It's my birthday and I'll cruise if I want to - thank you upgrade fairy!

[sandy toes]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

CONGRADS!!!! 'Gotta love that Fairy!!!!!

Enjoy your cruise!!!!! Stop in DL and let them know of upgrade. They will redirect your "letters" and "gifts".

[rubrrick]

Got to the pier and they couldn't find our cards. Upgraded to a JS.

 

Happy birthday to me!

 

Wrona, congratulations on your Birthday upgrade! Have a great cruise, we I wish you many more Birthdays!! You are the best!!:)

 

Rick

[NorbertsNiece]

Mazeltov!!

 

So well deserved too!!

 

Happy birthday!!

[fischymom]

Happy Birthday and way to go upgrade fairy!

[EmpressofPurple]

Nice!! :-)

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[hollon]

The check-in agent could not find their SeaPass cards at first because they were looking in the area of the original stateroom number.

 

Thanks, now makes sense :) I'm having a rough day:(

[wrp96]

So a quick preview of the coming cruise review:

 

1. The aforementioned upgrade fairy visit:D

2. It's fabulous

3. Chocolate

4. I pulled a Wrona:eek:

5. Rum punch

6. Did I mention it's fabulous?:D

[Esmerelda]

Happy birthday Wrona and that is super about your upgrade! Congrats and enjoy your special week!

 

:D

[rrraydon]

So a quick preview of the coming cruise review:

 

1. The aforementioned upgrade fairy visit:D

2. It's fabulous

3. Chocolate

4. I pulled a Wrona:eek:

5. Rum punch

6. Did I mention it's fabulous?:D

 

 

CHOCOLATE!!?? :eek:...YAY!

 

Subscribing!..when you start it..:D

[Colorado Babe]

Happy Birthday and congratulations on your upgrade. Enjoy and celebrate.

[ckrobyn]

So a quick preview of the coming cruise review:

 

1. The aforementioned upgrade fairy visit:D

2. It's fabulous

3. Chocolate

4. I pulled a Wrona:eek:

5. Rum punch

6. Did I mention it's fabulous?:D

 

Congrats on the upgrade and Happy Birthday!!!

Glad you are having a fabulous cruise - can't wait for your review!!!

My turn in 36 more sleeps :p:p:p

[Lionesss]

Got to the pier and they couldn't find our cards. Upgraded to a JS.

 

Happy birthday to me!

 

What a great gift!!!!!

 

Happy birthday

 

Sue and crew

[reedl]

Hey, I cruised on my 50th birthday, and got no upgrade at all. Wow RCCL, do you not like me?

 

Anyways, Happy Birthday. Enjoy your cruise!

Edited January 17, 2014 by reedl

[RoofingPrincess]

Notes from the roomie...

 

JetBlue flight from Hartford to San Juan - first time on JB. They do gave more legroom than other airlines I've flown with lately! And I had a whole row to myself, even though there were quite a few people in middle seats. Or, at least I did until just before takeoff, when someone switched seats. JB charges more for seats with "even more space", the first few rows plus the two exit rows over the wings. They won't let people move to those seats unless they've paid the surcharge, so the exit rows are empty on this flight.

[RoofingPrincess]

Taxi from the airport to the Intercontinental Hotel is $14 for two people with two bags, $25 from there to PanAm Pier. Our room had a tiny little European balcony with views of the Laguna and some nearby fast food establishments. The pool area is gorgeous and almost tempted us to dig out our suits and take a dip. One of the restaurants was down at the beach and served wonderful mojitos which went a long way toward dissolving Wrona's Week From Hell stress.

[RoofingPrincess]

Left the hotel around 11 am, had some wait in the terminal, and were onboard by 12:30. Discovered at check in that we had been upgraded to a Junior Suite! Wrona shrieked so loudly that she scared the crap out of the passenger checking in next to us.

First stop, the Spa, to change Wrona's appointment from tomorrow to this afternoon. Lunch in the Windjammer, then hung out in the Solarium with a Goombay Smash until it was time for W to go to the spa.

Went down to find our cabin around 2:45. It's gorgeous, but contained someone's mobility scooter! I went down to our previously assigned cabin and found our bags outside in the hall, so I brought them up to our... walk-in closet! Our balcony is large enough for three chairs and a small table. We have a sofa and two chairs, plus a small coffee table, in the cabin. Oodles of storage space even without the giant closet. We didn't even use it all!

[RoofingPrincess]

Got a leisurely start, then I went to a jewelry class, followed by the Meet & Mingle. Won a tote bag, and my gift exchange item was a big bag of Lindor truffles. Lunch, then a nap, then hot tub, steam room, sauna, and a dip in the pool. Champagne and reading on the balcony. Gorgeous sunset, them we got ready for formal night.

[RoofingPrincess]

Tour at Agapey Chocolate. The owner, Derek, is a wonderfully personable Canadian guy with an engineering background who, for some reason, decided to go into chocolate making and to do it in Barbados. We sample three types of sugar, ending with Bajan sugar, which is, of course, the best. We taste two kinds of cacao beans, and all of his types of chocolate, including the amazing rum caramel filled one, which he saved for last. He shows us how the roasting machine works, then a set up where the hulls of the beans are cracked by a machine at one end, then the cracked beans are fed into a hopper at the other end which has a shop vac hooked up to it. This crushes the beans further and winnows out the hulls. The nibs are then pulverized with sugar making a thick syrup that is delicious but still has a gritty mouthfeel. This syrup is sent through another machine which makes the particles so fine that the tongue does not detect them. Finally, it is heated for three days to almost eliminate any acidity from the final product. Packaging is still done by hand. We had the opportunity to buy bars at $5 each. I saw them in the shop at the pier for $7 so it was a good deal.

Wrona and I asked Derek for a recommendation of a place for lunch, and he directed us to a Bajan buffet restaurant called Brown Sugar. Really tasty food, including fish cakes, macaroni pie, barbecue chicken, and a fantastic cold bean salad with curry. Desserts included Bajan bread pudding with rum sauce A bit pricey because we seriously overpaid by paying the Barbados dollar amount in US dollars at a 2-for-1 ratio. Oh well, live and learn. Our waitresses got excellent tips today :) Cab from Agapey to Brown Sugar was $20 but the return trip to the ship was $15. Weird since Agapey was not far from the ship, we walked. No meters used.

As we re boarded the ship, the spa was offering a massage and facial that I just couldn't pass up. It was lovely, but she used so much oil I felt I could take a running start in the Promenade and then slide all the way to the other end.

[RoofingPrincess]

Room service breakfast on the balcony.

Once again, Cosol provides a wonderful tour. Our driver and guide was RamZee, and he was delightful and well informed. Cosol's operation was a lot bigger this time than when I took his tour in November 2011. Many more vans involved, which made for a little difficulty in parking them all sometimes. The stop for the breakfast of Lucian specialties was in a different location (it had to be to accommodate all the people) but there was still plenty of goodies for everyone.

Wrona stubbed her toe very badly on a rock at Jalousie Beach, almost completely dislodging the nail. Back at the van, RamZee got out the first aid kit and helped her clean it up as well as possible. A visit to the ship's infirmary upon our return produced a better cleanup and the suggestion that the toe might indeed be broken, but they felt x-rays would not be useful since there's nothing that can really be done for a broken toe beyond immobilization, which the band-aid was already doing, and ice.

The stop at the volcano now included the opportunity for a sulphur mud bath, BUT it seems this stop has now been included by a lot of other tours, including those offered by Royal. Quite a few more vans. The mud baths were too crowded and noisy for my taste. The botanical garden was not on the tour this time but there was a stop at a waterfall that was a lot of fun. We had opted not to patronize the boa constrictor guys on the outbound trip, but after a day of rum punch, spice rum, and beer (yeah, OK, there was water and soda too) we decided to stop on the way back. So a couple of us paid a dollar each to have our pictures taken with a big bad boa draped around our shoulders! The tour is advertised as 5-6 hours, but we left before 9 and returned at 4.

We were fortunate to have our balcony on the land side at this port and were treated to the sight of a catamaran pulling up on the other side of the port shopping area and discharging about ten passengers. They ran madly through to board the ship, to the applause and catcalls of other audience members, after which time the gangplank was promptly pulled up. Shortly after that, as we sailed away, we heard a voice singing from the direction the cat continued: God Save The Queen. I'm sure Her Royal Majesty might have been impressed were it not for the fact that the soloist was clearly intoxicated as he belted the lyrics at the top of his mighty lungs.

Shortly after that, we saw a rainbow!

[RoofingPrincess]

Diamond breakfast again, and since specialty coffees are no extra charge there, I treated myself to a mocha along with my banana pancakes.

Our tour was with Lawrence of Antigua. After running the gauntlet of countless tour operators trying to drum up business (they respect a polite no, but you have to say it to each of them!), we found Lawrence and his bright plaid vest. We were shocked to discover we were his only passengers for the day! He kept up a running commentary on the places we saw as we drove across the island and to Nelson's Dockyard National Park. We went up to the Block House and Shirley's Point before heading down to the dockyard itself. On Lawrence's advice, we made sure to pop into the bakery behind the museum at the dockyard. Right after passing through the rainforest, he stopped to pick up some pineapple tidbits for us at a local roadside stand. Very sweet, slightly different flavor from the commercially grown ones we get at home. Experienced liquid sunshine at a few points during the morning, but it only occurred while we were en route from one point to another.

Getting back to the port area just after noon (beyond the advertised 3 hours) we found a very crowded shopping area, still teeming with tour operators. Two other ships in port with us, Aida Luna and Costa Magica, so a lot of German and other languages spoken all around us.

We were invited to the Royal Suite for sail away by some roll call friends, Dana and Valerie. Wow!

[RoofingPrincess]

Four other ships in port: Pacific Princess, Celebrity Equinox, and Azura and Oceana from P&O.

Wrona found her birthday present to herself in one of the jewelry stores right at the port, some small hoop earrings with channel set tanzanite and diamonds. Shortly after that, we experienced significant liquid sunshine followed by a rainbow that ended remarkably near the stern of our ship.

I had arranged a class at Tijon Perfumerie in Grand Case on the French side. This was the one hour "101" level class, and there were two others with me, a couple from California who came in on the Equinox. There were also three other women well into the longer class which taught more in depth blending techniques. For ours, we were told to choose one of their 20 blended oils, put four drops in a small beaker, then add two drops of each of three other oils we had chosen. We did this a total of three times, then had the results applied to our skin and went outside to clear our noses and discover how our custom blends smelled on our skin. After choosing our favorite, we mixed a larger quantity, then added water, denatured alcohol, and an emulsifier to create the final product. We named and bottled our creations (mine is Machu Picchu because it includes Peru balsam). We were given graduation certificates and a champagne toast, as well as a goodie bag containing samples of a number of their products, including our favorite of their existing fragrances.

 

Went down to the "Ladies Pamper Party" held by the spa staff in the deck two conference center. We were walked through a DIY facial using dabs of products sold in the spa. Two names were drawn for free mini facials. The spa manager held up a Mix and Match flyer that listed seven different spa treatments and offered 20-minute versions of three of them for $109, and told us that as Pamper Party participants, we could have all of them for $89 by either booking it on the spot or getting her signature on the sheet and booking it up at the spa later. Being a fan of good spa deals in general and hot stone back massages in particular, I joined the line and made a booking for the next night at 8 pm.

 

Hoisted a glass of Strongbow cider in the Duck & Dog Pub in memory of a friend. The entertainer had some interesting twists on the lyrics to some familiar tunes. Evidently Buffett's new tattoo was NOT a Mexican cutie, but rather one of Venus, in an unmentionable location! (No, he didn't say the word!)

However, we had an issue with the music being offered that night. While sitting In the Champagne Bar, we were bombarded by both he band from the Schooner Bar and the one in the Promenade, creating a cacophony that eventually became unbearable. While in the pub, the DJ started cranking up the tunes for the 70s party to be held there; for those of us sitting in the outer row of seats within the pub, it drowned out the singer. Entertainment staff really needs to take a look at who is scheduled when and where; this overlap is not fair to either performer or audience.

Edited January 20, 2014 by RoofingPrincess

[RoofingPrincess]

We signed up for an island tour with Sweeny's Safari Tours, along with another couple from the roll call. When we met him at the pier, he explained that our tour would be conducted by his associate Denny. Just before departure, three more people were added to the group. We started by going through the rainforest area, then a stop at Columbus Point, with great narration along the way. We got to spend an hour in Christiansted, where we had an excellent lunch at a small restaurant on the boardwalk. On the way back, we toured Cruzan Rum and learned how molasses is turned into an excellent drink courtesy of our guide Norman. Of course we had to sample their product at the end of the tour.

 

Got a call from Dana inviting us back to the Royal Suite for sailaway and to help them reduce their wine surplus.

 

Had an earlier than usual dinner, then headed off to the spa. My treatment room must have been the smallest one on the ship. Not even enough room for a chair to put my clothes on, and the staff person could barely walk around the table. She gave me four treatments: a back massage, a foot massage, a scalp massage, and a facial. Not seven. And no hot stones were used in the back massage. Still a good treatment and an excellent value, but it was not what had been advertised, so I left feeling a bit disgruntled and will be pointing this out in the online survey I will be receiving at home (replacing the old paper surveys formerly distributed onboard).

 

Back to Dana and Val's to help finish off the last of the wine :) then it was time to exchange email addresses and say farewell :(

[RoofingPrincess]

At the end of muster drill: I just joined the ship, I have to go find the maps and figure out how to get to Barbados

 

Midday on our sea day: I'm pretty sure we are on the right course to get to Barbados

 

Tuesday morning: I have some good news. I have found Barbados! (Plays a snippet from the Hallelujah Chorus) then, after some other Bajan history and other items, tells us to be back on the ship by 4:30, and if we're not, to make sure we have a camera with us as we will be able to get some amazing shots of the Adventure as it heads out to sea.

 

Tuesday afternoon: If your friends are not back on board yet, they will soon be hearing (plays "All by myself")! We will have to back the ship out from the dock, but don't worry, we have found reverse gear.

 

Tuesday night, at the repeat guest reception: The Oasis has twice as many passengers as this ship. She still has only one Captain. He gets paid the same amount I do. Now you see why I am on this ship!

 

Thursday morning announcements started with the playing of the "Good Morning, Good Morning" song while we were at breakfast.

 

Just before Thursday's sail away, he told us that the reports that Antigua has 365 beaches were wrong. There are 367. The other two are secret ones that they don't let tourists know about.

 

Friday morning's announcement started with the song "Walking on Sunshine", which in Wrona's case we amended to Limping on Sunshine. The pre-departure announcement included a demonstration of his new indicator to be used if other ships get in our way: the "Dixie" tone used by the Dukes of Hazzard. Also, "Please fasten your seat belts for departure".

 

Saturday pre-departure: "you have quite possibly been the best guests we have had this year; then again, it is early in the year". And, "at least when you get home you don't have to worry about your house moving away before you get back at night".

[RoofingPrincess]

In the cruise terminal, do NOT take the Customs/Immigration line at the right. The line used by wheelchairs and B2B passengers is at its right, and they get priority, which makes this line move more slowly.

 

Taxi to the airport was easy to get, plenty of them waiting outside the terminal. The driver put my one bag in the trunk and me in the front seat. He went back and found another couple and their bags as well. At the airport, I asked how much and he said $23, which seemed a bit high for me since it was a shared ride. All I had was two $20 bills, and he could not find anyone with change, so he finally said, Just give me $20.

 

JetBlue will not check your bags until 6 hours before the flight. I arrived at 9 for my flight after 6 pm, so I was stuck out in the unsecured area for four hours. Once through Security in Terminal A, there wasn't much to choose from in terms of restaurants or bars. The food court had Carvel, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, a pizza place, Carl's Jr (burgers), one other option I'm forgetting, and a bar/restaurant called Mango something.

There were no TVs anywhere in the terminal, so NFL fans were quite unhappy. There was also no WiFi service, not even for pay, which made me quite unhappy. My 11 hours in the terminal (flight delayed till almost 8) would have been much more bearable with internet access.

[Isa65]

Thank you for your review, I truly enjoyed it.

Good to hear you had a good time and it made me want to sign up for spa services.

 

Everything ok with W's toe now?