Today we are in Key West, Florida, which is our first port stop on this five-day cruise.

I woke up this morning at 5:30AM, I do not know why, but I decided to enjoy the ship while I was awake. I went around many of the public areas and able to capture some great pictures without people in them. I will admit it was kind of weird at points feeling like you were the only person on this ship.

I went into the Windjammer at 6AM when they opened. However, they only had breads and coffee available, no bacon until 7AM, bummer. I decided to head to the back of Boleros where they had that day one welcome party, to watch the sunrise.

I ended up staying well over an hour just taking in the views; it was absolutely breathtaking to watch. 

Docking in Key West, Florida 

I was able to see the local pilot board our ship to help us sail into Key West. For those wondering what that is, every port a cruise ship docks in, a local pilot boards the ship to help guide the captain to dock. They know the port and help provide the Captain some guidance along the way, however the Captain is still in control of the ship.

Since the Empress has recently added these short sailings to fill time before Cuba, the main pier in Key West was already booked by Carnival. Today we docked at the United States Navy training facility.

I actually thought were going to have to walk all the way into town and went back into my cabin to put tennis shoes on. However, once we got off they had rows of trolleys to take us into town. This was a different Key West experience and I really enjoyed the short 10-minute ride through the base and into town. They asked that we take no pictures of the base on our ride; so sorry I don’t have any. 

Once I got into town, my mission was simple find some Key Lime Pie! A few friends recommend I try Kermit’s pie, so off I went. The walk to their shop was very short, I just plugged it into my GPS, but it was around 2 blocks.

When I arrived I noticed it was empty, but I guess that’s because it was 10AM. I went inside and ordered their classic Key Lime Pie, those wondering it cost $4.80. I’m not a huge sweets guy and it was early in the morning for pie, but it was amazing!

The staff here was really nice too, they actually asked if I wanted a sample of their other pie. Who turns down free pie? They brought out a chocolate covered froze pie, which was also good but I preferred the classic version or maybe I was just too full. 

After, I headed to Sloppy Joe's for a beer. They did not have live music playing yet, so no real excitement there today on my visit.

By this point it’s 11AM and I’m getting tired and decided to head back to the ship. Well what an adventure that was, since we took trolleys into town you had to take one back. Let’s just say I got on the wrong one, not once but twice. The second one was an actual tour of Key West, so off I went.

They made a stop at Sloppy Joe's on the tour and I jumped off, and walked back to the bus area again. Now on my third try I asked the driver if we were headed to the ship, I can only laugh at myself on this one. 

 Afternoon on board 

I wanted to take a nap but they were running test on the ship, which caused them to turn off power (including air conditioning) for a half-hour, so off to the pool deck I went. Not really a big deal since there were very few people on board, but I did notice how the temperature rises quite fast without running air conditioning.

I made some new friends in the hot tub and made good use of my select drink package.

I went into Windjammer for a small lunch; I was still full from all that pie in Key West. The options today were not as great as yesterday, but I usually just get rice and fish anyways.

Around 4PM I left the pool deck to get ready for the evening, still going with no nap. 

Evening on board 

Right at 5PM, I went down to Schooner Bar and used my Crown and Anchor drink coupon and noticed the bar was full. This was the first time I’d seen it so full like this, but I don’t think I usually go around this hour. Almost everyone was using their 3 free drinks loaded on their card, since this is pretty much the only place to do so.

Around 6PM I was starting to get hungry, my Chops dinner was not until 7:30 but I went early and they seated me right away. I was the only person in the restaurant when I arrived and there were 3 tables when I left.

The service was outstanding and I got to know my waitress during the meal. I decided to order shrimp cocktail, mushroom soup (which I can’t decide if that’s better or French onion) and a salad to start (if you were counting that is three starters!).

For my entree, I went with the 16oz New York Strip and let me tell you this was the largest steak I have ever seen. It was almost falling off the plate; once again the NY strip surprised me with how great it is compared to the filet. Which do I prefer? I am going to say I enjoy them both, but if you are really hungry, get the NY Strip. 

After dinner, I decided to go the headliner show in the main theater.

I do not usually attend any shows unless I’m on an Oasis-class ship, but I wanted to try something new. We had Finish Henderson hosting the show. He sings all types of music and his voice sounded exactly like singer he was singing, no idea how he does it.

I looked on his website looks like he is headed to Anthem of the Seas next, and Allure/Oasis this fall. If you get a chance, go to the show. He received a standing ovation at the end of the show for quite a while. 

Tonight is the white pool deck party; dancing under the stars they call it. It started raining and they moved it inside the Viking Crown lounge. I will say the event was packed, almost everyone wearing all white. I even saw a guy down their in his white crown and anchor robe, points for being creative. I stayed for an hour talked with the Cruise Director Elvis for a while really nice guy. Around midnight I called it a day, what a full day of events. 

Tomorrow we have our first sea day, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Boarding Empress 

Well, my cruise day finally arrived! I could not have been more excited to get back on Empress of the Seas.

As I mentioned I flew in from Tampa, FL to Miami, FL today. The flight was on time and I landed in Miami at 8:30AM. With nothing else to do in Miami, I decided to head straight to the ship! I took an Uber ride from the airport to this ship. The ride was $15 and very easy process, pickup and drop-off were seamless.

I had some friends getting off the Enchantment this morning so as my face was all smiles, theirs was no so much. I chatted with them for a bit and then headed over to my terminal.

It was around 9:45AM and there were about 20 people in line to check-in. The security process does not open until 10AM, so we just waited in line until then. I checked in and their Loyalty Ambassador recognized me from a previous cruise and invited me into her suite lounge to wait.

This was a very nice lounge with water, coffee, and small sandwiches. Another perk if you are in a suite, is this lounge you get to board first, she took us right on board at 11AM. 

On board 

Believe it or not, I was the first person to board Empress of the Seas today. Pretty cool experience, reminded me of being on board for a back-to-back.

Once I was on board I headed straight to the Windjammer for lunch. I am going to make bold statement here, the mac-n cheese might have been the best I have ever tasted before, all I can say is wow!

Lunch was outstanding and so fresh; I walked out with a smile that is for sure.

Now that I had a full belly I had to put my Select Drink Package to work. I had pre-purchased the drink package online prior to Royal changing their new drink packages. This package only allows me to get beer and house wines. When I cruise alone this package works well for me, because I get my 3 free Diamond drinks at night between 5:30-8:30. I talked to new friends at the poolside bar until our cabins opened at 1PM. 

Cabin – Ocean View #7000 

For this cruise, I am sailing in a standard ocean view cabin #7000. This cabin is all the way forward facing a little private walkway.

I wanted to try a different cabin that faced forward. On larger ships having a cabin all the way forward might cause some long walks to and from the cabin, but on Empress it iss a very short walk. The cabin can sleep up to 4 adults, so if you notice from my pictures there are two beds that hang on the walls. These beds make it very difficult to get in and out of the bed from the sides, because you have to bend over. I have been getting in from the bottom of the bed, pretending I am a child again.

Other than the extras bed kind of in the way, the cabin is nice and everything on the inside feels new from her recent dry dock. 

Sail away 

The muster drill was at 3:30, and we set sail at 4:30. I have learned over the years not to arrive at the muster drills early, it can get hot standing on the side of the ship.

Our drill was very fast and did not take more than 10 minutes. After the drill I headed up to the top deck and wanted to get a close look at the Enchantment of the Seas. She is my favorite ship and it was excited for me to see her again. But I do have a cruise on her next month.

Once we set sail I headed to a top tier event for Diamond and up guest or suites. They usually host private events on Empress since there is no Diamond/Suite lounge.

The event was nice, with live music and all the officers attending, including the captain. They served fish and shrimp kabobs, which I do not want to share how many I had… 

Evening On board / Dinner 

Tonight, I headed down to the Schooner bar to use my Diamond drink coupons, which are pre-loaded to my SeaPass card before dinner. I grabbed a window seat and just watched the ocean go by, that view just never gets old. I had made reservations for Chops Grill when I first got onboard for 7:30PM tonight.

One of the Crown & Anchor benefits for Diamond Plus is a BOGO specialty restaurant. Since I am cruising along I paid the cover charge tonight $35 and tomorrow is free. The staff in Chops all remembered me from last month, so that was fun to see them again. I laughed because I ordered without even opening the menu. The restaurant was almost full, but do not feel like you need to reserve online before. I asked my waiter to speed the meal up because of Monday Night Football and since I was dining alone. Overall a great meal and I look forward to going back tomorrow night. 

Shortly after dinner I decided to get some rest, day 1 is always a long day and I was ready for bed. 

Random observations

• The ships does not feel full at all, there is never any wait at the bars.
• My Crown and Anchor VOOM coupon was not loaded, so I had to have them apply a manual credit. However, the VOOM is working great!
• The gift shop now has the ship models for $32.95.
• The air conditioning is now working in 90% of the casino. 

 Stay tuned, tomorrow we are in beautiful Key West, Florida! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and I will respond.

Hi blog readers, its Michael Poole here and I’m headed back on board Empress of the Seas.

If you recall, I was recently on Empress of the Seas July 28th and did a live blog on that sailing too. I enjoyed the ship so much, I’ve decided to head back and take you on another live blog adventure.

This time I’m cruising solo, so I’ll be going in more detail of the Empress and all she has to offer. 

Itinerary 

This cruise is a 5-day sailing, so one extra day than my last time on board. We are headed back to Key West, Florida on day two. Day three is a sea day, followed by Cozumel, Mexico and ending with another sea day.

For my time in Key West, I’m sad to report there will be no bike tour this go around. I was thinking about all my recent visits to Key West and how I’ve never actually had in Key Lime pie there, so I’ll be on the search for some pie.

In Cozumel, Mexico I’m thinking about just exploring around and see where I end up. I had thought about going back to Nachi, but I’m looking to explore and just see where I end up. 

Cabin Type 

When I originally booked this cruise, I booked the lowest cost cabin type, which was an inside on the lower decks.

Over the course of a few weeks the cruise dropped a lot in price, since I was past final payment there is nothing you can do about the price. However, I was able to move up to an Ocean View cabin for no additional cost. Now I’ll be staying on Deck 7 forward, cabin #7000. This cabin over looks the secret walkway all the way forward, so I’ll be sure to include some pictures. 

Travel Plans to Miami, Florida 

My plan was to just drive to the port since I’m around 280 miles away from the port (4 hours). But after thinking about parking cost at the port $20/day puts me at $100 parking cost, plus fuel. So I ended up finding a flight for the same cost as parking and I’ll be flying in the morning of the cruise. I know that’s generally not a good plan, but worse case I’ll just jump in my car for a fast road trip. 

Well friends, I’m really excited to share another live blog with you. As always, feel free to comment below if you have any questions or would like pictures of something. Be sure to follow me on Periscope for 2-3 daily live scopes from on board too! @mpoole3

The final day of the cruise as already come, these shorter sailings go by so fast.

Today we were docked in Key West, Florida from 7am-4:30pm. Whenever you leave the United States and come back you always have to enter customs, and this includes the port stop in Key West.

This morning they had suite guests go through the process at 7am. The customs agents come on board the ship, this morning it was in the theater. You simply show them passports or birth certificate and on you go. This process doesn’t take very long, but my suggestion is just go early, regardless of what cabin you are in. 

Morning in Key West 

This morning, we decided to get off at 10am; we were in no rush to get off. Most of the ship was actually already off and about. We did a little shopping at the pier, typical t-shirts and key lime pie shops.

I did notice that most of the restaurants didn’t service food until noon, but they were all serving drinks. I didn’t have breakfast on board so I was ready to eat. We found a little pub that we had a pint at while we waited for Sloppy Joes to open.

They opened up at noon and you really need to be there right when they open to grab a seat. I went with their famous sloppy joe’s sandwich and I’m glad I did, hands down the best one I’ve ever had. We enjoyed some live music and drinks before our excursion at 1:30pm. 

Bike Tour Excursion 

Today we had booked the bike tour through Royal Caribbean excursions desk. The tour started at 1:30pm and lasted until 4:30pm.

We walked over to the bike shop, which is very close by, then geared us up. We visited a few places around Key West and our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the island.

I learned a lot about Key West that I would have never known. About halfway through the tour we asked our tour guide if we could speed things up, as the heat was starting to get to all of us. We still went to all the locations, just didn’t stop at them to hear the history behind what we were seeing.

As the tour was coming to an end, a member in our group had a minor accident on the bike. This took around a half hour to help them get a ride back to the ship, but it was 4:15pm and all on board was 4:30pm.

By the time we made it back to the ship it was right at 4:30pm, and the ship was blowing the horn. We never really got worried about missing the ship because we had a Royal Caribbean excursion desk. So things do happen and sometimes knowing the ship will wait on you goes along way. 

Dinner – Chops Grill 

Tonight our group had Chops Grill at 6:30pm for our last group dinner. Again, we had the select menu since we had over 20 people eating.

I went with the NY strip for my main course and really enjoyed the steak.

The service tonight was outstanding and they were always filling our water and wine glasses. If you happen to sail on Empress of the Seas, I highly recommend Chops Grill. 

After dinner we just explored the ship taking in the last few moment we have on board. I noticed that Guest Services had a rather large line, so try to take care of any issues you may have prior to the last few hours.

There was a farewell show at 9pm, but we decided to pass on that and get some rest for our drive to Tampa in the morning. 

 Random Thoughts:

• Voom on board comes and goes, you also have to sign in every time you use it.
• A/C in cabin works great, yes it’s hot during sailaway but it will cool down rather fast.
• Everything is new on board, from the sheets to the towels, pool towel, you can just tell it’s all very fresh.
• The food on board is outstanding, from windjammer to chops grill, it’s all outstanding.
• Cuban coffee shop never had cream for coffee, so I drank it without and enjoyed it.
• Crew on board is like family just after 4 days, really great job all around.
• Cruise Director Carlos does a great job and very personable if you get a chance to talk to him. 

 I hope you all enjoyed the Empress of the Seas live blog. I know I really enjoyed sharing this unique trip with all of you. Until next time, see you sea…

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West

Today we spent the day in Coco Cay, and if you have ever read any of my past live blog’s this is my favorite place to visit in the Caribbean.  I like Coco Cay because it’s very peaceful and such a relaxing day.

Morning Onboard

This morning, I woke up at 6:00am and decided to go explore the ship and take some photos.

I know I’m on vacation and waking up before the sunrises.  I really enjoyed the sunrise and if you haven’t woke up early on a cruise before I really recommend it.

 At 7:00am we had scheduled to have room service delivered to our cabin.  

The fruit was very fresh and by far the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had on board any cruise. They have breakfast cards behind the cabin door you fill out and place on the outside door handle the night before with your order.

Coco Cay

We had a large group scheduled to take the first tender boat over to Coco Cay at 8:15am.  We met at the Schooner bar and were quickly walked to the tender.  

The ride over to Coco Cay is 5 minutes and it’s really a great time to take some ship photos.  

Once we arrived in Coco Cay we headed over to the Cabana area.  These Cabanas are available to rent for the day at $250 and you can bring up to six guests.  When we arrived they had large Evian water chilled for us and beach towels.

This was my first time in the Cabana area and I was very surprised how nice the experience was.  

At 11:30am, they had a special lunch for us in the cabana area and it was an upgrade from the standard lunch they serve.  

They had salmon, shrimp, salads, and trays of endless fruit.

Snorkeling in Coco Cay

This afternoon we had planned to snorkel, in all my trips to Coco Cay I’ve never snorkeled here.  

We were treated to some very nice snorkel gear and the staff assisted us putting it all on.  Our group was 8 people and we headed out to a see the ship and plane wreck.  The tour lasted an hour and was very entertaining if you enjoy snorkeling.

After an hour of snorkeling I helped the production team film a spot with my snorkeling equipment.  They have a full team traveling with us doing all kind of shoots of Empress and Coco Cay.  After filming we decided to head back to the Cabana.  

By this point in the afternoon most everyone had headed back to the ship so we enjoyed some relaxing time on the island before heading back.

Coco Cay Upgrades

So right away I noticed things seem different in Coco Cay today.  

I noticed the map they gave us had sites that said closed for remodel, which I thought was strange.  However, once I got on to the island I could quickly tell what they are adding, in the water cabanas like Labadee.   It looks like they just recently started construction on them; it is the second cove when you enter Coco Cay.

Also, they have a new bar in Coco Cay and its out in the  ocean.  

This bar actually floats out in the water, meaning you have to literally swim out to the bar.  This was added around two weeks ago the staff said and it is located right where the South Beach / barefoot beach sign used to be.   

Royal Caribbean continues to push the limit, and here is another perfect example.

Afternoon onboard

This afternoon was very relaxing on board; honestly I think most people were taking naps.  

I decided to go have some of their famous Cuban coffee.  They open at 7am and stay open throughout the day.

With our drink package, the coffee is included so didn’t have to worry about paying here.  I usually just go for the standard black coffee, but they do not carry cream here so it was all black and strong which is what I needed anyway.  

We moved on to the shops and they were having their $10 table sales, buy 4 get the 5th on free.  I ended up getting my blue coffee mug and a T shirt, however they do not sell ship models yet, which is a bummer.

Dinner Chops

Tonight we decided to enjoy dinner in Chops Grill, again.  

This time was going to be different since it is just the two of us.  The steakhouse was packed tonight, almost every table was occupied, so the service was not like the night before.  

I went with the steak, onion soup, and bacon.  The meal was outstanding; again a perfect steak and I ate every bite.  However, our service was less than what you could expect, our waiter as serving the Captain’s table.  The headwaiter noticed we had empty water and wine glasses and actually invited us back tomorrow on him!  Outstanding service by Royal Caribbean once again, they know we left there with a less that perfect experience and want us to come back on them.  

I did use my Diamond Plus coupon valid night 1 or 2 and its buy one get one cover charge free, so I paid $35 for both of us.  

After dinner we decided to call it a night, that is right... we were in bed before 10pm.  We had a really long day and the sun drained us so a good night sleep was calling our name.

Tomorrow we have a sea day.  A lot of actives planned, stay tuned

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West

Michael Poole is LIVE blogging all this weekend from Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas. Follow along for the updates!

What a day I have to share with you on this live blog.  I started out my day in Tampa, Florida and drove to Miami at 6:45am.  Nothing really exciting about the drive other than it is really long, around 300 miles.  

I arrived to the Port of Miami around 11:00am, and we were dock in terminal “G”.   The parking at the terminal is $20/Day and you pay once you leave.  I must say I have never parked so close to a cruise ship in all my cruises.

Going through the pier was so easy, there were zero lines on both suite and non-suite side.  

I was handed my SeaPass card and excited to see I had the drink package sticker loaded on my card.  I have the ultimate package that includes coffee and fresh juices, along with all the cocktails and beer.  They had already started boarding so I walked right on board.

Lunch On board

 At 11:30 the Windjammer was open and we made our way to lunch.  

The first thing I noticed is they have hand washing stations once you walk in.  This was something different I have not seen on any other Royal Caribbean ship, but I really liked that home feeling.  

For lunch it was the typical lunch with burgers, fries, grilled fish, and ribs.  I grabbed a seat by the window, but boy was it hot.  That seemed to be the theme for today, just hot on the upper decks.  The décor in the windjammer was all brand new with very modern finishes.

After lunch we explored around the pool deck, the room was not open until 1pm, so we really took advantage of our time around the ship.

They had pre-arranged a photo in the Centrum at 1pm.  Shortly after I headed to my cabin, which is a Jr. Suite 9122.  

The cabin is what you would find on a standard ocean balcony across the fleet, but remember the ship is 26 years old.  I was actually very impressed with the cabin and the space it offers, again with all new décor.

Afternoon on board

After muster drill, we headed to the private crown and anchor top tier party and suites.  They hosted this party in the aft of the ship on the open decks.  

They had a live band, plenty of food options, and drinks, very nice party.  In fact, the Captain even showed up and was quite nice to talk to.

Dinner

Tonight our dinner was in the Chops Grill specialty dining.  They charge a cover charge of $30 per person, and everything is included.

Tonight we had a limited menu since our group was over 21 people.

However, they had the favorites on there, such has onion soup and filet.  The restaurant was closed off to our group, but had around 20 tables with ocean views.  

I went with the French onion soup and filet, which was outstanding.  

They bring the sides out family style for everyone to sample and refill as needed.

Thoughts about Empress of the Seas

Wow, this ship is truly beautiful, on the inside and out.  I could not believe how nice she was, with the décor all brand new.  

The air conditioning works great all over the ship, yes it was hot this afternoon but it broke 100 today.  

The Voom Internet seems to be working fine and the staff all seems very happy.  Honestly, I cannot think of any reason I would not book Empress of the Seas for a future cruise.  

If you are the type of person who enjoys the smaller ships, you will love the Empress of the Seas.  Now the questions is, where is she headed in 90 days…

Tomorrow we are in Coco Cay.  We have some fun adventures planned there!

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West

Hi friends, Michael Poole here again for another live blog!  This time I will be sailing on the newest ship in the fleet - Empress of the Seas.  Well, she is actually the oldest ship in the fleet, but the most recent addition to the fleet.  Empress of the Seas was recently added back into the fleet in May 2016 from their sister company, Pullmantur Cruises. 

There are many speculations on why Royal Caribbean brought Empress of the Seas back in the fleet, to soon be their Cuba sailing ship. 

Why Empress of the Seas?

To be honest, since Royal Caribbean first announced they were bringing Empress of the Seas back into the fleet I have wanted to sail on her.  In fact, I almost changed my March back-to-back cruise over to the Empress, but I decided to stay on the Brilliance. 

Empress of the Seas is a smaller ship, which I tend to enjoy more.  The décor on the ship is all brand new from her recent two-month dry dock.  The ship offers daily brunch in the Main Dining room with complimentary mimosas or bloody marys. Empress of the Seas is going by the slogan: Party. Chill. Repeat.   

Invite by Royal Caribbean

Three weeks ago, I received a phone call from Royal Caribbean extending me the invite for this sailing.  They have also invited some of their top-tier Crown and Anchor members, along with some social media bloggers. 

Needless to say, I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard the news!  Anytime you get to cruise with Royal Caribbean it’s exciting, but to sail with their social media team too!  They have some pre-arranged events during the cruise, but I want to keep those a surprise! 

I just know this is going to be a very special cruise, and I’m so excited to share it with you. 

Itinerary

For this cruise we are sailing to my favorite stop in the Caribbean, Coco Cay.  This island is owned by Royal Caribbean, and offers a relaxing beach day. 

Next we will have a sea day, followed by our final stop in Key West.  Key West is a great port to visit, so much live music and restaurants.  Now the question is, will I go back to Sloppy Joe’s for a third time…

Thanks for joining me for another live blog; I’m truly excited to take you all along with me again.  I will be conducting daily periscopes of the ship, so be sure to follow @mpoole3   If you have any questions about the ship, or during the live blog, please comment below and I will respond. 

See you at sea!  

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West