Ray's Cruise Blog

Carnival Magic Inaugural Texas Cruise

2011-11-27T18:15:00.023-06:00

Carnival Magic U.S. Inaugural
Cruise Review 11.14.2011

Just the Facts:
Cruise: Carnival Magic Inaugural Texas Cruise
Date: November 14-19, 2011
Captain: Giovanni Cutugno
Cruise Director: James Charlton
Special Guest: John Heald
Ports: Galveston, Texas - Progreso, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico

This was my 27th Carnival cruise, 68th overall, and 2nd cruise on the NEW Carnival Magic. I’m traveling with the dear wife (DW) and group of regular cruise friends on this cruise.

Day 1- Monday- 11/14/11- Embarkation- Galveston
Another easy start for this cruise as again I am already on board ship. I had breakfast in the MDR (main dining room) and hoped to sit with TA’s and get their impressions of the ship. They had questions for me as well since I was on the transatlantic. I was worried that they would not be able to debark all the travel agents that had stayed overnight, but they got them all off by 9:00 am. Now housekeeping and the staff had to prepare for another group of passengers who will be boarding. I must say that they did a wonderful job. I saw several groups of US Coast Guard finalizing inspections and got to hear announcement that were made for the crew. John Heald even thanked all the crew on behalf of the CEO for the great work they had done on inaugural Sunday. He also bragged on the successful health inspection, they received a perfect 100%. Amazing. They announced that boarding would begin at 11:00 am for our cruise. I got settled into our new cabin and by the time I went down to Guest Services to get my new card the ‘group’ and dear wife were boarding so we all made the lobby at the same time. Everyone had lunch and then we all met in the Red Frog Pub for afternoon drinks. Five (it may have been six) of the 102 oz. Tubes of Thirsty Frog soon put everyone in a very good mood. Will Marion, (photo left) one of the entertainers who plays in the Red Frog, was quickly adopted by the girls as our entertainer. He is good and plays a lot of Southern Rock and popular music. I took the DW on a tour of the new Carnival Magic, her first thought was that after the publicity it lacked the expected ‘wow’ factor. Upon returning to the cabin a gift of Chocolate Covered Strawberries and White Chocolate from the Hotel Director was left as a B2B gift. They used to do B2B gifts in the past, but not in past few years, so this was very nice. Boat drill was about 4:30 pm and went very well. Soon the Galveston Bay dolphins escorted the Magic out of the harbor and into the Gulf of Mexico. Some cabin time to rest and prepare for dinner was sorely needed by this time. We have two great 10-top tables located in the center of the Southern Lights Dining room. Thanks to Senior Maître D' Ken Byrnes who helped me arrange them for the group. For dinner I ordered the Creme of Sun Dried Tomato Soup, Green Salad, the Sweet & Sour Shrimp with Plum Sauce as an entree and Crème Brulee for dessert. After dinner some went to the Casino, some to the Welcome Show, some to the Piano Bar, and some to the cabin to rest. A great first day among cruise friends.

Day 2- Tuesday- 11/15/11- at Sea
A nice morning with clear skies. I was up very early and took care of some business with Guest Services, no lines early in the day. I went early to the dining room and I got a private table so I changed my usual first morning cruise routine and ordered eggs to order. They were perfect: three eggs over medium with sides of baked apple, toast, bacon, potatoes, and corned beef hash. I then met others in the group on Lido deck for a fun morning on the Twister and Drain Pipe slides. There were many more passengers, including children already using the Water Works than on the previous cruise. For lunch we did the Salad Bar located on Promenade deck. BTW--They have the best pico de gallo I have ever found on a cruise ship. Texans will love it. At 1:00 pm we had our Friends of Chris P meeting, (photo right) our own little private cocktail party, in the Piano Bar. We requested the best cocktail server on the ship, Marusya (I discovered her on the previous cruise) and she was great. The party was fantastic with premium cocktails and duck farts flowing. We also had a special guest, Senior Cruise Director & Blogger Mr. John Heald (photo above left) who entertained with some stories and posed for photos with the group. Following the party it was off to the Red Frog Pub to meet Facebook friends and a few more tubes of Tasty Frog beer (photo left). JH came by there as well and meeting new people was fun. The rest of the afternoon was spent on Lido deck acting goofy and listening to our new adopted entertainer: Will. One of our group won the slot tournament this afternoon, always a good thing. Something very unusual happened on the ship at the beginning of early seating dinner, our favorite Matre’D Ken was attacked by a disgruntled waiter and will be taking time off his duties for the rest of the cruise. We will hopefully have the same arrangements and catch up with Ken in March when the group again sails on the Magic. For dinner I had: the Stuffed White Mushrooms, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, and the Prime Rib with Baked Potato. The production show tonight was The Groove Line and the Punchliner Comedy club was also busy. Our group again split up between the casino, shows, and clubs. A fun first day at sea.

Day 3- Wednesday- 11/16/11- Progreso, Mexico
After we boarded the ship on Monday we received a letter from the Captain stating that because of the aft thruster problems that we could not call at our scheduled port of Costa Maya. We would be doing an overnight call at Progreso so that a tug could assist in docking and that the divers could make further repairs. Not happy about this as Progreso is in the Gulf and not near as pretty as the Caribbean port of Costa Maya. I lost our only Caribbean call on the transatlantic as well. Since we were in no hurry to go ashore I had a casual breakfast in the MDR and visited with friends on the aft Lido deck. We made plans to meet in town later in the day. DW used the aft pool and I relaxed until lunch. We ate at Cucina del Capitano and it was good as always. After lunch we took the shuttle into town an met at my favorite place in town: Le Saint Bonnet (photo left) on the Malecon. Almost everyone was there by the time we arrived, a group of about fifteen friends. This is a good place to HQ as from here you can shop or go to the beach. We had a nice afternoon drinking margaritas, eating some Mexican food, and enjoying the great breeze off of the water. Even enjoyed a nice massage ($10 for 45 minutes). We have never been able to stay late before and they brought in a female Cubano torch singer so it was a fun time. Especially for the girls who became the backup singers and dancers for the singer (yup, photo right). We returned to the ship in the evening and the ship was very pretty lit up in the night. We arrived back in time for a late snack in the Lido Buffet. They did open the casino so many went there as well as the late production show: Destination: Unknown. I had a much better seat for this show than on the previous cruise and we enjoyed it very much. Later I went to the Piano Bar to enjoy Ron Pass or more correctly watch the others enjoy Ron. A very good people watching place.

Day 4- Thursday- 11/17/11- Progreso, Mexico
Everyone in our group as well as most of the ship stayed on board although we were still docked in Progreso. I had my usual MDR breakfast then met others on Lido deck aft. This is the usual meeting place for our group as it above our cabins located one deck below on Vista deck aft. Some swimming and Bloody Mary’s seemed to be the plan for the morning. The pool was nice this morning although a little cool for me. This afternoon we had some ship time including some more time in the Water Works and the slides...great fun. We had an early sail away with the help of a tug from Progreso. Ships normally dock with the aft towards the pier in Progreso and we were the opposite so that we could be towed out easier. Obvious that the thrusters still do not work, but interesting to watch since the tug was just below our aft balconies. The rest of the day was really just one long party. We started with one our infamous aft balcony parties with lot's of snacks, beer, champagne, rum, and just about any cocktail one would want. This group travels well. The next stop was the Past Guest Party in the Show Time lounge (photo above left). The cocktail servers did a very good job in maintaining the party for us. Cruise Director James did a good job and everyone had a good time. Next stop was the Red Frog Pub (photo right) where the guys again began drinking the tubes of Thirsty Frog, but the gals's changed to Tiramisu Martinis. Our friend John Heald even came by and ordered another tube for the gang. A fun time for both our group and new friend made in the pub (at some point we had to give away some alcohol). The MDR was out of the question this evening so we ate in the Lido Marketplace. I understand the pork chops were very good. I retired after dinner and the group went about their usual fun ship activities. Marcus Monroe was the entertainer this evening and they also had a Caribbean Beach Party.

Day 5- Friday- 11/18/11- Cozumel
A very nice day with a nice cool breeze. There were seven ships in Cozumel so there will be a lot of tourists today. Finally after 20+ days on the Magic we will be in a Caribbean port even though three ports were promised. I started the day with a dining room breakfast then met the group for an early planned start in Cozumel. We hired a van for the day ($25 pp) and so 14 of us were off for Buccano’s Beach Club located in the hotel zone north of San Miguel. We were there just after 9:00 am and had the swimming pool (photo left), facilities, and beautiful beach (photo right), to ourselves for quite a while. It is a very beautiful place with a great view and very good food. About 12:30 as it became busier we decided to head into San Miguel and our now favorite bar: Wet Wendy’s. They were very busy, but very accommodating and got us a large table in the shade (photo bottom left). We used this as a HQ and some did some shopping while I went to Antonio’s barber shop to see Martin and get a haircut. I rejoined the group for a Mango Margarita and a Drunken Sailor cocktail. It’s always good to see Chad and Klara the owners. The service, drinks, and food were great. Note: Bucanno’s may now charge an admission, we didn’t as it was included in our $25, but one person came late and was charged $10 and I was told that is the new policy. I have been here many times and had never been charged in the past. It’s already an expensive taxi ride and so I no longer recommend the trip if there is an admission. The food is great, but it’s not inexpensive and although this is not bargain resort, I do consider it gouging. Also the food and drink bill was not split so it was very difficult for everyone to pay their share. At Wet Wendy’s everyone received a bill with their name on it and it was easily paid. Now that Paradise Beach has a swimming pool that may be our choice in March or one of the all inclusive spots. Sail away from Cozumel was interesting with so many ships leaving especially since the Carnival Conquest, my former 'home' ship was also in port. I guess that will be a regular Friday thing with the Conquest now sailing out of NOLA and the Magic out of Galveston. They did use a tug to get us off the pier. After sail away we went to see comedian John Wesley Austin in the Punchliner Comedy Club. He has a Texas/Country style of comedy and should be popular on this cruise. Dinner was very good, I ordered the Broccoli Soup, Escargot, Penne Pasta, Chateaubriand, Butter Pecan Ice Creme, and Fruit Plate. After dinner the group again did their thing: casino, shows, and clubs. The production show this evening was Win!. A fun day, but a beautiful day in Cozumel with friends makes it very special!!

Day 6- Saturday- 11/19/11- at Sea
Today is a beautiful day at sea, the best of the past 20+ days. I had a very nice dining room breakfast and was joined by several friends, a nice surprise. After breakfast most in the group were on aft Lido deck for some Swimming, Bellini’s, and Bloody Mary’s. I even hit the hot tub early before the crowds arrived, then swam in the pool and enjoyed the Bloody Marys. This was a fun morning. Most met for lunch in Cucina del Capitano, best lunch on the Magic in my opinion. The afternoon was full of activities: Water Park, Groove for St. Jude’s Walk, music in various venues, sales in the shops, the Sports deck, and more. All passengers and the group were busy on this beautiful day. At 5:00 pm they held the Farewell party in the Spotlight Lounge. They offer complementary drinks, but don't really publicize the party although it was overly full this cruise. Word of mouth & groups filled it. Marusya really took care of us at this party and the bonus was that Will was the entertainer! He also posed for a photo with some of the group (photo left). Not sure what he thinks of us. Tonight we went to the early set in the Piano Bar before dinner to enjoy Ron Pass one final time. The girls all ordered special Tirimasu Martinis from Anton the Bartender (photo lower right). Having been to the Piano Bar many times over 20+ days I can say that Anton is perfect for that venue. He is entertaining in his own right and is really a good fit with Ron Pass. Dinner was very good, I had my favorite Panko Shrimp entree, but many the group raved over the new Didja menu Macaroni with Bacon entree. Marcus Anthony was one of the entertainers this evening as well as the Carnival Legends Show, but after dinner I headed back to the cabin to pack and put out our bags. We decided not to do self assist debarkation as we have two large bags and there are now so many people doing self assist that it gets very busy and confusing, especially in the designated waiting area. By checking our bags we can just wait in the cabin or public area until we are called to debark. BTW-always check to see that your bags were picked up, mine were not initially, but a few calls finally got them taken.

Debarkation- Sunday- Galveston, Texas
We arrived in Galveston well before 6:00 am. I was up early and watched the ship be turned around by a tug and then towed to the dock. The thrusters are definitely not fixed. Soon we were tied up and they began debark for self assist guests very early. We went up to the Lido Marketplace for breakfast while we waited for our zone to be called and just as we finished breakfast they called zones 1-2-3. It was only 7:00 am and they are already calling zones. We went down to the cabin, got our bag and headed for the lobby. We left the ship, found our checked bags, and proceeded to US Customs. All went well and soon we were walking over to EZ Cruise parking and on the road. We actually crossed the bridge and were off the island before 8:00 am. Amazingly easy debarkation.

Ship
The Carnival Magic is the newest and largest in the Carnival fleet. The ship is 1002 feet in length and weighs in at 130,000 tons. My two favorites of the much publicized new improvements are the Cucina del Capitano and the Red Frog Pub. The Water Works and Piano Bar are also great.

Crew
The staff and crew for the most part are very good at their jobs and very friendly. I think many were somewhat stressed after the big Sunday extravaganza though. They have been trained very well. Again my stateroom attendant was fantastic.

Cabin
We had cabin 9473 an 8D balcony on Vista deck. I selected this cabin as it is next to the aft cabins that many in our group like to book. It’s also very easy to go up one deck to the aft Lido area and Lido Marketplace. It is a standard balcony configuration with a full couch. The safe has a button keypad and card swipe, there is a hair dryer, flat screen TV, two electrical plugs on the vanity/desk, robes, three section wardrobe, small stocked refrigerator, and vanity stool. The carpets and furniture were freshly cleaned because there were smokers in the cabin for the preceding 16 day cruise. The fact that I spoke with the steward well before moving in helped him get it cleaned. So the odd one night in a different cabin actually worked well, it gave him time to really clean it and we did not notice the smoke after the first day. On December 1st smoking will not be allowed in cabins so hopefully this won’t happen to future cruisers. One disappointment is that the balconies are smaller than on a Conquest class ship.

Food
We had second or late seating for dinner and as a group had two very nice tables in center area of the Southern Lights dining room. A fantastic location to see Ken sing and the waiters dance. Unfortunately Ken was unable to work other than the first night. We are the last ship in the Carnival fleet to go to the new ‘Didja’ menus. Overall the food was very good. The comfort food additions such as meat loaf, macaroni & cheese, and fried chicken are interesting. Read my Magic Transatlantic review for more detail on food.

Personal Comments
Although our group had a lot of FUN, I felt that this cruise was just a ‘half bubble off plumb’ all week. There were again problems with the aft thrusters, new crew members, change of ports, fight in dining room, electrical power (the AC went off every night) & I suspect there are engine problems other than the thrusters, and IMHO perhaps a tired crew. It was still a great cruise, but of course our group can make a party out of an armpit.

Cruise Highlights
The Snoozemates group who have sailed together many times was the highlight. All are experienced cruisers who know how to have fun on a cruise. Senior Cruise Director John Heald stopping by our private party was nice. Will Marion, the entertainer was great. Our Red Frog Pub parties were the talk of the ship. Cozumel was wonderful as always.

Overall another great Cruise!!

~~ Photos by Friends - click them to enlarge ~~

Carnival Magic Welcome Ceremony

2011-11-26T19:57:00.012-06:00

Carnival Magic Welcome Ceremony 11.13.2011

Just the Facts:
Date: November 13, 2011
Master of Ceremonies: John Heald
Captain: Giovanni Cutugno
Port: Galveston, Texas

This was a port day set aside by Carnival between the transatlantic cruise and the first Texas inaugural cruise. Very smart of Carnival as it serves two purposes: 1). a day for various US Coast Guard, Health dept., & US Customs inspections and 2). a day to preview the new Carnival Magic for Travel writers, Travel Agents, and even Investors. There were 21 passengers doing a B2B and they were allowed to stay on board ship for this one day between cruises. Thank you Carnival, it was the right thing to do.

Sunday- 11/13/11- Galveston
Since I am already on board this will be an easy day for me although I will have to change cabins. I was supposed to move down just a few cabins to my next cruise balcony cabin, but due to a mix up I will have a cabin forward on Lido deck. While passengers debarked in Galveston I went to the MDR for a nice leisurely Eggs Benedict breakfast. After breakfast I returned to the cabin to pack for my move. Those doing the B2B (and the contractors on board to repair the thrusters) met to go through US Customs at the conclusion of the debarkation process. For the first time in Galveston it went very well as we went down at 10:30 a.m and were back on board just about 11:00 am. Congratulations to both Carnival and the Port of Galveston on a smooth debarkation process. My new cabin was 10201 as far forward as you can get with a cabin on the ship. This is a handicap cabin with a lot of extra room in both the cabin and toilet. It has a window looking forward onto a small almost private deck and is very clean, I doubt anyone was in it for a while. I was assigned the one day inaugural sail & sign card and the great thing is that there will be no accounts set up so all drinks today will be complementary. A nice bonus. There are a lot of Carnival people boarding, but the TA’s are scheduled in the afternoon so the Lido Marketplace opened later than normal and there is a lot of last minute activity to make sure that the ship is in top shape. The staff is even wearing their formal night uniforms for the day. When the Mongolian Grill opened I was there for a very nice lunch. After lunch I participated in some of the Travel Agent activities, they basically had gift stations set up around the ship so that you would end up taking a tour of the ships key features. Also took advantage of a few cocktails. I had a Miami Vice cocktail at the Red Frog as I wanted to sample more bar snacks that they were serving just as fast as they could cook them up. It was like an all-inclusive resort feature and a different experience for sure. I admit I asked for a few diet cokes when ordering a drink so I would have some for the next cruise.

The big afternoon activity was a concert by the very well known band Maroon 5. I had floor passes, but decided to watch the concert from the balcony in front of my forward cabin. In the above photo I would be above the flag on the deck above the bridge. (click photo to enlarge it) The view was from the rear of the stage, but the music was just fine. I also didn’t have to fight the crowd and waste any complementary drinking/party time either. Thanks again Carnival.

There were a lot of activities scheduled: The Groove Line production show, Punchliner Comedy Shows, Piano Bar, and all the entertainers in various venues including the Lido deck. Just as on a cruise, the days Fun Times listed all the activities. The official welcoming and inaugural ceremonies were held in the Showtime Theater before the show. A very impressive day.

Several of the B2B passengers met for dinner in the Southern Lights dining room for a very nice dinner. I ordered: White Stuffed Mushrooms, Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Prime Rib of Roast Beef with Baked Potato, and Lemon Tart for dessert. They served red and white wine with dinner. I also had a cosmopolitan cocktail and Grand Marnier as an after dinner drink. There were a lot of parties around the ship and I did a little TA watching before retiring for the evening. I know I have another six days to party with very good friends on the inaugural cruise.

A very FUN day.....Thanks Carnival

Carnival Magic Transatlantic

2011-11-25T12:30:00.034-06:00

Carnival Magic Tranatlantic Review 10.28.2011

Just the Facts:
Cruise: Carnival Magic Transatlantic
Dates: October 28--November 13, 2011
Captain: Giovanni Cutugno
Cruise Director: James Charlton
Ports: Barcelona, Spain - Palma De Mallorca, Spain - Malaga, Spain - Las Palmas, Canary Islands - Freeport, Bahama Islands - Galveston, Texas, USA

This was my 26th Carnival cruise, 67th overall, 2nd Transatlantic, and 1st cruise on the NEW Carnival Magic. I’m traveling as a solo on this cruise.

Day 0- Thursday- 10/27/11
When traveling for a cruise holiday it is best to arrive a day before debarkation to acclimate yourself and allow for any potential travel problems; however, as a solo I decided to travel on the day of sailing. I left the ranch by 10:30 am to make a 2:00 pm flight from DFW airport. All went well and the flight arrived early at JFK in New York. The direct flight to Barcelona was scheduled for 9:00 pm but was delayed several times. It finally got away several hours late.

Day 1- Friday- 10/28/11- Embarkation- Barcelona
My overseas flight arrived in Barcelona about 1:00 pm local time, about three hours past the originally scheduled time. Spanish immigration was easy and after retrieving my bag I sought out the Carnival shuttle operators. They were very well organized and easy to find. I purchased a ship transfer ($30) and checked my bag with them that would later be delivered to my cabin. A very simple process. Soon we were on a bus and dropped direct at the Carnival pier. The VIP check in was also very well organized. The line seemed long at first glance, but went very fast as they had several check in windows available for VIP and added more as needed. I was on board about 3:00 pm and now had a chance to catch my breath and start looking at the newest ship in the Carnival fleet. Very impressive so far. (Atrium photo at right) After dropping my bag in the cabin I went to the Lido Marketplace to get a lunch before they closed for boat drill. The roast beef and salad were very good. After lunch I enjoyed some much needed cabin time to refresh from the long flight and travel. Boat drill began about 4:30 pm and seemed to go very smooth. I looked around the ship a bit and visited the excursion desk to make a query about an excursion the next morning, but it was sold out. I took a series of short naps and tried to adjust to the time change as best I could. Dinner time at 8:15 pm came fast so it was off to the Southern Lights dining room. I had a very good table location near the center of the dining room with friends and soon to be new friends. For dinner I ordered the Creme of Sun Dried Tomato Soup, the Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, the Sweet & Sour Shrimp entree and the Crème Brulee for dessert. After dinner several of us went to the Showtime Comedy Club located in the Spotlight Lounge. I recently saw comedian Chase Elstner on the Carnival Glory and really enjoyed his show so I wanted to catch his act. He was hilarious. All the venues on the ship that featured live music seemed to be well attended. I retired to the cabin late and found a nice surprise: a ticket to the excursion I wanted for the following day.

Day 2- Saturday- 10/29/11- Palma De Mallorca
A nice morning with cloudy skies and occasional light showers. I went early to the dining room for my traditional 1st morning breakfast of Eggs Benedict, bacon, hash browns, grapefruit, milk, and tomato juice. It was very good and a good sign for the rest of the cruise. I had to meet the tour group in the Showtime Theater at 9:00 am and soon we were off for our excursion. The excursion was the Soller and Train Ride ($80), one of the more popular choices. We took a bus into Palma with a short stop then proceeded to the village of Soller. The weather was clearing and we had time to sightsee and visit the local Pablo Picasso museum. We then boarded the Soller Train, an old vintage electric train, for the trip back to Palma. It was a very picturesque excursion with the old village and mountains. We had the option of being dropped off at Palma or back to the pier. I chose to return to the ship. Upon returning I went to the Cucina del Capitano pasta bar where you can select your choices of pastas, sauces, and toppings. I had bow-tie pasta with meat sauce and topped with cherry tomatoes and grilled chicken. It was excellent and I will be returning. I tried the Key Lime pie from the Lido Marketplace for dessert and it was also excellent with a light sprinkle of pistachio on top. Now time for a nap as I’m still not quite acclimated to the time changes. After napping and some ship exploration I went to the Southern Lights for dinner. My choices were Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Langoustino Cocktail, a Mixed Green Salad, the Grilled NY Strip Steak, and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding for dessert. It was all very good with the steak cooked to order and the dessert a very nice surprise. Following dinner was the Welcome Show. Usually when these are held so late they are not well attended, but it was standing room only for this show. I guess with it on the 2nd night people were more rested and looking for entertainment. James the Cruise Director did a good job with a skit, the Captain introduced the officers, and the comedians did a short bit. No production singers or dancers, but the live band was very good. Following the Welcome show some friend and new friends went to the Piano Bar to enjoy Ron Pass. With the new non smoking policy I can now really enjoy the piano bar much more than in the past. We stayed for quite a while and Ron was brilliant. After closing the bar I returned to the cabin for a restful sleep.

Day 3- Sunday- 10/30/11- at Sea
The seas are very calm, but it was overcast and rainy in the morning. I slept late and had to hurry to make the 10:00 close of breakfast in the dining room. I had a nice standard breakfast to begin our first sea day. I took my computer up to the Red Frog to begin making notes and ‘people watch’ along the promenade deck. A new feature I took advantage of since I was sitting next to it was the Salad Bar set up where the Sushi station is located on deck 5. That’s a very good use of space to use it for a salad bar at lunch and sushi in the evenings. My salad was very good, you have a choice of several types of lettuce and several choices of add-on vegetables for your salad. Toppings include various dressings, nuts, or cheeses. Very nice. For dessert I went to the Lido Marketplace and had Banana Creme Pie & Tiramisu Cheese Cake. I have been very impressed with the desserts in the Marketplace, better than the dining room so far. I took a very short nap then went to the Magical Pond Hoppers meet. I wasn’t active on the CC boards, but really enjoyed the thread set up on Facebook. The meeting was fun and the Cruise Director and Captain came by for a while as well. After the meeting it was time for Afternoon Tea in the upper Southern Lights dining room. They served the usual cucumber sandwiches, petit fours and tarts. I didn’t see or wasn't served a scone, but they did serve whole large slices of chocolate cake. For a change of pace I listened to a bit of afternoon karaoke, it was the usual pretty bad folks other than one guy singing “Mac the Knife” who was excellent, I bet he will be in the Carnival Legends show at the end of the cruise. Some friends needed something from the spa and we ended up getting a nice tour of the complete Spa facilities. The Thalassotherapy pool (photo left) looks very interesting, but what impressed me is the vast improvement of the steam rooms. With such a busy day I didn’t get a nap and it was soon time for dinner. For dinner this evening I had: Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Thai Shrimp Soup (very spicy, but very good), Prime Rib with Baked Potato, and the Variations of Strawberries and Tropical Fruit Lasagne for dessert. A very good dinner. After dinner it was two sets of comedy in the Punchliner Comedy Club. Both Carl Faulkenberry and Chas Elstner were very great.

Day 4- Monday- 10/31/11- Malaga, Spain
Another great nights sleep and calm seas and nice warm weather. I was around early and in the dining room for a nice Eggs Benedict breakfast. The meet time for my excursion was 8:30 am and soon I was off on the Nerja Caves excursion ($60). We passed through Malaga on the way to Nerja located about 30 miles east. Our first stop was the Balcony of Europe a tourist site for well over 200 years. It’s actually just a small cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with great views. It is now somewhat touristy, but an interesting village here as a part of Nerja. The ice creme here was very good. After recovering a lost passenger we made the short drive to the Nerja Caves. These are very interesting and one of the largest cave systems in Europe with the largest ceiling to floor stalagmite/stalactite column in the world. There were a lot of steps, but it was an enjoyable excursion. I did sample the local Andalusian Beer and it was very good. We returned to Malaga and were able to see much more of the city on the way to the pier. When we arrived back at the ship we could see the ridiculously long lines of passengers trying to check back into the ship, fortunately they knew it as well and by the time we had made our way through the terminal and local security (including x-ray of bags) the lines were gone. In that time the ships staff had stopped the redundancy of a second check in and only required the sail & sign card to be used. It would have been an hour+ wait if they had not done this. They need four entry points not the two they have used so far if they plan on checking every ones bags. For a late lunch I had turkey from the carving station in the Lido Marketplace. Next to it was a bowl of small cranberry sauce and a small bowl of something white. Not having seen this before I ask what was in the bowl. I was told it was “turkey sauce.” Interesting...I had to try this new ‘turkey sauce’ and soon discovered that it was cold white gravy (there were no potatoes-so very odd) BTW- The Turkey was excellent. They had red velvet cupcakes and they were good, but just a bit dry-none of the excellent pies today. I did a little ship exploring this afternoon and visited with friends before an afternoon nap. I love the habit of a nap and the interior cabin is perfect for it. I have made a new friend with Ana the guest services manager. She is working on getting my shareholders OBC (on board credit) that wasn’t on my account. I did have the correspondence on my computer so I’m sure she will get it arranged for me. TIP: always bring your OBC proof with you-just in case. I went up to Promenade early this evening in order to see all the Halloween costumes. The guests and crew really looked great. They did the thriller dance and paraded along the promenade. Dinner was very good, I ordered the Chilled Langoustino Cocktail, Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Grilled NY Sirloin Steak, and a special Halloween dessert selection. After dinner I went to the Showtime Theater to see the judging of the Halloween costumes. It was very entertaining and CD James did a good job. The photos are of the Hooters Lady who won the contest and our bar server at dinner (enlarge photos at your own risk). After the Halloween Contest it was 'close down the Piano Bar' again. Ron Pass was again VERY entertaining on the Halloween night. One can see why he has so many fans. It was a late night, but we gained another hour in time tonight so it’s ‘all good’!

Day 5- Tuesday- 11/1/11- at Sea
I slept in this morning and went to the omelet station for a very nice omelet. Friends where also there so we had a nice visit and I noticed that they continued serving breakfast until noon. I could have just stayed for the Mongolian grill as it was then set up, but thought I should save that for another day. I walked about the ship and found the Serenity deck area. It is much improved on the Magic. A large area with a bar, snacks, two hot tubs, and lots of cushioned lounges. I decided to try the two large slides today the Drain Pipe and the Twister. They have two, but only one was open as they are not getting that much use with the ‘older’ crowd aboard. I did the Drain Pipe and it was fantastic. You slide down a traditional tube but end up in a large embanked circular area and spin in circles until you slow down enough to stand up. Very cool. I will do that one again as well as the Twister when it opens. After sliding I met friends for lunch in the Cucina del Capitano pasta bar. I had both a pasta bowl and the lasagna. The pasta bowl was very good and the lasagna was fantastic. In the Lido Marketplace I had Key Lime cheesecake for dessert. After lunch I had my first Thirsty Frog Red ale in the Red Frog pub. Fun afternoon for sure. Now it was time for my new tradition: nap time. Dinner was again very good. I ordered: Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Potage American (tomato based lobster soup), the Grilled Filet Mignon over Yukon Gold Mash, and Passion Fruit Creme Brule for dessert. After dinner the primary show was Preston Coe who sang a variety of songs including both Spanish & Italian Opera, Elvis, a few show tunes, and my favorite: a Roy Orbison medley. I retired after the late show as it’s an early day tomorrow.

Day 6- Wednesday- 11/2/11- Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
I was up early for a Marketplace buffet and omelet from the omelet station as our dining group was going to tour together today. We rented a very nice van for seven of us and headed south to Maspalomas and the Las Dunas (photo left). These are massive sand dunes located on the far southern tip of the island. We stopped at the beautiful RIU Masapaloma Resort and enjoyed the view of the dunes and also enjoyed some cocktails and free Wi-Fi. We then proceeded north across the center of the island through Fataga, San Bartolome, and Tejeda and enjoyed the spectacular views of the mountains and valleys. One village, Arteara, was covered in huge palms and looked like an oasis in a desert scene. The camels here also added to the illusion. A very scenic drive all around and a bargain as it turned out. We returned to the ship about 3:30 and I was able to score four 2-liter bottles of diet coke for the Atlantic crossing at a grocery while we were out and about. I had a snack and enjoyed the sail away from Las Palmas. It is a very lovely city and Gran Canaria is a lovely island. Before dinner I went to the Red Frog Pub and tried a Ting Mojita. That is the Jamaican version of the mojito and made with grapefruit juice. Dinner was again very good, I ordered a double serving of Steamed Alaskan Snow Crab Legs, the Roasted Strip-loin of aged American Beef, and Marinated Strawberries with warm Marsala Sabayon for dessert. A very interesting dinner with a few items not usually found on a Carnival menu. After dinner I retired early after a long excursion day.

Day 7-Thursday- 11/3/11- at Sea
The sea was really rocking & rolling as we have now started our trip across the Atlantic. I enjoy it some what, but the noises in the cabin woke me very early. I had an early Eggs Benedict breakfast in the dining room and then went to the Prime Steakhouse to meet my excursion for the day. I took the Behind the FUN tour ($95) of the ship this morning. It lasted from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and was a lot of fun. (Photo of my group at right) We toured the Steakhouse, Main Galley (including cleaning area, cold galley, hot galley, food storage, beverage storage & freezer), Laundry (the bed sheet folding machine was impressive), Engineering Control Room, Theater Dressing Rooms, Crew Mess, Crew Lounge, Crew Training Center, Ships Bell, and the Bridge where the Captain spoke to us. We finished in the cocktail lounge on deck four where we had some champagne and received some gifts: nylon backpack, Behind the Fun baseball hat, and a lanyard. Overall a nice experience. I had lunch in the dining room for the first time and it was very good, I had a Salad and the Mixed Grill (small Lamb Chop, Sausage, Bacon, Pork Chop, & Chicken). Following lunch it was soon Tea Time for some sweets, the scones were especially very good. Late afternoon nap and some movie time in the cabin. This was the first elegant night and the Captain and senior officers were available for photographs. Room service delivered a couple of small trays of goodies during the day today, but still room for a nice dinner. I ordered Baked Stuffed White Mushrooms, West Indian Pumpkin Soup, and the Duet of Broiled Lobster Tail and Grilled Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp. For dessert I had the Cherries Jubilee. The first production show was to be tonight, but it was cancelled due to rough seas so Karen Granger was the show tonight. She is a female impressionist who sings hits of various artists. I have seen here before and she has a really entertaining show. I retired after the late show.

Day 8- Friday- 11/4/11- at Sea
We have gained another hour this morning and the Atlantic is calmer today than yesterday. A good sign. I had breakfast in the dining room, a 3-egg country breakfast (to order). Later I attended a presentation by Radu, the senior Carnival Cruise line photographer, then a cabin crawl to see one of the new ‘cove’ balcony cabins. The cove’s are located on deck two so very close to the water for a balcony. They are very interesting and exciting due to the high seas. They are cover by the wider deck five above and the life boats directly overhead. A nice option. The weather cleared even more so passengers are back out on deck. This was a good time to try out the slides again. Both were open and they are great FUN even for this old dude. I had a nice late lunch in the dining room, the menus change everyday so there is some nice variety. I enjoyed some cabin time in the afternoon and tried to take a snooze. I did get a Strawberry Cheese Cake for the Lido Marketplace as an afternoon snack. I met friends in the Red Frog Pub this evening and I tried the Red Frog Hurricane served in a ‘fish bowl’, a large and tasty cocktail of rum and tropical fruit. Dinner was very good, I ordered French Onion Soup, Black tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Chopped handpicked Field Greens, and the Jerk Pork Loin as an entree. For desert I had the Warm Figs, Date & Cinnamon Cake. After dinner was the first production show: The Groove Line. (photo left) It was 1970’s music and dance. The costumes and set were great, but to be honest it was too much disco for me. After the show it was off to the Punchliner Comedy Club to catch the last set there. Jerry Goodspeed, a ventriloquist, was funny, but no Marc Rubben. Late night tonight so glad we are getting another hour of time tonight.

Day 9- Saturday- 11/5/11- at Sea
Weather improving and was very nice in the morning. We are now only four hours off of Texas time. I had another very nice breakfast in the dining room then went to the shops to look at merchandise. The T-shirt sale was yesterday (2 for $20) and I should have got some as they had my size. They had polo style today so I’ll wait until they have T’s again. I did get the last bottle of Captain Morgan Rum, that should be delivered on the last night. I met some clients for lunch today and we ate in the Red Frog for lunch. I had the sliders with onion rings (everything on Pub menu is $3.33) and a Red Frog. After lunch I had some casino time while waiting for my slot tournament to begin. No luck here today. I noticed that about half or more of the casino is non smoking and those areas seemed much busier than the smoking areas. I checked out the BBQ that they serve on the Lanai on sea days, it looked good, but I had a salad from the salad area (Sushi Bar) on deck five. There are lot’s of choices for lunch, but they need it to feed all the passengers on this BIG ship. BTW--we are sailing with about 3700 pax. It clouded up today before I could hit the big slide again, but it is still on my to do list for another round. I attended Tea Time again today, but the scones seemed off so no sweets until 5:45. Since my cabin is just below the Lido Marketplace I can pop up when the dinner service starts at 5:45 and sample the desserts for that evening. Sometimes they have good items that are not even on the dining room menu. Dinner was more of a repeat: I ordered: Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Cannelloni Piemontese, Roast Prime Rib of American Beef au jus, and Blood Orange Croissant Pudding. After dinner the feature show was Neal Austin with a comedy magic act, he was very entertaining.

Day 10- Sunday- 11/6/11- at Sea
An overcast morning that soon turned into a nice rain. I had another nice breakfast in the dining room and trying to change up my selections. My eggs were overcooked for the first time, but after taking the behind the Fun tour, I would actually be surprised if any egg order is correct. The hot milk continues to be very good, I’m glad I discovered that early in the cruise. Decks are busy due to the rain so movie time in the cabin this morning. We really have not had any live television for several days and the internet is very slow due to location and bad weather. I should have brought some DVD’s to watch on the lap top computer. For lunch I had a Reuben Sandwich from the deli and dessert from the Lido Marketplace. The Reuben’s are very good and used to be one of my favorite items on Carnival ships, but there are so many new lunch options on the Magic that you can’t have them all unless on a longer cruise such as this one. I walked the Promenade deck and visited with some friends this afternoon. I did my new 5:45 ‘deal’ and popped up one deck to the Lido dessert station and got a Tiramisu. It’s better than going to Tea time for a late afternoon sweet. Several met in the Red Frog before dinner and I had another Red Frog Hurricane in the fish bowl glass. Really a value considering the number of shots in the drink (9+). Dinner was interesting, I ordered: Tom Ka Gai, Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Assorted Seafood Newburg Style, and Bitter & Blanc. After dinner was the Crew Talent Show in the Showtime Theater. Of course our Matre D’ Ken Byrnes (photo left) was the best & final talent. We have been enjoying his singing most every night in the dining room. We again turn back the clocks tonight before retiring.

Day 11- Monday- 11/7/11- at Sea
A good nights sleep overnight, the weather is overcast but warmer, high will be about 80°. I had breakfast from the omelette station on Lido deck. Very easy. We received a letter on the first or second day of the cruise from the Captain stating that we would not be calling at Grand Turk as scheduled but staying overnight in Freeport, Bahamas in order to repair a damaged aft thruster. Not a good trade. I went to the port talk for Freeport this morning and I think the reality of the poor situation with the change of ports began to become a reality with the passengers. There had already been requests by many who requested complementary shuttles since the ship will be docked in a remote location. As of the meeting one would have to take an excursion or taxi to get anywhere. If we had docked at Grand Turk everything would have been within walking distance of the ship. This change of ports was not due to weather but a choice made by Carnival to do repairs on a thruster that was damaged before this cruise so really more should be done IMHO. For lunch I finally made it to the Mongolian Grill (photo right) one of my favorite places to eat on a Carnival Ship, it took this long as there are so many lunch options. It was very good! This afternoon there was a private cocktail party for people who had signed up on Facebook. It was nice to meet some new people. Later this evening there was a Past Guest party, but what made it unique was that this party was for Platinum level guests or higher. There were a lot, the theater was full. There were also a lot of Milestone (25+ cruises) guests. Dinner was good, I ordered Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Soup, and American Aged Rib Eye Steak. Again we are experiencing high seas so the production show was cancelled and we had a concert/show by several of the production singers. We actually have two sets of singers and dancers with one set scheduled to leave after Galveston and the new one rehearsing. Between the two groups they actually put together a nice evening. A nice surprise when returning to the cabin for the night: a letter from the Captain stating that Carnival would be providing a shuttle service while in Freeport, also a special lobster dinner, and John Heald would fly in for the day while in Freeport.

Day 12- Tuesday- 11/8/11- at Sea
We are feeling the effects of tropical depression Sean located just north of us so again high seas especially overnight. I was up early to look at the weather and was actually surprised at the large number of passengers up and about at 6:00 am. Later I had an Eggs Benedict breakfast in the dining room and again it was very good. I walked around the ship and visited the Cherry on Top. They have an interesting selection of candy. We now also have network Television so I spent the morning catching up on the news and trying to get a weather report. I had lunch in the Cucina del Capitano, it’s very busy during the noon hour but seems to be fine if you were go after 1:15 pm or so. Pasta with the simple marinara and cherry tomatoes have become my favorite. Again cabin time and a walk on deck this afternoon. Pretty much the same routine on sea days: walk the decks, some cabin time, cocktails in the Red Frog, dinner, then a show. For dinner this evening I ordered the Hawaiian Breeze ( a fruit appetizer), Bigolli Arrabiatta (a pasta), Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Grilled Ribeye Steak Tyrolienne, and Butter Pecan ice creme for dessert. Again the production show was cancelled due to high seas, it was to be the Destination: Unknown, the big production magic show, and they said we would have it while docked in Freeport for sure. They previewed a show that was not to start until the Galveston sailings, a burlesque show, called A Kiss Goodnight. It was held in the smaller Spotlight Lounge and it was great with comedy, magic and beautiful dancing girls. It's an adult show and no photos allowed. The photo left shows the opening screen that images were shown on and the dancers could walk through the screen. The show really reminded me of the Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris. The best show of the cruise and I had a seat on the front row.

Day 13- Wednesday- 11/9/11- Freeport, Bahamas
Partly cloudy weather today as we arrived in Freeport for two days. This was to have been our day In Grand Turk, but we were diverted here to make some repairs to the aft thrusters. I started the day with a nice omelette from the Lido Martketplace and waited for the 10:00 am official arrival. It was a real madhouse as everyone wanted to debark, but if they wanted to use the free shuttles they had to go through the excursion process of getting tickets and stickers from the theater. It took 3.5 hours to get all people off with that option. There were many unhappy passengers. I took a paid shuttle ($5) over to Port Lucaya and went to the beach bar located at the Royal Lucayan resort a place I discovered on a previous Freeport cruise. After a nice afternoon I returned by shuttle (again $5) to the ship in time for cocktails and dinner. I ordered: the Green Almond Poached Escargots, Italian Style Tomato & Borlotti Bean Soup, Duet of Broiled Lobster Tail and Grilled Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp, Filet Mignon Carnival. It was a very good meal. We were finally going to get to see the production show: Destination: Unknown and it was introduced by John Heald. It was a very interesting magic and musical production with lots of props, costumes, the feature singers and dancers, and illusionist Jason Byrne. It’s a BIG production show and not to be missed. John Heald was very busy with his fans, but I did get a chance to have a nice conversation with him very late on Lido deck. It’s good that he made the attempt to greet passengers on this unusual day.

Day 14- Thursday- 11/10/11- Freeport, Bahamas
Another party cloudy day in the Bahamas. I met friends in the Lido Marketplace for breakfast and a planned joint excursion day. We planned on a trip back to the Lucayan resort for the day. They announced that departure would be delayed until 8:00 pm so we knew we had a good long day for our excursion. We were able to ride the provided free shuttles as it was not busy I assume due to the troubles the previous morning. A day pass at the Grand Lucayan Resort cost $20pp for use of their resort facilities. I thought a very fair price as they have nice swimming pools, a great sandy beach, showers, beach bar, and good Wifi internet connection. (photo left) We were also able to get a cabana that served as group HQ while on site. The cocktails were resort prices ($6.50-$7.50), but very strong tropical drinks. We returned to the ship about 5:00 again using the complementary shuttles. After cleaning up I wanted to check the progress of the thruster repairs and they were hard at work. Everyone was curious if we actually get away. I went up to deck twelve to see the beautiful view of the moon rise, the ship lights, and the water works area. A beautiful evening. There were quite a few passengers watching The Godfather on the big outdoor screen theater. Several friends dined in the Prime Steakhouse and I was told it was excellent. I dined in the Southern Lights dining room as usual and ordered: Penne Siciliana with Eggplant-Zucchini-Tomato Sauce, Escargots Bourguignonne, Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, Chateaubriand, and Baked Alaska for dessert. Ken Byrne did his New York, New York tonight as well as Low,Low Low as the cocktail servers danced. For many this is the highlight of the cruise and I have enjoyed his singing. The final big production show, Win! was the tonight. It was the last show performed by the original singers and dancers, the new group will do it the following cruise. It was a very good show. Several said the hypnotist show of Jac Rene was very entertaining as well.

Day 15- Friday- 11/11/11- at Sea
A cloudy day that became cooler during the day as a cold front has entered the Gulf of Mexico. I had a nice dining room breakfast this morning. It’s always nice to share experiences with other guests at breakfast. At 11:00 am they had a ship wide moment of silence in honor of veterans. They also held several veteran meets in various areas of the ship. Very nice. I am running out of days so I had lunch at the Tandoori today. It was a varied selection and it was very good especially if you like Indian food. Back to the usual sea day routine today for the afternoon. There were quite a few passengers bundled in blankets on the Lido deck, but still enjoying the sea air. I made some preparations for the group sailing on the next cruise and tried to catch up on some work. Since the Red Frog is out of the ‘fish bowl’ glasses I took my mug up for a Hurricane before dinner. Still a good value if your going to have more than one cocktail. For dinner, I ordered: Fried Shrimps (not good-not the ones I thought they were), Duet of Petite Filet Mignon and Short - Rib Confit, and ice creme for dessert. The third set of comedians, John Rathbone & Mutzie are now on board to perform at Punchliners. I saw both late shows and they were both very funny. Very late in the piano bar to listen to Ron Pass who still has his regulars even after 16 days.

Day 15- Saturday- 11/12/11- at Sea
The Weather is much improved for our final sea day. I had an early dining room breakfast, but also had to sample the french toast from the French Toast/Pancake station on Lido deck. A very good and interesting additional choice for breakfast. There was a 10:00 am meeting for those on the B2B (back to back) and it looks like they may have it organized. We’ll see. Everyone seems to have waited until the last day to use the water works, they are very busy today as well as the rope course. The afternoon had the best weather of the cruise so it was a busy deck day. I had lunch at the Grill on the Lanai located on deck 5 out doors. They serve burgers (sliders), chicken quesidillas, and soft meat tacos. I thought the burgers were OK and the really tasted more like Indian food than Tex-Mex. They really need to improve this as the Magic will have a Texas home port. There were last minute sales in the shops and a lot of activity on this the last day of the cruise. A Farewell Party was held in the Showcase Lounge at 5:00 pm, this is the party they really don’t publicize, but has complementary drinks and entertainment. Our final dinner was good, I had a double order of the entree Panko Crusted Jumbo Shrimp (this is the good shrimp). There were the usual good-byes and farewells this evening. A very long cruise has come to an end.

Debarkation- Sunday- Galveston, Texas
We arrived in Galveston at 6:00 am. and are the only ship in port so that should help passengers. Crew was able to use the customs facilities in Terminal Two so that helps to keep Terminal One for passengers. The new gangway looks great. They began debark for self assist guests early and the final call for self was by 7:15 a.m. That’s very good. They called zones 1-4 by 7:30 am and mid range (15-16) by 9:00 am. They were completed by 10:50 am. That’s very good for a large ship on it’s first home port visit. The B2B pax met about 10:00 and we went through customs before 11:20 am. Very pleased with the organization.

Ship
The Carnival Magic is the newest and largest in the Carnival fleet. The ship is 1002 feet in length and weighs in at 130,000 tons. My three favorites of the much publicized new improvements are the Cucina del Capitano, Red Frog Pub, and the Ocean Plaza area. The Water Works and Cherry on Top are also great. I'll have a special review and comments on just the ship

Crew
The staff and crew for the most part are very good at their jobs and very friendly. They have been trained very well. My stateroom attendant was fantastic, the room was always neat and clean, the cooler in ice, notices & messages delivered in timely manner. Our MDR waiter & assistants were very good, I really enjoyed him over the cruise. The Guest Services people were also very helpful when needed.

Cabin
I had cabin 9445 a 4H interior on Vista deck. I selected this cabin as it is next to the stairs and just below the Lido Marketplace. It is very easy to get to the beverage station and too easy to get to the dessert station. The cabin is very nice and since the ship is new everything looks great. It is a standard configuration and I had the beds split for more floor space. The safe has a button keypad and card swipe, there is a hair dryer, flat screen TV, two electrical plugs on the vanity/desk, robes, three section wardrobe, small stocked refrigerator, but no chair only a vanity stool. Carpets and furniture all very clean. The wake up call service is automated and very simple if you need to get up early for a meeting or shore excursion.

Food
I had second or late seating for dinner and a very nice table in center area of the Southern Lights dining room. A fantastic location to see Ken sing and the waiters dance. We are the last ship in the fleet with the ‘old’ menus, but that means we had the shrimp cocktail every night this cruise as an option. I’m not a big fan of the new ‘Didja’ menus anyway. Overall the food was very good although we had several menu items repeat. The Lido Marketplace buffet food was good to very good, the MDR menu was good to very good. My favorites were the Mongolian Grill and Cocina Del Capitan. The Tandoori, Salad Bar, and Burrito Bar were different and good. There are several ice cream and yogurt machines with vanilla and chocolate flavors. Room Service was good, but sometimes slow. I enjoyed the MDR breakfasts and especially the hot milk (leche caliente).

Social Media
The ship has a lot of computer Hubs throughout the ship and people used them. A vast improvement from when the internet station that was hidden in the cigar bar of Carnival ships. You could check ship schedules and some basic news. They have an on board social thread but it’s not convenient to use until they have hubs in each cabin...good idea, but not practical. There was a large Cruise Critic group and I attended the meeting, but prefer the Cruisemates as a cruise website and interactive threads. I think the Facebook sites are the future for pre-cruise interaction between guests-this cruise had an active site. There was an interesting group within a group, the Guttersnipes. It was basically the same as our Snoozemates group within the Bloggers cruises. People that like to get together and have fun.

Platinum / Milestone Perks
The check-in building at the pier was very nice. I used the laundry several times and it was wash & fold service; fine for undies, socks, T-shirts, denim short, but not cotton shirts, dress clothes, or better items. I did use the dry clean as well ($4-$6 item) and the service was good.

Personal Comments
Dining room waiters and staff have far too many tables. This does not allow time for the interaction between guests that was always such an important part of the cruise experience. Too many tables slows service for many and food temperature and quality suffers. As a foodie the MDR is a very important part of the cruise.

Cruise Highlights
The new friends I met, Cocina Del Capitan, Red Frog Pub, A Kiss Goodnight, Main Dining Room & Ken Bryne, and the island of Gran Canaria.

A long and interesting Cruise--I really enjoyed it!

Carnival Magic Comments

2011-11-23T22:37:00.026-06:00

I have been asked to make comments about my impression of the new Carnival Magic cruise ship since I have recently cruised on her for 23 days. I think a list is a simple and quick way to do it:

Exceeded Expectations:
Red Frog Pub
Cucina del Capitano
Water Works
Ron Pass
A Kiss Goodnight
Piano Bar (open concept and non smoking)
Mongolian Grill
Embarkation & Debarkation
Ocean Plaza concept
Desserts in Lido Marketplace
pico de gallo (surprisingly good)
Cookies
Will Marion
Guest Services Desk
Behind the FUN tour
Housekeeping Department
Leche Caliente at breakfast in the MDR
Waffle Station for breakfast
Face recognition computer in photo area

Needs to Improve:
Thruster Problems.
Powered down at night--causing lack of air conditioning.
Mexican food tasted like Indian food.
Not near enough wait staff in MDR.
Not enough entry points to ship when in port...long lines...need more entries.
They need hand sanitizers at the computer Hub locations.

Personal Observations:
Dining room waiters and staff have far too many tables. This does not allow time for the interaction between guests that was always such an important part of the cruise experience. Too many tables slows service for many and food temperature and quality suffers. As a foodie the MDR is a very important part of the cruise.

I prefer the 8N balconies and they are smaller on the Magic than on a Conquest class ship.

I don’t think the disco show The Groove Line is a good choice for Texas. Texans were more into the Outlaws (Willie, Waylon, etc.) and Southern Rock (Allman Bros., ZZ Top, Lynard Skynyrd, etc.) than into Disco in the 1970's-80’s. Nice show, but few will want to see it more than once.

The decor is really nothing special. No ‘Wow’ factor.

Aft Lido deck: Children are allowed in pool. On most other ships this area is considered an adult only area. On the Carnival Magic the kids have the wonderful Water Works area and the main pool to swim. Can the adults not have ONE place where they will not be run down or splashed by children? I know many ladies who do not appreciate getting their hair wet from children jumping in the pool. Even Disney Cruise Lines have an 'adult only' pool. Also there is a large smoking area aft and it's the only area with umbrellas. Many would like to enjoy the aft deck area but can not due to the smoke. There should be a place for smoking somewhere that doesn't exclude an entire area.

I think this ship is better enjoyed if you are with or part of a group. The folks I saw really having a good time were usually in a group. Especially in a venue like the Red Frog. One can really have FUN on this ship and I think a group or friends traveling together enhance the experience.

My Opinion:
I was very excited when it was announced that the Carnival Magic would home port in Galveston. I have to say that my overall impression is somewhat a disappointment. Not bad, just disappointed. The Magic is a great ship and I am excited about being able to sail on her; however, honestly I would really prefer a Conquest Class ship with Carnival 2.0 in Galveston over the new Carnival Magic. Just my feeling at this time. I'll sail the Magic again in March and re-evaluate.

New Adventure

2011-10-27T07:29:00.004-05:00

I'm off today for Barcelona Spain where I will board the NEW Carnival Magic. I will cruise the 16-day Transatlantic to Galveston Texas and also the first 6-day US inaugural cruise.

Look for reviews here soon.
.......

Carnival Ecstasy Review

2011-09-04T14:28:00.011-05:00

Carnival Ecstasy Review
August 29 -September 3, 2011

Just the Facts:
Ship: Carnival Ecstasy
Captain: Roberto Tine
Cruise Director: Steve Cassel
Ports: Galveston-Progreso-Cozumel-Galveston

This is a ‘tweener cruise booked as a get away from the excessive heat in central Texas. It is my twenty-fifth Carnival cruise, forth time on the Ecstasy, and first time to sail as a Carnival Milestone. We booked it a week prior to sailing.

Monday / Embarkation / Day 1
I had some ranch chores very early so we did not get away as early as usual for the drive to Galveston, but we were on the road about 7:30am and arrived at EZ Cruise parking about 12:20. Our timing must have been good as there was no waiting and Jason the shuttle driver was arriving with a bus just as we unloaded. Same for the Pier. We were after the early rush and before the majority of arrivals so security and the lines were reasonable. They have opened part of the new terminal area preparing for the arrival of the new Carnival Magic in November. It should go smooth for them when they arrive. They do have a VIP security line, but the VIP check in area was very busy. We actually got our cards and checked in at the regular counter, it was faster. This will have to be addressed before the arrival of the Magic, as they will have more VIP's especially on early sailings. I was disappointed that I didn’t have the Milestone card, but that was soon corrected on board at guest services. We dropped our bags in the cabin and went to the buffet for lunch. DW and I had a nice salad. I had a nice Chicken and Vegetable bowl from the Mongolian Grill and roast beef from the Carving Station. Something new: the Carving Station & Rotisserie are now located outdoors on Lido deck between the Mongolian Grill and the usual Burger Grill. After lunch one bag was delivered to the cabin, always a concern when it’s only one. I went down to the Lobby Bar and met my new friend for the week Johnny Mendoza the bartender. Time for another Funship Special before ‘boat drill.’ Muster drill began about 3:45 and was completed before sail away. The pool was much busier than usual for a sail away from Galveston, but it is very hot so people took advantage. We listened to the two person Reggae Band for a while on Lido deck and they put out a lot of very good music for two people. The second bag arrived at the cabin so no worries about ‘naughty’ room or lost bags. They have two welcome shows as they used to do in the past. I like this much better than the one Welcome Show as it was usually so late I didn’t go. This show started at 7:00 pm and featured the Singers & Dancers, the two comedians from the Comedy Club, and Cruise Director Steve Cassell. All were very good and I enjoyed the show. Late dinner is at 8:15 in the Wind Song dining room. We have a 4-top banquette table, but we will be changing this. Dinner was just OK. They are using the NEW ‘Didja’ menus. I missed my usual tomatillo soup, sweet & sour shrimp, and Creme Brulee for the first night. I did have the Escargot, Fruit, the Pork Steak (a large grilled chop), and the Black Forrest Gateau for dessert. The escargot and dessert were very good. We were both tired after a long day so retired to the cabin after dinner. A long but FUN first day.

Tuesday / Fun day at Sea / Day 2
Great sleeping with the inside cabin, just enough movement to rock one to sleep. I was off to the Wind Star dining room for breakfast about 8:30 am. I’ve had the same breakfast on the first morning of all my CCL cruises although this one will need to be altered: no more sectioned grapefruit & oranges. I did order: Melon and Eggs Benedict with side of bacon, and hash browns. The eggs were over cooked (all the way through), but were good. They were perfect on my last Ecstasy cruise. DW always does a room service or buffet breakfast on a cruise. Neither of us are much for sun, we get all of that we want at home, so indoor activities for the day. I walked around the ship this morning and when DW joined me we got a shaded table outside lido deck. Since lunch just opened I got another bowl from the Mongolian Grill and DW another good salad. The Key Lime Pie for dessert was very good. After lunch I had a nice two hour nap. This is

one of the advantages to an inside cabin. We did bring a small fan with us and it helps draw air from the ship air conditioning unit, this helped keep our cabin very nice and cool just what we were looking for on this cruise. This is the Captain’s night or elegant night and soon some petit fours were delivered to the cabin which served as a reminder to prepare for the evenings activities. We went to the Society Bar to try the Martini Samplers. We sampled the Pomegranate martini, the Mangotini, the Berry martini, and the Melon martini. We liked the Pomegranate the best and ordered a proper one to take to the Punchliner Comedy Show. The comedian was Dean Gaines and it was a very funny show. We only had time for one show as it was now time for late dinner. The Matre’D arranged for us to have a new two top table in a better location, table 370, in the Wind Song dining room. Elegant night dinner still has the lobster, but I ordered: the Stuffed White Mushrooms, the new Alligator bites, the Prime Rib, a Fruit Plate, and the Bitter&Blanc for dessert. The prime rib was very good. The mushrooms were not really white mushrooms and I was a bit disappointed with them, the alligator was very similar to conch fritters. The highlight of the day was the production show, Xtreme County, after dinner in the Blue Sapphire showroom. It featured the Carnival dancers and singers and Steve Cassell on the fiddle. Matt & Chassey the feature singers were very good. It was a fantastic show and is not to be missed. After the show a stroll on the Promenade deck before retiring. This was a great sea day on the Ecstasy.

Wednesday / Progreso, Mexico / Day 3
We were docked on time at 7:00 am. at the longest pier (~5 miles) in the world. I went to the dining room about 8:00 and again ordered the Eggs Benedict. I wanted to see if I could get it cooked properly and it was. We took our time and left the ship about 10:00 am and rode the complementary shuttle into town. They have a new drop off point about a block+ beyond the municipal building. We went to a shop we like in order to get a Mayan bag as a gift. We then went to our usual Progreso hangout: Le Saint Bonet. We spent a few hours enjoying the breeze and gulf view, a few Bohemia beers, some Margaritas, and talking to the vendors. I did get a 30 minute+ massage ($10 + tip) in the old bar area of the restaurant. We then had a roadie margarita and took a taxi ($10) back to the pier. The Ecstacy sails early (3:00 pm) but they do keep the buffet open a bit later for the arrivals back to the ship. I had a beef and vegetable bowl from the Mongolian grill. The past guest party was held in the Blue Sapphire lounge at 5:00 pm and the h’orderves were actually good. Later in the cabin they delivered a Platinum h’orderve plate and they were also very good. They do a great job with them on the Ecstasy. For dinner this evening I had the Fried Shrimp with Plum Sauce, Chicken Noodle Soup, the Jerk Pork, and Tiramisu for desert. The shrimp used to be one of my favorites, but these were over cooked and all batter and no shrimp (remember the ‘where’s the beef’ commercial), the soup had no flavor. The Jerk Pork was better and the Tiramisu was good. Our waiter has yet to come to our table, but the service from Lauren the assistant has been excellent. The talent show was tonight, but we did some people watching on the Promenade deck before retiring.

Thursday / Cozumel, Mexico / Day 4
We arrived on time at 8:00am at the Puerta Maya pier. The weather is cloudy with light rain. Our original plans were to spend the day at a beach resort, but with the weather we decided to just take our time and go into San Miguel. I had a MDR breakfast this morning, fried eggs, toast, and ham. I ordered eggs over medium and they came back hard, but the replacement eggs were very good. Second time the eggs were not to order, I may as well be eating on the Lido buffet. We left the ship about 9:30 and took a taxi ($7) to downtown San Miguel. We visited with our friend Nelly at her Mayan Pearl store and Martin my barber. I spent and hour at the internet store while DW shopped in the area. About 11:30 we went over to Wet Wendy’s Margarita House & Restaurant. I really like what the owners Chad & Clara have done with the improvements. They already had the most unique drinks in town, but the restaurant is fully operational and getting good reviews. I had the blackened chicken quesadillas and they were great. Our specialty drinks were also wonderful, I’d love to visit at night when we do a land based visit to Cozumel. We returned to the ship about 3:00 pm and DW had some pool time while I had some cabin time. I did arrange to get a Carnival Future Cruise certificate this afternoon. Always a good idea to have a few of these on hand before booking a last minute cruise. The Captain made a formal announcement about the potential hurricane developing in the gulf. It looks as though we will be able to stay west of it on the return, but we will have higher than usual seas. The Ecstasy show band played in Chinatown, a wonderful public venue space, and it was Variety Night with various shows and games throughout the ship. Dinner was one of the better ones this cruise, I had the Thai Chicken appetizer, and two entrees: the Seafood Variety entree and the Chateaubriand. The seafood was the better of the two. For dessert I had the souffle and a fruit platter. We did some shopping and visited the Piano Bar this evening before retiring.

Friday / Fun day at Sea / Day 5
The one morning I have a date for breakfast is the one morning I slept in. The extra rocking was wonderful and I slept very well. I was able to meet my friend just a bit late and had a good breakfast in the MDR. Again had to make a second request on the eggs. After breakfast the Captain made another announcement about our changing course to avoid the tropical depression, a bit rougher seas, but we will avoid the worse of the storm and should arrive in Galveston on time tomorrow morning. It will be rainy for most of the day. The popular Newlywed & Marriage Show is this morning in the Blue Sapphire lounge and they have moved the lido deck activities to the Promenade deck so there is a lot to do on this final sea day. I used my entry to the slot tournament, but didn’t make the finals. I also played some Texas Hold ‘Em poker. You now use your S&S card and do not need a second PokerPro card. You still have to cash out the card separately though as it is not applied to your S&S account. I did win a little. We had a late lunch in the Panorama (lido) buffet. The salads are always good. There was Tea Time in the piano Bar in the afternoon and the Captain made another late announcement that the TD is now TS (tropical storm) Lee and that we will not make Galveston on time as we can not maintain normal speed in the northerly winds. The ‘Farewell’ party with complementary drinks was held at 5:00 pm in the China Town lounge. This is not publicized at all so be sure to watch for it listed (in small print) in your FunTimes. We ate dinner in the Panorama on Lido deck this evening as we wanted to see more shows. It was very good, I had Baked Ham from the carving station, Penne Pasta with shrimp, Chicken Parmesan, Crab Cake, and a selection of desserts. The ham was wonderful and had a honey mustard condiment, perhaps the best meat of the cruise. On previous Ecstasy cruises they had the 2nd production show on day four, but they have it on day five the same night as the Punchliner Comedy Shows. It really makes it hard to see the best shows. We went to the first ‘family’ show of comedian Mike Lucas and he was great. We then went to the production show Dream Voyage in the Blue Sapphire showroom. It was very good, but my favorite was Xtreme Country. The liquor purchased in Progreso was delivered to the cabin this evening so it was time to pack. Because we would be arriving late in Galveston we knew there would be confusion with the debarkation so we decided not to do self debark and use general debarkation. We had our bags out by 11:00 pm and we where able to see the end of one comedy show and then the midnight show of Mike Lukas. He was great.

Saturday / Debarkation
Due to the Tropical Storm we arrived in Galveston almost two hours later than the Ecstasy usually arrives. I had time for my final MDR breakfast and we stayed in the cabin as long as possible. About 10:00 we went to China Town on Promenade deck the designated meet location for Platinum guests. We were called about 11:00 to debark and we got through US Customs and walked to the EZ Cruise parking lot. We were away before noon and arrived home about 5:30 pm.

SHIP
The Ecstasy is an older ship. She seemed in great shape. She does show her age is some areas, but is very clean and nice. I like the layout. There are a lot of “hump” locations on the upper decks which make watching the sea or views very nice. Also the ceiling above the atrium is skylights and only the Fantasy has the same, on all other Carnival ships it’s not direct light. I like it. That’s all the sun I want to see during the day. There is a lot of neon but it is not dated at all more of a retro feel and it is impressive in the evening. The neon also changes colors throughout the voyage. A very different look. No smoking areas have expanded and now include the Piano Bar and all of the lobby area. The new mini-golf area is very nice. When she leaves Galveston after the next cruise she will have a two week dry dock before it goes to her new home port: New Orleans. Not sure what they will do as the public rooms all look good. I assume some deep cleaning and maintenance.

CABIN
We booked late on an interior guarantee deal. We received a 4C, cabin U229 located aft so I was happy with that. The cabin steward is excellent. One of the better we’ve had. The cabin was always clean and ice chest filled. The cabin was a quad, but didn't have the drop down from ceiling bunks. They were built into the large heavy wooden head/side boards of the units. A great change is you can now use your sail & sign card as your cabin key, The Ecstasy was one of the last of the Carnival ships that you had to use a separate key card. There are no refrigerators in the interiors. (OK by me I never use them) As mentioned the fan improves the air circulation.

DINING / FOOD
I’m sure that most were pleased with the food on the cruise, but personally I was very disappointed. There were some good dishes, but overall the quality was below the standards I had associated with this ship. I reread some of my previous Ecstasy reviews to confirm and the quality was just not the same. I also do not care for the new Didja menus because of fewer choices. My waiter never introduced himself other than trying to challenge me on the second day with my table location. We had a lot of Canadian college kids in our area and they were having a very good time. We found it somewhat entertaining, but it was disturbing to some guests.

CREW
I think CD Steve Cassell is a perfect fit for this ship. I liked him and his style. The Captain was informative with his announcements especially when we got the bad weather on the return. As mentioned the Cabin team was very good. My waiter was non existent, but serving his own purgatory with the college kids. The Ecstasy had won the Crystal Eagle award in the past, but I predict they never will again. I know a lot of experienced crew bailed when the new home port was announced.

GENERAL
There is really a lot to do on the ship with bingo, casino, trivia games, & very good and varied entertainment. This is a very good starter ship for cruise newbies and the Carnival Ecstasy used to be one of my favorite Carnival ships, but no longer. Perhaps I have outgrown her, but I don’t see myself ever sailing on her again. I am so happy that the Carnival Triumph and the NEW Carnival Magic are coming to Galveston.

Alaska & Yukon Cruise Tour

2011-08-07T16:23:00.045-05:00

Holland America Line
Alaska / Yukon Cruise Tour Review

July 23 - August 4, 2011

Just The Facts:
Ship: ms Zuiderdam 7/23 - 7/26
Ship Captain: Werner Timmers
Tour Director: Tom Shoperson
Cruise: Vancouver-Inside Passage-Juneau-Skagway
Tour: Skagway, Whitehorse, Dawson City, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage
Weather: Partly cloudy most of the time--nice and cool.

This is my 1st Holland American Line cruise and 1st Alaska visit and tour. There will be a lot of new experiences this trip. I’m a part of a Travel Agent Familiarization tour and traveling solo on this trip.

Travel Day
I was able to arrange a flight from Waco which makes it much easier as the airport is only an hour+ from the ranch. It’s small, only two gates, so very easy. I had a short 1:00 pm flight to George Bush Airport in Houston then after a 3 hour wait the long direct flight to Vancouver. We arrived about 9:00 pm and I cleared Canadian customs and took a Taxi ($35) to the downtown Hyatt Regency. The hotel was great and a very good location. I used Priceline.com to book the room and received a very fair rate-IMHO.

Day One--Saturday--Embarkation
I was up early, still on Texas time, and went next door for a Tim Horton breakfast by 7:00 am. Because it was early and a Saturday there were few people out and I decided I would do a downtown walking tour. I went several places including Canada Place and the Gaslight district. I waited at the famous steam clock for the 8:00 am blast, but it never happened. The clock was very interesting though. It was too early for the shops to open, but I was really only interested in the sites and architecture so it worked well for me. Because you must clear security AND customs before even reaching the cruise check in area it tends to get busy with lines. I was told to arrive either about 11:00 am or after 3:30 in order to avoid the long lines. I originally intended to do the Vancouver tour bus and arrive late, but since I was out early I decided to head to the pier early. I took a taxi ($5) from the hotel to Canada Place and arrived just after 11:00 am and checked my bag with the curb side porters. I then proceeded to security where all cruise passengers for all the ships are screened. Once they have scanned your bags and checked your ID your proceed to customs. They have lines for Canadians, for Americans, and others. Since they do this before boarding you don’t have to clear customs when we reach Juneau. At this point passengers go to whatever cruise line they are sailing. This morning it was only the ms Zuiderdam and a Princess ship so I was directed to the Holland America Line area. I will say that the shore personnel were very helpful and it was a smooth process. I was checked in including security photo and directed to a waiting area until boarding at 11:30. This was set up well so that rows of chairs were filled as needed and then passengers could be directed to board in order. We did start boarding and I was on board ship by 11:45. I then discovered a long forgotten feature: All cabins are ready upon boarding. That is fantastic and I understand it is a fleet wide policy. This is my first HAL cruise, but I did receive a Mariner Society invitation to dine in the Vista dining room for lunch from noon-1:30 pm. This is a great idea and feature as it takes pressure from the Lido deck buffet and adds a benefit for repeat guests. I did dine in the MDR and had the Salmon entree, but I did go up to the Lido Restaurant and get a wonderful Bread Pudding for dessert. I explored some of the ship in the afternoon and took a short nap until muster drill at 4:30. Soon after we sailed away from Vancouver and under the Lion's Gate Bridge and began our adventure. Our group met in the Atrium Bar for a meet & greet and then had dinner in the Vista Dining room. I had the Smoked Alaskan Seafood Appetizer (salmon, scallops, etc), French Onion Soup, the Alaskan Crab Legs entree and Apple Strudel for dessert. I don’t recall having crab legs on a cruise ship in many years. All were very good. They had a welcome show in the Vista Lounge theater at 9:30, but I retired to the cabin soon after dinner.

Day Two--Sunday--Inside Passage
There was sunshine at dawn, but very soon it was a very foggy morning that continued through most of the day. I went to the Vista dining room for breakfast and had Eggs Benedict as usual on the first day of a cruise. They were very good. I explored more of the ship before a 10:00 am meeting for our TA group. I had some cabin time and I’m very happy that I took the up-sale and took a verandah cabin. I can see the scenic coast as we sail north up the famous inside passage. I do suggest the starboard side. I went to the Lido restaurant for lunch and had Baked Ziti with meat sauce and another bread pudding for dessert. The weather did clear somewhat so some more cabin time and coastal viewing. I did bring binoculars and that helped a lot. I did see the first whale just after lunch. At 3:00 I attended a Cocktail seminar. They have 3 over 7 days, but this one is the only one I could attend and this one featured martinis. They made four: Strawberry Champagne Dreams, Cosmo Cubana, Tanqueray 0010, and Green Appletini. My favorite by far was the Cosmo Cubana consisting of lime, mint, cranberry juice, sour mix and pineapple favor rum. It was an entertaining presentation. The portions/samples were generous and having won a trivia question I had an extra to sample as well. That’s more alcohol than I am used to drinking--LOL. Some more cabin time and a nap was needed before dinner. For dinner I dined in the Pinnacle Grill, the premium dining room. It was a large beautiful room with a lovely view as we sailed. The china and silver presentation was wonderful. For dinner I had Jumbo Shrimp, Dungeness Crab Cakes, a Porterhouse Steak, Creamed Spinach, and Asparagus spears. For dessert I had the Baked Alaska and a Vanilla Souffle. My favorites were the Shrimp and Baked Alaska, but it was all very good. I had a taste of the Fillet Mignon and it was better than the Porterhouse, but IMHO the steaks grilled out on the ranch are better, but of course I am bias and had to sample theirs for comparison. The Pinnacle Grill was a great two+ hour dining experience and I would dine there at least once per cruise. The great meal, wine, and cocktails earlier really put me in the mood for a good sleep so I had a bit of cabin time and turned in on the (exclusive to Holland America Lines) Sealy pillow top mattress for a great nights sleep.

Day Three--Monday—Glacier Bay--Juneau, Alaska
After the great rest we turned back the clock an hour overnight so we have an extra hour today and we are three hours from Texas time. The weather is cloudy and overcast, but no rain as forecast. About 7:30 am we approached the entrance to Glacier Bay. The scenery is spectacular especially the further up we travel and soon I saw our first iceberg. They have a Park Ranger giving a presentation in the lounge and observation areas, but the view from the verandah is great. I ordered a room service breakfast as I didn’t want to miss any of the scenery. They do have a nice variety of hot breakfast items that you do not see on most cruise lines these days. I had a very nice ham & cheese omelette. We reached the basin where the two branches of Tracy Arm split and turned around about 9:45 am. I’ll get to see the scenery on the opposite side on the return. The ship stopped when a bear was spotted so that most could see the bear. You just don’t think about a large cruise ship stopping for a photo opportunity. I had a nap before we reached Juneau about 2:00 pm. I went over the State of Alaska Museum and the Alaska state office building. The museum had some great exhibits and historical presentations. The state office building has a library and free Wi-Fi. I was able to catch up on email. I then visited several of the tourist shops and found the enamel artist I wanted to see for a pin. I then decided to visit the Red Dog Saloon and had a great time visiting with tourists and people from the group who also came by for local Alaskan beer and a few Duck Farts. The entertainer played both country and sing along bar music. It was fun and I ended up staying until time for the ship to sail at 10:00 pm. We were among the last to leave Juneau it seemed at least the town was shutting down. Back in the cabin late I ordered club sandwiches from room service and packed for the early departure next morning. I had to have my primary bag out by 1:00 am. For the land portion they we will be following a similar procedure as the bags may not travel with us on the motor coach.

Day Four--Tuesday--Skagway, Alaska
We had to meet at 7:45 am in the ships theater for an tour orientation and met our tour director for the land portion of the trip. Soon we debarked the ship and had a bus tour of Skagway, the scenic overlook, and cemetery. They then dropped us at the Westmark Inn hotel and we were free to explore the Skagway area the rest of the day. Skagway is very much an 'old west' type of town that now caters to the tourists. I visited the Klondike National Historic Museum and related exhibits then had time for a visit to the Red Onion Saloon for an early lunch. I then watched the Days of ’98 Show with Soapy Smith at the FOE Theater (photo right). I really enjoyed the show and local history they presented. Then to the Skagway Brewing Company to meet new friends and try a unique locally brewed beer, Spruce Tip Ale. At 7:00 pm we attended a entertaining show by local Steve Hite featuring the history of the Klondike gold rush and the development of the railroad. After the show and with an early wake up call I retired to make notes and rest, but I really enjoyed my day in the town Skagway.

Day Five--Wednesday--Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
We met early in order to board the famous White Pass (WP&YR) narrow gauge railroad. This is the most popular shore excursion in Skagway (actually anywhere in the world between May and September), but we are using it as the first leg of our land journey. The railroad follows the famous White Pass over the mountains and has spectacular scenery. We had a short stop in Fraser as we had to clear Canadian customs and we changed time zones as well. Later we stopped at Lake Bennet Station for a nice railroad lunch of stew, homemade bread, and apple pie. We arrived at the end of the line in Carcross in the late afternoon. After some time in Carcross and spotting the first American Bald Eagle of the trip we boarded the motor coach for site seeing on the way to Whitehorse. A representative of Yukon Government Tourism Department joined our coach to welcome us and provide information on the trip to Whitehorse. The Westmark Hotel in Whitehorse is very nice and everyone in the group is preregistered at each hotel and we receive our keys as we leave the bus. Very quick and convenient. Several of us had dinner at Klondike Rib & Salmon BBQ and I had a great meal of Alaskan Halibut, garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables, and sourdough bread. For dessert I had the Sourdough Bread Pudding-it was outstanding. We attended a Klondike theme production show called Frantic Follies. It was a show for tourists, but very well done and very entertaining. After the show a nice Yukon Gold beer in the bar before retiring about midnight, but the unusual thing is that it is still daylight.

Day Six--Thursday--Dawson City, Yukon Territory
We left early as this was our longest travel day leaving Whitehorse on the scenic Klondike Highway. We had some photo stops at Five Fingers Rapids and Tintina Trench overlook plus a nice break with a game of horseshoes at Moose Creek Lodge and lunch in Minto, all on the upper Yukon river. We did see our first bears today too. We arrived in Dawson and were assigned our rooms for our two night stay. Dawson City is like arriving in an old west movie set with: dirt streets, wooden board walks, old false front buildings, and Saloons. What a perfect place for a group ‘pub crawl'. Several brave souls started out at the Westmark Inn Lounge, then Bombay Peggy’s, then the Drunken Goat Tavern, then to the Downtown Hotel for the Sourdough Toe drink initiation, then Diamond Tooth Gerties for the midnight saloon show, then finally only the hardy finishing at the Midnight Sun for a live band. The Sour Toe Cocktail Club event involves drinking a shot of Yukon Jack whisky with a mummified toe representing the first of an old ‘98er who lost it to frostbite. It is quite a ceremony. Diamond Tooth Gerties is a full casino with three nightly shows. I believe they charge admission for the 1st touristy show, but not for the later shows. The Drunken Goat has very good greek food. Yukon Gold beer was my drink of the night and it was quite a fun evening. This was a very late night, but still not very dark at 2:00 am. No northern lights visible.

Day Seven--Friday--Dawson City, Yukon Territory
I slept in on our off day in Dawson and it was needed. I signed up for the noon Jeep Tour excursion of the Dawson Gold fields. It was a nice three+ hour tour up to the King Solomon Dome, the source of all the gold creeks in the area. We stopped at Gold Dredge No.4 the largest used in the Klondike. Back in Dawson I visited the nice area museum located in the former Territorial Capital Building. For dinner I ate at Sourdough Joe’s and had some great uniquely battered halibut fish & chips. I walked around town before retiring much earlier this evening

Day Eight--Saturday--Tok, Alaska

We started the morning with a three hour river cruise on the Yukon Queen II going down the Yukon river. Originally we were to sail all the way to Eagle Alaska and motor coach from there, but there was a highway that was questionable so it's now just a return cruise from Dawson. We stopped and watched numerous bears on the side of a mountain. We were lucky to see so many bears including a large cinnamon colored bear and black bears with cubs. We returned to Dawson then left about noon by taking the George Black ferry across the Yukon River. From there we traveled a short way to the U.S. Canadian border at Poker Creek, Alaska where they stamped our passports and we lost that hour of time again. Poker Creek is the most northerly border station in the United States. After posing for photographs at the Welcome to Alaska sign we were met by a pilot vehicle to lead us across the ‘Top of the World Highway’ a dirt/gravel track following the top of the mountain ranges (photo right) until we reached Chicken, Alaska. Chicken is a remote but very unique roadhouse with a small cafe, saloon, and station. From Chicken we followed the Taylor Highway to Tok, Alaska founded in 1942 when the new Alaskan highway meets the Taylor highway. This was an interesting Westmark facility celebrating Christmas in July and delivering to each room a hot chocolate at bedtime. The restaurant also had some good Tex/Mex. The new route added some new places to see so it was a fair trade off for a shorter cruise and the town of Eagle. Chicken, Alaska was unique enough!

Day Nine--Sunday--Fairbanks, Alaska
We left Tok now traveling on the Alcan or Alaska Highway a very nice road. Our morning stop was at Rika’s Roadhouse, the site of a very early roadhouse at Delta Junction an important crossroads of rivers and early roads. This is now a state historic park and a good stop with museum, restaurant (good bear claws), and exhibits. This was also our first sighting of the trans-Alaskan pipeline. From here we followed the Tanana river down to Fairbanks spying a moose along the way. We had a miners lunch of stew and biscuits and visited a gold drudge at Gold Dredge No.8 just outside Fairbanks. We then visited the El Dorado Gold Mine and had a train ride that stopped at various mine displays, including underground, for demonstrations of mining techniques. We then saw a sluice run and gold panning demonstration before we got to pan for our own gold. It was quite fun and everyone got a few gold flakes, I was pleased with my take. You can certainly understand how people got ‘gold fever’. We arrived at the Fairbanks Westmark with all the conveniences of a larger city hotel. A few took excursions to the arctic circle, but I took advantage of the Wi-Fi and little business desk (multi plugs for charging, etc.) in my room and caught up on some work and notes this evening.

Day Ten--Monday--Denali, Alaska
We were around early this morning in order to catch the morning Alaska Railroad train to Denali. We had the very nice McKinley deluxe rail car with high domed viewing area and plenty of room. It’s about two hours by rail from Fairbanks to Denali station. I had a nice breakfast on the train and a few Moose Marys as well. It was a lovely trip. When we arrive we were taken to our accommodations, the McKinley Village Lodge, but I only had time to drop my bag as several signed up for a River Rafting excursion at 1:30 pm. The river outfitters were great suiting you up in waterproof suits that were needed on the cold Nanana river. The rapids were great and we had a fun crew even attacking another float trip close to us. It was an 12 mile trip and a great adventure. (photo: I'm in the blue suit on left side of the raft) After returning we waited at the McKinley Chalet Lodge bar and enjoyed a beer and great view as the rest of our group was coming over for the Cabin Night show. Cabin Night is a dinner theater show and was the best show we saw on the entire trip. The food was also good: a family style all you can eat with ribs, salmon, corn on the cob, baked beans, salad, and cobbler for dessert. Following the show we met at the Chubby Salmon a watering hole located back at our lodge.

Day Eleven--Tuesday--Denali, Alaska
I tried to sleep in as long as possible, but it was only 8:30 or so. I had a nice buffet breakfast in the lodge and it was not busy as I’m behind the morning tour schedule. It was a great buffet with egg station and any breakfast item one would want. I was able to pick up some Wi-Fi from the employee dorm so I did some email and notes after breakfast including uploading photos. The big excursion of the entire trip is this afternoon, the Tundra Wilderness Tour. We loaded into a Denali Park bus at 2:45 and proceeded into Denali National Park and traveled along the park road 53 miles then returned. The tour driver is a Park Naturalist and narrates along the way. We crossed several rivers, mountains, tundra and changed elevation many times on the drive. The photo left (click it to enlarge) was taken at Polycrome Pass where you can really view the glacial effect on the topography. Also golden eagles flying on the wind. We were very lucky as we saw much more wildlife than the normal tour. We did see all of the ‘big five’ and a group member kept a count. We saw: 14 Moose, 7 Grizzly Bears, 18 Dall Sheep, 15 Caribou, and two Wolves in addition to two Golden Eagles, and the state bird of Alaska the Willow Ptarmigan. The Wolf is the hardest of the ‘big five’ to see so we were lucky to have one run down the road and along side the tour bus (photo right). The tour lasted well into the evening as it’s still daylight, we stopped at each animal sighting and several rest areas, and scenic locations. We were returned to the hotel at 10:30 pm so it was a long and interesting tour. A very late snack then to the room for needed rest.

Day Twelve--Wednesday--Alaska Railroad--Anchorage
I had another deluxe breakfast buffet and this was even better as it was a gift from Holland America Lines. I went over to the Denali National Park Visitors Center early and enjoyed the movies and exhibits before the rest of the group arrived next door at the Alaska Railroad station for the trip to Anchorage. We again have the wonderful McKinley observation rail cars for the trip south (photo: click to enlarge- the McKinley cars are in the middle-blue). We observed the beautiful scenery along the way as well as more wildlife. I had a very nice early dinner of prime rib in the dining area. The upper portion of the rail cars is observation and the lower has dining, restrooms, and outdoor platform. It was almost to the very end of the tour, but we actually saw our first bull moose along the railroad tracks between Wasilla and Anchorage. We arrived at the Anchorage depot about 8:00 pm and soon checked into our rooms at the Westmark Hotel. This is a very nice hotel and location right downtown. We then went to Humpy's, a popular local watering hole and restaurant. I had a nice Halibut fish and chips again. This was kind of a farewell for the group as this is the end of the official Holland American Line cruise tour part of the trip.

Day Thirteen--Thursday--Anchorage, Alaska
We started the day in the hotel with a breakfast and presentation sponsored by the Anchorage Visitors Bureau. (Photo: the Westmark Hotel is one of the highrise bldgs in lower left) They also furnished us some attraction passes for various tours, museums, the zoo, Alaska theme shows, etc. Good timing as I watched a sister city ceremony at the town square with Russian folk music and dance. Then I did the trolly tour and watched some Alaska movies. I was very impressed with the Anchorage Museum, a very large impressive building with extensive displays, art, and historical exhibits. I had a great dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse one of the top rated restaurants in Anchorage and just across the street from the Westmark. It was worth the one hour+ wait. I had a green salad and an entree with freshly grilled Halibut, Salmon, and Cod. It was excellent. After dinner I took the 8:00 pm shuttle to the Anchorage airport.

Day Fourteen--Friday--Travel
This day became much more difficult than planned. The red eye flight from Anchorage left just as the day began about 11:30 on Thursday night and we arrived in Denver as planned just about 6:40 am Friday morning. As we came in for the landing the plane diverted just 200 feet from the runway. The early morning fog was too thick to land. The plane diverted to Colorado Springs for fuel and was to return to Denver, but some mechanical problem caused a complete cancellation. We were to be bused back to Denver but I already knew I would miss the afternoon connection into Waco so I just opted for a later flight from CSO. I really didn’t want another bus ride since I had so many in the past two weeks. A LOT of passengers had shipped 50lb boxes of salmon and were now having to man handle it to a bus. I hope it stayed refrigerated. The new plans were to get me to Waco about 10:30, alas that flight was delayed and I missed the Waco connection in Houston. Continental Airlines furnished a very nice room at the Hilton and the rest was sorely needed. So I returned to Geo. Bush for the 11:30 morning flight to Waco and made it home to the ranch about 2:00 on Saturday afternoon.

Ship
This was my first time to sail with Holland America Line and I was very impressed perhaps most by all cabins are ready upon boarding. I believe the verandah cabin and balcony are larger than Carnival’s in the same category. Very clean and ship shape.

Crew / Staff
Cruise: The staff and crew are very good. Our waiters were excellent. The bar staff all very friendly. Tour: Tom our tour director was excellent, he kept everything squared away for us along the way. The motor coach drivers were very knowledgeable within their individual areas.

Cabin / Rooms / Other
Cruise: I had cabin 7119 a verandah on starboard side. The room is very nice with small couch, leather chair, push button safe, shower & tub, robes, mini bar, full windows, and roomy verandah. Tour: All of our hotels on the land trip are Westmark Inns, a chain owned by Holland America Lines. In the remote towns they are small and quaint and in the city modern full facility hotels. I was very pleased with the hotel properties. On the land portion of the trip you will eventually probably have to use a ‘long drop’ or outhouse. We went to some very remote locations so be prepared.

Food
Cruise: Although only on board for a short time from what I observed the food overall was very good on the Zuiderdam. I would really like to sail a longer cruise on HAL. My favorite was the bread pudding. There is also ice creme in dessert area of the Lido buffet. Tour: The included foods were good standard fare usually served as a theme such as in a rail depot or a gold mine. We really found some great places to eat along the way. I will say that food is more expensive in the Yukon and Alaska than in the lower 48 so be prepared for that. At least there is NO sales taxes on purchases.

Highlights
The beauty of the landscape can be very overwhelming. Very spectacular, but the camaraderie of the TA group was the highlight. As wondrous as all the beautiful landscapes were, the group of people I was traveling with was the highlight for me.

Comments
If you do Alaska I highly recommend an Alaska or Yukon cruise/tour with Holland America Lines. They are the experts and own their own rail cars, motor coaches, and even hotels. It allows for a smooth and efficient vacation experience. If one only does the usual southeastern cruise ports they have not seen the real Alaska. I was so impressed I will be recommending a cruise tour to my friends for September 2012.

~~I will add links to friends photo pages as they become available~~

Alaska Cruise Tour

2011-07-18T14:28:00.002-05:00

I'll be off on an adventure on July 22nd. I am going on a Holland America cruise tour of Alaska and the Yukon. This will be my first cruise on Holland America, my first trip to Alaska, and my first trip to the Yukon Territory. I'll try to post a portion of my review as we go.

Carnival Glory Review 2.27.2011

2011-03-12T23:27:00.023-06:00

Carnival Glory Review 2.27.2011

Just The Facts
Ship: Carnival Glory
February 20-February 27, 2011
Captain: Salvatore Rassello
Cruise Director: Jorge Solano / Bloggers: John Heald
Ports: Miami- Nassau- St. Thomas- San Juan- Grand Turk- Miami
Weather: Good all week

This was my 24th Carnival cruise, 64th overall, 2nd time on the Carnival Glory, and my 2nd John Heald Bloggers cruise. This is the second week of a B2B and the week of the John Heald Bloggers Cruise. Within the Bloggers we are also traveling with a group of friends from the CruiseMates roll call (although private group) this week.

Day One--Sunday--Embarkation
We have an easy embarkation as we are already on the ship. I again had breakfast in the dining room as I know I will be busy this next week. After breakfast I returned to the cabin to pack for our change of cabins. Mr. Wi and housekeeping made it so easy for us by arranging for our new cabin to be prepared early. About 10:00 am we moved to our aft balcony, cabin 8457, our favorite on a Conquest class ship and met Mr. Gregorio our new stateroom attendant for the week. The cabin was all set to go and as the aft cabins have some Conquest decorations it seemed like ‘home’. It even had a Gauguin tile in the bathroom. We went down to meet the Purser and the other B2B pax at 10:30 as prearranged by Guest Services. They gave us our new Sail & Sign cards and as soon as the final guests were off the ship they walked down to U.S. Customs and we did our thing and returned to the ship. A very simple process. We returned to the cabin and headed up to Lido for lunch as we knew it would soon again be busy. First stop was to see Mr. Frank and get a nice bowl of Mongolian chicken and vegetables. While in line I saw our friends arriving and as they are experienced cruisers several also made their way to the Mongolian Grill. As most of our group are all Milestone and Platinum they were all soon aboard and eating lunch in our designated meeting area on Lido deck aft. As a group we have all the 8N balcony cabins so this is a logical public area meeting spot just above our cabins. After meeting everyone and lunch we went back to our cabin to finish unpacking and to settle in for the week. In the cabin we had a fruit basket delivered from the group manager, and an OBC credit notification as well as champagne & strawberries from Bosque Travel. The Bon Voyage department brought a Birthday gift: a cooler of coca-cola, mug, and hat. Boat drill was held about 4:00 pm and we did our usual thing. Following boat drill we had our first sail away party from the deck 8 aft balconies. This will become a regular and infamous occurrence throughout the week. It was fantastic weather as we sailed out of Miami and everyone was in great spirits. Everyone in the group came by and picked up their group schedules, party invitations, and pre arranged liquor purchased and extended the sail away until the Bloggers Welcome Party in the Amber Theater. This is our first scheduled Bloggers party and I do say that the Glory really prepared some great h’orderves. Very different than what they serve at the Past Guest Party. It’s also hard to serve 280+ people, but they did a great job. They were also very generous with the cocktails too. This was the first time to be able to see some extended friends & bloggers and see John Heald for the first official time. Of course I think our group will have the most FUN this week. We have dinner in the Platinum Dining Room and we have two great 10-top tables on the center lower level. Great location and we have the same waiters so that we can table hop this week. For dinner I had the Tomato soup, the Sweet & Sour Shrimp, Flat Iron Steak, and the Crème Brule for dessert. All were very good. After dinner many went to the casino or various music venues. The ‘Welcome Show’ with Jorge was at 10:30 pm in the theater and some attended although we retired early.

Day Two--Monday--Nassau, Bahamas
Great weather today. We arrived very early in Nassau and several in our group met early for private excursions on Lido aft before 8:00 am. I got up to see them off then met a friend in the MDR for my usual 1st day Carnival breakfast of Eggs Benedict, Grapefruit, with sides of Bacon, and Potatoes. After breakfast back to the Lido aft to met others getting their breakfast and meeting in our spot. By 10:00 this had turned into our annual Bloody Mary Party that lasted until after 1:30 pm. We had a wonderful view of the Nassau harbor and the Atlantis resort so it was a wonderful morning visiting with group members and friends as they arrive back from town. The Lido Maitre’d who I met last week came by with the Food & Beverage manager to visit and he promised a surprise for our Texas night party later in the week. We had to break up our Bloody Mary party in order to attend our Sail Away party at 2:30. We had to break up our sail away party in order to make our private cocktail party in the Cinn-A-Bar at 3:30. This was a party just for the twenty+ in our group and special friends held in the piano bar on Lido deck. Our host was Flat Mike who had joined us on the previous group cruise on the Carnival Splendor in lieu of real Mike who could not make it due to health. We were so happy that both made it for this cruise. John Heald popped in for just one minute to say hello, but I noticed in his entourage Chris Prideaux from the Carnival head office. Chris is Director of On-Board Programing for the fleet and I asked him if he would join us for a quick Q&A in an informal (cocktail) situation and he agreed. It was great fun. In fact one of the suggestions made at this get together has now gone fleet wide, the need for a regularly scheduled Veterans meeting on each cruise. Several in our group have been suggesting this for years and now we had THE man who could do it. He agreed and did it. We also implemented a trick we learned on the Splendor that will work well for us on this cruise. If you get a good bar server adopt him as your own, we did and Victor was his name. For me, what little was left of the day was devoted to cabin time. This evening is the Captains Reception although we no longer attend. The Platinum gifts were left this evening and what should it be? Coolers! After all the trouble last week of no cooler I now have five. It is also the first ‘cruise elegant’ night, but the gentlemen in the group wore our Hawaiian shirts for a dressy, but causal look. This was again ‘Lobster Night’ in the dining room, still a bit of a surprise as Lobster is usually on the 2nd elegant night. I had the White Stuffed Mushrooms, and both the Lobster & Shrimp entrée and Prime Rib. For dessert I had the Cherries Jubilee. Many attended the late production show, Livin’ in America, in the Amber Palace Theater and others did their thing in other venues. After enjoying a very long and busy, but FUN day we retired to the cabin.

Day Three--Tuesday—at Sea
Weather is again perfect today for the first day of March. I started the day with a very nice omelette from Mr. Frank and met others in the usual Lido aft location. We did scheme an idea for later in the day though and that was to enter the Mixology Contest. This is a contest where passengers come up with a mixed drink and then it will be served on the ship the rest of the week. Between the group we came up with: a drink recipe, the name of the drink (key), and our PR guy for the crowd. After breakfast I joined several others for TV trivia in the Amber theater, no luck though. The Bloggers slot tournament was this morning a few in our little group made the finals for later today. I had a nice Lido buffet lunch then it was time for Mixology entries. Several of us entered but whoever was chosen would go with the ‘special’ drink. It worked perfectly, Storm’n Norman, the crazy hat guy, was chosen so we were in the contest and since we had a slot conflict I became the mixologist. The name of our drink was ‘Johnny’s Underpants’ named for John Heald who famously writes his blog in his underpants. Of course the group was there to encourage the judges and after judging six entries, yes Johnny’s Underpants was the winner. It’s a frozen drink with a rum base, creme de cacao, banana liquor, and pineapple liquor. Actually pretty good. A little bit of cabin time before we have our joint cocktail party at 4:00 pm. I called the bar manager to give her a 'heads up' about our party time because after all the talk and the mixology contest everyone would probably want a sample of the winning drink. BTW-she was one of the judges. She did not disappoint, at 4:00 pm Victor and two other cocktail waiters walk out with trays of Johnny’s Underpants. (photo left) Our shared party was with the Cruise Critic folks and they were a bit surprised by our antics and organization. They were in the spirit within the hour and of course the one-hour Carnival cocktail party is our groups specialty. After the party a nap was in order, but we did attend an early performance of the comedy show. Carnival has done a great job with the comedy venue. Dinner was again very good. My selections were the French Onion Soup, Braised Short Ribs, Pork Tenderloin and a Fruit Plate for dessert. After dinner the group again split up to do various things. I attended the late (adult) comedy show and it was very good!

Day Four--Wednesday—St. Thomas
Weather was perfect today although some clouds in the afternoon. Another Mr. Frank omelette and breakfast with the group this morning. This is the big excursion day for many in the group and it is important to arrive at St. Thomas at our scheduled 10:00 am time and everyone meet our arranged transport as we have some traveling to do. We want to make Trunk Bay on the island of St. John, but it will be tight. Those going met on deck 3 and soon it became obvious that we were going to be a bit late to the pier. I saw a Purser who I had been teasing for ten days about the cooler situation and she came to the rescue. Our group was literally the first off the ship and then as we walked towards the exit we saw a sign saying “Snoozers” and knew our Safari Taxi driver was there and waiting. Our goal of making the 11:00 am St. John ferry looked much better. We loaded up and Alex, our driver, said “everyone hold on” and off we go. We were the first out of the pier area and well on our way to Red Hook before 98% of the passengers were even off the ship. At Red Hook the group split with some going to a resort/beach on St. Thomas and those of us going on got our ferry tickets ($12 return) for the 11:00 am ferry to Cruz Bay on the island of St. John. The ferry ride was short and the views of the islands were marvelous. At the village of Cruz Bay we hopped another Safari taxi ($6) for Trunk Bay. Almost all of the island of St. John is in the U.S. National Park system and it is absolutely beautiful and clean. Soon we stopped at the overlook for the famous view (so many photographs and a U.S. Postage stamp) of Trunk Bay. We were dropped off, paid our Park Admission ($4), and were in the water by noon. It was beautiful. Trunk Bay is the finest beach I have ever seen or been on at anytime. The white sand is perfect almost as if it has been sifted. No rocks anywhere and a great view of the islands beyond. This is a park not a commercial area so only basic amenities, but that adds to the charm. Well worth the effort to get there, even if only for a few hours from a cruise ship. It did cloud up and sprinkle so that encouraged us to move on and meet our goal of the 3:00 pm return ferry. We took a Safari back to Cruz Bay and looked at a few shops before getting the ferry returning to Red Hook. Our designated meet location was the famous Duffy’s Love Shack in Red Hook. This is just a parking lot bar, but made famous by it’s predecessor bar and a song by the Mama’s and Papa’s. The other half of our group was already there having a good time. The drinks are very good but a bit dear. (dear = expensive if your not a Scot) I had the ‘Shark Tank’ served in a 64 oz. fish bowl and little sharks swimming inside. After an hour or so, Alex our Safari driver arrived for the return trip to the pier. We arrived back safe and sound and in time for the girls to hit a few shops. It was a wonderful day for an excursion. I checked two places off my bucket list: Trunk Bay and Duffy’s. I was very impressed with Trunk Bay, not as much with Duffy's. BTW--I highly recommend Islander Taxi, contact Alvin at islandertaxiservices@yahoo.com they really did a great job for us. Back on board we only have a short time before our ‘special’ planned sail away party. Since this is Texas Independence Day we had a Texas theme for our usual balcony sail away. Some of our group that stayed on ship had arranged party supplies, the bar, and snacks. Others brought Texas neckerchiefs, and sparkle Texas pins for the group and our guests. The Food & Beverage Manager did send a great large tray of butterflied cut chicken wings with dipping sauces. We also had fruit and vegetarian snacks as well as a nice selection of wine, champagne, beer, and spirits. Everyone in the group attended as well as some specially invited friends and guests. (photo left: ornery Texans!) It was great fun and the evening was perfect. We also got to enjoy the sunset as sail away was delayed for well over an hour - more party time. The Freedom of the Seas was docked aft to aft with us and the pax on her really got to see what a FUN ship is like first hand. It was fun watching her sail away and that really opened up a beautiful view of Charlotte Amalie harbor. We finally sailed and the timing was good as it’s now time to prepare to go to the dining room. For dinner I had a Salad, Pork Chop, and the Bitter & Blanc for dessert. The group did their usual thing and after such a busy day I retired right after desert. A long and wonderful day with friends.

Day Five--Thursday—San Juan, Puerto Rico
We arrived by 7:00 am even with the delay in leaving St. Thomas. I watched us sail by El Morro early this morning. The weather is great actually getting warm by afternoon. I did the Mr. Frank omelette again, it is so nice to have a fresh off the grill omelette made just the way you like it. We are docked right in Old San Juan (OSJ-the walled part of the city). Many in the group left to tour OSJ and El Morrow early this morning, but we didn’t leave until 10:00 or so. We walked around OSJ - looked at some shops - DW got some Pandora pieces - then went to meet our group at Barrachina for lunch and sample some of their famous Pina Colada. After lunch and splitting up again we went to the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista (photo left) one of the oldest buildings in San Juan (1522) and is the second oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. I really think that OSJ looks so much cleaner and tourist friendly than when I was here just a few years ago. DW even said she would like to return, I did show her my favorite little hotel and it seemed meet her approval. Sail away is at 3:30, but for once we are NOT having a sail away party as the carnival Past Guest party begins at 3:45 pm. We met as a group before entering the Theater so we could sit as a group and find Victor our designated group bar server. Victor did a good job as usual and we enjoyed the hour, so much we really didn’t want to leave, knowing a second party would be starting afterward, and our experience from the Splendor. Chris P, who adopted us at the first private cocktail party, and has attended all our activities so far came to our rescue and asked CD Jorge if his ‘friends’ could stay over. We stood in the aisle so they could do a quick clean before the next party, Jorge made a joke, to the servers about serving us--it was funny--but will be funnier in a moment. He later told us to take a seat, but no one did--why? We were waiting on VICTOR to tell us his assigned area which happened to be dead center. That surprised Jorge and everyone. OMG they have their own server. It is a FUN ship. Cabin time until dinner. DW had the Vegetarian Lasagna and I had the Fried Shrimp with Plum Sauce, and the Filet Mignon/Short Rib combination entrée. Following dinner I attended the comedy shows. They were very funny. Can’t beat Al and Lewis.

Day Six--Friday—Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos islands, BWI
It was rainy in the morning and the seas were choppy, but it later turned into another beautiful day in the Caribbean. Mr. Frank still greets me with a big smile as I order another omelette for breakfast with some of the group. We didn’t arrive in Grand Turk until 11:00 so we had some cabin time in the morning. It was very cool watching the Princess ship sailing directly toward us to dock. We were to meet our friends at Jack’s Shack, but since it was raining stayed on board for lunch. That means hello again Mr. Frank at the Mongolian grill. Take advantage when possible of short lines at the grill. We left the ship after lunch. Grand Turk is one of the new made-for-cruise-ships facilities similar to Costa Maya and Mahogany Bay. There is a nice area with gift shops, jewelry stores, a wave runner ride, and the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean. There is a very nice beach and a huge swimming pool within the facility. Our group met at Jack’s Shack located beyond the port facility proper, but just up the beach. (photo right) We had a wonderful time. The weather cleared and the beach is very nice. The owners dog Topher is amazing, he spends the day digging in the sand and playing with tourists. The drinks and pricing was fair too. We did stop by Margaritaville to get our complementary margarita earned at our stop in Grand Cayman the previous week. They had a big crowd of people. We returned to the ship at 5:00 and of course we had a sail away party on the adjoining balconies. Great to watch Grand Turk disappear into the distance while enjoying cocktails. Some cabin time for me before dinner. This is the second ‘elegant night’ but a lot in our group decided to skip dinner in the MDR tonight, just as we did on this night last week. Yes experienced cruisers. We only had one table for dinner and that was nice too. I had the Escargot and the Chateaubriand with Sauce Bearnaise then the Baked Alaska for dessert. It was very good. Tonight was the second and IMHO the best production show: Just Rock featuring the Glory singers and dancers. The group again split up to the casino, comedy club and music venues.

Day Seven--at Sea
We had great weather for our final day at sea. DW had her Lido breakfast and I went to the dining room to meet several of our group for a very nice breakfast. I had a four pancake breakfast to change it up and it was very good! We had a Bloggers Q&A in the morning and received our T-shirts for the afternoon photo. I had a Reuben sandwich for lunch--much better than last week. I must also mention that the ice creme was much better this week. It was too thin last week, but we also had all those kids hitting the machines all the time. DW’s favorite is to get the candied almonds from the Chocolate Buffet and put them on the ice creme. The Bloggers Farewell Party and photo shoot was this afternoon in the Theater. Another round of cocktails (no Victor) and very nice h’orderves--thanks John. I will post the big group photo separately--thanks MGA. We actually left fairly timely for us as we did not want to be late for the ships Farewell Party (photo right) held in the Ebony Cabaret at 5:00 pm. Hello Victor, we’re setting over here!! I know Jorge must be glad to see us go by now. Hang in there my friend. There was live music, I got to dance with the DW (long story), and Victor kept us very happy. Following this party it was to the balconies for the ‘get rid of all the booze’ party and watch the sun set. Yes this is a FUN ship. We had our final dinner for the week in the Platinum dining room. One of our members arranged for some special Filipino dishes to be served to our two tables. We had Pancit with Shrimp (a noodle dish) and Chicken Adobo. Both were very good. I also had the Prime Rib entree and the Grand Mariner soufflé for dessert. After dinner it was off to the various venues for the gang, for me it was time to pack.

Debarkation--Sunday
We were docked by 7:00 am in Miami. They started allowing the self-debarkation people off just about 7:30 a.m. and calling regular debark starting with zone 1-6 by 8:00 am. I had a nice breakfast in the dining room, my final Eggs Benedict for a while. We left the ship about 9:30 and took a shuttle to the airport. The Miami airport experience was not good, too busy, too crowded, too few agents and not an easy experience.

The Week
The week was very busy. I do not normally socialize that much in a year let alone a week. In our future Snooze group cruises, and we have several planned, our infamous one-hour cocktail parties will now be known as “Friends of Chris P” meetings. It will take me a month to recover from this wonderful week I am sure. Throughout the week we heard from passengers and crew, “Are you the guys having those aft balcony parties?” I’m not sure if that was good or bad, but at least IT WAS FUN!

Ship
The Carnival Glory is a Conquest class ship so we are very familiar with the deck plans. It is a very nice ship and the theme is Colors with each public room having a different color theme. The lobby areas have a multi-color display using LED lights and panels. IMHO it is not as nice as the Carnival Conquest as far as overall art, décor, and theme, but again I am prejudiced towards the Conquest.
The ship was very clean and has the recent updates such as the Seaside Theater and a very nice Serenity area.

Cabin
We have cabin 8457 a category 8N facing aft on deck 8. This is our favorite cabin on a Conquest class ship and we have had it many times. It has a standard cabin floor plan. The cabin has a double bed, three closets, card swipe safe, flat screen TV, refrigerator (never used), and hair dryer. This week the cabin cooled just fine even with the balcony drapes open. A short walk to the aft stairwell and elevators, and convenient to the Lido buffet . DW just went up for breakfast and brought it back to the balcony. You can hear the chairs scoot on the floor of the aft Lido above, but not bad enough to want a different location. Mr. Gregorio did a great job maintaining the cabin for us and keeping us in ice.

Entertainment
We got to visit with Timothy Pierce this week. A very nice young man, glad to see he will be on the Carnival Magic. I’m really glad we saw the productions shows last week as we were so busy we couldn’t this week. Those in our group that saw them really enjoyed them as we did. The Reggae band, Caribbean Ecstasy, sounded great on deck. Those that saw Thien Fu loved him. We did see all four comedians in Carnival’s Punchliner Comedy Club shows this week. They were great and of course the long time favorites, Lewis Nixon and Al Ernst were wonderful. Several in our group loved Celebration, a party band, that played all week. Ron Pass and the piano bar were very busy. He had his fans, the blogger fans and online piano bar expert, DiveTrash, there keeping him in line all week.

Crew
Our MDR waiters were very good and that was important as on our last two group cruises they were not. Victor, our bar server, loved the attention. Not only did he get good tips, but we gave him a lot of attention and complemented him to the officers. Jorge is a great Cruise Director although we probably stretched him to the limit on a few occasions-the past guest parties for sure.

Food
Our dining room was the Platinum Dining Room located aft on decks 3 & 4. We had two very nice ten-top tables for our group. The food was much better this week than last, but again I was not really concentrating so much on food this week. It’s really hard to say anything negative about the food considering how nice the Food manager was to us in sending the chicken to our Texas party. The chicken was excellent and cut so uniquely, I’ve never quite had anything like them. The meats did seem to be trimmed better and I did have some repeat orders of my favorites.

A Tale of Two Cruises
Last week it was a Jeckle & Hyde cruise, but this week it has been totally marvelous so this is the Tale of Two Cruises experience for us. It was important to have sailed the previous week as the contacts we made allowed this week go so much better for our ourselves and especially the group. Getting the food for the Texas party and being able to get off early in St. Thomas may not have been possible without the contacts made the previous week.

Bloggers
It is really special to be able to experience a John Heald Bloggers cruise. The passengers are fans of John Heald’s blog and experienced cruisers. Having John Heald as your host is very special, but in addition there is extra entertainment, special guests, extra cocktail parties, special gifts, and a special excitement on the ship. The Carnival Glory ship staff and crew really did an excellent job this week assisting with the group.

Cruise Highlight
For me it was our group of friends, extended friends, John Heald bloggers, new friends, and Carnival staff & crew that made it a very special week.

Thanks to The CruiseDuo and Misguided Angel for photos.

John Heald Bloggers Cruise - Carnival Glory

2011-03-11T21:44:00.003-06:00

The Bloggers Group!
click photo to enlarge

Carnival Glory - 27Feb-5March, 2011

2011-03-11T21:33:00.005-06:00

Some of our Group with John Heald
click on photo to enlarge

Carnival Glory - Grand Turk - March 4, 2011

2011-03-11T21:22:00.005-06:00

Part of the group on the beach at Jack's Shack on Grand Turk!
Thanks to CruiseDuo for photo---click on photo to enlarge

Charlotte Amailie - St. Thomas

2011-03-11T08:45:00.000-06:00

Charlotte Amalie - St. Thomas
Carnival Glory foreground right
click photo to enlarge
Thanks to Prince319 for photo

Snooze Bloggers Carnival Glory

2011-03-10T23:50:00.003-06:00

One of the Private Cocktail Parties
Most of the Group
click photo to enlarge

Carnival Glory Review 2.20.2011

2011-03-09T10:28:00.012-06:00

Carnival Glory Review 2.20.2011

Just The Facts
Ship: Carnival Glory
February 20-February 27, 2011
Captain: Salvatore Rassello
Cruise Director: Jorge Solano
Ports: Miami- Cozumel- Belize- Roatan- Grand Cayman- Miami
Weather: Good all week

This was my 23rd Carnival cruise, 63rd overall, and 1st time on the Carnival Glory. This is the first week of a B2B and we are hoping for a wonderful two weeks.

Day One--Sunday--Embarkation
We left the Ranch the previous night to stay with relatives in the Metroplex. We have an early direct flight to Miami and everything at the airport went well other than our flight was delayed about an hour due to a faulty gauge. We arrived a little late in Miami, but the real problem was about to present itself. No Bags. My hope was that since there were several others on the same flight with missing bags perhaps they were only misplaced for a while so we waited. After a wait it was very discouraging to be told to go to the claims and make a report. We were even told they would probably be sent to Cozumel. Not a good feeling for us especially for DW. Finally after reaching and waiting at the lost bag claims area the agent got a notice that some misplaced bags were found. Fortunately ours were among them. It was worth the long wait at the airport in order to actually have our bags. Not pleased with American Airlines. We took a taxi from the airport to the Port of Miami ($24+) and as it was late we had no problems or delays at check in. They have a nice VIP lounge and we boarded immediately. We dropped our bags and went straight to the Lido buffet as we knew it would close soon for boat drill. The salads were very good as usual and I had the roast beef from the carving station. The roast beef was just OK not near as good as on the Voyager nor even the Conquest or Splendor. Muster drill was about 3:45. You do not have to take your life jacket to the muster location. Your muster station is on your sea card so the crew use that to assist passengers to the proper location. We unpacked and settled into our cabin and met our cabin Steward, Mr.Wi, from Asia. We sailed away just after 4:00 and the weather is perfect. It is amazing to see all the cruise ships sail away from Miami. After sail away we had some cabin time and then went to the Lobby Bar for cocktails. On the way to dinner we visited the all the public rooms along the Promenade deck. There are some interesting decors. Some we liked better than others. We are in the Platinum Dining Room upper level and have a two top table. It is a very nice table for the two of us. I had the Tomato soup, the Fruit Plate, the Sweet & Sour Shrimp, and the Crème Brule for dessert. All were very good. The ‘Welcome Show’ was at 10:30 pm in the theater, but we retired early.

Day Two--Monday--at Sea
Great weather today. Seas calm. DW ordered her usual Room Service breakfast and I had breakfast in the Platinum Dining Room. I had my usual 1st day Carnival breakfast of Eggs Benedict, Grapefruit, with sides of Bacon, and Potatoes. After some cabin time we toured the ship and ended up in the Red Sail Restaurant as DW wanted to try the Burrito Bar. I sampled the Roast Pork from the carving station and the Key Lime Pie. The pork was just OK and I did not care for the pie. The tortilla used at the burrito bar was cold. It had just opened, but that’s no excuse for the tortillas to not be at least room temperature. Burritos should not be served cold. Very disappointed with lunch. We visited the shops and I also turned in a nice liquor order to be delivered on the last night. The 2-for pricing is pretty good on liquor. We explored more of the ship and then watched a movie in the cabin. About 2:30 they delivered our Platinum Canapes. They were very good, better than on other Carnival cruises, and came at a good time considering the weak lunch. I just wish they had something vegetarian for DW. After the movie DW wanted a snack so we went to the deli for a Arugula & Mozzarella sandwich and I ordered a Reuben sandwich. The Arugula was good, but the Reuben was the worst I have ever had anywhere anytime. I saved the remains of my sandwich and expressed my concerns to the assistant Lido Matre’d. The food has been so ‘hit and miss’ on this cruise. As the sun went down we watched a Tina Turner Concert at the Seaside Theater on Lido deck. It was very good show and beautiful evening and I had to sample a Pilsner Urquell beer, one of my former favorites that they do have available on the Carnival Glory. Before dinner Chocolate Covered Strawberries were delivered to the cabin, I believe a nice gesture from the Lido Matre’d. This was the first ‘Elegant’ night and the Captains reception was prior to dinner this evening although we passed on attending. This was ‘Lobster Night’ in the dining room, a bit of a surprise as Lobster is usually on the 2nd elegant night. I had the White Stuffed Mushrooms, Pasta Carbonara, and the Lobster & Shrimp entrée. For dessert I had the Cherries Jubilee and a Fruit Plate. After dinner we went to the Cinn-a-bar piano bar to hear Ron Pass perhaps the best piano bar entertainer in the fleet. I believe he is actually kind of retired from Carnival, but back by request for the Bloggers cruise next week. He is very entertaining. We attended the late production show, Livin’ in America, in the Amber Palace Theater. This was also our first time to see Jorge, the Cruise Director. We enjoyed the show very much. I recognized several dancers from the Conquest and all the singers and dancers were very good. We enjoyed a very long and busy sea day.

Day Three--Tuesday—Cozumel
Weather is again perfect today for my birthday. Mid-day temperature 85° with a cool breeze. We arrived very early in Cozumel and the Glory was the only ship docked at the Puerto Maya pier. I started the day with a good breakfast in the Platinum dining room and we went down to the pier well after the rush. We took a taxi ($7) into town and visited with our friend Nelly at her shop Caribbean Angel, spent some time on the internet ($1 per hour), and I got a haircut at Antonio’s Barbershop. With our business in town finished we went to one of our new Cozumel favorites: Buccano’s Beach Club located north of San Miguel. The open air restaurant areas and beach facilities are very nice and they have a beautiful small private beach and a designated snorkel area. The large freshwater swimming pool is great with good showers and view of the Caribbean. There were a few cruise excursions here, but it was not too busy. I had a wonderful swim both in the Caribbean and the pool. We ordered Guacamole and Chips and had a few Mojitos. I like the way they serve their Guacamole with Pico de Gallo, it’s my favorite style of dip. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with lovely breezes and beautiful views. About 3:00 we went back to San Miguel to have a birthday drink at Wet Wendy’s. I had a mojitos and we also ordered some Pink Panther margaritas. with mango, strawberry, & coconut flavoring. They are really special! There was a very nice group of folks at the bar and I was given a complementary shot of tequila for my birthday. When our new friend Chad (the owner) realized it was my birthday he too bought me a shot of the Aguava premium tequila. It was smooth and very good. Soon our friend Nelly came over and also gave me a birthday shot of the Aguava. What was going to be one drink became a spontaneous ‘birthday party’ at Wet Wendy’s. I enjoyed it very much. I really hated to leave, but we had to return to the ship at 4:30. DW went to the Red Sail and took a plate to the burrito bar eliminating the need for a tortilla and I ordered two BLT’s from room service. The BLT’s would have been good as the bacon and tomatoes were wonderful, but unfortunately the toast was burned ruining the taste. This type of thing has happened several times so we have decided to call this cruise the “Jeckyl & Hyde” cruise. Every time we find something or a task that exceeds our expectations we also experience something very disappointing. We rested and recovered in the cabin until dinner. My dinner selections were the French Onion Soup, Shrimp Cocktail, and Pork Tenderloin. The waiters did bring a cheesecake with candles and sang ‘happy birthday’ for me. That was very nice. After such a busy day we retired after dinner.

Day Four--Wednesday—Belize
Weather was perfect today. We arrived and anchored in the tender area before our 8:00 am scheduled arrival time. We took our time getting around this morning as we have no excursion planned. DW had her room service and I had a very nice omelette from the omelette station located on Lido deck. We did take the tender over to Belize about 10:30 and walked over to the city before returning to the tourist area. A walk outside the tourist area is only for the brave or experienced. We did find the ferry to get to Caye Caulker and it is easily accessible. We had a diet Coke and Belikin beer at the local bar at the tourist dock and picked up a Wifi signal so I was able to check email and make a Facebook and Snooze Cruisers update. We returned to the ship in time for a late lunch. I was able to get two great bowls from the Mongolian Grill – very tasty and my favorite food on the ship. After lunch was movie and nap time in the cabin. Tonight’s feature show was the magician Justin Illusion. For dinner I had a Salad, Pork Chop, and both the Tirimasu and Bitter & Blanc for dessert. We wanted to see Ron Pass in the Piano Bar, but it was much too smoky for me. Very disappointed as both the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Conquest have non smoking piano bars. Just my opinion, but I believe more passengers would participate.

Day Five--Thursday—Roatan

We arrived by 7:30 a.m. but the weather was very windy and we didn’t get docked until much later. It was 8:30 by the time guest could get off the ship, but we were lucky as a Norwegian ship was waved off and had to tender their guests at Coxen Hole. We are docked at the new Mahogany Bay and it is fantastic. It has a two great piers, great shops, a zip line, nice bars, a beach area within walking distance, and so very clean & new. We hired a taxi for the day ($60) from the taxi stand. (Note: If you walk off the Mahogany Bay property I think you could get tours or taxis for a lower rate. There were several there as we left trying to sell tours.) Our first stop was at South Shore Zip Line ($45 pp). It was great with just the two of us, long zip line runs, and a great views of the Caribbean. By the time we finished they were very busy so it was excellent timing. We then went to the Mayan Princess resort located on West End beach. They have a beautiful pool and access to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. (Photo right: steps from pool area to beach area) We got a table very near these steps and enjoyed both the pool and beach. This is one of my all time favorite beaches and you can also snorkel. The Salva Vida beer was very good and it was a very enjoyable day in Roatan. The Past Guest party was held late today in the Amber Palace Theater although we passed on attending. We did attend the feature performance this evening featuring Mr. Thien Fu, an action comedian. He was very entertaining and well received by the audience, you don’t see many standing ovations on a cruise ship. Dinner was one of the best of the cruise. DW had the Vegetarian Lasagna and I had the Fried Shrimp with Plum Sauce, the Penne Pasta, and the Filet/Short rib combination entrée. The pasta was cold and not good, but the shrimp was good and the meat was the best of the cruise. After a long and active day we retired after dinner for TV and cabin time.

Day Six--Friday—Grand Cayman
Another beautiful day in the Caribbean this morning; however, I was rolling around a lot in bed during the night due to the rolling seas. We didn’t arrive in Grand Caymen until 10:00 am. So time for a very good breakfast in the dining room. We have been here many times so we had no specific plans. DW spent the day on deck reading while everyone was gone and I went over to Georgetown just to get a Wi-Fi connection and check email. If you set in one area of Margaritaville you can pick up a signal so along with my Margaritaville unlimited soda glass ($8.95CI) I was set for several hours. I returned to the ship and order BLT’s again for a snack, but it was almost three hours before they were delivered. The Platinum Petit Fours were delivered so that helped. We decided to eat in the Red Sail restaurant tonight and they had Chateaubriand so it was a good choice. A very nice waiter brought some horseradish so I was happy with the choice. For dessert I had a great Mousse consisting of white chocolate and mocha. It was the best dessert of the week. We also had a nice visit with the assistant Maitre’d. After dinner we went to the 2nd big production show: Just Rock featuring the Glory singers and dancers. I loved the show, it was fast paced with rock songs and dances from the 1950’s to the 1980’s.

Day Seven--at Sea
We had perfect weather for our final day at sea. DW had her room service and I went to the dining room for a very nice breakfast. We had some cabin time and I worked on some things for next weeks cruise. We took a table far aft on Lido for the day. I was able to catch up on the reading I brought and watch the beautiful Caribbean waters as we sailed. My timing worked to be able to get a bowl from the Mongolian grill for lunch. It was great. The lines were not quite as long as it was very busy at the Burrito Bar, the regular buffet, and the very popular Chocolate Buffet. We enjoyed the outdoor weather from our table the rest of the afternoon as well. We had our final dinner for the week in the Platinum dining room. For dessert I had the Grand Mariner soufflé and a fruit plate. After dinner we had not received the liquor that we ordered earlier in the week and usually delivered on the last night. Sure enough it was being held in housekeeping as we were on a B2B. On previous B2B cruises they had always delivered it, but I understand the reasoning. I just cancelled the order and they credited it back to my sail account. I then just went down to the shop and purchased what I wanted off the shelf as your allowed to carry it with you on the last night. Note to self: Just wait until last night to purchase in the future.

Debarkation--Sunday
We were docked by 6:45 am in Miami. They started allowing the self-debarkation people off just about 7:30 a.m. and calling regular debark starting with zone 1 by 8:00 am. They were completely finished by 10:30, Jorge said it was a new PB (personal best) for Glory. I had a nice leisurely breakfast in the dining room

Ship
The Carnival Glory is a Conquest class ship so we are very familiar with the deck plans. It is a very nice ship and the theme is Colors with each public room having a different color theme. The lobby areas have a multi-color display using led lights and panels. IMHO it is not as nice as the Carnival Conquest as far as overall art, décor, and theme, but again I am prejudiced towards the Conquest.
The ship was very clean and has the recent updates such as the Seaside Theater and very nice Serenity area.

Cabin
We have cabin 9203 a category 4-J facing forward on Lido deck. The window opens to a small deck and a forward view. The cabin floor plan is more square than the usual rectangular shaped cabins. The cabin has an oversized bathroom, a double bed, only two closets (three is the norm), card swipe safe, flat screen TV, refrigerator (never used), and hair dryer. We found the cabin to be warm and not easy to cool even with the window drapes closed. A long walk to the stairwell and elevators, but I needed the exercise. Mr. Wi did a very good job maintaining the cabin for us and his towel animals were picture perfect. There is more movement with the far forward cabins.

Entertainment
We enjoyed the production shows very much. Thien Fu was very entertaining. Chaz, the magician, from South Africa, came by our table every night and did a trick or visited. We didn’t see all the comedians in the new Carnival Comedy Club shows, but their shows were very popular. Timothy the solo singer I met in Key West is very good. The Reggae band was a two member group and sounded great on deck. The other musical groups performed throughout the ship with a wide variety of music.

Food
Our dining room was the Platinum Dining Room located aft on decks 3 & 4. We had a small table for two on the upper level. We prefer the lower level, but wanted to try the small table experience. The food was very hit & miss, some items were great and many were very weak. Overall I thought that the breads were the weakest link and that the desserts were not comparable to other Carnival ships. I don’t think they trim their meats adequately or not what I am used to for sure. I found a lot of fatty parts especially in my Reuben sandwich, beef tips, pork chop and most everything from the carving station. I did discuss this with Florian the Lido Maitre’d. The cookies were always good, the shrimp dishes were some of the better entrees, and the salads were wonderful. There are several ice crème and yogurt machines on Lido deck.

New
The Miami TV stations are a welcome change from the Denver stations. There was good recognition from crew once they see your Platinum card. The bar servers would call you by name or you get a ‘welcome back’ and a smile from other crew.

Needs Improvement
I found the ship to be half a bubble off plum. As mentioned we called this cruise the Jeckle & Hyde cruise because every time we find something or a task that exceeds our expectations we also experience something very disappointing. Examples: burnt toast on BLT’s, cold burritos, cold potatoes at dinner, the Reuben Sandwich that was the worst I have ever had, and other situations as well. I feel there were a lot of new crew and perhaps a lack of full training and honestly perhaps not yet a full grasp of the English language. Of course my Texas accent was something new for many I spoke with this week. Worst of Cruise: I will never again take a cruise without first checking the vacation schedule for schools in the area or region I am sailing. There were really too many children on board than I prefer on a cruise, over 600 on this one. They played in the glass elevators, swam in the adult pools, and ran unsupervised throughout the ship.

Cruise Highlights
For me it was the production shows, dining room breakfasts, and the ports of call.

Hoping for a better second week.

Voyager of the Seas Review 1.9.2011

2011-01-16T23:25:00.003-06:00

Voyager of the Seas Review 1.9.2011

Just The Facts
Ship: Voyager of the Seas
Dates: January 9-January 16, 2011
Captain: Frank Martinsen
Entertainment Director: Casey Pelter
Ports: Galveston-Roatan-Belize-Cozumel-Galveston
Weather: Good

This is my 15th Royal Caribbean cruise and 6th on the Voyager of the Seas. We booked this cruise very early in order to get our favorite aft cabin on deck seven. My uncle and cousin booked just a few weeks prior and got a nice inside cabin on deck six.

Day One--Sunday--Embarkation
We left the Ranch at 6:19 a.m. We are driving my uncle’s new GMC Acadia SUV and it is very nice especially since it will be raining most the way to Galveston. The weather turned cold as a cold front came through, but we will be ahead of any freezing weather. We had a nice, but slower drive to Galveston and Houston traffic was fine. The weather was better as we reached Galveston Island as the rain had already passed through. Rough for the people debarking earlier I’m sure. We arrived at EZ Cruise Parking about 11:35 and it was very empty, all the cars had already been cleared from the previous cruise. I later discovered that the Voyager arrived very early in port as Captain Frank wanted to beat the cold front to Galveston. We used the EZ Cruise shuttle from the parking lot to the pier. Since the ship was early the early arriving passengers had already boarded and it was a smooth process at check-in. We were aboard about 12:40. We first went to the Matre’D to get our dining assignments changed and as it was then close to the time that the cabins become available we just took our roll on bags to the cabin and refreshed. Amazingly DW’s checked bag came to the cabin right away although mine did not. We then went up to the Windjammer for lunch. The salads were very good as usual and I had the roast beef from the carving station. The roast beef was the best I have ever had on a cruise buffet. It was cooked all the way through yet still moist and tender. It was very very good. Hopefully a good sign for the rest of the cruise. We found our relatives and visited with them and new friends before touring the ship. Boat drill was about 4:15. You do not take your life jacket to the muster location. Your muster station is now prominent on your sea card so the crew uses that to assist passengers to the proper location. It was chilly as the temperature topped out at just over 52 degrees and you do muster on the outside decks. I wonder what they do if it’s really raining. We met our cabin Steward, Mr.C, from Nicaragua. We requested ice for our small cooler, robes, and for him to be on the look out for my bag. I’m beginning to suspect that it is being held. We sailed away just after 5:00 but it was too cool for the outside decks, we watched from the balcony for only a short while. We did go the Diamond Lounge for a few glasses of wine and met new friends. Dinner starts 15 minutes later on the first night and we met our party at our table in the dining room. Dinner was very good. I had the Vidalia onion tart, Tortilla tomato soup, the Pork medallions, and Savrin for dessert. The onion tart was exceptional and the pork very good. We saw our favorite head waiter from our 21 days aboard last year, Peter, who is now the Anytime Dining room manager and several other familiar faces. The ‘Welcome Show’ was at 10:00 pm in the theater, but we retired early.

MISSING BAG: By the time of our wine cocktails, I was sure that my bag was probably in the ‘naughty room’ so I made some queries. I have had to retrieve it there previously, but there was usually only a dozen+ bags in the security office and not a big deal. I was not prepared for what seems to be the new standard operational procedure. The new ‘naughty room’ is set up in the conference center and there had to be 400+ bags in there (later confirmed). I had to queue up in a line to retrieve the bag then proceed to a search area. I could tell when they found vodka in the mouthwash bottle of the person in front of me that it was a detailed search. I had eight coke bottles and this time a little contraband Capt Morgan. I was told your only allowed six bottles of coke, but they did let me keep it. They would return the contraband to your cabin on the last night of the cruise unless in was in an unsealed bottle. Here we had a bit of a controversy as I have used that same small pint plastic bottle of Capt. Morgan since 2007 and on 20+ cruises so technically the cap was unsealed. I preferred not want to lose that bottle, nor the contents secondarily, it was like a friend. Since they knew I wasn’t going to fully cooperate on that point and the fact that I did have the bottle shrink wrapped they agreed to return it. That was fair. I did look around to see what contraband had already been placed in huge luggage holders. It was about 50/50 as to being returned or destroyed. One person had checked 15 cases of water, that’s a bit extreme, not sure if any actually contraband in them. Most of the people in line had received a notice to show and collect their bag, but I received no notice in my cabin that they were holding my bag. However that problem could have been due to my cabin steward. FAIR WARNING: they are very closely inspecting passenger bags for contraband.

Day Two--Monday--at Sea
Cool this morning, but Captain Frank said we would be ahead of the cold front by the afternoon. DW ordered her usual Room Service breakfast in bed and I had breakfast in the Diamond section of the Carmen Dining Room. They now have a set breakfast menu with a feature item that changes daily. I had the special, a crab cake benedict, a unique eggs benedict type dish with a poached egg on a crab cake with hollandaise and asparagus . It was very good. I attended the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle at 10:00 in the High Notes Lounge. There was a fair crowd and it’s always nice to put real names to screen names. They no longer serve good appetizers, but they had juice, coffee, and small finger sandwiches. Three from the entertainment staff did attend and had a little raffle. This gathering is not near as nice as a few years back. There was a little cabin crawl and we did get to see a ‘hump’ balcony and mini suite. After a nice Windjammer lunch, Roast Pork on the carving station, we had some very nice balcony time until it clouded up in the late afternoon. The Captains reception was this evening although we passed on attending. We did have wine in the Diamond lounge before we went to the Captains Gala Dinner. We met the Maitre’D and he is a very nice man and an asset to the ship. He was also impressed that I brought my own cocktail fork. I try to remain civilized. We had a wonderful dinner: Shrimp Cocktail, Escargot, Lobster Bisque, Seafood Brochette with scallops and shrimp on a monkfish, and the Filet Mignon with horseradish. For dessert I had the Baked Cherries and the Maitre’D sent some Hearts of Palm. No more Grand Mainer Soufflé, but the new dessert, Chocolate Soufflé with Espresso Custard is very good. This was an excellent dinner, one of the best ever on a cruise ship. The meat again was very good, the new chef does make a difference. There were a lot of passengers in the sports bars and promenade watching the BCS football championships, but we attended the late production show, Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme, in the La Scala Theater. This was also our first time to see Casey, the Cruise Director, and he seems very nice. The show we have seen a few times, but we still enjoy it, all the singers and dancers were very good. We retired to the cabin after the show. It was a long and fantastic first day at sea.

Day Three--Tuesday—Sea day
Weather is much better today. Midday temperature is 82°. I had breakfast in the Windjammer. DW had her room service and I again had a very good breakfast in the Carmen Dining Room. I forgot the name, but the special was an open-faced omelette with peppers, onions, potatoes, and bacon. We had some good balcony time before lunch. One of our favorite places on the ship is the Promenade Grill. They have the best sandwiches and well as cookies, pizza, and coffees. Our favorite sandwich was a Brie & Dried tomato on a wheat baguette with sunflower seeds. The four-cheese on focaccia bread was also nice. We had a nice afternoon buffet on the balcony. The Headliner Showtime was before dinner and featured The Unexpected Boys a tribute to Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons. We really enjoyed the show and it was a completely different cast from the last time we saw it on the Voyager. Dinner was again very good. The Maitre’D again sent Hearts of Palm. I had the Duck Pate, Indian Chicken Soup, Black Angus Steak, and a nice crusted Tilapia. We sampled several desserts: Apple Pie, Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, and a Fruit Pillow. After dinner we retired early to the cabin for some TV and rest.

CALL FROM CAPTAIN: After embarking I wrote a note to Captain Frank telling him about my 90 year old Uncle who was traveling with us and his Navy service during WWII. My uncle was at every major campaign in the South Pacific, including seeing the flag raised on Iwo Jima. He served as a radar man and his duty station was on the bridge so I thought if possible a bridge tour would be a great surprise for him. About 10:00 am Captain Frank called me in the cabin and said he would arrange it. My uncle, cousin, and I met security at 4:00 pm and we were escorted to the bridge. We were given a very nice and detailed tour and especially of the radar. Radar certainly has changed. Thank you Captain Frank.

Day Four--Wednesday--Roatan Island, Honduras
We arrived by 8:00 a.m. and the weather was fair although you really can’t see the mainland today. We are docked at Coxen Hole and over the years we have watched the dock area improve. The new little development on the pier is finished and does improve the looks and use of the docking area. I had a nice breakfast in the dining room and DW her breakfast in bed. Our waiter Bonneventura was working the dining room and came over to ask me if I knew a Mr. Pancake. I knew then that he must have spoke to Mr. Peter as that was my nickname from my 21 days on the Voyager (see previous Voyager review) last year. I ordered a pancake and it came with some nice bananas in it - not the norm. I admit the pancakes were much better than last year. This was a long running joke on my previous Voyager cruise. DW spent the morning on the balcony reading then hit the pool and I went to the pier to look around. I saw my cousin and we decided to try the zip line as there is now a zip line operator, Jungle Top Zip line, just a few minutes walk from the pier. It was my first time and a lot of fun, but more work than I anticipated with 18 lines so there was a lot of platforms to negotiate. There were also several very crude rope style bridges to cross between stations. After finishing the zip line we went back to the ship for lunch in the Windjammer. Very nice Roast Beef in the carving station. We saw some friends and they thought they would try the zip line so DW and I went back in the afternoon to Jungle Top. DW and friends did the zip line while I had a few Salva Vida’s at the little bar area. They had just three in their group and it went much better than our larger group that morning. DW really enjoyed the zip line and wants us to install one on our mountain on the ranch. Next time on Roatan we will try one of the other zip operators on the west end that we saw on previous trips. We had a few late tea time Windjammer snacks, the bread pudding is excellent, then after a strenuous day we rested until dinner. At dinner I had the Crab & Shrimp Salad, Jalapeño Potato Soup, Black Angus Steak, Encrusted Tilapia, and BBB for desert. We retired to the cabin to rest some sore muscles after dinner.

Day Five--Thursday--Belize
The weather is cloudy some scattered showers. Slower with our usual breakfast arrangements this morning as we are watching the weather, we are considering the cave tubing. We did board the tender to go ashore about 10:30 or so. Once ashore we made our way to the gate that Yhonny owner of Cave-Tubing.com meets tours. The last Cave Tubing tour bus left, but Yhonny put us in a nice new truck and the driver sped across Belize city and we caught the bus just before it entered the countryside. It was about an hour drive to the National Park. Once we arrived the 12 in our group were given tubes, helmets, and life jacket. We walked a nature trail about a mile crossing the river twice before reaching the entrance to the cave. I did sample some termites from a nest in a tree. They actually taste like mint. The water was cool, but not bad, the weather was also cloudy and cool so it was about the same. We entered the water and soon entered the cave, the cave being a lot longer than I anticipated. There are interesting formations and a few openings to daylight, but many places it was totally dark. The lights helped, when the water was shallow a ‘butts up’ warning was given. I did jump from the cliff into the river at the take out point so I was soaked. After the tubing we had a Biliken beer, diet Coke, and two tamales. The trip was fun and interesting, but not sure I would do it again. I really wanted to experience it since so many recommend it for Belize. Cave-Tubing.com is a very good operator and I do recommend them. We arrived back at the tourist area and had a look around the area outside the tourist area before heading to the ship tenders. It’s about a twenty minute tender ride from shore to ship depending on which tender you use. We went straight to the Windjammer for tea time snacks, when they made an announcement about the Ice Show. Since I was the only one in our group of four that had not seen it I went to the final show. I had a great front row seat. The show was the same show that have seen several times, but I enjoyed it and performers. The production show, Music in Motion was tonight, but we did skip having already seen it. We now have a different set of sore muscles to rest. Dinner was again very good. Our servers are just wonderful. I had the Scallop Risotto, Garlic Soup, Black Angus, Shrimp, and Tiramisù for dessert. DW had the vegetarian entrée: an Asparagus & Brie Tart which is their best vegetarian entrée in her opinion.

Day Six--Friday—Cozumel
Weather was cloudy and very windy today. We docked about 8:00 am. at the International Pier next to the Freedom of the Seas. There were six ships in Cozumel today including one of our favorites, the Conquest. I had another good dining room breakfast while DW had her room service. Due to the weather we had no big excursions planned, just an afternoon in San Miguel. We left the ship about 10:30 and took a taxi ($7) to town. We saw our friend Nelly at her new shop Caribbean Angel. She still has the Mayan Pearl shop too. Nelly said the previous day was the coldest day of the year in Cozumel. I had my hair cut at Antonio’s Barber Shop in the new location. Martin has been cutting my hair for over four years. We walked around the square then headed over to La Candela one of our favorite spots. We had some fresh Guacamole, a Quesadilla, a Margarita, and some Bohemia cervezas. We them went over to Wet Wendy’s to check on their progress. The bar is open and looks great. Even on a cool day they were serving a lot of frozen margaritas. We met Chad, the owner, and he is a sharp young man, formerly in the cruise business. I think they will be very successful. We sampled one of their signature huge margaritas (see photo) a pink flamingo I believe it was called, it had mango, strawberry, & coconut flavoring. It was great. We will return in February and this summer will be back and check some of their evening specialties. I think Wet Wendy’s will be successful and could become a BIG deal. The weather got a little better as we headed back to the ship. We did get to the Lido in time for the Bread Pudding and Scones. I had an appointment with the Loyalty Ambassador / future cruise desk at 6:00 and made two parallel bookings for existing bookings. The past guest reception was this evening in Cleopatra’s Needle and the entertainment in the La Scala Theatre was Gary Muleshoe. We skipped both, but cousin & uncle thought Muleshoe was the best show of the week. We have seen him on previous cruises and he is very entertaining. This was the second formal night and dinner was very good. I had the Ziti with Marinara Sauce, Hearts of Palm, Black Angus Steak, Lobster, and Cherries Jubilee.

Day Seven--at Sea
We had been sailing into a brisk north wind most of the night, but by morning it had calmed. Sunny today and our aft balcony is perfect as it blocks the wind. The Carnival Conquest has been following us since we left Cozumel and we can clearly see it from the balcony. It is Chocolate breakfast day in the dining room. You could get chocolate éclairs, donuts, cakes, chocolate pancakes, hot chocolate, chocolate milk shake, and more. What I sampled was very good. DW had her usual room service breakfast this morning. We watched a movie and worked on debarkation paper work in the morning. We had snacks in the Windjammer, they had ham on the carving station, also Boston Crème Pie in the sweets section. We had more balcony/cabin time until it cooled in late afternoon. I also needed to catch up on this review and notes as we have been busy this week. They did return my Captain Morgan bottle that was confiscated on day one. We went to the Farewell Showtime which featured the Orchestra, CD Casey, and comedian Milt Abel who was very funny. Dinner was again good. I had the Cesar Salad, again with Hearts of Palm, Shrimp Cocktail, Onion Soup, NY Strip steak, and Key Lime Pie for dessert. After dinner we returned to the cabin to pack.

Debarkation--Sunday
We were docked by 6:45 am in Galveston. Captain Frank likes to get in early. No room service on debarkation morning, but a full breakfast menu in the dining room. They started allowing the self-debarkation people off just about 7:40 a.m. It was really fairly smooth considering how many people are using it. We rolled our bags to EZ Cruise parking and were on our way to fill up and head north. Gas was $2.86 in Galveston, and we crossed the bridge about 8:45 a.m. arriving home about 1:00 pm.

Ship
The Voyager of the Seas has become one of my favorite cruise ships. I actually like it better than the Rhapsody that it replaced three years ago. With a large ship there are a lot of people and the pools can be very crowded during peak times and the elevators are always full, but the additional size also means that there is room for the photo gallery, casino, bars, etc. without any one of them dominating an entire deck. Most of the bars and public areas are now smoke free as well as the casino on formal nights. The Grand Promenade is very impressive indeed and must be experienced.

Crew
The staff and crew are very good. Our waiters were excellent. The bar staff all very friendly. I really enjoyed the new Maitre'D. We really got to see a lot of him as he was filling in for the head waiter in our area. Might as well have the boss! A different ships officer visits the Diamond club each evening, that is a nice touch.

Cabin
We have cabin 7388 a corner aft on starboard side. It is one of our favorite cabins on a cruise ship. The room is a standard size, or actually slightly smaller, but the balcony is one of the largest on the ship. The cabin was very clean when we boarded. Never used the refrigerator. The safe has a button key pad. Air worked well. A long walk to the stairwell and elevators, but I needed the exercise. Our cabin steward was good, but we didn't get all our mail I suspect, nor our Diamond gift and I think he was the weak point.

Food
Our dining room is the LaBoheme, deck four the middle level of the 3 level restaurant. It was table 444 a six top table for the four of us with a nice view of the beautiful chandelier. Our waiter was Bonaventure and assistant was Ryan both from the Goa India area. Both were very good. Overall the dining room food was exceptional this cruise. The new chef does make a difference. The bread is very good and they serve a different specialty bread in the dining room each evening. The Windjammer is excellent. Best buffet at sea IMHO. Room service was always good and prompt. Johnny Rockets was a good alternative for lunch or afternoon snack. Lunch in the dining room has the same menu each day with one special item that does change daily. There are several ice crème and yogurt machines. Room service is great.

Cruise Highlights
Dinner & Service in the dining room, Ice show, and the Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme production show.

Needs Improvement / Texanization
I really have no complaints or concerns at all. Texanization: They have done a very good job. They now do a great job with ice. They have added mustard, jalapeños, salsa, ranch dressing, etc. They have now even added Fox news. Too bad that the Voyager will not be returning to Galveston next year. We will have to Texianize the Mariner.

Comments
They really seem to do a very good job of scheduling the entertainment and production shows then coordinating them with the various receptions, and other events. We were busy all week. We will miss the Voyager as she will be changing U.S. Home ports next year.

Overall a fantastic cruise!!

We are booked on the Mariner from Galveston for next January!!

MSC Poeisa Review 11.1.2010

2010-11-12T12:59:00.032-06:00

MSC Poeisa Review

Just the Facts:
Cruise: MSC Poesia 10-day Southern Caribbean
Date: November 1-10, 2010
Captain: Giacomo Romano
Cruise Director: Anna
Weather: Very Good
Ports: Cozumel, Mexico—Puerto Limon, Costa Rica—Christobal, Panama—Cartegena, Columbia— Montego Bay, Jamaica

This is my first cruise on MSC, an Italian cruise ship operator, and many of my comments will be comparisons to more U.S. oriented cruise lines. There are a lot of differences.

Day 1--Monday November 1—Embarkation
We left the ranch about 7:00am to begin our new cruise adventure. We drove to Austin’s Bergstrum airport via FM roads, SH36, I-35 and toll road arriving about 9:30 am. This was perfect for our 11:00 am flight on Southwest Airlines. We like this very easy to maneuver airport and it will be an option for us on future travels. The flight went well and we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale about 2:40. After retrieving the bags we proceeded to the shared shuttle kiosk and arranged a shuttle ($11 pp) to Port Everglades. We were actually the only ones on the van and arrived at the MSC terminal in just a few minutes. The check-in went smooth as we were behind the initial crowds and we were on board by 3:30. We were very pleased with the travel taking just over eight hours from doorstep to ship.

Upon boarding we went directly to the cabin and dropped our carry on bags. We then went to the buffet as we suspected it may close soon. We just made it as it does close at 4:00 pm. We had a light snack: the roast beef, salads, and four cheese lasagna were excellent. We now needed to orient ourselves to the ship. It is very different from many cruise ships as there is no central focus or atrium area, but a series of smaller spaces. This is very different to us and an interesting concept. We took a quick walk around the lido deck then went back to the cabin to settle. Soon they delivered our checked bags (very quick service). They began announcing boat drill about 5:00pm. You still have to wear your life jackets and proceed to the muster area on this ship. We unpacked our luggage and familiarized ourselves with the cabin. It is a very nice balcony cabin on deck 9 and is very nicely decorated in dark blues and wood, a very classy look. There are a lot of drawers (not shelves) small sofa, and other little amenities that make it a premium cabin. The layout is nice with the bed on the entry/toilet side and the sitting area on the balcony side of the cabin. I like the layout much better than most cruise cabins. We had a short rest, reviewed the deck plans and Daily Programme then off to explore the ship before dinner. With no large central area the standard lounges are very large and the large lounges are huge. There are shops scattered on the deck between lounges and it really has a very good traffic flow. We really liked the Zebra lounge (photo right) decorated in zebra print and African motif. The Del Poeti lounge was also nice. Both lounges feature live entertainment. We were supposed to sail at 7:00, but didn’t get away until after we had gone to dinner. We have late dinner in the Il Palladio dining room. All the food is Italian and features a different region of Italy featured each night. An information card is on each table explaining the unique foods of the region. They also have two always available menus, one American and one Italian. Tonight was food from the Milan area of Italy. We mixed our choices from two of the menus and from the always AA menu: a Mediterranean Salad, Fruit, and Pasta Pomodoro, from Milan I had the Encrusted Pork Chop (excellent-and it had a much fancier Italian name) and the Marscapone for dessert. They also have chocolate and a different flavor of Gelato each night, tonight was banana. The gelato was just OK, but the Marscapone was the best I have ever had. They do have a premium gelato stand and I will sample that soon. There were no shows or events this evening, but all the lounges were very busy. After dinner we retired to the cabin for needed rest after such a busy day.

Day 2--Tuesday November 2—at Sea
It was smooth sailing overnight and we slept very well. I would have been late to breakfast, but the ships time changed overnight so we are now on Texas time. DW had room service and I ate in the Le Fontane dining room. They have a wide selection of items in the dining room, but the room service is very limited with only pastries, juices, and coffee. I had Eggs Benedict with bacon and potatoes. Very good, but very different. The ship activities are more traditional. No hairy chest contests or such, but Trivia, Italian lessons, Shuffleboard, etc. A bit more refined I would say. The lounge chairs around the two swimming pools filled early. The lounge chairs themselves are different with a small upper tent/shade to cover your face. We found a spot on the shady side this morning and enjoyed a nice breeze. We usually do a buffet lunch when on a cruise, but because of the reputation of the food on Poesia we had lunch in the dining room. A good choice as it was very good. They have a standard everyday menu for lunch with a daily special that changes. You can order just about any combination of pasta and sauces. I had Penne Pasta with cherry tomato sauce. DW had Mozzarella sticks with marinara. On the daily menu was a very nice grilled Sirloin Steak. The Gelato flavor today is mint, and it was better than the banana. After lunch DW found a spot on deck and did some swimming and had some deck time reading. The pools are fresh salt water and very comfortable. I explored some more of the ship and had some cabin time. We have had an excellent view of Cuba all afternoon. Our balcony is on the correct side of the ship to watch as we sail along the Cuban coast. Obviously MSC has a different relationship with Cuba as no other cruise line I have sailed has ever been this close to the island. The western portion of the north Cuban coast is very mountainous. We thought we would sample the room service. The room service menu is very limited compared to some cruise lines, but what we tried was very good. We ordered an egg salad sandwich, tuna sandwich, fruit platter and of course an antipasti plate. It took about half an hour for delivery, but a good option for late afternoon snack. We had some nice balcony time with our snack and watching the Cuban coast until it disappeared as we entered a rain cloud. We broke through the rain and clouds just in time for beautiful sunset. The feature show for second dinner seating begins at 6:45 in the Carlo Felice Theater (photo) and tonight was Euphoria. It was a very visual show and enjoyable. This is the first Gala or formal evening with a Gala night menu in the dining room. I had the Shrimp Cocktail (very nice with large shrimp), Shrimp Risotto (just OK), and the Prime Rib with Baked Potato and vegetables (very good). For dessert I had the Peach Melba. DW had an excellent Crepe with julienned vegetables, one of the better vegetarian dishes she has had on a cruise ship. We retired after dinner to watch election results on the cabin TV.

Day 3--Wednesday November 3rd—Cozumel, Mexico
The seas were calm overnight and weather is very nice. We arrive early in Cozumel and docked just after 8:00 am, well before our scheduled 9:00am arrival time. There are six cruise ships scheduled for Cozumel today so it will be busy. The ship’s Daily Programme said local time was one hour later so we thought we get off early and go San Miguel to take care of some business and beat the crowds. We soon found out that the local time was one hour earlier. Perhaps something lost in the translation? We took a taxi from the pier ($7) ending up in San Miguel an hour before Antonio’s barber shop would open. First stop was the 7-11 for our first diet coke in a few days. We soon did see our friend Nelly next door to the 7-11 opening her new shop, Caribbean Angel. She has nice paintings, pearls, and purses among other things especially jewelry. If you visit say hello from Ray. She can also direct you to places to see on the island and has even been an unofficial liaison for Americans stranded on the island. While DW visited and shopped I went to the Internet shop ($1 an hour) while waiting for Antonio's to open. Soon afterward I saw Martin, my barber, on the way to the bank. It has been a while since my last haircut so we exchanged greetings and planned to meet when he opened. I got a great haircut and Martin showed me the new location he will move to next month. He has cut my hair for almost five years and I will see him again in January. We had heard a lot of internet chatter about Wet Wendy’s a new margarita bar that I knew was near Nelly’s and she took us over to visit. They are remodeling with a very nice bar and an open air concept just off the main square. We met the owner and they will have reopened by the time I post this review. I look forward to visiting her in January and sampling one of her 20+ favors of margaritas. With our shopping and business finished we wanted to spend the day at a beach club. We were trying to decide between the Money Club and Buccanos and decided on Buccanos since DW was there just two weeks ago, I wanted to see it, and mainly because they have a swimming pool (photo at right). We took a taxi ($7) to Buccanos located north of San Miguel in the Zona Hotelera norte. The location is at the old hotel Caribe, but the hotel has not reopened since hurricane Wilma. All the open air restaurant areas and beach facilities are restored and very nice. They have a beautiful private beach and a designated snorkel area. The large freshwater swimming pool is very nice with good showers and view of the water. There are a lot of cruise excursions that visit here for either rock climbing or the snorkeling and I saw cruise ship towels from RCCL, Princess, and Carnival. I had a wonderful swim in the Caribbean and the pool. We ordered guacamole and chips and had a few beers and margaritas. Overall it was a wonderful afternoon. We took a taxi ($15-I thought too much) back to the International pier about 3:30 pm and looked at some of the shops and bought some diet coke on the way back to the ship for our scheduled 5:00 pm departure. We ordered some fruit plates and antipasti plates from room service and enjoyed some balcony time with a view of Cozumel and the Grandeur of the Seas docked next to us. Based on my contrarian cruise theory we went to lido to swim in the main pools while most were preparing for early dinner or sail away. There were only a very few in the pool and it was refreshing from the local heat and humidity. While we were in the pool they began to play Con te Partirò (Time to Say Goodbye) and I knew what that meant, sail away. Italian ships may not leave on time, but they do leave with a dramatic flair! After the song they began 3 long horn blasts that were returned by two of the ships docked near us (and I suspect with Italian crews). Very cool. We were docked next to a Costa ship once on a sail away and they played Time to Say Goodbye as they sailed away, but it was great to experience it on your own ship. Bravo! Show time was again at 6:45 and Extraordinaire was another good visual show with a few songs in this performance. Tonight’s region in the dining room is Sorrento and it is also Italian Day on board. I had a Mediterranean Salad and combined two entrees into a single. One entrée featured Sorrento Meatballs and another Fettuccine Alfredo and the waiter was able to make a Fettuccine with Marinara and Meatballs (excellent). Just what I was wanting for Italian Day! Sorrento is known for it’s Limoncello so the waiters make a presentation with the Limoncello Delight desert and sang some Italian songs. After dinner we went to the Pigalle lounge to watch some of the Mr. Italy contest, but retired soon to the cabin.

Day 4--Thursday November 4th—at Sea
Smooth seas overnight and the ship is sailing much faster than previous days. I had a nice dining room breakfast. The eggs seem to be true to order and not overdone as you find on many ships-no keep warm lamps I’m guessing. A new friend at our dining table is a Travel Agent and arranged for a tour this morning. We were able to see a suite, a handicap cabin, and an interior cabin. All very nice and the interiors have all the same amenities that other cabins including mini refrigerator and hair dryer. All the cabins are very well done. We looked to booking an excursion for tomorrow, but it was sold out. We had lunch in the dining room: Fried hearts of artichokes (different and good) Fucille pasta with tomato & mushroom sauce (very good), and a veal in mushroom sauce with rice. We had some rest full cabin time most of the afternoon with a lot reading and blogging. The show this evening was mini Italian opera called Grazie Maestro featuring music by Puccini. The soloists were tenor Aurelio Gabaldon and soprano Rosita Tassi Certainly not a show you would see on any other line than MSC. The regional Italian food this evening was from Florence. I had the Soup, Pasta Pomodoro, and a chicken dish with regional spices (good) and a very good Tiramisu for dessert. DW had a very good Cannelloni with three cheeses. We had a late walk on deck and some Gelato from the premium Gelato stand at the Mojito Bar before turning in for the evening.

Day 5--Friday November 5th—Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
The seas were calm overnight with a few more rolls than previous nights. We arrived about 9:00 am and it was foggy and misty early, but cleared during the morning. We were able to meet a private tour group from GreenWay Tours I had contacted by email before leaving and join the group for the day. We had a very nice small bus, a small group (13), and a good guide and driver. First stop was a jungle station for a ride in a jitney pulled by a tractor through the jungle and up a mountain. We saw a lot of plants and wildlife including Sloths and Dart Frogs (photo left). We also walked an elevated walkway for an up close look. Next stop was a banana processing facility. Costa Rica is the worlds 2nd leading exporter of bananas and this particular facility was a Del Monte unit. Next stop was a boat trip on the Tortuguero canals where we saw birds, butterflies, sloths, and monkeys. Following the boat ride we had some local fruit: pineapple, mango, and watermelon. We returned passing the beach area and dropped off next to the ship and the market area set up inside the terminal area. I wanted a bit of the local flavor and we ventured into the town of Limon area for just a few blocks. It was rough. They did have a serious earthquake in 1991, but the town is really third world. We returned to the area within the terminal, to look at the stalls and then returned to the ship. The show this evening was “Sam” as in Uncle Sam and featured American songs and dance, including a few from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The Italian region tonight in the dining room was Roma. I had the Roman style egg drop soup, Risotti with meat sauce, the Veal entrée, and Roman Pie for dessert. Probably the weakest menu of the cruise.

Day 6--Saturday November 6th—Cristobal, Panama
Weather was the same as previous day, cloudy but the rain held off until sail away. I had a dining room breakfast this morning as we were in no rush today. We really only just wanted to see the Panama Canal so didn’t want to do a tour. We hired a private taxi to take us to the Gatun Locks (photo) and we were able to see a couple of ships go through the locks. It was very interesting and certainly the thing to see if in the area. After the locks we got a quick tour of Colon, not impressed. Some friends went to Panama City and said it was nice, others said the Portobello tour was not good. Glad we kept it simple today. After returning to the port area and the adjoining shopping center we found a grocery and stocked up on diet coke and some snacks. I also got a new Panama Hat from one of the shops. We were back on the ship in time for lunch in the dining room. We did some swimming after lunch, had some cabin times, and tried to watch some NCAA football as only one TV channel carries American sports. The show this evening was Stars on Broadway. This was also the second Gala night and gala dinner menu. I had the fried shrimp, Italian Salad, Fettuccine Alfredo, Beef Sirloin (sliced) entrée with potatoes and vegetables, and Peach Helene for dessert (all good). DW had Pumpkin Rissato (very good) and Cheese Lasagna. We had a walk around ship and checked the lounges before retiring to the cabin.

Day 7--Sunday November 7th—Cartegena, Columbia
The seas were smooth overnight and we arrived in Cartegena early. We had breakfast in the lido buffet before leaving the ship and we dressed for hot weather. The humidity was very high and it was very hot even for us. There is a short walk to the cruise terminal (walk it as it is a waste of time to wait for the shuttle). Booking an individual tour here is very easy and fairly cheap ($20-30 pp) but in addition to the sites agreed upon you have to visit their emerald and souvenir shops It’s a good inexpensive way to see sights, but operators then have a captive audience. Our plan was to spend the day in the ‘Walled City’ or the old town so we took a taxi ($10) to the Plaza de los Coches (photo-right) the clock tower entry. The ‘Walled City’ is a designated historical area with very old colonial buildings, churches, museums, shops, restaurants and plazas. Plaza de Bolivar has the famous equestrian statue of Simon Boliver. We really had a great day going at our own pace. We really liked the St. Pedro Claver Church & Cloisters Museum (photo below), the Oro (Gold) Museum, and the Café San Pedro. The mojitos from Café San Pedro (photo below-yellow bldg) were very good and the coco pie (like a southern pecan pie, but with coconut) was very unique and very good. Some of the shops were closed as it was Sunday, but most opened at noon. The downside of the area is the number of peddlers pestering you see their merchandise. There are some with little displays on the ground on blankets that were fine, but the ones walking and following you around offering: free tours, T-shirts, etc. were annoying—They should clean that up or it will spoil a beautiful atmosphere. We went back to the ship about 3:30 pm and by chance had the same taxi driver. The cruise ship terminal is really one of the nicest I have ever seen. It’s very clean with beautiful trees surrounding, it also has: a gift area, a display of exotic birds, a small emerald museum, rest rooms, café, and duty-free area. To cool off we went to the pool on lido deck. It was refreshing, but got busier as more returned to the ship. We stayed on deck for sail away so we could hear the Italian sail away with flair! They actually sailed very close to on time and gave another salute when they passed the statue of Cartegena in the harbor. Back to the cabin to prepare for the Italian show in the theater. It was Cuore Classico Italiano with highlights from famous Italian operas. For us, this is a very different show and very entertaining. Dinner featured items from the Palermo Region, I had Fried eggplant lasagna , Fusilli pasta with tomato & eggplant (an entrée I had as second course), Chicken Marsala as the entree and Cannola stuffed with riccotta for dessert. This was the best of the regional menus, all items very good. This was a long day with a lot of walking so we retired soon after dinner.

Day 8--Monday November 8th—at Sea
Calm seas with just enough roll for a nice nights sleep and we did sleep late. The weather is very good, sunny skies with a few scattered clouds. We had an advance copy of our account status under the door this morning a good idea as you can not review on the TV. They do charge $12 a day for gratuities which is higher than other lines. We did a small buffet breakfast and we did a walk on deck. Cabin time for me this morning and DW did a line dance class on lido deck. We had a very nice late lunch in the dining room (veal cutlet). They had an afternoon show in the theater with classical Italian music called Music Forever featuring the soloists and classical trio. The regular 6:45 production show was Atlantis, the show was very colorful and featured the dancers, a soloist, aerial acts and more. The Italian region tonight at dinner was Polairmo, I had the Stuffed Zucchini (good), a Pasta with a pesto sauce (not so good), a veal entrée (just OK), and a lemon sorbet for dessert. A very easy and restful day.

Day 9--Tuesday November 9th—Montego Bay. Jamaica
Weather was typical for this week: cloudy and nice. We arrived in Montego Bay very early and they were disembarking by 8:00 am. I had breakfast in the dining room and DW had some items from the buffet. This was to be our ‘stay on board day’ that we now like to do on cruises, but we did go down to the terminal area and little village next to it. Nothing really to see or buy and we returned to the ship. We were the only ones in the pool for quite a while and that’s a benefit of SOBD. DW continued to swim, but I did go back on shore in order to use free internet as long as the battery lasted on my laptop. When I returned we went for a late lunch in the dining room (fish & chips) and then nap time before sail away. We went to the top deck to watch the sail away from Montego Bay. From there we could see that they pushed away just as they began the aria Time to Say Goodbye, then the three blasts from the ships horn. Very cool and the last time we will experience it this cruise. We didn’t attend the welcome party, but did attend the Farewell Cocktail Party. They served complementary drinks in the Zebra lounge and we discovered a new drink: a pinky-pinky. The Captain and officers toasted the passengers before the production show. The show, Follie Barock, was the best of the cruise with another eclectic show with the dancers, and various acts. The highlight was when the soloists sang Time to Say Goodbye and were then joined by all cast members and entertainment staff. This was also the final Gala evening, the third of the cruise. It was the best menu of the cruise as well. I had Spring Rolls, Greek Salad and a Surf & Turf of lobster and filet mignon steak. All were very good. The presentation of the Baked Alaska brought back experiences of cruises long ago. They were the old fashion flaming Baked Alaska and the waiters marched then through the dining room. (I didn’t see any carried on the head though) It tasted very good too. I was a fun evening.

Day 10--Wednesday November 10th—at Sea
It was a cloudy morning and seas were rolling, class two waves, they said at the morning announcements. Not too bad really. I had breakfast in the dining room, sampled the pancakes and they were good. If you have read some of my reviews it can be hard to find good pancakes at sea. The weather cleared and was very nice. We got a table on lido deck (lucky) and DW did some swimming and I used the internet as this was a ‘hot spot.’ I did finally purchase a internet package (100 minutes is $30) and you get a cable to have access in your cabin or you can find a ‘hot spot’ somewhere on the ship. We can again easily see the north coast of Cuba. We actually came right across the far eastern tip, but it was early in the morning, but we sailed along this part of the coast for 8+ hours. We had lunch from the lido buffet, they have a fresh pasta each day and a carving station. After lunch I used the balance of my internet time from the cyber café, the best ‘hotspot’ I found. The production show was highlights of previous shows, I think they ran out of shows on the ten day cruise. The region for our final dinner was Venice. I had a Fruit Plate, Pasta Pomodora, and the Pot Roast. Also the final Gelato and Lemon Sorbet. After dinner we packed.

Debarkation
We choose early debarkation and were told to meet at 7:00 am in the Zebra lounge and that was about the time we docked. We made it there about 7:10 and as we suspected there were not that many using early. It really went very well and we were off the ship by 7:40 a.m. We took a taxi to the airport ($18 with tip) and was there in just a few minutes. From the airport we could see the new Allure of the Seas dock. Our flight was at noon so we had plenty of time. We arrived in Austin, found the truck in remote parking and drove home to Bosque County.

Ship
The ship was built in 2008 and has a passenger capacity of 3600. There is no large central entry or point of focus in on the ship other than a small three level staircase atrium at reception. There is a series of larger lounges that are the main public areas. The dining rooms are similar with no central area, but a series of smaller spaces on a single level. Decks 5-6-7 have the public lounges, dining rooms, shops, etc. The Villa Pomppeiana or lido buffet is similar to most cruise ships. The public rooms and areas were all very well done with a lot of marble and pleasing colors. The Zebra Bar was our favorite. There are a lot of elevators with five sets. We had a daily announcement at 9:30 am. each morning. There are not many announcements (I like fewer), but when they do them they are made in many languages.

Cabin
We had cabin 9161 a category-10 balcony on Ungaritti deck. It has a nice couch and small sitting area. As mentioned the sitting area and dresser are on the balcony side of the cabin and the bed is towards the bath and closet. It has a standard three door wardrobe, one section is all drawers. Also in the cabin: robes, a very good hair dryer, number keyed code safe, drawers-not shelves in dresser, mini-refrigerator, flat screen interactive TV, two prints on wall, and a large floor to ceiling mirror. The bedding is not up to par with Carnival or RCCL, but adequate. The cabin lights are unique, you have to insert your key card into a slot by the cabin door in order for the lights to work. It also tells the cabin steward if the cabin is occupied. There are NO American television stations although some individual shows are on International channels.

Entertainment
The production shows such as Euphoria, Extraordinaire, and Aquarius were very visual shows with colorful costumes, dance, juggling, unicycles, balance beam, aerial acts, knife throwing, contortionists, etc. to cater to a multilingual audience. They usually had recorded music, but it went very well. The principal soloists, already mentioned, are very good and featured in all the Italian shows. They were very consistent with a production show every night (for those of us on late dining from 6:45 to 7:30 pm). The primary live musical acts were a three piece classical group and a three piece Italian folk group. The theater is very nice with large plush individual seats. The beautiful lounges had other musical groups or singers each evening.

Food
The dinners were very good. I have listed common names for the selections I made, but the menus had a beautiful description of all the dishes each night. The regional Italian menus are a wonderful idea. Since we weren’t familiar with all the Italian dishes and we wanted to try new things some of the dishes were hit or miss as far as liking or disliking them. It was fantastic experimenting with the various dishes. You could get a steak every night from the always Italian option on the menu if you wished. The buffet was fine, but not as good as many cruise lines due to fewer choices and limited hours. In fact the buffet is not open on Gala nights. I was told that room service was very prompt with coffee orders in the mornings. We used room service a few times and it was quite adequate. The off time snacks were sandwiches and PIZZA. The pizza was excellent. In fact all the bakery items were excellent, the rolls, the muffins, the croissants, and there was a different type of bread each night. This is a Pepsi ship, no coca-cola products. Ice Crème machines are located on lido deck and available most of the day. Drink prices seem to be less than other lines. The DOD (drink of the day) was about $5-6. You could also buy drink coupons for wine, beer, or cocktails and save a bit.

Ports
Our favorites in order: Cozumel, Cartegena, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica.

Final
After re-reading this review it may seem that I am being critical on some points, but I only wish to emphasis differences from a European based line and an American based line. Not necessarily saying one is better than the other. A cruise on a non-American line may not be for everyone, but after sixty previous cruises we really enjoyed the differences and new things to experience. We would not hesitate to cruise MSC or the MSC Poeisa again. I would love to see an MSC ship in Houston's Bayport facility. Our favorite Italian phrases we learned: Ciao (chow), Cin Cin (chin-chin, a toast), and Keepa Go!

Carnival Ecstasy Review 10.21.2010

2010-10-26T13:00:00.007-05:00

Carnival Ecstasy Review 10.21.2010

Just the Facts:
Cruise: Carnival Ecstasy-4 Day Mexico
Date: October 21--October 24, 2010
Captain: Andrea Viacava
Cruise Director: Brad Calabrese
Port: Cozumel, Mexico
Weather: Very Nice

I didn't personally participate in this cruise as this was a family GIRLS cruise for the wife, daughter, sister, nieces, and grand nieces. This was DW's 12th Carnival cruise and her first time on the Carnival Ecstasy. Nine in the group in three cabins on Empress deck.

DW and DD drove to Galveston and parked at EZ Cruise Parking. They used the parking shuttle to transport themselves and bags to the Terminal arriving about noon. The others in the party flew into Hobby airport and used the Carnival Shuttle to arrive at the Terminal. They had a wait at the airport until they could board the 1:30 shuttle and didn't arrive at the terminal until 4:00 ish. The Carnival airport transfers are $30 pp each way and a private limo may be better. Whenever possible I recommend driving to Galveston for a cruise. The parking at EZ Cruise is fair ($35-55 depending on cruise) and you have a choice of using a shuttle or walking. It's just so much harder on passengers when flying into this port.

Cruise
Most in the group were newbies to cruising so DW helped them along with advise, but basically all were on their own. They all attended the Welcome Show and all enjoyed the cruise director, Brad.

Dinner was in the Windstar Dining Room and they had a round ten top table. The waiters were good and they all enjoyed the dining experience. A big hit was the ice creme machines. A few really took advantage of the complementary ice creme and Room Service.

Most attended each production show and comedy show and they really enjoyed them. The shows were: Xtreme Country and Dream Voyage. The comedians were: Chris Wiles and Carl Faulkenberry. DD won a 'ship on a stick' playing trivia.

The younger ones really took advantage of the new WaterWorks park area of the Ecstasy. DD loved the neon theme of the ship, DW not so much. (I like the neon--I told them to watch the changing colors) Their favorite crew members were: Brad the CD and Miljan the bar server (I don't think they got THAT many drinks though).

Four days is a short cruise, but a good introduction. I bet this won't be the last GIRLS cruise.

Cozumel

The weather was typical for Cozumel: warm, humid and scattered showers. DW arranged to get a van for the day (smart move) and the group went to Buccanos Beach Bar & Grill located on the Playa San Juan beach area of Cozumel. This is the area north of San Miguel know as Zona Hotelera norte. Buccanos was very nice with a great beach, swimming pool, clean facilities (important to the ladies), showers, lounge chairs, etc. They had a great time and the food in open air restaurant was very good. The restaurant has been in the same family for many years and well known for their Mexican and Caribbean menu. After leaving Buccanos they all stopped in San Miguel for some shopping and of course to see our friend Nelly. She still has the Mayan Pearl, but has also bought a new place closer to the square (next to the 7-11) called Caribbean Angel. The girls loved it and bought pearls (all she had), handbags, and other jewelry. I believe Nelly was very happy to see this group.

The van worked very well for a group of ladies as they had a place to leave bag's, etc. and knew they would have transportation an driver when needed. I believe the charge was $150 (+ tip) for nine people for the day. A good value IMHO.

Carnival Paradise Review 9.6.2010

2010-09-15T02:06:00.012-05:00

Carnival Paradise Review 9.6.2010

Just the Facts:
Cruise: Carnival Paradise-4 Day Baja Mexico
Date: September 6--September 9, 2010
Captain: Domenico Cilento
Cruise Director: Jeff Bronson
Hotel Director: Keith Bunton
Ports: Catalina Island, CA, Encenada, Mexico
Weather: Cool in mornings and Beautiful

This was my 22nd Carnival cruise and 1st cruise on the Carnival Paradise.

Day One Monday Embarkation Long Beach California
No travel for this cruise as we stayed next door to the Carnival pier at the Queen Mary Hotel. You can see how close the two are to each other in the photo. About 11:00 am we rolled our luggage over and checked them and went to the VIP building. The embarkation process was much smoother than the Splendor the week before. We received our sail & sign cards and went down to the terminal entry about 11:30 and boarded soon afterward. We have a few friends on this sailing so it will be good to see familiar faces. First impression is very good, a beautiful lobby area perhaps the nicest of the Fantasy class ships. We were on Lido deck eating lunch before noon a big change from the week before. I was pleased to see a Mongolian Grill so ate there first before the other guests discover it. It was excellent. Cabins were to open at 1:30 so we went down to our cabin on Empress deck. It is my favorite deck on a Fantasy class ship as it’s the same level as the gangway, close to the lobby bar, and only a deck below the dining room. The Port Talk was at 3:30 so we attended that and got to meet Jeff the Cruise Director following the presentation. I’m not always keen on boat drill, but since we don’t have to drag out life vests we did attend. It was painless. After boat drill I had to go to the ‘naughty room’ to claim my luggage. It did have two bottles of tequila that we bought in PV on the previous cruise. Didn’t really think about it and wasn’t planning on drinking it as I had them rolled up in dirty clothes for the return. They took them and I’ll see them on the last night.

While passing the lobby bar I spotted a bartender with a familiar face, it was Maria from Romania. I sailed last with her on the Carnival Elation in October 2006 just after she won her employee of the month award. She remembered me as well and some of my drinks. She is a good bartender, but I may not see as much of her as I don’t drink like I did four years ago. We then had some cabin time and watched the movie Last Song. After the movie we went to the dining room for our first experience at AnyTime dining. We arrived about 8:00 and had a short wait before being seated at a table for two actually located in the regular dining section. (1/3 of the room was set aside for AnyTime) Our waiter was Vevik from India and his assistant Christian. They were excellent and a great change from the Splendor last week. I had a Shrimp Cocktail, the Fried Shrimp, Barley Soup, and the Pork Chop. All the food was hot when served, silver taken and replaced as needed and a good dining experience. The Welcome Show featuring Cruise Director Jeff Bronson was at 10:15 pm. in the Normandie Lounge.

Day Two Tuesday Catalina Island, California
A nice morning with cloudy skies and calm seas. I had a very nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict in the Elation dining room & DW ordered room service as usual. After returning from breakfast I caught CD Jeff’s Welcome Show from the previous night. About 9:00 am we met our friends for our trip to Catalina Island. This is a tender port and you are dropped at the pier in the center of Avalon. We rented a golf cart and had a nice 3 hour tour of the Avalon area and a stop at the local museum located in the casino building. I’m not sure if it was ever actually a casino, but a multi use facility serving the island. The views of the port area and Avalon are post card perfect. We did some shopping, had lunch, ate some very good ice creme, and did some people watching. The beach isn’t really much to look at, but adequate and as the sun came out several were taking advantage of the little beach area. We tendered back to the ship and while going up the gangway, DW lost one of her favorite bracelets. It belongs to Natalie now. We watched the Paradise sail away from Catalina and the sunset from the aft deck, it was pretty. This is elegant night and it is even more casual than it was on the Splendor. I saw few jackets worn by the gentlemen. We went to dinner earlier and by fortunate chance we were able to get the same dining table and wait staff. For dinner I had the Shrimp Cocktail, Pumpkin Soup, Stuffed White Mushrooms, and the Shrimp & Lobster. After dinner we attended the first production show Eight More Seconds. It was a Country/Southern music theme and very well done. The dancing was outstanding. We had just a few weeks ago attended a performance of “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and they performed the Aggie Boys dance from that show, it was Fantastic! The NEW comedy club performances started tonight and they had three shows, two for general audience and one ‘R’ rated. They will repeat later in the week.

Day Three Wednesday Ensenada, Mexico
The seas were very calm overnight and another cloudy start to the day. I had another full breakfast in the dining room, it was very good. We were docked early, but didn’t leave the ship until about 10:00 am. They have a shuttle you can take into town for $3 or you can walk. We took the shuttle and decided to book a tour to La Bufadora with the shuttle company. It was $15 pp and you ride a bus about 50 minutes to the site. The seas were calm so the water wasn’t going that up that high at the blowhole, not like the photo on this day. A flea market of Mexican crafts line each side of the road from the parking lot to the actual site. This was very interesting indeed. We had nice lunch at a local restaurant before returning to the bus for the trip back to Ensenada. We were dropped off downtown and we made our way to the famous Mexican cantina Hussong’s. The cantina has been open since 1892 and holds Baja California liquor license No. 2. They are supposedly the birthplace of the margarita. It is a very nice and clean place. We had a great time at Hussong’s with our friends. Just looking at the bill as I’m writing this and it looks like we had 29 margaritas, 4 cervezas, and 1 agua for $1155.00 pesos. Sounds like a fun time, but really the glasses are smaller than most bars. Lot’s of Mariachis come by to play and interesting people as well. Great place. We did some shopping and took a taxi back to the ship arriving about 9:00 pm. The Paradise looked great all lit up at night. Once on board, straight to the cabin & bed.

Day Four Thursday at Sea
The best nights sleep of the trip. Ten hours and really woke up feeling surprisingly well; however, the cabin was a mess and the poor towel animal was crushed. I wonder why? I had another good dining room breakfast to start the day. The ship is traveling at less than 1 knot and really didn’t move much the entire day. We found our Hussong friends on the Promenade deck and between the four of us we were able to determine one train of consciousness or recollection of the previous evening. Yes we did have fun. Weather is best of the cruise so many are taking advantage of outdoor activities. People are having Fun. For lunch I had a nice salad from the Lido buffet and later in the afternoon a very nice BLT from room service. We attended the Farewell Party in the Normandie Lounge in the early evening. Watch for these events as they are really not publicized that much in the Fun Times newsletter. We went to dinner about 7:00 and they saved our usual table for us and I appreciated that very much. The waiters were very good and Christian was the vocal star of the dining room when the waiters performed. For dinner I had the Crab Cake, two Shrimp Cocktails, Onion Soup, the Short Ribs, and Apple Pie with ice creme for dessert. All very good. After dinner we went to see the final production show: Shout! in the theater. It was even better than the first show. Very high energy and non stop dancing and action. Excellent!! After the show we attended the comedy club located in the Queen Mary Lounge and saw Lance Montalto. He was very funny. This was the adult show so it was very different as he had comments about many nationalities, but fairly presented. When we returned to the cabin, the liquor had been delivered, so we were ready to start packing and get some rest.

Debarkation Friday Long Beach, California
I was up early to pack and get a final dining room breakfast. It was good and I again made it each morning for breakfast. When I returned to the cabin I turned on my cell phone as I had hoped to call American Airlines to see if it were possible to get an earlier flight. Within just a few minutes my cell phone rang and who should it be calling me? American Airlines. They said our scheduled flight was overbooked and would I consider an earlier one. Of course I said yes, and guess what? We also got upgraded to First Class. Woo-hoo--just what we wanted. We then hurriedly finished packing, put our Group 1 luggage tags on and headed out while they were still doing self debarkation. We got off the ship easily and headed to the Carnival airport shuttle buses. The trip home went very well.

Ship
Ship Stats: Built: 1998, Tons: 70390, Passengers: 2052, Speed: 19.5, Length: 855, Beam: 103. The Carnival Paradise is the last of the Carnival Fantasy Class ships built. The ships decor and theme is other cruise ships and there is more wood and faux wood in the decor. The public rooms are named for other cruise ships. I like the look and style very much. The ship is very clean and the crew seem to take great care in maintenance.

Crew
Our Stateroom Attendant was good. He kept he cabin clean and usually had ice for us. As mentioned the wait team was outstanding. They really restored some confidence in Carnival training as we had poor waiter experiences on the previous two Carnival cruises.

Cabin
We had cabin E82 an Oceanview on Empress deck. It is an average sized cabin. The safe is a card swipe, no hair dryer, flat screen TV, one electrical plug on the wall next to the vanity/desk, robes, two section wardrobe, small chair, and the usual. No refrigerator. Carpets and furniture all clean. We had our beds split as it allows for much more floor space.

Food
We did the AnyTime dining and enjoyed the wait service so much more than the previous cruise. The Mongolian Grill was great, the BLT’s from room service are great, the salads in the buffet are wonderful. I think the food was much better than the Carnival Splendor. DW's tip: Get a bowl of ice creme or yogurt from the machines on Lido deck and sprinkle with sugar coated almonds or walnuts from the chocolate buffet. Makes a great topping and unique dessert.

Weather
The weather was very good. Some cloudy mornings and clear in the afternoon.

Platinum Perks
The check-in building at the pier was very nice. We didn’t use the laundry service. I did use my Slot tournament entry and we did request escort for the Catalina tender.

Personal Comments
As with the previous cruise I had never sailed this ship nor visited these ports so I wanted to experience them. It was good to combine the two cruises into one trip, I feel better about the overall experience.

Cruise Highlights
The food and the production shows were the highlights by far. We loved both ports although they were very different. I really enjoyed this short 4-day cruise.

Carnival Splendor Review 8.29.2010

2010-09-12T00:37:00.000-05:00

Carnival Splendor Review 8.29.2010

Just the Facts:
Cruise: Carnival Splendor-Mexican Riviera
Date: August 29--September 4, 2010
Captain: Giorgio Pagano
Cruise Director: John Heald
Hotel Director: Renil Kuruvilla
Ports: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, & Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Weather: Beautiful

This was my 21st Carnival cruise and 1st cruise on the Carnival Splendor.

Day One--Sunday-Embarkation-Long Beach California

When traveling for a cruise holiday it is best to arrive a day before debarkation to acclimate yourself and allow for any potential travel problems. As we were traveling west and gaining time we chose to travel on debarkation day, but this made for A VERY LONG DAY. We left the ranch before 5:00 am in order to make our 8:30 a.m. direct flight from DFW airport to LAX. The 3 hour flight was very smooth and we arrived, having gained two hours, about 10:00 am local time. We had not purchased Carnival airport/pier transfers, but saw the Carnival representative and arranged for the transfer ($26pp) on site. This was very convenient and certainly the way to get to the ship if flying into LAX. We were dropped off at a designated area in front of the check-in and able to check bags directly with the waiting porters. This was a very easy process. We proceeded to the VIP building and checked in for the cruise, a great system for Platinum and suite guests. Boarding was scheduled for 1:30 much later than other Carnival cruises from other ports. The embarkation process does not seem to be as smooth as other ports, but most of the people were very friendly and helpful. The weather was very pleasant as we waited outdoors with others until the terminal opened. The time passed quickly after we were spotted by other Snooze Cruisers from the Cruisemates roll call. It's great seeing your friends before you even board. Many of them had stayed on the Queen Mary so walked over to the cruise terminal for embarkation. After boarding the wedding parties and handicap the VIP guests boarded just before 1:30.

The first thing we noticed upon entering was the décor: PINK everywhere. We headed direct to the Lido Buffet as we were both very hungry, it was well past lunch time in Texas. I have always enjoyed arriving early at the buffet so that you can appreciate the presentation of the food and the buffet lines looked very nice. The food and choices were very good. I had roast beef and a nice green salad. Of course I had to also get a bowl of beef and vegetables from the fantastic Mongolian Grill before it got too busy so I had a very nice buffet lunch. The room itself follows the general pink theme of the ship and I did like the small Venetian style glass bulbs. Cabins were to open at 2:30 so we went down to our aft cabin and it was available although some were still not ready. The cabin location is our favorite on deck 8 aft, but it is a bit different than the Conquest class ships. The balcony is covered which I like very much and the interior is better as well so we are very pleased with the first impression. DW had a nap and I went to the Internet Café to ask a question. Teryn Francis, from South Africa, is the manager and very very helpful (and cute too). She is more accessible than I have found on other ships. I then went to the Liner Bar on Lido deck aft for the usual Carnival sail away drink of the day, a Funship Special, and to visit with friends in our group and roll call. Boat Drill closed the bar at 4:45 and the safety drill was well done by CD John Heald. As with the recent changes you did not have to retrieve your life jackets from your cabin before going to your muster stations. After boat drill we received our luggage and met our cabin steward so we were able to settle into the cabin. We are fortunate to have two adjacent extended balcony cabins that we are able to use for a nice sail away party. It was beautiful weather, perhaps even cool to us Texans and we had a nice sail away from Long Beach. With so many beautiful sailboats, large pods of dolphins, friends, cocktails, and the sunset, it was a fantastic sail away. One of the best I have experienced.

We have late dining in the Black Pearl Restaurant. It is a very beautiful room but I’m still not used the pink decor. Our group has two very nice tables in the center of the room and share the same wait team, just as we requested. For dinner I had the featured Tomato Soup, Sweet & Sour Shrimp, the Grilled Tilapia, and Soufflé for dessert. The Welcome Show featuring John Heald was at 10:30 pm. in the Spectacular Theater but being so tired we retired after dinner. It was an enjoyable, but very long day.

Day Two--Monday--at Sea
A beautiful morning with cloudy skies and the sea was fairly calm. The plan was for this to be a relaxing day at sea. I had a very nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict in the Gold Pearl dining room & DW ordered room service as usual for our first day on a Carnival cruise. The California crowd seems to eat later as it was not busy before 9:00 am. and they were still serving breakfast as late as 11:30 am. in several places on the Lido deck. After returning from breakfast I caught CD John Heald’s ‘Morning Show’ and he prominently mentions Cruisemates and our little Snooze Group on board. Very nice. He later sent gifts to all. We set out to explore the ship and look at all the public rooms. I still haven’t quite caught the grasp of the overall theme of the decor. It is a very interesting ship for sure. I had a Rueben sandwich for an early lunch and visited with friends. Around 3:00 the clouds broke and it was beautiful and sunny the rest of the day. Passengers took advantage and the pools were packed. The aft pool is designated for adults only. I had a great nap in the afternoon and a nice balcony party during cocktail hour. Everyone in our group received some very nice gifts from John Heald the cruise director and the champagne extended the party. Thank you John! This is Elegant (formal) night and the Captains reception was this evening on the Lido deck. For dinner I had the excellent Pumpkin Soup, Stuffed White Mushrooms, and the Shrimp & Lobster. After dinner we attended the first production show: The Beat. It was very good and featured a variety of dancing and musical styles. After the show we saw many of our group dancing at the Oceanview (casino) Bar so we joined them for a while. The musical acts they have around the ship all seem to be very good. I hope to see them all. This was the first night of the NEW comedy club performances and they had four shows, two for general audience and two ‘R’ rated. I think this will be a big success. I will catch some of the acts later. Our cabin was a welcome site so we moved the cute doggie towel animal and ‘hit the hay’. It was a relaxing, but busy day!

Day Three-Tuesday-at Sea
The seas are very calm and we have perfect beautiful weather today. I slept a little later and had another full breakfast in the dining room. Still not busy after 9:00 am. I explored more of the ship discovering the Serenity (adult) deck on deck 12 forward. They have padded lounge chairs, lounging areas, and a bar. It’s a bit noisy from air exhaust or intake fans, but there are some quiet areas away from the fans to catch sun away from the busy pool decks. We had lunch at the Rotisserie that features Grilled Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Macaroni & Cheese, and select Salad fixings. This is designated group shirt day. Everyone purchased shirts or blouses in the same Hawaiian print, red with white hibiscus. Passengers do a double take when they see so many dressed in the same shirts. It also got some special attention and favors from ships staff. The afternoon was ‘party time’ as our group had their private cocktail party in the Grand Piano Bar. We had a great time posing for photos, visiting, and keep our bar server very busy with cocktail orders. Following the private party we attended the ‘past guest’ party in the Spectacular Lounge. Our cocktail server from our private party saved us seats in the lounge and already had our cocktails ready and waiting when we arrived for the show/party. I must say they have really improved the complementary h’orderves and there were plenty of servers to assist the full house. They had the orchestra and a production singer perform and CD John Heald recognized our group during the show. Following the past guest party we had a photo session with John. Since it was by then almost time for the second scheduled ‘past guest’ party most stayed for that one as well. I have to admit there is some gap in my recollection as to what we did the balance of the day. I know there was a Mojito special at the Oceanview bar. I do recall: everyone in the group had on the same shirts at dinner, and the sun down was beautiful. We move time forward one hour tonight.

Day Four--Wednesday-Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Another great nights sleep and again calm seas and nice weather. We arrived at our first port on time and I had a great breakfast omelet in the dining room and allowed the anxious pax to rush off the ship. Since we had a big excursion planned for the evening most in our group decided to taxi into PV and walk the Malecon. First stop was the beautiful old Church of Our Lady of Guadeloupe. We then proceeded down the Malecon stopping for samples of tequila, looking at shops, and just enjoying the stroll with a wonderful view of the sea. They have interesting statues and monuments along the way. We ended at Diamonds International so that the girls could get their local port charms. We returned to the ship, but before boarding DW and I visited the local Walmart located across the road from the cruise ship terminal. It was fun and I bought some spices for home cooking and diet coke for the cruise. Very handy, and I know the crew members love it.We were back in time for a nice late lunch in the Splendido (Lido) Buffet, the Pork Cutlet and the Baked Ham from the carving station were very good. Just enough time for a wee nap before the big excursion.

At 4:00 pm we met for our Rhythms of the Night evening. We boarded tenders to travel across Banderas Bay to Las Caletas, former home of film director John Huston. This is a beautiful location only reached by boat. We had eleven in our group and they had a nice table prepared for us and a wonderful Mexican buffet dinner. We had choice of two wines, several mixed drinks, or water. Food items included: several salad choices, guacamole, pico de gallo, grilled Jalipenos, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, grilled vegetables, potatoes, rice, beans, tortillas and much more. After dinner choices included: Mexican coffee (add your own Kahlua), flan, rice pudding, coconut pie, chocolate cake, brownies, fruit, cheese and more. After dinner there was time to explore the grounds before the ‘big show’. The show itself is very interesting with the natural stage built in the jungle and natural Mayan style temple as backdrop. The semi-historical theme of man & nature included a lot of dance, music, drums, and fire. There was even a comedy bit as a pre show. On the return the crew of the tender did a dance show. It made the 40 minute trip across the bay go by quickly. We arrived back at the ship just before the 9:30 pm. sail away. We had to take advantage with a late sail away party by having another champagne balcony party complete with our own magical lighting.

Day Five-Thursday-Mazatlán, Mexico
The weather was again very nice over night and during the day. Hot, but not as humid. I enjoyed another dining room breakfast as we docked in Mazatlán about 9:00 am. Today we are breaking away from the group to do our own exploring of the interior and Sierra Madre Mountains. When leaving the ship you take a tram to cruise terminal where you will find 100’s of people trying to sell you something. We arranged for a private taxi for the day. On the way out of town we saw he ‘largest shrimp fleet’ in the Americas, the industrial area, and the home of Pacifico beer. Not the best scenery until we actually reached the highway going north into the interior and the rural areas. The two primary places I wanted to visit was Concordia and Copala. Concordia is an old colonial town (1565) with a nice square and old church. This was a nice clean town and a good spot to walk the square, do some banking, visit the Farmacia (got some meds), and a get a coca-cola light. The area is very green as it is the rainy season and the mountain scenery is wonderful. Copola (1565) was originally a mining town as old as Concordia, but so remote it hasn’t changed much in all those years. All the streets are cobblestone including the road into town from the highway. The San Jose church is well over 400 years old. The buildings are colonial and built in the small arroyos with the church at the top of the hill. There are two restaurants, we ate at the most wonderful spot, Chavis. Our table was under a huge avocado tree and the food was wonderful, what we would call Tex-Mex. I had a Mexican Platter and the Chili Rellano was the best I have ever had. Quesidllias, Chicken Taco, Tacos al Carbon, and Guacamole all very good. Some local mariachis entertained while we dined. We visited with the owner for a good while and learned about the recent history of the area. A very small colonial town that has not changed a lot in hundreds of years. Our taxi returned us to Mazatlan and we had a brief city tour seeing the Golden Zone, Old Town, Malecon, and the Monuments. We returned to the ship about 5:00 pm. The rest of the group had a great adventure, but I’ll let one of them post about that one on this thread when we return.

Our group had another great sail away party from the balconies, we are making progress on the 24+ bottles of champagne we have (as a group). We went straight to dinner from the sail away party, I had Farfalle Pasta with Chicken in creme sauce, the Neptune’s Delight (scallops & shrimp in creme sauce), and a wonderful Grilled Pork Chop. Bitter & Blanc and Tiramisu for dessert. After late dinner was the Guest Talent show and the opportunity to hear John Heald’s infamous ‘Bedtime Story’. Quite a famous routine in the Carnival cruise world.

Day Six--Friday-Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
We arrived very early as scheduled at Cabo and anchored, but the Captain wasn’t satisfied that we would be able to tender because of high seas so tentatively canceled the port call. However he moved closer towards shore using the lee of the rocks and initially said we would be able to tender from that location and extended port time an hour in order to make up for time lost. However it wasn’t long after that announcement that they then canceled the port call. False hope and of course there are a lot of disappointed passengers. The beach did look to be the best of the cruise and at least we did get a very good view of Lands End, but that’s it for Cabo. Time now for a proper breakfast of fried eggs, et al in the dining room and a morning movie. I had time for some posts and to check my ship account and I did purchase another future Carnival Cruise certificate. They added ship activities and bands on the Lido and Promenade decks during the day. The lunch venues were very busy, but DW ate at the Burrito Bar and I had a selection from the Grand Buffet. The Southern Fried Chicken and the Roast Beef from the carving station were very good. The pools and most venues were very busy, but I used the day to relax! An in-cabin movie, nap, and cabin time filled the afternoon until our aft balcony happy hour. before late dinner. This was the second ‘elegant’ night and dinner was good. I had Escargot, Broccoli Soup, Chateaubriand, and Baked Alaska for desert. DW said her Baked Vegetable Pot Pie was the best veggie dish of the week. The production show was Vroom. It featured popular songs from the rock and roll period. The singers, dancers, and orchestra were great. It was really one of the best shows I have seen on board ship. Very unique costumes from R&R period and of musical groups. The Beatles characters, Kiss costumes, and Queen costumes looked great. We turn back the time tonight before retiring and gain our hour back.

Day Seven-Saturday-at Sea
We tried to sleep in a little later, but with gaining an hour I was still up and around about 8:00ish. Another wonderful Eggs Benedict breakfast in the dining room to start the day. It’s a bit cloudy with time of fog mid-morning. The ship’s fog horn being used a few times. Another in-cabin movie and a Bible study meeting by some in the group to fill the morning. I had the Tandoori Grill for lunch. They have always had an Indian Food grill in a “Taste of Nations” station usually one day in the buffet, but I’ve never seen a dedicated Indian Food venue on a cruise ship. Our group met in the beautiful lobby bar after lunch for a wine sampling. Everyone brought the wines remaining from their wine packages and perhaps a few contraband as well. Several attended a Veterans Meeting that was arranged earlier in the week by some in our group. The pools were all busy as were the shops on board. I had some nice cabin time watching opening week of NCAA football. I had already written my comments about our waiter and discovered that others had the same opinion so tonight almost everyone in the group decided to eat in the Lido other than in the dining room. It was fine, but the last night was probably not the best night to pick to eat there -lol. It was fine food, just not a wide selection. The Legends show was this evening and they delivered the tequila we had purchase earlier in the cruise (WalMart). We picked up a few last minute gifts before retiring.

Debarkation--Sunday-Long Beach, California
We tried to sleep in again as we are in no hurry to leave. I went to the dining room and it was busier than any morning of the week, Everyone came early since they had to leave the ship soon. Good breakfast and I did make it every morning of the cruise. Debarkation was going very slow. I packed this morning and we stayed in the cabin until they announced we had to leave. We met friend on aft Lido and waited until last call as we are staying next to the ship in the Queen Mary Hotel. It was almost 11:30 am, very late for a Carnival Ship.

Ship

Ship Stats: Built: 2008, Tons: 113300, Passengers: 3700, Speed: 22.5, Length: 952, Beam: 118. The Carnival Splendor is only two years old, the second newest ship in the Carnival Fleet. As mentioned the decor is eclectic and dominated by the color pink. It ‘grew’ on me by the end of the cruise becoming a little more welcoming. The ship is very clean and the crew seem to take great care in maintenance.

Crew
The staff and crew for the most part are very good at their jobs and friendly. The entertainment staff is excellent especially with John Heald, Carnival’s senior Cruise Director on board. The weak link was our head dining room waiter, he would be in my bottom 5 of waiters experienced on 60+ cruises. He did improve as he discovered I expected better service. Our Stateroom Attendant, Adi, was fantastic and he had some extra work because of a few parties as well. The room was always neat and clean, the cooler in ice, notices & messages delivered in timely manner, and a very nice man. He would be in our top 3 all time of cabin Stewards. Sylvia, the group services coordinator was very helpful. We had some great bar servers, bar tenders, and our dining table location was exactly as requested.

Cabin
We had cabin 8461 an 8N aft balcony on deck eight. It is an average sized cabin and a nice extended balcony. The safe has a button keypad and there is a hair dryer, flat screen TV, one electrical plug on the vanity/desk, robes, three section wardrobe, small couch, small stocked refrigerator, and the usual. Carpets and furniture all clean. The advantage of the cabin is when combined with the cabin next to it you have a compartmentalize large private balcony area. (the ships superstructure acts as partitions) The balcony is also covered. I like the design much better than the Conquest class cabins in the same location.

Food
We had second or late seating for dinner and we received tables just as requested, so thanks to the Miami office and the Maitre’d, Shane or Mr. ‘Hello’. There were a few new dishes on the menu, but it is primarily the standard Carnival menu. The buffet food was good to very good, the dining room menu was average to good. DW really enjoyed the Burrito Bar, she said it was excellent. The Deli was good as was the Rotisserie. The Tandoori was different and the Mongolian Grill was always very busy. There are several ice cream and yogart machines with vanilla and chocolate flavors. Room Service was good, but sometimes slow. We do use Room Service more when we have a balcony cabin. DW used it for light breakfast every morning. We also used it a few times in the afternoon for snacks or party items.

Weather
The weather was very nice especially considering that we were still feeling the effects of Hurricane Frank.

Platinum Perks
The check-in building at the pier was very nice. We used the laundry twice and it was wash & fold service; fine for undies, socks, t-shirts, denim short, but not cotton shirts, dress clothes, or better items. Had we needed it the priority tender would have been handy in Cabo, but we did not need it.

Personal Comments
The poor service at dinner was very disappointing-enough said. I had never sailed this ship nor visited these ports so I wanted to experience them. Having now sailed them I doubt I would ever repeat. Fine to experience once, but I can cruise the Caribbean, with better ports, much easier. This is a great cruise if you live in southern California and have easy access to Long Beach, but if you have to travel by air I would frankly recommend another cruise. We did have fun, but we always have fun!!

Cruise Highlights
The group of people we sailed with was the highlight for us. John Heald is very entertaining and was perhaps the highlight of the ship. We did enjoy the production shows especially Vroom. Our favorite port was PV our least favorite was Mazatlan (only two we had).

Carnival Splendor & Carnival Paradise

2010-08-27T14:37:00.001-05:00

Hello all

I will be sailing on the Carnival Splendor & Carnival Paradise this next week. The Splendor 29-August sailing and the Paradise 6-September sailing. I will have a night between on the Queen Mary so I am looking forward to experiencing and sailing these fine ships.

I will be posting a daily review on Cruisemates.com that you can follow from the Cruisemates message boards.

When I return I will have reviews and comments for this blog.

Thanks for reading!

Ray

Review--Carnival Conquest--1.17.2010

2010-01-26T12:55:00.013-06:00

Carnival Conquest Review 1.17.2010

Just The Facts:
Carnival Conquest
January 17 - 24, 2010
Captain: Alfonso Verdoliva
Cruise Director: Chris Jefferson
Hotel Director: Marvin Barrantes
Ports: Galveston, Texas - Montego Bay, Jamaica- Georgetown, Grand Cayman - Cozumel, Mexico - Galveston, Texas
Weather: Good all week

This is my 20th Carnival cruise and 10th time on the Carnival Conquest. I sailed this ship in September and October, but on the eastern itinerary. It’s nice to sail the standard western Caribbean route. I am sailing with DW (dear wife) and with the Cruisemates.com Group. I am the host for the group known as: The Snooze Cruise.

Day One--Sunday--Embarkation
We left the ranch at 6:45 a.m. dropped off the dogs at the neighbors and drove with only two stops to Galveston. We arrived at EZ Cruise Parking about 11:30 and rode the shuttle to Terminal 1 to board the Carnival Conquest. I recommend EZ Cruise as your close enough to walk if you choose. We were a little later than normal (for us) and there was a long line for security. Fortunately they now check security inside the terminal so we proceeded on in the building. We were luckier than those at Terminal 2 and the very long lines outdoors to enter the terminal and board the Voyager of the Seas. At least the weather was nice for January. We were on the ship about 12:45 and went to the Cezzane dining room for a nice lunch buffet. The roast beef and salad were very good. Cabins opened at 1:30 so we proceeded to our cabin. We met some of the group who were also on deck 8 and proceeded to unpacked our bags that were delivered quicker than I expected. The double set of VIP luggage tags may have help or it could have been just the luck of the draw. Our group has four of the deck 8 aft balconies so we had our own sail away party on the aft decks after muster drill and sailed close to 4:00 pm. I was originally going to complain about the lack of “Funship Special” cocktails and bar servers, but discovered that there were ‘U.S. Health Inspectors’ doing their annual inspection. They were doing very limited bar service so pre made drinks and embellishments were kept to a minimum until the inspectors left the ship. BTW--the Carnival Conquest received a 99 on the inspection which is an outstanding score. Congratulations. We have the second seating for dinner at 8:15 and we are assigned the Monet dining room. DW was skipping dinner so I went to the Cezzane with her about 6:15 and I had to have a sample. I had a plate of the wonderful shrimp and sweet & sour sauce that I knew would be one of the entrees for dinner. They were fantastic and made for a great appetizer. Our group tables were located aft and not in my favorite area, but that’s basically the norm for group bookings. The company is the highlight. For dinner I had the Tomato Basil Soup, the Flat Iron Steak, and the Cream Brule for dessert. The Welcome Aboard Show was scheduled for 10:30 p.m. It featured the Carnival Conquest Singers & Dancers, CD Chris Jefferson, and comedian JR McCollum. I was very impressed with all the ship venues being full and having a good variety of entertainers during the evening.

Day Two--Monday--Fun day at Sea
I enjoyed a good nights sleep and the seas were calm. I had breakfast in the Monet dining room, my personal standard 1st morning Carnival breakfast of Eggs Benedict, side of bacon & hash browns, tomato juice, milk and grapefruit which were all very good. We walked around the ship and I had some group business to handle in the morning. At noon we had a scheduled group activity. We entered a Cruisemates team in the Super Trivia game. It was great fun and almost everyone participated. We did well but have two more days of competition. We had a spontaneous cocktail party on deck 8 aft cabins in the afternoon. It was great fun and basically forgot about lunch. I later ordered BLT’s and a Ruben sandwich, both very good. A great new change is the appetizer plate delivered to the Platinum guests. This consisted of very nice fresh seafood items and a great improvement. Not sure if it is fleet wide, but new to me since October. It is the first elegant evening and they no longer have a formal Captains cocktail reception with complementary drinks, but offer $1 off cocktails at the promenade deck bars. The Captain was available for photographs for a set time. He did his introductions of staff officers in the Artist’s Lobby Bar. The main production show Point and Click was the primary entertainment this evening. For the elegant night dinner I had the Pumpkin Soup, White Stuffed Mushrooms and the Seafood entrée consisting of Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp. I had the Apple Tart for desert, it was fair. The platinum guest gift was left in the cabin at turn down and it is again the picture frame and a Carnival Conquest pin. This group has a tradition of a ‘Yawning Table’ on Promenade deck for informal late gatherings and did so tonight. Great for people watching and late drinks.

Day Three-Tuesday-Fun Day at Sea
It was a nice morning and the seas were again calm overnight. DW again ordered room service and I had breakfast in the dining room, same as previous morning. I enjoy the service in the dining room and DW enjoys a leisurely start to the day especially when we have a balcony cabin. We had an even larger group show for the noon Super Trivia Game. We scored 29 points the same as previous day and we have a firm hold on third place. It was great fun and the highlight was the butt cheek bingo portion of the game. Yes this is a very different Trivia contest. Members of the group have discovered the new Mongolian Wok and Sur Mer, two of the best places for lunch on the ship. I was able to arrange to have our Cruisemates group cocktail party for this afternoon in Vincent's Lounge, one of my favorite public rooms on the Conquest. We had a bartender and two servers for our group so the cocktails were flowing as fast as the great conversation and company. A great mixer for the group. Following the party we all went to the Carnival Past Guest Reception to continue the party for another hour. Of course a bit of rest was needed for many before dinner. The feature production show this evening was singer Ron Joseph who does Motown and soul music. I skipped, but people in the group attended and enjoyed the show. For dinner this evening I had French Onion Soup, Shrimp Cocktail, the Jerk flavored Pork, and the new Fig dessert for dessert. The waiters danced the Jai-ho, an Indian Bollywood dance that was very entertaining. Tonight they had a Mardi Gras deck party in the bars and on Lido deck, but after all the partying today we retired early.

Day Four--Wednesday-Montego Bay, Jamaica
A very nice nights sleep. DW again had room service and I went to the Monet dining room for breakfast. I had Fried Eggs with the usual. This is to be a stay on the ship on port day for DW, but I’m going into MoBay with several of the group to Doctor’s Cave Beach. We met on the pier and took a mini bus ($5 pp) over to the beach for the day. Admission is $5 and extra for other items as needed, i.e. beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. We staked out a large table in the Groovy Grouper as a HQ and people did their own thing. I had a few Red Stripes, a Yellow Bird, and got in the water a few times. The weather and the company was very nice. For lunch I had their signature Snapper and it was very good. The beach was as busy as I have ever seen it and there were a lot of Europeans there from the Costa ship also docked in MoBay for the day. It did make for interesting people watching. We arranged transport back to the ship by a local tour boat operator. We went directly across the bay and had a great time on our brief time on the water, it was much better than a taxi for sure. We watched sail away from the aft cabins with our friends and time for a room service BLT. The production show this evening was Lady Helevi, Enchantress of the Elements. It is a Carnival produced show featuring a Magician and the Conquest Dancers. The costumes were really unique and beautiful. This is a very visual show, the type of show with little dialogue that will be the future for cruises with a lot of international guests. Although very colorful it is not one of my favorites. Having seen it we skipped and people in the group had mixed reviews, some loving it and others not so much. Dinner was very good this evening, I had a Salad, the Neptune Seafood Dish and the Grilled pork chop. One of the menu changes is that they now have two of my favorite desserts on the same night. The answer to that is you have both so I had a Tiramisu and the Bitter & Blanc. They were both excellent. The waiters again danced what seemed to be another Bollywood style dance. After dinner it’s yawning-table time.

Day Five--Thursday--Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Another good night sleep and good weather today. We arrived off of Grand Cayman by 7:00 am and anchored with three other ships. I was in no hurry as I had nothing really planned for this port so I had another good breakfast in the Monet dining room while DW had her room service. After breakfast I took the tender over to Georgetown to buy liquor and since it went to the new tender station it was next to the new liquor store that I wanted to visit. Georgetown is a relatively an expensive place for shopping; however, liquor is a bargain here. I went early as if you do so they will deliver it to the ship for you. I also got to meet Lucy, the female production singer, while on the tender, she was also on the September and October cruises and a great singer. I was back on the ship before 11:00 am and went to the Sky pool to swim where I found a large number of our group having an impromptu ‘Bloody Mary’ party. Swimming and partying before noon while most passengers are off the ship is quite fun. Since most were off the ship this was a perfect day to do the Mongolian Grill. The crew also know this so there was still a short line. I had the Pork with Szechwan (the hot spice choice) and it was very good. I also had a short visit with Marvin Barrantes, the Hotel Manager, he has been on the Conquest for several years now and is IMHO responsible for the improvements I have noticed in that time. That’s why I like him, he makes changes and improvements as needed. BTW-The Conquest is now No.2 in the Carnival fleet in positive guest comments. We sailed from the Caymans about 3:00 pm and we had another sail away party in the aft cabins. A little bit of cabin time with again BLT’s and a nap. Tonight is the second elegant night in the dining room. The main production show was Formidable. I have now seen it ten times, but still enjoy it very much. This show is exclusive to the Conquest so the only way to see it is to sail on her. The Cancan dance is still my favorite part of the show. Of course I enjoyed watching Lucy as well. Dinner was good. I had the Shrimp Seafood entree as well as the Chateaubriand and Baked Alaska for dessert. I tried to stay up for the yawning table, but made it an early evening.

Day Six-Friday-Cozumel, Mexico
Another good nights sleep. The seas were fine and the weather is great. I went to the Monet dining room for a good breakfast of Fried eggs, et al. since we didn’t arrive at the Puerto Maya pier until 10:00 am. There are four or five cruise ships on the island so there will be lot’s of tourists. Today was the big event scheduled for the Cruisemates Snooze Cruise group, the Cozumel Bar Hop tour. We met at the bus and were soon off to the ‘far’ side or ‘wild’ side of the island. There is no electricity over there so all the bars are unique cinder block and/or palapa style buildings each decorated in their own unique way. First stop was Punta Moreno and they gave us our first ‘shot’ of the day. I followed up with a few Pacifico beers and we enjoyed the high surf and views of the Caribbean as the waves washed ashore. Second stop was Coconuts the infamous bar located on the highest point on the island. Here we had a Mayan liquor shooter and of course a few more beers. There is a lot to see at Coconuts: the beautiful Caribbean water, the unique signage in the bar, the waiters boob books (beware ladies), and people watch. Next stop was the beach at St. Martin and the El Galeon bar. The water and surf were high, but the water felt great. Most stayed in the bar located just across the road. Here they gave a tequila shooter and they do have my favorite Mexican beer, Bohemia, so I had to have a few. Next stop was a brief visit to a scenic overlook of the natural bridges and blow holes along the Caribbean. Before Hurricane Wilma there were more, but it also brought the beach. Nature takes away and adds as she pleases. Final stop was the Rasta Bar. The Rasta has been in its location for years and years. They also make a great shrimp quesadilla. Here the shooter drink was a called an Iguana. I liked it so I tried one as a cocktail as well. They also do a fair mojito, but I liked the Iguana better. They had a little shop to visit or very nice beach chairs and hammocks. Very nice stop for our group. The tour operator customized some of their shirts to add ‘Snooze Cruise’ and that was a great souvenir of this wonderful tour. They had us back at Puerto Maya about 5:00 so there was some time for shopping if needed. Some cabin time and a BLT for me after the return. A wonderful day and very nice to watch the island disappear from site from the aft balcony as we sailed away. We did attend the Marc Ruben show and it was hilarious as usual. So used to seeing him as the Welcome Show headliner, but it was wonderful. The honeymooner he selected did a good job too. I did make dinner, I had the fried Shrimp appetizer and a Green Salad as well as the entrée, a Petite Filet Mignon on a sliced pot roast. On the menu they call it a Filet Mignon on Short rib, but it was really a very tender pot roast style meat. Enough fun for one day, cabin time for rest of the evening.

Day Seven--Saturday--at Sea
Another good nights sleep. A cloudy day, but warm and calm seas. I had my final breakfast in the Monet dining room, the Eggs Benedict. The debarkation talk was held at 10:30 but it repeated over the TV continuously during the day. We had our final day of the big Super Trivia contest and was great fun. Our group really enjoyed it and we won the day big time, but was one point off the overall score. Still a FUN event and was perfect for the group since we were split half and half between early and late dinner. it gave us a great day time event to share. After the game most were off to either the Mongolian Wok or the Chocolate Buffet in the Taste of Nations area of the Cezzane dining room. I had the Roast Beef with a salad in the buffet. A lot of our group met in the Sky pool area although the water is now getting cool. We met again at the aft balconies to try and finish off the last champagne that had been delivered to the group, but the official plan for the day was to meet at the Farewell Party at 5:00 pm. This was the most unique group gathering I have ever experienced. We had great service and had to have set a Carnival party record with at least close to 50 drinks setting on the table at one time. How? First we were able to get a good area with several tables in the Degas Lounge. Then the Beverage Manager came by and told the waiters to take care of this table. Then his boss the Hotel Manager (who we know) came by and told the waiters to take care of this table. Also one of the bar servers who worked our cocktail party (he received a nice tip) also started working our table. Everyone had as many cocktails as they wanted and we were allowed to stay longer, but we are not yet finished. We then met in the private Gallery Room on deck 4 for piano music (provided by one of our members) and more cocktails. Wow, a fantastic Farewell Party. Best ever for me. Dinner this evening was again good, my choices were Salad, Chicken Pasta, and Grand Mariner Soufflé for desert. I didn't attend the Carnival Legends Show after dinner but did listen to the excellent band in the Impressions (casino/promenade area) Bar and had the last meeting at the Yawning Table.

Debarkation--Sunday
They had a 7:00 am meeting time for self-debarkation Platinum members, but the ship was a bit late so we didn’t even go down to deck 3 until 7:30 and it was 8:00 before we allowed off. We were through customs by 8:15 and at the truck by 8:30 am. It could not have gone smoother once off the ship. I filled the truck in Galveston as usual ($2.49 gal.) and was off the island by 8:45 am. We were home at 1:30 p.m. in time to pay the hired hand as promised.

Ship
I have always thought that the Conquest is beautiful and I was very pleased to see it again through the eyes of others in the Cruisemates group. The French impressionist and postimpressionist themes are wonderful. Try to see the video featuring Joe Farcus, the designer of the Conquest, on the ships TV while on board. The crew is very friendly and will greet you. The cabin steward and waiter will call you by name. The new fabrics and chairs in the public areas continue with the theme of the ship and the ship really looks wonderful.

Food
The Cezanne Restaurant buffet food is good, but not great although the salads, fruit, and desserts are excellent. The cookies available on the buffet and room service are very good. There are ice cream and yogurt machines in several locations on Lido deck. Paul's Deli was good, the Rueben sandwich is my favorite and DW’s favorite is the arugula veggie sandwich with Pesto. The Mongolian Grill is excellent. Sur Mer was good, my favorite item is the bouillabaisse. The Sushi Bar is unique and should be tried by guests. The Pizza Station was very good as was the Sky Grill both located on Lido deck aft. Room Service was very good and they have added several new sandwiches, the BLT's are great. Drink prices have again gone up in cost but they have specials each day. The Monet Dining Room food is very good to excellent and much better than the buffet. No entrée changes since October. The waiters do a few dances during the week and it is enjoyable especially the new dances. DW said the Vegetable Lasagna was the best vegetarian dish on the trip. They no longer do the team game announcements in the dining room (yea!) and leave that to the entertainment department as it should be. I have been alternating tables between the two group tables we have for late seating and it is interesting to compare the waiters. One is very good and the other very poor. Interesting.

Cabin
We had cabin 8457 on Verandah deck (deck 8). It is a very nice aft extended balcony and our third time to have this particular cabin. There is a mini bar, safe (card slide), full couch, and hair dryer. The cabin was clean and was well maintained by our cabin steward who also did a good job with my ice. We did get a towel animal most nights. A very short walk to food & drink as it’s below the Cezanne dining room. You get full WiFi in the cabin if your using a laptop computer.

Changes / Needs Improvement
There are not many changes I would recommend now. They have done such a good job as mentioned previously. If you will read some of my older Conquest reviews you will actually see that they have implemented most of the things that had concerned me. Anything now is minor. I would like to see the Fox News Channel as one of the television choices and not so much of CNN. Not sure if this is a fleet wide issue or not, but the Conquest sails from a red state and most guests are not big fans of CNN. One of the waiters this cruise was sub par, but that is very rare on the Conquest or on Carnival and can be corrected.

Interesting / Unique
The magician visited our table in the dining room twice. He is very interesting and unique. People in the Cruisemates group were very impressed with the entertainment on the ship. They do have a good variety now and there was always a choice of entertainment types and styles. The Seaside Theater is a wonderful addition, the movies at night were very popular as were the NFL football playoffs.

This was a really FUN cruise for me. Perhaps the best of sixty cruises, certainly the most FUN. I really enjoyed helping the Snooze Cruisers from Cruisemates and they made it so much more enjoyable for me. I believe we have taken cruising to a new level.

thanks to TC and Phil&Liz for photos

Review - Voyager of the Seas - November 29, 2009

2009-12-17T12:21:00.026-06:00

Voyager of the Seas Transatlantic Cruise Review 11.29.2009

Just The Facts:
Ship & Voyage: Voyager of the Seas-Transatlantic
Date: November 29-December 13, 2009
Captain: Frank Martinsen
Cruise Director: Mike Szwajkowski
Ports: Barcelona, Spain - Cartagena, Spain - Funchal, Madeira - Tenerife, Canary Islands - Nassau, Bahamas - Galveston, Texas

This was my 14th Royal Caribbean cruise and 5th cruise on the Voyager of the Seas. This is the transatlantic leg of a B2B cruise and our first Transatlantic Cruise.

Day 1--Sunday-Embarkation-Barcelona, Spain
This is the easiest embarkation ever as we were already on the ship and because we are in the EU we do not have any local customs requirement to leave the ship and re board as one would have to do in a U.S. port. In fact our new Set Sail cards were delivered to us on Saturday. Unfortunately we do have to change cabins so we packed up and changed cabins about 9:45 am. We were told this would all be done for us, but it really was not. Our new cabin is an interior cabin on deck seven. They scheduled a deep cleaning of the ship due to the norwalk virus scare and all B2B pax remaining on board were asked to attend a movie in the La Scala theater at 10:30 am. We chose to interrupt settling into the new cabin and go directly into Barcelona as a port day. Our plan was to visit the famous Casa Batllo house designed by Antonio Gaudi. We took a bus from the pier to the Barcelona harbor-Port Vell. This is the bottom of the famous La Rambla and we decided to walk and take in the activities, shops, mimes, and people on the Rambla. Arriving after a nice long walk we arrived at Casa Batllo and purchased admission (€16,50) that includes an audio explanation of the architecture and design of the various rooms. Casa Batllo is really a must see on a trip to Barcelona. We continued our walk on to La Pedrera another building designed by Gaudi and also a museum. Here we just viewed the exterior, but visited their great bookstore. We are now a long way from the harbor so we began the journey back and at least it was all downhill. ;-) Having enjoyed eating there previously we stopped at Txapel (Cha-PELL-ah) for Tapas and a pitcher of Sangria. Again it was very good. Now at Catalonia Square, the heart of Barcelona, and the top of La Rambla we again take the boulevard down to the harbor to catch the bus to the cruise terminal. We arrived back at the ship about 4:00 pm and finished our unpacking. We were booked for main (early) setting for dinner this cruise and both settings have been moved up an hour. We are scheduled for 5:30 dinner so this will be very different for us as we have always had late seating. After an initial mix up on tables we had a nice dinner. I had a Mexican Tomatillo Soup, Spinach Salad, Prime Rib with Baked Potato, and Savrin for dessert. The good news is that we have Dominick as our waiter. He was our waiter in January and is the Voyagers top waiter. Even though early in the evening we retired to the cabin after dinner as the 3+ miles walked some rest was needed. We did watch the Welcome Aboard Show on cabin TV. It featured Cruise Director Mike Szwajkowski, who was very funny, aerialists Adagio Hunnia, and comedian Steve Smith.

Day 2--Monday-- Cartagena, Spain
It was a beautiful cool morning. I had a very nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict in the Carmen (main) dining room. They have an area set aside for Diamond members so that they can receive the benefits of special coffee drinks as they previously received in the concierge lounge. As I don't drink coffee at all it's really not an advantage to me, but a nice gesture. We decided to change back to late dining so I met with the Head Waiter this morning to make changes. We will have the same table and same waiter, but late seating. The Voyager arrived in Cartagena about 10:00 am and the pier is in the inner harbor area of the town so it is easily walk able. The harbor area is very nice and has a beautiful sea wall (1700's) with access to the old town and parks. We walked the pedestrian streets and looked at some shops as well as the Palacio Consistorial (old town hall), Plaza de Toros, and Cathedral. I had an Italian ice crème and we later stopped at a harbor side restaurant where DW had the local after desert coffee called an Asiatico (condensed milk, espresso, brandy, crème, cinnamon & sugar if desired). At a local grocery we did purchase some diet coke and candy for the crossing. The day really turned out very nice and it was especially nice to sit in the sun. We have very good weather for the last day of November. We went up to deck 12 to watch us sail out of the very pretty and natural harbor and we sailed on time at 5:00 pm. It took us 15 minutes to clear the harbor and pass the mountainous entry. I was already glad we had changed to late dinner. We went to the Diamond Lounge, still located in Cleopatra's Needle, for a glass of wine before dinner. Our bar server, Kailash, has done a very good job in helping us. Dinner was at 8:00 and we have a very nice ten top table in the middle of the main dining room (just to left of Captains table in photo). DW had the Cheese Tortalini. I had the Shrimp Cocktail, Soup, Black Angus Sirloin Steak, with a Dulce De Leche Cheesecake for dessert. The production show was American Dream a tribute to Motown, but we retired to the cabin for rest. Guests said it was a good show.

Day 3--Tuesday--At Sea
We had been looking forward to this sea day. We have had seven consecutive port days and really needed a break. We have also gained an hour of time as last night was the first of five nights we will gain time over the course of the cruise. There will be no jet lag on the return to Texas. I had a nice breakfast in the Carmen dining room. I had Eggs over medium, bacon, ham, hash browns, toast, tomato juice, and pastries. We took a walk on deck and the weather is good, a nice sunny day. There were a lot of people on deck enjoying the weather and smooth seas. DW is feeling off today, but it's not the intestinal norwalk as she has a nice appetite. ;-) She had cabin rest most of the day as she wants to be able to visit on port day tomorrow. I had some cabin time and internet time in the ship library then had a nice lunch in the Windjammer. They had Turkey on the carving station. I wonder if they had ordered a lot of turkey for the previous cruise? I watched a cabin movie later. This is the first formal night and Captains Dinner. I watched the Captain introduce the officers on promenade deck, but it was so crowded that I took the deck 4 shortcut using the outer deck to get to the dining room. It as very nice out and the seas are still calm. The Captains Dinner menu was very good. I had the Escargot, Shrimp Cocktail, Beef Filet, and Grand Mariner Soufflé as my selections. I also had a plate of sliced Hearts of Palm (one of my favorites) that were fantastic. The production show was Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme my favorite of the two production shows/ The Voyager of the Seas Orchestra, Feature Singers, and Dancers are very talented.

Day 4 -- Wednesday - Funchal, Madeira
We are scheduled to arrive at noon, but the Captain has announced that we will arrive an hour early so that's good news. I had breakfast in the Carmen Dining room, basically the same as yesterday. We went on deck to watch the Voyager sail into Funchal Bay. The weather is fantastic probably 68º at 10:45 am. with sunny skies. The harbor, island, and city all look very beautiful from the ship. The ship was cleared at 10:53 and we went to the pier to catch a taxi to town. We actually hire the taxi (€100) for a 3+ hour tour. First stop is Monte a community located high above the city of Funchal. We visited the beautiful Nossa Senhora do Monte Church and enjoyed the view from there of the city and island. Perhaps the highlight was taking the Monte Toboggan, a wicker basket on skids, down the steep mountain. This was originally a form of transport for the residents, but now a tourist thing. It is unique to Madeira and a great experience. The taxi met us at the bottom of the mountain and we went to Cabo Girao, the 2nd highest sea cliff in the world. Another amazing view and there was a local University boy choir that did an impromptu performance with guitar, drum, flute, and tambourine. The islands steep hills are covered with grape vineyards, banana trees, avocado trees, vegetable gardens, flowers, and more. Very beautiful with exotic flowers growing everywhere. We stopped a local fishing village and I sampled the local cerveza Coral. We then visited the local (H&H) Madeira wine facility. We both thought that Madeira was a beautiful and clean island. Back in Funchal we had the taxi drop us near the local market with stalls of fresh flowers, fruits, and a large fresh fish area. We had a fantastic lunch at Restaurant Almirante located near the market. I wanted local cuisine so I had the Avocado and Shrimp appetizer and we shared the house specialty dessert, a passion fruit pudding (similar to a trifle), that was made from local passion fruit. We visited a few shops and bought a beautiful flower arrangement for the cabin before taking a taxi back to the ship. We had rest time, but did stop at Cleopatera's Needle for a wine before dinner. There are so many Diamond members aboard that now the entire lounge is for Diamonds and they have a dance band. Dinner was a completely new menu. We should have several this week we were told. I had a Salad, a new scallop appetizer, Cocovin, and Catalonia Crème for dessert. The production show was Count Dimas a piano virtuoso and many said it was a fine show; however, we retired to the cabin to rest for our last port of call before the crossing.

Day 5 --Thursday-Tenerife, Canary Islands
We arrive a bit late, but the Captain is extending the stay a bit to make up for it. The weather is excellent I wore shorts for the first time on an excursion. We shared (€60 couple) a taxi tour with another couple for a 4+ hour tour of the island. We first went to Las Canadas National Park and made the drive all the way to the base of Mt. Teide (12,195 ft.). When our drive entered the park full of huge cedars and pine trees it became damp and cloudy as we were in the clouds and I was discouraged that we would not see Mt. Teide. Continuing the drive up soon we were ABOVE the clouds and it was as clear and sunny as it could be. We were soon above the level for trees and the area was full of volcanic topography. One area looks like the surface of the moon (or Mars). You really have three systems: coastal, rainforest, and desert. We stopped at the interpretive center and several locations to view the area. After the park we stopped at La Orotava an old colonial town and saw the La Casa de Balcones (1632). Next stop was the tourist area of Puerto de la Cruz where we stopped for lunch and stroll along the ocean. We returned to the ship an hour before sail away and rested until cocktails in Cleopatra's. We had another new menu for dinner. I had the Vichyssoise, Lamb chops, Pork Medallions, and Baklava & Flan for dessert. DW said the Ricotta Quiche (v) was excellent. The Love & Marriage Show and Ice Shows were the feature entertainment this evening.

Day 6--Friday-At Sea
We set our time back another hour @ 2:00 am. It was a beautiful day at sea. People were on deck sun bathing and using the pool early. I had a nice breakfast in the Carmen Dining room, visited the Library, and walked the deck. I also had some internet time and posted the review of previous cruise online. We are using this sea day as a recovery day and will get into more activities over the next 5 sea days. I did sign up for a Bridge Tour for Sunday. The production show was before dinner for late seating so we attended and really enjoyed the show. It featured The Perfect Gentlemen a singing / comedy quartet. This group was one of our favorites of this cruise. The RCCL Crown & Anchor Society past guest receptions were this evening, but after the show we went to Cleo's for the Diamond cocktail hour. Dinner was a regular menu, I had the Seafood appetizer, a salad, and the Beef shoulder sliced Roast, but other choices were the Turkey Tenderloin or Angus Steak. For dessert I had the BBB and a Mango Parfait, both excellent. After dinner we watched TV in the cabin. Still too tired for late activities.

Day 7-Saturday-At Sea
It's another beautiful day at sea. It really seems more like a Caribbean cruise as the weather is perfect for deck activities. High temperature today was about 78-80°. I had another good breakfast in the dining room and then we staked out a table and lounge chair in the Solarium to enjoy some swimming, reading, and relaxing in the great weather. I saw in the news that it had snowed it Texas last night so this is very different than the weather at home. This location was also a WiFi hotspot so we are set for the day. The ship had a Octoberfest on the promenade deck so I got a plate of German food and took it back up to our table on the Solarium for lunch. Later we met a guest from South Africa who reads this blog and wanted to meet. We had some good discussions about travel, sailing, and life in other countries. Overall it was a wonder day in the Solarium. We returned to the cabin to prepare for the evening and the production show is again before dinner. The feature was Mark Donoghue who played a variety of musical instruments and performed popular songs. His renditions of Vincent (Starry Starry Night) was excellent as the screen ran photos of Van Gogh and his art as he sang the song. We had time for one glass of wine before dinner in Cleo's. It was very busy there, but we found out that there are over 1000 Diamond members on board. It was Italian night in the dining room although I had more traditional selections of: Shrimp Cocktail, Green Salad with Hearts of Palm, Black Angus Steak, and Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Ice Crème for dessert. The waiters did sing 'O Sole Mio' for us. Time for a walk on deck then cabin time.

Day 8-Sunday-At Sea
We again turned back our clocks an hour. We are now only 3 hours from Texas time. The weather is again excellent. We both had breakfast in the dining room as DW wanted to try the pancakes. A table mate warned us that RCCL pancakes were not the best and she was so correct. They were bad. They were very bad. I substituted for Eggs Benedict. We visited with friends on the Solarium as DW got a breakfast snack from the Windjammer. We had a scheduled Bridge Tour at 11:00 am. and it was very interesting. It's nice that they allow tours on the long voyages. We had lunch in the Windjammer and then scored a table in the Solarium for the rest of the day. I attended the production show that featured Sean O'Shea. He did impressions of notable singers, I personally thought it was cheesy and did not care for it. This was the second of three formal nights and the Chef's dinner. I ordered the Baked Ziti with Scallops entrée as my appetizer, a Salad with added hearts of palm, and the Fisherman's Plate consisting of Lobster and Shrimp. The Ziti was excellent, one of the best dishes of the cruise. I had the dessert sampler and following we retired to the cabin. We haven't really done much after dinner and we are now feeling rested from the previous week, but we are getting up so early due to the time changes that we have a long day by dinner time.

Day 9-Monday-At Sea
We again turned back our clocks an hour. We are now only two hours from Texas time. The weather is again excellent, I'm not sure if this is typical or that we are fortunate. I had breakfast in the dining room and tried the omelet. It was very good. We spent most of the day on deck 11 and the Solarium. It was another beautiful day with a temperature at noon of 81°. DW spent a lot of time in the swimming pool and I relaxed with magazines and the iPod. We met friends for lunch in the Windjammer and the Schnitzel was very good. We kept our table in the Solarium for the balance of the day until we returned to the cabin to get ready for activities. We attended the ice show Ice Odyssey and had very good seats. We had seen most of the skaters in Barcelona as we shared a bus back to the ship so it was interesting seeing them in the show. We then attended the production show featuring Knight Magic. I'm not that keen on magic shows, but it was a very entertaining show. We had time for a nice glass of wine in Cleo's before dinner. Dinner was again a new menu. I had a Fried Shrimp appetizer, Salad with Hearts-of-Palm, and Occo Buccho as an entrée. I had the Irish Cheesecake (a very light cheesecake with Irish whiskey topping) for dessert.

Day 10-Tuesday-At Sea
We set back our watches another hour for the 3rd consecutive day. We are now on the same time as Nassau our next port and Eastern U.S. time. Another dining room breakfast and Mr. Peter insisted that I try the pancakes again. They were better (warm), but really not that good. Glad I had ordered the eggs that were very good. The Solarium has become a popular spot so I went up right after breakfast to get a table. I prefer a table so that I can use the computer and also use it for snacks as well. There are usually plenty of lounge chairs but not many tables. The ship has a lot of activities and lectures scheduled through out the day, but we prefer to enjoy the nice weather and watch the flying fish from a table adjacent to the outside glass partition. The seas were rolling more than in previous days, but the weather continues to be great. We did the Windjammer again for lunch. We skipped the production show, Brandy Chapman, and watched a movie in the cabin. They have four movies a day on RCTV and also the option of pay per view movies. Dinner was another new menu, but I ordered more familiar items. I ordered a selection of appetizers and the Pork Medallions as an entrée.

Day 11-Wednesday-At Sea
It was another beautiful day and calm seas although more windy than previous days. I did the Carmen dining room for breakfast, the Eggs Benedict with the extras. I went to get a table in the Solarium as usual and luckily a friend had one as they were already all claimed. There is a turn over of tables, but many do as we do and get one for the day. DW had a Windjammer breakfast and ate at the table as I played some internet Facebook games. I relaxed and DW had some good pool time most of the morning. At midday they had a Caribbean buffet on the pool deck adjacent to the Solarium so that was very convenient for lunch. We visited with new friends and enjoyed the weather all afternoon as well as a few pirated cocktails. We went to Cleo's early for a glass of wine then attended the production show Music in Motion featuring the Voyager Singers and Dancers. It was a very good show with popular tunes and beautiful costumes. Dinner was very good with another new menu. I had a Green Salad with Hearts-of-palm, the Thai shrimp entrée as a starter, and the Black Angus Steak Royal. Dessert was a Wild Berry Sponge Cake. The Liars Club was held in the Theater after dinner. We haven't seen that since the Rhapsody, but we are getting an assortment of ship activities in order to fill time during the long cruise.

Day 12-Thursday-Nassau, Bahamas
We arrived in Nassau as scheduled, but a bit of delay in debarking as they were testing new gangways to be used upon arrival of the Oasis of the Seas the following day. The Captain did allow additional time in port. The weather was very warm, hot in fact. We had been to Nassau just a few weeks ago so we had nothing big planned, so I had a nice breakfast in the dining room before we went ashore about 9:30 am. We went to the Straw Market then I went to the Internet Café while DW shopped. She did her Xmas shopping and met me at noon. We had a Bahama Momma at the local bar, did some more shopping, and then went to Senor Frogs (IMHO-a rip off) for some drinks and light snacks. We visited the Straw Market for that Rolex watch & then a jewelry store. We returned to the ship in time to swim in the Solarium pool and cool off from the day. We stayed in the Solarium until sail away. We watched workers on the dock build and paint reviewing stands for the first arrival of the Oasis of the Seas. I hope the paint drys overnight. They had a Jazz show in La Scala theater before dinner. Similar to the show the Singers do on a Saturday night (on a 7-day cruise) in the High Notes on deck 14. Dinner was again very good. I had an Asian fried shrimp appetizer with orange sauce, Rainbow salad with Hearts-of-Palm, the Surf & Turf (Shoulder roast with shrimp), and Banana Crème Pie and a Mango sweet for dessert. They had a crew show following dinner, but we didn't attend. We also passed the Oasis about midnight but we were already fast asleep.

Day 13-Friday-At Sea
Beginning of the final two sea days before home. We had a light rain very early but it was gone before my dining room breakfast in the Carmen dining room. The weather is more cloudy but very pleasant and did our now usual sea day routine in the Solarium. DW did swim and I worked on updating my reviews and spent some time online. The Crown & Anchor Society had a very nice C&A Luncheon in the La Bohemme dining room at noon. It was a two hour affair and the food was very good. They served a Roast Duck and Asparagus appetiser, a nice Mushroom Soup with pastry, a choice of Beef Tenderloin or Maui Maui as an entrée, and a Crème Brulee for dessert. They also served wine and had a staff officer at each table. It was a very nice event. After lunch I enjoyed some Rum & Coke in the Solarium and also visiting with friends and listening to music. We attended the production show featuring The Unexpected Boys. They were a show based somewhat on the Jersey Boys broadway show. Very entertaining and enjoyabe show. This is the final Formal Night on the cruise and the menu was very good. I had the Manhattan Clam Chowder, Ceaser Salad with Hearts-of -Palm, and the Surf & Turf (Tenderloin Steak and Lobster Tail). I had the Banana Crème Pie and a Strawberry Tart for dessert.

Day 14-Saturday-At Sea
Final day of the cruise. The weather is cloudy and the seas are higher as we are beginging to feel the winter weather systems in the Gulf. Another good dining room breakfast and since I have had most all my breakfasts in the Diamond area you become familiar with the regulars and have dined with them at least once by the final day. Most all have been very enjoyable to visit with in the mornings. I again snagged a table in the Solarium for our last day of the cruise. I had some computer time and we had a very nice visit with our new South African friends. Also a nice Windjammer lunch. We saw our first oil derrick about 2:30 pm so we are getting closer. Kailash, our bar server in the Diamond lounge came by with the DOD's so DW had to try one. They had a special selection of European beers and I had sampled some German ones previously, but wanted to try the Italian beer on the last day so I had a Birra Poretti. That will be my last bit of Europe for a while. We went to Cleo's for wine and then attended the Farewell Show featuring the Voyager Orchestra, Singers & Dancers, and comedian Micheal James. He was very funny and juggled on a unicycle with a female guest on his sholders-quite a scene. (after think about this act I think the guest may have been a plant in the audience) Dinner was very good. I had a Salad with Hearts of Palm, Soup, a nice NY Strip Steak, and Key Lime Pie for dessert. Following dinner we retired to pack.

Debarkation-Sunday-Galveston, Texas
We were worried about fog and when we heard fog horns we were afraid they would close the port and we couldn't get in to dock. There was fog, but we were able to dock about 7:00 am. No room service on debarkation morning, but we went to the Windjammer for breakfast. We used self debarkation and left the ship about 8:15 and were picked up by our friend shortly afterward. We stopped at the new Ama's in Hearne, Texas about noon and we were home at the ranch at 2:30 pm.

Ship
I was told by several that the exercise equipment is very good and has been updated. They did deep clean the ship during drydock, but it was the 'same ole' Voyager that we were familiar with and love from previous cruises. We really like the size and additional amenities offered on a Voyager class ship. The ship is fantastic.

Crew
The staff and crew are very good. The staff is very friendly, but I look for that to even improve once they again begin sailing form Galveston. Our waiter Dominick from India and assistant waiter Nick were excellent. Our Stateroom Attendant was very good and she kept the cooler in ice. My first experience with Mike, the CD, and I thought he was funny and a very good Cruise Director.

Cabin
We had cabin 7233 an interior located forward on starboard side. It is very convenient to the forward elevators and staircase. Unlike the cabin we had the previous week this cabin seems to be have been updated during the recent Voyager dry-dock. There were new drapes, new couch, new carpet, new bathroom fixtures, etc. Still the same RCCL TV although I have learned that they are changing out the TV's to flat screens as some have been changed out on this cruise. When we have an interior cabin we prefer the beds to be set as twins against opposite walls. We actually get more floor space this way than even the balcony cabin. The safe has a button keypad and there is a hair dryer. We never used the cabin refrigerator.

Food
We had second or late seating for dinner and it is changed back to 8:00 pm. Our dining room was again the Carmen, deck three (lower level) of the 3 level restaurant. It was a ten top table and below the beautiful main chandelier. We had very nice table mates, all from Texas. Our waiter, Dominick from India is excellent. We had him as our waiter in January and he is also the Captains waiter. One of the best waiters we have had on a ship. The assistant waiter, Nick from the Philippines is also very good. The headwaiter Peter from Poland came by every night to check our table and arranged hearts-of-palm for me. I had hearts-of-palm almost every night. We enjoyed all the dinners in the dining room especially the new menus created for the extended 14 days. We never ate at Johnny Rockets or Portofino. I usually ate in the dining room for breakfast and the egg dishes were all good; however avoid the pancakes. DW usually had a light room service breakfast. Lunch in the dining room has the same menu each day with one special item that does change daily. All the bread selections are very good on board. The Windjammer usually had a daily frittata station or a carving station for nice meat selections. We enjoyed the green salads and specialty items from the Windjammer. The desserts are very good. There are several ice cream machines with vanilla and chocolate flavors. We did use Room Service on occasion especially for the fruit plates. You can order room service on the RC-TV, but I recommend calling room service. DW used the Promenade Café quite often as it was very convenient to the cabin. They had a smaller selection of items, but all were very nice. She loved the small sandwiches especially the egg salad. They also have a cookie station there and all are very good, but the Christmas cookies were excellent.

Weather
The weather was very nice especially considering that we are sailing in December. The days are short and the numerous time zone changes were different for us. It never really rained and a light jacket is all that was needed during the day on the early tours. The weather was really similar to a Caribbean cruise during the six days across the Atlantic. People sunned, swam, and enjoyed the weather on deck.

Comments
This was our first transatlantic crossing and cruise. We enjoyed the rest following such an intense previous cruise, but we did both become anxious for home towards the end as 21 days is a long time on board. The cruising median age is higher on the TA and there are a lot more smokers due to a lot of Europeans sailing, but overall it was a wonderful mix of passengers. The Pancake situation became a running joke as I teased the staff that they could make so many wonderful food items yet the pancakes, not so much, but I really was just having fun with it as a sarcastic stab at those people who complain about everything. Fortunatley there were not too many of them on board. Many were aware of the running joke, and when seated for breakfast or even at the Diamond luncheon, I was known as the “pancake guy” by the wait staff. I'm sure other guests have had much worse nicknames. ;-) I actually thought it was very funny. I got even though as on the final formal night I presented a box of Aunt Jemima pancake mix to our Head Waiter.

Tips
Skip breakfast in the dining room following a big crew party. ;-).
Avoid the Pancakes-lot's of other great breakfast items to enjoy.
Get a table or lounge chair early on the six sea days.
All exercise equipment will be busy from 6:00-6:30 am so plan accordingly.
The cookies are great-try them.
The Solarium started to clear out about 4:00 pm so that's a good time to swim.

Cruise Highlights
The weather was a major highlight. We were also fortunate in having good table mates-more important on such a long cruise. We also enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones as well as getting to know more of the crew. After 21 days you develop a rapport with many. Not many ports, but our favorite was Funchal, Madeira our least favorite was Nassau, Bahamas. We will certainly consider a TA cruise again.

If anyone has any specific questions,
I usually 'hang out' on the Cruisemates.com message boards.

Review - Voyager of the Seas - November 22, 2009

2009-12-04T05:18:00.025-06:00

Voyager of the Seas Review 11.22.2009

Just the Facts:

Cruise: Voyager of the Seas--Western Mediterranean

Date: January 22-January 29, 2009

Captain: Frank Martinsen

Cruise Director: Mercedes LaFuente

Ports: Barcelona, Spain - Naples, Italy - Civitavecchia, Italy - Livorno, Italy - Villefranche, France - Toulon, France - Barcelona, Spain

Weather: Very nice all week for late November

This was my 13th Royal Caribbean cruise and 4th cruise on the Voyager of the Seas.

Day One--Sunday-Embarkation-Barcelona Spain

We took a taxi (€20) from our Barcelona hotel to the cruise terminal arriving about 1:15 pm. It was a good time to arrive as there was only a short line at security and a short line for the Diamond check-in area. We could then go directly on board the ship and it was then only 5 minutes until the cabins were opened to passengers. We stored our carry bags right away then went to the Windjammer and enjoyed a nice lunch. DW had a nice Salad, Vegetables, & Mashed Potatoes and I had the Roast Beef from the carving station, Mashed Potatoes, and Grilled Corn on the Cob. We walked around the ship and refamiliarized ourselves with the public areas and decks. We had a rest in the cabin and decided to eat in the Windjammer in lieu of the dining room as we have a late dining time. The Buffet Dinner in the Windjammer is very nice. They have waiter service for drinks and to take care of your needs. The food was very good as well. I had a large Salad, Prime Rib from the carving station, Mashed Potatoes, a 'made to order' soup, and a Pork Tornado. For dessert a Viennese Strawberry Meringue, Key Lime Pie, and a Sponge Cake soaked in liquor. All very good and it will be hard to get DW into the dining room. They have added a Taste of Nations area and today it was Indian Food. It was available for both lunch and dinner. The Welcome Aboard Show for both dinner seatings featured aerialists Adagio Hunnia, a comedian/juggler Kirk Marsh, and Mercedes LaFuente the Cruise Director. It was a good show and a good start to the cruise. After the show we retired to the cabin for a movie.

Day Two--Monday--at Sea

A beautiful morning and the sea was fairly calm. I had a very nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict in the Carmen (main) dining room and then picked up tickets for the afternoon Ice Skating Show. We attended the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle at 11:00 a.m. in the High Notes Lounge. There was a good crowd and it's always great to put real names to screen names. They had small finger sandwiches, water, coffee, and lemonade. The Activities Manager from the ships cruise staff attended. I did some Internet time in the ship library. We had lunch in the Carmen dining room as they have the wonderful salad bar. I had a Salad, Steak Sandwich, and Carrot Cake for dessert. DW still prefers the Windjammer salad bar as they do have more specialty salad items such as sunflower seeds. The seas have picked up and there is a big wind across the decks. We went up to the upper decks to watch us sail through the straits separating the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia, but the winds were too much. As it turned out our aft balcony was the ideal place to watch as we were protected from the wind. It was pleasant on the balcony as well with the sun warming us while observing the coastline of the two island. A very short nap before we went to the 3:30 ice show Ice Odyssey. It was the same show we have seen previously, but an excellent show and not to be missed. Following the show they had a meeting of the B2B cruisers at 4:30 in the La Scala theater. It seems we have set a new RCCL record for most repeat guests ever on a B2B cruise with 600 doing this cruise and then the transatlantic back to Galveston. We will not have to clear customs nor check-in, nor go through security again as they will do everything for us. BTW-the most repeaters by far are from Texas. They had delivered Chocolate Covered Strawberries to the cabin when we returned and they were great for an afternoon snack. The Captains reception was held in the Grand Promenade this evening and they had a special 10th anniversary cake for the ship as it was it was the Voyager of the Seas tenth birthday. We went to Cleopatra's Needle, the new designated Diamond members lounge, for wine before dinner. As it was the Captain's reception they had a very nice dance band performing. Dinner was at 9:00 and we have a very nice six top table in the middle of the main dining room. The Captains Dinner menu was very good. I had the Escargot, Shrimp Cocktail, Beef Filet, and Grand Mariner Soufflé as my selections. There was a headwaiter brought me a plate of sliced Hearts of Palm (one of my favorites) that were fantastic. The primary entertainment was one of the production shows, Music in Motion, but having seen it and the lateness of the evening we retired to prepare for our first day in Italy.

Day Three-Tuesday-Naples, Italy

We slept very well and when we awoke and looked out our aft balcony we were docked at Naples. The ship was aft to the town so we had a great view of all the activities around the piers and a great view of Castel Nuovo. The weather was cloudy in the early morning, but would later become a beautiful day. We had room service breakfast delivered about 7:30 am as a wake up call to get out and see Italy. Our only plan for today was to see Pompeii, but we arranged for a nice private tour at the pier. Maximo was our driver and our first stop was Pompeii. It is really a spectacular place and not to be missed if ever in Naples. We spent 3 hours walking among the Roman ruins and seeing most of the major sites and restorations. Photo at right is typical Roman street. Our next stop was Sorrento which is located across the bay from Naples. It is a beautiful town with a great view, nice shops, and great restaurants. We ate at a restaurant formerly in an old church, the Basilica, and really enjoyed the food. I had the Cannelloni Sorrento and DW had a Capri style pizza (Mozzarella cheese & tomato). We also sampled the LimonCello the drink of Sorrento. We spent about two hours in Sorrento and then returned to Naples for a tour of the city highlights. The Old gate, Old (1st) Castle, and Church Square are interesting, all dating in the 13th and 14th centuries. Naples has very old sites and interesting buildings; however, it was not a clean city nor appears to have a positive spirit about it. It's a shame to see graffiti everywhere including fountains. Not as nice as Sorrento or Barcelona. We had Fruit and Cheese plates delivered by room service as a nice balcony snack and enjoyed some sangria wine we brought aboard in Barcelona. The Crown & Anchor Past Guest party was tonight and the feature production show this evening in the La Scala Theater was Knight Magic, but we skipped both for rest from all the walking today. Dinner was good although hard to go so late. DW had the Cheese Tortalini. I had the Maryland Crab cake, Shrimp Cocktail, Black Angus Sirloin Steak, with a Dulce De Leche Cheesecake for dessert.

Day Four--Wednesday-Civitavecchia, Italy

The weather was very nice today perfect for the tours we were taking. We again had room service breakfast and met our group of eight for a private tour of Rome. We used Rome-in-Limo Company (€90 pp) and they were perfect for seeing as much as possible with only one day in Rome. We were picked up at the dock and made the 1+ hour drive to Rome getting a history lesson on the way. The first major stop was the Colosseum. It is very impressive as is the area around the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine. We had about an hour to visit the Colosseum and area and then it was off to the location of the Circus Maximus (think chariot race in Ben Hur). Next stop was locations of the Roman Forums. Almost all ruins now, but there are columns of the various original buildings. Fortunately we had a guidebook that compared the existing ruins with what the original buildings looked like by using an overleaf in the book. It really helps to get an idea of what it looked like in early Roman times (Caesar and Augustus). There is really so much to take in in such a brief time. There were so many Temples, Forums, Arches, Columns, etc. to see. The Capital Hill area was also impressive especially the Pantheon. We drove by several other notable sites such as the Spanish Steps, Tiber Island, and so many more. We did stop at the famous and beautiful Trevi Fountain. We tossed some coins in the fountain as well as get an Italian ice crème from a local shop. This was a very busy morning and the Vatican area was scheduled for the afternoon, but now it was time for a lunch at a non-tourist family trattoria recommended by our guide. We stopped at Osteria dei Pontefici located near St. Peters and it was a wonderful experience and must be well thought of by the locals as there were two Cardinals and two priests at the next table We had a table for the eight in our group and were served family style. They brought bread and antipastos: Salami, Prosciutto, Bruchetta, Marinated Carrots, Eggplant, Zucchini, and an Egg dish. For entrees we were served a meat Ravioli and Penne Pasta in meat sauce. For dessert we had a small Tiramisu and Banana crème cake. Now it was time for the Vatican. The guide knew the time to drop us in order to avoid the larger tour groups and there was a very short line for admission. In order to save time we stayed in the main rooms of the Vatican Museum and a shortcut into the Sistine Chapel. The art and tapestries were numerous and beautiful, but of course Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel is the most impressive. After leaving the Museum area we entered the Basilica of Saint Peter. Wow, what can one say? Perhaps the most impressive building I have ever seen, it was both awe inspiring and impressive. We stayed as long as possible, but had to meet our guide and driver at 4:00 pm. for the return trip to Civitavecchia. We made it to the ship by 5:30 and time to rest. Dinner this evening was very good, I had the Stuffed Pasta appetizer, Jalipeno Potato Soup, the Turkey Tenderloin, and BBB for dessert. Then cabin time and rest for another big day.

Day Five- Thanksgiving-Thursday, Livirno, Italy

The weather was again pleasant and good for touring the Tuscan area of Italy. We shared a local taxi service with 6 others that would allow us to tour both Florence and Pisa on our own. This was a bargain (€40 pp) and also allowed us to be dropped in the best locations to tour each city. We first went to Florence passing the beautiful countryside and observing grape vineyards and olive trees. You could see the rolling hills and mountains in the distance. After an hour we arrived in Florence near the main cathedral piazza and first visited the Baptistery of St. Giovanni (4th-5th century and 1128), the Cathedral of Florence (1296-1375), and then the Academy Gallery that contains the original statue of David by Michelangelo. We then walked the several blocks to Piazza Della Signoria the location of the Palazzo Vecchio (1294), Neptune Fountain (1563), and the Loggia dei Lonzi (1376). The Loggia contains the original Rape of the Sabine Women (1583) a particular favorite as DW's family has a bronze that has passed through three generations. We then crossed over the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge (1345) and stopped in a beautiful restaurant. For lunch we had pizza, spaghetti, and the local chianti wine. We walked through the Uffizi that contains many masterpieces of the old master artists but knew we did not have time to see them with the limited amount of time we had left. We met the taxi for the trip to Pisa and the taxi dropped us just a block from the Piazza del Duomo. The Cathedral (1063) and Leaning (Bell) Tower (1172 & finished in 14th century) are very impressive. Our visit is at a good time as the recent renovations and repairs are completed and the Tower has also been cleaned. This is a must see for tourists to this part of Italy. It was also fun watching tourists pose for photos holding up the tower. As you can see from the photo at top, there was a Voyager ship photographer there. I found that to be very convenient. The driver had us back to the ship in good time and dropped us right at the gangway. This being Thanksgiving the ship had a special Thanksgiving Dinner with Turkey, Dressing, Potatoes, Cranberries, and Pumpkin pie for dessert. The waiters ended Thanksgiving night by singing America the Beautiful.

Day Six--Friday-Villafranche, France

The day was very pleasant. Villafranche has a beautiful natural harbor and the Voyager anchors in the middle. The port has nice tenders and you get ashore in just 10-15 minutes. Our plan was to go to Monaco for the day. We tendered over about 9:00 am and took the short walk to the Villafranche train station. We bought return tickets (€5 pp) to Monaco and the train came straightway. It was only a 15 minutes trip on the train and we got off in the station in central Monaco. We walked to the famous Monte Carlo Casino visiting the gardens along the way. We then took the bus to the Royal Palace arriving in time to watch the Changing of the Guards ceremony. The palace museum was closed for the season, but we did visit the Cathedral and the graves of Princess Grace and Rainier. We found a fantastic Crêpe restaurant, Creperie du Rocher, just below the Palace in the Old Town area. I had a ham & cheese crepe, DW a cheese crepe, and we shared a carafe of wine and a dessert crepe. This was an excellent lunch. We were both very impressed with how all of Monaco is clean and well manicured with lots of flowers, especially in the palace area. We found the underground Train Station and had to wait a while for the next train, but we made it back to Villafranche harbor well before the last tender. DW stayed and shopped a bit at some stalls set up in the town as I returned directly to the ship. We attended the production show Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme before dinner and enjoyed the show. This was the final formal dinner and the menu was very good. My selections were the Shrimp Cocktail, Soup, Garden Salad, Fisherman's Platter (Lobster & shrimp) and the assorted dessert selection with vanilla ice crème.

Day Seven-Saturday-Toulon, France

We were scheduled to dock in Marseilles, but due to a potential dock strike we called on the port of Toulon. Toulon was the headquarters of the French navy and has a wonderful natural harbor. We had to take a shuttle into town as the Voyager is too large for the city piers and we docked across the harbor in La Seyne-Sir-Mer. Toulon is not one of the primary tourist destinations (although it will be a regular port of call for the Voyager next year) so it was fun walking around town and taking in the sites without lots of tourists. This was market day (photo at right) and there were hundreds of open air stalls set up with fresh vegetables, fish, olives, fruits, flowers, etc. It was beautiful and the olives and red peppers were most impressive. We had a wonderful crepe at a local stall as a morning snack as we didn't have breakfast on board. I really enjoyed the visit to the Muse National de la Marine, the National Naval Museum, located in the 18th century naval arsenal. They had a good display of items from the 18th-19th century and transition into modern navy. We saw some traditional Provence fabrics and pottery in the shops in old town and along the promenade of the harbor. We visited the local Saint-Louis church that was rebuilt after W.W.II. We shuttled back to the ship in the afternoon early enough to get a salad and made to order frittatas in the Windjammer as a late lunch. We had much needed cabin time to rest from all the walking we have done this week. We went to the Diamond lounge for wine before another good dinner.

Debarkation--Sunday

No debarkation as we are staying aboard ship.

Ship

The Voyager has had a dry dock update since we last sailed in January, but I haven't noticed any major difference or update. Since this cruise was so port intensive we have not really explored the ship that well, but will do so on the next leg as we have more time.

Crew

The staff and crew are very good. The staff is very friendly, but I look for that to even improve once they again begin sailing form Galveston. Our waiter and assistant waiter were excellent. Our Stateroom Attendant, Norris, was good and kept the cooler in ice.

Cabin

We had cabin 9692 an aft balcony on deck nine. It is an average sized cabin and a nice balcony. The safe has a button keypad and there is a hair dryer. The TV's were not upgraded during dry dock, they are the same old TV's. There are now two electrical plugs on the vanity/desk. BTW-you can check the status of your on board account using the RC-TV. We never used the cabin refrigerator. Norris didn't leave any mints on the bed at turn down as RCCL has eliminated them, but did some weak towel animals most nights.

Food

We had second or late seating for dinner and it is even later on the Med cruises: 9:00 pm. Our dining room was the Carmen, deck three (lower level) of the 3 level restaurant. It was a six top table and it below the beautiful main chandelier. We enjoyed all the dinners in the dining room. We never ate at Johnny Rockets or Portifino. Lunch in the dining room has the same menu each day with one special item that does change daily. All the bread selections are very good on board. The Windjammer usually had a fresh frittata and a carving station for nice meat selections. We enjoyed the green salads and specialty items. The desserts are very good. There are several ice cream machines with vanilla and chocolate flavors. We do use Room Service more when we have a balcony cabin. You can order room service on the RC-TV, but I recommend calling room service. DW used it for light breakfast every morning. We also used it a few times in the afternoon for Fruit plates & Cheese plates. Service was very good when used.

Weather

The weather was very nice especially considering that we are sailing in late November. The days are short, but we usually got an early start on tours so we were back on board when Sundown came about 5:00 p.m. It never rained and a light jacket is all that was needed during the day.

Personal Comments

The new C&A Diamond members lounge was located in Cleopatra's Needle. We visited a few times, but were limited on drink selections. Taking away benefits earned under the loyalty program is not good. Benefits fairly earned should never have been reduced. The coupon book they now have has NO free items, only credits for very expensive items or small percentage off some more useful purchases. I know RCCL had to make some changes in the program, it was the way that it was handled is what I have been upset and concerned about. Believe me I want success for the company as I own stock beyond what is needed for a shareholder discount.

Cruise Highlights

The five ports were by far the highlight of this cruise. We really enjoyed each and everyone. So much history and culture to absorb. Our favorite port was Rome our least favorite was Naples. We really enjoyed this cruise! A LOT!

If anyone has any specific questions,
I usually 'hang out' on the Cruisemates.com message boards.

Review--Barcelona, Spain--November 2009

2009-11-30T16:34:00.005-06:00

Barcelona, Spain 11/20/2009

Day 1--Friday--11/20
After a very long transatlantic flight from Houston to London and then a European flight we arrived at the Barcelona airport Friday afternoon. Barcelona is now the primary cruise ship port in Europe and will be the debarkation port for our B2B cruise on the Voyager of the Seas. We took a taxi (€25) from the airport to our hotel, the Gran Hotel Havana located at Gran Vía de les Corts 647 in central Barcelona. The location is great, just 4+ blocks from Catalonia Square, the heart of Barcelona, and 6 blocks from Casa Batallo, the famous Gaudi designed house. You can walk to the Rambla or several nice restaurants. The room was small, but the bedding and pillows were fantastic and so comfortable. We wanted to stay awake as we knew if we napped it would be for a long time due to jet lag so we took a walk around the area and had light snacks and some ice crème. We visited the department store El Corte Ingles: The Largest Department Store in Barcelona. They have everything anyone may need or have forgotten to take on your trip. We bought diet Coke from the grocery department and some wine as well. We finished our walk around Catalonia Square before heading back to the hotel and we turned in early for a long restful nights sleep.

Day 2-Saturday-11/21
We had considered a day long tour as the Pulmantur office is located directly across from the hotel, but we slept until 9:30 and missed the departure time for all the tours. This sleep did take care of the jet lag though. We decided to strike out on our own so we headed towards Catalonia Square that is also the beginning of the famous La Rambla, a primarily pedestrian boulevard that goes from Catalonia Square to the Columbus Monument at the harbor. This was all it was advertised to be with shops, mimes, street performers, artists, and more. Just off the Rambla we visited the famous Barcelona Market. It was a site in itself with stalls of local fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and flowers and Saturday seemed to be the day to visit. We then visited the Gothic Quarter with its small and narrow cobblestone streets with shops and stores. In this old area they have buildings built on top of the original Roman ruins. We visited the Barcelona Cathedral then mad our way back to the La Rambla. At the Port Veer area at the end of La Rambla we decided to take one of the famous Barcelona Hop-on and Hop-off tourist buses. Since the recent Olympics Barcelona has the most organized tourist buses in Europe. We spent the rest of the day on the bus and saw many of the Barcelona sites. It would really take two or three days or more to visit them all, but we had a good overview. We rode to the Catalonia Square stop and walked back to the hotel for some rest before dinner. We wanted to eat at Catalonia / Basque theme restaurant called Txapelas which we had seen near the Square and read about online. We had two pitchers of Sangria wine and sampled various Tapas for dinner. They had a nice menu in English with photos of the tapas so we tried all that looked or sounded good. It's a way to get a lot of variety of both hot and cold items. All were very good. We walked around and found the downtown team store for FCB or Football Club Barcelona the famous European Championship soccer team. I had to get a hat of course. We then walked back to the hotel for another great nights sleep.

Day 3 - Sunday - 11/22 (cruise debarkation day)
We slept as long as possible and the hotel said we could have a late check out so we walked over to view the Casa Batllo from the outside and get a diet coke from the McDonald's across the street. We just spent time in a sidewalk café soaking in the atmosphere of the city and that particular historical block. We walked back to the hotel to check out and got a taxi cab to the pier (€18) to begin our Euorpean Cruise.

Day 4 - Sunday - 11/29 (cruise debarkation & embarkation day)
We left the ship about 10:30 and treated the day as a port day in Barcelona. Our plan was to visit the famous Casa Batllo house designed by Antonio Gaudi. We took a bus from the pier to the Barcelona harbor. This is the bottom of the famous La Rambla and we decided to walk and take in the activities, shops, mimes, and people on the Rambla. Arriving after a nice long walk we arrived at Casa Batllo and purchased admission (€16,50) that includes an audio explanation of the architecture and design of the various rooms. Casa Batllo is really a must for a tour to Barcelona. We continued our walk on to La Pedrera another building designed by Gaudi and also a museum. Here we just viewed the exterior, but visited their great bookstore. We are now a long way from the harbor so we began the journey back and at least it will be downhill. ;-) Having enjoyed eating there previously we stopped at Txapelas for Tapas and a pitcher of Sangria. Again it was very good. Now at Catalonia Square, the heart of Barcelona, and the top of La Rambla we again take the boulevard down to the harbor catch the bus to the cruise terminal.

Comments
We were both very impressed with Barcelona. It is a very clean city and very tourist oriented. The architecture is impressive and unique. There are lots of good museums, historical sites, and good food. We would love to return to Barcelona.