Itchy&Scratchy

yes! we were there last week. Still magical!

Enchanted also arrived at noon. We got off about 12:30, got a taxi and drove to Sorobon beach. Been there before, and we are in love. We stayed till about 4. if you want to go snorkeling - you go to Klein Bonaire. Barebones, wild, no amenities, but fantastic snorkeling. If you want shallow calm water and to just lounge around (or do windsurfing) - you go to Sorobon beach (taxi $5 pp each way, lounger $10, free wifi). It's magical.

I know it's too late for OP, but for the future cruisers - Sapphire has lots of natural shade (that's the reason we pick it): lots of large seagrape trees.

i'd go with Harmony and try to pick a date that is within Kids Sail free promotion.

I guess it was. They announced that it was an emergency, and life saving blood donations were needed asap.

The following day was a sea day and a formal dinner. We chilled, read books, watched TV, enjoyed our balcony as much as we could (it was in direct sun almost the entire day), the boys played ping pong a LOT and had lots of ice cream, DS enjoyed a lot of mocktails, I also read in the Wake View bar area for a bit, walked around the stores (I love smelling perfumes and looking at jewelry), just a nice relaxing day... Lime and salt-cured salmon was delicious! The taste of a crab salad with salted salmon combination was very unexpected, but great. Both of us enjoyed it very much. I also tried the escargot (not a big fan, but I try to be open minded), and I didn't like the taste of the butter. It had way too many spices for me. I would have preferred a simpler butter and garlic flavor: I also tried Cucumber-melon-mint soup and didn't enjoy it at all (kind of tasteless and plain if you ask me): DS ordered the lemon scented ravioli as an appetizer, but didn't like them. I thought the flavor was great - very delicate, but the ravioli themselves were undercooked. He then enjoyed his regular Fettuccine Alfredo, while I opted for a very nice lobster entree: Now, the biggest surprise of the night was Pumpkin and Walnut crepes. Santorini's hostess Rachel (a lovely young woman) told me they were excellent. We are not big fans of pumpkin anything, so I was skeptical but gave it a try. Mmmmmmmmmm! Incredible! So fluffy and creamy at the same time, and had a wonderful flavor that was not reminiscent of pumpkin pies (I was afraid of that). Will definitely order them next time: DH loved his beef wellington (medium): Both DH and I ordered the 5-spice duck and couldn't have been more disappointed: It looked fantastic on the outside and smelled great. But inside it was a splotchy grey and pink - not very appetizing looking. We also didn't care for the taste or texture. Upon seeing that neither of us ate it, our head waiter Doru (very hard working and caring) talked to the chef about it, apologized and assured us it was safe to eat, despite its color palette. But we didn't like the taste either, so he offered more lobster instead, but we declined - had little space left for dessert (we saw other people getting the Pistachio Dome). We didn't like the noodles that came with the duck either. Ta-da, the Pistachio Dome! Same as before - delicious and rich: Crepes Suzette, in contrast, were such a waste and a failure: Imagine carton-dry and carton-tasting crepes literally swimming in a sea of caramel sauce. The crepes were inedible, the sauce was extremely sweet and couldn't be consumed alone or with the gelato. I ate some of the gelato alone, and it was great. But the rest of it went to waste. Disappointed.

so, after the bad carrot cake, we stopped by the buffet and super-duper enjoyed this cake: it was exquisite. And, of course, our favorite nutella crepes. this cake was good:

Dinner on Curacao night: I remember ordering Banana Rum soup, but I don't remember actually getting it. DH enjoyed a Mexican salad. DS ordered the tropical fruit plate, but didn't actually enjoy it, except for mango. I finished it for him and loved it. Terrine was great! DH ordered the sesame chicken bites. We had them a couple of years ago and I remember not liking them all that much last time. They are ok. Striped corvina wasn't worth it. The fish was so-so, but the potato thingie that came with it was simply atrocious - completely dried out and impossible to cut or bite into. Grilled seafood was pleasant, but not impressive. Perhaps, I simply don't like fruit on my shrimp. Now, the prime rib (medium, no jus) was wonderful. Very tender and juicy. A little too pink if you ask me, but still wonderful. But the baked potato that came with it was bad. It was dry and they forgot to offer any toppings on it. It was a plain, dry baked potato. I liked the green beans. Grandma's chicken in wine was very good per DH: The carrot cake was the worst my husband has ever had. After one bite he said - we are going for some crepes at the buffet.

it wasn't crowded at all this time. It's usually a zoo, but it wasn't this time, which surprised me, since the cruise appeared to be at full capacity. Perhaps, it's was because we showed up around 11:20-11-30? But we stayed at least an hour if not more. I am thinking - maybe, because there were fewer kids on it, and some older people like the pace of the MDR and Gigi's for embarkation lunch. I don't care either way (even though I do like Royal class buffets like no other), but DH and DS WANT buffet and wouldn't have it any other way. Speaking of Gigi's: We once again didn't go... But I have seen rather long lines to get in around lunch on several days. What we did try again is the gelato, but only one flavor: DS was begging for gelato in a fancy cone. $2.95 for 2 scoops in a cone, fyi. Also, randomly taken photos of the offerings at the International cafe: Asian noodle shrimp salad was good. We definitely used IC for breakfast a lot more. Tiny egg muffins were out of this world (they'll warm them up for you) and I also very much enjoyed Egg McMuffins (also toasted). DS enjoyed donuts in the morning (chocolate glazed and strawberry glazed). He didn't care for the lemon ones (aka rainbow sprinkles on yellow glaze). Too bad they didn't have Nutella filled donuts like on Regal. We were really looking forward to a diabetic coma caused by them.

great review, thank you! Have you noticed any ping pong tables?

I don't, but the patters would probably list it as open if it was. 🙂 We really enjoy the buffet on embarkation days. With all it offers, it would not be in our best interest to go to a more of a fast food place. 🙂 A quick snack or a burger on a different day - yes. We did enjoy the pizza place next to it on other days. The pepperoni pizza is pretty good, especially if your kid is hungry and there are still 2 hours till dinner and you just came back from the beach.

it was for O neg and O pos. People with O neg blood are universal donors - anyone can receive O neg. O positive blood can be given to anyone with positive blood. Great review! Thank you!

Next and final port: Curacao... What a lovely destination! Our first time there I didn't do enough research and we went to some Pirate Bay beach bar and left underwhelmed. Last time we went to Blue Bay beach and loved it. Entry is $12 per adult and $6 per kid, free wifi, beautiful beach area, lots of chaises and palapas. $40 taxi each way. So, we also headed there this time and we weren't disappointed. We left in the morning when it was still raining, but when we got to the beach, we got the biggest palapa (more like a large gazebo) at the end of the beach, and a little while later it cleared up and we enjoyed a lovely beach day. the last one in this photo: We hand fed all sorts of fish some bread we brought with us from the ship Lots of wildlife this time: We got to enjoy seeing some kind of a hawk pull a fish out of the water and eat it over the course of the next 2-3 hours on the beach: Mikey the iguana (seems like an appropriate name for it) this crane was much smaller in June when we were there last time. It grew a lot!

A visit to the buffet post dinner revealed this lovely Mimosa cake:

Italian themed dinner on Bonaire night: I enjoyed Peach Bellini soup very much - again, served in a bowl. Delicious! DH enjoyed Prosciutto, minestrone soup and italian salad. DS ordered spaghetti and meatballs and LOVED it: Mushroom lasagna was very enjoyable (I enjoyed it even though I don't like red sauce all that much): Shrimp and scallops were good, but I didn't like the vegetables. DH ordered stuffed chicken and it was surprisingly good: The trio wasn't all that. Our kid ate the chocolates, I tried eating the gelato sandwich (very awkwardly). Tiramisu was ok. Not even sure if anyone ate the pistachio muffins. Lemon merengue cheesecake was mouthwatering and worth every bite! Everything about it was amazing! 10/10 would order and enjoy again.

Next port was of our absolute favorites: Bonaire! What a magical place. After driving through some very desert like areas, we arrive at Sorobon Beach at Lac Bay ($5 pp taxi). Shallow water as far as an eye can see: caution: the floor is sandy, but after stepping on something sharp, I decided to wear water shoes. Most of the area is just a wild beach without amenities - you can get away from the crowd. If you want the bar and amenities, you have to stay close to the bar. $10 per chaise (wifi is included and is pretty good). Arrive early (too bad our ship arrived at noon) if you want one in a shade. They roped off a large area with chaises for Enchanted Princess excursion. A very short excursion - they arrived much later than we did and left much earlier than we did. And must have paid a lot more than we did. a gorgeous sunset back on the ship: Many houses had fences made out of cacti: sturdy and sends a clear message. 🙂

yeah, I should have said "interesting looking". 🙂 I wasn't tempted to try them.

Happy Thanksgiving in Grenada!!! Our son ordered Winter Citrus Supreme, but didn't like it, so we finished it for him. 🙂 The pate was great. Seafood martini (not pictured) was great. 🙂 Since I don't care for either turkey or ham on TG, I ordered seafood. It was great! Very flavorful. Gnocchi in parmesan sauce were simply fabulous! My husband ordered two helpings, but I stole one of them. I had all the intentions of just trying one or two gnocchi, but they were amazing. Kiddo ordered a VEGAN plate, despite my protestations. He likes veggies, but I had a feeling he wouldn't like this dish. I was right. I ate all of it. I was concerned that the sauce would be too gingery, but it was more on a nice cranberry side. Sugar Free Strawberry napoleon - it was ok. Apple pie sans cinnamon - we didn't enjoy it. And as usual: a customary follow up visit to the buffet after MDR dinner. These ones were very yummy: these ones weren't:

The next day we were in Grenada - also a port we'd never been to before. The weather was once again super rainy, but after a little while we decided to hop into a taxi and head to the beach. We picked the closest one.... Upon arrival (a huge traffic jam all the way to the beach, rain all the way) the driver pulled up to the beach so we could see for ourselves whether we all wanted to get out. None of us did (about 10-11 people), so back to the ship we went. At least there was a small mall area where people could shop, eat and get a drink if they wanted to. We looked though a couple of stores, some very cute touristy stuff like shirts, hats, magnets, etc. Some expensive, some not. A lot of people walked around town close to the port - shopping for spices and whatnot. better luck next time, right?

yes, they had some kind of a chocolate celebration during the last day lunch at the buffet. Complete with rose petals. 🙂 All sorts of interesting chocolates and desserts at the back of the buffet.

Thank you! we did use that bar several times, only because of its proximity to the buffet. The area was lovely, a small squarish pool, pretty crowded on sunny days, quite a bit of seating (chairs with tables) in the shade. Few loungers. The pool seemed to always be in the sun (when it wasn't raining) - not something we enjoy at all. I saw many sunburned people.... The last two days it was too hot to sit in the more enclosed areas (sofas), so tables closer to the pool (but still in the shade and with more air moving around) were better. Lots of people reading, playing games, cards, etc. I sat there reading a book as well. Some people don't even ask if you want to share your small table with them. An older guy came over and sat at my table without even asking. There were very few kids on this sailing, but I have seen a couple of preteens in that pool. I don't believe it has an age restriction, but I mostly saw adults only in it.

yes, the hotel room was clean, and the beds were comfortable. The bedding was nice and white. We checked for bed bugs under the sheets and mattresses, because one of the hotel reviews mentioned bed bugs. I am still freaking out over that, even though we didn't see any. The window AC was a bit loud, but I sleep with the ear plugs, so it didn't affect me. The shower was very nice and spacious, but the bathroom itself (outside a shower) was very small. The door didn't open all the way to prevent it from hitting the glass shower door. Kind of cramped if you have three people trying to use it. 🙂 Floor 6 hallway smelled very strongly of fried fish, but the room itself was odor free (thank goodness). They provided a menu for the restaurant, but the prices were sky high. The location is kind of industrial. There is a gas station on the corner, if you need anything. Soda machines are in the hallway - $3 per bottle. So, all in all, if it weren't for the shuttle fiasco, our stay would have been very pleasant. But it definitely had a rather negative effect, I am afraid. We were very tired after traveling (worked and went to school as well), and it was late, and had we known it was going to take this long, we would have ubered or taxied over there and been asleep by 10 pm.

yay, just got an email from Princess that we have reached Platinum status!!!!! Woohoo!

glitch

but it's caffeinated. Wouldn't Sprite or ginger ale be a bit better? Not sure why anyone would drink a flat warm coke to rehydrate.