Cruise Kay

What about Galveston, Texas? Royal Caribbean has a big ship cruise out of there....Allure of the Seas. Very fun and lots of features and entertainment.

Always buy travel insurance. Policies for all budgets can be browsed at insure my trip dot com. Always pack seasick meds (Bonine, for example) and assume you won't need them. But if you do need them, it's great to have. Don't reserve pool chairs and then disappear for a long time. Don't send one person to the theater early to reserve a bunch of seats for a big group. Be kind to crew and always pay those gratuities!

I find interior rooms cozy. I know it’s gonna be a closet, but….. I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. I think it will be nice. A new experience! Since I travel solo, I only go to my room when I’m ready to go to bed and watch a little TV before I go to sleep. I don’t think it will be an issue. But I am definitely going to blog about the cruise when it comes and I will be sure to share my thoughts!

I booked this cruise right when it first became available, almost 15 months ago I think. As I recall, balconies were going for $5500 at the time. I paid I think $3200 for an inside cabin. I would've liked to had a balcony but not for $2000 extra.

We've started a roll call. Come find us! No scaling back on Disney activities on a TransAtlantic! In fact, the characters will have a few extra costumes, pertaining to our ports.

Tonight was the parade of nations with all of the staff carrying their nation's flags. It was really fun. Lot of national pride out on the Dancefloor! today passed by in a blur. At one point the seas got quite rough outside but the ship wasn't bouncing too badly. There was a lot of pushing to shop and use the casino because they had to close those around seven, once we entered Chesapeake Bay. There was a comedian this evening, they had captains corner today, lots of live music both in the day and in the evening, and then they had a flash mob this evening for about five minutes. They've been practicing that Flashmob all week and it was cute. then came the parade of nations which was really nice, followed by a big dance party. My puzzle buddy and I were at the table a couple of times today, but the puzzle table seemed to be newly discovered by families today. Lots of families with kids crowding around wanting to work on the puzzle so my puzzle buddy and I left the table whenever that happened so everybody could get a chair and get a turn. Café latitudes had a long line all day long and naturally, I got one last scoop of Ben & Jerry's. The ceremony honoring the veterans this morning was really nice and they had a very big cake afterwards which was beautiful. I'll include a photo below. I've come to bed relatively early so I can finish my book and donate it to the little library next to the puzzle table. I've got the TV on and of course it's playing the "wash your hands" song. I'm self assist in the morning so I'll be barreling out of here and grabbing a cab for the airport. all in all it's been a good trip and a nice break, which is really all I wanted. And every time I cruise solo, I figure out things that I like, things I don't like, things I want to do differently next time, things that I look forward to each cruise. It's certainly a different experience each time. I mean this time I tried gambling! And had those massages, which I haven't had in years. and with this cruise, I've sailed all of the classes of ships that royal Caribbean offers, so now I have a great frame of reference when planning. Thank you so much to everybody that followed along and commented… It's been really fun sharing my photos and adventures with you. Safe travels!

Yesterday there were a lot more activities offered than the day before, the day we were in Nassau. There were three different trivia games, one was Harry Potter, one was lord of the rings, one was called progressive trivia. There were dance classes and stretch classes. A lot more live music throughout the day and well into the evening. It was a sunny warm day and the ice cream machine was in heavy use and the pool stayed packed all day. There was a headliner show last night as well and then at 10 o'clock there was a 70s disco party! The entertainment staff came out and danced and put on a great show. It was high energy all around. today is our final day and as we approach Maryland, we have moved into some cold, icy winds, super gray skies and gray, rough seas. It is an indoor day for sure. The ship is moving a fair amount up and down and some pockets of the ship are cracking and popping. plenty of activities lined up today, games, trivia, dancing, there's a veterans honoring ceremony in a few minutes. We have been urged to shop and use the casino because they will close early once we reach Maryland waters around seven. There are frantic last minute pushes to get massages today or buy spa products, buy anything at all in the shops, things like that. The little puzzle table seems to be newly discovered by families today and is surrounded by lots of families with young kids having a great time. My Facebook cruise group organized a $25 slot pull yesterday. I've never gambled or used the casino but I went to that and participated. It was a lot of fun although apparently we ended up with the worst slot machine in the history of slot machines. We all walked away $14 in the hole but we had fun for well over an hour. I'm going to go watch the veterans honor and ceremony and then I have to work for a few hours. More tonight! Enjoy the photos from last nights disco.

Stayed up till midnight working on the puzzle with seven other puzzle fanatics who kept informing me "you're not leaving!" It was fun but I went to bed way too late. Up now to a beautiful clear sunny morning. Going to have to work a few hours today so I'm gonna get that out-of-the-way first thing. some morning photos

And when I came back to my room there was a mouse on the bed! This little washcloth animal was so cute. I've never seen one of these before in all of my cruises.

Well it was just a terrific day. We had classic Bahamas weather and the most amazing sailway at sunset… It was just picture perfect. All of the ships in port left one after the other and it was fun to see them ahead of us and behind us and then we all just kind of spread out. I did not have my camera with me at sunset so I don't have any photos but it was really nice and Huge groups of people were on top deck watching the sunset tonight. but to back track a little... lots of people got off the ship today but a lot of people also stayed on the ship so the pools were full all day and the sun chairs were full as well. Having said that, there were plenty of lounge chairs to be had if you were looking for one. There was just a lot of people on deck all day long. scheduled activities today were very light indeed. A couple of morning activities and then a really long gap before they had anything else going. And I think that's why so many people were gathered on pool deck and in the solarium, just enjoying the outdoors. it was the kind of day where you saw lots of people playing games together, board games and card games, reading books, crocheting, and of course sleeping. This evening there was a show that I did not go to so I can't really comment, and there was a dance party under the stars, and dinner theme was Italian night. I did not participate in any of these… I was busy today swimming, lying out in the sun, I had to work for quite a while, and I made some friends at the puzzle table and we worked on the puzzle quite a while. Then I had an acupuncture session and a massage. I've never been on a cruise ship where acupuncture is offered but it's offered here. I think it's a relatively new thing as the doctor is only on his second month on the ship. I have to say he is amazing. If you come on enchantment and you have any health issues, pain, arthritis, anxiety, or trouble sleeping or anything at all, be sure to go to one of his free informative seminars and have a free consultation and just talk to him. I have a medical condition that is most bothersome, and he has been a great deal of help to me. The live music seemed a little more scarce tonight than it has been all week. But there was a lively lip-synch competition in the centrum this evening and four crewmembers performed pop songs as their favorite pop artists and it was really outrageous fun. Another full day tomorrow and I have plans to hang with my friends at the puzzle table which has turned out to be quite a popular spot on this ship. There's not just a handful of people on board who like puzzles there's quite a few and we have smoked through all of the library's little puzzle offerings so now we're just starting to recycle. I will have to work a while as well and I have a massage planned for tomorrow as well. The spa here is really nice and the staff is great. The ship is really swaying up and down tonight. thank you to everyone following along! It's fun sharing the cruise and the photos. A sneak peek at tomorrow's menu. The theme is Royal night.

The late show has been at 9:15. I only ate lunch in the Solarium café on the first day. I had pizza and it was hot and greasy but good. They have little sandwiches and desserts, they have a small salad bar where they will make your salad for you, and once in a while they have a slab of roast beef or something like that or hotdogs and hamburgers.

We are in port with the Disney wish, carnival liberty, carnival paradise, and navigator of the seas. It's a typical day in the Bahamas… Hot and sunny with sparkling water and clouds that come and go. Lots of people out on the water and ferries and one pirate boat and crowded catamarans, lots of people milling around on the docks headed to town. Quite a few people stayed on the ship this morning and the pools are crowded. I swam for about an hour and talked to a nice lady for a long time, swapping cruise ship reviews. Lunch at the buffet and now it's time to dig out the laptop and do a few hours of work.

We are in Nassau today. We docked around 8 o'clock. The Carnival Paradise is right beside us and we have since been joined by the Disney wish, Navigator, and Carnival Liberty. Each ship has taken turns testing their horns. Classic day in the Bahamas here. Sunny and hot with clouds drifting by and clearing out and drifting by and clearing out. Lots of people got off the ship but a lot of people stayed behind. I have spent the morning on the pool deck swimming and soaking in the sun.

Thank YOU. This is such a great resource

Docked in Nassau this morning as the sun rose. Really beautiful. Perfect morning and super blue water. Carnival Paradise is beside us.

It's enchantment of the seas, not independence.

Ship-Enchantment of thecSeas Deck - 3 Stateroom # - 3507 Stateroom Category – Starboard or Port Side - Port Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes. Very quiet. There was only one thing. At 11 o'clock each night a mechanical vibrating noise would go on behind the room. It almost sounded like an industrial strength dryer going. It would last about five minutes, pause, and then five more minutes of this noise. And then it was done. No other noise problems the rest of the time. Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No Balcony View - NA If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - n/a Any specific problems with this cabin? Yes. There was a strong smell of sewage in the bathroom for most of the cruise. This was an eight night cruise and the sewage smell did not go away until day five. Also, the shower was ridiculously small. I mean really really narrow and small. I believe this is standard and all of the inside rooms obviously, not just mine, but something to be aware of. Any other comments? The room is dated but the room itself is nice. It's in good condition. The bed is low to the ground, too low to slide my checked suitcase underneath. So be aware that you may have to pile suitcases in the closet. There is half a sofa here that does not fold out and does not have a lot of legroom to actually sit in. Overall the room is quite compact. Just fine for one or two people with plenty of drawer storage And a reasonable closet. This would not be a good room for a couple traveling with a child.

Sampling of standard breakfast menu in MSR

Well I am just as happy as can be with the Internet here. Today was perfect day at Coco cay. Oasis of the Seas is here and she docked about an hour ahead of us, so there were thousands of people debarking before we got off the ship. This did not bother me at all because I wasn't intending to get off the ship anyway. But it may have wrecked a few plans for some people who wanted prime lounge chairs. I spent the morning being lazy, found a puzzle buddy and we worked a puzzle for a while at the communal puzzle table, and then I played name that tune, with a classic rock theme. I won! I made myself get off the ship just to get a few photos of the ships side-by-side. More laziness this afternoon and a massage. Today the sewage smell disappeared from my bathroom. It did resurface in a random pocket of the ship elsewhere but I am relieved to have it gone. People began returning to the ship in droves about 2 o'clock and everybody was tired and sunburned. Looks like they had a great day though. And of course, the pools and sundeck we're heavily utilized all day as well. It was really a lovely day. There were two princess ships anchored nearby at their tiny little private island and it was fun watching the tenders go back-and-forth. Last night they had several shows and events, 15 minutes apart, one after the other well up until midnight. I think they wanted everyone to stay up super late. Tonight, there's not a lot going on beyond live music. I think they want everyone to end up in the casino. Had breakfast in the main dining room this morning for the first time and it was really great. It was the first time on this cruise that I had really hot food. I will be eating there the rest of the time. Tomorrow is Nassau. Not planning to get off the ship. So today was my last walking around on land until Friday!

A lot of people carry a lot of cash because they plan to use it in the casino.

Tomorrow night's menu is Caribbean night. Here is a sneak peek at the menu.

Spent the day at Universal. No big surprises here, it's a touristy theme park that's super crowded and expensive. Didn't matter to me, this is exactly what I was in the mood for today. I enjoyed myself very much and now we're on the bus on the way back to the ship. The shuttles all arrived around 930 this morning. I counted seven shuttles to take people over to the Kennedy space Center. There were four additional shuttles to take people either to universal or Seaworld. We piled on the bus and we were all given a wristband to help identify us when we came back. The bus was not full. We left close to on time. We stopped at Seaworld first and dropped off a family and then 10 minutes later we were dropped off at Universal. The ride was just over an hour. Of course this is Sunday and there was very little traffic until we got close to the park. we arrived just before 11 and this gave us six hours to explore the park, which is exactly what was advertised. We were told to be back in that exact same spot to meet the bus at five. Here's something I find quite interesting. There was no head counting of people on the bus or getting off the bus, there was no cross check of your name against any kind of list, they just let you off at the park, told you to be back by five, and counted on you to do that. When 5 o'clock rolled around, we pulled away. Nobody driving this bus has any clue if anybody got left behind. So I guess if you're a person or family that took too long to get back to the bus, you're going to be calling an Uber. I think it's great they did that but I feel a little anxious at the same time, because it's almost certain that some people took their time getting back to the bus and were shocked to find it gone. It's an hour drive back to the port and we are supposed to all be back on board by 630. We are in port today with a few other ships, but they are too far away to get a good look at them. One of them is the Wonder of the seas, and one is an MSC ship that's very big. I know this because we drove past them on our way out. I enjoyed the drive to the park. Of course we drove over multiple bridges and saw lots of sea birds, pelicans skimming the surface of the water, and I saw two alligators in little bitty ponds beside the freeway. Lines were long at the park and six hours was plenty of time to see everything I wanted to see. Can't wait to get back on board and eat! I haven't had anything since breakfast. Tonight is the Bengals game and I'm a Bengals fan. They are showing it poolside but it's also available in our rooms.