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Med. Symphony B2B - July 24th to August 12th


CraftyCat05

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Day Two

drum roll please ~ Introducing... The one and only... CraftyCat05's SemiLive Blog! intro music plays

Wait.... This isn't Jimmy Kimmel? 

Morning

Well, there really wan't a morning to speak of, we all slept though it! We did finally get our butts into gear and got up after a well needed 12+ hours of sleep.

Breakfast

In the lobby, there is a nice cafe that serves all day breakfast (thanks the hotel lords!), and we were all able to get our normal breakfast items we would have at any other restaurant for breakfast back in the United States. Served was coffee, milk, two omlettes, and one eggs Benedict (runny, not hard ?). All was good for a day out and the city (and some more rest)!

The Cathedral

After some deliberation and some guidance by the hotel concierge, we decided to go walk to to cathedral (still on taxi strike) that was about 2.4 KM away (1.5 miles). We were able to get in with shorts, but my mother's tank top was a no go, having to buy a coverup for €2. Tickets for the cathedral, a roof top visit, and a little museum was €7 per person, not that bad for what was included. Once in, we could wonder around, seeing many different statues of religious figures, and other sculptures and historical relics. While walking, you would also be stepping on old graves of prior religious leaders of the cathedral. Once done with the main cathedral area, we walked into an open plaza, which had fountains and (as my father joked about) holy goose, instead of the holy ghost (he found himself very hilarious...). 

After a quick visit of the museum which didn't have much, we took a tip from the helper desk working at the museum and back pedaled to go onto the roof for amazing views. Once a ride on the most rickety and smallest elevator i've seen in recent memory, we were on the roof for views of the Barcelona skyline... and wooh was it amazing!

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Main Entrance of the Cathedral

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View from Rooftop

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More Views from the Rooftop

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Turrets(?) on the Rooftop

The price for admission was definitely just worth the view! Really surprised us of what we could see. Definitely the highlight of the day.

Bars, Rice, and Pie

After our long, tiring, and sweaty cultural, scenic, and nice walk back to the hotel, we decided to hit the bar to drink the aching muscles away. After downing margaritas, and refreshing slushes, we went to the Marina (same place we went for chicken) to try their dinner service (which is much better than their unimpressive lunch menu) for some rice dishes. All three of us coincidentally ordered the three different rice dishes on the menu! All of us agreed it was good, but really big and filling... but nonetheless we ordered an Apple Pie for us to split. It wasn't U.S. grade (and came with some very bitter caramel) but was eatable and added to the dinner experience. Tomorrow, we will plan to try one of the more fancy sit down restaurants to enjoy dinner at. 

That is all for now! Off to bed for us. Will see you tomorrow, wether it be in a periscope or blog post!

CraftyCat05's Version of Matt's "Stray Observations"

  • The room here doesn't allow the plugs near the bed and table to function while the lights are off, forcing us to charge everything at night in the bathrooms.
  • The sofa (where I usually sleep on family vacations like this one) isn't a pull out like every other hotel suite room has, forcing me to pay a whoping €110 a night for a pull away bed, or sleep on the couch with just sheets. I opted for the latter.
  • The beach is open 24 hours, meaning many stay at 3AM...
  • Live music plays near our hotel at midnight. Not fun!
  • My father has noticed that the Spanish over here is much different than what he is used to from Peru and home.
  • My dog back at home is doing just fine as per the webcam. He seems to be settling into his new home for the next two weeks!

It's now 12:30 and theres chanting outside! I guess I ain't sleeping for a bit lol. Ugh. 

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I'm enjoying your perspective and your writing style. I think we could be pen pals!

Ah those crazy Spaniards! They party and walk and drink and just generally have a grand old time at all hours. We went to Madrid and got caught in a HUGE mass of humanity walking the streets late at night-Grandparents, parents, children and babies in strollers. Bars and tapas places were crowded with smoking, drinking loud talking families who were having a ball. It was an eye opener for us!

Anxious for your next chapter. We will be in Barcelona for two night in October so I am taking notes!

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3 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

I'm enjoying your perspective and your writing style. I think we could be pen pals!

Ah those crazy Spaniards! They party and walk and drink and just generally have a grand old time at all hours. We went to Madrid and got caught in a HUGE mass of humanity walking the streets late at night-Grandparents, parents, children and babies in strollers. Bars and tapas places were crowded with smoking, drinking loud talking families who were having a ball. It was an eye opener for us!

Anxious for your next chapter. We will be in Barcelona for two night in October so I am taking notes!

They certainly are crazy! Singing and parting til the wee hours of the morning. There still chanting out there as I type.

You will really enjoy Barcelona, it's a neat place for sure, and definitely eye opening. Definitely visit that cathedral I talked about, really neat. Just know not to wear tank tops or something like it, but shorts seemed to be ok in there. We also plan to visit the famous Guadí Sagrada Família and the Olympic Village from the Barcelona 1992 Olympics on our next and last two days. WIll of course update you all about those things and whatever else we do in Barcelona. 

Glad to see a fellow Texan here and that you are enjoying my writing! Always good to know that people are enjoying, and from the likes and comments it looks like others are too.

If you have any questions about my trip, ship or Barcelona, feel free to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability! This goes for everyone too of course.

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8 hours ago, Mljstr said:

Also, tell your dad not to feel bad about his Spanish- they don't speak Spanish in Barcelona. They speak Catalan which is a local language of the region-which sounds like a cross between Spanish and French. In Texas we would call it Cajun.

Definitely can tell the French influence. Knew Catalan was here, but didn't know how prevalent it is!

7 hours ago, twangster said:

Loving the blog, keep it coming!

fan girl shrieks. twangster replied, with love...

Haha, thanks. Definitely coming and coming! Another 16 days of fun.

5 hours ago, Skid said:

@CraftyCat05, absolutely love your sense of humor. Hey, the blog isn't bad either!?

Glad your enjoying! It's an absolute blast to write, I need to do it more often! 

And the blog isn't bad? That's great! I guess it's blast to write that too... ?

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27 minutes ago, Ray said:

Sounds like youre having a great time, and your blog is great. 

Looking forward to following along, just dont start posting in chinese as im only on page 2 of chinese for dummies ?

Thanks for the comments and really enjoying it here in Barcelona.... or should I say

感谢您的评论, 并在巴塞罗那享受它 (pls don't ban me)

May have to start doing translations for all of the new members of the forums. Seems like their having a real hoot!

Thanks for the chuckle!

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7 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

 

@CraftyCat05Yes, I am new and totally confused by the Chinese! I thought I had a computer virus. What is the backstory and how do we get back to plain old English?????

Site got hacked by some spambots, @Mljstr. We need @twangster-bot to give them a stern talking to in their own language so they know to Go 'Way, NOW.

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2 hours ago, Mljstr said:

 

@CraftyCat05Yes, I am new and totally confused by the Chinese! I thought I had a computer virus. What is the backstory and how do we get back to plain old English?????

Seems to me to be a self bot making accounts and spamming the forums using a Wee-Chat client somehow. That’s all I’ve gathered though. Mods have a huge mess to clean!

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Day Three in Barcelona

Well... err... this is my blog? It's Friday, and it's in Barcelona. Roll it!

The Morning Show

While the cruise director and activities manager isn't here yet, I can entertain you with some text!

We slept in again (vacation allows for such activities), but did get up earlier to get us all showered and clean. Then, it was feeding time! We went to that same cafe we went to yesterday, and got some breakfast for some and lunch for others. Father and I got the omelette (still good!), and my mother got a cheese wrap, with lettuce, cheddar, mozzarella, and wrap?

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This is the Wrap ~ Can you spot the problem?

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It's got a rice paper "wrap"! While not half eaten when served, it was still not what she expected, but she was hungry and decided to try it anyway. And the verdict was...

It was good! Everyone at the table expected a tortilla "wrap" like we would get back home in the states. You can also notice the half eaten french fry: she ordered that as well under the impression of being served in a tortilla. 

The Mother: And can I also have some fries with that on the side?

Waiter: Certainly 

Waiter's Mind: These Americans really order everything with fries... Even our amazing Asian Wrap! 

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The omelette served as my breakfast

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NO UBER! NO UBER!  NO UBER!

In other news here on the show, the taxi drivers are now back on strike. They are now protesting against a court decision that "puts their jobs in danger." They also decided to block a main avenue in Barcelona, stopping both the in and out traffic of the airport and the city centre.. If you would like to watch more about it, click here (4:09-6:40).

Gaudi's House

Since taxi's being on strike again, that ruined our plans to go into the Olympic village from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, so we decided to take the metro to the La Pedrera (or Casa Milà), one of the homes that Gaudi designed. The metro ride took about 30 minutes and some losing of direction on the way to the home. Once there though, it was beautiful inside and interesting to see how they lived and what Gaudi could do with his architecture and design. We got to see many things, including the rooftop, the attic, the main apartment and housing area, and other smaller exhibits in the house. The ticket for entry came with a free audioguide, that would automatically change tour numbers and give you the tour at your own pace.

The rooftop terrace was my favorite part, once again like yesterday. We got to see some amazing sights and views, even more than yesterday with being more in the center of the city.

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A close up zoom of another Guadi designed building, the Sagrada Famillia

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Pictures of the view from the Rooftop Terrace

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House Model - Front Side (I think lol)

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Chimneys on top of Casa Milà

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The City and the Pool Bar

Once done with the house tour, we decided to find some outdoor seating and get some drinks nearby the metro station home. We found a restaurant, sat down, and got some drinks to hold us over until we got back to the hotel bar. Once done with that and getting back to our "home" on the right station, we went straight to the pool bar at the hotel. While we didn't swim, we did get a few drinks before it closed at 7pm. We then once again, went to the regular dinner spot of the Marina (need to venture out more!) to get that same Paella that we got last night, and boy was it good! This time, we only got two though and shared amongst the table. 

Once done with dinner, it was time for dessert... at least for my father. He got that same pie again and said it was much better today! I tried a bite, and it was indeed better than what it was yesterday. Then it was off for a bath to soak the body and some rest!

CraftyCat05's Riveting Observations

  • The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is labeled at a DEA in Spain. IMG_5698.thumb.JPG.c96c5f55af8a1b504899edd043a4f671.JPG
  • You could see a GNV Cruises' La Suprema rolling into port at 2pm today.IMG_8127.thumb.JPG.83cc43eb0704a024f53c57938e0bf8d9.JPG
  • Didn't get pickpocketed today on the metro!
  • My father's ticket did not work with the metro gates, so he had to jump it. Let's hope we don't get stopped when trying to leave the country!
  • No chanting outside the room (yet) as of writing this sentence, maybe Friday's are the quiet nights!
  • Only one beggar has approached us on this trip. That's better than some other cities! (Paris... eh hem)
  • Looks like the pool bar has switched to paper straws today like RCL is doing by the end of this year. We are saving the environment! (as they say anyway...)

See you guys mañana!

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7 hours ago, Skid said:

Your pictures are great!!! Thank you so much for NOT including one of the above!

Gotta keep the blog PG here.

Was funny though, while walking around on the day we went to the cathedral, we saw a guy in the nude taking a smoke on his balcony. You could see everything. Those crazy spaniards! 

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Thanks so much for blogging your trip!  We're in the process of researching for our first European cruise in 2020, and I'll be taking notes and asking lots of questions, I'll apologize in advance for that!  

My high school Spanish teacher was from a town not too far from Barcelona, and she taught us about the different "Spanish" they spoke in Spain.  She spoke Catalan, and admitted that it was strange when she came to teach in the US having to actually "learn" Spanish, as it was so different than what is actually spoken by everyone she knows.  We learned a lot about the differences between Spanish and Catalan, and she often taught us both.  Two years I took both French & Spanish, and my basic knowledge of Catalan helped my when I added French my junior & senior years.  She made it very clear that if we ever actually visited Spain, what she was required to teach as 'Spanish" wasn't what we would speak in most of the country.  LOL 

Fast forward to today, many, many, many years later, I basically speak NOTHING.  Hoping it all comes back to me when we get to Europe. 

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17 minutes ago, KathyC aka KathLuvsGH said:

Fast forward to today, many, many, many years later, I basically speak NOTHING.  Hoping it all comes back to me when we get to Europe. 

Lol!  Me too! But I can do better than that!  I have a bachelors degree in French ( from the ice age)as well as courses in Spanish. Two years ago I tried to ask directions in the Paris airport and the reservation agent looked at me like I was speaking a Martian language. She scowled and pointed me to a sign in English. I guess I lost my accent as well as vocabulary. From then on, I just spoke English although  I could read most of a menu so I pointed.  

As far as Spanish goes, my daughter who had high school Spanish in Texas, spent a summer in Guatamala in a Spanish emersion class and they untaught her Tex-mex pronunciation and taught her Castillion Spanish. I guess there are as many types of Spanish as there of English!!

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26 minutes ago, KathyC aka KathLuvsGH said:

We're in the process of researching for our first European cruise in 2020, and I'll be taking notes and asking lots of questions, I'll apologize in advance for that!  

Ask away! Really was hoping for some crowd interaction like i've seen on other Live Blogs, but hopefully there will be many questions once on the ship! (and no need to apologize, the blog is here for the story and the interaction!)

30 minutes ago, KathyC aka KathLuvsGH said:

My high school Spanish teacher was from a town not too far from Barcelona, and she taught us about the different "Spanish" they spoke in Spain.  She spoke Catalan, and admitted that it was strange when she came to teach in the US having to actually "learn" Spanish, as it was so different than what is actually spoken by everyone she knows.  We learned a lot about the differences between Spanish and Catalan, and she often taught us both.  Two years I took both French & Spanish, and my basic knowledge of Catalan helped my when I added French my junior & senior years.  She made it very clear that if we ever actually visited Spain, what she was required to teach as 'Spanish" wasn't what we would speak in most of the country.  LOL 

Yeah, I talked to the local guiding us while on a Rickshaw Bike Tour (more about that later tonight), and he said it's a very different Spanish and kind of a romance dialect. 

34 minutes ago, KathyC aka KathLuvsGH said:

Fast forward to today, many, many, many years later, I basically speak NOTHING.  Hoping it all comes back to me when we get to Europe.

? Really hope it does!

1 minute ago, Mljstr said:

Lol!  Me too! But I can do better than that!  I have a bachelors degree in French ( from the ice age)as well as courses in Spanish. Two years ago I tried to ask directions in the Paris airport and the reservation agent looked at me like I was speaking a Martian language. She scowled and pointed me to a sign in English. I guess I lost my accent as well as vocabulary. From then on, I just spoke English although  I could read most of a menu so I pointed.  

As far as Spanish goes, my daughter who had high school Spanish in Texas, spent a summer in Guatamala in a Spanish emersion class and they untaught her Tex-mex pronunciation and taught her Castillion Spanish. I guess there are as many types of Spanish as there of English!!

Ha ha! I remember when in Paris with my mother, she tried to use some of her French from college (French minor) and they would always look at her in a funny way, but at least understand her! She could also point and help me interpret the menus over there.

There are definitely many different types and dialects of Spanish! (hyperlink to a Wikipedia article).

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Day Four in Barcelona

Woo, it's getting hard to count these days in Barcelona. Luckily, I won't be needing to do that anymore, cruise day tomorrow! 

Breakfast

After yet another morning of sleeping in and taking awhile to get moving, we went to none other than... Bites, same cafe we've gone to all of the other mornings. We have become regulars! Got the same dishes as we got the first day at Bites, 2 Omelettes, and Eggs Benedict (runny, not hard). We then talked to the concierge about what to do today. The plan was to go inside Sagrada Familla, but the tickets were sold out by the morning. We ultimately decided on the plan we did today.

The Plan

So... What was The Plan™? It was to:

  • Take the bus and tour the outside of the Sagrada Familla.
  • Then take a rickshaw bike to Casa Batllo, the other main Gaudi house in Barcelona.
  • Then find a way home after taking the audioguided tour.

The Plan™, in Action!

Ok, so with The Plan™ in action, we got a one way ticket from the bus driver on the V21 towards Montbau, which had a convenient stop right by Sagrada Familla. Once in view, it certainly was magnificent. All of the intricate details really did pop once up close to the church. You could see the nativity scenes, and many other things, but I will let all the pictures do the talking.

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The exterior of Sagrada Familla. You may note all of the cranes in the picture, Sagrada Familla is still under construction and is expected to be completed in 2027.

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It really is beautiful, and all of us were just in awe while viewing everything Gaudi had designed for the outside of this space. In comparison of what it looks now to what it was at 1882, here is a picture of the first stone being laid for the Sagrada Familla: 

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The first stone being laid at the Sagrada Familla (Courtesy of this Facebook post)

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If you do plan to visit Sagrada Familla while in Barcelona (and you definitely should!), get tickets early and from the official website (sagradafamilla.org/en). Other websites are sketchy and you definitely shouldn't book it, especially in a foreign country. 

Biking and Casa Batllo

Once ready to head over to Casa Batllo, we decided to find a bike with seats to take us to our next location of interest. We found a nice Scottish guy who has his own bike touring company to take us a taxi over to Casa Batllo. After a pleasant conversation about Barcelona, taxi strikes, and business, the ride totaled out to be €40 after a tip for the great ride. 

After skipping the line for tickets (thanks internet!), we entered the magnificent (use this word a lot, because everything in Barcelona is magnificent!) and very colorful home. There really is a stark difference between Casa Batllo and the other home we saw yesterday. There were no sharp edges or lines in the home, making the home all the more unique. This home had a lot more to see, and even had an Augmented Reality component to the audio guide. This allowed you to see what the house would have looked like with the furnishings and people milling about. I feel this house had more to do and see, and would definitely recommend this one if you had to only see one of the Gaudi houses. But if you have the time, do both!

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Various artifacts and objects at Casa Batllo

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Dinner

So, today was my mother's birthday (shout out to my mother for having a birthday today!), and we decided to celebrate by having.... 

Another dinner at the Marina! We were planning on going to Enoteca by Paco Perez tonight, but after we saw the menu we decided to go elsewhere as it didn't have anything we would have liked (or been able to eat, pesky allergies). But, as a request from the birthday girl herself, we just went back to the Marina for some burgers and some flatbread pizza. The pizza was great! Only problem was that I didn't order it! I got the burger, which was ok, but very overcooked. The pizza though was great from the bite that I had, and I really wished then that we had just split two of those amongst all of us. Oh well... Luckily all is not lost, as for the real birthday dinner we will have Chops Grille! Glad we had booked that, especially after my unimpressive burger and I need some good steak! (Didn't take any pictures, just imagine the best flatbread pizza you have ever seen, and then two hockey pucks with cheese and some ketchup. That was our meal!)

CraftyCat05's Engrossing Observations. Miscellaneous Words, and Recommendations

  • We had yet another peep show today! At Casa Batllo, there was this woman who had a very loose fitting dress, and could see part of her cleavage! Those crazy Spaniards!
  • Was much quieter outside last night. Fridays and the weekends must not have as much partying.
  • The rickshaw biking tours here in Barcelona are a very fun and enjoyable. Would recommend.
  • While the metro trains are not air conditioned, the busses are. Would recommend the busses over the metro.
  • The second Gaudi house had a much more extensive gift shop, again why I would recommend it!
  • The audioguides are very well worth it to use at the two Gaudi houses, would recommend and pretty sure they are free to use!
  • DM any idea's for beginning words at the start of these blogs or ideas for CraftyCat05's *Blank* Observations. Would be cool to see what you guys can come up with!
  • Glad you are enjoying this! Really is fun and a pleasure to write.
  • Expect many Periscopes tomorrow, while most of you probably can't watch it live (those pesky timezones!), you can always watch a replay!

See you tomorrow, on the ship! 

 

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16 hours ago, CraftyCat05 said:

DM any idea's for beginning words at the start of these blogs or ideas for CraftyCat05's *Blank* Observations. Would be cool to see what you guys can come up with!

14 hours ago, CraftyCat05 said:

The chanting is back. Just started too as I was lying down into bed. Ugh...

Perhaps, then...

CraftyCat05's Cacophonous Yet Coherent Cerebrations

?

 

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7 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Perhaps, then...

CraftyCat05's Cacophonous Yet Coherent Cerebrations

?

 

Ha ha! Look out for that ?

4 hours ago, Joe01 said:

The ship should have left Barcelona by now. Bon voyage!

It definitely has! About to write the blog, gonna be a lot to talk about!

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

@CraftyCat05, I love your writing style.  Trying to actually catch one of your scopes live.  I just watched your GS one on replay.  Love the room!!!  And the flowers too...

Thanks! As i've said before, really is good to hear that everyone is enjoying this. Stay tuned for more! I'm sure you'll get to see one soon. If we goto the balloon drop party later tonight, then I will definitely scope that.

Chao Chao for now!

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2 minutes ago, Joe01 said:

'Ciao Ciao for now' - I'm assuming Michele has already used that phrase. It's a cool catchphrase.

Definitely has. In his PA announcements and while watching RC TV, i've now heard it on multiple occasions! Really made me think of your blog. Also is definitely a cool catch phrase!

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19 minutes ago, Joe01 said:

Enjoy! Fingers crossed that Great Ideas are no longer the show band that host it. 

Unfortunately they were.... Jump! Jump! Jump! They were fine, I was just trying to get my arm relaxed enough for holding up the phone lol!

Hope you enjoyed the Periscope, especially you @Lovetocruise2002! Sorry if I had to communicate using scribble lol. Thanks for answering some questions!

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Symphony of the Seas - Day One ~ Barcelona, Spain

By golly we are on the beautiful Symphony of the Seas! Today was embarkation day, and boy was it fun!

Embarkation and the Beginning Steps

Embarkation was quick and painless, only taking about 20 minutes from door to ship. We arrived at 12:15pm, and we were on the ship and already with a drink and food in hand by 12:45pm. We first decided to hit the room, and while it wasn't open yet, we could at least drop off our carry-on baggage. Then, it was to the Suite Lounge to book some more things and get some food from the little buffet that was there for lunch. Got some chicken, and it was good! Also got some mashed potatoes with it (is always good on Royal!).

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Also got some Costal Kitchen reservations booked for some nights, and learned more about the concierge team and what their background is. Also said some naughty stories (shh... sorry Raj and Jennie). Also got on the top of the naughty list for blogging this experience, but apparently it's a good thing! Maybe ill get some better service ?! Already can tell they are a great team and that everyone working up there on deck 17 is going to be fantastic to dine and lounge with.

The Room

Now... I have done a room tour, but not on here! It's on my periscope @CraftyCat05. May also do a video tour of it while i'm on board, or at least take some pictures. 

The room is great, but different than the Grand Suite I stayed in on Allure. It has a wall in the middle of the room now! This makes the space feel smaller, but gives more privacy, gives us two televisions, and also offers more cabinet space than no wall would. The bathroom is also nicer, and even feels more spacious! There is a tub/shower combo, and two sinks.  The room also has two twin beds, two side lamps, two windows, and best of all two closet spaces! It's a two for one deal in the Grand Suite, only thing is... you have to pay more!

The Ultimate Abyss

Now for the   s u p e r   s c a r y   part of the blog. If you can't take the drop (10 decks!), then don't read this section!

...

....

Ok, have we weeded out the wimps, err... scaredy cats... ah! The "definitely not scared, not a cat, not a wimp, but just simply... non-thrill seekers!" Have we got them out? Good.

It's really fun, but shorter than I thought. Only rode it once, but plan on going back on it again! But only after my shoulder won't talk me out of it, because a fell on my shoulder in it part way through! While I was able to get back straight, really didn't make it as enjoyable as it could have been. My parents did enjoy it though! Was a shock to be able to get her on it, she would fall the category of "definitely not scared, not a cat, not a wimp, but just simply... non-thrill seekers!" usually. They didn't get banged up like me luckily. Hopefully they will ride it again with me!

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Symphony Dunes

Now, a family tradition is to always play some Royal mini golf on sail-away day... So, we went to the putt putt course! Father of course won (he is pretty good at his short game at the home golf course), but I at least came into second with my mother finishing close behind. I even got a hole-in-one! (Didn't get a picture this time, was having too much fun!) So far 1-0-0 for the mini golf.

Sail Away!

We have never gone to sail away parties, but do spend it outside on our balcony. We saw the Norwegian Epic sail by to turn around right as our pilot to guide us out of Barcelona's Port was getting onboard. 

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(Photo is from driving to port but it works.. shh, don't tell anyon... wait...)

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Next, it was our turn! We sailed away at 6:20, but we were about to get ready for Chops Grille, our dinner for the night. So we got to see some of sail away, but had to quickly rush to Central Park after.

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While getting on the ship, I got a picture of the bow of Symphony!

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Chops Grille

We have eaten at chops, and always love a good steak at home, and on a cruise! Food was great as usual, I got a Filet and a starter of the Glazed Bacon. Always a good meal! Parents both got the NY Strip, and my Mother's was much smaller than Dad's! All worked out though, as my mother wasn't very hungry anyway.

(Forgot to get any food pictures of steak or bacon... Sorry!)

Then it was time for dessert! We ordered two cheesecakes and one key-lime pie as per the waiter's recommendation. Unfortunately, he came with a red velvet cake instead of one of the cheesecakes, because of my Mom's unfortunate Tree Nut allergy! Crust apparently had some nuts, but I didn't taste them. All three were good, but the velvet wasn't as good as the cheesecake would have been as per my mother.

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Hairspray

After dinner it was time for Hairspray! Show was good, and I had never seen the full movie or show fully though, so was nice to finally see that. Unfortunately, my father couldn't get to his seat on time, so he would have had to get people to move while the show had already started. Instead, he just opted to go to the casino! He lost $150, and mother was not happy. Isn't sleeping on the couch though, that's where I am!

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Welcome Party, Featuring Firecracker Balloons!

(@twangster: the sub title is for you!)

There was a welcome party on the Royal Promenade, and it included a balloon drop at midnight. You can see what I was talking about on my Periscope (@CraftyCat05).

CraftyCat05's Cacophonous Yet Coherent Celebrations for Miscellaneous Text that Could Include Some Observations

WOO! THIS IS THE LOUD CELEBRATION FOR THE MISCELLANEOUS TEXT! THANKS FOR THE IDEA @JLMoran. HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND.

CraftyCat05's Coherent Text that Talks about his Observations

  • My titling system needs some work, exhibit A and B above.
  • No peep shows today.. Yay!
  • The ship still looks brand new, and looks amazing!
  • The Cruise Director is Michele and Activities Manager is Margot. For a full list of CDs and AMs, check out @Joe01's awesome thread.
  • The lines for the water slides were already long today. Didn't get to ride those today though... ?
  • Voom seems to be slower than it was on Allure, maybe throttling has gotten to a lower limit since 2016?
  • Our Stateroom Attendant seems to be great! Her name is Isha!
  • The signage and other things around the ship are in Royal's new modern colors and typography. Lots of Sea Blue and Baby Blue!
  • Safety Drill video is still Mission Impossible: Try to Get Everyone to Pay Attention to Me (A.K.A the secret agent safety video)

Documentation

Scanned Documents 5.pdf - Cruise Compass

Scanned Documents.pdf - Boarding Day Quick Guide

Scanned Documents 2.pdf - Shows at a Glance

Scanned Documents 4.pdf - Teen Club Compass (thanks Guess Services!)

Scanned Documents 3.pdf - Sky Class Amenities

Chao Chao for now!

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Interesting point about Voom. I don't think it was 'online' (pun intended) when I sailed Allure, but the Symphony Voom is definitely weaker than the Harmony Voom. I have no idea why, but glad you picked up on it.

My greatest sympathies go out to you having to sleep on the couch. That's the reason I don't do Grand Suites any more. 

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