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


CraftyCat05

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Your scope of the balloon drop turned out great (connection wise) so VOOM can't be that bad.  I have heard that Raj is amazing!  And side note, I just found out recently that on some ships if they know you are blogging, then service is different.  I did not find this out till disembarkation day but good info to know....

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1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Your scope of the balloon drop turned out great (connection wise) so VOOM can't be that bad.  I have heard that Raj is amazing!  And side note, I just found out recently that on some ships if they know you are blogging, then service is different.  I did not find this out till disembarkation day but good info to know....

Heh heh... Gotta exploit my powers! 

Raj really does seem to be the life of the party and was really funny when we talked to him. They really are a good compatible pair.

VOOM is fine, just it does feel slower and the ping can get really bad sometimes...

18 minutes ago, Joe01 said:

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. 

This area may not get as good of coverage or may just not have as many hotspots and repeaters set up in bad spots at Harmony did. *shrug*

And the couch is fine! There is a nice mattress cover and the blanket is great. Sure a bed is better, but this is pretty damn good! Almost like sleeping on those long haul first class seats where it lies flat. No need for sympathy lol.

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Blog Update

Boy am I tired! May have gotten a nap today (I guess yesterday at this point!), but the late night wiped me out on Day One. Therefore I am postponing Day Two's Blog to Tomorrow Morning (Marseille, France timezone). Sorry for any blogging inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you,

The Symphony SemiLive Blog Management

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3 minutes ago, CraftyCat05 said:

Blog Update

Boy am I tired! May have gotten a nap today (I guess yesterday at this point!), but the late night wiped me out on Day One. Therefore I am postponing Day Two's Blog to Tomorrow Morning (Marseille, France timezone). Sorry for any blogging inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you,

The Symphony SemiLive Blog Management

Looking forward to it! Don't apologize though - you are on vacation! 

BTW - As Michele is still there, I recommend giving 80's night a try. It is really enjoyable, even for people like me who weren't alive then. I believe it is tomorrow night.

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Day Two - Palma

Lots of exciting things today! From shore to sea, a lot happened. So lets get into this coherent blog!

Breakfast

Because of us sleeping in due to the bar and late party, we weren't able to do a nice sit down breakfast. Father and I got some pastries from the Costal Kitchen buffet, and my mother had a Breakfast bar while waiting for the excursion to start. I got three croissants (very small) and they were all good. Didn't get any pictures... but imagine a small croissant.

Palma City Sights

Our first excursion for the week was a city tour of Palma de Mallorca. We got to see the old castle on the hill, also known as Bellver Castle. We couldn't go inside unfortunately (closed on Monday), but we did have a beautiful view on the hill of the ocean, marina, and city centre. 

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Next, was going to Pearl shop and bull ring. We spent our 30 minutes of free time at the shop, buying new pearls for Mom's birthday present. She got a pair of earrings that matched with a necklace, and then another standalone necklace. After our quick exploration of the bull ring (isn't used for fighting anymore, now used as a multipurpose venue), we got back on the bus to go into the city centre for shopping and walking.

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Finally, it was time for the city centre part of our excursion. We got off and walked to our meeting point, and once there was dismissed with 45 minutes to explore before we would walk back to the bus. We looked at the narrow streets and alleys of Palma from the times when there wasn't so many cars and tourism. We also got some gelato at "the best gelato in the world" as per the gelato world tour in 2013. We then walked back, and saw a church, lots of hotels, and many tapas restaurants. 

IMG_5325.thumb.JPG.c63d051469a6558dbce8cb2a41a880b4.JPGIMG_7148.thumb.JPG.0ea272fa6d8a6e705fd646f8436b3da8.JPGIMG_7140.thumb.JPG.b0b5e15d3fb42c13aa7455f1f35bc3c9.JPGIMG_7133.thumb.JPG.7ae7feb1dbf276030045e2f4b7b40e19.JPG Panda wondering the streetsIMG_7183.thumb.JPG.b62f39520903e27e5557df742ae91802.JPGIMG_7188.thumb.JPG.ffe29b62cc8bfc4d07f53dd20f21be42.JPGIMG_5347.thumb.JPG.e7c0e4f449fc6b8f327534654ebbe2b5.JPG View of ship from bus loading area

The shore excursion was very nice and quick, but showed you a lot of the sights of Palma. If I remember correctly, it was also cheaper than some of the other excursions in Palma. Transportation was a nice, spacious, and most importantly air conditioned! We also had a dedicated tour guide, that wasn't driving or doing other things on the excursion. She would talk about the history of the city or point out some sights as we were driving past while we were in-route to our next stop. 

IMG_7122.thumb.JPG.d22ba88ddab224934410bcd4f4a9c938.JPG Our tour guide for shore excursion 26

Overall, I would rate this excursion highly for others. We will be doing the Drach Caves next week in Palma.

Lunch, Slides, Horses, and Balls

We had some lunch after the fun on land at El Loco Fresh. It was crowded, and really good! The quesadillas were fabulous, and the burritos were fine. Also had some chips, which were just so-so, and flan for dessert which was great! Rice and beans for the side were also tasty, but could always be better. 

To get down to the boardwalk for the arcade and the carousel, we decided to take the quickest way down... the Ultimate Abyss! My ride was much better, and I didn't hit the side this time on my ride. Got to go much faster, and was much more fun! Mother chickened out though, and took the elevator down. Shame! (jk mom, love u!)  After that was some skee ball at the Playmakers Arcade, and a fun time on the racing simulator at the end of the room. 

Then it was something that we could all agree on doing, the carousel! Took a ride on that and rode the Royal Caribbean horse. Was fun as it always is on the Oasis Class ships. Can't wait to be doing it again sometime later in the trip.

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Rock Em' Good!

We went to the Bionic Bar today! Drink wasn't as good as a real human bar tender, but was a cool experience. Will definitely visit again on this trip, may even Periscope it! 

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Rock Em' and Sock Em' (the bartender's names) hard at work! A robotic arm has to make some money somewhere, right?

Coastal Kitchen

The suite only dining was what we had reserved for tonight, and man was it great! Didn't get any pictures, but did enjoy the food! I had the artichoke soup to start, and then the prime rib for my main course. While I enjoy Filets more, I do enjoy some prime rib on occasion, especially when it could be at Costal Kitchen! Then it was time for dessert! Had some cheesecake again, but this time my mother could have it! She was excited, and I thought it was better than yesterday's dessert. Definitely can't wait for another meal at Coastal.

The Executive

Sooo... while eating at Coastal Kitchen..... we saw....

Micheal Bayley! The CEO of Royal Caribbean!!!!! Exciting!!! I WAS NEXT TO ROYAL CARIBBEAN CELEBRITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently they were celebrating his son's birthday (internet doesn't show anything about him, but I saw him!) with other members of the Bayley family. Highlight of the day lol...

1977

To end the night, was the new ice show! It really was amazing, even if some parts of the story line were broken, but not as much as some others would have you believe! All of the performers were great on the ice, except the ninja. The ninja fell about 5 times, and I was even scared something would go wrong with them! They definitely didn't have their A-game on tonight. The most notable part of the show was the quick change clothing couple, and the beginning scene because of it's drone show! I would almost disagree with others about the show having a very disjointed plot. While there are some parts that are kinda mismatched, there is a story line that goes with the show! Definitely want to watch it again next week. Would rate it 10/10! 

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Miscellaneous Thoughts and Observations

  • My "B" key is on it's last legs. May be missing lots of those!
  • Palma is a very nice island, but with lots of tourists. Probably won't want to visit it on a land vacation.
  • The sunset tonight was beautiful! Just look at it! IMG_7211.thumb.JPG.df90b5559d15bd44c88eadaaeef18325.JPG 
  • Got a towel animal tonight! I'm convinced because of the B2B the animals will only be every other day, because they only know seven! IMG_7206.thumb.JPG.98e251ad048d94e7486e5e32d12daf47.JPG
  • Sorry for getting this out later than usual! Will try to make up for it somehow.
  • I will post downloads on Day Three's post. I just want to get this out!
  • Sorry if there are any mistakes, like I said, wanted this out ASAP!

Chao Chao for now!

 

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3 hours ago, CraftyCat05 said:
  • Sorry for getting this out later than usual! Will try to make up for it somehow.
  • I will post downloads on Day Three's post. I just want to get this out!
  • Sorry if there are any mistakes, like I said, wanted this out ASAP!

Talk about a love/hate relationship. Love your log! The hate part you ask? Stop apologizing... that's an order! It's great you are doing this, ut cruises are for relaxing, not putting pressure on yourself. Take a deep reath. ?

 

OK, did you notice how I left out the ees? I figured we should get used to it in case yours dies altogether.

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1 minute ago, Skid said:

Talk about a love/hate relationship. Love your log! The hate part you ask? Stop apologizing... that's an order! It's great you are doing this, ut cruises are for relaxing, not putting pressure on yourself. Take a deep reath. ?

 

OK, did you notice how I left out the ees? I figured we should get used to it in case yours dies altogether.

?

eautiful! Found a tutorial on how to fix it... May try it tmrw if it doesn't get etter.

Also,

Update

Yet again no blog! It's late here and we got an early morning. And the southerner in me must say... Sorry! I was trying to keep up with a schedule, but I couldn't do it for a week! My suite attendant was joking about a whip for my father and "misplacing" his Sea Pass card on the Safety Drill... Maybe I need it now! ?Will see you guys later! 

Chao Chao for now.

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The Let Down

This is the story of a man who is on a cruise.

Specifically, a Royal Caribbean cruise.

He is having fun.

A lot of fun.

In fact, soooo much...

That he is tired.

And has a early morning tomorrow. 

And the next day after.

It's so bad, that he can't blog the adventure of a life time.

He must update the others on his sea day.

It's so far away.

Yet so close.

Chao Chao for now.

~Cat

FAQ

What did I just read?

A short story I made up in about 2 minutes.

Is this a true story?

Yes! It is! It's the true story of my cruise!

You really are a let down, i'm just going to be loyal to the others now.

So sorry to hear that, but don't go! There is lots to hear about, but you will learn about it on Saturday ?.

And also, if you have any feedback or comments, you can fill out a comment card as you leave the auditorium.

Com on, the blogs don't take long, just write it!

I would be happy for you to write it, just you aren't me!

And these aren't short to write! It takes a good hour usually, and sometimes two! This really is hard work. Why didn't anyone tell me?

I'm still confused, what's happening?

I won't be able to update this blog in full until at least Saturday, maybe even longer! This really was unforseen, it's just with the early mornings and long nights, it adds up!

You took as long to write this as it does to write a blog, just type it out!!!

Read above, it takes awhile! This only took tops fifteen minutes.

I'm getting the pitch forks out and rioting at my local town square. This is an outrage!

Don't do that! This is only a blog, not life or death (yet). Please don't get the cops called, and if you do, i'm in Jamaica mon!

The End.

Hope to see you soon! And please, don't leave me!

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Just now, CraftyCat05 said:

The Let Down

This is the story of a man who is on a cruise.

Specifically, a Royal Caribbean cruise.

He is having fun.

A lot of fun.

In fact, soooo much...

That he is tired.

And has a early morning tomorrow. 

And the next day after.

It's so bad, that he can't blog the adventure of a life time.

He must update the others on his sea day.

It's so far away.

Yet so close.

Chao Chao for now.

~Cat

FAQ

What did I just read?

A short story I made up in about 2 minutes.

Is this a true story?

Yes! It is! It's the true story of my cruise!

You really are a let down, i'm just going to be loyal to the others now.

So sorry to hear that, but don't go! There is lots to hear about, but you will learn about it on Saturday ?.

And also, if you have any feedback or comments, you can fill out a comment card as you leave the auditorium.

Com on, the blogs don't take long, just write it!

I would be happy for you to write it, just you aren't me!

And these aren't short to write! It takes a good hour usually, and sometimes two! This really is hard work. Why didn't anyone tell me?

I'm still confused, what's happening?

I won't be able to update this blog in full until at least Saturday, maybe even longer! This really was unforseen, it's just with the early mornings and long nights, it adds up!

You took as long to write this as it does to write a blog, just type it out!!!

Read above, it takes awhile! This only took tops fifteen minutes.

The End.

Hope to see you soon! And please, don't leave me!

Just enjoy the cruise. I tried live blogging but got caught up in the enjoyment of the cruise too much. It certainly is a port intensive itinerary - at least you have 2 weeks to do it all!

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2 hours ago, CraftyCat05 said:

And these aren't short to write! It takes a good hour usually, and sometimes two! This really is hard work. Why didn't anyone tell me?

SO TRUE! I totally know where you are right now (well, state-of-mind-wise, not actual location; that would be creepy!). Just enjoy the days to the fullest and you can update us when you're good and ready.

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9 hours ago, twangster said:

I was hoping you were more efficient than I.  Phew!

It's easier when solo...

Guess it depends on how you do it... I'll force hubby to do all photo related tasks and only do the writing ? Gotta give something back to the board that answered all my stupid newbie questions... and caused hubby to spend €€€€ on a camera, equipment and photo seminars for both of us to make good use of it... I'm looking at you Twangster ?

 

2 hours ago, CraftyCat05 said:

The Sickest of Cruisers

a lot has happened since my last update! Let’s start:

-I have a cold (or something)

-I had to cancel our Rome plans

-I have some medication to help

-This vacation isn’t planning out to what it was supposed to be!

Hope you get well soon!  ? Maybe you can do Rome the 2nd time around? Would be a pity to miss it, but going there while sick doesn't sound enjoyable either, especially if the weather is anything like Germany.

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The Barcelona Update

So... i'm back! And better than.... well Rome. So there's been a change of plans for how this blog is going to work now with me getting over the cold and with me just having too much fun! 

The Plan 2.0

I plan to do little highlights of my day and post a few pictures from my day. This will also include the days I haven't updated you on (marseille) to today (Barcelona).

I will then post a comprehensive part review of my trip and all other things once a get home. I will be starting some things when I get back though, so this could be pushed til Christmas (?).

The Barcelona Initiative  

We plan to get off the ship today! This is either going to go very bad, or go very well.

We got tickets to Sagrada Familla after not seeing it while in Barcelona, and now we are very happy! Will send some pictures of the amazing architecture. 

The Plan for Week2

Day 1 - Dinner at Izumi still, except above

Day 2 - Drach Caves still, dinner at Jamie's Italian

Day 3 - Biking cancelled due to weather and health of myself, dinner at Wonderland

Day 4 - On waitlist for Carrara Marble Tour by Jeep, dinner at 150 Central Park

Day 5 - Exclusive: Best of Rome from last week rebooked to this week

Day 6 - Amalfi Coast and Pompeii by Land and Sea rebooked to this week

Day 7 - Dinner at Hooked

Also, it's past Barcelona... oops

EDIT: Fixed to plan to what we are now planning to do. Didn't change it before I posted this. oops

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Very very glad you have rejoined the land of the living so to speak. 

I’m looking forward to your blogs as we will be on the Jewel in October doing an extended itinerary of your cruise. 

I do have a question you can probably answer now. I have read The passengers will be mostly Europeans and the dress onboard will be more formal or dressier than we Americans are used to. Yes or no?

Also is the VAT added to excursion purchases onboard or are they included in the published price?

Hope all goes well from here on in  ??

 

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4 hours ago, Mljstr said:

I do have a question you can probably answer now. I have read The passengers will be mostly Europeans and the dress onboard will be more formal or dressier than we Americans are used to. Yes or no?

I remember reading back in 2016, when I went on the Harmony Med cruise about the dress, I first ran in to the reading when I was researching the hazards being in the ports with the gypsies and pick pockets, they basically said to lessen your chance of being picked out of a crowd by a thief to dress more like a European than an American, I can only give you a mans perspective because that is all I read.

They may no be any more formal than anyone else, but they may wear a pair of nice black jeans instead of blue jeans with a nice button down shirt, no polo or golf shirts, usually with a light jacket to top it off, casual loafers.

On shore, no ball caps, no tennis shoes, no t-shirts, shorts are nice linen or linen pants with a linen button down shirt.

I encourage you to read, the gypsies were especially interesting reading on their ploys...

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3 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

I remember reading back in 2016, when I went on the Harmony Med cruise about the dress, I first ran in to the reading when I was researching the hazards being in the ports with the gypsies and pick pockets, they basically said to lessen your chance of being picked out of a crowd by a thief to dress more like a European than an American, I can only give you a mans perspective because that is all I read.

They may no be any more formal than anyone else, but they may wear a pair of nice black jeans instead of blue jeans with a nice button down shirt, no polo or golf shirts, usually with a light jacket to top it off, casual loafers.

On shore, no ball caps, no tennis shoes, no t-shirts, shorts are nice linen or linen pants with a linen button down shirt.

I encourage you to read, the gypsies were especially interesting reading on their ploys...

Thanks I will!  I’ve read about pickpockets but not much about gypsies and dress. I will definitely research it. 

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17 hours ago, Mljstr said:

Very very glad you have rejoined the land of the living so to speak. 

I’m looking forward to your blogs as we will be on the Jewel in October doing an extended itinerary of your cruise. 

I do have a question you can probably answer now. I have read The passengers will be mostly Europeans and the dress onboard will be more formal or dressier than we Americans are used to. Yes or no?

Also is the VAT added to excursion purchases onboard or are they included in the published price?

Hope all goes well from here on in  ??

 

I can't say it better than @tiny260 did at the moment, but haven't really noticed a change in clothing style between the Americans and Europeans, except on formal nights. They certainly go more all out on those!

VAT is added after, and not included in the price like it is in other parts of Europe. This is Royal Caribbean, a American cruise line after all! Good questions!

Thanks for all of the well wishes Mljstr and Guy Gadwa! 

 

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Palma Highlight

We did the Drach Caves, and man were they amazing! Really cool to see what was formed all those years ago. 

IMG_9165.thumb.JPG.2b5a3e8a47d379ed85937d5cf624502c.JPG

On the ship, we got some sliders and potato skins at Playmakers for lunch... and it was really good! Probably one of my favorite lunch meals we have had on the ship, but we really haven't had much of those. I think it really is a great addition to the ship, adding to the overall feel of the boardwalk and the lunch options. (Didn't get any pictures though, just imagine some really good food!)

Then it was time for Wonderland ~ Imaginative Cuisine... And boy was it a trip down the rabbit hole! The food was pretty good, but you really are just there for the experience, right? The mad hatter really adds to the experience, making it all the more fun and entertaining. Looking back at it, it wasn't a dinner... it was a show! 

Will do another post about Wonderland with pictures at a later date.

Afterwards, we went to look at some watches (we can fantasize!) and then called it a night... Got to get ready for the 80s party the next day!

Hope this is still fine for the blog, may not be as extensive, but it's something! Chao Chao for now! 

 

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3 hours ago, Joe01 said:

Do you think you can scope from 80's night? Would love to relive it. Don't know if you did it last week but I really loved it. Maybe it is my inner Cruise Director though. :4_joy:

Enjoy whatever you are doing in Marseilles today. I stayed on the ship for Week 2.

Will definitely try to scope the 80s night. Didn't do the party last week because we were all tired, but hope to love it this week!

We stayed on the ship and enjoyed the upper decks. Waterslides, Suite Deck, Drinks, Pools, and More!™️

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Just now, CraftyCat05 said:

Will definitely try to scope the 80s night. Didn't do the party last week because we were all tired, but hope to love it this week!

We stayed on the ship and enjoyed the upper decks. Waterslides, Suite Deck, Drinks, Pools, and More!™️

What was your favorite slide?

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Just now, CraftyCat05 said:

 (Trying to write this is such a pain with the sticky key...) Blue! Green is fun, but find the blue to be more thrilling. How aout you?

Blue was great. I regret only doing it once. On HM, it was actually really slow. I loved the green/champagne bowl one. The yellow one was a bit slow.

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Just now, Joe01 said:

Blue was great. I regret only doing it once. On HM, it was actually really slow. I loved the green/champagne bowl one. The yellow one was a bit slow.

Aww man... I rode it a bunch for you today! Yellow is slower, but can get fast if you really get a good start. Lots of screaming from the green tube today! Had to give a little yell for the crowd in there, really echos!

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42 minutes ago, CraftyCat05 said:

@Joe01 80s Party is starting, periscope in a quick minute!

Thanks for scoping it. Was having my own silent party in the house.

What did you think? Good theme night? It's a new theme night so I'm sure Royal are eager to hear opinions. 

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Just now, Joe01 said:

Thanks for scoping it. Was having my own silent party in the house.

What did you think? Good theme night? It's a new theme night so I'm sure Royal are eager to hear opinions. 

Glad you enjoyed it!

I thought it was great! The crowd was really high energy, definitely more so than the balloon party last week, but different kinds things huh? I think it definitely appeals to the younger generation, saw lots of kids/teens and young adults dancing and knowing the music more than other themed party nights. The cruise director staff really makes or breaks it, and the staff on this cruise definitely made it. 

Thought it was definitely more elaborate than the other years themed nights, with the other stage, (don’t remember that on Allure, but was probably there) and the car thing. 

What did you think when you saw it a few weeks back? Same thoughts or different.

Now, if you have no idea what me and Joe are talking about, watch the party replays on my periscope! @CraftyCat05 

Also did some sail always recently, go check them out!

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