laurieal

After my late lunch/early dinner, I went up to deck 15 to check out the accessibility of Oasis Dunes. There were several families playing and I didn’t want to disrupt their games, so I put my projet on hold for a bit. A little girl approached me and asked what was wrong with me. I told her I was struggling with being confronted with my parents’ mortality and that I fear it will be just me caring for them eventually. She seemed confused. (I didn’t actually say that to a child. I told her my legs don’t work and she said maybe someone will be able to fix them, which was really cute) (I swear I didn’t traumatize that child. At least not voluntarily) There was a Jennifer Singer show tonight in the theatre. It was almost exactly the same show that I saw on the Wonder, but it’s a good show so I was happy to be there. Yes, the angle changed mid-show. There was a lady enthusiastically dancing too close to the stairs and it was driving me crazy that she could seriously hurt herself. Really, how much more of an elder child can I be?

After the show, I felt the need to get as far away as possible from that puppet mouth for humans, so I fled to the Boardwalk. Also, I wanted a late lunch/early dinner at Playmaker’s. There was a Premiere League match on the tv, so the place was pretty busy. It felt like being in Ted Lasso with all the people shouting at the tv. The waitress recommended the Knockout Punch for my drink and I had the Truffle Burger. I’m still not 100% sure that’s the burger I got, but either way it was delicious once I removed the surprise pickles.

This is Laurie reporting from the Oasis Dunes. I wasn’t able to do the whole course, because they are storing some chairs on one of the holes. The only challenge I see is if his ball falls in the “river” on the first hole. It’s a bit of a step to get in there and there’s a dolphin in the way laughing at you. The other holes are similar to what I remember from the Harmony. Dark green thicker surface for around the course and pale green thinner surface for the actual holes. I think you’re all set for mini golf!

Thanks. I hate it 😂

Guess where I am right now 👀 I really like it here. It’s not as crowded as on deck 8, the TVs help if you’re not in an ideal spot and bar service has been good. My only complaint is the lack of washrooms on deck 9.

A quest! Huzzah! I had a look earlier and while most of it seems navigable in a manual wheelchair, one of the holes had a kind of river involved that’s pretty deep. There were several families there playing, but I’ll go back later and try to roll through the whole course.

I was offered to book the Chef’s Table at 50% off on Anthem in 2022 and I jumped on the opportunity. I had an amazing meal with amazing company. I’m not doing it this time, but I’d be interested in doing it again in the future, especially if it’s on sale. All the food pictures you have posted from Virgin make me thing I could justify the higher price of the cruise if I’m going to be eating that well the whole time.

So there I was, back at the ventriloquist show. It’s not that I have something against ventriloquists, but I am not the biggest fan of puppets. Especially when they are meant to be human-like. Like that one. It’s terrifying. Ronn Lucas’ puppet that he has with him reminds me of a Muppet, so not scary at all. The show was, again, very funny. Until he did something that will haunt me for the rest of my days. He returned Willy to his crate and asked for a volunteer. A volunteer that he would turn into a puppet. Oh, no no no no. That is nightmare fuel. I’m glad my zoom couldn’t zoom in any further. He had a fake puppet mouth that he could control and I was in hell. (I’m exaggerating. The show was really funny, but also now I can’t stop thinking about the Royal Theatre being full of human/puppet hybrids and I am not here for that)

Day 4 Compass

Nothing too exciting to report, but it’s been a lovely sea day so far. After breakfast, I went to my spot on deck 16 for some sunshine and ocean views. I wanted to try something new, so I got a Rum Punch. It was excellent. A lot of people were enjoying the outdoor decks and the pool. Loads of people were around on loungers reading or napping. It’s good to see everyone enjoying their vacation. Eventually, I ordered a Painkiller. We had our second time change, today. At 14:00, suddenly it was 15:00 and I left my spot for the matinee show of ventriloquist Ronn Lucas.

Food is still looking good! Is everything included or are they specialty restaurants? The Test Kitchen seems right up my alley. I think I would have loved the mushroom and scallops dishes.

I got a slightly later start this morning. Like the previous days, I started my day at the Crown Lounge for a coffee. There was a line, again, for the coffee machine. On the Anthem TA back in 2022 they had loaded a voucher for one specialty coffee per day on our SeaPass card and I wish we had that for this crossing. Since I don’t have anything planned food-wise for my day, I went to the Dining Room for a larger breakfast. I wasn’t planning on starting with a doughnut, but he offered. I didn’t want to be rude. I got the French toast with bacon on the side. The menu said crispy bacon and it lived up to the description. The cherry sauce thing was way too artificially sweet for me, but it was fine. This Canadian came prepared. It was an excellent breakfast, but now I feel a bit too full. I’m going to find a nice spot outside to read and maybe rest my eyes a little.

Aft is looking good, I think! Thanks for sharing!

Internet wasn’t cooperating last night and I ended up falling asleep, but there wasn’t much left to say about my evening. After the Shock Waves set, I had to cross the ship to return to my stateroom, so I went down to the Promenade. The Bionic Bar was quiet, as usual. The rest of the Promenade was hopping! I was considering pizza, but I wasn’t actually hungry and just wanted something cheesy and greasy to finish the night. The line was quite long so I passed. Boleros seemed like the place to be. It was packed and people seemed to be having a great time.

After dinner, I had some free time before my reservation for the Aqua Show. Since we were now going at full speed towards Bermuda, I figured it would probably be cancelled, so I figured the 80s set at Music Hall would be fun. They were doing Rock-a-Rokie, which I had seen in the app but had no idea what it was. It’s like karaoke, but with a live band. The lower level of Music Hall was completely packed, so I went upstairs and found a spot at a counter. Music Hall has one of my favourite drinks, the Strawberry Field, so I obviously had to get one. When the band Shock Waves started their 80s set, they showed it on the big screens upstairs, so it felt like being part of the action. At one point, I was joined by some strangers who decided I was now part of their party. They had gone to their Aqua Show reservation earlier, but it had been cancelled so I decided to stay in the Music Hall instead of heading to the Boardwalk. I ended up staying for Shock Waves’ 80s set and the next one, which was dance music. They had a very fun energy and I will be keeping an eye out for them in the schedule from now on.

My evening started out great! I found a tiny duck as I entered Central Park. I left it there, but grabbed a picture. The guitarist Igors was playing a set and Central Park was absolutely lovely. I started a book and people-watched while waiting for my dinner reservation time at 20:00. Chops felt really busy and there was a line to check-in when I arrived, but they were able to take care of everyone fairly quickly. I decided to have a seafood fest for dinner. First was the pretzel bread. It had nothing to do with seafood, but it was warm so I had a piece. For my appetizer, I had the crab cake. I think it was my first time trying it, although I have one visit at Chops on the Navigator that’s a bit of a black hole. I went straight after a cocktail class, so things got fuzzy. Let’s say it was my first time trying it. I liked it a lot, especially when paired with the chipotle aioli. I would definitely get this again. I’m usually a mushroom soup type of girl, but for the sake of trying new things and sticking to my seafood themed night, I ordered the lobster bisque. It was pretty good, but in a world where the mushroom soup is a thing I can’t see myself ordering this unless I’m doing multiple Chops visits during a cruise. For my main, I had the spicy jumbo shrimp. I enjoyed it a lot and would order it again without hesitation. I wouldn’t say it was very spicy, though. For the sides, I asked for tiny portions since I wasn’t sharing. The creamed spinach was good and paired well with the sauce the shrimp came with. The truffle fries, on the other hand, were a miss. They felt like frozen fries that weren’t cooked long enough and they weren’t nearly truffley enough for me. I will try something different for my next visit. I was hesitating between the key lime pie and the chocolate cake, but my waiter said it had to be the chocolate cake and that it wasn’t even a competition. Chocolate cake it was. What a delightful dessert!

Thanks, everyone for confirming and completing my info. Hopefully both Odyssey and Oasis make it quickly enough to Bermuda for everyone to get the care they need.

I hadn’t thought about the possibility of it disappearing during the dry dock. I’ll make sure to try it on this cruise and I’ll see if I can find anything.

If I understood the announcement correctly, and I’m really not sure I did, one of the passengers has fallen very ill and we are rushing to get them some medical assistance. To Bermuda, perhaps? Really hoping all goes well for the person. If you are on the ship and understood the announcement, feel free to correct me or add some details.

Day 3 Compass

They ended up going with a more…traditional approach to the Sexy Man thing. No puns were involved at all. I found a seagull friend! During the show, we had our first time change. I know they do those differently depending on the ship, but it has always been the same for me for eastbound TAs. At 14:00, we had to set our clocks forward and suddenly it was 15:00. It was way too much sexiness all at once for this lady, so I returned to my stateroom for a little rest before dinner. I will mention one thing I don’t like about my stateroom. In order to reach it, I have to pass in front of the spa/fitness center. I do not appreciate the reminder that some people are living healthy cruise lives and are exercising. It’s just like Disney World. We were there during a race event and I would run into people jogging or stretching all over the place. No, thank you. I had a surprise waiting for me in my stateroom. Last time I received something like that, it was hiding a banana. I opened it with trepidation only to find that the only fruit in there was a chocolate covered strawberry. Excellent.

I will absolutely not fight you on the 70s party thing. The 70s is not my favourite decade (90s party when?) and I’m not much of a party person. Looks like you had acrobats in your party, so that’s an instant win for me! Food is still looking good! Last I checked it looked like you were heading straight for the Carnival Pride. Everything ok over there? 😉

The Enrichment Lecture was interesting again, today. But afterwards, I wanted two things: to finish my book and (to finish) a doughnut. So I went up to deck 16 where I got a doughnut from the Windjammer. Then, I got a Peach Daiquiri from the Lime & Coconut (not on the list, I know, but it was right there). I found a sunny spot and started reading. I had the best view in the world. Now, I have finished my book and it’s a bit early to return to my stateroom to shower and get ready for dinner. To pass the time before I decide which book I’m going to start next, I’m in the Aqua Theatre for the Sexiest Man Competition. It was absolute madness on the Boardwalk with popcorn and cotton candy and hula hoops flying everywhere. Families seemed to be having a great time and I didn’t run into anyone. Success! I don’t think I’ve seen the Sexy Man thing since before the pandemic. Not sure what criteria they use these days. If it were me deciding, it would be cooking, puns, and good use of punctuation. Will report back later.

After breakfast was the Crown & Anchor Top Tier event. People started lining up early. The line went all the way around the carousel. There was a band there to liven up the Boardwalk. The Aqua Theatre ended up being full. It’s not surprising when we take a look at the numbers for our cruise. They had someone from the Aqua Show doing an acrobatic demonstration. I really can’t wait to see that show! It started raining, and suddenly the theatre started emptying. I left before the end, too, because I wanted to watch the Enrichment Lecture about how ships navigate.

Because they are holding the Crown and Anchor Top Tier event in the Aqua Theatre this morning, I decided to have breakfast at Johnny Rockets. The place is packed, so clearly I’m not the only one who came up with that brilliant plan. Still, I arrived at just the right time and I was able to get a table immediately. I got the Cheesy Bacon Lovers. I remember liking it more on the Wonder. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, except maybe I would have liked more potatoes. I just wasn’t wowed by it.