Posted at 2:15 pm by taryngirl, on February 28, 2024
10/22/23
Again today, there was not a whole lot on the agenda besides laying around enjoying the ship. The one thing we did want to do was check out the Chocolate Extravaganza, located in the Lido Marketplace, from 12:00-2:30 p.m. I had heard rumblings about this but wasn’t really sure what to expect! I was pleasantly surprised!
I wanted to get pictures before it was mobbed with people, so I walked back a little bit before the opening time. They were still setting everything up.
There was a chocolate fountain with both white and milk chocolate, and tons of things to dip!
Then came THE CAKES! So many gorgeous, delicious cakes!
If you like cake, this was the place to be. If you like chocolate anything, this was the place to be. This served as my lunch this day! The cakes were different flavors, all with some element of chocolate in them.
They also had hand dipped ice cream.
This was so fun, and so good! I don’t regret any of my life choices during this extravaganza! If you are on the Venezia, do not miss this!
Posted at 10:13 am by taryngirl, on January 11, 2024
10/19/23
Half Moon Cay is a private island exclusively for Carnival and Princess Cruise Line guests. I was excited for a true beach day!
There is no dock at Halfmoon Cay, so we had to take a tender boat in order to get to the island. To get a boarding time for the tender (so there isn’t a stampede of people), they distributed the tickets for the tender beginning at 7:30 a.m. on deck 5 in the Gondola Lounge. It was first come first served. We got there at 7:30 a.m. and were group #16 to board. So YES! People do go early and line up! She estimated our call time to board the tender to be 9:30 a.m. You have to listen for them to call your group number on the PA system. This does not broadcast into staterooms though, so you need to be in a common area outside of your room to hear it. We figured we had two hours, so we went to breakfast at the Grand Canal Restaurant.
I ordered the Seasonal Melon, which was just your basic melon but still good! I consider any fruit good when I don’t have to cut it!
And the Vanilla French Toast with Bacon.
This was delicious!!
We finished breakfast and decided to go back to our stateroom and fully charge our phones, and get cold water to bring ashore with us. To our surprise, they called our boarding number just before 8:45 a.m. and not 9:30 a.m. We made our way to Deck 0. There were several crew members directing us where to go along the way. They were loading 2 tenders, one midship and one forward. Each tender seemed to hold a few hundred people. We were packed in!
You can see on this map where the tender pier is located at the bottom.
We were on the island at 9:00 a.m. We did load towards the end of filling this particular tender though so didn’t have to wait very long until we left. Once we were off the tender, we decided to walk towards the middle of the beach, closer to where lunch would be served. We found a spot right in front of the pirate ship bar.
The water was the clearest I have ever seen! Look at the fish!
To our right:
To our left:
There were 3 rows of chairs, and they were tightly packed in together. Most of the chairs were already taken up to this point on the beach. We decided to go in the third row, and we were thankful for this later! The beach area from the chairs to the water was actually very small! When the tide started coming in, the first row of chairs were kind of wiped out and stuck. They couldn’t pull their chairs back at all because there was another row directly behind them! After awhile, they started bringing out more chairs and just jamming them into any open space they could find. This is possibly my only complaint about the entire cruise! It was CROWDED on the beach. The beach was very small from the sand to the water line. And people gave no cares at all if they were crowding others as long as they had their own spot.
This view though!
I went to check out the water, and IT WAS THE CLEAREST WATER I HAD EVER SEEN AT A BEACH! I could see my feet no matter how far out I went. The water was very calm and there weren’t really any waves at all. It was slightly overcast when we arrived, and it did sprinkle the slightest bit. This in turn produced a rainbow!
You could rent these houses.
I also want to point out that there really isn’t any natural shade. While the chairs were free, if you wanted an umbrella, you had to rent it. There were several options for renting clam shells and cabanas as well.
More crowd pics! This was at 10:30 a.m.
The water was amazing, and we spent a lot of time in versus sitting out on the crowded beach. They served lunch from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. There was a larger pavilion with several lines serving food. There were also several pavilions with picnic tables to sit and eat.Â
(One note here, everyone was lining up in one line. However, there are several lines right in the middle as well.)
I could not get pictures of the actual hot food as it was a mad house! The lines were crazy and I felt pressured to keep moving!
This was by far my least favorite meal the entire trip. It just wasn’t good at all. The first plate was my friend’s.
My plate:
The chips and salsa were the best part…
Here you can see some of the seating areas:
Drink stations:
All aboard time was 3:30 p.m. with the last tender going back at 3:15 p.m. We headed back around 2:00 p.m.
My favorite photo taken while walking back to the tender!
There are some little shops right at the tender area.
Once back onboard, I went up to the buffet to grab a snack since I didn’t really eat much for lunch on the island.
(Random I know. Ha!)
Don’t even ask what cake this is, I have no clue. But it was so moist and delicious!
We just chilled for awhile, napped and then showered for dinner. This was our towel animal for the day:
Tonight’s menu:
For my appetizer I had Wild Rice, Gruyere and Country Chicken Soup.
This was AMAZING!
Chrissy had the Baked Onion Soup.
Insalata Caprese:
For my main, I had the Lasagne Alla Bolognese. 
This was good! Very rich.
Involtini Di Melanzane (eggplant rolled up and baked with ricotta and spinach, marinara sauce):
Torta Sbriciolata Alle Mele E Mandorle (apple crumble pie, orange peel confit, brown butter, almonds):
This was very good!
Tonight’s theme was Halloween. Some people wore costumes, some did not. After dinner, we checked out the Piazza San Marco. There was live music going on. They were really good!
At 9:30 p.m., we went to the Teatro Rosso to watch Guess that Groove. This was fun! After that it was time for Patch’s Halloween Deck Party at 10:30 p.m.
The Halloween party was fun! There was a costume contest for different age groups from baby all the way up to adults. They taught the Thriller dance, and the DJ played some tunes.
All in all it was a fun day!
SUGGESTIONS FOR HALF MOON CAY:
Get the earliest tender transfer time that you can.
Once on the island, keep walking until at least the big pirate ship for chairs.Â
Do not get a chair in the front row. The tide came in and was wiping those people out and they had nowhere to go! They couldn’t pull their chairs back because there was a row directly behind them.
Don’t count on the food being very good. Eat a good breakfast onboard before getting on the tender.
Posted at 11:05 am by taryngirl, on November 29, 2023
10/18/23
Nassau
We had no real plan today, except to get off of the ship and check out the new port area. We grabbed breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the buffet, and were off the ship by 9:50 a.m.
There were four ships in port total…that’s a lot of passengers in one port! We were parked next to the Disney Wish and the Carnival Elation. The was also a Royal Caribbean ship in port.Â
Nassau is one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, attracting more than 3.7 million passengers each year. Nassau Cruise Port has recently undergone over $300 million in upgrades and renovations. This includes repair and expansion of Prince George Wharf and the addition of a sixth berth that gives the port the capacity to accommodate three Oasis Class vessels simultaneously. There is also a new terminal building, a Junkanoo museum, an amphitheatre, taxi dispatch center, new food and beverage options, and unique local stores. The straw market as you once knew it is no longer!
THE NEW PORT IS AMAZING! Everything is spacious, clean, and welcoming without the craziness. There is a separate taxi and tour area, so you don’t feel like you are being hounded by multiple people. It’s organized. The straw market is now individual tiny houses in an open area. There is a huge hair braiding section right in the middle. There are also bathrooms. Besides the smaller straw market stores, there are bigger, more upscale stores as well.Â
After walking through the port area, we decided to venture out of the gates to a store on the corner. It was complete chaos with taxi drivers and tour operators trying to gain our business. They actually had two cops??? out directing traffic so we could cross the street.Â
This is on the way out of the gates of the port area:
We just went into one store across the street and then headed back to the ship. On the way back, Chrissy decided to get her hair braided.
There were so many hair braiding stations!
We were back on the ship before 11:00 a.m. This was our towel animal today!
After going back to the room and changing, I went up to deck 10 to find a chair by the pool. I wanted to get some sun, relax, and then enjoy sail away. I ate lunch at the buffet with these beautiful sights!
I literally sat right here on this chair and ate my lunch…
These were the two different menus offered at the buffet during lunch:
Here are some videos of one of the buffet lines:
And then here is a video of the other buffet line offerings:
These were the many fabulous desserts they had today at lunch:
It was hard to pick just one! This is for sure one area where Carnival excels!
We started sailing away close to 4:30 p.m. We were the first of the four ships to leave.
Here you can see Atlantis in the distance.
I went back to the room to nap and shower before dinner.
Tonight’s menu:
I had the Buffalo Cauliflower (creamy truffle sauce). It was DELICIOUS!
Polpette (meatballs, ricotta, tomato basil):
This meatball was AMAZING and I wish I had more!
I opted again for the Broiled Striploin Steak.
But I was realllllly hungry for a baked potato as well, and asked for one of those too!
For dessert I had the reliable old Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake.
After dinner, we went to the show in the theater. It was called Broadway. It was a very good, entertaining show!
After the broadway show, we went up to the Lido deck for the 80s Rock N Glow Party. It was SO MUCH FUN! The crowd on this ship was the best!
Overall, today was amazing! The port area was neat, the time on the ship was relaxing, and the show and party were SO GOOD!
Posted at 3:29 pm by taryngirl, on November 14, 2023
10/17/23
Day 4
Miami
Fun Times for Today:
Today was our Miami day! We woke up on the early side so we could grab breakfast before getting off of the ship. We really wanted to try the burrito place on the Lido Deck!
I didn’t get a photo of the menu, but you could pick from different meats, potatoes, eggs, etc.
Mine had ham, eggs, cheese, and hash browns.
It was good but not outstanding. I like that this option was available in addition to the crazy busy buffet.
Our approximate ashore time was 8:15 a.m. We had scheduled the Hop On/Hop Off Big Bus excursion through Carnival, and that meet time was 9:00 a.m. just outside the terminal. I had looked into booking this excursion through Viator, but the convenience of having the bus picking us up directly at the terminal and dropping us there after was a much better value! I didn’t want to have to mess with Ubers. This is how close the buses were to the terminal.
We debarked and headed to the bus right after breakfast. (Our bus was full before 9:00 a.m. so we left right when it was full!). There were buses lined up, so there must have been many people who booked this tour. They took our tickets and we boarded. Inside the bus there were headphones we could take. You can plug them into your seat and hear some commentary while driving the route.
We got seats on the first bus, up top. It was a gorgeous day. Chilly for Floridians, but perfect for me! 60 some degrees. It was perfect until we started driving. Then it was FREEZING and windy! I brought my light jacket and was able to put that on but I was still chilly.
Before we pulled away, the tour operator came up top and gave us instructions. He explained the route, the app, the times to be back at the bus stop to return to the ship, etc. We decided there were three stops where we wanted to get off.
This is what the app looks like. You can see live where buses are and where the stops are. It also gives you a wait time.
Our first stop was going to be South Beach, and that was for sure one stop that we wanted to explore. The sights along the way were very cool!
The architecture was amazing!
Where Miami Heat plays:
SO MANY YACHTS!
IT WAS WINDY!
We drove past our ship!
This is Star Island. Star Island is a neighborhood in Miami, located on Biscayne Bay. It has been touted as the most expensive neighborhood in the US. Many of the homes on this island are/were owned by high profile celebrities including Sean Combs, Gloria Estefan, Shaq, and Rosie O’Donnell.
This is the entrance.
I couldn’t help but notice this unique house. I had to google when I got home to see what it was all about! It actually is a green-energy, luxury houseboat!
We made it to the first stop at 9:20ish. You did not have to get off if you didn’t want to. Most people did not. I’m assuming because they had no idea what was going on, and were confused by what the guide instructed us earlier. He made it sound like we should stay on for the entire loop and then go back around and get off. We didn’t have time for that!
Art Deco district in Miami Beach:
There was absolutely no one on Ocean Drive, unless they were sitting and eating breakfast. No cars! And no mobs of people either on the beach or walking.
There were so many cute, boutique hotels on Ocean Drive!
I would really love to see this at night sometime!
Between Ocean Drive and the actual beach, there were a bunch of volleyball courts, an actual fitness area with machines and weights, and a large walking path.
I really wanted to just set foot on the actual beach. It was empty! It was only about 9:45 a.m. at this point, and still slightly chilly according to Florida standards. We didn’t walk to the water.
We went back out to Ocean Drive, because the only other thing I wanted to see here was the Gianni Versace house, which is now a hotel. It actually seemed like they were renovating it. There were workers all over the place! I am a true crime addict, and had seen the documentary about his murder. It happened right on the steps at his front door. Such a senseless tragedy.
We walked back to the bus stop to reboard the hop on/hop off bus, and get to our next stop. Some more views along the way:
The architecture is just AMAZING!
We drove through the Fashion District.
Our next stop was Wynwood! The art throughout this city is just unbelievable. Wynwood is known for its murals and art, restaurants, nightclubs, breweries and more! We spent some time walking up and down the streets here.
This is just SOME of what we saw!
Each mural was totally different. Most of them had information about the artist somewhere on the wall.
We went back to the bus stop, and waited about 15 minutes for the bus to come. It was getting noticeably more crowded at this point. There was a line for the bus and the bus had many people on it already when it pulled up.
Our next stop was Little Havana. I had stopped here before and loved this little section of the town. The bus stop here was right in front of a bakery. I hopped in immediately to check it out. LOVEEEEEE! I knew this is where I wanted to eat!
This reminded me so much of France in Epcot!
I did a quick browse, and we headed on down the street to check out everything else.
There were several tour groups from other cruise ships with an actual tour guide. The area around the bus was consistently crowded with those arriving and those trying to get back on. There were several shops and restaurants on this little strip.
I love this little park where they still come to play dominos!
This sign is not wrong…
My friend Chrissy reallllly wanted a Cuban and a mojito! So this was her lunch:
I walked back to the bakery, and this was my AMAZING lunch:
Crossaint with ham and cheese, and whatever that fabulous dessert was! I actually couldn’t decided on a dessert. There were too many that looked good!
Chrissy also got this dessert:
It was all so delicious!
After eating, we got in line to get on the next bus. We were done with our stops and heading back to the ship. To do so though, we had to take a bus to Bayside Marketplace and then get on another bus there to bring us back to the ship.
Bayside Marketplace has several restaurants and many shops! It’s not a bad place to explore if you just want to hop off the ship and have nothing planned. You would just have to take an Uber there.
We made it back to the ship around 2:30 p.m. This was waiting for us in our room!
I took a nap and showered for dinner.
Tonight’s menu:
We started with this warm and perfect bread.
Italian Wedding Soup (herbed beef and pork meatballs, vegetables, parmesan, orzo).
I LOVED THIS! It had such great flavor. I was actually so impressed with their soups this whole week!
Caesar Salad:
I was not feeling any of the menu items how they were pictured on the menu. But the Bucatini Alla Crema Di Aglio (pasta, garlic cream, zucchini, asparagus, zesty Provencal crumbs) sounded amazing. It was just missing chicken! So I asked if that could be added and our waiter said yes, no problem.
This was SO GOOD! It may have been my favorite thing from the entire week!
Posted at 2:03 pm by taryngirl, on October 30, 2023
10/16/23
Day 3
After doing our own little self-led ship tour on Deck 5, we went back to the room to rest for a little bit before it was time to go to Tea Time in the Canal Grande Restaurant. The Tea goes from 3:00-4:00 p.m. I’m not sure if it was on every sea day or not. You have to check the Fun Times to see! It is complimentary and included with your cruise.
We went right at 3:00 p.m. and there was a long line of people already. They led us all to one area in the back of the restaurant and we could sit wherever we wanted. These were the place settings:
They immediately started coming around with tea sized treats! I don’t eat any seafood, but this was the first plate to come by our table:
Macarons:
These were coffee flavored I think?? It was good, but I’m not a coffee fan.
Cucumber sandwiches:
These were my favorite! I did have to wave someone over so I could get one more.
Scones:
Cream for the scones!
These were delicious and the cream was heavenly!
This was some kind of vanilla cake with lemon frosting.
It was actually delicious and my second favorite thing that I had. It was super moist and I loved the filling.
At this point, we were still waiting for our tea! We flagged someone down, and after 15 minutes we were served.
This was some kind of peach crisp:
I didn’t taste it, but Chrissy didn’t love it. It was very dry.
They also served fresh strawberries.
There really was no rhyme or reason to the order that they brought things out. Each waiter was just given a plate to walk around to the tables. A few waiters were in charge of the tea to distribute. In my opinion, they should have done this first to make sure everyone got some! We waited forever and actually had to flag someone down to get the tea. It was a little disorganized, but the crew was very polite and accommodating. There was more served than what is pictured here, but not everything made it over to our table. I think if they would have had certain waiters assigned to certain areas, it would have been better, and everyone would have been taken care of. It was a nice treat for the day though and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
We were still hungry though so we went to get some pizza on Deck 10! These are the choices, and you can get as many slices as you would like. This is complimentary and included in your cruise.
My favorite ended up being the Quattro Formaggi. It was delicious! This pizza location is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m., so if you need a super late night snack, this is the place to go!
After our snack, we went back to the room to nap and shower before dinner. It was about the time I was getting into the shower, when I was feeling SO FULL. We had eaten so much between tea and the pizza. I was dreading having to go to dinner!
Tonight’s main dining room dinner menu:
Lentil, Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup:
Chrissy ordered that. I didn’t order any appetizer tonight. I still was not super hungry at all.
Casarecce (short twisted pasta tossed in beef Bolognese, white wine, olive oil and parmesan bread crumbs)
Roasted Leg of Lamb (Dijon potatoes, skillet brussel sprouts, au jus)
Our table partner, Dana, ordered this. She liked it! We ended up loving our tablemate who was randomly assigned with us! We hung out after dinner sometimes and had a blast.
Grilled Chicken Breast (garlic & herbs, sauteed vegetables, buttered potatoes)
This was mine and I loved it! It might not look like much, but the flavor was wonderful and it was the perfect serving size.
Zuppa Inglese (cocoa trifle, orange custard). Funny story about this! None of us thought this sounded particularly good at all. The orange custard sounded gross, etc. etc. We told our waiter this and he said he would bring one to us anyway.
We ended up liking it!
Cheesecake (strawberry sauce)
Chrissy ordered this and liked it.
Fresh Tropical Fruit
I ordered the good old fruit! Fresh and good as always.
On this particular night, the Phillies were playing. Chrissy lives in Philly and wanted to catch some of the game. So she headed to the Heroes bar where it was playing. There were a lot of Philly fans on board! This is the hallway just outside of the bar.
The one activity we were looking forward to was Silent Nights, a silent disco! We have so much fun with these!
At a silent disco, everyone is given a pair of headphones. There are 3 music channels you can switch between. So what you are listening to, your friends may not be hearing. Everyone just sings and dances to their own song!
The party went from 9:30 p.m. until midnight! In the past, other silent discos I have gone to have been about an hour. This was nonstop for 2 and a half hours and it was a blast!
Carnival also offers Late Night Snacks on the buffet every night. I haven’t really seen this on any other ship either! Here’s the menu:
After our snack, we went to the Casino for a little it.
Posted at 10:35 am by taryngirl, on October 27, 2023
10/16/23
Day 3
Fun Times for the day:
We had a super late start this day! We decided to go to Sea Day Brunch again since it was an in between time. As a reminder, this was in the Canal Grande Restaurant. I also realllly wanted to try Tea Time at 3:00 p.m.
This time we tried the Skillet-Cake (whipped ricotta, guava preserve, marshmallow, maple butter). This was like a giant, thick pancake! It was good, but I really only ate a few bites because I was so full after eating my omelet.
My veggie omelet, with bacon and brunch potatoes. So good!
When we came out of brunch, we decided to check out Deck 5. I had heard great things about this deck and we hadn’t really had a chance to see it yet.
The first thing we saw was this beautiful bar! This is where they had karaoke every night. It’s also located near the Terraza Suites.
From there we just strolled down Deck 5 on the inside.
On the left here is Pixels Gallery, where you could access all of the photos you had taken around the ship.
This is the Gondola Lounge. Lotsssss of activities happened here throughout the week. Live music, games, trivia, etc.
From there, we went outside because I had heard about some great seating areas on the deck.
There’s also a quick service grill outside on this deck. Sadly I didn’t even get a chance to try it! It’s open on sea days.
We ended up stopping here and I did some work.
Back inside to another bar, Frizzante!
There are also some more upscale shops inside on Deck 5.
Another bar! Amari!
You can also peek down into the Casino from here.
There are a few premium, upcharge restaurants onboard. They are all located right here on Deck 5.
The Piano Bar is also on this deck.
This shopping area reminded me of a shopping mall!
In summary from this part of my day…there is no shortage of seating areas, bars, shopping, or places to eat! This ship is amazing, with so much to do, and the crew is one of the friendliest I have encountered.
I had to break this up into two parts because I have so many pictures and videos!
Posted at 7:32 pm by taryngirl, on October 25, 2023
10/15/23
Day 2
Fun Times for the day:
Today was a day at sea. We slept in and decided to try the Sea Day Brunch in the Canal Grande Restaurant. You can use the app to make a reservation, and then it will alert you when your table is ready. It does tell you how about how long until your table will be ready (10-20 minutes, 20-30 minutes, etc.) and then once it alerts you, you have 10 minutes to get to the restaurant. We made the reservation and then headed that direction. On the way, I took some pics of some shops.
In the Fun Times and on the app, you will see daily specials noted…2 for $30, up to 75% off, watch specials, etc. etc. There are two little stands on Deck 4 forward, one on each side of the ship, where they offer these deals. Each day is something different.
Also on Deck 4 forward, The Carnival Store with branded merchandise:
Deck 4 forward, Cherry on Top (a candy store):
From there we went through the Casino. You cannot walk from 3 forward, to 3 aft. It does not connect. So we went up one level to Deck 4 forward above our stateroom, and walked the length of Deck 4 to the aft. In order to do this, you have to go through the Casino.
The Casino was ALWAYS a happening place when it was open. It was almost impossible to get a machine sometimes! I also want to note that this is a smoking casino. And there was tons of smoke all the time. There is a small nonsmoking casino adjacent to this one if you are sensitive to smoke.
Also along the way, we passed by the Heroes Tribute Bar. This is the place where they showed the Phillies games. There was always a sporting event on the screen!
This hallway is also where the Art Gallery is located. Pieces of art line the walls in this corridor.
At 9:54 a.m., we still had a 10-20 minute wait.
Here you can see the crowd hovering, waiting for their tables.
At 10:15 a.m., our table was ready! Sea Day Brunch in included with the price of your cruise. There are a few upcharge items, including Fresh Pressed Specialty Juices, and a few Emeril’s Bistro Specialties. You can see prices next to those items in the menu.
We were seated at quite possibly the best table in the restaurant! It was right next to the window in the back of the ship. We had a GREAT view! For my beverages, I ordered the orange juice, and hot tea. You can order anything you want off of the menu, and as much as you want.
I also ordered white toast, the vegetable omelet, bacon and brunch potatoes.
This was all SO GOOD!
Chrissy got the eggs benedict, sausage, and hash browns.
She really liked the eggs benedict!
We both also ordered the banana cream pie, and this was AMAZING! It was SO GOOD! I loved the little extras they put on the plate.
This dining room also serves as one of the Main Dining Rooms. If you are assigned Your Time Dining, this is the restaurant where you will be eating. It’s gorgeous on the inside! Here are a few pics:
After brunch, we really wanted to check out some other decks. I really wanted to see the adult only area, Serenity! Serenity is located on Deck 15 aft.
There is tons of seating here, all different types…lounge chairs, couches, tables and chairs, umbrellas, etc.
It was cloudy and slightly cool with a few sprinkles. So not a great day to be sitting out! I completely forgot to come back here once the weather got better later on in the trip.
Next we went down to Deck 12. (Note…there is no Deck 13!)
On this deck you can find outdoor fitness machines, the jogging track, mini golf, The Warehouse (arcade), and the Waterworks (waterslide and water play area).
There are also several loungers on this deck. In the picture below you can see the retractable roof that is over top of the Lido Deck, Deck 10.
The Waterworks is a great area for smaller children. Children who are not potty trained may not go into the regular pools, so this is a good option for them.
The ropes course is just above us here.
Some of the outdoor fitness equipment:
After our little ship tour, I went back to change and head to the fitness center and Chrissy went to a comedy show and then the Casino. A short nap and shower, and then it was time to get ready for dinner. It was Elegant Night and also Masquerade Night!
Tonight’s menu in the main dining room:
I chose the Caesar Salad. It was your basic Caesar.
For my entree I ordered the Filleto Di Manzo (beef tenderloin, string beans, red wine sauce). This was absolutely delicious! Super tender and the taste was amazing.
It was also cooked perfectly medium for me.
For dessert, I had the Fresh Tropical Fruit. Nice and fresh!
During dinner, the wait staff sang a song for us and did some dancing. Chrissy got roped into dancing for THE ENTIRE SONG! Hahahaha! She kept trying to escape but he kept bringing her back. This waiter was not ours, but he was amazing! He was so positive and upbeat the entire time with his tables.
After dinner, we went to The Punchliner Comedy Club in the Limelight Lounge to see Will Marfori. This was R rated for 18+. He was HILARIOUS! He has Cerebral Palsy and was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
After the comedy show, we just stayed for the club.
Posted at 1:38 pm by taryngirl, on September 27, 2023
6/11/23
I was very excited for our second day in Bermuda! On this day, our plan was to get off the ship and explore the port area. Since we were docked overnight, we were free to come and go as we pleased.
This was the Cruise Compass with activities for the day:
We started with a breakfast in the Main Dining Room on the ship at around 8:30 a.m.
Granola Parfait
Seasonal Fruit Plate
Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon
Express Breakfast
French Toast
French Toast (no berries)–This was mine and delicious! I love french toast!
Buttermilk Pancakes with Banana
The Classic Benedict
Everyone enjoyed their breakfast here. It was a nice change from the busy buffet!
We finished up and were off the ship by 9:30 a.m. Here’s a map located just off the ship in the port area. We were going to walk over to the Clocktower Shopping Mall and do some shopping.
I had to explain what these were to these teens…JUST KIDDING! We couldn’t resist a photo opp though.
Here are some videos from the port area:
Look at our tiny ship!
Here’s a view from the ship into the port:
We were back on the ship by 12:30 p.m. Our plan was to lay by the pool until dinner time. We were lucky and found great seats!
I was realllllly thirsty for something fruity and came up with this concoction…1/2 strawberry, 1/2 mango daiquiri. Several people approached me and asked me what it was so they could order one too!
Little did we know that we had the best seats ever for the Men’s Bellyflop Competition!
This guy was so much fun and participated in everythingggggggg!
We headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Tonight’s menu was “A Taste of the USA.”
Buffalo Chicken Dip–creamy dip with shredded grilled chicken, cream cheese and hot pepper sauce, topped with blue cheese crumbles and crispy tortilla chips
I got to taste this and it was very good!
Baked Potato Soup–rich and creamy, served with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and fresh chives
New York Strip Steak–prepared to order with choice of herb butter or green peppercorn sauce, baked potato, sauteed vegetables
This was mine and it was yummy!
Kid’s Menu Chicken Nuggets and Fries
Royal Burger–1/4 pound patty served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried onions, cheddar cheese, secret sauce and a side of fries
Maple and Bourbon Glazed Salmon–buttermilk mashed potatoes, crispy brussel sprouts and a Dijon sauce
Funny story…someone wanted to order the Lobster Mac and Cheese, but our waiter politely said he thought she should order something else. But that he would also bring some for her to try. He wasn’t fond of the dish for some reason, so we liked that he was honest with us!
Lobster Mac and Cheese–decadent lobster and pasta in a rich cheese sauce topped with toasted buttery bread crumbs
I honestly don’t know which dessert this is! Maybe the brownie from the Kid’s Menu??
Warm Apple Crumble–hot apple compote topped with crunchy streusel, vanilla ice cream
This was mine and it was delicious!
Royal Cheesecake–velvety cheesecake garnished with a glazed strawberry
This was my daughter’s and it is her favorite cheesecake ever!
Royal Chocolate Cake–layers of dark chocolate cake and decadent chocolate mousse
Also delicious!
After dinner, we went outside for some photos. (It was Tropical Night btw.)
Sunset!
We made our way to Some Enchanted Evening Lounge for some 90s Music Trivia. It was a blast from the past, and we knew every song!
After trivia, it was off to the Centrum for If You Know It Dance It!
We were feeling like it was time for a snack, so we went up to the Park Cafe which has late night snacks from 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. These were the offerings on this particular night:
I opted for some pepperoni pizza!
It hit the spot for sure!
Overall we had a really great day shopping, eating, relaxing, and singing and dancing! Cruise perfection!
After the Sail Away Celebration, we went back to the cabin to get ready for dinner and unpack some. Our Main Dining Room dinner time was scheduled for 5:15 p.m. every evening. If you are not familiar with cruising on Royal Caribbean, there are two dining times…First Seating around 5:15 p.m., and Second Seating around 7:45 p.m. There is also My Time Dining between 6:30 -9:00 p.m. You can choose times before boarding or just show up and wait in line once at dining room. We never saw this line to be very long when we were leaving our dinner.My family seems to like the early dinner time so we can enjoy all of the evening activities. However, if the cruise is port intensive, I would probably opt for later dining so we aren’t rushing back from any excursions to make it to dinner on time.
You can find your dining table on your SeaPass card. Once arriving at the dining room, on the first night, the wait staff is on hand to help you find your table for the first time. This is your same table for every night, and you have the same wait staff. Our waiter was Richie, and assistant waiter was Delex. We loved them! They were very attentive, and made good recommendations. We were never short on bread, drinks, or cookies! One note also, soda is not free on Royal Caribbean. Except they gave it to me for free at dinner time without a soda package. I have read it both ways, so not sure on the official policy!
Royal Caribbean just recently changed all of their dinner menus. This was our first night menu:
And this was the Kids’ Menu, which was the same every single night:
Anyone (child or adult) can order from either menu. With the change to the new menus, there was a lot of buzz around the different Facebook groups about only being able to order one thing, no substitutions, etc. Prior, you could order as many apps, entrees, or desserts as you wanted. I was interested to see for myself exactly what the policy was on this particular ship.
We were on Deck 5. Deck 4 is the large main dining area. This was the view from our table:
Bread basket…THE SOFT ROLLS! The ones on the top were called “soft rolls.” Ummmmm, quite possibly my favorite roll ever. By the end of the cruise he was bringing 3 baskets of bread! You can always ask for more bread if you need it!
I ordered the Classic Caesar Salad. It was your basic caesar, and it was good.
Someone else ordered the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. This was also good!
My mom ordered the Crispy Crab Cake. She said this was really good!
My one daughter ordered from the kid’s menu…Chicken Fingers and French Fries. The fries were good, the chicken was just okay.
I ordered the New York Strip Steak with Herb Butter. I ordered this multiple times throughout the cruise. It was very good and cooked just the way I like it!
My other daughter ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese. She loved this so much, she ordered it two other nights that it was on the menu!
My cousin ordered the Southern Fried Chicken. I think the verdict was that this was just okay. Not terrible, not outstanding.
I had to have the Key Lime Pie. It was delicious! I loved it.
My youngest daughter had Chocolate Chip Cookies (every single night). And they were great. She couldn’t eat them all, so she took the extra along with her to eat during the show later.
My oldest daughter had her absolute favorite…the Royal Cheesecake! On our last Royal Caribbean cruise, she had this every night. Now it wasn’t on the menu every single night anymore. She loved this as usual.
After dinner, we lingered around the Centrum, where the Just Us Duo was performing. They were really good! And we enjoyed them poolside all throughout the week as well.
The Welcome Aboard Showtime started at 7:00 a.m. It was Royal Comedian Bruce Gold. It was a great start to the cruise!
We also took nightly photos of the sunset or out on deck after dinner.
From there we just hung around the Centrum until it was time for Welcome Aboard Karaoke! We have so much fun watching this. Some people are really good!
We were so excited to go on this vacation! We cruised on Royal Caribbean out of Baltimore a few years ago, and it was a great experience. The pricing for this specific date and itinerary was excellent and we couldn’t resist.
It was my mom, myself, and my two daughters (17 and 15), and we were booked in an inside cabin. I personally do not mind an inside cabin. We are basically only there to sleep and shower, and I’d rather have extra money to use on excursions, etc. My cousin and her daughter were also traveling with us as a high school graduation celebration.
We live about two and a half hours from Baltimore, so my husband dropped us off at the port. Our port arrival time was 11:00 a.m., so we left home around 8:30 a.m. We arrived right on time. This was the line for those with the arrival window of 11:00-11:30 a.m. There was a separate line behind where I was standing to take this photo, for those who had a later arrival time. There were many more people in that queue. I *think* they had arrived prior to their port arrival time, and were not allowed to board immediately. If there was space within the terminal, I *think* they were letting them in a few at a time.
You can see we walked right in because there was no line!
There was a very short line to get through security once inside.
This is the view once we were all checked in. You can see the check in desks to the left here.
After check in, you walk outside the main building and head towards the ship.
I would say from the time we entered the building to get in line for security, until we were on the ship, was about 20ish minutes.
Our plan is always to get the earliest boarding group we can. Why not start the vacation as soon as possible??!! Something new post-Covid (this was my first cruise since), is the whole muster drill situation. For this particular ship, on this particular date, all we had to do was go check in with a person at our assigned muster station. There is a video that you can watch ahead of time through the app. We did not have to wait for everyone else who was assigned to arrive. There was no group drill. It was awesome!
Each day we were given a Cruise Compass, which was the daily events guide. It had everything you needed to know about what was going on on the ship.
This is Day 1:
Once we finished checking into our muster station, we went directly up top Deck 9 to find a table and hit the Windjammer buffet for lunch. The pool deck (Deck 9) was empty! Another reason I like boarding early…
It was kind of cool, which was perfect for me for a sailaway day. We found a table outside right near the pool and took turns going to get food. I had no idea what the buffet would look like post-Covid!
Here are just some of the foods that were offered on the lunch buffet:
They typically had a salad bar at lunch every day.
They also always had a few ethnic dishes, which ended up being my absolute fave.
So many desserts…
This was my plate:
It was all so delicious!
The cabins were not going to be ready until about 1:30-2:00 p.m., so we still had some time to spare. There was a giveaway going on at the spa, so we decided to take a little tour and enter the giveaway. It was actually much bigger than I imagined it would be on this ship!
The fitness center was above the spa, so we checked that out too.
After the tour, we found a spot and just sat by the pool until our cabins were ready. There was a DJ playing some music. It still was pretty empty and we had no problem finding some chairs!
Once our cabins were ready, we headed there to drop off all of our carry ons before the Sail Away Celebration started at 3:15 p.m.
We found a spot up top on the 10th deck so we could look over the railing.
The water sailing out of Baltimore is definitely different than sailing from somewhere in Florida!
There was a party going on at the pool deck with live music and different line dances.
Sailing from Baltimore, you go under the Key Bridge, under the Bay Bridge, and then over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel before making it out into the Atlantic Ocean. Here is one of the bridges:
My kids thought thought it was freezing!
Next up will be our dinner and evening on the ship!