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Day 13 Compass Info about Alicante provided by RCI

Oh, hey! Same show tonight! So it wasn’t just me who didn’t recognize the songs. I thought perhaps I was just out of touch with that the kids listen to these days. I love your “Top Gun” picture with everyone in the air!

They only had one participant, so they ended up canceling it. But thank you for your input! Maybe next time.

I didn’t love One Sky, but I’m not going to recommend not seeing it because it had its moments. If you think you might not like it, maybe sit at the end of a row so you can make a quick and quiet exit. I tried the brisket sandwich at Woody’s back in 2020 and I had the kid’s grilled cheese this time with the soup. I thought they were both excellent. Also excellent was their breakfast bowl with eggs, tater tots and brisket gravy 😋

I went to the Windjammer a bit later (19:00), tonight, and it felt less busy than last time (18:00). There were several tables available in the back section and it didn’t feel like pure chaos trying to navigate between the stations. It was Italian night, so I was really hoping they would have lasagna and some lemon tarts. Score! And score again! Notice my second Papa Jac of the evening in the background. After dinner, I grabbed a spot in the theatre for One Sky. To be honest, I had no idea what I was going to see. If I’ve read about it, it didn’t make an impression at all. But you’re starting to know me. You know I love all the shows. And, well…it was ok. I liked that we could see the live band. And I liked how people were flying through the air. And I liked the cast. It was good singing and good dancing. Oh, and there was an airplane! But I just didn’t connect with the material at all. I hadn’t heard of most of the songs, which made me wonder if they’re coming from a bank of royalty free music. The backgrounds reminded me of those fake backgrounds that people use on Teams, which reminded me that I work on Monday, which made me sad. So, yeah…that one wasn’t really for me.

Enjoy your last sea day! 😊 I enjoyed 50s Prime Time. I approve of anyone who puts fried Boursin cheese on their menu. How much food did you get at Roundup Rodeo BBQ? My friends were there last summer and the people working there said they bring the same amount of food for 2 or 4 people. They needed a three days nap after their meal there.

Back on the ship, I returned to my stateroom for my usual refresh, but unfortunately it took a bit longer than I expected and I missed sailaway. Bye bye, Scarlet Lady! You look beautiful! I found myself in what I can only describe as a reenactment of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. I ordered a Papa Jac, my first of the trip. The bartender (Ade from Indonesia, who is really nice) asked whether I was sure. 👀 Yes? Apparently people don’t like it. They find it too strong. He says he only makes one per cruise! Now I need to order 15 of them in the next days so RCI don’t decide to remove it from the menu. It should be a quiet evening today. I’m planning to have dinner in the Windjammer and then I have a reservation for One Sky at 20:00. After that, who knows! There a Finish the Lyrics game show that I don’t think I’ve ever seen. Can anyone comment on it?

I had booked a free walking tour with Explora Málaga and we were meeting in the Plaza de la Constitución. It turns out that the two Canadian couples I’ve been hanging out with were booked on the same tour, so it was fun to have people I know around. Málaga has a lot of very charming little streets with places to share a coffee or hide a body. Málaga’s cathedral, whose real name I don’t remember but they call her the one-armed lady because she is missing one tower. I enjoyed the tour a lot and I think the guide (Maria) and I could have fun together sharing a round of drinks. We certainly have one interest in common (Antonio Banderas). I do wish the guide had had a microphone, because it was hard to hear her sometimes. I was very terrible at taking pictures during our tour. If you would like to see more of Málaga, I invite you to visit my Wonder review. What I did take at least 15 pictures of was the candy store. We found ourselves close to the public market after the tour and we had bocadillos. Those little sandwiches are so good and satisfying! And they’re so simple! Just bread and olive oil and meat and cheese. But it’s so good! That one’s bread could have been crunchier, but it really hit the spot. And now I want another one.

It was a beautiful day today in Málaga. There was a shuttle available from the port to the city centre, but it’s a nice and relatively flat stroll for me and I like to do it on wheels. According to Google Maps it’s approximately 2km. Málaga has a pretty big terminal. The gangway today was on deck 5. Found some pretty neat art as I was exiting the terminal. If you want to walk to the city centre, just follow the people exiting the port area. There should be many of them if you’re getting off early in the day. The sidewalks are paved with small tiles. It’s not as flat as pavement, but it’s nowhere near cobblestones. I had to go pretty far, but eventually I was able to fit the Oasis into one picture. Just follow the sidewalk. Eventually you will arrive to a point where you can either go up or down. Both options are fully accessible and there are a couple of elevators along the way if you change your mind. You can find some accessible public washrooms in that area (downstairs). Once you see this waterside promenade, you’re close to the city centre.

I don’t remember what you ate (I barely remember what I ate), but I don’t think Hollywood Studios is where the best Disney food is. What you’ve been eating on Virgin looks better (I think) than most food in HS (perhaps Brown Derby being the exception, but I haven’t made it there yet).

Thank you and welcome aboard! Sharing snacks was such a game changer. When I’m alone, I can’t try that many things because I don’t like wasting food and I’m never hungry enough. We tried Satu’li Canteen the day I was there with my friends, which I didn’t report because I was so behind and couldn’t catch up. I love the bowls. They’re some of the best quick service food I’ve ever had at Disney. Also delicious is the blue mousse 🤤 Guardians is SO good. I was thinking about it last night during Aqua 80 because both soundtracks share some songs. I think I will make it a new life goal to get all the songs from Guardians. I’m not off to a great start, but it will give me an excuse to ride again (and again).

I had to miss sailaway, unfortunately. Otherwise I would have waved from somewhere you could have seen me with those binoculars. See you soon! Are you in port tomorrow?

It was so horrible to watch. Those poor people must have felt so helpless watching it happen without being able to do anything 😔 I’m guessing with a huge ship like Oasis there is more room onboard for backup equipment for all the essential bits? Captain seemed to say that even if we had been moving we would have been fine. Still, probably better for it to happen while docked.

Well…the power just went out in my stateroom. Edit: the captain just told us that the whole ship has suffered a blackout. They’re investigating why. Power is back in my room. Edit 2: captain just came on again to say the power is back on the whole ship. Apparently a blackout is rare, but it can happen when equipment fails. All is fine and they always had power on the bridge with backup power for the important equipment.

Day 12 Compass Info about Malaga provided by RCI

The little bridge was open, but it was further from where I was. You can see it in the background here.

Hey, girl, hey!

This is where I took the picture. It’s close to the waterside promenade that goes around Cadiz. I’m a bit confused and I think there is someone who looks like you on the ship. I thought I was seeing you around, even talking to you, but now I’m not sure. I remember I met you in Central Park. But was it you I saw coming out of the theatre after Cats in the elevator chaos? I thought I had run into you yesterday during the 70s party, but that lady was coming from 150 and had absolutely loved it. So now I’m thinking there are two of you 😂 Help!

That’s sounds really cute 🐙 ❤️ I’m sorry about your internet. Ours have been excellent. The few things that I’ve had issues I think that it was CC’s fault. Where was the early snorkeling? Was it good?

Not sure how CC will do with links, but here goes. That’s the very basic recipe I have saved: https://pin.it/1syq2fNNV But you can also get a little wild with it: https://pin.it/7mxBU04NT The possibilities of spices are endless (Old Bay corn on the cob, maybe?). Just go to Pinterest, search for “air fryer corn on the cob” and follow your heart.

That’s so fun! Enjoy! With the UDP you’ll be able to try the whole menu!

The plan was to end the evening there and go to bed, but I accidentally found myself in the 70s Party while trying to cross the ship to get to my stateroom. I ran into some people from the solo meetup and we had a little boogie together. I went to bed as soon as it ended.

I’m so late again! I’ll try to catch up quickly before my tour. After dinner at Portside BBQ, I grabbed a seat at Boleros for the Perfect Couple Game Show. It was a funny way to pass the time. The guy who was hosting was hilarious. Then, at last, it was time for my Aqua 80 reservation. What an awesome show! A must see, for sure. My favourite part is always when they’re splashing around in, like, an inch of water. Do not miss it if you’re on the Oasis.

Not sure how accurate my notes are, because we’ve had some changes in the past, but I think 7:00 to 17:00. If you see me, come say hello! I’ll be the one with the printed-at-home Virgin SesPass card trying to get on for some Pokémon.

I had been saving my appetite all day for this moment. I was having dinner at the Portside BBQ. Several people have told me I absolutely have to eat there. I was repeatedly told to order the half chicken. Did I listen? No! I’m not going to order HALF A CHICKEN. Who am I, Sandor Clegane? I got the brisket and the pulled pork. For my sides, I went with the mac and cheese and the corn on the cob. For my dessert, I had to get the brookie. It was alright. Unfortunately, we went to the Polite Pig in Disney Springs, so it was hard not to compare the two. The Polite Pig wins hands down for me. I wish the corn on the cob had some excitement to it like some garlic spread thing or some spices or maybe some parmesan. I make a better corn on the cob in my air fryer. The mac and cheese was very similar to the one at Chops. Very creamy with some crunchy bits on top. I liked it, although I would have liked some sharper cheese in there. The pulled pork was good. I was surprised to enjoy it more than the brisket, which I thought was just ok and a bit dry and a bit too mustard-ey for me. The things I enjoyed the most were their cocktail, the Portside Spiked Palmer. My tastebuds couldn’t understand what was happening there, but it was good! I think it was the mint that tied it all together for me. Also, the brookie was delicious. I liked that the brownie part was super moist and gooey and that the cookie part was harder. Would get it again without hesitation. Despite it being just ok, I think I want to try it again and get other things. At the very least it would give me an opportunity to get that cocktail and brookie again. And maybe that time I’ll listen to directions and order half of a whole chicken. Now there has been some questions about whether Portside BBQ will still be there after the dry dock. I asked and the guy who was there said yes. But also a guy at the hibachi said that it was going to go away. I don’t particularly trust either of those guys. Sounds like it’s all rumours at the moment.