Cruising the Caribbean on the Re_al Princess : A pictorial review

[MicCanberra]

Thanks Norris , and good news it is ! The surgery was accomplished using the minimally invasive laparoscopic version with hopefully , a shorter hospitalization and a quicker recovery period . But it took much longer than the estimated 2 hours for a conventional large incision , requiring 5 hours +. It was worth the extra wait , but we feel like we've been on a 15 hour night overnight flight ! :) :D

 

Excellent news. It will be worth it I am sure.:D

[MicCanberra]

A Celebrity and Carnival sandwich

 

 

 

 

 

Very cool shots

[upwarduk]

So glad Pat has had the surgery and hoping that the recovery period is quick and successful.

[scubacruiserx2]

Wishing you and especially Pat that all goes well.:D

 

Thank you Mic , we really appreciate that .

 

 

Excellent news. It will be worth it I am sure.:D

 

 

We hope so and expect that it will in the long run . But currently , it seems funny that it's called minimally invasive when she has 3 tubes in place and multiple incisions . And hospitalization seems to be the antithesis of a cruise with nothing to drink and no food ! :eek:

[scubacruiserx2]

So glad Pat has had the surgery and hoping that the recovery period is quick and successful.

 

Thank you for good wishes Jackie ! :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

Our room service lunch was delivered quickly , and along with a beer from the fridge , really hit the spot !

 

Texas chili

 

 

 

 

A Moroccan vegetable crock pot

 

 

 

 

At the door mailbox was a new Day at sea Patter .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[trystran72]

Wishing Pat a speedy recovery!! It is a bummer there isn't a nice wake view in that hospital...recovery time would be cut in half. :)

[barbie5401]

Thank you for sharing your photos! We leave on 3rd of April, can't wait. Prayers for a speedy recovery for your wife.

[scubacruiserx2]

Wishing Pat a speedy recovery!! It is a bummer there isn't a nice wake view in that hospital...recovery time would be cut in half. :)

 

Thanks Kim that's a great idea - an extra large enlargement of the wake view ! ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

Thank you for sharing your photos! We leave on 3rd of April, can't wait. Prayers for a speedy recovery for your wife.

 

You're welcome ! We hope that you enjoy your cruise as much , or more , than we did . We do appreciate your prayers and congratulations on your victory over cancer ! :) :D

 

p.s. We love Venetian pool !

 

 

Photo from wiki

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_Pool

 

 

[perfect match]

Thank you we appreciate that !

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Norris , and good news it is ! The surgery was accomplished using the minimally invasive laparoscopic version with hopefully , a shorter hospitalization and a quicker recovery period . But it took much longer than the estimated 2 hours for a conventional large incision , requiring 5 hours +. It was worth the extra wait , but we feel like we've been on a 15 hour night overnight flight ! :) :D

 

Yes, I've been MIA here for a while, busy researching my upcoming cruises on RCI during my CC time. I'm glad the link to "first unread post" brought me straight to the last post in the review so I was able to see the news about Pat's successful surgery! I probably wouldn't have gotten this far in my catching up otherwise. I hope recovery goes quickly and without complications.

 

Now I need to go find where I really left off reading this review and get myself caught up. :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

Yes, I've been MIA here for a while, busy researching my upcoming cruises on RCI during my CC time. I'm glad the link to "first unread post" brought me straight to the last post in the review so I was able to see the news about Pat's successful surgery! I probably wouldn't have gotten this far in my catching up otherwise. I hope recovery goes quickly and without complications.

 

Now I need to go find where I really left off reading this review and get myself caught up. :cool:

 

No worries Nancy , welcome back and we hope that your knees and rehab are working and going well . :cool:

[scubacruiserx2]

On our second day in a row at sea , we went down for sunset before our UBD . There was no fountain show , but a sunset slide show was on the big screen . And on that day we observed that some of the best sunsets occur:

 

Before sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

and on the screen .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[perfect match]

Great sunsets, Joe! Amd I do mean yours on the really big screen not the ones on the big screen on the ship! I especially like the first one you posted. It looks to me like the hands of God in the clouds reaching down to cradle the sun. With your permission, I'd like to use that photo as wallpaper on my tablet.

 

I finished with my formal rehab on my knees today, but they still need a lot of work to get them where I need them to be. I have had a great Physical Therapist who has shown me what I need to do on my own. I will be signing up next week for the Carry Over program at the gym where I did my PT, so I will have free use of all the facilities at the gym for another month, and be able to keep my recovery going.

 

Pat, hope you are feeling better after your surgery. I'm sure those laproscopic incisions will be healed and you will be back to your normal self in no time at all.

[scubacruiserx2]

Great sunsets, Joe! Amd I do mean yours on the really big screen not the ones on the big screen on the ship! I especially like the first one you posted. It looks to me like the hands of God in the clouds reaching down to cradle the sun. With your permission, I'd like to use that photo as wallpaper on my tablet.

 

I finished with my formal rehab on my knees today, but they still need a lot of work to get them where I need them to be. I have had a great Physical Therapist who has shown me what I need to do on my own. I will be signing up next week for the Carry Over program at the gym where I did my PT, so I will have free use of all the facilities at the gym for another month, and be able to keep my recovery going.

 

Pat, hope you are feeling better after your surgery. I'm sure those laproscopic incisions will be healed and you will be back to your normal self in no time at all.

 

Nancy , thank you so much for your observations and kind words . Of course you may use it and thanks for asking .

 

Keep up the good rehab work , and your eyes on the prize ( only 2 months for your next cruise ) - it will be well worth it !

 

Yesterday was a truly a Good Friday . Pat's recovery has been quicker than we expected . Full function has returned already and 2 tubes removed , and she can now eat ice chips . She does still have pain and the antibiotics continue to zap her energy . She's walking a lot and we're hoping for a clear liquid diet today , but 1 day at a time for the time being . :)

[scubacruiserx2]

After the sun disappeared behind a cloud bank , our attention returned to the screen .

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last photo from the deck was Peterhof , a palace on the outskirts of St. Petersburg , Russia , which was patterned after Versailles .

 

 

 

 

To illustrate Nancy's point about the big screen here is a couple of photos that we took , of the real thing - in person , when we were visiting Peterhof .

 

 

View from the palace

 

 

 

The grand fountain and palace

 

 

 

 

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Peterhof , you may want to see the fountains when they are turned on in the morning .

 

 

 

 

And here's a video clip of that , which we recorded :

 

 

Edited March 26, 2016 by scubacruiserx2

[Cindy]

 

and in the distance , the sleek Celebrity Equinox

 

 

 

 

 

Great picture! We just got off the Equinox yesterday...she's a beauty!

 

We were in Grand Cayman on Wednesday -- one of SEVEN ships!:eek: It was more than a little crowded!:rolleyes:

[scubacruiserx2]

Great picture! We just got off the Equinox yesterday...she's a beauty!

 

We were in Grand Cayman on Wednesday -- one of SEVEN ships!:eek: It was more than a little crowded!:rolleyes:

 

Thanks Cindy . We hope that you had a great time , but I can't imagine 7 ships on GC . Were they all in Georgetown ?

[Cindy]

Thanks Cindy . We hope that you had a great time , but I can't imagine 7 ships on GC . Were they all in Georgetown ?

 

Yes...all in Georgetown. The main street (Harbor Drive?) was insane, and I heard from others that many of the popular spots (Stingray City, Royal Palms) were unbelievably crowded. We had arranged a walking food tour that got us off the beaten path and avoided the worst of the crowds, but if I had it to do over again I would stay on the ship. Our guide told us the passenger count the day we were there was 21,800+!:eek: A friend who did a private catamaran excursion to Stingray City said it was like being on the streets of a very crowded city...people everywhere! I have some pictures, but I have to get them onto my computer and hosted before I can post them here.

 

There weren't even enough tenders to go around, so the Silhouette and the Regal were using their lifeboats. The Equinox put one of her lifeboats in service in the afternoon so people didn't have as long to wait on the pier. We got stuck on that as our tender back to the ship, and it was enough to let me know that the only reason I would ever want to be in a lifeboat would be because it is the only alternative to sinking!

 

Other than the crowds in Georgetown, we had a great time. I thought the Equinox was the prettiest ship we've ever been on, and the staff/crew were outstanding!

Edited March 26, 2016 by Cindy

[scubacruiserx2]

And after another busy day of forklifts and shutter button pushing , it was time for another meal to sustain us through the long winter night .

 

And after all of the day's activities - it a good thing that we had ordered in . At the appointed time a couple of energizer bunnies dressed in suits began to transform our sunroom into a al fresco dining experience .

 

 

 

View check , linen tablecloth check , flowers check , bread and butter check , canapes check , Mojito and Margarita double check . And where's my bride of 38 years ?

 

 

 

 

Ahhh , let's eat !

 

 

 

Next up - a crab cake

 

 

 

 

Warm , moist and full of crab . Better than the dry version which we had on the CB .

 

 

 

 

A salad , champagne and a sweater for the cool breeze .

 

 

[trystran72]

beautiful!! I can't wait to do this when we're booked on the aft balcony with that nice view! :)

[Guest arowe6]

Long time lurker. First time poster to this thread. Love your photos. Keep them coming!

 

-Andrew :-)

[perfect match]

Nancy , thank you so much for your observations and kind words . Of course you may use it and thanks for asking .

 

Keep up the good rehab work , and your eyes on the prize ( only 2 months for your next cruise ) - it will be well worth it !

 

Yesterday was a truly a Good Friday . Pat's recovery has been quicker than we expected . Full function has returned already and 2 tubes removed , and she can now eat ice chips . She does still have pain and the antibiotics continue to zap her energy . She's walking a lot and we're hoping for a clear liquid diet today , but 1 day at a time for the time being . :)

 

Great news about Pat's speedy recovery! While I am sure her progress will continue, you're exactly right about taking things one day at a time, especially early on in recovery. Yes, I frequently need that reminder myself!

 

While I am here, I went to take a moment to wish Joe, Pat and all the readers following here a very Happy Easter!

[scubacruiserx2]

beautiful!! I can't wait to do this when we're booked on the aft balcony with that nice view! :)

 

It will be worth the wait ! ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

Long time lurker. First time poster to this thread. Love your photos. Keep them coming!

 

-Andrew :-)

 

Welcome to the thread Andrew , we're happy that you enjoy the photos and we still have a few left . :cool: