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planetwanderlust · 8 years ago

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review: 2017 RC Grandeur 12-day Southern Caribbean

i think this might've been our most relaxing cruise ever! it was 2 full, glorious weeks. it was truly a vacation. and doubly special, we were celebrating our belated anniversary and were in St. Lucia on my husband's 35th birthday.

we absolutely loved the stops on this, since this was much deeper south than we usually go. we were able to visit islands neither of us had ever been to before. St. Lucia in particular stole our hearts.

and after this cruise, I WILL BE DIAMOND!!!! looking forward to booking whatever is next!

Mon, March 27, 2017 – Baltimore, Maryland (depart 4:00pm)

Tue, March 28, 2017 – At Sea

Wed, March 29, 2017 – At Sea

Thur, March 30, 2017 – At Sea

Fri, March 31, 2017 – Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (9:00am-6:00pm)

Sat, April 1, 2017 – St. John’s, Antigua (7:00am-4:00pm)

Sun, April 2, 2017 – Bridgetown, Barbados (10:00am-7:00pm)

Mon, April 3, 2017 – Castries, St. Lucia (8:00am-4:30pm)

Tue, April 4, 2017 – Philipsburg, St. Maarten (9:00am-5:00pm)

Wed, April 5, 2017 – At Sea

Thu, April 6, 2017 – At Sea

Fri, April 7, 2017 – At Sea

Sat, April 8, 2017 – Baltimore, Maryland (arrive 7:00am)

Day 1: Monday, March 27, 2017

Baltimore, Maryland (depart 4:00pm)

we left the house at 7:00am to drive from New Jersey to Maryland. it's about a 3-hour trip, and we arrived just about 10:00am. it was rainy and foggy most of the way, but my husband thinks the drive is easy and we had no issues.

check-in was super fast, and we were already on board by 10:30am! cabins, however, were not ready, and they weren't ready until after 1:00pm.

we stopped by the MDR to check out where our table was, and they pointed us to a table of 8. we had requested a table for 2, and asked to change. they said they'd get back to us, and later we had a card in our cabin with a new table number, for two.

when we went to dinner, it was a table for 2, but obviously they had just added it there. it was ok though, a little too close to the kitchen, but it was ok.

before the cruise, we purchased the new coffee card they're now offering, and the specialty restaurant deal. for the coffee card, we do like our Starbucks which they have on board for a fee. with the punch card, it's $30 for 15 coffees, which makes it totally worth it.

and since we had OBC and knew we'd be going to the specialty restaurants, we purchased their BOGO dinner deal: $30pp, so $60 total for us, for 2 restaurants. we had Giovanni's and Chops (on Day 1 and 2 only which is required). normally that would've been $29pp at Giovanni's and $35pp at Chops, which would've been a total of $128. that's a great deal!

Day 2: Tuesday, March 28, 2017 -- at sea

we skipped breakfast; woke up at 8:30am to make it to the meet & greet at 10:00am. the meet & greet was in the Viking Lounge. there were some muffins and pastries, but they were already out of coffee when we came in on time (huh?), and there was fresh-squeezed orange juice. there was the raffle (we didn't win anything), no officers came, it was just an activity person and the cruise director (and the CD barely talked). we did lunch in the MDR... and that means: salad bar!! it was also the same menu as we remember, but still all very good.

we saw a movie in the theatre. we find this amusing, because all throughout dating, my husband and i never went to see a movie as a date. funny we never did such a simple, normal thing. the movie we saw today was Ghostbusters (the 2016 new version with all women). we surprisingly enjoyed it. it was entertaining for what it was, and for a remake of such a classic. also nice to see that when they "feature" a movie, it's actually a new-ish one.

tonight we had dinner at Chops. they sang to us for our anniversary. it was a good dinner, but still doesn't compare to our favorite: Ruth Chris in Princeton (specifically this location!)... it's definitely "specialty" but not really worth the high cover charge.

also, right before dinner, we had quite a bit of drama. at around 5:00pm, we were in the Schooner bar/lounge hanging out before our dinner at Chops at 6:00pm. the captain comes on to announce that there is a medical emergency on board, and someone is in critical condition. first, let me say that i appreciate the captain informing us. i don't think every scenario warrants it (no reason to cause panic), but i was impressed with the way this captain handled this particular situation. this particular emergency was severe enough that we were turning around to get closer to the nearest coast guard station. the captain told us it'd be about 1.5 hours, and a helicopter would meet us at that point to land on the ship and transport the patient to the hospital on land. interestingly enough, all this would not delay us in getting to St. Thomas on time.

by the time we got to dinner at 6:00pm, we could tell we had slowed down substantially and were turned around. the landing pad must've been right above us, because from our table near the window at Chops, we saw the helicopter hover and try to land. he obviously had difficulty (i think it was quite windy at this time), because he had to try several times. at this point, we had finished our dinner and left Chops, and the captain came on again to say the patient was on his way to the hospital. we were back near around Virginia at this time.

overall, the captain came on about 4-5 times to keep us informed. i hope it all turned out ok for the patient. we don't know what happened, or what happened after he was airlifted, but hoping for the very best.

Day 3: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 -- at sea

it's absolutely the perfect temperature today, gorgeous. we had a little incident this morning as we were getting ready for the day... my husband was in the shower and nearly passed out from the lack of ventilation in the bathroom. by the time he finished his *quick* shower, the entire room wasn't just steamy, but everything was dripping in condensation. something was obviously not working.

in addition to that, we felt that the cabin wasn't cleaned properly when we boarded. it was less than par surface-cleaning at best. we have never seen this before. we went to guest services about the shower and the cabin. it was obvious something wasn't done or it was definitely overlooked or rushed. an officer/manager came to our cabin to see, and said that he would order a "sanitation crew" to wipe down the room... but he also offered us a choice between a free specialty dinner or 15% of what we paid for the cruise towards our next Royal cruise. hey, after we figured out what 15% was, we definitely took that! i was worried about how that would be handled, but they gave me an official hard copy letter and told me an e-mail would be coming with the amount as a gift certificate. ok!

we went to see another movie in the theatre today: Fantastic Beasts!!!! it was very good, and there were some obvious holes, but overall so exciting to be back in the Harry Potter world. tonight we had dinner in the MDR, and they sang to us too!

after dinner, we went to trivia and headed upstairs to lay out on the deck in the nighttime. the movie trivia was a bust; it was movies no one has ever heard of.

it was a beautiful night under the stars. we have this private spot, with loungers, where we know people usually don't wander at night. it's amazing and romantic. :) this time though, we had some visitors and exchanged some pleasantries. one of them made some small talk with us, an ex-army guy, who found it funny and unbelievable that we don't see stars like this in NJ (he was from Wisconsin).

Day 4: Thursday, March 30, 2017 -- at sea

our third day at sea, woah. it's a lot for a small ship, especially one we've been on before. but at the same time, i love it.

today, we went to see another movie. pretty surprised how current these are. we saw the Suicide Squad today, and although it was really meh, it was entertaining for what it was... free. :D we also just discovered that the special desserts at Cafe Latte-tudes (where the specialty coffee is sold) is actually free!! they are much better than in the buffet or other places; not sure where they're coming from, but they were definitely extra special and much better.

Day 5: Friday, March 31, 2017

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (9:00am-6:00pm)

after a quick Windjammer breakfast, we went off the ship to walk around the shops and call home. i went back to the ship, while my husband stayed a little longer to take more photos with his new Hasselblad (there were many iguanas). actually spent about two hours in the port, much longer than we thought. and we forgot sunscreen. my poor, poor husband. we later went to nature trivia, which was at a bar and the bartender randomly gave us nuts. which has strangely never happened before. we also stayed for the Madonna music trivia, which of course my husband won... anything music. we made a last minute decision to go to Izumi tonight. and as always.... amazing! we mentioned to them that we were already planning to come back for Jeff's birthday, and they offered us 25% off and a bottle of champagne then!

tonight, there was a late night game show. i went to bed, but my husband attended. it was called "The Big Music Game Show" and apparently was pretty crazy. my husband explained... "it involved 10 balloons hanging from the ceiling, 3 chairs (labeled 20, 19, and 18), one person holding a bucket of balls and another person on the opposite side of the stage holding another bucket. the host would read a clue and then play a song (i.e. name the actors in the movie; "Blues Brothers Theme"), and then people would run up to grab a ball if they knew the answer. if the person grabbed 18, 19, or 20, they would then sit down in the numbered chair. after all 3 chairs were filled, the host would then have all 3 people answer the question. if the person in chair 20 was wrong, then 19 would win if they were correct, and so on. the person with the right answer would then be given a stick with a sharp end to pop a balloon of their choice. a numbered paper would indicate which prize they would win. the prizes ranged from a stuffed turtle to a bottle of wine to a $75 pen. i was able to get 20 on the 4th question and won a bingo t-shirt, a bingo ink stamper, and 9 bingo cards for day 8 of the cruise (our day in St. Lucia, my birthday!)."

Day 6: Saturday, April 1, 2017

St. John’s, Antigua (7:00am-4:00pm)

we woke up super early, at 6:30am. we had a proper breakfast in the MDR, and then walked off and just wandered around port... it was meh. i think my husband is getting the hint that you should research the islands before you go. :P

we got our shot glass for Antigua, and went back to the ship.

i noticed that my husband's burn was as bright of a hot pink as ever, and he said it really hurt... we didn't have any aloe or anything, so i thought we might try to see if the medical facility did, and they did! we bought a bottle of aloe, which we knew was a total rip off, but my poor baby needed relief. after i rubbed him down, ever so gingerly, he went to take a nap, while i went to get myself some Starbucks and blogged in a quiet lounge.

Day 7: Sunday, April 2, 2017

Bridgetown, Barbados (10:00am-7:00pm)

we weren't due into port until 10:00am, but we actually arrived early, around 9:15am. in Barbados, the pier requires a shuttle to the main area of the port. then another shuttle to downtown. it’s an extremely long port, quite industrial actually, so the ship is quite far. the first shuttle is complimentary, the second shuttle into town is $2. we skipped downtown and just walked around in the port and headed back (making sure to buy our shot glass for Barbados).

there wasn't too much to the port, it was very disappointing (though we probably should've made into town).

tonight, we made a (very) last minute decision to buy an excursion for St. Lucia. my husband was getting sick of just walking around in the ports (oh really?! we could... have... planned...!). i think he was afraid of St. Lucia being the same and it being his birthday.

before we went to sleep, i gave my husband his surprise birthday gift and a special card i made. i did it now, since i knew we had an early morning with our excursion. i had already given him a gift before we left, and knew he wouldn't expect anything on the actual day since we were away. i was exploding inside as we were packing for this cruise, and i was hiding his gifts! he was so touched and surprised, making him happy was the best gift (for me!).

Day 8: Monday, April 3, 2017

Castries, St. Lucia (8:00am-4:30pm)

TODAY IS JEFF'S BIRTHDAY!! 35!!

we woke up very early, our meeting time for the excursion was 8:45am (outside of the ship where they line up each tour).

Best Views of St. Lucia (SL57)

Port/City: Castries, St. Lucia Activity Type: Destination Highlights Approximate Duration: 3 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

Price: $59 per person

Description: Discover monuments, key landmarks, tropical scenery, traditional farming communities and gorgeous panoramic vistas in Castries and northern St. Lucia on a commentated scenic drive. The route takes you through the capital and across a mountain ridge on backroads that deliver breathtaking views of both the Caribbean and Atlantic. Marvel at lush vegetation, farms and plantations of this fertile, volcanic island. Relax over refreshments while surrounded by trees at the Rain Forest Adventure Park. Highlights: -- Castries Landmarks: See the capital's colorful market, cathedral and a military monument featuring 18th century cannons. -- Howelton House: Enjoy harbor views and a batik demonstration at the boutique inside this rare example of Victorian-Caribbean architecture. -- Scenic Drive: Stops on the panoramic route include the Rain Forest Adventure Park and Marquis Estate, a historic banana plantation.

we were told that the bus may or may not be air-conditioned. oh the horror! but ours was! oh heaven above, thank you! :D most of the tour was on the bus, with several stops along the way. we had a tour guide with us as well, and he talked to us throughout. he really talked non-stop, and was really interesting. he mentioned a lot of various points of interest during the bus ride, and our first stop was at a school campus, where there was a monument/park that gave us really awesome views from above. then we were off to the Howelton House where we saw several demonstrations on how things on the island are made: cocoa, batik (batik is a method of dying fabric), and coconut oil. there were several places while walking throughout this property that also gave us amazing views. on the way to our next stop, we stopped at a roadside place where it was the "million dollar view" and it was indeed! the tour guide bought a big cinnamon bun (sort of like a cinnamon bun?) to share with everyone on the bus as his favorite island food. he didn't have to do that, it was really sweet (the guy and the bun!). our next stop was the rain forest! there was entire venue there (excursion-type activities), but we were only here for about a half hour or so. we stopped at the front of the rain forest, and at the gift shop was the "snack" that was included. it was a special drink, banana, muffin, and fried fish. none of which i had, but my husband tried it all. we hurried through this so we could get some good photos here. and we sure did! it was gorgeous! definitely a place to go next time, just to here specifically (see my flickr for these photos!).

after we came back from the excursion, we had lunch, relaxed for a while, showered, and went to our birthday dinner at Izumi! we got our bottle of champagne, and dinner was spectacular as always. and 25% off. :) we actually saved the bottle of champagne (we didn't end up opening it). so we took it home, like our quintessential bottle of wine, and i marked it up as well, especially since it was my husband's 35th! a bottle to mark the cruise AND his birthday! <3

Day 9: Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Philipsburg, St. Maarten (9:00am-5:00pm)

this is a favorite and we were looking forward to it. we took ferry to downtown, walked around, and made a point to stop in at my husband’s favorite little shop. a local mom & pop, it sold artwork and painted objects entirely painted by artists on the island, in contrast to most island shops which feature the same cut+paste art style with a different island printed on it. it was authentic in every sense of the word, and the shop owner was so lovely. we bought hand-painted syrup dispenser (we use it for sugar, actually), a small hand-painted salt/pepper shaker for my parents, and she gave us a free shot glass too! we already have one for St. Maarten from a previous cruise, from this exact shop, so this time we got one with the painted flowers i really loved).

it was such a beautiful day, that we then rode the ferry back and forth a few times to get shots from all angles. the breeze, views, and crystal blue water is literally what heaven must be like! after that we came back and had lunch at the buffet, relaxed for a while, showered, and had dinner at the MDR.

Day 10: Wednesday, April 5, 2017 -- at sea

and now, another 3 days at sea...

while i slept in, my husband went to an early morning sudoku challenge and got breakfast. while i got ready, he went and brought me breakfast too. i'm just the luckiest girl in the world.

we took our time and then went to get coffee and relaxed. we went to the 3:00pm bingo session with the cards that my husband won from the game show, but they were all a bust, no wins.

we were excited for tonight, to go see a movie poolside at night, under the stars. it was "La La Land" and after everything we heard about it and all its accolades, we were really looking forward to it. well, to our surprise, not only was it bad, but it was so bad that we left after 30 grueling minutes.

Day 11: Thursday, April 6, 2017 -- at sea

we slept in, skipped breakfast, and had lunch at the buffet today.

we relaxed in Schooner, walked around the ship, and hopped from lounge to lounge until we ended up back in Schooner. we skipped movie tagline trivia (might have won that), and then noticed our "trivia friends" so we joined forces for Beatles vs. Queen trivia, earning us light-up rings (ooooh, a "new" prize!). we were excited to give these to our niece and nephew.

tonight we had dinner in the MDR. they had the parade of chefs so we were glad we ended up in the MDR today. and we were given extra desserts by our waiter, besides the extra we ordered. the table was overflowing and our waiter was absolutely tickled, it was hilarious.

later, we sat outside in the rain with towels to cover up with (under the canopy), while ignoring a crappy Mark Wahlberg movie. it was pouring and it was absolutely lovely.

overall, it's still quite warm. it was cloudy today, and increasingly stormy throughout the day, and of course the storms and pouring rain in the evening (with wind and lightning), which made for sitting poolside quite entertaining. it looked like very choppy water out there, but the rocking was not bad at all. that is, until overnight, the rocking got pretty bad. nothing like my husband and i rolling into each other in the middle of the night. delicious. :)

Day 12: Friday, April 7, 2017 -- at sea

our last day. we slept in again, especially since we didn't get much sleep, it was a rough night at sea. we made it to lunch just in time, then sat around for a little bit with coffee before going back to the room to begin packing.

we went to trivia again, the first being a "top 5" where the best googlers easily won (there was a group that obviously had internet and were using it -- it's not that serious!). the next trivia was "songs with color" where our trivia buddies joined us. we got 2nd place, but the 1st place cheaters/team donated their prizes to us (lol). it was a large kitchen magnet which included little smaller magnets in the center with all kinds of cruising words, like magnetic poetry. but the coolest part was that when you remove the little magnets, the big magnet becomes a frame! that's a great prize! between that and those glowing rings the day before, we can now safely say we have any and all items of RCCL merch ever made. :D

today was cloudy and foggy but it cleared up by lunch. and it's back to the cold!

dinner tonight in the MDR was fabulous. and we're so glad it's where we ended up again: there was another parade! this time, of all the wait staff. it also gave us a chance to give our tip to Aster and Eva. our waiters were absolutely amazing this cruise, so wonderful.

we had finished packing so we went to hang out in the atrium, where we had another chance to say goodbye to Gina and Bob (our trivia buddies). they were around our parents' age, but i still regret not asking for any contact info or Facebook or anything. we don't remember their last names. :( we even talked about possibly booking a Spain cruise together while we were on board! we still think about it to this day, we're really sad over it. they probably weren't sure to ask either because we were so much younger. UGH! we could only hope that one day we run into each other on the same cruise again.

later we went back to the cabin to wind down and sleep. we actually didn't get much sleep because we ended up talking all night. it was like back in our dating days. <3

also! today was another day of drama -- what a cruise. at about 4:00pm, while we were in Schooner, the captain announces that we have another critical patient and that he was speeding up to get closer to the coast where the ER boat will meet us to pick up the passenger. a few hours later, around 7:00pm, we came to a dead stop and were heavily tilted to one side, where the ER boat came to the side to pick up the patient.

Day 13: Saturday, April 8, 2017

Baltimore, Maryland (arrive 7:00am)

and we're backkkkkkk... dare i say, 2 weeks is too long? throughout the cruise, the weather was perfection literally every single day! the islands were hot, but breezy, and comfortable in the shade. but we still sweat like crazy.

our cabin's bathroom was a good size, but having a shower curtain is gross, and the sink faucet sucked. but overall, we had a great cabin, it was a great mid-ship category -- close enough to elevator but was far enough away that it was quiet. the oceanview window was huge, but we SO miss a balcony.

the food overall, especially in the MDR, was really great! the buffet was ok, good for a buffet. and we already miss frozen yogurt.

#2017 #Royal Caribbean #Grandeur of the Seas #Southern Caribbean #Baltimore #St. Thomas #Charlotte Amalie #Philipsburg #St. Maarten #St. John's #Antigua #Bridgetown #Barbados #Castries #St. Lucia #March 2017 #anniversary #Planet Wanderlust #review

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planetwanderlust · 9 years ago

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review: 2016 RCCL Anthem 7-day Bahamas

A+ for this vacation! well ok, time off from work and going to beautiful places is always an A+ but we really fell in love with this ship! so glad to have booked this, even though we hadn't planned on it. there were some hiccups for sure, but i think overall, it was really really fantastic, we enjoyed the hell out of ourselves!

Fri, Dec 9, 2016 – Cape Liberty/Bayonne, NJ (depart 3:00pm)

Sat, Dec 10, 2016 – At Sea

Sun, Dec 11, 2016 –Port Canaveral, FL (12:00-9:30pm)

Mon, Dec 12, 2016 – Cococay, Bahamas (9:30am-5:00pm)

Tue, Dec 13, 2016– Nassau, Bahamas (7:00am-6:00pm)

Wed, Dec 14, 2016 – At Sea

Thur, Dec 15, 2016 – At Sea

Fri, Dec 16, 2016 – Cape Liberty/Bayonne, NJ (arrive 8:00am)

Day 1: Friday, December 9, 2016

in our infinite wisdom (ha!), we decided this would the first time we try Uber. originally, we were booked on this cruise with another couple and were going to share a limo, but they had to cancel. my dad offered to drive us to the port, but i didn't want him to drive that far.

luckily, earlier in the week, my husband suggested trying it out on the way home from work. it went fine, and we decided we'd go ahead. both Uber and Lyft now let you order a car ahead of time, which is great because doing it on the day of made us nervous. my husband kept an eye on Uber to see how many and how frequent the available cars were in our area. so all week, we tried "mock" booking a car to the port and it always quoted us at ~$40. but the night before it showed us around ~$80. that's when we tried Lyft, we pre-ordered a car for ~$40 for the next morning. and just to see, that same morning Uber again showed the ~$40 price. i don't know what that ~$80 was about but it rubbed us the wrong way. we used Lyft both ways and were totally happy with it.

although the cruise lines like to force you to pick a time for arrival to stagger the crowds, you can really arrive anytime. we arrived around ~10:00/10:30am. check-in was incredible -- people walking around with iPads! although we did do most of the work pre-boarding back home online. here's what i didn't like with this: because of the way they did it, they can't hand you your room keys, so the keys are in an envelope on your cabin door. how unsecure and dangerous -- just wait for something to go wrong with that and they'll change things fast.

we packed our soda cup but the design on it this time around was different, so we decided to get another package with all the OBC we have, $60 for whole cruise, just one person, no requirement for all people in cabin to get it.

we were slated for an 11:00am boarding, but they started early at 10:40am -- super fast, 5 minutes, and we were on board! We headed straight to the Solarium Bistro for lunch: in the evenings, it's a complimentary restaurant, and for lunch it's a small, scaled-down buffet style place, in the adult-only section. it was calm, quiet, and very good. we then headed to the arcade; they had free-play hours scheduled! we then started to explore a bit while the cabins were not ready yet. we took some photos on deck 15, but it was too windy and cold. we went to check on our cabin and it was already ready at ~12:30pm. the best photos were right from our balcony! no wind, slight breeze, and we were on the NYC side -- we stayed on our balcony for sail away: perfect! aaand then we took a nap -- ah, the life! we had dinner at Silk, one of the complimentary restaurants. as of this cruise, they got rid of dynamic dining (we were only the second cruise since they scrapped it fleet-wide). when we booked, it was still in effect, but when we got on board, they had to figure out what to do with everyone... we were converted to "My Time" dining, which was no problem. Silk particularly was ok: we had a great waiter, and the food was good, it was ok. it had Asian-inspired decor. after dinner, we decided to skip the welcome aboard show, and went back to cabin.

Day 2: Saturday, December 10, 2016 (at sea)

our first sleep: what a comfortable bed! and it's a kiiiiiing! oh how wonderfully wonderful. with a queen at home, i always enjoy a bigger bed. even though we end up in the middle together anyway.

in the morning, after prying ourselves out of that bed, while i finished getting ready, my husband went to a sudoku challenge. we then skipped breakfast, and went straight to the meet & greet.

the meet & greet was at 10:00am in the Music Hall. it's a two-story, cool, rock & roll vibe. with Royal, there's always a raffle, and... drum roll... we were the first to win, and we won... keychains! OY. they always give away those same keychains! hahaha. this meet & greet was hosted by the activities manager; the cruise director himself only came by quickly and left. so the AM noticed that my husband had an Apple watch on when he went up to get the raffle prize, and joked about asking for tips on how to use it. little did he know who he was asking! afterwards, my husband offered to meet him later for a little training session. the AM was excited and we got a bottle of wine sent to our room! our quintessential free bottle we keep as a souvenir always -- heheeeee! funny enough, the AM was always running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and never did reach out to set up a time.

for lunch, they had a special at Jaime's Italian for a discounted $20 per person. this is a specialty restaurant and since we saw that lunch was practically the same menu as dinner, we went for it. it was the BEST! we enjoyed it SO much. worth the cover charge, hands down.

after lunch, we went to guest services with some questions, and the person says happy anniversary to us. we thank her with a confused look, and say nothing happened (this was our very belated anniversary cruise, so we had said that 12/10 was our anniversary). she told us she'd take care of it... we happily said thank you and left. probably a cake or dessert at dinner...?

today was our day for the North Star! we chose a 3:00pm reservation out at sea. we thought the views of the vast ocean would be more interesting than at any of these ports. wow, it was truly sooooooo cool. absolutely awesome. the only thing was that it was hard to get photos because of the glare but we still managed to get some pretty cool shots. and such an awesome name for it, a great concept. the only downside i see is that the "special"-ness of it all is in the very first visit. after that, the allure is gone. so it'll be interesting to see what we think next time.

dinner tonight was at our very favorite sushi place (anywhere! at sea or on land)... Izumi! and we were not disappointed yet again! OMG, the food. every morsel is better than the next. the only odd thing about it is that the whole place seemed like an after thought here. it was so small, and in the middle of a hallway...? sad that they didn't devote serious space to it.

tonight's show was The Gift. it was so horribly cheesy and poorly written, we were left confused and cringing.

and it's getting warmer! we are loving the ship so far.

Day 3: Sunday, December 11, 2016

Port Canaveral, FL (12:00pm-9:30pm)

oh Florida. we've been so many times, so we didn't get off the ship. it's already so warm! today was cloudy, not humid, and drizzling in the evening. we skipped breakfast, went to Friends trivia (i did surprisingly bad!), and had lunch at the Two70 cafe. it's really good, and different, a Mediterranean flair. and we caught one of the surprise daily shows at Two70: they're short, a few minutes, using the moving screens.

we took a coffee break, and headed to more trivia. the free coffee is pretty good actually, but there is Starbucks too. when we got back to our cabin, we got a coupon for $125 off in Diamond International in Nassau from guest services, which must've been what she meant for our anniversary. appreciated but literally going in the trash since we would never buy anything from DI nor were we getting off the ship in Nassau. we did get our bottle of wine from the Activities Manager with a note.

tonight we went back to the Solarium Bistro, for dinner this time. but it was surprisingly very bland. for tonight's show, i had booked "Spectra's Cabaret" in the Two70 venue, but it was cancelled, and had to be rescheduled due to technical difficulties. technology hiccups like these were happening throughout the cruise, and although it was surprising that they hadn't gotten a handle on them yet, it didn't damper the overall love of this ship for us.

Day 4: Monday, December 12, 2016

Cococay, Bahamas: private island (9:30am-5:00pm)

we had planned to go the beach, but last minute decided not to go and stayed on board. it was really hot and humid today too. we had breakfast in the MDR, this time we were seated in the restaurant Chic. we really liked it, it was a very nice, bright, clean decor.

afterwards, we went to guest services to say we can't use the DI coupon, since we're not getting off the ship in Nassau. we ask if instead we can go to a specialty restaurant... he says he'll have to check, and if not he'll send us champagne. later on, we find red wine in our cabin, aaaaand chocolate strawberries! a lovely surprise, totally happy, and we assume that the dinner was a no.

my husband went to the spa, for the first time ever in his life! i was so excited to see what he'd think. we had the $100 credit which is for the spa only, not OBC. when we went to make the reservation for the $119 special (pick 3 for 20 minutes each), we were told that we didn't owe the difference, that the credit is actually for $119; that was a pleasant surprise, and we only had to pay the gratuity. my husband had a ball, i loved that he loved it. :)

dinner tonight was in the MDR: this time in the restaurant American Icon Grill. we really liked this one too, a cool NYC vibe with gray walls and chrome accents.

and tonight was quite a night!!!! we chose to go to the Name That Tune game show, expecting nothing special. well they really made it something! it was a full-on show! before they started, they went around the audience to get people to participate, and my husband tried out (with my coaxing) and he got on the show! they did such a good job of making it into a production with dancers and singers too. AND HE WON! the whole shebang! :) he was given a huge prize pack of RC logo stuff, and we later got a USB drive of the whole show! it was so exciting to watch him, i was such a groupie in the audience. :D

so in round 1, there were 10 contestants, they play a song, and people buzz in to name that tune. podiums and everything. then for bonus points, they played 5 songs and you had to identify them all. my husband was the only one to get all 5! after that, the 4 people with lowest score were kicked off. as an interlude, they lined up the remaining 6 people, added skirts and made them do the can-can. yep, the can-can. it was hilarious.

now in round 2 with the 6 people left, it was the same format as before, but this time with a big wheel, where it determined the point value of each question. this made it much harder to accumulate points. 2 people were kicked off this round (my husband coming in last and just making it through). then for bonus points, the singer and dancers came out and did a medley of dances, and the 4 remaining contestants had to identify the name of each of the 5 dances. my husband got 4.

now in round 3: the classic Name That Tune rules applied, with the 4 people remaining. at the end, with 2 people left, the other guy tried to go for just 3 notes, but didn't get it. my husband claimed two notes (oooh, ahhh!) and got it! the clues gave it away.

now in round 4, there was a 30-second lightning round. the other guy got the first song right, and then my husband gets the next nine songs right (with one wrong in between). aaaaand so he wins! they crown him the winner (literally) with a "king" costume and all, he introduces himself and me (he was so cute!), and then the singers and dancers commence an entire song & dance number around him! all while streamers fire off ridiculously. he disappears under the stage when they're done where he gets the the prize bag full of RC swag. it was all quite something!! he was constantly congratulated on the way back to the cabin and recognized around the ship. i could hardly handle how adorable he was as he blushed through each time.

Day 5: Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Nassau, Bahamas (7:00am-6:00pm)

after the hoopla of last night, the king and i slept in. hahahaha. today is a beautiful day, but humid. we did lunch at the buffet. and surprisingly, we got a call from guest services that we can choose a time for dinner!! we did not expect this at all, and thanked him for the champagne and strawberries he already sent. we asked for Wonderland, but said he can't (also there were no times available anyway). we go for Jamie's for the following night! we already had a lunch reservation since we loved it so much and wanted to go back, so we cancelled that for the dinner.

today was Harry Potter trivia! i didn't do very well at all, but we had fun. tonight was dinner at Izumi (discounted). and we found out that our cancelled "Spectra's Cabaret" show got rescheduled for the last night at 9:30pm... i found this really annoying since that's prime time for packing and getting to bed since we have to get up super early the next day to leave! so after Izumi, we went to the library, which was weirdly shoved into a corner at the top of Two70 (no doors even, so strange), so we hung out in there until the show started! it's way up top, so when the lights went out, we simply walked out and sat down. the seats were awesome! it was really an amazing show, we enjoyed it a lot. i'm glad we "snuck" in, because i wouldn't have been able to enjoy it on that last night with packing and all that on my mind.

Day 6: Wednesday, December 14, 2016 (at sea)

another glorious morning of sleeping in, and a late start to the day. ah, vacation! we had lunch in the buffet, and just relaxed our butts off. we had reservations for the show "We Will Rock You" tonight. although it wasn't as bad as Norwegian (we actually stayed this time), it was awful. oof.

Day 7: Thursday, December 15, 2016 (at sea)

our last day. not much to write about, took it easy today. made it an early night, so we could pack.

Day 8: Friday, December 16, 2016

time to go home. we were a little worried since we were taking the Lyft back home, and really couldn't order it ahead of time. but it went well, and we'd definitely go with Lyft again. it was also really awesome to get home on a Friday and still have the weekend to unpack, do laundry, and get ready to get back to work.

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overall, we fell in love with Anthem. in fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we didn't step foot off the ship! we really only planned to get off at the private island but we decided to stay on the ship last minute. in Port Canaveral and Nassau, we had already decided we wouldn't go anywhere. the ship kept us busy and entertained. though i don't know about doing that on anything longer than this 7-day cruise. even i'll admit that by the end, we were a little stir crazy... but just a little.

#2016 #royal caribbean #Anthem of the Seas #Cape Liberty #Bayonne #Cococay #Nassau #Bahamas #review #Planet Wanderlust #RCCL

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planetwanderlust · 9 years ago

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August 2018: Oceania Insignia 10-day NE/Canada

minds have officially been lost! :) we've booked another cruise yesterday! but this is almost two years away, so it's ok? :)

we are just about to head out on our Bahamas cruise on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas -- while already waiting for our March 2017 for our anniversary, also Royal Caribbean, on Grandeur of the Seas. this December cruise was a sort of last minute decision, as we had not gone on any cruises in 2016 and didn't do one for our 2016 anniversary. a few months ago, there was a deal that was too good to pass up, so we booked it.

and now, an early bird deal came up that was just too amazing. we really had a hard time deciding whether to go ahead with this, but we're absolutely ecstatic. neither of us have been on this cruise line, and we're heading north to Canada (a long, long while for me since i've been on a Canada cruise, and a first for my husband). it also pops over to Bermuda, where neither of us also have never been either. what a cruise!

we booked August 2018 (yes, 2018!) on Oceania's Insignia, a 10-day round-trip out of NYC.

not only is the cruise itself at an amazing price, but the perks with this one are out of this world. out of this stratosphere!

we did choose an inside cabin (which i'm so apprehensive about, but...). the regular price of Oceania, a luxury line, is $6,000 per person! for an inside! by that alone, i can't even begin to imagine what luxury really means! the deal that we got was just as they released new 2018 itineraries. we only paid about 1/6 of that per person. a steal!

here's the fun part... this all came to be because my parents started looking into it, and eventually decided to go ahead. we were on the fence, and told my parents we can't go with them. BUT secretly, we went ahead and booked it too! it will be my dad's 70th birthday year, so it will be quite a surprise to give him. i couldn't contain myself and had to spill the beans to my mom; which isn't so bad, because we'll need her help to plan our surprise. :)

besides the amazing discounted rate, these are the perks that are included:

-- $50 CruCon loyalty OBC- $50 Crucon OBC -- $100 Crucon OBC -- $25 Crucon OBC -- $25 Crucon OBC

yes, all that OBC from Crucon, a total of $250. AND...

-- $600.00 OBC from Oceania -- unlimited internet package -- unlimited beverages included (non-alcoholic, soft drinks, bottled water, specialty coffees, teas, and juices) - complimentary dining in specialty restaurants (on Oceania, always free, you just need reservations!)

we also purchased travel insurance which is $178.00 (for both of us).

this will be amazing!

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our itinerary:

August 14, 2018 -- New York, NY 1:00pm-6:00pm

August 15, 2018 -- Newport, RI 8:00am-5:00pm

August 16, 2018 -- Boston, MA 8:00am-6:00pm

August 17, 2018 -- Bar Harbor, Maine 8:00am-5:00pm

August 18, 2018 -- Halifax, Nova Scotia 11:00am-11:00pm

August 19, 2018 -- at sea

August 20, 2018 -- at sea

August 21, 2018 -- St. George, Bermuda 8:00am-overnight

August 22, 2018 -- St. George, Bermuda 3:00pm

August 23, 2018 -- at sea

August 24, 2018 -- New York, NY 8:00am

#2017 #2018 #Oceania #Insignia #Crucon #Newport #Rhode Island #Boston #Massachusetts #Bar Harbor #Maine #Halifax #Nova Scotia #St. George #New York #Bermuda #Planet Wanderlust #August 2018

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planetwanderlust · 9 years ago

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New Hope & Ivyland Railroad

i first found out about this train ride via Groupon, and really wasn't sure what to expect. we've been to New Hope countless times, but surprisingly never heard of this. luckily, we ended up going on the perfect weekend!

New Hope & Ivyland Railroad (https://www.newhoperailroad.com/)

it was absolutely gorgeous, the colors were amazing. the train ride was almost three hours but it didn't feel that long at all. the only downside is that the train station charges $20 for parking, which was stated nowhere, and it was so full we had to park on the grass.

the train is a restored vintage train from the 1920s. the restoration is beautiful. the train cars themselves don't run, they were pulled by one train.

overall, i'm so glad we did it, and we really enjoyed it.

more photos on my flickr: http://bit.ly/2gICPIm

#2016 #New Hope Ivyland Railroad #New Hope #Pennsylvania #railroad #train #November #Planet Wanderlust

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planetwanderlust · 9 years ago

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December 2016: RC Anthem of the Seas 7-day Bahamas

(edit: here is my review!)

we already have Grandeur booked for March 2017, but we could not resist this! i still can’t believe the deal i found for Anthem! i’ve been eyeing Anthem for a while but it’s been much too expensive when i can find similar cruises for much less. this cruise used to be a 12-day Southern Caribbean cruise, which they changed to this 7-day Bahamas. i wonder if that’s why the price went down? who knows, who cares!

the price, with the amazing perks, is just out of this world for a new ship! we booked with CruCon, the only one i found offering the extra perks. a couple other travel agencies had the price, but mostly it was at a higher price. because it’s Anthem, we didn’t really care about the stops, especially since we’ve been to these multiple times. there’s too much to do on the ship!

we booked a balcony (eeeee!!), category: D5, deck 12, $649 pp, $100 OBC, another $50 OBC, $100 spa credit, AND a $70 dinner credit. we also got travel insurance for $51/pp.

RCCL is offering the spa, CruCon is giving the rest: the price, $100 OBC, dinner, and the extra $50 OBC since i’m in their loyalty club. YESSSSS!

Fri, Dec 9, 2016 – Cape Liberty/Bayonne, NJ (depart 3:00pm)

Sat, Dec 10, 2016 – At Sea

Sun, Dec 11, 2016 –Port Canaveral, FL (12:00-9:30pm)

Mon, Dec 12, 2016 – Cococay, Bahamas (9:30am-5:00pm)

Tue, Dec 13, 2016– Nassau, Bahamas (7:00am-6:00pm)

Wed, Dec 14, 2016 – At Sea

Thur, Dec 15, 2016 – At Sea

Fri, Dec 16, 2016 – Cape Liberty/Bayonne, NJ (arrive 8:00am)

#2016 #Planet Wanderlust #Royal Caribbean #RCCL #Anthem of the Seas #Bahamas #Port Canaveral #Cococay #Nassau #Cape Liberty #Bayonne

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planetwanderlust · 10 years ago

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March 2017: Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas

(edit: my review!)

we won’t be doing an anniversary cruise this year, but we just found this great March 2017 cruise and booked it. back on the Grandeur!

we’ll see if a 2016 cruise happens. really looking forward to the Southern Caribbean, even with stops that i’ve never been to. this also falls over my husband’s birthday which will be awesome!

we booked with Online Vacation Center, an oceaview, category: i, deck 2, cabin # 2608, $811/pp, also insurance for $68/pp, and $50 OBC.

Mon, March 27, 2017 – Baltimore, Maryland (depart 4:00pm)

Tue, March 28, 2017 – At Sea

Wed, March 29, 2017 – At Sea

Thur, March 30, 2017 – At Sea

Fri, March 31, 2017 – Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (9:00am-6:00pm)

Sat, April 1, 2017 – St. John’s, Antigua (7:00am-4:00pm)

Sun, April 2, 2017 – Bridgetown, Barbados (10:00am-7:00pm)

Mon, April 3, 2017 – Castries, St. Lucia (8:00am-4:30pm)

Tue, April 4, 2017 – Philipsburg, St. Maarten (9:00am-5:00pm)

Wed, April 5, 2017 – At Sea

Thu, April 6, 2017 – At Sea

Fri, April 7, 2017 – At Sea

Sat, April 8, 2017 – Baltimore, Maryland (arrive 7:00am)

#2016 #2017 #Planet Wanderlust #Royal Caribbean #RCCL #Grandeur of the Seas #Online Vacation Center #St. Thomas #Antigua #St. John's #Bridgetown #Barbados #Castries #St. Lucia #Philipsburg #St. Maarten #Southern Caribbean #Baltimore

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planetwanderlust · 10 years ago

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review: 2015 NCL Gem E. Caribbean

i don't think i've ever been more excited for a cruise. besides our honeymoon of course, here we were for the first time since our wedding, back on the Gem! we were ecstatic! we literally had butterflies and hearts floating atop our heads. :) read our wedding/honeymoon review here!

and before i get into this review, out of the gate i have to say we were completely deflated and sad when we got on board. let me say first that of course our expectations were different than other passengers, but that aside, i still think they really screwed up the Gem.

our cruise was the first cruise after Gem's dry dock. she was refurbished and updated. and consequently, her soul ripped out! (dramatic, i know, but you'll see...)

as Norwegian is doing now fleet-wide, the Gem was updated throughout, some complete overhauls and some with updates like new furniture, etc. all of this combined, i think they really took away what the Gem was. as i call it, they tried to "Break-a-fy" it, and that was really a mistake. if i wanted Breakaway, i'd sail on Breakaway! the modern touches just don't fit on the Gem where they should, it looks awkward and mismatched.

they even removed the purple "gem" ceiling in the atrium, replacing it with large display of little bulbs that could change colors and create patterns. very cool, but not for the Gem! the carpet was changed in Le Bistro. well ok, that's fresh and it fit. Bliss Lounge was completely new and modernized. etc. etc. etc.

we booked this cruise with Direct Line Cruises, choosing an oceanview because the price was great: $829 pp. it was a category: OK, oceanview stateroom with large picture window on deck 8, $50 OBC from DLC, a free dining package from Norwegian (any specialty restaurant, anytime), and free travel insurance from DLC. this oceanview cabin was obstructed, but from my research, this particular cabin shouldn't have been. it was also a maze of a hallway to get to the room, also unexpected. add also: a weird smell.

this was exactly our honeymoon cruise, another reason we were drawn to it. the only difference was the Tortola stop. we had gone to Samana in the Dominican Republic during our honeymoon, and they’ve since changed that port (thankfully). wishing we had had the amazing Sinan, our cruise director from our honeymoon, but he has since left NCL. but in his place was the best captain EVER! this captain was the most entertaining, hilarious character. he was on the intercomm often, making jokes, and just being funny in general. it was so great, we looked forward to every announcement.

we had the "ultimate dining package" which at the time that we got this perk, it was actually what it says it is: ultimate! it was no limit, any specialty restaurant. now they cap you at some max amount which amounts to a handful of dinners. around this time, both of these packages were available, so this turned into a bit of a clusterfuck at the specialty restaurants because so many people had the package in some form or another. we had to make all of our reservations ahead of time. not always ideal, but i'm a planner so it's not that bad.

Friday, November 13, 2015 – New York, New York

we took this cruise with friends of ours, and this was essentially their honeymoon. they had just recently gotten married (i planned it, and my husband was the photographer!), and this was the perfect timing for them to join us.

we decided to share a limo, so it was nice drive to and from the port. this cruise was chock-full of stories/moments/etc., and here's where it gets wonderfully weird...

as soon as we checked in, i was told that we could make our way to the VIP lounge. what?! why?! ooook! i had no idea why, and at this point, knowing my dad, i call him and ask him what he's managed to do. he can be quite a joker, so he had me going...

well off we went to the VIP lounge, a light breakfast was available, we had juice and coffee, and were told the concierge would be here soon. the what?? i felt like we needed to leave, but of course we waited.

then we met Carlos, the concierge, who brought us our keys and VIP info, so now we knew it was legit and for the whole cruise. it was at this point that we realized we were with all the suite guests. and still trying to figure out why we were there! ...but enjoying ourselves all the while! while we waited to be escorted on board (yes, really), i called my dad again and yet again he had me thinking it was him.

we were also late boarding and departing. i thought we might actually be early to board since there was no disembarkation, but i think we were late because of all the unloading they had to do. the timing of this cruise was also just as the Paris terrorist attacks occurred, so i wonder if they possibly tightened security, rechecked our baggage, i don't know.

Saturday, November 14, 2015 – At Sea

our first sea day. we explored all over the ship to see all the new improvements and differences. it did have a different feel overall. like i mentioned before, they obviously tried to modernize it, but i don't think they did a very good job. we were glad to see that Le Bistro was essentially the same, just new carpeting. it was open and empty, so we sat down for a little bit and soaked it in. this is where our wedding reception was. :)

our wedding was in the Spinnaker Lounge, which has new furniture, but they took the funkiness out! it's plain old boring now. and the new chairs and couches are so uncomfortable and so blah. some old details were also left so it looks like they didn't finish and gave up at some point. so disappointing. this theme was reoccurring throughout the ship. they also removed the bowling lanes and completely redid the Bliss Lounge. sure, it was nice and new, but it didn't belong on the Gem.

today was also the meet & greet. i organized the group on Cruise Critic, so i had a note in my cabin to come early. i met the NCL events coordinator and she asked if i wanted to speak (eek!). i did end up saying hello and welcome. but since i was early, we chatted a bit and it was here that things clicked about the VIP. she asked me how things were going with Carlos. hey, how did she know?! she told me i had VIP because i was the group leader for the meet & greet. REALLY? so when NCL confirmed all the details with me, they didn't mention this at all! i was kind of pissed about that, because i had no clue what Carlos could or would do for us. it turns out VIP meant we had all the suite perks. that's BIG! would've been nice to know! at least now i know in the future to always jump on organizing for any NCL cruise! unfortunately not so for RCCL.

i think the best part was that we could have breakfast and lunch for free in Cagney's every day, which is only open to suite guestsother than that, we only chatted with Carlos, but never "used" him as a concierge.

Sunday, November 15, 2015 – At Sea

another day at sea. at this point, we've been hearing a strange noise in our cabin. the sound is growing closer and louder. it's like a buzz saw. i went to the front desk and asked them to investigate, but they said they didn't find anything. again, later i went back, and coincidentally the woman next to me was saying the same thing. again they investigated and said they had no construction, no work being done on board, so there was nothing going on next to or above our cabins or hallway. you mean to tell me that right after a dry dock, there's no work being finished? of course there is! they were all over the ship doing this or that, obviously finishing projects from the dry dock. this was another annoyance since this cruise probably should not have been scheduled, they needed at least another week to finish things.

in the midst of the noise issue, i did ask the concierge if there were any suites available, and he was trying to get us into a better cabin. he was wonderful, and i thought the front desk was as well, and accommodating to our problem. in fact, they offered us another oceanview cabin to move to, which we weren't sure if we wanted to bother doing. our oceanview that we booked had a large picture window and was obstructed (although it shouldn't have been). they gave us time to think about it, and offered to show us the room first.

Monday, November 16, 2015 – At Sea

the cabin saga continues! i already knew the cruise was almost full, so i didn't expect the concierge to get back to us with good news. but i do think he had some influence, because they showed us all the available cabins, and it was only about 4-5 of them. we were in 8052, and were offered 5592 which was a porthole (and a lower category than our deck 8 cabin). we looked at it and decided to take it and move, because although it wasn't the big window, at least we had a view! it wasn't that big of a deal to pack up and move, and switch our keys.

so moving from deck 8 to deck 5, you'd think that'd be it. nope! we still heard the noise! they even sent an officer/manager to come listen and he heard it too. no sir, i'm not crazy, see?! so yet again they investigated and said they couldn't find the source. so their answer was to offer us two cabins! we could stay in 5592 AND have a second inside cabin to sleep in. ok, wierd, but wow. the inside cabin for sleeping was 5561, just down the hall. we declined the inside cabin, and the noise went away the next day.

and in the midst of all this, the toilets had backed up/clogged on deck 10. which happened to be the hallway where our friends were! they had a balcony on deck 10. after dealing with our own issue, i couldn't believe how poorly they were handling the toilet issue, our friends were pissed and annoyed. they kept getting a runaround on what was was going on. not only did they get nothing for it, but us with the buzz saw (and our neighbors) received a bottle of wine and a dessert plate! we also got another $50 on-board credit!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015 – San Juan, Puerto Rico

this is one of our favorite ports. we walked around in San Juan together, and didn't really have any plans otherwise. we had already been to the fort on our honeymoon, so we headed back to the ship after a couple of hours. later, armed with an awesome new camera this cruise, my husband decided to go back out again and realized how close we actually were to the fort. he took a short 5-10 minute walk to the fort, and it only cost $5! by accident, he happened to head over there at precisely the time between the two excursions. so it was quiet, empty, and he got a lot more shots than he ever thought he would!

our concierge also gave us some tips for a walking tour, so my husband saw some interesting things when he went back out. apparently, the thinnest house in the world is here. and every single stray cat (it's a thing) is a descendant from the first cat ever brought to PR. something to remember for trivia you'll never use. :)

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 – St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

St. Thomas holds a really special place in our hearts. during our honeymoon, we got back into the dress and tux and took professional photos throughout the ship. what a backdrop, right? and the best part was i remember i tried to get my hair and make-up the same for the photos, and my husband straightened my hair. my hair is extremely curly so this ordeal took hours. not that i needed any more reminders on how much i love and appreciate him. :)

we walked around in port, with the mission of looking for a small souvenir we forgot from our honeymoon. otherwise we usually like to get shot glasses from each place. and yet we don't drink!

Thursday, November 19, 2015 – Philipsburg, St. Maarten

i've been to St. Maarten quite a few times, so i wanted to stay on the ship to relax while it was quiet. we did walk around in port for a bit, and my husband later went back out again and took the ferry into town. he was really squeezing every ounce out of this new camera!

we happened to be here on the single day of the year when the butterflies explode. they were EVERYWHERE. i mean, there must've been millions. that many, everywhere, on everything, on all the ships. god only knows how many sailed off on the cruise ships.

and something interesting on this night -- after we departed and were out at sea, the captain said we were going to do a 360 degree spin. being the jokester that he was, we thought he was kidding, but it was for real. they do this once a year to test/calibrate the ship's compass.

Friday, November 20, 2015 – Tortola, British Virgin Islands

this was a new stop to this itinerary. they replaced Samana in the Dominican Republic. but it was a very short stay! all of the other stops were 8:00am-5:00pm, but here we were only in port for 7:00am-1:00pm. it was also under construction, so there wasn't much to it. we just walked around, there were just a few stores. although this time around this stop was a miss, i'm sure in the future when construction is done, there will be much more to do. if that is, they stay longer!

Saturday, November 21, 2015 – At Sea

another perk of having the concierge was we were able to go on the bridge tour. although my husband and i have already been, i really wanted to make this happen for our friends who'd never experienced it. the best part was that it was a very small group, it was us four, another couple, and a family of four. also, with this hilarious captain, we were just as interested in this tour! most of it was the run-of-the-mill tour, but one of the little kids asked the captain where he slept, so he invited us into his cabin! we couldn't believe it, even the concierge said he was surprised and had never seen it. it was nice, but the suites are nicer. lol. he has a balcony of course, a large living room, and separate bedroom, and his bathroom. now here's the funny part: this is when one of my friends became sea sick. i didn't find this out until later, but when her face turned green, the concierge pulled her into the captain's bathroom and she let it out all out. LOL. that's one way to remember the tour. :P

Sunday, Nov 22, 2015 – At Sea

nothing eventful on this last sea day. :)

Monday, Nov 23, 2015 – New York, New York

and back home it is. we really love these longer cruises. as long as we can do them with work/vacation days, we'll always opt for them. it's the perfect amount of time.

random note: i don't know what it was about the bathrooms this time, but the toilets seemed tiny, and the showers were amazing, the water pressure was awesome.

overall, we had a great time, relaxed, but with all the changes, i don't know that we'll seek out the Gem in the future. of course, price is everything, and it's in our home port, but we were just left so sad after this one. and to top it off, for some reason, Gem has been expensive lately, while Breakaway is more affordable.

i would say NCL is my favorite cruise line, but the more NCL cruises i take, combined with the more Royal Caribbean cruises i take, i'm feeling more loyal to Royal. i think they treat their repeat customers much better.

#2015 #Planet Wanderlust #cruise #SanJuan #Puerto Rico #St. Thomas #US Virgin Islands #Philipsburg #St. Maarten #Tortola #British Virgin Islands #Norwegian Gem #NCL #Caribbean #Eastern Caribbean #review

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planetwanderlust · 10 years ago

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American Museum of Natural History: adult sleepover!

where do i begin? pinch me, i still can't believe it happened!

a little over a year ago, i came across an old NYT article about sleepovers for kids at the American Museum of Natural History. woah, really? they do that? how cool would that be? from that, i found that they had just tried an adult-version of the sleepover, which led me to the next article about the inaugural adult sleepover. WHAT? what, what, what? then i started digging, and at the time, there weren't any dates posted. i signed up for their e-mail list, and we began to hold our breaths! lo and behold, and by some universe magic, not even a few weeks later, i received the e-mail detailing new dates for future adult sleepovers and directions for how to get tickets.

we got so excited, so revved up, so... omg, omg, omg. but wait, the cost. the date. can we do it? dear god, it's expensive... x2. we reluctantly decided to wait, to sleep on it, and see if we should/could/would do this. we came back to the same notion over and over again: this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! so we bought tickets (in June 2014) and couldn't wait until December 2014. oh, the waiting!

and then, the very night before our December sleepover, there was a fire at the museum! it was minor, but we were told they would decide the morning of if our sleepover was still on. after waiting almost six months, we were so saddened by this, but we actually then began hoping they'd cancel it and reschedule us. which is what they ended up doing. had they not, they probably would've closed off the portion of museum that was affected by the fire, so best that we were cancelled! we had our choice of new dates, and we chose June 2015.

and so here we were... it was finally June 19! i don't think it really hit me until we were on the train. we bought sleeping bags, packed an overnight bag, and i still couldn't believe it.

here's how it all went:

we took the train into NY Penn station, and we ended up being early (i can't be late if i tried). traffic and parking wasn't a problem, since it was mid-day on a Friday, so we caught an earlier train than expected.

we called AMNH to find out if we can come early; the museum closes earlier than when we were told to arrive at a separate entrance. and by chance we found out that dinner would be a bit later than we thought (at 8:00pm), so being early actually gave us a chance to grab a quick bite. we happily found out that NYP now has a Tim Horton's!

we grabbed a taxi from NYP; we didn't want to deal with trains, not to mention the heat. by this time, AMNH was closed, so entering through a separate entrance was pretty cool. it was quiet and sparse on the streets. we wanted to grab a few photos, but we couldn't wait to get inside already! we arrived a bit early, still. but they started check-in a little early too since they were all ready and set to go.

we got a packet with a schedule, map, and complimentary museum tickets for the next day if we wanted to stay. we also got VIP badges to wear. from the check-in line, we waited a bit before being ushered into the Hall of Biodiversity where we got on another line to pick up our free t-shirts. the t-shirts are really awesome, and we had a choice of one that features a whale or dinosaur. we got one of each. from there, we went to find a cot in the Hall of Ocean Life, i.e. under the big 'ole whale!

it was lit blue and dreamy, we found a great spot, left our stuff, and went back to the open upstairs level where they had a champagne reception with a live jazz band. what a way to start the evening!

we then had a rather quick orientation, and we were set free!

we first checked the schedule to see what we definitely wanted to do vs. running around freely. they had special tours and presentations, and even while walking through the museum, there were museum staff all around that could give you a private tour of the area they were in.

we decided to explore before dinner. i can't even begin to tell you how amazing it was to run through the museum with no one around. even with the other attendees, we didn't really run into a lot of people. purely amazing.

dinner was FABULOUS! truly delicious, and fancy. each table had some knick-knacks on the table (we got two AMNH magnets and some candy), and a stuffed toy animal in the middle. once everyone started eating, the staff came around to each table to tell us that the person with the sticker under their chair was the winner of the stuffed toy! what a cute idea. we did this too at our wedding. :) we didn't win, but got magnets and candy, and later also bought a shot glass to commemorate the evening. we didn't stay long at dinner, we kind of downed our food quickly so we could get back to exploring!

...and off we went. we tried to strategize so that we used our time efficiently. after looking over the schedule again and seeing where we wanted to be and when, we started on the first floor, and worked our way up. we did end up having to finish the top of the museum in the morning. and still, i can't believe how much we covered!

the best thing was that we barely ran into people throughout the museum, it really was like being on the loose alone!

in between our running around, here's what we caught on the schedule:

-- the show at the Hayden Planetarium currently is "Space Show: Dark Universe," which we actually saw at the Franklin Institute, but here we got a special treat instead... it was a live walk-through current NASA data throughout planet and space models. literally flying through space! and unfortunately, Neil deGrasse Tyson did not pop up anywhere (he is the Director of the planetarium), and narrates "Dark Universe." can't say we didn't have a teeny sliver of hope. ;)

-- "Night at the Museum" tour -- we started this one, and ended up leaving after a bit to continue exploring on our own. they gave us an overview before we started and it wasn't any behind-the-scenes or any special access of any sort, so we didn't want to waste any time.

-- live animal demonstration -- they had owls, hawks, alligators, snakes, etc., oh my... really cool. the presenter/animal handler was pretty funny and kooky too. he fed the owl two small screeching mice too. eek!

in the middle of our running around and exploring, we realized that our paperwork had a little clause for people who snored. if you asked, they could move you to a different location. now mind you, we had found a pretty sweet spot in Hall of Ocean Life, and were happy with it. but not only did we find this little blurb in the paperwork, we accidentally found a grouping of six lonely cots in the Hall of Biodiversity. we were sure that this must be where they're putting the snorers! so we decided to go ahead and ask, and admit that the hubby snores. he happily did, seeing what a great spot we would get. it was more private, quieter, and out of the way. aaaand we had outlets!

lights out were at 2:00am in the Hall of Ocean Life, and they were strict about not using phones so the light wouldn't bother others. though we later heard that the bathroom in there had the most annoyingly creaking door and was constantly open-close-open-close all throughout the night. you were still free to walk around the museum at this point anyway. they also set up coffee/tea, milk and cookies, fruit, and snacks in the Hall of Planet Earth for the all-nighters.

so no one else ended up in the Hall of Biodiversity with us, so we really scored with a private spot! we decided around 3:30/4:00am to try to nap a bit, but it didn't happen. we were back up and packed up by 5:00am. and off we went again! we did change into pajamas, which was pretty surreal. :)

the next morning (Saturday), the gift shop was opened early for us. we weren't going to shop, but we decided to get some sort of momento. we ended up with the shot glass; we sort of collect those from our travels. we don't drink, so they're nice for display.

they had a nice continental breakfast for us, which was great. bagels, muffins, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, juices, and coffee.

we were also given those complimentary tickets for Saturday that i mentioned, but having covered the entire museum and satisfied with what we saw and got photos of, we just couldn't do it. we were total zombies at this point.

here is everything we covered in the museum throughout Friday evening, all night, and early Saturday morning --

Hall of Meteorites

Hall of Minerals

Hall of Gems

Hall of Human Origins

Grand Gallery

Northwest Coast Indians

Hall of New York State Environment

Hall of Ocean Life

Hall of New York State Environment

North American Mammals

Hall of Small Mammals

Rose Gallery of Earth and Space

Hall of the Universe

Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway

North American Forests

Hall of Biodiversity

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall

Hall of Planet Earth

South American Peoples

Mexico and Central America

African Peoples

Birds of the World

Hall of Asian Peoples

Asian Mammals

Hall of African Mammals

Hall of Oceanic Birds

Hall of Pacific Peoples

Hall of Plains Indians

Hall of Eastern Woodlands Indians

Hall of Primates

Hall of North American Birds

Hall of New York State Mammals

Hall of New York City Birds

Hall of African Mammals

Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians

Hall of Advanced Mammals

Wallach Orientation Center

Hall of Vertebrate Origins

Hall of Primitive Mammals

Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs

Saurischian Dinosaurs

Hayden Planetarium

IMAX Theatre (live animal demonstration)

i posted tons of photos on my flickr, in the travel album: start here. :D

needless to say... this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. i still can't believe it happened! i'm so glad we decided to take the plunge and spend the money to do this. it was breathtaking, amazing, and we're in awe.

would we recommend it? hell yes. start saving NOW, do it too! :) :) :)

#2015 #sleepover #AMNH #American Museum of Natural History #New York City #Manhattan #June

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planetwanderlust · 10 years ago

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review: March 2015 RC Grandeur of the Seas

happy second wedding anniversary to us! to celebrate, we decided to do another cruise (surprise, surprise). my parents sailed as well! this time, both the port and the ship were new to both my husband and i. i'm so glad i got him hooked! i know my parents are happy too, not only do they adore my husband, but they love that we can all cruise together now.

i particularly picked this cruise because it would cover the western Caribbean, where my husband hasn't been yet. also, the price and perks were great too.

photos flood my flickr! start here. :)

Saturday, March 21, 2015 — Baltimore, Maryland

the day before we left, NJ got 5 inches of snow! there is something about leaving for the Caribbean in a snow storm... ;)

getting to the port was a snap, and the port itself was great. it was clean, organized, and parking and check-in were easy. this my first time out of Baltimore. i'm glad we liked it, and my husband finds the drive easy... gives us more options!

i think we instantly loved the ship as soon as we got on it. though it's showing it's age, it's still taken care of and very nice. in stark contrast to Explorer which is showing its age and feels like it's been left to die a slow death. ok, not that bad, but bad. i wouldn't sail on Explorer again. but anywayyyy, about Grandeur...

we didn't get a balcony this time, though i regretted the second we picked the room. i watched prices to maybe upgrade but nothing beat the deal we got on the oceanview room. it was a big picture OV, so no little porthole. this was the savior in this case, though i really, really, REALLY missed the balcony. it was still a great room, and as price would dictate, we'd do another OV.

our departure was actually delayed by about 45 minutes. there were storms along our route (not in Baltimore) which the captain wanted to avoid. it didn't delay our arrival at Cozumel, so who cares! we were about to be at sea for three days anyway!

we explored the ship for a little bit, and as usual, there was some sort of deal for dinner this first night. we kept lunch to a small snack, and made reservations for 5:30pm at Giovanni's (their Italian specialty restaurant), which was 50% off! we really, really liked it! i was pleasantly surprised. in fact, we liked it so much, we made a second reservation. at the end of our dinner, the manager offered us 20% if we made another reservation, so we did!

the weird thing about this day was that they made us turn back the clock an hour. there is a one-hour time difference between NY and Cozumel, but it was strange to set them back this early. not sure why.

Sunday, March 22, 2015 — cruising

our first at sea day! by the time we were cruising near North Carolina, it was already 60 degrees and warming up fast. remember, we just left a snow-covered NJ. woohoo! it's about this time that i really started missing that balcony.

we tried room service for breakfast which was pretty bad. it was really blah. we didn't do room service anymore.

at 10:00am, we had the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle. in all their decades of cruising, this was the first time for my parents! everyone got a nice little RC notebook and pen, and then there were tons of raffles. i think we all actually won! the funniest part is that my husband won flower hair clips. we gave it to our niece. :) they were actually pretty awesome, they're white, but change color in the sun.

for lunch, we headed to the main dining room. we were so impressed! lunch was absolutely divine, and they even had a salad bar where they make a custom salad for you. it was incredibly delicious and fresh.

in the early evening, the schedule listed a movie "under the stars," which was playing on the big screen at the pool area. it was chilly, windy, and drizzling, so it was pretty deserted... which was nice. we cuddled up together and watched "Gravity." overall, the movie was good and visually stunning, but the script was rather painful and it wasn't that great of a set up of the characters. the only connection to the characters were that George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are not only likeable by themselves, but together.

tonight was formal night, but we didn't feel like dressing up. we headed to the buffet, and it was great. but so far, the desserts have been exceptional! really, really excellent.

Monday, March 23, 2015 — cruising

hey, what day is it? :) so we have another relaxing day at sea. two days at sea is the most i've experienced, so tomorrow will be interesting.

we headed to the buffet for breakfast and dinner today. breakfast was very good, but dinner... dinner was SO great. this buffet is rocking our socks off so far.

there were rain storms all evening, but it was so warm! really cool seeing it approach from afar, and then sailing through it. it's one of my favorite things about cruising.

the show tonight was tango dancing; it was ok, but we left early in favor of exploring more of the ship.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 — cruising

our third day at sea. we are really liking this ship!

we headed to the buffet for lunch again, and again it was very good.

today was the Crown & Anchor party. it was a sit-and-listen kind of party with free booze. many of the officers came, including the captain. strange there was no raffle, but we had that at the M&M party. the captain shared that there were over 1,000 C&A members on board this cruise. they presented gifts to two couples who have over 1,000 points (what the?!). the captain also shared some future itinerary plans (the southern Caribbean will be introduced soon!) and that Grandeur is staying in Baltimore. it sounds like RC is really committed to Grandeur. it makes us happy since we're falling in love with it.

after all the talking, they had some musicians play some soft, elevator music, and there was a singing performance.

for dinner tonight, we had our second Giovanni's reservation (20% off). it was even better than the first time!

for the show, we skipped tonight (some comedian/impressionist) and instead went to another movie "under the stars," this time it was Big Hero 6. yes, a kids movie, but we actually really enjoyed it! and it was just the perfect temperature outside: warm and breezy. heaven!

one weird thing today... at about 3:00am, i was up to go to the bathroom, and i distinctly heard a horn: one short blast, followed by one long one. it didn't sound like it was coming from us, and i'm not sure what it meant. i tried googling it, and i found what other horn signals mean, but not this one.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 — Cozumel, Mexico

and here we are... land! we've arrived at Cozumel in Mexico. it's as beautiful as i remember, and definitely has been expanded and built up. we docked, walked off and around a bit, and took a taxi to the end of the strip. there's a huge new mall now, next to the little shops along the strip. we walked a fair way back before grabbing a taxi back to the pier.

off in the distance, we thought we spotted a familiar "ship," the same way you might recognize a fancy car and know that it's a Lamborghini. sure enough, after googling a bit, we found out that it was the mega-yacht of Russian billionaire, Andrey Melnichenko. a mere $300M yacht! (see it here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccailona/17044800712/in/album-72157648125125068/)

tonight, we headed to Chops for dinner, their specialty steakhouse. it was good, it was ok, but we wouldn't go back. yes, the steak was cooked perfectly, but... it wasn't memorable. our standard is Ruth Chris Steakhouse in Princeton, NJ. not just any Ruth Chris, specifically the Princeton location. it is beyond words. if we say Ruth Chris is a 10, then Chops was a 4 maybe. Giovanni's was so much better than Chops.

we skipped tonight's show.

Thursday, March 26, 2015 — George Town, Grand Cayman

the day was just perfect at George Town in the Grand Cayman islands. it was 85 degrees and *relatively* comfortable. we were docked here too, so we simply walked off and walked around. there was free wifi everywhere!

we tried to go to Hell, but the taxi was $48 round trip. what?? as my husband said, "is it worth $50 for a pun?" so we just went back to the ship. next time? maybe get a group together and split the taxi?

tonight there was no show! instead, they showed a movie in the big theatre. uh, ok? it was the "The Imitation Game," and we decided to go. it was a good movie, but not usually my speed. it would be nice if they made it an experience... popcorn, snacks, etc. with no show, they missed an opportunity to make it "something." :(

today, we found the Park Cafe, which is in the Solarium (the adults-only pool). it had small sandwiches, snacks, juice, dessert, fruit... it was GREAT! we went back a few times for snacks and for breakfast.

Friday, March 27, 2015 — Falmouth, Jamaica

last night we had some choppy seas, so we had a bit of rocking. if you're seasick, it would have definitely had an effect on you. but it wasn't that bad.

Falmouth in Jamaica was 86 degrees, not humid, just beautiful.

we decided against the excursion to Dunn's River Falls, so we just walked around in port. we were docked here too.

this port was recently renovated, and there's a newly built plaza, full of shops. it's clearly gated as well. i've been to Jamaica several times, and it's true that they are the most aggressive when selling or hounding for tours or taxis (or whatever else they may try to sell you...). we headed out really early in the morning, and after walking around and getting more photography in, we headed back to the ship for breakfast. oh yes, we went to the Park Cafe. amazing! quiet! love it!

we headed to the buffet for both lunch and dinner today. lunch was so-so, and dinner was great.

Saturday, March 28, 2015 — Labadee, Haiti

today, we're at one of Royal Caribbean's private islands: Labadee in Haiti. here, we split up. my mom and i had a girls' day on the ship (we've been to this island before and weren't crazy about the beach), while my dad and my husband headed to the beach together.

we had dinner at the MDR, it was great. again!

tonight's show was absolutely fantastic. it was a singer, he had a great voice, lots of energy, and full of stories.

Sunday, March 29, 2015 — cruising

no more islands, back to sea days.

today's highlight was the backstage tour! it was so interesting! my parents are at a very high level in the loyalty club, and received a special invitation for a tour of the backstage of the theatre. my parents had gone before and encouraged us to go instead. hoping they wouldn't check IDs, we decided to go. it was early in the morning, and the surprise was... we were the only ones to attend!!!! no one else showed up! so we essentially got a private tour! it was so amazing to see back there, hear about their on-board life, and hear tidbits and stories about shows and performing. so glad we went, and so glad we ended up alone!

Monday, March 30, 2015 — cruising

our last day at sea. it was rainy and choppy for most of the day, and of course, getting cooler and cooler as we near Baltimore. it was a lazy day, with another movie in the theatre, "The Theory of Everything." it was equal to me as what i thought of "The Imitation Game," it was good, it was ok, but not my speed. again, a missed opportunity to make a movie experience with popcorn and the like.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 — Baltimore, Maryland

aaaaaaand back to reality. we're back at our home port: Baltimore, Maryland. disembarking was busier and slower, but still ok. luckily, we have another day off before returning to work. the usual day to wind down, unpack, and tons of laundry.

overall, the cruise was great! we really enjoyed this cruise, and fell in love with the Grandeur. it really is like what they say: it's the "Norwegian Gem of Royal Caribbean." yes, it was great, but of course still not nearly as great as the Gem herself. we're partial to her, as we got married on the Gem, and honeymooned on her. :)

there were two things that stood out: the dessert was so wonderfully great, and the entertainment was horrible.

would i recommend this cruise? oh yes! we'd book this again. and are happy to have heard what a commitment Royal Caribbean has to the Grandeur of the Seas.

#2015 #Planet Wanderlust #Royal Caribbean #RCCL #Grandeur of the Seas #Baltimore #Cozumel #Mexico #Falmouth #Jamaica #Grand Cayman #Haiti #Labadee #private island #marchmadness #deck 2 #oceanview

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planetwanderlust · 11 years ago

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November 2015: Norwegian Gem

edit: REVIEW!

we've booked another cruise! Norwegian was having a great promotion and the price was right... and we couldn't resist because it's also our honeymoon cruise on the Gem! it's in November though, at that time we really like -- just before Thanksgiving. my parents are joining us.

we cannot WAIT to go back to not only our favorite ship, but to where we were married, our reception, where we took our pictures...!!

booked with Direct Line Cruises, $829 pp, deck 8, category: OK, oceanview stateroom with large picture window (obstructed, but not really!), $50 OBC from DLC, free dining package from Norwegian (any specialty restaurant anytime), free travel insurance from DLC.

the only difference is the Tortola stop. we had gone to Samana in the Dominican Republic during our honeymoon cruise, and they've since changed that port (thankfully). wishing we had the amazing Sinan, our cruise director from our honeymoon too, but he's since left NCL.

Fri, Nov 13, 2015 -- New York, New York

Sat, Nov 14, 2015 -- At Sea

Sun, Nov 15, 2015 -- At Sea

Mon, Nov 16, 2015 -- At Sea

Tue, Nov 17, 2015 -- San Juan, Puerto Rico

Wed, Nov 18, 2015 -- St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Thu, Nov 19, 2015 -- Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Fri, Nov 20, 2015 -- Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Sat, Nov 21, 2015 -- At Sea

Sun, Nov 22, 2015 -- At Sea

Mon, Nov 23, 2015 -- New York, New York

#March #2015 #November #anniversary #Norwegian #Gem #Puerto Rico #St. Thomas #St. Maarten #Tortola #USVI #BVI #Planet Wanderlust #oceanview #deck 8 #NCL #New York #NYC

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planetwanderlust · 11 years ago

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March 2015: Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas

time for a vacation: of course, a cruise! :D we'll be celebrating our second wedding anniversary. we booked 3/21/15 on Royal Caribbean (a little after our actual anniversary again, but the price difference sealed the deal). my parents are joining us. cabin # 2418 (deck 2, category: i, large oceanview) booked with Direct Line Cruises, $861 pp, $100 OBC from DLC, $200 OBC from RCCL, free travel insurance from DLC.

Saturday, March 21, 2015 -- Baltimore, Maryland

Sunday, March 22, 2015 -- cruising

Monday, March 23, 2015 -- cruising

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 -- cruising

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 -- Cozumel, Mexico

Thursday, March 26, 2015 -- George Town, Grand Cayman

Friday, March 27, 2015 -- Falmouth, Jamaica

Saturday, March 28, 2015 -- Labadee, Haiti

Sunday, March 29, 2015 -- cruising

Monday, March 30, 2015 -- cruising

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 -- Baltimore, Maryland

#2015 #Planet Wanderlust #Royal Caribbean #RCCL #Grandeur of the Seas #Baltimore #Cozumel #Mexico #Falmouth #Jamaica #Grand Cayman #Haiti #March #deck 2 #oceanview

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planetwanderlust · 11 years ago

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review: March 2014 Explorer of the Seas 8-day Bahamas

we booked this as our anniversary cruise (our first wedding anniversary!), and invited family and friends to join us. many didn't, but my parents and my husband's best friend and his wife did. i was excited for a big group of people, but alas... our anniversary is March 4, but this March 21 cruise was such an awesome deal, we booked it instead. we celebrated our actual anniversary with a romantic dinner close to home, and were already in vacation mode in anticipation for the cruise. this was my husband's first time with RCCL. i think overall, NCL is still our favorite, but we do definitely want to switch it up here and there.

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March 21, 2014 - March 29, 2014 cabin # 8346 (deck 8, category: D2, balcony)

2014 RCCL Explorer of the Seas 8-day Bahamas

photos (project sporadic):

3/21/14 Fri.

3/22/14 Sat.

3/23/14 Sun.

3/24/14 Mon.

3/25/14 Tues.

3/27/14 Thurs.

3/28/14 Fri.

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Friday, March 21, 2014 — Cape Liberty, New Jersey so in splurging a little bit, i decided to get a limo to take us to the pier. 1) it's our anniversary!, and 2) also for my parents. to thank them for the wedding, we had given them a RCCL gift certificate which they used for this cruise, and i just wanted to do one more thing for them, especially since they would never do it for themselves. i have to say that my first impression of Explorer was the wear and tear. i had been on her in 2006. and age is definitely showing now. she's 14 years old (2000). she's scheduled to be refurbished soon, i think in a year or so, so she'll be fresh and new soon. at the pier, we decided last minute to add the drink package. it was $60 total for the whole cruise. and let me tell you, so worth it! they had these machines that have a crazy variety of all kinds of sodas/drinks. i hadn't seen them before, but my husband says Wegmans has these. they're called freestyle machines, all Coca-Cola products: Drink Machine | Coca-Cola Freestyle. Saturday, March 22, 2014 — at sea time to explore the ship! i remembered most of it, even from 2006. it was fun to watch my husband experience it for the first time. he had only been on NCL before this. in the morning, we attended the roll call meet! RCCL has a bit of a different organization than other cruise lines, they're more controlled. rather than it being all up to the Cruise Critic roll call forum, RCCL has a sign-up on their website. i believe it requires at least 20 people, before they formally schedule what they call a meet & greet. though the roll call members can get together on their own too, of course. the meet & mingle was basically just a raffle. there were no officers, no Q&A. hey, i won a bottle of champagne though! and my mom won a $50 internet credit! she gave that to my husband and i. they already get 30 free minutes as Diamond members. the roll call forum had arranged a gift grab thing among themselves, so those who participated stuck around, while everyone else left. during the day, i was excited to visit what RCCL calls the peek-a-boo bridge. it was a little underwhelming. it was outside, a little dug-out type area, and you could see to the floor below where the bridge is. i don't know what i expected but... blah. tonight was also formal night. we booked the specialty restaurant, Portofino, for dinner. service was great! before the cruise, RCCL had a special where for a party of 4 or more, you received a free $30 beverage credit with the $25 cover charge. so we booked in advance. Sunday, March 23, 2014 — at sea the Explorer has a venue they call Studio B, which includes an ice skating rink! really, really cool (pun intended? ha!). on this night, we saw an ice show. dancing, acrobatics, it was a great show. especially since they were performing during some rough seas. pretty amazing! we decided to check out trivia as well, so we stopped by Beatles trivia, and my husband won! we got oodles of keychains. Monday, March 24, 2014 — Nassau, Bahamas our first stop was back at our familiar Nassau. we went to Atlantis again for a bit, to the casino, but really, this stop is a bust now. if it happens to be on a future itinerary, it'll be a stay-on-the-ship day. after a few years, we may explore again. so far, we're loving our balcony. it's so so worth it. every time. Tuesday, March 25, 2014 — Cococay, Bahamas Cococay is RCCL's private island. the ship had to skip this stop. actually, we arrived around 8:00am, even anchored. but at 8:30am, they made an announcement that it wasn't safe enough to tender to the island. they said the weather report was showing a string of thunderstorms with heavy rain and lightning, which was contributing to tendering being difficult. to avoid these incoming storms, the captain told us we'd be leaving and taking the long way to Port Canaveral. by 9:30am, we had set sail, so we got an extra sea day. we lost a beach day, but we hadn't planned anything really, so we weren't too disappointed. also, this is just the other side of the same island that is NCL's Great Stirrup Cay, where we've also been before. and since the other side of the island is NCL, we saw the Gem anchored nearby. we got married on the Gem! :) later on in the day, my husband wanted to stop by a sudoku challenge. and he won second place! he received a really nice RCCL logo medal. nice keepsake. Wednesday, March 26, 2014 — Port Canaveral, Florida Port Canaveral was rather uninteresting to us, as we've been to Florida many times, and to this port many times as well. just a few months prior, on the NCL Breakaway, we had gone to the Kennedy Space Center. now this day is where things get weird. we, as in the entire ship (guests and crew), were required to attend an immigration check when we arrived in port. i'd never experienced this in the middle of a cruise, and nothing was explained. i'm guessing that because we went straight to the Bahamas, and entered the US at a different port than from where we left, that this was necessary. but the entire thing was poorly organized, the lines were long and disorderly, the whole thing was ridiculous. as if this is the first cruise where this has happened?! RCCL did a bad job of organizing and explaining, really disappointing. and i was surprised. Thursday, March 27, 2014 — at sea tonight was another formal night, which we skipped. we did that for our anniversary dinner on the first sea day and that was that. we also tried the main dining room for lunch, and the menu was horrible. after a long wait to sit down, it was bad enough to leave and try our chances elsewhere. surprising because dinner has been lovely each night. Friday, March 28, 2014 — at sea although we were already headed back to a chilly Bayonne, today's weather was gorgeous! we could still sit comfortably outside on the balcony. ahh, that's the life! tonight's farewell show was blah, and it included a comedian that so bad, we actually left half way through. Saturday, March 29, 2014 — Cape Liberty, New Jersey and we're back home. overall, it was a great cruise. and although i do like Royal Caribbean, NCL is still # 1 in my book. and it was interesting to hear my husband's perspective. our wedding/honeymoon was his first cruise ever. that was the NCL Gem. the same year, before Thanksgiving, we were lucky enough to be able to go on the Breakaway, again NCL. so by our anniversary cruise on the Explorer, he had a taste for NCL. comparing the two, NCL wins for him as well. a few things i noticed throughout the cruise:

we had no towel animals! but saw them in other rooms. it must've been our steward. boo!

the one time i had a hankering for ice, we couldn't get an ice bucket. are they in hot demand? we saw them elsewhere, in other rooms.

no vacuuming? either it was done, but poorly, or no one ever bothered. it was obvious and gross.

our showerhead was broken. this was not resolved, but we could still take showers.

the pillows couldn't have been any shittier.

the AC in our room was wonky. the lowest setting was not cold enough at all.

scheduling is a hell of a lot better on NCL

the MDR dinners were good. would i say better than NCL? it's up there!

the shows/entertainment, in general, were not that great. left something to be desired.

i do love the Royal Promenade, the cafe with free coffee and treats, the whole concept.

a great idea with something like the Royal Promenade are the parades. cute and fun.

sure, i'm a NCL lover, but you know what... the loyalty perks with RCCL are MUCH better than NCL

overall, i would not sail the Explorer again. maybe after refurbishing, if the price was right. now that we've done the same itinerary more than once (and have both been to Florida many times), i now want to go back again! i've recently discovered, and madly fell in love with, Harry Potter. i've read all the books and seen all the movies multiple times (yes, yes, just now!). so now of course i'm dying to go to Universal Studio's Wizarding World of Harry Potter park. we'll have to decide how to make it happen. maybe take a cruise out of Florida, but head down early for a few nights to go to Harry Potter. so looking forward to it in the future!

#2014 #March #Royal Caribbean #Explorer of the Seas #Bahamas #Nassau #Cococay #Port Canaveral #Florida #Bayonne #Cape Liberty #RCCL #anniversary #Planet Wanderlust #deck 8 #review

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planetwanderlust · 12 years ago

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Atlantic City, NJ: Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe - 1/31/14 Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City, NJ my husband is a music genius (ok, i'm biased), and lives and breathes all things music. he fell in love with Janelle Monáe after hearing a song that reminded him about us (what a romantic!). after that, he started to explore her and her music and became so intrigued. he hoped to see her live, but she had no dates around us at the time he looked. later, we saw that she was scheduled for Atlantic City, but we already had a comp room booked for another weekend. unbeknownst to him, i was able to change our comp room to January 31, the night of the added show! he was surprised and shocked and all things cute. and i was in for it! i hadn't really discovered her before, but after hearing about her and her music, i was charmed. what an amazing show, she is a real performer. and surprisingly, she’s so young, yet she's so talented, as if she’s had lifetimes to perfect her craft. a true rarity.

#2014 #Janelle Monáe #Atlantic City #Borgata #Planet Wanderlust

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planetwanderlust · 12 years ago

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review: November 2013 Norwegian Breakaway 7-day Bahamas

this Breakaway cruise ended up bittersweet and almost not happening. it was supposed to be my husband and i, with my parents, but i had to cancel my parents and we decided only last minute to actually go. my dad had to have an emergency bypass open heart surgery. we were going to cancel, but we waited until after the surgery, and after a few extremely rough days, he was improving and doing well. he looked good and felt good, and with my parents' (honest) blessing, we decided not to cancel.

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Sun. 11/17/13 -- 11/24/13 Sun.

cabin # 9310 (deck 9, cabin category: BD, balcony)

photos (project sporadic):

11/19/13

11/20/13

11/21/13

11/22/13

11/23/13 ----- Sunday, November 17, 2013 — New York City

so here we are, on the beautiful, new Breakaway ship. the day was gray, crisp, and wet, but it makes it so much sweeter that we're sailing to warmer waters. driving in wasn't bad (as good as it gets when you're driving to NYC), and check-in was a breeze, and quick! by 12:00pm noon, we were in O'Sheehan's having fish & chips and a burger. and a brownie sundae. all good, but just ok. not as good as everyone had said. we had an early sailing, we left at 3:00pm. do they have weddings on the Breakaway? they must, i can't imagine leaving at 3:00pm. for our wedding on the Gem, we sailed at 4:00pm, and wished it was the usual 5:00pm. on our way out to sea, the fog was so dense (and it was pretty misty), you couldn't even see the Statue of Liberty. the ship was gorgeous, of course. but the layout was horrible. on the first day, we ran into Sinan AND Ricardo! Sinan was our cruise director on our honeymoon Gem cruise. he wasn't the CD this time, but was about to be the following week, so he was already sailing on the ship. Ricardo was one of the NCL photographers from our wedding on the Gem. both recognized us, so it was fun to chat. so until we actually got to our cabin, my husband had no idea i had upgraded us from an inside to a balcony. he was shocked, and so was i -- that i kept my mouth shut for so long. lol. i was bursting! we were also met with a bottle of wine from our travel agent, and we had $75 onboard credit. the balcony cabin, of course, was great. but from the cabin to areas around the ship, you can definitely tell that they took an inch here and an inch there, and were able to squeeze in more cabins. case in point: the balcony. tiny! we still enjoyed it, but it's noticeably smaller than most ships. Norwegian went "green" with this new ship. the lights and air only work when you have your key card in the slot by the door. so when you leave with your key card, everything is off. i knew this beforehand, so i brought a spare key card with me. any card will work. green schmeen, but when i get back from a 90 degree beach day, i want to walk into an air-conditioned room! i liked the do not disturb/make up room idea they had. it's like a light switch in the interior of the cabin, and outside above the door, are only three small pin lights: 1) red for "do not disturb," 2) green for "make up room," and 3) white for the room is ready and had made up. love it.

i had booked the Cirque show for another night, but the first night was discounted 25% so we changed our reservation. it was a great show/dinner combo. i think it was on the expensive side, considering that the show and dinner each on its own were something that otherwise would be offered for free. but combining them seems to warrant a fee. Monday, November 18, 2013 — At Sea it was gray and crisp again, misty sometimes rainy, but we were inside most of the day anyway getting acclimated to the ship. towards the late afternoon, it was sunny and much warmer, and breezy and warm on the balcony. in the morning, we attended the meet & greet. our first! a lot of the officers were there, and we met our cruise director, Dan the Man. i'm not a fan of him, and it was the first and last time we saw him for the entire cruise. we heard some announcements from him here and there, but he was pretty much a ghost. after the M&G, we had the cabin crawl. originally, i was in charge of it and planned it, but when we were unsure we'd be sailing, someone else took it over. it was a bit disorganized, but it was interesting to see the cabins. of course, the highlights were the cabins in the Haven and the suites. we saw this one crazy suite that had a huuuuge balcony, but i don't know that i'd pay for that luxury. on this night, we went to Moderno. we could not WAIT for this. it was fabulous, but somehow i'd say that the Gem was better. but at least this time, we were prepared. we ate light during the day. in the evening, we were met with a plate of chocolates and chocolate-covered strawberries. we're not sure why. we think it was from our travel agent, but we were only expecting the bottle of wine. great, delicious surprise.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 — Orlando/Port Canaveral, FL in Port Canaveral, we went to the Kennedy Space Center. i'd never been, and i really enjoyed it. we purchased the excursion through NCL. we toyed around with idea of renting a car and doing it on our own, but the price difference was worth paying for the convenience of being NCL-organized. we were there for approximately 7 hours, we did a bus tour of the grounds, explored an Atlantis exhibition, and watched an bus tour, Atlantis, IMAX movie. this was an all-day Garden Cafe day. we had breakfast there, and came back to have dinner here too. it was the easiest option after a long day. and and and, yet again, a second plate of chocolates and chocolate-covered strawberries! this one had a card saying it was compliments of the hotel director. i think perhaps everyone at the M&G received this. wonderful surprise. :) the day was between cloudy and sunny, it was a non-humid and wonderful 75 degrees. we had light showers at night before sail away. Wednesday, November 20, 2013 — Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas NCL's private island was not a sure thing, and we were wondering how our itinerary would change. at least 4 cruises prior to ours had missed Great Stirrup Cay and ended up with extra time in Nassau. the waters had been too choppy, and the private island is tendered. luckily for us, we had a calm sea day and it was gorgeous!! we made it to the private island. i was SO extremely excited because this was my husband's first time to a private island and first time experiencing a tender. it was really a perfect day -- sunny, toasty, fluffy clouds, and that Caribbean, gorgeous blue water. we had no plans other than it being a beach day and having the BBQ on the island for lunch. dinner on this night was Cagney's. it was just ok, sadly. not bad at all, but not up to par. yet again, we can say it was better on the Gem. Thursday, November 21, 2013 — Nassau, Bahamas we headed over to Atlantis. it was a bust, they've hightened their security to the point that you really can't do a thing without a room card or day pass. before, you could at least wander the grounds, but no can do. we weren't interested in the beach or anything, we really just wanted to go to the aquarium. with security, they also raised their prices astronomically, so we passed on the aquarium. while there, the hotel had a blackout. it wasn't long at all, but surprising and scary. in the midst of it, we figured out their wifi password, so we were able to send quick texts and e-mails to family.

the taxi ride there wasn't anything, but to my husband, who had his first island taxi ride, he was fearing for his life. hehe. :) Nassau was also super busy, with 4 ships in port. it was also a humid, hot day. on this night, we head to the complimentary Savor restaurant (same as Taste). it was great, with great service. this was also a special night, because it was fireworks night! after reading up on Cruise Critic as to where the best place is to see them (and people asking at the M&G), we determined that our balcony was actually the best spot. they launch from Spice H20, towards the back and left of the ship. our balcony was a prime spot, and we were excited to see it so conveniently and in the comfort of our cabin. Friday, November 22, 2013 — At Sea and now we sail back home. this day was a sea day and it was still gorgeous weather, 75 degrees, blue skies, and a bit of a cooler breeze that was welcome with the humidity. we slept late finally, more so because the night was a bit rocky. the day was relaxing and for dinner we headed to Le Bistro. now, overall i'm not a fan of French cuisine. and we had dinner here on the Gem because our wedding reception was held in Le Bistro (though we had a different menu). we weren't thrilled about dinner on the Gem, but had gone because it was a special place to us. why we went on this ship, i don't know, but so glad we did -- it was AMAZING! i mean, fall-off-my-chair, amazing.

we saw Rock of Ages, the Broadway play. it was all bad -- from the AV, to the acting, to the parts they cut out versus keeping. it was all very disconnected. thankfully this was free.

Saturday, November 23, 2013 — At Sea another sea day, and we obviously were getting closer to NYC. we were truly reminded it was really November, it was getting so cold! we had lunch in the Manhattan Room, and the food was blah and the service was worse. for dinner, we kept it simple and fast and headed back to O'Sheehan's before starting to pack. we saw Burn the Floor on this night and it was so great. it was all kinds of dancing, and i can't believe they can keep their balance with a rocky ship. it was a great show. Sunday, November 24, 2013 — New York City and back to reality. WOAH, it was cold. disembarkation was a nightmare, it was so disorganized. on top of which, we were left waiting in the cold. how many times has NCL disembarked a ship?! what the problem?! just horribly managed, and shocking after such an easy embarkation and my previous experiences. overall, a lot of things noticed -- smaller cabin, tiny balcony, an inch here and inch there was felt all over the ship. there was a step up to the bathroom that killed my toes, the hallways were uncomfortable narrow, there were only two sets of elevators (for such a huge ship?!), the layout sucks, and there were scheduling issues with shows and events throughout the week. but i was on vacation, it wasn't THAT bad. my husband and i enjoyed our week. but would i seek out this ship again? no, i would avoid it. but if the price was right, i sure as hell would go again! i wouldn't NOT recommend it either, but i may give you some disclaimers. for anyone's first time with NCL, please don't let the Breakaway be your first impression.

#2013 #Norwegian Breakaway #November #Nassau #Bahamas #private island #Great Stirrup Cay #Port Canaveral #9310 #balcony #Planet Wanderlust #review

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