destroy our appetite! This will be our first Chef’s Table experience. Tonight is also the first formal night of this sailing. OK, time for me to relax for a few and get ready for dinner tonight! Neesa, MaryS, RWDW1204 and 2 others 3 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 15, 2022 Author Report Posted February 15, 2022 Day 3: Sea Day (Valentine’s Day - Cont.) Wow! What a great experience we all had at Chef’s Table! Just remember it will take a good 3+ hours or so to complete all 6 courses! 3:30 from the time we met at the Schooner Bar (6:15pm) outside of Chops to the time we left Chops (9:45pm). The Chef’s Table room is in the back of Chops Grille. Because our friend’s husband could not make it, there were 9 of us in total. Here’s a bad pic of the group… my wife’s eyes are closed of course! Waiting for the last party of two to arrive… this is that awkward moment when you do not know the group you are about to spend 3 plus hours with! We had an awesome group to dine with and all had a blast! The constant flow of wine helped! LOL! It was everyone’s first Chef’s Table experience. Menu… 6 courses paired with wines! The various wines to be served during our meal… Our Chef… Our waiter… Course One: Scallop Carpaccio… just OK was the consensus. I’ll take broiled or seared whole scallops any day. Course Two: Smoked Tomato Soup… amazing… liked by all. Course Three: Maine Lobster Salad… also liked by all. Course Four: Roasted Branzino… liked by all. Our first time eating Branzino. Skin separated very easily from the filet. Very tasty as prepared. Course Five: Grilled Filet Mignon… loved by all. Not the best Filet we’ve had with Royal (Coco Beach Club is currently our favorite over Chef’s Table, 150 Central Park, and Chops Grille), but still tender and delicious! Course Six/Dessert: The World… loved by all… our first time since we have not dined in Wonderland yet. Paired with a Salted Caramel Expresso Martini. Screen grab from video I took… one day I’ll figure out how to post videos! After almost 3.5 hours of drinking and eating we were all wiped out and headed back to our cabin for the night. Definitely an experience we will book again possibly for our Wonder sailing. Tonight’s surprise waiting in our cabin… I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day! Have a great night everyone! Neesa, MaryS, KristiZ and 2 others 5 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 15, 2022 Author Report Posted February 15, 2022 Day 4: Sea Day Good morning! Thankfully, we awoke from our food & wine coma! Getting ready now to have breakfast this morning in the MDR. We like to fit that in once or twice during the cruise. Not sure what the plans are today, but I’m sure it will include more pool and hot tub time! Here is today’s Cruise Compass: WAYNO 1 Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 15, 2022 Report Posted February 15, 2022 Thank you, John. You are an excellent live blogger ! I am not a fan of tomato soup but I absolutely love the smoked tomato soup from the Chef's Table. That was a very handsome group for the CT last night. While I am not great with small talk and meeting new people I always seem to have a great time at the CT. As you say, the free-flowing wine most likely helps ! I love it when I read, "Not sure what the plans are today...". That's how you know someone is truly on vacation !! Good for you. asquared17, Snotarni, JohnK6404 and 1 other 3 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 15, 2022 Author Report Posted February 15, 2022 4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Thank you, John. You are an excellent live blogger ! I am not a fan of tomato soup but I absolutely love the smoked tomato soup from the Chef's Table. That was a very handsome group for the CT last night. While I am not great with small talk and meeting new people I always seem to have a great time at the CT. As you say, the free-flowing wine most likely helps ! I love it when I read, "Not sure what the plans are today...". That's how you know someone is truly on vacation !! Good for you. Thanks Raye! You are too kind! I try my best to share and hope it either helps someone or raises their excitement level! You, and so many others, on this forum have been so kind and have been invaluable resources for all of us! I love to plan, but sometimes you have to just relax and wing it! WAAAYTOOO and WAYNO 1 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 15, 2022 Author Report Posted February 15, 2022 Day 4: Sea Day (cont.) We had breakfast in the MDR this morning. Service was excellent as usual. We were seated next to the window. Choppy seas today. MDR breakfast menu… Since we all have the DBP, we ordered fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream! My wife and I started with the Granola Parfait. Two of us had The Classic Benedict and my wife had the Omelet Your Way with spinach and mushrooms… The Captain came on early today to notify us that today will be windy. As I write this post, the wind speed has fluctuated between 21-26 m/s (or 47-58 mph)! After breakfast we headed to the Solarium, but due to the late start and windy conditions it was full. We headed to the Forward pool (partially covered as structure and the North Star crane rest above), but it was freezing! We settled in by the Aft main pool which was warmer since it remains fully in the sun. For lunch, we headed to Playmakers in the SeaPlex for lunch. Here is the menu: We shared the Chicken Tenders… very good! Not the frozen stuff you generally find elsewhere. We did not eat the fries since all of the sandwiches come with the Playmakers fries. My wife had the Truffle Burger… Our friend had the Chicken Sandwich… I had the Playmakers Burger… My wife has been dreaming of the Campfire Cookie since she first had it on Oasis last OCT… We enjoyed all of the food. I’ll have to come back at some point to try the wings and nachos! The ladies went back to the Solarium and I headed back to the cabin to relax for a bit! KristiZ and WAYNO 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 16, 2022 Author Report Posted February 16, 2022 Day 4: Sea Day (cont.) Some random shots of Playmakers and the SeaPlex while we ate lunch this afternoon. Have to come back for bumper cars! MDR once again for dinner this evening… menu: We got our warm, fresh savory bites! Tasty! My wife had the Roasted Tomato Soup and Shrimp Cocktail while our friend had the Caesar Salad. I went with the Asian-Style Pork Tacos and the French Onion Soup. The pork tacos were very tasty this time… I had them on Allure back in 2019 and was not impressed. I’m glad I gave these another shot! We all had the Steak Diane with a side of Garlic Tiger Shrimp. We thought the Steak Diane was just okay, but the Garlic Tiger Shrimp was tasty. Another dish I had in Allure (Tiger Shrimp) and was not too impressed: We all finished with the Tiramisu… also very tasty. Not Giovanni’s tasty, but we enjoyed it! After dinner we made out way to the Royal Theater. We joined the “special” line for early entrance with the Pinnacle, Diamond Plus and suite guests since we have the Key. Although we would have had no problem getting decent seats on this sailing, we were happy to be able to sit exactly where we wanted to… dead center just a few rows back. Of course, there was someone tall sitting a couple of rows in front of me, LOL! The show tonight was “Tap Factory”… synopsis from Royal: “TAP FACTORY is an explosive high octane show that merges percussion, acrobatics, hip hop, music, urban tap dance and comedy.” We all enjoyed it… dare I say more than The Book! The crowd was cheering throughout and gave the cast a standing ovation. Here are a bunch of shots from the show: Headed back to our cabin as tomorrow is a long port day (Curaçao)… this guy was waiting tonight: Have a good night everyone! KristiZ, Debstr66, MaryS and 2 others 5 Quote
Babsy47 Posted February 16, 2022 Report Posted February 16, 2022 I am so enjoying your trip! Your food picture are amazing! Thank you for bringing us along. JohnK6404 1 Quote
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted February 16, 2022 Report Posted February 16, 2022 Tap Factory looks awesome. Hope I make it onto the Odyssey while it is still playing! Your pictures are great...thanks for keeping us enlightened. JohnK6404 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 17, 2022 Author Report Posted February 17, 2022 Day 5: Curacao Let’s start with today’s Cruise Planner: Today is a port day and we grabbed a quick breakfast at Cafe Two70 before disembarking the ship at around 9:00am to meet up with our excursion group on the pier at 9:15am. We purchased the “Snorkel with Stingrays and Shark Feeding” excursion. The NCL Epic was also docked with us today. It was a short ride to the Aquarium in Curaçao. The excursion started with some education about the species we would be seeing during the snorkeling portion. The two species of shark studied/bred at the aquarium are Lemon and Nurse. We feed both during the our time in the water through protective barriers separating the main snorkeling area from each of the shark species “pools”. Some of the other fish species we swam with were huge! Just a side note… the “Stingrays” in the excursion title turned out to be a single resident stingray living at the aquarium. Here are some pics: A funny side note… I have had a mustache since I was in high school and I literally shaved it off for the first time the morning of this excursion. I have only snorkeled one other time in my life (back in 2004 on my honeymoon) and I had a miserable time since I could not get a good seal with my mask because of the mustache. Literally no one but my sister has ever seen me without a mustache (I’m now 52)… you can imagine the surprise when my wife and friends saw me! Thankfully, I had a great experience this time around and my mask sealed well! We spent some time in the main complex of the aquarium after snorkeling. They have some display tanks and an enclosure with Flamingos. We had some lunch and waited for the dolphin show to begin. It was very strange to see a model of the Adventure of the Seas in a display case… Out back, they have several pens for their dolphin population. They explained that the dolphins are not kept captive and actually are allowed to leave the aquarium at times. They are trained to return on their own. Sometimes, the males stay out for most of the day before returning. Also, none of the dolphins are tagged or chipped… fascinating that they come back! We were very surprised how good the dolphin show was! Here are some pics of the show and this area of the aquarium: I’ll be back later to continue our day in Curaçao! MaryS, WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 3 others 5 1 Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 17, 2022 Report Posted February 17, 2022 Awesome pix of the dolphins. Were you able to take your own pix or did you have to buy them ? JohnK6404 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 18, 2022 Author Report Posted February 18, 2022 16 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Awesome pix of the dolphins. Were you able to take your own pix or did you have to buy them ? We could take our own pictures since we were in the audience for the show (no restrictions). These were all taken with just my iPhone. Not sure if the people that did the dolphin encounter after the show were able to take their own pics. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 18, 2022 Author Report Posted February 18, 2022 Day 5: Curacao (cont.) We dropped everything off in our cabin, changed and immediately disembarked the ship again to explore. Here are some random shots from our walk from the port to Willemstad. We crossed the Queen Emma Floating Bridge and grabbed a table right on the water at the Iguana Cafe. We’ll tried the Secret Iguana… very tasty! Do you see the ship in the distance? Does it look strangely familiar? It’s the former “Splendour of the Seas”, now owned by Marella Cruises and currently badged “Marella Discovery”! While we were relaxing at the Iguana Cafe, the Queen Emma Floating Bridge opened to allow a small freighter to pass through. After about 25-30 minutes the bridge was closed and we headed back to the ship. We ate dinner in the MDR once again. Here is the menu for this evening: We started with the usual bread basket plus our fresh Savory Bites once again… For appetizers/starters, the ladies ordered the Crispy Arancini, Baked French Onion Soup, Caesar Salad, and Shrimp Cocktail. I ordered the Crispy Arancini and Roasted Pumpkin Soup. The Crispy Arancini was just OK and the Roasted Pumpkin Soup was tasty. For the main course, the ladies chose the Vegetable Pot Pie and Steak Au Poivre… I went with the Cilantro-Crusted Cod Loin which was excellent. For dessert, the ladies had the Apple Blossom A La Mode and the Strawberry Shortcake. I had the Warm Cookie A La Mode. Everyone enjoyed their desserts! After dinner the ladies walked around the Esplanade and I ran outside to take a few night pics of the ship. All aboard this evening was 9:30pm. MaryS, Debstr66, WAYNO and 2 others 3 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 18, 2022 Author Report Posted February 18, 2022 Day 5: Curacao (cont.) That last post was getting a little long so I wanted to break it up! To close out the evening, we saw Pete Matthews in the Headliner show in the Royal Theater. According to the show synopsis, Pete has performed on every inaugural sailing for Royal over the last 10 years. He was hilarious and talented! (Spoiler Alert !!!) It’s getting late… time to hit the pillow. I’ll try to get through the day in Aruba tomorrow! Have a good night everyone! PPPJJ-GCVAB, Yesiamthere, RWDW1204 and 2 others 3 2 Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 18, 2022 Report Posted February 18, 2022 Splendour looks great !!! I love Curacao. I hope you guys had a great time there. PPPJJ-GCVAB, JohnK6404 and KristiZ 2 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 18, 2022 Author Report Posted February 18, 2022 32 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Splendour looks great !!! I love Curacao. I hope you guys had a great time there. Yes, it was nice… our first time there for all 3 of us! WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
FionaMG Posted February 18, 2022 Report Posted February 18, 2022 Our first ever cruise was on Splendour, back in 2001. She looks so different with her new livery. We will be boarding Odyssey in 78 days so I am enjoying following along with you. Thanks for sharing. Love Aruba. JohnK6404 and KristiZ 2 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 19, 2022 Author Report Posted February 19, 2022 Day 6: Aruba Let’s see how much I can catch up on… here is the Cruise Planner: When we awoke we were already docked in Aruba. We headed to the Windjammer for breakfast this morning. I ran up top to take a few pics of the port area. Grandeur of the Seas was docked next to us… The water, even in the port area, is amazing! Love the hot tubs with the all glass side overlooking the pool deck… Someone was on the Flowrider early this morning… We had scheduled a complimentary ride up on the North Star. It’s free on port days, but it was $29 on sea days. You should make an appointment (not sure if absolutely required). IMHO, what is there to see on a sea day? I’d rather go up while docked in Aruba, Coco Cay, etc., and get amazing views of not only the ship, but the port, surrounding terrain, and any other ships docked. It goes up 300 feet above sea level. I will say it can get a little stuffy toward the end of the experience as the air conditioning is not that great. I apologize for the reflections in some of the pics taken inside the North Star! After the ride, we grabbed a mudslide from the Lime & Coconut Bar by the pool. We relaxed for a bit before disembarking the ship for our excursion, “Half Day Off Road Adventure”, which met down on the pier at 12:45pm… I’ll pick up from there shortly! KristiZ, WAAAYTOOO, MaryS and 1 other 3 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 19, 2022 Author Report Posted February 19, 2022 Day 6: Aruba (cont.) This excursion is in a “caravan style” off road vehicle (see below). You definitely need an SUV or ATV of some sort to travel on the dirt roads on the north shore of the island! We bottomed out so many times I’m surprised we didn’t crack the driveshaft or axels! Before we hit the north shore, we stopped by the Casibari Rock Formation… Next we drove along the north shore and headed to the remains of the Natural Bridge. There was another small natural bridge that remains intact right next to the collapsed bridge, but the guide mentioned that a large crack has formed. Next we stopped by the Alto Vista Chapel… Next up was the California Lighthouse… we did not go inside (short on time and extra charge)… Finally, we stopped by Arashi Beach and stayed for about an hour. The was a little bar/snack shack on the beach as well. After that we headed back to the ship. Dinner in the MDR once again… to follow! KristiZ, RWDW1204, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 3 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 19, 2022 Author Report Posted February 19, 2022 Day 6: Aruba (cont.) Dinner in the MDR… here is tonight’s menu: Savory Bites once again… hit or miss… not always so savory! When they are not warm they are little chewy stones… For an appetizer, my wife had the Shrimp Cocktail and the Seafood Cake. Our friend had the Baked French Onion Soup. I had the Seafood Cake and Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup… all very tasty. For dinner, we all had the Chicken Parmesan… not bad! My wife and I shared a small portion of the Wild Mushroom Risotto. She really enjoyed that back in OCT on Oasis! We all had the Mississippi Mud Pie… very good… We stopped by the Bionic Bar for a quick drink and then went to see the Headliner - Comedian Al Ducharme. The comedian (Al Ducharme) was just OK… Pete Matthews set the bar too high for these other guys! LOL! That concluded our day in Aruba. FionaMG 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 21, 2022 Author Report Posted February 21, 2022 Day 7: Sea Day Nothing beats that ocean view! Here is the Cruise Compass for today: This morning we had breakfast in the Solarium Bistro. Basically, a scaled down and more peaceful Windjammer! We planned on spending the morning in the Solarium so this was the most convenient option. We enjoyed the Bistro for breakfast on Allure and Oasis as well! Just an FYI for those that are unfamiliar… In addition to the usual breakfast buffet options, they do take orders for eggs and omelets and will deliver to your table (complimentary). We relaxed in the solarium all morning and then headed to Teppanyaki for lunch. On this class of ship, they decided to split Izumi into two separate restaurants likely due to ship design/space limitations. Teppanyaki is the restaurant with the hibachi tables and Izumi is the table service restaurant with sushi, etc. Most of the tables have beautiful views of the ocean! “Kevin” was our Chef! The ladies ordered the Beef Tenderloin and Tiger Shrimp and I ordered the Beef Tenderloin and Sea Scallops. Delicious as usual! We all ordered the Crispy Sesame Balls for dessert… also delicious! You guessed it! We went back to the solarium for the rest of the afternoon. The pools were packed. I cannot imagine what this ship is like at full capacity! We only had 2,724 passengers… somewhere between 55-60% capacity? For dinner we went to the MDR… tonight is the second formal evening… Lobster tails! They may not be Maine Lobster tails, but they are delicious! I was bad and had 6 tails this time! Here is the menu for this evening: Savory bites once again… The ladies had Caesar Salad, Insalata Caprese, and Minestrone Soup. I had the Shrimp Cocktail and the Vidalia Onion Tart. We all had the lobster of course! For dessert, I had the Baked Alaska… the ladies had the Molten Chocolate Cake… both delicious! After dinner, we went to see “The Two70 Experience”… a very interesting overview of the Two70 venue and all of it’s bells and whistles! It was hosted by Mitch (our Cruise Director)… he explained the venue cost $37 million to build and equip. The first part of the show was a demonstration of the stage (and ceiling). He explained unlike a traditional theater like the Royal Theater with a single curtain and backstage, this venue has an upper level and sub-levels for the performers and props to rise up from the floor or drop down from the ceiling. Following that was a demonstration of the huge screen that envelops the back of the Two70 venue which displays images and video projected by eighteen (18) 12K resolution video projectors! Various demos were run including a portion of a virtual orchestra performing some of John Williams’ most famous movie themes. The audio is amazing in this venue! Next, they did a demo showing off the capabilities of the six (6) 100 inch screens which are computer controlled and moved with robotic arms. To close the demo, they showed the newly produced show “Oceanides” after they ran the behind the scenes clip. What a really impressive venue!!! We then went over to the Royal Theater to see the Headliner show - Scott Alexander (illusionist/magician and comedian). He was OK, but not memorable. We actually left the show a little early as we were fading fast after a looong sea day! I’ll be back later! MaryS, RWDW1204 and KristiZ 3 Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 21, 2022 Report Posted February 21, 2022 Was that some kind of cap (Scott Alexander) or a really REALLY bad toupee ? kadmgs, dmattinson, RWDW1204 and 2 others 1 4 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 21, 2022 Author Report Posted February 21, 2022 35 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Was that some kind of cap (Scott Alexander) or a really REALLY bad toupee ? I know! ... and with the glasses... he looks like a different person... must be an old photo! WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
JohnK6404 Posted February 22, 2022 Author Report Posted February 22, 2022 Day 8: Sea Day (Last Day ) Here is the Cruise Compass for Day 8: Before my wife woke up this morning, I wandered around the ship to take a bunch of pics! Yesiamthere, WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 2 others 3 1 1 Quote
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