(Not) Live from the Explorer of the Seas, March 2014

[DKNYC]

Denise

Looks like an awesome tour.

Denise

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[EmpressofPurple]

First, we poured the chocolate into our polished molds, banged them on the table to get rid of air bubbles (noisy!! The Disney kids were having fun) and added the desired flavorings to the back of the bar. Staff took our (numbered and labeled molds) and ran them through the cooling tunnel back in the main room, while we continued by dipping the giant marshmellow and strawberry into the chocolate, them coating them with the various toppings. Finally, we added the remaining toppings to the cup of chocolate, and formed candies on the parchment paper on the table top. In honor of our Disney companions (and being a bit of a Disney nut myself), I created Mickey heads!

 

Then we got to eat whatever was left in the cup (yum!) and answer quizzes based on all the information we had learned that day (what are the ingredients in white chocolate? How long does it take to go from bean to bar? What is the product called when you grind up the chocolate nibs?) – Carol and I, trivia nuts that we are, kindly left the quizzes to the kids on the Disney tour. At the end, we were each given a beautiful wooden cigar box and tissue paper to wrap up our chocolates, and a green paper bag to carry them back to the ship. Best tour ever, and a great deal for $50 each (plus we each tipped our wonderful guide Kiki $5). I would have bought some sea salt caramels (even at $2.50 per piece) from the store, but there weren’t any there – only in the factory, not yet ready for sale, so I made do with my own handmade chocolates.

 

Dipped marshmallow and Mickey heads

 

Beautiful wooden box to carry home our creations

 

Perfect chocolate bar! (I polished hard and banged out those air bubbles)

 

Back of the bar

 

Box and bag ready to go (yes, the box JUST fit into the bag)

 

Chocolate!! (Guide had us all yell at the beginning and end of the class)

[EmpressofPurple]

After the class, we walked back the way we came through the gardens, by the pools (now full of guests, plus other visitors taking a guided walking tour), and I got directions for the #10 bus to Cable Beach, where I planned to go afterwards (Carol would take my chocolate back to the ship so it wouldn’t melt at the beach).

 

A few more photos from Graycliff:

 

Historic 300-year-old tiling in the chocolate factory (they can't remove it) -- Pirates walked here!!

 

Random statue in the outbuildings on Graycliff property

 

Fountain

 

Street scenes and signs in downtown Nassau: Conch Fritters and directions to Junkanoo Beach

 

 

 

We stopped in Dunkin Donuts for some free wifi – which it turned out didn’t work on Carol’s iphone, and my Galaxy ran out of power, so she headed to Starbucks and I jumped on the #10 bus to Cable Beach. I didn’t realize the last person on had to close the door by hand, so the driver sped up and took a turn hard to close it that way (embarrassed).

 

I followed some folks into the Melia Hotel – a CAVERNOUS Vegas-size resort – and walked into the lobby rest room. There I changed into my swimsuit and put on a jazzy tiger-striped coverup that matched my carry bag, making me look like I belonged at this upscale resort. I tried to find a phone charger at the lobby Starbucks (alas, no luck), then followed some hotel guests through the rear doors to the beach (“use room key to access resort” it said, but it seemed to be open in general).

[EmpressofPurple]

GORGEOUS pool area, Pharell’s “Happy” playing on the sound system, amazing aqua Bahamian waters and expansive beach. I put my stuff on an open lounge chair, picked up a used towel (ew, I know, but I didn’t want to try to go to the towel kiosk and be asked to show my room key) and headed into the water. Resort guests were doing stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and more. I swam in the delightful waters till 2pm, then sunned for a while and wrote up these notes. I’ll go in again, then read till 3 or 3:30, change and take the bus back downtown by 4pm. Best day ever!

 

Beautiful Bahamian waters

 

I was “accosted” doing my 20-stroke swim laps up and down the beach by Eloise from Toronto, with her green floatie mat. She invited me to share the mat with her and started chatting about traveling here with her husband’s secretary, being hit on by men, by women (but assuring me she’s not gay), telling me that the food plan at the Melia is $400 per day (!!), that she has 6 children and 20 grandchildren, recommending designer Rachel Roy for flattering larger size dresses. Chatty chatty and we’re not even on a cruise! She was a lot of fun.

 

Resting in the Melia Lobby

 

I got out of the water when my shoulders started to burn (!), lay on the beach for a while longer to dry out, went back inside and changed in the restroom again, rested on oversized furniture in the Melia's giant lobby, then walked back to the bus stop and rode back to downtown Nassau. There I browsed my favorite cosmetics and perfume shop (didn’t see anything I “needed”). I stopped in the pierside market and bought 2 Tings (my favorite Jamaican grapefruit soda… for $3 each!! (from the vendor I stopped at because it advertised $1 sodas… oh well)… I also bought some honey from Andros… pink grapefruit massage oil… mango hot sauce ($21 for all three)… three beautiful candles with shells embedded in the wax ($20 for 3) and walked back to the ship with my now-heavy bags. (Can you believe I only JUST unpacked my cruise bag and discovered all of these delights!?!)

 

Once on board I returned to the cabin, where I showered, dressed, and ate a kiwi and banana I had in the room. I ran down to “fun trivia” at 5:15… where there was only one person from “our gang” to play with. I got a 6.5 out of 15 (winners got 9). Rats… not so much fun. : ( Sample wrong answers: What Nobel Prize category was added in 1969? (Economics) What is “New France”? (Canada!) What does a manometer measure? (liquid pressure) What is the best conductor of electricity? (Silver… which I had written down and crossed out in favor of copper, darn!) And on and on…

 

After that I headed up to the Promenade café for a slice of pizza, a mini-croissant with ham and cheese (is it possible to get tired of these? Let’s see something else…), and orange/kiwi/banana fruit salad (hungry after a day on the beach with no food!)

 

Promade Cafe fruit salad and mini sandwich

 

Then I got 2 cookies and a cup of coffee and went out on the Promenade Deck to watch sailaway. Alas, I was on the smoking side of the Promenade, but with the breeze as we pulled out of Nassau, it was fine, so I didn’t bother moving to the other side of the ship. The Disney Dream followed us out of port, delightful to watch. I chatted with Larry and Karen from north Jersey, then came to see the show at 7pm for a 7:15 curtain.

 

Disney Dream follows us out of port

[EmpressofPurple]

(EEK! No notes till 6pm the next day! I’m sure I forgot a lot of details…)

 

The show was “Hot, Cool and Swingin’,” a travelogue musical. As I recall, it covered the music scene in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Memphis and Miami (why on earth didn’t they include New Orleans??).

 

Scenes from the Show: New York, New York

 

Take Back Your Mink (Guys and Dolls)

 

I left my heart (in San Francisco)

 

Memphis

 

Miami

 

After the show, we went to dinner in the MDR… Before dinner we stopped for drinks in the Aquarium bar, and we saw Carol with her “important people dinner party” (apparently she had been invited to dine with an officer, I’m not sure which one).

[EmpressofPurple]

Tonight’s menu was the rarer PORTOBELLO (usually only seen on 8+ night cruises). I had the jalapeno-potato soup… salad with roasted vegetables, faro (a type of Italian grain) and white beans… grilled NY strip steak (the only dish I remembered to photograph) and pan-seared sea bass with tiger shrimp…

 

 

… At dinner we talked about our day’s events, and the kids let me describe Graycliff in detail… only revealing at the end that after they had gone to Atlantis (where they did manage to get onto the beach, and into the Dig as well) – they went to Graycliff, too!!! And it turns out that our dining companions, Barbara and Peter, had also taken the jitney to Cable Beach, and were one hotel beach over from where I had spent the day.

 

PORTOBELLO MENU (Hard to find!)

 

And desserts

 

I returned to my cabin after dinner... to the BEST TOWEL ANIMAL EVER!! (love the cap made from the glass topper... plus my hairbrush "in hand")

Edited April 23, 2014 by EmpressofPurple
wrong photo

[Coralc]

I didn't know you were with that Carol (MM) :D I thought maybe you were with Carol (Dirtgirl) when I saw the OBC card.

 

I'll bet Carol is fun to cruise with. She was a hoot and tons of fun in Las Vegas. :D:):D

 

Very enjoyable review. You are an excellent writer.

 

 

~Patti :)

 

And the chocolate tour looks great...I will have to keep that in mind, the next time everyone complains that "there is nothing to do" in Nassau.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Coralc

[EmpressofPurple]

Today’s Daily Offers insert covered shore excursions, casino lotto, drinks of the day, jewelry show, photo gallery promotion, 20-20-20 spa promotion (choose 3 treatments/60 mins. total for $119… um, plus tip of course…) cookbooks, specialty dining (it’s still Portofino on Explorer, hasn’t been replaced by Giovanni’s Table yet…) plus the Nassau Port Shopping Guide was also inserted in the Compass for today.

 

Daily Offers

 

Side 2

 

Nassau Port & Shopping Guide

 

Shopping Map

 

Back cover ads

Edited April 23, 2014 by EmpressofPurple
photo orientation

[EmpressofPurple]

Today’s compass highlighted Shore Excursions in Nassau (it also noted the fact that in 1997, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) changed its name to Royal Caribbean International RCI). The schedule was a little lighter sine we had a port stop today. Disco ice skating was listed as an activity (long pants and socks necessary)… Screening Room was showing “Pitch Perfect” (It seems all week the same movies were shown in the screening room as on one of the fre channels on the TV)… There were two music challenges which we missed female artists at 3:30pm (we were ashore) and Big Band Tunes at 8pm (we were on our way from the production show to dinner). Battle of the sexes game show was at 10:30pm, but I was too tired for that after my full day in Nassau. After dinner I went back to the room, where I read for a little while and laid out my clothes and bag for the following beach day on Coco Cay…

 

Day 4 Compass

 

Page 2

 

Page 3

 

Page 4 - Schedule

 

(You know what I just realized I DIDN'T notice on this cruise? Personal announcements in the Compass! I first saw those on our Explorer cruise last year... and I put one in to congratulate DD Ariel for completing two years of service with AmeriCorps. I would've put one in this year for her completing her second year of Grad School! Maybe they were there and I forgot to read them? I always love hearing about other people's celebrations and accomplishments!)

[EmpressofPurple]

Denise

Looks like an awesome tour.

Denise

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

Chocolate tour was THE BEST!! Carol recommended it in another thread -- and she said it was one of her favorite tours ever.

 

The chocolate was delicious, the tour was both educational and entertaining, the setting was unique and beautiful -- everything was a delight:)

[EmpressofPurple]

I didn't know you were with that Carol (MM) :D I thought maybe you were with Carol (Dirtgirl) when I saw the OBC card.

 

I'll bet Carol is fun to cruise with. She was a hoot and tons of fun in Las Vegas. :D:):D

 

Very enjoyable review. You are an excellent writer.

 

 

~Patti :)

 

And the chocolate tour looks great...I will have to keep that in mind, the next time everyone complains that "there is nothing to do" in Nassau.

 

Hey Patti,

 

MMCarol is one of my favorite travel companions! We've been roomies before (and we even get together on land, considering we only live about an hour and a half away from each other); it was very luxurious for us each to be cruising "solo" on this trip. Yes, we actually first "met" right here on Cruise Critic, first on the general boards, then on a roll call... and we finally made arrangements to cruise together. What a great way to make friends with shared interests (namely, cruising)!

 

The chocolate tour was fabulous... but I have to say, I have NEVER felt there's "nothing to do" in Nassau! There's SO MUCH to do! I have done all of the "touristy" things over the years, on land and sea trips... but they're all good, and I'd happily do any of them again:

 

1) Ardastra gardens and zoo (beautiful, with the amazing dancing flamingos)

2) Aquarium -- basically a building built in the water, so YOU'RE in the aquarium and the fish look in at you!

3) Semi-submarine - just what it sounds like, you're in a partially submerged boat and get to see great undersea life. (Do they still have this? I haven't seen it advertised for a while... oh well, the glass-bottom boat is fun, too.)

4) Pedal and Paddle (was this on Nassau or Freeport?) -- A great tour where we rode bikes part of the way, then kayaked part of the way... I think we went snorkeling too... I remember seeing a barracuda! eek!! (Freeport ha a nifty perfume factory, too...)

5) The Pirate Museum is fun, with live-action characters (sort of like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyworld) as well as displays and dioramas, and a cool gift shop.

6) The museum of slavery -- I saw that one when it first opened and try to stop in on every trip, always happy to support historical museums.

7) Atlantis (of course) -- casino, restaurants, high-end shopping, the Dig... and yeah, you can get overpriced entry tickets... or share a room at the next-door Comfort Suites for up to 6 people (make a deal with folks on your Roll Call!) and get wristbands and full access to the Atlantis pools, beaches and waterslides!!

8) Wander the side streets around downtown Nassau... shop for discount perfumes and cosmetics (and, I guess, alcohol and tobacco, not for me)... plus the famous straw market, of course... have a bite to eat in a local restaurant, don't just go to the chain locations...

9) Wander a block or two farther afield and look at the local architecture, churches, gardens, etc.

10) Get a day pass at the Colonial Hilton, which includes drinks, lunch, and a beach lounger.

11) Or walk half a block further on and lay your towel out on free Junkanoo Beach. This used to be just for locals, but is now more tourist-facing, with food and drink vendors, places to get a massage on the beach, hair braiding, jewelry and pareos, etc. You can also find some places for cheap wifi, even a computer cafe if you don't have your laptop, tablet, or smartphone with you (what are you, in the 1990s??)

12) Walk a bit further (or take the #10 bus to its first stop) to the "Fish Fry," a collection of brightly colored huts and get some local food. This, too, is mostly for locals but has been "discovered" by tourists... frozen drinks, conch fritters, and my favorite, FRESH FRESH FRESH conch salad made right in front of you! (If you're there on a land trip, go at night for music and entertainment as well as great food.)

13) Stay on the #10 and head out to beautiful Cable beach for a great beach day.

14) Other planned tourist outings: Blue Lagoon Island, where you can swim with Dolphins (which you can also do at Atlantis for a few more $$), or with Stingrays, or just enjoy a great beach day and a relaxing hammock under some palm trees.

15) How about a catamaran snorkel trip? Enjoy a boat ride and the undersea beauties of the Bahamas that you can't see from snorkeling onshore. This was my go-to trip for years (or a kayak-snorkel trip).

16) Or just walk off the ship and negotiate a local tour with a cab driver. You might even get to see some parts of the island that you wouldn't with a "prepackaged" tour -- ask them to show you how the local people live. You'll see livestock, houses, churches, and more.

17) Stop at a local grocery and buy packaged goods you can't find in the states, at prices cheaper than the tourist outlets: hot sauce, jerk seasoning, caribbean coffee and tea, Ting grapefruit soda, Goombay fruit punch soda, and more.

 

I had planned to walk and see Graycliff just because I had read about it as a historic location, one of the oldest buildings on the island, built as a private residence for a pirate over 300 years ago! I didn't even know about the chocolate factory and tour until I started researching Graycliff (it's relatively new, too, less than 2 years old in that location). Their restaurant has won dozens of food and wine awards if you want to spend some money on a fancy meal. There's a cigar factory there, too, for those who might want to do that tour... and there's a rum distillery a bit farther up the hill and over a couple more blocks that offers a tour, too.

 

There's ALWAYS something to do in Nassau!!!!

 

I've done all of the above, on either land trips or port stops in Nassau, and I would happily do any of them again (indeed, I've done several of them more than once, including Atlantis, Blue Lagoon Island, the museums, Junkanoo Beach, Cable Beach, the Fish Fry, and of course downtown shopping).

 

Glad you're enjoying the review!!!:D Thanks for the kind words.

[Coralc]

Great suggestions! Thanks Denise! :D:):D

[Merion_Mom]

Regular trivia at 10 was HARD. We barely got 10 out of 20 – the winners had 15 (and Carol said they only knew the answers because they were on a B2B and had had the same questions on the last cruise). Some of the ones we got wrong: Technical name for space between North and South Korea? No, not DMZ – 38th parallel. Country with no public toilets? Peru (Um, I’ve been there, that’s not true; we guessed Colombia). Most popular Monopoly piece? Racecar (we guessed the iconic Top Hat). Flag with giant lion? (Sri Lanka; we guessed Luxembourg). Scottish meaning of the word “duffer”? (No, no golfer – cattle thief. What?!?) A few we got right: Longest river in France (Loire, thanks Carol); first billionaire (Rockefeller, not Vanderbilt); State named on Jim Beam label (Kentucky… not Tennessee, that’s on Jack Daniels). I still have the answer sheet… but I have no idea what the questions were for some of these answers!!!

 

 

Not Scottish. Australian.

 

:D

[EmpressofPurple]

Dang someone's got a good memory!!:):)

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[TheBuick]

Hooked again (following) :) ...

 

Great review Empress. You've now spoiled me and I will look for you to write a wonderful review after every cruise...

 

I appreciate the list of things to do in Nassau. I had made up my mind to stay on the Oasis on our upcoming cruise since we will be there for a short time, and this will be our third time stopping in Nassau "surely we've done everything there is to do there..." NOT! Okay, so my mind is changed and I'm seeing visions of chocolate!

 

Keep up the excellent review...

[BlueSkiesTX]

I just want to say that I was up until 12:30 last night reading your review! It is fantastic. You really do a great job detailing "your" experience on the cruise. I really love that. As you say, (paraphrasing here), it's the same boat/itinerary, but we all have a different vacation.

 

It got so late when I was reading that I misread the part at the chocolate factory. I thought Kiki was handing out "provocative" clothing, not "protective". I did a double-take and laughed out loud over my husband's snoring. :p You and Merion Mom remind me of Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory.

 

Quick question for you regarding the cheese plate at dinner...when you asked to take it to go, do they wrap it up for you or put one of those catering plastic lids on the dish? I think my husband and I will do that more than once as we are enjoying a JS this go-around.

 

Thanks again for your wonderful review! DH said this morning, "what were you reading last night?" I said, "oh, a review about a ship we will probably never go on with an itinerary I have been on twice." :) I'm hooked...keep it comin'!

[EmpressofPurple]

I just want to say that I was up until 12:30 last night reading your review! It is fantastic. You really do a great job detailing "your" experience on the cruise. I really love that. As you say, (paraphrasing here), it's the same boat/itinerary, but we all have a different vacation.

 

It got so late when I was reading that I misread the part at the chocolate factory. I thought Kiki was handing out "provocative" clothing, not "protective". I did a double-take and laughed out loud over my husband's snoring. :p You and Merion Mom remind me of Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory.

 

Quick question for you regarding the cheese plate at dinner...when you asked to take it to go, do they wrap it up for you or put one of those catering plastic lids on the dish? I think my husband and I will do that more than once as we are enjoying a JS this go-around.

 

Thanks again for your wonderful review! DH said this morning, "what were you reading last night?" I said, "oh, a review about a ship we will probably never go on with an itinerary I have been on twice." :) I'm hooked...keep it comin'!

 

Ha! I hear ya... I have spent HOURS reading some of my favorite reviews -- KansCocoa and SailorJack come to mind (they're particularly funny and good writers), but there are dozens of wonderful reviewers on CC who share the details of their cruising experience. I remember reading a review of a Princess cruise in the South Pacific and CRYING at the office (pictures so beautiful, and that's an itinerary I am longing to do...)

 

OMG LOL Lucy & Ethel!!! :D:D (Mmm... provocative clothing, I think that's a different kind of tour...)

 

Re: cheese plate -- one night I took it open (I bring plastic Ziploc-type bags with me when I travel, so it was easy to me to cover it)... one night they gave me a cover... one night I forgot it, and really wanted it later!:( Once you ask for it, they usually bring 2 or 3 for the table, so you can combine leftovers and have a really nice midnight snack. Plate usually includes some nuts or dried fruit, too... oh, if only they would add a little bunch of grapes I'd be in heaven, but I just have it with an apple (I keep a basket of apples, oranges, kiwis and bananas in my cabin, partly for décor, partly for nibbling... I usually use the box that my diamond gift comes in as my fruit bowl!)

[BlueSkiesTX]

Thank you for the info regarding the cheese plate. When we have it on our June 1st cruise, I will be thinking of you, O Empress! ;)

[EmpressofPurple]

Hooked again (following) :) ...

 

Great review Empress. You've now spoiled me and I will look for you to write a wonderful review after every cruise...

 

I appreciate the list of things to do in Nassau. I had made up my mind to stay on the Oasis on our upcoming cruise since we will be there for a short time, and this will be our third time stopping in Nassau "surely we've done everything there is to do there..." NOT! Okay, so my mind is changed and I'm seeing visions of chocolate!

 

Keep up the excellent review...

 

Thanks Buick, glad you're enjoying it! I just added my previous reviews to my sig line, so if you feel like dipping into an old review, go right ahead (I do it myself sometimes, believe it or not, just to relive the fun.)

 

In fact, one of the reasons I enjoy doing these reviews is that they take me back to the cruise while I'm writing/typing/choosing photos/etc. Being a bit of a planner, I feel like I get THREE trips out of every cruise: one planning the cruise, excursions, outfits, activities, looking at menus, compasses, reading reviews... one for the cruise itself, where I may change things last minute, find new things to enjoy, decide to just lay on the deck and read all day, find out the new headliner show... and then one writing up what happened and sharing it with you!!

 

Yeah, the chocolate tour was fabulous, we had a great time... but really, Nassau is a BLAST, there's no way you've "seen in all" in just three trips! On land trips I've explored restaurants in different parts of the island, and gone exploring to see how the "other half" lives away from the tourist zones... sometimes I just get off the ship and browse the fancy diamond shops and pretend I have an unlimited bankroll... or wander into Del Sol and play with the ultraviolet T-shirts and nail polish and hair clips... or browse the cheesy souvenir shops... or look at the goofy tourists (that would be us) walking around in our bright t-shirts and shorts (or the lady I saw walking down the main drag in a teeny bikini!!) amidst all of the Bahamians in their go-to-work gear, kids in their differently-colored school uniforms, police officers looking sharp, etc., etc.

 

I'll probably post Day 5 tonight, so get ready for more onboard fun...

[jerseygirlinsi]

I'm such a fan of your reviews! You are totally the same type of cruiser I am, and as detailed as I like. I was always curious about the gym, and never made it a priority while vacationing with the family, but it will totally become part of my cruises forward. I get my gym time in at 2:30am at home (my two boys are fast asleep, and my husband is dead to the world..so I don't disturb anyones schedule at that time), so 6/7am is not a stretch at all. I'm also a foodie, and too excited for all of the variety there is at every venue on the ship.

While we will be doing a different itinerary then your current review, we will still be sailing the Explorer, and it is almost impossible to find a current Explorer review. July 12th can't get here soon enough. Bermuda with just my husband for 5 nights is the only thing I can think about!

No pressure..not really, but more! :)

[EmpressofPurple]

DAY 5 – TUESDAY, March 25 – COCOCAY… OR NOT

 

… alas it was not to be. As has happened to many others, due to challenging weather conditions, we were unable to tender into Coco, and had another sea day instead. I had awoken at 6:35, ten minutes before the alarm, went up to the gym, did the stretch & abs classes, followed by 20 minutes of speed intervals on the treadmill and some weights. It was rainy and overcast by the island, but once we weren’t trying to tender, the captain could go in search of sunnier skies, which he found!

 

I met up with Ariel and Tom and we headed up to the hot tub in the solarium, then into the steam and sauna in the changing room.

 

Hanging in the hot tub...

 

(So that photo was taken with my cell phone with the awesome waterproof nuud case... but my daughter handed it to me with the charging area OPEN and I didn't notice!! So yeah, I had to take it out of the case and let it dry out for the rest of the day... so there are NO MORE photos from today at all... at least not on my phone, and she never sent me her photos...)

 

Update!! Ariel just located her camera, and I have uploaded nearly 200 photos from the cruise -- I'll add today's photos in this post... and then I'll go back and add some goodies from the first 4 days -- enjoy!

 

After the hot tub, we went into the Windjammer for breakfast: waffles, turkey sausage, bacon, 2 hard boiled eggs, pineapple, yogurt, and a “breakfast salad” of lettuce, tomato, and cottage cheese. Have I already written about how I love being able to get a different breakfast every day? (Or the same favorite day after day if that's your thing?)

 

Waffles in the Windjammer

 

Breakfast Salad

 

Although, let me say this... I was just re-reading my old (2007-2008) reviews from both Princess and RCI, and I wrote about a lot of dining items I haven't seen for some time... different types of smoked fish at breakfast... strawberries and grapes as well as the ubiquitous melons and pineapple... (of course there were some bad things, too, like hard pancakes...)

 

I missed Morning Trivia at 10am, but stayed on for Queen (the music group) trivia with Ariel… who knew enough to get us 2nd place (again!) with virtually no help from me (or the people we had joined to play with… members of a wedding party, staying in one of the big suites onboard). While we were there, the revised “At Sea” schedules came out, with a few more activities since the CD staff wouldn’t be leading activities onshore. They added another dance class with the featured couple, karaoke, finish that lyric, volleyball, line dancing and more… but we were happy to enjoy the pool deck, where we went after Trivia.

 

We met up with Tom, who had found a great spot for us by the pool. Pretty soon another lounger opened up and we were all together. We enjoyed swimming and sunning, and ran down for lunch in the MDR, where we were seated with Larry and Karen, whom I had met at sailaway on the Promenade deck the day before! Amazing how on a ship with 3000+ guests you can have this kind of happenstance occur again and again. Lunch: tutti salad, grilled catfish (delicious with some added Tabasco) and an apple pocket with coffee. We then went back to the pool deck where we moved from rain, to sun, to rain (light rain, fortunately)… we saw the belly flop competition at the pool… enjoyed the pool deck bnd…

 

I then went to join Carol for “finish that lyric” in Maharaja’s. Boring!!! This is never a fun time anymore, since they’ve turned it into a stand-and-finish-the-song karaoke-type show competition for just a few players, rather than a classic sit-down trivia for one and all. Then we both ran down to the Schooner Bar for Broadway Music Trivia -- which was NOT in the hourly compass listing, but was in the highlights of the day on both the Cococay and new At-Sea Schedule… and though the leader was nearly 20 minutes late, since she was also doing “finish that lyric”, she did show up and lead the event. Carol knew so much that she finished in 2nd place to a team of people who worked professionally on Broadway!! She made the point that they should have disqualified herself; it would be like her competing in a Trivia held all in Latin (FYI she recently retired after a lifetime as a Latin teacher). After that, I read until pre-dinner trivia… which we won! Woo-hoo!! KEYCHAIN!!!

 

After Trivia, I went to shower and dress for 70’s night, wearing my special dress that I had found in a little boutique on Block Island and LOVED, have worn it for every 70’s-night event ever since (including a 70’s night disco party at Captain Nick’s Rock n roll bar on Block Island as well as on every RC ship)… (for photos, look at my Oasis review... it's the same!)

 

Dinner: Tonight was the SHIITAKE menu, which I happen to enjoy: In the past I have had the Harira Soup (very middle-eastern flavors, delicious) but tonight I rield the chilled Mango and Pineapple Soup and the Ceviche, yum! Then Lamb chops with mint jelly; and warm chocolate cake with COFFEE ice cream (which I have been asking for every night, so glad it’s here at last) for dessert.

 

Ariel and Tom’s young friends, Heather and Brian, decided to switch tables and come join us for the rest of the cruise. Turns out they live very close to Barbara and Peter in Queens! They’ve made a lovely and lively addition to our table – and apparently, their former dining companions were a little strange, and their servers a bit under par… they were thrilled with the service from Kumar and Juan. Heather let it slip that she likes desserts and has a hard time choosing… so I whispered in Kumar’s ear and told him to bring her one of EVERY dessert on tonight’s menu. She was thrilled and surprised as dessert after dessert arrived in front of her at the table!!

 

Heather with the magical multiple desserts

 

 

After dinner, I ran out to dance on the Promenade ... Ariel and Tom stopped by the Chamber for the Beatles Hour, but NO ONE was there (of course not, they were all on the Promenade with me!). I caught a light-up ring, was given mardi gras beads by one of the dancers, and got filmed by the camera crew for the Cruise in review video. Fun!!

 

Ooh, wait, there is one photo: I grabbed a shot of the cabin TV when it was showing the Cruise in Review... which I was in for about one second:

 

Afterwards I went to my cabin and read for a while, prepared for the early morning, and went to sleep.

[EmpressofPurple]

Shiitake Menu

 

Desserts

 

Cococay Compass (sorry it's so wrinkled, I almost threw it away)

 

Page 2 (notice the Broadway Music Trivia listing at 3pm...)

 

Page 3

 

Page 4 (No Broadway Music Trivia listing here...)

[EmpressofPurple]

"Take an extra-long break today"... because you have no other choice!!

 

Page 2 - Yup, Broadway Musical Challenge still listed here...

 

Page 3 -

 

Page 4 - But no Broadway Musical Challenge at 3pm on the schedule...

(Notice how many more activities are listed vs. the CocoCay Compass...)

 

Daily Offers

 

Back of flyer

[EmpressofPurple]

Okay, let's see if there are some goodies in here...

 

Jitney for one-minute trip from terminal to ship

 

How do you like my ship?

 

On the Promenade

 

What day is it anyway?

 

Unloading in the Windjammer

 

Oh, that's what I had for lunch on boarding day!

[EmpressofPurple]

View of the Cabin (must be mine, notice the "bubble TV")

 

Tom on the Treadmill

 

Selfie Sunset

 

Formal Night Photo in the Atrium

 

And One with Mama!