aring75

The GC I purchased from AARP last week says they do not expire.

Thanks for taking the time. Looking forward to following along! Bon voyage 🥂

Made it home and I agree with everyone else that it was an easy disembarkation. We requested a later time slot since we were driving (I did not want to deal with 8:00 am traffic on a Monday morning. Ugh.) Our number was scheduled to be called at 9:00 am, but they were ahead of schedule and called us at 8:45. Quick process through the terminal since they use facial recognition for customs and immigration procedures. We were loading our luggage in the back of the car in the parking garage by 9:05. Overall we really enjoyed the 14 days. Princess obviously has implemented many cutbacks and cost-saving measures that are, at times, noticeable. But, to be honest, I don’t think the changes are much different or any more drastic than what every other cruise line is doing right now. We are planning a cruise to Alaska next year on Majestic Princess, so I look forward to comparing our experiences. Thanks everyone for following along, and thank you to @schnapperin and @LidoLiz especially for adding their commentary and information along the way! I loved hearing about all the other things happening that we didn’t experience. Until next time, happy sails! …and now the laundry begins.

They gave us a reminder that the clocks turn back tonight. So at least we get an extra hour on our last night. Suitcases out in the hallway by 10 pm.

Dessert “Deep Dish” Apple Pie Crème Brûlée

Prime Rib Crab Saffron Risotto

Tropical Fruit Soup Watermelon and Feta Salmon Cake

Final MDR Dinner - Day 14 Tonight was the “Farewell Dinner” menu. For the first time I managed to get a completely blurry menu. But here is the menu from the app.

Final sunset of the cruise.

I’m about 75% packed I guess. I always feel way less organized getting all the stuff back INTO the suitcase. Today has had beautifully mild temperatures and nice breezes across the deck as we head back to Fort Lauderdale.

Dessert Mark ordered the cheesecake and it was good. I got the pistachio dome and, while I thought it tasted good, I didn’t taste any pistachio at all. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t pistachio. It was mostly just sweet.

We both opted for the Land and Sea platter. It was good. Lobster was just okay, the steak was decent (and pretty tender for a small cut), and the twice-baked potato was yummy.

I think this is the first time I took a picture, but they bring a basket of rolls to the table each night. Mark and I both tried the Crab & Shrimp Bisque. Again, this was a bit salty. Than the Wedge Salad. This was somewhat disappointing. I love the blue cheese and red onion, but there wasn’t really a “wedge” of salad so it was very overdressed. Lol, it’s rare for me to say it needs more lettuce, but here we are.

MDR Dinner (Day 13 - Final Formal Night) Sorry this post is a little late. But this is the dinner info from last night. Tonight will be our final MDR dinner, so I wanted to get this posted before tonight!

Day 14 - Day at Sea (Last Day of the Cruise 😩)

Day 13 - At sea

Dessert. 😁 And after-dinner drinks. Mark got the sugar-free coconut cake and liked it. I ordered the chocoholic cheesecake and was confused. No self-respecting chocolate lover would call this piece of plain cheesecake with chocolate sauce “chocoholic.” That being said, it was still pretty good.

Mark opted for Beef Wellington. He said mine is better. (And it is, but isn’t he a good guy for saying so!) Edgar brought spaghetti carbonara as well. Mark said it was a little undercooked by TV had good flavor. I ordered the Rack of Lamb and thought it was pretty great.

Vol-au-Vent. This was better than I expected, but maybe a little salty (that has been the case for several items this cruise). I opted for the Caesar tonight and Mark had the French Onion Soup (missed that photo).

MDR Dinner Menu - Day 12

Passion fruit margaritas, nachos, and chicken quesadillas made for a casual lunch. We were even greeted quite warmly by the local Aruban ambassadors who seemed polite, but very interested in cleaning up all of our crumbs. All-in-all, an enjoyable lunch and a beautiful day.

Found our lunch spot and watched as Celebrity Beyond maneuvered her way into the berth next to Ruby.

Started with a leisurely walk around town. Had nice weather all day.

Yes! The pao pao shrimp tacos are great too.

It is definitely warm again today. The “feels like” temperature is supposed to reach 94F/35C. We are going to head out around lunchtime or a little before. We like to eat at a little place near the Renaissance Marina with views of the water and the ship. Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Grill is casual and friendly. And it’s one of the closest restaurants to the pier with a water view. https://lucyssurf.com/location/aruba/