Middle Aged Drama Queen Goes BIG: Solo & Last Minute on the ALLURE!!!

[KansCocoa]

 

Looks like I should have made my “why is it called Deck TW” the quiz…I would have had a longer break!

 

So…on to the crew’s game room…where we find the ONLY pool tables onboard the ship:

 

 

Yes. The crew gets to play pool. The guests do not. Awesome.

 

Pool chalk can be had for $1 at the Slopchest:

 

 

I have no idea what the Slopchest is…but I would love to find out. Future cruisers – find that out for me, will you?!

 

Here are some photos of the rest of their recreation area:

 

 

 

 

Oh, goodness…my male Klingons would be in HEAVEN to have that video game set-up! However, the crew doesn’t just use it for video games…these are computers they can use to check email, Skype with their families back home, or surf the internet.

 

Next stop: a bar! In a most unusual place…can anyone tell me where the crew’s Britto Bar is located??!!

[tahqa]

Looks like I should have made my “why is it called Deck TW” the quiz…I would have had a longer break!

 

The "TW" likely indicates that it's a "tween" deck. IE a deck below the top deck but above the lowermost deck. I would guess that "Deck TW" is the next to bottom deck. :)

[KansCocoa]

 

So…off to the Britto Bar! This is another crew lounge…in a very unique place…which I’ll reveal later…hee hee…

 

Anyway, the bar is so named because the artist, Romero Britto, came and painted a wall in the bar for the crew to enjoy:

 

 

Note that this is the ONLY Britto painting you can freely take a photo of without the saleslady yelling at you…I know that from personal experience.

 

Here, we were given a very tasty drink to enjoy…

 

 

THIS was delicious…as opposed to that free drink the night before at the Diamond Event…maybe it was delicious because we’d been sweltering in the Laundry area below deck….

 

This photo is dark, but here’s Jerry and I enjoying our delicious drink:

 

 

So…on to our next stop…the HeliPad…which is normally NOT accessible to guests during the cruise…

 

 

There wasn’t much to see here…but I guess this gave us all bragging rights that we’d been allowed out here! It DOES give you this unique view of the front of the ship, though, which isn’t often seen by guests:

 

Thanks, Steve, for this great photo!

 

Soon…it was time to head to our next – and final – stop…the Bridge!!!!

 

So…anyone know yet where the exclusive crew’s Britto Bar is located???

[janeyzee]

 

Looks like I should have made my “why is it called Deck TW” the quiz…I would have had a longer break!

 

It's the Tween Deck (probably because it's beTWEEN decks zero and the other one) Our behind the scenes guide on the Liberty of the Seas told us that, and it's written on the deck plans that we saw in the engine room.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151432221816475&set=a.10151432074971475.449011.557221474&type=3&theater is the link to the picture in Facebook, hopefully y'all can follow that link, not sure if it's public or not.

[KansCocoa]

 

Ahh..."Tween Deck"...now we know. When you first said that, I envisioned a bunch of 12-year olds running around...!!! I'm glad you explained what it REALLY meant! I remember asking our guide what it meant, and she had no idea.

 

Okay…the Britto Bar is located directly underneath the Helipad. Yup. Next time you’re gazing down at the Helipad…now you’ll be wondering what kind of partying and drinking is going on directly underneath that by the crew!!!

 

Those white stairs will take you down to the Britto Bar…

 

So…off to the Bridge…but before we get there, we’re taken to an elevator bank and “wanded” by Security again. This time, we’re in public view of being wanded down – which brought some raised eyebrows and looks from fellow guests who saw a whole bunch of merry people (remember that drink we’d just had?!) getting patted down by security officers….

 

Soon, we were taken into the Bridge…

 

 

 

 

Here, an officer explained what all the control panels were for…and how everything worked to steer and guide the ship….

 

Star Trek...the final frontier...

 

 

I thought this was cool…radar to tell you where other ships are:

 

 

 

Here, Steve and I listen intently as everything is explained:

 

Steve most likely understood this part of the spiel. I, being electronically challenged, heard, "Blah, blah, blah"....sigh. I wish I had more of an understanding of mechanical and electronic stuff....

 

 

Captain Johnny wasn’t on the bridge, but his presence was definitely noted:

 

 

Yes. Parked right there on the bridge…Captain Johnny’s bike is never too far.

 

Here is where the tour ended…but before leaving, we had one more surprise….

 

 

[KansCocoa]

 

Yes…one more surprise…as we left the bridge at the end of our three-hour tour, we were handed these awesome burlap tote bags:

 

 

Inside was a white apron…as well as another lanyard. Eh. Not impressed. However - I LOVE this burlap bag – I’m using it as we speak here in Florida for the beach and the pool!

 

Well…with the tour being over, I was hungry. I know that some ships provide lunch for the Access Tour…I don’t know why ours didn’t, but that’s okay. I decided to head to Sorrento’s Pizza, as it was one of the few dining venues onboard that I hadn’t tried.

 

One slice of pizza…eh. It was okay. It’s not gourmet. It’s not fancy. It’s pizza. For kids and teens, it’s probably a wonderful idea…but otherwise, I can live without it. Still being a bit hungry (remember – we’d gone up and down a gazillion stairs during that three hours!), I decided to head yet ANOTHER free venue that I hadn’t tried…the Dog House on the Boardwalk!

 

 

I opted for sauerkraut on my dog, and it was…fine. Not great. Not gourmet. It’s a hot dog. And it was free.

 

While enjoying my hot dog, I ran into Steve and Amy, who were enjoying some shakes from Johnny Rockets. Amy and I decided that it was a good time to ride the free carousel…because everyone should ride a carousel after indulging in pizza and hotdogs and shakes….gah.

 

 

There I am…with Amy peeking over my phone…and yes, we’re smiling…but this is what our stomachs were feeling:

 

 

The carousel was fun…and even MORE fun on a tummy full of pizza and hot dogs and sauerkraut.

 

 

Amy’s feeling very brave now…if she can survive a carousel after sucking down a shake, she can survive anything…so we decide to head up so Amy & Steve can do the zipline. The line wasn’t all that crazy…I think, by waiting until the last day, most everyone else was like, “Been there…done that.” I was tempted…but after seeing how everyone was coming in for their landing, I opted out.

 

Here’s Amy!

 

It was a beautiful day, so we spent some time here on the Sports Deck…watching the Dodge Ball competition…the golfers…the flowriders…the zipliners…so much to see, so little time!

 

Off in the distance, we saw this Celebrity ship. We had noticed it on the “radar” earlier in the Bridge, when it had been ahead of us. We had caught up with it in no time, and soon passed it. The race was on!

 

 

Soon, I had to head inside…as I had reservations….

 

[knittinggirl]

Fascinating tour! Is this open to diamond plus and pinnacle members as a perk? We got a look in the galley on Princess with the chefs table. We had to wear white coats and wash our hands before entering. Looking back at my pictures, the maitre`d had a black suit on instead. They had photos of all the dishes above their stations. We only saw one corner of one galley, so what you saw was much more detailed.

 

How did you handle the stairs with your injured foot? Did the stairs have Handrails? Any elevators at all? What did the handicapped people do on the tour or were they out of luck?. Our our last cruise I fell on the stairs, but not down the stairs because my hand was on the handrail. I'm nervous on stairs, but keep planning on using them.

 

The laundry room was interesting. My mother had an ironer for Daddy's shirts that was about the size of a small desk.

Edited March 29, 2013 by knittinggirl

[KansCocoa]

 

1. Is this open to diamond plus and pinnacle members as a perk?

 

2. How did you handle the stairs with your injured foot?

 

3. Did the stairs have Handrails?

 

4. Any elevators at all?

 

5. What did the handicapped people do on the tour or were they out of luck?

 

All very good questions! Let's hope I can answer them all...and answer them accurately...I'm sure if I misspeak, someone will kindly correct me. ;)

 

1. It's open to everyone who wants to pay $150 per person....I know some ships offer the Diamond + and Pinnacle members a perk, but this is not the same.

 

2. Very carefully and with a lot of ibuprofen!

 

3. Yes. Thank goodness!

 

4. There WERE elevators from the laundry room up...but NOT anywhere in the galleys. That's where the very scary stairs were...in the galley. They were very tight - maybe two people could pass each other on the stairs, but it was tight. And they were steep. The laundry room stairs - were like stairs in the guest area - perhaps a bit narrower - but with no carpeting. These were all steel stairs.

 

5. This tour would not be accessible - due to the Galley limitations, I think. However, I could be wrong on that, so if someone knows differently, please let me know. I'm answering based on MY OBSERVATIONS ONLY.

 

Hope that helps!

[knittinggirl]

All very good questions! Let's hope I can answer them all...and answer them accurately...I'm sure if I misspeak, someone will kindly correct me. ;)

 

1. It's open to everyone who wants to pay $150 per person....I know some ships offer the Diamond + and Pinnacle members a perk, but this is not the same.

 

2. Very carefully and with a lot of ibuprofen!

 

3. Yes. Thank goodness!

 

4. There WERE elevators from the laundry room up...but NOT anywhere in the galleys. That's where the very scary stairs were...in the galley. They were very tight - maybe two people could pass each other on the stairs, but it was tight. And they were steep. The laundry room stairs - were like stairs in the guest area - perhaps a bit narrower - but with no carpeting. These were all steel stairs.

 

5. This tour would not be accessible - due to the Galley limitations, I think. However, I could be wrong on that, so if someone knows differently, please let me know. I'm answering based on MY OBSERVATIONS ONLY.

 

Hope that helps!

Fascinating. Imagine the waiters having to negotiate those stairs with plates of food, or did they have dumb waiters in the walls? As a former waitress, I had my share of plates hitting the floor, and I didn't have to worry about stairs!

[KansCocoa]

 

I FINALLY had my tickets for Ice Games – the ice show down in Studio B. When I arrived, I saw a HUGE line winding its way around to the Casino. I initially got in line, and after a minute or two, I asked the people in front of me, "What's this line for, anyway?"

 

Isn't it funny how we jump in lines without knowing what they're for??!! Or am I the only one who does that??

 

The couple said, "It's for the ice show, we guess."

 

Hmmmm...I then asked, "Do you have reservations???"

 

The couple answered, "Yes...we do."

 

Hmmm....I do, too. And we're in a LINE??? Something's not right.

 

Deciding to be bold, I told them, "Come with me!" and darted out of line. The couple hesitantly followed me...worried that I'd just now cost them their valued place in that line. I had a hunch, though, that we'd ended up in the Standby Line - so we wound our way to the front doors of Studio B, where we were all three scanned and let in to the venue.

 

Yay, me! The couple said, "Thanks!" as they went to go find their seats...as did I.

 

Lesson learned: If you have reservations, you shouldn't be having to stand in a long line before show time. :D

 

I managed to find a seat for what I thought would be a good view:

 

 

This seat turned out to be not so good…I had a pole that I had to contend with the entire show:

 

 

Depending on where the action was on the ice, I was either always having to lean forward – or lean back – in order to see around the pole. Take note of that when you find your seats…do some testing before the show starts, so you don’t realize it until it’s too late.

 

As far as the show itself, it’s a cute little show centered around the game of Monopoly – combined with highlighting various venues onboard the ship. I found it fun…it didn’t “wow” me, except for one pair of figure skaters….they had a number together, and it was truly, “WOW!” This couple got a standing ovation at the end, which was well deserved. Won’t say much more than that – you’ll have to see it for yourself. And I DO think it’s worth going to…at least once!

 

After the show, I hung out in the Royal Promenade…doing some shopping in the various shops, and people watching. While there, I ran into Carol and Norm – the couple who I’d dined next to at 150 Central Park…the storytelling Marine who was celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary. We had a delightful chat while relaxing.

 

I was now hungry for something sweet...so guess where I went for some sugar?

 

If you guessed the Cupcake Cupboard, you'd be....

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

WRONG!!!

 

Deciding to shake things up, I went to Central Park and enjoyed a free cream puff from the Park Cafe...because I'm wild and crazy like that. And it was good.

 

Soon enough…it was time to head to my cabin and get ready for my final dinner onboard the Allure. Tonight, Amy and I were going to dine at 150 Central Park – as it would be their second menu, and I wanted to see if it measured up to the first.

 

See...if I'd had a cupcake...I'd NEVER have room for the multi-course dinner I'd be enjoying in a bit...there's a method to my madness!

 

[barbie5401]

As a Diamond Plus member I have visited the galley on numerous ships as well as the bridge. never all of the other areas you got to see!

 

P.s. love your review

[KansCocoa]

Fascinating. Imagine the waiters having to negotiate those stairs with plates of food, or did they have dumb waiters in the walls? As a former waitress, I had my share of plates hitting the floor, and I didn't have to worry about stairs!

 

No...no dumb waiters....that's why I was in AWE. I had no idea those waiters were having to do these amazing acrobatics behind the scenes...while hoping they don't break their necks in the process!!!!

[KansCocoa]

As a Diamond Plus member I have visited the galley on numerous ships as well as the bridge. never all of the other areas you got to see!

 

P.s. love your review

 

 

See...you will have to go so you can visit the Laundry Room and the Britto Bar....!! :)

 

I knew the Diamond + and Pinnacle members got to visit some areas, but wasn't exactly sure where. I'm a few short cruises away from Diamond + - and then I'll have first-hand knowledge! I can't wait!

 

P.S. Thank you!

[Freq Traveler]

Pool table. Now git postin! :D

 

OMG!!! That took less than 2 minutes to answer! Love it!

[Buffettfan 225]

Glad you had the answer for TW ...it was stuck in my head like a song...tropical weather, the water... tween ...yes I thought too---good place for them to run amock.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Buffettfan 225

[KansCocoa]

 

So…my last dinner on my last night....After the amazing service and delicious food I had enjoyed on night #2 of my cruise, I knew I was going back to 150 Central Park. What would be fun this time was the addition of Amy – I’d convinced her to try it along with me. This was nice, so I didn’t have to be a “famous New York food and wine critic.” I could just be me. Sherri. The Middle Aged Drama Queen…having a fun dinner with a girlfriend on the last night of our cruise.

 

Soooo….because I wasn’t in critic mode…I didn’t make extensive notes of the dinner like I did the last time….but just suffice to say…it was ALL GOOD.

 

First, though, my dress:

 

 

Tonight was casual night…because we were supposed to be packing so we could disembark in the morning, after receiving our eviction notices. Note, again, the lack of a belt in the dress…very important. I can’t stress this enough. You do NOT want to wear tight or restrictive clothing at these amazing dining venues!

 

Amy and I were soon seated, and I was tickled…because tonight, we were in the Clam Chairs!!! (It’s the little things that make me happy!)

 

Natalya came over and explained to Amy how the menu would work…she then started us off with, of course, “Vodka!” The cucumber martini (for $15) was divine…again.

 

For our salad course, we enjoyed a Chilled Lobster Salad with Orchard Fruits:

…cold-water lobster panna cotta, persimmon puree, toasted hazelnuts, orange supremes shaved pata negra, watercress, and vanilla bean vinaigrette.

 

Well. I honestly don’t know what half of those ingredients are, but I DO know that this was delicious. EXTREMELY delicious.

 

Our soup course was interesting…we were first presented with this:

 

 

…which we added to this:

 

 

Officially, this was “Smoked Apple-Cheddar Soup” – which consisted of pumpernickel pie crust, crisp pancetta, mustard gelee, and whipped hard cider. When you added it all together, it did indeed have a rich, smoky flavor…and it was smooth…and comforting. I wanted to lick my bowl, but I knew Amy would frown on that. (Probably a good thing she hadn’t been around to see me licking my rum-drenched fingers the day before, huh?!)

 

 

Our next course was the fish course…Paupiette of Dover Sole:

 

…truffle-potato ragout, blanched haricot vert, fried onion crumble, black garlic puree tarragon pudding, and sauce fin blanc

 

Huh? Again…don’t know what half of that is…but put together…this fish was moist…flakey…and tasty. It worked. I am a HUGE fish eater, and this ranked up there with the best.

 

 

Our fourth course…the pasta course…with a very interesting name: “Potato Chip Pasta Cappellacci”. Well. I am a HUGE potato chip freak…give me a bag of Ruffles and some dip, and I am a VERY happy girl – especially during football season! But…pasta? With potato chips? Hmmmm…..

 

 

Again…hmmmm….so I check out the ingredients…”caramelized onion ‘dip’ filling, sautéed Tuscan kale, chipotle-tomato veloute, shaved piave vecchio, and oven roasted tomatoes."

 

Okay. That didn’t help. So, I hesitantly took a bite…and immediately declared it a smashing success! Sure is a fancy way of eating potato chips and dip – and a bit more expensive - but it was perfect.

 

Coming next…our main course….

 

[KansCocoa]

 

I’d chosen the “Prosciutto Wrapped Berkshire Pork Loin” for my main entrée…this was described as, “fig-balsamic stuffing, wilted mustard greens, sweet potato-crème fraiche puree, toasted walnuts, fried sage, and glogg reduction.”

 

 

I have to admit…I wasn’t a big fan of this…it could be because I was getting so full…or that I’m not a big pork loin fan…also, the fig stuffing threw me off, as it was a bit sweet for my tastes…overall, this was good…but not great. For me, anyway.

 

Last…but not least…there was dessert…Chocolate “Dark and Stormy”:

 

ginger-rum mascarpone cream cake with rich chocolate custard, dark rum ice cream spiced chocolate chiboust, crystalized ginger, and candied lime zest…

 

It’s chocolate. Of course it was delicious! However – I actually enjoyed the dessert from the FIRST meal at 150 Central Park more…can’t believe I admitted that.

 

Here’s a copy of the menu that night:

 

 

All-in-all, another very good meal…Natalya was excellent, as usual, doing a very good job at explaining not only the ingredients in the dish, but the concept of the dish, as well. Amy and I had a grand old time – having to laugh when her family randomly walked by the windows at one point, frantically peering in to see if they saw us…they did. And we saw them.

 

Here’s where I give Amy props. After our dinner, she quickly joined her family in the Main Dining Room for dinner…not so much to eat – again – but to say goodbye to their wait staff, who’d served them well that week. I laughed myself silly that she was going for a second dinner that night! After wishing her "Good Luck!", I headed back to the cabin to begin the dreaded packing. Ugh.

 

 

Later, there was a knock at my cabin, and it was Amy & Steve, inviting me out for a “Farewell Drink” at the Rising Tide Bar…. I was happy to see that Amy had survived a second dinner that night and hadn't gone into a permanent food coma...but it was late...and I was tired...mmm…big decisions here…drink? Or pack? Drink? Or pack?

 

Needless to say, the Rising Tide won…I had yet to try this, and I was just amazed at the technology behind it. It wasn’t TOO crazy – for the last night onboard – and we quickly found a little table and settled in. After a couple trips up and down, I looked around the tiny bar to see who else was onboard…and I couldn’t BELIEVE who was standing behind me...

 

Guesses, anyone???!!

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

It was the Brazilian Muster Mother/Daughter Team…Fernanda and Amelia!

 

Steve and Amy said goodbye, so THEY could go pack, and so that my newly-adopted Brazilian family could sit and have a drink with me.

 

 

It was only fitting…I had began my adventure with these two, seven days prior, by sitting next to them at the Muster Drill…and here we were, finishing the cruise together. All of our encounters had been unplanned – but fate kept bringing us together. I loved, loved, loved these women…Fernanda has become a Facebook friend for life, and I hope to cruise with them again in the future.

 

I couldn’t have asked for a better finale to my amazing adventure on the Allure of the Seas…

 

…Next, I’ll post the Day 7 Cruise Compasses, briefly discuss my Disembarkation experience, as well as a few final thoughts on the ship…

 

Almost finished!

 

[givethemwings]

Not only are you an awesome and funny writer, but I love how you can make something ordinary - extraordinary. You just decribe situations so well. I really appreciate all your details. I'm one of these "who, what, where" types of people, but you give so many answers, I have few questions left! It's very generous of you to share the All Access tour info too; it sounded so cool and probably not something I'd be able to experience, so I appreciate hearing about it! I'll stop gushing now :) but I've been a lurker for this review and your European one, and wanted to finally thank you!

 

Enjoy the Constellation in April. Maybe you'll do a review? (Pretty please, with lots of sugar on top.)

 

When in NYC, you might look into walking the High Line, a public park built on an old railroad line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. My son lives in Manhattan so we are lucky enough to know the city pretty well and that's a neat place to check out.

[KansCocoa]

 

Here are the Cruise Compasses for Day #7:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KansCocoa]

Not only are you an awesome and funny writer, but I love how you can make something ordinary - extraordinary. You just decribe situations so well. I really appreciate all your details. I'm one of these "who, what, where" types of people, but you give so many answers, I have few questions left! It's very generous of you to share the All Access tour info too; it sounded so cool and probably not something I'd be able to experience, so I appreciate hearing about it! I'll stop gushing now :) but I've been a lurker for this review and your European one, and wanted to finally thank you!

 

Enjoy the Constellation in April. Maybe you'll do a review? (Pretty please, with lots of sugar on top.)

 

When in NYC, you might look into walking the High Line, a public park built on an old railroad line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. My son lives in Manhattan so we are lucky enough to know the city pretty well and that's a neat place to check out.

 

Thank you so much! See...I LIVE for these comments! (Yes, I'm a bit of a narcissist...all writers are!) We thrive on feedback, as it feeds our soul!

 

But of COURSE I'll be doing a review of the Constellation! I can't wait to compare Celebrity with RCI...should be interesting! I'm having surgery two days after I disembark...so I don't know when I'll get to writing...but it will be soon. I HOPE to be able to fly back to Kansas City shortly after the surgery, so it will be sometime in May.

 

I've been reading about the High Line - for sure, we will check it out! You will not believe all of the walking tours, food tours, art tours, architecture tours, etc we have planned! I want Hubby and Daughter to walk away with a full appreciation and history of all things NYC - as well as myself! thanks for the suggestion! :)

[KansCocoa]

 

Here are the Cruise Specials for Day #7:

 

 

 

 

[KansCocoa]

 

Here is the Highlight Planner...a synopsis of events that takes place. You are handed one of these as you embark on the ship...but if you aren't - or need more copies - they can be found in a rack near Guest Services:

 

 

 

 

 

[knittinggirl]

Thank you so much! See...I LIVE for these comments! (Yes, I'm a bit of a narcissist...all writers are!) We thrive on feedback, as it feeds our soul!

 

But of COURSE I'll be doing a review of the Constellation! I can't wait to compare Celebrity with RCI...should be interesting! I'm having surgery two days after I disembark...so I don't know when I'll get to writing...but it will be soon. I HOPE to be able to fly back to Kansas City shortly after the surgery, so it will be sometime in May.

 

I've been reading about the High Line - for sure, we will check it out! You will not believe all of the walking tours, food tours, art tours, architecture tours, etc we have planned! I want Hubby and Daughter to walk away with a full appreciation and history of all things NYC - as well as myself! thanks for the suggestion! :)

 

Please post the Celebrity Cruise Review in your signature when you get to it so I can find it easier. We're taking our first Celebrity cruise later this year. Good luck on your surgery.

[KansCocoa]

 

I had opted for Self-Disembarkation…if you can take your own luggage off the ship, without requiring any assistance from porters, then you are eligible for this. Because I had a small suitcase and a garment bag, it was a piece of cake for me.

 

At 6:45 am, I was showered, dressed, and ready to disembark. A short elevator ride down to Deck 5, the Royal Promenade, and I was ready to go. There was no line waiting to get off the ship, and with two minutes, I was down near the Customs area.

 

Here, there WAS a bit of a line…but not bad. Perhaps a 15-minute wait…? By now, it was a little after 7:00 am, and as we were waiting, a guy came pushing his way up through the line, loudly announcing, “I have a 7:30 flight! I need to get to the front of the line NOW!”

 

Well. There was no way in the world this guy was going to make a 7:30 flight…! He was stopped by a Customs official, and when the guy got loud and belligerent with the official, he was ushered off to another area….Now, he for SURE wasn’t going to make his flight. We were all left shaking our heads, wondering on what planet this guy thought he could disembark off a ship at 6:45 and make a flight at an airport within 45 minutes…??

 

Soon, I was through the Customs area and out the door, where I waited about 25 minutes for the hotel shuttle van to come pick me up and whisk me back to the hotel, where I’d parked my car for what seemed like AGES ago.

 

Self-disembarkation – if it’s doable for you – is the way to go. My tip is to go early, so the Custom lines aren’t too crazy.

 

-----------------

 

Here are some summaries that I’ve compiled, if it helps any of you with your planning:

 

My Favorite Places for Adults

1. Solarium

2. Rising Tide Bar

3. Central Park

4. Thermal Suite in the spa

5. Trellis Bar in Central Park

 

Most Romantic Places

1. Central Park at night

2. Trellis Bar in Central Park at night

3. Dinner at 150 Central Park

4. Dinner at Giovanni’s Table

5. The hot tub in the Solarium – at night

6. The Rasul room at the spa

 

 

My Top 10 Favorite Places Onboard:

1. The Secret Decks

2. Solarium

3. Beach Pool

4. Central Park – both day and night

5. Thermal Suite/Relaxation Room at the spa

6. Café Promenade

7. Cupcake Cupboard

8. 150 Central Park

9. the cantilevered hot tubs

10. Regalia Jewelry Shop (go figure!)

 

Avoid These if You Don’t Like Crowds:

1. The Parades in the Promenade

2. Sorrento’s Pizza – usually crowded with kids

3. The pools on sea days

4. Promenade at night – or on sale days

5. Wipe Out Café on sea days – EXTREMELY crowded!

 

My Tips for Future Cruisers

1. Book your cabin in advance for what suits your needs best

2. Book your show reservations in advance

3. Get an outside balcony if you can, if you want that “ship” feeling

4. Get involved with your Roll Call here on Cruise Critic

5. Go with an open mind and a sense of humor

6. Explore some of the specialty restaurants

7. Take me…or my family…to write about your adventures.

 

Heh…just seeing if anyone’s paying attention to all of this.

 

 

And to answer the burning question…would I do it again?

 

YES!!!!!

 

[KansCocoa]

Also, thanks for a few tips on Ft Myers as I will be down there soon. Have done most of the attractions, but did want some help with restaurants. For places to stay, you said "by the pier", is that just at the end of the bridge?

Am not familiar with Randy Wayne White. Are they mysteries? His sales probably just jumped from your endosement.

I will jump cruise lines to read your next crusie review. Take care.

Kim

 

Hi, Kim! Yes...the pier is at the northern tip of Fort Myers Beach...it's an actual pier that juts out...the chocolate shop is near there, and the Yucatan, where I get my lovely pompano fish, is near there, as well.

 

Randy Wayne White is a mystery writer...he is from this area, and his books center on a character named "Doc Ford" - who's like an "Indiana Jones" guy... they're funny and intriguing, and will give a lot of history and culture for the southwest Florida area. I think there are 17 books so far in the series???

 

 

Was there the dancer at the Samba Grill that night? Other than all the meat, I think she was DH's favorite part ;)

 

He always wants to go to the local Texas de Brazil for special dinners. I'll wait to go back on Allure for their Brazilian steakhouse. I won't feel guilty at spending $25 for that meal, but the $45 at TdB is a little steep (and that doesn't include dessert!). I just can't eat that much meat.

 

Reading your review makes my mouth water (for Allure and Samba Grill)! I'm glad we have another day and night left. Would you mind posting your blog link again? I really need to remember to bookmark that page. Love your blog!

 

I think there is supposed to be a dancer...but there wasn't the night we were there....

 

I've added my link to my blog now in the signature below...its the one that says, "Adventures of a Middle Aged Drama Queen." :) And thank you!